Rain on my parade.

There isn't actually a parade, but there was a string of days where our basement was actually dry. The first time since May of last year. I almost missed the water. The basement wasn't completely inundated, but a river definitely ran through it!
Being the middle of January one might think, "Hey, the ground is frozen, there should be no water running through your basement."
Well, yes, it is January, but no, it has not been a normal winter. Today, because my basement was dry, nature thought that it would be a great day to be 46 degrees and rain torentially. And as if it wasn't sick enough, the water table waited till i got home to start coming in the basement so that i could watch it happen. . .That's just mean!
The good news being that the days of dry offered me an opportunity to get some demolition done so that we can get a new sump hole cut with the next "dry" period.

In other news, Amy and i have decided that we want to be more active in the food pantry world this year, and have decided that rather than just garden for ourselves this year that we are going to start a limited share Micro-CSA to help us fund a larger garden so that we can put produce into the local pantry. The shares that we "sell" will be matched and more at the local food pantry which will get some good locally grown, organic food into the hands of the less able. Amy has already set up a facebook account (she loves the sales and marketing bit), and hopefully i will have the e-mail and blog set up soon. . . The Open Door Farm - hopefully the Good Lord will offer us a better growing year this time around, but we will take what we can get.

Anybody out there have any big plans for the gardens this year?

Nerf Terrorism!!

Homeland security beware!!! TSA beware. . . no metal detector or enhanced instant porn device. . . i mean x-ray can prepare you for the Nerf terrorists!!!

You say to me, "Myke, this is terribly insensitive and in bad taste, especially in this era of paranoia and mass hysteria over every little bottle of hair gel, or every cup of coffee that might explode should it make it through a security check point."

"Well," I reply. "You have never been to my house after the children have loaded their Nerf arsenal. Its terrifying!!"

Yes, after a firm, "No!!" from Mom, the children were able to hop on the black market - I blame the Internet - and acquire these contraband weapons of mass destruction! Oddly, dad actually had nothing to do with any of this!!!!

All that i can offer is that if you swing by for a visit that you wear your body armor! It is for your own good.

Been a long time, eh?!?

Well,

It has been a long reprieve from this silly little blog. Some of you may be thinking, well. . . you kept up the other one (you know that one about the farm)?
Well. . . yes, yes I did. But that was for work. Couldn't really get around that. That being said, I have enjoyed the break, and yet missed writing too.

Please don't expect anything deep or profound tonight. It is just a night, snowing, cold and perfect for middle January. James and Amy are playing chess. Owen is with Wah-wah, and Sissy is finishing off supper.

Job is good, life is good. . . wow, I feel a little out of practice. Today was fun, started work on the bathroom closet, started demolition on the basement, got the truck to start. It was a day of starting!

Amy and I having been chewing on the possibility of starting a micro farm here on Weeman road. Offering about 10 family shares (we have more land available than just our yard - neighbor has some land to grow on) that would help fund some shares to be offered at the local food pantry. We are still developing the idea, and we should probably get in gear if we want to do anything with the land this year. We'll keep you posted. . . and maybe I will have something a little more interesting to write about next time. . .

Time for a break. . .

Nothing like a time of reflection, right?!?!?

The two times of the day that i really feel like i can step outside of myself, be quiet, and meditate are shower time (there is a lock on the door) and driving in the car.

This last couple of years have been so topsy turvy here on the pharm, but it wasn't till recently, and specifically this morning, that i was able to pin point the beginning of the chaos, and more importantly prescribe a cure. . .

So the time has come, and i am going away for a little while - a funny thought since i have been blogging so infrequently as of late. But, no, really, it is time for a break to try and get my head on straight, and more importantly my home in order again.

Keep warm this winter, i will be back again eventually. . .

Finally. . . Fryeburg

So for the past 10 years i have heard about this phenomenal fair in Fryeburg. Allegedly it is the biggest Ag fair in Maine. For the last nine years, work or some other impediment has prevented me from attending. Finally, after years of waiting i was able to make the journey to the fair with the fam. Sadly, i wasn't terribly impressed. Two realities may have factored into my disappointment: 1) it was CROWDED. There must have been four million people there. i felt like i needed to have the kids chained to me lest i lose them. 2) We only had four hours to tour the fair, and i fear that we missed a lot. To be fair to the fair, next year we will go during the week instead of on a Saturday. If i am not impressed then, we will just stick to our favorite - The Common Ground Faire! It is much more open, and more geared toward our interests (though in fairness Fryeburg has a much better 4H representation), and there is just a stronger sense of camaraderie with all of the participants - much less the touristy feel. Some of the highlights from Fryeburg: The critter barns, the critters, meeting a young Mainer (and boy was he!!) who was showing sheep (He was very informative.), fried bread, finding old fashioned sheers for our sheep, the crafts and Ag tents!! Overall the whole affair was very fun.

Announcing a new blogger

Hey gang,

I got an invite to what promises to be a pretty cool new blog. The author is vibrant, creative, and has his father's stunning good looks and charm!

Check out Amazing Adventures With James

Progress. . .

Today was great!!! (And by today i mean Saturday).

i worked at the comm center in the wee morning hours - i hate waking up early, but i like early starts. By the time i got home it was raining.
Mike graciously helped to haul all of the left over tree parts (we felled 10 spruce trees this year) over to the burn pile. We started at 0830 and burned until nearly 4:30. The cinder pile is nearly as tall as the original burn pile!!! So after a day of that our yard is back! It is so very weird to have an open front yard.
During the course of our burning we were also able to successfully replace the propane line (not near the fire obviously).
So today was a good day! Productive, cool, and here i find myself again at the comm center. One more night!!! When i get home. . . . it's dump day. . . .wooohooo!