Saturday, December 26, 2015

christmas

Christmas has come and gone.  we are enjoying the wait for a new year.  plans are being drawn for new year projects and we await the next set of workawayers scheduled for march.  the work away program has been such a joy for us this year.  so many young people from so many countries,  so many different foods and customs and slang sayings.  its been a real joy for us to host these people and give them a chance to see southern Arizona.

the aquaponics are still on hold in our living room until the fish can be relocated to warming tanks.  the temperature here has been crazy for winter.  very little fall just straight to teens at night.  not good for tilapia, they require above 48 degrees, so we have large aquariums that we are enjoying in the house.  the fish love playing in the air bubblers, we made them some tubes to go back and forth in and that seems to be fun for them.  they are still growing and should have several pairs ready for breeding in the spring.

some of the workawayers  have stayed on for the winter but are doing their own thing for the holidays.  some are in Prescott playing in the snow, and one went to Mississippi for a month, and we are home minding the farm.  we think we will have lambs soon,  the sheep are so big they must be pregnant.  time will tell.  the bunnies were bred again this week, and we have dogs everywhere.  the new chickens are laying well,  what a surprise,  we keep them well fed to push up production and its working.

as for me I'm waiting on warm sunshine so my feet will thaw out.  i don't like cold.  I'm ever thankful its a short winter season here.  my big project this week is putting this leather sewing room in some kind of order so i can get busy.  have some things i want to make and no space.  when you live in a small house room is at a premium.

hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will enjoy great plans for their new year.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

busy week

we have six work away people out here at the moment.  everyone is so busy but the to do list is getting checked off really fast.  one of the couples have decided to stay for awhile but the rest move on with their lives next week.  its been crazy nuts around here with the strange weather.   we couldn't get the tilapia moved fast enough from the big pond and the weather got a large amount of those,  the rest are in very large aquariums in the house for a few months.  the grow tanks got scrubbed down and four large grow beds for the veggies got installed.  its almost replanting time.  everyone has been excited to help with the aquaponic system,  most came here just to learn that system,  they also got good info on expanding one of these system and how to clean, prep, and build from scratch one of these system for themselves.  most of our help is from France and Germany right now and they intend to set up systems back home.

 the weather here is about a month and a half ahead of schedule.  we are in the teens at night.  this is the stuff we don't usually see until January.  leaves the question what will we get then.  right now at night lots of blankets are your best friend.   and of course the wood stove.  still beautiful thru the day.  we shed coats and jackets about eleven then go find them again when the sun starts fading into the mountain about five o'clock.

all of the workers have had a large range of skill.  the garden is planted.  one built a new bunny hut. we have newly  built gates.  the hay is getting cut and stored for the sheep and we are still expecting lambs soon.  the plan  is new chickens and a couple goats for milking and maybe a feed calf.  i'm pretty sure that is the only way we will ever see beef out here again.  the price at the store is crazy out here for beef.  we cleaned out the freezer this week,  time for butchering.  the drive got trimmed up and the holes from monsoon filled in and even some pretty landscaping was done at the drive entrance.  will be pretty in the spring when we can add some flowers to it.  and maybe best of all some one organized all the tools.  now we can find a screwdriver when we need it.  they even found the missing hammers.  be still my heart.

hope everyone has a great winter and its what you hope it will be.