November - Another Busy Month, and We Still Have Almost Two Weeks!

I knew November was going to be a busy one this year.  Lots of travel on the work front and lots  of projects on the farm front.  Throw in a couple of plays and a visit with my granddaughter, and, well, November is flying by!

We decided we needed MORE storage for the farm equipment, shelters for hay and straw and piles of mulch etc.  We had some space that had challenged us at every turn as we tried to grow something, anything.... corn, sunflowers, apple trees, apricot trees, raspberries, blackberries... you name it, it grew at a snail's pace and produced poorly.  Joe always contended that this area of the property had once been a road, and I think he might be right.  At any rate, it provided the perfect location for our new structure.... 18' X 73' long... with roads up to it and along side it between it and the woods.  However, before installation could occur, some "minor" work had to be done to create the pads and the roads.  120 tons of road dirt later, Joe is ready to start spreading gravel and crush-n-run.  Weather permitting, the buildings will be erected on Friday (EEK).

Meanwhile, with winter fast approaching, wood had to be reclaimed from fallen and felled trees.  And Joe built a new wood shed near the front of the house so he won't have to track through the cold and mush to get wood every day, once we put the wood stoves into action this season.

And I have been traveling to northern VA, to Salt Lake City Utah, and am now working in Fairfax, VA, getting ready to head to Huntsville, AL tomorrow night.

Still, despite the work schedule, I was able to make the drive to Smithfield, VA to see my son perform the role of Sir Galahad, in Spamalot. It was a little different seeing Steve with long curly hair, but "anything for the show!" Steve is the one with the red cross on the front of his tunic. Lots of fun.

 

I was also able to spend some time in Rochelle, VA visiting my favorite daughter Jenn, her family and my nephew, Andrew, who lives and works there now. Luca, who will turn a year old next week,  is walking now, and basically loves anything he can put in his mouth.  He also is very fond of climbing up and down stairs.... He adores his sister, who can make a game out of anything.  She was modeling packing materials while I was there.  Luca will stop everything to enjoy playing guitar with Mama!

I spent the night in Rochelle, VA and then brought the lovely Miss Eloise back to the farm for a four day visit, which included taking her to see the local community theatre's production of, "Mary Poppins."  The Court House Players, gave a wonderful performance, and Eloise thoroughly enjoyed the play, even though she fell asleep about halfway through Act 1 and slept right through the intermission.  She awakened when the orchestra started up the music for Act 2.  She has no idea she even fell asleep. :)

Naturally, she had a blast at the farm, as she always does.  That child simply loves the animals, and loves feeding them.  If she were here every day, I do believe we'd have some rather robust critters!

We've had a couple of cold snaps, but they have not been enough to spark up the wood stoves yet.  Still the gardens are essentially done for the season. I did pick the last of the bell peppers on Saturday, and the figs, late to produce, will not mature all of their fruit, but the wild flowers are still blooming as if they believe they can bloom right through to next Spring!

All in all, I have to say, November, if we survive it, will have been a fun, busy month.  We plan to don our kerchief and cap and head into our LONG WINTER NAP, come December.