Life After Surgery | Day 1 Back on Farm

I had— good morning. I had surgery on Friday. It's Monday. I feel like my mouth has been gone through a blender, and then I feel like somebody took a sledgehammer to it like 50 times. I feel like I just gotta move around. I'm getting bed sore. I wanna sleep good. Need to burn some energy. Let's just kind of check on the chores. They did a good job on the water, feed. There's those orange peppers. How's our newly planted fall/winter crop? Good. Weeds are starting to come up, but these guys have a big head start. I say in a couple days we can weed this when the weeds are a little bit bigger, but it seems to be doing fine, right? Looks like the beans are about done. Yeah. What do you think? I think we can get another one more harvest. Yeah, I think we can even pull them out and get all the harvest. I think that— let's do that if you want to do that today. Pull up the beans. Harvest them and take the greens up to the chickens. I think they'll love these bugs. And what about the tomatoes? We've got 2 rounds from the tomatoes. You can get one more, maybe in a couple days. Watermelon ready? Yeah, see the tendril? Well, no, no, that tendril's still very much alive. So I would still— that way, this one definitely still has a ways So this has a waste. So we're in a weird spot because this two rows are done. Three rows, four rows. Well, the peppers, I don't think they've come in yet. So when I get feeling better, we might make strips of silage tarp so that we can get some of this covered up while the other rows continue. Sweet potatoes are jamming. Our squashes. Acorn squash, butternut squash. Pumpkins need to be got. I should run this by you. The green beans look done. He's gonna pull any last ones and put them to the chickens. Tomatoes also. Cucumbers. And all the pumpkin and squashes look done too. Would it be okay to pull those up?

You're not doing it?

No. No, thankfully Arun is— it's one of his work days. So yeah, do you see your yellow peppers down there? No, I need to put them in and I'll go look at them. I think it feels good to be out and about. I think as long as I don't speak really loud or fast.

Yeah, don't talk too much, or it could just be too much.

Yeah, like starting to hurt right there. Yeah, it should start being a silent film. As long as I don't bend over or lift anything.

Yeah, no lifting.

All right, commence the silent film.

Whoa! Oh, holy cow! Oh, that was a little green still.

Breaking my rule, bending over, but I'll keep my head above my— some old grass clippings here. Hey, hi, Papa. Hey, hey guys.

Can you milk with us? Sit with us and milk?

You do? You want to be with me?

Yeah, while Jim Benjamin makes pancakes. Big ones.

Yeah, there's so many loose sands. Everything's been great, but there's just tiny loose sands.

Like, there's having a meeting of the minds.

Somebody forgot to turn the— keep the door shut.

You guys get this?

I feel like they did a good job here. Yeah, they're definitely going to need feed this afternoon. Starting to go through a tray, two trays in the morning.

Is that grit?

That is grit. That's a good idea for grit. That's a struggle and a good thing about farm life, because it keeps you moving. Because eventually, whether you feel like it or not, you gotta get back out there. This team did great, but I'm part of the team. Rebecca's part of the team. It's not the same without everyone. It's like the '90s Chicago Bulls without Jordan or Pippen. They're after the smell that's on our porch. You think it's behind that? That's good. I smell it big time right there.

Do you? All right, on our front porch.

It takes her nose to insist on them finding this smell.

So bad, y'all. I can't even go on my front porch. Like, I don't even want them to open the door. So weird. How did that end up out here?

Oh, it goes— the switch is where the cords go in. Water's good, feed is not so good. You guys are huge! They're gonna be more than ready. What, September 3rd? You guys are gonna be gigantic. They're bigger than Cornish Cross. I don't know if they filled that up and they ate that much already, but I'm gonna fill it up right now. Yeah, maybe they don't have to do it this afternoon. What?

What are you doing? There's absolutely nothing.

You're not finding it? Nothing at all. I don't mean it's pretty dirty, but we thought something fell through the porch and landed on this board. Hmm. Nope.

Dang it. And there was nothing over there in that hole?

Nothing in the doghouse? I don't smell anything right now. Nope. Something does stink right here, and we've unturned everything, including the little trap under there. Is it two? That's what I'm talking about. There's teamwork. They're actually gonna make breakfast because I'm back and they can while I milk Lily and I. She's not in the stanchion. She's been having a heyday at the alfalfa. Here she comes, Lily. Come on. Big reason I'm getting these implants is because, well, 3 of my back teeth are missing and I haven't been able to chew on my left side for a very long time. Remember when I talked about my back pain and trying to reduce that inflammation with carnivore diet? Well, my bed— my bed soreness pretty much began after the removal of that third tooth. So we're actually thinking some of my soreness of back, which is better now that I'm done eating carnivore, it's a lot better. I wouldn't say it's 100%. We think some of it might just be from imbalance. I mean, I'm chewing only on this side. Sure, that's gonna make this side jaw stronger, but I don't know, the whole body is amazingly connected. I think balance is important, so we're kind of hoping that This solves some of these problems. I got Lily started on that. Now take Flossie's milk up. How's the Burn It Up cooking show going? You burning it up yet? We're trying not to burn it up. How's it been going down here? Whoa, you got a full jug! Let's get that before she kicks it.

Yeah, yeah, she almost did 2 times.

All right, go ahead, take that one and use it. Yeah, I'll take this up. All right, she's doing okay now. All right, let me in there, Josiah. So she kicked the bucket again. Mama's going up there to wash it.

I gave her some ice.

Yeah, give her some alcohol.

I gave her a scoop.

Yeah, she's, she's giving lots of milk. Let's give her lots of alfalfa. That was a good call, give her more alfalfa, Tessa. I'm surviving on milk, yogurt, eggs, and broth.

Is that your milk? That's your diet. No, that's just Simon's.

Cheese. I'm on the surgery diet. I've lost 4 pounds. Lifesaver. Look at these pumpkins. Randolph's here this afternoon, brought a friend to help him. Randolph's our carpenter that we hire from time to time, putting up our high tunnel. I don't know if you guys don't know, I guess it's a style of— I don't know, the style of greenhouse.

Look at this harvest.

Spaghetti squash, butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkins. Yeah, I'm so glad I had Arun do that. I didn't know— I didn't know Randolph was coming today. That's perfect timing. Got that squash out of the way, mowed it down for them right there a little bit so they can get in there a little better. And now they can put up the high tunnel. I'm gonna set the time lapse up on these guys behind me. I don't know how well it's gonna be though. I'm gonna have to stay far away because it's starting to rain. I'm having to put you guys under the shed here, but something is better than nothing, right? Well, that ended up being anticlimactic because Randolph didn't put anything up. We found out there's an 18-inch difference— or was it 22? 23— from one to the other in height. He's gonna have to level it out some, so he's working on getting the stuff for the tractor. But in the meantime, Benjamin Meeks is leaving. I'm heading out. The garden guy's going. Thanks, buddy. It's time to go plant some gardens. Go plant some gardens. Hugs.

Big hugs.

Oh! And for supper, look what she made us. A pork tenderloin. That's like the prize piece.

Look what Abbie made us.

She made—

Croutons.

You made croutons. Homemade croutons. Gluten-free.