One thing leads to another, yeah, yeah, yeah

 Where has this year gone? How are we already in September? It seems like we went from freezing to melting to Fake Fall. But I am grateful to be enjoying it and to be moving down the list of projects at the land. The main one for 2025 being the pond! It is done now, though not completed. We ran out of money to finish it, so we will spend the Winter saving up and continuing to clear out the house and sell belongings. The goal is to have the guys out by this time next year to finish it 🤞I handled the sight of everything well. Of every beautiful and native plant and tree that was downed, I know that this is what needed to happen for the long-term health and functionality of the pond. We were very happy to hear that we have a great clay base soil in this area, so as long as we do, and don't do certain things, we will not have slumping again. They also dug the center to at least 14 feet, maybe 18, I can't remember 🤔 But it's deep, lol. Next year they will need to clear the East bank, we would like to talk to them more about a waterboard they brought up, we need to get a fountain for water movement/circulation, and we are on the fence now about lining and rocks on the shore. Lots to pick up in 2026!

As we continue in drought, low humidity, and mild temps, we are making as many trips out here as we can! Two hours a day doesn't seem like much to others, but it is absolutely game-changing when you have so much to do at once! And honestly, being out here is a great way to the end a day! 💚

We can fit a lot into a couple of hours, one of which is constantly checking back to areas that we have worked before to check for anything coming back. Once Woodchuck cleared along the front ditch (West side), we were able to positively identify a mature Tree of Heaven and a bunch of saplings it was sending out. So on our recent walk in the area to treat the juveniles, I happen to look up and see.....

That's right. Hops. A lot of Hops! Woodchuck wants to hire the same peeps who took care of the pond to come clean the edges of this ditch in Spring of 2026. May as well harvest these now and see how it goes. So we added that to the list of things to do, and to research how to do it.

                                A rare appearance of a Turkey Vulture that got very near to us! 

One project that has been on the back-burner for awhile is hanging more lights in the barn. By the time we were able to start getting out to the land earlier this year, we needed to get to work on other things and saved the lights for rainy and cooler days. Fast forward, and we finally got started this week! There are 4 lights total to hang, and we got 2 of them up in one trip. It seems that even on Woodchucks day off, we are only getting a few hours at the land, which is really cutting in to getting something done at all once. There was a little hold up trying to figure out where the best place to hang them would be, but he decided and got to work! I am always in awe of how Woodchuck figures this stuff out, and how much he knows! 😍 

A little friend came to visit us during the project! An adorable, fuzzy butt, bee fly! 😍

Woodchuck was ready for a break after two lights....it was hurting our necks looking up for that long, lol, so we took a little time for my things before having to leave sooner than we would have liked. Fallopia was my target once again. I think so far we have pulled at least 7 contractor bags full of it. From the watershed, from the banks of the ditches, from tree stands. Then I found a bit of it here at home in the railroad tree line next to my driveway. Some was getting too high and too far out in the ditches to reach with just my arms. So when we were moving stuff from the barn to the shipping container to make room for us to move around to hang lights, we found our old, trusty tool. The hot dog roasting fork! Just bend the prongs, and you have a handy tool to pull things down and to you!

When leaving the watershed, I spotted this Monarch caterpillar and hoped that we didn't accidentally harm any while pulling the Fallopia from all of the milkweed and other surrounding plants. 😬

As we prepared to leave, a bald-faced hornet was on my car, taking a breather. I gave it space, but I was not afraid of it. A healthy distance, and dose of respect, and we can both be on the land. 

On our next trip out, we were going to harvest the hops, but went for a walk first so that they weren't sitting too long after cutting them. We have also been harvesting elderberry as we find it, but there isn't much as the original trees are not healthy. Luckily I still have some frozen from last year. We did spot some beautiful feathers on our walk, turkey and most likely hawk? 

I was able to get to the Lespedeza on the watershed while it was blooming and will send these pictures to the Invasives group to make sure that they still feel like the identification they gave it earlier (while not blooming) is the correct one. 

Some thing came flying at us, twice, and it was a Chinese Mantis! We only saw the one on our way in, but on the way back? Oh my! I have not been able to bring myself to unalive them. I think I am worried that the one time I do it, I will have misidentified it and unalived a good one. Woodchuck will need to take care of the situation moving forward. 😵 As I was walking away, I told them that I am taking their Ootheca! 

The sightings of butterflies is slowing down now, but not zero. Little by little the flowers and plants that we see them on are in the final stages! This one is thistle. 

The walk is done and it is time to harvest the Hops! We are not making beer with it, but I am hoping to use it as a culinary seasoning, make teas, etc. The plan, originally, was just to pick enough on this trip to fill my drying screen, but Woodchuck got excited and insisted that it all would fit.

Once we got home and were separating the cones, he said he didn't realize my drying screen was so small, lol. So, luckily our youngest son still has the window a/c in his room, and his screen was in the workshop...and was much bigger! The perfect size for all of the cones! I will leave them to dry for two days in the workshop with the dehumidifier and fan running, then on the third day (which is tomorrow), I will put them in the dehydrator to finish. I do plan on powdering some, and leaving some whole. 

I miss being outside all day, seeing sunsets, and sunrises. We are hoping to camp at the land soon, if the weather levels back out in temps. Of course it is warming back up since we were going to try to camp this Sunday. 😒

Here at home, it's harvest season! I have apples galore, thanks to a local friend with lots and lots of apples! I've made applesauce (gifted one container of it to my oldest for his birthday because he LOVES it and I didn't make any last year because I was working), two apple crumbles, and some apple butter. I am saving the skins and drying them out to make a stove-top simmering potpourri for Fall and Winter.

One of my favorite cooler weather meals to make is Turkey Salisbury Steaks in the Crockpot! Served over mashed potatoes with gravy, there's rarely any leftovers 😛

My friend and I try and meet at least once a week to do our 3-mile walk. It's been great spending time with her now that neither one of us is working! We have been spotting these fungi on one tree alongside the track. 

We usually follow that walk with a trip to a couple of resale shops, which I went to some new-to-me ones with another friend recently and found a new/unopened kitchen faucet and two new/unopened towel bars for the bathrooms in the exact metal finish that I needed! I get so excited when that happens and am grateful for the savings to help make our dream come true! 

The most recent Sunday market was a success and saw around 4 items go to their forever homes! The cash helped me to pay medical co-pays, and put gas in my car. Every little bit adds up and I am grateful to the Universe to have some of my pieces speak to people. I had to mark my prices down on 3 of the 4 pieces to get them sold, but honestly, it was worth making it happen. 💜

Thank you for being on this journey with us! 

Tarzan and Jane

 Ok, I could be a bit dramatic in that title, but honestly? It really doesn't feel like it when you are standing in what feels like a jungle or rainforest, pulling invasive vines from your native plants and out of trees. We are at around 6 contractor bags full of Fallopia, and still not done pulling it on the watershed. Plus I found another spot of it climbing an oak tree in a different area. I've made an itinerary for the next couple of weeks, that being on the to-do list tonight and tomorrow night.

Pond work has been start and stop, as the contractor told us it would be. They've been chipping away at the vegetation on the edges of the pond, and letting the cleared land dry out in between. On this most recent trip out, we couldn't believe how different the land continues to look with each project we take on. Moments of fear, panic, and being overwhelmed turn to clarity and relief as things get fixed. While previously I would have panicked and cried at the loss of beautiful plants and trees, I know enough now that most will come back on their own, and that this is the best thing to be doing to get things functioning properly. In the meantime, it is a bit of a mess. 

These platforms had to be brought in and laid out to keep from sinking into the muck soil. 👇 

Woodchuck and I are always in awe of how different the land looks as we try and fix things. This area was a wall of trees, blueberry bushes, dogwood, ferns, jewelweed and more. Now it's completely open.

I followed machine tracks into the trees of an area that we haven't really worked on yet (hoping to get to it this Winter) and was greeted with lots of fungi.

We are grateful for people being close by with the equipment and know-how to get areas on the land back to healthy! 

So many sensitive ferns already standing guard. 

We wondered how the wildlife was faring in all of the ruckus? I hoped that no nests were downed during tree removal (I did check the trees visually from the ground and didn't see any), and that no ground dwelling animal was displaced. Honestly, this is one of the balances that has been so hard to manage with the land: fixing things but still leaving wild spots for animals to have cover and homes. One trail camera caught numerous animals close to the area of the work being done, so I think they are faring well!

I have numerous images of this black cat frolicking! Once we move out there, we may have to bring this mini panther in and then we will have a ginger and a black one. ❤🧡 

Usually this raccoon has babies with her, but the last we saw them they were getting big and maybe aren't with her anymore?

There is something about the color of deer, especially fawns, that are just so striking.

And what?! Welcome to the land, feathered friends! 😍

Another project we have been working on is getting the new trees protected better. The deer keep stripping them, then they leaf out, then they strip them, and it just continues like that. We ran out of poles, but protected the ones we had supplies for with these poles and some black deer fencing.

Of course we had to take in the early Autumn beauty around us as Summer starts to lessen its grip. You can't help but smile at Bumble Butts. 

And say hello to each creature that stops at our land and utilizes what's there.

And when I find beautiful and native things, which some times are in very small amounts out there, I am grateful. Blue Cardinal Flower. 

Outside of the land, we have been making numerous trips between two home improvement stores to price out as much as we can for the new home. Woodchuck is beginning to panic. The builder brought up a breaking ground date of October 1st, but we have no blueprints/schematics to be able to take to these places to get accurate quotes, we are waiting for them to come to the land to measure and get permits, etc. Woodchuck can't go to the bank to inquire about a construction loan without more documentation, etc. I continue to talk him through it. I believe it will all work out, however, we must be vigilant this time in not ignoring the warning signs of people we bring on to the project who might not be the best option. All will reveal itself in time. 

I have been going to resale shops scoping out certain styles of furniture that I have ideas for once we are settled in and can take time for side upcycle projects. When synchronicities happen, they are delicious to me! I found this new turquoise coffee maker years ago when I worked at a resale shop. Woodchuck drinks regular coffee and does not clean his pot. I drink decaf and clean mine! His and hers. THEN, last week, I found a new turquoise kettle! Swoon 😍

I am spending as much time outside as I can, soaking in Father Sun, feeling breezes, hearing the sounds before some of the creatures migrate away. Although I love working outside on art, and just being outside altogether, at any time of year; Spring and Fall are my favorite times! Giving thanks for the warmth of Spring and making it through another Winter, and giving thanks for the relief from the heat. I have been greeted by some small friends on some of my days out there.

Soon we will have grapes to harvest if we can salvage some from the birds! And Woodchuck has been talking about grafting them to have some at the land as well. 

Stay tuned for some pond updates! We will be going there tonight to see it! Although we can't afford to finish it right now, we will spend the Winter saving up for it and have the contractor out no later than next Summer to continue working on it, if all goes as planned. I resist the panic response that sets in in these moments, telling me I need to get back to work. I can't make people hire me, and none of my applications are producing anything. I have my hands full here, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that we will be okay. It will take diligence, hard work, and time, but we will get there. 💚

I have released the first of the Harry Potter items in the Big Cartel shop! They will be there from September 1-15, or until they sell. I am also taking them to the outdoor market with me, and I just got accepted to an indoor show in October as well. There is only ONE of each. They are hand-painted wood discs, an upcycled interior stem and base of a push-up pop, and are sealed (indoor use only). I hope you'll feel moved to take a look at them! I've also listed the mushie items, and some new earrings in the Etsy shop. So much magick to spread! 🪄

                                                    www.offorestandheather.bigcartel.com 

                                                       www.offorestandheather.etsy.com 

You can find me this Sunday, September 7th, 2025 at the Edge of Liberty located 606 N. Calumet in Valparaiso, Indiana 46383! Only 4 more outdoor markets left there!