# AshleyFishy's Windy Hill journal



## AshleyFishy (Jan 31, 2014)

_*1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?*_

   I'm located in northeastern Texas in USA. My climate is hot to mild most of the time. Temps in the summer are normally 95 f to 110 f, winter from 60's f to teens. We have a wet season around March.

*2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?

*There are two of us, my husband and I. We have been married for five years at the time of writing.

_*3. How would you define your farm?*_

   Hodgepodge 

*4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?*

   Run an animal assisted therapy farm for special needs children and adults.

_*5. Have you ever built a house, barn , or other types of building? Do you want to?*_

   I have helped build a few animal shelters. I built my chicken coop by myself though!

_*6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?*_

   Not really I solder though, I used to be a jeweler.

_*7. Who or what inspired you to be a farmer/rancher, hobby farmer?*_

   It all started when my parents got me two colored Easter chicks, one pink one blue, I never looked back since.

_*8. Is it a hobby or an occupation?*_

   Hobby

_*9. In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?*_

   If I had to say what I'm most knowledgeable about it would be equine medicine and general animal genetics. I would love to learn more about everything!

_*10. In what types of farming will you never choose to do?*_

     Commercial farming, plant or animal.

_*11. Are you interested in providing more of your own food supply?*_

     I like to supplement my diet with what will grow in my garden.....I have a black thumb though.

*12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?*

     Under my cherry tree, sitting on my Adirondack chair, drinking a beverage, watching my little critters.

_*13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?*_

     no

_*14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?*_

     I brew beer, mead and soon blackberry wine. I can make soap and candles. I love making soft cheeses. I can drop spin and knit. I quilt from time to time. Sure I'd love to teach someone how to do any of these.

*15. Can you legally have all forms of livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?*

     Exotics must have a permit, however I think that is it for our restrictions here. I currently have goats, pigs and chickens. I keep bees but I'm not certain I would call them livestock. I'm soon adding some geese to my little place.

*16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?*

     nope

_*17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?*_

     Like it! I love it! It just doesn't like me.... I like growing anything that will survive me. So far that is pretty much fruit/nut trees and blackberries. I'm going to try again this year. Wish me luck!

_*18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?*_

     I do fish, by bait and by trap. When I was a kid we didn't use explosives but we would stick the wires to an old crank police siren into the water and electrocute them and scoop them....

*19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City farm? Country?*

     Well my homestead is about two acres, we own it. We are in the country but close to town.

*20. Are you a Novice, Technician, degreed?*

     Nah

_*21. What is your farm specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?*_

      Nothing. I did raise angora goats for profit and show.. but the shearing got to be too much for me. I then went to Nubians also for profit and show.. but everyone got testy about raw milk so I sold out. This group of critters I have now are just a bunch of pets.

*22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?*

     Well...It would be a degree called humanity. The curriculum would be all the things you need to know to be a better person. I would want to major in Charity. If I was able to pick my classes a few of them would be... Friendship, Resilience and internal/external mindfulness.

*23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
*
     nope

*24. Are you interested in herbal animal medicine?*

    I do practice some but it is not a replacement for traditional medicine.

_*25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?*_

      Tough one...outside of Austin, Denver or Seattle.

*26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
*
      not a wood stove no, but we heat most of our house with a large fireplace.

*27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?*

     My ideal super hero would be random large bag of money man! He sneaks into your house at night and leaves a large bag of money under the table.

*28. Are your family or friends also interested in animals?*

     no, they think I'm nuts. They wont even eat a fresh egg.... My husband on the other hand will happily eat whatever comes off the farm...but he is a city boy and would rather not have any critters.

*29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?*

    Love to cook. I love fresh milk raw or other wise. Love my farm fresh eggs. whole foods and natural foods are nice but I'm not going to break my back to ensure everything is "perfect".

*30. What was your best animal experience? Worst?*

      Best animal experiences would be any time I've held fresh new life in my hands. Worst time would be when my 23 year old dog passed away in my arms. Her lungs started filling up in the middle of the night and we couldn't get her to a vet....she drowned slowly right in front of us.

*31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?*

     Nope

*32. What skills do you have that help you be more a self sufficient farm?*

    Stubbornness and beer

*33. Do you process your own meat? Can or preserve?*

     I've done a few chickens in my time. I send all of my pigs to the processor. I freeze my meat, not good for the long term but I'm not a survivalist.

_*34. Do you use alternative energy sources on your farm? Would you like to?*_

     We are saving up for a wind turbine.

*35 What is on your to do list?*

     Move the pig pen and enlarge it. Build a new barn with proper stalls and connected feed room with hay storage. Finish my greenhouse and aquaponics setup. Add more pecan trees. Transplant the hybrid poplars I've been growing from cuttings along the fence line. Add more raised beds to my garden. Build a floating deck on our back porch and add a hot tub.

*36. Have you ever lived completely off what you produce? Would you like to?*

     If I didn't have a full time job I would love to grow as much as I could. I have cooked a few multi course meals with just what was from the farm. It was for a few dinner parties though.

_*37. In what do you trust?*_

     karma

*38. Do you make and fix things yourself to save money?*

      I have before.

*39. Has the experience with animals changed your attitude or habits?*

      I've found that animals have changed me in small ways over time. I believe they have made me more attuned to the cycle of nature, everything dies. I find I'm not as wasteful as I used to be. I tend to be less in a hurry now, I want to enjoy those little sweet moments were everything is good. They have taught me how to scrimp!


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## ragdollcatlady (Jan 31, 2014)

Welcome to writing your own story....I am surprised how much I enjoy writing mine and reading others.....


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