When the seasons roll

I know I do an excited fall post every year. I wax poetic about fall fairs and crisp cool days drenched in sunshine and trees dying their hair blonde, brunette or becoming fiery redheads. And all that is still so very true, but it isn't just fall that does this to me. I get the rush from the change. Every few months I need some sort of change some sort of new, some sort of adventure. One can't be moving that often nor dying their hair (though the old me would disagree), but you still need something. And for me that is the seasons change.

That rush as one slowly starts to slide over the other, wrap together and for a few weeks become Siamese twins and confuse the hell out of everyone walking around. Then the old season comes out of the gate a little slower each day, whilst the new season emerges as the clearer stronger victor, pushing aside the previous weeks and subduing the dying season with promises of 'next year....'. That's what I need and love and currently am drowning in, that Siamese twin mash of summer and fall. And of course even excited for autumn my mind and heart rush past onto all the good (and bad and lengthy and dragging on-ness) of winter.

So basically I need to live in the now and work on enjoying it instead of the future.

And this is a lesson I've recently started accepting into my life on a daily front, not just at seasons change. For years I'd been in 'planning mode' focussed on what comes next and trying to be prepared. And now I've tried (somewhat successfully) to curb that bad habit and remember to love where I am in that very moment, because really you don't know how many more moments you may get.

this is where ill be aaaaalllllllll weekend....

and i couldn't be happier....

my intinerary:

Antlerstock is coming up in a few days! Soon dozens of people from all over North America will be traveling to Veryork to enjoy the Fall Festival here at the farm, two jam-packed days of workshops, talks, hands-on work, and all the questions you want to ask about anything from sheep shearers to winter gardens. Preparations are underway, and have been, for weeks. A truckload of pumpkins is getting picked up tomorrow. Saturday night a campfire will roar and 30+ jackolanterns will light up the farm. (Everyone will have a chance to carve their own between workshops) Bring your cameras, folks.

Some friends will be getting in Thursday, others Friday, and the party officially starts at 10AM on Saturday (though you are welcome to show up to park anytime after 9:30). A brunch of free-range egg vegetarian quiche, cider donuts, coffee, and such will start the day with introductions and welcoming remarks, followed by a short farm tour and outline of the day's events.

From there on out, this is the plan:

Saturday October 15th
10:30 AM - Farm Tour (everyone)
11:00 AM - Cheese Making (kitchen) with Cathy and Diane
11:00 AM - Backyard Woodlot Management with Brett (maybe Jasper)
12;00 PM - Chicken 101 with Jenna at the brooder/coop
1:00 PM - Lunch!
                 BBQ Pork from Flying Pig Farm of Shushan (3 miles from CAF),
                 Potato soup from homegrow spuds of Firecracker Farm,
                 Hand-pressed apple cider from CAF apples! (we'll have to shake them out)
                 Masonades of Lemon Ade, well water, and local beers
2:00 PM - Meat Rabbit 101 with Jenna in the barn
2:00 PM - Soapmaking with Tara of Ghost Dog Hollow Farm in the Kitchen
2:00 PM - Splitting and Stacking with Brett, Timbersports talk!
3:00 PM - Sheep 101 in the pasture with Maude and Sal
3:00 PM - Chicken History and Culture Lecture with Tamine of Common Sense Farm
4:00 PM - Wool Craft with Jenna - home wool processing, knitting 101 (bring needles and yarn!)
5:00 PM - Second Lunch, pies,more cider

Break till 7:30 PM - got to your hotel, get a shower, stretch your legs, or stay to help set up for the fire.

7:30 PM Campfire! Bring your instruments, blankets, etc!

Sunday!
8:00 AM Early Brunch! Come for more breakfast goodies and hot coffee
9:00 AM Canning 101 with Jenna in the Kitchen (berry jam)
9:00 AM Backyard Food production with Brett, talk outside, Q & A session
10:00 AM Intro to Mountain Music with Jenna
11:00 AM Trip to Common Sense Farm for Herbalism workshop in their fields (2 miles south)
11:00 AM Sheep herding/chasing lesson with Gibson.
12:00 AM Lunch! Homemade Pizzas with local cheeses
1:00 PM Gear up for a hike at Merck Forest in Rupert VT (amazing fall foliage!)
4:00 PM back at the farm for closing remarks, and thanks

That's the plan, so far. You will be able to skip in an out of workshops if you want, or not do any at all. Maybe you just want to sit outside with your guitar and drink fresh cider? Okay by me. There will be new books for sale on all sorts of topics covered here as well as copies of Made From Scratch and Chick Days, get one for a gift or for yourself signed!

If you are coming up to the farm please come prepared with a clothes ready to work, waterproof mucky boots, indoor shoes (if you don't like wearing socks in the house), rain gear (just in case), notebooks for taking notes and emails, warm clothes for the campfire (or if you're from Texas, Florida, or Southern California). Coffee is always a welcomed gift, because I have an addiction. And last, but not least: bring your excitement and kind selves! If you still need directions, you gotta email me with the address you registered with and I'll fork 'em over.

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/

the trick with motivation, and inspiration, is....

i always have it when there's nothing i can do about them! i feel so motivated and inspired at work but when  i get home i just want to sit on my back deck and watch the sun disappear. or if its rainy curl up on the couch and some comfort food for dinner and watch a film instead of doing all those other things i wanted to do whilst at work. but i guess that's just par for the course. i'm on day three of a 20 day straight work week.... maybe that one day off at the end will be a long enough day to accomplish all those things i yearn for.

on a happier less whiny note - fall is on it's way, despite the 30 degree heat outside.

I am wondering why

That's pretty much it.

its been a while....

and will continue to be as i no longer have a computer.

friday the 13th

if you happen to be in the Kitchener Ontario area tomorrow stop on by Molly Bloom's pub on Fairway Rd to check out the Jesse Parent band, Sexdwarf, and Lola Stone. should be a good evening of music!

turns out....

the "sign" was just a sign. ah well.

yesterday i asked two dogs two different questions.

the first i asked "what should i do with my life?" her response was a leap onto me hug and then bounding away howling. her answer translated to "do what makes you happy."

the second i asked her the same question, her response was sidling up beside me sitting down and leaning her head into my side. her version of a hug. her answer clearly translated into "love. just love."

sometimes i think people should ask animals their opinions far more often than we do.

OKAY!

first off today is the first day in a while i feel.... optimistic? that being said i wasn't not before, but i'm just very aware of it now and am trying to keep myself under control, think good thoughts and not get carried away or too hopeful as sometimes that has a way of tripping me up.

so i work two jobs. one is busiest from may long weekend to thanksgiving long weekend, then nothing in between, hence why i got a second job. that job is also based on similar busy times as well as christmas. they both get crazy at march break too. now i took that second job because the first one was leaving me high and dry for the winter. that first job is my heart. i love it and the people. unfortunately the only way for me to get to be full time permanent and work year round is if one of those people leave. now i definitely have my favourites and wouldn't necessarily mind seeing a person or two leave but i hate to think any bad thoughts like that cause i'm a big believer in karma. and no i'm not perfect so i have seen it at work first hand.

the second job i took because it was available and sort of similar to my first job and lets face it i still have bills to pay. i thought it would be okay, and it is. just okay. the hours are great when they're there but in the last two weeks i have worked 3 half days cause its slow right now. not helpful. but i cant just quit because a) thats foolish, and b) well, i suppose see "a". today i came across a sign though. possibly. well literally, it was a sign, but i think it was kind of a sign too. its another job opportunity in a field i have been thinking about heavily lately. one i have no professional training in but am semi-pro at in my mind, and the minds of a few others, not to toot my own horn. i had even been thinking of how to get training lately thats how adamant i was that it was the right path and how much i wanted out of my second job. 

so that's the optimism aspect i suppose. this weekend i get to see my mum, we're very close and haven't seen each other in quite a few months.... since christmas? no i was home in there once or twice i think between. still! and even though the warm sunny original forecast is now calling for cooler rain it should still be nice to be at her cozy house visiting. and of course my manfriend will be joining us. he thinks it's 'neat' how my mum and my relationship works and how he feels around it and at her house. different dynamic than his childhood.

alas no pictures, i was just on the computer and had a moment and had some thoughts so here they are. i had wanted to be on here more but despite my best attempts to get it set up on my iphone, it will not cooperate. if it did there would be oh so many more posts. perhaps a slew even. 

hope your spring is lovely.

spring was sprung! then subdued....

on the first day of spring three female and one male gold finch showed up at our feeders! it was apropos i think! then of course over night it was all freezing rain and snow and slushy on the way to work, mother nature, wtf?!

(p.s. i have recently learned that one -read me- should NOT under any circumstances have a couple glasses of wine and go on etsy!.... at least i bought a chrsitmas present!)

despite the view from the window....

spring is coming i know it. it has to. i need it.

also i saw a dark eyed junco today, haven't seen one of those lil fellas in a while.

tonight easy croissant sandwiches and soup to wash off the cold.

tomorrow, more of the same weather.

a little bit of my life

my dog and cats take up a large portion of my heart. in fact so much so that i feel guilty sometimes when i get short with them for being, well, them! the post with the chair shows cooper (or more often "coop") the dog. he's a beagle crossed with a red tick. all hound. but pretty much the best hound i've ever come across. he's an interesting little dude. looks like he should have had longer legs. my manfriend, R, takes him hunting (yes he does that and i'm okay with it) and coop is an excellent deer runner. even for people other than R. here's an updated shot of our lil man. he enjoys having his hip/bum scratched.

the first critter "we" had, well, that i acquired was summer our little mini calico. you might remember her form the chair post too. she is a bit of a princess and makes sure everyone knows it. but super soft and loves to cuddle. and boxes. she loves to sleep in boxes. obviously.

the middle child is trixie. i've mentioned her before. she's my soulmate. she picked me as her own and i couldn't do anything about it. she is an amazing cat, so friendly and kind of dog-like. as far as cats go? we definitely won the lottery! she is a diluted calico, so white, grey and peach where as summer is white, black and orange. and she is a happy cat.

we are tentatively considering adding a puppy - a girl - to this mix later this year. a black lab. the parents are smaller in stature as neither of us want a giant lumbering lab, sweet natured and beautiful. and of course being a lab she would be trained to retrieve. remember, hunter manfriend, our dogs are dual purpose. that being said we wouldn't get rid of her if she couldn't retrieve.

not a terribly interesting blog post today but it's something and it has photos once again. we're a little family and more furry than anything else but we're happy and get along just fine. next post? manfriend?....

i seem to be caught on a loop

while i started the year with such high hopes the blog fell by the wayside again! i am terrible at this apparently. but while i still don't have a "direction" in mind for my blog i have realized a few things lately....

1) i have a serious disease. i have barnheart. if this means nothing to you, sorry. if it means something to you, welcome to the club. i have always enjoyed gardening and producing my own food etc and last year i put in a 16x16 ft garden and got some potatoes, special non-ripening tomatoes (lol), green onions, some beans and peas. oh and one teensy tiny head of broccoli. so this year i have been researching. i will be ready this year and will be revamping the layout etc. so look out groundhog, i'm going to be super ready for your tricks this year.

2) on the topic of barnheart, i will be acquiring some lovely laying hens from a friend and co-worker. she has too many for her liking currently and why not start with some guaranteed layers right? perhaps i will add a few chicks and maybe a handful of meat bird chicks as well farther into the spring when i have everything established. so that's a main project for this spring - coop building!

3) my house. it's under renovations. our siding is nonexistent currently it's just the insulation board so there's outside stuff and inside stuff to keep us busy, and far too long and boring to list here.

4) on top of that i will be working two jobs soon. the one i currently have is full time occasionally when we're busy enough and the other is my "summer" job from last year. so labelled because it depends heavily on tourism and lets face it not many cottagers come up this way in the cold winters we have.

so i will be negotiating my way through 2 pretty much full time jobs for the majority of the spring/summer/fall as well as working on the house and raising (sort of) some chickens! at some point in there i'd love to see my friends and family as well as go camping, do crafts, sit on the beach (or my deck) in the sun with some cider.

now i'm definitely not trying to sound like i'm complaining, i am very thankful for everything. i'm just trying so hard not to overwhelm my mind with it all before pretty much any of it has happened. i'm bad for that.

on a new topic i have kept this blog pretty uninformative on myself personally. at arms length as it were. i think some of it was because if there was no information about me personalizing it then it wouldn't matter as much if someone i knew found it. not that i'm worried about anything i write on here, it's just sometimes nice to have an outlet, ya know? needless to say i will probably be expanding into my self on here letting you guys (laugh! who?) see what's going on in my life as i know it.

and sorry again no pictures!

it's a brand new year - duh!

not to state the obvious (but i did) and i am ready for renewal. and after seeing so many other people re-vamping their blogs and re-iterating the past year i can't help but feel "bloggy" again.  i know, i know before you say anything i say this type of thing all the time. i think my troubles before was not having a direction with my blog and to be fair i probably still won't have one but i am making up my mind to be more on here. if for no other reason than an outlet for me. very self-serving resolution eh?

i have started to get some more inspiration again and am excited to do things! i don't know what when how or any other pertinent info but expect things to happen. alas no photo today, just words but if nothing else i have put the thought i've been dragging around the last couple weeks in motion by putting it out there into the great cyber universe.