Weekly Update: 6.15.24
This week drifted by in a haze. Most days were hot and sunny, the blue sky blaring over our wildflower-laced fields. The Blacked-Eyed Susans are out in full force, splashing sunshine in every direction. And in the evenings, the fireflies vie with stars to light up our little world, blinking from the tops of the trees to the dry-creek bottom, where they blink in synchronized harmony.
The heat lulls us more than we wish, though we make every effort to combat the feeling. I dealt with migraines for most of the week, which added to my own hazy feeling. Several other family members were less-than-their-best selves, fighting off colds or allergies or headaches.
The sunny weather was punctuated with thunderstorms, most showing up rather unexpectedly. We knew we might have a few scattered storms last Saturday night, but they blew in much earlier than we expected, chasing us all inside. Sheets of rain started to fall, and it barely stopped all night. We woke to find a saturated world, with our dry creek running like a small river. Since we hadn't expected much rain, we had left a bunch of drinks chilling in the spring -- and these all washed away, along with the crates they were sitting in. The tarp over our dog kennel over-filled, bending the sides in and nearly destroying the kennel (thankfully, Jeremiah was able to repair it). And when we headed to church, our jaws dropped as we crossed the Sac River, which had run into neighboring fields and nearly reached the bridge. Thankfully, the water started to go down later in the day -- though our wet weather creek ran for several days, and our leaky pond was actually full.
Most of the family spent a lot of time in the garden this week. I didn't do much, since I'm still babying my wrists, but it's been exciting to watch it all come together. We added several shallow raised beds. Jeremiah spent most mornings cutting down small trees to get the logs. Bonnie-Jean, Grace, and our sister-in-law Erin worked clearing sod. Levi helped with a little of everything -- especially clearing sod and adding some drainage to the lower part of the garden. They planted as they went. Our cucumbers are finally in the ground, as well as some peppers and squash Erin picked up at Lowe's. Next week, we hope to finish with some okra beds.
Over the weekend, we finished up our beehive and frames for our swarm traps. We were able to move all of those items out to our apiary area, which freed up a lot of space in the bunkhouse.
Once the bee supplies were moved out, our other big project was cleaning and organizing the bunkhouse. Ever since Christmas, we have been storing items in a couple of the bunkhouse bedrooms. It had gotten so full, it was difficult to work. So this week, we sorted through everything and loaded our trailer to take it all to our storage unit. We also took a trip to the dump, so we got rid of some construction garbage. Lastly, we moved a bunch of building supplies outside under tarps. Most of these are left-over scraps that we probably will use at some point, but we don't need them inside right now.
We have also been enjoying our kittens. It's hard to believe that next week, it will be time to find them new homes. Their little garden pen has worked out well, as they spend their days scampering about and play-fighting with each other. Watching them grow has been a special treat -- especially for my nieces. It was a fun experience having kittens -- though hopefully one we won't repeat too soon.
It feels like we are in a really good place going into next week. It is the last week of spring, though it already feels like summer. We are looking forward to starting back in on running our electric, as well as finishing up a few small plumbing projects. The garden is nearly finished -- though I am sure we will continue adding beds and planting a few fall crops throughout the coming months. We are also working on finding a better project-life balance, as the work around here can become so consuming, we all start slipping in other aspects of life -- spiritual disciplines, self-care, and personal vocations. I always enjoy the beginning of a new week, and the promise of doing this one better than the last. Of course, so many of our circumstances are in God's hands -- but I know His plans are ultimately, always, good.
