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| Some of the girls in our flock! We have Wynona, Dorcas, Amelia, Charlie, and Bernadette. RIP Bonnie, Mini Pearl, and Betty White |
This last couple of weeks have been full of LOTS of learning! We joke a lot about how we could be our own reality TV series up here. We have drama, intrigue, excitement, and romance!! There is action, emotion, and even some killing! I mean we could make it big in the world of Bravo or Lifetime!!
Every day I think brings a sort of new adventure of learning and experience!
It has been really neat to meet our neighbors who are so very helpful and kind. The people we have met definitely embody the characteristics of the down to earth, others serving, hardworking country that I was hoping for. I mean, not all of our neighbors are so wonderful and some of the drama that we have experienced has come from them. But overall we are surrounded by some kind and caring people and we are excited to continue to get to know them and glean from them all that we can!
I was going to introduce you to the Matriarch of our flock this week, Betty White. Unfortunately our flock was attacked for the second time by our neighbors two dogs and we lost her and another one of our chickens, Mini Pearl. It was a tough reality to get a text while at church from one of our kind and caring neighbors that our girls had been once again attacked and that we possibly had lost not just 2 but maybe 5 Hens. When we got home we found that one of the hens was hiding in the wood pile, fine but shaken. Another hen had run off and later came walking down the road. We got her back into the coop. Betty had been pretty roughly marred and we tried to care for her as best as we could until we had to make the final decision to put her down. You know in life you make the statement, "I could never do that!" Well there are things that I have said that about. But when it comes down to it and you know that the choice to do something verses not is the most humane, kind and caring thing to do, you will do it. You can do a lot of things when the will to see someone or something out of suffering is there. So, I learned how to put down a chicken, clean, quick, and hopefully the most pain free way that i could. It wasn't easy, I didn't enjoy it, but I did it and it was done.
Trying to decide what to do was emotionally and mentally draining. Lots of conversations, talking to the one vet that I could talk to who knows chickens, talking to dear friends who raise lots of chickens, talking among ourselves, and having lots of internal conversations! At the end it came down to the assessment of her injuries, the encouragement and support of my girls Estrella and Laura, and pulling on my big girl panties! I put on my boots and did what needed to be done. Laura and I were able to take of business while the kids were at school and them men at work. There was so much relief when it was over. I am thankful to know that she is not hurting or suffering anymore and that we can go back to focusing on the living animals that we have.
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| From left to right, Buster, Roco, and Tiger Lily |
There are lots of goings on here including the continuing conversion of the Garage to Cottage! We also had quite the experience of learning about life on a well. The previous owners taught us how to change the filter on the well system, before we moved in and told us that since we had more people in the home we would probably have to change it more than they did, which was about once a month or less. We ended up having to change the filter every week and we would end up losing water, literally having no water coming from a faucet the further away we got from the day we changed the filter. We couldn't do laundry and try to wash our hands up stairs, or have someone in the shower and try to brush your teeth. Many times I was right in the middle of shaving my arm pits when... NO WATER, someone flushed the toilet!! It was both funny and sobering. A first world problem, giving me a glimpse into the lives of those who are not as privileged as I. I am grateful that Brian, our well guy, had a very quick and productive solution for us and that we had the money to afford the change. Now we have beautiful, YUMMY, and fully running water in all faucets! We can run both the washer and the shower at the same time. We can do the dishes and flush a toilet and not lose water. I have a new kind of appreciation for our water and Brian was another kind, hardworking man who offered to teach Ben how to add spigots to our well pump in the lower field so we can have water in the lower pasture. He talked about the kind of livestock we could have on our property and where we could ride horses! He said Ben was capable of learning how to do some of the well work, and told him he would teach him so he could know. What a gift to find people willing to share their knowledge and wisdom! 
It's a new adventure every day and we are loving it! The kids are settling into school and 3 out of 6 are playing flag football. The air is changing from summer to fall and the foliage is too. I am enjoying the chores that I have both outside and in. I look forward to having a little more function in the house and as my mom always says "Everything has a place and is in it's place." sounds really good to me right now. But there is only so much sun left and we have to take advantage of the sunny dry days to get the outside things accomplished. So I keep thinking, those other tasks will happen, just wait for a rainy day!! :) The Lord is giving me new insight into what the Seasons really mean for life and living. I have a feeling that I will have an incredible appreciation for our seasons and a new depth of wisdom for what they bring. I also see the Lord refining my selfish heart in having to give up more of myself, and my desires here. But that is good and I am grateful for it! We are a bit out of our comfort zone in a lot of ways, yet I find it very comforting to be here!
You could be joining us in prayer as we have been approached with an opportunity to have a couple of horses on the property! This is both terrifying and exciting. If you know me, you know that there is nothing that would make me more giddy, than to have a couple of horses here at our place. But there are a lot of details ahead that we are praying through and about. The family that is looking to re-home these horses have had them for many years. They are a Mare and a Gelding, 22 and 18. Both have experience around kids and enjoy being around them as well as people in general. They are easy keepers according to their owners and have been kept in a pasture for the last few years. The family has moved into town and now has now way to keep them and is ready to get out of the horse keeping business. They are wanting them to go to a good home above all and would be willing to work with us to help the process go as best as possible and as smoothly as possible. We have a very close friend Ali, who is my Horse genius! She is the reason that these horses are even a possibility and she knows my experience and knowledge level as well as my kids. So if she thinks this is possible than I believe it is worth taking before the Lord. Join me will you? In asking if the Lord desires these horses to join our farm and really make us a farm or if we are to wait. Also, if you would love to be a part of the lives of these horse, let me know. There is always room on the farm and at the table, we would love to have you visit, help and in general pray for us as we embark on this dream of ours! A dream the Lord has gifted us with and we hope to honor Him and be faithful to!Happy Friday from HillCreek Farm and we hope you stay tuned in for next weeks episode!!
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