The farm has been exploding with blooms left behind by the previous owners. Lois’ Irises are everywhere. We saw their hearty green leaves pop out of the ground early on and eagerly awaited their beautiful colors. The peonies, on the other hand, were completely unexpected. When they listed the farm in the Fall, Lois and David did a spectacular job …
Much Needed Rainy Days
This week is packed with some much-needed rain. While we would love it if the yard was mowed, we’re not complaining. Everything – the garden, the orchard, the flowers – all of it is thriving with the fresh drink. We’ve been leaving the basement door and many of the windows open for fresh air to pass through the house too. The …
Meet Mackall – Our First Barn Cat
As I watched the mouse sprint across the back of the barn, I shouted at Aaron. “Guess who’s getting cats this weekend?!” And, that’s exactly how it went down. Within a day of posting on Facebook, our Veteran farmer friend Josh and his family brought us Mac. This little fluff has grown up with kids and farm animals all around. …
This Week on the Farm: May 18-24, 2020
This week felt like the longest one yet. We made it past Day 70 of Coronavirus stay-at-home and work-from-home plans. Some places have started reopening, but there appears to be a greater impact on kids than originally known. So, we’re playing it mostly safe and continuing to steer clear of people. In fact, my office announced that not only will …
The Sunday Sunrise
One of the many great things to come out of quarantine is our morning routine. Every day, Isai wakes us up early and demands that Papa Bear open the window blinds. Now that Aaron has removed all of the bushes from the front of the house, the windows in our basement bedroom flood with the Eastern light. Isai makes sure …
The Irises
I often find myself thanking Lois for the small bits of magic all around the farm. Often, I run into something cute or quirky and immediately imagine that it must have been her idea instead of David’s. I have no idea if any of it is true – but I hope she’d be tickled to know she’s getting all the credit. …
A Snowball Story
Years ago, I owned a small Ranch house in Roeland Park, Kansas. It was the first house I’d every purchased and, while tiny, it packed a punch for insane stories. Next door, my 96-year-old neighbor Annebelle would swing on her front porch stoop. She’d wait for me to take Ogi on a walk or come bounding into the front yard …
Chicken Update
These cluckers are huge. Not even kidding – a couple of these guys look like they ate their chicken-twin. Every day, the chickens keep growing and every day I discover more people that are fascinated that we have them. Let’s be honest, you guys – chickens are not an out-of-line farm bird. There are people that raise hundreds of these …
This Week on the Farm: May 11-17, 2020
Between working from home, keeping the lawn mowed, taking care of bottle calves, raising an infant and trying to plant the garden – we’re way too busy. It was another productive week on the farm that moved way too fast. We expected a ton of rain that never happened. We’ve bridged the gap by hauling buckets of water from the pond …
This Week on the Farm: May 3-11, 2020
The warm weather has us sprinting around the farm trying to do all of the projects at the same time. We’re sneaking up on our sixth month living on the farm. While it’s nice to scratch the project itch, we really don’t have the momentum we thought we’d have on the house renovation. Food for thought – if you think you’re …