Summer is upon us, and the heat we usually experience in August is already upon us.  Thank you to all the folks who visited us in Whitehall at the Copper K Fiber Festival.  What a beautiful weekend for an outdoor event!  
Two of our young alpacas have joined a sweet farm in the valley, and we have welcomed Dodger and 'Q' to our herd.  The llamas and alpacas are enjoying water time in the corral.  Its amazing how arriving with a water hose will bring out the personalities of these creatures!  
The stage is set for a lovely gardening summer.  Spending more time near home means our plants are enjoying some much needed companionship.  The herbs, tomatoes, and squash are growing, the sunflowers we didn't plant are thriving, and the yard has become an oasis of green for a short while.  More trees have been planted, some land-saving groundcovers are expanding, Steve has fenced another multi-hundred foot section of pasture, and the rock terrace he started in the yard is finished and the plants are flourishing.  What a difference being home-bound makes.  There is a rhythm that keeps us no less busy than our careers, but a rhythm that can't be forced.  It is a rhythm that our grandparents knew very well, and that we are finally grasping and embracing.  There is life to be lived and enjoyed in every moment even when money is tight.
As we have slowed down our in-town time, our home time has filled our days with purpose.  We hope you all have been able to find the joy in your time close to home.  We hope you and your families remain healthy and safe.  Be well.  Happy Summer.

Well, a new year is upon us with more than the usual challenges.  We hope that this post finds you well and enjoying some new found time that wasn't available when we were all working so hard before our current health crisis.
It is easy to feel down in this time, however, this is a great time to get creative, find your inner muse and do something new that you have never tried!  If you are stuck inside, make time to watch a sunrise. Be inspired by little things.   Listen to the wind.  Watch the progress of the newest sprout in your flower garden, and allow yourself to feel the awe of a new creation thriving without a care in the world.
Here on the farm, it is spring, though the howling wind outside would have us thinking otherwise.  Spring cleaning is upon us, inside and out.  The corrals are being cleared, and new compost is starting, as we clear last year's out  to begin our garden projects.  Steve has put in hundreds of feet of new fencing, so the four legged family members have a new section of pasture to stretch out.  We are trying a few new berry bushes this year.   Living in zone 2 is a gardening challenge, but we learn something new every year.   
Our daughter has begun a blog on humorous parenting, inspiring us to keep up our blog for your enjoyment as well. (Though I'm not sure it will be quite as humorous as hers.  I'll work on that!)
Let us know how you are doing.  We wish you only the best.  Stay safe and stay well.