Strike that, reverse it...

So after all that worry about starting this business on my own, Aaron has decided to work with me down in Tennessee instead of on his own up in Ohio. I don't know when he will permanently move down here, but he did promise to come and babysit the farm, Wiley, the chickens, cats and the Guinea fowl. Not that the Guineas need much babysitting.... they feed themselves and put themselves to bed. I'll need him to at least come down for a week so I can go to my friend's wedding back up in New York City in October.

The latest news on the farm is that the inspector looked over the property and spent hours there. He was extremely nit-picky and I was glad for that. I wanted to hear every little detail about the property so that I could know what needed to be worried right away about and what could wait to be worried about down the road.

The financing is lining up and should not slow us down from owning this property. In the end, I will own the property with my parents and eventually buy their share when I'm able to. There is something about the idea of having my own space, that is truly mine for as long as I live, that takes my breath away. I can't yet grasp it.

One of the cool things about having Wiley with us when we went to the farm to meet up with the inspector, was to see how happy he was to be on the farm. He was doing that funny doggie laugh that they do when they are excited- that "heh heh heh" sound. When the Guinea flock saw him they erupted in a cacaphonous explosion of squawking and flapping. A few even charged us, but still kept their distance. The chickens, on the other hand, were happily clucking away until they saw Wiley and then they quickly quieted down. They all did keep watch on him, like the Guineas did.

A few of the barn cats were hanging around- I'll post some photos from my phone. They saw Wiley and basically could care less about him. One, a Himalayan looking cat, could barely keep her eyes open with Wiley just a few feet away. Another cat- a sandy colored cat- stood in the barn door watching him warily. I got the feeling that the cat would not run if Wiley charged, but instead would have beat him up. Wiley noticed both cats, but wisely pretended to not care.

I'm glad Aaron is going to be working with me down here. I'd love to see us get the business to a point where he can open up a second location up in Columbus. I know how much he loves his life up there and all his friends there.

I understand how hard it is to leave the home and friends you love.... I just did it.

Doo dee doo... la la la!

The roller coaster that is buying a property! Whoo-wee! I am glad and very grateful that I have my parents to help me and guide me. The property is still due to be inspected and all that jazz, but it will be another full week till we know for sure if the property will be ours. My brother has gone back up to Ohio and is looking to start up an operation there. We are still both planning on starting an aquaponics business but he has come to the realization that his heart is in Ohio. And after much discussion, I have decide that mine is not and that I would rather stay down here in Tennessee.

We are all very up and positive about it, with a few worries from my Father. He's a bit of a natural worrier, (as am I), so my Mom and I listen patiently to his concerns and let him get all his stress off his chest. Once he does that, he feels better- as we all do when we are able to vent our stress and worries without judgement.

Once of the most exciting things about moving to Cookeville is that the Beekeeper Association in that area is really well organized and pretty big. AND the yearly conference for all of the beekeepers across Tennessee is IN COOKEVILLE! It's this September 27th and 28th. I'm going to it and am really excited. I will be wide-eyed and full of questions and smiles and looking to make friends with everyone! (Which is how I operate most of the time nowadays anyway)

The other exciting thing is that I'm going to be taking a week long aquaponics course in Southwestern Tennessee at a wonderful place called Today's Green Acres. You can check out the website at:Today's Green Acres I spoke with the owner, Randy today and I'm looking forward to learning everything he's willing to teach me. The class will be small- no more than 35 people. I found him through the Friendly Aquaponics website. It's a company founded by a husband and wife team out of Hawaii. They are wonderful and lovely people! Check out their site and videos here:Friendly Aquaponics. You will be inspired and (hopefully) will want to start you own aquaponics system!


So in general news, my Mom's birthday is this Thursday and tomorrow morning we will be making our favorite cake: Carrot Cake. My Mom's carrot cake recipe is HEAVEN. Over the years she has perfected it and we will be making it a day ahead of time because as we all know, carrot cake needs a day to rest. Sigh.... And next month for my birthday, we'll do it again! (At least, after I get back from my training program and bee conference)

Tonight I went with my father to the local South Appalachian Nature Photographer's meeting- or SANP. My Dad is the Membership officer, so he has to be there every meeting. This month the speaker was an extremely talented and successful professional photographer named Byron Jorjorian. He has published works in National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer and Time Magazine. He has has over 11,000 images published! Check out his work at: Byron Jorjorian. He's awesome and not only a talented photographic artist, but also a very good public speaker. I enjoyed the presentation very much and was inspired to be more creative, which brings me to the next topic...

I'm going to join my Mom's quilt guild- called Smokey Mountain Quilt Guild- and enter the next big quilt challenge. It's got some strict rules: no less than 30" but no more than 60". It must be black and white with a splash of one color. Not more than that one color and not too much of it either. It's due in November, so I better get a move on. I have sketched out a few ideas... and I think I've settled on a field of goats. I can use tons of embellishments and the pattern/design is my choice. I'm thinking of doing a crazy quilt of all white fabrics and then do some appliqué of the goats outlined in black with embroidery stitching in green for the grass. We'll see... wish me luck!

Last but not least, I am reading Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors. It's a collection of his short stories and if you like his style, you'll enjoy it.

Patience

The farm we are bidding on is in a town called Cookeville. There is a big university nearby- Tennessee Tech. I did some research and found that it has a lot of art classes offered to the public.

My brother has arrived back in Tennessee and tomorrow we will go to Cookeville so he can see the farm in person. We're going to sign the paperwork after that. Then it's just a matter of getting the VA loan officer out to inspect the property and signing the bank paperwork. I know, I'm making it sound like it's gonna happen super quick- and maybe it will- but in reality it could take weeks to hammer out all the financial stuff.

This property is under our budget, so if all goes as I hope, and we get to call this farm home; we'll have saved quite a bit of money. Enough to also buy the tractor, front loader, brush hog, ATV, and Dixie riding mower.

I still need a truck, but that's not part of the business expense plan.

In the spring I hope to have a flock of ducklings, chicks, and goslings. I also hope to have my bees before even that. It's a great location for bees and a small flock of fowl. The fowl will be the most work, hands down. I am really looking forward to having my first taste of my bee's honey and my flock's eggs.

Wiley is still behaving himself. He's not had any more issues like the last one. He is back on his medication, which I'm sure helps. The big deal will be when we run out of the medication.... because he clearly needs it. I tried to get an extra bottle of meds before leaving NYC. The problem was the medication jumped up to about $200 a bottle. Which is completely insane. Hopefully the vet down here can find an alternative.

First time for Everything

This is my first time negotiating any sort of contract. I'm so stressed over it, but at the same time I'm really learning a lot. My Dad and my Uncles have been extremely helpful and I have learned so much from their experience and excellent advice. I have always felt that I'm beyond lucky to be a Glazer, but these past few days I've felt doubly lucky to have so much family history in real estate buying and selling. To my Uncles, reading the contract for this farm is cake.

So now we start the back and forth... but I think it will all come out good for everyone in the end. In addition to this beautiful little farm, we are going to be buying the tractor, front loader, brush hog, sit down mower, ATV and cart. The front loader and the brush hog are attached to the tractor already, which is nice.

We are also going to be asking about purchasing some of the other items on the farm. The extra wire fencing, the feed bins, the front porch furniture, the outdoor table and chairs and any houseplants they want to leave behind.

Maybe here!

We might have found the farm! It's just right. There's plenty of room for the greenhouses, for Aaron, me, Wiley, chickens, mini donkeys, and bees! There is already a chicken coop on the property and both chickens and Guinea Hens live there now. The Guinea hens come with the property and roam it freely. Here's a shot of them:

They eat bugs like tics and fleas so I am happy to have them around if this ends up becoming our farm.

It's got a lot of room for the greenhouses- and lots of room for expansion. It has two barns, a chicken coop, a large toolshed, two grills, a fire pit, an above ground salt water pool, and the whole property is fenced. The main house has been refurbished and has all new appliances and updated interiors and windows. The red barn has an apartment in it that is totally new.

Here are a few photos: (click on them to make them bigger)

This first photo shows where I think the greenhouses would work best. It is a field that is south of the main house and close to the creek that runs through the property. The creek is where you see that line of trees and the main road is where you see the white fence.

This one shows the red barn that has the apartment in it. you can see the front door, sort of. It's at the far right in this photo, where all the plants are.

Here's a better shot of the red barn apartment. The other section of the red barn is storage but if we do end up with this place, I would finish the interior and turn it into a art and yoga studio that could also double as a guest house.

Here's a shot of the back of the main house. Also of my Dad looking towards the south field. What isn't shown in this photo is the jungle gym, which might stay on the property. I wouldn't pay extra for it, but if it stays, all our friends and family with kids will enjoy it.

Here's looking up towards the red barn and the chicken coop area.

This shot is looking up to the north field- where the power lines run. My Dad is freaked by them a bit, but they don't bother me. He asked me to do some research on if they are a danger to my health.

The backyard. If this becomes ours, I'd create a big deck out here.

The barn at the back of the property. This is the actual barn- it's got a loft for hay and stalls for animals. It's even got electricity.

My Mom sitting on the front porch of the main house. She loved the glider.

The south side of the house and the south part of the yard. If you were standing right where this photo was taken and then turned around, you would be looking at the south field and the line of trees where the creek is beyond that.

Being Flexible

Well, well, well. That lovely property on Kennedy was bid on and the bid was accepted before we could even say we wanted it! What a bummer.

But we didn't let that get us down. We looked over the other listings and found a few to go and see. We have a system where we check the listings and then map a course to go look at them before we even make an appointment with the agent. Some places we can just look at and know it won't work. I liked a few places but knew they would not work because they were both too hilly and had too many trees. We want trees, to be sure, but we do need a large open pasture for the greenhouses. They don't do so well in the shade.

We are going to see a great little farm halfway between Knoxville and Nashville. The price is right, the size is excellent, and the living situation is just want we need. So we'll see how this pans out. I am trying not to get too worked up over it because at any moment a bid from someone else could be accepted and we will have to keep looking. I know the right place is out there. I do hope we find it soon though.

Living with my parents again at 38 is a strange thing. I could not have done this ten years ago. I don't think I would have had the patience. The hardest part of the situation is that I cannot sit Wiley down and explain to him that he doesn't need to freak out at every noise my father makes. Every time my Dad bangs on something, raises his voice, laughs loudly, or sneezes loudly; Wiley responds. Sometimes he barks, sometimes he jumps up, and twice he's run up and "nosed" my Dad. Which sounds less threatening than it is. My father will surprise Wiley by getting up quickly or making a loud noise and scaring him. Wiley, if I don't have a hold of him, will jump up and bark and run to my Dad and put his nose and mouth right at his calf. This, for Wiley, is a threatening move. Basically, it's Wiley's way of controlling the situation. No nipping has occurred, but I'm not taking chances. Wiley is back on leash at all times, getting tons of praise and treats from me and my Mom for good behavior, and he's getting mandatory time-out or "quiet time" for a few hours during the day. My Dad is trying more to be involved but it doesn't come naturally to him.

I think it was unfair and short-sighted of me to give Wiley too much freedom too fast. I want to always set him up for success and I think I was too optimistic. I should have know better- I know this dog better than anyone. He needs time to adjust and very strict rules to follow so that he is comfortable and can relax. He needs lots of positive reinforcement for good behavior- he's so smart it doesn't take much to get him to understand what is expected of him. The challenge is to keep him engaged. Overall he's been really good and super happy. He rolls in the grass every chance he gets and chases bunnies- or tries to- and digs in the dirt. He enjoys sitting outside with my Mom while she gardens.

Anyway.... that's what has been going on with Wiley.

What about me? Well, I'm living in what amounts to my parent's basement, but really it's just the lower level since they live on a steep hill and I have my own entrance. What I don't have is my own bathroom- yet. They started re-doing the bathroom to make it safer for the elderly visitors and it's still being worked on. So for the past two weeks I've been hoofing it up three flights of stairs to shower. I can't complain- at least I have a shower to use.

That's about it for now. I'll update with some photos of the farm we are going to see tomorrow.

Kennedy Road

The farm on Kennedy Rd. is a horse farm right now. I have more photos and will post them later. This property is the front runner for us right now. It's 27 acres- more than enough room for greenhouses, a second house, dirt farming, and a herd of mini donkeys. Can you tell I really want this property?

I'm already planning on names for my mini donkeys! At first I came up with Taco, Nacho, Burrito, and Freddy. But I also like the names Poncho, Moshe, and Oy-Vey. So then I started thinking, "What about getting mini goats too?!" So now I'm thinking I'll name the mini donkeys Nacho, Taco, Burrito, and Poncho. And then I'll get a few mini goats and name them Moshe, Chaim, and Oy-Vey. What about Freddy you ask? Well, I'm getting ducks too. I'll name them all Freddy except for one. That one duck will be named Roberto. I'll be able to tell he's Roberto because he'll be the one with a hat.

When we went to the property on Kennedy, Wiley ran around and had a blast! He peed everywhere and followed me around mostly but he'd run off to my parents or Aaron every once in a while. I had to hold him back when we went to look at the barn. It had a few cats living in there and I didn't want him getting all up in their business.

On our way back we drove through the intense rainstorm that has been flooding Nashville. It's passed over Knoxville now, but it was really wild. Thunder, lightning, and sheets of rain.

So that's the story for now! Please check back for photos and more updates. And if you have ideas for animal names, leave them in the comments.

-Sarah

Kennedy Rd.

A possible place for G & G Growers

Week One {and three quarters}

I'm not even sure where to start.

I arrived in Tennessee around 10:30 at night on Monday, August 29th. My brother, Aaron, arrived the next day. The day after that, we started looking at properties and we are narrowing them down to a few- with two being the stand outs.

We aren't just looking for a nice house and some land. That land has to be somewhat flat for the greenhouses to sit on. The house has to be large enough for both of us to live in. Even though we don't plan on sharing a house for more than a year. The location shouldn't be too far from major highways, and the road to the land should not be rutted. The extras, if we can get them, are: a barn in good condition, natural gas, 3 Phase electric, extra land to dirt farm, and land to build a second or third small home on.

Anyway, two properties we have seen fit the bill really well. We will be checking out 3 more tomorrow morning and I will make appointments to go back to the ones we think have potential. Aaron will head back up to Ohio early next week and start the business of getting all our finances in order.

I'm still excited about this new life and I think that's a good sign. It's exhausting, all of the things that have to get done and remembered. But with two of us, it's actually quite easy. Our strengths and weaknesses complement each other.

So that's THAT part of the update.

I really like it here so far. It's slower and much less stressful. It's an easier life and I have to remind myself that I don't have to rush all the time. The weather is great and even when it's hot and humid it's never as bad as it is in NYC because it cools down at night. And it smells nicer... but there's a TON more bugs and it seems like spiderwebs are EVERYWHERE. It will take me a while to get used to that. The spider webs are actually great, except when you walk through one, because they catch a ton of bugs. Most of those bugs would otherwise be feasting on me, so I'm trying to learn to like the spiderwebs. They're very pretty- when I can see them. I just wish I could see them all the time so I don't walk through them.

Wiley is adjusting beautifully- he's a brand new dog! I can't believe how mellow he's become. He's in love with my parents and likes Aaron too, who honestly, barely tolerates him. Actually my brother and the cat treat Wiley just about the same. They look at him like they just can't understand what the fuss is, and then they retreat to the guest room. But Wiley won't give up on either of them and they are slowly warming up to him. I think he even got my brother to chuckle today.

So that's the story so far. I'm being kicked out of the room I'm in, so I'll sign off and write more another day.