Introducing myself

Hi all,
I'm the NKOTB for the moment; most friends call me 'G'. I moved from VA to Pittsboro, NC last August (new job), and was blessed to find a little over 3 acres with a perfect house with an even more perfect 2-stall barn and paddock on it. It's spring, first year of country livin', and I want my chickens!!

Never had chickens, have none yet. I've wanted pet chickens for at least 20 years; they're just cool. I am in love with Buff Orpingtons; I want to get teenage pullets, not tiny babies. I'm not home all day and I'm too neurotic. The chicks would survive, but I never would. Worrying about heat and cold and coyotes and tornadoes and stuff I haven't even thought of yet. I should mention that I want to build a Victorian style home for my girls...never built anything in my life--but it could happen, I have the book!

I have not heard of Easter Eggers before, but I'm generally a fan of hybridization, I want to learn more about them also. Anyway, I don't know where I'm going to find my girls--a couple of years ago there were hens to be rescue-adopted. Now I see all these roosters, and it is heartbreaking.

I found out about BYC.Com when a gentleman was estimating the cost of our house move.Mon mentioned a country house and my wanting chickens and he said 'Backyard Chickens.com'.

Other hobbies include reading, writing, history, music, worrying, playing with the horses, dogs, and cats. My new project is going to be a little rescue mini-donkey who should be here in a month or so. My daughter's horse is a Friesian-Morgan cross who can't stay out of mud to save his life. As a pasture pal when we moved, we adopted a Shire mare with trust/confidence issues. She's about 22, and coming along slowly. She's turning into a diva about suppertime. Then there's my little Chihuahua princess, who bosses everyone around, and my daughter's little chihuahua beagle mix, who is scared of everything. We have an old beagle/retriever mix, Mosby--in dog years he's like 130. And 3 cats, but they're a whole other story; 1 chubby tortie and white cat who's pretty cranky about everything. A tortie long hair, just turned a year old, who stands up just like a toddler who wants to be picked up. I never knew a cat before who actually cuddles. And a huge white former barn kitten who's like Dennis the Menace. Literally every day I go home to something broken with him. I am just beginning to suspect that he is deaf, so maybe that has something to do with his imperviousness to correction. My Mom has a spray bottle labeled "BAD CAT WATER". I think that's a great title for a memoir of all the personalities I've shared life with. (Maybe I'll work on that in my copious spare time. ;o)

I'm a computer programmer for my day job, but I'm a mini-farmer in real life! The family consists of me, my Mom, (89) and my daughter (20).

OK, I've nattered on long enough. I am looking forward to meeting and learning from you all! Glad to be here.

G