August Planning

     The month of August tends to slow us down driving us to stop and consider where we go from here. It is time to reevaluate our homestead routines, curriculum plans, and even take stock of our 'things'. Hot afternoons give us the best opportunity to take a seat by the fan with a tall glass of iced tea and take stock of how things have been and how they need to be.
      For the first time, we find ourselves with only one teen here at home. The quiet has been a strange thing to get use to. The farm boy and I have been working through curriculum evaluations pulling books and planning the year's educational activities. A junior in high school, he has a voice in his course of study, offering the freedom to pursue extra activities as long as he maintains the core studies.
     Gardens are pulled and planned out. With my household getting smaller we are trying to determine if garden space should be adjusted or simply organized with the intent to share. Maintaining three large gardens might prove to be a challenge for the two of us.
     The herd needs thinned- I never maintain more than three or four goats at a time and right now we have eight. Three babies are up for new homes, but no new homes have been found. After this busy week, we intend to post them more publicly.
      Chickens have been wonderfully productive and quite hearty this year. Spring will find me adding some new ones to the flock, as usual. I am playing with the notion of some more ducks. They generally house in one of my gardens offering a relief from pests and plenty of good manure.
       My schedule has changed and my husband's is set to change as well. This will make things even more interesting as we determine how and who gets what done where. The goal is for all the chores not to fall on one person. That can be difficult when routines shift drastically.
        As of today, my plan is to catch up on some house work, make some feta cheese, and just plain detox from this crazy busy week. Happy weekend!