I am sure that Mother Nature must just be confused. That perhaps she fell so in love with Winter, that she’s forgotten what time of year it is supposed to be. Perhaps her love affair with the chill winds and dancing snowflakes, froze time and her heart grew solid as ice. Perhaps Winter whispered sweet nothings in her ear and sent chills through her being, and now she doesn’t want to let that go.
It’s the only reason I can think of that we’re still getting snow and frigid temperatures in April.
This should be a month of melt and mud. This should be a month of rain showers and new growth, of garden planning and Spring cleaning. Instead, it’s started out like the month of January, snow falls and temperatures well below -20 degree Celcius. But here on the farm, we are not letting it get us down!
While the month of March got away from us, flew by before we even had a chance to blink, it was a love filled month full of adventure. March is a special time of the year for Dan and I. It is our anniversary month, and this was our first whole year of being the Burches, together. While it’s been an adjustment for me, learning how to re write my signature, figure out a neat way to write initials, I have loved this past year of being Mrs. Burch. When we escaped to the mountains to vow our love together a year ago, we hadn’t planned for a honeymoon at the time. We enjoyed our time, exchanged our vows and came back to real life. So this year we planned a special Anniversary get away / Honeymoon, which took us down to the U.S. of A, music city, Nashville!
Nashville has always been on my bucket list. It has always been a place I have wanted to travel to. The history and the music called to my soul. So when we made it down there this past month, it was all I had dreamed of and more!
Our first stop, of course, was a show at the Grand Ol Opry the night we arrived. We sat in the audience staring up at that stage, listening to the music of country stars young and old. I don’t think you could have wiped the smile off my face. After the show, we got a back stage tour of the building and saw into some of the dressing rooms, saw where the musicians snuck in through a back entrance and saw the mail boxes where all the fan mail awaited.
Next day, March 17th, our anniversary day and also St. Patrick’s Day, found us enjoying a couples massage at a local spa, touring the Rymann Auditorium and enjoying some drinks at the famous honky tonk, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. We spent the evening hopping between bars and enjoying all the live music and bands playing.
Sunday we hopped on the trolley and enjoyed a tour of the city, making stops at the American Picker’s store, a whiskey distillery and the Johnny Cash museum. We ended the day at the Country Music Hall of Fame and then back to Broadway to take in more live music and some southern hospitality. Last on the list was a visit to Ernest Tubb’s famous record store, bringing home a Merle record and some Earl Scruggs banjo on vinyl.
What a way to spend a long weekend with my love, celebrating one year of marriage. Nashville, we will be back to take in more of your sights and music wonders!
We left the warmth and T-Shirt weather of Nashville and returned back home to the snow and cold. But coming home always warms my heart, when we pull up the drive to the sound of busy hens in the coop, the snorts of hungry pigs in their pen and the hollering call of donkey boys from the back field welcoming us home.
The end of March brought us the Easter weekend, which was spent with Dan’s family here on the farm. Dan took the weekend off of work so that he could spend some time with his family amidst his busy work schedule. Sometimes life in the oil patch is hard and demanding, but we’ve come to learn that you appreciate your time so much more. We cooked up a ham dinner, and were surrounded by friends and family. To us, that’s what the holidays are about.
The donkey boys were in the holiday spirit, and the Easter bunny made a surprise visit to the animals on the farm. Carrot treats for all on Sunday morning!
I think the general consensus on the farm is that we are ready for the snow to go! In the back field where the donkey boys reside, there is still snow that’s past the knee in places. The warmer weather days with sunshine have the boy’s a little spunky, chasing each other, and the dogs, around the field. They are so entertaining. I can’t wait for the snow to be gone out back so that we can go for walk’s with the donkeys.
The longer days and increase in daylight have our chicken ladies in an egg laying frenzy. We decided to stick with our flock this year and not add any chicky babies into the mix. We are happy with the number of hens we have and the egg production we are getting. And I can’t complain about all the colours we are getting in our egg basket this year!
Even the three little pigs are venturing around more outside on the days when the sun shines hot and warm. Their little fuzzy hair doos are thinning out and that is a sure sign that it must be almost Spring!
With the winter chill still in the air, I am taking full advantage of having days stuck inside by finishing up a knitting project for a friend. I am knitting this blanket for a friends daughter who is a girly girl and likes unicorns. I couldn’t have found a more perfect yarn at Michael’s than these Bernat cakes. I better get cracking if I want to get this piece finished before Spring does finally arrive!
I’ve also been taking this time to learn more about and start my journey into essential oils. Whether it be for mood support, hormone balance or just a little lift throughout the day, I am finding all kinds of uses for plant medicine. I am also blessed to be a part of a great tribe of woman through my Instagram page who I am learning from daily about uses for essential oils. I carry my diffuser with me from room to room, for uplifting scents during the day to calming, sleepy blends for bedtime. I also have a diffuser cuff I wear daily with different potions. I have learned about cleaning uses, insect repellents and healing properties and am looking forward to carrying on using essential oils in my daily life. Along side my oils, I have also journied into the healing properties of crystals and have started a small collection of precious stones. Some sit on my bedside table for bed time, some I carry on my person on a daily basis. I am still learning, and look forward to where the journey is taking me. The other interest I have taken up is tarot readings with my Animal Oracle cards. While I am still learning and growing with my deck, I love the way I am able to open up and accept my readings. It has been a fun and growing process.
I took advantage of a snowy afternoon and got out my banjo to play a few rolls. While I am definitely no Steve Martin when it comes to picking, I love the twang of the strings and the calm of making music. I’d love to find some one in town for more lessons, and may just have a lead through work. Here’s hoping something pans out!
We are anticipating Spring’s arrival and the warmer weather as we start out this season with a new venture on the farm, bee-keeping! We received the most wonderful gift of our first bee hive from friends last fall and now have our second Flowhive to add. We have the perfect spot picked out for them to sit, right in the middle of my wild flower circle. We have been in communication with a local bee farmer who we are getting two kits of bees from, and I look forward to chatting and learning from him as we start out here on the farm. Our bees are set to arrive here the last week of April or the first week of May and so we have been busy here doing lots of reading and prepping for their arrival. There is lots to be learned and I am sure it will be a learning experience this summer, but we look forward to doing our part to save the bees and one day indulge in our own honey!
Did you know that one of the first food sources for bees in the Spring months are Pussywillows? While we are way behind on them budding this season, they are finally making an appearance out back and we have loads of them. They have always been one of my favourite spring blooms, but now I love them even more!
Getting out back to check trail cams and explore the woods has been made a little difficult as things start to melt and the ground gets soft. The other day we ventured out with Dan’s drone he received for Christmas to play around a little and take some pictures of our land. While we may still need some pilots lessons or practice on flying, it is so much fun to play with! And the views just can’t be beat!
These last couple of days here on the farm have felt a little more Spring-ish. The doors to the house are wide open letting in a fresh breeze. The rush of water can be heard flowing through the eaves trough, which means the snow is finally starting to melt and while they are still calling for about 10 to 15 cm of snow fall for tomorrow, we decided to get our butts in gear and start sowing some seeds for the garden. Yesterday we started a tray of peppers, tomatoes, brussel sprouts and asparagus. On today’s list: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and onions. As well as Elderberries and some morning glory flowers. I think once we fill the kitchen table with seedlings there will be no doubt it feels like Spring and that will make the wait more bearable. I also took the opportunity to transplant my violets which had outgrown their pot, adding to my growing collection of houseplants I have actually managed to keep alive!
We look forward to Spring here on the farm, as it is always a busy month. Garden prep will be in full swing, animal housing clean up will begin and we will be one step closer to warm summer nights, bonfires and visits from family! Counting down the days until June when my Mom and Dad will be out to visit. SO looking forward to having Mom’s help in the flower beds, putting Dad to work with some kitchen renos and just getting to spend time with my parents. August is also going to be an exciting month as my brother and his girlfriend are finally making the journey West and coming to visit. Looking forward to showing them our home and taking them on a kick ass mountain adventure.
So Mother Nature, wake up! And please bring us our Spring!
RENOS???