Free range chickens have a lot of benefits for a homestead; bug control, healthy chickens, reduced feed costs, etc. However, there are some draw backs; chicken poop everywhere, chickens killing anything you plant they can get at, and chickens occasionally chasing you. At this point the chickens have even stripped parts of our lawn. This…
State of the Homestead Address: 2022
The state of the homestead… it is a mess! Another year has come and gone and to be honest it was an odd one for us. We did not do lots of things we normally do. However, there were some unexpected benefits as well. So, before we look to what we hope 2022 will bring,…
Excavating the Woodshop; Clearing out the Clutter
This year a number of things have gotten away from us here on the homestead, such as my woodshop. As we worked on projects wood scraps started to pile up. Tools started to disappear as disorganized piles appeared. Then, we went to Sarah’s mother’s house to help her clean out an old shed. When we…
Return From Oblivion; A Quick Catchup After Our Hiatus
Well, it has been a minute. Alright, it has been more than 164,000 minutes since our last post. Our hiatus has been too long and was largely caused by stress and frustration. I genuinely enjoy writing down the stories of what is happening here to share with you all. However, remodeling the mother-in-law took its…
Cleaning out the C$*@# and Chicken Parenting Round 2
Hello friends, spring is rolling in fast here on the homestead and we are struggling to keep up. With the rise in temperatures, it was time to clean out the duck house and chicken coop. The garden is in terrible need of preparation and planting. Plus, we had to finish getting ready for our new…
Trees are sprouting and booming as brooks babble
Posted on Author SpencerPosted in 2021 landscaping, 2021 To Do List, Animals, Chickens, Forest Management, Gardening, Orchard, Projects, Stories2 Replies
This week the landscape has changed again as the snow has melted. The runoff has transformed the dry creek beds in the ravines into lovely babbling brooks. This evening Sarah and I heard the first chorus of spring peepers marking the arrival of spring. With spring here we have a lot to do, we have…
Escaping the unusual temperature swing
This week has rocked the nation with an unusual temperature swing. When I wrote last week’s post the temperature was in the single digits and falling. Now it’s in the mid-40s with warmer weather fast approaching! However, people all over the south and midwest found themselves trapped in their homes (ourselves included) for most of…
Winter Bares its Teeth as we Prepare for Spring
Posted on Author SpencerPosted in Forest Management, Gardening, Mother-in-law house, Stories2 Replies
This week winter decided to bare its teeth. We’ve had freezing rain, snow, and the coldest weather we have seen since we moved to Missouri. The cold has taken its toll on the homestead. Despite the winter bearing down though we have started to prepare for spring. Little Kittens With additional family and animals, moving…
Slow and Steady: Real Life Jenga for Keeps.
This week on the homestead we made some slow and steady progress on the mother-in-law house. For part of the project, it almost felt like we were playing Jenga on a large scale with much higher stakes. Pull one board out, put another one in, wait to make sure nothing goes wrong… But, it feels…
Something lost, something gained, and a light at the end of the Crawlspace
This week on the homestead we continued our mother-in-law house repair. We can finally see the light at the end of the crawlspace! However, to break things up a bit, I will share some other news. We have had sad and exciting happenings here while I have been stuck beneath a house. Something Lost About…