Hay Season

To some people, hay season means runny noses, itchy, puffy eyes, and allergy medication. To others, especially those around our area of North Idaho, it means something entirely different: longer than long days, short nights, dinner - when it should be bedtime, little to no family or personal time, and "vacation" time off work so you can get the hay up.

I counted (at least) four different kinds of hay in this handful

"Getting the hay up" is a science in and of itself. It involves constantly checking the weather, checking the ground to see if it's not too wet, cutting (swathing) the hay at the perfect time, fluffing the hay while at the same time not letting the sun bleach it, checking for slugs (which, I learned to my embarrassment, are not pests but, rather, wet hay), and then baling the hay and hoping your equipment doesn't break down (which it more than often does). Wet hay is bad to bale. Very bad. Like, it can burn your barn down "bad." Yes, WET hay can burn down a barn.

This wet green grass I turned over is what they call a "slug"

I love my farmer friends. They are dear. They are the salt of the earth. They work so hard and require so little. They start at sun up, pause for a prayer followed by lunch, and then back to work until sun down. They will do anything, for anyone, at any time - even when it is inconvenient for them. Hay season defines these hard workers and shows their amazingly awesome character of selflessness, integrity, honesty, willingness to serve, humility, patience, responsibility, generosity, and much more.

 Loading five tons of hay

My neighbor swathing our hay on his day off (of his regular job)

To top it all off, they are teaching my son these traits and giving him life-long lessons that I pray he will use to better his life and the life of his future family.

Here, Robert can be seen fixing our fence line... 

He didn't know how to do this a year ago.

Thank you, God, for farmers.

That's me on the an accumulator helping friends with their field.

I can't believe they trusted me :)

Independence Day Weekend

It's a hot one here in North Idaho - about 90 and climbing. I'm LOVING it! We have the A/C going so when I'm outside getting overheated I can come inside and cool down. I don't feel rushed to get outside and be outside every single minute like I did when we lived in Alaska and there was a nice day (MAYBE 75 degrees) during summer.

Our hay will be cut in the next few days so Chey and I took a walk out to our upper pasture to get a few pics before it is cut with the swather.

We had a relaxing and fun Independence Day weekend. Spent it eating, barbecuing, setting off fireworks, and four-wheeling with friends. We also had fun around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and making smores.

Lake Coeur d'Alene in the distance

Plummer down below

Our grow-out cage for our market (meat) rabbits is almost complete. I'm building it from the ground-up out of scrap wood so I'm excited it's shaping up into something that resembles a rabbit hutch.

Hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day Weekend. 

Skeet

Skeet and his baby brother, Timber

Life on the farm...

I simply have TOO many hilarious and fun stories to tell about our daily life on our hobby farm. Stories that take too long to describe via a short Facebook post. Experiences such as our first try at incubating chicken eggs or stomach-tubing a sick goat.

Even our day-to-day life seems to be full of excitement and wonder - so we think other people might enjoy it too. I also want to encourage others that if we can do this SO CAN YOU!! :)

I'm going to start journaling our days. Hopefully, every day.
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Our meat rabbits, Lilly and Daisy had their kits a few weeks ago and we've enjoyed watching them grow. Daisy was a first-time mom and it was still chilly at night so six of her nine kits (short for kitten) perished shortly after birth. Her remaining three are growing beautifully and we will most likely use them for Cheyenne's 4H market rabbit project at the North Idaho State Fair in August.

We have recently added another dog to our mini-farm bringing our total (and final) dog count to three. Timber is 12 weeks old and is the full younger brother to our 1-year-old dog, Skeet.

Our four cats are busy catching mice, moles, voles, and other little critters who sneak around tearing things up. I have put huge bells on their collars because they were catching so many birds this spring -- I even saw Atilla catch one of my beloved hummingbirds! They haven't caught birds since they started wearing the bells...at least that I know of. 

We have a mule named Sugar Magnolia that we are borrowing for the summer. "Maggie" has been teaching Cheyenne by giving her the confidence needed to learn how to properly ride a horse. She's 20 years old and a perfect project for Cheyenne. Lexi, the horse we purchased and kept for almost a year, was just too much horse for Chey.

Our first experience raising meat chickens went well. We purchased 15 of them in May and six weeks later they were ready to eat. We decided to pay $3.50 per bird to have them butchered, processed, and packaged. Next time we'll try it ourselves to see if it's worth saving the money.

I've also had my experience with skinning a rabbit. We had a beautiful holland lop pass away several months ago and I decided to make a memory of him. His fur was gorgeous so I'm attempting to tan his hide and make a hat.

Haying season is in full swing and our son, Robert, is back from a three week mission trip to rural Montana. He hit the ground running this morning back to work as a farm hand. I filled in for him a little while he was gone. It's hard work! But rewarding, especially when the weather is nice and you can get a tan at the same time. :)

"Independence" Day

California’s legislature just passed and the governor signed into law even stricter people control laws (otherwise known as “gun” control laws) than they already had. This is what I see happening...and it occurred to me that this might be even more coincidental than at first it seems.

Let me explain: Since moving here to Idaho, I have realized just how many Californians are here. They have been trickling here from their home state for many years. With more and more laws being enacted, California citizens (and other similar no-freedom states) will make their way to more Liberty-minded states seeking their ideal of freedom. Problem is, their ideal of freedom is not the same as my ideal of freedom. They mean well and they would say that they are freedom-loving. Unfortunately, this is a sample of what you will hear:

*Permitless carry? “Oh, that seems a little extreme. I don’t mind SOME restrictions and background checks, classes, etc. Because…safety.”

*Homeschooling? “No reporting here in Idaho? No work samples? No required number of days? It seems like there should be at least SOME oversight. Think about the CHILDREN!”

*Cell phone usage? “You mean I can speak while on my cell phone here in Idaho? Seems like there should be a better distracted driving law.”

Instead of always looking at each individual freedom and dissecting it all to pieces and debating it over and over let’s start with the basics: What would the Founders do? If John Adams showed up TODAY – what would he have to say about this Independence Day and our so-called freedom? If Benjamin Franklin walked in the room RIGHT NOW – would he say we’ve kept our Republic? If Thomas Jefferson landed in the middle of Seattle TOMORROW – would he say they’ve kept their Liberty or have ‘too small a degree of it’? Would Samuel Adams say that Chicago’s peaceful citizens are able to properly protect their life, liberty, and property?

I foresee a great exodus out of states that would control their people, but not their borders. I see them moving to Liberty-minded states with the greatest intentions of assimilating. But, see, they will not -- for they have not ever tasted true freedom. Furthermore, they are a younger generation who is unaware of the people-control mindset and indoctrination happening now in government schools. They will fill our school boards, city councils, legislatures and congress. They will influence our laws and our way of life. The time has come for everyday, regular citizens to step up and run for elected seats. Flood the system with passionate Constitutionalists. Get radio air time, TV coverage, post on social media, write letters to the editor, engage your neighbors and family and friends, don’t back down. Be vigilant…because our Founders never stopped in their pursuit. We shouldn’t either. Do not let their efforts be in vain.

Alaskans: Hold on to Your State...of Freedom! (Part 2)

In a couple of weeks my 15-year-old son, Robert, will begin a mandatory driver's education course - required by the State of Idaho in order for him to obtain a driver's license. Apparently, the government has decided that we, as parents, are not capable of teaching our children how to drive...FOR FREE!

The law here in Idaho for children under the age of 17 states that they must complete an approved driver's training program and then a six-month "supervised instruction period (SIP)" consisting of 50 hours of supervised driving time, ten hours of which must be at night and it must be violation-free or you have to begin the SIP again.

When I first arrived in Idaho I wanted to get Robert's Alaska driver's permit transferred over to Idaho. He had already experienced much driver training with me in the passenger seat since he turned 14. I naively assumed that it would be easy to just call and explain to the nice people at the Idaho Department of Transportation that he was a great driver already and he just needs a little more experience before obtaining his driver's license. WRONG!! I had a very tense exchange with the lady in charge of driver's education for the State of Idaho and, in the end, she decided that she would "allow" his driving time in Alaska to count for his supervised driving time here in Idaho. Oh! Thank you SO much Madame Government for "giving" my child the RIGHT to drive. Yes, I said it! RIGHT to drive NOT privilege. We have a right to travel freely within our country without licensing. We actually give up that right when we knowingly enter into an agreement via licensing/registration with our states - that's when it becomes a privilege. Disagree? Well, here's some interesting information with case law for your reading pleasure (http://www.apfn.org/apfn/travel.htm). So why are we even going through with a license (you may ask)? Well, until I win the lottery and have the money to fight a government with a seemingly bottomless bank account, I will have to continue to be a slave to the system...and so will my children.

The most frustrating part of this whole process is the enormous cost of the driver's education course. Typically, a private company will charge $350-$375 for the seven-week course. The Department of Transportation assured me that the local public school offers discounted classes for around $200 but they give priority to older students and, upon further investigation, the classes weren't offered anywhere within driving distance for us. I've also been told there are online classes (for a fee) but have not looked into that route.

My question is this: if a state is going to make driver's education courses mandatory in order to obtain a license, why aren't they offered for free or, at the very least, a very minimal rate? It is not easy for anyone, let alone the poor, to come up with almost $400 per child for driver's ed. Across the nation there are only 11 states that do not require some type of driver's training before obtaining a driver's license.

I was contemplating how unfair this rule is so I decided to call my local State Farm agent to ask them if they have statistics to prove that driver's ed improves teen driving performance and decreases risk of accident. The lady I spoke with was unaware of any statistics but said it definitely does help. She was very young and disclosed that a few years ago (when she was 18) she had finally gotten her driver's license because they didn't have the money to pay for the driver's ed school. This made me realize that any statistics they have would be skewed. Do you know why? Kids around here just don't drive! I see older children still being driven by their parents!! It's weird for me to see this - having been driving since I was 14 years old. My parents spent A LOT of time teaching me to drive on icy, dark Alaskan roads.

Naturally, since there are fewer teen drivers the statistics for teen accidents are lower in areas that require an expensive driver's ed course. The following blog post has very interesting and valid points about driver's training: (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/14/teen-driving-schools-safety/)
I found this part especially poignant: "Parents need to [learn] (sic) how to find a good school, know what skills their child will and won't learn in driver's ed, and make up the difference on their own." It states that, depending on the school you choose, parents will have to make up for a large portion of their child's driving education. Basically you pay a huge sum of money and then STILL have to do most of the hands-on teaching. After all, immersion-style is usually the most effective way of learning in the long run.

Alaskans, I tell you all this because I have no doubt that, fearing for your security over your freedom, some well-meaning legislator will introduce a bill that will make teen driver's education training a mandatory step prior to obtaining their driver's license. I know there are some of my friends who will think it's a great idea. I stand firm in my conviction that driver's training should be left as an optional course that anyone can take. Most Alaskan insurance companies will give you a nice little discount for having had the training and good for you! But there are still some parents who take the time to teach and train their children about the responsibility of driving a vehicle. Those parents should not be monetarily punished by having to abide by a law that sounds good on the surface, but is yet another example of government overreach.

ALASKANS: Hold on to Your State…of Freedom! (Part I)

I was born and raised in Alaska. My husband and I have raised our kids in Alaska. I recently moved to Northern Idaho primarily for a more affordable place to live but also for a longer season of hot weather and a shorter season of snowy, cold weather.

The ability to independently homeschool our two children - without government interference - was paramount when considering states in which to live. Idaho is completely free from any of that intrusion for homeschooling families.  Well, I guess I should have looked at more than just homeschooling laws because, as we get settled, I am finding ways that Alaskans have more freedom. My sincere hope is that Alaskans will not legislate away that precious freedom.

Per the U.S. Constitution, states do not have the right to legislate gun laws the same way they do with drugs, education, land, or health and welfare of its citizens because the ability to keep and bear arms is specifically protected in the Second Amendment. We don’t need anything else. I don’t know why the Supreme Court and I can’t seem to agree on this. Why is it that the TRUE “law of the land” is up for debate? Why isn’t the Supreme Court ruling that gun rights have to cross state lines the same way that gay “marriage” can?

In Idaho, unless I am a law enforcement officer, military member, judge, or – get this – elected politician they want me to ask permission from the county sheriff for a permit to conceal a handgun if I so choose. They take my fingerprints and then do a background check. They want to make sure I’ve taken a hunter safety or handgun safety course. They charge $62.45 for all this and I’m supposed to, what, thank them? Open carrying, of course, is perfectly fine, but if it get’s chilly and I put a coat on I suddenly become a criminal if I don’t have a permit. Absurd!

There are some who would argue with me and ask, “What’s the big deal? Everything they require sounds perfectly acceptable to me. Why are you being so difficult?” Because “everything they require” is INFRINGING on a right I had even before the Constitution was written! In Alaska, I carried my handgun in a concealed manner almost every time I left the house. I felt safe. I felt secure knowing that, if needed, I could protect my loved ones and myself. I have had that freedom and now I do not simply because I crossed state lines.

Currently, in order to relieve my feelings of helplessness, my only course of action is to contact my local legislators and join with other like-minded individuals to try and enact change.

I want to make this clear: the ONLY reason these governments – city, state, federal - have any power is because WE have given it to them. They will keep on enacting more people control as long as the people comply. Alaskans: do not give up your freedom. You are blessed to still have it.

“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.”

~Author unknown

There are other differences in the state of freedom I have noticed. I will save those for Part II.

One Year Ago Today...

One year ago we were living in Birch Bay, Washington. We have since had three addresses and some big adventures. When Robert came home on August 31, 2012 and told me we would be making some changes I am thankful that God opened my eyes to an answer to prayer (see this blogpost: http://alaskancamerons.blogspot.com/2012/10/life-change-moment-number.html) and we, as a family, are happy and together.

I have done a lot of thinking about these last few changing years in our lives and, every time I do, I think of more definitive proofs of God's timing.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV)  While I don't know if God purposely makes things happen, I do believe the following: "...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)

There are quite a few times, since our return to Alaska, that I have given thanks for being back home. I have been told by quite a few people that I seem down or depressed and sad about being back in Alaska. I don't mean to be this way and thought I was doing a good job of having a good attitude.  I promise to try harder as I have to remember that "little eyes are watching me" and taking their cues from me.

A lot of people ask me what our plans are. My response is the same: "I don't make plans anymore because I'm sure God just chuckles every time I do." Right now we are staying with my parents and working on playing catch-up from all our moves.

I have learned many lessons the past few years but the one I am most thinking about today is that sometimes we have to look for the lessons and the blessings and life-changes through those lessons...sometimes they don't just stare us in the face. In fact, I had another blessing-realization this morning as I was reflecting on that time exactly a year ago. I'm certain there are many more realizations to come. I look forward to adding them to my list.