FARM PLANS 2015

It's that time of year.  

We never really like to make resolutions, we just create lists.  A resolution just makes you have some big grand plans and then you have more chance to just let them slip away without getting done.  

A list is just that.  A list.  And if you can do something and cross it off the list, that's a good thing.  This weekend, while it was nice for the first time this year, we decided to roam around and just think of everything we want to do.  

These lists may seem long and lots of work, and while some are, there are other items that can be done over a day or two.  Maybe even a rainy weekend inside will let us finish a couple.  Others will take a few weekends to accomplish.  And yet others are ongoing projects that we're always working on.  Some of the big ones are things we won't do ourselves but have to hire out (the roof for example) but still more only require a few simple tools or a can of paint.

So here is this year's list of what we want to accomplish

(in NO particular order)

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE:

Clear out the spot and create the fire pit/ring and sitting area

Dining area under Barnabas (the party tree) including table, seating and lighting

Trees/brush removed behind house and side yard Done 04/04

Add on to the lone fence post at end of driveway

Wash the mildew off the back of the house Done 1/26

New roof on house

Large barn or shed for workshop and storage  Done 2/12

Small shed for the Zen Machine and other gardening tools Done 2/13

Install the campground BBQ grills we bought

Beehives and bees Done 4/18

Water to other side of fenced garden area Done 01/16

Drip irrigation plan for all the raised beds

Amend the soil in raised beds (postponed to Fall)

Gutters on the house

Rain barrels of some type

Clean all the junk off the porch Done 2/03

Buy and plant more fruit/nut trees 

Plant vegetables and herbs in raised beds (postponed to 2016)

Plant sweet potatoes in containers with new soil blend

Build flower beds along front of garden fence

Build flower beds along front and side of house

Build corner flower bed between stairs Done 03/30

Put the muscadine grapes in the ground with trellis

Windmill (decorative)

and,

more landscaping around house and property, random and ongoing

INSIDE THE HOUSE:

New shelves in kitchen to replace open cabinets

New shelves in bathroom Done 3/07

Repair and paint water heater closet in bathroom

Replace all light bulbs inside and out with LED bulbs

Door curtains in rest of doorways in house Done 5/16

Organize mudroom/pantry

Organize craft supplies in sitting area of bedroom

New shelves above craft supplies cabinet in sitting area Done 3/07

Bulletin board wall in sitting area of bedroom

Paint several items of furniture

Curtain room divider between bedroom/craft area

Continue stocking up on emergency supplies (ongoing)

Organize the books in the bookcases

Chalkboard door in dining room

and,

more decorating projects around house, random and ongoing

Yikes, looking at them, it seems like a lot.  Some are already underway (the bees for example, they are ordered, and the hives are here, just waiting to set them up and for the bees to arrive in the Spring).  Others have parts ready and waiting to be done (i.e. we have some of the shelves, just need to put them up).  And still others, we've almost saved up for and are almost ready to pull the trigger and have someone come do it.

But hey, they either get done (hopefully of course) or they don't.  If they don't, we don't sweat the small stuff.  Our farm journey is a just that, a journey, and as with all journeys, they evolve over time.  They evolve as the weather changes things, as nature changes things, as finances change things, and of course as energy/stamina and/or health changes things.

We're going to keep referring back to this as we do them.  I'll come back and edit this post and scratch something off the list.