Totally unoriginal title, I'm sure I'm not the first to use it. But here goes, my first steem post!
I confess, until a couple of weeks ago I had never heard of Steem, it started with a conversation with my dad about crypto currency, whether it was actually heading anywhere and how it works. My dad has always been the sort to keep an eye on new developments so as a relative technophobe I knew he was the one to ask. At first I thought Steem sounded too good to be true but as we talked I couldn't believe such a brilliant idea existed and so here I am! I've been loitering for a few weeks reading posts and as I have some time spare this morning I thought it was about time I actually wrote something.
I'm not entirely sure what this blog will be about just yet, hence the name, my life is a jumble of things so there might well be a bit of everything on here.
A bit about me:
I am 26 and from south gloucestershire (UK), professionally I am a breeder of rare breed chickens, ducks, geese etc... Which came about after my parents purchased some young chickens when I was around 4 years old. My mum made the mistake of paying me 50p to clean the hen house (whilst dodging our seriously nasty cockerel at the time!) as a child and by the age of 11 my birthday presents consisted of some bantams and an incubator, purchased from the man who installed our house alarms and had previously used it to hatch peregrine falcons. That machine worked hard right up until a couple of years ago! Over time my collection of breeds grew, at 13 my dad bought me a website to sell my surplus chicks, gave me some editing software and photo software and said here you go, make your website, I did and it's been in existence ever since.
Over time I became unwell and by the age of 15 I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Or M.E), by the time I left school at 18, having scraped a couple of A-levels, I found that no one wanted to employ anyone who was tired all the time. So I dabbled in my art and dog walking for a couple of years and eventually came to the conclusion that I may as well do something I was "good" at - chickens. And thus my childhood hobby became my full time job, there are good days and bad days but on the whole I enjoy it and it's good to be out in the fresh air. I may well sort out posting some tips and tricks for chicken keepers if anyone would be interested?
At the age of 17 my great aunt sadly died and left me some money, at the time I'd been allowed to go and groom the horses across the road and my mum and I decided that they seemed to have a considerably benefit to my health so, as you do, I spent some of the money on a horse! I ended up with Bob the norwegian fjord who has been a lifeline and a great friend and teacher for nearly 10 years. Now at the age of around 25 he's looking older and so in 2016 I decided it was time to start bringing on a younger one ready for Bob to have a well earned retirement. I was completely hooked on the breed by this point and ended up with a beautiful grade A, but unbroken 10 year old mare- Lyra. My first project horse and certainly a huge learning curve, she's not typical for the breed at all (more of a racehorse hiding in a cute pony costume!) but -finally- she's turning out brilliantly.
Then last year a close friend also bought a fjord, unfortunately she didn't quite get on with him and to my surprise she gifted him to me. Enter Louie a drafty gelding who'd had 8 homes before me, when I met him on the day my friend viewed him to buy he was the most dejected most uninterested horse I've ever met. Fast forward just over a year and he's a totally different animal who has his nose in everything and seems to be trusting us more and more each day. He also has a surprising talent for jumping so watch this space!
As well as being an animal nut, I've always loved art (which ended up being one of my A-levels), I haven't done much in a long time, since starting the business properly I've been so busy, but I hope to take it up again. I also used to play the flute in a Junior orchestra, something else I haven't picked up in quite a few years but it is something I'd love to do again. I'd also really like to learn to play the cello but we'll see, I'm not sure if I have the talent for strings!
I also enjoy keeping up with world events and like a good debate, I enjoy learning more about how and why people think what they do. My mum is currently back at college studying counselling so helping her with her studying is proving interesting, I may well end up writing something about it for here.
Anyway I think that's quite enough about me for one day. I am looking forward to making some fellow Steem friends and learning more about you all!
Charlotte
