November Hill farm journal, 242

 It’s springtime on November Hill, though this particular spring is being quite erratic with temperatures near 90 on at least one day recently and a frost warning last night. So far the plants and trees are managing this wild range of temperatures. 

We’re fully leafed out, pollen in full force, and I have already had two bouts of poison ivy, due to my own reckless weeding without gloves or long sleeves. M helped me remove the remainder of it from two beds and I will work on it with the weedeater along the woods’ edge and in Poplar Folly as I also battle the Japanese honeysuckle.

Currently in bloom: Eastern Columbine, golden Alexander, wild phlox, native violets, green and gold, foamflower, native honeysuckle, and one darling native I have forgotten the name of but will remind myself next time I’m out there with my phone. 

The redbuds are done, the dogwood is mostly done, and the tulip poplar flowers are in and not yet falling to the ground. The two original honeybee colonies survived the winter (out of 5 active hives in the fall) and now of the 4 empty hives 3 have repopulated with feral swarms or swarms from our original 2. I am planning to take a frame of honey from each hive this summer, which will be our first time taking honey from our bees in all these years of keeping them. I don’t like breaking the propolis seals but am going to do it this year and see if there is any negative impact to them moving on from that. 

Redford turned 17 this year, Cody has turned 23, Little Man is soon to be 26, and Rafer will be 18 in July. The herd is trending senior but still quite active and spirited. My favorite new habit is Rafer coming to the front porch and braying. There is not any alarm to it, it’s him I think wanting to come in and hang out with us. Someday, Rafer, you may get to do that!

Clementine turned 7 in January, Bear is 17 this year, and Baloo is going to be 10. Thankfully Clem’s mast cell cancer is well controlled with diet, supplements, and a homeopathic protocol. Bear is hanging in there but has arthritis, vision and hearing loss, and some dementia. He gets very happy and excited for his meals, enjoys being carried down to the back yard to sniff around, and truly loves a car ride with the windows down. However, there are some difficulties that are slowly increasing as the days go by and I’m trying to keep a close eye on his quality of life. 

All the cats, Mystic, Pippin, Pixie, Violet, and Isobel are doing very well. Mystic is 18 years old and although very thin, he is spunky and alert and active. 

My aquarium tetra are thriving in their little school of 4, and the two new snails are extremely personable and a joy to watch. 

I’m writing and editing and loving my year-long Craft School activities, which are many and it’s a joy to have things popping up for me multiple times a week that fuel my writing life. 

The mountain house land is now in a carbon offset program, we’re in process of getting qualified with NC Wildlife as a wildlife conservation habitat property, and also set to go into conservation easement at the end of 2027. I’m happy to have the land protected in three different ways. 

Family life is good for the most part. There are a couple of areas that continue to be stressful but I am hopeful positive and lasting change for the better is coming very soon. 

Robert Sapolsky’s brilliant talk about aggression and social change

 If you haven’t heard this, listen. 

If you have, listen again.

Either way, share widely. 

GO HERE

November Hill farm journal, 241

 I’m not able to download photos at the moment but checking in to say that we’ve had snow, sleet mixed with ice, and many cold nights in this new year. I’m officially ready for spring!

The herd are handling things with grace, as are the dogs and cats. I’m not sure the honeybee colonies will make it through this but they surprise me every year, so we’ll see. 

Life is busy here on November Hill. I’m seeing a lot of clients, doing a lot of EMDR with them, starting a year-long writing course with Craft School, doing three different trainings for my re-licensure in July, and have one course on the schedule for my advanced native plant studies certificate. 

I’ve been doing work getting our mountain property into a carbon offset program, more work getting it into a wildlife habitat conservation program, and wishing there were a similar plan for small farms like this one. 

I am hugely blessed with amazing family, including siblings, nephew, husband, children, and grandchildren. I am so grateful for the time I spend with all of them. Ditto with good friends. My aim for this year is to do more things in person, invite more people over, bake all the birthday cakes myself this year, and get truly serious about vegetables in the potager. 

It sounds like this is the year of Doing Everything, but really I think it’s the year of doing good work and having community. Relaxing and playing and resisting. 

Also reading good books, and speaking of that, I’m 3/4 through Virginia Evans’  The Correspondent, and it is so so good. I rejoined the library and am checking books out and putting books on hold and waiting my turn for books, and this has been a joy and a pleasure, and a reminder of what was a huge part of my life since I was 4 years old. After I learned to read the school library and the public library became my favorite places. And I’m reclaiming that now. 

Last time my grandchildren were here they came in and said they wanted to read Mr. Putter and Tabby books on the bed! I can’t think of a better thing to do, and we did it. 

A small but good thing: I’m almost done with a little embroidery/felt project that I have been working on for months. A little at a time. I’m doing tai chi. I’m still painting the bedroom wall, last section of the last wall. The trim and ceiling is next. It’s taking a long time - that’s okay. I’m happy to be hip deep in projects right now. 

For anyone reading, what are you doing this year? How are you holding up? Comments are welcome, lists, fragments, any format. And whether you comment or not, happy 2026. 

Happy Solstice, Christmas, and Between-Time from November Hill

 

We’re warm, dry, and although there is much in the world to worry about, work on, and stand up for, life is pretty good in my space on the farm. Good wishes to all. 

November Hill farm journal, 240

 

We’re fully into autumn now. The possumhaw berries hang in bunches awaiting the birds, the fig tree’s leaves are mostly gone, but there are still deep purple figs, skin leathery but protecting the fruity inside, and we’re all enjoying the gorgeous weather we’ve had. Not too warm, not too cold. 

The oakleaf hydrangea is stunning in its color this week. These leaves have fallen now but I enjoyed them for the past month as they changed to this perfect autumn red. 

It’s hard to believe we’re days from Thanksgiving, then on to the solstice and Christmas and the end of this year. 

I’m painting the bedroom walls, one wall at a time, one coat at a time. Alternating this task with clearing the bedroom closet, one section at a time. Doing the same with writing. With many things. Allowing the process of moving through a thing one step at a time to remind me every day that that’s how we get through things: tasks, oppression, authoritarianism, hard things. 

The way to do anything is one step at a time.