Today, it’s thirteen years since I wrote my first post and there are those among you that have been right there with us for most of the ride. You’ve witnessed big stuff in our lives: the homestead change of location, Farm Girl grow from an exceptionally opinionated girl with a fondness for fairy dresses and gumboots to the awesome woman she is today, and a multitude of people and animals enter and/or exit our life. And you’ve been along with us on some pretty amazing holidays!

The thing is, the world is really changing.

Be it the heartlessness of those making, breaking, and enforcing the rules right now or the leaps forward in technology and the dark opportunities it offers those that enjoy that sort of stuff, my little patch (both physical and digital) on this planet is feeling pretty threatened. The introduction of AI in particular has caused a fair amount of collective Homesteader soul searching as it lurks, like the fabled neighbourhood snoop behind digital fluttery net curtains, eavesdropping and upskilling and information gathering. Melodramatic? Possibly. But consistent viewing spikes in our stats from places we have zero interactive followers makes a girl think.

I started this blog for a variety of reasons, but mostly as a running record of our days; a digital diary. Something we can, and do, read back over from time to time, marvelling at how far we’ve come, how fun that was, or how we’ve gone and done that same stupid thing AGAIN. I can deal with the odd nasty comment (thanks, WordPress, for the ability to review and delete new interactions) but I don’t want the words that came from my brain, my turns of phrase, and written voice to be skimmed and scanned and gathered up by an interloper any more than I want the images I share being copied and used for who-knows-what.

And this affects what I share. This blog can no longer be a digital diary.

So, I’ve decided to go back to recording our reality for just us; the Homestead. Then I can be real, and honest, and me – and digitally glue in the photos – without worrying about that nosy interloper.

I’m going to miss you all – your interest, comments, and kindness – but I’ll still be here, dropping by and giving you my two cents worth.

So aroha nui, love to you all, from all of us at Union Homestead, but especially me, your scribe,

The Milk Maid Sharon