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| There is always something to do |
This week I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. I’ll freely admit it. We’ve definitely got a lot on our plate right now, especially compared to just a year ago. Last April at this time we had the garden, 2 goats, and 11 chickens. I was working part-time and didn’t really have anything extra-curricular going on.
Now I’m back to full-time at work and we’ve got more chickens, we’re milking those 2 goats at 5:30am every morning, we’ve got kids (the four legged kind), rabbits, bees, ducks. Turkeys are coming tomorrow. We had a sick doeling to care for and now that she’s gone (sadface) I have to milk her mom out on one side (because Mork is stuck in his ways and refuses to help out) in the afternoon too. We’re helping establish the East Bay Urban Agriculture Alliance. We’re working with our city to create urban farming friendly laws. We’re meeting about the Temple Arts Loft project in downtown Vallejo. We’re teaching free classes, mentoring people, giving tours, being interviewed. And we have the potluck this Saturday, along with teaching two classes in the morning at the Vallejo People’s Garden Grand Opening and having a memorial service to go to that day. And did I mention we have to create all of our meals from scratch because we’re not shopping at the grocery store? All on top of getting the garden in and fixing/redoing the irrigation system.
I think this week has just taken a huge toll on me. It’s not easy and we’re constantly busy. Now that it’s light out longer we find ourselves working in the yard until 8pm before we even start making dinner. The main issue regarding animals is that we’re in a huge transition period where not everyone is settled in. The chicks are getting big but we still have to go out every night and get them into the coop. Otherwise they sleep with the goats, and that just doesn’t work. We have to lock up the ducklings in their brooder every night because they don’t have a coop built yet. I had to replant all of our squash, melon and cucumber seedlings because of slugs into pots to be transplanted in a couple of weeks.
So after May I’m going to not teach classes for awhile. We won’t have so much work to do in the garden, so that will help and all of our animals should be settled in nicely. At least that’s the plan….
I completely understand. We are ALWAYS busy, and it seems like we never have one moment that itsn't occupied. Just know that your work is good, and take a break (at least for 5 minutes).
Whoa – I am so impressed … and you forgot to mention you are doing a couple of blogs!! See you Saturday for the potluck and talk about maybe helping a bit.
Hang in there! I know how you feel, we have rabbits, chicks, gardens, dogs, my two year old son, his 6 week old baby brother, and we are trying to finish the house to put on the market by June! Oh and wee have ducklings coming to!
I love the on-going tally you have up. I just installed my second colony of honeybees and am feeling very nervous that I am going to do something catastrophically wrong for my little pollinators. Anybody have any words of advice they can supplement all of the information The Backyard Beekeeper has filled my brain with. Thanks!
Mary@northerncaliurbanfarm.blogspot.com
@Mary, You and I are on the same journey since we just got our first hive this past weekend. I think patience is key. Don't check them too often – once a week tops. Make sure they are storing honey, pollen and raising brood. Otherwise I don't think you need to do much else until Fall comes.