An Immensity of Roses

Friends, I’ve been phoning it in for the past couple of months.  I guess the writing’s been okay, but there’s not been enough of it!  Not posting a lot = not many folks reading.  Not many folks reading = sad writer.

But here’s the thing:  there is this little house we are in.  Outside this little house is an orchard with apple trees that have been there for decades;  there are also new apple and pear trees just getting their legs under them.  They all want mulch and songs.

There are huge swaths of rosemary with their tiny purple flowers and willow trees blossoming on the hillside; there is lavender, spilling their sweet scent.  There are immense rose bushes; so big that C. has hollowed out the center of one of them to make a Rose Room. The whole property literally hums with bees.

There are 11 new hens, not quite old enough to start laying, but soon.  We have 3 Rhode Island Whites and 5 Black Australorps; also 2 Black Sex-links that the hatchery gave us because in the original delivery 2 of the hens were ‘damaged’.  One of the Whites was missing an eye (though she was in good health otherwise!) and one of the Australorps had a twisted foot.  We’re keeping those two and we’ll see how they lay.  It’s no extra stress to take care of them thus far.  They all want bugs and cooing.

There are the 5 goats.  Did I mention that Goat = Cat + Monkey?  Yeah.  Some of you out there are laughing to yourselves right now; I hear you!  They *are* a challenge, but we’re figuring it out.  The goats want…well, whatever they want at the moment, that’s what!

There’s the incredible sunset, and the night sky full of numberless stars.  There are crickets chirping and the crackle of light in the woodstove.  We got a little bit of rain in early February and the frogs started croaking again.  They want listening to.

So, outside are all these beings wanting something!  Inside is small and cozy (and crowded), full of half-finished projects and areas that are still more barn storage than home.  There is so much to distract one from putting fingers on keyboard!

So to keep you (and me) interested in what’s happening here, I want to mix it up a bit,  post videos, more pictures and short-diary-entry type biz. I want to stay in touch with the little community which has been slowly growing up around this blog malarkey.  I look forward to your thoughts and comments. What’s happening in *your* neck of the woods?