A Time to Rent?

Phil has broadcast several hundred pounds of cover crops the last few days: lots of oats and hairy vetch. He even went out sowing in a gentle rain. The last few days have been extremely moist. At times it has been wet, yes, but more often it is just, well, moist. I went to feed the sheep and the goats with a sweatshirt on. The rain was falling—I could both see it and hear it—but in the ten minutes or so that I was outside, petting my ladies and putting their hay in the rack (really just the tops of the pallets that make up their shelter), I only got a little damp. Only a few small sections on my shoulders and upper arms even showed signs of water into the cotton hoodie. So weird!

Phil also dug the holes for the electrical box. If it were me, I would have found a shovel, sort of measured where the two spots were supposed to be, and then just dug in, figuring that eventually it would all work out.

This is not the best method. Phil’s is much better. In order to dig a perfectly round hole, first he roughs up the soil with a rock bar (basically just a heavy rod). Then he uses a post-hole digger to take up the dirt. This post-hole digger looks like a combination large pair of tongs, and tin can. (The tong part is shaped like a tin can.) When he thought the holes were deep enough, he got out his surveying equipment (which he admitted may have been overkill, but since he had it, he might as well use it) to see if the two holes were about the same depth in total, since one was lower on the slope.

As I was up early this morning, I suddenly realized what is probably obvious to everyone by now: our house truly may not sell at any price this year, and if it does not go under contract in the next few days, it is probably time to rent. I think we have the bulk of our initial expenses taken care of, and we will probably earn enough going forward to support ourselves—but only with one mortgage. The double mortgage is too much, and, hence, the need for tenants in Boulder.

It was the first time I have considered that without panic, just trust. That’s a much better place to be, I think. I think we’ll get a better price next year, too.

Finally, a plug for one of my favorite childhood books, that I haven’t read since I was about 10: The Wheel on the School. I have been reading it to the boys and we are DEVOURING it. We’ve read about 200 pages the last three days: two hours at a sitting often, with the boys begging for more. So if you need a marvelous, wonderful read, check it out.