Another Day In Paradise

Just another day in paradise! (really it's me after a long day of playing in the dirt)

Happy Sunday!

A colleague and I had dinner the other night to catch up  and we had both promised each other the first nice day we had, we’d go celebrate and grab a beer after work.  Ha! Whatever were we thinking? Several of many first nice days came and went and she, like me lives alone on several acres, works full time and well…… when you live in the country, there is always a long list of tasks waiting.  I didn’t need to apologize for not making good on the sunny afternoon lounging over an adult cocktail, as she had the exact same mind set as me.  

My wheel barrow, shovel and rake are well used

So the first rainy day, I emailed her and said let’s get together!  Over dinner we compared notes on our lives, on our reasons why as single women, we  both deliberately chose to live in the county and how we cherish our little pieces of heaven.   We relish our time when we get our hands dirty and the hours spent behind a shovel, rake or garden tractor.   We agreed that country living is not for everyone (nor the faint of heart), and those that don’t live on acreage have any idea of the sheer amount of work it takes to keep up a place. I told her the first time I had met my mailman, I was in a dress, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and was on my riding lawnmower.   I’m sure it was an unusual sight… but then again well ....if you know me, normal in my world is just a setting on the dryer.  So as he dropped off the package, he was being chatty and said something about how my husband I and keep our place so nice. I told him there wasn’t a husband, just me. He looked shocked, then recovered and said wow, that’s cool I guess. I guess the thought of a lone woman buying her own place and keeping it up was outside of his version of normal.  Lol

This red tractor is a signature piece of my "yard art"

When I bought the place two years ago, Rod wasn’t in the picture, but our creator knew what he was doing when our paths crossed.  Rod loves my place and we have spent many enjoyable hours working side by side.  For both of us, this is new having a yard work-mate, as his late wife didn’t like yard-work and my ex-farmer husband, didn’t either.  So we relish our times playing in the dirt together, having coffee in the morning on the new patio and deciding what new landscaping project needs to be done and then at the end of the day enjoying a cold beer.

Another sweet spot for morning coffee

Lately though, we’ve decided this thing called work is interfering with our time to play in the dirt as well as enjoy "other yet to be named adventures".   As we talk about what life looks like in a couple of years, we have no doubt in our minds that retirement looks inviting.

At any rate, I thought I’d give you a quick tour of what my place looks like and what keeps this girl (& Rod) happy. 

My other iconic piece of yard art and beside it I've started my lavender garden

 

More of my treasures, old bikes and buckets

The orchard! Rod trimmed up everything last Fall, 5 apple trees, 1 cherry, 2 plum, 2 pear, 2 peach trees.

A view from the orchard to the shop that Rod, I and his son Zach stained 2 summers ago. Rod has been insulating the shop... his needed "man cave" in the works!

A yard-sale find that now is yet another planter

Last of my yard-art that I had hauled from my Genesee  farm. This made the new place home

After the nasty juniper bushes were removed, Rod & I planted all sorts of plants, he put in a drip line to save on hours of watering.  Let me tell you that a cold beer after that day was a treat.

Last summer I had a garage built next to the house. Rod and I painted it. And for the record, he loves to paint

After the garage was built, there was a huge mud bog... so I hired a contractor to put in the patio.  Lazy days spent out here is what I envision retirement to look like.  I can hardly wait!

We christened the patio on Mother's Day this year

My little sweeties

And that's a wrap

As always, thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a great rest of the day and for me, well I'm taking  the advise the author who emailed me and suggested I read other women's memoirs to get a sense of their style and what appealed to me... so it's a work/pleasure sort of day, plus a little bit of bliss soaking up some sun.

As always, feel free to shoot me an email at swheatfarmlife@gmail.com.  All my best, Gayle