Drizzly January

There's a moment during construction when you look around and find everything is in disarray. I'm having that moment with the outdoors of Mabel Frances. 

This is Mable Frances's veg patch in the Spring:

This is Mabel Frances's veg patch earlier this week (note the gothic mist in the air) : 

Not very pleasant is it? Now, add to that, leaves all over the place that needs to be added to the beds and a compost pile . . . . 

and don't forget to mix in the clean up from my first large tree coming down . . . 

And that the Spring semester starts this Monday, and YIKES!

However, there's still something so magical about the transformation of this property. I wake each morning, and my absolute favorite part of the day is getting something accomplished here at home. Instead of hating my yard because it has so much work, I rejoice that there's so much to do. I have faith that someday I'll look back and that these posts and marvel at the beginning. I wouldn't trade this for a fully-finished English garden, nor would I skip ahead to the end. I love the work. 

I also love discovering how to use what I have. After taking the wintry picture of my vegetable patch, I started preparing it for Spring. Over the last year, I have been able to take empty pickle buckets home from work--saving them from the landfill with the intention of upcycling them as a "planter" boarder for my garden. A few bamboo sticks or tomato stakes in each bucket will allow me to hang deer netting and keep my chickens out. It's a garden fence at a fraction of the cost. I also can grow marigolds, potatoes, and things that will deter pests in the pots. 

This idea wasn't born and then enacted upon, but instead, it came about naturally, by living here each day, and seeing hidden resources, and then utilizing them. This is what makes me feel part of the land. This is what makes my home feel like a homestead. 

So, even in January, even with hours of yard work ahead of me,  I'm loving this!