Disclaimer: I do not own Stardew Valley

...

My first thought when I woke up that morning was whether or not I would ever get used to the idea of waking up to a rooster as opposed to an actual alarm. Still, sunrise was a reasonable time to surface although come winter I would potentially be sleeping with earplugs in. The idea of waking up early on a frigid day was not a pleasant one.

It was only my second day time waking up in my new home but already a routine had been established. It wasn't like there was much I could do outside of having some breakfast and showering to get myself ready for the day. It wasn't as if there was a great deal of space for me to spruce up my living quarters and make it look a little more homely. It was either empty or cramped, no real middle ground to speak of.

Once I had readied myself for the day I filled up my watering can and considered my options. While watering my seeds I surveyed my land and the mess it was in. Stones and debris littered the base of trees while what looked like an old greenhouse lay in ruin. I wasn't even sure if there was anything salvageable from the old building but I feared it would collapse on me if I so much as got too close to it. For now, it would remain desolate and an eyesore but there really wasn't much more I could do.

Clearing up sticks and stones wasn't a terrible way to spend the morning but I could only do so much before my motivation would crumble into nothingness. There was no point in getting more land ready for cultivation, I didn't have the finances to purchase any more seedlings to plant and I didn't have an active income without being able to sell some produce.

Hopefully I wouldn't be waiting for months on end for something to pop out of the ground.

Thinking about the immediate future, the plan for pulling up and gathering some stone and wood was a relatively safe idea for the morning. It was better to start stockpiling little bits here and there for when I eventually required Robin's services for either an upgrade to my dwelling or any sort of barn. I knew it was ambitious to be thinking that far in advance but all things considered, sitting and staring at crops wondering whether something would sprout if I gave it enough attention was foolish. Better to be actively proactive, plus it would make my day feel somewhat better when I opened my front door and didn't see large amounts of chaos.

With my morning set, it was time to get to work.

...

I couldn't help but think that having bought some heavy duty gloves would have been a smart investment before leaving the city but that was the curse of hindsight. Swinging around a pickaxe and axe to break down stone and lumber into more easily transportable pieces did a number on the palms of my hands. I wouldn't be surprised if I found myself with blisters in the next couple days.

At least the yard looked somewhat more appealing. There was still the issue of the forest that had taken root to the south along with the decrepit greenhouse but ignoring those two things it seemed a lot better.

Having gone across the land had managed to show me a few points of note that I hadn't paid attention to yesterday. Firstly, behind the greenhouse was a small cave. I don't know why I had feared stepping inside but it had been rather lackluster once I had actually stepped foot inside. It was just four walls of solid stone. Over the summer I could imagine sitting in there during the hottest part of the day as it would be rather well insulated by my reckoning. Only time would tell if my hypothesis was correct.

Secondly, the walkway to town was not the only path off of the property. In fact, there were two others of note. One was beside the cave and started with a set of stairs that led up and over the tunnel close to where the broken-down bus was located. I hadn't yet explored where the path had gone but I would keep that in mind.

The final pathway was the one I had ventured down which started at the bottom end of the farm. The stroll had led me past a building which resembled a barn that had been remodeled into a homestead. The add on of a pen full of barnyard animals complete with cows and pigs was a sight to behold if the smell was something which would take some getting used to. There was also a small sign out the front of the barn stating some opening hours so they sold something out of the building. Given I had no real money to spend as of the moment, there wasn't really any point in seeing what they had in stock.

Hence my walk had brought me further south to where I had my breath taken away by the natural lake. Quite simply it was stunning to behold as birds and woodland critters completed the experience. Somehow I had prevented myself from whipping out my phone and taking a photo of the scenery, I didn't believe the eight megapixels my phone could handle would justify the view. If my parents wanted to whinge about it when I next spoke with them they could visit themselves.

I don't particularly know how long I had remained rooted to the spot before my eyes scanned around the area a little more. A rickety looking bridge had been installed leading to one of the smaller land masses close to the middle of the lake. A further bridge then followed on to the other side of the lake but I wasn't willing to risk crossing the lake until I figure out just how stable those walkways were. If I wanted to hike around it the long way round I imagined just that the trek would take at least a couple of hours out of my day.

Though it was still definitely something to still consider doing somewhere down the track.

"Oof!"

The serenity I had been trapped in was broken as the thud of something heavy landed onto the ground, immediately drawing my attention. Somehow, the image I had been looking at had blinded me to the fact that there was a cabin only a couple dozen feet away from where I had been standing.

Around the side of the cabin, a few meters away from the front door, was a woman with light brown hair and wearing a green shirt and some gray pants. In front of her was the source of what had caught my attention in the first place, a solid chunk of timber nearly twice the size of my arm and three times as thick. It looked like the piece was fully intact and as such, probably weighed a fair bit.

"Need a hand?"

The words had escaped my mouth before I even realized I was offering my services.

The woman looked up at me with a kind smile but raised her hands up sheepishly. "Thank you for the offer but that's alright," she said. "I reckon it can just live there for the night and I'll drag it in tomorrow to get to work. Again, thank you for the offer."

"No problem," I said as I pondered what kind of work she had planned for said piece of wood. Still, it wasn't my place to comment so I let that one be.

"You're the new local aren't you," they declared boldly. It wasn't a question in any sense. "So why did you want to come out here and be a farmer?"

Oh how I wished I knew the answer to that question. The closest answer I could come up with that sounded half true was that I wanted to follow my grandfather's legacy but even that felt like a stretch. "When I figure it out, I'll let you know," I said after a few seconds of thought.

"Yeah, I can understand that feeling. I moved here from the city a while ago and while it may not be obvious now, you'll figure it out in time," they said as they moved forward and extended their hand out. "My name's Leah, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Taylor," I say as I shake Leah's hand.

"Well, as one former city person to another, if you need some advice don't be afraid to call out," said Leah.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said before my attention drifted once more to the lake.

"Beautiful, isn't it."

"Yeah, beautiful."

Once more I was trapped in the world I would never had witnessed had I remained in the city.

...

My time with Leah was cut short as she entered her cabin and I returned towards my farm to get ready for the end of the day. It was nice knowing that there was somebody else in town who was in a similar experience to myself. It seemed as if it was something which a friendship could potentially form from but I was getting ahead of myself.

Friends weren't that easy to make after all.

It was good to at least have an acquaintance.

Walking up the path to my farm I looked at the small entryway I had passed through as I entered my property. It was actively just a path from one area to another. No fence. No gate. Just a straight up path. Had my grandfather been so confident in the people of this town that he didn't worry about people trespassing onto his property? Or was the lack of barriers his way to say that his door was open if anybody wanted to pop by for a chat and maybe to share a pot of coffee?

I kind of wish I knew my grandfather better to get an understanding of who he was as a person. I wanted to know whether or not he would get lost for hours on end staring at the scenery before him like I had earlier. Would that wonder wear off after time? I truly hoped that it didn't.

If one thing was for certain though it was that I was going to find myself well and truly healthy. Everywhere I had to go was at least a half hour walk away so I needed to make sure that I didn't have any late night plans in getting back from town too often. Who knew how many mosquitos and other insects would try to feast on my skin once the sun had set.

Still though, that would be an issue for another day as I walked towards my homestead with full intention of getting ready for another early night. There was still plenty to do to clear up the land and who knew what the next lot of challenges would be.

...

It turned out, the next lot of challenges was right around the corner. While on my way to shower behind my home, the roosters crow had not been the only bird of note. Stepping outside the flapping of wings was immediate as a number of crows took flight, the damage they had caused already clear to see.

On positive notes, my first batch of vegetables had started to sprout leaves. Tiny little stalks of green shooting out of the ground to let me know that I hadn't killed everything on my first try. Nothing was near completion, it would still be some time before that but it was a promising start.

However, by my calculations, I had already lost maybe a quarter of my produce. The birds had been relentless in their assault, pecking away at the smallest morsels of happiness and wrecking what should have been a momentous occasion.

Now I had to figure out which clothes I hated the most to make a scarecrow from.

...

Hope you enjoyed