I had been toying with the idea of making videos of me crocheting stuff, but my kids are loud and my animals can be needy too. Today Tony took the kids out for dinner with his dad, so I had some time to play with. I did my first practice run of a live video on YouTube. Check it out HERE! I wasn't sure if I should chat while I worked or just stay quiet, so for this first one I was just quiet and let the natural noise around me be the soundtrack. Dogs barking, chickens, geese, turkeys, even the loon out on the lake decided to sing for a bit.
Later I tried a second time and this time I chattered away to myself. Check the second one out HERE. Which do you prefer?
My plan is to try to do a short live stream on YouTube every day once the kids head back to school. This will give me something to do, some relaxation time, and maybe get my mind off of being alone for the first time... All my babies off to school at the same time and nobody but the animals home with me all day. It's going to be a big change!
Yesterday we moved Luna's kittens from the barn to the screen porch. They stayed in the box with the pink pet bed all night but this morning they all crawled out and decided to take over the blanket beside the box.
And lastly, a bit of a (two-part) rant.
#1. If you reply to one of my ads and tell me you "need" an animal immediately, demand to meet in the next 24 hours, want my home address so you can come "right now" to get an animal, and don't have a single question about the animals, their temperament, their history (medical or genetic), or anything else - that's a huge red flag and I'm sorry, but we may not be the place for you to get a new animal. Anyone who's put an ounce of thought into the lifetime commitment of having a pet will want to know at least basic information, and won't want to rush into bringing home the first animal they can get their hands on. Second off, if you can't wait a couple of days to arrange something with our schedule, I can't help you. We have lives outside of the internet. We have work and family gatherings, appointments, and plans. Meeting people to sell animals is something we fit into those other schedules. We want good homes for our animals. We take the time to raise them, train them, tame them, love them. If you are not interested in the temperament of an animal that could spend the next decade in your household, and you want it right this instant, chances are you haven't really put a lot of thought into adding the animal to your household and you should slow down a bit and reconsider your motivations for getting the animal in the first place. As always, we reserve the right to turn anyone down, for any reason, with no explanation. Quite simply put, if we don't feel like a potential home has the animals' best interests in mind, or isn't a good match for that animal's needs or personality, we can (and will) refuse a sale. I'd rather take longer and keep trying to find a more suitable home than place an animal in a home that will potentially neglect, abuse, or abandon it.
#2. Please keep in mind that we have one weekday off per week, and that day is usually the day we run errands, do our weekly shopping, make our appointments, work on our homestead projects, and spend time together as a family. For this reason, we have a select area we are willing to meet people (Staples, Pillager, and Brainerd/Baxter). These are areas on our route. We cannot drive to Minneapolis, Duluth, Fargo, International Falls, Sioux Falls, or some other far flung place. It costs us time and money to travel and with five kids, that means not only gas money, but food and snack stops, potty breaks, and the inconvenience of taking that one day to travel rather than get our needs met. We can arrange such a travel to deliver an animal, but there will be a delivery fee involved to help offset costs, and chances are it will be a lot more than the animal is worth (especially for a $15 rabbit). Unless you want to pay an additional $75 to meet in St. Cloud, or an additional $250 to meet in Minneapolis, paid up front in advance, and scheduled a couple weeks in advance - please don't ask. Remember, our location is clearly listed in all of our ads, and you chose to respond to our ad. I'm clear on where we are available to meet.
I don't mean to be rude, but I've gotten three such requests this week. Most of the people we interact with are amazing people. I love meeting people and handing off animals for their next adventure. We're pretty open with the kinds of people we work with. We've sold rabbits to be homestead breeders, we've sold rabbits to be indoor pets, we've sold rabbits to be emotional support animals, and we've sold our losses to folks who use them as snake or dog food. We really do love the variety of people this homesteading life has allowed us to meet. Unfortunately, sometimes we get some bad apples in the mix, and it can be really frustrating.