I used to think homesteading was a fairly predictable subject. I mean roosters crow at dawn right? Chickens lay eggs most days, cows will be milked twice a day and vegetables grow when attended too. For the average person this could be the template for rural life. Did I mention, predictable, remarkable and definitely complex? With the advantage of hindsight, this statement is a far cry from the truth. The animals prove me wrong at the most inopportune times imaginable.
In a relatively short space of time I have witnessed cows who crawl under fences which I thought were secure, chickens with clipped wings fly over six foot fences, and calves hopping out of trailers so gracefully.
I’ve agonised over animals that were so sick I never imagined they would pull through but yet somehow they did.
Perhaps this is what impacts me the most about homesteading. It is something bigger than us. Each day and season brings a subtle shift which leaves you feeling inspired and constantly out of your comfort zone even if it is something familiar.
In this environment there is always a lesson waiting to be learnt and an experience to be enjoyed. Nature reminds us that she changes often and we should never become too complacent. I’m convinced that the discovery of homesteading is a deep and wide environment which constantly grows. It will always be appealing to those of us who love country living.
- Tracy Brussow
