Winter/Spring midground thoughts

My long-lasting cold is better now. Less coughing and more energy.

There are so many things I want to do! The vegetable seeds are "on their way" shipped Feb 27th, a whole WEEK after I ordered them... arggghhh. They'll probably come in this week while I'm at work. Next weekend is Spring Break; I'll get this Friday and next Monday off. I hope the weather is warm enough to do everything I want to, need to, do outside.

The ground outside has a light frost of snow It isn't really cold - well, not for here - about 27 degrees and climbing already. Too cold to go out and dig my trenches yet; I'm afraid my cold will come back gangbusters if I do. I could shovel some more manure out of the corral.

Still thinking about the chickens I will order this month... or next. Want my chickens. Badly. But I don't want them to be full grown before they can come out of the basement. Patience, patience!

Talking with some new friends I have made on some forums. One works on a 300-cow dairy operation and owns a sheep farm. We talk about the cutting of farm subsidies, the niche market that everyone seems to be trying to adapt to, first one than another - then about the labor intensiveness of real farming as opposed to the pie-in-the-sky ideals of newbies who haven't a clue about supply and demand, fertilization, harvesting; that think that growing things against Mother Nature is EASY. Another is moving to AK and is talking about how to alter his soil. I wonder if he has any idea of the costs involved of shipping everything he wants to AK, but I am too polite to ask.

Meanwhile, it turns out that one cousin is living in the second most kidnap prone capital of the WORLD - Phoenix, AZ! Another lives in Orange County, CA. They both talk about the increasing crime, burglaries, robberies, and violence. They blame the economy. I prefer to blame - Congress. Bailing out their buddies while the 'gimme' generation sits and waits for everything to be handed to them; when it isn't they will take it from others. And I think how glad I am to be out of all that.

My stressors are small and merely frustrating compared to many other people's. I watch how their lives, this country, is changing, and I think how awful it is, and how minor my problems are by comparison. My neighbors having to undersell their beef and not seeing a real profit. My mind is full of profit and loss on my scale, but when comparing it with others it seems minuscule. I told them it was coming and no one listened. I know it will only get worse, and no one notices. They are all about surviving the changes, and I know that for some there will be no surviving. I know of one who will definitely commit suicide before the year is out. He and those around him don't know it yet, but I see it as plain as red paint splashed on a white carpet. But I can't save any of them. I know. I've tried. All I can do is struggle on in my own little world and listen and watch. And wait for my seeds and plan my plans, and survive as best I can.