playing in the back yard

We have been living here for almost 4 weeks now.  I still plan on growing some of our own food, but we are going to ease into that instead of diving in at full speed.  My current focus for the space is play, relaxation,  connecting with nature, and exercise.  With that in mind, we put up two hammocks in the shade, arranged some log pieces as stepping stones and borders for a sand pit, and planted some sunflower seeds.  I also picked a spot for the compost pile.  I have composted in a wire hoop before, and in a revolving drum.  This time I decided to go with the loose pile because it's free, it's simple, it has more room to grow, and I could get started composting right away.  I put it under the ficus tree because it will stay moister in the shade, and because there is already a pile of leaves there from the ficus, and because it's close to the house.  David brought home 7 straw bales which are currently set up as a fort for the kids.  He also fixed the wheelbarrow, provided hoses for irrigation, and gave the kids bows and arrows.  They have been playing "Native Americans" ever since.  Solana and I have both shot arrows into two different neighbors' yards, so we have had opportunities to meet some of our neighbors.  I had no idea I could shoot that far.

moved in

We have been living here for two weeks now.  Moving all our stuff from the old house to here and then unpacking is pretty much done.  We also bought used and new furniture to set up the house.  We are almost done with that part.  There is still some organizing of things that I need to do, but the rough draft is in place.  This week I took a deep sigh of relief and found pleasure in the daily routine again.  Lotus and I went to the old house several times to tie up all the loose ends there and returned the keys.  Afterwards we went to the beach and frolicked in the sea, sand, and sun.

David has found an immediate use for the back part of our property, which I refer to sometimes as "the field".  He bought an electric dirt-bike motorcycle.  He was smart to not tell me about it until it showed up here.  I probably would have said it was not necessary; however, now that it's here and Solana learned to ride it (it's just her size) I'm glad that he didn't give me a chance to protest.  It's fun, it's quiet, and it turned my cautious 9 year old into a biker!  She even gives Lotus rides on the back and taught two of her friends how to ride it.

Lotus has been spending hours riding her bicycle around the long driveway.  David makes obstacle courses with the empty cardboard boxes from the move, something I never would have thought of doing.  We are all spending much more time outdoors.  I'm grateful, grateful, grateful that we found this place.

I'm reading a book about permaculture.  It inspires me to learn more, and to become a garden farmer.  The thought is also a bit daunting since I know I would need help, both labor and advice.

What's in Spring Valley, California?

David and I signed a lease for on a house on a 0.63 acre property. Doesn't sound like much but for San Diego that's a big yard. The house was built in 1926 and it's 1,024 square feet. My hope is that I will be spending most of my time outdoors.  There is a large area in the back that is not landscaped.  It has a few trees, but it is mostly a blank slate awaiting our creativity. Tomorrow we will start moving in and start our adventure in urban homesteading!