Winter work

We started the “negative yardage” dance early this year. You know, one step forward, three steps back.

We had gotten outside on a warm day last week to clear off some trees and brush, which was excellent and much needed. Except that then my husband ended up getting an outrageous poison ivy rash that was even on his face and left him looking like Rocky Balboa until he got a steroid shot. Needless to say, that menace of a rash left him belligerent and distracted at best. As far as I can figure, I had been wearing my coat and gloves while I was clearing. When my husband and I traded jobs, he had on short sleeves. He must have come into contact with poison ivy and wiped his brow with the crook of his arm. Lesson learned: ALWAYS wear sleeves when brush clearing. AND- yes, you can still get poison ivy in January, even if it has no leaves.

So that set back any progress we might have made on the rest of the brush for a while. And furthermore, really really really made apparent how much we need goats for land clearance… We’re still praying and waiting for that dream to become a reality, Lord willing, this spring.

On a positive note, we did finish wood chipping the fifth and final back to Eden terrace.

I got a start on some wattle trellises for our peas this spring.

There’s a good portion of tidying up that needs to be done around the garden beds and swale before we can really plant anything new in those areas. We’re thinking of starting some grape vines in the hugelkultur bed.

We have planted 2 more hazel nut bushes and the rosemary I planted last month is doing splendidly! So thank God for small miracles.

It’s when you face setbacks and health issues that you really understand how completely you depend on God for everything- rain, optimal weather, seed germination, health… It’s all His to give, and God gets all the glory.

So that’s our mindset going forward; trust God, and give Him the glory.

PS-

Flynn and Cyd seem to be getting on swimmingly. Which is one more step forward…