Adding humour and pleasure to the homestead

To be honest and upfront, this project got started out of self-defence. My Hubby named one of our farm "roads" - big enough for our lawn tractor and our bigger tractor, but we don't risk our car - after a war road. I decided that, a) I use it a lot more than he does and b) I'd rather add a little fun and humour to the places I'm going.

So I asked the Beatles to please, please help me... why not???

Step one was planting a sign post. Yes there is a tree very near, but I'd prefer not to screw it up.



Did I mention we have a lot of rocks? Turns out, the place for the sign was an old rock pile. The shovel I had brought to the work site wasn't needed. I just moved rocks - twice!

I'm not an expert on the Beatles. We had an early misstep where I was mixing up Abbey Road and Penny Lane, but it's really not big enough to be a road, so Penny won.



Recognize the raw material? Around here, Chinese take-out containers are aluminium pans with cardboard lids.  I used a pair of tin snips to cut part way up the side wall, and folded it to the back to reinforce the edge. I drew the letters on scrap paper, and then embossed the aluminium using a dull pencil. I don't need this to be seen from a distance, just to be able to say, "look for the 2 shiny circles and a path!" I do think the circles represent the records we would have listened to the music on way back when.

Seriously, the most expensive part of this project, was the stainless steel fender washers! The wood post was scrap, the rocks came with the land, and the sign itself was upcycled. But I know it will give me pleasure every time I walk down the lane.

Here are two close-ups:




Where does it lead... well, that section of our property just has to be Sgt Pepper's Land - I'm sick of calling it by its road address.
And it has a garden area... as soon as I get the fencing upgraded, it will get a name-tag, Octopus' Garden sounds good to me. A friend of mine asked where the Strawberry Fields were, but alas, two 4x4' beds just don't qualify in my mind, but as soon as my Fig tree gets planted in her forever home, she's being christened, Eleanor Figby, or should it be, Eleanor Fig Tree - what do you vote people?

Hubby is coming around. He'd better! There's a long trailer he bought off a friend he wants turned into a storage and cutting workshop. I've threatened to paint it yellow! What? Can't we add some fun to our lives?

And the neat thing is, I can get a BB just for having some fun! https://permies.com/wiki/101686/pep-community/Brand-location-PEP-BB-community

I like Abbey Roads and Penny Lane.

Hey, I like anything Beatles!

Thanks for sharing your signs as they are way cool!

Almost 20 years ago I bought a few faux Grecian statues at a yard sale for next to nothing.   I placed them deep in my woods where they would eventually be covered with vines.  I figure that at some point in time they will be discovered and make for a minor adventure for someone.

We use a lot of fun names, too, though we haven't put signs up, yet. John did buy us some glasses with flying pigs on them, and we instantly began collecting flying pigs, after we named our farm Pigs Landing (yes, it's plural, not possessive), because so many things were happening that we'd always thought were just pipe dreams - you know - things that would only happen when pigs flew. The rest don't necessarily follow a theme, but you might recognize nods to musicians and favorite movie or tv series...

There's a huge, old, tree, in the back half of our property that we've named 'Bob Gnarley', because it's so very lumpy, from scars of big branches that came down.

One of our goat bucks, born in a nasty thunderstorm, happens to be silvery gray & white is formally named Stormageddon Rayne (aka Stormy).

Our 3 sheep are named Ramstien, 'Ewe'londa, and 'Ewe'dean, and we've plans to get another ewe - maybe 2. Their names will be 'Ewe'nice and 'Ewe'ginia.

We seem to perpetually have 1 or 2 hens who refuse to go back into the coop, at night, preferring the goat barn. While they're not always the same hen(s) - and,  sadly, they don't always last long, we generally keep theirs as something more like a title of position: Rogue Hen 1 & Rogue Hen 2. If a cock joins them, his title is Rogue Leader.

We have pond frogs - hundreds of them, but not as many toads. Those become a warning title,  as we let each other know to watch out for them, and not let the dogs catch & eat them: Watch out for Driveway Toad (or Porch Toad, or Garden Toad).

Our tractor is named 'Little Bug', because from the front, it looks like a cute bug face.

John F Dean wrote:Almost 20 years ago I bought a few faux Grecian statues at a yard sale for next to nothing.   I placed them deep in my woods where they would eventually be covered with vines.

What are they made of? Cement? I've heard that if you mix up milk and moss, and paint it on things, the moss would stick. I think a moss-covered Grecian statue would be cool! But then, I'm a little weird sometimes - and I fell in love with moss when I visited the Moss Temple in Japan 30+ years ago. Saih%C5%8D-ji_(Kyoto) Forget grass - moss is like a thick hand-tied wool carpet compared to boring old linoleum!

Carla Burke wrote: Our tractor is named 'Little Bug', because from the front, it looks like a cute bug face.

Great name!

I keep asking my tractor what it would like to be called, but alas, I'm still waiting. I adore Pearl Sutton's name for her tractor (a Terry Pratchett character). Is it just my impression, or do humans value things more (and thus take better care of them) if they have meaningful names?  

My tractor, Lady Sybil Ramkin, thanks you for mentioning her in your post!

My other tractor, a little Kubota was named "Tetsuko - The Lady of Steel"  out of another book.

This rental I'm in has few place names, one section between the shed and fence is full of tree roots, it's named "Breakleg Alley"  and one of the garden beds has a cattle panel arbor set in curves that's called 'The Serpentine"

I vote Eleanor Figby ...

Hi Jay,

I think they are made of cement. I put one of Venus near a bench….there were a couple of columns….and a human shape with the head missing.  I am proud of myself. I really wanted a few gargoyles with glowing red eyes to hide in the woods. But I thought I could be responsible for terrifying and injuring some child 50 years from now.

It seems at our advanced ages we are always complaining about something. So, naturally, we named the homestead 'Belly Achers'.

That's what it's all about! LOL

On our family property-  our son and his kids have named all of the animal sheds after Star Wars towns or specific places; Jaba's Palace, etc.  
The small house by the front gate has now been dubbed, "The Gate House" inspired by the Thor moves, and our oldest moving in there is now referred to as "The Gate Keeper".

Always something to be laughing at!

Bob Waur wrote:It seems at our advanced ages we are always complaining about something. So, naturally, we named the homestead 'Belly Achers'.

Love the play on words!!!

We have a farm lane that goes east from the house, which we decided to name Penny Lane. Of course, it therefore had to lead to Sgt Pepper's Land, where you will find one of my veggie gardens which is the Octopus' Garden - we are on the wet coast after all, so the rain comes when we don't need it!

Hubby has a trailer over there that he's supposed to be fixing up as a workshop. I haven't the time to paint it yellow...

I like Eleanor Figby too

I love this thread thank you all for your zany contributions!!

Penny Lane is adorable and so are your copper pennies!
Perhaps you can start some wild strawberries for cover crop

The workshop you can call the yellow sub even if it's not yellow yet !-)

When I was growing up in UK in the early 70s there was a television comedy weekly called Sykes. The boiler was named Humphrey and the loveseat Bertha.

I named our solid marble grandmother clock Hernia.

And Humphrey was the 7' high by 8' wide by 30" deep buffet with a large mirror, brass candlestick holders and lions head, decorated with holly at Christmas, which was an antique carved out of 4" thick oak -- who made it to Canada. To move, the back was removed from the base and it took six moving men.

So my brother started naming their vehicles. There was Vicky the Crown Vic, etc. and my niece, my son, and I have continued the tradition of naming our vehicles.

My son named the 91 Ford xCab 8' bed pickup Clifford (the Big Red Truck)

The carTruck is the best name I think I came up with: 91 Corolla with back seats out, primarily the hay hauler and 50 lbs feed grain storage mobile, occasionally camping mobile (stuff grain bags and/or hay behind the front seats to make a larger softer sleeping section)

Do we care more about what we name? Perhaps:

I think we pay more attention to animals we name -- the ewews love this!!! the poultry... About half my pigeons are named. I think we remember them more too (and in my case the breeding ancestry -- I name all my breeders) but although they are for soil building not eating I call them staff, with retirement benefits, not pets -- not sure if that's an excuse though .

When we had our homestead, dear hubby named it the Lazy H after himself.

He used that same name for this place.

I notice someone down the road named their place the Lazy ___.  We go past it too fast to see what is after Lazy.

When we had cows we named all of the after food.  I remember `T-Bone` and the pig might have beed named `Pork Chop`

I cant remember naming the chickens and goats.

Naming places, things and creatures is certainly a way to have fun, and remember past fun and makes communication easier.

I have only been a few months on my current property, and it’s basically a rectangle with a gentle slope and no trees or brush.  As yet there’s not a lot to name.  Just lower pasture, upper pasture and Prairie Dog town.

But I have a ewe named “Fourey”.  She came with an ear tag 4.  Was identical to the other all black Icelandic ewes.  I have a friend named Forrey (short for Forrest).  I like to bring my friend to mind.  I enjoy and admire him.

Two of the black Icelandics were killed by a local predator, and sheep don’t live well as onlies.  I found a small white Finn ewe lamb, the runt of quintuplets.  Carrying the number theme, she’s Fiver (out of Watership Down).

I bought a third ( or was that a 5th sheep?) a ram lamb, but I haven’t named him yet, he’s a dorper-finn cross.  I am not sure I want Dorper mixed into my flock.  I’m going for fiber and milk, and rarely meat, so I am not sure how long he’s staying.

Often times names don’t stick for me, when there’s no one else to share the fun with so if a name doesn’t anchor itself in my heart, then I am soon looking for a name that springs quickly to my tongue.  (Which, good luck with THAT!  I am in the “I’ll tell you in a minute” phase of life🤣)

I have a Great Pyrenees pup, 6 months old now.  She’s Sharkie… for her sharp puppy teeth on my bare ankles when she was much younger… and her future function out in the sea of grass that I hope for my future pasture.

There will likely be Yackety Yak once the perimiter fences are built… unless they come with names and temperaments of their own making obvious names … Yaks are another creature that don’t do well as individuals… there’s a yak farm nearby, and yaks are big enough they don’t need protection from the many packs of coyotes here.

I have “Red Truck” aka “Drover” from Hank the Cow Dog series, a delightful series of books, a little beyond picture books, great for reading aloud. Commentary on human nature if you see it,  Humor that can be appreciated by all ages.

Less imaginative than many who have posted, I have shop and barn to distinguish my out buildings, and “the crooked little house” which is becoming a sheep shelter.  It was brought from elsewhere and plumked down on sloping ground.  It leans.  I am having a challenging time getting a secure door on that!  And having installed a 2x6, plumb, at one of the corners, the crookedness has been accentuated.  If it had been taller, it could have been the leaning tower of Pisa… and come to think of it, perhaps I will name that ram Galileo.  That’s fun.  Maybe it will stick!  Maybe all the rams here will be named Galileo.

I plan to stay here.  I believe over time the locations will name themselves through the experiences they provide and the functions they perform.

We only have one acre here on Snugglepants Ranch. Our goats live in Toffle Town, the chickens sleep in Carrot’s Coop, and they share a barnyard named after a dearly departed goat named Polo. These are the Polo Grounds. We enjoy relaxing in the Back Forty . . . Feet. Currently waiting for our 7’ hugel to reveal her name.

What a fun thread!
we have a building called "The far side" - some trails a riding mower can squeak through on - years ago before the trees got too big, one trail went across the property diagonal, I dubbed it "The Highway".
We have the orchard trail, the cut-off, and one for my wonderful cat - "Bubs Trail". miss him a lot - we would go for walks, they joined up enough to do a squared-off figure 8 - we would spend about an hour or so doing those trails. also the orchard trail, and the cut-off trail.
 we have a section we call Moredor, and we have the dark woods.
buildings have been "the watershed" - "the woodshed" - "The radio shak", and this concept will carry over to the next place.
 "back driveway" is only traversable during the summer with a real vehicle, the carts and mowers are light enough to get over it most of the year,
Chickens seem get get named, despite my objections, most notable was "my favorite" - I didn't name her, but she was a pretty amazing girl. Fluffy butt was the boss on the last crew we had. we would watch her spend the twilight hour rounding up all the other birds and getting them in the coop - and she would really stress when she couldn't find them all. We would laugh until the tears flowed, watching the chicken on the roof watching the "boss" running around the are trying to find her....
I am currently in the process of trying to get this place sold, and setting up in central Oregon - lots of permies influence going into the planning. 20 acres of off grid heaven. just waiting to get out of here now. trying to get the county to let me have some influence on the road name - not sure how well that is going. but the big posts with the top across at the driveway entrance needs to be Lazy something - but still playing with that.... but a rmh warmed,  in the ground greenhouse is probably the second building planned.

We have so many outbuildings on the property, we have names for each building. When I need to send my son to get something, I have to tell him where to go. Yes, we try to put all of one type of implement in each building. TRY.

We have been at our location for 16 years in far back off the grid canyon land. Everything is private including the roads which are actually ancient unimproved logging trails. A main trail from way back in time before anyone current was around was actually a mail route. It is on the country map, certainly not Google because their little camera car could barely get off the county road miles away. But at a halfway point there is a split and the historic two track to the top and beyond has no name. There are some non-resident landowners up there with their bug-out-place and it seems they all have their own road name. It's fun talking to someone and you try to reference a particular place - you with your label and them with theirs.

As for our place we found a parcel those 16 years ago. We actually had to call around to get someone to show it. We fell in love and wanted to submit bid on it. Turns out when our RE agent who was the only one who would actually show** up did research there were two adjacent parcels for sale. The property owners didn't know other properties were for sale around them. There was no bidding war - the land owners were glad to dump them. There was no negotiation because no one was active and didn't know others were selling. So we ended up with three adjoining parcels. In years down the road we have added two more in much the same way.

As for names they are labels according to parcel: the Home site, the Clear Cut, No man's Land and later the **** place and the **** place. As for naming trails we just don't go there. It is this: off of that on XXXXXX parcel. We don't need no Darn signage. I just gives trespassers and poachers a point of reference.

** The RE agent was nobodies model cutsy. She was comely but she clamored up some 50% grades that left us winded. And she was dressed for the occasion. And she had a vehicle that could do the roads (we had an F250). She represented and negotiated for us and did a great work.

Have fun with your trail signs. Whatever works.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Naming places, things and creatures is certainly a way to have fun, and remember past fun and makes communication easier..

...Carrying the number theme, she’s Fiver (out of Watership Down).

Ahhh - I could never butcher anything called Fiver!

Thekla wrote:

(Which, good luck with THAT!  I am in the “I’ll tell you in a minute” phase of life🤣)

🤣
How old am I? 50-errr was a quote I have outgrown
Soon to be 60-err

Thekla wrote:

Sharkie… for her sharp puppy teeth on my bare ankles

Gotta love it!!!

Thekla wrote:
“Drover” from Hank the Cow Dog series, a delightful series of books, a little beyond picture books, great for reading aloud. Commentary on human nature if you see it,  Humor that can be appreciated by all ages.

Awesome! I checked that out and I am homeschooling English to some kids in Quebec. It's always great to find something for kids that entertains the adults too! It's available as an audio book but also as a paperback at an excellent price. I'm going to order it and bring it forward another couple generations!!

Edit: I found the first five episodes as podcasts included with my premium audible USA -- along with Texas accents! How fun! 100 minutes -- great for listening to while we do an art project

Thekla wrote:
... the leaning tower of Pisa… and come to think of it, perhaps I will name that ram Galileo.  That’s fun.  Maybe it will stick!  Maybe all the rams here will be named Galileo.

Duomo
Gallilee
Pepperoni (Pizza)
The mind boggles!!!

Thekla wrote:
I plan to stay here.  I believe over time the locations will name themselves through the experiences they provide and the functions they perform.

I imagine you are pretty happy doing your homestead thing by yourself! How imaginative -- I loved your story

I love giving "things" names! It adds fun to my day. I have a '76 and an '02 Pontiac firebird. The '76 is 'big sister" or sometimes called 'the Black'  and the '02 is 'little sister'. My very old Ford tractor is Miss Deisel.
My recently acquired Kubota tractor is called Newby one Kubuty. I also see many hawks on my homestead and they are always called Hawkeye.

Hi Ra, thanks for your comments.  I tried Galileo this morning.  Not an easy name, BUT I could shorten it to Leo.  That’ll bring up astrological signs, so I checked on that:  confidence and leadership.  Just what I want in a ram.  Confident enough he doesn’t have to be aggressive or a bully😊.

And as for Hank the Cowdog, have fun!  There are more than 30 books.  The tapes are fine, but I liked reading aloud together and they enjoyed the stories so much they also read them themselves

I homeschooled my two , intermittently.  So many good books to read together.

I’d welcome company, but I am particular.  I got burned badly a few times …. Someone shows up?  Fine.  No one shows up? Fine

So much fun could be had....

We collect old Buicks and have named many of them...the 1961 Invicta project is Vicky, the 1966 Wildcat's original license plate started with ELY so became Ellie, and the 1976 Skyhawk (which is green) is called Grenouille (French for frog).  Our modern vehicles have had names too - the 2005 3/4 ton GMC Sierra became Max from the Duramax diesel engine...it's replacement is a 2023 Sierra 1500 tentatively called Max Jr (6 cylinder 3-litre Duramax).  The Cub Cadet lawn tractor is known as Cubby.

This past spring I was picking up something from a neighbour of our acreage and she told me to come at a particular time as she was bottle-feeding a calf - he had been delivered by C-section, so she was trying to give momma cow a break.  Anyway, her grandchildren suggested naming the calf, but she resisted knowing that it would be bound for the butcher in nearly 2 years.  I suggested that Stew or Chuck could be good names for a beef.

If one had a tomato patch, it could be called Roma...perhaps with an amphitheatre or cathedral or something.  A bit of a vineyard could be Tuscany (or Rioja or Champagne or Bordeux or whatever appellation you prefer).  Of course, if one practices crop rotation, Roma could move every year.  A brassica patch could be Brussels.

I'm a fan of puns, so that's the direction I see myself taking as the property evolves.  We do intend to create somewhat winding pathways through the property as it grows, some big enough for the Kubota to get around, so we may have an opportunity for additional naming.

Nearly everything at Wheaton Labs is named...the first couple days one visits, it can seem like the locals are speaking in code.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I found a small white Finn ewe lamb, the runt of quintuplets.  Carrying the number theme, she’s Fiver (out of Watership Down).

I bought a third ( or was that a 5th sheep?) a ram lamb, but I haven’t named him yet, he’s a dorper-finn cross.  I am not sure I want Dorper mixed into my flock.  I’m going for fiber and milk, and rarely meat, so I am not sure how long he’s staying.

Often times names don’t stick for me, when there’s no one else to share the fun with so if a name doesn’t anchor itself in my heart, then I am soon looking for a name that springs quickly to my tongue.  (Which, good luck with THAT!  I am in the “I’ll tell you in a minute” phase of life🤣)

Did you know that Finn means "white"?  I don't recall which language, but I discovered that when researching names for our new puppies, one of whom has white paws and chest.  It fit him for a name, and has stuck well.

Speaking of a name anchoring itself, our other new pup was named Komu for "bear" in some language.  His paws looked like little bear paws.  However we kept screwing it up and saying (me:) "Kumo" or (hubs:) Cujo or Kumu (TV/movie characters) or Humu (from the Hawaiian fish) or Honu (sea turtle) or Huna (like a Hawaiian shaman) and couldn't remember which way to say it correctly.  So, even though I hated going with the ubiquitous English name Bear, that's what we did.  It works for him!

Jay Angler wrote:Is it just my impression, or do humans value things more (and thus take better care of them) if they have meaningful names?  

I think it may be the other way around... we name things we value more and want to take good care of!  

My people have always been ranchers so we grew up knowing how things went. But my kids were city-raised and when they were young teens I started planning for when they'd be leaving home. Mom wanted a homestead! They were stressed by the idea of raising and harvesting farm animals. We talked names. The lead cow would be Lola (what Lola wants, Lola gets) while other breeding cows would get names from song titles. Calves I will name Stewy, Potroast, Dinner....    It helped to remember the plan. The kids are older now and on their own. One of them called to tell me of someone they'd met who has a Morton building on their place that has been adopted by an owl. Its name is, of course, Morton. I'm getting close to having my homestead and the kids are planning on naming everything! lol

Patricia Kavanaugh wrote:My people have always been ranchers so we grew up knowing how things went. But my kids were city-raised and when they were young teens I started planning for when they'd be leaving home. Mom wanted a homestead! They were stressed by the idea of raising and harvesting farm animals. We talked names. The lead cow would be Lola (what Lola wants, Lola gets) while other breeding cows would get names from song titles. Calves I will name Stewy, Potroast, Dinner....    It helped to remember the plan. The kids are older now and on their own. One of them called to tell me of someone they'd met who has a Morton building on their place that has been adopted by an owl. Its name is, of course, Morton. I'm getting close to having my homestead and the kids are planning on naming everything! lol

The Parliament Building

Donna Lynn wrote:

Jay Angler wrote:Is it just my impression, or do humans value things more (and thus take better care of them) if they have meaningful names?  

I think it may be the other way around... we name things we value more and want to take good care of!  

My take:  both are true.

I might name a building “parliament”, I love the idea… it’s the seat of power, the place where options are considered and decisions are made.

That would be my home, I think.  Or the sauna.

I was helping on a friend’s property with an injured Marine with no legs and I have a bad back. We were asked to pick up all the sticks and stones in return for hunting privileges. We did a pretty good job. Later that night I got pictures of the sticks and stones I’d missed by my buddy. 10 years later we still refer to that field as “sticks and stones.”

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I might name a building “parliament”, I love the idea… it’s the seat of power, the place where options are considered and decisions are made.

That would be my home, I think.  Or the sauna.

A group of owls is called a parliament, like a murder of crows or a crash of rhinos or a skulk of foxes.  That's what led to my comment about the building adopted by owls.  One could also refer to an outhouse as a parliament (or senate or capitol or similar) if one is frustrated with politicians

Derek Thille wrote: A group of owls is called a parliament, like a murder of crows or a crash of rhinos or a skulk of foxes.  That's what led to my comment about the building adopted by owls.  One could also refer to an outhouse as a parliament (or senate or capitol or similar) if one is frustrated with politicians

So you're suggesting that when I get around to building an outhouse (it's on the list), I need to incorporate a Great Horned Owl nest box, so I can call it the Parliament Building?

I guess I need to research GH Owl nest requirements - I am pretty sure they're cavity nesters, but not sure of any specific requirements that might attract them.

Jay Angler wrote:

Derek Thille wrote: A group of owls is called a parliament, like a murder of crows or a crash of rhinos or a skulk of foxes.  That's what led to my comment about the building adopted by owls.  One could also refer to an outhouse as a parliament (or senate or capitol or similar) if one is frustrated with politicians

So you're suggesting that when I get around to building an outhouse (it's on the list), I need to incorporate a Great Horned Owl nest box, so I can call it the Parliament Building?

I guess I need to research GH Owl nest requirements - I am pretty sure they're cavity nesters, but not sure of any specific requirements that might attract them.

I'm certainly not going to imply you have to do anything...one doesn't need owls to create a link between the activities of an outhouse (sitting, thinking, passing excrement) and the activities of a house of government  An outhouse may not be tall enough to attract most owls, especially the larger ones.  

Thanks for the chuckle.

We've named all our critters, which is a no-no if you have to send roos or such to freezer camp. So we haven't, we couldn't.
The chicken: Dame Blanche, Raven, Little Brown, Crossbeak, DiscoChick, MoonMoon, 7Shades and Caramel.
The Roos: Willem II, The Black Roo
The pigs: Harley D & B (= short for "Bloody Hell, Courtney!" from an episode of AGT)
Sheep (yes we watched Lucifer on Netflix): Lucifer = Luc he is as white as rams get, Mazekeen/Maze, Decker.
doggies Rajah & Rabble (short from scrabble)
cat Keeli (enter StarWars animated series & teenage son)
The buildings have very unimaginative names until now and the path / land is  "a doughnut"

I love this thread! You are all so creative!
Around the holding we tend to be a bit more boring - 'the orchard', 'the barn', having just the one of each. I'm starting to name my new mini hugel areas - I have the shell garden and the sunny GAMCOD strip so far. Some of my trees have names now after the people they were planted for: The royal oaks, Elizabeth and Charles walnut trees, Bill's walnut - now to be Bill and Beryl's garden, and Frank and Briony's walnut and Gingko. One track area is named - Lara's road after the vehicle (a series III Land Rover) that was parked in there initially.
Most of our vehicles have names. We sort of collect Rovers and Land Rovers, so it is a lot easier to say 'Larry needs a new set of tyres' than refer to 'the Land Rover' or by it's registration plate. Larry's name came from his previous family. I haven't decided on the Jiffy's name as he is still under restoration. Sometimes I think he will be Derek after his previous owner...names happen when they feel right.
I like the idea of signage, but that would be more for visitors than for us...

Derek Thille wrote: I'm certainly not going to imply you have to do anything...one doesn't need owls to create a link between the activities of an outhouse (sitting, thinking, passing excrement) and the activities of a house of government  .........................
Thanks for the chuckle.

Connected to the old saying to 'go sit on the throne'. LOL.  I always thought it would be so funny to get some old scrap lumber and gold paint, and build a mock up throne around a toilet/in an outhouse.Have a family member make a crazy crown out of something ridiculous!

Hi All.

Hope all have had a Happy Solstice, Merry Xmas, and wishing all a Happy New Year.

My homestead is named "Stone Baerm", which translate to "Rock Pile", and it is literally a lot of bedrock.  A friend says my house is built on the "Spine of the Dragon" for the bedrock ridge that runs through the property.  I get residual heat from the bedrock for the house and surrounding gardens.

I have also nicknamed this place "Still Kicking" because I am determined to age in place.  Older, I carry my battle wounds with pride, and of course now work smarter.

K

We had three frogs in our little backyard pond, with whom I spent enough time this past summer to get to know them by both their looks and their personalities. So I named them, loosely after some lyrics in my favorite Cypress Hill song:

Tha Rill One
Tha Chill One
Tha Known To Get Ill One