WE ARE BACK...in full force!!!

To say the least, we have had quite a month here at the farm.  To begin backwards, we are fully moved in now, have internet and are loving our time here.  What has happened since our last post is quite an amazing list of fabulousness, tragedy, life, death and all in between.

Let's begin with my mom, Barb falling down the basement stairs and breaking her left ankle.  This resulted in two ambulance rides; one to Sierra Vista and one to Tucson.  She had surgery in Tucson and came back to the farm where she continued to be helpful as she rode in the pillow filled bucket of the tractor.  I would like to make a side note that prior to her falling, we had been out giving hay to the sheep and goats.  Mom had hay all over her from the blustery day, as you can see in the picture above.  Throughout her hospital visit, the doctors and nurses were commenting on how much hay she had all over her-clearly a sign of how well she helped that afternoon.  Thanks mom for all of your help, we love you!

We also finished restoring the house to fully (most of the time) living conditions.  Timothy and I spent the week with Angie who helped us immensely with sanding the floors, organizing our belongings into their rightful spot and feeding us yummy desserts.  Angie, thank you for all of the time you spent with us and helped us.  The floors look phenomenal.  We absolutely adore you and your sanding/sweeping abilities, as seen to the left.  Come back soon!!!

Also in January, we continued to organize and ready ourselves for the upcoming growing, chicken, pig and other livestock.  In doing so, we found an apartment complex of pack rats, two Mojave rattlesnakes and lots and lots of Mr. Ed Stuckel's belongings dating back to the 1940's.  Mr. Stuckel left a large collection of his seeds which we will be planting and checking their viability. Mr. Stuckel's memoriam is becoming even more interesting with the seeds, clothing, pay stubs from the Lavendar Mine in Bisbee and a phonograph with a 45 still in it!  All of the creatures we found were dispatched to their respective heavens. 

We have been so lucky to have been here already for the birth of four pairs of sheep.  We are amazed at the quickness these animals jump into life, literally and begin walking, running and hopping.  We have been told by the Moroneys that we should expect many, many more pairs to follow.  In the meantime, we remain in awe of these week old creatures that run after their mama's and the hay feeding truck.  Life is abundant! 

And we have also been so lucky to have Beth, Noah, Koel and Indus Suby come out here weekly to help with the garden preparations and stick removal.  We want to thank this beautiful family for their time, their vision and their most beautiful friendship.  We look forward to our Friday afternoons together.

 Timothy constructed our first compost at the beginning of the month.  He placed it in an area where there was an oil spill awhile back.  His reason for doing so is experimental to see if the compost will

 clean the oil, thus making that locale oil free and nutrient rich with the compst integrated.  We plan to plant a tree once the compost is cooked and ready.  Make sure you come and check it out when you come by.

Thanks to Alexa Bernard for spending a few days with us here on the farm!  And Peyton from High Desert Market in Bisbee for her precious time, knowledge and generosity in the garden. 

And we continue on, preparing the garden for early February, getting the buildings usable for the pigs and fifty-five chickens, loving the daily passages of the Sandhill Cranes, the fantastic sunrises and sunsets and all of the knowledge and help this beautiful community has offered us.  Thank you!