The entire world has changed in the few weeks since I last wrote. Well, the world outside the bubble that is my home and land, at least. I’m sure you’re already aware, but the pandemic known as the Coronavirus has swept through nearly every continent. Much of the world is in lockdown, with officials recommending self-quarantine to stop the spread. Aside from the panic-buying at grocery stores and not being able to see my friends, my life hasn’t been too different (yet). Mushers tend to be socially distant by the nature of our lifestyle. Thankfully, I have a job that’s already remote and focuses on subscription based e-commerce, which hasn’t taken much of a hit (yet). Things are stable and I should be okay.
In homestead news, I was able to secure three 8-month-old Barred Rock pullets from a farm about an hour away. Right now, chicks are available almost everywhere, but hens about to lay are much harder to find. As it turns out, people have begun panic-buying them, too. The three new girls have been acclimating to their surroundings and seem pleased with their Eglu coop. They’ve lived their entire lives in a stall inside a barn, so the outside world is certainly overwhelming them at this point. I’m hoping in another week they’ll be more at ease and maybe I’ll have some fresh eggs soon.
Along with the chickens for future eggs, I’ve planted lots and lots of seeds for future vegetables. My windowsills are beginning to overflow with squash, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and various other little sprouts. I spent a Saturday assembling four raised beds to be the seedlings’ home in a few weeks. I’d like to eventually rip up a portion of the front yard, till the soil, and plant directly into the ground, but I’m not quite there yet. I also ordered some fruit trees and berry bushes from the Arbor Day Foundation—I wonder when they’ll show up.
Another big addition to the homestead has been my ATV. I was debating whether or not I’d actually need one, especially after learning my mortgage and property taxes would be increasing, adding a bit of pressure to my monthly budget. I lucked out and found a machine in mint condition being sold by a friend of a friend (thanks, Tim!) just a few miles down the road. Part of my trepidation in buying was not really knowing much about ATVs, but purchasing one from someone I can easily reach out to eased my nerves.
So far, I’ve used the ATV to move the raised beds into their spots, run the dog team, and clean up trails after a wind storm. We even got another quick blast of snow, which was a perfect opportunity to test the ATV with the dogs, as there wasn’t enough snow to safely use the sled, but too much to run with the Arctis cart. The ATV also came with a giant plow, which should come in handy next winter!
The dogs have been doing excellent with the ATV. I was worried the “softer” dogs would be spooked by the motor, but everybody is just happy to run, as usual. The ATV is going to be really useful for keeping the team at a steady pace, which will be important for mid-distance training this fall. For now, we’re just working on short, fun runs with the puppies. Temperatures have been mostly cold as of late, but I’m splitting time between running the dogs (usually three times a week) and spring projects.
Hoping things will get better soon, but for now, stay busy and stay home, friends.
