Saturday, October 29, 2011

A country boy in town

My new-to-me home has a garden shed......renamed the mini barn. It will house my pair of Lilac Angora rabbits and 2 pair of Old German Owl pigeons. Small animal hobbies to keep me active and  to keep the cobwebs out of my head. My roses love the manure.
Old German owls are very tame and gentle. They are good parents. Their colors are crisp and distinct. I had a large flock years ago. Now a small flock for the fun of watching them. Oh I have 2 lawn chairs that will be in the barn so my granddaughter Nessie and I can sit down to pet rabbits, hold pigeons or just sit and watch them.
Yellow hen

Silver check hen
Red cock
Red check cock

I will keep my Blog just with a new twist-- pigeons, rabbits, shrubs and flowers.
** Definitely the wrong time of year for bunnies, but Bonnie is due shortly after my move. Not counting on a successful litter due to the chilly temps and the move, but Bonnie is an experienced mom so we will see**

"If you are in trouble and are smiling, you have someone in mind to blame"

Till later
Jerry

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Big Changes

As you know my wife left Easter Monday. Our divorce was final October 10th. The terms are agreeable to both.
I have over worked myself here on my 5 acre hobby farm since my surgery 8 years ago. The farm work was my physical therapy. I recovered as well as I could. Since the Mayo surgery, my limited eye sight prohibits me from having a driver's license. County bus service is sporadic at best. I have visitation of my grandaugther Nessie every other Tues- Wed- Thursday in summer and every third weekend during the school year. My family is very gracious making sure Nessie was delivered and picked up for every viist.  My family, Ness and close cousins all live 40 miles west of here in and near Fergus Falls.
I had a couple health scares. I fainted and banged the back of my head hard. Was unconscious and rushed to the ER.  Recently I bent over to pick up a pail, and not seeing the steel T post in the fence row, received a full force blow to my right eye.......my only eye that I have some vision. Most of the impact was the bone around the eye socket.  My sight was like when I first went blind 8 years ago, blurred and lights looked like stars. 
I tried to see my eye in the mirror with my strong reading glasses........I couldn't see it,
I called my mother, She came from Fergus and we went to the ER. ER  Doctor put in eye contrast, it revealed an abrasion on my cornea-- the white part of the eye..pupil was OK. Vision should return in 24 hours. I was prescibed an antibiotic eye drop to ward off infection. ER doctor advised me to see an Eye doctor in the morning. Mom stayed overnight, next morning we went to an Eye doctor.  He confirmed the diagnosis. My vision returned in 48 hours, OK now that was scary.  I need the sight I have to live alone  On Monday I have a follow up eye appt. to confirm all is well.

Three weeks ago I sold my beloved Shetland flock.....the entire flock to a great couple from Fargo. They have sheep experience and wanted a smaller sheep. It was an easy sell as all my ewes eat cookies out of my hand..tough day for me.  I sold my extra hay and chickens.With all my family in Fergus, I decided to sell my farm to my daughter Jess and her husdand Dave and move to Fergus Falls. They were thrilled to buy dad's farm. I feel like all my hard work is appreciated by Jess and Dave- meant to be.
After selling their house........Dave went to Afghanistan- They have lived in their apartment 2 years. Their 2 dogs  Abby a Husky and Tonka a Rottweiler/Mastiff have been living with friends 15 miles from town.  So they are getting their 'family' back.

I found a nice 2 bedroom home on the edge of Fergus. Big eat in kitchen open to the living room, main floor laundry.....no reason to go down the staris to the basement... Set back off a quiet street with a private back yard. Close to family. It has a small  garden shed/barn  in the yard. Fergus Falls allows rabbits, hens- no roosters. So it will house 6 silkie hens and a pair of Lilac Angora rabbits. I could say they are for Nessie and they are...but they are for me too.  With Jess' permisison- she said "Dad take whatever flowers and shrubs you want"......I moved this year's purchases of new variety day lilies, iris and shrubs to a fenced in nursery row and will transplant them next Spring to my new home.  My white fence is not Jess and Dave's thing so I will move it and fence in my backyard.

I am putting all my furnture and boxes in the first living room by Thursday Nov 3,  Sorting for our rummage sale in Spring  now stored in mom's garage, stuff to take, and stuff to throw.  I close on my house Friday Nov 4th and move in Nov 6th. Family is going to help paint a couple rooms before the move--all freshly painted but I want different colors in my living room and bedroom.. I told my daughter she could start moving in......so as I am packing up she is bringing in her boxes.  I reserved a small U Haul truck. Jess and Dave will pick it up Saturday and move in here. On Sunday they will help me move out and drive the U haul to Fergus. They will drive it back here and return it.  Hopefully our fall weather will hold for 2 weeks yet. Get everyone moved before winter hits.

This is a good move. This big house was my ex wife's idea. Two living rooms, 2 baths, separate computer room 3 big bedrooms..much too big for just me. I really love my smaller Fergus house. Built in 1953 it is solid well built-- back when lumber was full dimension and siding was cedar. New shingles, exterior and interior paint, new rain gutters, facsia and soffit, new plumbing, hot water heater and  furnace.

A nice level back yard just begging for my perennials and shrubs.  I am happy.  I live alone but I am not lonely. Inner peace and all that. "Jerry, party of one"    Yes and I am having way too much fun!
Jerry

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

French Angora Rabbits!!

Gorgeous fall day to go rabbit shopping. My neighbor helped me pick out four excellent Angoras for breeding. I am going to clip the fanastic wool - use it or sell it. And raise bunnies of course.  All very tame and easy to handle. First one is a 3 month old Blue Tort doe. Played with by the seller's grandkids, so she very kid friendly, she will be my granddau Nessie's bunny  Nessie can name her


A Lilac Buck "Spiderman"  he was taken to the seller's book promotion, so is very calm  Born Summer 2010

A chocolate doe "Glenda" Born last year. Proven doe- raises a nice litter.
Yes Glenda needs a clean up clip..she has some matted wool

A lilac doe "Bonnie"  Born last year. Proven doe - she raised a nice sized litter this year.


My neighbor wasn't even going to bring a cage but she did.  She bought a Blue buck ad 2 white does.........oh and she has a Pearl buck (siamese look) at home.
Many years to trading bucks back and forth ahead.

My Ameraucana flock  18 pullets all blue with a pattern/other color,  blue/golden, splash, solid blue, blue red laced.......and two roosters........

14 junior silkies  Look like mostly hens

Gorgeous fall, a winter to relax and patiently wait for Spring........Spring lambs, chicks Bunnies, flower are back   Wow!

May all your troubles be mislaid, may joy rain down upon you

Jerry

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Fall Painting Project!

Two weeks ago, I painted  my dark stained deck/front step with Legends Oil based Enamel The dark satin was someone else's idea.  I gave it a second coat...not as fun as you don't see a dramatic change. On the floor of my deck I painted it with Tread Tek in the paint for a non-skid surface. Ghee my deck looked so nice.........faded green shutters looked awful. Today I painted my shutters white too.....
Wow what a difference.


I cleaned out the garage........where does all this junk come from.....whoops I am the only one here! Tomorrow afternoon my daughter is taking me and my pickup to the land fill.
I moved Iris clumps from under the huge chokecherry tree too much shade, so they will fair better.....so my front garden will be full. I got 12 pink-n-white Tulip bulbs.....I have avoided them as they don't last long, but they do get early color after the long winter.
 
Tomorrow morning.....neighbors are taking me to the Rabbit Lady.........French Angoras. We put up a run of 4 rabbit cages up in the barn. Icelandic wool, Angora wool.......going to try my hand at washing, drum carding, spinning and maybe a loom.......don't guarantee results........but we'll see

On a personal note at 56 well almost 57  I have my farm to myself. The divorce is final!  Over the summer I have become a patient man (never thought that would happen) I am working on inner peace. Today in WalMart I discovered the art of strolling----not shuffling of the feet, but a slow gait..back straight.shoulders square..taking it all in, at the same time I felt more confident. This afternoon I looked at my house with its white shutters...I can did!......given lots of time and patience........I have a renewed sense of confidence......strong self worth.....ah so this is what inner peace feels like..... Cool

Jerry