When Your Pets Do Creepy Stuff

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

I can only imagine. I like to think if I would have put more thought into life when I was much younger I could have bought a piece of land and worked it. I'm old now to even try. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, so what do I really know. I just have always been a hard worker and skilled with my hands and can hunt and fish, grow things. All the necessary skills seemingly. I suppose I will never know.

I only have five and a half acres. I never farmed it. I have had gardens, and I enjoyed playing around with the landscaping. I used to love cutting the grass, which takes about four hours. That four hours gradually got broken up to two hours on separate days. I can't landscape anymore. My gardens are much smaller, and they are pretty much left up to God to manage. I do contribute by watering, most of the time.

My knees and back complain way too much, and my joints, especially in my hands, can be brutal when they choose. I still love the place but it truly is getting to be a challenge to manage. I will hold out to the last minute before selling, but I don't see anyway around it, because I can't get any family member that wants to be so far away from the urban areas, and they don't want to take on the responsibilities of land management.

I am hoping that I will hold on long enough for someone in the second generation to step up to the plate. I am looking at two, that may come to the rescue, but they are only eleven and twelve. I love their energy, their love of the place, their fearless attack on chipping in to help, and their rare understanding of the animals, and their purpose.

I cracked up when my eleven year old great niece was helping with the chickens. She was having a ball. Her twelve year old sister pointed at one of the roosters, that had very vibrant and colorful feathers. She said to her, "look at how pretty he is". Her sister said, "yes he is beautiful, and I bet he will taste good too."

I hope they keep their present mindset and I hang around long enough to make sure they get the place.