Another Year Done and Gone

I've been at an impasse all year. Nothing much to write about, The daily struggle just to survive here has kept my mind flooded with everything but writing. With all my time consumed with the tiny paycheck that doesn't cover the bills here let alone feed me, not much left for upbeat or positive writing. So, I've just kept quiet. Who wants to go read a blog that's always depressing, eh? LOL

It's not all depressing tho. I'm still here. Other than the electric bill, which is always behind, at least I'm floating about even from month to month. The pitiful job has kept just enough fuel in the tank to keep getting to work and cover the mortgage. Now if I could just get the darn coffee plants to stay alive! Over sensitive, pain in the ass plants those are! Why they are so difficult now, I'll never figure it out. I've grown them before, had a beautiful stand of producing coffee plants, got coffee harvested and now, I can't keep a plant alive for longer than 6 months. Well that won't do me any good! Takes 3 years to get coffee beans! ARG. It's got to be this horrible leaky window pile of junk I reside in. Just something I must deal with since there's nothing I can do about it at this point.

Actually, all things considered, I'm kind of a little proud of myself. $1035 in bills a month just to live here with $981 income, I'm still here. Not one farmers market and no advertising, I still managed to keep up more or less. I am of course, $380 behind now on the electric, LOL. I so wish I could have solar, at least some solar. I could use a couple pairs of britches that don't have holes in them too, LOL. At least I still have decent shoes. Even tho my garden wasn't near as diverse as I like, I still managed to grow and harvest/can up a decent amount of food to eat. Not near as nutritionally balanced as I'd like but still a good result for the effort.

So, here I am, once again, living proof that a person can produce enough food for themselves to survive. Heck, I don't have much choice since there obviously isn't any money for groceries, LOL Adapt and overcome. No whining, just dealing with it. Yes, I miss some things. Yes, I wish I had a few things I don't have. Can I do anything about it? Not right now so I just move on.

So 2014 is wrapping up. I consider it a success for the simple fact that I'm still here. Still have the farm and still plugging away. Big thanks in part to my own wonderful family. Without whom I would be homeless and walking! Not anywhere near what I'd like to have accomplished but still, I haven't gone backwards. Well, maybe a little backwards in the chicken department, stupid dog. Chick hatching didn't go as well as I wanted but there's plenty of time to keep trying. Count rabbits as dismal success too but they are always hit and miss here. Feeding me is one thing but I'd like them to at least do well enough to pay for the darn feed every month instead of the hit and miss. The kitchen did okay for me when I had time to actually work in it. I catered 2 anniversary parties this year and created some specialties for a few Thanksgiving parties. I have one order of pastries to finish for a Christmas party and the kitchen will be quiet until around Easter. Kind of wish I could afford to do more in there, maybe next year. Did not advertise at all because of time constraints, hard to dedicate myself to what I love when I have to go to a job I dislike to cover the bills. Never pass on the bird in the hand for a dream of success. I know it can do well but the time it would take to get it up to where it pays all the bills would just be too long of a stretch and with no cushion of savings, I can't risk it. So, the decision to keep it as a specialty thing just has to stand for now. It was worth the effort, it's not going anywhere and it has contributed positively.

Of course, the goats are always a highlight for the farm. Joyous creatures they are, full of personality and my own personal entertainment. Hard to be sad or depressed with goats running around. They are sensitive to mood and do everything they can to cheer you up at any given moment. Affectionate, loving creatures. Sometimes I wonder why it took me so long to find my way to goats. Truly diverse creatures, capable of getting themselves stuck in all kinds of situations and just as gifted at getting themselves out of the craziest places. I'm still trying to figure out how they got on the barn roof. Of course I could do without the tapdance on my truck hood! Nothing like getting in your truck to head to work and having to wiper goat poop off the windshield, LOL I am really looking forward to the herd of kids that are coming soon after the New Years. Delta always gifts me with a pair within the first couple of days of the new year, if not right on New Years day! Then, Fluffy should kid. Her hardships last year may come around to bite us but I am ready. The playpen is ready to go and the colostrum is waiting. Then, there's 2 first timers I will probably have to raise kids for and then, bringing up the rear of the kid pack will be Lil Sister. She is big as a house right now. I'd like to be sitting at 8 nannys with at least 3 being good and easy milkers. That's a few years off still.

The cows. Hmmm. A flopping subject in my mind. The cows are great, love the cows but I need a ton of fencing to keep going with the cows. I may get 2 calves, I'm not really sure. Goober is no doubt pregnant. Daisy is hard to tell. That cow is spoiled and obnoxious. Maybe after a calf or 2 she'll settle down. If she makes it that long here. Daisy is my fence ripper. Impossible to keep penned, she destroys fence on purpose. Terrible pain in my ass. She's smart and incredibly hard headed. I'd like to fry her butt with a mean electric fence charger but it's just not in the budget. She does tie out well so summer time isn't so bad. But, ya just can't leave her tied out during the nasty winter weather. Too much ice, too much mud and no shelter. I have contemplated selling her and have tried a couple of times but gave up when every prospective buyer tries to bicker me down to giving her away. Nope, not that stupid nor that desperate. So, when the mood strikes me, I'll try again. That is, when I feel like being bothered and insulted, LOL The bull, again a big Hmmmmm. I guess his stay depends on how hard the calving is and what the calf or calves look like. A bull is a waste of time and feed here actually. A necessity if I want milk and calves tho since there isn't very many options to breed outside the farm. The milk is more important to me than the calf is when I look at the big picture. Yes, a calf could be a meat source but is time prohibitive. Takes a long time to grow a cow! I can't afford to buy a bull calf and wait 2 years for it to mature enough to breed or be big enough to butcher. Eh, now you see why it's a flopping subject, LOL

So, the plans for the future are being mulled along with all the other things I'm already doing every day. It's a never ending process for me. As this year winds down and a new year getting ready to start for the farm, lots to think about. Tons of little plans and ideas for improvement all depend on what I can afford and what I can possibly come up with. Lord help me if I ever figure out how to make money with my thoughts! LOL I'd be an unstoppable steam roller!

So, until then, Merry Christmas! Enjoy your holiday time with family and friends and don't forget the reason for the season!

Winter Raffle Winners

Well, here I am at workso I let my co-worker draw the names.  LOL, so, however it goes, you can either thank or blame Vic!

Leslie B is the Rainbow blanket winner!  Congrats Leslie!

The Camo blanket goes to Elizabeth S!  Congrats Elizabeth!

Ladies, your tracking numbers will be mailed to you tomorrow early afternoon, congrats on your win!

December Rains

Ick, it's raining again.  Mudhole on the farm!  Lost another batch of rabbits kits last night.  The weather behaving like a yo-yo is hard on the does and newborn kits.  So, I have managed to not get any live bunny kits at all.  None that lived more than a week anyway.  "Sigh"  depressing.

So far, since August, I've manged to get a couple blankets finished.  I am currently working on an order for 4 youth blankets.  I have 2 done and the third half done with one more to be finished before the 15th.  I'm sweating bullets a bit, it's going to be a close finish!  Each one takes 53 hours from start to finish.

So now, there is 5 days left in the blanket raffle.  So far, there's 5 people in the Camo blanket raffle and just 2 in the rainbow blanket raffle.  Still good odds so get your entry in quick!

Not much going on around the farm lately.  I am currently working on a new soap recipe.  One with coconut oil in it.  The hope is to make the soap more bubbly, the way most people expect soap to be.  I know, I'm veering from the old fashioned style to cater to the whims of the commercial products mindset but hey, who knows, it might make a good soap!  It's been in the mold for 2 days now, was too soft to remove yesterday.  I'm going to try to get it out tonite after work.  I've got my fingers crossed!

Holiday Raffle and update

Whew, finally got the tractor going decent!  Boy howdy, that darn thing had me squirming a little bit.  I really do depend on that particular piece of equipment and I'm pretty lost without it.  Just cant put a big round bale of hay out to the cows without it!  Still needs tires but the old, used one the neighbor found for me will make it for a little while and give me some breathing room.

Had 2 pretty good scares this past week.  The blower speed switch caught on fire in the truck while on the drive to work.  LOL, I like to killed myself trying to get pulled over and stopped so I could put the fire out!  Darn thing shorted out and now the cab stinks like burnt plastic.  Last night, 50' from the driveway, a big buck stepped out in front of me.  Talk about a butt clinch!  I'm so glad I spent the time to replace the front hub/rotors on that little truck, saved my bacon and I got it shut down with a couple feet to spare.  That stupid deer just stood there and looked at me.  I had to roll the window down and yell at it to make it run off!  Dumb deer, LOL

Had a visit by an old coalmine co-worker tonite who told me to stop by his house and pick up one of those rubbermaid water troughs he isn't needing anymore.  He says it's the goat/sheep sized one.  Woohoo, I could use opne of those!

Hey Pamit, yep, those lionheads are mellow, furry little fellers and make great pets!  Still no kits yet but I have hope.

All 3 of the hatched chicks are still alive and making a healthy racket in the front room.

The goats all look preggers.

Okay, here's what I've got to raffle.....

both are 5'x7'.  Same as always on the entries, $10 for one entry or $20 for 3 entries.  Be sure to choose one or the other when entering.  This raffle will be open until the 10th of December so I can get it mailed to arrive before Christmas.  Good luck!

Changes Happen Quick

Oh yes, surprises all around on the farm.  Tractor is the highlight of my attention for the past few days.  Finally lost one of the 2 wore out tires.  Found a used one, slightly bigger but it will do until I can figure out where to get the $635 needed for a new pair.  Also, the primer decided to split on me.  Once I got it pulled off, I saw that it was full of bio fuel algae.  Oh yes, the highly praised bio diesel strikes again!  It's garbage.  It filled the primer screens up with algae and built up enough that it ruptured the the little rubber piece.  Thanks to which ever idiot government agency came up with this brilliant plan to "save" us from fossil fuels.  Morons.

 So here's Baby goat.  Lil Sisters kid from this past spring.  She's turned into a nice little nanny.  Not quite as friendly as her Momma but gentle enough.

 Of course, we can't talk about the farm animals without including the center piece.  Grizz is still himself, being a dopey blue heeler.  Ya can't not love him, he's such a goofy dog.

 The lionheads are, I hope, making bunny kits.

T

3 chicks is all I managed to get hatched out from this last round.  Yep, I said last year that I would not hatch chicks out over the winter but here I am, hatching chicks out, again, LOL

So, how about another blanket raffle?  What pattern should we do this time?  The rainbow (mexicali) one or the dark camo?

And The Winner Is.......

Congrats to Debbie M!  Deb, I will be at the post Monday morning first thing, congrats again!

BRRRRR!

Frost alert, LOL!  Yep, the ground was covered with frost this morning.  OHHHH, I am not ready for winter!  The chicks are hatching, so far I have 2 dried off and another pipped, 16 were in this batch with another 16 in 6 days.  With the power outage and then the over heat, I'm surprised any hatched at all.  Now to see if they're messed up physically in any way.  I'll know soon enough, they will die if they aren't right.  So, I've got fingers crossed they will live and grow like they should.

There's just 3 people entered in the raffle for the Grape Fizz lap throw.  I will draw tomorrow night after I get home from work.  Good luck ladies!

I'm a happy camper this morning, I traded a couple pats of goats milk soap to a neighbor for some bartlett pears. Yum, I love those!  Soft and sweet, the only real pear in my book!

ARG, the rabbit doe I love so much done killed every one of her new kits.  First time she's ever done that to me, must have been something not right with them or something unseen by me annoyed her.  Hate to lose those kits, that's food out of my mouth there!


Eh, gotta go to work now, see yas Saturday morning with the raffle winner's name!

First Frost Already?

Brrr, it was unpleasant this morning!  Not quite a frost but 44F is down right unpleasant compared to what it was just a week ago.  Yep, it's that time of year already, it's going to be cold all the time very soon.  Am I ready?  Well heck no I'm not.  I never am.  I'm a big fat cry baby in cold weather.  I plug through it, miserable just because I would rather not be cold.  Busting ice out of buckets, frozen feet, chapped hands from the hot water in cold air for milking time, eh, just whaaa, LOL.

Eh, anyway, the cows are fat, the goats are sassy, chickens are finally laying steady now that Brandy dog is gone, rabbits should kindle in the next day or 2 and the pantry is full of canned goodies from the garden.

Now is the season of reading and writing, crochet and soap making.

So, here's the first blanket raffle of the season....

A reader asked I put this one up first so here it is.  The Grape Fizz, 38x50 lap throw.  One entry for $10 or 3 for $20.  We'll keep the entries open until Halloween.  You can enter via the paypal button, make sure you put grape fizz in the comment section or you may email me for snail mail(mmpaints@yahoo.com). 

I've got an incubator full of eggs but I'm not too sure they're going to hatch out.  The darn fuse blew over night and the poor unborn chicks got cold, too cold. So, a candling is in order tonight to see if they're all dead.  I hope they aren't dead but just in case, I did put 18 new eggs in there a few days ago.

As I said above, I've got 2 does that should kindle tonight or tomorrow, both good Mommas so 12 to 16 new bunnies should be arriving soon.  I love the bunnies, they are so darn cute and cuddly.  Something to play with while I'm waiting for the new round of goat kids to arrive.  The first ones should get here the 2nd week of January.  Seems like a long way off yet but they'll be here soon enough and it will seem like it was just yesterday when we started waiting for them.  Calves in February or March and we'll be full swing into a busy, busy year around here!  Milk, cheese, the new bake shop, the gardens, the quilting shop I'm working on, the new chicken runs and rabbit house, busy, busy, busy around here!  Plus the quail I want to add and the turkey runs, I've got some exciting plans for the new and revamped farm! Been a tough road and an even rougher summer but I can see daylight now.  A few small fixes on the 2 farm trucks (spider injection on the chevy and a few sensors for the ford) and we'll be in good shape for the new year.  I did manage to get all the parts for the hay equipment paid for, now I just need to find time to put it all together so it's ready for the next haying season.  This winter will be tight for hay but I think we'll make it through it.  Might have to buy a bale or 2 but it will be okay.  All we need to do is to get the taxes paid and we're good for the rest of the year.  How awesome is that?

Until next post........

Almost Fall

So, here we are, another summer done gone by and what have I managed to accomplish? Well hmmm, tangible growth, something that can be seen or felt physically, not too much. The fences are still tore up, the pos trailer I live in is patched somewhat but still a dump, the garden is a mess and the chicken/rabbit hut still isn't finished.

So what is it I have managed to do this whole year? I'm still here. I finally broke even in August. I've managed to feed myself, even if it hasn't been optimal, I havent starved. The small herd of goats I have left are healthy, both the cows are bred and I managed to keep half the chickens alive. Rabbits did well for me this summer and I didn't lose any. So, now I can keep moving forward into the winter and dream of what I might be able to get done next year.

People ask me all the time why I keep going, why I do what I do even when it's difficult or what they consider impossible. This is what I tell them- As you get older, you find that life begins to wear you down. Everything that happens around you and to you- it all rolls up to be against you to steal away your energy, erode your dreams, to make you question things you wouldn't have given a second thought to when you were young and full of hope and dreams. Then, you have a choice. You can either give in and quit or you can fight it and keep going. You do it no matter what because if you quit, you're defeated and life doesn't have any real purpose left to it. There is no success in just existing with no purpose. Some kind of answer, eh?  Most of the time I get the deer in the headlight look in response.  I just laugh.  Seriously, what else did they expect me to say?

So, I've got a few crochet throws finished and ready to go.  In a few weeks, I will put one up for auction on the blog.

  a youth size and an infant size Macaw throw- a 24x28($20) and a 30x42($30) with shipping.

 a grape fizz throw, 38x50 ($42) with shipping

 pink camo throw, 40x56 ($48) with shipping

 a Monet throw, 63x63 ($75) with shipping

 I'm also working on a couple hoodie scarves and some infant, youth and adult hats.

The ragweed is in full bloom around the place and the seasonal allergies are hard to handle.  The weed pulling and fall clean up is in full swing around here as is the garden work for the fall crops.

In between, there's some electrical work to be done in the pos trailer.  I've lost 3 outlets so far.  It just keeps piling up on me (sigh).  Hate pouring good money in a dump that should be burned down and hauled off.  Oh well........

sweltering heat, heavy heart and reflections

Its taken me a couple days to get it right in my head. The news hit my heart hard. Almost surprising in how much it hurt. It's been such a long time since I actually had the time to reflect on how much I actually love my friends. Admiration, devotion, trust, comrades in arms so to speak. All traveling the same homesteading path I am, each in their own way, sharing their knowledge, experience, triumphs and failures with me on a personal level. More than just a few lines in blog comments, actual connections either in person or via telephone or the hours in Wolfes chatroom, spanning the long distances between us all. Late night calls lasting hours into the wee morning, laughter, tears, joy and pain, we share it all. Each of us joined together by our overlapping ideals, goals and motivations. No truer friends could ever be found. When the whole world falls apart around you, these friends were always there, day or night, to pick you up, urge you to hold on and keep fighting. Plenty of times in the past few years, I could have just chucked it all in and quit if it were not for these same friends.

Now, in the midst of life finally starting to go decently for me, I get news of the loss of someone I considered a dear friend. A lady that consoled me during some of the roughest times of a terrible marriage, thru the betrayal of my confidence by people I thought were friends, thru my divorce and all the following struggles, Scifichick was there. Even while she was fighting her own battles, trying to achieve her lifes dreams, she still had time to cheer me up and pester me about those dang rabbits. Never was there more giggles and outright joyful laughter than when Sci and me would get going on the phone. I would often have to go hunt the phone charger cord down before the phone would die so we could keep talking. Every spring the betting would start on how long it would take me to actually break down and start seed. Of course, I never make it to the actually seed starting date, I always jump the gun. Sci would just laugh and say I knew you wouldnt make it! Now, I feel like I have a hole next to my heart. I will never forget you Scifi, you were one of a kind.

where oh where has my little dog gone.....

oh where oh where can he be????   LOL  Yep, I'm still alive!  I know, shame on me for being gone for so long.  So, where have I been?  Right here on the farm, trying to keep it all together with the miserable paycheck and constant equipment breakdowns.  Part of it I guess.  Doesn't make it any more comfortable tho. Small blessings counted, like for instance, the extremely mild summer we've had.  It's only been unbearable hot in the dump I call home a half dozen times so far this summer.  The no air conditioning thing was hardly noticed so far.  Still not comfortable enough to get a net connection on the farm again.  Just too expensive for the budget.  Maybe next year.

The daily struggle goes on, as usual.  A set of twin girls were born to Delta goat last week and they are keeping me entertained with their silly goat kid antics.  These 2 are tiny little carbon copies of their Momma, hints of color under their snow white coats.  I'm sure they will change color as they grow, like the last batch of kids did. 

Looks like I might finally have pregnant cows!  The holstein that was slated for the dinner plate got a pass and is now a nice little bull that did the job. I think anyway, LOL  The girls look preggers, fat in all the right places so keeping those fingers crossed!

All the hay equipment is broken, as usual.

The commercial kitchen finally passed inspection for baked goods.  Now all I need is to build up a clientele since all my old regular customers moved on to other outlets while I was building.  No worries, word of mouth is good around here and when I'm ready to fly, they'll come back.  Come next seasons markets, I'll be in full swing.  Still more work to be done on the cheese caves and smokers.

Lack of rain around here has the grass not growing and the garden dying.  The irrigation system needs major improvements and a couple new catch basins need installed to increase the amount of water I can catch.  Lack of rain allows me to run out long before relief comes from fresh rains.  Something to be addressed over the winter months.

Lost a bit of weight due to the rough living this year.  Had to hit the thrift store a couple of times for hand me down clothes.  Hard to get much work done when ya have to keep pulling yer britches up!  LOL


Other than that, it's still business as usual around the farm.  Finally got the past due mortgage payments caught up.  It was touch and go there for a while and the bank threatening foreclosure was unpleasant.  Hope I don't have to revisit that feeling again anytime soon.  Other than that, it's just the poor life here, holding on and plugging along, the best one can while just rolling with whatever gets thrown up on me.......

June Update

Well, it's been a busy few weeks.  Lots going on but it's all been wheel spin.  3 weeks of every day rains, the truck wire shorting and burning, the cows in the road, tractor alternator shooting craps and so on and so forth.

Everything I've managed to get planted is flowering with peppers about half ready to pick.  Lots of green tomatoes too.  Trying to turn the soil with just a pitchfork and  hoe when it's constant swampland mud it tough work.  Goats are all fat and sassy, cows keep pushing the fence down in the mud to run around on the highway.  Stupid cows.  Got them all tethered in the yard just so I can be sure they will stay put while I'm at work.  Managed to get all the bills paid for this month but nothing left over to make any progress around here.  That figures but it's not always going to be like this.  It damn well better not be!

Keeping On

 Spring has sprung, even tho the over night temps are still dipping into the 50sF.  Grass is growing like crazy and the baler is still broke.  Like the pitiful paycheck is ever going to cover more than the bills around here.  It hardly does that most of the time.  Tiller decided to not function this year so it was "do it the old fashioned way".  With the work schedule and the rain, it's been hard to get as much done as I need to.  As always, I keep just plugging away at it since I'm stubborn and as always, refuse to give up.

 Cows are loving the grass growing and the cow "lawn mowing" has begun.  Wouldn't be able to keep up with it minus a couple of cows, it grows too quick for me to push mow it all anyway.  So, good for me, good for them!

 Got 2 batches of rabbit kits growing, they're about 3 weeks apart.  The all black buck I picked up at auction for $3 has made some pretty kits, they look like wild rabbit coloring.  Throw a few all black ones in there.  They seem to be growing quicker than the straight NZ line I've always had and they seem healthier than the kits that came from the flemish giant buck I've still got.  Maybe a shot of good blood will improve the bunny production around here.

Barb, got your note, thanks!  Appreciate the kind words and the help.  Every little bit goes a LONG way around here.

Richard, got your note as well, I've got a letter on the way to you soon.  I've also got a couple things in a box waiting for me to catch up so I can mail it.  A big hug for you Richard!

Preston, I trust the box arrived in good shape?  Hope those tubers weren't too shocked.


More soon!!!!

Crazy Around the Farm

As usual, it's hard for me to figure out if I'm coming or going.  The hard winter and the bills piling up keeps me humping every single day.  Always trying to figure out how to rob Peter to pay Paul around here.

 My only day off this past week and it was 55F and windy.  Rained hard the day before so no garden tromping going on in the overcast, breezyness.

I did manage to get some things planted even tho my entire seed starting this spring was a total bust.  The weather was just too crazy for me to keep anything from damping off and dying. 

More soon on the adventure!

a farm update

So, here we are, just about onto Easter.  Not a holiday I celebrate with joy since my Grandmother passed away.  I have my own retrospect on the subject...

Got the front garden cleaned out and several cold crop items planted.  Hoping the frost we had 2 mornings ago doesn't do much damage.  I have just a third of the normal seedlings up and growing, lost a bunch to damping off with the burst of cold weather that rolled thru.  No heat sucks, LOL

Since I'm basically rock bottom here and starting from scratch, any progress I make at all seems like a huge victory.  It's horribly slow coming but it IS coming. 

I'm toughing it out and still alive! Pickins in the cupboard are getting a little slim but what I canned up last season should hold out for the fresh produce.  The chickens I hatched out for myself are just about up to egg laying so no worries there.The baby bunnies are doing great and I've decided to not try to sell the few I've got as Easter bunnies.  Instead, I'm going to eat a couple of the boys and keep the girls to replace the does I lost to the severe winter cold.  Build my "herd" back up.  I've ended up with 3 girls and just the 1 boy out of the goat kids.  Lil Sisters kid, Baby, is a real dandy!  What a personality on that little thing!  She's spoiled already, of course.  She's getting all the darn goats milk on me so you know she's fat and sassy.

The pot bellied pig (the small dexter bull I got from Mike Hammack and then sold back for the $200 he offered me to "help me out") did not produce any calves.  So, no cows milk for a few more months.  I've got a bull to cover the girls now so calves are on the way.  It's probably all the for best tho since my work schedule at the moment would make milking at the proper intervals a bit rough.  Funny how those things work out.

Oh, PTLBatman, I'm digging up the sunchokes to move them this weekend or early next week, a box will be heading your way!

The rest is business as usual around here......

screeching halt

All progress has come to a complete halt around here.  The winter was just too hard here and unlike some people around me who like to brag on themselves while cutting the guts out of their friends (you know who you are)  I don't have a spouse I talk bad about behind her back while she's paying all the bills so I can thump my chest and tell everyone how successful I am, so, I'm wiped out.  There is no progress here.  Minimal survival mode is in full swing.

I'd share it all with ya's but the ex friend (total jerkoff douchebag) seems to think my struggles are a good way to continually diss me and prove how much better he is than I am.  So, know I'm still alive and hanging on, just not making any progress.

Disgusted by Stupidity

So, I'm being amazed by ignorance, again.  I received a couple emails (threats) basically saying I could be/should be sued by this person I used to be friends with.  I'm damaging his farm business by saying he backstabbed me.  Hmmmm, he DID backstab me.  Let's see, the rumors/lies he spread around the farmers market about my farm products isn't damaging MY farm business?  I have people willing to repeat his story about me.   His pleas to a market master to throw me out of a market and report me to the health dept based solely on his lies?  When that market master refused and he found out I had been told about it, he threw an embarrassing tantrum right after opening bell that got him thrown out of the market.  Plenty of witnesses to that as well.  He lied on his website about the whole incident and gave a false reason for why he won't be attending that market in the future.   Doesn't that give ME grounds for a lawsuit?  What about the other people he harassed, I know he remembers the woman he called and reported more than once because she was direct competition for him.  I have that entire conversation plus at least a year of other conversations filed for future reference.  Not counting the others he complained loudly about at local markets. 


Oh, I've also been accused of, by this same person, of "milking people out of money".   I am, according to this person, full of crap and I'm a con artist.  Hmmm, I've been writing this blog since 2008, have chronicled every detail of farm life here, shared every aspect of my life and I'm a liar?

Now, because this man is such an obnoxious jerk, SSL will no longer be posted on.  Maybe one day when life gets back to more fun, we'll go back to what we love.

farm update, March 1

Gotta make sure the goats have enough hay to munch on so they can keep warm during the upcoming round of nasty weather!

So, everything is puttering along, business as usual around here.  I got an email from someone I used to be friends with, threatening to sue me for naming him as the person who made the report that killed last years market for me.  Apparently, he has friends "watching" me.  Geez, didn't know I was such a going concern.  Whatever.

Seed starting coming soon!  LOL  This last round of nasty goes thru and the green stuff will be sprouting here again!  I have all my seeds lined up and waiting to be planted.  I'm so excited, LOL  This has been one nasty winter.

No snowflakes here on the farm yet but a friend just sent me a picture from a town 20 miles west of the farm.  They've got snow already.  Looks like an inch or so. Yay rah!  Here it comes.........