Moving in!

I need to bring y'all up to date on what's happening with the house.  We began construction on August 3rd.  It was so terribly hot

during part of our construction.  Those poor guys were working out there when it was over 100 degrees and we certainly do

appreciate them for it.



After all this time, we were finally able to make the big move into the house on the second weekend in November.  Aaron, Rachael

and Chloe came down from Ozark and Joe came over from NW Arkansas.  We used an enclosed trailer of my dad's which certainly

made it a lot easier.  Doing it this way you don't have to be so concerned with how things are tied down....and there's no chance of

anything blowing out.   It's so embarrassing to be going down the highway, have something catch your attention and it be something

blowing across the road behind you.   And heaven forbid it be something that hits another car!!   Anyway, we moved in knowing

that the house wasn't completely finished yet, but living in that shop building with no windows was about to drive us buggy!!  

The house did not have cabinets in the kitchen or vanities in the bathrooms, but we had a bathtub, shower and toilets....that's

enough for us!!   Oh...and did I mention there are WINDOWS !!  Big, glorious, wonderful windows.   We can now actually sit inthe

house and look out!    The shop that we were living in before had no windows, so if was raining or cold, the roll up doors were

down.  It certainly makes it more cozy and comfortable....but I like looking out!

 We moved the big furniture and set up housekeeping!!  That's when the unpacking of boxes began.  But, since there are no cabinets,

only clothes and bedding can be unpacked,  I'm trying to be patient!!!!!

Getting here.

Just getting here to the farm can be an adventure in itself.   If you come from the south, you

have to, or get to (depending on your attitude) ride the ferry.  This is one of the last ferries in

AR and it is operated by the Highway Department.  It only runs during the daylight hours, so

it can put a damper on your traveling.  You've got to restrict your traveling to daylight

hours only or go around the other way which can add many miles and lots of time to your trip.  It also

won't run if there is dense fog or extremely high winds.

There is a schedule for arrivals and departures, so unless you want to sit and wait the 40

minutes it takes for the ferry to make a round trip, you look at the schedule and plan.  We

know how long it takes us to leave the farm and get to the ferry, so that we don't have that

time to sit and wait.  It can be a social event though.  There have been many times that

we've seen people open their trunks or get into the cooler in the back of their truck to have

a cool drink of water or soda while waiting.  There's also a lot of visiting that goes on. 

Catching up with the neighbors or finding out where the other travelers are from is usually

the topic of discussion.  This route is very popular with motorcyclists and many times they

are from other areas and interested in what else is in the area.  That's when we get to brag

on our little area of the state and its beauty!

This is what you see when you pull up to wait for the ferry.  There is always a spare tug....you just

never know when you might need another one!

 

 

Vehicles line up and people get out of their vehicles while they wait for the ferry. 

 

Here it comes!!   You can't see it, but the tug powering the ferry is obscured by the extra tug.  The pilot glides up to the dock and a dock hand secures the ferry to the dock with large ropes.

 

Just a couple of motorcycles on this trip.  Sometimes there aren't any vehicles on a trip, but they have to go anyway to keep on their schedule.


There is another way to get here besides the ferry.   It just depends on which direction you need to go

whether you take it or not.  Sometimes though, you just need to ride it for the enjoyment!  There's

nothing like putting your tailgate down, sitting on it and enjoying the last ride of the day.  It's the

"sunset cruise"!!!

 

 

The water line

As part of putting this farm in to use for cattle, we needed to install three freeze proof waterers. We will

have electric fences seperating the place in to five different paddocks as we are planning on utilizing

rotational grazing. That required a backhoe to come and dig the water line.  It needs to be approximatley

24" in our area as that is the freeze line.  First, in the country you've got to find out who has a backhoe

and when they can come.  So, after asking around, a name comes up, you ask around about their

reputation and then you give them a call.  You have to find out what they charge and if they can do the

job.  Then find out when they can come and hopefully they show when they say they will.  Before the

digging even started, we located a plastic pipe manufacturing facility that was fairly close (35 miles) and

spoke with them about purchasing 3000 feet of pipe.  No problem....they have what we need.  So we load

up in the wonderful green and white dump truck and head off to get our pipe.  The lines all get dug

and now comes the part of laying out the pipe and glueing them together.  Everything works pretty


good...we have a few snags such as a few of the pipe pieces not fitting snugly enough together to make

a good seal.  Somewhere in quality control, they missed these pieces.  So....you cut them apart and

reapply the glue and move on down the line.  Once the pipes are all laid and a riser attached, then

comes building forms for the concrete that will be poured to be under the waterers.

Windows....Missing the view

You don't truly appreciate windows until you don't have have them.  The shop  building that we are

living in while building the house, doesn't have any windows.  We did that for security reasons as we

 were not living here at the time and have tools and things that we didn't want people to be able to

see.  Now though, while it is raining and we can't raise the big doors....I really wish we had put a

couple of windows in this building.   It is quite cozy, but I want to see out!!   Maybe the rain won't

last long today, although we desperately need all the rain that we can get to make up for the deficit

we have had all summer long.  It's good for the pastures and makes the cows quite happy as well as

helps the garden.  I've replanted green beans hoping for a good fall crop as the summer crop just

couldn't produce because of the extremem heat and lack of water.  

It's time for an awesome update!!   The house has finally begun!!   We've been working at it for about 4 weeks now and we are so excited about the progress. 

 

As the carpenters began to add the 2nd story......we realized that it is going to be really tall standing out there in what once was a field!!

 

 

 

 

Now, as we're looking at it.....I begin to wonder how in the world the carpenters are going to be able to get the trusses up there...

 

Lo and behold.....the next Monday.....this crane shows up and makes short work (45 min.) of getting the trusses lifted up and secured.

 This saved a lot of man hours and was well worth it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's still looking a little gangly at this point, but in my next post I'll show you how much better it looks with the porches on it.  They kind of ground it and anchor it visually.

 

At this point, we still don't have the construction loan and I'm getting a little nervous....talk about building on faith!

 

When we began this process and finally found a builder, he asked if we wanted to have it bid or build it for time and materials.   We chose time and materials.  We pay the labor every week and for materials as they come due.  Fortunatly, the lumber bill isn't due til the 10th of every month and I've got a little hedge time here :)

 

I'll keep you posted as we progress!!

 

 

 

 

Glorified camping

When the husband was still working, we were in "park housing".  It was one of the perks of the job

and it was great.  Well....since retiring and moving to the farm....we've been "homeless of sorts".  When

we  built the  shop building, we enclosed a corner of it to include the pressure tank for the well, a

shower, stool, shop sink and the washing machine.  We also have a classic 1972 Winnebago motor home.

Since I'm an outside kinda gal....it would be very difficult for me to stay inside of it all day long.  We

 just use it in the evenings to get inside and eat supper and then sleep in it.  And since I'm kinda

frugal....I don't know that I want to pay the electric bill to keep it cool all day long.   It's not the most

 energy efficient thing!  And I'd feel kind of guilty sitting in the cool while the husband is out

working in the 100 + temps we've been having. 






When we have decent tempertures we "live" in the shop building where we've got a queen sized bed,

recliners and a decent sized television as well as the fridge, stove, microwave and freezers.  Life is

pretty good then!  I just have to keep remembering....as I swat flies and sweat....that this is just a part

of the journey.  We lovingly refer to our current lifestyle as "glorified camping"!!


The good news is that the builder thinks that he can get started on our foundation next week!

  Yippee!!!   If we could just see some progress on the house....it sure would make things a little

better!!

Designing the farm house

While driving to the farm, I had noticed this roof a short distance fromt he highway.  I really like the look of it.  It's just a silver metal roof and white siding.  It's the look I can envision for a farm house.   Nothing too precosious or outstanding...just something you'd see on a farm. 

When I had the time one day, I drove by it to get some better pictures and low and behold it's an old church!

I love this look and hopefully our "farm house" will look similar!

More cows!!

Since my last post, we've added to our herd.  We've bought some lovely ladies and their babies.   (They don't understand when I ask them to all pose together! )  We've bought 4 black cows with their calves and 4 charlois mix with their calves and one red cow who is still to calve.

 One of the gals haven't calved yet, so we're anxiously waiting on the Belties and one other. 

We also added a hereford bull to the group.


He was already with some of the cows we bought and he seemed really gentle and a good

price.  We just couldn't resist!

  We chose to purchase from individuals rather than chance purchasing from the sale barn. 

We could see them in the pasture and observe that they were not really wild or mean.  We

certainly don't want that!  Everyone seems as happy as can be just grazing away!   We've

moved them once since they have all been here and they moved very easily from one

pasture to the other.  We didn't really know where we would need gates in this electric

fence, but it's easy to add one when you need one.  It just requires adding  brace posts to

your two gate posts and a handle for your gate wire.  It won't be long before the herd

needs to be moved again to let the pasture grow and eat the previous one down again. 

We've got so much grass this year that we're keeping them off of 3 of the paddocks which

will be cut for hay soon.  We worked out a deal with a local man to cut and bale for us on a

60/40 share.  The cattle are to be rotated around the paddocks when they have eaten the

grass down to a certain height, but it's a little difficult to tell as they don't eat the grass that

is tall and putting on a seed head. 

Hopefull I'll be able to post pictures of a new calf soon and the first one born on the farm!

The Cows have arrived!

Well...it's finally happening!   After 4 years of blood....sweat.....tears and a  LOT of HARD WORK, our dream is coming to fruition!  On the 17th we had two beautiful Belted Galoway cows delivered to the farm.

We should be expecting calves from them both in the next couple of months.  These are such a docile breed.  We can walk right up to them out in the pasture and pet them.  I think they'll make great cows for our farm herd.

You might have noticed the electric fence that they are grazing close to.  We have chosen to use a rotational grazing system.  Our farm is broken up into 5 different paddocks.  The perimeter is standard 5 strand barbed wire fence.  The interior is diveded with the electric fence.  The cows are moved from pasture to pasture as the grass is eaten down.  This allows for newer more tender grass for the cows and should also help with some of the plants being eaten that they wouldn't normally eat.  Some weeds will be eaten when they are young and tender, but not when they get older and tougher.

It's spring and has been in our area for the last couple of weeks.  Last week we received about 3 inches of rain and the grass is showing it.  There is just more grass than those cows can possibly eat. 

We've also purchased 4 more cow/calf pairs as well as another pregnant cow and a bull.  They are to be delivered soon.  I just hope they are all as happy as the Galloways are!

Stay tuned....There's more to come!

MOVING TO THE FARM

Oh my Goodness!!!  It's HAPPENING!!!   WE ARE MOVING TO THE FARM!!!!!

Things have progressed a little faster than we had first anticipated.  We get to move to the farm!  So now comes the dreaded task of packing :(

As I begin this process of packing my life, I stop every so often to think of the things that I have that once belonged to someone I loved.   They have passed from this earth only to leave “things” behind.  But then again maybe not, since I am having wonderful memories of these people…..they have also left these behind.  These memories are for us to enjoy and keep us mindful of who we ourselves are.  We are not just here and now, but we all have a past.  Sometimes good and sometimes bad, but we are a collection of these things.  What we choose to do with these things is up to us.   I have chosen to make  an amalgamation.  I choose to take  all the good things, pile them all together and try to make myself the best person that I can.  Hopefully, any of those who have passed already would be proud of who I am and what I am doing with my life today.   I also hope that after I’m gone and my “things” are left behind, someone also holds them and remembers good memories of me.

Installing Cattle Waterers

Cattle Waterers

As part of putting this farm in to use for cattle, we needed to install three freeze proof waterers. We will

have electric fences separating the place in to five different paddocks as we are planning on utilizing

rotational grazing. That required a backhoe to come and dig the water line. It needs to be approximately

24" deep in our area as that is the freeze line.

First, in the country you've got to find out who has a backhoe

and when they can come. So, after asking around, a name comes up, you ask around about their

reputation and then you give them a call. You have to find out what they charge and if they can do the

job. Then find out when they can come and hopefully they show when they say they will. Before the

digging even started, we located a plastic pipe manufacturing facility that was fairly close (35 miles) and

spoke with them about purchasing 3000 feet of pipe. No problem....they have what we need. So we load

up in the wonderful green and white dump truck (that's another story) and head off to get our pipe. The lines all get dug

and now comes the part of laying out the pipe and gluing them together.  It also helps when you can get your son to come and help!!

 Everything works pretty

good...we have a few snags such as a few of the pipe pieces not fitting snugly enough together to make

a good seal. Somewhere in quality control, they missed these pieces. So....you cut them apart and

reapply the glue and move on down the line. Once the pipes are all laid and a riser attached, then

the insulated tube is dropped over your water pipe to insulate it from freezing.  This tube will meet up with the tank to form a good insulative barrier.


 

Then backfill....

It never hurts to have a dozer around to help with the process!   Work smarter not harder!


Now you're ready to

 build forms for the concrete that will be poured as a base for the waterers.   

After the concrete is dry, remove boards and set the tank in place.  These come with instructions so it's pretty easy.

We had 3 waterers so 3 forms were needed.  They were built to extend past the waterer a bit.

 This gives the cows

something to stand on and keeps the ground from getting muddy and nasty around it.  We had considered mixing our own concrete, but instead decided to call the local concrete company and have a

truck sent out.  We needed 3 yards and that was just too much for us to mix up on our own.  So, now…….concrete is set…..now comes setting the tanks.   The last thing to do after checking for leaks, is to fill in the lines.  That’s when that bulldozer came in real handy!!