How busy those gregarious little swallows are, swooping down to grasp a mouthful of the right mud, dedicating their endeavours to building their nests, then lining them with the soft breast feathers to cushion their young. Both the male and female, she in her drabs and he in his coral breasted finery, join in the labour of love, preparing to raise their brood with the dedication of any good parent. And they both guard the nest with their lives, fiercely swooping down on any bird large or small to come near and on me too.
I was watching the birds build a nest on my house, on the east side where the morning sun comes, but just enough under the eave to have shelter and shade. Not wanting the swallow mess that comes with the nest, I dutifully hosed it down and with sheer determination, the mated pair of majestic swallows again rebuilt it. I left it then. Swallows are becoming endangered, forced out of their habitats by sparrows and other nasty birds. Perhaps they needed to be on my house for their own protection. So be it.
And then I got thinking more about my house and my farm. When I came to this forsaken land in 2011, I was devastated. No consideration had been given to a population of like minded individuals. I simply assumed that people would be the same wherever I landed and I was so very wrong. I felt as though I stepped 25 years back in time where though the people were good people, they simply had gotten lost in the way of progressive thinking and country music. Country music! Oxymoron, for music is NOT that twangy horrible sound. My plan was for ten years to allow myself to learn to become self sustainable and thus far, I have. There are more things to learn, but just after the swallow incident, I pondered staying here. Staying HERE?
Well, I do not really socialize, except a little at work and a little through social media when the folks come to visit the farm . Some have become friends of sorts, not the type one could call on in an emergency, but acquaintances that share some of the same values. That is so nice.
Those swallows are what made me reconsider my ten year plan. I have worked incessantly to create this paradise for myself and for my family, should they choose to reside or visit with me. My little farm house suffered a sewer back up earlier this summer and as a result, finally I will have my hobby workshop down there. See? Good comes out of adversity! And the steel building is going up and will be completed shortly. At last a place to park my skid steer in the winter and to work iin the sheltered warmth of the woodstove! There will be some stalls for animals too, if the need arises to house any in the dead of winter, plus a wide space to shear out of the weather!
So much of that adversity had to happen. How would I have grown? The flood in the basement last year at the bed and breakfast house resulted in the necessity of sorting through the nonessential 'stuff' that had been brought with in my move 5 years previously. At last I must do something with the boxes that had not been opened since coming here. Again, adversity was my friend.
So, now I have a beautiful farm with animals I adore and know by name and the sounds of their voices. My dogs, my wonderful big fluffy dogs can live here in peace, all 7 of them. If I leave in a few years, rehoming older dogs may be near to impossible and would I give up my friends? I simply could not! The apple trees are starting to produce nicely and next year the cherries and Gogi berries should also be available. My heart is full of pride of ownership here and bursting with love for my animals and my land, though I know the land does not really belong to me or anyone else. Walking through the forest, breathing in that smell of the black poplar trees, sweet and green and fragrant is my favourite summer pastime. Such joy!
The swallows showed me that the nest they built with love is worth keeping, is worth defending and worth their diligent efforts. I see that now and I have made the decision to stay! Here, right here on the Fat Ewe Farm, I will be until I am too old to manage. I felt like a huge weight lifted from my shoulders upon making this decision, for starting again somewhere new was not really what I wanted to do.
And this is it! The swallow, the farm , the dogs and me! I hope you have a huge smile for me now. I am content and happy here. I have made my nest.
I was watching the birds build a nest on my house, on the east side where the morning sun comes, but just enough under the eave to have shelter and shade. Not wanting the swallow mess that comes with the nest, I dutifully hosed it down and with sheer determination, the mated pair of majestic swallows again rebuilt it. I left it then. Swallows are becoming endangered, forced out of their habitats by sparrows and other nasty birds. Perhaps they needed to be on my house for their own protection. So be it.
And then I got thinking more about my house and my farm. When I came to this forsaken land in 2011, I was devastated. No consideration had been given to a population of like minded individuals. I simply assumed that people would be the same wherever I landed and I was so very wrong. I felt as though I stepped 25 years back in time where though the people were good people, they simply had gotten lost in the way of progressive thinking and country music. Country music! Oxymoron, for music is NOT that twangy horrible sound. My plan was for ten years to allow myself to learn to become self sustainable and thus far, I have. There are more things to learn, but just after the swallow incident, I pondered staying here. Staying HERE?
Well, I do not really socialize, except a little at work and a little through social media when the folks come to visit the farm . Some have become friends of sorts, not the type one could call on in an emergency, but acquaintances that share some of the same values. That is so nice.
Those swallows are what made me reconsider my ten year plan. I have worked incessantly to create this paradise for myself and for my family, should they choose to reside or visit with me. My little farm house suffered a sewer back up earlier this summer and as a result, finally I will have my hobby workshop down there. See? Good comes out of adversity! And the steel building is going up and will be completed shortly. At last a place to park my skid steer in the winter and to work iin the sheltered warmth of the woodstove! There will be some stalls for animals too, if the need arises to house any in the dead of winter, plus a wide space to shear out of the weather!
So much of that adversity had to happen. How would I have grown? The flood in the basement last year at the bed and breakfast house resulted in the necessity of sorting through the nonessential 'stuff' that had been brought with in my move 5 years previously. At last I must do something with the boxes that had not been opened since coming here. Again, adversity was my friend.
So, now I have a beautiful farm with animals I adore and know by name and the sounds of their voices. My dogs, my wonderful big fluffy dogs can live here in peace, all 7 of them. If I leave in a few years, rehoming older dogs may be near to impossible and would I give up my friends? I simply could not! The apple trees are starting to produce nicely and next year the cherries and Gogi berries should also be available. My heart is full of pride of ownership here and bursting with love for my animals and my land, though I know the land does not really belong to me or anyone else. Walking through the forest, breathing in that smell of the black poplar trees, sweet and green and fragrant is my favourite summer pastime. Such joy!
The swallows showed me that the nest they built with love is worth keeping, is worth defending and worth their diligent efforts. I see that now and I have made the decision to stay! Here, right here on the Fat Ewe Farm, I will be until I am too old to manage. I felt like a huge weight lifted from my shoulders upon making this decision, for starting again somewhere new was not really what I wanted to do.
And this is it! The swallow, the farm , the dogs and me! I hope you have a huge smile for me now. I am content and happy here. I have made my nest.
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