canesisters
Herd Master
I have neglected my farm.
There. I said it.
In front of other farmers.
I've let messy become Oppressive.
I mean hoarder kind of "messy". It's embarrassing & is sucking any pleasure and joy out of doing the things that the farm is FOR.
I can try to blame it on the dire straits that I found myself in after my husband passed & the mindset of save EVERYTHING because I can't afford to replace ANYTHING.... but that was many, many years ago and life has changed quite a bit.
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EDITED TO ADD THIS SECTION
I saw where someone else did a list/index on a journal that they added-to throughout the year and I thought it was a great idea
January: The Big Barn Cleanout!/wheelbarrow feeder for Eva/door on feed room/fridge into feed bin/work bench gone/new generator/rubber mats EVERYWHERE
February: saddle sold/work drama/GRAVEL!!/rain collection-diversion set up
March: final perimeter fence in the chicken coop
April: installed picket fence along the front of the chicken coop & started the new planting bed there/Jury duty/new washer/Disney trip/Jim fired - Extreme work drama!!!!
May: drama, drama, drama/Jane's car load of plants/bulb garden re-done/tiller arrives/created bed for the glads/started tilling in The Piney Woods to make beds for all the rest of Jane's gifted plants
June: cows getting out, got the BLUES big-time and super depressed doubting if I should even be trying to keep livestock - BUT!!! Thanks to yall's encouragement, making a plan (short term & long term) to solve this fencing problem once and for all / New Fence Charger (6/9/23) & start of removal of all perimeter poly lines, tester showing 8 lights!!!! / 6-10 all lines replaced from the barn to the far corner in the N pasture plus the under-gate @ the hay wagon re-worked / the girls back in the far pasture & fence still showing 8 lights / going 6-24 to meet Bertie the boxer / 6/26 ADOPTED Birdie the boxer - 'let the GAMES begin'! LOL
July : Birdie dealing with sep. anxiety, trying anything & everything to help her / She broke OUT OF THE HOUSE / took her to work a week / Ended up building 'Fort K-9ox' in the Piney Woods to hold her / Started clicker training on basics
August : Got a fox in the chicken coop & ran HOT wire around the bottom / Chaos got a urinary blockage & spend 2days in vet ICU / postponed Marilyn's spay ... again / Work Troll spend most of the month in 'fine form' / continued setting a good, firm routine for Birdie / BIRDIE HEARDED!!! / Split off part of N. Pasture to grow Sept grazing
September : decided I have had enough of 'work troll', will inform the boss I'm looking for another position - he can decide if he's brave enough to address her insanity or not / saw my first real Monarch butterfly! / boss decided that he's not going to let me move because he knows the troll can't do her job w/out me helping her / job hunt at 55yrs begins <gulp> / started back milking Eva & weaning Blossom
October : started new job! / struggled HARD to learn how to do it / weaning went poorly - Eva holding up, Blossom taking FULL advantage of night nursing...
November : Finally feeling like I (maybe) can actually do this new job / ordered weaning rings for Blossom / got new (to me) bed for the guest room / Thanksgiving went well / 'month end' at work was horrible
..... but, I think there are a few things I can do that will make a difference next month (?)
December : Blossom out! Fences registering only 1 or 2 lights! / fences fixed / Blossom's nose ring installed, time to start making calls to get her a ride & a date at the processer / Birdie had a lump on her belly... can't get into a vet till Jan.
Where has the year Gone!!?? So much has happened this year, and it still seems like it's only been a few weeks since I started this thread.
*****************************************************************************************************
That being said... it's TIME TO FIX THIS!
Starting earlier this month I enlisted the help of a friend who is RUTHLESS about purging & cleaning & organizing
![5[1].gif](https://www.backyardherds.com/attachments/5-1-gif.95631/ "5[1].gif")
to come help me dig my way out.
First up is THE BARN - specifically the Feed Room, to start off with.
I've started bagging up the trash and the 'what the heck IS this & why do I have it?' stuff. I'm filling buckets and boxes and carts with stuff that needs to be somewhere else in the barn. She will be here this Sunday & I expect there will be a HUGE amount of progress (... and probably a good bit of whining, and maybe even a few tears)
To my shame - here are the before pictures.
... does anyone have any advice about turning an OLD fridge into a feed bin?
There. I said it.
In front of other farmers.
I've let messy become Oppressive.
I mean hoarder kind of "messy". It's embarrassing & is sucking any pleasure and joy out of doing the things that the farm is FOR.
I can try to blame it on the dire straits that I found myself in after my husband passed & the mindset of save EVERYTHING because I can't afford to replace ANYTHING.... but that was many, many years ago and life has changed quite a bit.
******************************************************************************************************
EDITED TO ADD THIS SECTION
I saw where someone else did a list/index on a journal that they added-to throughout the year and I thought it was a great idea
January: The Big Barn Cleanout!/wheelbarrow feeder for Eva/door on feed room/fridge into feed bin/work bench gone/new generator/rubber mats EVERYWHERE
February: saddle sold/work drama/GRAVEL!!/rain collection-diversion set up
March: final perimeter fence in the chicken coop
April: installed picket fence along the front of the chicken coop & started the new planting bed there/Jury duty/new washer/Disney trip/Jim fired - Extreme work drama!!!!
May: drama, drama, drama/Jane's car load of plants/bulb garden re-done/tiller arrives/created bed for the glads/started tilling in The Piney Woods to make beds for all the rest of Jane's gifted plants
June: cows getting out, got the BLUES big-time and super depressed doubting if I should even be trying to keep livestock - BUT!!! Thanks to yall's encouragement, making a plan (short term & long term) to solve this fencing problem once and for all / New Fence Charger (6/9/23) & start of removal of all perimeter poly lines, tester showing 8 lights!!!! / 6-10 all lines replaced from the barn to the far corner in the N pasture plus the under-gate @ the hay wagon re-worked / the girls back in the far pasture & fence still showing 8 lights / going 6-24 to meet Bertie the boxer / 6/26 ADOPTED Birdie the boxer - 'let the GAMES begin'! LOL
July : Birdie dealing with sep. anxiety, trying anything & everything to help her / She broke OUT OF THE HOUSE / took her to work a week / Ended up building 'Fort K-9ox' in the Piney Woods to hold her / Started clicker training on basics
August : Got a fox in the chicken coop & ran HOT wire around the bottom / Chaos got a urinary blockage & spend 2days in vet ICU / postponed Marilyn's spay ... again / Work Troll spend most of the month in 'fine form' / continued setting a good, firm routine for Birdie / BIRDIE HEARDED!!! / Split off part of N. Pasture to grow Sept grazing
September : decided I have had enough of 'work troll', will inform the boss I'm looking for another position - he can decide if he's brave enough to address her insanity or not / saw my first real Monarch butterfly! / boss decided that he's not going to let me move because he knows the troll can't do her job w/out me helping her / job hunt at 55yrs begins <gulp> / started back milking Eva & weaning Blossom
October : started new job! / struggled HARD to learn how to do it / weaning went poorly - Eva holding up, Blossom taking FULL advantage of night nursing...
November : Finally feeling like I (maybe) can actually do this new job / ordered weaning rings for Blossom / got new (to me) bed for the guest room / Thanksgiving went well / 'month end' at work was horrible
..... but, I think there are a few things I can do that will make a difference next month (?)December : Blossom out! Fences registering only 1 or 2 lights! / fences fixed / Blossom's nose ring installed, time to start making calls to get her a ride & a date at the processer / Birdie had a lump on her belly... can't get into a vet till Jan.
Where has the year Gone!!?? So much has happened this year, and it still seems like it's only been a few weeks since I started this thread.
*****************************************************************************************************
That being said... it's TIME TO FIX THIS!
Starting earlier this month I enlisted the help of a friend who is RUTHLESS about purging & cleaning & organizing
First up is THE BARN - specifically the Feed Room, to start off with.
I've started bagging up the trash and the 'what the heck IS this & why do I have it?' stuff. I'm filling buckets and boxes and carts with stuff that needs to be somewhere else in the barn. She will be here this Sunday & I expect there will be a HUGE amount of progress (... and probably a good bit of whining, and maybe even a few tears)
To my shame - here are the before pictures.
... does anyone have any advice about turning an OLD fridge into a feed bin?
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Keep hanging in there. It takes a while, little bits at a time. Some now, some later, it's ok! Your life was a tornado for a while.
So no more feed room cleaning. Moved all the huge, heavy, mucky mats out to the driveway. Guess they'll get a bit of a cleaning too if we get the rain they're calling for.
