Homestead Diary ~ Week 2

Picking up from where I left off last week. If you recall, I had been up late to catch Prince Charming. He is a sweetheart, but such a sneaky boy!

Thursday, August 8, 2019

I woke up at 3:30 am.  I felt horrible and knew a low sugar level was the cause.  I grabbed candy I keep near the bed and ate 4 to 5 pieces several times until I felt my body begin to no longer feel like I was going to pass out.  Next time I was coherently awake was 10 am.  My head hurt.  But nothing like when I had a Traumatic Brain Injury.  That headache hurt on a whole different level.  Now I have to stop and pay attention to notice a head ache.  I ached. A combination of a short night and bad sugar low told me I would have a slow day today.  After caring for animals, I headed into town to work online.   I noticed Sage had stayed in her dog house each time I had looked her way and when I checked on her she lifted her head.  Sage, a blue healer and terrier mix, at 18 years old would not be with me much longer.  I prepared for taking her in the following day to end her suffering.

Friday, August 9, 2019

The dreaded chore awaited me the following morning. I took her water and she drank.  As the day progressed, I processed if this was the best thing to do.  I struggle with these decisions.  Once done they cannot be undone. I value human life and that of animals as well.  I took care to spend time praying for others, my decision and praising God throughout the morning.  I have been nose to the grindstone, but this morning I sat and watched inspirational messages and teachings from the Bible.  I gathered emotional strength.  Making sure all the chickens had water I had 2 tasks at hand: picking up chicken and horse feed, which for some reason I do not enjoy, and the final decision about Sage.  I noticed it looked like she had vomited.  To give you her history, she has had a mass under her belly for 4 years and up until 2 days ago has had normal body functions, eating and drinking.  When I seen she had vomited I knew it was time.  Making the appointment I teared up a little.  In less than an hour she was no longer suffering. I drove her home and I took off to pick up chicken feed. 

I write this and still will be unloading chicken feed and doing PM chores.  I know Brian will be helping me say the final good byes to Sage this evening.  I want to share a bit about her as she brought much joy and laughter to my life.  The first time I met her she barked at me when I left as if to tell me, don’t leave me here.  I suppose the telling of Sage will be another blog post in the future cause as I think about my memories of her, I see 1000 words in my mind.  She was about as bossy as a dog could be, and had a mind of her own.  I was right there by her petting her head and talking to her.  It was about as peaceful as it could be. 

A picture of Sage in her younger days

I believe the Lord has shown me that I have created a habit of avoiding or ignoring painful or uncomfortable situations.  Today I faced it head on, even if I took 6 hours to prepare.

It wouldn’t hurt as bad if I did not love as deeply.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Off to Culver Farmer’s Market where I sold eggs and garlic.  Here I had several wonderful conversations with friends and market patrons.  At the close of market, I hurried on to have a late lunch with family.  I felt wore out emotionally.  I grieved noticing how Sage did not bark at me.  I heard her bossy bark in my head.  Prince Charming escaped Saturday evening again as I headed out to do late chores. I had been resting reading, Betty Zane, a good part of the evening.  I decided to sit out on the porch and read waiting for Prince Charming to show himself and be caught.  At first, I felt frustrated and angry, a product of my grieving process, but as I sat out in the night air, my heart began to feel peaceful.  I enjoyed the story about Betty a frontier girl living along the Ohio river. Her settlement was the first in the area. The story, written in the 1920’s and based on diary entries from the 1700’s of her brothers.  Zane Grey, a descendant of the Zane family authored the story surrounding her historic act. As I understand in the town of Wheeling, West Virginia there stands a monument commemorating the siege of Fort Henry September 1782. This book was one of several that I picked up at the Culver Farmer’s Market. Reading stories of heroes who settled our country revives the pioneer/homestead spirit in me.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

A longed-for day of rest, which is what I did, while caring for the animals of course.  A late evening visit at friends, where I took a quick picture of a couple of the pullets, she has from CG Heartbeats Farm stock. After catching up I watched her husband ride one of her horses tracking the hot heels.  Hot heels are a training/practice tool for rope horses. They are usually pulled by a 4-wheeler and imitate a roping steer.  Monday morning as I write this, I again feel a longing to ride.  My work awaits to be completed first.

Monday, August 12, 2019

A hot, humid day with rain in the forecast, but it was after noon, evening and overnight until we happily received 3/4ths of an inch of rain.  I feel deeply thankful for the rain.  I felt super excited to find a Silver-Gray Dorking hen (with a red tag) sitting on the eggs this morning. To this point, I am always excited for a broody hen.  They make my life easier as I have shared.

I moved chicks and grow-outs that are living in tanks outside in cages and began the process of cleaning the tanks.  I first drag to the manure pile and dump, next drag to the side of the chicken barn where I spray out with the hose. This part of the process looks different each time.  It varies how long I soak the tanks, if I use apple cider vinegar to clean, or if I scrub them with a brush.  When they are clean, I drag them near-by, tip on their side, leaving them until they dry.  If I don’t want to use them right away, I store them tipped upside down.  I drag them back into the barn when I use them.  On occasion I will have someone help me carry them which is much easier.  Usually as I am solo, I drag them.  These are plastic 100-gallon stock tanks and not terribly heavy. My cell phone was on the verge of complete shutdown due is age of 6 to 8 years.  At times the screen would go white and I could see nothing.  The evening was spent shopping for a new phone.  I did finally against by wishes, end up with a smart phone. This is my first.  I suppose it will have its benefits, but I like a phone to be a phone…

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Caring for animals, prepping for the evening market, and working on a blog post took up most of my day.

I thoroughly enjoyed Culver Market chatting with other vendors and friends.  I gathered the remaining information I needed to complete the upcoming blog post on this market.  Look for it to post on the coming Monday.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

This day has been an almost repeat of yesterday in the fact that I cared for animals, worked on a blog post and prepared for market.  Feeling tired, I tried to stay focused on only what I needed to do.  Do you have days like that?  As drove into Bremen, I was watching the sky (and the radar).  It sure looked like we were going to get hit with rain.  I opted to wait to set until it past.  The rain took its sweet time and it was almost 5 pm before I set up my table.  People started trickling in.  Tonight was FREE cupcake night for school students.  I am certain all were given away.  A cooler air settled in for the night. Upon arriving home, I seen we had been given ½ inch of rain. I feel blessed to have 1 ¼ inch of rain this week.  The ground has been getting pretty dry and now I will be relieved of the duty of watering garden and pots. I had just settled into bed when I heard the chickens carrying on.  NOW WHAT?!? I felt tired!!!!  Dressed and armed out I went to see what was going on…. OH, the pen that has been eating their eggs, had laid an egg and had started to eat it.  To tell the truth, I felt relieved, a bit happy and my rather irritated attitude left. I felt like laughing. I could to back to bed and sleep with no worries of a predator tonight.

A quick word to chickens eating eggs: based on my observations, this act lasts for a season and then seems to resolve itself.  I am not fond of it, but I have yet to have a hen that does not stop such behavior on her own over time. 

Wow, this ends the 2nd week of August. Did you read the first week? Thank you for sharing in this journey via my diary entries.

Homestead Diary ~ Week 1

Although I have been around animals my entire life, I feel like a newbie many times in this homesteading journey.  New lessons with new species, raising animals in a new way, new goals aside from living an equestrian lifestyle, learning what it means to have an online business are all changes I have chosen for this season of my life.  Thus, getting real about what a month of the journey really looks like feels scary and vulnerable. Here goes as I diving in head first.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Yes! I love a new month and a new morning!  AM chores completed I headed into town to work online.  I was excited for the work I wanted to do on the hatching course.  I ended up with a bad low sugar level.  I ate and waited until it was safe for me to drive.  During this time, I focused the best I could on the online work I wanted to get done.  Once home, I took a long nap, before heading out for evening chores. I hate these disruptions to my day, but I am learning to be thankful for all the good.  It seems a lesson that, while I can see progress, is a mental battle I continue to fight. 

Friday, August 2, 2019

I awoke feeling terrible.  As I lay in bed I thought, “I am do not have to do much today. I am staying right here!  Oh wait! I have a meeting planned to send pullets to a new home.  I need to stay consistent with my social media posts. I need a box or two for the pullets to travel in. I need to go to town.”  I groaned inwardly.  Slowly, I began my day.  When the above mentioned was completed and chores attended to.  I rested the remainder of the day.  On this day I felt blessed and thankful that while I needed to attend to certain items of business, I could rest with out feeling any quilt.  Rest I did.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Normally, I attend the Culver Farmer’s Market, but I still not feeling good, choose to stay home. To be completely honest, I want to share I also felt a bit overwhelmed with what I have not been getting done around here and online. I squash thoughts tempting me to waste energy wishing I felt better. I know the best thing for me today is rest.  After the daily quiet time of writing what I am thankful for and reading a chapter in a book by Kathy Lee Gifford titled, The Rock, The Road, and the Rabbi, with a cup of coffee, I headed outside to feed the horses, cats and share an IG story and post.  My first stop was checking if the Swedish Flower Hen of Pair # 2 was indeed broody.  YES! She was.  I decided since I was moving slow anyway to put out the broody hen and her chicks, the 5- 4/5-week old chicks and the 4 from pen #7. I began the work of watering and feeding chicken pens. In the mix I watered the potted cherry tomato plants and some of the sweet potatoes. At some point I added 7 eggs to the 4 or 5 the broody hen had already laid.  I have been saving her eggs and leaving a few in with her, hoping she would go broody a second time this year. Feeling so blessed that she did, especially given the fact the coons had eaten her chicks.

Brian and I grabbed a bite to eat and then I was back outside feeding chickens. This process stretched on into the afternoon. I say I was moving slow….I started this at 10 am and it was now 4 pm.  I spent an hour working on a blog post I am putting together.  Then back outside to find Kit Kat was shadowing me and meowing intensely.  ‘Now what does she want,’ I wondered.  I looked closer at her, feeling under her belly.  I now suspected she was close to having kittens.  She likes to show me where she is having her kittens.  I spent the next several minutes with her coming and going in the underbrush next to the house.  Yes, this is one of those areas that need work here. Anyway, she settled down in a corner.  I will keep checking on her this evening, but I am certain she is having kittens.  I tamed her when she was feral and it took me 8 weeks to even touch her.  Unfortunately, I did not get her fixed and now our cat population has taken off.  Several cats have been fixed here and she is one of the next ones on the list.  It feels like slow progress. But it is progress. I gathered eggs which I do through out the day.  Relationships with animals bring joy to my heart and to be honest at times pain.   I wrote a bit more and headed back outside until dark.  Chores consisted of bringing in the chicks and grow outs I had put in cages outside earlier in the day, feeding horses, and watering the garden near the chickens.  I finally transplanted the cherry tomato plants where one of the garlic gardens had been near the house. 

3 sister garden plot, behind is the heritage tomato plants
out of site are the yellow and white onions and carrots

I found myself remembering the joying of riding bareback on a horse at a walk. For the first time in years I longed to ride.  One of my goals for this year was to start riding again. I do not believe I have been on a horse since 2017, 2 years ago. That year I only rode two times, once in WY at Shoshone Lodge and Guest Ranch and another time in Alberta, Canada. I determined I would ride Navajo Bo.  If I get into the reasons why I could write an entire post telling the story of each horse I was not riding.  I found Bo’s bridle. Oh dear, that was a mess.  I decided to put a halter together with reins that had snaps on them.  That is how I learned to ride a horse, bareback with a halter and 2 lead ropes snapped to the halter.  Yep, why not start over the same way. If you want to read more about the time, I spent with Bo last night, check out her FB page where I posted a bit about it. 

When I went to feed the dogs, I called softly to Kit Kat and shortly she appeared with a messy rear end.  Yep, she had birthed kittens. Her belly still felt hard in one spot.  Perhaps she wasn’t quite done.  I gave her food and water. She hung out with me for a while before returning to her babies.  I heard them fussing a couple times.  I felt good, peaceful and happy with the enjoyment of my day.   

Sunday, August 4, 2019

One of my goals in the last few years is to make Sunday a day of rest.  It does not always look quite the same. I did not do much other then care for animals, write, and hang out at home. The broody hen was still on her eggs.

Monday, August 5, 2019

The temps were forecasted to be in the high 80’s.  In the mornings after my quiet time or devotions, I started making a schedule for my day.  On Mondays this takes a bit longer as I also brain dump of what I want to get done for the week.  AM chores include feeding chickens, gathering eggs, horses, cats and dogs, checking gardens and potted plants. I found a few beans (Jacob Cattle Beans) ready to harvest. This morning I took a look at the wild grapes and even ate a few that looked sort of ripe.  I hope the tart taste diminishes as they ripen more.  If not, I will still eat them, and I am going to be looking for a way to use them.  I dove into a daydream imagining where I would keep a cow.  I think I forgot to mention I have been in conversation concerning a Jersey cow, bred to a mini Jersey.  While I feel drawn to Scottish Highlands and American Milking Devon, at this time the Jersey/Mini Jersey seems like a better fit for the immediate time frame. In all it doesn’t sound like all that takes much time, but 3 hours flew by.  The afternoon was spent working on the computer.  Brian decided to address the slow water flow and needed my help so after starting house chores, I helped him.  One or two more tasks before I was done for the might. 

I cleaned the music variety of garlic I want to sell and kept back what I will plant for next years crop and my own use.  Not only do I use for cooking, I also put cloves in the chicken water from time to time to boost their immune system. PM chores took close to an hour.  It is 10 PM as I write this and I will be going back out to finish up a few things.  I felt refreshed today after a day of rest.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

I desperately needed to work on laundry. First thing I did was get a load started.  AM chores went faster today and I found time to wash a quart sized water container for Cisco.  When I first brought them home, I had given him a little plastic container and I found myself filling repeatedly through out the day.  I felt good knowing this 5 min act would be saving me time in the coming weeks. A lunch time I continued to work on laundry.  I usually enjoy laundry, but I have found a way to look forward to it.  I pile up a few loads that are ready to be folded then listen to one or two podcasts while I fold.  The times flies by fast, I have learned something new and the laundry is folded and put away.  I spent 20 min writing out the content for a video I want to add to the course I am working on.  Out to wash eggs and load the car for the Culver’s Farmer’s Market.  I had this, last minute, idea to stop a local Dollar store on the way. I wanted to get brown paper bags and blank stickers to write on and stick on the bags when I sold garlic.  I found regular plain brown lunch bags and shipping labels. I was hoping for a fancier bag and a cute cut to the stickers, but I spent $2.14 on them, so who am I to be picky.  Down the road I intend to pay to have printed stickers with the info I want to share.  I did the math sitting at the market later in the evening:  I cut one shipping label in 4 strips for the egg carton labels. 18 labels cost $1 so each label cost around .05 cents. Divided by 4 (4 strips) that is around 1 cent per shipping label.  The quote I currently have for pre-printed egg labels is around 34 cents a label.  Of course, they would look much prettier.  For now, I will use these, but future goals include pre-printed labels.  As for the garlic bags, I will continue to use the shipping labels, but as I sat here writing I remembered I have several sets of ‘fancy’ cut scissors in my craft box.  Now that would make for some fancier looking labels.  I intend to get them out for today market in Bremen, Indiana.  

One of my designs for the garlic bags

Leaving the dollar store, I began feeling anxious.  At first, I chalked it up to worrying about being late to market, but no amount of self-talk made it go away.  I realized my sugar levels must be dropping.  I started eating the snack foods I had purchased at the Dollar store.  I took a different route since I had gone into town on my way.  In my path ahead I seen a traffic backed up for a train.  Oh, not now!  As I sat there waiting on a train that was NOT moving, eating cause my sugar, I am not sure how much time had gone by.  I looked at my phone to check the time and to my dismay it was after 5 pm. I wanted to go home and be done for the night! Instead I text a couple different friends that were at the market to get directions how to get around the train.  I did eventually get to the market. I want to give a big shout out to my friend Julie and Blooms on 800.  She helped me get unloaded and set up.  The market proved slow and my sales were $0.  But I decided to look at it from the perspective that, as I sat there, I worked on my egg labels and spent time with my friend. I enjoyed the cool breezes coming off of Lake Maxinkuckee.  We chatted as I helped her load her van.  Driving home, I fought off negative thoughts of my evening.  Even this morning I needed to chase them away.  I made progress yesterday even if no sales.  Julie shared helpful ideas how to give my market table a new look.  It is August and I have been sporting the spring look.  I am overdue for a change.  Chores went well and all the animals looked good, giving a good feeling. I was tired, but looking forward to feeling rested in the morning.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Bremen Farmer’s Market takes place from 4 pm to 7 pm on Wednesdays.  I spent around 4 hours going through my morning routine: devotional and quiet time, am chores, and checking the plants.  Next off to town looking for what I needed to change the display at the markets.  I admit I found pleasure in shopping at a local dollar store.  Ideas of what the table could look like as I browsed through items.  The final look came together when I arrived at the market.  I picked flowers, and grabbed garlic that was still drying, cleaned a coffee cup tree that I have not been using.  Off to the Bremen Farmer’s Market and another evening of visiting with patrons and friends.  The small crowd produced a few sales for me. Check out the slide show of the new display below.

At home I unloaded the car, rested 20 minutes before heading out to complete PM chores.  Unfortunately, Prince Charming (the cat) snuck out the door and it was well past midnight before I located him to bring him in. He seemed to think he was on a grand adventure. I was reminded of how the Jesus shared the parable of the shepherd who would leave the fold and go look for the one lost sheep. I thought, ‘I know how overjoyed I will feel when I have Prince Charming safe in my arms and back in the house. Imagine how overjoyed the Lord is when a lost soul returns to Him. No greater love…..’

This completes the first 7 days of August.  Did any parts of my last week stand out to you? Send me an email telling me about it. Send your email to maria@dontclipmywings.com or click here

July on CG Heartbeats Farm

As I look back at July 2019, I cringe I have not posted on this blog.  I written bits and pieces, taken pictures and shared a glimpse on Instagram and Facebook.  What have I been doing? 

I enjoyed time with family and took a business trip where I met up with other bloggers.  I have been living a life that allows me to focus on my health.

Chickens

I received my Indiana farmer’s market egg license, and NPIP recertification keeping the farm up to date. I am looking into becoming Certified Naturally Grown and still learning about the process.

I lost a pullet and six 5-week old chicks to racoons.  Not everyone agrees on how to deal with predators.  There are different ways to address the problem. Let’s look at a few of them.  Hopefully, you will either avoid the issue all together or have a plan in place to limit the loss of life to your chickens.

  1. Trap and remove the predator
  2. Increase the strength the chicken pen
  3. End the predator’s life

I lost the only Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner rooster I had, but now have 2 Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner cockerals from another farm.

Meet Clinch and Cisco.  Clinch the quicker of the two to be in charge, and lighter in color.  Cisco, with a darker color has a sweet personality.

I took a break from hatching eggs, but I plan to start setting a few select eggs this month.  A Swedish Flower Hen went broody so I have new chicks despite my break from using an incubator.  This hen is three years old and this is the first time she has went broody.  This is my second Swedish Flower Hen to go broody this year.

Cherokee growing up last fall. His girls hatched from Pen # 5 earlier this year.

Two evenings after moving Cherokee in with his pullets from Pen # 5, I found Cherokee overheated. After working with him to cool him down, he was able to once again stand and walk with out assistance. I probably spent 30 minutes helping him. It is a good feeling to know you likely saved one. It doesn’t always turn out good working to save an animal, when it does it makes up for all the times I tried and did not.

Earlier this year I met Maddox when he and his mom picked up chicks. Fast forward to the Marshall County Fair where he showed 2 (rooster and pullet) in an exhibition class. His face when he showed me the first place and grand champion ribbons radiated his joy. I must say I was trilled for both him and the fact the chickens had hatched at CG Heartbeats Farm from a pen I had put together from chicks I had hatched here. I was seeing the fruits of my breeding program.

Farmers Markets

Culver Farmers Market located on the beautiful Lake Maxinkuckee occurs Tuesdays from 5 pm to 7 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.  Bremen Farmer’s Market happens on Wendesdays from 4 pm to 7 pm. 

If I am to continue attending the 3 markets, I believe I need to find additional produce/crafts to bring for the value to be worth the travel and time involved. These markets provide me a place to learn about what is selling.  I also see them as a place to be creative with ideas of what a buyer might be interested in. I enjoy attending farmers markets to be clear. 

Vegetables and Fruits

This year I added a new garden space with additional garlic, large, heirloom tomatoes, and a 3 sister plot, made up of glass gem popcorn, Jacob cattle beans, butternut squash, and sugar baby watermelon.

To date I have harvested the 4 varieties of garlic: Music, Montana, German, and Spanish Rojo. At the moment it is hanging to dry, but it will be available to either order online or at the local farmers markets

2019 Garlic Harvest.

I am looking forward to planning and planting even more for 2020.

These plants are heirloom, as you can save seeds from them, and they will yield the same produce year after year. Working toward increased sustainability, one of the goals at CG Heartbeats Farm, includes planting and using seeds that will reproduce themselves and are not genetically motified.

As July has been a much drier month, I have needed to start watering the plants, fruits, and garden.  There is a large amount of rust in our water.  I did not see a sprinkle a good option as it would spray rusty water all over the plants.  I found a soaker hose and gave it a try.  Another downer to the rust is that it seems to plug the holes in the soaker hose.  I have at times stood with the hose nozzle on shower and low to the ground while watering it myself. Does that make me the sprinkler?  I have been known to carry water in buckets to the grapes, and potatoes planted in buckets.

What I have learned:

Pay better attention to the lack of rainfall and water the raspberry plants quicker.  I pruned the black raspberries, but not set up ropes or wires to keep the plants in check. Picking would be considerable faster and easier if I had.

I tried planting candy onions in between the rows of garlic, but that did not work out well.  The garlic grew much faster blocking the sunlight to the garlic or perhaps the onions needed moisture at the time when garlic did not. What ever the cause I will not try this next year, unless I plant the garlic much farther apart.  I found it hard to stay off the onions when harvesting the garlic as close as they were planted.

Going Forward

I have shared the highlights of life on CG Heartbeats Farm in the month of July.  For the month of August I plan to share a weekly blog post of daily diary entries of what my life has been.  I strive to be open with this. You may or may not agree with it all and at times farm life is not rosey.  But if you like the truth, you will appreciate my honestly. I am completely open to your thoughts on the format and opinions.  I look forward to hearing any questions you may have.

Using what I Had

2014 found me feeling frustrated and defeated with my present circumstances….

I knew I was not going back to previous jobs(for a long term solution) working as an equine trainer and manager.  My current health would not allow it. Recovering from a tough onset of Mono while dealing with other chronic illness left me floundering. I found some encouragement in 2015 as I participated in the 2015 TCA Thoroughbred Makeover with Navajo Bo.  As 2016 rolled around I was giving serious thought and prayer to what was next. I strongly desired to raise my own food. I had a few ideas rolling around in my head. Chickens for eggs and meat, my own milk, butter and cheese via a cow, a garden, canning, a green house, perhaps a spring house, and a hydroponic system were some of my farming/homesteading ideas. Somewhere in all that I should be able to find a way to earn an income was my thought.

Using what I had….

​I looked around at what buildings were currently standing on the almost 12 acres.  One was a large chicken barn.  The design did not leave room for creating stalls for horses or cattle.  It was however double walled and even had some insulation were it looked like a previous owner had started to make a shop out of it. 

Chickens became the first project to pursue.  With 3 heritage breeds, they are all a developing work in progress.  I like many qualities of Scottish Highland Cattle for milk, butter, cheese and meat.  I do not have them yet and have strongly considered the American Milking Devon.  Truth is, until I actually own them, there is that possibility I will change my mind.

Chicken Project

Thirteen Swedish Flower Hen chicks were my first purchase in May of 2016.

I have since added Swedish Flower Hens from 3 additional farms to create diversity in the breeding stock.  In the fall of 2016 two more breeds caught my eye, Silver Gray Dorking and Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner.  Both are rather rare and hard to find I discovered but by mid November 2016 I had chicks from each breed.

Fruits and Vegatables

I planted garlic for the first time in the fall of 2016. I also grew Sweet Potatos in buckets during 2016.  I transplanted wild Black Raspberries to create a row of black raspberries. I started some grapes plants from vine cuttings and will be producing concord grapes in the future.  Did you know that in 1849 Ephraim Wales Bull planted 22,000 seeds before deciding on the what we now call the concord grape?  Amazing!  Has me wondering what variety I could develop.

The spring of 2017 found me foaling out mares for an Arab training barn.

The additional work left no time for me to plant and garden in 2017. The exception being a harvest of garlic in August.

I am always on the look out for ways to accomplish my goals with what I have, be it material possessions or personal skills, and building on that to achieve other dreams I have.

One way I helped to finance my chicken project and this website was through Swagbucks.  In 2017 I earned over $225.00.  While not a huge amount, it all adds up.

What ways have you accomplished goals and seen dreams come true using what you had available?