Monday, April 29, 2013

My last official day on Craigencalt Farm

 So today was my last official day working on the farm. It hard to believe that my time here is already done. It feels like I have been here forever (mostly because I feel so at home) but the weeks have also just FLEW by. 

Anyway, today was Hella's last day, so after we had breakfast, I went out to work and she began to pack up. As usual, I went down to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. This morning routine has become so familiar, it's hard fathom this was my last day of doing it. 

The bins of chicken feed. That the chickens like to poop on top of...


Top view of the chicken house. Still think it would make a cool cafe.

Craigencalt :)


Then Richard sent me out to put more bamboo sticks in the plastic tubes in which some baby pine trees are growing. It was another windy day and they were being blown about, so they needed some extra support.
 
View of the farmhouse with the Binn in the background.

The baby pines in the pink tubes (helps them get started growing)

The hill with the baby pines.

I then patched up the last few holes in the netting, and after I finished, Richard and I made another trip to the recycling center. I have been there more times than I have  been to anywhere else in Scotland. It's really quite wonderful. Remember that folks; the Kirkcaldy recycling center is a must see when you come to Scotland! 
 
Last time working on the netting :)

Here are some photos of the farm that I took when I was walking inside for lunch. I was getting all nostalgic and sentimental today, so I took a butt ton of photos...
 



Over lunch, Diana, Hella and I had a really fun conversation. As it turns out Hella too had a baseball cap she never took off when she was little... It was kind of a bummer that she was leaving today because we were becoming such good friends. We had quite a lot of fun together in such a short amount of time and I feel very lucky to have met her. I wish her luck with her further travels and university. So spielt das Leben...

After lunch Diana took Hella to the train station in Kirkcaldy so she could catch her  2 o'clock train to Inverness. I went along, but Diana dropped me off in Kinghorn so I could buy some groceries for my time in St.Monans. So we said our goodbyes, promising to stay in touch. I hope we do. I had a blast meeting yet another cool WWOOFing companion. :)

I mulled around the little co-op for a while, trying to decide and realizing the only thing my brain could come up with to buy was bread and pasta... I finally made my choices and got a few essential things. Including an Irn Bru. Which is a Scottish soda that is described as "Scotland's other national drink" (the other being whiskey).  It was pretty good. Another cultural experience done :P
 

When I returned from shopping, I went over to the jewelry shop to help out. I did a bit of digging, then went inside to help with counting and weighing stock. Again it felt so strange to think that it was my last time doing so... It had become such a regular part of my day. Anyway, at the end of the day, I did all my gift buying for everyone back home. And myself... 

I came inside and Diana had me quickly mix up some muesli, which was pretty fun to do!
 

I began to organize my things, folding a few things and getting ready for my departure in the morning. 
 
Look how efficiently I've learned to pack. (thank you Mike!!)

I then went for a walk to enjoy my last proper evening on the farm. 
 




This bench I discovered the first day I got here...it became my favorite spot to come and sit.

I walked down the lane, then to the top of the hill and sat on the bench over looking the loch. It really is such a fantastic view and I count myself lucky to have had it as my surroundings for the past few weeks. 
 
The Scottish Green Marble ring I got!


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 By the time I finished my walk, it was around time for dinner, so I headed up to the tree house. Adam made me a salad with smoked salmon, walnut bread and a veggie pizza. It was really really good. I will not be eating this good for a while, so I very much enjoyed it. Everyone here is so good at cooking...

Dinner!

My time here at Craigencalt has been beyond wonderful. I have met some incredible people and learned a lot about planting, jewelry making, fencing, and myself. This experience has been nothing but positive and I am so glad I did this. I truly feel I have found a home here and I hope some day to come back. 
When I was emailing with Adam before I came one of them he ended with this "p.s our farm is a magic place with magic people.we are looking forward to meeting you to help us contribute to the magic."

I can definitely say that this place really is magic.  

LESSONS LEARNED:
- Don't be afraid of new/different things, be open and see where it leads you.
-Just go with the flow.
-Enjoy every second.
-I don't like digging.
- And finally; Universal truths must be learned through experience to be truly understood. 

What I mean by that is, we all know that we should  "seize the day" or "be yourself", but those are just words until you experience something that makes you really believe it. For example, I have always tried to live by carpe diam, and have always understood why I should, but not until this trip have I actually started to do so. 

Anyway, thanks for reading about my time here are the farm and my philosophical ramblings. 

3 comments:

  1. Aw, I am getting all sentimental about your imminent departure from the farm! I am thinking back to my 6 months in Perugia, Italy ( in 1980) and how that became a second home to me, much like your lovely Craigencalt farm! You will always have that place in your heart, wherever you go. That being said, I am laughing as I see your food choices from the market as they are very much like mine - pasta and bread! Oh, do not forget to buy some veggies! Oh, and we cannot wait to see what lovely jewelry you have chosen for us! Your ring is perfect!

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  2. Irn Bru! Good for you! That stuff separates the women from the girls. Let me know how you like it. As for your lessons learned, some of those lessons will become apparent only over the next few months and years. But the most important part of this trip was for you to meet yourself and discover what's inside. You did. I personally have enjoyed all of your WWOOF blog entries and have really savored looking at those pictures. I love Scotland. Seeing your photos, particularly those of Edinburgh, make me realize that I need to go back. Safe travels and enjoy your week in the cottage!

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  3. P.S. Your dinner looks like it came from a four-star restaurant and not at all something served in a tree house.

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