Today is our 15th anniversary. It doesn't seem like it's been that long. And it seems like we've been here forever. Now that I think about it, I haven't heard our farm referred to as the "Douglas place" or the "Singer place" in several years. Usually now it's "the place with the sheep." I guess we've become part of the history now. Or the sheep have.
I found some old pictures Tim took from the early days, the day we first saw the farm and some of the early work we did. I thought I'd share them here because they are fun to look at and try to put then and now together...and if the house ever burns down, they'll live on forever on the internet. Worst Case Scenario reason #168 for blogging...
From the road.
This is looking at the back of the barn. Tim took this picture from what is now the back of the Del Boca Vista paddock. I am standing near the gate to the arena. The corgi is sweet Sophie and the collie is my beloved Sam.
Standing at the back corner of the barn, looking out to the road. Tim is standing pretty close to where the Grahaminator2000 is now.
This is the barn lot. The weeds on the left are now where the front corner of the Del Boca Vista fence is, the two gates that make the corner. The sliding doors are the barn aisle. Those doors now roll all the way to the right along with two more doors that cover the end openings for the inside and added on outside shed.
Looking out towards the back. I think that's basically where the curved alleyway goes down the hill to the left, heading to the middle paddocks.
The gate at the front corner of the horse side of the barn. Now the fence curves down to the left, following the driveway.
Looking up from the road.
The old stripping room, now where the Wool House stands.
The corn crib on the left is now the garage.
Looking at those two buildings from the yard.
View from the back corner.
Closer view of the big pond, now known as the skating pond :-). Where Tim is standing is now all full of trees and undergrowth.
The old cistern. Now the home of the greenhouse.
I find this picture one of the most amazing. I'd forgotten how you could see the neighbors across the sheep field. The raised bed garden is the asparagus bed. Punkin is buried underneath; Abby on the right side.
There were two round rock gardens, one on each end of this. There were quite a few little gardens or landscapings scattered throughout the yard. I wanted to consolidate and clean them up so we connected the two gardens here and it made a nice natural division from the yard to the orchard.
I fought weeds in here for years though and finally this summer I'd had enough and we took it all out. I'd hoped to transplant the bleeding heart, but I couldn't find it. I should have dug it just after it bloomed this spring. I'm hoping a piece will poke through the grass next spring. I did get my favorite rose bush moved and so far it seems okay.
This must have been the next spring when they started fixing some eroded areas and sink holes we and had the riding arena enlarged.
I'm not exactly sure what this is. I know the wet weather creek runs through there, but there isn't water anywhere else so maybe this is leftover from the spring fed pond that used to be out front.
It had been filled in years before, but I believe it needed some work and they also put in a bridge to drive from one side of the creek to the other. Cecil Aguilar later added the stone work to all the bridges and culverts.
This is looking out back towards the Frog Pond. The guys doing the grading work wanted to just tear out the little pond. I'm glad I fought to save it. Not only is it pretty, it's also good habitat for birds , rabbits and frogs, monarch butterflies, sometimes muskrats and even a skunk family has lived in there.
The barn. Tim tore out almost everything on the right hand side and put it the big sheep stall.
And the rock. Oh the rock.
This is something else I barely remember. We walked up and down the grass hill to get onto the porch. There is a concrete sidewalk to the front door and I think the couple we bought the farm from were front door folks. I primarily use the back door and it didn't take long for this to get messy. The rock sidewalk was a huge improvement.
I think pretty much everything was a huge improvement. We've let some shrubs overgrow that I wish I'd stayed on top of better. The beautiful tidy porch...will never be the same, but it's a porch that is well used and well loved and I think it's happy even though I'm sure it would appreciate an overhaul. I think the rest of the farm is happy, too.
Happy Anniversary! We're glad to be here.
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And if you are still here, leave a comment telling us your favorite part of the farm and Sunday night I'll draw for a winner and send out a 2019 Equinox Farm calendar. They are almost done and ready to print :-D.
