HIGH LONESOME RANCH, INC
Birch River, West Virginia 26610
Jim & Marcy Lilly
hlrinc@yahoo.com
About Us
Beauty Recipes...
Canning...
Exotic Law ...
Exotic Babies ... Farm Animals...
Favorite
Animal Links ...Favorite
Pet Links ...
Frugal
Recipes
...
Home
Remedies ... Kennel... ...
Favorite
Homesteading Links... Homesteading
Letters...
Living Without Electricity
...
Homeschooling...
Homeschooling Links...
Countryside Magazine Articles 1995
and
1997
...First
Year On The Ranch
Animal Information:
1.
SOUTH
AMERICA: Rhea, Llama, Coati, Chinchillas , Degu AFRICA:
Camel,
Hedgehog, Ostrich
Watusi Cattle
2.NORTH AMERICA:
Raccoons, American Porcupine,
Opossum, Prairie dog, Skunk, Silver fox
3.AUSTRALIA: Emu, Sugar glider
4. ASIA: Palm Civet
5.
FARM
ANIMALS:
Bunnies Chickens Ducklings Goats
Pigs Sheep
I
am writing a book on our experiences the first year living here. The book also
includes how we built our block house without electricity.
I
am writing a book on how to feed your family for less. This includes
recipes for a month, the monthly grocery list is included along with the price
of each meal.
If you are interested in either
book,
email me and
I will put you on the waiting list.
"Two roads diverged in
a wood and I ... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the
difference."
-Robert Frost
We live in the middle of no where. This was taken from a
cell tower less
than 1/2 mile from home.
More pictures from High Lonesome Ranch
*** Want us to come for
your
Kiss the Pig
contests?
My journal -
nothing very interesting... just my thoughts,
things I have done, blah blah
blah!
"Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. "When we
remember we are all mad, the mysteries of life disappear and life stands
explained.." (Mark Twain)
High Lonesome Ranch, Inc. started in 1993 as a self-sufficient homestead. We
lived
without electricity
for over 5 years, using oil lamps for light. We built our home with our children's help, using hand tools. We still build all our pens, barns, sheds by ourselves. (See
pictures of our First Year)
We continue to collect water in cisterns, and can still use the hand pump in the house. Circumstances and growth here, though, has led to the addition of electricity to power the water pump in the barn and the incubators. (UPDATE: In 2002 we put electricity into the house.)
We began with 2 ducks and 3 chickens. The following year we added some goats and pigs. Our love of animals led us to meet many new people, and discover the world of animals. Our first exotic animals were our emu.
(Pronounced "ee-mew" in native
Australia
- not "ee-moo"!!!)
We grew to over 30 species of animals and close to 100 animals!
However, we are much smaller now.
Some of our
farm animals are: goats,
chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits,
horses, pigs, sheep.
Our exotic birds ranged from the common to the not so common: cockatiels, dove, red-golden pheasant, wild turkey, peafowl, rhea,
emu
and
ostrich.
The exotic mammals
that were housed on the ranch were coati,
Patagonian cavy,
wallaby,
watusi cow, silver fox,
raccoons,
skunk,
prairie dogs, wolf dog,
llama,
porcupine, opossum, We
have had mice, gerbils,
guinea pigs,
Richardson's ground squirrel,
degu, rats,
chinchilla,
hedgehog.
Our reptile collection housed an iguana, red-eared slider turtle, box turtle and snapping turtles.
We also raise Shepadoodles, and
Dachshunds.
Do Wild Animals Only Belong In the Wild?
"They will be masters over all life -- the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky and all the livestock, wild animals, and all the earth" Genesis 1:26b
Our 3 children started their own business
called Country Kids Critters
in 1994...
The animals they have raised include
rabbits,( Rex, Jersey Wooley, Dutch,
Fuzzy Lop, Lop, Dwarf, English and French angora), guinea pigs, degus,
African pygmy hedgehogs,
sugar gliders, raccoons, coati,
domestic
skunks, prairie dogs,
ducklings, pigs and many varieties of chickens.
They also each raised their own breed of dog: Labrador, German Shepherd,
Wolf Dog, and Dachshund.
They spent a lot of time handling their animals so
they are docile enjoyable pets. Customers
appreciated this trait in their new pet.
They have
had goats and
have given milking demonstrations.
They have delivered babies, administered inoculations and vaccinations, and doctored the sick.
Easter was a busy time for them as chicks, bunnies and ducklings are in high demand!
Our
"Kiss the Pig" contest for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life
was very successful in raising money for cancer research and programs. We still
do the contests for fund raisers.
Check out our
homeschooling page.
Mariann, Brandon, and
Bethany at Brandon's wedding
Mariann (18) has been baking dog treats
(Country Kids Critter Confections) for her pets for a number of years. She has a variety of flavors which are all
natural and tested by experts.
Mariann raises Dachshunds, her taste testing experts, and shows them at AKC events.
She traveled on two trips the summer of 2006 ~ one to Europe with People to
People and a mission trip to Peru with Global
Expeditions. Christmas 2006 found her in the
Panama Jungle. She has become a world traveler spreading the Word. This
summer she went to Mexico.
She is a manager at McDonald's and has graduated from her homeschool studies.
Bethany
(19)is a horse trainer
in
Mt. Gilead, Ohio with Stacy Westfall at
Westfall Horsemanship.
She is working as an Apprentice expanding her
education on reining horses.
Bethany has been an apprentice with Clinton Anderson
at his Down Under Horsemanship Ranch, in Belle Center, Ohio and Seutter's
Performance Horses in Anthony, Florida. She has trained horses for pleasure riding.
She is a woodburner, and has done custom projects. She is also a very talented musician and played the mandolin with a group called Possum Fats and the Skillet Likkers
Brandon
(22)
had a business called Omega Computers. He sold custom built
computers
to the 
public and local businesses at a lower price.
He is currently starting the business up again from Texas.
Brandon took a 2 month mission trip to New Zealand June - Aug 2002 with Teen Mania Ministries.
He went to Botswana, Africa summer of 2003!
He graduated from Teen Mania's
Honor Academy 2005 and is currently living in Roanoke, Texas where he is
working full time at Countrywide, and part-time
at Staples. He and Jen are leaders for 2 groups of
kids at his church. He was married
on April 7, 2007, to his girl, Jen
~ He has a lot on his plate, but has no worries that he isn't doing things exactly the way they should be done.
We rarely heard the words "I'm bored!" Homeschoolers learn to think "outside the box"! Homeschoolers actually enjoy their family! Find out more reasons to Homeschool...
Check out our homeschooling page.
Articles on our experiences appeared in Countryside Magazine in Nov/Dec 1995 and Nov/Dec 1997
More information about us on our First Year page.
My own Recipes and Soap Recipes and other recipes for Beauty
Low Carb Recipes for those of us that need to lose a few...
Our Favorite Links
Listed by :
publications, petting zoos, animal info sites, on-line
pet stores, animal programs
*** If you own a domestic or exotic animal go to Exotic
Law for information on NAIS!!!
PLEASE HELP PROTECT
THE RIGHTS OF WV ANIMAL OWNERS It is our duty
as citizens (local, WV and U.S.) to know the laws. It's time to spread the
word to the WV animal owning population that there are people out there
trying to create laws that have the potential to affect every aspect of all
animal ownership. Please join our group, and help preserve your right to
keep animals!
Our Tax Dollars at Work: Chasing a cow over 5 states
If you own a domestic or exotic animal - please join Phoenix Exotic Wildlife Association, Inc. This is a group of private owners from all across America which includes individuals, sanctuaries and breeders. They are an organization of active members working to protect and maintain the rights of private ownership through responsible behavior. We need to organize to stop groups that want to ban ownership of our beloved animals and let the government take over. Click here for more info
For those of you that raise any type of animal, be sure to arm yourself with the facts against the proposed NAIS program that the government has in mind... Here are some sites to review: 1.Protect The Rights Of Small Farmers and Our Traditional Rights To Farm : http://www.jrigutto.com/nais/faq8.htm 2. RD EDSTATE: http://pubwvj.redstate.com/story/2006/2/26/142313/238 3. Free Market News: http://www.freemarketnews.com/Analysis/110/5089/2006-05- 30.asp?nid=5089&fb=1&wid=110&ntyp=EMA 4. Farm and Ranch http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/wot_nais.html
Go to Exotic Law for information
(TOP)
Rocky Raccoon, our first and most loved...
