Gut Wrenching Work…I Love It!

I desperately need exercise and being stuck indoors all winter has not helped. In London the best way to get around was your legs and public transport. This kept me pretty fit. I used to walk 1.5 miles to school every morning and got to where I didn’t want to travel in any other way.
This is not possible in the rural areas of SW Virginia. There are no side walks and no public transport that I am aware of. Having a car is a must even to pop to the local store. So I have become very unfit. I had successfully avoided Bronchitis for the last five years due to my new fit lifestyle only to break that record this year. SO, I have no alternative than to get busy.
I have discovered there are lots of practical things that can be done around the farm and so I have been jumping in. I am hoping to put off going to the Gym, not only because I am too pragmatic to spend hours working on fitness, but also because I don’t want to spend the money!


Here is our potatoe and corn field. If it looks long that’s because it is. These potatoes now need earthing up. This is a process of mounding up the dirt around the plant so that when it puts out side shoots the potatoes will not go green. Pa did two rows and James and I struggled to do one. Let me tell you, besides the heat and humidity, this is gut wrenching work. There were more than a few moments of nausea and dizziness!
The back growth is corn coming through and we are staggering the plantings so that we can keep the corn coming at the end of the summer months. We have planted extra this year so that we can feed the chickens. I was amused to see that they color the corn this florescent pink. A very wise idea as the ground dries at such a rate in the heat it is easy to lose where you have put it before you can go back and cover it over.
 

 Fresh air, fresh food and good health, I love it.