Come on, sing it with me. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . a subscription to Backyard Poultry. Stop laughing! It's one of the things I really wanted!
Seems farm life has really changed the rest of my Christmas list as well. Not that I ever was one to ask for the most ungodly expensive purse or shoes (since hey, all I need is a bag to carry my crap and boots to do chores in!), but when you start asking your family for chicken books, drench bits, and killing cones, you know you've become a farmer. (I'll spring the request for slaughtering knives on em next year!)
Other ways to know you're a farmer include: being able to tie down a tarp over a round bale with baling twine while wearing work gloves in the rain, taking any and all surplus from your neighbor's garden (say, a few wheelbarrow loads of green tomatoes) and preserving it because "you never know when you'll need it", and seeing manure not as a nuisance, but a way of life. And maybe the most telling of all: the more of your Christmas shopping you can do at Tractor Supply, the happier you are. I'm sure Scott would have more to add to this list, but he'll have to get his own blog.
I wouldn't trade that for all the purses, cute shoes, or whatever is currently all the rage (I wouldn't know and I don't care!). We've been out here a full year now, and we got just what we wanted. Living out at Plum & Nearly (Plum out of town and Nearly in the country!), we don't wake up to constant wheel noise or sirens. I can look out my front window with my cuppa and see my horses. I've gotten to see a hen lay an egg, and glory in the sight of Stewie the Roo letting loose with a crow on a frosty morning--and the vapor coming out his beak. Forking hay has become a Zen experience. And the best part? We have a great gathering place for family.
And now that the Christmas tree is up (after 5, count em, FIVE attempts at lighting), there's snow in the forecast, and we have plenty of wood for the furnace, bring on Christmas. I know it'll be a very merry one (especially if Santa brings me that drench bit and killing cone!)
and for the record: if you want to look into Backyard Poultry yourself, you can find them at www.backyardpoultrymag.com . Another great mag is Countryside (www.countrysidemag.com). And since I mentioned Gene Logsdon in my last post, check out his book "The Contrary Farmer." It's got some terrific stuff in it about all aspects of farm life and how to get the most out of your land while putting the most back into it.
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