Sunday, March 25, 2012

Homestead Life Can be Frustrating

It's typical of homestead life. It's frustrating and maddening but it's fact - things break down. It seemed to be the soup of the day on Friday. I had so many plans - big plans - plans to accomplish many things and to transform this farm and cross off a huge list of TO-DO's, but it didn't happen.

  We started the morning draining the filthy, leaf-filled, mosquito larvae infested swimming pool. The plan was that I would pressure wash the leaves in the yard, ( a pressure washer works MUCH better that either a shop vac or a leaf blower for moving massive amounts of leaves) and then clean the outside of the swimming pool (also with the pressure washer) until the water drained at which time Bob would clean the inside of the pool.
  Right away we realized this plan needed adjustment. The wind was not going to cooperate and it blew the leaves right back at us. OK, so I'll rake throughout the week and get that part of the job done. Then, as I was washing the mold off the outside of the pool, the machine went on the fritz. Bob had to spent too much time assessing and repairing only to find that it needs the pump rebuilt - the pump check valves have rust in them - something he will have to do another day.
Then the sump pump we use to pump out the last of the water in the pool needed tweaking - and that took time. It just seemed that one thing after another used up our time and kept us from reaching MY goals for the day. I hate that. Thankfully Bob can and does fix almost everything around here when it breaks, but to me it seems that it expends precious time that could otherwise be used for building something - something I can't do. I can't fix things so he has to. But it is a real part of homestead life  - fixing things. Reusing things. Making things do. And more importantly, learning to roll with the changes.
It wasn't a total loss of the day. The swimming pool is drained, though be it, filthy, but a little bleach water and a scrub brush will fix that.  There was still time to rack the soaked logs.

figured it out yet?

 I canned 7 quarts of butter beans, made cheese and designed business cards today.
We didn't pressure wash anything, didn't build the garden house, didn't burn horns, didn't build bee boxes... ok, so I'm a little ambitious.

But God willing, there's always tomorrow.

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