Firewood season begins

Over the past few weeks, I built two wood racks behind the woodshop. Each one holds roughly a full cord of firewood and has a covered roof so the wood can stay dry and season properly. Between the racks and the location, it should make storing and accessing firewood much easier as the cold months settle in.

We purchased a load of wood from a local vendor and also received a generous amount from a neighbor who has been pruning trees on his property. Little by little, the racks are filling up.

We love having a fire going on cold winter days. It creates a warmth that feels different from simply running the heat. Preparing the wood now makes those moments possible later, and it feels good to have a solid start on what we will need for the season.

Looks like we’ve got a cat, I suppose.

This little guy, or gal, has been showing up around the property for about a week now. It looks very young and far too skinny, the kind of animal that makes you stop what you are doing and wonder how long it has been fending for itself.

We decided to put out some food, milk, and water to help it fill out a bit. With any luck, it will stick around, get healthier, and offer some natural rodent control in return. A fair trade if it chooses to make this place home.

Time will tell, but for now it seems we may have a farm cat in the making.

The garden keeps giving

As the long summer days settle in, the garden has been more productive than ever. We are getting a steady crop of bell peppers, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, banana peppers, and jalapeno peppers. Every time we walk past the beds, something new seems ready to pick.

Darrell checks the garden daily and has been putting in long hours gathering the harvest. The baskets fill up faster than we expect, and there is always another round coming behind it.

Mom and Nichel have been busy in the kitchen canning most of what comes in. This time of year we eat a lot of fresh vegetables, but even with that, the surplus adds up quickly. Whatever we do not eat or can gets cut up and frozen so we can enjoy it later in the year.

The garden just keeps producing, and we are grateful for the steady flow of fresh food. It is hard work, but it is the kind of work that pays you back in the best possible way.