Farm Life

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Naga_Fireball
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Naga_Fireball »

Dear Spiritwind, that's horribly sad about the vehicle.
My spouse in 2007 or 08 bought a GM vehicle, and strangely enough, as soon as the warranty expired, he told me of water issues with the sunroof drainage and dashboard electronics.

Ie water rushed in during that stormy week last month and destroyed a bunch of stuff, not as bad as your description but it will probably happen again.

Seems like we should all get a piece of class action suit against GM Pontiac etc. But instead of good products and service we had our president bail them out so they could screw us harder. Lol sorry but omg people forget.


@@

Huge hug for both of you.
When my hub bought our peri suv it had high safety ratings for our kid etc. We had no idea it would be like Noah's ark leaking.

P.s. I'm being a bit thoughtless, here is that pretty horse,

Image
Extremely cute animals and photo courtesy of Spiritwind
Brotherhood falls asunder at the touch of fire!
He finds his fellow guilty of a skin
Not coloured like his own, and having power
To enforce the wrong, for such a worthy cause
Dooms and devotes him as his lawful prey.
~William Cowper
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Naga_Fireball »

On infowars (eek):
New research, which will be published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, has shown that Alzheimer’s patients who drink milk with live bacteria for at least 12 weeks show marked improvement in their overall cognitive function.
Participants were given Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium live bacteria over the course of 12 weeks, and those who took the live bacteria showed a moderate improvement on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale, which is used to score the cognitive function of those with Alzheimer’s.
Brotherhood falls asunder at the touch of fire!
He finds his fellow guilty of a skin
Not coloured like his own, and having power
To enforce the wrong, for such a worthy cause
Dooms and devotes him as his lawful prey.
~William Cowper
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

I am sitting here with a cat on my lap, asking myself why I haven't been writing anything to post, or even been on the forum for awhile. I know there are several reasons for that, but would imagine that part of the answer still lies just beyond view. For one thing, it is very cold in the part of the country where I reside. Not nearly as cold as North Dakota right now, but it can still make you humble at natures many ways of getting your full and undivided attention. I have two sweaters and two long sleeved shirts on, long underwear, jeans, and then snow pants. I have three pair of socks on, one of them wool. And my feet are still cold.

We actually do have a good working propane heater. We did get a replacement for our smaller generator that doesn't use nearly as much gas as the other bigger one, and we did get an inverter and three more batteries hooked up to the fifth wheel. But we were unable to get all the skirting up around the outside. We're about half way there. Half way to Coldsville, LOL. Anyway, with temperatures in the low teens (11 degrees) and the wind kicking up, our drain and water pipes froze up. My husband will be home soon to attempt to thaw them out.

So, to save on gas and propane I keep the temp way down during the day and choose to tough it out. Better than having no money and no heat besides lanterns and candles. We have a great wood stove, but we were also unable to build a small addition to put it in. And the generator, if we ran it all the time, would send us to no money land in a hurry too. Interesting predicament to be in. It's actually not horrible. We stay warm enough at night, and have applied numerous tricks to improve the situation. We'll have the skirting done by next weekend. And then we can start working on building the framework for the solar panels, and all the wiring etc to hook it into our current system.

Each thing we do brings a little relief. We are still hauling water from the neighbors, because we couldn't get all the plumbing needed to make our brand new rather expensive well work. The good news is we were able to run the horses water heater up to the generator to keep hers from freezing. But the other four water buckets have to be traded out at least once or twice a day. At least I'm not going down to the creek and hauling it on foot one bucket at a time. It can always be worse.

I have got most of the hoof trimming caught up, which is always a good feeling. I also make herbal dosage balls to worm the goats so I can stay away from the chemicals. A bit more labor intensive, but worth it in the long run. Even with this cold snap all the goats are doing well. I especially worried about the little ones, and even had some little shirts to put on them if they looked like they weren't handling the cold.

I know next year will be a whole different story, and so much of what seems challenging now will only be a memory. And I am so grateful that I am able to meet these challenges as they arise.

Two other things I might mention. One, the guy up the road who didn't take care of his animals very well just had his remaining Great Pyrenees killed and very tore up by a cougar in broad daylight. I actually have one of her puppies that made his way here when only three months old. He's all grown up now. Last year around this time something came through and tore up one of his animals (sheep, I think) and left a bloody mess. This guy just seems to attract bad joo joo. So, then, another neighbor came over to fearfully tell me all about it. This couple has been spreading some serious fear around since we have been out here. Not that this shouldn't get my attention. It does. But being fearful, from what I have personally seen first hand numerous times in my life, can actually draw to you what you fear. But it was interesting to observe my own inner response to her telling me all about it. Great fuel for inner reflection.

And the other thing I think I will wait on, to see what percolates. Let's just say, there are many ways to plant seeds.
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

The second thing I wanted to mention yesterday, while it has not much to do with farm life, is that I started a meet-up group here in my home area for those wanting to get involved in spiritual activism. Amazingly, I logged in this morning to find I already have 8 members that joined. I don't have much to say at this time, other than the time is right for this. I don't have a rigid set of lessons, or any dogma whatsoever. I'm not trying to sell a book or promote myself. I don't even want a career doing healing work or astrology stuff anymore. I just want to connect with heart centered people who realize that no matter where you are, what your circumstances, you do have something to offer, and you can make a positive difference.

This also isn't about some need to save the world. I know much better than that now. But people coming together to support their communities and reach out in a loving manner to those around us is just a way of life for some. We do it because we love this earth, and all its life forms. And we want to live in this world in a way that shows that love and respect. It is a reaching out with love, and living a life of service in whatever small ways we can. I have such a strong feeling about this right now. That there are others right here where I live who want to do more with the time and energy they have, and just don't know how. I am excited, in a good way.
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Naga_Fireball »

People will really enjoy that, such good news :)

You are very well suited to leading such a group, imo, because of the fact you are able to teach without wishing to be the focus.

I thought you were very knowledgeable and still picking up new things, perfect for group lol.

Meetup is such a great idea too. People in Seattle loved it. I was too depressed to do anything but it is great to have a reminder that it exists and is a good tool.

Incredibly excited for you and hoping for nice respondents.

P.s. the cougar thing is quite alarming. Sorry for your neighbor :( reminds me of my dad's chickens, each and every one carried off by a hawk on the neighboring hill... cry.

P.p.s. this youtube clip from Dr Seuss the Lorax is a bit loud and raucous, but the end of the movie came to mind when i thought of you. Because of the truffula seed. :lol:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/88x2He-LPww[/youtube]
Brotherhood falls asunder at the touch of fire!
He finds his fellow guilty of a skin
Not coloured like his own, and having power
To enforce the wrong, for such a worthy cause
Dooms and devotes him as his lawful prey.
~William Cowper
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Naga_Fireball
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Naga_Fireball »

Argh. Forgot to add, very sad that you guys are so cold. If you are able to get one of those green military parkas with the white fur looking stuff around the hood, they are pretty good!! I wear a waterproof jacket under it with stuff under that, when there is snow. It's not enough to make me sweat but i don't seem to get cold.

:( of course that area is colder than here by a long shot.

Good luck with the water please be careful, lol a dollar for every time I say that
Brotherhood falls asunder at the touch of fire!
He finds his fellow guilty of a skin
Not coloured like his own, and having power
To enforce the wrong, for such a worthy cause
Dooms and devotes him as his lawful prey.
~William Cowper
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Naga_Fireball »

Hey :)

I know it's not simple project,
But in Mongolia they were still using radiators to heat certain buildings.

It's a way to deal with the smoke without building a huge porch. Theoretically you'd have a brick wood oven that's mostly enclosed but remains outside the dwelling, and in that structure you'd have part of your radiator apparatus (the steamer lol or whatever the heck).

Then you could run an insulated line from that bit over to the trailer or cabin. A really creative plumber could invent a modular structure that can be quickly broken down or added to.

Maybe it's terrible idea, but haha you could burn pine etc without huge consequence as long as vent was covered by mesh and hooded from the snow, because stove would be totally outside.

Lol nerd fail but it's an interesting problem.
Brotherhood falls asunder at the touch of fire!
He finds his fellow guilty of a skin
Not coloured like his own, and having power
To enforce the wrong, for such a worthy cause
Dooms and devotes him as his lawful prey.
~William Cowper
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

Your idea is a good one Naga. Our whole problem has just been not enough time to pull it all off before winter hit in earnest. We've had some really mild winters, where the temperature only gets into the high teens, low 20's (F). This winter is not going to be like that, unfortunately. I'm afraid to open the door this morning, to see how it looks. I shoveled snow yesterday for the first time this winter, and fully realize that, while I am physically active, I'm still out of shape, LOL. We lose a lot of warm air every time we open the door, too.

So much will be different next winter. Plus, we just always seem to do things the hard way. I guess maybe we must like the challenge and adventure of it all. When we first went to live on the sailboat we had, almost 10 years ago, it turned out to be similar, in a strange sort of way. I can remember all of us, my husband, teenage daughter, (2 cats even!) and myself, huddled in the middle of the floor on an air mattress because the teak decks leaked like a sieve. It actually brings back fond memories now. Funny how that works.

But, really, in a way, this is what it is all about. Somehow, when you work together with others through hardship, problem solve and encourage one another, it's almost like miracles can happen. We always feel good after we have worked hard and can finally see the results of whatever endeavor we have engaged in. And there are some really funny moments interspersed in there. It turns out my husband and I actually don't always work that well together. The old saying, "men are from Mars, and women are from Venus" applies. We don't use the same language when describing some plan of action at times. Sometimes we even resort to sign language and pointing, LOL.

Looks like tomorrow I will have to put little jackets on the little ones after all. I'll try and get some pictures. The only thing I'm not looking forward to, during this cold snap next week, is having to change out water buckets. When it gets into the single digits their water freezes up almost as soon as you put it out there. But, you know, I actually also like the fact that I have to get out there everyday, several times a day. If it wasn't for all the animals I have to care for I would probably just sit inside most of the time, and I think it is good to spend as much time as I can out doors. So, all in all, I think life is good.

Oh yeah, and you might get a kick out of this. So, Neil bought that snow plow and I've been wondering what will happen with the first snow. Dick, up the road there, has complained for years about no one else taking care of the road. So, he ended up only plowing his area at the top of the road, and then Neil plowed his part and ours (turns out I didn't need to do as much shoveling as I did, but, oh well!). And then the rest of the access road out to the main road I don't think anyone plowed. Funny funny.
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

I know I haven't been posting much, and I think part of it is that by the time I take care of my daily chores, I'm kind of done for the day. It makes me think of the old pioneer stock, and how they worked from dawn until dusk, and pretty much worked themselves into an early grave, many of them.

We're not there, by any stretch of the imagination, but still, I can relate. Last week we had several days of below zero (F) weather, and now we're getting the snow they have been promising us this winter. Between hauling and heating water for the goats several times a day, and shoveling snow, I am physically wore out by before the end of the day. And my usual early morning time I have has been cut short too.

Even just piling on the ridiculous amount of clothing multiple times a day grows a bit tiresome. I live in snow pants pretty much, for which I am immensely grateful. For without them I would be miserable and cold. Frozen pipes and drains take up time too. Interesting to spend so much time on just survival. But I'm not in a tent or a tipi, and really, a measly 8 - 12 inches of snow is nothing compared to other parts of the country. And we haven't had the severe winds so far, like we did the last couple of years. It would even be harder to have to contend with downed trees in all the wrong places. When a large tree comes down like that in the winter, it is an awesome sight to behold. And no simple matter to remove, either.

And this may sound silly as all get out, but another reason for not spending as much time writing is because every single time I sit down I have a cat trying to get on my lap (sometimes two). I don't blame them, it is the warmest place around. But, because I am such a softy, I don't just toss them off and sit there one finger typing instead.

We had a delightful house guest last week, a rare event, to break up the daily routine. My husband managed to thaw out the drain and water pipes while she was here, and we had several days of beautiful sunshine. Somehow, even when it is so cold, it feels good to soak up the sun's rays. Even the goats love it, as it seems to reinvigorate us all. And I made some little shirts out of old sweatshirt sleeves for the goat kids, and that turned out to be a big fail of epic proportions. Humorous though, that my mind still saw them as so small, when they are actually anything but.

Thing is, about the cold, the moisture, and general winter conditions, is that is when everything likes to break down. We also spend a considerable amount of time trouble shooting various things. Fortunately my husband is extremely good at it. Right now our propane heating system is acting up. Wouldn't you know it?! And the refrigerator/freezer is acting up. And several other things too. (Insert facepalm and head shaking, and then a wry laugh). Such is life, I guess. But if I had a choice between a cushy little apartment in the city and here, I would still stay right where I am.

Because nothing I have written adequately explains the feeling I get from watching the planets move across the ecliptic in the night sky, the majesty and stature of the fir, tamarack, spruce, and pine trees all around. Being able to drink pure unadulterated water that comes from deep within the earth. And having to stop for flocks of wild turkeys in the road. I could go on and on there.

Another interesting observation over this last year, is that those I feel close to in spirit has dramatically changed. As this year draws to an end, I am so grateful as I think back on all the wonderful and amazing people of like mind I have got to know. And none of them live anywhere near me. And yet, those who I used to feel close to, who are not really of like mind and spirit, have all moved farther out of the picture. I did not intend this, it has just happened. But I have been paying much closer attention to where I choose to put my energy, time, and attention. It feels good, this change. It feels like something, a movement from deep within, is starting to gain momentum. And it's not just me. I can feel into it enough to know, this is just the beginning. I am excited to see what this new year brings. Much is going to get shaken up, and this will occur in many ways. Spirit has a funny way of designing seemingly unrelated events, synchronicities, and coincidences, that will take each of us where we need to go. And there is always more than one way to interpret any happening. I think I am finally beginning to trust this process.

So, on that note, I think I will stop for now, and get myself in the moving mode. Much love to all, and may the games begin.

PS: And this is a perfect day to make chicken soup (sorry to all the vegans out there, at least I don't eat cows or pigs anymore, and I do say prayers to honor the life that was given).
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

Very hard to write about farm life right now, at least where we are at and the conditions as of late. Way too busy living it. A lot of reflecting on just several generations ago, back to my Great Great Grandma Ewing who lived during the late 1800's and early 1900's. I have a picture of her in front of a log cabin and must admit she looks positively frightful. She looks very tough. I heard she used to frighten the grandkids telling them scary bedtime stories, which kind of makes me laugh.

Sometimes the elements can turn your life in to a survival marathon, and that's about what this winter has shaped up to be for us. But, I'm managing to keep the house plants alive. Some of the goats are showing a bit of stress from the extreme cold. Hubby is picking up more straw today and I keep checking on them. I feed them as far apart in time as I can, so they get hay as late as I can manage on their second feeding. Goats are ruminants, so just eating and digesting helps them produce a lot of body warmth. Next year I'll have the big barn moved down here from up the road. It was just too much to pull off this year, with such little time to make the move. But then I can put them all in there and even put a heat lamp in there if needed.

Of course, it just has to be a whopper of a winter this year, with heaps of snow, and subzero temperatures. We've had winters where there were no severely cold days at all, and very little snow. I often wonder if there isn't some little old man in a booth behind a curtain somewhere, giggling with glee over making people's life difficult, just like in the Wizard of Oz. Just kidding of course.

I actually have much more apprehension about possible changes taking place in the world around me than my own little daily life challenges. But, as I was meditating this morning, I remembered that, indeed, there are always multiple possible perceptual fields one can tune in too, that can almost make it seem as though you are living in another reality, regardless of what's going on in the world around you. It's not just the choices we make, it is also the pathways we create throughout our life journey of choices. Sometimes we don't see the road we are on until we have traveled some distance. A change in choice, equals a change in the scenery.

Oh yeah, and a silly little side note, but the four little ones (goat kids) have finally got too fat to squeeze through the cattle panels anymore, hee hee. No more running around free for them. It was actually really funny watching them this last week as it got harder and harder for them to do it. And, I'm grateful the daylight hours will start gaining traction from here on out. The view is not bad either, especially on a sunny day.
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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