quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: I'm kicking myself not not doing these projects years ago so that we could enjoy the fruits of them ourselves.
I know just what you mean! My (then)husband and I thought the same thing when we replaced the scuzzy carpet in the spacious sunroom of our first house just before selling it, and when we painted over the ugly green exterior of our second house just before selling it, and when we painted the great room of our third house... just before selling it.
Posts: 239 | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
My whole body aches. I can't believe how much friggin' work both Porter and I have done. We are *mostly* moved in--at least the important stuff. It is totally bizarre to me that tomorrow is Thanksgiving.
I love this house! The funny thing is, I wasn't really expecting to. I mean, I figured the house would be sufficient for our needs, but if it weren't for the land it is attached to and the location, I wouldn't have picked this house. But the longer I'm here, the more reasons I find to love it! Little things here and there that I like so much better than where we were.
The rain has been coming down and we have been extremely busy with moving in, so I haven't had much chance at all to explore the grounds. That will have to wait.
Things I like:
I have been having lots of fun having woodburning stoves! The comfort and the beauty, ah.... I love the kitchen setup. I love having a playroom where the kids toys can be less underfoot. I love having a separate laundry area (not stuck in a bathroom.) I love having 2 bathrooms rather than the unnecessary 3 we had before. I *love* having a mudroom!!!
And there is something extra-special about looking out my window in the dead of late November and seeing green EVERYWHERE! :big grin:
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Porter and Mary, I'm so happy for you guys! It's been a joy to follow along with your moving and following your dream. The house sounds awesome! I know how much a pain moving is and I'm glad you guys are finally there. Let the unpacking begin!
Your ever fan, Telp
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I didn't chime in before this, as I have no experience in owning land. My family owns a cottage on a lake in MI, and we have a bit of land with it, but not that much, as we really only went up there for summers as a kid.
I love camping, and being out on the land . I love lakes and ponds, and the place you bought sounds wonderful. MY parents had blackberry brambles outside their house in RI, and the only bad thing about it was all the birds that swarmed them....BEFORE DAWN! I love birds, but there were times I wanted to throw a net over them and kill them all. The brambles were only about 40 feet from the house, so the birds would wake everyone up with their calls.
But the best part about this thread, at least for me, has been reading it once a week and seeing your excitement about the move, and about what the changes mean to you and your family. I know that you talked about doing a lot of things, and you probably won't get to all of them right away, but it was really heartwarming to hear your excitement, and watch as this story unfolded.
I hope that it becomes all that you wanted it to, and more.
posted
I can't believe how much it's raining here. I mean, I know it's supposed to be wet and rain every day and all that, but come on! This has to be a joke on the n00bs.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
It's just a regular November in the Northwest. Enjoy!
Bev, I completely understand every delight in your new home, except the glee at FEWER bathrooms. Clearly, your kids are very different from mine. Or maybe just younger!
Anyway, I'm glad y'all made it ok (if a bit battered), and are enjoying the new place.
posted
Thanks, all! It has been so much fun to share this with you as well.
I don't know how things will play out with acquiring animals. I can't remember if I mentioned Porter's "6-month-animal-rule" where after getting a certain kind of animal I have to wait at least 6 months before getting another kind. It is probably a very good idea to keep me from going overboard, but of course, opportunities do not come on a semiannual basis!
At this particular moment, I am too focused on moving in to think about getting animals--at least to think about it *much*. I have an opportunity right now to adopt a very nice wether (neutered male goat) that would be a pet and weed-eater. But according to the 6-month rule, if I do that, I have to wait much longer before I can start chickens and therefore before I can have my own eggs! So when I learned a couple days ago that someone else is interested in this wether, I am thinking I will let them have him. I dunno yet. I think I better meet this little guy first before making the decision.
Oh, and yes, it rains here a *lot*. It just makes our house feel all the more cozy!
posted
I would by-pass the wether for now. Because you will probably want to start with a female, anyway, so you can eventually build up a herd!
Unless you plan to eat him at some point.... otherwise he is just a lawn mower and pet, and with the 6 month rule, I think you would rather have chickens first.
quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: I can't believe how much it's raining here. I mean, I know it's supposed to be wet and rain every day and all that, but come on! This has to be a joke on the n00bs.
It's a bit wetter than usual this year, but like rivka said, get used to it.
posted
beverly, one of my fondest childhood memories is of heating our home with a wood-burning stove. My mother always had a pot of water simmering on the top in back to keep the winter air hydrated. Slow-roasted sweet potatoes, chili ... mmmm.
Porter, it is a little extra-rainy now, but just wait until these rainy months are through. The spring through fall seasons are magnificent -- jewel-toned greens and blues, flowers everwhere, just gorgeous. This is the hunker-down period we use to pay for the highlights.
Do you have the right gear? Thick, tight wool overgarments, a raincover, warm soft undershirts, good boots, etc.? The gear makes allt he difference.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Porter, I'm big on scrimping and saving, and I hate -- hate! hate! -- to waste money. Spending money on fads and useless trinkets seems immoral to me.
However, your experience of the Pacific Northwest and you ability to function in it moment by moment is extraordinarily affected by having the proper gear. Dave and I ended up scrounging thrift stores for our basics, and man, am I ever thankful for that investment. [about $50 each]
I would love to help you and beverly figure out what you need and how to do it in a frugal way (rather than just plunking down a lot of money at a sports store) if you are interested -- either by email or here. I even found some good websites.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Welcome to the Willamette Valley! The sun will be out to say hello sometime in April or May. I've actually not had too many problems with the cold during my time here. Most of the time, a warm jacket and an umbrella has sufficed for me. On the other hand, I never lived on a farm.
If the lack of light gets to you, I recommend getting one of those nifty light boxes. They're no replacement for sunlight, but they do help.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I guess I haven't been paying close enough attention to this thread, I didn't realize you were actually in the valley. I just got here myself a little less than a year ago. It will, indeed, probably rain until mid-April sometime. At least that's what happened last winter, some rediculous number of consecutive days with rain, swollen rivers, the whole nine yards. Seriously, I came out for a visit to look at the school and find an apartment, and it was raining. Hard. I went home, packed up my apartment, drove across the country, spending a nice few days with my parents on the way, and when I got back it was still raining. Hard. It continued to rain for at least the next month. Hard.
Like Shigosei said, the cold is almost certainly not a problem, heck a windbreaker/raincoat has done the job for me. I may have broken out a slightly heavier coat once, but I don't think so, and never touched my heavy winter coat. I hear it snows here from time to time, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh my freak! We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland! It is gorgeous out there! I was going to sign my kids up for school today, but school is cancelled. Oh well, I guess they will just have to romp and play in the snow all day.... Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Heh, hiya. Haven't posted in a while. I'm not sure why, just didn't have much to say. I'm good.
Oh, and of course, it snows 2 days after I essentially say I don't believe it ever actually snows here. You wouldn't really know it's been snowing for at least the last 3 hours by looking out the window though.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've been trying to look up radar and see kinda where in Oregon this is (since I'm not familiar with the state at all.....) is this near Salem? It's still snowing?
posted
The Willamette Valley is where the snow is, I think. So, between Portland and Eugene-ish is probably where the snow is happening (I don't know exactly - I haven't looked at any radar maps).
Posts: 1466 | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm glad to hear y'all are moved in. I'd love to see pictures of the property sometime. Do y'all plan to give it a name?
BTW, I'd definitely choose chickens over goats any day. However, I'd just start with hens. You'll have eggs and you won't have to listen to a rooster crow. They don't just crow at dawn - they crow all day long. All night, too. That's one thing I don't miss about living in rural GA, the stupid roosters.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote: If you have very small children, a herding dog (such as an Australian Shepherd) may take to "herding" the kids as they toddle around. Nothing to worry about, though.
Oh, yes, it is to worry about. I've had a bunch of Australian Shepherds and Australian Cattle Dogs (Blue Heelers). The dogs herd instinctively by nipping the heels of the animals. With humans, sometimes that means they grab a leg and go. I had one Australian cattle dog that caused every pair of my jeans to have a multitude of holes from the knees down. One pulled my right leg out from under me at the top of a hill. I love my dogs, but I don't turn my back on them, and I wouldn't have them around kids. We don't allow them to be alone with the cattle, as they will run them nearly to death. One of our neighbors had to shoot one that kept chasing his sheep. These dogs are really smart, and can be trained, but left unsupervised can be destructive. The one we have now chews up aluminum cans and leaves the shredded aluminum all over the lawn. Also, he herds cars, and tears off mudflaps and bites tires flat.
Posts: 1379 | Registered: Feb 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:They don't just crow at dawn - they crow all day long. All night, too. That's one thing I don't miss about living in rural GA, the stupid roosters.
This is truth.
I can hear the roosters - which are at least a mile away, by the way - all the live long night. Where'd I put those earplugs again?
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had the sheer luck (Haha) to rent an apartment, in the middle of Rio de Janeiro, in front of a mall, in a very busy street...and there is a neighboring house where the owner raise...chicken and roosters. And it is...just...behind...my bedroom. I may take to shoot noisy roosters for sport.
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
But do you really want to get chickens just as winter is coming on? Also, are Chickens really animals, or are they more like plants? If you wait until spring, you can have baby chics! Awwww...
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have decided to adopt the wether (neutered male goat.) I figure he will be a "practice" livestock animal for me. He will be relatively easy to care for, and if I mess up, it won't have huge reprocussions. That means chickens will come in late spring.
Plus, when I am ready to get a dairy goat, I will feel less need to get two just to keep each other company. Really, this guy should have a companion too, but the home he will have with me won't be any more lonely than the one he is leaving.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Snowball is here! Our darling goat is here!
We'd been talking to the owners of Snowball and let them know that we did want to adopt him, and they were going to come by sometime this week. I was in the shower, and Princess Peach bursts in jubilantly, "Mom! Our very first farm animal is HERE!"
What a cutie he is. I'm so glad that our place is already well set up to accomodate his needs. He will be a *great* practice livestock animal for our family. Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh dear! Only here a few hours and already he got his head stuck in the gate! He has horns, so it was particularly tricky. I don't know if he is able to learn from his mistakes in this instance or if it will keep happening.
If Snowball gets a screen name, I think it should be Silly Billy.
I think I will take him on a walk with my kids. That sounds like fun for all. (He has a leash.)
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Oh dear! Only here a few hours and already he got his head stuck in the gate! He has horns, so it was particularly tricky. I don't know if he is able to learn from his mistakes in this instance or if it will keep happening.
It will keep happening, probably every day.
Please don't let your kids near him for a while (or at all, if I were you). Goats with horns are not safe around children. Even just playing, they can easily injure the children with their horns. They can injure each other, too, as well as other animals.
beverly, can you return the goat? I feel that I have to tell you that I think you have made a huge mistake in getting a goat with horns. I grew up around goats and we always debudded them. Always.
If you don't want to return him (which my conscience compells me to keep urging), please be aware that a horned goat is not a pet and make your children very aware of this, too. They should know to never, ever go near the goat without you or mph (or other approved adults).
I know I'm coming on a little strong, but I'm worried about you and the kids.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I wanted to share some of my recent experiences.
This last week I went to visit Abundant Life Farms, where they practice sustainable farming similar to the kinds of things that I want to do, though on a bigger scale than I intend to. I enjoyed what I saw and admired their efforts. They are following in the footsteps of Joel Salatin, the owner of Polyface Farms.
They actually worked on his farm for a time to learn from him. They have put some of his methods into practice, though they have found that some of the things he does just aren't practical for our location and climate. It seemed that every time I asked them about one of his practices that they hadn't been able to get to work out, there was a faint tone of defeat in their voices. But it just drove home all the more that sustainable farming is far too "organic" and complex a creature to work uniformly well for everyone. It takes ingenuity, creativity, and finding what works for you. It seemed they were doing great things, and I was pleased with their work.
And their animals seemed truly happy. Abundant Life was producing enough to sell to others, but not enough to be considered industrial. All the animals had space and green fields available to them and were in supurb health. I decided to buy some of their products and bring home a bit of all the basics: eggs, beef, pork, and chicken.
What an enourmous chicken! 6 pounds! We roasted it for Sunday dinner yesterday and it was so tasty! The flavor was stronger than ordinary grocery store chicken, so chicken-y and wonderful! And I was happy to know that the chicken I ate had been raised humanely under conditions I had seen for myself.
Today was another kind of experience. I participated in the slaughter, skinning, and evisceration of 6 rabbits. My brother-in-law raises them, and we had requested the opportunity to participate. These rabbits were adorable furballs, and I couldn't ever bring myself to deal the killing blow. The inherent violence in the action ran too contrary to my motherly nature. I hated to see them dying.
But once they were dead, I had no difficulty with the dressing (or undressing?) of the body. I changed to a detacted fascination with the beauty of the physical forms, the complexity and functionality of it all. The entrails were one of the more beautiful things I have ever seen, odd as that may sound. They were so organized and colorful, glistening and plump. I skinned and eviscerated one all on my own. I knew that the things I was currently doing were not causing suffering, that the suffering had passed and they would not suffer again. It was definitely do-able.
But I don't know when or if I will be OK with actual killing. I washed each carcass in another area while my brother-in-law would kill the next rabbit so that I didn't have to see it suffering. By the time I returned, the head was gone and the blood mostly drained. Perhaps with time it will be nothing of consequence, I don't know.
I pondered on the words of Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma when he participated in the slaughter and butchering of chickens. He didn't know what was more disturbing, the fact that he was killing a living thing, or the fact that after awhile it wasn't disturbing anymore. I thought as I went back to my children that I nurture everyday, my precious one-year-old infant, do I have blood on my hands? Do I have any more blood on my hands than anyone who eats a hamburger? I felt that if I was going to be a meat eater, I needed to face the reality of the cost involved. Life, pain. Surely these rabbits got a better deal from us than they get from the coyote or the hawk. Plentiful food, care, safety, the opportunity to procreate and a quick, relatively humane death. But sadly, most of the meat we eat gets a far, far worse deal. From birth to death is living hell for chickens and pigs. Beef cattle at least get some time on pasture.
Since I am a meat-eater, I'm getting to the point where, in spite of my distaste for it, I would rather kill the animal myself than support industrialized meat production. My willingness to do the killing myself also stems from my extreme desire for thrift. Food grown this way is certainly expensive! Maybe someday industrialized food will find a way to remove all animal suffering and raise them in Matrix-esque wombs. Not that I like that idea. Until that day, industrialized meat production leads to sick, crowded, miserable animals by necessity. Now that I know this, I feel morally responsible for how I respond.
The experience with the rabbits certainly didn't harm my appetite, as I hungrily savored the leftovers from last night's roast chicken. I sat down and watched a sweet, innocent movie with my children. In a few nights, we will dine on rabbit for the first time.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:I had the sheer luck (Haha) to rent an apartment, in the middle of Rio de Janeiro, in front of a mall, in a very busy street...and there is a neighboring house where the owner raise...chicken and roosters. And it is...just...behind...my bedroom. I may take to shoot noisy roosters for sport.
I feel your pain.
Keep us updated with your scorecard, eh?
quote: I felt that if I was going to be a meat eater, I needed to face the reality of the cost involved.
I agree with this sentiment. I've killed chickens. Not my most favorite experience in the world, and it does get easier after the first time, but still one I would do again.
I think that if I'm not willing to kill my meat/dress it/at least know what all that entails, then I really shouldn't be eating it.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Wave]](graemlins/wave.gif)
(previous page)
