Franklin Hazel Gardens Farm Life/Journal

[FranklinHazelGardens]

I bought almost 8 acres of land in Kentucky about a year ago. I have a house built in 1995 that hadn’t been remodeled ever, a barn, beautiful fencing for horses, and pastures with rolling hills.

I knew it was going to be work but man I didn’t know how much I’d love this place and also how much secret work hid underneath. Lol.

I am remodeling the house almost completely which is super fun but I’m over the construction. The barn was partially renovated before I bought it but it seems like the previous owners didn’t pay the contractors so there are various piles of board and barn doors laying in two heaps in the barnyard.

The previous owners are a topic all together. I don’t think they ever once took the twine off the hay bales for their animals and the twine is just imbedded in webs in the soil. They left so much garbage around the land it’s maddening but also so strange. Who leaves a shovel head in the pasture? And piles of barbed wire and heaps of old fence posts? I find new trash every day in the fields and in the barn. An entire horse whip was unearthed in my backyard. I found an entire garden hose AND kiddie pool buried in the barn yard along with various kids toys and some cowboy boots.

Oh, and the barn is built on the lowest part of the property so it’s real fun to walk into since it’s all muck and mud. Lol.

But but by bit I’m shining the place up and making her thrive.

Of course with the horse fencing intact it makes perfect sense to get miniature sheep that don’t even have to crouch to go under the last rung of the fencing. Ha. I make the best decisions. Definitely got the sheep before I had the ability to contain them. Definitely never look to me for the proper order of doing things.

My little guy, Franklin, passed away shortly after I moved here. He was 15.5 years old and the best friend I ever had. I named the farm before I moved in to Franklin Hazel Gardens after my two dogs: Franklin my yorkipoo and Hazel my Rhodesian Ridgeback. Hazel took his passing as hard as I did but love held us close. I added my ridgeback Evangeline to the mix as a puppy in August and it was a wonderful decision. I also added two Anatolian Shepherds for LGDs and they top it all off nicely. Thelma and Louise are best sisters and learning to be great protectors to my farm. I still miss Franklin everyday and I feel his love and spirit with me constantly.

I got my first livestock shortly after buying the home: a guard llama, babydoll Southdown sheep, harlequin sheep, two bull calves, a rescue sheep or two, and Shetland sheep. I feel so blessed in this place.

I have an idea of who is pregnant and who isn’t but I have zero idea of the baby daddies so I anticipate some genetic testing this lambing season for sure lol. I’m sure I’ll get better at separating the rams in the future but right now I’m pretty bad at it lol.

That’s it for an introduction for now.

Today I sat in the snowy pasture with my LGD, Thelma, and just enjoyed the view. She doesn’t like to come to me when I call her for food or to warm up in the house for a bit in this cold weather and after today I can say that I get it. It was a good day. Photos from the rest and reflection in the snowy hillside today…

 

[fuzzi]

I bought almost 8 acres of land in Kentucky about a year ago. I have a house built in 1995 that hadn’t been remodeled ever, a barn, beautiful fencing for horses, and pastures with rolling hills.

I knew it was going to be work but man I didn’t know how much I’d love this place and also how much secret work hid underneath. Lol.

I am remodeling the house almost completely which is super fun but I’m over the construction. The barn was partially renovated before I bought it but it seems like the previous owners didn’t pay the contractors so there are various piles of board and barn doors laying in two heaps in the barnyard.

The previous owners are a topic all together. I don’t think they ever once took the twine off the hay bales for their animals and the twine is just imbedded in webs in the soil. They left so much garbage around the land it’s maddening but also so strange. Who leaves a shovel head in the pasture? And piles of barbed wire and heaps of old fence posts? I find new trash every day in the fields and in the barn. An entire horse whip was unearthed in my backyard. I found an entire garden hose AND kiddie pool buried in the barn yard along with various kids toys and some cowboy boots.

Oh, and the barn is built on the lowest part of the property so it’s real fun to walk into since it’s all muck and mud. Lol.

But but by bit I’m shining the place up and making her thrive.

Of course with the horse fencing intact it makes perfect sense to get miniature sheep that don’t even have to crouch to go under the last rung of the fencing. Ha. I make the best decisions. Definitely got the sheep before I had the ability to contain them. Definitely never look to me for the proper order of doing things.

My little guy, Franklin, passed away shortly after I moved here. He was 15.5 years old and the best friend I ever had. I named the farm before I moved in to Franklin Hazel Gardens after my two dogs: Franklin my yorkipoo and Hazel my Rhodesian Ridgeback. Hazel took his passing as hard as I did but love held us close. I added my ridgeback Evangeline to the mix as a puppy in August and it was a wonderful decision. I also added two Anatolian Shepherds for LGDs and they top it all off nicely. Thelma and Louise are best sisters and learning to be great protectors to my farm. I still miss Franklin everyday and I feel his love and spirit with me constantly.

I got my first livestock shortly after buying the home: a guard llama, babydoll Southdown sheep, harlequin sheep, two bull calves, a rescue sheep or two, and Shetland sheep. I feel so blessed in this place.

I have an idea of who is pregnant and who isn’t but I have zero idea of the baby daddies so I anticipate some genetic testing this lambing season for sure lol. I’m sure I’ll get better at separating the rams in the future but right now I’m pretty bad at it lol.

That’s it for an introduction for now.

Today I sat in the snowy pasture with my LGD, Thelma, and just enjoyed the view. She doesn’t like to come to me when I call her for food or to warm up in the house for a bit in this cold weather and after today I can say that I get it. It was a good day. Photos from the rest and reflection in the snowy hillside today…

Those eyes...

 

[Baymule]

I get it. In 2014 my husband and I bid on a HUD repo, 8 acres and a double wide manufactured home in Lindale, Texas. We lived in Livingston , Texas 3 hours away. We won the bid and had not even seen it. Our daughter, her husband and daughter lived in Lindale, we wanted to retire and move close to them.

The previous owners burned trash piles all over the place. Guess what? Glass and cans don’t burn! Beer cans and bottles thrown all over that 8 acres, carpet, toilets, metal of all kinds, 3 sofas, anything and everything they consumed while living there, was thrown out. We hired 2 men one day to help us clean up and they used 2 bed spring units for sideboards and piled scrap metal over the roof of their truck. The back bumper barely cleared the ground. We paid them for the day and even gave them $20 for gas to haul the metal off. They were delighted and so were we. I picked up buckets and buckets of nails, buckets and buckets of broken glass. , a swimming pool liner, metal chairs, shoes, toys, clothing, pure garbage.

I just shake my head in disgust at people with no love or respect for the land.

Long story short, we had 7 years of bliss, husband died. Our daughter and family had moved to Odessa. I sold the farm, moved to Trinity County and bought 25 acres and another double wide manufactured home. Have 2 fields fenced for sheep, one more to go.

You will get your place cleaned up. Just when you think you finally got all the crap cleaned up, you will find more. LOL

Enjoy your farm. Women like us wear dirt for our make up.

 

[canesisters]

It seems like you've got a good firm start. Good fences are a MUST and the basis for 90% of farm life.
I'd keep any of that found junk that could possibly be used... but I'm a bit of a horder.
Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.