Summer has always been slow here, in my estimation, due to outside wants and have to's. But, yes, seems slower than normal. And I don't believe the new format is helping.....
It's nice that HT is getting new members due to the virus, and I love some of the resurrected old posts....
I am not sure when HT started, or when it hit high tide, but there are many alternatives out there right now. It would be hard to win against them. I think the strategy of build it and they will come will not work today as well as it did before.
Speaking for myself.. My participation declined to zero, months ago. At the time it seemed that virtually every thread quickly turned into an argument thanks to a couple of users that always look for the bad in others and can't pass an opportunity for a fight. Maybe that has changed?
For my part, I just discovered this site and have gotten great information from current posters and looking back through old information.
I'd spend MORE time online, but I need to be outside trying to keep the bugs from eating everything in sight! Neem oil is sold out completely in our area and the ones on my Baby's Breath - which I'm pleased to say is actually getting some little flowers - seem to love Neem oil.....so I spend about an hour in the morning picking Japanese Beetles off them. Pigs are getting fat and spend most of the day in the shade. Nothing new to report
For my part, I just discovered this site and have gotten great information from current posters and looking back through old information.
I'd spend MORE time online, but I need to be outside trying to keep the bugs from eating everything in sight! Neem oil is sold out completely in our area and the ones on my Baby's Breath - which I'm pleased to say is actually getting some little flowers - seem to love Neem oil.....so I spend about an hour in the morning picking Japanese Beetles off them. Pigs are getting fat and spend most of the day in the shade. Nothing new to report
That's probably it. We do three or four Japanese Beetle patrols daily, we kill thousands and millions seem to come to the funeral. Where do they all come from?
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Some of the decline is the loss of quite a few of our goat folks. Some passed, some got out of the goat business, and goats just don’t seem to be the hot topic or commodity anymore.
When we first moved to this area in PA 28 years ago, we were surrounded by farms. There were kids in overalls and work boots in the classrooms, tractors on the road, and all sorts of livestock around.
Now we are surrounded by McMansions. So many of the farmers cashed in their Retirement Land and moved south, their kids not wanting anything to do with farming. My ancestors came from Ohio - all five brothers left the farm in search of other occupations - they were all successful, since after farming, everything else was easy. I still see a few cows here and there, goats are rare to spot, and seems like the sheep were gone years ago.
Well for me it's I'm two weeks away from a five year house for a family member. All paid for plus dad told me there was 80 to 100 k per year either vacant or under rented.
There are better places to post without the same 4 or 5 highly opinionated, obnoxious members with their constant bickering and politicizing of everything. And then there's that one troll, who just can't seem to help themself. I just roll my eyes and go to another forum.
Administration needs to take out the trash at HT. Drain the swamp, so to speak.
I have just been busy. I got a full time job, a small business, a big garden and a new puppy. Plus all the political crap depresses and annoys me. This might be the biggest lesser of the evils election we have had yet.. My screen time is waaay down.
Pretty much what we do.....grow food for ourselves. I do miss my chickens, but once the foxes found us, it was hard penning them up after they were free range, and I miss those delicious orange-yolked eggs. We're still eating the beef from our cow 2 years ago and will have pork this fall from our pigs. I like knowing where my meat comes from and what is in the feed. I cant imagine having to grow EVERYTHING for my family to survive...and hope I never have to.
As for the McMansions, I have no problems with whatever people can afford to live in...but find the minute they move in, they're complaining that they need sidewalks, sewers, city (no cities nearby) water with fluoride, and cry about the lack of public transportation.
Busy time of the year. Getting eighty acres of hay put up. Keeping the garden in good shape, produce sales has been quite good. Always need to be controlling weeds somewhere. Have an acre of lawn to keep mowed, and too many flower beds to weed. Don't do Facebook so no time lost there.
Work on getting firewood put away, have good start on next years supply.
The pup and I have made several trips in the motor home. Managed to stay away from all the crowds, by going to out of the way places.
Think am looking forward to fall and things slowing down a little. Days are getting shorter, so its a coming.
So a brief history going back to the 1990s. It started on Lusenet with ties to Countryside Magazine. When Lusenet shut down, Chuck started HT and Melissa moved her forum in as part of the migration. Chuck eventually sold HT to the current owners and Melissa moved her forum to Proboards (I call it the great split). I show up here off and on but it's been more off than on in recent years. I guess the way I'd put it is that more and more the juice just isn't worth the squeeze to participate.
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