Howdy

[Treedweller]

What a delightful site! Now as far as being new, only here. Hubby is 65 and I'm 64.
We live in Michigan, smack dab in the middle of the forest. Not kidding either. State
land on all sides of us. We do have a couple of neighbors. Sometimes we can even
hear them, if the wind is blowing just right. We do have electric and it is very useful.
But think we could get off the grid if we had to.

We have lived here for 30 years. Cost us a bloody fortune to get back to the simple
life. Raise a huge garden. Share with a couple that can't raise a garden. Have a few
chickens. Just for eggs. One rooster named Dagwood and all nine of his women are
named Blondie. Hubby has a weird sense of humor. Eleven geese,six ducks and one
Muscovy duck, named Stubby. The coyotes had Stubby's wife over for dinner so Stubby
is a bit lonely.

We still can our veggies and most anything we eat. Drilled 3 wells so plenty of water.
Did this ourselves and it was hard but fun. Heat with wood. Very blessed to have our own
trees on our property. We cut, split and put up 24 cord of wood every year. Costs us nothing but hard work to heat a big house. Raised 7 kids on this place.

Hubby built a greenhouse this year for me. Going to see if I can make some money off
selling plants at the Farmers Market next year.

Hubby built the most adorable outhouse years back. We have indoor plumbing but I just go
out there and sit a spell,read a bit and think of old times past.

Hobbies are beadloom, Native American crafts and making Farie Houses. Takes me all winter
to make a complete wee house and wood scene. Use all natural materials. Love to do this.
Collect fossils, minerals and tons of petrified wood.

We also feed the birds. Gazillions of birds. We plant Gazillions of Sunflowers for seed to
help us feed those little beggers. Love the birds! We are overrun with coyotes, raccoons, Bobcats,deer etc. We had to fence our place to keep some of them out. They were here first,
so we try to get along. Coyotes sing us to sleep everynight and then come to dine very often.

We don't eat any of our poultry. Hubby would beat you with an ugly stick,if you even licked
your lips around his chickens. The geese are our watchdogs.

I just bought Hubby two turkeys. Everywhere he goes they go. So far they are getting on my
bad side. Little buggers eat my flowers.

Ok rambled on long enough. We have raised goats, pigs, cows and rabbits so hope I can be
of some help to someone. We were both raised on a farm. Hubby's family was rich, they had
a tractor. My family farmed with horses. Actually we both grew up poor, but his family was
less poor.

I'm excited about this site. Think I will learn lots of new things.

We have two dogs, big one is deaf, little one is a terriost in a fur coat. Four cats. Hubby's cat
is the other woman in my life. She hates me.

[Rosendula]

Hi Treedweller

Wow! You really are living the Good Life. Well done. It's fantastic that you're still enjoying it after all these years and that you don't appear to have caved in to the modern, materialist lifestyle many of us here are trying to shrug off.

Best wishes

[MKG]

Hi Treedweller and welcome.

In the words of some film character, I think ... We are not worthy

[red]

welcome

[oldfella]

Hello Treedweller, Now there is a book crying to written, and you and your family should play yourselves

[pumpy]

Hi Treedweller,your situation sounds awesome (not to mention,idyllic).

[AXJ]

Sounds great you obviously worked hard for it, good luck, and welcome

[Treedweller]

Thank you for the warm welcome.

Had to laugh at the playing ourselves in a book.

Nothing special about us.
Here is a good example.

You know how teenagers get embarrassed of their folks.
My son had invited a girl friend over. I was hurrying to
get my chores done. So we could put on airs to please
my son.
I had just about finished milking the goats. Son rushes out
to the barn to tell me she would be here in a half hour.

Then that young snot asked me to please change clothes.
I asked him, why I would want to do that. He says, Maw the
scarecrow in the garden is dressed nicer then you are.

So I stopped and took a good look at that scarecrow.
By golly she was dressed better then me! Course she
kept her lazy self in one spot all day. Didn't see her out
there mucking out the goat pens and calf pens.
Never did like that scarecrow after that. Her standing
there in that ugly dress. Can't wear a dress to do what
needs to be done around here. No place to put your
pliers,hang your hammer,big pocket for odd nails,roll of
wire, all those little things that are a must. Jeans and
Bib overhauls suit me just fine.

Day the wind took her for a fatal spin, gave me a
smile from ear to ear.

Nope nothing special about us.

May you always
walk in beauty
and
Peace

[Lady Willow]

Welcome. Your life sounds like hard work but truly gratifying

I would love to see a photo of your farie houses. .... any chance of posting a few here?

[Treedweller]

Thank you once again.
Yes living the good life is hard work. The one thing about this kind of work, you
always see your rewards.

My Hubby and I are in excellent health. Our Dr. is baffled by this. We are old,
so of course we have to be sick of something. LOL Take no meds from the doc.
Have a very well stocked Herb supply. We go for a check up once a year. If you
are not sick of anything, they can only see you once a year on our insurance.
We pay for it so we go. Makes for an interesting day.Always see old friends there
we haven't seen in awhile.

Our doctor spent my last visit writing down the herbs I use most. Thought that
was interesting. She is going to see if some of her patients would try them. She
is from India and a real Sweetie pie. Thought it was a hoot when she asked if I
would let her med student examine me to find something wrong with me. Real
nice kid.

I would be honored to post a few Farie House pictures. Just as soon as I figure out how.
Can I use photo bucket? Used to have an account set up there. Maybe it is still working.

I do want to encourage the new homesteaders not to give up. Mother Earth and Father Sky
are hard teachers. You learn all your lessons the hard way as their students. These are
the best kind of lessons, because you never forget them.

You must learn everything about your land,before you even build. Especially look for
places that may flood in the spring and late Fall. Never forget to respect Nature and
all of Nature. We never cut a tree during nesting season. Always thank the tree for it's
Give Away to us. The Grandfather trees are cut so the young can grow. We are humbled
that the trees share with us.

Hubby and I did our time working for the Man. Wore the Robot Monkey Suits. Played the game.
It was awful! Our dream kept us going. The day we bought our land was well worth it. We look
at the first picture we took of our new homestead. A beat up old trailer house, smack in the woods. Gives us a giggle. Hubby's big deal was being able to take a whiz anywhere he wanted to. Think that is a man thing.

Our family was horrified that we lived in the woods. My Mum, rest her sweet soul, was so
embarrassed. She said people would call us Treedwellers. Thus my handle here. LOL