www.flickr.com

Monday, July 28, 2008

TEN ACRES

That's what I want.

I've got it all planned out.  Ten acres is enough room for horse pasture and hay field, plus a nice sand ring for teaching lessons and all that vigorous horse training, and maybe a little trail course too.

There's enough room for a nice little barn, a good size house, and a couple of sheds.  I think there'd even be room for a shed big enough to build a small recording studio inside.  

Big enough for a large vegetable garden.

And stupid amounts of flowerbeds.

Hopefully there'll be room for one of those little inflatable pools, so that when my kids start up with "canwegoswimmingcanwegoswimming" all I have to say is YES.

Think of the incredible bike obstacle course my son Bucky could build with that much land. Think of the forts they could build and trees they could climb.  Think how much fun summer parties could be.  Think of the mountains of snow piled up after clearing the yard.

Ten acres would be enough for me, that's for sure.

It's not enough for someone who wants to farm for a living, and I hate the term "hobby farm," but I know more than ten acres is too much.  I don't have time to do twenty acres of hay three times each summer.  I don't need that much hay.  I'm not a cash cropper.  I don't need 50 acres.  

Just ten.  More than five, less than fifteen.

With an old imperfect house.  In my eyes it would be perfect, because I love battered wood floors, I love cracks in plaster, and I love ridiculous flowery wallpaper- but only in the right house.

From any room in that nice old farmhouse, I could look out the window and see crop fields, silos, red steel sided dairy barns with huge plexiglass windows.  I could see my own horses grazing.  I could take my computer anywhere and be inspired... and write thousands of words.  Of course in the winter I'd sit beside the woodstove.  Where else would I sit?  And not for the vibe -- I'd sit there because I'd have to!

** I'd need a house just big enough for my neighbours from town to come out and visit, and stay all weekend if they missed me that much!**

I know that place is out there.  I know I'll get there.  I'm thinking, planning, wishing and dreaming it into reality.  I'm willing it to happen.  

(steps, all steps, one after the other...)






21 comments:

Anita said...

Sounds like heaven... We're hoping for 3-5 acres, but we don't need room for horses...
(You wouldn't believe the plans that are in the works for us now... I'm not sharing yet because we don't want to jinx it!!)

Real Live Lesbian said...

It sounds perfectly planned! Now...go find it! :)

Good luck!

Kari Evans said...

Hey heidi!!! Miss you terribly. Hope to one day be back... Just thought I'd drop by to see how things were going.

~Kari (down & out in arkansas)

terry said...

it's all about the power of positive thinking...

dilling said...

an island...a very small island, big enough for a small garden but no need for fences...oceans around me but enough land to walk, trees for the flickers, grass to roll in, and time enough to watch the sun rise and fall....

Unknown said...

And hopefully it will close to us! It would be great to have new neighbours!

Unknown said...

Did you know we're in the country? I hear the neighbour's farm is listed for about a million, no problem right? I think it comes with the 'back 40' though.

Heidi the Hick said...

David- back 40? Hmm. A back 4 would do! It is kind of scary... the price of agricultural real estate. It's worth it. But that's just another reason why I don't need more than 10. I can't afford any more!

(And I want to visit you guys in your new home!)

Dilling, that is your perfect home. You will find yours someday too, I truly believe that.

Terry, yes, it's true. I've been putting so much effort into positive thinking these days. (Praying, meditating, thought records, you name it.) We'll see if it works...

Kari, good to see you again!!!!

RLL- I'm looking! The plan's in place, and I think that's important.

Anita, let's make a deal: no jinxing. We'll both wait to share until everything's for sure, okay? And if you make your plans and dreams come true, your garden will be a work of art, no matter how many acres you end up on. It'll be worth it!

Olly said...

I want a couple of acres on the Island I just visited, Salt Spring. An old interesting farm house on it, maybe a few out buildings... yeah...

Just need to be able to make a living. Or...win a lottery.

Michael Colvin said...

Reading this post almost made me want to leave the urban sprawl and set-up home in the country!

Almost...LoL!

You'll get your farm one day Heidi.

Coffeypot said...

Good luck with your dream. We have had two places snatched out from under us, one 10 acres and one 8 acres. The 10 acre track had horses and a small barn/stable on it. I know your frustration.

Heidi Willis said...

we've got about six, but most of it is covered by trees (and the rest weeds!!), so horses and barns are out. But it does afford a lot of privacy, which I love love love.

Of course, I'm with dilling. An island, somewhere warm, with lots of water. But then I'd never get any writing done!

Keep dreaming! visualizing that dream is important.... that way when it comes along you'll know how perfect it is!

Heidi the Hick said...

Yup, it's true- visualizing it makes a difference. Otherwise it's just a hazy illusion.

Heidi, my friend Susan (who's coaching me towards my riding instructor's certificate) has 6 acres of bush too. When they bought it there were a few grass paddocks, as well as a barn and sand ring... but they've carved out two more grazing areas in the last two years. They also found two small used tractors and this nifty thing called a BUSH HOG! It's been a lot of work to clear all the brush and weeds!

Coffeypot- real estate is a bit of a gamble, isn't it? I might have some interesting stories to tell one of these days!

Tod, I think visiting the country would do it for you, eh? Just get your fill and then return to what my London-raised father-in-lawr calls "civilization!"

Olly, that's the trick- being able to make a living out in that idyllic rural paradise. I mean, without milking 100 cows twice a day.

But, I keep saying now that I can't do anything with my subdivision backyard except play in it. Not that there's anything wrong with that... but I'd like to make a bit of a living with those horses that I'll keep in my backyard.

Lynn Sinclair said...

I hope there'd be enough room for a couple of teeny-tiny writers to visit, sit on the deck and enjoy the view.

JKB said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JKB said...

10 acres would be heaven. Can you just imagine, having your horses in the same place you live? I totally took that for granted. :)

Keep visualizing and believing in yourself and this too will come to pass. I believe it.

*hugs*

Heidi the Hick said...

Lynn, I think teeny tiny writers would fit nicely on the porch, notebooks and pens and all!

JKb, it's been so long since I've lived with my horses.

I'm doing the homework. I'll get it together!

CindyDianne said...

It sounds like 10 is the perfect amount for you. I, on the other hand, already have the land. I just need to figure out how to live there! Ugh!

CindyDianne said...

And Kari (down & out) - where have you been? geez, come and visit me!

Heidi the Hick said...

Cindy, that's the dilemma: how to bring the income earning career out to the country, when you're not making an income from agriculture.

Let's just say there aren't many recording studios in farm country.

Although we aim to change that. All it will take is an appeal to the township office and an non-refundable $500 fee and no guarantee that they'll grant our request.

Meanwhile, as a riding instructor I'd have way more traffic than he would, walking across the yard to the shed to go do some pitch correcting...

Anita said...

It's a deal.. :)