November on the Farm
Welcome to the Farm!
There’s something about the cold temperatures, auburn leaves, and darker days that awakens a sense coziness and forces my attention away from the gardens and outdoor projects towards our home. Everything makes a shift. Even the shadows are different from their summertime counterparts. I know there’s plenty of people who don’t like the cold weather. But as for me, I love living in a place that has all four seasons.
What I’ve been up to:
The beginning of the month we were able to harvest the rest of our fall carrots. I’ve been having a terrible time with deer eating the tops of my carrots. They don’t seem to have a problem with helping themselves to my veggies. I was thankful to get them into storage and away from the pesky deer.
I’ve been having fun creating some new recipes in the kitchen. I tried making potato leek soup with fresh leeks from the garden. This was the first time I had ever cooked with leeks, and I thought they were delicious. My most recent experiment is honey infused with allspice, cinnamon, and a vanilla bean. It’s been sitting on the shelf soaking in all those lovely flavors. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Of course, I can’t forget Thanksgiving. It’s one of my favorite holidays. This year was extra special because last year Caleb and I had Covid and weren’t able to spend any time with family. We definitely appreciated our time together a little more this season.
What Caleb’s been up to:
Caleb has been working hard to help his parents pour a new set of cement stairs to their basement. He has also been working to run electric and fix up the bottom of our bank barn for some new members of the Home in the Hollow gang (stay tuned for more on that in an upcoming post).
Caleb also had the chance to help a friend by running his combine and harvesting soy beans. Although Caleb would love to be a full-time farmer, small operations can no longer make it. I’m thankful that he gets the opportunity to farm for his friend.
This month we had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the Pennsylvania Wilds with Caleb’s parents. Caleb enjoyed going bear hunting and hiking through the mountains. Tucker and I stayed cozy in the cabin and took walks on the rail trail.
What Tucker’s been up to:
Tucker enjoyed his trip to the mountains. During the drive, he always finds the highest point (which happens to be on top of all the luggage) to sit. I’ve tried giving him a blanket, toys, and plenty of space, but for some reason he prefers to climb the suitcases and bags until he reaches the top of the pile. He sits in the cramped space as happy as can be. Needless to say, he’s a bit of a nut!
What the rest are up to:
Mishka our barn kitten has been enjoying running and chasing the fall leaves. She is so playful and will chase after anything that moves. Barn cat, Sophie, prefers not to join the fun and games. She often snoozes in a warm cozy spot, ignoring Mishka’s shenanigans.
When visiting the hen house in the evening, you can see the chickens roosting on their perch. They puff out their feathers to trap in the warm air. You can hear their contented clucks as they settle in for the night.
We hope you’ve enjoyed November and were able to spend time celebrating the many things for which we have to be thankful!
Thanks for reading,
Caleb, Abby, Tucker, & the rest of the Home in the Hollow gang
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