Exciting project! Helps elders come to the farm!

Opie visits with one of his many friends last week

We started an exciting project a week ago. We are creating an area between the back gardens and the closest barn that will be safe and suitable for elders to come visit-a place where they can sit and some of The Misfits can roam free. We will also make it so they can enjoy the garden, but the Misfits won't be able to devour the garden.

It is good to have a landscaper husband and best friend that relishes in my ideas and goes for it. Martyn has graded the area, and as I type putting down weed barrier cloth and fine gravel. This way our elder friends with walkers and wheelchairs can come visit.

I'm so happy about this. When I take Opie on visits, he has to remain on his halter, which is fine-he really gravitates to the people anyway-he knows why he is there. But we all talk about how fun it would be for the residents to see him run around.

The new area will allow me to bring in the donkeys, the llama and other Misfits too. And, I can invite the elder residences that are a bit off my normal path, making it possible to bring more elders and animals together.

My hope is to have some people out by late April, weather depending.

This project will cost about $1,000-which of course doesn't count all the man hours Martyn is putting into it. If you want to donate to our Apifera Farm fund, it would be wonderful. As you know we raised the money needed for barn #3, and that begins in June. We will also have the hay bill due in summer, spring shots coming up, rabies due soon too, so it is always important to keep donations of all sizes coming in. And knock on wood, we have been emergency vet free this winter - again, knock on wood!

Opie and I made an overdue visit to our friends in Wiscasset. We had not been there for 4 weeks due to snow storms and schedule issues, so I was so happy and relieved to arrive and see all the faces. We talked about all sorts of things-movies, books, spring, the farm, puzzles, and writing letters. Opie is going to start writing them a letter in between our visits, it will be great fun for them, and us.I even bought special Opie stamps!

So, you can donate good old money, you can see some items I added to the Apifera wish list too. I added two benches I saw at Lowes, they are sturdy, but light enough that I can move them around on my own. I will need to get cushions too but have to explore that.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our work, and follows along-even all you lurkers. We love lurkers!!

In time, this will be an oasis for our elder friends