Here at Russ-Stick Acres, we dance in and out of survival mode.

Hauling hay…

Making sure our horses are fat and happy…

And enjoy their extras…

And their lovin’…

The Dance.

The drifted driveway…step to the right.

Frozen water pipes…step to the left.

Water buckets…1/4 turn.

All the while we rise and fall with the bout Nature will toss our way.

And endure until the Appalachian spring arrives…

Until tomorrow ~ God willing,

Woodswoman
You can also portage the Internet and see our daily journey here.

Black and white…or white and black.

Where are they?

OH, there…

Now what?

I’ve seen hunting dogs do this…pick up their leg and point!

Hmmm…that didn’t work.

Poof! He’s gone~!

OK, I’ll move on to something a little larger.

Until tomorrow ~ with Zip on watch ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

Silent night…

Holy night…

All is calm…

All is bright…

Merry Christmas from Russ-Stick Acres…

Christ, the savior, is born…

Until tomorrow ~ God (the maker of all things) willing,

Woodswoman
You can also portage the Internet and see our journey here.

There are sled dogs.

And there are house dogs.

Older dogs, such as Scooby.

Aging house dogs, our beloved Satch.

And my shadow, Zip.

There are sled dogs we attempted to make into house dogs.

Union.

House dogs at Russ-Stick Acres are always free to roam.

No collars.

They are a part of the family.

They spend the day with Rustic Russ.

And they also follow the rules.

Be nice to your neighbors.

This week, I had a plan to add another house dog to the mix.

Call it an early Christmas present.

A Great Pyrenees.

Meet “Duke”.

Even though we feel Duke would have made a wonderful addition to our farm, we have decided to hold off for now.

Our older dogs need to have their time ~ and our attention.

However, if you are a Great Pyrenees lover, and have room in your heart and home for a big, loveable guy, please call about Duke.

Tell Karen I sent you…she’ll welcome the call.

Until tomorrow ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

To be among power and greatness…

To be the leader, if only for a moment…

To see another farmer show the fruits of his toil…

To encounter wisdom…

To have a special tree, on which to lean your back…

To experience wonder…

To tease the senses…

To know you have friends, who share your passions.

Until tomorrow ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

Several weeks ago, I took a much needed day off from work and treated myself to a day of adventure.

My friend, Amy, and I headed a couple hours down the state to the small farming town of Coral.

From there, we followed the rural directions to meet Homemaker Ang, her friendly husband Matt (aka…Gentle Giant) and the delightful, engaging children.

I learned how to make cheese. (Click on link to see and read about the most amazing farm kitchen luncheon imaginable, which was part of the day’s adventure…)

But it was so much more than that…

We entered into a world much like what I envision, and live by.

One of simplicity and hard work.

You see, Homemaker Ang and the Gentle Giant moved their 6 children into an Amish farmhouse, where they are farming and living off the grid.

Everything is done by hand, and by God’s grace.

And His direction.

The children expressed their love of their life.

They didn’t need to verbalize it, although they did so.

It shows in their demeanor.

Their willingness.

And their passion.

Homeschooled.

An integral part of the working family.

Where everyone works.

Human, horse, and dog.

We hated to leave at the end of the day.

Even though I was returning to our rustic place, I felt at home at Maple Valley Farm.

Good, Godly folks.

Who tested the waters of the Amish community…(Click here if you wish to sign up for a newsletter outlining their journey.)

Doing what others only dream of doing…

You too, can experience this for yourself.

Another cheese class (not to mention soap making class/pumpkin pie making class, etc.) is coming up November 3rd and beyond. Check it out…

Don’t be surprised if you leave with a tug on your heart.

Maple Valley is like coming home.

Until tomorrow ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

If you have been following along on our daily travels, you know we have a plan.

Our plan is to simplify.

To rid ourselves of any form of travel that requires gasoline.

As with any good plan, it doesn’t come overnight.

So, needless to say, we aren’t rushing into this.

There are horses to train.

And other hurdles to jump.

Even though we live in tiny cabins, we have some changes to make.

Step by step.

One of those is simple but very symbolic.

We drop down to one fork, one knife, one spoon.

You see, even though we live in small quarters, our lives are still cluttered by objects that take our time and steal our thoughts.

Our time and thoughts want to be on the trail.

Either by horseback, horse-drawn wagon, or dog sled.

We live simply ~ no TV, no refrigerator, no dishwasher, no microwave, no distractions.

Almost.

So we start.

With one fork, one knife, and one spoon.

And of course, one plate.

Until tomorrow ~ keeping life simple ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

Being gone five days a week hurts.

I guess I should have known.

When my sons were babies, I couldn’t leave them either.

Praise God I had the courage to swim against the current and stay home to raise them, when they needed me most.

Sometimes, I catch Rustic Russ without him knowing it, and capture the bliss that comes with connecting with animals.

Farming with animals is so “hands on”.

You must have a desire to connect and know your animals.

No one knows your animals better than you.

No one.

I will be patient, and wait for the day I can be “hands on” with our animals.

Daily.

All day.

Until then, I’m blessed to hear the little nuances each animal created in my absence.

And know they are fortunate to have a shepherd such as Rustic Russ looking over them each day.

Every day.

Until tomorrow ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

As the week came to a close, I took a moment to reflect back.

Each week seems more enriched than the previous.

This week was no different.

Each day brings beauty.

However, each day also brings hard work.

I am equally yoked with Rustic Russ, but we require more strength than two mortal humans can muster.

TGIF – Today God is First.

Our livestock intended for our freezer went to be processed on Wednesday.

Rustic Russ hauled them down to farm country for a gentle, humane ending of their predestined journey.

This is always a solemn day for me, as I recall all the gentle love, scratches behind the ears and homemade goodies I poured into them while they were with us.

This little piggy, Rosie, stayed home.

Rosie is now over 200#’s.

We will be breeding her for spring babies.

After breeding, piglets come in 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, and 3:00 in the morning.

You think I’m kidding…?

Ah yes…

End of the fiscal year and time to balance the Michigan budget.

Our state government shut down for about 2 hours on 10/1, however I was sleeping so I didn’t get a chance to fully appreciate my layoff.

It was also a week of bad news for my Woodswoman buddy, Karla, as she received the final test results on her beloved dog, Jinx.

Karla and husband, Danny, will be facing a huge battle as Jinx starts a lengthy course of Chemo this coming week.

Jinx, aptly named by his unusual entry into their lives, stole their heart immediately upon coming home to TrailsEnd Kennel. The good lookin’ hound was the prize in a raffle drawing highlighting a “Streeper puppy”. Jinx entered a Siberian-dominated world and has been the King of that world ever since.

We wish Jinx well, as he faces the biggest race of his life to date.

Unfortunately, our newly released free-range rabbits sometimes have to battle for territory, just like in the streets of Chicago.

Homer Hickam (the white bunny on the left) got the worst of a fight with another male free-ranger (who shall remain unidentified).

All is quiet now.

And, right on schedule, our tractor (who is aptly named by me, although not appropriate for print) froze up.

Again.

Hydraulics are skewed.

If anyone within a stone’s throw knows anything about tractors, give us a holler.

It’s not that I don’t like our fancy tractor. I just miss “Tillie”, a 1952 Ford 8N we sold so we could “upgrade”.

The list could go on. However, this morning, Friday, upon awakening, it was discovered we had been without power for several hours.

Yes, TGIF…indeed.

Our Heavenly father guides us through the trials and tribulations each day, too numerous to mention.

I can’t imagine going it alone…

TGIF (Today God is First)

Until tomorrow ~ God willing,

Woodswoman

It won’t be long…

Soon we will be seeing the beauty of autumn unfold around us.

Our local ski resorts will be preparing for the winter season.

Our horses will be filled with a spirit from their ancestors.

Our equine trail time will wind down.

And our protégés will have the winter to ponder next summer’s adventures.

It will be a time for slow, easy walks down our Berry Beary Blvd., drinking in the sights and scents of fall.

Our woodland cabins will signal warmth as wood smoke curls from above.

And our sled dogs will rest on the trails, knowing an exciting winter awaits them.

And our aged dog, Satch, will begin her 18th year, enjoying her days at Russ-Stick Acres.

Her doggy Heaven on earth.

God and Dog…Click here to see the connection..

Until tomorrow ~ God willing (and winking),

Woodswoman