Christmas Preparations........Yes the farm is still technically open for Christmas. Be it WAY less hours for Nancy and I we make handmade wreaths, grave blankets, centerpieces, anything we are requested to do.
Yesterday Steve and the boys helped me trim a neighbor's pine tree. We were able to enough the base greens for the orders we have to make for Wednesday pick up. The Holly Trees are the next to get their trim. There shiny green prickly leaves and bright berries will be used for accents on our holiday greenery.
It is a slower pace here at the farm at this time of year.. Nancy and I make our "creations" in the Kid's Play Greenhouse near the farm market. The smells of fresh cut pine is heavy in the air. We have hunters come buy to purchase feed corn and chat. We mostly sing along to the Christmas music playing and chat about what we will get people for Christmas. Teachers, group leaders, friends and family. We gift to many of the same people so we need to be sure not to double a gift. Sometime we actually try to coordinate the gifts....and sometimes that even works out!!!
Many people ask about our day. To us it seems pretty normal. Get up, kids ready for school, kids out the door, us out to work........it is here where we take a turn from the normal.
First.......Food and Water....Chickens, Pigs, Goats oh my!!!!
So far there have only been a few mornings when the water buckets were frozen but that will soon happen everyday. So we lug water buckets from the house out to the pens. Crack the ice in the buckets that we have out there and set them in the sun to dry. But until the frozen buckets we LOVE the hose!!!!
So water and feed all animals, collect any eggs (there are way less this time of year so that is a quick job)
If we have any...pick collards, kale, broccoli, etc. We did a really good job of selling out this fall so we only need to check these items once or twice a week.
Check the greenhouse.....yes we still have tomatoes growing in the greenhouse. The are slow to grow and even slower to ripen this time of year but we get enough to feed our households.
Today I will make grave blankets for a customer who ordered 8. Nancy will decorate them. She has a special knack of making each blanket personal for the person it is meant for ...even though she may have never known that person.
Then done by 3 to get the kids from the bus and make dinner.......lots different from the summer schedule but there it is.........a day in the life!!!
