Organic certification time

I am about halfway through the paperwork to update my organic certification.  The price has gone up again, so I just cannot afford any of those late charges.  In addition, if it is postmarked by March 15, I get a $100 deduction, which provides further incentive to stay on it today.

I only have to do the short form this year, for the first time.  I have had good reports for the past couple of years, so now I am on a rotation whereby I do the short form for two years, then the long form again every three years. 

I am getting a new knee on Friday.  Andrew (not Androo, the intern) is here to help me.  I was milking every morning, but I will not be milking at all anymore.  See my previous post about the ultimatum from my surgeon.  Time to hang it up, no more heavy work around here.  This morning Andrew milked all alone for the first time.  I didn't even go out to the milk room and sit at the desk.  It worked out great for me.  It allowed me to stay in the house, the reason my paperwork is moving along for organic certification.

Andrew has had to learn just about everything I do around here.  We each do our own cooking for the most part, but for at least a few days he will be taking care of that as well.  He learned to do face cream and lotion on Monday, and will do two batches of lotion on his own this afternoon.  Androo has taught him the ropes in the greenhouse.  He is learning to build fires, but still has a tendency to let them go out.  He will learn when he gets cold, hey?

Tomorrow Andrew, Androo and maybe Clay will be working in the chicken run.  The hawks got another chicken.  We are going to have to completely cover the chicken run.  It is the only way to keep my remaining chickens alive.  The hawks have found the chicken yard, and they are exploiting it.  It makes me so mad!  I loved to see the chickens running here, there and everywhere.  Oh, well, my shoes are staying cleaner and I am getting more eggs per chicken per week than I have ever done.  We are making it so the hawks can't get in, but those Campines can't get out either!

Thankfully, Ricky Ricardo, Tiny and Goldie still live on.  Andrew puts the chickens away at night now, but last night I sneaked out about a half hour before their bedtime so that I could pick up those three and pet them a bit.  They were all born here last April, and they are the only ones who welcome my kisses and hugs.

Well, you probably won't hear any more from me until after the new knee.  It will be good to have full use of my left leg again!