one step closer

What's better than a luxurious breakfast with fine china and crystal?

Breakfast with fine china and crystal followed by a visit to a sheep farm, of course!

We were gifted by a cancer support group with a weekend away to a place of our choice- a family get-away to rest and relax and enjoy each other. After exploring the Bellville Castle, we spent a beautiful day and a peaceful night in a cabin nearby. The cherry on top was the breakfast in the main house where we were treated like princesses and princes.

To make the most of our mini vacation, we came home through Hempstead and my second oldest daughter- my homesteader- chose and made a down payment on two ewes and a ram. She could tell you all about why she chose this breed and how she decided what and how many of everything...
but I'm the driver and I just do what she asks when it comes to her farming decisions.

We all fell in love with this donkey. His name is Ringo and I wished so much to pack him up and bring him with us. I'm not sure what we liked more: his friendly disposition or the way he picked up a dog and threw it  when it got too close to the sheep.
It turns out the owner didn't appreciate the latter, so he offered the donkey free if we could load him when we came back for the sheep.

Back at Shamblewood,  it's time to prepare for bringing livestock home. On two different occasions some men from our home school community and parish drove out to our place and helped us with pounding the posts and attaching the rolled fencing. We were able to use old telephone post polls that were left from old fence that had rusted. rotted, or otherwise fallen apart. My oldest son had a few trees to remove using an ax since our chainsaw was out of commission. 

With more research and shopping, my darling homesteader chose the proper gates for the space between the shed and the property border fence and for a small space at the other end of the pasture for walking through.

 

It didn't take long for the vines to find their way up the welded wire. It won't be a problem once the sheep move in; it simply adds variety to their diet.

Soon I'll be sharing images and stories of the new hoofed borders. It's difficult for me to believe we have come to his place in our lives. It was a pipe dream at one time; we had talked about finding property and creating a home and a working farm. And now even though it's actually happening - albeit slowly- I walk around in disbelief and concern that we can actually pull it off.
But my daughter is determined and, following her lead on this matter, I have faith that we can make this happen.