The good news is that I'm going back to school! After much thought, prayer and meditation I've decided to go back to school at PNCA. I wasn't going to for a while, and I didn't, but I think now that I've got things straightened out a little better I'm going to give school another shot.
I've also thought about the direction my work could go in and I've decided that I really want to do work with plant propagation and using the plants in my work, using them as my work, etc. I'm really excited to see where this is headed.
So after the wedding we'll be moving to Portland, OR sometime before school starts. Anyway, we're going to visit Ohio (Joel's parents) this weekend, it was going to be next weekend but both of us had an unexpected amount of days off of work so we're taking advantage of it. This way we don't even have to ask days off from work to do this!
26 September 2008
15 September 2008
These are some photos of insects and other creepy crawlies from the farm that I'm finally uploading for you all to see!
This is a katydid, approximately 2.5 inches long. Thats one big bug!
Common house spider.
Can you spot that mantid? Hint: in the lower right quarter..
Thats the female Praying Mantis.
So things are still really rocky. I'm possibly going to California for the 3 weeks to a month before I get married to spend time with my mom (and family) and take care of wedding stuff and chill out. I still haven't decided what I want to do for sure yet because I feel bad about leaving Joel again, but we've done it before and we did it well. I also feel bad about not having involved my mom for the most part in the wedding stuff. So I don't really know what will happen, it would be nice not to have to pay for rent for sure but is that the most important thing? So many things are going on and it makes me sick to try to comprehend it all. I need some perspective.
This is a katydid, approximately 2.5 inches long. Thats one big bug!
Common house spider.
Can you spot that mantid? Hint: in the lower right quarter..
Thats the female Praying Mantis.
So things are still really rocky. I'm possibly going to California for the 3 weeks to a month before I get married to spend time with my mom (and family) and take care of wedding stuff and chill out. I still haven't decided what I want to do for sure yet because I feel bad about leaving Joel again, but we've done it before and we did it well. I also feel bad about not having involved my mom for the most part in the wedding stuff. So I don't really know what will happen, it would be nice not to have to pay for rent for sure but is that the most important thing? So many things are going on and it makes me sick to try to comprehend it all. I need some perspective.
11 September 2008
Life as it Goes
Life can be disappointing. And speaking of disappointing, I'm sorry to those of you who read my blog, or did. I'm going to try to write more. In any case, the disappointment. Yesterday Joel and I were driving around the Woodberry/Clipper Mill area and I saw the BioHabitats firm. So I decided to stop in and see if they had anything to offer. I don't know what I was quite looking for, perhaps a job, volunteer work, internship. Who knows, I just want to learn about environmental restoration. That's what they're all about anyways. ( http://biohabitats.com/ )
I was able to talk with Tim Burkett who deals with employment at the firm. It was helpful, really helpful -- and really disappointing. I found out that what I was hoping to do, willing to finish school for... just doesn't exist. I want to work outside, plant native species, rip out invasive species, collect bugs, research things and collect data. This job doesn't exist. Why not? Ask someone else because I do not know.
Now it is time to move on and figure out what I need to do. Someday I want to own a cafe and used book store. I do want to continue learning but school is so ridiculous to me. I don't want to be an executive anything, I don't want to be an artist, I can't be the biologist that I want to be. So what now? If anyone wants to give me ideas besides working in a coffee shop or retail, I would really appreciate it. I need inspiration and a goal. My goal was ripped out from me and now I feel aimless and confused. Like walking in a cloud, with diffused light and muffled sounds. Where do I go from here?
I was able to talk with Tim Burkett who deals with employment at the firm. It was helpful, really helpful -- and really disappointing. I found out that what I was hoping to do, willing to finish school for... just doesn't exist. I want to work outside, plant native species, rip out invasive species, collect bugs, research things and collect data. This job doesn't exist. Why not? Ask someone else because I do not know.
Now it is time to move on and figure out what I need to do. Someday I want to own a cafe and used book store. I do want to continue learning but school is so ridiculous to me. I don't want to be an executive anything, I don't want to be an artist, I can't be the biologist that I want to be. So what now? If anyone wants to give me ideas besides working in a coffee shop or retail, I would really appreciate it. I need inspiration and a goal. My goal was ripped out from me and now I feel aimless and confused. Like walking in a cloud, with diffused light and muffled sounds. Where do I go from here?
18 August 2008
Who knew working 60 hours on a farm, getting yelled at by farmers and planning a wedding *wasn't* a good thing? I certainly didn't know. So unfortunately we're calling it quits early. It was too much to handle and way too stress inducing and no longer good, fun or healthy. So in two weeks we shall say good bye to the farm. We told the farmers today and they were surprisingly calm about it. That was nice. In any case, that is the update for now.
07 August 2008
Photos!!
Alright, I'm just going to post the photos now with not too much text if -- I can help myself. :0)
These are some wasps next to my room's door.
And this is a silly chicken roosting in the tree. They don't usually roost in the tree since there is a roosting house where they lay eggs and also sleep at night.
It was this dirty before I swept it when Joel came. Then after done sweeping I forgot to take that picture.
What a cock! He wasn't getting along with the other chickens so they plucked out his tail feathers and now he's growing them back and feeling more confident. He's even gotten up the nerve to chase the hens (no mounting just yet).
One of the chickens. They're very friendly and photogenic.
An old dump truck and some new trucks.
Baby birds!! Unfortunately they didn't make it. I took this photo on a sunday and the next monday they were no where to be found. I was very sad. :0(
Tomatoes!!
And some lovely zinnias.
The end. More to come, don't fret!
These are some wasps next to my room's door.
And this is a silly chicken roosting in the tree. They don't usually roost in the tree since there is a roosting house where they lay eggs and also sleep at night.
It was this dirty before I swept it when Joel came. Then after done sweeping I forgot to take that picture.
What a cock! He wasn't getting along with the other chickens so they plucked out his tail feathers and now he's growing them back and feeling more confident. He's even gotten up the nerve to chase the hens (no mounting just yet).
One of the chickens. They're very friendly and photogenic.
An old dump truck and some new trucks.
Baby birds!! Unfortunately they didn't make it. I took this photo on a sunday and the next monday they were no where to be found. I was very sad. :0(
Tomatoes!!
And some lovely zinnias.
The end. More to come, don't fret!
10 July 2008
Life on the Farm
So I don't have any pictures for now. Its a bit exhausting living on the farm and trying to also keep a blog is a bit ridiculous. I do a lot of various jobs on the farm and there are a few regular things too. Right now we're harvesting squash and cucumbers (both in the cucurbit family) and we just started picking tomatoes -- masses and masses of tomatoes! By the time two weeks have passed we'll be up to our ears in tomatoes! And yesterday, on the not-so-regular end of things, I shoveled chicken poop out of the hen houses for four hours. I wasn't doing it alone, mind you, which made it a lot better. So my responsibilities certainly run the gambit!
In other news, Joel and I have set our wedding date! November 8, 2008. It'll be at the Patapsco State Park outside of Ellicott City, MD. Then we're going to have a reception in Ohio and one in California for all of our friends and families and their respective states. Its tough having to figure out how to encompass everyone! We've also been thinking about having a honeymoon in the Florida Keys since we're getting married in a cold time of the year it sounded nice to be able to have a warm place to go to and do nothing after planning a wedding and finishing farming!
I've also decided to wait til the fall semester to apply to colleges. It made a lot of sense to Joel and I to wait for a bit and stay in Baltimore/Ellicott City for a while before we decide to move across the country (or wherever). It'll be much easier to focus on applying when we're not doing a million other things at the same time. There were too many things up in the air to try and fit another thing in. Or several things as the case may be.
And lastly, I turned 21 on tuesday! And I didn't even get carded when I bought a bottle of wine. Oh well, I suppose. Beth, one of my old roommates, and I went to Harpers Ferry, WV and brought burritos and hung out at Jefferson Rock for a bit. Then we went down to the Shenandoah River and waded in the water and it felt lovely! I can't wait to go back when I'm more prepared (a swimsuit and a towel, perhaps?). Then we drove back to VA, I bought my uncarded wine and we went back to the farm. I poured glasses for both Beth and I but she doesn't like alcohol so she was a good sport and drank about half and then poured the rest in my glass. It was far from the traditional turn-21-birthday but that is certainly fine by me!
And that is the update in my life and I'm sure someday I'll write more about the farm, I won't leave you hanging!
In other news, Joel and I have set our wedding date! November 8, 2008. It'll be at the Patapsco State Park outside of Ellicott City, MD. Then we're going to have a reception in Ohio and one in California for all of our friends and families and their respective states. Its tough having to figure out how to encompass everyone! We've also been thinking about having a honeymoon in the Florida Keys since we're getting married in a cold time of the year it sounded nice to be able to have a warm place to go to and do nothing after planning a wedding and finishing farming!
I've also decided to wait til the fall semester to apply to colleges. It made a lot of sense to Joel and I to wait for a bit and stay in Baltimore/Ellicott City for a while before we decide to move across the country (or wherever). It'll be much easier to focus on applying when we're not doing a million other things at the same time. There were too many things up in the air to try and fit another thing in. Or several things as the case may be.
And lastly, I turned 21 on tuesday! And I didn't even get carded when I bought a bottle of wine. Oh well, I suppose. Beth, one of my old roommates, and I went to Harpers Ferry, WV and brought burritos and hung out at Jefferson Rock for a bit. Then we went down to the Shenandoah River and waded in the water and it felt lovely! I can't wait to go back when I'm more prepared (a swimsuit and a towel, perhaps?). Then we drove back to VA, I bought my uncarded wine and we went back to the farm. I poured glasses for both Beth and I but she doesn't like alcohol so she was a good sport and drank about half and then poured the rest in my glass. It was far from the traditional turn-21-birthday but that is certainly fine by me!
And that is the update in my life and I'm sure someday I'll write more about the farm, I won't leave you hanging!
29 June 2008
Roommates
Here are some photos of where I'm living and the storm we had the other night.
These are wasps and their nests that I have been cohabiting with since I've been here, and more keep coming!
It was mighty stormy last night with really fierce winds blowing. The clouds were amazing to watch and when it rained it poured! But after about 5 minutes of it pouring it kept raining but only lightly.
Last night a bat came in to roost with me while I slept. Or didn't sleep, considering it woke me up and kept me up. I thought it was either a dying mouse or a dying bat but had no idea what. So when one of my coworkers (who is a full foot and a half taller than me) got off work for lunch I asked him if he could get it down/out for me. It turned out not to be a mouse but a bat. She flew around the room after Brad moved her and reroosteed. She had beautiful wings and was a fair size.
We got two new workers today, which I believe means only two more workers are left, Joel and Oliver -- the latter whom I have no idea who he is. I will take more pictures eventually but they will most likely be relegated to sundays when I have my day off.
Things are going well. I miss Joel terribly but hopefully we'll be able to see each other next weekend! But other than that, farming has been very interesting, with the wildlife being exceptionally so.
These are wasps and their nests that I have been cohabiting with since I've been here, and more keep coming!
It was mighty stormy last night with really fierce winds blowing. The clouds were amazing to watch and when it rained it poured! But after about 5 minutes of it pouring it kept raining but only lightly.
Last night a bat came in to roost with me while I slept. Or didn't sleep, considering it woke me up and kept me up. I thought it was either a dying mouse or a dying bat but had no idea what. So when one of my coworkers (who is a full foot and a half taller than me) got off work for lunch I asked him if he could get it down/out for me. It turned out not to be a mouse but a bat. She flew around the room after Brad moved her and reroosteed. She had beautiful wings and was a fair size.
We got two new workers today, which I believe means only two more workers are left, Joel and Oliver -- the latter whom I have no idea who he is. I will take more pictures eventually but they will most likely be relegated to sundays when I have my day off.
Things are going well. I miss Joel terribly but hopefully we'll be able to see each other next weekend! But other than that, farming has been very interesting, with the wildlife being exceptionally so.
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