10/08/2026
One picture never tells the whole story β‘ I was happy in this moment, having just cleaned the chicken coop.
A few hours later I was crying.
I found The Woodsman, wrapped myself in his arms and proclaimed that I was no good at farming.
I cried on and off for the next day and a half.
You see, the time of year had come for the ducks to be harvested. I knew this day was coming. I was thankful The Woodsman would do the harvesting while I was away that weekend.
I came home to an empty pond and gave myself one hour to cry.
Then, I immersed myself in gratitude for the wonderful life of freedom to forage, swim and roam the ducks had lived and the sustenance they would provide over the winter.
The time of year had also arrived for me to find a home for the four mama hens; Naula, Opal, Pearla, Queenie and their 14 chicks of various ages. I was holding on to them for dear life yet knowing that we did not have the room to house them comfortably for the winter. The chickens moved to a friend of a friend's farm and they could not have found a better place to live. She had experience with chickens and the perfect indoor/outdoor spaces.
I immersed myself in gratitude as I drove home with the empty kennels.
And now, the season has arrived where wild foraging and gardening has all but come to an end. So much of my passion and energy is poured into this. Now, the garden is bare. The fields and forest are growing bare. It feels so quiet.
I breath in and immerse myself in gratitude for the full apothecary and pantry.
I am blessed to have a sagacious young woman call me her spiritual mother. She has also helped me understand that I am a nurturer. I really do find it such a joy to help nurture the growth and well-being of animals ~ plants ~ people...and so difficult to let go, even when I know it is imperative to the journey ahead.
And so, that is one of my great lessons in these years ~ To be fully engaged along the current path yet, not afraid to open up and let go when the path diverges...and then, immerse myself in the peace that follows.