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Can you believe it's been a year?

Silke

V.I.P Lairian
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Aug 21, 2015
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One year today, I completed the paperwork for the house.
Mine, all mine.
So much has changed since then, both in and around the house, and with me.
I still adore the house and land as much as I did a year ago.
There are things that annoy me, sure. (My kitchen, for one. The bathroom, too.)
But all in all...
I could never have imagined how happy all the creatures are here.
Pixie, going for walks with me, no leash or anything, and loving every minute of it.
Livvy, adoring that she is allowed outside when it's warm enough.
Jezebel, loving the outdoors, even if she has to be on a leash, and being a holy terror inside.
All of them loving the beams in the bedroom, climbing all over, and jumping into the bed lol.
Oz and Stormy, having a proper, own home, where they feel safe and happy.
Squeaky, after being abandoned by the previous owner, feels safe enough to come inside for a few hours in the evening to relax by the fire.
The girls, starting to be okay with Squeak being inside. (Ignoring her for the most part.)
And then there are the newbies: Thelma, Louise, Gaga and Sia. They were clearly never allowed out, and it took a while for them to feel safe enough to roam.
(A bit too far, in Gaga's case....!)
I loved watching Gaga encourage Sia to come out of the chicken pen to go out into the grass. She took it very seriously, and really wanted Sia to come outside with her, going back and forth for her. Of course, I already had to go find the two of them in the dark... because Gaga went astray, with Sia following...
It's been a busy year, the Gîte is almost finished, just one window to place, a shutter to make, hinges to fit, and painting to do. Stairs need to be waxed, and once all that is done... decorating.
I've had 2 huge thuja trees taken down to open up the side, the hedges were an absolute nightmare to chop down to size, the tractor is sold and gone.
It's been raining every day for the past 3-4 weeks, with 1 or 2 days that had decent weather in between.
The land is completely waterlogged. The pond is so full, I'm afraid if it continues to rain, it'll go over the bank. We've stabilized the chicken pen roof, as it was sagging badly. (Totally over spanned.) I've made a tack and feed room with a solid wall and a lockable door.
The new septic tank is in, but needs some more topsoil to make the ground back there more stable. It has grassed over at last.
Rocks EVERYWHERE. And I'm not talking about little rocks, I'm talking boulders you can only shift with heavy machinery.
We've had an amazingly hot summer, 45C some days. The house was warm, but you weren't melting inside.
I do have a wasp nest right by the bedroom window. That'll get fixed when it gets colder and they are either dead or gone. As it is atm, I can't open the window there, or they will be inside.
The fascia needs a fix, one of the boards came down in a storm.
The horses are on a track, with access to the side field atm, a field shelter at the bottom, and the woods open.
The "Sangliers" (Wild Boar) trashed the bottom field and were hunted down by the local hunters.
My farmers are awesome. I couldn't ask for nicer chaps to live nearby. Extremely helpful and friendly.
In turn, they know I keep my eyes on their cows and calves, alerting them if there is a problem. (Like the calves getting out of their field and heading toward the road. Second time it happened I managed to herd them back together with my dad -- and now have the number of the third farmer lol.)
Still, they are grateful I take action when needed. And supply a cold drink on a hot day. :)
I'm taking French lessons, and my French has definitely improved to at least quadruple my vocabulary. Needs must.
I was actually chatting with the farmers when they secured the calf field, and understood some of what they were asking! (Shocker!)
When Serge's wife stopped by, we were having a conversation half english, half french, and she said "Are you learning French?" and I said "Of course. I live here, I need to speak and understand French." which pleased her no end. (There are a lot of Brits who really don't make an effort.)
I've made some friends, both English and French. People pop in and say hi, and I do the same.
One chap made a (serious) pass at me the other day, which was very flattering, but.... lol. No.
All in all, it's been a rollercoaster year. But a happy one.
Now, if only they'd fix that leak up in the sky... My chickens loudly informed me that they are NOT ducks, and could I please drain the lake in their pen, or provide a raft?
So now I'm building an Arc.... :p
 

Bailey21

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I loved reading every second of this. I've loved following your story of the big move and settling in! Your home and your little zoo is amazing, I wish I could have chickens and horses! I look forward to reading about the next adventure :)
 

Silke

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Well, the ponies (Oz in particular) are sick and tired of standing in soupy mud, so I slapped down the paddock grids I had left. Still got 6, but they might go in tomorrow.
20191105_165818.jpg

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Meanwhile, I've curbed the scooting out (and in! Squeaky!) by investing in a fireguard that was going cheap. That's outside the door, so no rushing out into the yard.
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And I replaced one of the hay bags... which Jez immediately had to try on for size lol.
20191104_171916.jpg
 

Sheldon13

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What an interesting year you have had! So many blessings.


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