Thaw And Awe At The Farm

We are at the homestead at least once a week, now. Everyday brings changes, either with the season or with the house itself. It's so good to see progress, yet there are still those moments where indecision strikes or we look a little too closely and think to ourselves, what have we taken on? The dust! The piles of belongings stuffed in boxes, shuffled from one end of the farmhouse to the other to make space for sheetrock or wood flooring yet to be laid, is all very tedious, and yet, I know just how fortunate we are. Truly.







Still, there's so much ahead of us. Structures that have served well, but have become hazards and need to be dismantled and rebuilt. All the farmhouse clapboards are being replaced, as are the windows. And then we'll paint. Probably all summer long. All while the work continues inside. Meanwhile, weekly highlights include learning that our dual flush toilet has come in, as has the tub, which means the downstairs bathroom is just that much closer to being completed.







With each visit, I walk, even if it's just a quick visit to the brook, which is now running strong, full of snow melt. I look forward to seeing the wild turkeys visit, who appear on a ridge on the other side of the brook, every afternoon to make their way across to scratch at the scraps from the backyard bird feeders, or at whatever Papa has left for them (these wild turkeys are essentially his pets).



It's finally thawing, and soon there will be more green growth. For now, the peeks of moss through frozen patches or clinging to the tips of branches or old lumber, will do.







Already, we're into farm chores - collecting the last of the sap (another ten gallons), checking the bees (we lost a hive, but the other is healthy and active), and meeting with foresters that will help us draw up a forestry management plan.



Whether we're looking at aerial maps of the land and marking stone walls, or hearing the rushing brook or simply stopping to look up and see the sky through tree tips, we know just how blessed we are to be here, now, loving this land and breathing new life into this farmhouse.



All at once, we feel the enormity of the scope of the project, while experiencing the utter thrill at the prospect. I think, most of all, we're simply grateful.