Wednesday, May 12, 2021: Contentment, For Once

I'm off the rest of the week on bereavement. We're headed back up to Kansas for Melissa's aunt's funeral. She passed on mother's day.

Chickens

When I got off work Wednesday morning, I got on the phone with one of my friends that I haven't talked to in a long while. I was done feeding the critters and had started foraging some excellent strawberries and he asked what the next big thing is for the homestead and I realized something as I spoke the words. "I'm happy. I haven't been happy before, but I'm happy." He corrected me "You mean content?" And that's when I realized that's exactly the word I meant.

Other than one project I'm writing another post on, I'm content with my homestead right now. I've always had a big vision project to work on, but right now I'm happy to just continue my ritual of feeding and beginning a light harvest of spring berries. It's a really neat feeling.

Berry

So as of right this instant, the only plans I have are to streamline current projects. Things like increasing efficiency of feeding all these animals, or planting more fodder crops, or learning to preserve my harvests so I don't waste anything. Little stuff like that that actually can turn this into a more sustainable situation where we can now break from industrial feeds and stores.

Systematically, everything here has been to help us break from an industrial network, but it's been on my heart (and wallet) how much we still depend on the feed companies and how much feed costs are rising. Crisis after crisis, shortage after shortage, wave after wave of whatever's going on in the world, it all trickles down to feed costs and to food costs. With everything going on, it's hard to believe that this isn't somehow manipulated. Someone is capitalizing on all of this to extract more money from my family and friends. I can't help but take it personally, which means I can't help but add rabbits, add chickens, and plant more seeds. It's not my job to save the world, I get that, but if I can easily help out a neighbor from my own abundance, I reckon that's as close to being my responsibility as you can get without actually being so.

Buddy

Scooter

I'm gonna call that one for now. Another post in the works about my smallest remaining big project, but we're busy with family right now, so it may be a minute getting out. Just wanted to publish a little update, thanks for reading.

Love from Texas

Nate 💚