What 4,000+ lbs of Junk Really Looks Like.

What 4,000+ lbs of Junk Really Looks Like.

First, we bought a tractor! Well, almost. We are trying it out before we officially buy it. We are getting it for a steal deal from Sam's uncle, Uncle Bill. The tractor itself is a 2004 Farmtrac, with only  215 hours on it, Ag tires, cruise control, 2wd, 50 engine horse power, 45 pto horse power, 3080 lb 3pt hitch lifting capacity, 8 speed gear transmission, and it comes with discs, a tiller, a post hole digger, a scrape blade, a bailer, and a bush hog. Some of the attachments are broken, so we will have to fix them, but we are up for the challenge! After spending so many years looking at tractors, we are happy to finally add this one to our farm tool collection! Bradford Pears, your days are numbered!

We installed a new gate! We were super excited to get this job done because it means no more having to rehang the gate or drag the heavy thing across the cattle guard or the road. We also put some locks on there to try and boost security! 

Speaking of security, check out our new security system. This is just the first wave. We have some window and door sensors that are being installed sometime in the next two weeks. We wanted to get some cameras out here so that we can start to store tools and expensive equipment (like, I don't know, a tractor maybe!) out here without having to worry about it since we live out of town. 

They work, too. Guess who we caught living in our house! In our attic, to be more specific. Pay special attention about 31 seconds in for a laugh. 

We were able to put cameras up at our house because we finally got the wifi working here. Man is it fast! It also meant that we could install a thermostat that was much more efficient at regulating the heat. Now our heat isn't constantly turning on and off.

The biggest and most exciting change to the property was that we rented a dumpster and FINALLY got rid of the rest of the stuff left in the house by the previous owners. 

Thanks to the help from my family, we filled that thing to its max, and then some. We threw away ~4,260 lbs of trash. Let me be clear that this was specifically trash. 

Anything that was wooden, fabric, or paper. We burned. Loads and loads. We burned so much stuff that it took six days for the fire to stop smoldering. 

After we finished loading the dumpster, the crew was in the mood for some destruction. So we let them take out kitchen cabinets (to burn). 

I think they used the sledgehammer less than they would have liked, but they made great progress. 

This is pretty close to where they stopped for the night. Sam had to unhook the kitchen plumbing, and we still need to remove some drains before we can take the rest of the cabinets out. 

So, a big, big thank you to everyone who helped (including those that left before I could grab a picture of them). It really means a lot to us that you all are willing to spend your weekend helping out! If you follow the blog and are interested in helping out with projects in the future, you can check out our facebook page--MinIsland Farm--. We post the projects we are currently up to in case you are bored, looking for some hard work, or wanting to learn a new skill. We will never turn down help!

The finished garage. 

The cleaned out den. 

Now that the house is clean, we can focus on other projects--like putting a fence around the pool like the insurance has been asking us to do since before we were officially the owners. 

We actually cleared out around the pool before the dumpster day. It took about two days for Sam (with some help from me) to chainsaw down everything that was around the pool. It was kind of fun, though. We got to cut down small trees and move limbs while it was snowing. That's never something we got to do back in Georgia! 

Here, Sam is setting the t-posts that will serve as the fence posts up until the gate. 

Then, we had to install the gate. In order to do so, we needed to dig two holes to set the gate posts in. Sam found his auger at Trulee and Brett's and we made a run to Lowes to get the rest of the needed bolts. The last step was sharpening the blades that he specifically made for the auger at his last job before we moved. He built the bits out of armor plate because the bits that came with the auger dulled after we built the clothesline (only 4 posts if anyone's counting). This was the only solid surface Sam could find to mount the bit to sharpen it. 

Once the holes were dug (and the auger broken...whoops), we poured in the concrete, leveled the posts, then poured the water. Now, we are waiting for the concrete to set. Once set, we can start to construct the gate and hang the fencing wire. 

In the midst of all the projects, we try and keep life fun. 

We go for walks around the property dreaming of where we are going to put our animals or gardens.

We try and bring Rylee with us even though projects would probably go faster without her. It just doesn't seem right for her to miss out on us building our family farm.

I've started keeping track of her day-to-day progress as a precursor to homeschooling. Mostly, I'm just trying to be more cognizant of what she is doing, learning, and playing with during the day and what good and inappropriate behaviors she is exhibiting so that I can start to gently mold her. Here's one of the new things we practiced together!

Before I end the post, I just wanted to let you know that our chickens are now laying a little. While we don't have super many eggs, we probably will have a dozen to spare every couple weeks. Let us know if you are interested in purchasing them! Our prices are listed at our shop, and I've put some new farm-made products up on the list, so be sure to check it out!

Pax Domini cum spirito tuo temper sit,

Torey, Sam & Rylee

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