Finally, Some Relief

After the wet spring we experienced, I did not anticipate such a dry summer. The Bibbed Wonder has not had to mow the grass in weeks. The path that my Heavy-B and I walk every day is turning into a dirt trail in some areas. The grass crunches under our feet when we walk on it. The Bibbed Wonder has used a barrel cut in half as a watering trough in the barn. He fills it with a hose each day for the girls and babies to drink. The pastures have not recovered, and we are now feeding everyone hay to supplement their diet. It is the driest summer I can remember in quite a few years.

Thankfully, this week has provided some relief from the drought-like conditions. We had a good rain on Tuesday, a few showers yesterday, and tomorrow, it looks like we will finally get a full day of soaking rain. This much-needed rain will hopefully restore our watering troughs outside the barn, give the grass and fields a boost, and aid in the growth of the corn the farmers planted. Thanks to Hurricane Debbie, we will get some much-needed rain and experience cooler temperatures.

We will travel to Columbiana, Ohio, tomorrow to prepare for the opening day of the Shaker Woods Festival on Saturday. The weather looks perfect: low humidity, clear skies, and temperatures in the low to mid-seventies. One cannot ask for better festival weather. We are all excited for The Shaker Woods Festival, some more than others. The Bibbed Wonder and The Bean have had a countdown on the whiteboard in the soap studio for two weeks. Every day, they yell at the top of their voices the countdown to Shaker. It is a lot, but they are fun. After much anticipation and preparation, we will be on our way to our little building in the woods tomorrow morning.

I am hopeful we will have a wonderful weekend. I feel better leaving the farm knowing that we will have a good rain before we go. With cooler temperatures and restored water supplies, everyone will be more comfortable. The heat, humidity, and dryness stress everyone. I am thankful for the reprieve. I hope you, too, are getting a reprieve from the heat, humidity, and dry weather. It is always in the back of my mind that soon we will be complaining about the cold, snow, and ice. It puts things in perspective...insert a wink. On this overcast day, stay safe, be smart, enjoy the days as they come, appreciate the reprieve, and keep washing your hands.

We Have A Lot To Do

It is the week before our first weekend in the woods, Shaker Woods. This week is a bit of a whirlwind, dear reader. The Bibbed Wonder, The Bean, and I are doing everything we can to make our show at The Shaker Woods Festival a success. Eric and Jordan are putting the finishing touches on our products in the soap studio, and I am taking care of everything at the house. On Monday, we took our soap inventory out to our building in the woods. We also took quite a few decorations and display items with us. When we officially go out for our first weekend, we will only have to transport our foaming hand soaps and moisturizers, plus any other decorative items I decide we need.

Jenna will spend the weekends we are at Shaker Woods at the farm caring for the goats and chickens, walking my big BFF, and keeping our senior boy, Chubby, company. We could not do this without Jenna. Although she no longer helps us in the evenings or the weekends, we consider her an integral part of our team. Not only will she hold down the proverbial fort while we are away, but she will attend Ligonier Country Market for us and fulfill any online orders that come in. Jenna is a rock star. I trust her implicitly with our farm, animals, and business. It's good to have friends who become family.

This time of year, I feel like we have a lot of irons in the fire. Not only are we laser-focused on the Shaker Woods Festival, but we are also invested in our home away from home, Ligonier Country Market. Add to that our online obligations, back-to-school preparations, managing the breeding program of our goats, caring for our goats, and preparing for the upcoming holiday season. It's a lot to take in and juggle. There are also chores that have to be done around the farm to prep for the winter months and bigger projects to plan and maintain. My little head swims, trying to keep it all straight and organized. I have lists all over the place of things I have to remember to do. I would fall apart if it weren't for my lists.

Today, I will pack our outfits for the festival. The Bibbed Wonder has special dress-up bibs to wear and specific shirts, and he has requested his favorite socks be washed and packed...sigh. The man has an entire drawer filled to overflowing with socks but he only wears ten or so pairs. However, don't even mention cleaning out that sock drawer and getting rid of the socks he doesn't like. That dear reader, leads to rants about how he will clean out my attic filled with decorations, my side of the closet, and my books. He's a lot. The Bean also has to have special outfits packed. At this point, she is self-reliant. I simply make sure her outfits still fit and are ironed. Then, I will pack for myself. I have to pack my Shaker dresses, chub rub shorts to wear under said dresses, and find shoes that won't make my little feet swell up like melons after standing for eight-plus hours. Getting old is not a lot of fun.

I also have to grocery shop for Jenna, make sure the dogs have an extra bag of food, and remember to show Jenna how to give Buster his anal gland supplements. She's good. She went to school for that. That phrase is our running joke. Anytime I need advice or help with my critters, Jenna responds in the affirmative, "I went to school for that." Anytime I ask her to do something she doesn't want to do, she says, " Tina, I didn't go to school for that." She doesn't usually tell me no when I ask her for help. However, caring for Buster's anal gland issues just might be a deal breaker.

There is much to do and not a lot of time to get it done. On this overcast summer day, stay safe, be smart, stay organized, stay sane, appreciate the rock stars in your life, and keep washing your hands.

Tuesday Spotlight: Cotton Candy

Welcome to Tuesday, dear reader. This week, our spotlight is on the sweetly scented Cotton Candy soap and moisturizer. The Bean created this cotton candy-scented sweetie because she thought, what kid doesn't like cotton candy? The Bean and I love cotton candy. Although I make it a once or twice-a-year treat, it is my favorite. When The Bean smelled this scent, she knew it would be popular. The Bean has a nose for what will be popular and what will flop. It's one of her many gifts.

Our Cotton Candy scented soap and moisturizer begin with our fresh, raw goat's milk. As always, we blend our milk with skin loving oils and create a simple and luxurious soap. The Bean chose the pink and blue colors because those are our favorite flavors of cotton candy. This sweet, yummy scent is as close to smelling like the real thing as possible. Not only does it smell amazing, but it is wonderful for your skin. Whether you are 8 or 80, kids of all ages love cotton candy.

This week, exclusively on the website, save 25% on bars and jars of Cotton Candy soap and moisturizer. No promo code is needed to save; the savings will be applied at checkout. On this overcast summer day, stay safe, be smart, enjoy the savings, and keep washing your hands.

Save On Cotton Candy