Slower Than Dial Up!!!

A much needed rain shower...

I just got home this early(Friday) this morning. I was suppose to be home late Tuesday night, but our week lasted a lot longer than I had planned for. We stayed in a hotel that had Wi-Fi, but it was slower than any dial up that I have ever seen. I could not post, check emails or do anything for that matter. Other than the snail Internet, we had a blessed week. I usually pack extra just in case, but it was not enough this time. I carry laundry soap just in case we have to wash clothes. Planning ahead really paid off.

Life has a funny way of interrupting our plans. I feel that there are a lot of people are feeling the strain of a bad economy. I know that we have had to adapt to this rough economy by changing the way we run our business and the way we run our household.

We want to continue to growing towards a self-sustaining lifestyle and in this economy that requires change and sacrifice. I am so excited about adding animals to our ranch  and installing a greenhouse to grow produce to feed ourselves and our animals. This is a big goal of ours, but the start-up costs and this economy have slowed our progress down. Our harsh climate makes it necessary to have not only a greenhouse, but also animal shelters in place before we can grow any type of produce or care for animals.

In the next few weeks we will be building our chicken coop and yard for our new baby chicks. I have been pouring over plans and designs to figure our what we really need to have in order to care for 33 chickens and 1 rooster. Our chickens will free range when we are home, but will have to be in a yard for protection from predators when we are gone. There are three families dividing a lot of 100 chicks. One of the families, who are on the grid, will be caring for the chicks until they are old enough to be on their own.

Nutmeg, the goat that I milked a few weeks back, had twins last week. I was visiting her owner just prior to her giving birth to twins. I haven't made it back over there yet to see the kids or take pictures. Maybe tomorrow? I hope to have a couple of female goats from this herd. They are healthy goats that produce rich milk. I would prefer a Dexter cow, but can't justify the cost of care for such a large animal. One day...