Goat Pen Figured Out

Our back neighbors came over around 11:00 a.m. yesterday to look around our property and help me figure out where to house the goats. We have two good areas that really hadn't occurred to me:

(1) The workshop. It's a really big building (30x45) and we can easily house the goats along the side or back of the workshop inside. It's got a couple of opaque skylights, and electricity available for heat lamps and video-cams for when we kid later on. They could go in there at night, and in the morning we'd walk them outside and around to the "dog run" that's fenced in. We could put one of those big heavy pallets in their workshop-pen, stack hay around and scatter more across the pallet and dirt floor. That would make a nice warm place to milk them later, too. Very safe from predators and the elements.

(2) There's space under our back deck that the former people used to store firewood. We'd have to do some repairs because the former dogs dug holes all around it and through it. We'd also have to replace the aluminum door with something more like a barn door that would still offer protection but also sunlight when the snow is deep.

Maybe we'll fix up the workshop first, and if it works out, we'll either cut a hole in the back for a door and make a fenced area right behind.

And maybe we'll fix up the under-the-deck area for the billy goat(s) when it comes time.

Yeah, I'm thinking we'll prepare an area for the goats in the workshop. There should be room in there for the chickens too. Maybe we'll even move the rabbits and quail out there too!

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After we finished our taxes yesterday (we paid through the nose ... ouch!), we popped on next door to eat our annivesary dinner at a steak restaurant. The Kid too. After all, he was part of the wedding ceremony too. Can't believe it's been 4 years. Anyway, we got home just before dark, time to get doggy-bags refrigerated, teeth brushed, and things ready for today.

Hubby left this morning with the check for taxes to mail. Now I need to move money around. Basically, the gov gets our fence money. Oh well. Better luck next year! We'll do the fence when we can and just hope that critters don't eat up all our corn, beans, pumpkins and so on.

Meanwhile, I have a doc appointment this morning (for the migraines that have increased in frequency). Hope I can get the Kid in too because he's had a cough for a couple of months and he's also got another ingrown toenail. After the doc, we'll head on over to Home Depot where I'll pick up a few things to "fence-off" the goat pen in the workshop. Hoping that one of Hubby's friends will come by on Saturday to help us build the pen so that we can pick up the goaties on Sunday.

I just realized I never took a pic of my seedlings. Maybe I'll have a chance tomorrow. Today's schedule is kinda packed.

Have a great day, all!

Tax Day Cometh

First things first ... Happy Birthday, sis. It's another year and that means another year I haven't seen you. Hope you enjoy your day.

Second, we had our taxes done yesterday. At least, started. Found out that because we sold our (last) house so soon after purchasing, we owe "capital gains tax" which means we need to dig out some paperwork. Basically, even when we find the original purchase paperwork, we'll still owe about, well, let's just say ... anybody want to buy a Kid?!?! Believe me, it's enough to where we have to put our fencing on hold.

I think that I'll advise people ... if you want a homestead, you need to have money in the bank for everything you need to do to it: planting, fencing, animals, animal shelters, well and septic check and so much more.

Hmmm... guess I better do some writing this week. And starting some lettuce, broccoli and cabbage seeds to sell.

Anybody want some lettuce seedlings? Only $500 per flat!!!

JK

Fence vs Windbreak... who won?

Hubby and I had a long talk tonight and made some decisions. Some aren't appropriate for the blog, but we also talked about money and what to do about the expensive fencing situation. We could do 100-300 feet of fencing at a time, per month, and finally get it done by Sept or October. But then if we spend all of our money doing that, we wouldn't be able to plant a windbreak plus all of the fruit and nut trees and bushes that we want.

The windbreak is important. The neighbors all tell us that there is NO time period of any season that doesn't have wind. It blows year-round, and not just little puffy breezes. Real stiff winds and major gale-like-forces. If we don't get the windbreak up, then our corn and fruit bushes, etc. don't have a chance of living, let alone producing. So within the next week or so, I'm ordering 100 privet hedge plants, 10 holly-bush plants, and 2 or more weeping willow trees. A few others too but I haven't completely decided.

Thanks to the advice of Anon and Linda earlier today. You helped a lot.

Might do the back fence next month ... so we will know where to rototill, and I can go on and plant the grape vines along it.

Then... we need to reinforce the fence around our "backyard" (to hold the goat pen, chicken coop, part of the veggie garden and our "relaxing area" with the picnic table etc.) The fence is 4 foot tall with welded-wire fencing. The two corn patches, the sunflower/cuke/watermelon patch and the amaranth patch will be outside of this section, and we'll just hope and pray that the rabbits leave it alone!

When we want the goats to help us "mow the lawn" (yes, I know they are browsers and not grazers), then we'll hook them up and hope they help out by eating the cactus and burrs, and leave lots of poop behind! Perhaps we should revisit the "goat tractor" idea.

The chickens ... if we have the time and energy and supplies, we'll make a chicken tractor and let them out of the coop into the tractor. That will help us with the bugs and greens and leaving fertilizer behind too!

The upstairs bedroom that the Kid just vacated is also going to be the home of more of our veggies and herbs and fruits than what we originally planned. I spent part of this morning arranging things, checking on my baby seelings, installing two "grow-lights" and figuring out we need a few more of them. I think it will work pretty well!

And we're going to work hard to save money and make extra money selling seedlings, etc. so we can get the fence put up by Autumn this year. Gotta get cracking on writing my various book projects too. (Note: compiling a book of "my very first garden" stories ... be sure to read the info at the top of this web-page and e-mail your story as soon as possible. It will be sold on Amazon.com and other places.)

Thanks for all of the input. Really appreciate it.

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For today, I did 3 loads of laundry, a load of dishes, made a crockpot full of beans/lentils/quinoa, met with another fencing person, gathered as much of the tax info as possible (missing 2 items) and made an appointment for tax prep for Sunday. Also got the Kid caught up on schoolwork. Yippee! Yep... busy day.