I am two weeks in from driving in from DE to TN (longest DRIVE EVER) so I started thinking about the surprising things about Tennessee I have discovered so far!
- It is so green and pretty here. Even if it is hot as F. There are green fields, green yards, green everything. Which is pretty amazing when the heat index yesterday was 112. Yikes. But to be fair East Coast has been slammed with heat too. So nice of you East Coast peeps to join me in the heat wave! HA We continue to get at least a shower every few days (even when the sun is out) and the dew is very heavy so that must help keep things green.
- Speaking of green. EVERYONE is proud of their yards here (or fields, or pastures). Even the most basic shack has a good well tended yard. These people value their lawns and keep them trimmed and neat. I haven’t seen one overgrown yard yet that I have noticed. It makes everything look even prettier!
- Everyone is nice here (I know, I know that is a generalization). Every restaurant we have eaten at, every store I have shopped at, people I pass in the parking lots. Everyone pretty much smiles and says hi or something. The people in the Kroger or Tractor Supply or whatever go out of your way to help you find whatever it is you need. It is pretty nice here that way. As Mark says, I could talk to a brick wall and get an answer but is nice not to have to make that much of an effort!
- The frogs are loud. I definitely have to get a recording of the night life outside this house. The frogs in the pond chorus with every other animal out in the night making noise. It is almost overwhelming in the complete darkness hearing so much noise. I am still not used to it and it still gives me the willies a bit. I am sure I will get better about it.
- Even though the roads are busy (hello I-40) and the driving is crazy, there are no real backups like on the East Coast. The other day I missed a green light because of the amount of cars going through and I realized that was the first time since moving here that happened. That was a daily occurrence in Newark DE and really frustrating when you had to sit thru two or three or more cycles of a light. Yes it is busy down here, and don’t get in the fast lane unless you mean it but the traffic is so easy it is laughable compared to 95 up in DE or even my close by streets…. I am sure it gets busy at times and I don’t have to go that close to Memphis but I will take this kind of traffic any day! Maybe I am just used to the crazy ass drivers up on the East Coast but I haven’t seen any real aggressive drivers really except for the fact NO ONE HERE seems to know how to merge onto and off a ramp into the highway! LOL They all stop dead. I am like MERGE means keep going. It is funny but that is the only thing I have noticed that is odd. And of course there is the odd person going 105 in a 55 that zips in and out of traffic but overall. Not bad!
We have some amazing butterflies around here too..this is one by the pond but we get a lot of the big Monarch ones by the house. Fingers crossed it works out for Remus to come this week. I think it is all lining up. Now I need recommendations for bedding and grain/pellets. He is on a ten percent pellet now. I don’t think he will need much grain here. I have put him on Purina Well Solve before and like that for keeping the weight off him. The local tractor supply carries Safe Choice too and they have a lot of options there now. We started cleaning up the stalls this weekend and knocking the wasp nests down (most are the dirt daubers or whatever they are called, but there are still some nasty looking orange wasps that I keep seeing but I can’t find their nest. UGH). I have to call the fence/hay guy to see if he can come out and look at fences AND what hay he has so I can get some in. Luckily shouldn’t need a lot of hay yet.
The hay stall is pretty nasty with moldy old hay down around there. I think I will put a pallet on the concrete to the left for now until I can clean that up. And we found a huge snake skin outside the back barn door. Yeah it was at least four feet. Shudder.
Me if I see a snake skin, what will I do when I see the actual snake?? I need to go meet Tate (the black retired show pony) this week and figure that out if we can borrow him for a friend for Remus. Never a dull moment down here….never. Later this week I should be doing a road trip to Lexington!
Fat Buckskin in a Little Suit 
Very cool! Yeah I’d imagine LOTS of wildlife there lol Hopefully you can find those icky orange wasps’ nest soon so they can go bye bye!
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LOT of wildlife. I walked out to my truck the other morning and a doe was standing beside it, I am not sure who jumped harder in surprise #scaringdeernow 🙂
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Hahaha! Awww I bet she was gorgeous!
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I’m glad you’re liking your new area. I’ve only been to TN once and I was in the Nashville and surrounding area. I hope the snakes stay away for you.
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lots of people go to Nashville, I prefer the country here than what I saw driving through Nashville but really didn’t stop. I hope the snakes stay far far away.. UGH
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TN is a gorgeous state. You sound very positive and happy which is good to read. I really like the TSC pelletized bedding. It costs more upfront to bed it down deeply (I used 5 bags in my 12×12 stalls) but since ours are only in the stall to eat and I pick them out each night, I only refill the bedding maybe once a month and typically use a bag or two a stall depending on how much pee there was in there. It is pretty dusty though. Something to think about since you have a TSC by you.
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So happy to hear you are starting to settle, and now getting ready for Remus!! Regarding the pellets & dust…in the summer when it is dry & hot here (and while I have fans running), I dampen the bedding down with a watering can…however much it takes. Vance told me he uses the sprayer on a garden hose & makes a couple of swathes across the stall.
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Thanks Kym I remember when I barnsat for you I did think those pellets were quite good to use and it didn’t seem that dusty (though that was early June that year)! And the garden hose is a great idea. I have a hose right in the barn aisle 🙂 Hope the critters (and hubby) are all behaving 🙂
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When I moved to NC from Chicago, I learned many of the same lessons. Especially that in the south, people are super nice and want to talk. It unnerved me for a long time- in Chicago you put your head down and walk super fast. If you accidentally make eye contact with someone, you scowl and quickly avert your eyes. Here, they ask you how you are and the standard, “fine, thanks” doesn’t suffice- they want DETAILS!
Fingers remain crossed for Remus!
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It’s New Student Orientation. Are you sure you don’t miss driving through Newark watching the poor underpaid college student dancing around on South College/Delaware Ave with foam fingers for minimum wage pointing to the parking garage??? Am I sending Jiminy down with Remus? I’m a little annoyed with him after the bath incident… But he’s pretty damn cute so I might still want to keep him. He just HAS TO GET OVER HIS HATRED FOR WATER.
Frogs are loud. I have some here. If you want more, I can pull them out of my neighbor’s pond and send them down with Remus and the rest of those wasp nests. Can’t sleep with windows open at times.
As for feed, Batty does REALLY well on a ration balancer and added fat when needed. He currently gets Buckeye but he’s eaten Purina, Triple Crown, and Progressive. And I know people who use the Nutrena ration balancer which you should be able to get at Tractor Supply. And you only need to feed about a pound. I think they’re Empower (balancer) and Boost (fat). Anyway, I’ve had really good luck with that route with Batt though I haven’t used Nutrena for him.
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do NOT miss University Town Living at all! 🙂 Thanks for all the info 🙂 Jiminy can come he can have a bath in the pond ewwww instead 😉
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Ohhh, I don’t do snakes either! YUCK! I am sooooooo glad to be sharing in your heat wave…NOT! Haha! This heat can leave Maine anytime and go right back down south, thankyouverymuch! 😉 Glad things are on track for Remus to come home to his new digs. So exciting! (And OMFG the little bird and the loose galloping horses at the top of your blog make me laugh out loud! LOVE. IT!)
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i wish they had left the painting here, it was in the house when Mark toured it the first time. it is from the original owner. it is our driveway. I love it 🙂
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Ohhh there’s mention of a friend for Remus! (I just asked about that on the last post, but I’m behind on blog reading, so here’s my answer…)
Snakes are gross, but I don’t mind the big black ones as long as they leave me alone. They eat the mice and rats, which I think may or may not be worse. Hard to say. Ugh, wildlife.
I’m currently jealous of your lack of traffic. It’s prime tourist season here by the shore, and 95 is basically a parking lot from now until September.
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Ha, I didnt see this post till i replied to the other 🙂 UGH snakes. And yes mice are bad too. I was raking the stalls (the previous people left CEDAR shavings in there? WTF)and a mouse popped up and run under the wall. I MAY have screamed again like a little girl. Maybe 🙂 HA HA Ugh on traffic…..ick….
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Wildlife is the best part! ❤ the frogs and the birds singing – makes me feel home.
Shudder all you want at the snake, but you'll want it around to keep your rodents under control! 😉 I have a very big soft spot in my heart for snakes for that reason.
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Finally catching up. So far sounds like more good than bad!
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