Introducing Sherry. Our USA representative on our international land tour. Sherry is a long time member of The Fellowship. She does not have a blog and she has been commenting so long I am sure you would love to learn a little more about her and her animals. PLUS she is proudly owned by Timatanga Moana’s cousin Percy. Back to the snow we go!
Us:
My husband and I live on 38 acres in east central Wisconsin, the glaciated kettle moraine area. Means nothing is flat! We share our house with Eli, a 4 year old Wirehair Pointing Griffon, John’s buddy and partner in hunting upland birds and ducks, and Macadoodle, a 5 year old schnauzer?, poodle?, yorkie? Who’s your daddy? dog, my buddy. (He likes John too, in fact he likes EVERYBODY).
The land is made up of wetland (marsh/swamp) pasture and 11 acres tilled. We trade use of the tilled area with the local dairy farmer for hay for our animals. While we raise vegetables for our own use we mostly ‘farm’ pets.
Our house is a typical Midwest farm house, the original log part was built in 1886 and one of the grandsons and one of the great grandsons of the original settlers live right down the road.
Our Critters:
We currently have Red Sally and Ember, a Rocky Mountain Mare and a Kentucky Mountain Mare respectively. They are gaited horses that give a nice smooth running walk rather than a trot which is much easier on our old – and getting older fast! – bodies.
I know everybody thinks the breed they have/like is the best but, having had a thoroughbred, quarter horses, an appaloosa, paints and arabs I have to say the mountain horses have the nicest dispositions ever.
Winston is a Sicilian mini donkey gelding. He’s a friendly guy but wary. He came from a situation where he received very little handling so everything was new to him. I would like to train him to pull a cart, another thing for my list of things that would be fun to try.
Otis is a Nigerian Dwarf wether. He’s a sweetie, adores having his head scratched between the floppy horns he’s not supposed to have as we was disbudded.
Her Majesty Fanny is a miniature fainting goat. At less than a year she is a sassy thing, she’ll follow you anywhere and will literally climb in your lap if you let her.
Portly Percival is a kunekune barrow and has the character of a pig three times his size. He’s constantly carrying on a conversation whether there’s anyone there to listen or not. He’s great friends with Fanny, even when she uses him as a step stool. He only protests when she stands on his head.
Odette, a golden laced Wyandotte, Sylvia, a black austrolorp, Berniece, an americauna and Gretchen, a barred Plymouth rock make up the ladies league and are very full of themselves. They’ve ostracized the two rouen duck hens, Betty and Geraldine who were given to my stepson by one of his misguided friends on his 30th birthday. Ergo, we got the call: daaad, you want some ducks?
Our Life:
John and I are both retired and thoroughly enjoying it. The first question of the morning is ‘what day IS it?’.We supplement the furnace heat with a woodstove in the kitchen so we do a lot of cutting, hauling and stacking wood. John, having been a heavy equipment operator has a lot of “toys” to keep him busy when he’s not hunting or fishing. I have several small looms that I like to experiment with as well as way too many ‘things I’d like to try’ to keep me occupied in the winter and several flower gardens as well as all the animals to fill up the summer. For both of us there are more books to read than we’ll finish in our lifetimes. We have a good life, with good friends and good family.
Morning chores can be raucous here in east central Wisconsin. Sally & Ember, the Mountain Horse mares, bang on their hay feeder (the equine equivalent of pounding on the table). Winston the mini donk lets loose with his foghorn bray, Otis and Her Majesty Fanny, the Nigerian Dwarf Wether and Mini Fainting goat keep up a plaintive bleating and Portly Percy, the kunekune is shrieking to feed him NOW because he’s going to keel over from hunger and make Fanny get off his head. Add to that, Odette, Sylvia, Berniece and Gretchen, the ladies league of laying hens cackling to open that door and Betty and Geraldine the Rouen duck hens shouting to ‘let us out’ it can be deafening! It’s a good thing we live out here in the country or surely we’d have neighbors complaining.
Love Sherry.
The Kitchen's Garden 
65 responses to “Deodar Farm, 1886”
Hello from (cold but sunny today) Texas.
I laughed at the “mostly we farm pets”. By the time I was in high school, we mostly farmed “trees and timber” – along with the huge vegetable garden. The Pictures were lovely. I agree- a horse’s personality, and disposition is the most important thing – and a smooth gait is worth gold!
Enjoyed visiting your farm.
We do have to be careful, once an animal comes here it seems to stay for the rest of its mortal life!
Yep. We have one of those invisible “welcome all strays and those in dire straits” signs out front somewhere, too. The cat and dog are mum about where exactly it’s located – no matter how many times we say “No vacancies!”
Is that what it is, an invisible sign! Here I just thought I had ‘softie’ tatooed on my forehead.
Oh, you may be right, too. Must check mirror – I rarely seem to have time to do that. (giggles)
This was so interesting! Hopefully this will be my life in less than a year, my husband is already retired and I will be done in 9 months!!!!!
Good luck to you, I can’t reccommend this life highly enough.
Hi sherry, love all your animals. So funny the thought of portly Percival (love the name) talking to himself all the time! And you have a donkey. I have always wanted some donkeys, ahh well maybe one day x
The donkey is great fun, totally different than dealing with a horse though. They must gravely consider every decision
Oh my! What a lovely and diverse crew!! You wrote great introductory descriptions. I feel like I know them all. My menagerie is limited to two rescue cats. Would love to hear that early morning chorus. Thanks for sharing.
Why thank you! Most of the neighbors have cats so they make regular rounds here. Mr. Mac thinks chasing them is great sport. It’s been below zero the last couple of mornings so that chorus wasn’t all that welcome!
Thanks Sherry, for sharing. I spent many summer days in Wisconsin as a kid from Chicago. Gramma told me not to go where it was cold when I announced that I wanted to live on a farm,so I’m down here by Celi. Silly, cause we ain’t that much farther south. I have cousins in Appleton, Madison and Friendship(Adams county). Ya’ll have it good up there in the cheese state.
I’ve lived in this state all my life, unlike so many of the fellowship and I think it’s one of the prettiest places. I do believe Celi has gotten more snow this year than we have!
When my niece was little she had a pony and my brother got her little cart to pull. I loved going on rides with her. Only two skinny people could be in the cart. The girls had so much fun. What a great job your doing taking care of those animals.
Ah yes, my uncle had a pony and cart. I recall tipping it over on a turn!
Your animals are beautiful. I am allergic to horses and so can never be near them, but if I could, I’d like to cozy up to that darling, sweet animal in the picture. That horse has a good soul. You can tell. Thank you so much for inviting us into your life, Sherry.
I’ve heard tell that the Bashkir Curly horse is hypo allergenic! Ember does have a kind eye and a puppy dog disposition.
Another great wonderful post. I really am enjoying this. Miss C is always great but hearing from others from the Fellowship is an inspiration. Dear Sherry, your post had me in fits of laughter, it was everything about it that made me collapse in a heap of giggles. You are so lucky to have so many wonderful pets..,can I come and live with you and bring my 6 dogs and 3 cats ( i leave hubby at home) The thought of pigs that talk reminds me of the film Babe where animals talk to each other….your life must be one big round of fun (and hardwork) thank you so much my dear for taking the time out of your busy life to spend a few moments with us…worth every cent!
I am very flattered that Celi asked me and I must say I enjoyed putting it together even though I haven’t a shred of talent as a photographer. You’re welcome any time, the more the merrier, I currently have a little brown poodle puppy named Chester visiting. Sometimes I think I’m alone too much – I’m constantly imagining the animals conversations with each other.
It soudns wonderful and I love the animals! We too often ask each other….”what day IS it?!”
The next question is, do I have to go anywhere/do anyting today?
Love your farm! and all the critters. So nice to hear from you.
Thank you, the critters are great comic relief most of the time.
Hi Sherry. Thank you so much for this fun filled post. Oh you do have a cast of characters…lol…and I just had to look up fainting goats! OMG! In my next life, where I own that organic farm, I’m so getting a few. I also love your two dogs. What a couple of cuties. I’ve only ever had malamutes, but always wanted a pointer and a brand X like your sweet Macadoodle. There is a lady who hikes a pointer up a nearby steep climb and that dog does at least double the hike she does because he runs ahead, runs back, runs ahead, runs back…all the way to the top and probably down again. I guess if I had a pointer I’d be a lot fitter…lol. I wish you did write a blog because I can see your animal adventures would be hilarious. So lovely to have a little peek into your farmy. All the best and big hugs. 😀
Eli is not quite as high strung as GSPs or English pointers, he hunts a little closer as befits a retired guy – ha. That said, when I walk the dogs in the morning I turn him loose and I’m sure he covers at least 4 miles to my 2.
That looks like a handful 🙂
Yup, but a good one.
They do look awful cute 😉
It warms the cockles of my heart to know there really are retired people enjoying a wonderful life on a farm with quite an array of critters whose needs are all so different. I love how they all start in with their various calls–the banging and clucking and braying. A great deal of work, I can imagine–just knowing their food requirements is major.
I learned so much:never knew there was a breed of horse that has a smooth walk. I love her gentle beard. Never heard of a wether either. Each of the animals is cuter than the next. That little donkey and that little goat are just heartbreakers. I know St. Patricks Day is a month away, but I’m already green. Sherry, thank you so much for sharing your life with us all.
Why thank you, I always figured you should ‘work to live’, not ‘live to work’. There’s also the advantage of being able to stomp around muttering to them and they never complain. I’ve heard of too many people who shriveled up and blew away after retiring and that’s not happening here!
Good morning from California everyone! I think Sherry must still be outside doing her chores – it is awfully cold at her place this morning. Wish we could pop over to help.. c
I’m here! Checked a little earlier but then had to do a grocery run, bah. Lucky you weren’t here, coooold this morning! At least the sun is out. Enjoy the warmtn!
The boys have been telling me how cold it is and BLOWING, cold wind is the nastiest.. c
Your menagerie is adorable, Sherry. Does the fainting goat faint? That could be inconvenient!
love,
VV
Oh yes, she does. It’s kind of comical, she tips over with her legs sticking straight out, just like a cartoon.