Riding Mother Natures Roller Coaster

Think Spring!!

My double bloom daffodils are in full glory!!

Yep... I keep "thinking" about it...

Mother Nature plays tricks on us here in Upstate, NY! Last weekend it was 85 degrees and we were dusting off shorts and tank tops that were in storage for winter.

This weekend we are sporting jeans and coats, and the fire fully stoked ready to warm us up by after being outside. It's hard going from one extreme to the next, spring fever hits hard as we ride the ups and downs of springtime weather. We long for sun, grumble at the rain, get angry at the snow, and try to plan outdoor projects around extreme temperature flux.

Yet, the idea of spring brings us hope as we come out of hibernation, little by little, to enjoy the few moments we are blessed with spring weather perfection.

The Allen Family Homestead is buzzing with projects and long things-to-do lists this year!

As we prepare for the 2014 growing season, sometimes the to-do list is overwhelming when trying to decide what to work on first. Several projects are in progress; we are working on rebuilding our driveway, clearing out a good portion of brush and garbage trees in our side yards, chopping and stacking wood for next fall, tilling and preparing our vegetable gardens, planting fruit trees, starting plants, and caring for our new batch of baby chicks. Wow!! Just looking at that list I wonder.. are we crazy??

We removed wild multifloral rose bushes and grape vines; prepping for our new peach trees.

It's amazing to think about a few short years ago, this City Gone Country Girl worried far less about springtime prep. The "big to-do"was hitting the mall for the springtime fashions, buying plants for my garden, and engaging in some springtime house cleaning. It's funny how my life is so much busier now, yet I prefer it. I have never been one to sit still, and I hate being bored. Moving to the Allen Family Homestead certainly has cured me from any boredom blues!

I never thought that I would ever catch the bug to be an official "Country Girl". If someone had told me that I would be doing this 15 years ago I would have told them flat out they were crazy. Somehow, I can share that living here has brought a calmness, a peace, over my spirit that I never expected. Digging in the dirt, listening to the birds, stacking wood, caring for our animals, the list goes on... each small piece that has begun to fill me in a way the "things" of this world did not. I feel an urgent sense to purge the "things" of this life; the stuff that media and television says I am supposed to own or be part of in order to be fulfilled.

This winter I have boxed up so much of the "stuff" that has been dragging me down, and donating it to charities. I feel a sense of freedom I cannot even explain!! With this I have gained more time and energy to enjoy my new life here on the Allen Family Homestead. What a unexpected blessing!

May new beginnings and new blessings bloom for you this springtime!

Jenn Allen ~ City Gone Country Girl

Keeping Warm on the Homestead

Our Barn - New York Blizzard 2014

Sometimes romantic ideals can get in the way of reality. This City Gone County Girl is loving her life on the Allen Homestead, but was unprepared in the ways of conquering time. There is so much that has to be done!

I had this great idea...I will start blogging all the events that happen on our Homestead here in Upstate, NY! I couldn't wait to combine my passion for writing with my new life as a farm girl. What I was unready for? Finding the time to juggle blogging with all that needs to be done on the Homestead! After a full days work, I plop on the couch in front of the fire and crash.

Moving here in November 2012, we have lived on our seven acre plot of heaven for about a year and a half.  I cannot believe what we have done to our home in this short amount of time! Late last summer we had an energy audit of our home and found that it was less than sufficient at keeping our heat in the house. Our home was built in 1875, and although recently gutted and remodeled, the insulation was less than stellar. Living in Upstate, NY we see our fair share of snow so we knew that something had to be done quickly. We qualified for a grant through New York State NYSERDA Energy Program and got to work. My husband and I were so surprised to learn that we only had 3 inches of old insulation in our attic. No wonder our furnace had been working overtime last winter! We found a wonderful, detail oriented company that gave our house the works. Insulation in the attic, in the crawl space of our kitchen, and in the attic storage room. New cow block windows in our stone basement. Foam sealant installed in every nook and cranny between the house and foundation. My basement looks like a can of Great Stuff exploded! Little did we know it would be just in time.

Then the winter of 2014 hit. And hit hard.

And then we got our heat bill. And we cried.

Even after doing all the insulation work to our home, our heat bill doubled this year. Trying to figure out why made my head hurt. How could this happen after all the work that we had just done to our home? Calling the electric and gas company, they tell us that due to the bad weather this winter they have not sent anyone out to read meters in our area. They were calculating gas usage based on estimations. Now, the present reading has caught up with us and there is a deficit. Seriously?? Ugh. And they try to make us feel better by saying "Just imagine what the bill would have been if you hadn't done the insulation work!". Gee, thanks.

This event was the final push for my husband and I to pursue our next project. After receiving our tax refund we went to a lovely local company to purchase and install a wood stove. Oh, I so wish we had done this sooner! The install was finished in early March, and it was the best purchase we have ever made. We are warm! So Cozy!  And that heat bill? That will be the best piece of it all. With 5 acres of woods on our property, it was the smartest decision. No more furnace, no more gas usage... free heat. Ideally, pennies in the pocket!

Splitting and hauling wood is hard work, but so worth it. I never in my right mind, EVER thought I would be doing this kind of work... and enjoying it. I stacked wood in the rain this week. When I was a city girl, I would have thought someone doing this kind of work was crazy. That's what the gas companies are for right? I get comments from most of my social circle, who agree with that notion. They think I have gone off the deep end, as I actually choose hard work. Today,
I find myself craving hard, outdoor work. I'd rather split wood than run like a hamster on a treadmill!

Living on the Homestead is changing me; as a  City Gone Country Girl, I am just beginning to awaken the country girl. I can't wait to see what is in store for me next!

May Spring Be Around The Corner...
Till Then, Stay Warm!

Jenn Allen ~ City Gone Country Girl