When last we left our intrepid heroes, night had fallen and everyone was settled for the day. And it was good.

…so here’s what we learned the first night

– real beds are a vast improvement to air mattresses and camp cots. The kiddos all slept soundly.

– goats don’t sleep for long stretches. I dont know if this is a zoological fact, or if Maggie was disturbed by our unusual presence, but we heard her all night, rooting around in her browse pile, chewing loudly, and generally banging about. Her stall and our bed are about 4 ft apart, separated by a hallway and a single wall. It is insulated, but that is a relative term.

– Roosters don’t have a ‘snooze’ button. Choco woke up at 5:08, and we darn well better be awake, too.

– Woodstoves are much slower to heat the coffee in the morning. Must plan ahead for this. It won’t matter as much in the winter, when the stove is kept full hot all night, but in the now, when we let it cool significantly overnight, it takes awhile.

Cooking in the wood oven is a learning curve that will take some time to master. Monday supper was supposed to be slow-cooked beef and potatoes, and I put it in HOURS beforehand. Supper was late, because it just didnt cook the way I was expecting.

Yesterday, it was back to work. The firebox had had a firebrick fall loose, so it had to be cooled down anyway in order to be able to replace that, so while it was cool, I got the hanging pot rack up above. I like it!

I also got the beginnings of my Asparagus bed in. I absolutely hate cutting sod, but this property has required a LOT of it, and there aint no one to do it but me, so suck it up, Princess, and do it. All the removed sod is being taken to fill the low sections that usually collect and pool water.

I still need to loosen and fork the soil a foot down, and mix in some good compost and well-draining garden soil before I put the crowns in, but that will have to wait a few days.

In the meantime, I have a Dominique hen who is determinedly brooding a nest of eggs, and the rest of the hens are mad because they want to use THAT nesting box. We have 4 boxes, but that one is the only one that will do, apparently. Goldie, my big buff hen has been screaming at the broody one for days now. Another of the Dominiques is simply practicing Space Invaders. She wants that nesting box and is simply sitting on top of the broody one and using it regardless. Birds are ridiculous.