Posts Tagged ‘farm’
Embarrassingly Easy
I have now successfully edited my posts going all the way back to November 30, to fix the missing links that allow viewing the images in their full-size. I find it a bit embarrassing to admit that the solution was always available in the form of a button to click, which creates the link. I guess the link was previously a default situation when I uploaded my images, and became a selectable option when the software was updated.
I let myself think I was too busy to pay attention to this level of detail. Funny how the mind works when it comes to things like this.
Not as embarrassing, but unquestionably easy, was our decision to purchase a share in Walker Farms CSA yesterday. They are our neighbors, and represent many of the philosophies that appeal to us. We came home with eggs, chicken, ground beef, ground pork, ham, and even some lamb weenies, from free-range, grass-fed animals that are not fed systemic antibiotics or any type of hormone, and are raised in a sustainable environment. 
That isn’t all we came home with… They loaned us the book, “The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer,” by Joel Salatin. I recognized having seen at least one of the documentary movies that are referenced on the back cover of the book, featuring Joel and his family farm. After reading just the introduction of the book, I am enthralled by it.
It immediately brought to my mind, the friend I consider a mentor, Ian Rowcliffe, in Portugal. Ian, you are so not alone in your visions and energies to improve our fates by altering the direction of so many aspects of the ways of the modern world. Visiting with our neighbors at Walker Farms, and discovering the writings of Joel Salatin from his Polyface Farms, has expanded my understanding of my own reasons this adventure that Cyndie and I are undertaking feels so right. Ian’s Forest Garden Estate fits right in with it all, and remains one of my primary inspirations.
It really is about more than just the horses, even though that is the primary focus I have been referencing for our reason for moving here. We are trying to figure out fences right now, for the horses, but fences lead to, and are connected with, all aspects of our future operation here. Managing manure is leading to reasons we might want to have chickens. Testimony from the Walkers offered good evidence of the value of chickens, and the introduction of Joel’s book pretty much cements it for us.
There are an amazing number of things for us to discover related to accomplishing all the things we hope to achieve here. As difficult as that seems to be sometimes, it is also surprisingly easy. You could say, embarrassingly easy… because we tend to embarrass ourselves over and over with each lesson we encounter.
Unfortunately, none of them are as simple as finding out the solution is just a click of a button.
We’re Off!
We are off to a walloping start for the new year at our place. We took care of some details that have been lingering unaddressed during the time we were overly focused on our open house/party, and the Christmas and New Year holidays. Cyndie now has Wisconsin license plates for her car, and I learned that our energy company does the billing for electric and propane, independently. I applied for auto-pay, but it only went into effect for the electric bill. I was past due on the propane, because I needed to apply for that separately. Who knew? It’s all taken care of now.
We made some great progress in designing the layout of our future horse spaces, and the fencing that will define it. Our special friends, Barb and Mike, were here to ring in the new year, and helped us identify a miscalculation (confusing ‘feet’ for ‘yards’ in our numbers), which allowed us to move past a stumbling block that was truly foiling our attempts to plan. Then they graciously accompanied us in trudging through the snow to ‘test’ our layout in real scale.
I remain pleasantly encouraged that we have plenty of space to accommodate what we currently have in mind. It’s not a perfect science, since we don’t know which of our potential plans will actually be achieved, in the long run, but the possibilities appear to allow room for us to fit any of the variety of visions that are floating in and out of our dreams.
The owners of the fencing company came to our house on the afternoon of the New Year holiday, to consult on the current status and future planning. We came a couple of steps closer to choosing the type of fence, and are now leaning toward a vinyl-coated high tensile wire strung between wood posts. It will help keep the total cost of this phase of our project down in a range that almost fits our budget.
They will be pounding some stakes and stringing temporary lines to help us visualize how the fences for two paddocks around the barn will look.
These are significant steps for us. In the month-plus since we started talking with this company about our wishes, the progress has felt rather hobbled. There is a very good aspect to the delay of progress, in that, we have had time to adjust our perceptions and work on our imaginings of what we wish to create.
I take it as a good sign, that none of the changes that have evolved are very significant. Overall, it is pretty much on plan with our combined visions.
On top of the energy we felt from working on that project, our inspirations were led to spend some time together exploring the possibilities for a dog, or dogs, that will be good companions for horses, and visitors, and our cats, and us! We share a feeling of attraction to certain, but not all, herders, for our situation. We like the Belgian Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Sheltie, and Great Pyrenees. All tend to have similar benefits/challenges. It will be a tough choice.
There is plenty ahead for us in 2013. It feels like we have picked up right where we left off in 2012, and we got a pretty good start on day one. Hang on for another wild ride!
Amazing Change
This is an amazing time of change for us.
Amazing, beautiful, thrilling, intimidating, exhilarating, bucolic, inspiring, exhausting, all-encompassing change.
Looping Loops
Cyndie and I are growing loopy over the topsy-turvy world of uncertainty we find ourselves trapped in lately.
None of our possessions have a known location, and we can’t keep straight where we have put anything down at any given moment.
Yesterday was supposed to be the day Cyndie started her new job, but we have been forced to push back our plans by two business days to finally accomplish the second step in our 3-step plan to transition from old house to new.
We have already finished the third step, which was to get our possessions moved into the new house. Now we need to go back and complete the second step: signing closing documents, finally making this all legal and proper.
Yesterday, we set out on our half-hour therapeutic walk, and just up the road, met our first neighbor as she was headed to put something in her mailbox. Her husband eventually wandered out and there we stood, on the side of the road, getting up to speed on all the neighborhood tales. It was one of those wonderful conversations that seems to have no end. A little bit like some of my posts… So, no sooner than we had shared one last parting ‘nice-to-meet-you’ to set off on our walk, we found ourselves back in the depths of neighborly gab. It was a treat!
We learned there had been a tornado that moved through the area two years ago, just behind our property, which took out one of their sheds from behind the barn. They said it was 30-years, to the day, after an earlier tornado took the same path.
Later in the day, Cyndie and I heard our first rumbles of thunder here. It sounded GREAT! I’m gonna love watching the weather from our new perch.
It took half the day to determine any signing of closing documents wasn’t going to happen until Tuesday (today!!), so by the time we knew we were free to run errands, it was getting late. We made it to our new bank to make some deposits and get cash, then made a run to hardware and home improvement stores for things piling up on our shopping list.
This really got me spinning. There is so much for us to do, it is hard to figure out where to start. Of course, I like to start at a beginning, (any beginning!) , and proceed in a sequence. Cyndie likes to start everything at once and proceed in every direction, simultaneously. Shopping with her is a real trip for me.
I ended up bringing home things I was considering should probably be on my ‘future wants’ list, but hadn’t even begun shopping for. At the same time, we knocked off a few valuable items that we can put into service immediately, like a set-back thermostat, new shower head, push brooms, boot mats for our entry ways, and anti-fatigue pads for the kitchen floor.
To Cyndie’s credit, I was able to forestall a couple other uncertain decisions until we are able to spend a bit more time to be sure what we want. I do wield some calming influence on the shopping front.
By the time we headed home, it was dark, and I almost got us stuck in a looping round-about. Then I entered a turn lane, one turn too soon, and quickly ran out of pavement, making a last minute correction with too much speed. It was past dinner hour and I was loopy from too much shopping and too many days of disorientation.
We hope to get the last (previously, second), most critical step, wrapped up today. That will give me a solid beginning to plot my next step(s) toward our new orientation on our “Wintervale Ranch.”
Deep Memories
A friend once asked me what it was like to have had such an idyllic childhood, after I described what I remembered about my early years growing up on a farm. Yes, that property which my grandfather purchased after the end of World War II was a great place for a kid to live. I’m discovering it may have made more of an impression on me than I have been aware. (See posts about that farm, published here in Relative Something, 3-years ago, starting here.)
Yesterday, Cyndie and I drove to visit the property we are soon purchasing, and then have dinner at a local restaurant in recognition of the 31st wedding anniversary we reached this past week. Part of me was interested in departing during rush hour, to get some exposure to what the traffic pattern is like at a time of day I may be trying to get home from the day-job. The rest of me didn’t really care much at all about that, because, regardless the traffic, the destination is just so incredibly thrilling.
The late September afternoon couldn’t have been any more perfect, for the crisp, clean air, bright sunshine, and, sprawling out in front of us, to the east, a spectacular cloud formation that grew increasingly dark-gray at the bottom, washing down to earth, as a result of the rain falling out of it.
I had it in mind to turn off the primary highway, shortly after we crossed into Wisconsin, to check out local roads that appear to be the most direct route to our property, as viewed from overhead on a map.
Our dreamy fairy tale of discovering this perfect property is one that just couldn’t be any better, …except it keeps becoming more so.
Getting off the main road, with its wide frontage and striped pavement, and onto scenic, rolling, narrow country roads, turned out to be better than I imagined. Some of the pavement is even freshly laid this summer. The scenes that unfold include dramatic vistas of forested hills and picture-perfect swaths of farmed fields. So much of the drive to our property is akin to staring into a multitude of fabulous paintings of quintessential country landscape scenery, it feels surreal, especially after decades of driving in the suburban metropolitan scene-scape of which we are long familiar.
When we pulled up the driveway (which Cyndie had me check on the car’s odometer: a quarter of a mile long), and I considered the thought that this would be my entrance to home every day, there was a sense of awe that felt supernatural. It also felt familiar, like this is a return to something I know from long ago.
I can’t help but think of my father, and his experience on the farm property his father had purchased. There are some deep-seated memories being awakened by this wonderful wooded property in the country. I’m not entirely sure whether I am recognizing my father’s experience, or my own childhood memories.
I think the familiarities that would come from both, are probably shared.
Reverse Order
It took some time, but there is now a “Sold” placard added to our realty sign in the yard, bringing some formality to our status. It is official.
Each day that goes by, in which I don’t take on some task related to preparation for our move, feels like a lost opportunity. Luckily, last night I was able to take advantage of the big work that Cyndie has been doing in our library. She went through most of the books on the shelves and sorted them into keepers and giveaways. I invited friend, Gary, over for dinner and we urged him to help us out by taking some books home with him. Mission accomplished.
Gary and I got to hear some of Cyndie’s latest stories of connecting with horses. She has been taking some lessons in dressage at a stable that is new to her. Yesterday she took advantage of an opportunity to spend some time making first contact with a few of the many horses at this place. Turns out, there were plenty of interested talkers.
Should I be suspicious about the one that wanted to come home with her? Especially when the owner wandered by and mentioned the horse was for sale?
At the rate things are going, we could end up with a horse before we even have the farm.
Another Perspective
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A guest post by Elysa Hays.
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I could feel the excitement in the air as soon as I got in the car. My parents are at the beginning of a great adventure. I am so grateful for the invitation to ride along. The drive went by quickly, as the farm is not all that far out from the Cities. We talked through some of the ups and downs of buying and selling homes, but most of all, we were bubbling with excitement at the chance to see the house and the land in all its potential. I was impressed with the scenery of the neighborhood as we got close. The rolling hills and forests of trees were drawing us in as we approached the mailbox. I didn’t even mind the smell of the deer in the ditch. “It’s all part of the cycle of life,” I said, as we turned up the long driveway.
We passed both the barn and the workshop building before arriving at the top of the driveway in front of the house. I can’t even find words to describe the feeling of awe that ran through me as we parked. It felt practically perfect. I joked with Dad, but I still can’t find anything wrong with the place (as a lifelong Minnesotan, I suppose I could crack a joke here about Wisconsin, but that’s all I’ve got). What kind of word(s) can describe such a dream place? I felt the energy of the universe smiling down on us. And it only got better from there.
The log cabin style architecture reminded me of our beloved Wildwood lake home. It was just stunning. The kitchen felt like it was designed for family gatherings. I can already picture us sitting around the island with the aromas of fresh baked breads and cookies filling up the whole floor and up to the loft. The funky spiral staircase made from large blocks of wood brings you from the kitchen up to the loft 
looking over the living room. It felt magical up there. A stained glass window glowed with the picture of a wolf under a full moon. I can feel Mom’s spirit there already.
I also loved the small side room off of the kitchen. The windows are wide and tall, opening up an encompassing view of nature. It is the perfect room for quiet mornings, afternoon naps and watching leaves and snow fall. The front door had a large stained glass window that was designed by the current owner and built by a local glass artist. The purple hues of the flowers seem to channel my energy, too. The place feels like home already. The land breathes like the living place it is, and I am overjoyed that my parents are ready to take on this adventure, right here, right now.
We met the family selling the property, which only added to our excitement. They were as happy as we were that it seemed to be the perfect fit for our family. I enjoyed hearing some of their stories as they showed us around and explained to us how they’d poured their love into crafting the place we saw before us. They told stories of the nice neighbors and the local wildlife we should expect to see. We even got a ride on their 4-wheeler to explore the woods along the edges of the property lines. The trails seemed perfect for future horse rides!
The place radiates with the energy of its history. It’s the perfect balancing part to my city life. I can’t wait for all the weekend retreats I’ll get to have on the farm with my folks. The boulders out front, the pond to the side, and the rock garden out back are all inviting, peaceful places for reflection (the rocks remind me of my dad – I can’t wait to see what he does with them). The inside of the home has many grand spaces for gathering and comfortable spots for solitary meditations. It feels like this place has been waiting for my parents to find it. Every turn I took brought me to another space brimming with potential energy. The house, the barn, the shed and the whole yard with its trails winding through prairie grasses all felt like it was, well, perfect. It’s perfectly suited for the great Hays adventure. I’m ready to see what happens next. The adventure awaits!
Dream Farm
When we picked up Elysa on Thursday, to take her to see the place for the first time, she told us that she had never heard the expression: “bought the farm.” She said she received some shocked reactions when she told people that her parents had bought the farm.
The log home sits on the highest point on the property, with the land sloping away on all sides. The entrance of the long driveway offers no view of the buildings and climbs upward for the first third of length, then drops down toward the level of the barn, then rises up to the house.
On the right is the view from the high point of the first third of the driveway.
More Inspired
The number of decisions that we are facing during this phase of the process we are in is dizzying! Remember that sage advice to always read a document before you sign, and to read the fine print. I wish! It feels like my name is all over the place, and I hardly remember most of what I have signed. And we aren’t even at the two closings yet.
We face more decisions in the coming days, after we identify and check pricing for the various accoutrements and power equipment that the sellers are offering for sale beyond the definition of the mortgaged property documents. One of the significant items of interest is a tractor with 12 forward gears and 4 reverse. Boy, have I got a lot of lessons from the school of hard knocks awaiting me in the months ahead. Unless Cyndie happens to have designs on that job …[grin]. I know better than to underestimate her.
Yesterday, we were able to take our daughter, Elysa, along with us to visit the property again and meet the sellers. My confidence in the successful completion of the pending transactions is growing. The sellers are a wonderful, friendly, and gracious family. I don’t know if it is possible to feel any more inspired about this property, but after meeting them, I’m detecting an even greater motivation to succeed in nurturing the absolute best out of the potential this spectacular property holds.
It was a treat to share the place with Elysa for the first time, and observe the reaction of breathlessness that it provokes.
Yes, this is one of those instances that defines the expression of a scene or experience being “breath-taking.”
Details Pending
I don’t mean to tease this along on you, but there remain some details to be hashed out that are holding me back from any official announcements. I can report that things moved very fast for us over a period of a few days, and we have made great strides toward realizing our dreams. Offers are in play going both directions: for the sale of our house, and the purchase of our dream property. The details that remain to be signed off all appear manageable to Cyndie and me.
The unfolding events truly feel like a culmination of lessons we have been given over our lifetimes. Most recently, the odd “interruption” to our plans, when Cyndie accepted a job offer in Boston. It all paved the way for the place we are at now.
I will reveal one critical detail, to demonstrate how close we have come. On Saturday, we learned from our realtor, that the offer for the property we have wanted from the beginning, that we submitted to the sellers on Friday, was accepted.
Relative Something 