To kick off this blog on a positive note, I thought I'd jump right in with THE MOST common question I get. "Where do you work out?" Truth be told, I don't.
You couldn't pay me enough to join a gym. I don't run unless I absolutely have to. I find repetitive motions like weight lifting drive me crazy and truly do not leave me feeling fulfilled. So how do I stay in shape? I have a farm. Yep, but you knew that. What you may not know are all of the tasks that make up a day on the farm. We lift hay bales, water troughs, drag hoses, mow, scrub horses clean, trim hooves, climb up and down over and under everything imaginable to care for all of the animals here. Miles are walked on a daily basis, even with Bessie here to help haul things around. (Bessie is our side-by-side ATV.)
This most recent weekend consisted of mowing our lawn (just like any homeowner would), mowing one of the smaller areas on the way to the fields, mowing the orchard, weeding some of the many flowerbeds, moving the young birds into the coop and bird yard, cleaning up after dogs and the "indoor" calf, washing 4 of 7 horses who desperately needed spa days after a mucky winter, and entertaining a few family members for Mother's Day.
I find that productive farm work not only gives a great work out with ample motivation to keep going but also all of the benefits of beautiful gardens, ponies, etc. Fencing, edging, planning and road/path establishment on this new property, mucking stalls and general cleaning on the property are just a few of the tasks here on the farm that keep us all in shape. I wake up with sore muscles from working hard and they are a constant reminder of how much this life means to me. I don't work out, I farm.