The goats are here! (And how to build a transport cage)

Finally, the goats have arrived at the new house.  It was a long process to get them moved, starting with building a "cage" to keep them safe while we moved them.

We started with 2 goat panels from Tractor Supply.  They are 16' long so we cut them into sections to get them into the trailer. We also bought a pig nose ring pliers and nose rings to use to attach the panels together.

We cut one of the panels into 3 five foot long sections and the other into one five foot section and 2 four foot sections.  This left rough edges that were ground down until smooth.

 The nose rings worked really well to hold the panels together.

 Someone was not impressed.

The five foot sections were then attached on the long sides to form a square, then the four foot sections became the back and the door.  We hinged the door using removable clips.

Canvas tarps were added to give some protection from the wind while going down the highway.

 We built the goat cage and then got the goats used to going into it by feeding inside it every evening.  They jumped right in when it was time to move them.

Are we there yet?

 Once we got to the new place the goats decided that the trailer was more familiar and needed coaxing to get out,

 And, of course, the first thing Brigid did was pee.

 Yummm, brush to eat!

They still seem a little bewildered, but are eating a lot of brush. 

Update 1/18/2015-We made some improvements to the goat tote and documented them here:
Goat Tote Update

The chickens have arrived!

Today was the big day we moved the chickens.  The day started last night when we got all the chickens we were moving into the coop (or thought we would until we found out that the Dominiques were sleeping in the trees, in the meadow and who knows where else).  We rounded up all but 2 of the chickens we would be moving in the coop.  Just before dawn I was able to get one more chicken into the coop and get the other one into the pen.  My husband was at the rental place at 7AM to get the car trailer we needed to haul the chicken coop/trailer.  Once the coop was loaded onto the car trailer I was able to catch the last chicken and off we went.

 Thank you Ted for hauling our coop around.

 It was funny following our chickens in their coop down the interstate.

 They were eager to get out after being cooped up in their coop until noon.  But first each one had its wings clipped so hopefully they will stay in the relative safety of the pen.

 First thing each bird did was start to eat grass.  Our old house was too shady to grow any strong grass. 

Home Sweet Home for the chickens.  Now on to building a cage for transporting goats!

So much to write about and so little time

The wild life at the new house is amazing.  This photo was taken early one morning after a light fog.  Spider webs were everywhere.  Every where you look there is life.  Between the birds, the chipmunks and squirrels, bees, butterflies, and even snakes there is always something moving, flying, singing, chirping, or buzzing. 

At first I thought these moths/butterflies had paint splotches on them, but they all couldn't have gotten into that much paint.

I am starting to get a handle on all the things growing on the property.  This plant is self-sown and planted by the previous owner everywhere.  They smell great and are pretty to look at.  We were told the plant was called "false lady's slipper" but a friend was able to find out it's called "balsam" (thanks Patty).  If any one would like seeds I probably have a bazillion!

The fall gold raspberries are coming in gradually.  The bees are eating more than we are.  The garden is about half gold raspberries.  I definitely need to make some new raspberry beds and move all the raspberries out of the vegetable garden.  Any one want any raspberry plants???

We have grapes! And they taste pretty good too.  We need to build some kind of support for them as they are using some arborvitae for supports right now.

The property is just beautiful and we are enjoying seeing it at all different times of day.  I am looking forward to fall.  We have a few trees that are just barely beginning to turn colors.
Here is our bridge over the little stream (after you pass under the huge magnolia)

And looking downstream:

And a little further downstream:

Upstream isn't as pretty; we have work to do there:

The view across the stream towards the blueberry bushes (the outhouse is hiding back there):

The apple trees, which desperately need pruning:

The cherry tree needs pruning also:

We've been able to get a little bit of work done inside.  I painted the inside of the corner cabinet, which had a paint/glaze interior.

Of course there is too much stuff inside the corner cabinet now. And I should have taken a picture with the door open.  We are getting things hung up on walls, have replaced a couple of light fixtures, and still have more stuff to take over to the new house.  But now we need to get back to work on the old place.  The septic system is getting closer, we had the perc test last week and now the system is being designed, and we've only spent $960.  Hopefully, when the system is complete so will the work on the house and we can get it on the market.

We are in (sort of)!

Settlement went off without a hitch.  The girls are all moved in, except for Max's dorm stuff, which I refuse to move twice.  She moves into the dorm on Saturday so her room at the old house should be mostly empty next weekend.  My husband spent last Saturday night here and I have spent the last 3 nights.  It's sooo quiet here!  I didn't realize how much we heard the highway at our old house, even though it is about a mile away.

Still dealing with lots of boxes and unpacking.  And we have to work out all the details in moving the animals over.  I will be happy when we can bring them to the new house.  Still so much work to do!  Can't wait for the washer as well.  But we now have phone and internet.  We didn't want to have phone but our cell reception is poor here and the only internet we could get required phone service as well, thank you Verizon.

Pictures will be coming, as soon as my computer, camera, and camera cable are in the same place!

Realtors can be so cruel!

We are still on the auto send for new listings from our realtor.  So of course, a day and a half from closing, what do we get but the notification of a great house for sale!  14 acres, stone/stucco house, barn, garage.  No pictures were with the listing but I can see from the internet that it is a cute little house.   So I had to look for reasons to feel good about not being able to buy it:
1. 10 minutes farther to work for both of us, and that's with good traffic.
2. The main road to the house has HORRIBLE traffic!
3. The house is right up to the road (but that just means more land out the back).
4. Being sold "as is" so what's wrong with it?
OK, so now I feel better about the house we are buying, oh but a small stone barn!!!  Maybe I'll become a stone mason and build my own, yeah right.

Packing is ongoing.   This weekend we found 3 boxes of pewter I forgot I had packed away years ago.  It was like Christmas in August!  But I really don't have room for all that pewter.  A friend had come from out of state to help and she took 8 pewters mugs and a plate for the historical society she works for, I made up another box of pewter to sell next year at Fort Fred's Market Fair, and I organized the remaining pewter.  Anyone want to have a tea party?

I also have been looking at this photo I must have taken in Colonial Williamsburg.  I have loved this scarecrow for years and must make one in the spring. One of my first tasks on Wednesday evening is planting my fall vegetable garden.  I have lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts ready to go in the ground.  But the scarecrow will have to wait for spring.

Just 7 more days (minus a few hours)!

Things seem to be going along well with the purchase of the new house.  Settlement is 7 days minus 3 hours away and is coming up quickly.  All the finances are in order and everyone has all the paperwork they want/need.

I still have more things to take to the charity store, probably 5 more boxes, and I always seem to find more as I am packing.  I'm also taking 8 boxes of books to the newly opened used book store in Kutztown this afternoon.  What could be better than getting store credit in a book store for later while getting rid of books we no longer want now?

As I walk around outside I keep seeing plants I want to bring to the new house.  Even though there are tons of plantings and the current owners have done an amazing job with all the gardens, some of my favorite perennials are missing.  Like the dahlia's above.  While not really a perennial, I have had them in my backyard for years. They will be easy to transport as their tubers need to be dug up every fall after the first frost.

I have had purple coneflower (echinacea) for more years than I can remember, so a clump definitely needs to get dug up and transported.

Years ago I dug up a Rose of Sharon shrub/tree from my in-laws and it has made multiple offspring.  I definitely need to bring along a white one.

I can't recall if there are any phlox at the new place.  Mine are doing very well this year.  And had a cool visitor this morning.

And of course the goats are saying "please bring some of our rocks along!"

Thought I would update on how the chicks and turkeys are growing. I'm pretty sure we have one tom turkey and one hen, but the other turkey looks like a tom some days and a hen on others.  Looks like we'll just need to wait a little longer to figure out the sex of the third turkey.

Our older chicks, born early May, are getting big.  We definitely have  a rooster among that bunch.  If he makes himself useful protecting the hens he may get to stick around.  My husband heard him crow a few days ago, but I haven't heard anything yet.

The littlest chicks I got for our broody hen are also getting bigger.  Now all the chicks, and mama hen, sleep in a big heap.  And the turkeys are starting to roost at night in a tree.  Now I just have to get some new pens set up at the new place and move their houses.

13 days!!! (Or how the chickens can help with the move)

Time is going by so quickly now.  Between work, packing, painting, and working on the outside of our old house we are keeping very busy.  And still the requests for paper work keep coming from the mortgage company.  Really, you want a paper trail from the deposit from May 17th?  Well, I didn't think I would need a copy of my income tax refund check, and, by the way, you have a copy of our 2011 income tax return with the refund amount.  Isn't that enough??? No, they want a copy of the check, and documentation of the cash as well and where it came from!!!  Can I say how much I hate banks right now?

Packing, packing and more packing.  And another pile of boxes of things to donate.  But it is finally getting to the fun part where you start to see a difference.  My youngest and I stripped wallpaper from the walk-in closet in the master bedroom (long story how  it ended up with wallpaper) then I painted that closet and the other one in the master bedroom.  Looks so much better.  My brain is churning with designs for closet organizers.

The front porch is almost done.  We just need to wash the ceiling and see if it needs a touch up paint job.    The back porch/breezeway is done as well.  Although, we do want to paint the steps there but that won't be done until we move out as they will stay nicer it we aren't using them all the time to go out to the animals.

I am starting to finalize moving plans for the animals.  I need a temporary pen for the chickens and realized I can build that where I want to expand the vegetable garden next spring. The chickens will do a nice job digging up all the grass and tilling the soil a little.  And the manure they will leave won't hurt either.  I am considering leaving my oldest hens at the old house to till up the current vegetable garden once the harvest is over.  They already sleep in a different, and smaller, hen house from the other hens and aren't laying many eggs any more.  This can be their last job before the stew pot.

Well, off to the bank to get the "paper trail."