So . . . it’s been a minute.
While I am tempted to explain my long absence, all that really matters is that I found my way back. (Plus, how do you explain a 22-month hiatus?) Clearly I need some brushing up on the unspoken rules of blogging. I recently read that Rule # 1 is to check in once a week to maintain engagement. Yikes! Knowing this, there’s a pretty good chance I’ve lost most of my previous audience. If you’re reading this, be sure to drop a comment and say ‘hello’ so I know I’m not alone.
Let’s catch up.
First, and most importantly, all is well here at Hickory Grove. We are all in good health. February was rough as Neil, Kevin and I all battled the flu, but we’ve rebounded and are more than ready to say goodbye to winter. And we feel extremely blessed that Neil has been in remission from cancer since July 2022. We still travel to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore every 6 months for scheduled MRIs and a visit with his neuro-oncologist. His next follow-up is in April.
Neil is busy planning the vegetable garden, and has been working with our son-in-law to rebuild the old beds on the weekend. Kevin pitched in and helped rewire our electric fence that was ravaged by the wind. The fence not only protects our garden and fruit trees, but also our honeybees. We need to be sure it is turned on before the bears come out of hibernation. (We learned the hard way that bears love honey!) In addition to the garden and honeybees, we also have four laying hens. They keep us well supplied with eggs most of the year, taking a little break in the fall during their molt.
Work smarter, not harder.
Neil compares his life to the ‘whack-a-mole’ game at the fair. Just when you finish with one project, another one pops up! Case in point: when you heat with a wood stove, you need firewood. You cannot wait until October to restock your wood pile. With nearly 12 acres of land, there are always trees to be cut down or cut up once they topple from the wind. We wisely invested in a hydraulic log splitter a while back, and it has saved a lot of time and labor. The Kubota tractor has also been a time-saver, moving heavy logs and wood piles from one place to another.
The past year also included major changes to our home. We all decided it was time for some upgrades to make Hickory Grove more comfortable. Realizing we are past the DIY reno stage of life, we did the smart thing and hired a builder. I got my wish for a brand new kitchen and dining area. Neil got his wish for a larger master bedroom and luxurious bath with a walk-in shower. And once we were done with the renovation of the first and second floors, Kevin decided to completely redo his living space downstairs. He now has a much larger bedroom, a beautiful bathroom and a walk-in closet. (His previous bedroom had NO closet!) The finished project is gorgeous and it was such a joy preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in our new kitchen.
What’s next?
As we jump into the busy spring and summer growing seasons, my goal is to get back on track with my updates. Hickory Grove is a place of peace and serenity, but it is also a world full of non-stop activity. Every project begins with a plan, and then we adapt as we go. Farming, even as a hobby, takes a tremendous amount of patience. We never expected the weather to play the huge role that it does. Last year we battled a terrible drought that continues here in northern Virginia. Our honeybees froze to death two years ago and we had to start over from scratch. There were also new pests in the garden, and we lost chickens to a hawk and raccoons.
Farming is hard work, but the best part has been discovering we are part of a community. There are farms all around us, and we have met the wonderful people who work them. Some are large farms, raising all sorts of livestock. Others are small like ours, with just a few free-range chickens. Regardless of size, we all look out for each other, and make sure our animals are safe in the barn at night. When the neighbor’s cow gets loose (again!), we all search together to bring her home.
Stay tuned. There’s never a dull moment here on the farm.