Feels like I am just waiting and waiting and waiting. Waiting for the nicer weather that is now here and hopefully staying. Waiting for the chicks to arrive. Waiting to plant my garden. Waiting to get my yard cleaned up and in shape. Waiting to build my raised beds. Waiting to be outside in my favorite outfit, tee shirts and jeans.

What is a girl to do while she is waiting? Plan, plan, and plan. Spring clean the house. Reorganize bedrooms. Purge clothes and toys. Figure out where to put the day lilies and how to landscape around them. Watch the amount of sunlight around the barn to make sure the blueberry bushes will get enough sun. Decide what to plant in her planters by the driveway: pretty, functional, or both?

Look at lots of chicken coop plans and decide that I don’t want to build anything really. I have two buildings at my disposal and have decided that I want to boot the dog out of her dog house in the barn and put the chicks there. I think it was once a place for the milk separator, but it seems like the perfect amount of room for 12-15 chickens and nesting boxes and a waterer and a feeder. I just need to build a run or get a dog kennel for the chickens to run.

Decide if I want any other animals or livestock. I would love to have a calf or two and a pig or two for meat, but I better stick with keeping chicks alive first. I have to remind myself that taking baby steps are good for my sanity.

Research beekeeping. I know where I could put the hives, but I don’t know what is all required and if northern Iowa is a good place for hives. How does one winter bee hives? Lots of questions yet.

Research perennial vegetables and fruits. I would like a homestead that provides food most of the year, but to do that means I have to plant with that in mind. I am already planting asparagus for spring eating, but I want to do more. I also need to buy these vegetables first to make sure my family will eat them.

Staying in the holding pattern for a bit longer. So many dreams, so many plans, so little time!

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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