2017 in review

I suppose it's time to look back over the year and see how we did. And plan to do better in 2018!

Successes
Chicken and guinea birth control
We had zero population growth this year, thanks to keeping the birds confined during most of the summer, and hunting out guinea nests. Since we had to sequester our four extra roosters to keep them from abusing the little hens, no more roosters is a good thing! And no frozen baby guineas in October is also a good thing. And no more guineas is a good thing – 25 is plenty.

We could use more hens and eggs, though. And feeding and watering the separate colony of roosters is a pain. Also, Bob across the road says the crowing from bachelor quarters is a problem, so we'll have to move the boys this spring. We wouldn't have this problem if we were carnivores.

The garden was wonderfully productive.

Guineas kept tick and grasshopper populations down.

Worming the goats helped improve coats.


Failures
We had three hen deaths this year. Maybe due to the obnoxious guineas? Maybe separate the guineas from chickens?

Garden watering system was a fail. Again.


MS in 2017
I've had some progression over the year. My left hand is less able, and my walking a bit worse. I'm still walking, though, and still able to do wood and animal chores. And I've finally accepted having this disease, I think, so I can spend less time angry and resentful, and get on with it.

My friend Sandra sent me a book by a guy with MS, and it helped. It's "Challenging the Dragon" by Jim Havelock, and while it's not well-written or edited (sorry, but as a former journalist and copy editor, this matters to me), it is heartfelt. I was thinking about the book a lot, and on Dec. 6 I decided to be happy. Just generally. Immediately felt better in a weird way. And still do. What the hell, ay?


Plans for next year
Install a watering system in the garden. Really. A functional one. No joke.

Apply for historic-building status, and then for grants to fix the damn roof.

Get the alpaca sheared. It will get ugly. Do it anyway.

Install a frost-free hydrant in the pasture so I won't have to carry water in the winter.

Install gutters on the barn to save water for the animals.

Install heat in the studios.

Fence at least part of the lower field so we can rotate the big animals in the pastures.

Install "chunnels" or chicken tunnels around the garden fence so the confined birds can eat more bugs and be less bored.

Hire some help.
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Here's to 2018. I hope it's good for all of us.