Old Friends Tell All

That's Lily's best impersonation of me. I like it. I don't know about the double chin. What's she saying there? But I think she did a pretty good job. Keeping track of my arthritis attacks. The hip only took 8 days to work itself out. The left arm only took about a week to work itself out. We're still working on the arm, the right arm, and the 2 ankles. Although my right arm is feeling Really good this morning. We're making headway. I've got no new pains. In 2 days, one of you lovely people send me some compression socks. Hey, I was able to open that. I've never tried compression socks. Supposed to help with arthritis or plantar fasciitis type feelings. Oh wow. I hesitate a little because it took me so long to get these guys on. I didn't put socks on 2 days ago. I couldn't. I just went out barefoot in my slippers to do chores. I think this is representative of how loving and kind you are. I tried, guys. I tried. I tried. My thumbs just weren't gonna let me do it. Thank you guys for well wishes, prayers, compression socks. I am very thankful for these low heel boots right now. With, with strap to hang on to, with my finger to put them on. I want to also thank you guys for hanging with me during this illness. Not only hanging with me, but coming out in droves. I figured, oh my word, I'm sick, I can barely— I can't— I can barely get chores done. I can barely even supervise chores, let alone do a project. 'Well, the vlog's just gonna tank.' But actually, not only did you guys hang with me, like, we're getting more views and support than we were. Jonah's out moving the turkeys. We gotta get down there. We got some old-time friends, like old-time friends, like influenced our— us getting a family cow old-time friends. This cheers me up. Every time. This garden is something healing to look at. I want to also thank you. This is just deep encouragement. Before I continue on that, I want— I should say this. Do you guys notice something? I just walked down the stairs to set up the camera so I can get the shot walking down the stairs. I feel good enough to do that. Look at this. All right, now we're gonna get the shot of me walking down the stairs. What was I saying? Oh, my deep gratitude. What really gets me really excited and deeply grateful is what's happening in my member area at Abundance Plus. For the very first time— well, I should tell you, this is what happens after we do a spring or fall or New Year's launch. People sign up, we grow the member area. And inevitably people's card expires or max out, and that's inevitably how people cancel. It's not because they don't like it and cancel. So there's a churn, there's a turnover. My wheelchair, we forgot to put her up last night. For the very first time in the member history, Abundance Plus is growing despite all the, you know, card cancellations. What New people are coming in. I'm thanking you for that. I'm thinking you guys are enjoying it so much. You're sharing it and now you can. You're just like, hey guys, hey friend, are you in Abundance Plus? And somebody can just go get it on the app. They can type in Abundance Plus on Google and it comes up. It's easy for folks to sign up and you guys are enjoying it so much. You're sharing it. I'm excited about that. While I'm sick, and can only do one, maybe two critical tasks a day. You guys are growing this. That means it's bigger than me. It's something for you. You guys are taking that bull by the horns and grabbing it and growling. Well, that's a problem. I was, I was thinking that's a problem, but this has got a handy-dandy winch. Well, it's probably on the inside. Whoops. Yep. Okay, this is— what am I gonna do? I don't need a soap butt. Okay, this is like not a cotton handkerchief. It doesn't work as good for soaking up water. All right, let's find something cotton. Good morning! Hope you don't mind being in the show. Good morning! Y'all going to move fat chicks? They already moved the turkeys. I'm having a hard time keeping up with them. This is better. I know it's got to where he can move these chickens out in the open. Layer chickens, they stick with their coop. They're not running off like crazy. See how they've eaten this grass? That— it looked like that yesterday. Yeah, so go ahead and pull, Will. It's good having a big strong guy here this morning.

Y'all ready?

Long time friend. Oh, it's good, it's good to have 5 people to push in the back too. That helps a lot. That's good. Well, your water from yesterday has gotten a bit dirty. Jonah, do you know where the hose is for that? Or Lily, do you know where we can get though from the creek?

All right, it's right there.

How long do we go back, friends? We go back to way when you brought your camp out to mountain board.

Yeah, that's like 2004, but we came friends in probably 2005, 2005, maybe 6, somewhere in there, 15 years ago.

Yeah, I was a baby.

Okay, and Anna and John are the same age at 13 years old.

So, and 81 was the first cow right here in this pasture that started all this. We bought a quarter of that cow.

You were one of our customers. We were.

I came out to watch because I wanted to make sure you took care of my meat well that I had paid for.

Is that why? That's why you— we became friends. You were just really inspecting your meat.

Yeah.

You brought little Anna at 2 years old. I remember she had a pink, pink camp chair.

Yep.

You wanted them come out for the, for the harvest. Yep.

We sat right over there by the fence, way over there.

And, uh, we got in trouble for that.

Yeah, grandparents were not too happy with me. What are you doing with my granddaughter?

Have they forgiven you by now?

Yeah, they're used to our way.

I've had so many other things I've done, that one's paled.

That's funny. Your goal was to make sure your kids knew where their food came from.

Exactly.

Did it work?

I think it worked.

So yesterday morning, how old do you think I was?

You said 79.

79. I was feeling 79. I'm feeling like I'm 70 today. Now last night I went back to 86, but I know that's good for one day. Now talk to me this evening, it'll be different, but I know it's good in the morning.

Yep.

I don't panic in the afternoon when it starts coming on. Yeah, I've learned to not get too excited or disappointed about that. I want you guys to give the people perspective because you've known us, you've known us before the Luchadors. The fat hens, the meat chickens, the family cows, the sheep, the shed, the people barn, the pole barn, the greenhouses, pigs. Did you see that coming when you first came out with your camp crew to mountain board? No, to take advantage of our mountain board course.

The last thing I ever thought was you would be a farmer. Yeah, uh, yeah, no, that was definitely not a, not a thing.

Do you remember the talks early on when we, when, when Rebecca and I were starting to think about doing some of this stuff? Oh yeah, do you remember seeing us progress that way?

Yeah, and it's so fun to see what's happened.

I remember enjoying, um, apple cider that y'all harvested from the, uh, the dumpster diving back in the day.

Yeah, I think that we were, we were homestead. I tell people, homestead even if you don't have a homestead. Get apples and make apple cider. Yeah, get a whole chicken in the grocery store and cook a whole chicken.

Yeah, I mean, I remember this field when you started trying to, you know, do the whole moving them from paddock to paddock each day, but we just had the one hot wire. Yeah, trying to keep them—

I like this perspective.

Yeah, yeah, we like—

just have to have one hot wire. I used to move the water everywhere. I didn't have water lines in the field. Jonas said he mowed for a paddock. Do you see that lily? Did he mow over there?

Yeah, I see it right now.

You see it for sure? For those of you new to the channel, we claimed this. This used to be thick forest. And we had— we cleared out 70% of the trees, left us with 30-ish percent of the trees. A little bit more need to go, but it's a wonderful environment. Just look how happy those cows are. They're just enjoying the trees for rubs, for shade, for pest control. Spiders living in the trees, getting flies. Shauna was the one that said to Rebecca I think they were talking about raw milk a long time ago. You have land, you ought to get a milk cow. And Rebecca was like, yeah, Shauna, what in the world were you thinking when you told Rebecca we should get a family cow, right? Where was that conversation coming from, guys? Where was that coming from?

Well, I think selfishly I thought it was going to be cool to have a cow.

And so maybe you could get some—

I wanted y'all to have a cow so that I could come and learn to milk your cow. That's funny. I thought it was it was just going to be a great idea for us all to have a cow.

I think you moved by the time we had a family cow.

Yeah.

Yes, I think—

where have you been?

So we have been to Uganda, and I actually got to milk a cow.

Oh yeah, she was milking cows in Uganda.

Nice.

But when I saw that y'all had got a cow, I was like, yes!

Yep, we did it. So it's been the best thing we ever did for this farm. That's our, that's our centerpiece. That's our prized possession. I love it. So it was good, it was good that you inspired that. And I think we finally came around 4 years later because Rebecca was like, ready? And I'm like, Rebecca, you don't just get a cow. I've grown up, we've already tried that, and beef cows were enough.

Yeah.

And then, uh, yeah, a dairy cow would be a whole nother animal, another ball game. Look who it is. No, he's—

he's dead serious.

This is a heart attack.

Get a little visit from Henry before we go back out. Well, we came back to milk. Everybody's out. All the cows are out and they're together. What do you think happened? You know the Polly? Yeah, she's the one who burst the net last time also. Okay, and it's time my phone came out. All right. So Jonah, this is what we're gonna have to do since we went back. We got to turn the fence back on whenever we're not out here, even if, even if we go back for just 30 minutes. What if she comes into heat, which hopefully she's not right now? I don't know, stud's acting awful interested. I'll stand down here by this gate to make sure the, the ewes don't get out. Josiah, you keep bringing them down. Okay, there goes one back. Good, that's good. Well, they got the calves down. And Phyllis, now do you think you can get the calves back into the, the baby lambs? Oh wow, wow, you guys did it! Wow, this is going crazy smooth. Oh, Maple going back, back out.

There you go.

Somebody has to kind of guard the door. There you go, Jonah. You guys got this now. There you go. She don't want to go back in there. Grass is always greener on the other side. There we go. Polly has gotten smart and she knows when this fence is off and pushes her boundaries. Here comes the queen. We got everybody where they're supposed to be now. We're making the move. I just love it. I just love this pasture, this wildflower pasture. I guess Dixie's doing just fine. Yeah, she's nibbling. I guess it was just weaning depression. That's good, we can handle that. Yes, she's right there with everybody else. They first went to the poplar. Compass been swatting. That's a good job for a crippled guy. I do enjoy watching this. I want you to watch this with me. Let's just see what he likes to eat. I think you can get a little bit of everything. Well, let's eat that flower though. They don't eat that, but the mower does, so we mow behind them and get all that stuff up. Once you cut down a weed, it doesn't grow back as fast as the edibles. Sheep are different. Notice they kind of start up top. She's kind of starting up top on that. They kind of like the browse. We were talking, it's been almost 2 weeks that the ewes have been away from the lambs, so they're probably real close to being dried off for sure. I'm thinking next week Phyllis will also run out of milk soon. The calf will start keeping up with it. She keeping up yet? Do you— what, you harvest about a gallon, Naroon, uh, from her only? Yeah, close to a gallon, I think. I'm thinking once we get certainly a quart Then we're going to separate the calf. We're kind of doing what's easier too right now. Uh, we could have started separating the calf even now, but hey, Fosse gave us a gallon. She gives a gallon, that's 2 gallons a day. We're all right, we don't need to be pushing things with all that's going on. 2 gallons a day, we're happy. Hopefully this will make the sharp turn here and we'll go straight up. Straight up is not ideal, but it's been pretty dry. I think we can do it. Uh, you kind of watch my water line, Arun, as I cross over, will you? Rebecca?

Yes?

You want to try the test? Yeah. Okay, now don't you squeeze. I'm gonna squeeze, and it's my right hand. Let's see, tell me if I can hurt you.

Is that it?

Definitely more than yesterday. Okay, okay, definitely more than yesterday.

It doesn't hurt. Let's try my left hand. Okay, ready? Oh gosh, yeah, you got it. Okay, I'm gonna keep going.

Can I see it?

You want to feel my strength in my left hand? Yeah. Okay, now let me do the squeezing.

Ow!

Okay, good. Hold on, let me see. Hold on, let me see if I can get him with my right hand. That's the question.

Okay, you're still pretty.

There it is! I got him! Let me try, let me try, Mr. Brown. Wait, tell me if it hurts.

Stronger.

All right, can't quite get you. Same person sent me the socks sent me these arthritis gloves. Let's see if I can have better luck putting these on. I am going to try to type today. Got some stuff I need to do with Bunnits Plus. Might be a little Michael Jackson-ish. Michael Jackson-ish. Michael Jackson-ish.

But it's going on.

One solid state hard drive, another solid state hard drive. Okay, be able to use that. Which T7 is it? Okay. Okay, good. Ben labeled it. Nice. It's such a big file. It's gonna take 3 hours. That's only MasterClass 1 through 2, which there were 10-ish. Ben's got the rest. He's sending them to Dan. But if something were to happen to it in the mail, it's not like it's backed anywhere. So we just wanted to have it, uh, just wanted to have a— what do you call it— back— a backup. I've been selecting some photos for our content. I want to show you guys this. Look at that photo, Benjamin Roberts. Good job. It's a photo of Sora getting up. from rest. Oh my word. I want you to see this though. What are you guys doing?

Making cookies.

Nice. What's the recipe? Are you able to find everything? Crispy almond flour lace cookies. Proud of you guys. Looks like Josiah's got all the ingredients out. He is kind of needing my help here as we go down through the instructions, and we're kind of He's sensitive, so we gotta kind of go a little faster than he can go by himself. Well, round run, Josiah. Happens to the best of us. It just wasn't hardening up, and I went over the instructions for him and it said 1 tablespoon of milk. I'm pretty sure you used like half a cup. Yeah, is that right? Yep. But he's like— I said, Josiah, you have 2 choices: throw it all out and be done or go again. But it is all out, right, Beck? And that was kind of the hard part. That's kind of hard part, finding all the ingredients and putting it out. At least it's the annoying part. The fun part is putting it all together. And he says it tastes good, right?

Yeah.

So I guess you could eat, eat the old stuff like that. Yeah, but he didn't give up. Uh, we did have to borrow some almond flour from, from Grandma. Well, this is it. This is the done. This is the done. Yeah, yeah, that hardened up a lot better. Yeah, the stuff before was like a, um, drink. Yeah, this, this is better. Feel right about this. Put them far apart.

Just, uh, I am.

They said 6 inches, but that's crazy. You're putting that in there? We're just gonna put 3 on one? Wait. 4. All right, you did 4. Okay, that'll probably work.

How much they actually do expand.

Okay, he's got some chocolate double boil— broiled— boiled put on top of it. He's done with it. He's gave his mama some. Is this what it's come out?

Yeah.

Why don't you try one for us? Okay, see how it is. See if this is gonna be a happy ending to this vlog or sad. Happy ending? Sad ending?

Happy.

Mom, let's see. Is it a happy ending or a wah wah wah or an applause?

Mmm, it's an applause! It's delicious.

Delicious.