We are not yet living at our farm acreage and are still in the suburbs of Chicago. Because of that, dogs have to be leashed. Well, I have always enjoyed the "forced exercise" of having to walk my dog twice daily. Today it is sub-zero and the walking paths are covered with snow and ice. Carmen (dog) pulls on the leash because she is cold and wants to hurry and last week I wiped out on a patch of ice. Fortunately, all my parts are still intact, but the exercise looses its' enjoyment in this kind of weather!

Last weekend we went out to the farm to cut and split firewood for our fireplace here at home. It sure is nice not to have to purchase firewood anymore!

Roberta, You are ahead of my DW and me on the homestead but we hope to have a place by this summer. I have eight more working days to retirement.
Will have to give my chickens to a friend when we move to where we will be looking for land. Will have to rent while we search for land and all I see is "no pets". Lord willing we will be on our homestead by this summer.
Can't wait to plant a bazillion tomato plants. For once, I would love to run out of plants before I run out of room. john

Well, I am having to eat my words about the coldest temp so far!! Last night we were about 26 degrees. I had ice in the bird bath. I know this sounds wussy to you northerners, and I am really not this much of a sissy. I enjoy the changes. I went out and checked to see that all outdoor faucets were drained, and I wrapped my bay leaf tree in three large tablecloths. It's too tall for me to be able to reach the tips, so I'll have to figure out something else. I usually let my ginger and philodendrons die back. They return vigorously in the Spring. I still have robust collards in the garden. These things last forever. -- Marie

Marie, I always thought broccoli could withstand frost but apparently I was wrong- lost a huge crop of it last spring when I put it in too early before last danger of frost. Dangit. But I plant fall/winter gardens too and I'm gettin sorta good at it- we can't do collards here (or at least I don' think so) but cilantro lettuces spinach mustard greens arugula and kale, every year, does great in a little hoop house ($30 to make) and I'm zone 5a (cold!).

I hope you are doing OK, health-wise, Marie, what do the doctors say about your tumor? Thought I read an earlier post that said it was removed? A very close friend of mine had MRI this week to check for suspected brain tumor- she goes to doc monday for results and I'm very worried about her. She's only 34.

I find it fascinating, this trend moving from city to country, and would like to ask you all: What made you decide you wanted to bail out of the city and go "homestead"??

Kristen

Kristen: I had another routine MRI last week and will go to a follow-up appt. with my oncologist next week. I have been feeling good, and am keeping busy, though. Problem is, this tumor was located on the optic nerve for my left eye, and there is damage that is permanent. I have a split visual field and when I am gardening, I do dumb things like get jabbed in the eye because I didn't see a branch, or step on what I thought was level ground, but it was really not. My collards are STILL going strong, even after two freezing nights. They even taste sweeter. We had some last night with bacon and cornbread. I didn't get around to planting anything else yet. Except wildflowers. This is the best time to plant bluebonnets, and I had a sack of seeds, so I got those spread out across my front yard. I have my bay leaf tree still wrapped.

-- Marie

Kristen, in answer to your question "What made you decide you wanted to bail out of the city and go "homestead"??

With me it started in 1970, back in the "Back to the Earth Movement". Back then I couldn't get back to the land and support the family on the same page( wife wanted to be a stay at home mom). So, I found a good paying job, that I liked and started doing homesteading things here in town.
Made a garden, bought a canner(still using it),got some chickens(great eggs). I even built a small house on a place in the sticks( sold it to put my daughter through college).
And now with eight more working days to go, we are getting ready to start a great adventure, Lord willing.

Today was clean out the chichen coop. My garden is down to one tomato plant in a five gal bucket. It is called Tip Top and has 20 small plum tomatoes on it. Got two eggs from three chickens today.

Marie, I guess I will have to learn to protect my bay trees as I will be moving to zone 8 also. Right now they are only three inches tall. They are in the garage under lights.

Hope to have a lot more to write in the journal as time goes on. john

Hello from the city homesteader. Well, I only have 4 working day left at work.

Had to pump out the back yard again. My garden is such a distant memory. I had 4 ft tomatoes plants, with lots of tomatoes in Oct when the first flood came.

Let the chickens out of their yard because it is very muddy. They were in the house side of the yard for the last three days. They can't seem to find the big open gate to the coop at night. I have to pick one up and carry it to the coop and the others will follow me. Got one egg today.

Tomorrow is the start of the last week. Then freedom! Hope to have more to write later. john