Mild Sun Sick

I did farmers' market today and got burned.  Yes, we have a canopy and yes, I was under it.  However, the sun was still coming in from the side and I was also moseying around the produce stand.  Plus, I had Hannah with me and she was running around.  She, however, is not burned.

Charlie and Bethany stayed home with Husband and they cut logs and began clearing a pasture for some of the animals.  They also did a garbage run.  Tomorrow will be doing more clearing and outdoor work.  I want to get as much done before the really bad heat hits.  I still remember last year and the temps over 120* with the heat index.  I don't want to be doing heavy work in that heat and I don't want my husband doing heavy work in that heat.

I'm still irritated with myself for allowing a comment from Eugene, Oregon not only to go through, but make an actual post about it.  I allowed the comment.  I knew the comment had a suspicious tone to it, but I allowed it.  It was only after I made the blog entry concerning it that I even bothered to check where it came from.

I know not everyone agrees with how we live.  We don't vaccinate.  We cosleep.  I nursed while pregnant.  I nursed past the age of two.  We're conservative.  We wear skirts and dresses.  The males don't wear shorts.  I'm a domestic violence advocate.  I'm a La Leche League Leader.  I homeschool.  I kill animals for food in front of my children and allow them to help pluck.  We live off grid and still enjoy movies.  We get two channels on our TV.  We have Wii Fit.  We have computers and phones, yet we have no power lines going to our property.

Because we have made these choices, we have become the subject of speculation (whatever) and ridicule by people who come up with all sorts of horrible worst-case scenarios.  I remember one being concern about an ambulance not being minutes away.  Yet, last night the paramedic was sharing stories about various calls he has been on.  He moved here from the city and city response times aren't any better based on his over 25 years experience.  The other concern is fire.  We have the same equipment on hand here that the department uses.  Backpack water sprayers.  Our water tanks hold 250 gallons.  The water tanks on the back of the trucks hold 300 gallons.  We dealt with 1000+ acre fire here in the backwoods.  The response from the different fire departments was amazing.  It took hours to bring it under control, but it happened.  The focus was saving homes, not the forest itself.  There's wildfires burning out of control in Arizona and it's getting worse.  We've been discussing whether Husband would go if we were asked since this is the specialty here.  (Don't ask us into a city.  We would be lost with buildings bigger than a two story house.)  We don't know yet.

Anyway, fire and medical have been the two biggest concerns that I classify as legitimate for people who do read or do know us and are not familiar with how things work here.  We got it covered about as well as anyone else.  Maybe a little bit more since we've actually bothered to get trained on what we need to know to not just protect our family, our home, and our property, but also to help care for and serve our community.