I have decided that our first garden will be relatively small. For a couple reasons:

1. I need to make sure we can keep up.

2. We are really busy people when summer comes around, hiking, surfing, small road trips and so on.

3. I’m really nervous about water supply.

I think we may have a solution though for the water supply. Phil and Ed have mentioned putting a water “something or other” in the ground that holds rain water. It’s a water tank of some sort. The men are at work and I have no clue what I’m trying to say.

We’ve been out here 10 weeks and I’m (everyone else just goes with the flow) just getting into the swing of things, meeting our “neighbors,” permanent and seasonal. All really great people!

The swing of things … Turning on and off the pump for water, making sure there is at least 26 pounds of pressure so someone can shower, emptying the toilets, saving ladybugs, killing spiders, sweeping the floor six different times a day, splitting kindling and firewood and recycling! OH, the recycling is a pain! The only thing I cannot do because I’m terrified my face will blow up is lighting the propane oven.

I haven’t heard the coyotes in a while although when my cousin Andy, the girls and I were enjoying the sun, we did find their poop about 100 feet from the house. They must be eating the field mice; this means they have earned their keep ha ha! Unless of course they get too close again. The elk don’t even blink an eye at us when we walk to the car; we keep to ourselves at a safe distance. Harper has named the two spikes, Little Spiker and Winnie. The rest of the group goes by “Winnie’s Brothers.”

We have been finishing the house and by house I mean the girls’ bed and organizing! The triple bunk bed is incredible! It’s very simple looking and just right for the girls. I am working on turning it into a borderline gypsy sanctuary. The sunroom is on pause again for no other reason other than I am notorious for jumping from project to project.

It sounds like we may take to a trip to Newport, Ore., to visit a school and talk about gardening and catching water! I really hope more schools pick up on having us as a guest!

So it doesn’t matter where we go; the store, out to eat, the gas station or anywhere else, we always get stopped and ask what our house looks like or how do we see in at night and a lot of other really weird questions. I would have them too I guess if I didn’t understand it. Hell, I am still learning. It’s easiest to just tell people to come over and see it for themselves. It’s pretty cute really!

I really need to stop procrastinating and get in the garden and greenhouse. Ugh, I need more arms and bodies. I should take out an ad.