Micanopy, FL: Simonton Farm First Week Update

Well we've been here on the farm for a little over a week now with no updates which we know has made a few of you out there in Internetland a little nervous.  Don't worry, we haven't been abducted into a cult or sweatshop or anything like that, in fact quite the opposite, but we've been having so much fun that the time just keeps flying past us!  Day to day life on the Simonton Farm manages to strike a harmonious balance between chaos and organization, planning and spontaneity, and work and relaxation.  It seems to be the way life should be lived, work getting done in a timely but casual fashion.  And all this takes place in a tropical paradise that has a very temperate climate (at least while we'll be staying here) with little to no rain.  The only negative consequence of this climate are the 'creatures' that also live here; mosquitos, spiders, roaches, snakes, and frogs (among other things) but none of these have been as bothersome as we originally thought.  There are also plenty of friendly creatures too.  Chickens, quail, goats, a pig, and dogs, dogs, and more dogs!  

There's a pack of about 15 dogs that almost exclusively hang out on the porch of the main house, there's a smaller group of dogs that usually hang out down by the WWOOFer's area and then of course there's the puppies who live in several group pens in between the house and WWOOFer area.  The dogs certainly outnumber the people and that's no easy feat because there's always lots of people around too!  Our hosts, Sid and Susan, and their four children, Linnea, Rowan, Sunne, and Sidney have been welcoming, friendly, helpful, and entertaining!  The other WWOOFers and residents of the farm have been great too!  Jesse, Janet, and Adam are all from various parts of Florida, but Crystal and Danny are from the Netherlands, and Peter is from Oregon.  We hope we spelled everyone's names correctly!  It has been fascinating being around so many cultures and backgrounds, sharing experiences and stories.  We're even trying to learn a few Dutch swear words!

A typical day on the farm begins around 8:30 when people make their way up to the main house for breakfast.  When there's upwards of 15 people to feed, every meal needs to be BIG! And when big meals need to be made lots of coffee needs to be consumed!  By the time all the breakfast stuff and morning socializing has been taken care of it's usually around 10:30 or so and Sid and Susan discuss the day's projects.  Except for daily chores and long-term projects, daily work schedules can vary greatly which keeps things interesting.  The daily chores include feeding all the animals, milking the goats, watering plants, and cleaning out the puppy pens.  The big project currently being worked on is construction of a new building for WWOOFers.  Lunch usually occurs around 2 or 3 o'clock and is also usually a large communal event.  After lunch the work is either very casual or nonexistent depending on how much was accomplished during the morning.  Evenings are spent hanging out, relaxing, and preparing dinner which usually takes place somewhere between 8 and 9PM. The main house is always open and available to hang out in but the WWOOFers also have their own separate house down near the pond.  A short walk through Florida jungle connects the two houses.  It's been such an amazing time here that we can already tell it's going to be hard to leave.  Luckily we still have plenty of time left.  We'll try to keep the posts coming and get into some more of the specifics of what we're up to!  Until then, here's some pictures from the farm!