October 31st, 2023
It took me a half cup of coffee to even realize today is already the last day of October… and also time to update you all with a newsletter.
And like every month previous this year, I needed to check my photo library to visualize what made up our October.
The month began with Mark and I in full blown soybean harvest, and sweet Jess following close behind planting our winter wheat.
Having her back with us in the fields and seeing her energy flowing back was maybe my favourite thing to happen this month.
The stretch of weather we got to enjoy during this time felt more like July, than October… but due to our magic eight ball lovingly referred to as our weather app, we knew this stretch of perfection was coming to an end.
And I know you all are amazed with how calm and unrattled Mark is when we work, but let me just expel that myth for you… he indeed gets super stressed when a window is about to close weather wise (I'm just a good editor).
For a few days, I was actually worried about him. I finally sat him down over coffee one morning, made sure he was ok and more importantly asked if he still enjoyed what we do… because there are days when I wonder. He assured me he did, but also admitted every year just gets more stressful with extreme weather patterns, and how the costs associated with each crop adds to the pressure of getting the crop off the actual fields.
Fast forward, we got the soybeans off and all our wheat planted… and then the tap turned on.
Problem is, it has yet to turn off.
Our fields are WET.
Which means corn harvest could be a messy one.
Jess has been doing so much better this month. It feels like the further we get with chemo in our rearview, the more progress we see. She has been keeping up well with her two online classes, started rock climbing again, gone out a few times with her friends and of course reading any free minute she gets.
Jack's still wearing a path between London and Ohio for work, but did take a little time off to go camping in Killarney with a friend. But home ownership got pretty real last week for poor Jack as his roommate discovered a leaking water heater while Jack was in Ohio, ruining the entire basement floor.
So Mark spent a day (and a lot of money at Home Depot) cleaning up the mess and ripping up a new (and ruined) floor.
October for the sheep and I has been pretty quiet. We crossed lots of pending jobs off the to-do list and I'm feeling pretty caught up (shhhh…. don't tell the sheep). I was even able to skip town last week for a sheep convention and kidnapped my buddy Belinda for a much needed holiday too.
I spent a good portion of the month planning our fall/winter launch which isn't going as smoothly as I had hoped.
In the midst of Jess's treatment, the ladies at Mariposa had called me to say they just didn't have the labour or equipment big enough to spin the amount wool we needed for our launches. So they reached out to another Canadian company, and thankfully they were willing to spin in for us.
Problem is… the wool was expected completion in September, and by early October… it still hadn't been started.
So I ended up doing a small launch mid-month despite the fact that I would for-go almost all my wool skeins, to at least get the products out that the ladies at Mariposa worked so hard to complete, and you guys once again blew me away with your support and we sold out the first day… THANK YOU FOR THAT!!
I haven't had the heart to check in this week yet, but I believe my wool is currently being spun… which is good, but the goal for our winter launch is quickly approaching. To say I'm stressed is an understatement… but after this year, I do realize there are WAY bigger things in life to stress about.
So stay tuned to this little saga, and hopefully we can have the winter launch go as planned!!
Jess and I have continued with our Book Club, and I can't believe the community we've built already!! We asked the group if we should have a name at our last meeting, and it looks like Brock's Book Nook was the solid winner!
Sooo… if any of our little Nookies are reading this, November's pick is All The Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and stay tuned for a date as now we will likely be juggling around corn harvest and potentially some early lambings.
If you want to check out our last two meetings, you can still catch them on Jess's youtube channel! (I'll leave a link below!)
As we round into November, I'm trying to not get too rattled by the weather forecast… but we do aim for early November to be DONE corn harvest as snow becomes a real concern at this point for us… and we only have 30 acres done, with a 14 day forecast of gloom.
Farming keeps us humble.
Farming keeps us real.
Farming reminds us to take advantage of the good days, and try to rest on the bad ones, so you can prepare once again for the good.
Thank you for being a part of this farming life we've chosen. For walking beside us as we navigate each new day with a plan that usually goes off the rails before our second cup of coffee.
Thank you for supporting us through the good, but maybe, more importantly, lifting us up through the bad.
Just thank you for being here.
and PS… only 12 more sleeps before I get to jam to some Christmas music!! (sorry in advance😉)
1 comment
Thank you so much for all the entertainment you, your family, and animals provide.
Love opening “utube” and seeing that there is a new vlog. Have a wonderful holiday,
Merry Christmas to you and yours. PS…your advent calendar sold out in about a minute and a half.
I got lucky! 😘🙏