Chickens

Well the chickens (all six of them!) got their fist taste of the good life we had intended to provide for them. We’ve had them for a few weeks now, and they haven’t been in the coop the whole time, but a good about of the time due to some fencing issues which have now been fixed. We built a temporary run for them so they could get some fresh air for a few hours of the day, but it was a little difficult chasing them around to put them back in the coop at night (although now they are extremely easy to handle and they will come right up to us!)

Carlos and my uncle have fixed the fencing! So today, Carlos built a little chicken door and ramp for them and they spent their first full day out in the sun and lush grass. Winston, our llama, was very happy to be in his own pasture, guarding the chickens. He seemed a lot more relaxed than he has. He really is the sweetest llama, but we’d been turning him out every day in the horse pasture, and I think being on that side of the farm so close to all of the action stressed him out. He went through a three day phase of threatening to spit at us. It broke my heart, and I’ll admit, I shed a tear or two because I thought we were bffs. He seemed to only like Carlos for a few days. But he’s back to liking me today and came running up to me in the pasture and put his head on my shoulder, then followed me around for a while. I love that darn llama.

In other news, we have three (tiny) eggs! The chickens seem to have started to lay now that they’re settled in, despite the lack of proper nesting boxes (that’s the next project for the weekend.) We do not, however, plan to eat these little eggs. As it turns out, one of our six “hens” started crowing about three days after arriving so there may be baby chickens on the way. We’ll see. In any case, none of us can wrap our heads around eating fertilized eggs, so we’ll wait until the rooster heads to his new home. I’m a little sad about him leaving. I was just getting attached to him, and his weird crow that sounds like a teenage boy screaming.

My new horse Willow arrives in two weeks!

Mountains

Exam week is finally over and there isn’t much work to be done. The carpet in the living room, destroyed after only two years with two Afghan hounds, is now at the carpet recyclers and tile has gone down in it’s place. Step one in fighting the dirt wars. Our large backyard is about to get revamped too. About a quarter of it, the part closest to the house and deck, is bare and muddy. Too much shade. So gravel is going down and a fence is going up to keep the dogs out of the largest part of the yard. Grass will be planted, and raised beds constructed. A tree doctor will come out to take a look at the ailing peach tree which produces fruit, but is obviously sick. Hopefully (and more than likely after several years and thousands of dollars) we’ll have a back yard paradise and will no longer be dependent on grocery store produce. For now, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers…lots and lots of peppers, are growing in the front yard- away from dogs.

I have a trip planned for Venezuela in June, but tomorrow night I’m headed to the mountains (mounnntaiiiinnnssss) with the girls. Back to Mountain Light Sanctuary for two nights and three days. I’ll be staying in a little cabin called frodo’s. To get to it, you climb down the steep river bank to a round door of a stone cabin. There is no electricity. Walk in, and there is one room. To the left is a widow seat with a stained glass window which overlooks the rushing river. To the right is a small table with 2 chairs, a cooking hearth/fireplace, and a bed. It is beautiful, simple and it feels like my home away from home.

Getting to the sanctuary is difficult. There are no maps or road signs. It’s deep in the Pisgah National Forest, surrounded by half a million acres of uninhabited land. The closest grocery store is nearly 45 minutes away. I’ve been there many, many times and so I know the way by heart. But this time, I will be arriving at around 1:00 in the morning. There is no electricity or lights of any kind. Just the stars and the moon and a flashlight. I know I’ll be able to find it, but making it to my cabin is another thing. Michael, the owner of the property, said he’d leave a lit lantern and some firewood. The trek from where I will have to leave my car and the property itself is slightly difficult by day (when carrying your belongings) but at night, I’ve never dared attempt it. I will need to cross a rickety old bridge, with planks raised just enough so that they will, inevitably, make me trip but hopefully not fall. then there is the stone staircase to the gate of the property. It’s not so bad in and of itself, but it will be raining when I arrive, making them very slippery. And then there is the trek across the property. A beautiful one though, because it always seems that, just as you enter the property, a bubble surrounds you and you feel at peace and at home. The plants come alive and the sound of the rushing river orients you and points you in the right direction. I’ll follow it until I can make out the little chimney and grass roof that is all that is visible of my cabin from the main property.

I could wait until Tuesday morning to go, but why waste another second away from this amazing place?

Frodo’s- view from the river in winter.

Meh

Its been a very distracting week. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. This is the last week of the semester for me, and amid final presentations, and incredible amount of last minute assignments, the bakery decides to throw us all off balance. In one single day, the power shuts off and our facebook page disappears. That wouldn’t be so bad except that we’re a 24 hour bakery… we couldn’t bake! Secondly, our facebook page had nearly 14,000 fans. That’s more than the Charlotte Observer. We don’t advertise, but instead we rely on our facebook page to communicate with our fans. It was devastating!

Well, I’d better get to doing homework. Please forgive my absence! I’ll be back next week with wonderful tales of planned mountain trips, a visit from my Dad and the continued planning of my long awaited trip to Venezuela! Thank you, 300 people who somehow read my blog almost every day! I love ya!

**Update** Our facebook page is back up again, with most of the fans restored. Yay!

The bug

Oh no… I have the travel bug again. I guess it’s due to feeling stagnant here, surrounded by less-than-honest coworkers and people who think they are oh-so-smart yet act oh-so-stupidly plus having had out of town (out of country) house guests this past week. I have an overwhelming desire to use the geographic cure and escape somewhere far away. The North Carolina mountains would suffice, but then there is the issue of me always wanting to move to the places I visit for a minimum of a few months. Can I have that life please? I’ll work the rest of the year, but give me three months each year to live somewhere else- preferably somewhere abroad. I think I was born to be an ex-pat.

For now I’ll take a campsite in the woods… just give me a little stream with a swimming hole and I’m set.