Daydream thread continues.....

lostinrates

rozeepozee wrote: »

Y'know... I'm not sure we're near anyone However, we are nearer. Whenever we travel anywhere we are reminded just how remote we are in terms of connections. The roads are just rubbish! Although on the face of it they are A roads, they are mainly single trackand if you get stuck behind an oil tanker or tractor, well, you're !!!!!!ed!

If my memory serves me correctly, CTC is near Swansea which is about an hour and a half away if you rush!

Our biggest issue with getting out and about, however is that we have to pick children up every few hours (the girls are in nursery mornings only, so need collecting at 12, and our son is in school and needs collecting at 3). This is tying in the extreme. We are going to feel sooooo like we've been released from an open prison when they are all at school full time and we can actually go out for the day.

Sorry for the rant. I just had to get that off my chest

Umm.....until you get birds or critters. Far more tying as you cannot throw them all in a car to come with you somewhere at the weekend!

rozeepozee

I have been musing this one... How do people cope? I am intending to set up a visiting/sitting service either paid or mutual arrangement, before we go ahead with livestock but this doesn't resolve the issue of a pet dog.... We could take it with us, but it doesn't leave much room for any stuff we need for ourselves....

lostinrates

rozeepozee wrote: »

I have been musing this one... How do people cope? I am intending to set up a visiting/sitting service either paid or mutual arrangement, before we go ahead with livestock but this doesn't resolve the issue of a pet dog.... We could take it with us, but it doesn't leave much room for any stuff we need for ourselves....

Rozee......

To a greater or lesser degree.....this is it, this is the lifestyle. Get animals, and you are tied to your home by a tether the length of the hours of sunlight, how long a trough can last without re freezing, and who needs feeding when.

THAT is why it's the tie it is. As children are the controlling factor in your life till they can drive and get jobs, if you are alive stock owning small holder...the small holder is a tie.

For holidays there is house/pet sitters for those that can afford, family for those who have them able or.....the forgoing of holidays.

ATM the longest I have left for has been three nights. Which is how long the birds can go without being cleaned out. I have paid for help with the others......and clients chip in and cover for me, my parent does the dogs and the cats and the birds......but if something doesn't go to plan all heel breaks loose....parent is not a natural animal person. I come back to over fed hyper house critters and often a 'happening' of some sort in the chicken shed.



Otherwise, everyone would be doing it and doing it well. This is one of Itsme's frank truths I guess.

And the hardest one, IMO. Especially with you having property commitments a drive away. It's ahuge part of the reason I have been trying to stay as an outpatient this year, because hospital is a big deal for me, with critters.


Eit...

Of course a dog is portable! You might need to consider a car change or a reevaluation of what is important to you. We get three dogs in our car and often three people. We have done three dogs and four people, but has to be the right sort of people..l (our big dog takes the whole of the boot to herself)

alfie_1

now that my dad has given up driving its a different ball game here BUT ive been training up a friend who comes to visit for weekends [and usually stops a week ]. she lives in a city but adores it here. when shes here,and im working, i come back to a spotless house :eek: , cuppa waiting , she is more than happy to look after everything... bimble adores her cos he gets away with murder ! found him snuggled up in bed with her......:cool:

anyway she is brill and very meticulous.:D

son did manage to shut goosegoggins etc in the other night before i got back from LIR's the other day....:j...............:D

COOLTRIKERCHICK

when the kids were younger, and we used to go to the bike rallies more often, the dog used to go into kennels, the kiddies to grandparents, and grand parents used to do the chickens for us..

now the kids are older, and one drives etc, if we go away ( normally to sell stuff) the kids do the animals, but this normally only for 2 - 3 days max.... we could never go away longer than that, as when ever we go away there is allways something that has happened..:o

Welcome to the world of the smallholder ( livestock owner)

with most smallholding animals you have to be around twice a day, morning and evening to either let them out and then close them in... checkchange water..etc

another cold night last night...

I have actually taken some pics of stuff to put onto ebay:rotfl::T:T so will see if there is a free listing this weekend..

right the kettle is calling me:D

Davesnave

We have no one close by who we'd ask to put chooks to bed as a matter of course, though there's one lady who will do it, and another who'd be happy enough, but we wouldn't want to burden her, as she's elderly. Plenty of others at a distance, including one who's been known to text, "Your hens are in bed!" when we've still been on the M5.

When the sheep are here and I'm late back, I find it impossible to relax unless I've walked the fences, just to check. :A

Davesnave

Fighting with the plans, we think we've finally arrived at something which might come within budget.

Basically, we have to:
Destroy conservatory/cr*p room & replace elsewhere as buffer zone/ rear entrance.
Destroy utility room & relocate.
Make a reception room.
Make 3 bedrooms larger.
Relocate en-suite.
Make cloakroom.
Move bathroom.
Move other cloakroom.
Make a new new front entrance.
Get rid of the flat roof at front.
Rebuild chimney stack.
Refit kitchen.
Put in new heating system.
Knock down half of garage and connect the rest at roof level.

Crikey, that sounds awful! :eek:

Or we could just move...:rotfl:

rozeepozee

I'm hearing y'folks. I suppose this is why we haven't got any animals yet We've been away so much.

Come the new year, we are going to be tied with the house remodel and now the kids are getting older, I don't feel I would be traumatised by being left alone with them for a period! OH could go to the city on his own whilst I stay here. I know from my very basic vegetable rearing that even plants can't be left during important growing parts of the year, so we'd be tied in any event. Our Achilles Heal is not having any family nearby who could help out. I live in hope that the in laws or my mum might decide to move in with us - but by that time, they will probably be another dependent!

I'm pleased to hear that you have friends who are willing to help, Alf. It may be a good thing that we lived where the rental properties are because we therefore have friends there too. And as we now live in a tourist area and our friends are Wales lovers and out doorsy types, we have some offers of house swaps in the holidays, so we could go to the city and check over the properties and they would come here and enjoy Pembrokeshire. We've already in the last year had four visits from friends who have stayed with us or nearby, so it seems a realistic prospect. Obviously, it's not going to work all the time, but there's also at least one person in the village who does an animal checking/feeding service.

I suppose we'll muddle by. The situation changes by the year with the kids. We've not had holidays since before our six year old was born. We moved here so we didn't have to holiday! The car.... that's a biggie. We bought a very expensive VW camper before the twins were born which we love, but rarely use as a camper up til now. It may come into it's own now though for the odd night away somewhere nearby. There's so much to explore. I have a feeling that there's going to come a point where we have to be a two car family. We've always tried not to because of the expense, environmental impact etc, but if OH is away and I'm here, there's no way I could get about without a car.

rhiwfield

CTC/Alf, let me know what date you plan, I'm up for it.

Rozee, we've a SAH DS2 so can get away for a few days and leave chook care to him. But in spring/summer garden care normally means an hour a day at least.

Davesnave, if you give the alterations the green light, when would you start?

Well, its Christmas Eve here. Tree up, lights on, turkey thawing. Think I've stopped being contagious and, touch wood, all others are fine so fingers crossed for a happy family early crimble

Davesnave

It's now exactly a month since I wrote to Openreach asking about the wayleave on the telegraph pole that serves Mr-You-Know-Who.

No response.

It's a simple matter. Either there's a wayleave in place, or they need to create one and pay us £150.

Unless, of course, they've done something embarrassing.....:o

Surely not?