These photos are from my friend who lives in Illinois. She shared them with me so that I could share them with our ThriftyFun readers.
This lady does it all. She "runs" a nice farm, spins her own animals' fleece into yarn, bakes all her own bread in a wood stove oven and generally lives a very simple, happy life.
The highlight of her days is usually something to do with her many animals. She has a heifer named Katie who just gave birth to a first calf. Turns out the baby calf is a darling little bull calf and his name is Kingsford. He just celebrated his 1 month birthday on August 6. It took him all of 6 hours to find "his own home dairy", but he was standing soon after being born. Amazing!
She also has a male alpaca named Simeron and a beautiful llama named SusieQ. Simeron and SuzieQ both give up their fleece to the shearer so that there is always plenty of the most wonderful fleece to be spun into yarn. Simeron is shown in the background of one photos, just calmly watching the proud new mama checking out her baby.
I look at the photos and almost long to be in a place where we could be living the same type life.
It might be a lot of hard work, but just think of the fun. Every animal is a pet, knows their name and comes a'running when called. One pet is a rooster who divides his time between her yard and a neighboring farm. One evening, he'll be gone and might not show up again for a month. He always comes back for a month or so, then is gone again. It's almost as though he has a plan, known only to him.
By Julia from Boca Raton, FL
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I love these photos!
All baby animals have a sweetness about them that endears them to our own humanity. I've raised horses which are some of the most amazing youths in the animal kingdom . Until you've watch colts playing in a pasture, you'll never realize just how much like children they can be.
Watching baby goats is another experience that all of us should see at least once in a lifetime. They play with a youthful abandon that is so like young boys that you are forced to laugh just remembering it years later.
Thank you for sharing Pookarina.
One day, you really must write a book. We enjoy everything you write whether it is a recipe or something about animals. Thank you for sharing your friend's animal-pets with us. I would love to be able to live as she does. ww
Great pictures to go with that story. I'd love to watch your friend with her spinning as it's something that has always fascinated me. That little baby bullock is as cute as a button. Sweet little face.
Thank you for sharing it all with us. I also like the llama's name. Tee-Hee.
I would like to comment on the story. I agree with others that Julia has such a talent for writing. I would enjoy any publication she has written. Kudos to her friend with the "nice" farm and the pictures were a talent as well.
Dianne M.
I love this story and the pics are awesome. As a lover of all animals ( I have 2 dogs and a wild yard rabbit I have adopted), it would be truly amazing to live like your friend. I have always thought since childhood that I would love to live on a farm and have all these wonderful animals.
Put me down for 2 copies when you write that book. My mom comes over just to see if there's anything new you've written, and I share my ThriftyFun with her. You do have a way with words, and we love your family favorites recipes.
Your friend knows her way around a camera too, and we enjoyed the photos that went with the little story you wrote about the baby calf. He is so cute and I wish your friend and all her animals the best. It's nice when the animals you must work with have names and are a part of the everyday pleasures as well.
Thumbs up! HokeyPoke
Great story and photos. I guess I'm not the only one waiting for your book to be written.I'm positive it would make the best sellers list in no time flat. I never tire of your entries.Thanks for always making me smile with your stories and drooling with your endless recipes.
Keeper, NC
Hi Julia,Always a pleasure to read your posts. Looking forward to the next one.
GG VI
Wonderful pictures, thank you for sharing.
I brightened the first picture for everyone to see a bit better. Such a sweet little face! :D
Thank you to everyone for the wonderful response to "Kingsford" and friends. A special thank you to Monique for making the barn picture so much nicer and easier to see.
My friend is going to be so happy that so many people enjoyed her pictures too.
Pookarina
I agree, Julia - you should write a book! I can imagine it now - wonderful stories, fascinating how-tos, and delicicious recipes all in one, plus a lot more. You are a natural writer and story teller, and have lived such an interesting life. I know that everyone would really enjoy reading any book that you wrote. Moreover, I know that we would benefit from all that you can teach. More and more people are trying to live simpler, more self-sufficient, and happier lives, and what you can teach us would help enormously. I know that I would buy your book - and really have a wonderful time every time I read it. (And so would the lucky people I gave it to!)
I'm not cut out for the farming life - which makes me even more grateful for the extra-special folks who are. Thumbs up!
Wonderful pictures and hearing about all the different animals your friend has to care for reminds me of some of my younger days living on the farm with my grandparents. There was so much to see, do and learn about. I wouldn't trade those days for anything today.
Thanks for sharing the story and pictures. Brings back so many good memories for me.
I spent a lot of my childhood on a farm with my grandparents too, and
there really isn't any better kind of living in the world. I loved and petted
every baby animal, and cried when some were turned into the best food
you could ask for. I got to raise a calf once for 4-H, and he won a prize.
I can still remember the pride I was filled with for all the work before and
after school that I'd done.
Seeing these photos brought it all back in sharp detail, and I savored
my memories once again. Thank you Pookarina.
Lee
The pictures tell a good story, but your words make it a great story,
(as always).
Thank you and your friend for sharing with us.
Thumbs up.
Songwriter
I agree with all the sentiments expressed by previous post-ers; (except that I had no childhood experiences on farms - wish I did!). I would love to live that kind of life too. Thanks to your friend for sharing her story & photos, and thanks to you Pookarina. Please think about writing a book (or two)! ;-)
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
