OUR FIRST OFFICIAL ACT OF PARENTING.
Further loves our water filter––it's kind of maddening. Now that he has learned to crawl, we will set him on the floor and he will use his newfound mobility to move swiftly to the water filter, reach for the tap, and try to dump all the water onto the floor.We are never far away, so we usually we just stand there patiently, gently blocking his hand from grabbing the tap while saying "No, Further, we do not play with the water filter," over and over. He then just looks at us curiously and tries again, but again we reject it. Finally, he'll get bored or frustrated and move on. But we don't want to just say "no no no" all the time. What we want to do is discourage him when using something is inappropriate, but then offer an emphatic "yes" when it is time to use it. So now, when we need to fill up a water bottle or a glass, we take Further over to the water filter and let him pull the tap, show him what it's for, then let him shut it off.Now, do we think our nine month old will suddenly get it? No. Not at all. We do not think he will just suddenly lose interest in the water filter at inappropriate times (update: he hasn't). If anything, he will have more interest in it than ever because we let him play with it for once. But if we continue to stop him from playing with it when there is no purpose, and let him use it when there is, then perhaps we can get him to understand that the water filter is a tool, or especially, if I may stretch this idea out a bit, that the stove is a tool.
We are very diligent about the wood stove. So when it's going, we take him to it and let him watch me build a fire. We then hold his hand near by and let him feel the warmth while saying "HOT." As he gets older we'll let him help us collect kindling, build and (very far down the road) start the fire. Not because he will be able to do these things on his own anytime soon, but so he can see how it works, and get him used to the difference between a tool and a toy––create a habit out of using them correctly.Really, our goal as parents is not to just teach our child to be good or helpful or respectful, but to habituate him to it. We want him to look at the water filter and think, "If I want to use this, I need to fill something." Or at very least, "I can use this to fill something," which we conceded may be a glass, or a boot. Slowly, however, the time-and-place factor will become apparent. So in the same way your parents may have habituated you to clearing the table, or making your bed, or saying please and thank you, we want to habituate Further to everything we do. We want to habituate him to being helpful. Habituate him to being respectful of others. Habituate him to curiosity, to the joys of work, to eating well. Instead of always explaining to him why we do things, or just hoping he figures it out on his own, we want to also show him, involve him, and be consistent. Especially when he shows interest.But what do we know? We have only had a child since December so really, we have done no real parenting yet. Up until this crawling thing, he has just been another farm animal. Now, however, the real fun is beginning. And like our birth plan, we hope to stick to our parenting plan as much as we can (though like our birth plan, we know it needs to be malleable). But if nothing else, maybe it will save us some water.- Jesse.
WOOD FARMER.
Right now I have one main chore every week (and when I get behind, every day): cut, collect, split and stack firewood.Admittedly, I did not do a great job of stocking up this year. That is to say, we do have plenty of cured wood around, just that it's ALL around. Often I have to drive the truck, cut and haul wood back to the house, split and stack it. Then burn it, obviously, because I'm behind. Rinse and repeat.To be honest, though, It's not a bad job. Talk to me in ten years of living solely off wood, but for the moment, for this first year entirely cooking––even through the summer––and heating on wood, I'm rather enjoying it. I like having this relationship to timber. The complex personalities and characters of the different species are fascinating to me––the fresh lime aroma of Poplar; the meaty look, rubbery texture and gamey smell of Elm (locally pronounced: EL-um); the lactic acid bouquet of Cedar accompanied by its lively pink interior; Sassafras, the root beer soda of firewood (ahem, SASS-friss).Watching each wood burn I like observing, however modest, their individual control over the fire. Cedar, for instance, burns hot and furious, whereas hard woods like Oak and Dogwood loiter and burn lazily (though admittedly cast a great ember when they're gone). There is a lot of information to be found in a fire, and the type of heat the wood gives off. It's a heat that seems to wrap itself around your shoulders, rubbing cold from your bones, and tending to your frozen limbs with the efficiency of a loving mother––much different than the impassive steam or electric heats. Wood creates a complex heat, the heat that invented cozy, and a well-flavored heat. Bake a sweet potato in a gas oven and compare it to a wood-oven-baked sweet potato and there is no contest. It may be more moody, but wood is often the best ingredient in about any dish.I've still got a great deal to learn about wood, and a great deal more I would like to know. Eventually, I would like to start woodworking. I would like to learn more about all the different uses of all the different woods. But until then, I'm getting a pretty good education just hauling the stuff around and burning it. Emersion, as they say.- Jesse.
MORELS, MORELS, MORELS!
Morels are a type of mushroom - and they have been consuming all of our time and energies these days. If you have never tasted one, then you can't possibly understand how these little fungi can distract the attention of busy farmers in the spring. We literally will drop whatever important task we are working on and spend an entire day hunting for them after a good rain - and we have had great success so far this year.
As soon as Ira started finding them in the woods a few weeks ago, Jesse and him have been having a little competition, with delicious results. Last week, we enjoyed a meal of morels, stuffed with freshly ground lamb and asparagus. The luxury of farming at its finest.
- Hannah.
CABIN PROGRESS.
Cabin progress was rather unexciting this week, as much of it involved insulating, insulating, and more insulating. But some new developments: Jesse and Eric started installing the stove pipe, which involved cutting a hole in the into the bedroom floor and building a funny little contraption on the ceiling (very technical terms, I know. Clearly I was not involved in this project). We also were given the most wonderful of gifts by the Smiths - some beautiful hardwood flooring! Jesse and I were planning on sticking with the good ol' plywood sheet flooring for the time being - maybe painting and sealing it, but nothing fancy. So this new flooring is truly a surprise for us - and we are loving the way it looks so far!We also worked on our inherited high tunnel this week - removing the old plastic that is ragged and torn in hopes of one day reframing the ends of the tunnel and attaching new plastic. Slowly but surely, things are taking shape!- Hannah.
