It begins

          How can you go through life with a vague sense of unease that you aren't doing everything you always wanted to do, then suddenly, in your sixth decade, find yourself beginning to live that life that you hardly dared to imagine for yourself? 
          When I remarried in 2011, Mark and I talked about a simple life wherein we chased chickens, milked goats, and planted massive crops of vegetable to eat all summer and lie in for winter.  Who knew that in two short years we would be beginning that dream together?  First came the property. 

We found 4 1/2 acres in Dryden, Michigan  that were situated among rolling hills and fronted onto passable dirt roads.  We are on a corner lot (hence, Croteau's Corner) that allows access from two sides.  We are located on an electric powerline easement, and the resulting limitations on our land use are not fully known at this time.  There are open hills, two treed areas, and a small grassy area near the house.  The house itself was completed in 2006, but the owner did not spend any time decorating, improving, or otherwise working on the property.  We spent much of the fall clearing out scrb and fallen trees, raking out leaves, trimming the pines, organizing the one outbuilding (a small shed), and getting a feel for the land.  We spent nearly every night burning stuff, which is great because we love campfires and being outside in general anyway. 
         We also spent the winter planning.  I had two small goats, a quaint flock of chickens, another outbuilding complete with running water and electricity, and a 1200 square foot garden all built up in my head and ready to go by spring.  Somewhere around February we (I) realized that to do this right we needed to start out much slower than I had hoped.  Mark had already reached that conclusion, and was waiting for me to figure that out on my own (it can be a bit difficult to tell me something I don't want to hear).  So in between surfing the internet and searching the bookstores, I discovered Tractor Supply Company (TSC), my new favorite store.  I had a few heady days when a young salesman turned my head into thinking that we could, in fact, afford a goat pen, but I wasa soon back on track, 
     The limitations right now are time and money.  Mark could work on the farm, but he has to work at his job, which is not sitting at a desk pushing a pencil, but rather wrestling around blocks of stone and wheelbrrows full of mortar.  Being self-employed means he does all the drummimg up of business, running for supplies, billing, etc., and is the chief cook and bottle washer of his business.  As a school teacher, I am going great guns trying to finish out the school year in one piece.  Both of us come home tired, but Mark handles it better.  He gets out and builds chicken coops, transplants vegetation, mows the lawn, and usually has dinner going by the time I drag my sorry self home. 
     In my mind, tahe farm will only come to fruition when we retire in about ten or twelve years.  We'll slowly pick away at it (as Mark says) and by the time we retire, we'll have a full blown operation under way.  I need to get a garden going this spring, and we went ahead and bought a flock of eight chickens.  We have four  ISA browns, and four Rhode Island Reds.  We got pullets only this time around; I'm not ready to raise something I know I'm going to eat.  The chickens are funny, but they're for another blog.