I skipped a couple of weeks’ worth of 10 on Tuesday lists because I didn’t like the topics, but this week’s topic was “10 Things You’d Buy If You Had a Million Dollars,” which seems like more fun.
The catch is that you can’t spend the money on somebody else — it’s got to be stuff just for yourself. Here’s my list:
1. 20 acres in the middle of nowhere (preferably New Mexico or the Texas Panhandle)
2. Small (500-square-foot or less) Earthship
3. Good-sized barn
4. Half a dozen Dexter mini-cattle
5. Half a dozen Boer goats
6. 25 chickens (mostly buff Orpingtons)
7. 50 beehives full of golden Italians
8. BLM mustang
9. Good Border collie to help keep track of the other critters
10. Hoop house
What would you buy?
Emily
Red Fork Hippie 
As God is my witness, I’ve been telling people for years that I wouldn’t know what to do with that kind of money. Make some home improvements probably totaling less than thirty grand, replace the wife’s car, rebuild my Bronco II from snout to tail–after that, I’m pretty much stumped.
I had the same reaction. The best I could come up with was a farm — and really, the farm in question, including livestock and cute little Earthship, would probably cost less than a quarter-million.
Travel. Japan, India, Russia, Greece, Egypt, Morocco, Iceland, Peru.
I Like the idea of an Earthship in or around Taos.
If anything was left, give it to a good cause.
what’s a BLM mustang ??
I think I’d like a monolithic dome instead of the earthship, but pretty much everything else would be the same, except I don’t want a horse. I’d probably take a pig or two and a fruit orchard and a nut grove–almonds, northern pecans, and hazelnuts. I want to keep my BCS tiller http://www.bcs-america.com/ and my Swisher ZTR, even though it probably wouldn’t be needed much with the animals to keep everything mowed. . .sure would need some good fences, though, or they’d make short work of the garden. I still want some guineas, but your dad won’t let me have them. He won’t let me have goats either. He and Oliver are supposed to get together this spring and build a couple of chicken tractors so I might actually get the chickens before I die.
BLM = Bureau of Land Management. The BLM is a federal agency that, among other things, takes care of the United States’ mustang herds. They thin the herds every year and offer up mustangs for adoption.
I probably should have explained that with a link. I always forget that some people think mustangs have four wheels. 😉
I forget the circumstances now, but I seem to recall a rather confusing conversation with some young boys who overheard me talking about $125 mustangs and decided to join the conversation. It took us a while to figure out that they were talking about sportscars, while I was talking about wild horses. They never did wrap their heads around the idea that someone would rather have a fast horse than a fast car. Of course, I never have been able to wrap my head around the idea that someone would rather have a fast car than a fast horse, so there you go….
Mom, you don’t want pigs. They turn into hogs, and then all hell breaks loose. I’m with Dad on the guineas — they’re loud and obnoxious — but I think goats are worth the trouble. After all, if they get obnoxious, you can always butcher ’em and make tacos. But I think you’d probably get along with Dexter mini-cattle better, and the milk will definitely taste better.
Chickens are awesome … and I seriously cannot say enough good things about my bees. I am not kidding when I say that my retirement plan is to add three hives a year until I’m ready to retire. Hive maintenance isn’t difficult. Harvesting is a bit of a pain, but you only have to do it once a year. I’m willing to spend one week out of 52 doing labor-intensive, time-consuming work if it means I can spend the other 51 weeks dinking around.
My coworker, Cheryl, has pigmy goats that are tiny. They just had babies, and she keeps telling me about going home from work and playing with itty bitty pigmy goat babies. I want to play with them!!! Mom, would Daddy let you get TINY goats??
P.S, — Mom, you know you can always use the secret weapon to work on Daddy. Jamie’s starting to say a few words. It won’t be long before he can tell Ba-Pa that he wants a goat. 🙂
A million dollars worth of bacon. I love bacon.
Maybe also a do-it-yourself angioplasty kit.
Daniel
can’t we just start a commune now…please…you had me at the bees..and lost me at goat tacos…I haven’t eaten anything that once had eyes (other than potatoes) since I was 12…but seriously…we could have folk concerts (my husband’s business) drink honey and grow beautiful gardens near Taos…i’m in!
Nudge it closer to Tucumcari (the land’s cheaper, and it’s closer to my road), and I’m in. If you’re nice to me, I’ll even make you some of my special vegetarian rib tips, assuming they still make Soya-Wise. 🙂
Emily –
Oddly enough, the way you would spend your money is pretty close to what my wife and I are hoping to do for when we retire. We’re really into the idea of sustainable living, particularly earthship designs (although I think we’d shoot for a house a little bit bigger!). If you started with a million bucks and spent wisely, you should still have a fair chunk left for travel and fun – as long as you can find someone to mind the farm while you’re gone! 😉
Cheers,
Mike
http://www.kreelanwarrior.com
http://twitter.com/KreelanWarrior