Chipping away!

 I know, I know. Did I fall off of the face of the Earth? It has been c-r-a-z-y around here. The good news, at least in every way but financially, is that I have resigned from my job. This girl won't take it any more and I am SO excited to only have one week left. Woodchuck, poor Woodchuck, is still working 6 days a week and they have changed his off day from Sunday to Wednesday. We adjusted and still tried to get in as many trips to Das Zem as we could fit in before the weather turned, which happened this morning.

But leading up to this day, we were chipping away still at the invasives while we waited to hear back from the contractor we hired. But we didn't hear back. So that work is still on hold. We did however fight against bittersweet (there's still one massive growth of it wrapped around a large tree), AO and honeysuckle. Removing the larger bushes/trees of those revealed so many little saplings starting. It is just something that I know that I will have to keep checking on and keeping up with. It was mind-boggling to see how it all had taken over. But we are taking it all back. 

                            The top two pictures are before we started chipping away at the mess. 

All of that dark ground between me and the tractor used to be all honeysuckle and autumn olive. That tree that is by the bush hog deck is the one that is dripping with bittersweet berry clusters. We have decided in the midst of all of the invasive carnage that we will also be burning down the fishing shack. 1) it's too close to the water now with the failed banks and spreading water 2) it stinks. They raised birds in there and I can't stand that smell. 3) it's infested with mice and wasps and was never really completed anyway. 4) a tiny shipping container will solve my issues and give me a spot to store Pink. Speaking of!

Pink is now in her permanent home after being tested a few times here at our current home. That was nice to not have to spend an hour and a half push mowing! Because of my knee and hip issues, I wasn't able to use her because my legs are too short to reach the pedals without over-extending.

The pond is full and overflowing again, but we can see that the deer are making good use of the space we cleared. 

We also decided to start tackling the bittersweet and other invasive growth along our main ditch (we call it the front ditch, but it runs behind the front CRP.) We cut a massive bittersweet vine that had embedded and wrapped itself around a growing poplar tree. 

We also took down honeysuckle, AO, and the massive MFR (multiflora rose) that I found in the Spring. Before pictures.

                  Along the way and after pictures are below. All of the dark ground was where the                                                                         honeysuckle, AO, and MFR were.

As always, I/we took time to walk and take it all in. The changing colors, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. There is much beauty and magick in this place! 

So what will I do with myself now that I am leaving my job? Hoping to work on the land as much as Woodchuck's schedule allows, keep cleaning my house out, get caught up on art projects, and take care of myself. Even though I was only at my job for over a year, I feel like I gave 4 years worth of energy and commitment to them in that time. I am one burnt out girl. A minor surgery may also be on my horizon, but I have a couple of weeks yet before I find out for sure. So in other words, I think I'm going to take a couple of weeks for myself and my family. We'll be starting baking soon...making sausage, pierogi, pagach, nut rolls, etc. We'll be making our Winter scented soaps this coming week as well. 

We have been consistently behind on our art this year, but we are starting to get caught up. Woodchuck just did this custom order of fixing this family heirloom.

I am just getting ready to finish up this custom bead order of an Indian corn pendant.

Once this is done, I have to move on to ferns, salmon, and beaded feathers. So grateful for the skills that the Great Spirit and my Ancestors have passed on to me! 💚 )O(