on the farm
I am incredibly crispy and soooooorrrrrrre. Spent Sunday and Monday with Nikos' parents at their retirement property shoveling huge mounds of soil for hours at a time, raking rocks, driving a li'l tractor, swimming, canoeing (successfully for the first time ever!), and... washing Kiska.
We got a lot accomplished, but I want to go back and do more. Actually, I wouldn't mind moving out there and taking over the place were it not for the fact that it's three hours away from Toronto. The place has So Much Potential. It's perfect for what I'd want were I to move out of the city: lake front with lily-pad-filled access (swans everywhere), 27' above ground pool, shed plus three other outbuildings (in desperate need of fixing or tearing down), 2 acres of arable land, a lovely 3-4 bedroom house, ariel internet access for $50/month, and starry starry skies at night. I tell ya, I want to take it over! Install composting toilets, pool pumps that don't waste water, a compost area, greywater irrigation system, vegetable, flower, and herb gardens, rain barrels -- anything to make the place more sustainable. If I go back and help out more, I'll feel grateful for the workout, but I know I'm gonna feel super-frustrated at times because it's not my place so I can't do things my own way. Bah. Phooey.
My muscles are really sore -- mostly back. Woke up feeling like I had the flu, but then realised the achiness was there for a non-viral reason. Saw swans and schools of fishies and heard frogs jumping from exposed lilypad to watery shelter. Saved a black and orange caterpillar from certain firey death (they feel weird when they crawl on you!). Saw some rather gorgeous orb-weavers, one of which had an abdomen that was nearly an inch in diameter! Pretty pretty webs everywhere. Lots of different spiders, too, though no dangerous ones (yay!).
At one point, I suggested pulling a wood palate by hand instead of dragging it by li'l tractor (mostly to save gas and because I thought it'd be more effective). So I grabbed it by the chain and started tugging. Muuuch heavier than I expected, but I managed for a good bit. A little while before I gave up and switched to using a rake, N's dad said, "I really don't want to know what your fantasy life is like." I was like, 'huh?' and then I really wanted to say, "I'm so not into pony play" but I thought better of it and shrugged it off. Then, at some other point, he was talking to the girl who's staying with them about needles (IVs and such), saying "Most people don't like getting poked with needles." And I couldn't help but think, "Oh, I know LOTS of people who like getting poked with needles! In fact, last year on my birthday, your son and I went to a workshop on play piercing where we took turns jabbing each other with needles for fun!" But again, I thought better of it and stayed silent. *grins*
From what I can tell, they all seemed to like me ok -- this was my first time being around them as the gf. Yeah, they're good christian suburbanite normals, but they're still good people and not without humour. I hope they liked me ok. Next time there's an invite, Lynxie needs to be able to tear herself away from work to come, too. Now that the weather's cooling off a bit, there shouldn't be nearly as much heavy labour to scare her away. ;)
We got a lot accomplished, but I want to go back and do more. Actually, I wouldn't mind moving out there and taking over the place were it not for the fact that it's three hours away from Toronto. The place has So Much Potential. It's perfect for what I'd want were I to move out of the city: lake front with lily-pad-filled access (swans everywhere), 27' above ground pool, shed plus three other outbuildings (in desperate need of fixing or tearing down), 2 acres of arable land, a lovely 3-4 bedroom house, ariel internet access for $50/month, and starry starry skies at night. I tell ya, I want to take it over! Install composting toilets, pool pumps that don't waste water, a compost area, greywater irrigation system, vegetable, flower, and herb gardens, rain barrels -- anything to make the place more sustainable. If I go back and help out more, I'll feel grateful for the workout, but I know I'm gonna feel super-frustrated at times because it's not my place so I can't do things my own way. Bah. Phooey.
My muscles are really sore -- mostly back. Woke up feeling like I had the flu, but then realised the achiness was there for a non-viral reason. Saw swans and schools of fishies and heard frogs jumping from exposed lilypad to watery shelter. Saved a black and orange caterpillar from certain firey death (they feel weird when they crawl on you!). Saw some rather gorgeous orb-weavers, one of which had an abdomen that was nearly an inch in diameter! Pretty pretty webs everywhere. Lots of different spiders, too, though no dangerous ones (yay!).
At one point, I suggested pulling a wood palate by hand instead of dragging it by li'l tractor (mostly to save gas and because I thought it'd be more effective). So I grabbed it by the chain and started tugging. Muuuch heavier than I expected, but I managed for a good bit. A little while before I gave up and switched to using a rake, N's dad said, "I really don't want to know what your fantasy life is like." I was like, 'huh?' and then I really wanted to say, "I'm so not into pony play" but I thought better of it and shrugged it off. Then, at some other point, he was talking to the girl who's staying with them about needles (IVs and such), saying "Most people don't like getting poked with needles." And I couldn't help but think, "Oh, I know LOTS of people who like getting poked with needles! In fact, last year on my birthday, your son and I went to a workshop on play piercing where we took turns jabbing each other with needles for fun!" But again, I thought better of it and stayed silent. *grins*
From what I can tell, they all seemed to like me ok -- this was my first time being around them as the gf. Yeah, they're good christian suburbanite normals, but they're still good people and not without humour. I hope they liked me ok. Next time there's an invite, Lynxie needs to be able to tear herself away from work to come, too. Now that the weather's cooling off a bit, there shouldn't be nearly as much heavy labour to scare her away. ;)