Hello everyone! It's been a while. We made it to our final destination and our big moving adventure is over (and not a moment too soon). The trip itself (and the process to get to departure) was gruelling and didn't go as planned, but I don't want to focus on that. The end result is that we are HERE on the coast and we have no regrets. All the problems and troubles we had are a distant memory and in their place are feelings of contentment. I feel like we paid our dues to get here and now is the time for settling in to the happy work of developing a productive homestead for our family and for my parents.
This property has a beautiful pond with lovely ornamental gardens out back. The previous owner loved to garden and did a beautiful job developing aesthetically pleasing gardens. My Mom tells me there's always something in bloom (she's lived on the property for nearly a year now) and I know we'll enjoy looking out at the gardens from my kitchen and sitting room/family room.
Below is the view from my kitchen sink. To the left, behind the distant trees is a Christmas tree farm so we have no neighbours on that back side. To the right (behind the trees) is a fellow acreage neighbour but thick trees and brush completely block any view of their home. The kitchen sink is a solid anchor in a home and I made sure to get it set up right away. The stainless sink is deep and practical. I love it for washing up large pots and it will serve me well for washing huge batches of garden veggies (in future). The basket full of knitted dishcloths and linen tea towels sits at the ready, my trusty citrus cleaner is brewing on the left, my water glass always handy for a sip during cooking and baking and a sweet coloured glass chicken that was given to me by my niece watches over the washing up. The orchid given to me for Mother's Day a few years ago is blooming again in celebration of the move and a tiny little nest found on the ground after a windstorm many years ago sits atop an old apple crate. The egg was found nearby. It's so sad to see a nest on the ground but I always admire the engineering that goes into them - I see nests as beautiful art and engineering all in one.
As we look away from the developed back gardens, in contrast to all that lushness, the front is largely undeveloped and sees a great many deer come through. We have a lot to do do develop gardens in areas where none existed but I'm up for the challenge and am quite excited about the possibility. The soil is not much to speak of (I hesitate to call it soil because it's nearly solid sand and gravel in places) so there's much to do to build fertility but I know we can do it and I'm excited to document the improvement each year. What a great challenge and a test of my skills. Stay tuned!
