This was a week for breakthroughs.
Finally, we had some good news about the house build. Seems we just need a visit from the fire department and the final SCE plan, and we are ready to... build. It almost seems unbelievable, and I keep having intrusive thoughts that something else will happen and we will find ourselves back in a perpetual place of waiting.
Paul and I were talking (daydreaming) about the new house and how nice it will be to have a legit shower, a full-size washing machine and dryer, and a kitchen where some serious cooking can take place. I can't wait to bake bread again and get my sour dough starter going.
We've been off-grid for four months and we've learned to live without a lot of things. Paul has us dialed in with solar energy that power is never an issue, nor is water or septic. It's been the non-essential things that I've missed the most. Our king-sized bed that we've had for a decade, and both enjoy so much. My little make-up table. A closet tall enough so that my dresses can hang without becoming wrinkled.
The house wasn't the only good news. This weekend, Paul and Joe started the chicken coop. As the coop progresses, I'll share more about its story and meaning. For now, I'll share that it is not just any ordinary coop. Rather, it's a very, very special one and an important part of the legacy Rivendell hopes to build.
Our new neighbors stopped by and gifted us with some dragon fruit cuttings. I've never grown dragon fruit, so I had to attend YouTubeU (what Paul calls my constant YouTube viewing) to see how it's done. Ends up there are lots of ways you can plant dragon fruit cuttings. I chose the simplest method. Directly after planting the cuttings, I watched another video which shared to NOT do exactly what I had just done. Oh drats.
We did have a set-back in the greenhouse. A little rascal ate all of my radish and lettuce seedlings. Whatever critter enjoyed the seedlings also enjoyed the black bean plants in the raised bed. Of all the black bean seedlings planted, only three remain and I suspect they shan't be there for long. The good news is that thus far, our little friends do not like cilantro, sage, and cosmos. Win!
Last night, Joe and Paul were walking around the property with flashlights leading the way. Animal cries had been heard by Joe and he thought it may be a cat. They looked and looked but nothing was found. I've been thinking about whatever it was and hope it is okay. We have had an extraordinarily amount of coyote sightings. Freya and Frodo see the coyote long before we do, and they do a good job at protecting the property. Watching them collaborate while protecting is something else. They instinctively work well together.
There have been numerous deer sightings this week. Paul and I saw a small herd of them, young and old, on the plateau. We have also seen them coming from our neighbor's property, likely heading to the creek in the The Shire. There are many wildlife corridors that lead to The Shire, which makes our dedication to the area's conservation critical.
It is now a bit after 6 AM and still, there is no glimpse of the rising sun. Paul has already headed outside, in the dark, to begin what he called, "Chicken house, day 2."
Winter is coming. I don't feel ready.
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