The Beginning

   I was minding my own business.  Truly I was.  I mean, conversations that included us one day having an old country home with some land to grow our own food on and maybe have some chickens had passed through our lips on several occasions, but I didn't expect it to happen this soon.  To be honest, at times,  I didn't think it would ever happen.  Yet here was this amazing opportunity!  Twenty nine acres of beautiful, gently rolling land bordered by a creek that is too wide to simply jump across.  Add to that the fact that about ten acres were already cleared and you have our dream come true!
 
  Could this be real?

  It was.  Absolutely, and before we knew it we were getting ready to move onto it.  We found an old country home and had it moved onto the property.  Then we got an old camper and did the same.  Meanwhile I was packing and cleaning up a storm.  The house we were living in sold quickly(praise the Lord!) and everything seemed to be coming together.
  Daniel had some guys come out and help him put up fences and cut a few trees here and there.  We had a few chickens donated and my horse was finally in my own "front yard!"  No more boarding fees.  The chickens began to lay relatively quickly.  Before we knew it we had goats, a ram, chickens, a horse, quail, rabbits, dogs and a cat.  We were reading all the books we could find on animal husbandry and homesteading for selfsustainability.  Things were moving so fast that I look back at the blur of busyness that was my life and wonder how we did it all.

  The ram is gone now.  We just attained three more horses.  The house is slowly , but surely coming together.  We have discovered how difficult it can be to fence in goats, and today...Well today I butchered my first  chicken.  It was a rather interesting experience, but not at all as bad as I supposed it would be.  I chose a young rooster because I was afraid of botching it up and ruining a good hen on my first try.  Next time though, one of the "girls" will be on the menu.  I will have a better idea of what to expect.
  Daniel has built a wonderful, spacious chicken coop for my little flock of about twenty two.  Once again the goats are teaching us a lesson: How to keep goats out of your coop and chicken feed.  The dogs are growing and keeping a watchful eye out for predators.  Kiki just caught an opossum again the other day.  (Those critters like to kill chickens and enjoy eating chicken eggs.)  Snakes have been found, caught and killed.  Coyotes have been sighted, but our livestock has been unharmed thus far.

  And this is just the beginning. 

 We have only been here since May.  The adventures have just begun.  I hope to share them with you as I remember the ones from the past few months and as new ones occur. I can't wait!