You have to be mentally tough to be a real farmer. Farm animals aren’t too kind to one another. Sometimes they pick on one another just for kicks…..no pun intended with the horse and the donkey. We get our terms “pecking order”, “head hen”, and other bossy terms from watching things in the barnyard. There’s no time to worry and fret over which animal is being bossy or unkind to which other animal. You just have to let them sort it out and stop constantly saying things like “C’mon Beamer, quit being mean to Gypsy. She’s really sweet.” Or “If anyone else picks on Ariel just because she’s tiny, you may end up in a stew pot tonight.” and things like that.  (Side note……I’m pretty sure I’m not cut out to be a real farmer so I guess I’ll forever be a city slicker.)

The days seem LOOOONNNNNNGGGGG out in the country. In a good way. The Outdoorsman and I have been amazing at what all can be accomplished in one evening after we get home from work.  In the evenings, we feed and play with animals, take walks, fish, cook out, clean, watch television, and hang around until we finally just decide to go to bed for the night.  I’ve never felt like I had this much down time in my entire life.  Our two oldest children being away at college coupled with our move to the country has given us more time to relax than we ever imagined possible.

Factoid.  Coyotes sound like a group of crazy psychos who have escaped from a mental institution and are planning to eat you for dinner. The eerie sound they make when they are yelping and hollering conjure up a strange picture in my mind of all of them dressed up in war costumes, holding spears, and dancing around a fire. The Outdoorsman assures me that they are scared of people, but I’m not too sure what to think based on the crazy sounds I hear at night. I’m pretty sure I’m about a zillion times more afraid of them than they are of me, but I’ll trust The Outdoorsman since he is named The Outdoorsman and I am The Head Hen……didn’t I say something about “head hen” being bossy earlier?…..maybe I need to rename myself. 😉

Apparently, we have relocated in the Skunk Capitol of the World.  They are everywhere.  You see a dead skunk about every 100 yards on the roads we drive and, occasionally, you see a live one walking along the white line on the side of the road.  I have wondered if they are attracted to the white line because it looks familiar to them.  🙂  Our dogs have recently been in a close encounter with a skunk.  We aren’t sure where it happened, but they have smelled horrible for four straight days now.  They are all offended that we will not pet them, but they are going to have to get over it.

The sunrise, sunset, stars, and overall beauty of our surroundings never cease to calm my heart.  There have been days of uncertainty and stress surrounding my new job and the sale of our old house.  We have had to make some big decisions and discuss future plans quite a bit, but God has kept me  in a place of perfect peace just as he promised in Isaiah 26:3.  He reminds me of His promises on a daily basis.  I am certain that He has always tried to remind me when were living our busy city lives, but I can hear him much more clearly now that the noise of each day has cleared out of my mind.  The beautiful 30 mile drive I take to and from work each day is time enough to refresh my spirit and mind and allow me to hear what God is saying to my heart.

My “Farm Fresh” posts are basically lists of random things that I find interesting or informative concerning my new life in the country.  Even though they are not written like a typical post, I hope you have enjoyed reading about what I have learned in the past two months.  Friends, my heart is so thankful that many of you have chosen to follow our journey on greenacresadventure.com.  You have encouraged me so much by your comments and responses to my blogs and pictures.  There is much more to learn in the coming months and years, to be sure.