What I saw offline today.

[Raeven]

Must be fun to have all those animals around. Do they require a lot of care beyond feeding?

No, not much, really. They're all pretty low maintenance critters. I don't shear the llamas. Goat and llama hooves need to be trimmed and I do the goats myself. My vet does the llamas twice a year when we do general herd care. My husband rigged up a special stall to accomplish that, which the vet appreciates very much. We truss them up every which way to keep them from kicking and/or sitting on their feet. I coax them into the stall with grain and they fall for it every single time, even though the vet is calling out, "Don't!! Don't do it!! It's a trap!!" The animals do provide hours of amusement and/or food, so I do enjoy them one way or another.

I believe you mentioned that your husband passed away. If it isn't too painful, may I ask about that? Must be tough being in paradise alone.

I don't mind you asking. He was a fabulous, wonderful man and I will miss him always. But he would not be pleased for me to become a living memorial to him -- so I haven't.

He died very unexpectedly just over 6 years ago, while he was traveling on business (was down your way, incidentally). Just... died. He'd been given a completely clean bill of health just 6 weeks prior during a physical by his doc. Just goes to show how little we can count on anything. It was either a heart attack or a pulmonary embolism... I wasn't required to have an autopsy, so I didn't. In hindsight, I wish I had, but in the moment all I wanted to do was respect his privacy.

The first year was the worst, of course. Apart from the excruciating grief, there was just plain a hell of a lot I didn't know about how to take run this place. The dream of country living was far more my husband's than mine. My tasks had been to look after livestock, take care of the garden, cook and preserve -- but the day-to-day maintenance of the property I pretty much left to him. Embarrassing now to think of how little I knew! I didn't know how to re-pressurize the well pump after a power failure; my fire-building skills were rather sad; didn't know one end of a drill from the other; barely remembered how to load a gun, let alone shoot one. On top of all that, we were in the midst of a major remodeling project, and that had to be finished whether I decided to stay or to go. I managed to get through everything in large part owing to help from my wonderful friends. No way I can ever repay their kindness, but I will continue to try for a lifetime. And boy, did I learn a lot.

Obviously I decided to stay. It is a lucky spot in which to live, and I try never to take that for granted -- even when a pipe bursts and floods the hen house or an animal is badly injured and must be put down (the only real reason I relearned my shooting skills). I don't mind being alone and am seldom lonely, but I do miss sharing my life with someone. Problem is, of course, you can't just manufacture a relationship to suit the situation. It's something that either happens or it doesn't. So I try to keep a hand in meeting new people and not becoming too hermit-like here on the farm. I can't say it's tough so much as melancholy, if that makes sense.

Meanwhile, I run a business as well so there is always something waiting for me to get it done, whether on the farm or for work. It's good to keep busy!

LOL, aren't you glad you asked?

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Raeven, thanks for posting a pic of Kevin! He is adorable and, after all he went through, surprisingly fat. Or is it all fur?

PBB, LOL, it is all fur -- probably how he survived that horrible night up in the tree!! I've been trying to get a decent pic of him, but he has foiled all my attempts. He is worth every bit of anxiety and money he cost me through that ordeal. I'm still so jazzed that he survived!!