The birds almost blew it

We haven’t officially moved into the farmhouse yet. There are some logistics that need to be figured out – like selling our current house. But even though it’s not our permanent residence, we still need to maintain the land and buildings.

We decided to do some exploring.

While walking through the woods, a wild turkey flew at us. We discovered a deer stand and some bugs. We also found a skull – either a deer or horse. The verdict is still out.

What kind of skull is this?

The girls started a nature collection. Photo by Heather Welch.

One of my children had to use the bathroom so I took her back to the house. While she was going, I walked around picturing where my furniture would go.

In one of the fireplaces I saw a little bit of dust coming out.

Then more dust.

And some noises.

I yelled to Michael. He walked calmly in. He didn’t give it much thought as he said, “There might be some birds in there,” and proceeded to open the door.

Well, sure enough, two huge birds come flying out in his face. He jumped back, I screamed and ran away like a good mother leaving her three year old on the toilet. In my defense, the door was closed and I knew the birds wouldn’t get her.

Michael ran back into the living room and chased the birds. Then we heard a smack sound as one of the birds flew into a window.

See that mark? It's a bird print. 

Is this going to be my life – chasing critters out of the house? (My friend just discovered a snake in her living room. I can’t even imagine.) I’m telling you, those birds almost made me reconsider our new farming life. But seeing the gorgeous views make it all worth it. 

Seeing this view makes it all worth it. Photo by Heather Welch.

Meet the Farmly

Farmly = family. Get it. Kind of sounds like a "dad joke."

Anyway, I thought you might want to get to know us a bit more.

Me: I’ve been working in marketing and communications for more than 10 years. (I’m getting old.) I love taking my girl’s on adventures whether it’s hiking, exploring museums and new towns or hitting up the local festivals. I’m excitedly nervous about the farm. I see a lot of positives that could come from it, but I look forward to the day I don’t jump every time I see a shadow. I just know it’s a snake or bug trying to get me.

Michael: A former corpsman with the military, Michael is a no nonsense kind of guy. Unless he’s feeling feisty then you better watch out. When he gets on a kick, he learns everything there is to know about the subject. This makes him really good and annoying when it comes to trivia questions. He’s good at most everything, including sports - he’s a natural. We’ve been married for almost 10 years and he still surprises me. He loves our girls unconditionally and challenges them to try new things. He loves University of Tennessee football and the Atlanta Braves. 

Madi: This spunky fiver-year-old is smart. I mean really really smart. And has a memory to match. She loves animals and babies. She is going to be the best mama ever. She even takes care of her sister, except the one time she almost made her sis drink spit. It wasn’t a shining moment. Madi loves playing school, and she can’t wait to do farm chores. That makes at least one of us. She has already asked her daddy for a pony.

Abby: Three-year-old Abby is a lover and snuggle bunny. Her love language is touch so she wants to constantly hold hands and hug. She always has a song in her heart and just learned to snap. Oh, and she just learned to make a hot dog with her tongue, and she’s very proud. When we told her we were moving to a farm, through her sobs she said, "I don’t want to live in a barn!” Once she learned we could in fact live in a house, she got on board. 

City Life to Farm Wife

So, when I say “city life” I need for you to use your imagination a bit. I don’t come from New York City or any place fancy like that. I don’t sip mojitos with my gal pals while discussing romantic exploits and the perils of hailing a cab.  But I’ve never ever been one to care for animals or grow food. I killed a cactus once.

In 6^th grade, I did manage to get in-school suspension due to telling my teacher I was a “city girl-- so don’t mess with me.” 1. I went to a very small school. In-school suspension meant I took my desk to this closet area. Basically, I was able to do whatever I wanted for a full day. Jokes on them. 2. “City girl?” I grew up in a little downtown and was allowed to walk to the library by myself. This hardly gave me street cred.

Anyway, a few years ago my husband discovered he was an excellent cook and enjoyed gardening. Before you smirk, he is a manly man. 6’ 3” of pure testosterone. But lucky for me, he can cook like a professional chef. And since he spent a few hundred dollars creating a garden, he’s really stuck to it.

He got an idea that he wanted to be a farmer – more for a hobby than anything. During his learning phase we traveled to visit other farmers. (That’s an entry for another time.) He’s done his research and even took a farming class through the University of Tennessee. And as luck would have it, property became available that would be perfect for us.

On one of our visits to the property, Michael and I walked down to the pond. I started to get overwhelmed. We had a to-do list that was four pages front and back. As I was spewing out all my thoughts, I heard someone yell, “Dude.” I stopped, looked at Michael. Turned out it was a bullfrog who was totally telling me to chill out.

So here we go into a new adventure. Join me while I learn about farming, revamping an old farm house and hopefully making new memories. And maybe I’ll learn how to cook something from scratch. Maybe. 

Photo by Heather Welch.