Its all a bit much.

I have had a very hard time keeping up with the farm chores of late. Liam is determined to not be put down at all and will not nap on most days. Pair that with the start of harvest and the sleep I am not getting and it all adds up to a bit to much. Tonight I'm going to go to bed quite early and tomorrow i'll try to get as much done as I can before it gets to hot and I run out of steam.

We are going away for a couple of days at the end of the week on a bit of a holiday. It will be nice to take a brake for a few days but at the same time I know it will all be waiting for me when i get back, but i'm just not going to think about it.

Anyways on a happier note I got to go on a little visit to a farm two hours away from ours last weekend. I went to Half Caper farm to check out her goats and talk about buying a pair of kids from her next spring. They were so cute; running around the barn and fields. I'm sold!

Planning for next spring gives me the time to prepare without putting the horse before the cart (or goat before the barn). As a bounce she raises geese and rabbits which was great to ask questions about.I have been trying to working on some sewing. I made this banner for my boys. There birthdays are coming up in the next month or so: Matt in August, Liam in September. I got the idea from Amanda Blake from Soulemama. I wanted to make something that would become a tradition for special days rather then just gifts or cake.
The first tomatoes are ripening this week in our garden. But these are not the tomatoes I was looking for! The tomatoes I planted are big and beautiful but very green. We have volunteer tomatoes popping up red and yellow everywhere. On the up side its like a little surprise to see what all the plants are producing and i didn't have to care for them at all (besides not pulling them out). The down side is they did smother my small carrot plants when i was not looking. Oh well, When life gives you tomatoes......make pasta sauce!

Picking

Un-known to us one of the fruit trees off to one side of the property is an early cherry. Matt was scything the grass around the small greenhouse and noticed that one of the trees was covered with ripe peach coloured cherries. We went out and started picking. Matt and I took turns sitting with Liam while the other picked. We sat under the tree nursing and watched the geese circle around us eating the tall grass in-between naps. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the cherries we picked. I'm think about making a pie or crisp, or maybe just freezing them all for the cold winter when a cherry tart would make me smile.Whatever I deicide to do with them I have a feeling that I'm going to get very good at pitting them. We have at least another basket worth of cherries that are not ripe yet from this tree and two more trees that look like they are going to ripen a bit later.

We are here! We are here! We are here!

The final box is moved and the crowds of people have left, and we are here. Today is the first morning alone on are farm, and what a wonderful morning it has been so far. The sun comes up in our new bedroom and dances across the yellow walls to the sounds of black birds and chickadees singing outside; its a great way to wake up. My tasks for the day includes unpacking, checking on the girls to see if they like there new nesting boxes (Matthew built them last night) and trying to find my wool and hooks. I'm also going to try to get outside because its supposed to go up to 12 digress C today, which will hopeful be the first spring day after a long but not very snowy winter.
We are a little further behind then I'd like to be on planing our garden but it can't be helped. I have found a couple of Ontario seed company's that look great thanks to Dawn at Little City Farm. In the next few days i have to sit down and make a list of the needs we would like and send it away so we can hopeful get what we want. I will post the list once i have it all on paper.

Burning the log at both ends

As part of the deal with the house we have to put in a new wood stove for the insurance. This is the one we picked because it was a working cook top on it, plus it has a cast iron shell.
It will be going in just before we move in on the 5th of march. I can't wait to start the first fire. Matt and I have been craving a wood stove since we visited my parents at Yule: the soft warm heat, the glow of the fire and the faint smell of wood smoke in the morning as we go out to let the girls (chickens) out for there morning pecking.

We got it !

We found our farm! We are just waiting for the home inspection this week and to sign the papers and it ours! we looked at it last week and put an offer in the next day. It has 2.5 acres, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, wood-heat and a huge eat-in kitchen. I also has a barn, chicken coop and 2 green houses; its our dream house. It looks like our closing date is going to be march 1st so i have so much planing and packing to do. I keep thinking about all the pepper and tomatoes we can grow in the green house this summer and how I'm going to lay ever thing out.
So Happy.....

Starting off

I, Sophie, my husband Matthew and our 3 month old son Liam want a farm. We want to sell our house, buy 10 acres and grow lots of yummy food on it. Until then we are going to make the most of the small city backyard we have. I was raised on a hobby farm and have always loved to cook fresh food. My husband is new to the idea of growing things but is really coming around to the idea. At the moment we have 4 laying hens, 2 cats, 4 gardens, 3 fruit trees and berry patches. This blog is to document are work towards homesteading, cooking good food and raising Liam.