Showing posts with label barn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barn. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2012

Farm to put an offer on - lots and lots of pictures - LOTS

We went to the house yesterday for one more (TWO HOUR) look before putting an offer on this house.
There was some stress about whether high-speed internet, a necessity for our work and my dad's, would be available.
We now know it is - so it's a go.
We can't wait!!
So much to do, so much excitement.
In The Happiness Project, Gretchen talks about how happiness is increased with the anticipation of something and then we acclimate and it isn't so happiness inducing. She says that gardening is an example of something that can regularly make you happy because of the anticipation (and growth, another contributor to happiness).
We're planning to paint, add shelving, oh - and FARM. Lots of continued anticipation and growth to come.
Lots of happiness already by this looking-for-a-farm-with-my-parents process (and a fair amount of stress) and lots to come (stress is expected too :) )

As a side note on pictures of real estate: it is often terrible not so great.
So during this trip I brought our camera to get a few quick shots.

There are a TON of pictures. I'll put comments ABOVE the picture I'm talking about.

The house from the road (we love the porch, the split rail fence, the not-busy road)
 

My dad, Ren Man, Ren Man's mom walking across the larger meadows towards the house (love the space, the mountains in the background, the old barn)
 


My dad and Ren Man walking along the ridge next to the snow covered pond at the front of the property (it's to the left a little of the house when you're looking at the house but can't see it in the first picture because it's covered in snow)
 

One of the rooms in the barn that has several stalls. There are two other "rooms" at least as large as this one in the barn with additional stalls
 

One of the two haylofts in the barn
 

The front porch
 

Front porch again (so excited about a front porch!)
 

This is right when you walk in the front door - so an entryway. My mom really did not want to walk into a room (dining room or kitchen or living room) but to have a dedicated entry area, and I have to agree. This is perfect. I am SOOO excited about the woodstove. It was essential, in my mind.
There is an office area immediately to your right (you can see the edge of the door frame on the bottom right of this picture), behind the woodstove is the laundry room, half bath and set of stairs, the door straight ahead goes out to a mudroom and work room and wood storage area before going outside near the barn, the kitchen is straight ahead and to the left (you can see one of the cabinets, dishwasher, and sink next to the back door), the dining room is to the left (see the corner of the wall halfway up the picture on the left?)
 

The kitchen. I love how open it is to the house (but not too open) and how light it is. Yes, it's small but efficiently designed.
 

The dining room. There is a wallpaper problem in this house - we're having fun dreaming up what paint to throw on these walls. We're loving the Pottery Barn collection that Benjamin Moore has. To the left is the living room (that I didn't get a picture of) and the stairs straight ahead go to the landing shown four pictures down and leads to our (mine, Ren Man, and the kids bedrooms).
 

This is our bathroom (meaning mine and Ren Man's and the kids) I love the paint color already!
 


My parents bedroom (wallpaper hit hardest here and in their bathroom)
 


My parents bathroom
 

The landing upstairs when you go up the stairs that are in the dining room. I'm so excited about how big this landing is. Straight ahead is the bedroom Ren Man wants us to use (it's in the picture below) (I'm not sure if this one would be better for us or the smaller one in the next picture with the blue border wall paper)
 


Potentially mine and Ren Man's bedroom
 

Or this one:
 


The kid's room (both kids are excited about the bunkbeds ... and are fine when we explain that the bunkbeds don't stay):
 

This is the back door going to the barn. I think the birch bark is so neat.
 

Not pretty but very functional work room for rinsing vegetables and eggs and storing things like egg cartons and scale never mind the space for refrigerator/freezer items.
 

So that's the photo tour. We're in love (despite advice NOT to fall in love before closing). Now we have to wait and hope that the buyers accept our offer.
Maybe seeing these help with ideas for farm name advice? We're still thinking through options. At some point the farm was called: Paradise Corners Farm (the farm is located on a corner of a paved and dirt road). We're not loving that ...

What do you think of it all?

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Milking

Originally posted on the farm blog on May 5, 2011




It seems there should be a picture of me (Sarah) milking. But I'm often the one with camera in hand and Josh is not so hot on multitasking- he's milking, or his photographing - he's not doing both.
I started milking two days after we moved.
Josh wants to wait until the cows are out of the barn (probably at the end of this month).
I wanted practice in milking.
This morning was my tenth milking (I've opted out of milking twice since coming).
Josh has milked twice.
He's an excellent milker.
I'm getting better every day.
Morning milking starts at 5:15am (in theory, it's usually 20 minutes later that it actually starts).
And there are cats.
And one likes to jump on shoulders. I've avoided being jumped on so far. Josh was jumped on during first milking. I don't think he believed me when I said it would jump.

Milking is interesting. It's a rhythmic pattern that allows for thinking through the to-do's for the day. It's also funny how you get to know each cow. This one is nicknamed Thumper because she bangs the grain feeder when she runs out to make more come out, 33 is always in the last batch to come in to be milked, the one nicknamed Spike (because of a tuft of hair on her head that sticks up) is always filthy, 40 milks out slow, another one kicks ever time you touch her ...

The barn is stuffy. I think the cows are looking forward to getting out in the fresh air as much as we're looking forward to getting them out!