Homesteading with animals...post a pic!

Homesteadmom

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Wow Lin! That is a lot to go thru. I think I would have opted to keep my voice too. Glad no more naked teens for you. That can be stressful in & of itself!
Have you applied for food stamps? With not much income you should qualify. And remember that is what they were first established for anyway to help families & people when times are down & then when you get back on your feet you don't use them anymore. We used them after our accident for a couple of yrs. I got $10/mo for 6 mos, most people said it wasn't worth it to them, but it was to me. I used it at the bread store it bought the whole mos worth of bread & buns & a few pastries as treats. Plus it kept Scott on the free lunch program & on AHCCCS(state medical insurance). Thank goodness because 1 mos before it ran out his appendix ruptured. And I could not get ex to put him on his insurance until I could afford insurance again.
I hear you on the one job mind, mine is the same. Today he is trying to get his boat running. Him & Scott are going fishing Thurs & he wants to have more than his trolling motor to use.
We have been in the 40's the last 2 nights too, but tomorrow it is supposed to go back up to 80's & 50's, then 90's on Weds again!!!:he I wish the 70's would stay for awhile.
I took my cat in this afternoon & had him put to sleep, he had feline luekemia & was not doing well at all, he had lost over 5 lbs. We will be burying him after while out near the garden. He loved to lay out there in my asparagus bed & in between tomato plants. So somewhere outside the garden I will bury him.:hit
Pam
 

love blrw

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I am so sorry to hear about your cat, I hope you are okay. Such a hard day you must have had.
I have a job watching someone's animals for a few days over the weekend, I'll just sleep there, come home during the daytime to stick my nose in the family's business and then go back. She is letting me use her sewing machine, I messed up the tension knob on mine. So those curtains will get done and maybe I will make a few lap quilts for christmas gifts also. I saved up some old jeans for one, some light calicos for another, and wools for a winter bed quilt. I haven't decided on the pattern for it, but some type of woodland winter ranch appliques on irregular squares. I'll make it in six panels and then sew it together. That way I won't feel so overwhelmed with it. I could kick myself for always giving away my best work, I gave a baby quilt away that I would love to make a copy of. It was red, dark yellow and cornflower colors, very nice combo. It had enough red and yellow that it could be used for a boy or girl. Now I just have to remember to buy thread before I go over there!
Isn't it snowing in Montana this week? Think cold maybe it will drop down to you. LOL
lynn
 

Homesteadmom

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Thanks Lynn, I appreciate it. We buried him just inside the garden fence near the asparagus bed where we don't till or grow anything. Our other cat is being more lovable now. Guess he is trying to comfort us. they weren't good buddies either.
Glad you can get your curtains done this weekend. Just curious if you get paid for all the house & pet sitting you do? I used to do that as a kid & made a good chunk of change during the summer doing it. Pets, yards, plants, mail & paper were all included in my job. Lucky for you there is a sewing machine available to use. That should keep you very busy sewing all those projects. I made my mom a new grapevine wreath on Sunday for her Christmas gift. Now I need to get my sewing projects going to get them done. I want to make Richard a set of checkered flags for his bedrm wall & a checkered pillow too. I already have the material(remanent's) to make it all.
I am thinking & hoping for cooler weather to come down to us. If we were up north on our place there we would be in the 70's & 60's for highs now & 20's-30's at night. I can't wait to move up there for good!!!
 

love blrw

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Moe is home! And he relaxed once he figured out that where he was, was our house. He chased a chickens a little when they came out to greet him, the kittens are afraid but the dog seems to like him warily.
I remember you talking about moving, I know that you will feel great once you are there, there is nothing like having a dream become a reality. Just move steadily along. It was hard building our house, every day we set aside four to six hours, since we were both working full-time. Once the shell was up the building really came together. Of course we didn't have any kids then so it was easy. I can't imagine having to do it all the physical work again. These days there are so many other options like kit homes and prefabs. It would be good exercise though, but it would probably take John and I two years instead of the one it took the first time. John and I have been discussing it, because even though we love this house, the house is becoming too big and the yard too small.
The friend I am pet sitting for actually asks if I could just keep her dog here, but I just didn't want to have to train a new dog to the chickens, and I think she will probably give me a few dollars (or a few bottles of wine? that would last all the holiday season in this house), but we didn't discuss it, we go back and forth with favors.
Still haven't bought the thread, have to see if the local stores have any.
lin
 

Homesteadmom

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Good job Moe!! I bet he is happy as can be. He has his family around to see him everyday now!
Right now we are looking at building a small cabin up there for weekends & summertime mainly. Then when we sell out here we will have a house built up there & of course we will do everything we can to help keep the costs down on the building. But with the cabin there we would be able to live there while it is being done & really supervise it all the time. If we could have afforded both mortgages we would have had our old home(small 960 sq ft) moved up there & that would have been very roomy up there. We would have had to put in composting toilets though. And we would need solar panels too. Can't swing 2 mortgages though.
Don't blame you for not wanting to train a dog to the chickens. that is one thing I am not looking forward to when we get a new dog. I prefer a young one that is still trainable because I want to be able to let them out of the pen when we finish all the fencing. Don says we will probobly finally get everything done here & then we will be moving up north! Who knows? I buy wine & it sits in the cabinet for awhile around here too. We have the "drink" but don't drink too often. I found a good brand at walmart for $1.97/bottle if you can believe it.
I got 2 pillows sewed yesterday & got started on dd's nightgown's i am making here for Christmas yesterday.
 

FarmerChick

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HM---sorry about the kitty!
I know...!! :(
 

FarmerChick

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missthenorth

your pics are stunning!
your horses are WOW! I love horses and these are georgeous!

how do you like the electric poultry netting? I never tried it but am thinking about it to extend some of my fields for the chickens. Just wondering how it is for you and do you find it good to work with to move etc.???
 

miss_thenorth

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FarmerChick said:
missthenorth

your pics are stunning!
your horses are WOW! I love horses and these are georgeous!

how do you like the electric poultry netting? I never tried it but am thinking about it to extend some of my fields for the chickens. Just wondering how it is for you and do you find it good to work with to move etc.???
Thanks!

We love the horses too, and think they are quite stunning.

So far I love the poultry netting. Although my dh disconnected the bottom two strands--you're supposed to have ground clearance--(yeah right--it touches the grass no matter what.) With the two strands disconnected, it works great. We have it connected to the electric horse fence, and moving it is not an issue--just remember to unplug the charger before you step over it to water and feed the chickens. My first batch of meat birds were raised in the barn. this is much nicer.
 

FarmerChick

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HA HA HA---oh yes, unplug the charger when stepping over..LOL....many an electric shock to this old body! LOL

thanks for the report on the netting. I guess it is time to order up some! Glad it worked well for you!

I sure prefer outdoor raising vs. barn raising!
 
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