Front Porch Ponderings: How many more mornings on the front porch?: Brrr. The cold is coming, or should I say .... I think winter has arrived. The front porch is a bit cold this morning. The northernly wind i...
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
How many more mornings on the front porch?
Brrr. The cold is coming, or should I say .... I think winter has arrived. The front porch is a bit cold this morning. The northernly wind isn't helping either, because it's actually about 45 degrees out there. Yeah, my friends in the Northwest are laughing because I'm complaining about 45 degrees. To be fair though, I'm not really complaining. Winter has been coming each year since time began. Some people are happy, some not so much.
Growing up mostly in northern states, I always lived with cold weather. Dad hated it, he always requested that we were stationed somewhere in the south, we always got northern bases. Glasgow, Montana; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Loring, Maine. Can you say Brrr? You have no idea! And back then, girls had to wear dresses to school, only dresses! Of course, you were covered head to toe in snowsuit, wool socks, snow boots and a warm hat. Dad tells stories of us girls coming home from school and the only thing you could see were our eyes. It seems like we always walked to school too, we never rode a bus on base.
We were overjoyed with the fact that when dad retired, we were moving to Kentucky. That's a warm state! Oh, my - warm weather and close to family all in one move. (I moved ALOT growing up). And we were stationed in Maine at that time, one of the coldest places I remember living. I barely remember seeing grass the entire I lived there. So, to move to the 'bluegrass' state was awesome. Of course, dad only lasted about nine months in Olive Hill before they decided we couldn't make it in Kentucky and the next move happened. North, of course. To Woodbridge, Virginia - right across the river from DC. Yuck. Hated it.
Don't get me wrong, I loved going into DC. Even as a kid, I loved it. And in the 12 years I've been back on the East coast, we still haven't made it to DC! But, Woodbridge didn't last long either, that's where the house fire happened and we ended up in Idaho after that. Closer to my mom's family, since she was so broken up from the fire. (We jumped from our balcony in the middle of the night).
Again, back to snow country. Stayed for almost 30 years before I made it back to Kentucky. I always said I would, I never figured it would take that long! We arrived on Halloween day in 2002. That first Christmas, Dave was outside with no coat on and he thought he was in heaven. I remember him calling relatives back in the west and bragging because it was so warm. Of course, I can't remember a Christmas since then when he was outside without his coat, but he did experience it once! Ha ha ha.
With the anniversary of our arrival coming up next week, I find myself sitting here and wondering where we'll end up next. When I moved to this farm three years ago, I thought I would die here. I guess I still could, but it's not looking very likely, unless God has other plans I'm not quite aware of as of this writing. It was a dream come true to have our own home. A place we could share with all of our visitors. Heck, I tell people to stop and sit on the front porch even if I'm not here. It's so beautiful.
Our original plans for the farm was for everyone to watch along - and come out and help - as we turned three acres into something wonderful for the county. There would be benches & fountains throughout the gardens, dedicated in memory of loved ones or pets, a lovely walking tour around the pond. And the critters. You could even adopt one and then come out and visit. Each came with an adoption certificate, a picture and a window cling. Plus you could come anytime and pet, feed, help care for it. Or just come and visit it.
We've worked hard the past three years. We've put up fencing, kept the pond cleaned up for all the little fishermen that come to visit, kept our gates open for people just to stop by. We've planted gardens - both flowers and vegetables. We've done as much as we could with the few donations we've received. You see, we just have a donation box. Some people leave money in it, some just thank us for showing them around and they leave. We've never complained, because the smile we get on our faces when little ones see the alpacas and feed them is priceless.
But, we don't have a pumpkin patch. We don't have a corn maze. We don't have a bouncy house or huge slide. We can't offer alpaca rides, just visits. During the summer months, we can show you the various ways we grow vegetables and produce. During the winter months, we can show you how cold a farm can be. Of course, most babies are born in the winter - so we do get the occasional visitor to see babies. But, all in all, winter about kills us.
So, again, I am hating winter. Or the thought of it. Feeding the critters takes alot of money, money we don't have this year. It was such a rainy year, most weekends kept people inside and not out visiting farms. We aren't sure what direction to go - sell the farm or try one more year to get this agri-tourism business off the ground before making such a decision. That's where the crowdfunding idea came in.
Crowd-funding is a new-fangled way of asking for help. You just aren't asking your friends and family, you are literally asking the world for help. It's embarrassing to do, when you consider some of the other causes are trying to save someone's life, or build a church in a foreign country. How can we even ask for help in keeping our farm? But, we gave it a shot. After all, between all of our facebook friends, relatives and then the thousands of readers we have through All Things Country, asking for $1.00 each wasn't asking for too much. We've literally given it away free for over eight years. Surely some of our readers will donate $1.00 to us.....
We're just asking for a chance. A chance to survive through what I fear to be a cold, cold winter. One that require even more food for critters, more heat to keep them all warm. And a cold winter basically means no visitors at all. So, we resorted to begging. That's what I feel we are doing. Again, embarrassing. But we had to try. And although there are 8 days left to contribute to our cause, the amount of donations we've received has been very eye-opening. I don't know if people don't understand the concept, aren't seeing the links, or really just don't want to donate $1.00 to us. I'm a bit confused. But then again, when am I not a bit confused?
Well, I guess I'm not getting anything done sitting here rambling on, so I'll just wish you the very best that this Wednesday has to offer you. Keep warm, winter is coming!
Blessings,
Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Growing up mostly in northern states, I always lived with cold weather. Dad hated it, he always requested that we were stationed somewhere in the south, we always got northern bases. Glasgow, Montana; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Loring, Maine. Can you say Brrr? You have no idea! And back then, girls had to wear dresses to school, only dresses! Of course, you were covered head to toe in snowsuit, wool socks, snow boots and a warm hat. Dad tells stories of us girls coming home from school and the only thing you could see were our eyes. It seems like we always walked to school too, we never rode a bus on base.
We were overjoyed with the fact that when dad retired, we were moving to Kentucky. That's a warm state! Oh, my - warm weather and close to family all in one move. (I moved ALOT growing up). And we were stationed in Maine at that time, one of the coldest places I remember living. I barely remember seeing grass the entire I lived there. So, to move to the 'bluegrass' state was awesome. Of course, dad only lasted about nine months in Olive Hill before they decided we couldn't make it in Kentucky and the next move happened. North, of course. To Woodbridge, Virginia - right across the river from DC. Yuck. Hated it.
Don't get me wrong, I loved going into DC. Even as a kid, I loved it. And in the 12 years I've been back on the East coast, we still haven't made it to DC! But, Woodbridge didn't last long either, that's where the house fire happened and we ended up in Idaho after that. Closer to my mom's family, since she was so broken up from the fire. (We jumped from our balcony in the middle of the night).
Again, back to snow country. Stayed for almost 30 years before I made it back to Kentucky. I always said I would, I never figured it would take that long! We arrived on Halloween day in 2002. That first Christmas, Dave was outside with no coat on and he thought he was in heaven. I remember him calling relatives back in the west and bragging because it was so warm. Of course, I can't remember a Christmas since then when he was outside without his coat, but he did experience it once! Ha ha ha.
With the anniversary of our arrival coming up next week, I find myself sitting here and wondering where we'll end up next. When I moved to this farm three years ago, I thought I would die here. I guess I still could, but it's not looking very likely, unless God has other plans I'm not quite aware of as of this writing. It was a dream come true to have our own home. A place we could share with all of our visitors. Heck, I tell people to stop and sit on the front porch even if I'm not here. It's so beautiful.
Our original plans for the farm was for everyone to watch along - and come out and help - as we turned three acres into something wonderful for the county. There would be benches & fountains throughout the gardens, dedicated in memory of loved ones or pets, a lovely walking tour around the pond. And the critters. You could even adopt one and then come out and visit. Each came with an adoption certificate, a picture and a window cling. Plus you could come anytime and pet, feed, help care for it. Or just come and visit it.
We've worked hard the past three years. We've put up fencing, kept the pond cleaned up for all the little fishermen that come to visit, kept our gates open for people just to stop by. We've planted gardens - both flowers and vegetables. We've done as much as we could with the few donations we've received. You see, we just have a donation box. Some people leave money in it, some just thank us for showing them around and they leave. We've never complained, because the smile we get on our faces when little ones see the alpacas and feed them is priceless.
But, we don't have a pumpkin patch. We don't have a corn maze. We don't have a bouncy house or huge slide. We can't offer alpaca rides, just visits. During the summer months, we can show you the various ways we grow vegetables and produce. During the winter months, we can show you how cold a farm can be. Of course, most babies are born in the winter - so we do get the occasional visitor to see babies. But, all in all, winter about kills us.
So, again, I am hating winter. Or the thought of it. Feeding the critters takes alot of money, money we don't have this year. It was such a rainy year, most weekends kept people inside and not out visiting farms. We aren't sure what direction to go - sell the farm or try one more year to get this agri-tourism business off the ground before making such a decision. That's where the crowdfunding idea came in.
Crowd-funding is a new-fangled way of asking for help. You just aren't asking your friends and family, you are literally asking the world for help. It's embarrassing to do, when you consider some of the other causes are trying to save someone's life, or build a church in a foreign country. How can we even ask for help in keeping our farm? But, we gave it a shot. After all, between all of our facebook friends, relatives and then the thousands of readers we have through All Things Country, asking for $1.00 each wasn't asking for too much. We've literally given it away free for over eight years. Surely some of our readers will donate $1.00 to us.....
We're just asking for a chance. A chance to survive through what I fear to be a cold, cold winter. One that require even more food for critters, more heat to keep them all warm. And a cold winter basically means no visitors at all. So, we resorted to begging. That's what I feel we are doing. Again, embarrassing. But we had to try. And although there are 8 days left to contribute to our cause, the amount of donations we've received has been very eye-opening. I don't know if people don't understand the concept, aren't seeing the links, or really just don't want to donate $1.00 to us. I'm a bit confused. But then again, when am I not a bit confused?
Well, I guess I'm not getting anything done sitting here rambling on, so I'll just wish you the very best that this Wednesday has to offer you. Keep warm, winter is coming!
Blessings,
Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Friday, October 18, 2013
Looking through the fog ....
The front porch was a bit chilly this morning. Fall is definitely in the air. As the fog clears, the beautiful trees come into view and what a sight they are this time of year. Reds, oranges, yellows with a touch of green still visible. I love it. I don't remember fall being so pretty in the West. Fall in the west means lots of work really. You see, most people use wood to heat their homes in the mountains of Idaho and you have to be prepared. You spend a good month just cutting, splitting and stacking firewood, hoping to get it all in before the first snow. Electric heat isn't a good option when you may lose power at any time in a heavy snow.
Something we just don't have to worry about too much in our part of Kentucky. Since we've moved here, it's the ice storms that do more damage than snow. We haven't seen a 'good' snow since we got here, but I'm afraid this winter is going to be different. It's just a feeling, but I fear it none the less. I love snow, I really do. And I'm always wanting a good one. But once you drive around through the hills of Eastern Kentucky, you can see why a big snowfall would be so bad around here. Some of the roads in Kentucky are treacherous on a good day, throw some snow on them and watch out!
And the school buses? I can't imagine taking a bus down some of the roads they travel in the snow. I know that our road gets pretty darned slick in the winter and it's one of the last roads in the county so it isn't the first priority when it snows. There are others that need it first. Sometimes it's 4 or 5 in the afternoon when they reach Harris Ferry Road. In the West? Harris Ferry Road would be gravel. I saw a statistic last week on paved roads in Idaho - less than half the roads in all of Idaho are paved. Over half are gravel. Gravel works alot better in the snow.
School buses in the west also have automatic chains. They just drop down when the driver needs them and the chains rotate under the tires. So school is hardly ever cancelled. Here, school is cancelled alot during the winter and although some days you really wonder why, like I said - drive out some of the roads the buses travel and you would understand. Weather forecasting is an educated guess though, so I guess we'll all see in the spring what God has in store for us throughout the winter of 2013-2014.
With lots of luck and a million prayers, the Dave person and I will still be here in the Spring of 2014. At the farm I mean. This past summer was a tough one for the farm and for the magazine. The economy has about wiped us all out. I've thought many times over the years that if we could just get $1.00 from every reader of the magazine that we could actually take a breather and work more on the farm. So, I came up with this idea on IndieGoGo to try and do just that. Think about it, we print 12,000 copies of the magazine every month. The industry standard says that we have 2.4 readers per copy, so easily we have over 20,000 readers every month. If every one of them donated $1.00 to our IndieGoGo project, we would reach our goal!
We get so many letters from people who love the magazine. Sure, they'll all donate $1.00. After all, it takes a village sometimes and with the incredible communities we try to support, this should be a piece of cake. So, as hard as it is to ask for help, we launched it and thought we'd see what kind of support we get from those same communities. Although I've been somewhat disappointed with the response, I am thankful for each and every person that donated to the project. We've got 13 more days until it ends, so I'm really praying hard that we are pleased with the end results.
Here is the address of the IndieGoGo project, if you'd like to check it out. And even if you can't donate, please leave a comment if you have visited the farm in the past. We'd love to have you come back sometime.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-continue-our-journey
I hope the weather is beautiful in your area today and you have a blessed Friday. Thank you for taking the time to read my early morning ramblings......
Something we just don't have to worry about too much in our part of Kentucky. Since we've moved here, it's the ice storms that do more damage than snow. We haven't seen a 'good' snow since we got here, but I'm afraid this winter is going to be different. It's just a feeling, but I fear it none the less. I love snow, I really do. And I'm always wanting a good one. But once you drive around through the hills of Eastern Kentucky, you can see why a big snowfall would be so bad around here. Some of the roads in Kentucky are treacherous on a good day, throw some snow on them and watch out!
And the school buses? I can't imagine taking a bus down some of the roads they travel in the snow. I know that our road gets pretty darned slick in the winter and it's one of the last roads in the county so it isn't the first priority when it snows. There are others that need it first. Sometimes it's 4 or 5 in the afternoon when they reach Harris Ferry Road. In the West? Harris Ferry Road would be gravel. I saw a statistic last week on paved roads in Idaho - less than half the roads in all of Idaho are paved. Over half are gravel. Gravel works alot better in the snow.
School buses in the west also have automatic chains. They just drop down when the driver needs them and the chains rotate under the tires. So school is hardly ever cancelled. Here, school is cancelled alot during the winter and although some days you really wonder why, like I said - drive out some of the roads the buses travel and you would understand. Weather forecasting is an educated guess though, so I guess we'll all see in the spring what God has in store for us throughout the winter of 2013-2014.
With lots of luck and a million prayers, the Dave person and I will still be here in the Spring of 2014. At the farm I mean. This past summer was a tough one for the farm and for the magazine. The economy has about wiped us all out. I've thought many times over the years that if we could just get $1.00 from every reader of the magazine that we could actually take a breather and work more on the farm. So, I came up with this idea on IndieGoGo to try and do just that. Think about it, we print 12,000 copies of the magazine every month. The industry standard says that we have 2.4 readers per copy, so easily we have over 20,000 readers every month. If every one of them donated $1.00 to our IndieGoGo project, we would reach our goal!
We get so many letters from people who love the magazine. Sure, they'll all donate $1.00. After all, it takes a village sometimes and with the incredible communities we try to support, this should be a piece of cake. So, as hard as it is to ask for help, we launched it and thought we'd see what kind of support we get from those same communities. Although I've been somewhat disappointed with the response, I am thankful for each and every person that donated to the project. We've got 13 more days until it ends, so I'm really praying hard that we are pleased with the end results.
Here is the address of the IndieGoGo project, if you'd like to check it out. And even if you can't donate, please leave a comment if you have visited the farm in the past. We'd love to have you come back sometime.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-continue-our-journey
I hope the weather is beautiful in your area today and you have a blessed Friday. Thank you for taking the time to read my early morning ramblings......
~Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Got fins?
My goodness, we had quite the rains overnight. Thunder, lightning, the whole nine yards. The alpacas aren't too thrilled with all the wet ground, but the temperature dropped several degrees so they are actually happier I think! Shearing can't come soon enough. Next year, we'll be doing our shearing in May to get it done quicker in the year. Waiting until June is just too hard on them.
As I look off the front porch this morning I see water standing everywhere. Not ideal, but hey - we'll deal with it. We have a huge covered porch, so we'll even deal with rain if that happens Saturday. Of course, rain will put a halt to the barn painting so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rains stay away. Toes, too!
The ducks seem to be rather content this morning. Of course, they're ducks! A bit of water doesn't bug them a bit.... just brings the bugs to the surface and makes them easier to eat. They have built-in fins, so they don't sink when they wander through the garden. Not true for me. One step into it this morning and I started to sink in. Not good. I've got too much to get accomplished outside for the soggy weather to stick around all day.
Yesterday was quite the disaster around the farm, so I'm really praying for a better day today. We started out with a phone call from dad, asking if we knew who was in the wreck on Highway 89. Dad said there was a car wrapped around a tree, so I'm just praying the driver got out safely. Then we got the call from Fuzzy Butt Alpacas - they have to work mandatory overtime on Saturday and can't come shear! Oh no. Now what? Dave got on the phone and started making calls - and through the kindness of Eve Secrist in Richmond we found someone that can come on such short notice. He's actually going to be in Beattyville Saturday morning shearing sheep, so stopping here for the afternoon worked out good for him. He's from Somerset so would be traveling this way anyway. One blessing answered.
As Dave was talking to Mr. Crowe on the phone I noticed that the kitchen floor was flooded. What on earth! Something got stopped up in the dishwasher and the water overflowed onto the floor. Whew. Nothing serious. Just clean up work. By this time, it's well after noon and the day is half shot. I would say what else could go wrong, but won't. The rest of the day consisted of another wreck on Highway 89 in the afternoon, a torrential storm passing over and getting nothing really accomplished for the shearing.
But, one day at a time. We'll get there. And if we don't, we don't. But we'll give it a heck of a shot. Guess I'd best get to work. Lots to be done and a short amount of time to get there. I am hoping you have the best day possible and keep smiling!
Blessings,
Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
As I look off the front porch this morning I see water standing everywhere. Not ideal, but hey - we'll deal with it. We have a huge covered porch, so we'll even deal with rain if that happens Saturday. Of course, rain will put a halt to the barn painting so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rains stay away. Toes, too!
The ducks seem to be rather content this morning. Of course, they're ducks! A bit of water doesn't bug them a bit.... just brings the bugs to the surface and makes them easier to eat. They have built-in fins, so they don't sink when they wander through the garden. Not true for me. One step into it this morning and I started to sink in. Not good. I've got too much to get accomplished outside for the soggy weather to stick around all day.
Yesterday was quite the disaster around the farm, so I'm really praying for a better day today. We started out with a phone call from dad, asking if we knew who was in the wreck on Highway 89. Dad said there was a car wrapped around a tree, so I'm just praying the driver got out safely. Then we got the call from Fuzzy Butt Alpacas - they have to work mandatory overtime on Saturday and can't come shear! Oh no. Now what? Dave got on the phone and started making calls - and through the kindness of Eve Secrist in Richmond we found someone that can come on such short notice. He's actually going to be in Beattyville Saturday morning shearing sheep, so stopping here for the afternoon worked out good for him. He's from Somerset so would be traveling this way anyway. One blessing answered.
As Dave was talking to Mr. Crowe on the phone I noticed that the kitchen floor was flooded. What on earth! Something got stopped up in the dishwasher and the water overflowed onto the floor. Whew. Nothing serious. Just clean up work. By this time, it's well after noon and the day is half shot. I would say what else could go wrong, but won't. The rest of the day consisted of another wreck on Highway 89 in the afternoon, a torrential storm passing over and getting nothing really accomplished for the shearing.
But, one day at a time. We'll get there. And if we don't, we don't. But we'll give it a heck of a shot. Guess I'd best get to work. Lots to be done and a short amount of time to get there. I am hoping you have the best day possible and keep smiling!
Blessings,
Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Sunday, June 23, 2013
No where close to where we want to be
As I gaze out towards the smoldering bonfire from last night, I can't help but notice the flower gardens. And the fenceline. And the pond. Oh, gosh. Will we ever get to where we want to be around here? It's so overwhelming that I just want to go back inside sometimes and hide from the world. But, that's not me. Not anymore at least.
Things don't happen overnight. I'm a slow learner. When we moved to the farm, we were going to do this. And do that. And not stop until it was done. But, who was I kidding? Only myself. I was forgetting a rule I learned many, many years ago. Take One Day At A Time. Heck, take one hour at a time if you need to. I've had to do this so many times over the years and for some reason, when I moved here I forgot that.
Yes, things don't happen overnight. All Things Country didn't gain it's popularity overnight. We still meet people - in Irvine - who have never seen a copy of the magazine and we are starting our 8th year. If I had given up the many times over the years that I've been discouraged, trust me there wouldn't be a magazine. But my dad taught me to never give up - and I haven't. We didn't sell a single ad all week - and I'm more content that I've been in months. The ads will come - and if they don't then the book will just be smaller. One day at a time.
The farm however is looking wonderful. No where close to where I wanted to be at this time. But alot further along than we were five days ago. And today is another day to make a difference. One day at a time. Today I shall spend in those flower gardens. Trying to control the weeds. If I just plant more then there will be less room for weeds right? I've declared it the year of the mulching, but that won't happen until I get a handle on the weeds currently residing there.
The Dave person isn't real good at helping in the weed department. He's told me many time over the years, "I don't pull weeds." Today, he has promised to help me. Goodness sakes, I'll have to have my camera handy to catch this event. I'm joking, of course. He helps me from time to time. He just grumbles. But he also stands up on the porch and points out the beauty of the flowers too, so I know he enjoys them. Just a little maybe.
The forecast calls for rain almost every afternoon this coming week. Although I won't turn down moisture in the gardens, I sure hope it stays away on Saturday for the shearing. It makes the job that much messier!!
Well, I'm not getting anything done sitting on this computer. Have a great Sunday, wherever you may be.
Blessings,
Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Things don't happen overnight. I'm a slow learner. When we moved to the farm, we were going to do this. And do that. And not stop until it was done. But, who was I kidding? Only myself. I was forgetting a rule I learned many, many years ago. Take One Day At A Time. Heck, take one hour at a time if you need to. I've had to do this so many times over the years and for some reason, when I moved here I forgot that.
Yes, things don't happen overnight. All Things Country didn't gain it's popularity overnight. We still meet people - in Irvine - who have never seen a copy of the magazine and we are starting our 8th year. If I had given up the many times over the years that I've been discouraged, trust me there wouldn't be a magazine. But my dad taught me to never give up - and I haven't. We didn't sell a single ad all week - and I'm more content that I've been in months. The ads will come - and if they don't then the book will just be smaller. One day at a time.
The farm however is looking wonderful. No where close to where I wanted to be at this time. But alot further along than we were five days ago. And today is another day to make a difference. One day at a time. Today I shall spend in those flower gardens. Trying to control the weeds. If I just plant more then there will be less room for weeds right? I've declared it the year of the mulching, but that won't happen until I get a handle on the weeds currently residing there.
The Dave person isn't real good at helping in the weed department. He's told me many time over the years, "I don't pull weeds." Today, he has promised to help me. Goodness sakes, I'll have to have my camera handy to catch this event. I'm joking, of course. He helps me from time to time. He just grumbles. But he also stands up on the porch and points out the beauty of the flowers too, so I know he enjoys them. Just a little maybe.
The forecast calls for rain almost every afternoon this coming week. Although I won't turn down moisture in the gardens, I sure hope it stays away on Saturday for the shearing. It makes the job that much messier!!
Well, I'm not getting anything done sitting on this computer. Have a great Sunday, wherever you may be.
Blessings,
Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Friday, June 21, 2013
A New Beginning.....
It's a gorgeous Friday here in Palmer, Kentucky. I have totally neglected this blog, our website and our Facebook page. It's time to put a halt to that and head in a new direction. Yesterday morning I took my coffee out front and pondered. I do that alot, sitting on the porch swing and staring across the fields towards Madison County. We had so many plans when we moved here in November of 2010 - and as I looked around at all the changes, I couldn't help but notice what wasn't getting done. The front deck was a mess. How on earth did THAT happen?
The Dave person and I work every day. All day long. Sure, we don't have typical nine-to-five jobs like most people. We also don't have typical paydays like most people. We have focused so much on trying to keep All Things Country Magazine going that we have neglected the farm. So, sitting there I wondered how we got so far off track.
Several reasons came to my mind. We waited for 253 days just to own the farm. That was the first hurdle. Financing turned into a nightmare and we lost $8,000.00 right off the bat. But, we had dreams. Big dreams. So, with hard work, we could surely make a go of it, right?
Then my sister and her husband moved here. Seems like things just kept getting more and more off-track. And the work on the magazine just kept getting slower and slower. The economy jumped in the way and the nasty way our country is being run kept people from advertising. Seems to be that way again right now. What did we do, we worked harder.
I have never wanted the magazine to fail. So much so that all of our resources were being used up trying to sell ads to businesses that couldn't afford them any longer. It doesn't pay to drive around every day, using up lots and lots of gas and not making anything. It's kind of like opening up your shop each day, working 8 hours and never making a sale. That's the way it's been going.
By the time we get home each day, we found the farm was getting less and less of our attention. And that is far from our long-term goal here. Adjustments have to be made. If one way isn't working, you always figure out a different way - and that's what we are going to do. Try things a different way. I'm not good at failing. And I refuse to give up on All Things Country Magazine.
But, I refuse to give up on the AlpacaBerry Farm. It's my long term dream and you just don't give up on dreams. I want this place to be a 'destination'. I want visitors to come and see what improvements have been made. I want you to bring your kids here and introduce them to the critters or learn something about where their food comes from. I want you to bring your momma out here to see the beautiful flower gardens. I want you to bring your grandkidlets out to fish in the pond.
So, this farm deserves just as much attention as the magazine. A lot of people know about our magazine. Advertising somehow comes around during the latter part of the month. I am going to do what I can to promote it through email and online - and we will start making less trips out, which will allow us to be at the farm more - and doing improvements each and every day.
In the long run, I'd rather work 12 hours on this farm and showing it off to visitors. It's very rewarding and to see the improvements each and every day will just keep us more determined to succeed.
So, I'm off to see what we can improve today. Blessings to each and every one of you.
The Pam person
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
The Dave person and I work every day. All day long. Sure, we don't have typical nine-to-five jobs like most people. We also don't have typical paydays like most people. We have focused so much on trying to keep All Things Country Magazine going that we have neglected the farm. So, sitting there I wondered how we got so far off track.
Several reasons came to my mind. We waited for 253 days just to own the farm. That was the first hurdle. Financing turned into a nightmare and we lost $8,000.00 right off the bat. But, we had dreams. Big dreams. So, with hard work, we could surely make a go of it, right?
Then my sister and her husband moved here. Seems like things just kept getting more and more off-track. And the work on the magazine just kept getting slower and slower. The economy jumped in the way and the nasty way our country is being run kept people from advertising. Seems to be that way again right now. What did we do, we worked harder.
I have never wanted the magazine to fail. So much so that all of our resources were being used up trying to sell ads to businesses that couldn't afford them any longer. It doesn't pay to drive around every day, using up lots and lots of gas and not making anything. It's kind of like opening up your shop each day, working 8 hours and never making a sale. That's the way it's been going.
By the time we get home each day, we found the farm was getting less and less of our attention. And that is far from our long-term goal here. Adjustments have to be made. If one way isn't working, you always figure out a different way - and that's what we are going to do. Try things a different way. I'm not good at failing. And I refuse to give up on All Things Country Magazine.
But, I refuse to give up on the AlpacaBerry Farm. It's my long term dream and you just don't give up on dreams. I want this place to be a 'destination'. I want visitors to come and see what improvements have been made. I want you to bring your kids here and introduce them to the critters or learn something about where their food comes from. I want you to bring your momma out here to see the beautiful flower gardens. I want you to bring your grandkidlets out to fish in the pond.
So, this farm deserves just as much attention as the magazine. A lot of people know about our magazine. Advertising somehow comes around during the latter part of the month. I am going to do what I can to promote it through email and online - and we will start making less trips out, which will allow us to be at the farm more - and doing improvements each and every day.
In the long run, I'd rather work 12 hours on this farm and showing it off to visitors. It's very rewarding and to see the improvements each and every day will just keep us more determined to succeed.
So, I'm off to see what we can improve today. Blessings to each and every one of you.
The Pam person
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Hard weekend on the farm.
We had a tough weekend at the AlpacaBerry Farm. Our shepherd mix dog, Sheba, somehow got into poison somewhere and we had to put her down. Since I grew up in the military, I never had pets growing up. Not many at least. There were a few dogs when we stayed in one place for longer than a year, but never did one die on me!!
Oh gosh. How sad is it to look into the eyes of your pet and not be able to explain how sorry you are they are in pain? Or even to sit there and wonder just how much pain they are in..... it's heartbreaking. Sheba came to live with us after being found in Richmond on a very cold morning several years ago. Dave walked into Silo Mill at just the perfect time for Barb to say, "here Dave ... you hold her." Well, he ended up bringing her home and she was a bright spot in our lives. At least for the most part. We had our moments with her.
Before we moved to the farm, she was only allowed outside on a leash. We knew everything she ate. That changed when we moved. And don't get me wrong. We have a fenced yard. She was an escape artist though. We never could figure out why she would run off from a perfectly good home. But, from time to time, she did.
I'm not a fan of a dog that runs. It kills me that Gracie, our Pyranees, runs around the neighborhood. We've tried keeping her in. It's impossible. She digs through anything we've put her in. And the electric fence doesn't faze her. She climbs over the bull gates. She's just hard to keep in.
But, she's a pretty good porch dog - 85% of the time. She has to have her morning and evening run and the rest of the time she just lays around the farm somewhere. She is always on the front porch when we get home, it's like she is protecting the place while we are gone. I chalk it up to she just needs 30 or 40 acres to patrol, not just three acres. It's just not a big enough 'job' for her.
I am very thankful that she is such a friendly dog and I don't worry that she'll hurt anyone. All you have to do is say her name and she'll roll over and let you pet her belly. She's a big baby!
Thanksgiving evening, Sheba got out for the last time. We figured we'd wake up and find her Friday morning laying on the front porch with Gracie. And she was. But something wasn't right. After an hour or so, it was evident she didn't feel good. And she was sick, throwing up some weird things. But, she was still drinking water and going to the bathroom, so we figured she just ate something bad.
By Saturday morning, she was paralyzed. It was evident she had ingested poison somewhere. The sad part, it was probably just tainted water somewhere. It is antifreeze season, so that's always a consideration. I guess my suggestion to end this post is to make sure you dispose of poisons properly and not let it get into our water supplies. It's a good reminder each year I guess.
We will miss her, the house seems so quiet now. Abby still looks for her every time we go outside and that's kind of sad. But, she's not in pain and that's the important thing. And, as much as I'll miss Sheba, I am thankful it wasn't my Abby girl. I can't imagine the grief I'll feel when she is gone!
Blessings to you all. Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
Oh gosh. How sad is it to look into the eyes of your pet and not be able to explain how sorry you are they are in pain? Or even to sit there and wonder just how much pain they are in..... it's heartbreaking. Sheba came to live with us after being found in Richmond on a very cold morning several years ago. Dave walked into Silo Mill at just the perfect time for Barb to say, "here Dave ... you hold her." Well, he ended up bringing her home and she was a bright spot in our lives. At least for the most part. We had our moments with her.
Before we moved to the farm, she was only allowed outside on a leash. We knew everything she ate. That changed when we moved. And don't get me wrong. We have a fenced yard. She was an escape artist though. We never could figure out why she would run off from a perfectly good home. But, from time to time, she did.
I'm not a fan of a dog that runs. It kills me that Gracie, our Pyranees, runs around the neighborhood. We've tried keeping her in. It's impossible. She digs through anything we've put her in. And the electric fence doesn't faze her. She climbs over the bull gates. She's just hard to keep in.
But, she's a pretty good porch dog - 85% of the time. She has to have her morning and evening run and the rest of the time she just lays around the farm somewhere. She is always on the front porch when we get home, it's like she is protecting the place while we are gone. I chalk it up to she just needs 30 or 40 acres to patrol, not just three acres. It's just not a big enough 'job' for her.
I am very thankful that she is such a friendly dog and I don't worry that she'll hurt anyone. All you have to do is say her name and she'll roll over and let you pet her belly. She's a big baby!
Thanksgiving evening, Sheba got out for the last time. We figured we'd wake up and find her Friday morning laying on the front porch with Gracie. And she was. But something wasn't right. After an hour or so, it was evident she didn't feel good. And she was sick, throwing up some weird things. But, she was still drinking water and going to the bathroom, so we figured she just ate something bad.
By Saturday morning, she was paralyzed. It was evident she had ingested poison somewhere. The sad part, it was probably just tainted water somewhere. It is antifreeze season, so that's always a consideration. I guess my suggestion to end this post is to make sure you dispose of poisons properly and not let it get into our water supplies. It's a good reminder each year I guess.
We will miss her, the house seems so quiet now. Abby still looks for her every time we go outside and that's kind of sad. But, she's not in pain and that's the important thing. And, as much as I'll miss Sheba, I am thankful it wasn't my Abby girl. I can't imagine the grief I'll feel when she is gone!
Blessings to you all. Pam
My front porch is your front porch, won't you sit awhile?
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