Farm House Blues

Hay today....Gone Tomorrow

So after the vacation we took last week, all 48 hours of it, is over and done with , the malaise or is it ennui , or better yet just plain old blues has set in.

Our farm remains on the wanted list. We are hopeful it will be wanted enough for some hard working, dream seeking, bank loving individuals or couple or large family unit, or church group or hippie commune to actually show us the money so we can move on to the next phase of our lives.

The phase of way less.

But, although we have had 4 serious lookers in the last year we have not had one serious offer.  Those who had all the ambition and excitement in the world...did not have the finacial backing. Those with great financial backing...realized the farm would be more work than they had planned. Those who had both, have yet to make themselves known!!

A couple of months ago we separated out the house and 10 acres from the rest of the business so instead of offering the whole kit and caboodle (house, land, buildings, animals, equipment, inventory etc...) for an asking price of $410,000, instead we are now offering just the house, the 10 acres and all the EMPTY buildings for $199,000. If someone stills want the livestock and equipment, any and all can be added to the base price.
http://www.forsalebyowner.com/homes-for-sale/Illinois/Livingston_County/Chatsworth

We also continue to make improvements. A brand new back deck is going up next week. Several new windows have been installed, New doors on the milk house, A large and useful pantry will be built just off the kitchen in September. And still no offers. We have been told by many that our price is fair and even so we are willing to negotiate but without a starting place there can be no negotiating.Yes, it's true the economy is less than perfect but banks are again willing to make loans to those with good credit but the drought here has made things even worse as food and gas and utilities are beginning to escalate.

It will likely only get worse.

We are, some mornings fairly depressed over it all. The non-stop heat and ever dying landscape around us does not help. It's difficult to maintain a farm that looks good to prospective buyers when the grass is the shade of a paper bag and the pastures are turning into dirt lots.  Flower beds have been let go (with the exception of the secret garden, I need one place of color and joy) and the veggie garden has also been allowed to die off in spots, those spots that wouldn't  produce now no matter how much water they got.

This morning Accuweather called for a 75% of serious Thunderstorm to continue the next two days

We got about 8 drops of spit from the sky. So we continue to water animals who need it and we continue to feed up the hay that should've lasted us thru March but probably won't last us thru October at  zone. best. The water pressure is showing signs that the well may be getting to a danger zone. We are getting letters in the mail to encourage us to apply for government assistance available to farmers who are facing similar hardships as we are but we're well aware that any "assistance" will most likely lead to increased taxes and that is NOT what this country needs more of right now

Yeah, I'm playing the blues tonight, feeling low, down in the dumps, and spinning the Eagles "Desperado' over and over on the turntable in my head  etc etc....I am tired of the platitudes oi voice to myself such as "it could be worse" or " you have it better than a lot of folks" I understand that we are blessed to have all the meat we could possibly eat for the next 2 years and enough land to continue growing something...maybe soon only cactus, but at least that is something.

Yes, all of that is true. But tonight, as a card carrying totally free American and full grown adult, I choose to have my own pity party. You may come if you want but the first one who tells me 'chin up" is likely to get a poke in the eye...or lower.

Like the shoulder.