Do vacations and homesteading mix?

They really don't mix. We go away very infrequently and although we have very good friends to come look after our animals & house, it's not the same as us being there. And I sure hope I don't have to go out of town when the garden is ready for picking. Most of my sweet corn & tomatoes had to be given away last June cause I had to go take care of a sick friend in Miami. I'm in S. Louisiana.

Having animals and going on a vacation can be real trick to pull off. I have goats and chickens (I even milked the goats at that time) and luckily a neighbor lady who lives a mile away also had animals.

They don't have alot of money, but anytime I've asked for her to take care of my animals she has, and I know that everything is being done while I'm away. You just have to search and look for someone.

If you are going away for a few days, usually the animals don't need a caretaker. Just put out extra food and water and they will be fine. (They might be upset that no one was there to give them their daily grain ration, but they certainly aren't going to starve!)

Anything longer than 3 days would probably require a caretaker. Start searching. Find an adult in your area who has their own animals or else find a local teenager who enjoys animals. And while they might not do everything in your eyes "right", your animals aren't going to suffer with a week or two of not as much care.

If you do find someone whom you totally trust and does a wonderful job - pay them well!!! Paying someone well is a good thing that the caretaker won't feel taken advantage of (while you are off on a big vacation) and you will actually be able to enjoy your trip knowing your animals are being taken care of.

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Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania

"Everything happens for a reason."