Greetings from the Cornfields of Iowa!

[Jake229]

Hello!
My first post here. My bride and I just purchased a small acreage with a beautiful home on it, located in SE Iowa. We close in less than a month, and we are excited as heck! It has 2.25 acres, fenced and ready for next years garden. It will be amazing to be out of the city.

I am a recently retired paramedic (30 years) and currently a part time/reserve sheriff’s deputy. My bride is an RN. We enjoy gardening, birds, wildlife, rescuing retired racing greyhounds, family and traveling (especially cruises).

I began this spring by planting a whole bunch of tomato seeds and had them under a grow light until bringing them outside. We had hoped to be established in a permanent residence by the time they went into the ground. We were unsuccessful with that and ended up with tomatoes galore in containers. They are doing fantastic with tons of flowers and fruit! We are slowly gathering our canning supplies and preparing for a great harvest.

What a wonderful site you all have here!

Anyhow be safe out there, may God Bless America!

 

[dademoss]

Welcome Jake!! Congrats on the new place

 

[Meerkat]

from Florida.

 

[Meerkat]

Hello!
My first post here. My bride and I just purchased a small acreage with a beautiful home on it, located in SE Iowa. We close in less than a month, and we are excited as heck! It has 2.25 acres, fenced and ready for next years garden. It will be amazing to be out of the city.

I am a recently retired paramedic (30 years) and currently a part time/reserve sheriff’s deputy. My bride is an RN. We enjoy gardening, birds, wildlife, rescuing retired racing greyhounds, family and traveling (especially cruises).

I began this spring by planting a whole bunch of tomato seeds and had them under a grow light until bringing them outside. We had hoped to be established in a permanent residence by the time they went into the ground. We were unsuccessful with that and ended up with tomatoes galore in containers. They are doing fantastic with tons of flowers and fruit! We are slowly gathering our canning supplies and preparing for a great harvest.

What a wonderful site you all have here!

Anyhow be safe out there, may God Bless America!

Jake we lost a greyhound last Oct.2018. She was a mix they got rid of after yellow lab jumped over the fence and mated with female. Best dog we ever had and that is saying something,we had some good ones.
Brave, loyal, highly intelegent and protective yet gentile.

 

[snappy1]

Welcome from Mississippi! Good to meet you!

 

[camo2460]

Welcome from Missouri.

 

[backlash]

Welcome aboard Jake. It sounds like you are on your way to the dream.
I spent a lot of time chasing mobile CT scanners around Iowa.

 

[Swing]

Welcome from N. Alabama. My ex inlaws came from Waterloo Iowa. Lots of good people and good farming out there.

 

[Weedygarden]

Welcome from Colorado!

 

[Jake229]

Jake we lost a greyhound last Oct.2018. She was a mix they got rid of after yellow lab jumped over the fence and mated with female. Best dog we ever had and that is saying something,we had some good ones.
Brave, loyal, highly intelegent and protective yet gentile.

We lost our Angel In February due to kidney failure. This is the first time since we were together that we didn’t have a greyhound following us around the house. Wanted to wait and get settled in our new homestead before adopting another one (or two). Have to fence a smaller area of the yard (wire fence is cheap and nice). If we turned a greyhound loose on an acre regularly, we wouldn’t see it again till it was hungry, thirsty or wanting a spot on the sofa! They make wonderful pets. Can’t decide if I’m more excited about the place in the country or getting another greyhound. They are really man’s best friend.

 

[Meerkat]

We lost our Angel In February due to kidney failure. This is the first time since we were together that we didn’t have a greyhound following us around the house. Wanted to wait and get settled in our new homestead before adopting another one (or two). Have to fence a smaller area of the yard (wire fence is cheap and nice). If we turned a greyhound loose on an acre regularly, we wouldn’t see it again till it was hungry, thirsty or wanting a spot on the sofa! They make wonderful pets. Can’t decide if I’m more excited about the place in the country or getting another greyhound. They are really man’s best friend.

Yes they do like to travel so you have to have a good fence, but then most dogs like to run around.
We learned to go ahead and bite the bullet and make it secure after a few scares. We laid down cheap cattle fencing on the ground. Then put 5' welded wire over that coming in about 1 feet.
They couldn't dig under the fence anymore after that without hitting the cattle fence laid on the ground. We tried electric fence, higher fence, ,etc, but this last idea worked. They dig and hit that cattle fence and stop right off after hitting it.
Our Alice lived to be very old for a large dog, she was 18.

 

[VThillman]

Hi Jake. I hope you folks get to 'live your dream' for a long time. I see both of you have 'people' jobs; lots of good 'uns in/on this forum. Um, people, not jobs.

 

[Meerkat]

Hi Jake. I hope you folks get to 'live your dream' for a long time. I see both of you have 'people' jobs; lots of good 'uns in/on this forum. Um, people, not jobs.

I forgot to congratulate Jake on his new home too, thanks fro reminding me VThil.

@Jake229 Congrates on the new home!

 

[Jake229]

Thanks for all the well wishes. It is much appreciated! Another hot day here in the cornfields. Going to spend time with family and enjoy their pool to cool off. When I have some time, I will post some pictures. It is incredibly beautiful out there. Going to be a great forever home! Be safe out there today, enjoy America’s Birthday!

 

[Amish Heart]

Welcome from New Mexico

 

[Patchouli]

Welcome. Jump in and don't be shy. Lots of good people here.

 

[Bacpacker]

Welcome from East Tennessee Jake. Congrats to you and your bride on the new home. Enjoy it fully.

And yep there is a ton of good folks on here. It's a rare thing a subject don't come up that their isn't some if not a lot of knowledge from folks on here.

 

[The Innkeeper]

Welcome from north of the 49th. Great people here, pull up a stump and set a spell by the fire. Lots of wisdom and some good natured leg pulling now and then

 

[Terri9630]

Welcome from another New Mexican!

 

[Jake229]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! We genuinely look forward to the new journey and seeing what we can contribute as well as learn from you fine folks!

 

[Spikedriver]

Welcome from Central Iowa. I'm not super familiar with your part of the state, but I've worked down around Chariton and Allerton and Lineville, and used to fish Lake Rathbun fairly often. Yes, it is quite a nice area, lots of fish and game, and some gorgeous rolling wooded hills. Hope your new place works out well, and enjoy the forum!

 

[Jake229]

Welcome from Central Iowa. I'm not super familiar with your part of the state, but I've worked down around Chariton and Allerton and Lineville, and used to fish Lake Rathbun fairly often. Yes, it is quite a nice area, lots of fish and game, and some gorgeous rolling wooded hills. Hope your new place works out well, and enjoy the forum!

Hello! I went to paramedic school in Des Moines in the mid 80’s. Was in way eastern Iowa for many years and spend a few years in NW Iowa. This area does have some hills, and I kind of like it. The folks here seem top notch. I never experienced a concert on the Square before, nor have I known just how much people actually know about you. It is okay though. My bride chased me around for a long time..... She wanted to be closer to family, so here we are. I am an old Minnesota kid, but have been gone for over 30 years. Still have family and dear friends there. It isn’t home though. One thing is for sure, the mosquitoes are not nearly as bad here in Sunny Iowa as they are in Minnesota. Appreciate the welcome Spikedriver! If you make it to this neck of the woods, let me know. I got a cup of coffee or some sweet tea floating around.

 

[Spikedriver]

@Jake229 there is an ongoing interest in first aid/medical knowledge on this forum. As a paramedic, your insights might be very welcome here, especially as it pertains to primitive situations such as one might find themselves in out in the country.

 

[Jake229]

Hey Spikedriver! Nice easy medical advice. All bleeding stops eventually .........either you control it or you don’t and in some instances, one bleeds out. Extremity bleeding is totally survivable with quick action. Tourniquets are our saving grace for lifesaving bleeds. What’s funny is when I went to paramedic school, tourniquets were “evil” and were never recommended. In the last few years, I have taught hundreds of Law Enforcement officers on deploying tourniquets, on the public or themselves to “get back into the battle”. Advancements in medical care is one of the only good things to come out of war. Even though I retired, I keep my certification current. One never knows where life will lead us. I would welcome the opportunity to assist people learning about medical care. Ignorance kills!

 

[viking]

Welcome from one of the old guys, 76 and still got projects, I consider myself old man of the mountains, wife and I live in a valley in the S. W. corner of Oregon.

 

[Cascadian]

Welcome

 

[hiwall]

Welcome from the free state of Arizona!

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Hi @Jake229 and welcome to the forum from Australia . An exciting time for you and your DW in buying your new homestead and DH and I purchased our homestead on 1.21 acres in December last year and are currently setting up our gardens here. The property came with 3 mature mulberry trees and a younger mandarin tree and the mandarins are just about ready to harvest.

 

[timmie]

Welcome from lower Alabama:green man:

 

[Jake229]

Hi @Jake229 and welcome to the forum from Australia . An exciting time for you and your DW in buying your new homestead and DH and I purchased our homestead on 1.21 acres in December last year and are currently setting up our gardens here. The property came with 3 mature mulberry trees and a younger mandarin tree and the mandarins are just about ready to harvest.

Hello! Thanks for the warm welcome! Mandarins are delicious (even after being shipped to t he States). I wish my corner of the world could grow them, but the season is too short and the winter too long. My son in law said he found a couple of mulberry trees on our new property. I don’t know anything about them, but I hear they are indeed good to eat. Visiting down under is on our bucket list of places to see and explore! I hear it is very beautiful. Again, thanks and “we will be seeing you”.