James Dunham

Well, I am now facing in a few days the turning of age to a ripe old 69. Still in good shape, so far. Had a great kidding season with the goats with 10 mini Nubian kids running amok. So much fun and great for the heart and soul watching their antics, by myself. Is what it is I guess. And no relationship is better than a bad one. I still look for someone with some sort of parallel to me, not perfectly, but enough that we can partner. Maybe I am in the wrong place on this site, or any dating site, it seems. I have given up on all of it. This is the last one I am on.

I am getting wonderful goat's milk now, so pleased with that. The greenhouse is popping up little green things. The 6 new chicks are growing like weeds and eating a ton. Had a load of gravel delivered so finally fixing some of the soft spots, low spots, slippery areas I routinely walk on. Like having new freeways. Old Chinese Rhino 2 cylinder thumper tractor working fine. It's finally spring.

Now have 25 goats, including one buck and his buddy, in two groups. They got together accidently yesterday which resulted in a significant amount of fighting with my dairy girls. Not good. The teenagers. So more will be going to the freezer before the herd becomes one. Figured out how to make bacon last week. Love those crispies on something roasted? I thought I would try making a cast iron frying pan of it. I thought about where on the carcass I could get strips, and back strap came to mind. Sliced that thin, salt and fresh ground black pepper, and slowly fried to crispy, just like one would do with bacon. Perfect! Might think of getting a smoked flavor, but this was just like uncured bacon. Another replacement for the store variety. Sure figuring out many ways to utilize goat for most of what is in the meat department at the grocery store.

My milking machine is driven by a vacuum pump used for refrigeration repair. I put a relief valve on it so it only draws 12 inch hg, with a 5 gallon air tank as a reservoir, then 1/4 inch Tygon hose to connect a catch jar, shutoff valve, and quart jar for collecting the milk. The cups I use on the teats are two sizes, 60 cc and 35, depending on teat size, syringe housings. The case they come in is handy too. i drilled a hole in the bottom for the tubing to go through, so the cup gets stored when not in use, or I have to set it down. Keeps things clean. My electrical in the milking shed is minimal, should have used heavier wire, but things work, except the vacuum pump has a lot of trouble starting when it is cold out. The oil in it gets too thick, and I have the lightest oil I can find in it, which still did not work. Since I am using heat lamps for kidding, I came up with the idea to put a heat lamp just above the pump. I have Alexa everywhere here, put a smart switch on it, so I can turn on the heat lamp while having coffee before I go out. By the time I get down there to milk the pump is warm and starts right up. Pleased with that.

I have 8 goat cams set up down there since I now have wifi there, 500 feet from the house. The goats are on the other side of a small swamp from the house. That was a super improvement. I have learned a lot about goats as a result being able to watch them much more than otherwise. I have a total of 9 cams on the property, all on one screen on a dedicated (my previous one) computer. There is two way audio also so I can talk to them, and hear if anything is up. All kiddings I was able to spot prior and put the doe in the nursery so all five kidded there. None dropped elsewhere. I could spot the signs. And watching kids romp. Love the tech. No, I am not ready to go without internet and power! Solar probably would be a challenge this far north, so I depend on the power from elsewhere, so far.

Rambling here. I know. It is a fun life here, although I do it alone. I have a lot of energy still and need a kind of playground.

Signing off for now, have to get started with the day.

Hi Lisa,

Emailed you.

Jim

Hi Lindsey,

I have 4 but they are old and in retirement. I like the eggs over chicken but, alas, those days are apparently over, unless I have your group join me on my South Whidbey homestead. jimsplace1@whidbey.com

Just a little more that might be pertinent. Childhood from age 7-11 was in England and Germany so there is bound to be some effect there! Favorite music seems to be, lately, a result of getting an Echo Dot. I can listen to whatever genre I feel like, and since blues are hard to find on the radio, I just tell Alexa to play Chicago Blues. I have dabbled with the harmonica throughout my adult life and made a concerted effort to learn the blues, but alas, that takes more time than I have. I learned a lot, but still can't do well at it. Maybe someday when I slow down? It seems it is near nigh impossible for me to catch up to those that learned it in their early years. My forte is mechanics, electrical, and generally how things work. I was pretty good at taking things apart to see what makes them tick by 5. This did not help with my relationship to my parental units as I progressed in my curiosity! I ran a repair shop here at home for 12 years on the island which allowed me to be self employed, a boon for a person like me. I did lots of repairs to meet the local musician's needs!
Needless to say, I have a few really neat and effective older tractors, and older Harley, and my two older vehicles for daily driving, one dating to 1976. They all work well for me.
Ok, got to get back to it, hanging ceiling lights.

Thanks for the input Sue. I am currently living in my mother in law while I rebuild a mobile into house standards. The major work is done, now getting to the finer stuff. I had gutted it and had a war on particle board, and there was a lot of it! So, that being said, I will have a really nice cabin available when I move back into the mobile. So that is one thought.
The hay bales I mention. They are like 2/3 size. The crew at the farm I get them from, and I help them get all of them in above what my needs are, each season, are mostly in their mid seventies. I am one of the young ones. Women included. The hard part is getting the hay put away there, but after that it is just a pickup load now and then from one of their barns.
About me. An odd ball no doubt. As with many, I had my own weird experience growing up. It was not pleasant and had profound effects on me. The results of which I believe cause me to do what I do. I figured out very young that time on my own tinkering with things did not give me the grief humans did. As a result I became very knowledgeable about how nature and things worked. No matter how I try to be 'normally social' at this age, I am still uncomfortable at some point. Believe me, I have tried. I see so much BS out there and don't buy into it or play the 'game'. This all probably resulted in me being suspicious of the food supply long ago, have a love for older well built machinery, and am most comfortable with the homestead scenario. I do get out now and then but for the most part I am most comfortable home.
When I look back at the mates I have had, they all liked what I got done and benefitted from it. All tried to take a big chunk of what I created, well, all but one, the first, upon parting company. So now, having survived and saved the farm, again, I am here in this space.
So now I look for a kindred spirit that would understand, and might also like this lifestyle.
I have traveled most of my life, including substantial moves, so I am kind of done with that. I guess many haven't and have it on their bucket list in retirement. I cut out alcohol pretty much, don't have it at home, might have a glass of wine or a beer at a social event, but that is it. Throughout life up to now I have experienced the damage it can cause, and I like to get up in the morning fresh. I still smoke some, but have cut down a lot and do not do it publicly, in my vehicles, or in the home. May quit one of these days. Something about my morning cup of coffee and a smoke, sitting on my deck watching the sun rise over the east hill. I know, no excuses, but it is what it is, so far.
Since my family was such a mess, a long story in itself, I don't have much contact with them, certainly don't have constant connection. Like I said, I don't like BS.
These days the goats are pretty much my family. I have one runt that serves as my dog, although lives with the herd, but would rather live with me instead. I feel for him but the month he was in my home was like having a new puppy, challenging!
After a number of years, I am now growing veggies again. This time with the goat input. Working this carbon capture, regenerative thing. I think I kind of do it naturally anyway. It's nice to have fresh things again. A big difference than what I get at the grocery.
All this requires some level of physical work. I just used the hay thing as an example. It's much easier with two. With just me, there is only so much I can do. I took on milking this year, which involved breeding, kidding, raising the offspring, and now processing vegetables into the freezer, as I did with the milk, a whole freezer full. I don't have time to do the finer things like cheese and such.
Ok, bared my soul a little. Be nice, I have my fragile points.

Thanks for the input Ruth. I see there are those writing books on here and had the same feeling you did. New to this. A bit different than a dating site.

Hi Y'all, just joined. 67 younger looking straight male seeking female companionship on my 10 acre homestead on Whidbey Island, Washington. I am still on grid but hope to augment with solar one of these days. Have 24 goats that provide meat and dairy, two large hoop houses for the veggie side of things. Currently I have started harvest mode and am processing for the freezer. I have done chickens, have the equipment, and will be doing some goats when the temperature gets lower. So, a potential mate needs to be an omnivore and interested in better options for food than the factory fare. Should be able to handle the smaller tractors, help with midwifing the goats, raising the kids, milking (with a pretty fancy home-made machine), help in all the processing, and generally understand what it takes to make it through winter. Even though animals are harvested, must love them while they are here, the ones that go, and of course, love on the ones that stay. Parted with my past company that was not really cut out for this and ready to try again. It's a lot of work on my own! Surplus, if there is interest, can go to the local market. Should be able to drive stick shift, as in the truck, help collect hay from an offsite local farm, you know, some of the heavy work. Must cherish home grown food. Must be fairly organized, and like a moderately clean and organized home.

I have tried other sites but most of what I find is women that want to drink wine and walk on the beach, travel, that sort of stuff. I rarely drink, only socially a little now and then. I like a dark beer. I smoke a bit but have cut down a lot, don't smoke in cars or house, around animals, on the way to quitting.

Been here over 20 years so I am pretty well settled.

Any interest out there?