Morning farm chores were pretty miserable this morning. The mild and sunny weather that graced us for the Christmas weekend has now allowed a large rain system to move into northwestern Pennsylvania. They are calling for it's change into snow by evening, but for now it's just a lot of wet. All this rain we've had recently has really turned this farm into a mucky mess! Needless to say, the chickens have been 'cooped' up since Saturday, so they didn't much care what was going on outside, they just wanted out. I can't blame them. I propped open the rabbits just a bit to let some air flow in, but that's the best that I could do. I've always been told that "a wet angora, is a dead angora." Sounds kind of harsh, but it's true. All that fiber is great for keeping them warm in the winter, but it would be like trying to sled ride in a soaking wet snow suit.
It's supposed to rain all week...
While my farm chores only took all of 20 minutes, I feel worse for my husband, who is out working at the alpaca farm the next three days. At least he'll get to spend most of his time in the barns. All I could think as I was sloshing a fresh bucket of water down to the coop (half of which some how ended up in my boot) was how nice it would be to just have a barn to work in today. One of these days.
On a 'sunnier' note, we were blessed by a friend who at the last minute offered to stop out and take care of the animals for a couple of days so we could go home for Christmas. I was extremely thankful for her help. We may only be three hours from home, but it's still too far to just swing back to the farm to close up the animals after that filling Christmas dinner. I think sometimes it upsets my mom that I can't come home as much. It upsets me too. But becoming a "farmer" is a choice that I am serious about. It's not just a ephemeral hobby. I am a determined woman. I know she understands that, and even looks forward to a day when she can participate in the whole process.
Christmas brought pretty much our whole family together; even those a half a country away. We had 36 people at my grandparent's house on Sunday! We chatted, played some music, and ate lots of food. It was I good time. But we are home now (as of yesterday evening). It's sad to see the holiday's end. If we were home, we'd spend most of the next week's days with family. Sharing meals. Chatting about old memories. I do so look forward to the day when we will be homeward bound. But for now, I will make the best of my life here. After all, this is where many of my dreams have begun to come true. I will never forget that. Life is a journey. We glean from our travels. For me, this is a big part of it. I have learned skills that I will have for a lifetime.
For now, I will take these (literally) soggy bottoms, soak in a nice hot bath, and reflect on the journey.
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