murphysranch
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2009
- Messages
- 1,924
- Reaction score
- 3,917
- Points
- 270
- Location
- Southern Washington State
Hello all. I've been lurking for a couple of months, and feel that I have gotten to know so many of you thru your posts, even tho you didn't know me (yet)!
Hubby and I bought 7.5 acres in the Sierra Foothills about 3 years ago, and it took all that time to make the necessary arrangements to plan our move from Silicon Valley. We sold our home (took 6 months!) in August and moved up here full time. We've been living in a trailer while we've been building a home ourselves. We've been working on it off and on for two years now, and its finally coming to a completion now that we are up here full time.
My first agenda when we arrived in Aug was to purchase some chicks. I bought 8 Jersey Giants about a week old, and I LOVE those babies, even today as they are 4.5 months old. Wouldn't you know it, I got a perfect ratio of 50:50 > 4 hens and 4 roosters. Sheesh...we lost one rooster to something last month, but the others are thriving. Not sure what to do with two of the three roosters. (BBQ? Craigslist?)
The property came with a HUGE garden, fenced and supposedly wired against gophers. So I happily planted tomatoes and zucchini, only to find that the gophers got in and ate themselves silly. Plus my soil is just not made for growing anything but CA oaks and pines and manzanita. So I adopted a bunny, and his poo will someday make a difference, along with my compost pile!
DH is a painting contractor and will be looking to start over his business up here. I got laid off from my high tech job in July, and have been on COBRA and Unemployment. Unfort the UE just ran out, and I'm waiting for an extension. Also unfort, the Obama subsidy plan for my COBRA just out, so I'm searching for a med plan thats more affordable for us.
I love canning, cross stitch, dogs (got 4) and cats (got 2), gardening (planting and digging), and want to learn to knit and have time to read books again. After a career of travel, stressful responsible jobs and raising two kids, its time for ME!
Special hi to my fellow Californians whose stories I've been following as well.
Hubby and I bought 7.5 acres in the Sierra Foothills about 3 years ago, and it took all that time to make the necessary arrangements to plan our move from Silicon Valley. We sold our home (took 6 months!) in August and moved up here full time. We've been living in a trailer while we've been building a home ourselves. We've been working on it off and on for two years now, and its finally coming to a completion now that we are up here full time.
My first agenda when we arrived in Aug was to purchase some chicks. I bought 8 Jersey Giants about a week old, and I LOVE those babies, even today as they are 4.5 months old. Wouldn't you know it, I got a perfect ratio of 50:50 > 4 hens and 4 roosters. Sheesh...we lost one rooster to something last month, but the others are thriving. Not sure what to do with two of the three roosters. (BBQ? Craigslist?)
The property came with a HUGE garden, fenced and supposedly wired against gophers. So I happily planted tomatoes and zucchini, only to find that the gophers got in and ate themselves silly. Plus my soil is just not made for growing anything but CA oaks and pines and manzanita. So I adopted a bunny, and his poo will someday make a difference, along with my compost pile!
DH is a painting contractor and will be looking to start over his business up here. I got laid off from my high tech job in July, and have been on COBRA and Unemployment. Unfort the UE just ran out, and I'm waiting for an extension. Also unfort, the Obama subsidy plan for my COBRA just out, so I'm searching for a med plan thats more affordable for us.
I love canning, cross stitch, dogs (got 4) and cats (got 2), gardening (planting and digging), and want to learn to knit and have time to read books again. After a career of travel, stressful responsible jobs and raising two kids, its time for ME!
Special hi to my fellow Californians whose stories I've been following as well.
Welcome! 
