Not too long ago, in one of the local groups I’m in on Facebook, someone shared about a homestead that was being given away in a contest. Here in Oklahoma.

Yeah, don’t worry, I know what you’re thinking. “That can’t be legit.”

Well, I started poking around. The place in question is the Ruthardt Tiny Homestead, and I’ll be honest as I kept researching and reading up, it really seemed to good to be true in many ways.

As I looked at pictures, and read about their goals and the history of their homestead on their website, I was very close to tears. They have done so much that is what we would love to do. They have enough property for there to be space, but not so much that it would be completely overwhelming. 

Looking toward the house from the NE.

Beautiful garden in the middle of the circle drive.

The front of the house. There are rocking chairs behind the shrubs.

The details are that it’s an 8-acre homestead, they have well water, there are established fruit trees and garden beds, and the crowning glory is the 700 sq ft house that they built themselves. Also, most importantly, there are two large porches, and the back one has a picnic bench.

Picnic benches make my muse work, for some reason. On Ferret writing retreats, you will pretty much find me at the picnic bench until it gets uncomfortable outside.

Looking toward the back of the house from the garden.

A very spacious garden!

The huge chicken pen, across from the garden.

The Ruthardt Tiny Homestead would be like… a writing retreat all the time. But I could take my animals with me.

When I came across the Ruthardt’s Facebook page, I found out they were having an open house that very next weekend. The budget was (is) tight, because Mr. Loper had missed some work right before Memorial Day, and then we’ve had paid holidays right after that which knock is hours out of whack (basically, it means no overtime). But we knew neither the car or truck was up to the trip, and the Ruthardt’s are close enough to Tulsa (less than 3 hours) that we decided to rent a car for a day and make the trip.

We’re planning to enter the contest (the entry requirements are a 200 word essay and $100 entry fee), but wanted to go and visit first to make sure that it was someplace we really wanted. And I think we could live quite comfortably there!

It doesn’t hurt that the bathroom is much larger than the one we have right now, either.

The contest is open until October 15th, and they need at least 1500 entries. I definitely encourage you to go to an open house if you’re within a reasonable distance of the Ruthardt’s! Definitely enter if you’ve been longing for something like this as much as Mr. Loper and I have been!