Country life isn’t always easy.
For me, it starts late which means I’m behind and thinking about what it will be like next year when our cows are in milk and I have to be down in the barn at the same time every morning. Then I feed my chicks and my keets, my goslings and my chickens, my dogs and my children. Then they care for their poultry but that usually means just as much work for me as doing it myself.
Except they are learning and working and that is why we moved out here. Even though it isn’t easy.
I check the heifers’ water and walk through their paddock, checking to see if there is enough grass to last the full week or if I need to rotate them sooner because of the drought. If we don’t get rain, the grass won’t grow and I will be out of pasture in five weeks. But there isn’t much I can do except make sure the grass I do have is not overgrazed so that it will survive to grow when the rains finally come. And put a little more hay in their bucket.
Then we have to move Hamilton the beef steer. We had to pull him off the last section of pasture only two days after putting him on it because there just wasn’t enough grass. But there is plenty of grass on the hill outside the pasture. So every day we walk him from the barn to the hill and tie him to a post where he can graze the long grass and visit with the heifers over the fence.
Except he stands shoulder to shoulder with me and I’m just a little afraid of him.
By the time we are finished with morning chores, it is almost time to check everyone’s water again before the real heat of the day hits. It’s already over 90.
After lunch, I put cool water in the bath and let the children take turns cooling off. Sometimes they put on their swimsuits and all jump in together, pretending it is their own pool. It’s a nice bath. 24 inches deep with whirlpool jets.
But we’re in a drought and we cannot just let that much water go down the drain. So when they are finished, I get out our siphon, and siphon off the bath water into buckets to carry out to the orchard. Two baths a week has kept our orchard growing strong while the grass only feet from the tree has turned brown. Collecting the rinse water from doing dishes has kept our raspberries and blackberries growing strong. But it means a lot of hauling water.
The garden is holding on. Barely, but holding on. Because we irrigate, the weeds are growing faster than the plants, but this year it is mostly grass. I work through a section, piling up the pulled grass to carry out to the heifers. Because every little bit counts.
Then evening chores. Which are a lot like morning chores except that Hamilton the beef steer has to be brought back to the barn and he never wants to go.
And all while raising five children to work along side me, even when that slows everything down.
But after they are all in bed and the house is silent — and if I’m not ready to tumble into my own bed — it is time for my one simple pleasure: a nice long soak in the tub. Usually with a book. And thanks to this review opportunity from BlogHer and Dove, recently with a bottle of Dove visiblecare skin softening body wash.
It is supposed to give you visibly more beautiful skin in just one week. I can’t really attest to that. Maybe because I barely have time to brush my hair every morning, let alone notice whether my skin looks any different, but I can say that it is incredibly soft, like bathing with velvet. And my skin definitely feels softer after using it only for a short time.
That feels very nice at the end of a long, hot day.
Visit Dove® VisibleCare® to get a coupon for $1 off!
Now for your chance to win. This is different than other sweepstakes I’ve hosted here on this blog, so read the directions carefully!
And the question for the prompt: How do you reinvigorate and refresh your skin for the summer months?
Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age
18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 – 8/22/2012
Be sure to visit the Dove® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
I homeschool my children on a small hobby farm in rural Nebraska and write about life more abundantly, from the joy of a baby's smile to the almost unbearable grief of losing a son while seeking beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3)
The first entry link says, “Please enter your answer to the blogger’s question on the sweepstakes post.” Do you know what question are they referring to?
I appreciate your honest reviews!