Little to Say, But Wanting to Speak

Phil, former roommate Kevin, Isaiah, and Abraham all on the gun range on Thanksgiving.

I have missed the creative outlet blogging offers these last weeks that little has happened.

Phil finally (finally!) finished his major design project, and woke today to a drizzle and a sense of what do I do now?

One priority is to off the animals we don't much like (the bucks come to mind); that, though, is much more pleasant to do in slightly warm weather without precipitation. Maybe later this week.

Another priority is to deal with pasture. But to start fencing? Or to clear brush while there are no leaves? That's a hard question to answer.

While we were pondering the best course of action, Butch stopped by. I got some kimchi and gingered carrots to start their fermentation process while we all sat in the motor home and talked. It is so pleasant to have good neighbors. And I am excited to taste the results of my own lacto-fermentation. We buy out the sauerkraut at Whole Foods every time; it's time to try making it myself.

Phil went over to get the backhoe for the tractor, and then Butch brought some hay, and by the time we'd eaten lunch, it was about 3pm and drizzly.

Phil decided to file papers today and clean up his office. A good idea, and one about a year overdue.

I finished planting all the garlic I want to. Joe went out with me yesterday, and would help me "hide" each clove.

With the more chilly weather, the boys, understandably, don't wish to go outside much. I am thankful that Christmas approaches: they are having a bit of difficulty finding activities to entertain themselves. Our 100 or so episodes of Adventures in Odyssey play almost nonstop, and because of that, we know them all really well by now.

They entertain themselves at times with breaking out into mass dance moves, usually directly prior to bedtime.

Or they find creative pastimes, like stickers. I think I used to put stickers in albums, and look at them. Boys, though, are different creatures.

Silly boys.

Creative, though. Jadon helped with the one below.

Over Thanksgiving, we went out and saw not only the green sheen on the neighbor's land, but, up close, even the clover is sprouting! Rye and clover, a great mix, coming up well. And with another two inches of rain forecast for this evening, I'm thankful to have any roots at all holding up the hillside. (The photo below was from the previous week: the rye continues to grow steadily, and the hillside is more green now than the mere hint here.)