My husband and I are starting a small farm. Someone at a local feed store gave us the names of two older women that trying to get out of the business. We contacted these ladies and wow, what a contrast, so much so that I want to share them with you. I will call them “chicken lady” and “rabbit lady”.
The first one we met was “chicken lady”. The only info we had was a small map with directions to her house. We stopped by one late afternoon. We were feeling a little awkward about just dropping in but she was very gracious about it.
Our experience with her was wonderful. She is 78 years old (she definitely did not look it), very active in church and other activities, in reasonably good health and living alone. She was giving up her 33 chickens because she felt she just couldn’t keep up with them anymore. She was a happy, giving, thoughtful woman. We bought her chickens. She gave us everything that went with them, bags of feed, feeders, chicken wire, etc. She kept adding things to the pile saying, “What good is any of this going to do me? You might as well have it all.” She didn’t charge for anything but the chickens although I did give her extra. It didn’t come close to the real worth of what we were getting.
The day we went to pick them up (which will probably be another blog), she insisted on feeding us lunch and was as helpful as she could be. She was so grateful that we were giving her chickens a good home. She thanked God for bringing us all together to be able to help one another. We felt the same way. It was a great experience!
A week later we met “rabbit lady”. We had a number and name this time so we called ahead and made an appointment. We followed her directions and found ourselves pulling into a place covered with junk. Piles of junk were everywhere. There was only one small path from the driveway thru the crowded yard to get to the crowded back porch of a very dilapidated old trailer. I looked at my husband and said, “Don’t count on a good deal here. She is obviously a hoarder.” That turned out to be an understatement!
She came out to meet us barely able to walk. She had no teeth, little hair and was a little dirty. She began complaining the minute we introduced ourselves. She gave us the long list of health problems including a recent surgery and back problems. She was just too old and incapacitated to continue caring for her rabbits. I asked her age- she was 66. We weaved thru the junk piles in the yard to get to her rabbit area of more than 120 rabbits.
She continued to discourse on her difficult life, why she had to get rid of the bunnies, predator attacks, family problems, etc. We began to talk money (something I am very good at). She wanted $30 a rabbit! She could only pick out 10 that she could sell. I pointed to various pieces a junk around the yard- nothing interested her in giving anything up. I asked about a group discount- no deal. But she continued to complain about her situation while she hobbled around the place.
I know which one I want to be like when I grow up, how about you? That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
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