The Pocket Farmer
  • The Pocket Farmer
  • Magic Berry Cubes!
  • Recipes
    • Apple Juice
    • Applesauce
    • Blackberry Peach Smoothie
    • Salsa
  • Sourdough Starter
    • No Knead Sourdough Bread
    • Sourdough Biscuits
    • Sourdough Corn Bread
    • Sourdough Crackers
  • The Garden
  • What should I grow?
    • Bell Peppers
    • Berries
    • Green Beans
    • Herbs
    • Leafy Greens
    • Pumpkins
    • Strawberries
    • Tomatoes
    • Watermelon
  • This 'n That
    • Cast and Crew
    • Unsung Heroes!

Celebrating the Long Dark

10/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
  The first few clicks of Fall:  leaves turning, then falling;  the slowing of the grass; falling temps at night; all conspire to remind us of what is coming.
​  The Long Dark.  6 months of dreary overcast cold days and night.  October - March.  The chickens will lose their feathers then stop laying.  Freezing temps mean freezing water, so we'll have to remain vigilant to keep the water sources viable for our animals. The fish will go dormant and the turtle comes inside to her winter playground.  Pete gets a jacket and Lucy will want her blanket.  All the busy of spring and summer slow to a crawl as the world outside goes to sleep.
​  Every year at this time I find myself getting anxious.  What will we do without sunshine?  How will we cope?  What is there to look forward to?  And then I remember.  It's time for the Big 3.

Repair, Recharge, Reset

STEP 1 - REPAIR:
​Before it gets super cold and crappy out, check the coops, fences, equipment.  Clean up the mower, organize the tools.  Check out the end of season sales to stock up on gloves, etc.  If it needs new parts, or a tune up, make it happen.  Don't wait for Spring when you need things to be up and running.  
Picture
STEP 2 - RECHARGE:
​Once the weather forces you inside, find the things that heal you.  Sleep.  Read.  Cook.  Check out that documentary.  Give your mind and bones time to rest.  Be still, be thoughtful, write down your plan for next year.
Picture
Homemade sourdough bread
STEP 3 - RESET:
​Now that you are feeling more yourself, turn it up a notch.  Implement that exercise program.  Keep yourself accountable.  Make a goal and work towards it.  Clean that closet.  Organize that drawer.  Declutter.  Try new recipes, eat well.  Break out a project-sewing, building, painting, whatever you have been putting off.  Get the materials and go for it.  Keep chipping away until you have completed your task.  Then clean up and put it away.  Get ready for new.  You'll feel really good about what you have accomplished.  
Picture
  The point of all of this is three-fold.  One, you get to do things you have been putting off forever.  Two, you'll be so focused on your task that winter will slip by quickly, almost unnoticed.  Three, you'll have cleared the mental clutter that bogs you down so that when Spring comes, you'll be ready to head outside again with a free mind and body.
​  Don't let this time of year lock you up.  Use it to your advantage.  Don't be afraid of the dark.  Make it your friend.  You might just find that you look forward to this season, when you have more flexibility with your schedule and more hours in the day to Do You.  It's here.  It's now.  Let's go!

www.thepocketfarmer.com
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Hi, I'm Sue Pranskus, and this is my sometime blog.  It's mostly about my attempts to "green-up" my life.  On our little farm we experiment with livestock, gardening, building, repurposing and anything else that we find interesting. Born and bred on the West Coast, I am living in the Midwest by choice, not circumstance.  I have built a life based largely on core values and loosely on whimsy.  It's that whimsy, though, that gets me in trouble every time!

    Picture
    I love my girls!
    Pin It!

    Archives

    October 2019
    September 2019
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    March 2015
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.