So we are going to homestead, maybe or eventually

So we decided to get the family hobby farm that I grew up on back up and running.  My parents have kept chickens for eggs over the years since us kids grew up and left home; our hobbies and pets with us.

The 1^st year, grandpa took me to see some paints (horses for those of you who haven’t heard the term before) that an associate of his was selling. Hmmmm. Bad move papa. I went to look at two and bought 3, 2 paints and a sorrel. The paints were beautiful wild stallions, age of 2 and the sorrel was a year older and gilded.  Merry Christmas kids you now have some horses which we are moving to grandma and papas in the spring. With the understanding that they are yours but not until papa and I completely break them - or them me.

Then we decided we wanted chickens in the freezer and beef. So ordering we go - for the chickens, (meat birds they call them) - yuck. Definitely not the same breeds I grew up with.  Which, I still remember as a nightly chore chasing them around and putting them into the hen house for the night. The breed that we get now aren’t much better than the store bought stuff, which I won’t eat either unless I absolutely have to.

Now it is time to get the beef from our neighbours and my old 4H leader. (Don’t ask me to grade your pet or your meat- I won’t do it. I definitely had enough of that at the time.) Thankfully they dropped off the two steers as we don’t own a trailer and I didn’t want them to put a hoof through the propane tank in the back of papa’s pickup.  We would not have had a pretty picture, for either papa or the fly by beef.

With the catch that a rescued heifer was to stay the summer with the steers on our grazing field. This was to assist her in trying to catch up with the much needed growth, health and to prevent her from coming into contact with a bull once she was ready.  This was to save her since she was too small to be used for breeding.  Her name became Polly, compliments of our 4 year old at the time.  The two steers became known as Steak and Roast.  I believe the names speak for themselves on where they were going in the late fall.

In the meantime papa has rotortillered the old garden so we can get our first year harvest.  Well, the outcome of getting dirty, doing a lot of bent over and planting ended up with zilch. Oh, did I forget to mention the shovel rides my oldest daughter was giving to my youngest while I was companion planting the garden.  No the shovel rides did not cause the zero harvest result. It was those pesky marmots/gophers that have decided to move in since us kids and pets have moved out.  This is a problem that needs to be rectified or should I say vindicated.

So now we have come to summer time, time to go up to the farm and break the horses, fence in 3o+ acres so the animals have more grazing and running area.  Yeah............. the night before we are scheduled to leave.  I am on a ladder- harvesting cherries from the trees in our yard, which makes great organic wine. Yummy umm.  My husband is at work, my son and niece are down below me, my oldest daughter and youngest are going in and out of the house.  And well the ladder goes down, I go down, land on my ankle completely bent over and snap, tear, crunch.  Breathe, pain, scream........

My oldest is phoning my husband, he said if your mom is screaming call 911 - Now! It’s broke! High pain tolerance can be a very good thing in some things, but not in others.  

So a few days later we head to the farm, did I mention that I am now on crutches and can’t drive my standard 4x4 Bronco.  I am not a happy passenger. And I am sick from the pain killers they have me on. Oh joy-not. Awake, zonk out, awake, zonk out, pain – awake. Pull over –QUICK!

 Well you get the point.

So now I am not breaking horses, need to get a farrier (to do their hooves), yes - horses loooove pedicures. But a bit worried this is their first time...... Yet, we still need to fence in 33+ acres and get hay. And I am on crutches. Did I mention my husband is up replacing the roof on the house for my parents. Yeah, to get things put back into order it is going to be a very long few years.

Hm mm, I wonder how this is going to go...

More to come check back soon.