Under Contract!

Have you ever been to Disney? The Rocking Roller Coaster goes 57 mph in 2.8 seconds.... these days I feel like I am on that roller coaster!  Time is flying... Tonight was ANOTHER big night.... Tori and Matt have signed a contract to buy a house.  It is definitely a fixer upper, but it will be an amazing start to their married life.  More pictures to come as they close and start their renovations.

Sir Henry VIII

Today we welcomed our newest addition - Sir Henry VIII.  Henry's story starts in an apartment as a baby pig with two young men.  He was loved, just not in the correct environment.  After about a year he was sent to a race horse farm to live.  There he wasn't abused but rather not cared for.  He was able to break into food and eat until he was so obese that his belly was dragging the ground.  He came into the rescue with sores on his belly.

After we put Molly down last spring, I had been thinking about Dolly needing a friend.  This is when we got interested in Henry - around June of 2015.  At that time, I was so close to adopting him.  I went as far as contacting the rescue, talking to his foster parent and was ready to commit.... Then came Mona, our foster Cane Corso Mastiff.  Once we had Mona, I let the idea of getting Henry drop.  Months passed and I would see posts on facebook by the rescue.  I thought about it but still had too much going on at our house to spend time adjusting a new animal.

Last week I saw a post on facebook that Henry had been in foster care longer than any of the animals in their program.  I told Rod - that is because we are the ones that are supposed to adopt Henry!!!!  After a little discussion, we agreed to adopt.  I filled out the application, had the site visit and was approved in less than 48 hours!

Today was transport day.  Rod and I went out, loaded him up and brought him home!  So now welcome:

Sir Henry VIII

More Driveway Drama

The problem with being behind on blog posts is emotions change.  If I had done a post in October, the emotion would be pure excitement that we were FINALLY getting our driveway done.  We put down chip and tar.  It was so exciting to have a smooth driveway.  I would have posted about the decision making process in determining to go with this rather than asphalt.  I would have probably talked about the cost difference, the maintenance, etc. etc. etc.

But I didn't post that in October and I didn't post this completed picture:

Then if I had been posting in November and December, you would have heard all about the Beaver.  He was so dang cute!!!! But causing lots of problems.  I would have posted this picture of him leisurely swimming around.  I would have talked about all the trees that he was dropping that was upsetting Rod.  I would have talked about Rod having to go down in his waders to clean out the culverts before every rain. I would have joked about how he was such a good dam builder.  Maybe even joked at how quick he could drop a tree compared to Rod.

Here are some of the pictures I would have probably posted:

One of the trees that he ended up dropping

Out for a swim

Look at how he has blocked this 4 FOOT culvert!

But is isn't October, November or December.  It is February.  My emotions have changed one all of the above.....

In January, because of the destruction, the beaver had to go.  Rod took care of that.  There was still clean up at the pond that needed to happen. Several large trees were still down and his den that he build was still on the side of the pond.  But nothing that should cause major problem.. that is unless we got a torrential rain.

Last night the rains came.  There are 3 culverts that are attached and buried under the ground near the bottom of the hill.  This section has never clogged up until last night.  This morning my theory is that since it is close to the den of the beavers... maybe he clogged it?  Regardless, I am now mad at the beaver, glad Rod took care of it, and heartbroken over the driveway.  We did get a warranty on the driveway, I am hopeful that once Rod repairs the water flow in the ditch and repairs the hole in the driveway, that the company will come out and lay the chip and tar back over that part.

Bottom Section of the driveway that was washed away

UPDATE:  Rod has come home from work and we have surveyed the damage.... he tells me it wasn't the beavers fault.  So I guess I am not mad at the beaver.  It was just the culvert was clogged with all the silt that washed down.  Rod says he just cleaned the culverts out in January when we had all the snow.  While they were sledding, he made sure to clean them out while they were down there on the driveway.  So I guess we just got that much hard rain at one time....  bummer...