The Uglies...In More Ways than One

Demo is moving along, but we didn't quite make Don's June 1 goal for completion...




We're kinda stuck in this really ugly phase.  The "guts" of the house need to be pulled out and disposed of, and the roof needs to come off, but it seems like circumstances are conspiring against us of late...

...For one, the weather!  It seems to rain...fairly heavily...every couple days, lately.  So that even on those in-between days the ground is...shmeary...and we get the truck stuck or tear up the yard while trying to move materials around the property.

...Then, there are the things in life that require our attention, like Don's job, finding a local bank, transferring driver's licenses  (a nightmare we're working through at present), updating phones, obtaining internet services, grocery shopping every 4 days because there's not much storage space in campers, taking our wet laundry to the laudromat because it started raining once again, grrr...









...It's not all boring stuff, though.  We've taken some time to visit family and friends,  share our vision with those that stop in here to see us, meet some of our neighbors and exploring our new area.













Then, there's the time it takes to work through the financial end of this adventure.  Gathering all necessary documents, filling out applications for lines of credit and such with the bank and Lowe's, meeting with the kind folks at the both places about our project; then we wait...wait for notification to come in and sign more papers, so that eventually they will release us to get this remodel really rolling.

I feel pretty darn useless right now, though.  We're in a destructive phase that requires brawn and muscle..and no significant dust or mold allergies....not really my department!  Additionally, I've been experiencing gastro-intestinal issues for the last week or so - probably a combination of stress and adjusting to a new environment - I am definitely the weakest link in the family in this regard, sadly!  At any rate, it's pretty exhausting...yuck!

I thought that by early-June I would've worked out everything in regards to my PA cosmetology license. I never could've predicted that the PA cos board and the agency they contract to handle applicants' paperwork would be so inept and disorganized, nor did I have any clue the amount of protocol and "red tape" that would be involved in transferring here...

...You'd think obtaining a cosmetology license in PA was a matter of national security - I'm surprised they haven't asked for a DNA sample, yet!




I was finally able to schedule my exam, which is a requirement for transfers with less than 2 years of experience in the field.  Sadly, the soonest I can get in (without having to drive 2+ hours to an out-of-area test center) is July 13th.

I expected to be searching for a job in my field by now, but since that's not possible, I am looking for any decent, "appropriate-for-me" part-time job, so I can at least contribute something financially to our adventure.

Here's my shameless plug:  If you're in my area, and would like a haircut or color service or even a conditioning treatment or updo for an event, I will gladly do that for you for a trade or a "monetary gift"of your choosing - that's allowed. 

That gives me opportunity to keep up my skills and techniques! Your house or mine for simple services, but color services take lots of water to rinse, so that would have to be your house.

I've cut Don, Will, Nate and Grace's hair recently, and Rosie's will be due for trim soon...as well as doing some "fancy hair" for a few friends...

Well, at least, I can say that the dogs are absolutely lovin' life right now!  Because we're situated so far off the road (and, we live in little campers!) they get to be outside ALL...DAY...LONG!  At least, so long as it's not pouring. Woohoo!  And, while our goofy labs would be halfway across Berks County if left unattended outside for more than 5 minutes, these two stay quite close to the campsite or within 20 feet of us at all times - it's great!

The one big challenge with this? 



...Penny, in particular, is not very discriminating when "tasting" things in her environment.  Therefore, she occasionally leaves piles of vomit...right along our path to the barn...OYE!





Oh!  And, here are a few photos from our little hike this past weekend...

Since this park is less than 3 miles from us, I'm sure we'll walk the dogs there, and Rosie will trail ride there, quite regularly!

All-in-all, we're doin' alright, though.  Enjoying our new grill, soaking up the sun when it makes an appearance, staying focused on our goal:  hosting Thanksgiving dinner in our new house!  

We also want to host a big open house for all our family, friends, and neighbors in early- December, but that idea has barely taken shape in our minds at this point!




This weekend is supposed to be dry and sunny, so I suspect Don, and whomever shows up to help, will get quite a bit accomplished.  I'll post an update on Sunday or Monday!

He's a Yearling, Now!

Those of you that followed my previous blog, Westbrook Farm,  know the story...the unbelievable story...that began unfolding, unseen and unknown to us, in the summer of 2015.



When a former neighbor mentioned to me that her mom's favorite broodmare needed a "retirement" home, the seed was planted.

Sassy Anna is lovin' this grassy pasture at our new home!

When we finally adopted Sassy Anna in October of 2015, to be Lexie's pasture companion, we had no idea that the 22-year-old mare was bred at all, let alone to the 19-year-old retired harness race horse, High Tech, who actually won a substantial amount of money in his very short race career.  High Tech, while producing numerous offspring in his younger days, hadn't produced a foal in 3 years, according to his owner, John D., driver, trainer, judge and breeder in the harness-racing industry for 50-some years.

2 days old

We actually joked about it one evening that fall - "Wouldn't it be funny if Sassy Anna had a foal?" What clever racehorse name might we conjure up for him or her?  How much fun would it be to attend races as owners?  Wouldn't it be cool to have "winner's circle" photos on our wall?  We laughed!

Fast forward to May of 2016 - Something just wasn't right...Sassy suddenly looked sullen and sway-backed.  Her belly seemed a bit swollen, but that could just be parasites...let's give her an extra dewormer and bump up her feed alittle.  She seemed...off-balance.  Maybe, she needs a bit more exercise after our looong NY winter.  

That last week of May Don, Rosie and I, though we didn't mention it to one another, all noticed her "bagging up", but... Nah!  She couldn't possibly be...

We had given her some extra TLC all that month, hoping she would "perk up", but in my heart, I was preparing myself for a possible heartbreak...

That fateful day, June 1st, rolled around, seeming like a typical day... Don and Will at work, the girls and I wrapping up our homeschool year... when Grace headed out the kitchen door to go for a walk around our 23 acres in NY.  Two minutes later, she burst through the back door, breathlessly shouting, "Come quickly!  Sassy's having a foal!"

I will NEVER forget that incredible day!  The girls and I were able to watch Isaac's birth, and Don arrived in time to see him take his first steps.

4 months old

For all the gritty details, video clips, and many photos, you are welcome to visit my former blog, specifically my posts from June through Sept. 2016. (westbrookfarmmaple@blogspot.com)

Isaac, named so for 2 reasons:
     - Abraham and Sarah from the Bible were "too old" to have a child, just as Sassy and High Tech were thought to be...
     - Isaac means "He laughs" in Hebrew, which is exactly what we all did when the proverbial dust settled...

...Is now a year old!  By racing world protocol, he, and all other foals born in the spring of 2016, were dubbed "yearling" on January 1, 2017, but here at home he became a yearling this week.

7 months old

Isaac is his barn name or family name.  We had to choose a "race" name, too.  If you recall, we went with Classified Tech, so he would carry with him a piece of his sire's legacy.

He's grown so much, and continues growing nicely month by month.

What a ham he is, full of attitude!

And, such a beauty! He's looking more masculine and handsome as he grows...

But, ya can't win a race...or even place...on good looks.  So, his future in the harness-racing industry remains to be seen.

10 months old

At any rate, Rosie has done a super job raising and training him, and if he's too slow for racing, I'm quite sure she will want to train him for some other sport.  She plans to cross-train him anyway, so who knows?  We'll just keep doing our best for him - the best feed within our budget, attend to his hooves and teeth, as much mental and physical exercise as a colt needs, and so forth.

1 year old

I will continue to share his progress in my blog posts, and who knows? Maybe, a couple of years from now, you'll see us in the winner's circle at Harrah's or Pocono Downs or Tioga Downs?

Good news on the home remodel:  We applied for the line of credit we'll need to get the job done in a timely fashion, and Don is almost finished with the demo!  Join me in a few days for an update on our home remodel, and some pics from the lovely short hike we did yesterday.   Hope ya'll have a super weekend!

Whenever Possible, GRILL IT!

During our 20 years together, one of our favorite summer pastimes is grilling!  Over the years, we've owned a number of grills from self-built stone campfires with nothing but a metal grate precariously balanced over burning wood to a classic charcoal hibachi grill to a few commonplace propane grills, the last of which barely made it through last summer.




In our current situation, grilling is no longer a fun luxury, but rather a necessity!  After the last three weeks of Don hunched over our rudimentary fire pit and me turning our camper into a sauna, we decided it was time...

Don did some research on-line, then we went shopping...on Memorial Day to capitalize on the great sales at most stores, including Lowe's.


We ended up with this Char-grill because not only is it propane with a burner on the side, but it also has the charcoal grilling addition, which gives food such great flavor and of course, roasting marshmallows for dessert!

Hope you all had as lovely a holiday weekend as we did!  The weather cooperated from Friday through late-afternoon on Sunday.  Because William works for a county club in New York, he won't have much opportunity to visit this summer, so we were thrilled that he could spend 3 whole days with us this weekend!  Nate spent Saturday night and most of Sunday with us, too, so we celebrated their birthday altogether.



Don and Will went to town on the house demo, making great progress!

Mr. M stopped by, again, this time bearing a tasty gift - he brought along the most incredible "hoagies" (that's Delaware County for subs!) and had lunch with us, sharing more of the property's history and his gratitude for our ability to bring the place back to life.  He was amazed at our progress to date, but we have serious motivation - living in campers in crappy weather really stinks!


This whole "two days dry and sunny followed by "two days chilly and rainy" is for the birds!  I'm praying for a nice long string of dry days soon - and that needs to include a couple of weekends for Don's sanity!

On Friday evening, Don reviewed his proposed floor plan with me, Grace and Rosie, then he took some time Saturday morning to draw it to scale.


It's definitely a custom design!  We decided to stick with the one-floor plan, staying within the existing outer walls of the house, however, when we are finished, that will be the only remnants of the house we originally purchased.


Don's many years in the window-washing business, our many dwellings in 20+years, and even my 15 months assisting a fire investigator allowed us to see and experience lots of home lay-outs, so we have a pretty good idea of what we like and what we don't...what flows and allows for the most efficient use of space, but also feels warm and hospitable for all who enter, and promotes hearty conversation, of course!

And, to end with a bit of comic relief....

I came home from grocery shopping on Friday evening to see a glow coming from our camper...as I approached, this giant florescent-blue bug zapper is hanging under our camper awning and my husband smiling proudly standing in the doorway.

"Uh....where did that come from?"  I stuttered, staring in wide-eyed horror...ZZap!  The sound of death sent my dogs running towards the barn...


"Found it in the shed!  Works great!" He announces with that grin of his...ZZap! Bizt! I jump.

"It's not staying there," I reply flatly.  "No way".

"Sure it is." He laughs.

He's taking this redneck camper-living experience too far!

Well, we came to a compromise - he moved it to a much less conspicuous location, so I don't have to look at it...or jump every time an insect flies into the heavenly blue light!  And, he promised to only plug it in for an hour or two if/when the mosquitoes become a problem in the evening.



Visit right here for a new post this weekend.  A certain young equine has a birthday coming up and I will update you on his growth and progress - with lots of pictures!

On the Next Mountain

Found several of these antique jars in the shed!

My initial thought of the "camper plan" was, "Heck, no!"  Then, the idea grew on me...Outdoor living for the summer seemed pretty awesome, actually!

I wasn't thinking about the chilly, rainy days (like today!)...or the bugs and spiders...or the poison ivy (which is all over my left forearm!)...or how a camper feels like a combo of the fiery furnace and a sweaty steam room when you are cooking in it on a warm day!

I am overcoming these things one by one...(although I may develop a severe case of arachnophobia by September!)

Cooking...and eating delectable dishes...pastimes adored by both Don and me...are quite a challenge in a camper.  While wandering around Lowe's a couple of days ago, we were both drawn to the outdoor cooking equipment like moths to a flame...or a bright blue, giant bug zapper, as the case may be!  (More on that later...)  

We're thinking that our rustic little handmade campfire pit, while useful thus far, is not gonna cut for the whole summer.  Though a several hundred dollar investment, a nice grill with a burner or two on the side will be a worthy purchase for us at this time.  We'll probably use it daily, or close to it, for the next 5 months.  We plan to do some serious shopping this weekend, so if any of you have a favorite brand or grill, let us know.  Advice would be helpful!

Now in my early forties, I look back on my life and see a series of mountains and plateaus...with a few dark valleys here and there.

Moving to New York and right on through our first 2 years living there, we were definitely climbing a rather steep mountainside, struggling to keep our footing...and sometimes not knowing which way was up.

Then, we came to a bittersweet little plateau, catching our breath for a short while.




Now, we tackle the next mountainside; my intuition tells me this climb will not be as steep...And, I imagine we'll be working up this smaller slope for 6 months or so before we reach a plateau where our lives fall into a steady rhythm for a bit...at least long enough for us to take a deep breath!




Learning how to enjoy life during those challenging climbs has been key for me...for our whole family!  Taking pleasure in...even celebrating...the little victories along the way.  Reflecting on how far we've already come.  Taking time out to enjoy some well-earned "distractions" every now and again!

Last weekend, instead of digging deeply into the demo work, Don used his resources, aka. Nate and Rosie, to fence about a third of our hay field for the horses. Why? 

Frankly, we're running very low on hay...and horses gotta eat!  And, truly, at present we do not have adequate storage for the amount of hay this field will produce, so rather than waste it....

As the week progressed, we continued to work at taming the plant life that has encroached upon the house and the beautiful stonework surrounding it.


Don and Grace swear that the old lilac bush, the robust burning bush and one of the dogwood trees audibly sighed with relief as they freed them of the unruly vines that entangled and choked them!  Grace quoted Gandolf proclaiming, "Breathe the free air, My Friend!", as she yanked out the final leg of each vine.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Don also tackled the task of chopping down two enormous holly trees that threatened to push roots right through the foundation of the house...

Besides checking out grills, our visit to Lowe's included an appointment with their "project coordinator" to begin the conversation about working with together on our home remodel.  She was very helpful, and I will be spending more time both with her, wandering around the store, and on Pinterest, getting ideas of what I like, over the next few weeks.


House demo, thus far, has been slow and steady, but that may change this weekend - both of our sons will be around to help at one point or another, and destruction is their specialty!

Speaking of my sons, William and Nathaniel are 20 years old today!

How is it even possible that twenty years have passed? Seems like yesterday I was chasing around twin toddlers. And, what a privilege it has been to raise twins!  Not a "walk in the park", but we all made it in one piece and we've had lots of lessons, laughs, challenges and good times along the way!

Looking forward to spending some time with both of them this weekend, and showing William around the property - he's never seen our new PA home before!

Check back next week for an update and more photos, Friends.  Don wanted to have the demo work completely done by June 1 - We shall see!  Also, I am finally able to schedule my written exam for my PA cosmetology license - yay!  More on that next week, too.

Purely Pictures

I've been taking quite a few pictures just right around our 7.5-acre haven in the last two weeks.  Not all are worth sharing, and yet, there are more than I can fit into my weekly updates concerning our craziness!  I thought I'd use this post to simply share some of my favorite photos.

 Enjoy!

Maybe I can inspire some of you to visit us in person this summer...But, call first, please!  I'd hate to miss you...or not have any food to offer!

Another "treasure" found.  These pretty mason jars were wrapped in a 1986 newspaper!!

Off they go - Rose and Lex ponying Isaac around the property.

These buck were just hanging out in our pasture at 6:30 this morning!

This guy visits my feeder a couple times a day.

Good old Sassy Anna, enjoying the grass in the newly fenced pasture.

Lexie is watching Rosie muck out stalls.

I had planned to do a new post once a week or, maybe, every other week to chronicle our lives and our progress in bringing new life to this pretty little farm with its rich history, however, I don't think I can be quite so regimented.

Some weeks may require two posts, and some may have none...though that is unlikely given what needs to be accomplished in just 4 or 5 months.

So, Friends and curious on-lookers...and even you scoffers out there...keep watching...

...Although,more than anything, I am treating this blog as a journal and scrapbook for myself and my family - our journey will forever be saved in cyberspace so the next generation of Westbrooks can read all about their crazy grandparents. 😉