Explanations

It's been a long time, are ya still there?
Our Internet and cell phone signal leave MUCH to be desired around here.  I have spent a lot of time in prayer trying to figure where to go with our blog. I think folks are interested in our journey and we hope to be a blessing to those who are thinking about moving off-grid or living plain.  I think our experiences and our mistakes could be helpful. Plus, we were blessed with a lovely new laptop, so I feel we must push on a try to make it work.  The signal at our farm is virtually non-existent.  If you stand on the back porch and hang off the edge of the railing you might get enough bars to talk to someone!  Our Internet access is through a mobile "hotspot" basically our cell phone.  So not much signal to work with.  We have tried walking all over the farm with our phone and laptop, we must have looked like crazy people!
I was making posts at the local laundromat but then for some reason, there is no signal there now!  I usually can post while in town, but it takes forever for the pictures to download, and to me it's not really a post with out pictures!  SO, our only option that we can see is to try a cell phone signal booster.  Not the cheapy $4.95 kind but the pricey $189.99 kind.  It should work.........but I have read reviews on Amazon from folks who couldn't get any more signal with the booster, than without it.  But there's a money back guarantee, so we're going to give it a try as soon a the next $189.99 becomes available!  Please if any of you have any experience, good or bad with signal booster let me know!

Well after one hour of trying to download pictures, I gave up!  Sorry maybe another day!

Words of Wisdom

Ileigh just finished reading Farmer Boy to the children before bed.  It was such an enjoyable book, especially now that we're on a farm!!  We have 6 Farmer Boys of our own!  And  2 Farmgirls too! 
At the end of the book Almanzo is trying to decide whether or not to become a farmer or go to town and begin an apprenticeship with a buggy maker.  This is what his Father has to say;

"A farmer depends on himself, and the land and the weather.  If you're a farmer, you raise what you eat, you raise what you wear, and you keep warm with wood out of your own timber.  You work hard, but you work as you please, and no man can tell you to go or come.  You'll be free and independent, son. on a farm."


If this doesn't sum it up for us I don't know what would!!

Puppy Pictures

"Ok, Drover let's take a picture, look at the camera."

 

"No Drover the camera is over here!"

"Now Drover you have to smile, like this when sister says 'cheese'."

"Perfect, you are good puppy!!"

Strawberry Avalanche

I have never had any fruit bearing plants of my own, ever.  Now I am the proud owner of tons of them.  Strawberries are in season now and we have them coming out our ears!  They are so lovely, we have made 7 pints of jam thus far and will be making more jam and syrup in the very near future!  I am so thankful the previous owners planted such a great variety of things we should be very blessed with fruit this summer!!