Random thoughts~

* Thinking that it's all about shoes really...whether you are working on your feet all day, or mucking stalls, hiking, dancing, cold, hot, or doing special athletics...shoes make the difference in doing it well and comfortably. Geesh, ain't life simple...and blessed. May we all have the shoes we need, when we need them...

* Wishing on this day to express gratitude to all the students I have known through the years, and to the wonderful group of teachers and librarians I had the pleasure to work with. My life was enriched by them all, especially the ones closest to my heart. (You know who you are, and if you pause to wonder if that means you, then yes, it does!)

* Trying to identify a couple of snakes we've seen around. I had been previously amazed that we never saw any, but with spring, they are out and looking for romantic partners and a few mice. No confirmed poisonous ones so far. :) It does take an attitude adjustment to manage the fear issue. As long as they're nonpoisonous, they can stay. They just have to sign the "I won't scare the sh*t out of you" agreement.

* [Remembering that] the intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
~ Albert Einstein~ Remember to accept and appreciate your intuitions!

* Promising I don't say these things lightly...but my favorite song is EXACTLY by Amy Steinberg and my favorite book is THE TAO OF EQUUS by Linda Kohanov. Both extremely creative and empowering and interesting! Take a listen and a read. Hiiiiiighly recommended. (don't have enough thumbs)

* Realizing I have to post this. Chickens are not so stupid. This is a painful discovery, as I, sadly, am not a vegetarian. (I don't eat much beef, but poultry consumption is frequent.) The "new" chicken group of 10 are almost grown and now have a self-service door to their coop. (like a doggie door). They have responded brilliantly (in relative terms).

Horse Dreams and Other Wonders of Technology

Having a barn cam system - extravagant. Being able to see what goes on in our absence - priceless.
The receiver for the 2 wireless barn cams is in the study. So, with powering on that TV/Monitor comes the ability to see all the animals at night.
"The Secret Life of Farm Animals" starring horses Chief and Zeke, donkey Emma, and goats Rose and pregnant Chanel.
The system is primarily to monitor the behavior of Chanel in case we need to be alerted to imminent delivery behavior (if only we knew what the hell that really looked like) and to make sure horses do not have a stomachache after eating dinner (horses get colic easily and it can be deadly, so a bit of paranoia is appropriate).

Last night around 2 a.m., I turned on the TV to check on the animals, as I do a couple of times each night. Horses can sleep standing up (as most herd animals can), but to reach deep sleep they need to feel safe enough to lay down at least a couple of hours. Our horses obviously feel safe in the barn and sleep lying down often.

I saw Chief lying flat, head down and legs stiff. I was initially frightened something might be very wrong, but then became intrigued as I saw his legs move. He looked like a dog dreaming of chasing something. He was also making a noise rather like snoring. I had NO idea horses did this, since approaching a sleeping horse usually wakes them up. Thanks to this technology, I got to see behavior normally not observable. Waaay cool!!!!

I do wonder though what horse dreams are made of...

Fondly,

Considerations for Brave Folks

While I think about it, one of the purposes of this blog was to pass on advice for anyone considering cashing-out buying-in to the country way of life.

Obviously, research the area you are thinking of. We like S.E. Oklahoma because it is lovely, cheaper cost of living than Dallas, definitely off the mainstream map and yet not too far away. Everything from property taxes to utility costs are lower than the city.

Decide if you want animals so you can find appropriate property. They are certainly hard work, but are fun and you have a built-in reason not to sit on your butt as you get older. Farm people tend to be strong and live longer. We'll see if that holds true starting this adventure in our 50's!

You may just want a garden and if so you could have smaller acreage. Either way, please keep in mind: it is expensive and/or very labor-intensive to clear land of heavy trees and put up fencing. Look for a small existing farm if possible because it will save you much work and time.

Nothing saves your sanity and your body like equipment! Hydraulic assistance can not be praised enough!!! Doug had begun buying used trailers, tractor, mower, etc. long before we actually moved here full-time. This helped reduce our start-up costs substantially.

You can go as big or as small as you want. It is a more peaceful way of life, and as my earlier post indicated, you do exchange some convenience for serenity. We are happy to chat with you if you want more information. Join us in the grand experiment. We would love you to be our neighbors!

Fondly,
Gaye

Cowboy Up

Farm life, just like city life, is often rife with unexpected situations.

Taking advantage of a beautiful sunny and warm day in December, we decided to dust off the horses, try out some of our new tack (riding equipment)and just have a slow, calm ride around the property. It is a good idea to remind horses what they are here for and that room and board is not completely free of performance obligation.

The challenge (in addition to Doug's healing foot from the tractor accident - that was another unexpected situation) was what to do with the donkey during the ride. The equines, all being profoundly herd animals, basically go what we call in the country "ape-shit" when separated from other members of the herd.

Since Emma the donkey follows the boys (horses)around like a puppy, I ASSUMED she would follow us as we rode. You know what they say about assuming. She, harkening back to some long-lost vision of donkey freedom, distinctly did NOT follow us, but ventured out onto the road. With her precise little donkey steps, she was off.

Now I haven't ridden my horse Chief very much yet, and only this morning I again witnessed his running, jumping, bucking, and farting manuevers as he blew off some steam in the pasture. At my age, it is hugely important that I stay in the saddle when I ride. I don't bounce nearly as well as I did in my twenties.

So, it was with interest that I realized Chief and I had to 'cowboy up' and chase and herd the donkey. Cantering down our road, trying to head her off, I did not have time to consider any other solutions . STUBBORN does not adequately describe donkeys' thought processing. She evaded us and ended up out on the HIGHWAY. I am riding, waving, yelling at the oncoming truck, and hoping this 'little ride' does not end badly. Thankfully, here in Oklahoma, people must be used to seeing runaway livestock in the middle of the highway, and they patiently waited while we continued our novice rodeoing.

I am also aware that, "somewhere back on the farm", Doug, a new rider, is on his horse Zeke, who I can hear calling in a very stressed way to his out-of-sight buddies. Ah HA, the training DVDs we watched were put to good use, as Doug turned Zeke in tight circles to prevent Zeke from reactionary bolting and running to find his friends!

All ended well. The damn donkey decided to be docile and did indeed follow the boys like a puppy, AFTER her flirtation with freedom.

Since no humans or animals were injured during this event, I must say it was FUN because Chief and I got to ride "with a purpose". He responded well, did what I asked, we became "ONE" in our dedicated venture to save Emma. THAT'S RIDING!

Stupid donkey. I have had a very long talk with her. Let's hope she listened. She's certainly got the ears for it.

The Reality of Temperature

Right now, it is almost as cold in the Dallas area as it is here in Oklahoma. And it's damn cold. At noon, it's still below freezing and was 20 or so here last night.

When you live in the city and it's cold, it means you put on a coat, maybe gloves, to go to the car and from the car to your destination. You might also have to walk the dog or go to a mailbox outside.

When you live in the country, and have animals, it's a whole new ballgame. The temperature MATTERS because your butt is going to be out IN it! And for more than a quick trip. There are barn chores, breaking up ice in water trough chores, bringing in firewood, manuevering animals from barn to pasture A or B and back again, chasing goats who somehow escape from their safe area to points beyond. Plus, going out with the dogs and a longer walk to the mailbox!

And yet, it was lovely today to coat up and take photos of the frosty morning. We can take a nice nature walk right outside the front or back doors. We don't have to drive to a park since we sort of live in one. On a beautiful sunny but cold day, that has advantages. It's all a trade-off, folks. :)

You Know You're a Farmer When...

You know you're a farmer when...
* You watch the weather report in a serious way, because you know you are going to be OUTSIDE, a lot.
* Every jacket you own has hay in the pockets.
* Your hair and sports bra always have hay in them.
* There are at least 4 pairs of boots on the front porch, in variations of warm, waterproof, warm & warmproof, lightweight, cowboy. Also will be 2 pairs of emergency crocs.
* All of your measuring devices end up in the barn, for intricate mixing of livestock grains and goodies.
* The time on the clock becomes less and less important. You live by the sun to a large extent. Hey, animals get hungry at dusk and dawn.
* Coffee and a hot breakfast become a real treat, but AFTER chores.
* Communication with animals (both verbal and nonverbal)becomes a major part of your day.
* You are comfortable in an old truck.
* You have more varieties of trailers (horse, 4x8, 4x16, poop dumper, etc.) than you know what to do with.
* You enjoy happy hour at the house as much as you ever enjoyed a public venue. You will have earned the relaxation time by the end of the day.
* Stepping in manure is longer an event, but common and no big deal.
* Shoveling manure becomes your workout plan.
* Refining best disposal of manure becomes your project.
* Riding a 4-wheeler becomes a common way of getting around the property.
* Your jewelry gets dusty.

Serenity vs Convenience

When we transitioned from typical urban Dallas area life to living in the country, one of the inital trade-offs I became aware of was serenity in place of convenience.
Ah, the trees, clean air, quiet, and star-gazing skies at night were great. I loved hearing owls at night, seeing deer run across the pasture, listening to the little creek behind the house. Many of the pressures and complexity and frustrations of city living were nonexistent. Sing: glorious!

But wait! What do you mean Walmart is 30+ minutes away? Good Lord, you mean I can't run to the store for (anything I want) several times a week? Sure, there are two little country stores 5 minutes from here, but they are about the size of a really large Dallas TV room, and they have no whole-grain bread (only white - ugh). Luckily one does sell beer. That emergency was averted during the hot summer as we were moving in...

OK. I can do this, I decided. I can turn up the radio. And drive. Here is what I realized: I could DRIVE. No traffic. It took me about the same TIME to drive to the town of Poteau (with Walmart, fastfood places, a cinema!) as it did to drive from Carrollton to many of the places I went in Plano, or Dallas. Because those trips were in slow-motion due to traffic, long stop-lights, etc.

And I had been hideously worried that a move to Oklahoma would mean no more avocados. But Walmart has those too. The (evil?) Walmart is a life-saver in a place like this since they sell Everything! Keep those trucks running from California, baby!

We also are only 45 minutes from Ft. Smith, Arkansas. What you can't get in Poteau, OK, you can get there. But we rarely go. Strangely enough, we have simplified what we need and buy, and going to the bigger city is less and less necessary.

What conveniences in home living did we otherwise give up? NOTHING. We have central heat and air, a jacuzzi bathtub, a trash compactor, Satellite TV, lots of storage space, all in a nice new house. I will admit, it is lovely to come in from outside, tired, and dirty (as in you have real DIRT and other things on you from the barn) and shower in a nice comfy place.

What do you know? It CAN be done. :)

Fondly,