Welcome to the Neighbourhood!

The trailer was finally towed to the farm two nights ago. At times it felt like the wind might roll us across the field while we slept, but we were in the same place when dawn came, so all was good.

Right off neighbours started to drop in to welcome us and offer any help we may need.

First along came Fergie. She was looking for her old and favorite play-mate, Otis.
Sadly Otis moved with his owners and poor Fergie, a brown and white Border Collie, was a tad confused and lost. She wasn't really sure what to make of us.

Then the folks to the West of us dropped in to say hello and let us know the garbage schedule. That's good...we were wondering about that. Being they are more "farmer" then we are (HA) we picked his brain a bit and warned him we'll do it again in the future. He seemed pretty fine about that. He noticed the old wood heater dumped on the scrap metal pile (just across from the growing dump pile) and wondered if he could take a piece his mother needed to replace on hers. But of course!

Neighbour to the East came by with cake, home-grown pears (that look ammmmmazing) her dog and a promise to bring her husband by at some point. She wanted us to meet Jake, the dog, so we knew to send him home should he show up. Last folks left bones around and dogs tended to gather for the hand-outs. She would prefer him to be where he belongs so we have her permission to "Shoo him with a broom" if necessary. He's such a lovely creature, we'll most likely end up walking him home instead. East neighbour also filled us in on some of the history of our house, saying her husband would fill us in even more. Sounds like quite the tales too! From ship captain to drug grower!! "That's why you'll see the helicopter's once in awhile, last guy grew stuff so they keep checking" OK, good to know!

Then the mother of both the East and West Neighbours stopped in to say "Welcome". Turns out we have McMillan's on all three sides. Being that each one seems friendly and wanting to help in anyway they can we feel blessed.

Another young-at-heart-gal, from "just past the bridge", flew up our drive tooting the horn a couple times. Hopped out, shouted a hello and welcome. Had a wee chat.  And with her offer of "Anything you need, anything at all" was gone just as fast. (along with her phone number that got caught away by the wind, cause of course I remembered none of it!!) She did say something about wanting to bring cookies, but not being sure when she'd get around to it, thought she had better stop and not wait on the cookies! I assured her we would still be here and would be appreciative of cookies any time she did get around to them. :)

We were warned about the neighbour on the hill who lives in the trailer. No need to be in a hurry to meet him we were told. Oops. Too late. We meet him the day we helped move the last owner out, so we could move in. Guess from the sounds of it, he helped "farm" the contraband stuff. Probably supplied the young customers too. Great. :(  Well, we did wonder about his painted toenails.

Anyways. We've been welcomed and from the looks of it won't have to live here for years and years before fitting in. I mean we were already invited to a Church Supper this coming Saturday by the East Neighbour (who'll be bringing the sweet-n-sour meatballs) to meet ALL the neighbours.

And, maybe if her directions (with flailing arms to boot, I soooo relate) were a tad more understandable, we just might go.

As it is, the wind was howling fierce again today reminding us that temperatures will soon not be conducive to short sleeves and flip-flops!
So, as the Ship's Captain (the home's first owner and builder) might be saying if he could....

It's time ye be batten down those hatches, there be time for Church Suppers at some later date!!!

When you lose count.....

Peeling wall-paper. How much fun is that!!!

Not! 

The Youngest tried to snap a picture of each layer as she uncovered it.

This shot is really faded, but if I could find something like this I would put it up again. 

An attempt at imitation birch bark?

Makes me wonder about the house-wife who choose each one and which year did it freshen up the kitchen?

Before the After.

So I didn't realize that the first pictures I posted were after we had been cleaning for a couple days! The Youngest had gone around with a closer-up lens then what the later ones were taken with......and "closer up" shows a bit more of the dirt we are in the midst of dealing with.

Wash water is black in no time flat. We are so thankful that the hot water tank is working. Different story that would be, if it wasn't!!

There's no denying she's an old gal, our house. And that she was sorely neglected for some time.

But thanks to my ability to "see" the "could-be"....I think this place will be shaping up in no time!

"After" pictures to be posted sometime from now

Fourteen Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Here's a book for ya with 14 pictures.....

The 170 year old farmhouse kitchen. We are in the process of peeling off many layers of wallpaper. Those pictures will be in another blog. :) 

Upper shelves solid as a rock, just need soap and paint. Counter and lower ones are going bye-bye. 

The Lean-Too (our wood will go in here)

This room is move in "ready" after scrubbing down the walls and washing the floor till the water came up clear-ish. Only took three times. Count 'em..... Maybe tomorrow, it'll be set up as a living room? Get us one room to live in.

Dining room ceiling.  Beatuuuuuuutiful eh? 

Bought the paint for this room today, called Gathering Field. Perfect name for farmhouse dining room paint don't you think? 

The bathroom. It's ALL going, gone, gone gone, like yesterday is GONE!! :)

Bought the cutest little sink for the NEW washroom today, at the closest thing we'll get to a RE-Use store here in the East. Twenty bucks. Sweet!!

The upstairs landing. Caution necessary around that railing, people! 

The Master Bedroom. Niiiiiice. ;)  

See that stove pipe right there? It's a wonder the last folks didn't burn in their beds!! 

Very unsafe!

Another bedroom.

and another one

And another bedroom with all the plumbing to make it a Jacuzzi tub bathroom. Too bad we don't want it there!! It's on the to-do list to become our guest bedroom. 

Booking reservations into 2017.

Hallway from other end

This is me thinking ...... "Where in the world do I start?!?!"

This is Geoff thinking the same thing! haha

There you go folks. 

A little wee look at what we have gotten ourselves into! 

Outside pictures will come along some other day.

Cheers!

On Being Neighbours

We arrived safely in Tatamagouche on the first of September.

It was a great trip. Only once were our two vehicles separated, in Quebec of all places. It was at the toll booth (which got us around Montreal and worth every 250 cents!)  I had cash ready to hand over while the big truck went through using a credit card. Turns out the booth isn't made easily accessible for such high windows. We, in the van, couldn't lally-gag and hang around waiting while all the traffic came surging out of the many booths, barreling past us.....so praying just as fast as the rushing traffic we kept going (by now the walkies were just static) and when I came to a "the fork in the road" I could read enough French to know which was the east lane, but I gotta tell you, seeing that U-Haul show up in the rear-view again was one of loveliest sights in my life!!!

I don't have the easiest access to the Internet so now I feel a little behind on up-dating you.

Life in the trailer.....if I could of blogged in the first days.....some of my thoughts were....

I've prided myself in being a minimalist......then I moved into a trailer.
LOL. Too funny!
TOO much stuff.
Too much BIG stuff.
Too much pride and not enough humbleness!!!

But we are adjusting. And trimming away what isn't necessary.

There have been freezing nights. (until we figured out the furnace does actually work) So tonight should  be our first warm night, but the battery was beeping that it was low just now and there isn't time to charge it before bed.....so we may have another chilly night ahead. Ah, well, the shivering must be firming up the abs don't you think?! lol
Next we have to figure out HOW to get it to the farm and WHERE to put it. Waiting on God for inspiration!

What about being Neighbours though?

Well, we aren't even home owners until Tuesday but we've had a chance to be neighbourly.
Before we returned our U-Haul truck we used it to help our neighbours move to their new place!
Which neighbours you ask, aren't you living in a trailer?

Well, we were unloading all of our worldly possessions into the barn Saturday morning when the gentleman we are buying from came up to chat.
In conversation he mentions that he figures "he'll move out sometime this week. Maybe Wednesday. Maybe Thursday, still so much fixing up to do on his new place"

But we own the house come Tuesday!
Hummmm...this could be tricky. Don't want to seem unkind, this fellow has a lot on his plate. Aging mother, new place needing fixing, poor health himself, not much support and help.
Oh, dear, what to do!?!
But we need into our house! Winter is coming, we are already feeling the chill in the trailer, and there is so much needing done before the snow flies!!

Called the agent. Told her that he may not understand the "closing-date part" but let her know to tell him that we were willing to help if it was needed"

Then Geoff noticed we had the U-Haul longer then he thought at first.

And so it was set, We could help our "neighbour" move! He is only moving one road over. One long country dirt-road, but really just around the corner.
So today, some young fellows were found and tonight our neighbours are all "settled" (of sorts) into their new place.

Now our "new" very old home is sitting mostly empty, waiting for Tuesday when we'll take the before pictures then get to work to getting her all "dolled-up" for her "After" shots!

U-Haul up for Humor?

So, I spent three days driving behind our U-Haul rental truck.

I think I will have the image of that truck (and how much lower their loading dock is then other rental trucks) forever imprinted on my mind!! :)

Add to that a walkie-talkie to keep the two vehicles connected and of course this happened!!

Me on the walkie - "Knock Knock!"
Son in the truck - "Who's there?"
Me- "U-Haul"
Son - U-Haul Who?
Me - U-Hauling your butt ALL the way to Nova Scotia?!

Haha. Funny Mom.

Me- Knock Knock
Son - Who's there?
Me- What
Son - "What Who?"
Me - What U-Hauling?

A few minutes later when traffic was slowing us down.

Me - Knock Knock
Son - Who's there?
Me - U-Haul
Son - U-Haul Who?
Me - U-Hauling or crawling?!?

(Note- the next few jokes are Newfie flavored with an added "H" sound)

Gassed up in Cornwall, Ontario..... so of course that one was easy.

Me - Knock Knock
Son - Who's there?
Me - U-Haul
Son - U-Haul Who?
Me - U-Haul just left Cornwall!

Sometime later.....

Me - Knock Knock
Son - Nobody's Home! (haha, funny boy ;)
Me - U-Haul
Son (begrudgingly) - U-Haul Who?
Me - U-Haul right up there?

After somehow ending up in the lead for the second time ...(I didn't really know where we were going, Geoff was the navigator and had the GPS)

Me - Knock Knock
Son - Who's there?
Me - U-Haul
Son - U-Haul Who?
Me - U-Haul are behind us again!!!

Ok.....I'll save you from reading the whole Knock Knock part....here's the punch lines....

U-Haul enjoying this view?!

U-Haul ways make me laugh!!!

U-Haul most outta gas?

U-Haul ready know who it is!!!

And.....

Me - Knock Knock
Son - WHAT?!? (Somebody's touchy! ;)
Me - U-Haul
Son - U-Haul Who?
Me - U-Haul getting sick of my Knock Knock jokes?!

Guess I knew the answer to that one :)

But the following picture was by far our favorite U-Haul sight.....

U-hauling into a Timmies!!

More of Less

Did she not notice her typo? you ask.

Shouldn't that be "More or Less"?

Nope.  More of Less is what I've been thinking about.

For the last several years I have been trying to live with less. Mostly by reducing the amount of stuff I have. (Not that you would know it by the house full of boxes that we have waiting to load in the truck!!) De-cluttering has become a theme around here. A theme I have greatly enjoyed! I was surprised at how fun and freeing it was to give stuff away!!

But Friday as Geoff walked away from his last day of work he left a couple of perks behind. A work truck and a company phone. We are now back to one vehicle and one, sometimes-there-is-time-on-it-sometimes-there-is-not, cellphone.

"What's it feel like to be jobless?" I asked.
"And phone-less and truck-less and soon to be homeless".

We laughed at all the "less" we could list. (the homelessness will be a temporary condition, The closing dates of the two properties differ by a week). It's a odd feeling to be sure. Ditching what seems to be a perfectly functioning life and striking out to try our hands at something so wild and new!

But here's hoping as we adjust to some "less" we'll learn to live with some "more" too.

More FAITH for starters.

For most of us when (and if) we pray the Lord's Prayer, do we really have to stretch our faith to believe and hope for "Our daily bread"?  Usually we have that already taken care of right? There is some on the counter, in the freezer and money for more. My family's hope is to grow as much of our own food as we can. Since we've never done that our faith will be exercised for sure!!  Things like knowledge, supplies, sun and rain....which we haven't worried about before now, will become things we depend on God for!

Did you know that one person eats approximately 2000 pounds of food a year?!

Let's do the math. 4 Harris' x 2000 pounds each......Yikes!!! That's a lot of pounds!!!
How much will we have to plant to produce that?!

Goodness. How big a garden WILL we need?!

How many chickens and pigs should we buy to "fatten up"?
How much does a pig eat anyways? More then a teen boy, I'm guessing!!!

I'm thinking we'll need MORE of a few other things besides Faith.

We'll need Determination, STRENGTH and Wisdom, Protection, help.....

And lets be honest here ..we will need ....GOOGLE  :)  haha
                (Or knowledgeable farmer-neighbours)

How a girl who grew up in an apartment can become a farmer, I don't know. But it's been done before so I know it's possible.
I have faith in possibilities.
Cause after all......"With GOD all things are possible".

"More of less" just might be the thing we need to stretch and grow so that we find MORE of the important things.

In the mean time we'll give it all we've got and look to God to "fill the gaps" and our stomachs!