The Daily Grind
It's been a delay writing this post, as the daily rhythm of school, work, studio, farm chores, and family life has meant that time for writing has been scant. Recently, a friend mentioned that our life sounded dreamy which gave me a bit of a chuckle. In some ways, it is dreamy…the view, the solitude, the quiet. And the routine of farm chores can also feel comforting in a certain way, especially in how it grounds you to the rise and fall of the sun and the seasons of the year. But it can also feel like a grind which doesn’t allow for much variation.
Morning chores start at about 6/6:30 am rain or shine. One thing that is challenging about farming/ranching, even on a small scale like us, is that you really never get a vacation. With animals, there is no sleeping in, no days off, no lazy mornings. First of all, it’s cold right now…28’ this morning…so as soon as we wake up, the first order of business is to build a fire in the woodstove which is currently our only source of heat besides space heaters in our bedrooms. In addition, our pups are livestock guardian dogs who are still under 2 years old, (which is the age they will be full-time guarding our flock) and our property isn’t fully fenced, so for now, they come in at night and go back out into their run near the sheep every morning. If we even try to sleep in, they are there remind us it’s time to get moving. Depending on who is home, walking the dogs might fall to any one of us, and is usually followed by letting out the ducks and chickens, and feeding the sheep. In warmer seasons, the gardens are watered, greenhouse turned on, duck water filled. With current temps in the 20’s, we check all animal water for ice, make sure the alfalfa is dry, and give the poultry dry bedding in their shelters.
After that, on school days, it’s a 30 minute drive to the high school by 8am, then back home in time to teach, work in the studio, or begin house projects. Teaching online usually happens until around lunchtime except for days when I have evening classes, and house projects might include mudding, painting, framing, electrical, or any other random chores. Studio work ebbs and flows with deadlines and inspiration, but I try to draw everyday. Work for money has been something that also ebbs and flows. When the kiddo was younger, her chronic illness meant that she was very sick for at least one week every month. This meant one of us had to always be available to be home with her, so we adjusted our work schedules to both be part-time, eventually started homeschooling and simplified our lives to make ends meet. The gift of that experience was that we got more time together as a family. Our daughter’s health is much improved now, and we now have construction costs, animals, infrastructure, the mortgage… so we’ve taken on more work on top of everything else.
Yesterday, we moved and stacked firewood that needed to be split, split more logs for stacking by the house, cleared away some things around the house in preparation for snow, and planted a few trees. This week, we need to put the garlic in the ground, try to get a roof on the shop, finish the bedroom closet, and hopefully work on some new projects like prepping for lambing.
From the age of 9, the sheep chores were solely for the kiddo (with help as needed) since the breeding sheep and show lambs were her 4H projects, but since shifting from homeschool to a very busy high school, we help out a bit more now. In the winter, the pregnant ewes are on alfalfa and whatever they can forage in our lower pasture, but in the spring the show lambs may also get grain. Lambing season is coming in about a month, and the kid currently has 5 ewes who will likely each produce twins. Before lambing, she will need to build jugs (small pens for each ewe and her lambs) in the barn, and muck out and clear the barn to make more room. We still have one lamb we need to butcher in the next few weeks, so we need to schedule a mobile slaughter unit to come out to the farm for that.
After school pick up at 5, evenings are a mad dash to do evening chores: wash out and refill water buckets, feed and lock up the sheep, check eggs and lock up ducks and chickens before dark, exercise the dogs in the big pasture, etc., We are often still outside until after the sun sets. After farm chores are done, we come in, make dinner, feed dogs, feed cats, do dishes, clean up, shower, bank the fire for the night, and pass out. Usually we are all asleep by 10, dogs and cats snoring on the floor.
But the dreamy parts come in between all of that.
When I’m out giving the chickens water and it’s 28’ and my hands are frozen, but suddenly a flock of geese flies low overhead and everything stops. The dogs and I look up and everything is so still I can hear the swoosh and flap of their wings as they glide over in formation.
When we are walking with the dogs as the sun is setting and suddenly hear a pack of coyotes howling close by. The haunting sound of their calls halts all movement and breath - for just a moment - before the dogs spring into action running and barking towards the threat.
When the freezing moisture of the cold morning leaves a dewy silver halo over the tops of the grasses and fenceposts.
I’m glad my friend described our life that way, as it’s a good reminder of the beauty within all of the mess and work. Seeing our world from another’s perspective helps to keep our own view a bit more balanced. It’s nice to remember that it really is pretty dreamy.
