Howdy friends and neighbors of Scotland County and surrounding regions. This is jacob writing the bi-weekly report of the fun and failures here at Sandhill Farm. i sit in the upstairs living room as the sun fades creating an orange-pink sky that fills my heart with joy. A cup of tea (herbs grown here) to my right and Woody Guthrie in the background singing "A Hobo's Lullaby." A nice way to bring the day to a close. Feels good to know that i have crossed off all my tasks on my to-do list. My second layer of skin (insulated coveralls) still on though it is a comfortable 60 degrees inside. Not sure what i would do without my coveralls. In the wintertime they rarely are removed except at night. Plus there are lots of pockets, which is pleasing to my utilitarian sense. And to finish on this tangent that few care about, i got them from the thrift store in Memphis (sorry i forgot the name but love your store) for a very reasonable price. Nothing above has anything to do with Sandhill but i generally write stream of conscious so random words and thoughts are usually the result.
i did not attend the Thanksgiving celebration at Dancing Rabbit but heard it was a good meal and pleasant surroundings. i headed up to Iowa to see my folks and extended family. Was good to see my cousins and aunts and uncles and others who i was unsure who they were. That side of my family has 13 kids (yep, German Catholic farmers) and i got more cousins than money. Before leaving i helped Emily, Laird and Apple culling our chickens and of course our tom-turkey. Involved much plucking and sadness but did result in a good end product (meat). i gained even more respect for Emily over the last couple of weeks. A vegetarian skinning deer and killing chickens. She headed out last week to spend some time with her family out in Philadelphia. i can't imagine going from the Rutledge area to such a large city. The more time i spend in the forests and woods and rural areas the less my desire to see big cities. Stan also left recently to go up to Manitoba. His mom celebrated her 86th birthday and i know he enjoys spending time with her. All of us miss both Stan and Emily and look forward to their return to this hill of sand.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend we had some visitors. Laird's family came out for a visit. All the way from Las Vegas Ceilee and Tosca and Taivyn as well as Jo and Peter. The kitchen turned into a butcher shop for three days as Laird, Jo and Peter cut up the six deer that had been patiently hanging around. Sandhill know has over 200 lbs. of sausage, ground meat, roasts, and ribs. A positive step towards food self-sufficiency. Today also marks the close of firearms deer season. Though i hunt i have much respect and appreciation for deer (and coyotes, squirrels, rabbits, quail, and all the wild critters in this area). i think i like watching the sunrise more from the deer stand then murdering deer. It is a pretty intense adrenaline rush as a deer is in range and raising the rifle there is a nervous excitement and to draw a bead onto such a beautiful, graceful creature. To watch as they fall and become still. It is a mix of regret and happiness. Yep, another tangent,
Also Trish and Joe and their bouncing baby boy Emery came and spent some time. Was great to see them and we look forward to their return. Apple and i have started the forestry season now that firearms season is over and the weather has become cold. Another example of internal confusion for me. Heating with wood is sensible and sustainable but felling trees brings sadness to my heart. Our approach is to first remove large dead limbs and snags (leaving a few for habitat) and then thinning out trees to create healthy mixed aged stands. Gigi has been finishing hooking up the outdoor furnace for the greenhouse. Also she has been harvesting from the gardens the more frost-sensitive plants. So our cooler is full of veggies. Apple and i spent much of yesterday shelling corn using a manual sheller. Was hard work but know we got lots of corn to make meal out of. A couple of days ago Gigi and i ventured down to Edina to watch Renay's basketball game. Was great to see so many families and friends from Scotland County make the drive to support the Tigers. Think that is about it. i would like to close by thanking the folks of this county for the wide berth and friendly waves as i and other folks from this area bicycle around the county. i love to ride my bike. Recently Thomas, Ali (DR folx), Emily and i had our last ride of the season to Memphis. Was one of my favorite rides. So again thank you for your patience and consideration of our well-being. Woody's singing his most famous song "This Land is Your Land." i hope y'all have a great holiday season and travel safely as the snow and ice are sure to come soon. Peace and joy from the bearded wanna-be farmer.