Big changes and exciting new adventures...

There are some big changes headed down the pipeline.  I have made Eugene, OR my happy little home for over 10 years now, and it has treated me rather well.  I have learned a lot, met wonderful people, loved the natural environment here and had the opportunity to work in a field I am passionate about.  But change is good, and it is time for brand new adventures.  So, my hubby, my friend, and I, along with all our animals, are downsizing dramatically to fit into our new-to-us 1986 Winnebago and traveling down to our new home in Central California to try our hand at raising some animals and farming a little.  It is scary, but also so very exciting!

I will make sure to share with you all the transformations of our little Winny (we have named it Oliver) as we get it all spiffied up and ready to live in. (Have you heard of glamping?  Because if not, look that up!  Or here, check out my pinterest board on ideas for my tiny house renovations!  Or check out this earlier post of another blogger and her adventures in glamping!)

Here are some before pics of Oliver.  (By the way, driving a 26ft RV is some experience in itself!)

So far, we have torn out the carpet and linoleum and repainted the interior all white.  Pics of that to come as soon as the paint job is completely finished.  But already there is a huge difference and it feels much more bright and even gives the illusion of a larger space.

So stay tuned for our big adventures in remodeling, traveling, and relocating!  The big move happens at the end of next month!  So much to do!

Ash

Farm dreams and inspiration...

I have been dreaming of a tiny farm for some time now, and hope to make those dreams come true soon.  But in the meantime, I have been collecting ideas and inspiration and have to share some cool things I have found....

First, I will definitely need one or several of these...

Pic found here

And maybe a few of these....

Found at Cute Animal Pics 

And of course I will have to have more of these....

Image found here

(Those are Lavender Orpingtons!!  I def want a few of those.)

And speaking of chickens, I will have to build a fun new coop for all the ladies....maybe like this one?

Image found here

Or maybe this one - more simple and rustic?

Tuesdays with Dorie

And then of course, I really want both an outdoor kitchen area and an outdoor shower/tub area.  The kitchen could be something simple like this to start....

Home Depot's image

And then maybe turn into something bigger and better, like this....

(Found on Pinterest and unable to link back to original.)

But the kitchen would have to have a little entertaining area....

(Found on Pinterest and unable to link back to original.)

As for outdoor bathing...I kinda love these...

HGTV

Two Men and a Little Tub

And having one of these to go daydream in would be heaven....

(Found on Pinterest and unable to link back to original.)

Yes, there is so much to dream about, as well as the actual farming, of course!  I am super excited for that piece, too.

Now off to go set up my raised beds while the sun it trying to shine in the Pacific Northwest....

Happy dreaming!

Ash

Feature Fridays and Fresh Eggs Daily

Today I have been thinking about farming and thought I'd share something farmy with you.  I have also been thinking a lot about my chickens, as I lost my first chicken recently.  I have no idea why, as the others appear to all be fine, but I have been a bit of a worry wart since the incident.  So, I guess farming and chickens have been on the mind.

So when I found this lovely blog, Fresh Eggs Daily, I knew I had to share it with you all.  It is a fun blog that talks about the fun of owning chickens and gives a lot of tips and tricks for the funny little girls.

For example, she has a great list of things not to feed to your chickens for various reasons.  

This is a very good list, and goes further into the details than other lists I have found.  Very helpful!

I also like that she shares photos documenting each week on the farm.  I love to see farms and the funny animals that live on them, so it is super fun to see what goes on...like the end of January on her farm....

Very cool.  Someday I will have a couple horses.  I hope.

And to top it off, she shares DIY's and recipes.  I really need to try this clover french bread recipe!  I love that she is a reader of Mary Jane's Farm, which is one of my new favorite magazines, and where she got the basis for this bread.

If you are feeling a little like checking out some farm living, like I have been, go check out this fun blog and say hello.  And if you are thinking about getting chickens, do it!  They are so much fun and you get the awesome reward of delicious, rich eggs. 

Ash

Back to the Ranch...

As you may remember, in past years we have taken a trip down to central California to check out a wonderful ranch, the Work Ranch.  They offer trail rides, they raise cattle, they have the cutest cat in the world, they raise barley and just so happens that my parents are helping as ranch hands right now, so I get an awesome excuse to go see this wonderful place.

It was soooo wonderful there.  I helped each morning feed the horses, calves, goats and pig.  The weather, while chilly, was sunny and clear.  And having time to sit and look out at the rolling hills and slow down from my crazy life, well, let's just say that it was pretty tough to come back to my daily grind.

The view from our bunk house....

Visiting the calving area....

Look at the calves!

Love the old architecture on the farms...

An old farmstead...

Sweet animals to feed...

An evening by the campfire...

A fallen old farmhouse...

The ranch is very close to the fault...

And, they also have an area where you can dig for fossils...we found this awesome old sand dollar in the middle of California's rolling hills.  Pretty awesome to think about.

They have some of the best pets I have met, too.  This guy is Miles, but their cats and other dogs were pretty darn fun, too.  Including Charlie the cat (no pic...boo...), who likes to ride on the Kubota with us when feeding the animals.

Hope you can take a little time this year to explore (or re-explore) some special places.  Which reminds me, I need to share the 2013 Manifesto with you soon! 

Ash

Feature Fridays...Two Men and a Little Farm

This is one of those blogs that I follow partially because I love the fun little things they post, and partially because I want their life! Two Men and a Little Farm is a sweet blog that details the life of two people who grew up and work in the city, but long for a more quiet and sustainable life.  (Hmmm.....sounds so familiar to me...)  So they bought a little farm, Seda Bolsa Farm, and they document their ups and downs and share it for us to take part in it.

One of the things I love is that every Thursday they feature something that is inspiring for their farm.  Two Thursdays ago they put up this awesome adobe oven that they found from Sunset.com.  

Or...even more of an inspiration to me....this awesome garden shed and pond.  I want!

And the commentary on why they see them as inspiration is just as fun as the pics.

They also have some seriously great recipes, many of which I still need to try.  They have a whole page of recipes here....

I really wanna try the Roasted Chickpeas recipe...

And the biggest thing I love is reading about and seeing their little farm.  I am in love with the idea of soon owning my own little farm, and I have def enjoyed seeing the things they have had the pleasure and pain of going through on their little farm.

So go check it out, laugh at their wonderful humor and funnies that they find and share, and learn a few little fun things about their journey to their little farm.

And happy Friday!

Ash