After a Week Off....

due to extreme germiness...I head back in to work tomorrow.  And find myself thinking...thank goodness it's only a temp position.

That's bad, isn't it?  After all the hunting, searching and practically begging whilst in the market for a job I am now grateful that it's only temporary.  Touched in the head, I swear.

But in my defense, there is A LOT to get done around here before the VA will back us for a loan...Tanker can not do it all alone (nor do I want him to even attempt it).  And we're not really hurting for money...but I do dislike spending money on stuff to get it fixed when the 'Stead is not yet in our name...BUT we can't get it in our name until certain things are fixed.  Damned if you do kinda thing, ya know.

I only have to push through 'til the beginning of June (I think...gonna have to double check that) and then the position is done.  I was saving my paychecks for a new fridge but they'll sit in savings as part of the required down payment for a bit...gathering tiny, itty bitty bits of interest.

Got nothing done on the 'Stead today as we opted to make use of our season passes and took the boys to Branson for a bit....note to self:  No more weekends if it can be helped.  Huge crowds do nothing for Tanker's non-existent PTSD.

Off to sleep it is for me...meds have kicked in (along with all of today's activity) and I suppose I should attempt to be human for work tomorrow.

So There Was...

an incredibly thick carpet of leaves (like 5 years worth or more) covering a 'gully' in the tree line behind the house.  Since the banks of the 'gully' were pretty steep and the chickens are on the other side of it, I decided I want a small foot bridge there (small being about 12-15 ft to cut out the whole up-down thing).  In order to do that, I had to clear out said 'gully' of leaves so I could find the right spots for supports.  Imagine my surprise when the little gully that would hold water after the rain became something more akin to an actual running creek.

I'm assuming it's a wet weather creek (a few days of no rain will likely confirm that for me) but that baby is running like it means business now...and I've not even got it cleared all the way up to the 'source' yet!  There's also a small (read maybe 8 ft across) pond that needs a little digging out to make it useful for the ducks (they didn't care that it was only 2 inches deep today).  There are several little deep pools in the creek, deep enough that eventually crawdads will enjoy them and the chickens thoroughly enjoyed digging through the HUGE piles of leaves I pulled back to get after worms.

Today's work on that area was only the beginning...but I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the sound of those mini waterfalls in the quiet of the evening.  I see a hammock under the oaks and cedars out there in the very, very near future.

Around the bend and to the 'pond' (still a lot of work to be done with clearing of leaves):

This Month....

has played hell on me.

Budget all out of whack, body all out of whack, brain all out of whack.

The budget was an easy fix...stop fixing things until the 'Stead is in our name.  The rent on this place is nearly twice what our mortgage payment is going to be (go figure).

Body, not such an easy fix...some kind of bug has taken up residence and is refusing to budge.  No, not been to the doc because right now the insurance has my PCP as some doctor that's 3+ hours away...um, no.  So just battling on as I can, missing work off and on...good thing it's just a temp job right now and my sales numbers are good or they'd boot me.

Brain...well, that goes along with the body.  Just tired.  And when it's time for bed, wired.  I really need an off switch installed up there.

In other news, the garden is coming along nicely...I sold a bunch of chicks and adults....hatched out more...got more heirloom seeds in today...strawberries are in the ground (mostly)...orchard is popping right along.

I leave you with last week's pic of a row of peas....straight lines are overrated.

Broodies and Garden Beds...

The 'Stead is full of both.

Spring has sprung in Ozark country...still some nippiness to the wind and I'm sure there will still be cold nights (as Ma Nature is a bit bipolar) but as it stands everything is popping out.

Fruit trees are budding beautifully, garden beds are filled with dirt and awaiting seeds/plants.  A few things have found their way into the beds already...not so much that a hard frost would wipe us out and cause a restart but enough to offer a view of the future.  And I love it!

I've settled in fairly well to my temp job at Lowe's...I really enjoy it there.  I'm up in the air about trying to get on permanent though...I like the idea of seasonal work.  It gives a bit of extra cash but doesn't tie me into a year round thing that digs at my desire to be able to up and go when I chose.

Life on the 'Stead goes on...the new additions to the chicken flock mean that in a few months some of the older gals (and probably a couple of young roos) will be facing the butcher block.  I'm still hatching out babies, but only the Easter Eggers as they will sale better at swaps than my hardy Barnyard Mutts...there's no accounting for peoples' tastes.  My mutts outlay the purebreds consistently but can't fetch a fair price for their extreme abilities.  As it is, I'm selling all the extra eggs we have (and we have a lot) to neighbors.  Even bothered to set up a mini-web page and a Facebook page for the 'Stead.

If the coop ever gets moved, I won't be so up in arms over the number of birds (it's a REALLY big shed) because they'll have all the back acreage to range in.  Right now they're right up on the house and 40+ birds wandering the front yard gets a bit tiring.

I'll leave you tonight with two pics...one of my EE roo, Pretty Boy, taken in January...the other of his boy, Attack Chicken (aka A.C.), taken last week.