We've had to make some changes to our plans for this year. We will still be opening the Christmas Tree Farm for business, but we will not have the newly constructed gift shop that we'd originally planned. So, plan B is to use the trailer for our gift shop(yes, it's ugly and well...a trailer!). We are going to spend the summer and fall trying to "pretty" it up! It's a job, but David can do it!
We hope to build our dream building for our gift shop in a few years. David's already drawn the plans and it will be awesome, but even with David doing most of the work...it was going to cost us way more than the bank will loan us to build it. Hence, plan B.
So, we refinanced our line of credit with Farm Credit Services of Mid-America. They were great and we would recommend them to anyone!!! We've got a little $$ to work with to fix up the gift shop and buy the equipment we need. We're going to have to be really creative to make it all work and make the $$ spread! We did apply for a grant from the state of Tennessee for Agritourism. If we are approved their matching $$ will go a long way to helping us purchase our equipment, make a parking area, and advertise. We are hopeful and praying for God to give us favor with the state. We should know by the end of August.
The finished trailer will make a great size gift shop with a bathroom and a room for the kids to build their wooden snowmen. So, it will definitely be big enough. We are still excited to see what will come.
We hope you all will visit us this year!
Friday, June 18, 2010
A Surprise from my Precious Daughter!
We went down to take some measurements of the trailer and talk over our gift shop plans this evening after supper. While we were down there the kids were playing and running all over the place. When we started to head up to the house, Hannah went running in ahead of us. This is what I saw when I came into the house....
Isn't she sweet?!! God has really blessed me with my 4 children!
Isn't she sweet?!! God has really blessed me with my 4 children!
Runaway Pump!
Uh oh! Our pump came off the stand in our pond. We use the pump to pump water from the pond to the tree fields, so we can water each tree by hand.
So, Daddy has gone to fix it. We gave him about 40 minutes and now we're heading to the pond for a promised canoe ride!
Daddy's got the pump and stand out of the pond and in the canoe to work on it and reattach it. He's still not done when we get there.
It's pretty nasty work....our pond is not of the 'swimming' kind. :0)
The blue barrels are the floats that keep the stand and the pump from sinking to the bottom.
The wire they were attached with has totally rusted away. So, we will reattach them this winter when we remove the pump from the pond before the first freeze. There is a new kind of plastic cording that will work better--won't rust. Poppie has a lot. It's what they use to bind his hay.
The cows have come to see what all the commotion in their pond is about.
Anxious to ride the canoe....yes, even in that mucky, yucky water! We've talked about running a pump in this pond to keep the water clear and make it look pretty, but well....it's just another expense. Maybe someday.....
Waiting for their canoe ride. Passing the time by throwing rocks into the pond.
A view of Daddy working from the other side of the pond.
Working hard to get all the wires right where they need to be.
Pump and stand are back in the water--a good sign!
Beautiful Sunset!
"When is Daddy going to be done, so that we can ride the canoe?"
The job is done! Coming to pick us up for a canoe ride.
"Come on Mom, we're ready to go!"
It was a great ride! Poppie came to watch us. I left my camera on the bank, though. Sure didn't want it going for a swim. So, that's all the pics I got! :0)
So, Daddy has gone to fix it. We gave him about 40 minutes and now we're heading to the pond for a promised canoe ride!
Daddy's got the pump and stand out of the pond and in the canoe to work on it and reattach it. He's still not done when we get there.
It's pretty nasty work....our pond is not of the 'swimming' kind. :0)
The blue barrels are the floats that keep the stand and the pump from sinking to the bottom.The wire they were attached with has totally rusted away. So, we will reattach them this winter when we remove the pump from the pond before the first freeze. There is a new kind of plastic cording that will work better--won't rust. Poppie has a lot. It's what they use to bind his hay.
The cows have come to see what all the commotion in their pond is about.
Anxious to ride the canoe....yes, even in that mucky, yucky water! We've talked about running a pump in this pond to keep the water clear and make it look pretty, but well....it's just another expense. Maybe someday.....
Waiting for their canoe ride. Passing the time by throwing rocks into the pond.
A view of Daddy working from the other side of the pond.
Working hard to get all the wires right where they need to be.
Pump and stand are back in the water--a good sign!
Beautiful Sunset!
"When is Daddy going to be done, so that we can ride the canoe?"
The job is done! Coming to pick us up for a canoe ride.
"Come on Mom, we're ready to go!"
It was a great ride! Poppie came to watch us. I left my camera on the bank, though. Sure didn't want it going for a swim. So, that's all the pics I got! :0)