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Take Some Time Off

It’s all going wrong.

Have you ever been in one of those cycles when every thing just seems to go wrong?

We recently battled one of those cycles.

First came unusually heavy rains washing out newly planted garden seeds. Logs ferried down the swollen creek jammed under the bridge we use to take the ATV to the back of the property.

One of the mowers wouldn’t start and a tire on the ATV went flat. Not once, but twice.

The two of us just didn’t have enough hands to hold up the sheets of tin while screwing to the mercantile ceiling. That project came to a halt while we figured out what to do.

It’s hard to stay positive in the face of continued adversity. Hard to remember when we are sore, exhausted and frustrated that we truly are blessed. Hard to recall all the progress we’ve made over the years.

What to do?

How do you cope and break through when nothing is going your way?

We took a day off.

That’s right. Put down the shovel, the hoe and the screwdriver.

Sometimes the best thing to do when nothing seems to be going right is to back off. We’ve learned from experience that continually banging your head against the same old wall does not improve focus and clarity. It only hurts your head.

We came back refreshed with new perspective. It was possible to think through problems and come up with a new solution.

The garden is replanted and thriving. The ATV tire is fixed and the mower starts. There are still logs to remove from the bridge and a few details in the Mercantile to finish.

But it looks better every day.

Stay tuned to all of our social media channels for updates to Five Feline Farm. We are growing daily, while seeking to provide quality products and excellent service.

Self Reliance

We live by the principle of self-reliance at Five Feline Farm. Whenever practical, we do for ourselves. It is both a matter of saving money and the satisfaction of being able to do things for ourselves. Mostly the satisfaction. There is not much that stops us from trying to figure things out.

Of course, some tasks we hire out. Usually because it is something we don’t want to do or don’t have the tools to do correctly. Occasionally it is because we would rather spend our time doing something other than that particular task. We also dream up with projects where it is more expensive to buy the tools than to pay for someone else to do it. 

But when we can do for ourselves, we do.

For example, when we needed a new greenhouse, we decided to build from a kit.

Shopping around and exploring all of the options, we found a Palram model we like. It is small but expandable in 4 foot sections if we choose. This particular model has an integrated covered guttering system with small downspouts.

What are downspouts without a rain barrel?

A quick order on Amazon and a rain barrel was delivered to the front door. Now to make the gutters useful, we needed some type of hose to direct the rain water to the barrel. 

Wandering the aisles of our local home improvement warehouse, we found something that would work. One and quarter inch discharge hose. Easy to cut to length, hose clamp to the downspout and screwed to the top of the rain barrel. One good rain and the barrel is full. It is easy now to run a garden hose into the greenhouse to water as needed.

It is common for us to use parts for other than their intended purpose. We browse the home improvement store, with a project in mind, looking for anything that will suit. Our theory is: if it works, it works.

A Challenge

What can you do to be more self-reliant? Think about a small task you need to accomplish. Is it something you can do for yourself? Can you repurpose some random part you have lying around the house?

We challenge you to do one thing today to be more self-reliant. Let us know in the comments or on any of our social media channels. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Five Feline Farm is a modern homestead where two women and their cats seek to make their corner of the world full of creativity and fresh food. Sign up for our email list and get a free ebook “Wisdom of the Bees”.

Why is the World Dog-Centric?

Today’s post is a guest post by Five Feline Farm’s very own Sassy. She has a lot of opinions and isn’t afraid to let you know.

I’m writing (actually dictating to one of my humans since it’s hard to type with paws) from the comfort of one of the greenhouses here at the Farm. It is a cool day but toasty warm in here. I have my own cushion to lie on.

Lying here in the sunshine I have time to think about important things. Like why is the world dog-centric?

Cats Rule!

Just take a look around your nearest pet supply store. One entire side, aisle after aisle of dog products. Food, beds, toys, leashes, collars, grooming products.

Granted, cats require far fewer grooming products, being the self groomers we are. And those leashes! No self-respecting cat would be caught in public at the end of a leash. How humiliating.

But cats have to share their side of the store with fish, rats, mice, birds, reptiles. Where is the toy selection? We want more food choices.

I’m going to write to my congresscat and start a petition. Dogs should be required to share equally with cats.

Except beagles. They are calico after all.

If you would like to hear more from Sassy or the other residents of Five Feline Farm, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and here on our blog. There are exciting things coming and you won’t want to miss it.

Bought the Farm, Now What?

Have you ever had a vision so big, you didn’t know what to think?

Have you ever had a dream so big it was nearly impossible to conceive? Something that you really wanted but others looked at you funny when you talked about it?

This is where we found ourselves in 2002. Looking for a piece of land we could call our own. A place to do as we wished, no covenants to drive the structure of our dwelling, no close neighbors watching every move.

Finally we found it. A neglected five acre and a half acre rectangle. The house had burned years before leaving a weed filled pit. The old garage housed ragged appliances, broken glass, mice and who knows what else. The land came complete with a leaning two seater outhouse.

But the barn sang a different song. Hand hewn beams pegged together. Leaning a bit and in poor repair, it held promise. Could this be rehabilitated? Converted into a home? We dreamed large. Until we found the dry-rot and termites. The barn salvage is a story for another time.

So there we stood. Looking at this wild property wondering with excitement what possessed us to have this vision. The first step was obvious. Get rid of the junk. So we cleaned and mowed and hauled and picked up trash.

In 2008, the time was right to begin building. A two story yellow farmhouse sprang up and we moved in. Now we had more time to devote to gardens and landscaping and food. The land has transformed under our stewardship.

Our vision has grown and evolved since those early days. We find ourselves part of the growing movement to know the provenance of our food. Expanding the gardens to produce not only food for ourselves but enough to start a business.

Now our goal is to keep improving, expanding and moving toward the vision of being as self-sufficient as possible. Our focus is on food. Wholesome natural food that doesn’t come with a long list of chemical ingredients.

The plan also includes honeybees. As the honeybee population has been threatened, we have joined the preservation effort. These valuable insects pollinate many garden plants thereby increasing yields. We harvest honey and use the wax by-product to create skin creams and lip balms. It is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both us and the bees.

Here on our blog and throughout the Five Feline Farm business, you will find us promoting good food and fine products. We share tips, pointers, recipes, ideas and the occasional fail. We also hope to encourage you, our followers and fans, to reach for your own vision whether it be food, honeybees or something entirely different.

 
You can find Five Feline Farm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you haven’t picked up your copy of Wisdom of the Bees, you can get that free when you sign up for our email list.