Day Five

We woke with the sun filling the holler, breaking the fog that forms above us. It was spectacular. I started the coffee on our little Coleman stove, my hips stiff from chill and sleeping on a hard floor. My knee not bothering me. I have actually pushed myself a bit more, climbing up into a cave, down into a creek, using stairs like a normal person. Things just a few weeks ago I thought might not be possible. I have even stopped using my cane. Husband says it is mental. I am now in a different mind set. I even found myself pacing in restlessness when the ground was too wet and the rain strangled frogs, for me to safety walk around. 

I digress, Large and Small slept in the tent, while Medium chose to sleep in the truck, doors locked. Husband and I in the unfinished cabin, sleeping as well as one can expecting without a bed. The coffee was hot and thick, perfect. Husband put the stove where I could reach it comfortably and I cooked bacon and fried day old eggs that I snagged off Small Farm girl. Kentucky eggs are delicious. 

Large was the first child up, complaining about Small tossing and turning through the night. Small was awake shortly after, content with his night's rest. Small complimented my cooking as I buttered a piece of toast. We are roughing it here. Primitive camping at its finest. 

With the sun still low in it's slow ascent, I did the dishes while Husband trimmed some low lying branches on the edge of the holler. Large and Small dragged them out into the open, giving them a chance to dry. With dishes drying, Husband set to work on my outside shower. It's just a solar shower with black and white plastic that was left in the cabin, and a bucket for me to sit on so that I could remove my brace. Tiny ticks are welcoming us to our new home, under my brace is a fine how do you do. 

Hubby (Small Farm Girl's husband) brush-hogged some of the holler the other day. It makes a world of difference in the way I am able to move around. They say bush-hog here. I am trying to grasp the lingo.   They don't have brome here. I thought everyone had brome. You know you guys can ask if I talk about something you don't have. I can explain it.  We did find oats, and Small Farm Girl pointed out the Timothy grass, something my neck of the woods doesn't have a lot of. Oops, I kind of went onto a different story, back to it then.

It feels really bizarre to be naked in a National Park. That's what the new homestead reminds me of, the National Parks we use to go camping in as a kid. Husband finished my solar shower hide-a-way. It's only three sided. As I stood there, I mean sat there, in all my glory, I kept expecting a hiker to stumble down the backside hill. We don't own the hill on the other side of our creek. Yet it felt luxurious  to get all cleaned up.  

Husband, Large and I took turns in the shower. Husband refilled it in the creek and set the shower bag it into the sun to warm up for the two younger boys. The creek starts just above our property, no one uses it up stream from us. We have yet to find anything dangerously man made in it. And the boys have walked the entire length of our property on it. 

As the water warmed, Husband ran off into the woods with his survival knife, checking out the existing fences. He declared himself Davey Crockett, and claimed he could kill a bear with his bare hands. Silly Husband. While he was off playing mountain, the boys and I went up to the Ridge to visit Small Farm Girl. 

Our driveway is a 75 ft climb. (Awesome) At the top is an island of another person's property, we use an access road behind that, to get to an actual road. Then we swing around said property, climb further up the ridge to get to Small Farm Girl's place. 

By the time we got back down to the holler, Husband was emerging from the tall grass. He scared a very large turkey Tom, which in turn scared the bejeebers out of him. Now I can see why recipes call for some large birds. The hens here remind me of peahens. Very soft lines and colors. Turkeys back home are a bit more rough looking. I spotted three hens running up my driveway on my way up. Small Farm Girl and Hubby came down and picked me up to go into town with them. As we were leaving a storm was moving in. Rain was steady when we returned. We spent the evening in the cabin, eating, talking, laughing and scheming. 

Our creek is filling

Husband keeps telling me he thinks we will like it here.