As I look around the property, I see lots of stuff that still needs to be done. But looking back, I realize we’ve enjoyed many things on the 6.66 acres that is our Livin’ The 10 Farnch.
God’s Canvas
First, the sunrises and sunsets here are absolutely fantastic. You can see them all in the God’s Canvas posts.
The Country Life
The kids got sick right around Easter last year, and we didn’t make it to church. We still wanted to have a family celebration, so we had an Easter Egg “Hunt” here on the farnch. Melissa and I took plastic eggs, filled them with treats, then strung them on branches in the woods in the back yard. Eryk, Iain and Macy then got to go “on the hunt” for eggs…with their BB guns.
Back to Basics
When June rolled around, it got hot. We needed a way to cool down. Our temporary solution was a cheap easy set pool. The kids loved it, and even we adults enjoyed relaxing in the cool water. In fact, one hot-but-breeze evening, I soaked in the pool for a while. When I got out, I sat in my rocking chair on the porch to dry off. The evaporative effect of the breeze against the water actually gave me a slight chill…on a 100+ degree day.
The Right Tool for the Job
Having lived in the city most of our lives, we knew we would need to acquire some common farm-type implements. Mom and Dad’s housewarming gift to us was a commercial-grace Snapper Zero-Turn mower, and, man, has it been a blessing. We used it to cut pathways and walking trails through the front and back pastures, and to generally keep the rest of the place neat and tidy.
When we sold our home, we used some of the proceeds to get a truck, Rocky. Rocky has pulled our animal trailer to bring home Chocolate, Vanilla, Turtle and Bryan; Mocha and Chip; and Beau and Mercy. Rocky has also hauled (literally) tons of stuff for our building projects, especially the outdoor kitchen. In addition to being really useful around the farnch, I have to admit, I just like driving a big truck.
Of course, no farnch is complete without a tractor. In late October, we visited the local Kubota dealership, Ewald Kubota, to get smart on tractors. They were having a sale, with some good incentives and financing, and we were able to get everything we wanted – front-end loader, brush-hog, box blade, and grapple – for a good price.
Infrastructure
One of the things we haven’t had to do a lot of is infrastructure. That was one of the things that was very attractive about this particular property. It was already fenced and cross-fenced. There were already several irrigation spigots throughout the property, making it pretty easy to get water to the animals. And there were several shelters already on the property – a carport, garage, loafing shed with tack room and chicken coop, and a front barn. There’s more to do…there always is on a farnch. But having a lot of the infrastructure already in place enabled us to “get farnching” a lot faster than if we’d had to build all that stuff along the way.