ALMOST HEAVEN WV

I ate lunch at 4:45PM today.  That is how directed I was.  I had it in my mind what I wanted to accomplish and plugged away until it was done.  My morning granola seemed to hold me while I was focused and productive but then.....WHACK. At least lunch was pork chops in spicy tomato sauce that I had simmering on the stove while I organized my nine plastic bins in the cellar, my car's trunk and my paper files.  I now have a shred bag and charity pile of odds and ends that I know I will never use again.  SIMPLIFY.  IT FEELS GOOD.   Nine bins, one bike and a car.  Yes it can be done.  I have more stuff in Argentina but not that much more.

The trip west story continues.... I am a member of HELPX.NET.  (It is similar to WWOOF.ORG You can check the links, I won't explain too much.)  As there are so many fires in the areas that I had wanted to visit this summer I began to look into helper listings in other regions.  I don't know most of this country.  I have been from Maine to Florida and across to California by car a few times.  There is a huge amount of USA land that I have never experienced.  I have some time at the moment.  My house sitting chores are about finished.  Summer is light for workshops and new clients.  Now is the time to make my way westward.  Not to mention I have forgotten how to drive in snow.

I sent an inquiry to a farm in Wisconsin.  The listing screams AMAZING ENERGY.  I know it would be a perfect place to be.  Not only are they raising milking sheep and organics they also have PIZZA BY THE POND with music on the weekends.  Gourmet pizza in the country open to the general public.  The owner wrote me back saying they were in contact with another person to take the month of August but it would be a few days for a confirmation.  I had the choice of waiting about August or coming and pitching a tent.  The minimum stay in the summer is one month.  NOT IN A TENT IT AIN'T.   Not for me.  I said I would wait for her next mail letting me know if the other person declined so that the bedroom would be available.  She also mentioned in her note that as of the fall shorter stays would be available..  Good.  I don't know if I want to be on a farm for a whole month.  I said nothing.  I am waiting to hear from her and to see where that goes.

That was a couple of days ago.  I said enough and I let the whole trip planning thing go.  I folded up my table top map, shut the books and decided to let destiny take over.  I did however look to see if there were any new listings recently added to the HELPX site.  There were several but none spoke to me until this morning.  I saw a posting for a farm in West Virginia, sent an inquiry and in a half hour heard from the owner.  They had one opening for a helper from the 22nd to the 4th of August, two weeks and half the distance to drive. I leave after the weekend to ramble my way down checking things out along my path and hopefully staying with couchsurfers or other friends along the way.  It is only 11 hours by the crow flies but I want to take my time and savor.

I am in visible process now and almost all organized too. :0)

Some photos of the farm are above and the write up below.  DO NEWS !


This ridgetop farm is a piece of heaven on earth. We have about 20 acres of rolling mountain top fields and another 25 that is wooded hollers. We especially love the big sky feeling we have here on the ridge. Bruce is a psychotherapist and works full time. Gwen is a property manager and works 20 hrs. a week. We are developing this farm to be a working sheep farm. We are building a herd/flock of hair sheep with the goal of reaching 50-100 ewes in a few years.

We raise our own beef, chickens for meat and eggs, pigs, and dairy goats and we make our own cheeses and continue to expand our skills in that area. We also are the happy owners of horses again! We have 2 beautiful Tennessee Walker mares that are a joy to ride. We have a big garden that requires attention and harvesting from March through November. We have two beautiful sheep guardian dogs. (maremmas) and have both barn and house cats.


Our barn and sheds provide all the buildings we need, but they all lean one way or the other and need repairs. Our house is almost 100 years old and kind of quirky. I like to say it was originally a poor farmer man's house. Nothing grand about it, but it has a cottage feel to it and lots of room.


We could use your help with all aspects of the garden, animal husbandry, brush clearing, fence building, and building repair. The biggest projects in the spring of 2012 are fence building, gardening, building a sheep management system, building a couple field shelters, and tearing off an old porch and building a deck. We are building 6 strand high tensile fences, and here in West Virginia, that gets to be a challenge because the land is quite irregular. (and beautiful, I might add!) We ask that guests help 25 hrs. a week and we can be flexible so that you can have longer periods off to explore West Virginia. Of course, in exchange for your help, we will provide your meals and a private room and try to share our experience/knowledge with you. 

We are located in Ritchie County about 1 hr. from Clarksburg and 45 minutes from Parkersburg. We are 2.5 hrs. from Pittsburgh, PA and 2 hrs. from Charleston, WV. Our area has lots of museums, quaint shops, flea markets, hiking, camping, and canoeing. Go a little further afield for rock climbing. 

Our favorite thing in the world to do is stay home and "live the life". We make music almost every week and have one room in our house set up with instruments and equipment. Gwen enjoys spinning and knitting. We are both willing to share what we know. 

We have 2-3 bedrooms in the house that are available at any given time. We are most willing to share our home with guests. We do have 1 plumbed bathroom, and 2 sawdust toilets on the farm. Two week stays seem to work best for us. Thanks for considering our farm! 

Gwen wanted to know if I rode horses.  I told her not well, they don't have any pedals. 
Off to Spanish practice.   Country Roads.