Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few months! Things have been crazy on our side. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since we closed on the property! We wanted to take a moment to reflect on all of the hard work we’ve put into completing projects this year and share some progress photos and future plans.
That said, this will likely be the last blog post on here until January when we share our plans for 2023. Thank you all for being on this journey with us, for reading our blogs and most importantly for your unwavering support as we pursue our dream!
Without further ado…
Accomplishments
Earlier this year, we laid out this for our 2022/2023 plan
It’s crazy to look back at this! In March 2022 we didn’t even think we would have a real internet service provider on the farm. Like all things in life, things change! Here’s a list of things we were able to accomplish this year.
- Added UV Filter and Reverse Osmosis Filter to our well for sustainable drinking water
- Got internet!
- Got an air conditioner and smart thermostat
- Completely gutted and renovated the garage, turning it into my (Holly) office
- Completely gutted and renovated the bathroom and repaired water damage
- Trimmed and removed trees to conserve our forest floor
- Installed a fence for the dogs
- Built a shed
- Grew vegetables and ate them!
- Created a composting system to feed our garden
- Purchased 4 additional acres for the barn and animals
- Decided on having Alpacas, Goats and potentially rabbits!
- Visited an alpaca farm and got hands on with the animals
- Learned to reduce waste and are only visiting the dump once a month
Wow! That’s a lot. 2022 has been incredible.
Renovation Update
I know you’re here for the renovation updates. I would be too! It’s been a very exciting time here on the farm for our home and the property itself. Enjoy the photos!
Bathroom
We completely gutted the bathroom, purchased a new washer and dryer and moved the vanity from the wall with the tub to the wall with the toilet.
Garage
We completely gutted the garage, leveled the floor and added new framing and flooring. Then we insulated and added new windows and doors as well as heaters to keep it warm in the winter. This is now Holly’s office, the cats home, a gym and our recroom. It can also serve as a spare bedroom for when people come to stay. At 800 sq ft it’s almost like an entire second house now!
Floors
We replaced all of the plywood for the foundation of the floor and then put down new flooring. The floors were a mess. I didn’t know how to take a picture of the floors so I just included one of the living room. The same floor is throughout except in the bathroom where we put tile.
Fence
We fenced off an acre of the property for the dogs! Half of the fence is chainlink and half is made out of wood to provide some privacy from the road (not that it’s a busy road).
Shed
Completely built a new shed to replace what we lost in converting the garage. The siding has also been added now to match the house.
Living Room
We didn’t do much to the living room other than a new layout, floors and paint but it definitely went a long way!
Kitchen
The kitchen is still a work in progress. We got new appliances, took out the horrible closet and redid the lights but there’s still the cabinets and plumbing to be finished in 2023.
2023 Plans
We will have more to come on this but so far our plans for 2023 involve getting a prefab shelter up and having the alpacas arrive sometime in spring or early summer. This means we have to get suppliers and supplies all in order before spring! Wish us luck. It’s crunch time. We’re still aiming to have the farm open for visitors in 2023 and can’t wait to share more of this adventure with you.
Happy Holidays from all of us here at Rainbow River Alpacas and see you in 2023!!!! We will continue sharing on our instagram so be sure to follow us there if you don’t for more frequent updates.
Rainbow River Alpacas 