Will you be my BFF...???

Jag and Blossom.

Hey, aren't jaguars suppose to have tails...???

Well, I began with the oldest and gentlest and now on to the youngest and most fearsome....


....meet Jag, our very own backyard jaguar.

Handsome, daring, brave, a chicken- chasing extraordinaire, rabbit pouncer, goat wrangler, ready to strike fear into anyone who would dare to trespass into his domain.







Just please don't mention the whole tail thing, as he can be very sensitive about it.

What is a "matriarch"....?

......here on the farm, it's Babe.

She was born on this property a little over 14 years ago. And with the exception of a few off-site visits to the vet, Spring Lake is where she has stayed. She is a gentle old spirit and we treasure every day with her.

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Okay, so what now...???

Take the bull by the horns..., jump in with both feet..., bite the bullet..., take the plunge......

Doing something because it feels right, but without much thought or planning???

Yep, that's me! And that is how I created this blog.


That being said, this is the journal of a dream. Since I was a child, I have dreamed of living on a farm. Of course, as life progressed the landscape changed but the "farm" always remained.

Early on it was an Old McDonald farm; all animals welcome. Later it was more of a zoo; lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). Next was a horse farm, nothing but horses and ponies. At some point it became specific; a sheep farm in Australia (inspired by the Thornbirds mini-series and yes, I know, this dates me), a cattle farm in Montana (this would be my cowgirl phase, which lasted a while) and so on and so on.....I'm sure by now you get the picture.

As for the "Empty Nest" part, I found this quote from Agatha Christie that best addresses my mindset as an empty-nester:
"I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes when you finish the life of the emotions and of personal relations and suddenly fine - at the age of fifty, say - that a whole new life has opened before you, filled with things you can think about, study or read about...It is as if a fresh sap of ideas and thoughts was rising in you."

So, let not your dreams be thwarted by narrow thoughts or preconceived notions.
(i.e. I really did not need 20 acres to have a proper farm.)

Please join me as I live, learn and chronicle my dream coming true with "Spring Lake Farm - Filling an Empty Nest"!


Next - an introduction to the regular cast of characters.