Ohio Country Journal: January 2018

Who We Are

The past few years, the area where I live, Crawford County, Ohio, has seen a wonderful explosion of younger families who are embracing the joys and challenges of living off the land. Because of them, amazing things are happening which have been embraced by our community. Farmer’s markets have been created and on-farm stores have opened. Families dedicated to growing organic produce and naturally raised meats are meeting the public’s needs for locally raised foods. And at the heart of this movement are the women.

Ohio Country Journal is my attempt to share the essence of farm life, focusing on, but not limited to, women. My goal is to bring you into our circle of friendship by inviting you to share your stories and experiences with us. You don’t have to be a full time country woman to benefit from joining us; you just have to be you.

The full-time country women featured in Ohio Country Journal are an inspiration to anyone who dares to follow her dreams, whether it is to live in the country or to bring the country life-style to their urban neighborhoods.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Happy New Year!

Here we are at the 2018 edition of New Year.

I've declared this one as the Year of Adventure!

To kick-start my intention, we braved the (extremely!) cold weather and took back country roads to Mohican State Forest.

Hoar Frost on trees, New Year's Day 2018

Many times, when most water is frozen, a plenitude of eagles will be fishing the running waters of the Mohican River. The covered bridge is an excellent viewing area. I was hoping that eagles would be there and in a mood for having their portraits taken.

We saw an eagle cruising down the river a few miles before we entered the forest, raising my hopes and filling me with anticipation of taking great Nat Geo worthy photos.

It was not meant to be.

The waters near the bridge must have been fished out, sending eagles elsewhere for dinner.

BUT

All was not lost. We saw many hawks, deer, and other wildlife, including these turkeys.

Jim especially likes to see turkeys in the wild and asked me to take a picture. These dudes were pretty far away, and I was inside the running car (vibrations make it difficult to get clear pictures), but I gave it my best effort. More of a documentation than an interesting photo, I printed this picture and taped it to Jim's desk as a reminder that Adventures are Important. Why? For me, finding the unexpected gives the day "just enough" adrenaline to offset mundane chores.

Plus, adventures make me feel happy.

And happy is good!

My very best wishes for a Happy New Year to all my family, friends, and blog readers. Let's make 2018 the Best Year of our lives!

You in?

Marcheta *you betcha!