It Is Time To Say Good Bye To January

    Hello to all reading this blog post!  I send my love to each and every one of you.  I have so much to share that I will just jump right in so please forgive me if my topics float all over the place.  My typing fingers don't always keep up with my fast thoughts so sometimes they come out in a jumble.  I think it's a bit like art though, how my thoughts travel to my fingers, which translate to the keyboard, and ends up on the computer...Amazing!  Truly amazing.

    Alright, so first and foremost, my last blog was a bit defeating in describing how my pony Chewy has been doing lately with major hoof pain.  I really was expecting the worst news from the farrier's visit.  

    It turns out that Chewy had grown so much heel that it was causing him to walk on his toes.  Now keep in mind that inside his toes, especially the front left, there is permanent bone damage from founder that occurred previously to Chewy arriving on our farm, so walking on his toes will be ouchie.  

    We are always so regular about getting trims done but with the mud, rain, snow, and general un-fun winter weather, I managed to put it off longer than I normally would.  When I found out Chewy's pain could have been avoided by a sooner trim, I wanted to make myself suffer for Chewy's sake.  

    I felt, and still feel, so guilty!  Lesson learned. I will never go this long between trims ever again. He is doing better today thankfully and I am genuinely so grateful that it wasn't worse news that could not be mended.  

    Willow's trim was quick and painless.  Her only issue (still) is keeping her weight up.  There is so much more I could share with you all about the horses, their trims, their hooves, their diets, their careful care, etc. but instead I will move onto another topic for now.

    I have found that this time of year is a little bit drab.  Everywhere is soggy and it just seems gray and bland, but thankfully, it is time to say good bye to January and hello to February!

    At least February contains a whole day devoted to love and is a shorter winter month.  Before we know it, spring will be upon us. Don't get me wrong, winter has it's own gloriousness but I am so grateful that we always have the next season to look forward to. All of the best things seem to happen right at the start of each season.  By the time we get halfway through, which we are about at now in winter, I get the urge for the next season's super freshness! 

    Yesterday I felt completely unmotivated.  Instead of getting frustrated by accomplishing nothing, I joined Travis outside where he built a fire in the firepit, and even though it took awhile to get the fire burning from all the dampness, we just sat out there and chatted while watching the horses and goat in the pasture. It was so peaceful to just...be together and to breathe in the fresh air. My work mates would call that 'self care', which is a hot topic over the past year. It must have been needed because today I woke up and was inspired to clean house and just, "Get stuff done!"

    Now I am inspired to plan ideas for the spring.  Travis and I have been s-l-o-w-l-y working on saving some money to purchase camera and recording equipment to share how we do all of our planting and canning. It also might be fun to share other modern homestead activities, tips, and tricks.  I am looking forward to filling the yard with flowers and being able to get the animals out for some activities. Travis already has the itch to begin planting but must settle with preparing for it instead.  

    The kids are still anxiously awaiting for schools to re-open, or at least start some extra curricular activities, but they also are ready for spring to happen around the farm. Saving money is very slow going because we have a mortgage to pay, teenagers to feed, animals (with special needs) to care for, and...

    We are still living with subflooring.  Haha!  The floor will get done, I promise!  But I keep putting other things ahead of it. No matter what, hard work pays off and things are steadily coming along. I can not forget about what all we have accomplished thus far. The sooner we get to filming and recording, the sooner everyone else can see our progression. 

    Every blog I write and every video we download to YouTube gets a little bit easier and I am becoming more and more comfortable with the process. As we keep working hard at it, I believe our work will get much more appealing to those who might like to learn the basics of modern homesteading that can be done anywhere. The saying comes to mind of, "One must start somewhere".

    I hope to one day be able to socialize with many people who share in the same lifestyle and love of animals and nature as we do. 

    Well, my hot tea is getting cold and I still must type a little message for the board out front. I will end this now. As always, I send my love and wish you all many blessings in the month to come!

Feel free to follow along with us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Many blessings to you all!

Amy Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier Or. U.S.A.