Yearend is when farmers reinvest their earnings back into the business. Building maintenance, machinery updates, new tires, parts and sometimes a new piece of equipment. If you've been here for a little farm direct farm fun, then you've surely noticed machinery here and there on William's farm and can imagine how he likes to invest his money. This year he found a skidder that was just a callin' his name! With good reason, really.
We heat with wood out here so every year starting about now, Bill is out in the woods collecting dead trees to cut up and split for firewood. He never takes live trees as dead and downed trees are in abundance.The last couple of years he's noticed a HUGE ash die off in our area. That, and the fact that he had so much fun building his sugar shack and using his log splitter last winter, got him in the mood to pull those dead ash trees, make lumber and possibly build a cabin for the fun of it. If that huge undertaking is to be, a skidder would sure help with the job. The beast of a machine has new tires, but he wanted to make sure the engine and moving parts would be ready for the task. It'll take a little work, but today I saw its pistons up and running. William has lots of fun projects!
My projects are a lot less interesting...I made Pad Thai the other day...
We've got temps in the 50s today - unseasonably warm for Western Wisconsin. Kia was out barking up a storm last night in the warm air! She didn't draw the attention of rain clouds, but got our neighbor's dog to come for a visit! They were so cute playing together it broke my heart to tell Rusty to go on home. He listened and hightailed it across the field. Good boy, Rusty!
If you follow all the sites with information about what's happening along Wisconsin's Great River Road this weekend (Go Lake Pepin, The West Coast of Wisconsin, or Travel Wisconsin) you know you'll find something to do. There are Christmas Markets in both Pepin and Stockholm, lots of fun boutiques to explore, and scenery, lots of scenery! Shake off the city, get a little farm direct shopping in your life, and count how many bald eagles you will see in one day!
As always, we're sending lots of love from the farm,
Sarah
Your Pad Thai looks delicious...how about sharing a recipe?