Sunday, July 31, 2011

Cabin


The cabin is coming along very well. Here is a picture of the living room/dining room ceiling. Oh yes, I know that looking at a ceiling should be boring...........but I think it is beautiful.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Llama & Rabbits

On Saturday a friend came over to pick up Wilson, the llama. He wasn't real sure what he thought about everything, but did get in the trailer a whole lot easier than any of the alpacas did. I know he will be very happy where he is going as he will have a lot of new alpaca friends & a llama friend or two.

Yesterday I worked on the rabbits & their cages. They are cleaned up & ready to move out also. I decided that if I want to do rabbits again I know where I can get some. When Dennis wanted rabbits back in 2005 I said, fine, but they are yours..........I've done rabbits & do not want to do them again. Well, then I ended up with them. I've actually switched one out since he died. But they will go to a great home also. Hopefully that will happen on Friday.

That will leave the 3 corgis & my barn cat. I think I am enjoying downsizing..............it is in many ways a relief to have less to worry about.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Alpacas

Last Wednesday we took the alpacas to a place north of Flagstaff. The donor program is run by Christians. They will work with the alpacas & place them with the appropriate person or family. I am encouraged and impressed by what I saw there. It took 3 trailers to get them there and it was for sure a long trip. But it was accomplished. Very long & tiring 2 days.

I am missing them some & look for them still when I go out. I also find myself grieving again for Dennis. The alpacas were his in the sense of he is who wanted them, picked many of them & helped deliver some of the cria. He is the one that took the classes. I learned all I could on line, but he was more of the hands on.

In many ways I am sorry to see them gone, but in many other ways it is a relief to not have them any more. Very mixed feelings....................

Monday, July 4, 2011

A Cabin



One of the things that Dennis had on his "to do" list was to build a cabin at Hermit lakes. So I decided last fall that this would be the thing to do. The cabin will be finished in a month. I have found a friend at church who builds cabins & he is doing a wonderful job. I'm excited about being able to go away from home for more than 8 hours without finding someone to feed animals or whatever!!! This is the outside................................so so looking forward to it.

The Farm

As I stated in my previous post, the last 8 months have been something else. Due to all that has been going on and the economy I knew I needed to downsize with the alpacas. Then during shearing time I also had a broken ankle. Luckily not a serious break, but still broken & in a boot. I got hit in the jaw by one of the alpaca boys & decided that I seriously needed to make some changes. I have managed to find a place to donate the alpacas to & they will end up with people in the Navajo nation.

I have a special spot in my heart for the Navajo people due to my Aunt & Uncle being missionaries to them for many many years. So I feel good about this. They are still with me at this point, but hopefully we will be moving them in about 2 or 3 weeks. In many ways it will be a relief to have one less grouping to worry about & that ties me down. I will miss them though.

Time

Seems like time flies............it has been a truly crazy 8 months. I'll work on a couple of posts to catch things up.

Family life. Willie & I have been having quite a few issues. But we have discovered that Willie is now diagnosed as bipolar and that has truly been much of the issue. He still does not feel that he is. But his symptoms are much like bipolar 1. A psych nurse counselor that I went to see a while back indicated that due to his epilepsy and all the seizures he has had in the past.........some of the problem could be damage from those. So no matter the diagnosis, if the medication helps that is what we go with.

I am working toward getting Willie counseling & hopefully vocational rehab, then perhaps a job & a group home & onward to his own apartment. It is slow going, but some progress is being made. He is better than he was a year ago. So I would ask for your continued prayers in the upcoming months.