It was a weird weather day: warm, wet, and windy. Very tropical feeling, actually, but difficult to work in. I did a little more fence-tweaking, and a bit of barn-tightening, but other than that, didn’t really get anything done.

At some point I looked out the window by my desk and saw the most glorious, vivid, huge rainbow. I grabbed the girls and we all ran out in the lashing rain to admire it, and that’s when I noticed the line of bluebirds on the fence, centered under the rainbow. Now that certainly seems auspicious, doesn’t it?

We’re headed over to my dad’s in Asheville for Thanksgiving dinner today. My sister T and my brother B and their families will be there. Dad’s cooking the turkey, at least I presume he is; I’m bringing challah and collards, and there’ll be lots of other food—-way too much, as a matter of fact!

I’m glad to have my dad so near—we went a long time without really seeing each other, and I’m grateful to have him in the girls’ lives.

There is so much to be grateful for in my life, that I’m not going to bore everybody with listing it all. Sitting in my warm house on a clear, blustery morning; hot cup of tea in my hand, woodstove going, bread rising, sweet man doing the dishes, girls curled like puppies in their warm bed…. how can I ever be discontent, or anything other than profoundly grateful? Ever?

Thanks for everything—I have no complaints.

I woke this morning in the middle of a long, complicated dream about visiting a fellow blogger. In the dream we had to use canoes to get to her homestead, where she and her husband and a large contingent of Mexican farmworkers raised a special breed of chicken called “Ruby Silkies”—-funny little white, fluffy chickens with ruby-red tails. They supported their farm by making these collage-things with the red feathers, embedded with the vivid blue turquoise eggs laid by the chickens, and uncut rubies. I’m a little tired this morning—the canoe ride and all….

A few of us are going to stretch the last section of fence today. Yesterday I started tearing down the temporary pen that we built in a panic the night before we left for the beach—-it was u-gly—as I needed the stock panels that it was composed of. So the goats and Fionn are locked in the barn again, which is fine with the goats, but Fionn hates it. The girls take them all for a couple-hour walk every day, and hopefully by the end of today I’ll be able to let them out in the pasture without supervision.

I thought we were at the point of being able to let the sheep out yesterday, not because the fence was ready, but because they’re kind of dumb, but at some point the girls saw them trotting towards us down the road, coming back from who-knows-where, so I guess it wasn’t quite time.

Mousie—whose official name is Mus Mus—after the Latin–Mus Sylvaticus—is pretty much the cutest thing ever. He’s definitely a he, and he’s fat and very energetic. And affectionate, too! Who knew? I mean, that’s an awfully small creature to have so much personality. And who’d've ever figured me for a soft touch with a mouse? I am, though—we all are; he is one very loved mouse.

November has finally arrived! Yesterday was dark and cold and spitting….something. A funky mixture of rain and freezing drizzle and sleet—-nothing as pretty as snow. Today is sharp and clear and cold.

So far we’re not having any trouble keeping the house warm and cozy with just the wood cookstove, though we are hoping to pick up a heat stove sooner or later. With the cookstove, you can’t bank down the fire, so we can’t put a nice big locust or hickory log on at night before we go to bed, and wake up to coals the next morning. Which means the house is a little chilly in the mornings—-not bad, but a little cool. We have a friend who has a little red enameled Vermont Castings stove with a window that she wants to sell—-I think DH may go look at it today. Would that be the cutest thing ever?

On today’s agenda—besides homeschool, meal preparation, and the losing battle of cleaning the house—is finishing up some parts of the fence that I can do by myself. I need to sink a few more locust posts—three, I think, though maybe I can get away with only two—and put up some more stock panels, and wire permanently some that I put up temporarily Tuesday. ( I wanted to make sure they actually fit with the posts before I wired them for real!)

Another chore that I’m looking forward to, but that may or may not get done today, is shearing the sheep. One of them is starting to felt on her sides, and I want to catch it before it goes much further. Also, it’s a good idea to shear before lambing, so the ewes take better care of their babies. Evidently, sheep aren’t terribly rational thinkers, and if they have a full coat of wool, they’re not bothered by inclement weather, so they assume their lambs are ok, too. If they’re shorn, they get cold and wet when the lambs do, and take them to the barn. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Ok, much as I hate to do it, I’m going to go wake the girls up and start school and chores. Goodbye peaceful morning; hello day.

Or maybe one more quick cup of Barry’s….

Yesterday was wonderful. Really wonderful. So much got done—-which is fantastic—-but, even better, there were so many friends and incredible people who showed up to bless our new farm.

The weather was perfect and beautiful—warm with bright blue skies and white puffy clouds; storybook pretty.

I feel so lucky to be part of this community, and friends with all these amazing people.

This picture pretty well sums up everyone by the end of the day! Note the boots and work gloves.

Tomorrow is the fence-raising, and it looks like it’s going to be quite a party! DH and ED have gone to pick up the rolls of wire; yesterday and the day before, DH and I were up at the old house pulling fence posts and stock panels. It looks like we’re going to be at least somewhat prepared for tomorrow…

This morning at 3:00 I was lying awake in bed wondering what the heck I’m going to do with the fourhundredmillion kids who are going to be here. J* and Bernard have been helping me figure out some things today, and I feel a little more confident in my ability to handle that part of it. We’re putting together a scavenger hunt, for the bigger kids at least, and having available tubs of chalk for drawing on the sidewalk, and baskets of crayons for drawing on sheets of butcher paper on tables in the yard.

I’m hoping we have enough food for all these hardworking friends of ours! It’s going to be your basic hamburger hot dog menu, and my dad is in charge of cooking it all.

T* and S* just stopped and dropped off a stack of chairs; last night Bernard wrote a note asking if we could borrow them, and attached it to Pippi the dog’s collar (Pippi likes to hang out with us when T* and S* aren’t home). It’s kind of like having a neighborhood passenger pigeon, but cuter and more affectionate.

My sister and BIL have pictures up of their new baby. I’m so excited I can’t stand it! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we get to meet her at Christmas.

OK. If I don’t go get something done I am going to be in so much trouble when DH gets home. I hope we see you all tomorrow!

This is a funny picture of Bernard and her goat, Maggie. No, Maggie doesn’t have a toothache; she’s wearing a bow, and the reason she’s holding her head like that is because she’s trying to see the bow. Lucky Maggie, so dressed up.