In the last couple of weeks the Nuggets have developed the endearing habit of following me around the property like a disjointed, clucking shadow, pretty much from the minute I set foot out of my car when I get home from work.
I walk to the garden, they follow. I walk to take the garbage out, they follow. I walk into the workshop, they follow. I walk to the spigot to haul water out to the donkeys, they follow. Just for fun I’ll do loops and zig-zags through the property, and, you know, I should probably be worried that the highlight of my day is playing follow-the-leader with a bunch of chickens.
I would find this strange, but my mother recently unearthed these photos of me at the tender age of six… hugging chickens.
All of the sudden my entire life makes sense.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago the Nugs followed me right out to the donkey barn, which was the first time these particular members of the farm had met.
This may be my favorite picture ever taken on this property.
The chickens and donkeys have entered into a tentative friendship, which is more than I can say for the cat.
He’s reserving his right to be unamused.
Other than irritating the cat, however, the Nuggets are totally earning their keep with this:
That, my friends, is a plate full of food that came straight from the garden. Scrambled eggs with chives, sauteed kale, and my first, tiny, vine-ripe tomato.
I know I’ve sacrificed a lot of “building time” for “farming time” this summer, and the truth is that I’m still trying to figure out how to fit both farm chores and demoing bathrooms into my schedule. But, whatever the cost in time and sawdust, being able to walk outside and make a meal out of things I’ve grown or cared for myself? That’s pretty damn awesome.
Instead of going to the fridge when I want a snack, I walk out to the garden and snap off a few beans to munch on.
One of my favorite foods of all time.
And it looks like I’ll have my fill of tomatoes soon, too.
Country life isn’t perfect. There are mosquitoes as big as bluejays, an endless amount of weeding, no air conditioning to speak of in the house. I need a truck, and a tractor, and a fence, and to get started on another chicken coop. I’m up to my eyeballs in hay and chores and unfinished projects on the house.
But you know I’ wouldn’t have it any other way.
11 Responses
Your veggies and eggs look delicious. I’m so jealous. I’ve wanted a backyard garden for so long but it just won’t happen until we buy a house. Kind of hard to grow veggies on the back deck since it really doesn’t get enough sun for it.
I always love reading your blog but today I think those last two paragraphs sum up my life perfectly! I am freshly divorced and living on my own for the first time since I was 18. I have a 14.665 acre farm, 3 horses, 4 head of cattle, 5 goats, 3 dogs, 3 peafowl, 1 turkey and numerous chickens that keep me busy. Sometimes at the end of the day I think I must be crazy to not scale back but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
That meal looks amazing, the colors are so vibrant and fresh and it also sounds delicious. Good for you, your hard work should be rewarded. Hey, I’d be playing follow-the-leader too if I could. 😉
Did one of your nuggets turn out to be a roo? Looks like a rooster behind the cat.
I don’t think she’s a roo. At 18 weeks I would think she’d be crowing or have more pointed feathers. BUT she hasn’t laid an egg yet, so…
I love your posts – they give me hope that once I get over my current career hurdle, I’ll be able to start working towards obtaining my own little rural paradise.
I also love that you care so much about your chickens. Some of the other bloggers with chickens take a rather unemotional approach, which MIGHT be necessary….but leaves me pretty cold.
That plate of food looks amazing! I’m definitely jealous that you were able to grow all of that (and have some fresh eggs too!)
I absolutely loved this post. We have a family farm with chickens, cows and horses, as well and there’s just something about it that calms me. Although, yesterday we encountered an 11 foot alligator on the farm (we live in Florida) near the chickens and horses, so that was fun. You just never know what you’re going to get with farm life, am I right?
Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your blog. I found it while frantically searching the internets for stories from people who had [successfully] purchased homes using Hubzu. I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience because I must have read and reread that post about 10 times as we went through the process (we just closed today…craziest 33 days of my life!!). And I also appreciate you sharing bits of your life like this post (and all the others). 🙂
I’m so glad that you closed on your home. It’s an INSANE process, and I agree, craziest month of my life… but really awesome things followed, and I hope the same is true for you!
I think you need a traditional “portrait” wall/wall segment in your home of all your critters complete with name tags at the bottom of the frames….or at least in your barn workshop!
I haven’t had a good tomato in a long time. I would love a sweet juicy one in a salad with radishes and green onions and feta cheese.
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