November Hill farm journal, 108

We’ve had a lovely weekend with our family and some cooler weather. I shivered on the porch the past two mornings!

Our first guest run with the camper went very well. While the electrician is still looking for a part he needs to do our upgrade, we got a long heavy duty cord and ran it to the outdoor outlet on the back deck. It worked fine to power the camper and its AC unit. We hooked up the water and all went well with that. One thing I hadn’t thought of is that the new water hook up doesn’t run through our well filtration system. Boo! But I got a travel Berkey water filter tank and it will do the job nicely in the camper, for drinking water. 

Sadly the new mattress was delayed and is arriving today - after the guests have left - but at least I’ll have it set up for next visit. 

This is before:

And this is now:

When I find the right fabric, I’ll take down the mini-blinds and put up curtains. I’ll also be doing more work to open the space up, but for now, this has already made a big difference in the usefulness of this previously tight space.

This is before:

This is the sofa, folded down, with the fold-down desk the previous owners installed. (On the left, between the counter and the sofa) While it worked well when you were sitting down, it extended so far out it was a real hazard coming in the door, and I knew it wouldn’t work for us. I removed the desk and the really ugly mirror over the sofa, and the curtains and valences.

This is now:

For now, I’m using a comfy blanket to cover the sofa. Eventually I’d like to get/make a fitted cover for it that I can remove to wash as needed. The prints were inexpensive and add some color. The lamps on each side add a different quality of light than the overhead camper lights do. And with the curtains and valences removed, the whole feel is lighter and brighter. I’ll have curtains for these windows too once I find the perfect fabric!

This is before:

And now:

I’ve added an electric kettle so that it’s easy to make tea and French press coffee without turning on the propane stove. And of course, ditto the curtains and mini-blinds for the kitchen window. 

I forgot to take the after photo for the bedding, which is lovely! But I’ll do that for a future post, after I’ve got the new mattress in place and everything set up again.

There’s a lot more I have planned, but we’re happy to have a space for my son, daughter-in-law, and their Belgian Malinois Aria. And for me to go for some writing time. And of course for any other guests who come to November Hill once we’re able to entertain again!

In other news on the hill, the veggie garden is just about done with the summer produce. We still have a lot of basil, the odd cucumber, and the cherry tomatoes, as well as the sweet potatoes to harvest, but things are winding down out there. I signed on for an extra large share in our fall CSA, so I’m not sure I need to plant fall crops. I may just put a cover crop in the veggie beds for the winter.

I’m seeing a few trees starting to shift to fall color, which is exciting. The wild muscadines are ripe. I haven’t seen or heard any geese yet but that’s sure to come. In what has been a truly strange year, it’s a comfort to know that fall is on its way. 

Now that the heat is breaking, it’s time to do some dedicated weeding in all the beds and in Poplar Folly, so that’s going to be the focus this week and next. The projects never end, and I’m grateful for that!

In the barn: Cody had an itchy ear, a bout of hives, and an abscess brewing. All are better now, but Redford has a tender hoof. We’ll move through these things and I know every equine on the farm will be more than thrilled to see autumn hit full force. It’s been a particularly gnat-filled summer. 

I’m restored after getting to spend 5 days with my entire little family all together. In spite of everything, life is good.