Fall! Whoo Hooo!

 Fall has arrived to our neck of the woods. I love fall!  This is what it is supposed to look like in October.

Not snow on the ground which was quite likely when we lived in Colorado. :)  October here also means a birthday.  Sassafras turned 14 this week!  We got to have a great party outside in the beautiful weather with a great game of kickball in the field and of course cake. I think she had fun!

   The cake says "Sing your heart out"  My girl loves to sing! 

Mr. R gave Sassafras a bar of soap. He said he liked to give kids something they can use.  But give him credit there was $ hidden inside :)

Sweet ma and her girls!  They are growing way too fast!

We partied late into the night.  My poor little niece just couldn't stay awake any longer.  Sassafras enjoyed her party with new friends and family!
  Along with fall means we spend more time outside in the woods.  Well hiking through the woods means poison ivy we've learned.  Poor Sugarbug got a really bad case a week ago.

My girl was miserable!  This was just her face and arm but she had a rash over her belly and legs too.  We're not sure how she got it so bad.  We've been careful to watch for it and when we've had to walk through it we wash quickly but it is really a silent attacker.  You can't see the oil or smell it if you get it on you it is easy to spread all over and the rash doesn't show up for almost two days.  Nasty stuff that we are learning to deal with.  So far we've all had a spot or two of it.  Sugarbug had the worst case so far though.
The pay off to walks in the woods- Mushrooms! 

Yes that is a massive mushroom!  We believe it is a Hen of the Woods.  And it is edible and good.  I made mushroom soup with that and still had a gallon bag full to freeze and some for our lunch meal the next day! We have gotten good a identifying several edible mushrooms that a good eating to add to our meals.
Soon we'll have chickens to add to our homestead.  Enjoy your fall weather!

Lessons Learned and Challenges

                 We went on a great vacation to Colorado to visit family and friends.  We had a blast and I learned some things.  There are things about city life that I miss...  I miss being able to run outside barefoot in the manicured grass lawns.  Our field is just not the same. I miss being able to run to the store and to a friends house to visit.   But I also learned what I love about our country life. 
        While away I missed Stars!  The stars outside my front door are amazingly bright and plentiful.  In the city you just can not see them because of all the lights.   
I missed the quiet.  Now understand me, the country is not quiet but the noises are different.  I enjoy the sounds of nature including the annoying cow and early rising roosters to cars and people.
I missed wide open spaces.  I was surprised how much I missed being able to see for miles and not just across the street.  I love looking out and seeing space and trees.  I got sad looking out and just seeing the neighbors house and felt cramped.   
             It is safe to say I have fallen in love with our life here!  Even though we are still living with no running water, no oven, and no store around the corner I am happier here than I was in town.  I am living my dream and am so thankful.  No running water but we now have internet. :)
             Even with the challenges of country living we are going strong and it is really starting to feel like home.  

        Now besides the challenges of hauling water and going to town to do laundry here are some other obtstacles we have faced.....
         Deer!  There are tons of deer and in a heroic effort to save one Super D swerved missed the deer but lost contol of the car and rolled it.   So we are one car down now.

Only Super D and I were in the car and thankfully we only suffered a couple scrapes nothing serious.

Poison Ivy!  Yuck.  I was the first of our family to have a major entaglement with this stuff.  We've been very careful about watching out for the stuff and have been able to avoid it.  Well we were working out side one day and I must have run into it around my ankles and didn't realize it and then managed to spread it all the way up my leg and even on me wrists a little. 

 

Here's what I've learned about Poison Ivy. It iches like crazy! What is super bad is that if you give in and itch it then it stings bad.  It causes red swollen areas where it is bad and once you have a good case of it it takes 14-20 days to clear up. Thankfully after a week the iching has lessened a little but it amazes me how it will start to itch terribly out of nowhere. 

Other than this it's little pests like the armidillos that keep digging up my garden and the mice that want to find their way into the trailer.  But overall these are little things that we are learning to live with.  Most the critters we find we still fasinating!  Next I'll tell you about our mushroom hunts and new pets. :) 

I'd love to hear from you if your reading these and have any questions!