Golly.  Where to begin?  I think I will just start typing and hope that everyone can make sense of it all. Lately, I have been waking every morning and counting my blessings.  Really...just being thankful for my life and everyone in it. I am missing seeing my friends and work family, however, I am grateful to communicate via social media. The world truly is not shut down, if we think about it.  It is just operating differently.

Yesterday was another blessed day because Travis and I were able to purchase a car for our graduating senior!  It is a used Subaru, 2001, but it is reliable and safe. It will take care of him for a long time as long as he keeps it maintained like has been done with it so far. It has a few kinks but is in overall good condition. Trevor is very happy with it and we are elated to be able to make this year a little better for him seeing as how there has been a world pandemic and all senior events have been shut down or cancelled, including graduation. We were able to buy the car outright so there is no payment.  It is not even thanks to stimulus checks, it is simply something we have been saving and searching for, for awhile now. We have been diligent about getting our credit up and paying for things outright as much as possible. Sure, we would love to have new carpets installed, or a hot tub to soak in after along day of physical farm labor, but Trevor has always been a kind and responsible kid. He has taken care of siblings and the home front when we were not around or working, and he deserves this!

Trevor has been, and will continue to, apply for jobs so he can pay the insurance and gas on his car, but I will fill everyone in on that long (Covid-19 related) story at a later time. At least now he has a full desire to move into adulthood with his new founded freedom!

Meanwhile, on the farm home front, I finally found a small table to fit in our cozy kitchen so we don't always have to sit at the bar on stools. I found the table in a search on-line and it was even up for grabs from a co-worker.  She gave it to me for free because no one else was picking it up and she no longer had space or need for it. The table is cute and in tip top shape, so that was a blessing!

I finally decided to order a product on-line for Chewy the pony's itching skin and fungus issues. The product is called Coat Defense and is supposed to dry up any trouble spots and stop the itch so that healthy hair can re-grow.  It comes in a powder, to sprinkle on and rub in daily, and a paste, to put on any scaly or wounded patches. So far, the paste does dry up quite well but as soon as I gave Chewy a little freedom this afternoon and let him out of the round pen and into the pasture, what do you think he did?  He went straight to his favorite tree and started positioning himself for a good scratch.  (Enter forehead slap here!)

Travis is busy working from home these days, and then heads straight outside to work on all his millions of projects. I swear, he never stops!  Right now he is catching a ton of mice that keep getting into his vegetable crops and my hay tent. Between setting and checking traps, he is also building a stanchion for the goat so that he can trim her hooves easily. After that, he is going to start building an actual hay barn instead of using a large tent/tarp set-up.  This set-up got us through the winter o.k., because we ran out of time to build the barn, however, it needed lots of checking and maintenance during the snow, rain, wind, and other weather conditions. We will use the tent for something else when hay storage is no longer needed as its sole purpose.

Blake and Megan are doing well. Megan still sings in her room every day and continues her on-line schooling as usual. Blake is now transitioned to on-line learning as well, but otherwise he plays video games relentlessly.  I can hardly blame him because what else is a 15-year-old boy to do stuck at home with his family all day, on a farm in the middle of nowhere to boot?  Don't worry though, I make him move and do chores. Sometimes he comes on walks with me.  I'm sure he will now convince his big brother to drive him to town for Dairy Queen at the drive thru once in awhile because everyone knows in our house that Blake never stops eating!

I am busy with the animals, the housework, helping the kids, and various writing projects and feel we are a very fortunate family through these times in the world. We are well and keeping busy and continue to enjoy each milestone that life has to offer us.  The dishwasher may have broke and the mice may have eaten through half of Travis's crop, but we got a perfectly good free table, and purchased our senior graduate a car, so we just continue to be blessed! 

I hope all is well with everyone who reads this, as well as your family, friends, and beloved pets.

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Take care and I will write again soon!
Amy Darr 
3 Corners Farm
Mosier, Or. USA