Billy Ray

One of the pullets we got this spring is not actually a pullet. She is a he...a Rooster....  He thinks he is as beautiful as they come.  He does have beautiful color and feathers.  Billy Ray has the most wonderful mullet and loves to sing to all of his girls in the morning and at night just like his doppelganger.












Introducing Billy Ray:

Billy Ray Rooster

...and his doppelganger, Billy Ray:

Billy Ray Cyrus

The last 8 months in photos around the house.

Last winter, I knit this rug out of 6 sets of old white sheets for our Living Room

This spring we got 5 pullets. Or so we thought.  One ended up being a Roo.  Can you guess which one?

We had some miscellaneous yard projects, including finishing the patios from last year to do.

We built a coop for the chickens.

the chickens grew quickly.

We had beautiful weather.

We went to 180 baseball games...

and track meets.

The grass grew up between the pavers in the patio.

We fixed the drainage for the patio.

Boogie started her summer vacation....

the house needed some attention but...

we decided to get more chickens...We were given  an old dog house and converted it to a coop.

It only took a day, some scrap wood we had hanging around, $5 in hardware and $50 in chicken wire and fencing to make it look this beautiful!

The new residents of the dog house - Edwina & Babs.

the patio and drain tiles done.  Columns are almost done.  They just need paint and bases applied. 

And now the pool project begins....

... and the house painting.  

 Stay tuned for more posts with more words and less photos.

The (Almost) Completed Coop

Our chicken coop is (almost) completed.  Just a couple touches here and there.  Our babies are currently living in the house. 

 

Health Care...or the lack there of.

I would just like to inform my friends, regardless of your political leaning, that our health care system is broken. Don't fool your selves into thinking that the current system works! I can tell you it doesn't.

Since becoming self-employed in 2004 (my choice), we have seen our health insurance costs triple. Each year as the premiums have increased, we have had to reduce our coverage from full coverage with very little co-pays to a plan with a very high deductible to be able to continue to afford having insurance.

Too many of us are in the terrible situation of making too little to be able to afford insurance but too much to be able to use a government subsidized plan. We have to make the horrible decision between making ends meet and having financial and health protection for our families.

It is sad that generally healthy people have to pay tens of thousands of dollars per year just to have health insurance. Say nothing about paying the deductibles and co-pays. Just for the amazing privileged of having a large for-profit corporation tell us how to take care of our own health, which doctors we have access to and what medications we can take! Why???

In the county we live in, there is no option for health insurance providers. WE HAVE ONE 'OPTION'!! That is not a fair and open market. That is NOT how the members of a democracy should have to live - literally we have one choice! WHY are people in this community not screaming and asking for what is right??? Why are we allowing ours health care to be held hostage by the community/country we live in and the one company that we have access to here??? I know that we chose to live here but when i made that choice, there were many options for insurance providers. Again, since 2004, we have gone from having the choice between more than 5 providers to this year having one. That is not encouraging a free and open market.

 

The costs of our insurance needs to be regulated. It needs to be made affordable to healthy young families. It needs to be affordable to small business owners. It needs to be made affordable to the guy next door. It needs to be affordable to EVERYONE.

I am not asking for a free ride. Just for an insurance plan offering that has services which are inline with the fees being payed for them.

Families should not be totally financially broken by one health issue. Families who have been responsible and saved for rainy days. Families who have been responsible in their decision making. Families who have not lived beyond their means. Families who have done everything right...just to find that they can't afford what the health care system has to offer...to protect their loved ones and offer them what they deserve - them a long, healthy, productive life.

I am BEGGING for something to change! There has to be a better way for us to live with our health.

We do not abuse the health care system. We use it only as needed. We believe that we are responsible for our own health. We live a healthy lifestyle that promotes wellness and responsibility for ourselves. WHY are we left in a position where we can not afford insurance and can not afford health care without it???

Someone please help me understand how it is that our country's leaders could think that the position all of their political posturing and pontificating has gotten us into is a positive one?? WE NEED HELP!

Planning

New Plans are in the works.  We are planning to build a modest horse barn on our property this year.  Big question - Where to put it??  My initial thought was to put it at the north west corner of the current mowed portion of our lot.  the big issue with that is the lack of access to that portion of the property 6 months out of the year. 

some things to consider -
1. the wet area at the front of the property
2. the back half of our property will be planted this spring with grapes for the beginnings of a vineyard. 
3. direction of the prevailing winds
4. would like to keep the barn as close to the front (south) of the property as possible
5. would like to take advantage of the windbreak the ROW will provide.

I will gladly accept any advice anyone is willing to give.

Another attempt at the logo

Thoughts?

New Logo Proofs