Year-end review

The year 2009 is almost a memory, and as the year draws to an end it is good to remember the triumphs and failures, the joys and sorrows, the events that gave life its color and meaning all through the days of this fading year.

This chronicle of events transpiring in the farm may only be five months old but the farm has been the scene of a very busy year especially when we decided to begin with our plans to improve its state and condition.

Our triumphs and successes may be summarized into several bullet points:

• we have begun to collect and propagate plants for future landscaping projects.
• increased farm size by legally acquiring adjacent lots.
• the fencing of the sides and rear perimeters.
• the front has been secured by constructing an 8-foot high concrete wall.
• initial steps have been made leading to the future construction of the dirt road within the farm.
• increase in number of some farm animals through acquisitions, births and government grants.
• some other little triumphs that helped to bolster our spirits.

There were also other problems and difficulties we've met:

• some plant casualties due to several reasons (nature and man-made alike).
• work stoppage due to unavoidable reasons like typhoons and other natural causes.
• work slowdown due to human causes like budget constraints, labor shortage, etc.
• vehicle problems brought by mechanical age.
• decrease in number of some farm animals due to several causes.
• some other head-scratching problems that kept us entertained, amused and confused.

As we look forward towards 2010, we can only hope that we could top our achievements in 2009. Surely there will be more daunting problems yet to be encountered, but with much prayer and fortitude we hope to overcome them all.

There is one dreaded and unavoidable major problem looming in the horizon... dwindling finances.

Happy new year to us all!!!