Scott-Anderson Homestead, in the making

When I was growing up, my father had hogs. I mean these big huge beasts, that came up past his waist, and he stood 6' in his socks! He also had a garden that I would pull the onions up and eat, and a huge wild strawberry patch that I would sit in the middle of and eat until I passed out! I think those few years I lived with him are the reason I have always wanted my own homestead. Daddy made sure I knew the basics about gardening, construction, animals, cars, football and hunting. I can maintain a chainsaw, cut down a tree, buck it up, and stay warm all winter! However don't tell that to my husband, I like the helpless female act Daddy made sure I knew enough to never have to rely on any one, unless it was major.

I inherited slightly over an acre from my Aunt Betty Mae when she passed away about 10 years ago. When my Uncle Nolan died 6 years ago, I started the process of evicting his "care taker", one of my siblings. She shot at me. Then it took 4 years to get her off the land. I have no idea why the battle lasted that long, but when the Tribe finally stepped in and told her she was destroying the land and to get the eff off, she finally left. That was 02/2013, After I had the police serve her with a second 30 day eviction 11/22/2013! Since then we have been slowly clearing off all the garbage, trash, appliances, dead animals, and junk from the property. I will post a video about what it looks like as of yesterday, even after we have removed over $300 in house hold trash, several hundred in appliances, cars and other stuff. It's so darn thrashed, then after they left people were using it as a dump, and then they returned and unloaded more trash!!

We want to bulldoze and start from scratch! We want to be self sufficient, rely on ourselves not the Government or others. I want rabbits, chicken, goats, a huuuuge garden. I will be leasing the back mountain side, maybe 5 acres, so I can run live stock. When the loan goes threw we will be building our dream house. We want an Earth Berm Cement house, but we will be happy with anything at this point. Until then, we will be parking a small 5th wheel, and using that. Existing but not living.

Yes I started tearing up in the end. I love this land, and what they did is horrible!! I hope that link works. It's my first time posting a video. It's a long video about 15 minutes, but you can see the extent of the damage and what we are dealing with. My purpose of starting this thread is so I can share the awesomeness of before and after. So you can see the beauty as it unfolds. So those that think their land is hopeless and they can never accomplish their dreams of a homestead, can watch us struggle, then persevere!! I'm going to take back the land! I will make my family dreams come true! I will make my Aunt and Uncle proud of the property once again!! Taking it back, and showing it love!!!!

We find out later today, if anyone has put a bid in with the Tribe, to clean the property. I was told it was going to be done by the end of summer, but Northern California was hit by major fires so it was put on hold. Which I totally understand. I just want it cleaned and start to live on it! We had a man go up and estimate clean up last summer (when we were able to come up and start cleaning) and he estimated $5000 in clean up. Then when the Tribe sent someone to estimate, he said $7000! Even with both of us working full time, we can't afford that! Hopefully, we have bids, and we can proceed with clean up, then making our home!!

I will continue to post on this thread any and all improvements, set backs or down falls.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this and the time to watch the video, if you did.

Just got off the phone with the Tribe. No bids as of today. I call back Friday. :'(

Good luck on achieving your dream. Sounds like a lot of hard work but you seem to have the strong will to make your dream come true. Keep posting with updates!

Thank you. Its going to a long labor of love, but I think it'll be worth it

Yep, it will be!

I have a huge family that I will be providing for, so if my numbers sound big, its for a reason. Big family means more help though downside is they don't all live with me, so they have to drive to me, to help. Good thing they only live 5 minutes away

I want about 25 chickens. Black Jersey Giants, to be precise. 22 hens and 2-3 Roo's, since I hear the Roo's actually can get along. I can wait for them to reach maturity, before the harvesting of meat. I will select breed eventually, but definitely not right away. We love eggs, plus I kind of have the huge family. Since I will be having a coop and huge run for my girls, I will be doing "chicken composting", in half of the run. I will do a small wall or something to keep the compost from taking over, but leave it open so my girls can scratch, and pick at their little hearts content. My big boys will have life outside the cage, and be as free as they want. Well until its time to dance with the girls LOL Now I was told that if I wanted to get eggs faster, to supplement my flock with another breed of hen. Any suggestions? I was looking at the Leghorns and RIR, but I read these breeds can be aggressive.

Guinea Hens. Now I am considering these. I hear these little beasts are awesome snake killers. When I was little we had a rock wall which had over 200+ King snakes. My father (who was terrified of snakes) had my brothers remove them. Well as soon as they were gone the boys were finding rattlers everywhere. I love snakes, I used to raise Boas, so I'm not afraid of the King snakes, however I have my children, nephews and nieces, step grandbabies, and little cousins, that will want to see all my animals. Will guinea hens keep the rattlers away? If so how many should I get? They will have free roam of an acre.

I'm also getting a peacock or two. These will be for my husband. Personally I'm scared of them. I had a bad experience as a child. I was ganged by a flock of these beautiful birds. However I was told if you raise any birds from chicks, they will be nice to you. Here's crossing fingers, legs, toes, and my eyes crossed too! Any advice on these birds?

Ducks will be mainly for my garden. They will be my pest control personnel. I will keep them out of the garden until my tender new veggies are established. Then I will let them in my garden to eat the slugs, snails and beetles all they want. For some reason we have a lot here. I know people say its 50/50 chance that they will tear up my garden, but it's a chance I'm willing to take. I read that Runners are the elite buggers, so I might be going with them. I have had a few people already ask me for duck meat and eggs, but I'm not sure about that. Eggs maybe, but I don't know about meat. I don't think I will have that many.

I was thinking geese. Thinking. I need a good watch dog, and I know geese fit the bill. No pun intended. However my yard is getting very full. Peacocks will be in the trees, air attack if you will. Guineas from the brush, sneak attack. Geese will be out when not in there coop, so they would be the front lines I guess. I'm still debating.

When the leasing of the mountain side goes threw I will be asking for 5 acres. Here I will be penning my meat goats, I believe the ones I am looking at are called Boers. They are from a local man, but even he was unsure of the breed. I would someday like a milk goat, but that would have to be after I learn how to milk her. I'm a mother and I can sympathize with her, so I don't want her in any discomfort because I'm a newbie! That's just inhuman. Does the meat of a buck taste different from the meat of a doe? I have only had goat meat in soup. My best friend is from Guadalajara and she makes the best goat soup!! MmmmMmmm! I'm still up in the air about air about pigs and cows.

I will be purchasing 3 Flemish Giant Does, and 1 New Zealand buck, to cross breed for meat rabbits. Yes I know they eat a lot, but I fell in love with these big beasties and decide I wanted the breed as pets but I still wanted my meat rabbits. So I figure harvest the offspring, spoil the parents. That actually sounds kind of cruel.

There will be my main garden, all the good stuff like tomatoes, squash, cucs, green beans, corn, peas, etc. etc. etc. Then there will be my "rabbit garden" which will be where I grow goodies for my animals. I want to be able to grow food to help with the cost of feed. I understand this will only work during non-winter months, but I still want to give it a shot. Any suggestions for veggies for any of the above mentioned animals? What would the rabbits, guineas, ducks and chickens like? Would I be able to dry/store these veggies for my animals during the winter months?

Oh crud! I forgot Goat-Goat. This will be my husbands BFF! He will be a mini goat that has total say over my husbands affections He doesn't find that statement funny but I do!! Supposedly this goat will have rein over the property, and go where he wants. I told Shane if he gets in my garden the darn goat is going in my stew pot!! My husband did not find that funny... at all. I still see him pouting LOL

So tomorrow we will be going to look at a possible tiny house that we can rent to own!! WOOHOO! We can put it on our property and live in it until our house is built! Then my mom can take over on it!! OMG I am so excited! I'll post pics when I can!

The little houses have always intrigued me...looking forward to seeing a picture.

We were actually able to design it with the contractor guy today. We thought we would get one off the lot, but the cost of a custom was actually cheaper than what he had!!!! They will be building it and then delivering it in 4-5 weeks!! We are so excited! Its a barn shape, since the company makes mini barns. We were going to have them make a porch on it, but it actually cuts into the square footage. We bought the largest at 12X24 feet, 5 2x3 windows and one door, with two 8' lofts, which will be our sleeping area. Its just the shell and we have to add appliances, and restroom ourselves, but that's no problem. We don't have much money, so we went basic. As soon as its here the pics will be up!!! I will try to blue tooth the sample house pics to my husbands phone so I can load them here, tomorrow.

Your tiny house sounds adorable! How exciting to be able to get a custom one, you'll be able to make it your own unique space.