The Parental Visit

Before I start with the actual story, I have to tell you something about myself. I am 31 and I didn't start driving until recently. Like, a year and a half ago, maybe? And during that time I have only driven within the city of Seattle. So, driving RC's car 70 miles down to our place by myself was a new and nerve-wracking experience. I think that's the sweatiest my palms have ever been.

Okay, so, yesterday I already felt pretty triumphant for making it to Yelm and back without freaking out or getting lost, then on top of that it was really nice to show the place to my parents. Oh and no, I didn't have them in the car with me. One step at a time!

From when I was born til age seven, my family lived in a Victorian farmhouse outside of Ithaca, NY. My earliest memories involve our three goats, fruit from the trees and bushes in our yard, and the big garden full of flowers and herbs. They had also done this for many years before I was born. My parents will be a pair of unstoppable founts of information on chicken husbandry, caring for fruit trees, plant and animal identification, and figuring out the right tool for the job.

I know I'll need all the help I can get when it comes to taking care of the more cultivated, manicured area to the east of the house. The greenhouse and garden are suffering from some serious neglect. The trees and shrubs directly outside the kitchen door are choked with weeds and most need pruning badly. The garden appears nothing more than a lumpy patch of weeds halfheartedly surrounded by a chicken wire fence, and the poor greenhouse! Ivy growing all over the front and creeping inside, holes in the roof, and a pretty sizable wasp nest in one corner, but there's so much potential. Potential and weeds.

Next time we go up will be Wednesday; we have to bring the old washing machine to the dump and pick up the new one and deliver it to the house. I am also going to try to clean out the shed (which houses the inverter, batteries, generator, water heater, and also a whole lot of mice) and hopefully remember to take some pictures.

Hello there!

 My name is Harriet, and together with my boyfriend RC and our pets, I am starting out on a brand new adventure in homesteading. We're a couple of creative weirdos who both dreamed of living off the grid and growing our own food, and we have recently found a promising new situation that can help us realize this!

Yes, after a year spent uber-micro-farming in South Seattle, we are heading out to live in a big strange-looking house on 24 acres outside of Yelm, WA. It's a wonderful property, full of character and natural beauty, but has been neglected for years and needs a lot of work. The potential is huge though, and RC and I have so many ideas for it! Intentional community, artists' retreat, music studio - what could this place end up as? That's far down the line though; right now it's more about weeding, outsmarting beavers, and getting over my intense fear of wood chippers.

We move in on July 1 but are already going down there as often as possible to clean, bringing a carload of stuff each time. Next time I am there, I will take pictures so I can give a tour!

Thanks for reading my very first post, and stick around, okay? I think this will be a very interesting adventure.

ETA: here is a picture of the house which is a few years old. It doesn't look quite this nice anymore.