I wrote two other blogs with the same title [not intentionally] so I thought I would label this one correctly.
Living in Minnesota, we can't ever talk about typical weather. It varies too much. Yet we can look at averages from year to year and make some pronouncements that have some reality. The last couple of years the weather has been weird or at least atypical [if I may be allowed to use the term].
We had the Winter that would never end; near record snow and cold. Then we had a long Wintry/Spring mix. It seems the weather could not make up its mind which it was. Then Spring/Summer came with torrents of rain. The lakes, ponds and creeks are higher than they have ever been since we lived here [almost 40 years]. The water has been higher for a few days in the past, but this high water has persisted for over a month. There are several fields in our area that remain fallow. The farmers can't work the land.
Spring/Summer is finally yielding to Summer, but an unusually wet Summer. Jamie has the garden all in. The plants love the rain and the garden is doing very well. Our pastures are growing much faster than the animals can eat it. The sheep pasture is very long. I have six sheep and I would need about twenty to keep the grass down in a year like this. The goat pasture was cut in half when we put on the addition. We could put the fence back up [it was taken down to let the trucks in] but we don't have enough goats to keep that grass down either. Jamie has been getting milk from the Amish for making cheese and we do not know, at this point, whether we want to continue raising goats.
In our climate not making a decision means the pastures will turn into forest in a very short time. The forest takes over very quickly here. We can't let the pastures go for more than a few years.
Our chickens are laying more eggs than we can eat. We generally have six dozen or so in the refrigerator. We give them out to friends and family.
The biggest changes in our life are about to happen. Naomi and her son Elijah moved in with us about five years ago so Naomi could prepare for and finish Nursing School. Naomi has a BFA degree and is a very fine artist. However, our world doesn't automatically reward artists. She recently finished school and received her Nursing license. In the coming months she will probably want to get on with her life elsewhere. In the meantime, our youngest son, Noah returned from California. He has been pursuing a career in acting and has tentatively decided the pursuit may have as good results in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. Or, he may decide it needs to be an avocation rather than a career. Noah's ten near old son, Gregory, will be joining us for a month this Summer.
So the ebb and flow of life continues on Laughing Water Farm. The comings and goings of life keeps age from settling in. Being in my eighth decade, I sometimes think what I want is peace, quiet and regularity. But is that what I really want? Do we really live our life by our own plan? I don't think I have.
It is fun to plan and it is useful; but, life comes to us day by day and it may or may not resemble our plan. We are learning to embrace every day with love. We know that peace and quiet comes from inside us. It cannot ever be found on the outside. Life is to be lived. It is better to get into the river and enjoy the flow. It is okay to sit on the bank and watch the river of life go by for awhile. But hey! Let's get wet.
Love and Peace, Gregg
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