We spent last weekend out on the homestead again. I really can't explain what it feels like to leave the city on a Friday afternoon and drive 120 miles to arrive in the middle of 65 acres and know we are there for the weekend. Yes, it's only for the weekend right now, but I try not to think about that while we're there.

When we arrived this weekend, Bernie immediately went out to the picnic table and began sharpening the chain on his chainsaw. I unpacked the food for the weekend, and joined him to watch the sun set. We ate supper and went to bed to get some rest for our busy Saturday.

Saturday we woke up around 6AM or so and headed outside to watch the world wake up over a cup of coffee. Fairly quickly we were dressed and busy clearing out some more of the fallen timber from the backyard. We got a lot accomplished, but had hoped to do a little more. By 5:00 we were out of gas - both literally and figuratively. The chipper/shredder worked its little butt off all day, but by then it had nothing more to give - and neither did we. Take a look at the bottom of the Album to see what we ended up with this weekend - there are some before and after pics in the last 5 or so entries.

After we got cleaned up we grilled some burgers and bratwurst and right about then our good friend from West Virginia, Duck, pulled up on his blindingly yellow Goldwing. He came in and ate with us and we sat up till around midnight visiting. He took off around 8AM the next morning, and Bernie and I busied ourselves installing 5 ceiling fans in the little house. We're hoping this will help reduce the electric bill and wean us from the air conditioning we've become so accustomed to.

We got a lot accomplished this weekend and we've still got a lot to do. One of our driving factors right now is the big camp-out we're hosting next week. Everything we're doing is something that needs to be done, but it would be nice to offer our brothers and sisters a nice place to pitch a tent. And as we've been clearing areas Bernie has pointed out "That would be a nice place to put a shed/building/etc.". He's right. We've uncovered some great building places. Can't wait to get that sawmill in action and see the shed that we build using the lumber we've milled ourselves.

Bernie describes the city as "hard". I think he means that in reference to not only the concrete that is everywhere, but also the people. When I think of our homestead, I think of "soft". While we work harder there than we've ever worked before, the view is soft on the eyes, the ground is soft on the feet, and the sounds are soft on the ear. The hard callouses I have on my hands are reminders of the softness of our homestead, if that makes any sense at all to you.

We'll be out there again this weekend - and we'll be staying for a week as we prepare for our big camp-out. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that - not only seeing a group of bikers that have become family to me, but sharing the land that is the dream of our future. I can't wait! I'll let y'all know all about it.

Penny