Raking Together the Last Bit of Autumn

    Well, it's that time of year ... but, like I said a few posts ago, we'd better enjoy it because autumn is on it's way out and then comes winter and back to college (for me anyway).  I enjoyed this evening a whole lot ... I need to remember to make time for evenings like these.

   

    All of us, except for my older brother and Dad who were working on other jobs, took time to rake the yard before dinner. In the fall time we usually spend from three o'clock to five o'clock working as a family on whatever needs to be done. 

    In the summer we work for longer because there is less school to do and in the winter we work less because that's when we get in most of the year's schooling. We home school year round, but the workload changes based on the season. 

    I really liked this schedule when I was still in school, and I like it even better now as I help Mom teach. Schooling year round and working with our books for longer in the winter allows the family to spend more time with the farm in it's critical seasons (spring planting and fall harvest).

   

    Remember this little drop-off? He stuck around for quite a while, but just a couple days ago his toenail got ripped off and he's been on three legs. We finally called the pound and they sent a very nice man to come out and pick him up. I hope they fixed his toenail up. 

    My family has sent four different dogs to the pound since I was twelve: Sophie, Woofie, Lady and Woofie (yes we named two of them the same thing). Three of them were drop offs. 

A turkey feather I found in the leaves.

    His job was to stand in the wagon and stomp down the leaves so we could fit more into each load, but I guess he just got a little tired. That's alright ... tonight I didn't feel like that slave-driver that I usually am from three to five :) My sisters are amazing at remembering that that people are more important than tasks, but I still struggle with that unfortunately.

    Tonight, I forgot the work (for a little while) and had fun with my siblings and it turned into funnest evening I've spent in a long time. I need to remember this for future days :)

Of course, you can't get away with just raking the leaves ... what's the fun in that?

Woodland Princess

That was fun, but back to work ...

    We didn't have too many leaves to worry about because we don't have a lot of trees in our yard.
    All the leaves got dumped into our compost pile. We've built four bins on our hill out of cinder block, rod-iron and gravel two years ago in 2011. They hold our compost, black dirt, mulch, and sand. I'll have to do a post about how we compost and what all that other stuff (black dirt, sand, etc.) is for. Until then, I'll be enjoying my family and trying not to let the work get in the way.