| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 10:04:32 PM
I homestead 10 acres in northeastern Oklahoma with my best friend of 40 years. We've lived on our place 20 years, but just in the past 7 or 8 we've been working toward a sustainable lifestyle using permaculture methods. We raise a vegetable garden and grains and have chickens for eggs and meat. We also raise sheep for both meat and wool, have a couple of milk goats (and a couple more young ones coming along) and we just got a Dexter heifer that we plan to raise calves from and milk when she is old enough. We also raise several species of reptiles, mostly tortoises, some of them rare and endangered. There are a few other animals around as well--a mischievious Angora wether named Pan, an overbearing, snooty llama, the obligatory farm cats, all of whom troop to the house and demand to be house cats when it gets cold, and 5 dogs, two that are all around useful, one that's only good for aerial patrol, one that tries to be worth something but forgets where she left her brain, and a deaf, autistic border collie. Oh, and there are 3 horses. How could I forget them. Riding has always been a big part of our lives. Don't get as much time as we'd like anymore. We usually have a couple of feeder pigs each year growing out. I make cheese when we have extra milk, can, freeze or dry extra produce from the garden. We sell most of our wool, but what we keep I spin for weaving. Lots of stuff to keep us busy. I think I've gone on long enough. This seems like a real interesting place. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone.
Claudia |
| 22 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 2:31:53 PM
Hi Catherine, Ellen and Meg! Many thanks for the warm welcomes. I've been posting a little about my sheep and dogs over at barnyard buddies. Like I say, it's hard to get me to shut up about my critters.
Claudia |
| Meg |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 10:51:55 AM
Welcome Claudia! I love your descriptions of all your farm creatures! You must never get bored. I am so glad you've joined us. Tell us more!
MaryJane's daughter,
Meg
megan@maryjanesfarm.org |
| Lavender Cottage |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 10:05:16 AM
Welcome Claudia! |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 09:35:12 AM
Thank you, Aunt Jenny. It's one of my mottos: Always have fun. Glad to hear there are spinners here. I'm really glad Debby pointed me to this site. Maybe I'd best go see where a few good tales should be told.
Claudia |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 09:30:58 AM
Thank you, Patricia. We have a lot of fun here. I've heard the suburbanites who are pressing up against us refer to us as those "two weird ladies up on the hill" . Hee, hee. We keep 'em a wee bit worried. I'm gonna mosey out into the forums and you'll probably find me spinnin' yarns there in no time.
Claudia |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 09:26:18 AM
Howdy, Frannie, and thanks. Oh my, I can talk about my critters all day. I'll never get a lick of work done!
Claudia |
| cajungal |
Posted - Nov 20 2005 : 3:30:33 PM
Claudia, Welcome!!
Wow! What a great life. You sound like you have a lot to share. Thanks to Debs for bringin' ya'.
Blessings!
Catherine
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 9:27:08 PM
Welcome Claudia!! You sound like so much fun...and my kind of person..a kindred spirit for sure!! Another spinner too....that is great..there are several of us here..and lots of animal lovers..can't wait to hear all about your place..you could never talk too much about your place or animals..I am glad you found us!!
Jenny in Utah
It's astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen...Frances Burnette |
| whispering pines |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 7:22:43 PM
Welcome Claudia, I look so forward to hearing about your farm it sounnds like a great place to live. |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 7:11:14 PM
well miz claudia, chile! you are a hard-working farmgirl .. welcome! welcome! keep those critter stories heading our way! xo, frannie |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 6:31:29 PM
Hi Debby! Thanks for steering me this way! I've been browsing all over the place and don't know where to land first. So many topics, so little time. Speaking of tortoises: we had 6 eggs laid by one red-foot tortoise two nights ago and 3 by another last night. Not that we have any shortage of red-foots. Wish the pancakes and stars would get busy. Well, off to check out some of the forums.
Claudia |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 6:22:54 PM
Hi Eileen. Thanks for the welcome. Linda and I do all the work ourselves. Every now and then a friend may help us with something but for the most part it's just us. We do have a big "hay party" when we put hay in our loft each summer. We usually need about 400 bales of hay brought from the field and put in the loft--a whole lot of work! Linda and I both worked at Tulsa Zoo for over 20 years and still have lots of friends there. (Linda just retired a couple of months ago) Ten to 15 people usually come after they get off work one evening with their trucks and flatbed trailers and help us load up our winter supply of hay and take and put in the loft. We have supper ready after the hay is all put away. It makes me think of the days when neighbors gathered to help with barn raisings, harvest, or other big jobs. We all work hard, eat lots and everyone must get something out of it, because they keep coming back.
The dogs are just a whole story in themselves. Especially my main 4-footed partner, Duncan, who started out as a companion and herding dog, but promoted himself to my service dog when I began having serious vertigo.
Claudia |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 6:07:11 PM
Thanks Jan, I'm glad to be here! Nope, not much boredom around here. I wouldn't even dare suggest I was bored. Chaos would insue. In fact, I frequently feel I'm living under that old Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times.
Claudia |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 5:58:00 PM
Thanks, Ivy. You'll probably hear more about my place than you want. I tend to get carried away and go on and on and on and....
Claudia |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 5:55:32 PM
Karen, thanks for the welcome. I don't know how much wisdom I have to share--more like "oops, that didn't work!" but anything I've learned I'll be more than happy to share. |
| mcbride |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 5:52:30 PM
Thanks for the welcome, Kay. I love your signature quote. Of course, in my dictionary everything comes before housework.
Claudia |
| Debs |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 10:56:36 AM
Hi Claudia
I'm so glad you joined!
(Everyone, Claudia and I "met" on a Yahoo group on self-sufficiency and I told her about the MaryJane's Farm forum!  )
I am also looking forward to hearing more from you, especially about the tortoises, your permaculture garden and your weaving! Have an explore of the forum, including the older topics and join in whenever and wherever you want!
Debby |
| Eileen |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 09:08:26 AM
Welcome to the forum Claudia,
Your place sounds like a really hard working farm. Do you have help or do you and friend do all the work yourself? Your dogs sound like a real good mix of fun and adventure. I have a friend who has a dog that is good for aerial patrol and I am told that whs what he was bred to do. He keeps all the chickens, ducks , turkeys and other foul safe from the always present Raptors we have here, Eagles, Hawks, vultures,owls,osprey,ravens and crows. These creatures of the sky are always on the look out for a free egg or two or fresh meat so their dog keeps an ever watchful eye to the sky. Otherwise he is good for nothin else, not even a friendly pat on the head.
Hope you enjoy your conversations here. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| Once upon a Farm |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 08:59:12 AM
Hi Claudia. Welcome. I look forward to hearing lots more about your farm. |
| owwlady |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 07:38:21 AM
Welcome Claudia, glad to have you with us. I bet you never get bored with so many critters to take care of. Looking forward to you sharing with us. |
| KarenP |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 05:58:25 AM
Welcome Claudia,
Sound like you have lots of wisdom to share with us!
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 10:57:11 PM
Hi Claudia -- welcome!! You'll fit right in here. MeadowLark from KS raises Dexters. She'll be excited to have another "Dexter person" among us. Sounds like you are a busy person!
The only time that housework comes before sewing is in the dictionary!
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
