Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[Sally Sunshine]

Mrs Oz may take a drive to the chicken ranch today - if the weather improves as its been blustering tropical rains for a few days. Our pregnant goat is no longer pregnant. She gave birth to a billy boy yesterday. Too bad its a boy - on the good side I get goat curry.

Hopefully chick and goat pics to follow.

If I was able to live in the Philippines full time I would work on goats next. When we first tormented with the Idea of adopting and living there, I decided that a goat dairy and cheese production could be fun. When I got to the Philippines I found the goats to be minature at best. There have since been some successful breeding programs in Northern Luzon island but those goats are a long way from me.

So if I start an artificial insemination program for goats - look out for my "Getting the sperm out of here thread"

This is what I saw when I opened the page! Stinks I cant congrats her instead of a goat!! I think Art insem would be a wonderful idea OZ. Your so awesome trying to bring more food to everyone! Such a kind heart. And such determination!

What are the plans, how long will you keep working in the states? So interesting Oz I love your writing and the pics are lovely.

 

[ozexpat]

This is what I saw when I opened the page! Stinks I cant congrats her instead of a goat!! I think Art insem would be a wonderful idea OZ. Your so awesome trying to bring more food to everyone! Such a kind heart. And such determination!

What are the plans, how long will you keep working in the states? So interesting Oz I love your writing and the pics are lovely.

A kid is a kid. LOL

Seriously - we are long over the lack of natural born kids and are so happy with the ones we have. If it were not for them, we would have never embarked on this adventure.

Future plans? Well Mrs Oz has been amazingly patient (though the lack of diversity and being apart really is driving her insane) and deserves as long as she wants back in the USA. My goal with our beach place is really to make it self sustaining both financially and physically. When Mrs OZ finally gets back to the USA we will travel to places with 4 seasons more than the tropics - at least for two or three years. After that - who knows. Whatever is best for my wife and kids. Between us we have US, Filipino and Australian passports. Maybe we will end up in Oz.

Home is where you say it is.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: It sure is Oz, but most dont want to give up anything to move on. I would love to be somewhere warm because of my RA, its another addition I dont need right now. I would love to live in a perfecct little world with warm weather and nice people and not have to make a fortune to live only to go to work another day.

 

[ozexpat]

It sure is Oz, but most dont want to give up anything to move on.  I would love to be somewhere warm because of my RA, its another addition I dont need right now. I would love to live in a perfecct little world with warm weather and nice people and not have to make a fortune to live only to go to work another day.

As Mrs Oz says "paradise is over rated ". Its hard work living in the third world. Sure we have an idealic setting with cheap labor but trying to get anything done is mind bending. Just a trip to the inside of a bank requires medication to prevent permanent nerve damage. Imagine not having access to celery, good beef, and a play or show. Its fine for a few months but longer than that can feel pike a prison sentence.

After 4 months of just talking with my wife, I longed other conversation. While we have never run out of things to say to each other, we both need other mental stimulation. The lions club was a god send for me.

Dont get me wrong - I love it there but you really have to know what you are getting yourself into, and how you will deal with the things you crave from your other life.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: LMAO play or show? I wish I could sit for a play or show! I like dinner theater, a short dinner theater! I understand, when I saw you packing diapers it had me thinking allready! And OMG if I cant watch Duck Dynasty or Bones what will I do!!!!!

 

[ozexpat]

LMAO play or show? I wish I could sit for a play or show! I like dinner theater, a short dinner theater! I understand, when I saw you packing diapers it had me thinking allready! And OMG if I cant watch Duck Dynasty or Bones what will I do!!!!!

Ok so let me give a bit more detail.

Diapers are available but more costly. Formula is worse. As I have a ridiculously generous luggage allowance of 254lbs, I use it to make life easier and more economical.

We have satellite TV too - if we chose to turn it on. Most times - we are not at the house for more than a week and can get by without TV. When we were living there full time, I loved having TV - I even had an Australian channel that showed real man football - not this stuff here with advert time outs, pads and measuring sticks.

I have a streaming device with 1TB of movies so I just watch the odd movie.

At Mrs Oz parents place, I catch up on the news and such - though I check the headlines on my phone.

One time when I was driving from LA to PA to renovate my house there with my Mexican laborers, one said that Nebraska was a different world. Thats how I describe living in the Phils. Its a different world. Not necessarily better, not necessarily worse - just different. I guess it depends on what you want in life.

I need a balance between living on the beach or farm and living in a city. I guess we will be bi-continental for some time to come.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

The world is your home, awesome oz. Are you all moved now?

 

[ozexpat]

My shipped eggs experiment is officially over. The used styrobator I bought on CL did me in. I returned with the eggs at 108F.

They were consumed this morning by the apartment chickens - aka the sink food disposal.

Time to get the bits out to make the bator. I am making a 220V unit and then using a step-up transformer to test it here (apart from the Americas, standard power is 220-240V). Ebay is amazing for 220V stuff that is shipped direct from Hong Kong for very cheap prices. Once the idea of building a 220V anything here was impossible.

 

[yinepu]

Ok so let me give a bit more detail.

Diapers are available but more costly. Formula is worse. As I have a ridiculously generous luggage allowance of 254lbs, I use it to make life easier and more economical.

We have satellite TV too - if we chose to turn it on. Most times - we are not at the house for more than a week and can get by without TV. When we were living there full time, I loved having TV - I even had an Australian channel that showed real man football - not this stuff here with advert time outs, pads and measuring sticks.

I have a streaming device with 1TB of movies so I just watch the odd movie.

At Mrs Oz parents place, I catch up on the news and such - though I check the headlines on my phone.

One time when I was driving from LA to PA to renovate my house there with my Mexican laborers, one said that Nebraska was a different world. Thats how I describe living in the Phils. Its a different world. Not necessarily better, not necessarily worse - just different. I guess it depends on what you want in life.

I need a balance between living on the beach or farm and living in a city. I guess we will be bi-continental for some time to come.

Lol.. i would do fine there..in the past I have gone 12 years with NO TV.. have lived full time at a goat dairy where all I spoke to for days on end were goats. I would only go into town once every three months for supplies. heated with a wood stove when I was living up north... and when we got snowed in for three weeks I was perfectly fine with no electricity and being unable to get out of our road. My neighbors at the time started to panic at the end of day 2. They just didn't know how to deal with no TV, no electricity and no transportation.

As it is I stay home with the critters.. am pretty antisocial in general. The only places I go now are to the feed store and to go get groceries... My "closest" friend lives in Delaware.. and I'm in Texas.. I think I have spoken to her once in the past two years... My husband is in Afghanistan and is gone for a year at a time while he's deployed. So I'm pretty self reliant and completely happy being a hermit without the luxuries that most people couldn't think of doing without.

When you mentioned good beef, celery and a show I started laughing.. I could live just fine without all three!

 

[ozexpat]

The world is your home, awesome oz. Are you all moved now?

I am moved into the world but my tiny apartment is so full of boxes! I got through 60% today. I have to find the screws to put my bed together by tonight. No fun sleeping on a mattress on the floor when gravity is as mean as it is.