#100HappyDays :: Day 65

Some things make you take a moment and do a gut check.  Why do we work so hard?  Why do we do this when we do not have to?  Why do we so personally need to understand and respect the circle of life?  

Yesterday was duck processing day.  We are confirmed omnivores and I do not have a problem with a diverse diet where everything is in moderation.  As I mentioned before, this is our second year raising protein, and so far is much more successful.   I am convinced that the hatchery makes all of the difference.

Why do we do it?  Because in the end there is a vast feeling of satisfaction stemming from raising, caring for, and giving these animals the time to forage and frolic, that they would not have been given in other circumstances.  As I was putting away the processed ducks last night, I realized that this was a significant thing that would nourish my family for months to come.  We make efforts to know where our food comes from and that prompts a special kind of respect for it.  As we fill our shelves and freezer with farm raised and grown food to sustain us through the off season as much as possible, the occasional gut check is important, it keeps it all in perspective.

Check out these Ten Things about Homesteading

Re-Entry

Late August brings us not only an amazing shift in light, but also seas of goldenrod beginning to bloom.  The sun hitting this beautiful weed and the sound of cicadas greeted us when we returned home mid-week.  I was thankful for that glimpse, what with school and sports practices starting immediately.  My friend emailed me a welcome home, and said good luck with re-entry.  I'd never thought about it that way, but man is that true!

As much as we relished the special time away with family, we came back ready and eager to dig in and see how the garden had fared.  No surprise we had squash the size of pumpkins and loads of everything else.  The tomatoes delayed slightly for us and are just beginning to really produce. We planted mostly paste and drying tomatoes this year in the hopes of a good canning year.  It looks as if we may have gotten lucky!  I wanted to have a stocked pantry this year, especially so after I saw the latest predictions from the Old Farmers Almanac.   To top if off, our crocked cucumbers were perfectly ready for canning when we got home!

Of course since we have had such a mild summer, we have come back to hot and very muggy.  In fact after boasting to the family all last week that we had not seen a single 90 degree day this summer, it appears that is what is in our forecast over the next several days.  Between this and the almanac's thoughts on our upcoming winter, we stopped procrastinating and set the wheels in motion to replace our elderly heating unit and non working a/c.

And then there were three.  Yesterday morning we gathered our meat ducks and took them to the processor.  This was our first foray in to sourcing our own animal protein, and I must say that though we were somber, we knew it was right.  One of our goals when moving to the homestead was to teach our kids and better appreciate ourselves where our food comes from.  We knew that they had had an amazing life romping in large open spaces with room to swim, and weren't cooped up in some large facility.  The three remaining are mascots and hopefully an egg layer or two.

My mind is spinning after a week away, re-entry accomplished, now to write.