You can't eat money

“Only when the last tree has died, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, will we realize that we cannot eat money.” –Native American proverb

We are in the midst of downsizing, getting ready to retire and travel. I am selling my birds, the lofts and large items that won't fit in a motorhome. 

I have had some pretty strange people contact me, like the guy who offered me $100 for everything to do with the pigeons. When I told him to come out and see the birds, the loft and the equipment; then make me a reasonable offer, he was offended.

His response: 

"Im sorry to bother you, I thought that was a fair price to offer. I could buy New materials for 80 dollars and put it together myself in a few hours. I just thought you were trying to get rid of it so I thought I would check......."

I don't know about you, but to build an 8x8 loft with two sections, including nest boxes and perches costs me about $800...if this guy can build them for $80...he should be doing that for a living.

Okay, so we want to downsize and selling some of our items on craigslist or KSL.com seemed like a good way to get them out there...but I wasn't ready for the crazies to come out...lol

And the 9 foot church pew, and the military 10 man tent sold within minutes...anyone need a 35 mm camera???

'I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self contained; I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition; They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins; They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God; Not one is dissatisfied-not one is demented with the mania of owning things; Not one kneels to another, nor his kind that lived thousands of years ago; Not one is responsible or industrious over the whole earth.'-Walt Whitman

Moving Forward, or life evolves

I really can't complain about my life, there are others that have it worse, much worse. I have had my trials over the last 5 and half years since my accident. But the past year and a half has more than made up for it. My beautiful wife has made such a difference in my life. Helping her through her periods of illness and having a teenager back in the house have been "character" building for me...they have also brought me great joy.
For a year now, I have been on disability retirement, next month we will lose a third of my income. While Natalie's books have grown in popularity and sales they will not replace the income we have lost.
We are moving ahead, it is a scary time...we will be putting the house on the market very soon. In this bad economy, and the fall in the housing market, we will be lucky to get out and break even after living here for over 6 years. But a bright future awaits us.

The dancing daughter is ready to graduate high school and move out on her own...within the parameters set by her mother...and hopefully assisted by her father. The whole applying for colleges and looking for scholarships is taking up a large part of our time. She has recently thrown a small wrench in the works, wanting to run off to Hollywood and become an actress as soon as she graduates...we are working on getting her a little experience in that field, hoping that she will understand that it isn't as easy as she thinks, or everyone would do it.
My own children, and grandchildren are doing well...all out on their own and developing in to productive parts of society...I'm proud of them all!!
Our other daughter, has become much more mature, and is having conversations with her mother again. Including me in her family and accepting my children as her sisters and brother.

For me and Natalie, the next question is where do we want to go together? She has never lived outside of the "Zion Curtain", oh she has traveled, but vacations are not the same as living somewhere. We are making a list,  "The Top 10 Places We Want to Retire to"...we are thinking that over the next 5 years or so, we will travel and live for 6 months in each of them, to get a feel for where we want to settle. Suggestions are welcome.

Natalie wants a beach and somewhere warm...but she will settle for somewhere that doesn't get snow, within a half day's drive of the beach.

I have lived all over, I have my ideal places, ones that include being near the wilderness, somewhere rural, but close enough to a "City" to have the conveniences and luxury we both enjoy.

For the next few years, having pigeons will not be an option...hard enough trying to travel with a Great Dane.

Wine will become something we buy and not make (well, maybe a gallon on the kitchen cupboard).
Wish us luck, give us suggestions on retirement areas we should check out, and continue to follow our adventures on our blogs...and read Natalie's books...suggest them to friends...buy them and give them as gifts.

Wine: The blackberry mead...didn't make it...I'll try again one day.  The Backyard Blonde is fantastic...and if you run into us, we might even share a glass. I got a start off the old vine in the backyard, so that will be going on with us...where ever we end up.

Birds: I am down to the last of the birds, still waiting to have the old racing loft hauled away by it's new owner. I gave a pair of my best birds to my sister...so I'll have the family when I want to get back into the birds. And my partner Eric Ellis has taken a couple of my breeder pairs to preserve the family I created.

Honey Wine

Backyard Blonde and Raving Mead

I wanted to share the latest on my wine making...I only made a gallon batch of mead in February, primarily because my 5 gallon Carboy (used for holding mead or wine) was being used for my Backyard Blonde...

I had to try the white grapes in my backyard and see what type of wine they would make.  One of the really interesting parts about making your own wine is you can experiment with all types of grapes and all kinds of fruit...and if it doesn't turn out, then you just don't tell anyone. 

Mead by the gallon was a real success...just ask those friends that helped me polish it off...oops, I meant to save a bottle for the rack and let it age a year.  Don't worry, I'll share the recipe before I am done...simple, and anyone can do it...you just have to have patience to wait 6 months before bottling it.  Another reason I like mead, is the various tastes it has while developing into a real honey of a wine.  This year, I used Clover Honey...local...and it was some really good stuff. 

Here is the recipe, but I would suggest that you visit your local wine/beer making supply store and get a book on wine making, read it and understand the sanitary precautions and make sure you have the supplies you will need before venturing further.  This recipe should make 4 or 5 bottles of wine in six months...depending on how much tasting you do as it ferments.  The real key to success with winemaking, is patience.  So, once you have all the basics understood try this recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
4 pounds Clover Honey
3 quarts distilled water or spring water...or worst case, you can boil tap water (make sure it cools before adding yeast, or you will just kill it)

Heat and blend until disolved, place in your gallon carboy, fill to neck of gallon jar with additional water if needed and allow to cool...once cooled, add

3 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient (not mandatory, but you can tell a difference in the long run)
2 crushed Campden Tablets

When solution is at room temprature, take your hydrometer reading and write it down...this will let you know how much alcohol you can expect to have in your mead at the end of 6 months.  Place airlock on neck of bottle and allow to stand for 24 hours.  After 24 hours add one packet champagne yeast. I used Lalvin EC1118 on this last batch.

Carboy Airlock

Stir daily for the next week. After a week, if you have never tasted a yeasty mead, this is your chance...there is really no alcohol present at this point, but you will get a feel for the flavor if you taste it monthly and see how it develops. 

Now, it is all a matter of waiting.

Wine Thief

Daily, tell your wine good morning and good night...not literally, but check on it.  Weekly, taste it (a drinking straw capped with your finger makes a good wine thief for this) and record your experience, it will help with later batches.  Monthly, "rack" your wine to another clean bottle (you will need two bottles and two air locks) and top off your wine with sterile water.

At 6 months, bottle it...if possible, try and keep a bottle to taste after a year...Mead actually ages better up to 5 years in the bottle...or so they tell me. I can't keep it around that long.

Disclaimer: these are the basic steps to making mead...if you don't understand basic winemaking and sanitary precautions, you may not have a good experience...visit your local wine/beer making supply store...ask questions and make sure you keep good notes for the next batch.