None of my story books about living on a farm were quite accurate!! Old MacDonald has a lot to answer for!!! I grew up moving from suburban house to suburban house my entire life. Then I met John. John had spent the last 20 years of his life living on acreage. How perfect! Serenity, majestical nature and the tranquil sounds of animals. I believed I was well prepared for this endeavour! Let’s face it, I’d done all the research you would ever need (*cough* Little House on the Prairie *cough*) the perfect place to raise children, bake bread, fresh eggs every day, arh bliss!

We’ve now been here for 2 years and every day is a brand new adventure, I honestly never know what to expect! The greatest surprise has been I find myself saying to John “I’ve never had this, yet somehow missed it my entire life” #bonfires #feedingthechickens #spendingtimewiththehorses #bliss

My recent experience….  Accidentally threw the bale twine (that’s the stuff that holds hay bales together – incredibly strong, finger digging so) over the fence with the hay, so had to walk 7 miles  to a gate to collect it. Rosie (our 16h mare – that’s really tall – that’s her in the pic) wasn’t interested in her fresh hay. She walked away turned her back on me and put her head down. “Why are you doing that Ro….” (Insert ten cubic tonnes of hail, rain, sleet and slush) arh! She’s far cleverer than I!

In just one week I’ve been attacked by blackberry thorns!! Vicious little buggers!! Broken a nail and have dozens of scratches and bruises that look like I’ve been dropped from a great height into a vat of thorns and angry whack-a-moles. Having said that riding back to the shed on our new ride on (literally sitting in a puddle of water) rain and hail pelting me from all angles, soaking wet, I’ve never felt more alive and happier than where I am right now.

We have four horses, 4 dogs, 3 cats, 4 chickens (that all have names and come to me when called) fish, a cockatiel and four teenagers! Life is pretty hectic – wonderfully so!

John came as a package deal – the horses included! Two of them Jacob and Bella always make us smile. I too have the human namesakes my Jacob is 19 and Aly (whom I call Bella) is 15. Jacob (the horse one!) is a complete clown that’s his photo as the main pic for this post. He is a race horse – they all are/were. Jacob is supposed to be broken in this year and start racing next year. Although I’m not the biggest proponent of horse racing, I also know John and he is incredibly kind, compassionate and very understanding with the horses. He will leave it up to Jacob – if he wants to race (and believe me if a horse doesn’t want to run they will not – that’s half a tonne of animal – they really do make up their own minds) he will, if he does not, he will live out his life munching grass in the back yard (that’s funny 7 acres is a very large back yard!). He has the sweetest and funniest disposition of all of them, constantly making this face, it’s almost like he’s laughing.

Living on a farm sure has it’s ups and downs, however for the first time in my life I really feel as if I have finally come home <3

LESSONS LEARNED ON THE FARM: In case anyone is wondering 7800 volt zap on the butt hurts. Electric fence 1 my ducking skills 0.