Still Farming!

Hi,

I wish I could write down every moment of this time I spend here. But I’ve been far to busy for that. The work is hard and time consuming, for me at least, although it’s been very rewarding. It’s amazing the sense of accomplishment I have when I finally sit down in the evening totally exhausted and cold but pretty proud at the amount of work I’ve done completely on my own.

In a lot of ways it seems like I just got here – I’m still getting the hang of this type of work, getting to know the animals, growing familiar with the landscape of the farm, and it’s hard to realize that my stay here is soon coming to an end. I’m going to miss this farm so much, and my Uncle Alan and my Aunt Judith. They’ve been so good to me. My uncle is a veritable gold mine of information about farming and he’s been so patient with me, explaining the workings of the farm, answering my questions, giving me helpful instructions, and not flipping out when I make dumb mistakes. (And trust me I’ve made them.)

I know this place has got to be even better in the summer. Apparently there’s a lot more work to do in the summer, but i think it could be done easier and faster in good weather. It’s amazing how drastically snow alters the landscape. For a city boy like me whose used to being indoors most of the time that’s taken some getting used to. Every time we get more snow the landscape changes – landmarks, the way things sound. I’ve dealt with that at home before on a smaller scale, but at home at least our sidewalks and driveway are always cleared. Here I’ve put in so many hours just shoveling paths. And on the few warmer days we’ve enjoyed here everything was slushy in the day and icy at night. It’s rough for the inexperienced city boy like me.

The boy next door has been a great help. He’s really good at what he does but then he’s lived on a farm all his life. I'm greatful to him for coming over. He’s home-schooled so he said he can adjust his schedule to help. He’s really funny: he’s always full of questions, mostly about how I do different things, and he talks to me the whole time we work. He’s a much nicer kid than I was at twelve. I hope we can still keep in touch once I go home.

Anyway, that’s all I have to say for now. I’m having fun and learning lots. This is very different from my ordinary life I’m used to and I’m really enjoying it. (All except the cows. They make me nervous and I make them nervous.) :)

Goodnight,
Jason

Farming

Long day but such a blessing! I don’t want to forget anything.

It’s so different here than where I live. I’ve never been in the country for an extended period of time and I know it’s going to be a different and amazing experience. Only one thing I wish is that it was summer. I like being outdoors but not as much with snow and ice. But other than that I'm excited for my time here.

My uncle’s still in considerable pain, he said. I was able to pray with him which was a blessing. They’re not believers and so I need to make an extra special effort to guard my words around them to be a good witness.

I spent a lot of the day being shown around the farm by my aunt, then going around alone. I’m worn out from all the walking and effort and excitement but I think now I have a pretty good basic map in my mind of this place.

It’s a great old farm. The whole house is pervaded with the smell of fried ham and wood smoke; the floors creak and vibrate whenever anyone walks; there are deer heads on the wall; there are several rotten boards on the porch. Also, I heard different birds around the farm than I'm used to and more than we have at home even though its winter. I can’t wait to do some bird-watching around here.

I met most of the animals. I petted those that would let me – goats, horses, even some of the cows. A lot of warm, wet noses and soft ears. I love animals. I’d love to be a farmer, haha! Shadow was a little wary of them; he’s a city boy but he’ll get used to it. Either that or he’s jealous. He and A.J., my aunt and uncle’s Jack Russell, have been pretty unfriendly with each other so far although Shadow doesn’t seem to mind the cats. A.J. growls softly at Shadow every time he comes past. Shadow’s well-bred enough to ignore it. I’m hoping they’ll get over their initial distrust and get to be good friends.

I learned how to look after all the animals, where the food is, how to get water, where to check for eggs. It’s a lot to remember but that’s one of the few skills I can legitimately claim – a good mind for details. I spent as much of the day as I could stand (it is COLD) outdoors after my aunt showed me around, going over everything, wandering around, petting the animals, taking in the new environment. Lots to remember, lots to learn. One thing I learned: chicken, goat, horse, and cow crap all smell really, really different.

Goodnight, and God bless!
Jason