Last year I posted that I had thought starting a homesteading blog in Autumn was a bad idea because there wouldn’t be much going on. No gardens were being planted, no animals were being born, nothing was growing, it seemed like there was a dearth of subject material to blog about. I found it to be the contrary: Autumn was a bad time to blog because there’s too much going on! There just isn’t the time to focus on the website as much as we’d like.

Here’s the gist of it:

1. Homeschooling has started up again. While we made the lofty claim that we’d like to describe our style as a Charlotte Mason approach to a classical education, it’s been more like let the kids run wild and hopefully they’ll pick up a book here and there. Kidding… a little. We are behind a bit. We’re not worried. Gabe’s reading and arithmetic skill sets have taken off on an exponential trajectory since the school year started, and he’s either on par or ahead of where he needs to be, so obviously it’s been working. It seems that he’s learned more in the last 6 weeks than he did all year. Perhaps there’s something to be said for ‘unschooling.’

2. The goats need to be bred if we want milk next year. This means that we have to drive two lovesick goats across town to meet with the buck of someone we know. I’d like a buck so we don’t have to worry about finding one every year. Rachel wants to find a buck every year so that we don’t have to worry about keeping one through the year. She usually wins those kinds of discussions.

3. We’re getting a cow! No, not a Jersey cow, a cow that’s already been packaged up and is ready for the freezer. We’ll be splitting a whole side of 100% grass fed beef with my in-laws.

4. We’re already working on next year. Which trees do we want to tap for maple syrup next year? Are we going to grow garlic? What about beehives? Are we going to start with a couple of beehives? These are all things that, if we want to make happen, have to have preparations laid now.

5. We’ve been enjoying the season. That is one thing that I’ve had to learn: I’ve been so busy getting wrapped up in what we’re doing that I haven’t been able to take the time to enjoy what we’re doing. So, rather than blogging, we’ve been having fires outside in the cool evenings, putting the kids to bed and sitting up to drink hot tea while either talking or watching Father Brown together. Usually some knitting and spinning takes place too. Intentionally setting aside time for recreation isn’t just okay, it is important and necessary. I’ve been trying to remember that.

That’s the sum of it for now… we certainly have some exciting things planned ahead for this coming year that we can’t wait to delve into and consequentially share here. Beekeeping, garlic, canning and sheep. Maybe not sheep, but if I keep saying it perhaps someday Rachel will let it happen!