One thing that's bothered me for a while is that some of my favorite YouTube homesteading folks with kids always seem to have a small staff of people who take, watch, babysit, or otherwise nanny their children. I wonder why there aren't more Youtube personalities who show how to homestead with kids - when the reality is that most beginning homesteaders (us included) don't have the money for a live-in nanny like some of them seem to. Or is Youtube really that high paying that these folks can pay for a nanny with their patreon accounts? I mean, sometimes it's a brother / uncle / cousin / neighbor / grandparent that is watching the kids, but come on... We have five kids and nobody is going to babysit all five at once so we can film a video or edit a video. My life is 75% taking care of kids, 24% doing chores and cleaning, and 1% staying up late to get some "me time" without kids (which is when I write up my blog here). With absolutely no time or concentration to film a video, let alone edit one, this is the big reason why I've not become a vlogger. Next year #5 goes to school (which I am secretly dreading), which means I will have a lot more time on my hands. So maybe in a year I will delve into vlogging. For now, it's not a high priority.
I am considering a location for a second colony building to start a second colony of rabbits. Or rather, to use more of the rabbits we already have to set loose in a confined space including a small enclosed building and a yard space, similar to the current set up, so we can have two sets of colony rabbits going at once. I have a space figured out, but building a hut there will have to wait. It might not be next spring either as Tony is rarely home and when he is he tends to want to use his days off to do things like run errands, do weekly shopping, or relax... as opposed to doing all the chores and tasks I've been unable to do myself. Go figure, right?
The seed trade I'm working on is looking good. I've already worked out trades with 17 people and have two more pending confirmation on what they want in return for seeds I've asked for. I'm going to be very excited to announce all the new varieties when they arrive (probably not until early January).
Netherquartz is healing well, although Mabel has taken a distinct dislike to him now. Interesting. Mabel is our dominant cat and she doesn't like any new cats. Our indoor cat family can not be added to by bringing in another cat. She simply won't allow it. She liked Netherquartz before he left for his neuter surgery. I assume it's because he smells like the vet clinic, but she is not having any part of it. She keeps hissing at him and he doesn't seem to know why he's suddenly been ostracized from the group. But the up side is that he is no longer bullying Henry away from the food dish. Perhaps the poor old cat can gain back some weight now that he's willing to push Netherquartz back when they both want in the food dish at the same time. I'm not sure why they have to have face-pushing fights at the food dish. It's not as though the food ever runs out. I mean, if they can see the bottom of the bowl through the food, they cry like they're starving to death and the bowl is promptly refilled. I realize it's resource guarding, but come on boys. There's enough to go around.
Today #3 informed me she believes she spotted some fur in the back corner of the quarantine cage housing the two New Zealand White rabbits. I rigged together an Eggo waffles box as a make-shift next box and it will go out there in the morning, since we didn't have tape on hand until Tony got home this evening.