Things are a little crazy around here right now. We’re in the middle of soccer season, so the kiddos have practice during the week, and then games on Saturday mornings. This Saturday is also lamb harvest this year, so we’ll have customers at the farm all day on Saturday. The Cowboy is very excited that he won’t have to miss it this year, like last year, for school. Plus Mr. Fix-It and I have started teaching Wednesday night bible club at our church. It’s a joy, but it takes up a lot of our time and energy working on class plans, praying over our students, and making even more plans. {smile}
And speaking of school…it’s been a rocky start to the year. I hope we’ll be getting the swing of it soon, but it has not been easy. (To say the least.) But at least I know Speedracer is getting a full lunch this year–he packs a peanut butter sandwich EVERY. DAY. {smile}
The farm is starting to get that brown look that means the end of the grass season around here. Things start to look a little bleak. You have to dig a little deeper to find some beauty. I’m looking forward to the leaves changing this year. We have a lot of evergreen around here, but we get some lovely red and yellow as well.
And we’re keeping an eye out for our spring pullets to start laying any time in the next few months. We’re still enjoying Pixie in the backyard as well. She never fails to bring a smile, cooing around back there. She even wandered through the fence and out to visit the neighbors with us the other day. I got a little worried because we were so close to the road, but she came right over when I knelt, so I picked her up and took her back to the yard. She gets a lot of treats, being so close to the house too. More the of the free-rangers have started sticking around trying to get in on her goodies.
We have two other Speckled Sussex in the pen and the Cowboy wants to bring them out and see if they’ll be just as friendly. I’ve heard this is part of the breed’s personality, but this is the first time we’ve had them, and I still think a lot of it was from being coddled and cuddled when she was hurt. If you have any insight here, I’d love to hear it.
Do you have plans for this weekend?
We’re praying for decent weather and that everything goes smoothly with the harvest. It’s a crazy, hectic day, but it’s only once a year and it’s just part of what we do now. Building relationships with our customers has been an interesting journey–especially since neither Mr. Fix-It or I are extroverted personalities. But family is the great equalizer and having the kiddos along-side us all the time was a real ice breaker. When they started bringing their wives, children, and family and friends to the farm with them, we knew we were on to something. {smile} We’ve had the same core customer base for four years now, all by word-of-mouth. Any time we start to doubt our product, we just remind ourselves that our business model is 90% return customers–and we don’t call them, they call us. Clearly we’re providing something they value!
Did you get our September newsletter a few weeks ago? It was full of yummy pumpkin recipes! We’ll be sharing all things apples in the October issue next week, so be sure to sign up! I’ll be sharing my super-easy, homemade and healthy crock-pot applesauce–which the crew just raves about (and you know if I do it very often, it must be quick, easy, and impossible to mess up!) as well as some yummy recipes, fun crafts, and DIYs from some bloggy friends.
See where I’m sharing this week…