Settle Back Easy Acres

01/17/2026

The Question Horses Never Ask

A horse never asks
what you do for a living 🐎

It doesn’t care
how successful you look.
How busy you are.
How impressive your story sounds.

It responds to who you are
in this exact moment.

And maybe that’s the question
we should stop asking ourselves too.

01/16/2026

Where Two Spirits Share One Wind

You move as one breath split into two—
mane braided with feathers,
muscle carrying memory,
silence taught by trees.

The forest rises within you,
pine and sky threaded through hair,
old paths running along your neck
like prayers that learned to run.

One listens to the ground.
One listens to the horizon.
Together, you hold the space between—
where strength becomes gentleness,
where motion remembers why it moves.

No reins, no commands.
Only trust shaped by time,
only the agreement
between heart and earth.

When you run,
the land does not chase you—
it follows,
grateful to be remembered.

01/11/2026

Grow More Strawberries in Less Space With an A-Frame Gutter Garden

This A-frame gutter setup turns vertical space into a high-yield strawberry patch that is easier to manage than ground planting and far more productive per square foot. By lifting the plants off the soil, it reduces rot, keeps fruit clean, and makes harvesting fast and enjoyable.

How to build it
Use pressure-treated or naturally rot-resistant lumber to form a sturdy A-frame, similar to a ladder. Mount vinyl gutters horizontally on both sides, slightly tilted toward one end for drainage. Always install end caps and drill small drainage holes along the bottom of each gutter. Keep spacing consistent so light reaches every level and air can move freely through the plants.

Planting tips for better yields
Choose strawberry varieties that do well in containers, especially day-neutral or everbearing types for a longer harvest window. Space plants closely but not crowded, usually 8 to 10 inches apart. Set crowns right at soil level, not buried and not exposed. Use a light, well-draining potting mix so roots stay healthy and oxygenated.

Watering and feeding
Because gutters dry out faster than garden beds, consistent watering matters. Water deeply until it drains from the bottom, then allow the soil surface to dry slightly before watering again. A drip line or soaker hose running the length of each gutter makes this almost effortless. Adding compost to the soil mix at planting time helps provide steady nutrition without relying on synthetic inputs.

Where to place it
Set the A-frame where it receives at least six to eight hours of sun each day. Morning sun is ideal because it dries leaves quickly and reduces disease pressure. Placing it near a garden path or patio makes checking moisture levels and harvesting easier, which leads to better care overall.

Ongoing care
Remove runners unless the goal is to propagate new plants. Trim damaged or yellowing leaves to keep airflow strong. Rotate the structure or reposition it seasonally if sunlight shifts. In colder climates, move the frame to a sheltered area or wrap the gutters to protect roots over winter.

This style of strawberry garden works especially well for small yards, patios, or anyone who wants cleaner fruit, fewer pests, and a harvest that happens right at eye level.

01/09/2026

12/29/2025

12/27/2025

Safer, smarter deworming starts with the right knowledge.

12/21/2025

The final days of the Year of the Snake feel different.

Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just… complete.

This year has been one long shedding—old beliefs, old fears, old ways of holding myself together through force instead of trust. And through it all, my horses have been my steady guides. They don’t rush transformation. They don’t cling to what’s already done. They shed when it’s time—and then they move forward lighter.

There were days this year when the only place I could feel grounded, clear, and honest was standing with my herd. Their presence kept bringing me back to what matters: truth, connection, and listening beneath the noise.

Breaking the Chains Within has been my anchor through this season—both in my own life and in the work I offer others. It’s not a philosophy. It’s a lived path. One that asks us to release what was never meant to be carried and to trust what is emerging next.

As we prepare to step out of the Snake year and into the Year of the Fire Horse, I feel the energy shifting from shedding to embodiment—from release to movement.

And yesterday, as I said goodbye to my mother at the end of her life, I felt one more chain fall away—making space for what comes next.

12/17/2025