2015 was a sad year for many with job losses in the tens of thousands and money and financial crisis looming everywhere. To top that off, there was a drought. which drove the prices of hay and grain sky high and farmers were chewing their nails wondering what to do and how to make the winter with their stock. Some sold animals, just enough so they felt they could make it, while others chose to feed straw and grain and old hay to get through the winter. Letting stock go when prices are low is like throwing money away. The situation was no different for the Fat Ewe Farm, when loss of people to this area forced the closure of the bed and breakfast and extreme feed and hay prices nearly broke the bank. So far, the winter has been very mild with hardly any snow and although the mild temperatures are great, the lack of precipitation is not. Without a decent snow cover, the ground will start out too dry to germinate crops and another disastrous year could occur, unless the rains came in the spring as they did the first year, 2012 , when I arrived here. It was almost torrential then, with rivers swollen and flooding their banks and lakes full that had not seen high water levels for tens of years.
But, 2016 is full of promise too. Those of us who elected to keep their stock are in a good position for breeding and selling animals at market time. There are about 20 geese, 50 chickens, 30 ducks, 30 rabbits, 15 goats and 70 sheep on the farm, plus the 8 dogs, 4 cats and 3 cows. Hopefully the cows are bred and will give some cute little offspring. The Riggit Galloways will have an almost purebred Galloway calf, not registered (the bull is 1/8 Highland) and the Galloway/Highland calf will be so cute, I will hate to part with them. Oh, I forgot Dolly, the donkey. She was born in May and is a delight. I got a harness for her and have been halter training her every few days. There is enough feed for the winter, except for the bird's and bunny's grain. The pigs devour that before their own so I have to be careful where to feed the birds.
The sheep and goats were bred starting in November for spring babies. There is a woman interested in constantly purchasing the sheep fleece for fair market value to resell. I have a part time, albeit temporary, job beginning on January 4th for the afternoons so financially, I can weather a few storms now and hopefully save something in the meantime. There are things that need replacing, such as the very old furnace and hot water tank from the early 1970's in the little house and the heat keeps breaking down in the big house, too. Hopefully I can get the upstairs of that house rented to a single person to cover the costs of keeping it warm and the lights on.
The bills are paid, and there is a little left in the bank and all is well. My heart is filled with peace and joy, and content am I to just be. I have everything I need and everything I want. Life is a dream for me and I am living it just as I envisioned.
For 2016 I wish for you to find that peace in your heart, to want what you have and be satisfied with what you need. I wish you to find the joy that I have found. It is wonderful to fall asleep with not a single worry on my mind and to wake when I am ready to get out of bed, grateful to have made it another day. My beautiful adult children are finally on their own and making their way in life as I once did. I am so proud of each of them for the people they have become. There is great fulfillment in being a parent of such wonderful young people. I am grateful too, for that opportunity to have experienced being influential in the lives of my children and helping them find that which they knew they had inside and to learn to work with the gifts they have been given.
And I wish for you too, to have the love of friends and family. There is nothing as comforting as love. I have love from the critters every day, tails wagging and sheep baaing and cows mooing and chickens clucking and, and and. And it is wonderful. I am sure I am in Heaven here in my little paradise. I wish you to find paradise in your place too, for we all are exactly where we are supposed to be, living the lives we have chosen for ourselves and that - that is our personal Heaven. Have a blessed New Year, with peace, love, prosperity and good health! Happy 2016.
But, 2016 is full of promise too. Those of us who elected to keep their stock are in a good position for breeding and selling animals at market time. There are about 20 geese, 50 chickens, 30 ducks, 30 rabbits, 15 goats and 70 sheep on the farm, plus the 8 dogs, 4 cats and 3 cows. Hopefully the cows are bred and will give some cute little offspring. The Riggit Galloways will have an almost purebred Galloway calf, not registered (the bull is 1/8 Highland) and the Galloway/Highland calf will be so cute, I will hate to part with them. Oh, I forgot Dolly, the donkey. She was born in May and is a delight. I got a harness for her and have been halter training her every few days. There is enough feed for the winter, except for the bird's and bunny's grain. The pigs devour that before their own so I have to be careful where to feed the birds.
The sheep and goats were bred starting in November for spring babies. There is a woman interested in constantly purchasing the sheep fleece for fair market value to resell. I have a part time, albeit temporary, job beginning on January 4th for the afternoons so financially, I can weather a few storms now and hopefully save something in the meantime. There are things that need replacing, such as the very old furnace and hot water tank from the early 1970's in the little house and the heat keeps breaking down in the big house, too. Hopefully I can get the upstairs of that house rented to a single person to cover the costs of keeping it warm and the lights on.
The bills are paid, and there is a little left in the bank and all is well. My heart is filled with peace and joy, and content am I to just be. I have everything I need and everything I want. Life is a dream for me and I am living it just as I envisioned.
For 2016 I wish for you to find that peace in your heart, to want what you have and be satisfied with what you need. I wish you to find the joy that I have found. It is wonderful to fall asleep with not a single worry on my mind and to wake when I am ready to get out of bed, grateful to have made it another day. My beautiful adult children are finally on their own and making their way in life as I once did. I am so proud of each of them for the people they have become. There is great fulfillment in being a parent of such wonderful young people. I am grateful too, for that opportunity to have experienced being influential in the lives of my children and helping them find that which they knew they had inside and to learn to work with the gifts they have been given.
And I wish for you too, to have the love of friends and family. There is nothing as comforting as love. I have love from the critters every day, tails wagging and sheep baaing and cows mooing and chickens clucking and, and and. And it is wonderful. I am sure I am in Heaven here in my little paradise. I wish you to find paradise in your place too, for we all are exactly where we are supposed to be, living the lives we have chosen for ourselves and that - that is our personal Heaven. Have a blessed New Year, with peace, love, prosperity and good health! Happy 2016.
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