A man has to know his limitations

Leigh, a reader of this blog and an author of several books poses the question..."Is Homesteading a Dying Trend?" on April 2.

The gentleman who runs the Possum Ridge video channel addressed some of that question in THIS video. Very briefly summarized, everything has positive momentum when you are starting out. You have new(er) equipment, new fence, new soil and are younger. Every year you can look back and see progress. At some point, the maintenance requirements grow to exceed the "fun" level and growth stops or even reverses.

My take on the subject is that many people get sucked into the myth that they can do it all. They can be:

• Blacksmith
• Welder
• Mason
• Carpenter
• Electrician
• Plumber 
• Mechanic 
• Weaver
• Spinner
• Fix fences 
• Sheep sheerer
• Butcher 
• Tan hides 
• Doctor
• Vet
• Herbalist 
• Hunter
• Fisher
• Gatherer
• Make soap 
• Cheese-maker
• Brewer
• Winemaker 
• Baker
• Artist 
• Grafter
• Apple picker 
• Dig wells 
• Lumberjack 
• General Laborer

There was a time when family or neighbors who had mastered those skills were on-tap and available with just a phone call. If you needed a crew of 10 people for an afternoon getting hay off the field, you could find them.

Good luck with that now.

For the record, I hired my nephew to "fix the riding mower". I am not sure what it needs but I trust him. I loaned him a copy of the key to the pole-barn. He trusts me to pay him. He is a busy guy and I might not get it back before July...but it will get fixed.

"A good man always knows his limitations." Harry Callahan