homefirst
10-09-2008, 06:43 PM
Hi I am new here. But I have been looking into this site off and on for about two years. My husband and I just sold a city house and bought a fixer up double wide on 2 1/2 acres in a great friendly neighborhood ;D. I can see this is the kind of neighbor hood that can work together and become self-sufficient if everyone was on the same page. Maybe one day they will be. This house though it has ten times the land it seems and one more small room but costs about half of what it costs to live in the city. The goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible for us by the time I get out of the military and stay at home homeschooling my sons.
The house needed so much work my husband and I and two young sons lived in a pop up camper for a month as we got new carpet and fixed the roof. The drier did not work so I had to hang dry everything. I now miss living in the camper and I miss hang drying my clothes. I loved hearing the rain on the tent and the lightening and thunder outside and hanging my clothes under the blue cloudy sky. It just gave me the feeling that I was living part of history. My three year old asked for awhile after really moving into the house if we were going to go "sleep in camper" and he would cry when I said no :'(.
Anyway these last couple of month on our homestead we have built a chicken coop, put three fruit trees in of a 9 tree orchard, dug a 42 by 25 foot garden and planted more than half of it and put in three raspberry, three black berry and 2 fig tree plants. Got those bushes for $16.00 total at Lowes about a month ago. They were $8.98 each but we got there right as they put them on sale and they sold out right as we left. Wonder if they would have given me a miltary discount if I had asked ???. Oh well. I built a compost heap and am taking care of the chickens and guineas. My neighbors took the chicken eggs off the turner on monday and they should be hatching anyday now if not already. They put in 23 and are expecting most to hatch. They are also giving us half of whatever hatches if not more. In between it all I had knee surgery about 6 weeks ago. Which is healing up nicely.
We still need to build a large chicken yard and buy a propane tank so that we can heat the house. So far a space heater in the small bedroom is enough to warm all four of us since it is not too cold yet. My husband and I were thinking we may not have to get the tank if we have the fireplace fixed and wear layers and keep the space heater on. But the weather will tell. We'll just make sure we got the money just in case.
We are planning the addition of two nanny goats and a male for dairy products. I may be able to get a couple bee hives for the very back corner of the property fenced off. And we are planning a stawberry patch. There is alot to do and a little time to do it in. But I am glad that we are young and up for it. We also have a hour commute one way every week day. These make for long days but worth it.
We found a ton of mint that has gone wild and it makes great tea that my three year old will gladly pick for me to make for him. There is a grape vine on the property also and they are ripe. We have alot to learn but I think we are on the right track. I'll just keep studying this site. my self-sufficient living books and my land. So....that's the story hope you guys like it.
Homefirst
The house needed so much work my husband and I and two young sons lived in a pop up camper for a month as we got new carpet and fixed the roof. The drier did not work so I had to hang dry everything. I now miss living in the camper and I miss hang drying my clothes. I loved hearing the rain on the tent and the lightening and thunder outside and hanging my clothes under the blue cloudy sky. It just gave me the feeling that I was living part of history. My three year old asked for awhile after really moving into the house if we were going to go "sleep in camper" and he would cry when I said no :'(.
Anyway these last couple of month on our homestead we have built a chicken coop, put three fruit trees in of a 9 tree orchard, dug a 42 by 25 foot garden and planted more than half of it and put in three raspberry, three black berry and 2 fig tree plants. Got those bushes for $16.00 total at Lowes about a month ago. They were $8.98 each but we got there right as they put them on sale and they sold out right as we left. Wonder if they would have given me a miltary discount if I had asked ???. Oh well. I built a compost heap and am taking care of the chickens and guineas. My neighbors took the chicken eggs off the turner on monday and they should be hatching anyday now if not already. They put in 23 and are expecting most to hatch. They are also giving us half of whatever hatches if not more. In between it all I had knee surgery about 6 weeks ago. Which is healing up nicely.
We still need to build a large chicken yard and buy a propane tank so that we can heat the house. So far a space heater in the small bedroom is enough to warm all four of us since it is not too cold yet. My husband and I were thinking we may not have to get the tank if we have the fireplace fixed and wear layers and keep the space heater on. But the weather will tell. We'll just make sure we got the money just in case.
We are planning the addition of two nanny goats and a male for dairy products. I may be able to get a couple bee hives for the very back corner of the property fenced off. And we are planning a stawberry patch. There is alot to do and a little time to do it in. But I am glad that we are young and up for it. We also have a hour commute one way every week day. These make for long days but worth it.
We found a ton of mint that has gone wild and it makes great tea that my three year old will gladly pick for me to make for him. There is a grape vine on the property also and they are ripe. We have alot to learn but I think we are on the right track. I'll just keep studying this site. my self-sufficient living books and my land. So....that's the story hope you guys like it.
Homefirst