I’ve decided that 2 days of farm life is the equivalent of about 5 days of regular life. So much happens in a day on the farm!
Since my last post, we’ve kept up with morning chores and AC has continued to work her tuchus off. You can tell the she’s proving herself a great farmhand because she’s getting more independent jobs that involve big machinery: moving the water cannon, cleaning up a fence line with a chainsaw, relocating the cows, etc. In short, she’s crushing it out here!
Running of the…Sheep
Friday afternoon highlight: I was able to leave work and get outside before all the fun ended. I volunteered to be the sheep-runner during their most recent move from pasture to pen. Got my cardio for the day!
Ruh Roh Rabbits
Saturday’s big event was “dispatching” (as they say) 12 rabbits. I’ll spare you the details, but AC and I got lots of hands-on experience with the entire process from catching live rabbits to bagging not-live rabbits for the freezer. Some of those rabbits have actually been purchased by a local restaurant! Karla even gave us a rabbit to experiment with cooking, since we plan to have them on our homestead!
Rubber Boots
After all the rabbit excitement, we took the afternoon to go to town for some errands. Mostly, I needed a pair of rubber boots. I’ve been doing morning chores in my old hiking boots which are water-resistant, but can’t quite hold up against the bucket loads of dew that we trounce through in the fields. Usually my first stop after morning chores is the laundry room where I immediately deposit my water-logged socks in the washer so my toes can start drying out. Note to future farmers/homesteaders: rubber boots are a must! Luckily we found a sturdy pair of black boots that should (1) hide most of the farm muck stains and (2) last me quite a while. (Now, if anyone knows of a secret for keeping your socks up while wearing rubber boots, please share! That’s our current battle.)
We also stopped at the grocery store to pick up essentials for the week. We also grabbed a few ingredients (that we don’t have on the farm) for the Honey Rosemary Rabbit recipe that we’ll try out tomorrow. Afterward, we had a few minutes before church so we stopped at a lovely little park with a great big waterfall!
After church we ended the night with a moose hunt. For those who don’t know, I’ve never seen a moose in real life. AC has made it her mission to change that. Unfortunately, last night wasn’t the night. But we had a nice drive 🙂
Dinner at The Dandelion Kitchen
Today (Sunday), we had the day off so we literally did not leave the apartment EXCEPT for a delicious dinner. The local restaurant that is buying some of the rabbits is called The Dandelion Kitchen. A French chef runs the joint and it’s a great little gem for this small area. It came highly recommended by the Paradise Valley Ranch crew so we made a reservation.
It did not disappoint! We shared a delightful sautéed shrimp appetizer, then AC had the salmon dish and I had the beef bourguignon. Both plates came loaded with fresh sides: baba ghanoush, lentils, carrots, corn, broccoli and cauliflower, potatoes (for mine) and rice (for AC’s). We ended with desserts of whiskey walnut pie and creme caramel. And the best part: the Paradise Valley families called ahead and covered our bill! We did not expect that, but it goes to show how wonderful these people are and how excellent this experience has been. We’re definitely going to miss them, but we plan to keep in touch and invite them to our homestead once we’re up and running.
Until next time,
Charli
Not only am I enjoying the narrative of your journey but the pictures are a real bonus! Thanks for taking us along!
Wow, what a great time! Enjoying the reports and experiences you are sharing.
I LOLd watching the sheep-runner video! Curious to hear about your Honey Rosemary Rabbit recipe!
😊
I’ll post an update on the rabbit just for you!
I am enjoying your adventure. I feel like I’m reading a book and can’t wait for the next chapter.
Thanks, Lisa! Hope you’re enjoying it as much as we are 🙂