Hello Everyone :)

It's so wonderful to read about the things posted here. We're new to homesteading, and had no idea there were this many people out there doing it. Are there any Canadians here? We have 4 young children (ages 7, 6, 3 and 2), and we live near Belleville, Ontario Canada. We would love to hear from anyone with our interests, not necessarily Canadian. A little bit about our family: We have (had?) 3 goats, almost 2 months ago. After having them for 4 days, we came home one evening...and poof...they were gone! We looked and looked...and didn't sleep..but we didn't find them. Then, we woke up the following morning, and our chickens, all 10 that we had got the week before...were gone too. (I know your probably laughing) We think a fisher got them. Then, almost 2 MONTHS later, our neighbour comes over and says "Guess what we saw...." Our goats are alive!! Across the road, in about 5 billian acres (small exageration!)..but we can't find them. We look every day, and have grain and hay, we see their poop..but no goats yet. Does any one have any idea how to catch them? This was the beginning our our "Self-sufficiency". We just finished more (better) fencing, and we've learned that living in the country as we do, we have to take high measures to keep our animals IN and SAFE. These, as well as living off our land are things we'd love to talk to others about. We are enveloped in this lifestyle. Is there any way of getting closer to God, then truly enjoying the fruits of His labor? Thank You for any and all replies,

The Gosse Family.

-- Aimee Gosse (aimeegosse@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001

Answers

Hello! Had to chuckle at your goat story. We tried keeping a few goats several years ago, but we never could make a fence that they couldn't get out of! My hubby got tired of "hunting" them real quick, and we sold them. Who knows... we may try again one of these days. But I'll bet we put up a fence that would rival any maximum security prison's before we do! :-)

I'm also a homeschooler of my two girls, ages 11 and 4. We love living in the country - nothing feels better.

Best of luck with your critters! Hope you get them back soon!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), October 12, 2001.

Aimee -- your goat story made me smile too. I don't know if there is such a thing as a goat-proof fence!

We are a family of four, DH Bill and I and our two boys, aged *almost* eight and six (November for both!). We homeschool and try as best we can to be self-sufficient, but that in itself can be a bit of a stretch at times. We're Canadian, currently residing in Alberta (on the outskirts of Calgary) but I'm originally from Ontario -- my family are all still there, brother in Windsor, brother in Toronto and the rest of them in the Muskoka area (I come from a large country family!). We spent nine years in Ontario before moving to Saskatchewan in '95 -- and have only been in Alberta for a few months.

Good luck to you -- and I hope you find your goats soon!!!!

-- Tracy Rimmer (trimmer31@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.

We are in eastern Ontario, near Cornwall. My husband pastors a Baptist Church there. We have 6 children, all in homeschool, ages 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, and almost 3. We have 2 rabbits, 17 chickens and 2 kittens. We are also relatively new to homesteading. Hope to get our own land within the next year or two. Our landlord/neighbor has goats. For the year that we have lived here, the goats have never been a problem. Then about a month ago one nanny started finding her way out into our yard. The owners say they will probably have to sell her since once they start getting out you can't stop them. They have two strands of portable electric fencing and I wondered why the goats hadn't gotten out sooner.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 13, 2001.