Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[MorelCabin]

Wow Quail, I love the improvements! The high fence is such a good idea and it looks great too! Love your new gate, good job!
Never even heard of Manderin ducks before but they sure are nice to look at, very different. Glad I'm not the only one that's busy...haha, how do you find the time for the puter???

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Morel, honestly, I've been getting up at 6 am, having my morning coffee and coming here for about 20-30 minutes in the morning, and then it's run around like a chicken, and in the evening, I haven't been getting online until almost 10 pm, and then again it is only for about 20-30 minutes.

I'm actually late this morning. Didn't wake up until 7 am LOL and since we're still getting rain (YAY!) all of the outside stuff is still on hold. Ernie has started helping me with the feeding/watering of my poultry and rabbits, so what used to take me an hour to do by myself has been cut to 30 minutes with the two of us!

 

[punkin]

QA,

your improvements look great.

Congrats on the Mandarins. They are quite lovely.

 

[Farmfresh]

First the Mandarins are SO adorable! (I am too jealous).

Great about Emily getting her feet done. I would give it about 90 percent chance that she has been lightly foundered. Most ponies her size are - they are just too easy to over feed.

What founder is/does is when the animal either eats too much (usually protein - even grass gone to seed with a little pony) or receives a shock of some kind (galloping on concrete or even an illness or drinking too much when over heated), it causes the blood to pool in the feet. They have no idea why. If it was on us it would be like a blood blister, but inside of the foot the blood has no place to go. The hoof wall keeps it in and pressure builds up causing the coffin bone (which is the last bone in the leg contained within the hoof) to be pushed (rotated) away from the hoof wall. Inside the hoof there are nerves and connective tissues called laminae. These are torn and inflamed (laminitis is the correct term for founder). Permanent damage is done. It causes the hoof wall to grow unusually and often causes permanent lameness. Plus once it is done - it is easy to re-occur.

If you keep her feet clean and trimmed and she is not lame she should still be able to do some work for you. We had a foundered cart pony for years and even had a severely foundered horse that we were able to ride and keep mostly pain free (but THAT took lots of constant corrective shoeing, a surgery and maintenance pain meds).

Of COURSE YOU can find LOTS of people interested in buying your cute little mini. She is being handled and is blossoming in the attention. A neglected horse is one with few takers. That time you are spending with Emily has probably already changed her life - no matter WHAT you decide to do with her from now on.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I am so heartbroken, and sick. I don't even know how to begin to tell ya'll what occurred yesterday, but I am asking all of you to please pray.

BIL (Sam) from H-E-you know the rest....the ones that moved up from Florida in Januaray....he was at FIL's yesterday. Ernie had gone over to his Dad's to ask if he could borrow a chain to use with the come-a-long. Sam and Dad were just coming out of the old pasture field up there with a surveyor/concrete contractor. Ernie asked them what that guy was there for, and they both ignored him and changed the subject.

No big deal, so they don't want us to know what they are doing, right?

Ernie tried to talk to his dad about what is going on with GM and sharing what he saw on NBC Nightly News (comes on at 6:30 pm). Sam says something that's the complete opposite of what we heard on the news, so Ernie asked him, "Well, do you ever watch the news?"

Sam said, "I don't get to watch the news, because I work a job, so I have to wait until 11:30pm to get the news because I work until 6:30."

First, there is no 11:30pm news that I'm aware of, and regardless, Sam doesn't work a job, he talks people into selling him their mint honda goldwings, strips them down, and sells the parts on eBay. Good business if you can afford to pay $5K for a Goldwing just to strip it.

Secondly, what Sam said to Ernie was sooooooo hurtful. Ernie would give anything to be back in the full time workforce. He has so many times thought about going againt medical advice and getting a job. Problem is, his doctor has warned him that if he doesn't follow medical advice, he could paralyze himself, and that has him scared.

It gets worse. Sam kept mouthing off to Ernie, even when Ernie was trying to ignore him. He was doing all he could to provoke Ernie, and we aren't even sure why. Then his Dad asked about the house we were left in TN and Ernie told Dad we found out that the house is paid in full, so once the will is probated, we probably have a second home.

Sam was quite shocked, and asked Ernie what are we going to do with a house in TN. Ernie replied sell it, as it isn't big enough for us to live in (only 2 bedrooms) and it is in town, so we've no desire to live there. Sam's attitude got even worse after this information.

He started saying even more hateful and spiteful things to Ernie, and when Ernie came back with "you're just jealous because I can eat steak every night and you can't" Dad told Ernie to cool it! Sam's up there screaming like a banshee at Ernie, but Ernie is the one told to back off!

So Ernie tossed the chain he had borrowed from Dad out of his truck onto the ground, came back down to the house so sputtering mad he couldn't get two words out, grabbed the tools we had borrowed from his dad, and hauled them back up to his dad's. He was setting the stuff out of his truck, and Sam's screaming, "You want a piece of me? Come around that truck and get me!"

Ernie told him, "No, if you want to fight, come to my ground, because as soon as you get there, I'm calling the sheriff." Then he got in his truck and came home. Course, Sam did NOT come to our house, and we knew he wouldn't. Ernie had no intentions of fighting him, either, if he did come down...we would have had him arrested for trespassing.

Here's the worst of it. Sam's been making slurs regarding our property. Ernie only has partial ownership of the ground where we live. His mom's name is second on the deed, and his brother who is in prison (long story) is third on the deed.

5 years ago we were told that we can legally live on the property since Ernie's name is on the deed and they can't make us leave. That may be so, but they are trying to make us miserable so we won't want to stay.

Since Ernie's mom passed away in '96 the deed has to go to probate to get her name off. Since there was no will, and her estate was less than $65K, Dad's name will get added to the deed. He has said he would willingly sign off, but since Sam is back now, he'll do what ever Sam tells him to do.

We spoke with our attorney yesterday. We have the following options:

1) Probate the will and hope the others will sign off their rights like they have told us they would do, since we've been paying all taxes, maintaining, improving, etc. since '99.

2) Probate the will, and buy the other two parties out for 2/3 the value of the ground, meaning they each get 1/3 of the appraised value.

3) Make them buy US out.

4) Send the property into a foreclosure if No one is willing to sign off or buy eachother out, and be forced to move.



We don't know what is going to happen, but I am soo heartbroken. All the work, sweat, tears, and blood we've put into here, and they want to ruin it just because they can't stand to see anyone but themselves succeed.

I don't want to move. I don't want to start over. This is our home. I just this year had a customer base built up for eggs and poultry. If we have to move, I have to start ALL over again.

 

[keljonma]

Some people are just twits and personally, I try to stay away from them whenever possible.

None of my business, but some questions & thoughts do come to mind.....
Why wasn't it probated when MIL passed away? The land is worth more now that you have been improving it. Is FIL naturally that close to BIL or does BIL have some kind of power over FIL? Is BIL promising to pay FIL cash up front for the property? Would you have enough after the sale of the second home to pay the others off?

We're praying....

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

BIL has no hold over FIL that I am aware of, BIL just makes close to 6 figures a year, so that makes him better in FIL's eyes. Money is what motivates both of them, and right now, FIL has his fingers in the pot. BIL give FIL money, just because he can. FIL isn't about to jeopardize his "relationship" to BIL when there's money being handed out.

Plus, we suspect they had the contractor out to build a garge on FIL's property so BIL can run his motorcycle chop shop there. We also look for FIL to add BIL's name to his property up the road from us, and leave it to him on his death. Not that we care, I just didn't want to be that close to BIL and his wife. They live an hour away from us right now, and I thought that was great!

 

[keljonma]

BIL has no hold over FIL that I am aware of, BIL just makes close to 6 figures a year, so that makes him better in FIL's eyes. Money is what motivates both of them, and right now, FIL has his fingers in the pot. BIL give FIL money, just because he can. FIL isn't about to jeopardize his "relationship" to BIL when there's money being handed out.

That explains a lot.

Plus, we suspect they had the contractor out to build a garge on FIL's property so BIL can run his motorcycle chop shop there. We also look for FIL to add BIL's name to his property up the road from us, and leave it to him on his death.

Yeah, I was thinking those same things.....

Not that we care, I just didn't want to be that close to BIL and his wife. They live an hour away from us right now, and I thought that was great!

Satan hates to see God's people prosper.... you have been mighty blessed recently... be careful and prayerful.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Some people are just twits and personally, I try to stay away from them whenever possible.

None of my business, but some questions & thoughts do come to mind.....
Why wasn't it probated when MIL passed away? The land is worth more now that you have been improving it. Is FIL naturally that close to BIL or does BIL have some kind of power over FIL? Is BIL promising to pay FIL cash up front for the property? Would you have enough after the sale of the second home to pay the others off?

We're praying....

Wasn't probated because FIL doesn't want to pay for the probate process. He's lazy. Doesn't want to part with money. At the time, we didn't care because we were living in TN.

FIL used to be closer to Ernie than Sam. Once MIL passed away, FIL started treating Ernie like he was nothing, and built a relationship with Sam. My FIL doesn't have the abillity to get along with more than one of his children at the same time.

My FIL can't make the decision to sell this property without Ernie's consent. All 3 parties have to be in agreement on any sale or transferring of ownership on this property, and if he is planning to sell to BIL, he has to pay us 1/3 of the money he gets (assuming we'd agree to the sale).

Yes, the property is valued at about 3 times the original amount since we've been improving it. We've worked our tails off to improve it.

FIL only kisses BIL's butt, because he thinks BIL is made of money. Money is what is important to both of them, and expensive toys, gadgets, etc. Family has little to no meaning for them.

It has been soooooo peacefull here while BIL was in FL. Seven years with very little to no contact and NO DRAMA!

I wish they'd move back to Florida.

keljonma, thank you very much for your prayers.

On top of all this, we were told they've scheduled Ernie's surgery for June 23. That's one week from Tuesday

 

[keljonma]

Is BIL promising to pay FIL cash up front for the property?

I was thinking maybe BIL was paying FIL for that piece pasture land so he could put a shop in there.

On top of all this, we were told they've scheduled Ernie's surgery for June 23. That's one week from Tuesday

Well, personally, I'm glad you didn't say the 19th, because my sister L is having her kidney transplant that day and sister C is the donor. I figured you'd call and I wouldn't be home! But the 23rd is good. So if you need us, we're here.

Are you kind of relieved the date has been set? I know when my dh had his spinal surgery the pre-surgery time was harder than the post-surgery healing.