1. Our driveway is 1.5 miles long. I've had people call me from every cut-off and say "Is this the one?" Nope, keep driving ALL the way to the end! City dwellers are astonished at 'how far out you live', amazed even that I have all my teeth. But realistically, it's only a 25 mile round trip to pick our mail....we once drove to Alaska and visited some people whose nearest town was a 5 HOUR drive, one way. Now that's far. We do get snowed in sometimes in winter, I have people who are worried that we are starving up here.....um, no, not gonna happen.
2. We have a gate and lots of 'No Trespassing' signs, people ignored these until we put out the "Trespassers will be shot, survivors shot again" sign. Now I've seen tracks turning around at this sign. (Maybe that explains the amazement over our teeth.)
3. You will see at least 1 child dressed like a ragamuffin running screaming towards the house like they've never seen other people before (this is not true, we take them off-property at least once a year.)
4. It's windy. No, I mean it's WINDY, almost constantly a 20+ mile per hour wind. You get used it (or you don't....I've heard it drives some people crazy...please excuse my nervous tic.)
5. Free-range Cows. Cows on the deck, cows in the garden. I used to have the deck decorated nicely with knickknacks, chairs, and flowers, but really, why bother? The cows just pull them out and eat them, or decide (again) that they don't like the taste, so my (used-to-be) nice deck is littered with dead plants and hoof prints.
6. Chickens running crazy, all over.....and poop everywhere (but not in the house, we try to keep that out, sometimes even successfully).
7. Rattlesnakes. They are more afraid of you than you are of them....uh huh, yeah, at least that's what I keep telling myself.
8. A huge windmill that sometimes works (I don't think it likes the wind). And solar panels that are strapped down so they don't blow away.
9. Gorgeous views of 3 mountains. Makes the long drive, snakes, and wind worth it.
10. I may or may not greet you in a beekeeper suit....do not be alarmed, the bees are well-trained...mostly.
11. Lots of hospitality. You will not leave my house without a dozen (at least) free-range eggs, a carton of goat: cheese, milk, yogurt, soap, or lotion. Fruit of some sort and some honeycomb, maybe something made from chicken feet. Oh, and recipes, I love to share recipes!
Ready for a visit? ;-)
