So much has happened in that time. Things went sour at our farm with the landlords who wanted to sell and the place was literally falling apart around us. We knew it was time to fly the coop, but it was a matter of to where and when?
We knew we needed cheaper rent, and I knew my bunz weren't going anywhere! So it was quite a challenge to find somewhere that was fine with 3 kids, 2 cats, 2 dogs, and the rabbits AND was in the price point.
I befriended a woman who lives in VT who is also a French Angora rabbit breeder and she and her family urged us to move to VT. So the search began. Right when I started looking I saw this house I liked alot, I found the ad on Craigslist and there is literally a YouTube video tour of the house that you can see here:
http://www.youtube.com/poultneyrental#p/a/u/0/rdfp7K5kn5A
Cute right? After having to clean and care for a 2500 sq. ft. house in RI, I needed something smaller for my own sanity... This totally fit the bill. And the pellet stove is just icing on my cake!
What you aren't seeing in that vid is that there is a 16' X 24' workshop right in the backyard with remote ceiling fan, huge front doors that open for ventilation, side windows, electricity, HEAT (no more frozen water bottles for ME! YEAH!), and it's all insulated.
See here:
Alex jumped into the shot LOL
As if that weren't enough the rent was well within our budget.
We almost didn't get the house. I came up to look at two houses, this one and one other and by the time I got up here, both were rented! I kept looking but to no avail and a few weeks later I saw this house re-posted on CL! I jumped on it and came out to see it and within a week I had the lease signed and keys in my hand! The other renter had backed out!
The downside of this house is that I am right on a main road and it's a small city lot. No more acres of land, no more peace and quite at all times in the middle of the woods :-( It has certainly been an adjustment. I'm still adjusting to hearing cars and trucks right outside my door at all hours. And so are the bunz, who are used to a very serene and peaceful environment with no sudden noises. For the first two weeks the bunz were hunkered in their cage corners looking all scared, I felt horrible.
The upside (and can be downside since I gets to be a pain after awhile) is that because my rabbitry is right in my backyard often with the huge front doors open, anyone walking past that glances into my backyard can see my rabbits and I often have people wander over while I'm doing chores to chat about the rabbits and ask about bunnies for sale and babies, etc.
That's kinda un-nerving for a hermit like me. The first three times it happened I inwardly jumped out of my skin. I'm not a very talkative person with strangers and here I am being forced to talk with all sorts of people who are curious about the new "Bunny lady" in town.
I have been very patient and nice to people though.
Even when a guy and his teen walked over while I had a buck and doe trying to mate, talk about awkward! lol
And it had to be my shy buck, Leo (a fawn) who was like "OMG STRANGERS!" and clammed up while the doe was like "Ummm, Hellllo, I'm ready here!". I apologized that I couldn't allow them to enter the barn because #1) I generally never ever let strangers in my barn for biosecurity reasons, you never know what someone could be carrying on their shoes even if they don't have rabbits of their own! and #2), the bunz were trying to make little bunz and I can't even be in the barn when Leo is getting his groove on, let alone other people!
They must have thought I was crazy, but they still took a buisness card and said they would check back in a couple of weeks to see what I had for babies, which leads me to why I am blogging today!
31 days ago Creme Brulee (Broken Lilac Tort doe) was bred to Whiskey O' (Self Chocolate buck) and Sunflower (Self Red doe) was bred to Monty (Self Red buck) for my first two Vermont born litters!
The girls are due today and Creme has an awesome nest built and Sun is just lounging around her cage.
Both are off feed and I highly suspect that Creme will deliver tonight as she is having contractions and panting away.
Back in RI at the farm, it was so quiet that my girls often kindled in broad daylight, I suspect that here with all of the daily hubbub they will hold off until the still of night to have those kits.
The litters will both be named in themes centered around two popular VT things, Maples, and Cheese.
Which just happen to be two things Keith and I love, we have tapped our own trees and made our own syrup, and Keith loves cheese....
Creme's litter will be the cheese litter, with names like Cabot and Crowley on the list (VT cheesemakers).
Sun's litter will be the Maple litter, with names like Sugar Shack and Amber (a syrup grade level).
I also (FINALLY) have Calypso bred to Leo and I'm DYING to see the Fawns they produce, she is due October 12 and has never had a litter less than 9 kits.
I will update when the new babies have arrived! I cannot wait for a kit fix, I haven't had babies in my barn since March!
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