The Tax Man Cometh..

This winter has seemed so long and cold. I know it hasn't been as bad for us as some others, but it isn't supposed to be this cold ,this long . It has zapped any motivation I might have for anything ,particularly being outside. On top of it all it is TAX season.

Farms are great for taxs as long as you continue to buy equipment and spend that money. We hit the end of depreciation in 2009 on most of our big equipment and in an effort to become debt free didn't buy more. We also had a good flock of chickens and made quite a bit more than usual (didn't feel like it). Well.... for what we owe the Guberment this year we could have bought that piece of equipment that my husbands want/needs out right. Now we will pay that money to the govt. and get nothing tangible in return.Hmmm....

Well "debt free" lasted a short few months. It is a good idea but not really practical as long as you are making money. I am not ready to give up making that money yet. So I guess it is back in debt we go. I knew we would have to pay a bit ,but dang I could have hired help for a year and not had to work. So for this year I am letting the husband buy his square baler, accumulator, and grapple.(Not to mention I ran out of hay this year and I just paid $5a bale for crap hay). He is a happy man!

On a happier note (for me) I am leaving for an all girls vacation to Cancun in a couple of days. I fully expect a hay baler to be at the barn when I get home.

LIVE and LEARN

The Sound of Silence

I haven't had much too say in the last week or so. Hibernation I guess. I had a week by myself and really enjoyed it. Didn't spend a penny and the car didn't leave the drive. It has been really cold wet weather here and it has zapped any motivation I might have had. I did have one nice ,dry, fairly warm day and the dogs and I went walking in the woods. I did learn if you are alone and walking in the woods at least take the cell phone. I lost my right leg down some sort of hole that looked like firm ground. Past my knee with my boot on, buried! My first thought was oh my gosh I hope nothing is alive down there to gnaw off my foot, the next thought was I am stuck! I couldn't get any leverage to pull my leg out. I finally found a tree I could reach an prised my foot out. Lesson learned! I could have been stuck there for several days before somone missed me (besides the dogs .)
I did get out one day and get some nice pictures of the farm in the snow. It was really cold and pretty slick so there are only a few.

The barn

arena

Pesky

My garden

table by the creek

dogs loved it

sunrise

I am having trouble sifting through all of the information I have on family history and making sense of it. Since I don't know any of the people and there is no one left to help me it is quite confusing. Thought I would take a break and get outside.

Yes this is Georgia. Not our typical winter and not one I care to repeat. I really would like snow instead of ice but I guess it is not up to me.

We are just high enough to get some lovely views and secenery.

And just low enough to get ice instead of snow.

Hard to tell from the picture but we had at least 1/2inch covering on everything.Very beautiful when the sun came out.We had to get out of the woods though before a branch or huge chunk of ice fell on our heads.

Notes from the past.

The past is past
The future nigh

Where was I when
Time went by?

Living life and
Dreaming dreams..

Going nowhere
So it seems..

This is a picture of my grandmother and my mother and aunts. Above this is a picture of  one of the notes I have. I am trying to piece together a history from this and I am having to try and decipher it. Not being able to place some of the words in context and not knowing what some of the activities she is refering to are is making it difficult for me.

I was reading a post about handwritten notes today. I had not thought about how rare these were until today,or how lucky I am to have several hand written notes from my mother,grandmother and greatgrandmother.
 My mothers side of the family were pioneers and it seems that the women were educated enough to keep some handwritten accounts of their lives. Our Family had a homestead on the Windriver in WY. It had been in our family since the late 1800's. Most of the land was sold off when my Greatgrandpa died because of multiple heirs. The original buildings and 30 acres with the best riverfrontage were kept in the family and my Aunt and Uncle took care of it until their deaths last year. The ranch was sold,again because of multiple heirs.

 Being one of the heirs I received a box full of stuff from their estate. I was lucky enough to get the box with old photos and a handwritten history of the family. I also found a notebook my greatgrandmother kept. I am still deciphering the stories she wrote down (bad handwriting).I would like to share some of these stories and photos as these people were true "homesteaders" and had real American spirit. They suffered hardships we can only imagine just to try and provide a living for their families and keep them safe.

I thought I would start with one of the first entries these are my great grandmothers writings :

  "I will start with my family history as I heard and remember it. My grandfather Ben was born March 26 1822. He was from Ohio and was pretty well educated for that time. He was of Welch,English and Irish ancestry as was Martha his wife. Martha was born April 6, 1823. They were Married Nov. 21, 1844 and moved from Ohio to South central Iowa near Indinolla.They settled on the river bottom on the South River. They had to clear the land of timber and built a cabin with the logs. They built a cabin 14 x 16 and another in back of it roofing the space between for storage and washing clothes, and any other chores to be done outside. Martha was a small plump woman with dark hair and blue eyes. She was a very good manager, housekeeper and an excellent cook. They made almost everything they used even spinning and weaving a lot of the fabric and linens. They tanned hides to make their own leather for shoes. Martha as talented as she was, could not read or write. They had 5 girls my mother being the fourth. Sophia the first daughter married a man by the name of starbuck, she died a year after she was married of pneumonia, no children. Belle married and bore two boys and two girls and died soon after. Anne married Diff a real nice man. They had two boys and five girls. Anne also died after bearing the children. Myself, Grace ,I had 5 girls. Celestine who married and had 4 boys and 4 girls. Martha helped raise the children of the dead daughters in her own home..

Imagine raising 5 children in a 14x16 space. I also couldn't imagine loosing 3 of my 5 children. I seems to be common.

"The Weather Outside is Frightful"

These photos are the 2009 year through the eye of my camera.I picked the ones that make me smile.

This is how I appear in the eye of our filly "Velvet".

The weather for January has been odd! We didn't get above freezing for more than a week and even had snow on the ground. Then we had a couple of sunny days in the 70's. Right now it is raining. Thought I would post my favorite photos for 2009

This looks to me like a scene out of the "Hobbit".

This is one of the Haflinger sisters "Fireball".

Blue Ridge Mnts.In the fall.

Doorway to the past

Wild Turkey

I always hear the song from "Andy Griffith" When I look at this one.

Sunset at the farm

Innocence

Secrets

Bounty

Life!

Did you ever notice just when things are going well something comes along to complicate things.

We just have to remind ourselves that is often only temporary. If it is not we will adjust our lives and go on in another direction.

.

No we don't keep goats in the house as a rule. This is "Pesky" Her mom died and "Pesky" had a severe eye infection.We had to put ointment in her eye 4 times a day.It was just easier to have her in the house. She thought she was a dog and should have all the same privleges. "Mindy" the JRT was not too happy about it.Pesky is now outside and doing fine.Her eye healed. She still thinks she is a dog though.

A New Year!!

2010! I can't believe it is a new year. The end of 2009 was busy,busy,hence the lack of posting.The market garden didn't do so well as a market garden. There were allot of people at the local market selling this year so it was hard to make any money. I guess everyone had the same idea. The garden did produce allot of food for friends and family. The funny part is you offer free produce and people want you to pick it,bag it and deliver it or they don't want it?? We will be back to the small home garden this year.


We started the new year DEBIT FREE!! Almost ,we still have a mortgage on the farm but all other debits are gone. I can't wait to feel the weight of money in my pocket.



We had snow this year. Not much, but it hasn't been above freezing in more than a week. I live in the south so I don't have to be cold. The animals are ready to have water without ice in it.


So how did everyone else do?? I am all ears..


Or maybe I am just nosey.