Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

I actually found some humor in it this time - the reaction - or lack of - from the woman at the other end of the phone was PRICELESS!

What's even better, this time I have a third party not related witness to the phone call as our Help Me Grow Home Service Coordinator was here for her bi-monthly visit with Baby Boy. She's about 6 months a long in her third pregnancy, and was laughing soooo hard at the things I was saying, I honestly feared she'd go into labor!



She said, "I can't believe you gave them the name of the hospital she's in right now!"

I said, "Why not? that's her "home" for the next few days or so.

E was outside, so when I repeated the conversation to him, he cracked up laughing, too.

The thing is, our phone number is fairly new, and my name is not associated with the number AT ALL. Every time we ask them how they get this number for her, they tell us it's the number she put on the application. VERY frustrating.

So we're probably going to change our number and NOT give it to any of DH's family.

As for the house moving, we've scheduled a "work day" for July 31 to get the new home torn down and cleaned out, tape cabinets shut, etc. etc and get it ready for moving.

Haven't found a buyer for the steers yet, but we've not given up.

 

[FarmerDenise]

, just catching up on your journal. You sure have had a lot of stuff going on, as usual

Praying that everything turns out as it should

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I'm restless for some reason lately, and not sure why.

I mean, I have an idea, but I'm sure it's not the total problem.

I started packing up the house today - what we don't need to have out that is. Like the "specialty" kitchen items that I only use for special occasions or what not. I'm going through things and making decisions on what we're keeping and what we're not - basically de-cluttering the whole house.

Today while working in the bedroom, I found some of our photo albums that we haven't looked at in awhile. Not super old, but from about 8 years ago - when DD was 3 and DS1 was just a year old. And some before that. Looking through those photos, I was reminded of times that were - well lets just say not as lean as things are now.

We used to take a family vacation every year! We've gone to Williamsburg, Va; Gulf Shores, Al; Clinton, North Carolina, back to our former home town in Tennessee to visit old friends, Baxley, Ga, and Lexington, SC......

Once things went South for us economically, the family vacations were the first thing that was cut.

I love to travel. I've traveled all over the U.S. from the time I was little.

Some days I think I'd like to sell off everything and buy a motor home.

I know I'm just restless, and I know only I can change that - but there's this big part of me that wants to be able to just drop everything and take a trip to - well to anywhere.

We're talking about planning a day trip to Hocking Hills Ohio and touring the Old Man's Caves. We would only be out the gas it takes to get there, as hiking through the park is free. We especially want to see the land of the park that E's Grandfather donated. We're curious to see if the old farm house is still there, or not.

I'd also like to go to Florida. Never been to Florida, and my childhood friend's mom lives in the North Western side of the state. She was like a second mom to me growing up, and I haven't seen her in years.

And then there is my brother in Va, who has two children that I've never met, and I'd love to go see him. Plus my family that's down by Gulf Shores, Al.

I'm not sure what kind of expenses we'd be looking at to just load up the van, swing down to VA, spend a day or two with my brother - then swing down to Fl, spend a day or two with friend's mom, and then hop over to Al. Not even sure if it's doable in a week's time, and if it is, how exhausted (with 5 kids mind you) would we be?

well, I'm just rambling anyway because it's highly unlikely we'd get to do a road trip like that - especially with the critters here.

So for now, I'm going outside with a bucket of water, shaving cream, and razor, and shaving the forest off my legs........................

 

[TanksHill]

Aly, I am so right there with you. I need a change. Something different.

Wanna wife swap!!! Sorry. I thought it was funny. I would be lost on your farm and I am sure my kids would drive you nuts.

Your change is coming soon. You will have a new place to live and you can fix it up, paint nifty colors and all that jazz. It will be the best of both worlds. Keeping your farm yet getting a new place all rolled into one.

anyways, I just wanted you to know I get it.

gina

 

[FarmerDenise]

I get that way too several times a year. I just want to hop into the car and go, go, go anywhere.
We used to just pack some stuff and hit the road, not knowing where we would end up. We went somewhere almost every weekend. There is something exhilerating about being on the open road driving to someplace different and managing with just the stuff in your car.

Now I can barely go somewhere for the day, without planning and we have to be back by 6pm the latest, to put all the animals to bed :/
But I wouldn't want to be without the animals

 

[Javamama]

I know that restless feeling too. I am fighting with the feeling that I want to get rid of almost every stupid toy and piece of clutter in this house and then to make it ready to sell. Then I got angry at the people who insist on giving my kids all this crap that they don't need and all ends up in trash eventually. It's like throwing money away. It overwhelms me sometimes.
Hope we both find some contentment this week

Hey - is your fair next week too? We are taking animals in Friday and they will be there for 8 days! That's a long time for a duck to go without a swim. I have mixed feeling about it.

 

[lorihadams]

i know the feeling....hubby was reconsidering the goats for that reason. Even right now we have to have someone lock up the birds in the pm and let them out in the am. It's hard....we get that way too. I love my animals too though, and wouldn't be without them either.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Our fair starts on the 20th - but we're not participating. Had some issues with our 4-Leader, then we missed the Quality Assurance meetings and couldn't find another one to get to for DD to be able to show her birds...THEN they told us that they'd made a mistake and DS - who we spent out some money to specifically BUY the birds he wanted - wouldn't be able to show his birds. Of course, they tell me this right in front of him, so there was no breaking it gently, and he broke down into hysterical sobs in front of the entire room of 4-H'ers.

Plus, our 4-H chapter lost all their funding, so after August 1 the 4-H that my kids were in will no longer exist. AND they told us our kids WOULD NOT be eligible to go show at the State Fair even if they DID win - so we were disgruntled and pulled the kids out.

Next year we're going with a different 4-H group - because where the county 4-H we were participating in will no longer exist, our county still has a good 4-H group and it's going strong. AND their winners go to the State Fair.

We are going to be kid free for the next two days! My Aunt is taking the oldest 3 kiddos this evening until Saturday afternoon and my mom is taking the youngest 2 this evening until Saturday afternoon.

AND E is going to go with me and Becca to Mt. Hope!! Of course, maybe E's thinking keep me in check so I don't bring anything home....lol....but I really have no plans to bring anything back this weekend.....I want to sell sell sell!!

I already have a trio of BLRW sold - the guy called me and we agreed on price and they're picking up tomorrow at Mt. Hope.

The following are going to Mt. Hope (and hopefully NOT coming home):
16 Muscovy Ducklings
1 Pair Mallard Ducks
Welsummer quad
Pair of Bantam Cochins (Blue roo over Black hen)
4 Black Bantam Chicks
My entire flock of Mille Fleurs (roughly 6 Milles)
8 Lop bunnies
my extra BLRW cockerel
6-8 Black Copper Maran chicks - were going to keep them, but they are NOT colored right, and they are not a good example of the breed. Figure let them go, and work on getting better later.

and I think that's about it - I did have a little call duck I was going to take, because we thought it was a boy. But, yesterday (s)HE started quacking SO LOUD and well, I need more girls in my call duck flock for eggs....so she's staying now. She's also super tiny - so far has been the best baby hatched this year with her small round head, bill, and body. Hoping I can pass on more of her traits to next years offspring.

My duck breeds are kind of out of control right now - I've got:
Quad of Welsh Harlequin
2 Pairs of Silver Appleyards
Quad of Muscovy (plus a young trio of blues coming up)
11 Mallards!!
2 Magpies
10 Call ducks
1 Blue/Splash Runner
3 Dark Campbells

I need a better duck set up - so that I can have these guys PENNED. The calls are penned, and so are a couple Muscovy and the Silver Appleyards - the rest are free ranging.

I've done well with downsizing my chickens, but haven't been able to on the ducks - in fact, we've been working on building up the ducks, because this past spring, especially with the mallards, I couldn't keep up with duckling demand.

With my luck, next year no one will want ducks

 

[lorihadams]

Hubby is getting two ginormous crates from work for free and we are thinking of doing a stacked house with the chickens on the top and the ducks on the bottom to save space instead of doing two houses. The crates are like 5-6 feet tall by 4-5 feet wide and we're thinking of laying them on their sides to stack them. They share the same free ranging pen. What do you think?

I only have one breed of duck though.

 

[Javamama]

Lori that sounds awesome for you poultry housing! Wow, free materials.