Caring for the chickens: I wake up every morning at sunrise to gather buckets of water and grain to feed the chickens. I know that they have run out of food and water if I find the flock huddled by the fence before I even arrive. Arthur, the rooster, seems to have his mind set on attacking me just for good measure. It helps to wear boots and Carhartts so I don't feel anything when my shoelaces and pant legs are continuously being pecked at. The egg-mobile is moved a few feet forward and I unlock the roosts so that the hens can begin laying their eggs for the day. Before dinner, I replenish the chickens' water and grain, and lock up the roosts so I can begin gathering the eggs. I end the day cleaning eggs and arranging them into cartons, which will then be picked up by CSA egg-share holders every Friday.
Preparing a bed: The shovel and wheelbarrow are beginning to seem less like foreign objects. On Monday, I fell over from the weight of pushing a wheelbarrow full of compost, but by the end of the week, carrying the load almost felt invigorating. It's a good sign that my body is beginning to adjust to the physical nature of work on the farm. My forearms and biceps have been sore, and it hurts to open and close my hands repeatedly, but I feel stronger as each week passes.
Cooking for four: Portion size and flavor have worried me most when making breakfast, lunch and dinner for a group of very hungry people. I am terrified of the thought of not preparing enough for everyone and the possibility that my food doesn't have much taste to it. But when my dishes do turn out just as I had hoped, it has been extremely gratifying to see satisfied looks on my coworkers'faces as they take the first bites from their meal.
Can you hear me now: I have had trouble getting any signal on my phone since I arrived. A full conversation with family and friends can't seem to take place without losing reception multiple times. This problem reinforces the feeling that I currently live in the middle of nowhere.
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