New home

[Debbie]

We still have lots to do for finalizing it, but I think we're close enough that I can finally let my friends know ~ we've moved back to the Oregon coast!



We didn't want to jinx it at all, so we've had to keep quiet. We never were able to get the money together to move to the UK, but Missouri's climate has proven disasterous for our mushroom growing business the last few years. We found a farm on the Oregon coast and made the move in mid-May.

It's a ranch style home, built in the '50s. Originally the Clatsop Native Americans used to migrate through on their way to collect mussels and oysters at the ocean. It is the also end of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. They overwintered here to get enough salt to salt their provisions to travel back east. The farm itself has been a cattle/dairy farm. Yes, I was having kittens when I turned Blossom out to graze!

It has some things that will need mended hopefully before our winter rains return, but for the most part they are cosmetic. The front porches will need some help, but I think we only have one other leak in the roof. That's pretty good for here.





This is looking down the front of the home towards the two barns.  The barn on the far end is set up for horses, with the tack, some stalls and big areas for hay storage. The second barn has been used as a mechanic's bay. We shall see, but it may become the new place for our mushrooms.



This is the front livingroom taken from the entranceway.  The caribou antlers over the fireplace were actually shed from a female.  The people we are buying the place from, he used to have all kinds of exotic animals:  lions, ostriches, alpacas, basically you name, he probably has had it. 

Apologies for the clutter, but we are very much in the process of moving in.   

[newbie]

Congratulations, where abouts you near? I know some stretches of the coastline well from our time in California. It is beautiful!

[Debbie]

This is looking down into the main sunroom from the kitchen. We adore the sunroom! They have floor to ceiling windows so it feels like sitting on our sofa in the great outdoors. I can't get over how I can sit and have my breakfast and look out the window to Blossom and Dundee practically at my feet. I've watched red tailed hawks and elk come up into the pastures to graze.



This is the sunroom directly to the right of the previous pic.  This is the one we'll set up for Oogway and Mister.  We have yet to get the supplies to reassemble Oogway's big cage.  For the moment the boys are living in the bedroom just off this sunroom.  Mister's been allowed to roam in this room since he's no longer allowed to be an outside kitty.  The highway is too close and we have coyotes, so no more outside for Mister!

If you look through the middle glass, you can see Blossom and Dundee.  I don't know how big that field is, but suffice to say it's much bigger than the one they left.  The whole place is 28 acres. 



We're at the base of Tillamook Head. The lighthouse, Terrible Tilly sits behind this head and the ocean is two miles from us. We can hear the roar of the ocean, but we don't constantly have the sea mist.   



This is the whole backside of the house.  The righthand side is an enclosed garage area with all sorts of kitchen herbs, things like dill and the like.  The rest are the sunrooms, three in all.



And this is the main horse barn. There are stalls in the other barn, but this is the primary barn.  When we offloaded Blossom and Dundee, I put them in stalls inside and let them sleep and rest up for around two or three days before putting them out in the big field. 

[Debbie]

Thank you Newbie!!! This is located in Seaside, Oregon, very near to Washington state. We've lived in Florence and Lincoln City as well. And I think we know every twist and turn of 101 in Oregon. Heavens knows we explored it often enough!

I can't wait to see the Barkers again too! They're over in the valley from us. They were the first to import the Dales ponies into the US and we've stayed in touch all these years. I can't wait to visit to see how their ponies are doing and see their new ones.

Blossom's made waves already. Everyone's smitten with her

[carolinec]

Well, you kept that quiet Debbie!
It looks amazing & I wish you lots of happiness in your new home

[cadeby]

Wow Debbie. That's fantastic. I'm so pleased for you and Eldon and all the animals. How fantastic to be so near the coast, and away from the hurricanes. Good luck with re-establishing the mushroom business.

Seaside pictures next please, and do you do Bed & Breakfast

[Debbie]

The drive to relocate is over 2,000 miles one way. I came out with the critters the first trip and Eldon had to go back to pack and drive out our home and business stuff and then the last trip for my little white pick up truck. That's a lot of driving

At the moment Blossom and Dundee are belly deep in grass. To be fully honest, it's too much, but I don't have time to cross fence just yet. I'm being pulled a thousand ways, but I'm sure things will settle into place soon.

LOL, Caroline you've no idea how hard it was to keep quiet! But I was so afraid I would jinx it all, so that kept me zipped up tight.

I'll go see if Blossom and Dundee want to get their picture taken and I'll see if I can get some pictures of the ocean. Seaside was the first resort town for the Oregon coast. It's been the traditional holiday spot for Portlanders

[cassey1988]

If she doesn't do B&B, we're gonna make her, Helen! LOL

I love your new home, Debbie! So much room, wow!
I'm sure the mushroom bizz will flourish. I know I would! :-)

I wish all of you lots of luck and good times!

[harleydales]

Looks absolutely fabby Debbie - congratulations!!

[Tynedale]

Debbie. congratulations it all looks absolutely lovely and I hope you will be very happy there.x

[valerie n scout]

Cor Debbie it's bloody lovely x

[Debbie]

thanks! Hmmm... B&B? There's another thing we could do here I can't get over how much room we have here. It's take a long time to wrap my head around how far the property goes. The house is huge too. We only have a few up and down steps, but the layout means I walk for ever to go from the kitchen to the bath to the various living spaces. Can't tell you how many times I walk to Blossom and Dundee's field only to curse and realize I've left something back in the barn, clear on the other side of the property!

I've snapped some pics, Blossom wasn't keen on it. She apparently thought Mummy should be petting her, not fiddling with the camera. I'll go now and upload the pics, be right back...

[katiekynoch]

Wow Debbie, what a fantastic looking place and thank goodness all of you are now well away from the hurricane belt. Is that an aquarium I spotted in your sun room (or a weird looking TV!!) If so, what do you keep? My OH has freshwater tropicals in a 90 gallon tank (mostly South American species) and they are so relaxing to watch.

I am very envious of your countryside - so much uncongested/undeveloped land, unlike UK where we seem to be intent on concreting over green spaces!

Wishing you and your 'animal family' every success and happiness in your new home.

xx

Edited to say: on second look it's probably your TV!!!

[Debbie]

I'll try this again since it ate my other post

The usual pose




Proving they do come up for air once in awhile



Dundee coming to say hi





I know it looks like Dundee has a white splash on his tummy, but he doesn't. He's a palomino, but both of them are shedding like crazy. I guess they can't decide what the weather is supposed to be, so they've both been non stop shedding since January. I've seen winter and summer coats I think three times this year. So the lighter colour on his tummy is the paler winter coat that he's just shed. Now he's a deeper palomino, but knowing them, he'll likely shed this out soon too.

[Debbie]

Sorry I missed your post. No, we don't have any fish tanks at the moment. In the past I had 48 20long gallons and 220gallon for a red tailed cat and about 3 50gallon tanks. Fish are fun, addictive and very soothing.

I'm not sure what the item is that you spotted, but in the sunrooms there are a couple of woodburning stoves and the boxes scattered around are see through bins for packing. Most of those contain Eldon's books. I don't want to think how much tonnage we brought overland

I was told ages ago someone wanted to buy this place to put a mall onto. I'm so glad they decided against it! I think we need to retain our open spaces as much as we can. The last thing we need here is yet another half empty mall with the same shops and fast food courts.