About Us

Art loves all the critters too. He's also capable of fixing anything he puts his mind too. A handy man is just the best! The actual 24/7 of farm and critter life is not for anyone but a crazy workaholic! Its not unusual for me to be up every 3 hours around the clock feeding babies of some variety, puppies, but also baby pigs, bunnies, and some other critters that seem to just fall into our lap.

We have had extended family and friends visit, move in and stay, or live here as a temporary home as they each build their own dream.​ We are blessed to be a part of it all. 

My Uncle AL moved here in 2013.

In 2016 my aging mother and frail aunt also moved here full time. We completed their own little house here on the farm in fall of 2017.

My cousin Brenda lived here for a time. Then Aryne, a young mom with 3 little boys, we met in December 2016 moved in April 2017. She needed a place and we needed help with paperwork and getting the house for my mom and aunt completed. She has her own place now and a few furry friends of her own including a cavalier named Sophie, and her poodle boy Sonny.

My daughter left her corporate job, now works here part-time and is raising their wonderful boys. (My only 2 grandchildren. I am SO fortunate they live close so I am a part of their life!) Nothing like a job that you can show up and go home, whenever it works best for your family. Family is #1!

Libbie worked here awhile, a sister to a friend of ours mid-2018 to spring 2020. She added more help for the puppies and dogs to have socializing. She has had some schooling to be a therapy dog trainer. Plus she's great at paperwork! She is now doing her own thing; original art work! If you would  like a custom puppy, or dog portrait please contact her, she is exceptionally good! She also does art of other animals and people, Seriously talented!

In January 2019 one of Art's older sisters had a rough time and moved in. We emptied as much of the office/guest room as we could to give her the space. She wasn't able to use the stairs in order to have the big bedroom downstairs that extended guests usually use. She needed her medical issues brought under control, plus her very aged dog and old cat moved in with us too. The dog was at the vets regularly with severe intestinal issues, testicular cancer (a good reason to neuter pets when young!), and major dental problems. He is doing much better health-wise now, although is a confused very old dog. The old dog ruined the carpet when Renee was unable to take him out often enough. We replaced it with easy to wash vinyl in November 2019. Renee doesn't drive so Art and I had spent a lot of time on the road getting her and the dog where they needed to go all of 2019. For specialty vet care we go all the way to Hannibal MO. We love Advanced Vet Care up there! Her cat was doing ok, but apparently had cancer and why she just wouldn't really improve. When she was no longer comfortable she was humanely taken to the vets and put to sleep. Very sad. Very sweet beautiful cat. I think she created a rainbow ladder for other needy cats to find their way here. We ended up with 21 additional cats added to the farm in 2019! We have spayed and neutered them all, took awhile. Many have slowly found their ways into good homes. One strangely moved up the lane to the neighbors house. We seen her all the time but only recently learned he keeps food out for her and gives her lots of attention....

Renee found a really nice apartment, October 2019. We were going to build her a place here, but she doesn't like me much, and she wanted her own place, which worked out so much better. Cujo, the old dog, is still hanging in there. 

Things evolve. In winter 2019 we hired Brandy, an accountant part time, who was also a full time college student. Her husband, Mike, lucky for us, wasn't very busy so he started working here helping with basic livestock animal chores, some help with the dogs, plus big time farm clean-up and renovation. My son, Keith, and Mike work great together and have steadily organized and repaired the things Art and I couldn't get to with the furry critters taking all our time and attention. Mike and Brandy are now living on the farm, hopefully for a long time, but the farm is probably a stepping stone as they of course have their own dreams. With the Covid pandemic it was very fortunate for us to have help who lived here as Kim and Libbie were home on the stay at home order. Kim is also now home schooling the boys. Brandy had family matters and college on-line taking all her time for awhile. Mike was my only help, which he did livestock chores morning and night, keeping up with long term goals of building and repairs with Keith and helped with dogs when I just couldn't keep up from early April to this update, mid-May. Kim would come by and couple hours here and there as she could. I had to set up an auto-reply on email as we were getting thousands of emails, doing all the dog chores with Art gone, and almost no help with the jobs Kim, Libbie and I did for office work it has been all I could do to try and keep up. The critters come first. They are doing terrific! The Covid hasn't effected them in the least, even if I am ready to drop from exhaustion! When Brandy's semester was over and faml=ily matters settled down she helps wit the phone. She is doing the accounting farm stuff. Kim worked a bit more to help with registrations and the things Libbie was doing that has piled up. Ethan started work in May and caught on really fast. He has been terrific with helping with dogs and puppy cleaning. Let me go back to working just the typical 1.5 to 2 people worth of work. 

Its August now 2020. Brandy and Ethan are going back to school, Kim will have her 2 boys being homeschooled. Art is back and slowly getting his health back and helping as he can. I just heard the first 4 cases of covid are in Bunker Hill, the town closest to us. Prayers everyone reading this and their families and friends are ok! 

I can still look across the fields and trees and feel blessed every day to be so fortunate to have a beautiful space to call home with friends and family all living here, never a dull moment.

Like many, the stress of Covid is always on our mind with so many susceptible people living here, plus friends and family who are all at risk. 

I feel so bad for those many people isolated during this stressful pandemic when accustomed to going out and socializing! Hopefully everyone has windows to be able to notice the shapes in the clouds, dream of new projects, complete some goals, and catch an occasional rainbow! Hang in there! Having issues coping, look up many articles on ambiguous loss to understand the immense invisible stress, and please call; hotlines, friends, or family and get help! 

There is beauty all around us, and in us, despite our emotional brain blocking what our senses can pick up in the here and now!