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aliska12000

Hello, dear friends

aliska12000
13 years ago

I've been away from the forum and winter sowing for almost a year now. Some of you will remember me and some won't.

I'm launching into a new endeavor after a very bad year. I will be managing my own 180-acre farm. I'll probably be taking orders from the lessor lol. Already have, why I can't have this why i can't do that, etc. It's going to be a huge change, and I'm easing into it, am waiting for my deeds to be recorded & other legal stuff.

Anyway, I was so depressed in the real early spring last year, I let all my winter sowing sit in their containers from the winter before this one; most of it was dead and lost a lot of labels. Some may come back in the spring. It's a total mess out there. The Japanese beetles came, and this year I pretended they weren't there but did squish a few. My gardens are extremely neglected, no time for that last summer, but i'll try to get help to shovel prune some stuff and try to get the weeds cleaned out.

But I'm getting the bug again thinking of some of the things I might be able to do with my farm. I have to take it in small baby steps. I have a renter lined up, and will try to set aside about an acre orso where it won't get in the way of the machinery, try to spring sow some redbuds like I lost a couple years back to line the lane.

Then my mind is swirling with ideas. I'm pretty old to be starting on this new phase of my life, but I think my adult children will help me this time.

I'm thinking raspberries, a small orchard, and some dayliles and iris to start, easy perenniels that have worked for me, then see where/if I go from there. I don't even have a picture to post. It's been in the family over 100 years, and the house is very old, but I have good farmhouse renters. And she LOVES flowers, an older couple raising their 5-year-old granddaughter. They were happy to get a place in the country, and she brought a lot of her flowers with her, so they probably plan to stay for some time. When the weather is nicer, I'll dig a few things and take them and introduce myself.

It's 50 miles away, and I will have to decide if we can weekend garden and commute or move closer. I can't make too many changes at once, and am so used to the convenience where I am, but could save more living in a smaller town nearby, maybe.

I hope I got this in the conversation forum for winter sowing which is where I have tried to put it. There is a farm forum here, but most of the talk is chickens, and I don't think I can manage any animals, but time will tell. My oldest daughter has always dreamed of having a horse and wants to rescue a few. Oh boy. Be nice to have a pasture and manure though. The original red barn burne down years ago, but there is a livestock shed. The more we set aside, the less for crops, well enough.

Comments (6)

  • aliska12000
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    The lane goes north just above where it says N570 Ave.

    {{gwi:331997}}

  • just1morehosta
    13 years ago

    Welcome back Aliska,
    I remember you.:0)
    I remember you were having a problem with the farming and Monsanto, is that correct?
    You do have a lot on your plate, but it is nice to see you have made a decision,good luck to you,I think we are the same age, you can do it.:0)What fun is in store for you,you go girl!
    cAROL

  • aliska12000
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi cAROL, yes I remember you, fondly, too. During the "crisis", I had to get offline and a bunch of other stuff, and you were sending me email regularly so it probably bounced. Well I got the same email addie back!

    Yes, it's sobering the responsibility of it. Let's not get into the M word now; I guess our seeds don't come from them.

    Part of me is excited and part of me is scared, wish I had this kind of opportunity when I was 20 years younger. I did but it's part of the problem I brought up when I last posted, and I need to try to put that behind me.

    I'm really having a problem hearing Tiffy's sad news. My heart aches for her but she sounds determined to make the best of it. I saved lots of her beautiful photos but can't get to them now. Those beautiful terraced flower beds & trees, just can't get one particular photo out of my mind. And her blue house, never saw a view of the whole thing but looked quaint, a shade darker blue than mine.

    Hope all is well with you and the others here.

  • just1morehosta
    13 years ago

    Hi aliska,
    I hope all goes well with you,we are fine over this way,lots of our friends here on the forum are having difficulties of one sort ot another,it's nice we can all come here to talk,it really does help.
    We are all saddened to hear of tiffys news,a divorce is a hard this,leaving your home,way harder,I know,I have been there.We all wish her the very,very best.She has been a mainstay here.I have always looked forward to her postings.

    So, are you going to post on the conversation side any time soon? :0)
    cAROL

  • just1morehosta
    13 years ago

    oops.I meant "Discussion" side,sorry. :0)

  • aliska12000
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    "oops.I meant "Discussion" side,sorry. :0)"

    I hope so, but I don't have a whole lot to offer right now. I didn't do any winter sowing this year but have some seeds left.

    I'm divorced, too. It was horrible but at least I got the house. Those were really hard years with the kids. Once you have children, even when they're grown up and grandkids, there are always problems, can't get away from that.

    I was telling my daughter yesterday that I never imagined when I was young that I'd spend most of my life without a husband., never remarried.

    I'm sorry to hear some are having a tough time but not surprising in this economy and all the illnesses and curve balls life throws at you.

    I'm glad you're still here.

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