I’m posting today in avoidance of all other tasks I need to do. It is 102 outside so that leaves me inside to muddle about. Yesterday I started painting in the house and I am avoiding it today at all cost.
Mrs. Roper was quite the decorator. All other visual offences aside, she had some sort of weird attraction to bead board. Not the paneling kind they put up on HGTV; I’m talking about the individual tongue and groove boards nailed up with 14,000 finish nails. At some point she decided that one wall of the living room, both sides of the staircase, and the entire upstairs landing should be covered with said boards and stained and clear coated. I should mention that this was all done after the wood was up so all of the boards are also stuck together. Each time I go up the stairs I am reminded of the kitchens in those fishing boats you see on Deadliest Catch. It has a nautical/torture chamber feel to it. It didn’t take long to notice a few things:
1. There are lots of finish nails holding it together. None of these were put in with the use of a punch, just a hammer. This can be noted by the imprints that the head of the hammer left in the wood around each nail. Incidentally, she had one of those expensive hammers with the waffle design on the head of it. Don’t ask me how I can tell.
2. When in doubt, simply put a piece of trim over the issue in the appropriate size. It does not matter that this piece is a different size than all of the other pieces or at a different height. Or in the middle of the wall.
3. Those corner rosette blocks make everything pretty. Some corners even have the benefit of two of them. I’m not sure what they cost (as they are too hideous for me to have priced) but in the downstairs and stairwell there are over 30 of them. That’s got to be pricey. When this drought breaks they will make a spectacular fire in the burning barrel. Maybe I will invite the neighbors over for a weenie roast.
4. Cheap yellow pine 1x4 boards can easily be turned into a snazzy trim piece with a heavy dose of redwood stain and ultra-high gloss polyurethane. I’m not sure where you find a coating this pretty and glossy, but it must come from some sort of marine supply company. I’ll bet the Titanic would still be wandering the oceans aimlessly if they would have slathered this on her.
After realizing that there was not drywall or plaster under quite a bit of it we just decided to prime and paint it in the wall color we were going to use anyway. I did the downstairs wall in the winter and it has grown on me. I think the fact that it is done helps me live with it. With the heat wave I decided to prime and paint the rest of this mess and get it over with. I worked all day yesterday and got one more wall downstairs done and part of the stairway. When I started today I decided to get rid of some of the extra trim before I started. You know how that works. It’s like trimming your own bangs. You are really happy with the first part that you take off and the next thing you know you have a forehead the size of Texas. Coincidentally, that happens to be the size of some of the gaps between the boards.
I now have all of the trim off and need to sit here and think about what I am going to do to correct the multiple messes that I found. On a positive note you can’t see the outside world from the inside of the house. This is simply because the house is covered with siding. It ain’t pretty. Realistically I am looking at a week of fine carpentry work with lots of details to end up with something that I can live with.
So I just cleaned up and sat on the couch. I’m not admitting defeat. I’m just admitting this speed bump is something I’d rather not deal with and it has caused me to adjust the length of this project to “indefinite”. It may go onto the list with “clean out closets” and “take old clothes to charity”.
The whole reason for this post was to say that I have chicks hatching! They aren’t due to hatch until Friday but a couple of the eggs have cracks and movement. Early birds, no doubt. They will get the worms.
I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast when I thought I heard a chirp coming from behind me. I decided it was way too soon to have babies chirping so I convinced myself it was outside. When I heard it again at noon I looked and discovered the cracked eggs. Yippee! I dyed some of these eggs on Sunday, so there is the potential for multi-colored chicks. If they all hatch I will have blue, green, red, and “natural” chicks. This is a continuation of my food coloring experiment. I will have to update you on that when we have some chicks around here and I see what colors I end up with. Interesting stuff there.
I guess I should probably go ahead and paint some primer on at least part of the bead board. Ugh. I’d rather not but I don’t want it to look like I spent my day eating chocolates.
Enjoy the heat!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Finally!
Good grief it has been a long time since I have posted an update! Without internet here on the farm I have to depend on my cell phone tethered to my computer to be able to be on the internet. This only happens with a functioning cell phone (which mine has not been). I have been able to use it for a phone but most of the other functions just caused it to shut itself off. I was pretty sure I could make it until the September renewal date to get a new phone. I finally had enough and got a new one. I am connected with the real world again!
It would be nearly impossible to try to fill in all of the pieces since the last time I posted. I’ll try to give a short synopsis but I am sure things will come up in the future. Really, one statement could really sum it all up. It’s dry.
I thought it was dry back at the beginning of June during wheat harvest but it has gotten so much worse since then. I helped one of the neighbors during harvest by driving wheat trucks for her. I remember thinking that we really needed some rain way back then. We’ve only had just a bit over an inch since. As I sit inside and look at the thermometer hit 102 outdoors all I can do it wonder what will happen next. I had heard that our June was the second driest on record since 1911. That’s pretty scary considering the dust bowl lasted longer than one year. Yikes.
One thing that seems to be doing well is the garden. Right now I have a batch of tomato soup boiling on the stove to can in a bit. It is the third batch I have canned this year which should just about do it for the winter. I have also canned vegetable relish, pasta sauce, salsa, and plain tomatoes. I have been picking 30-40 tomatoes a day, so I have to do something to use these things up! The blackberry bushes produced well and I have about 25 gallons frozen for making jelly and crisps this winter. I have been watering the garden by hand each night from the cistern. It has held up well so far but the water level is dropping steadily. The last I measured there was 15 feet of water left in it (it’s 23 feet deep). I am going to measure it tonight again if I can force myself to do it. Not knowing almost makes it better. I'm not sure what will happen when that runs dry. Legend has it that it has not been dry since it was dug in 1936. This could be the year.
I’ve also been watering the 20 trees I planted this spring each day. It is lots of carrying water and dragging hoses but I am determined not to lose those, too! I will post a picture of those soon (I took one a few days ago but they are growing quickly). They appear to be 4-5 feet tall now. They were suppose to grow 12-15 feet the first year but that probably does not take this heat and drought into account. We need all of the shade we can get around here as some of the mature tree are dying due to drought. We lost one of the big shade trees beside the house and four in the shelter belt behind the silo. The pear tree and peach trees are loaded with fruit so I have been pouring water to those so that they don’t drop their fruit. It really is amazing to me that I spend so much time thinking about rain. We have been so careful around the yard for fear of fire. The yard is so dry that it would burn like paper and the pasture is even worse. A neighbor is coming over tomorrow to cut and bale the pasture so it at least won’t be so tall. Each day I worry that some dork will drive down the road and throw out a cigarette. This whole place would be gone in no time with three sides bordered by dry pasture or wheat stubble.
My soup is about ready to can so I have to post this and run back to the kitchen. You better check back often as I will probably have to post frequently to catch you all up. I am putting a few goodies below - the recipe for the tomato soup I have on the stove and a picture of the project from the end of June. The old manure spreader either needed to be scrapped or overhauled so I chose the latter. She’s an oldie but looks much better with new wood and a coat of paint. After lots of greasing and adjusting it works as good as it did 60 years ago! I have a "before" picture on the old phone but I am not so sure that I can get it off of there. I can't recall when I took this picture but the yard still looked kind of green (sad to say!).
This tomato soup is a recipe that I put together several years ago. There’s not much in it but is a really good simple soup. It cans well and makes about five quarts. I just put all of the vegetables in the food processor and chop them. I don’t like tomato soup that is thin liquid like the stuff in the can. This is more of a bisque. I probably boil it an hour and a half or so.
It would be nearly impossible to try to fill in all of the pieces since the last time I posted. I’ll try to give a short synopsis but I am sure things will come up in the future. Really, one statement could really sum it all up. It’s dry.
I thought it was dry back at the beginning of June during wheat harvest but it has gotten so much worse since then. I helped one of the neighbors during harvest by driving wheat trucks for her. I remember thinking that we really needed some rain way back then. We’ve only had just a bit over an inch since. As I sit inside and look at the thermometer hit 102 outdoors all I can do it wonder what will happen next. I had heard that our June was the second driest on record since 1911. That’s pretty scary considering the dust bowl lasted longer than one year. Yikes.
One thing that seems to be doing well is the garden. Right now I have a batch of tomato soup boiling on the stove to can in a bit. It is the third batch I have canned this year which should just about do it for the winter. I have also canned vegetable relish, pasta sauce, salsa, and plain tomatoes. I have been picking 30-40 tomatoes a day, so I have to do something to use these things up! The blackberry bushes produced well and I have about 25 gallons frozen for making jelly and crisps this winter. I have been watering the garden by hand each night from the cistern. It has held up well so far but the water level is dropping steadily. The last I measured there was 15 feet of water left in it (it’s 23 feet deep). I am going to measure it tonight again if I can force myself to do it. Not knowing almost makes it better. I'm not sure what will happen when that runs dry. Legend has it that it has not been dry since it was dug in 1936. This could be the year.
I’ve also been watering the 20 trees I planted this spring each day. It is lots of carrying water and dragging hoses but I am determined not to lose those, too! I will post a picture of those soon (I took one a few days ago but they are growing quickly). They appear to be 4-5 feet tall now. They were suppose to grow 12-15 feet the first year but that probably does not take this heat and drought into account. We need all of the shade we can get around here as some of the mature tree are dying due to drought. We lost one of the big shade trees beside the house and four in the shelter belt behind the silo. The pear tree and peach trees are loaded with fruit so I have been pouring water to those so that they don’t drop their fruit. It really is amazing to me that I spend so much time thinking about rain. We have been so careful around the yard for fear of fire. The yard is so dry that it would burn like paper and the pasture is even worse. A neighbor is coming over tomorrow to cut and bale the pasture so it at least won’t be so tall. Each day I worry that some dork will drive down the road and throw out a cigarette. This whole place would be gone in no time with three sides bordered by dry pasture or wheat stubble.
My soup is about ready to can so I have to post this and run back to the kitchen. You better check back often as I will probably have to post frequently to catch you all up. I am putting a few goodies below - the recipe for the tomato soup I have on the stove and a picture of the project from the end of June. The old manure spreader either needed to be scrapped or overhauled so I chose the latter. She’s an oldie but looks much better with new wood and a coat of paint. After lots of greasing and adjusting it works as good as it did 60 years ago! I have a "before" picture on the old phone but I am not so sure that I can get it off of there. I can't recall when I took this picture but the yard still looked kind of green (sad to say!).
This tomato soup is a recipe that I put together several years ago. There’s not much in it but is a really good simple soup. It cans well and makes about five quarts. I just put all of the vegetables in the food processor and chop them. I don’t like tomato soup that is thin liquid like the stuff in the can. This is more of a bisque. I probably boil it an hour and a half or so.
Tomato Soup
4 quarts tomatoes
3 cups onion
2 cups celery
2 cups red peppers
½ cup carrot
2 T. salt
2 T. basil
4 t. pepper (I like it spicy)
2 T. sugar
1 bay leaf
Pray for rain!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
How Now Downed Cow?
It’s been a LONG time since I sat down at the computer, let alone made a blog entry. Sorry folks, but things have been at a fevered pitch on the farm.
I have been working like a madman trying to get the pen ready for little pigs. Just about the time that I think I’m about ready I think of something else to do. I have decided to put electric fencing around the bottom of the whole pen so that I don’t have to worry about them rooting under. That’s causing more work at this stage in the game, though. I couldn’t figure out why I suddenly didn’t have any power to the hog house to run the fence charger but then realized that it fed off of the machine shed. When I moved the back wall to be able to put the old bus in there I moved an outlet which in turn cut off the supply to the hog house. It seems like every project I undertake around here causes about three others to pop up. That should be the last thing I need to do so I will be ready for those pigs within the week.
The chicks that I put up the temporary pen for are growing nicely. They must be about 2/3 grown by now. I have been feeding them lots of rolled corn to put some weight on them. It won’t be long and I will have freezers full of chicken to put on the table. I can’t wait! In another week I will have a new batch of chickens hatch. I put out 2 ½ dozen eggs so I am hoping for about 20 to hatch. I may end up using those to replace the layers I have going right now. That depends on how many roosters are in the batch. With my luck it will be mostly roosters. Of course, they do make might fine eating. Out of the two dozen eggs I gave a teacher at work she had 15 hatch, so it seems like my odds are pretty high right now.
The new addition of cattle to the farm didn’t last long. All but one of them were hauled off to the sale barn today. The foot problem that they were fighting was getting worse and the vet said they had to go while they were mobile. By the time most of you read this they will be hamburger at the grocery store. That leaves one here. She won’t be for long though, as she is getting put down tomorrow and hauled off. She came up so lame that she quit walking completely about four days ago. We had been hoping that the butcher would still take her to process if she was down, but they have to walk in under government regulation. It’s a shame since that’s lots of hamburger that is going to waste but I am certainly not in the mood to butcher her myself. The neighbor who brought these over will be bringing over a load of steers this week to take their place. I would just as soon have something out there so I don’t have to go to the trouble of mowing it. With the price of cattle so high right now it just stinks that we have one that’s a loss. I guess that’s the way of the farm.
The most fun that ya’ll missed was the well drilling. Oh boy. My folks came to the farm to offer a few extra hands and we went to work. Let’s just say that this ground isn’t the central Kansas sand that we are used to. After a whole day of drilling we had only made it down four feet. That was with me standing on the drill casing to push it down and later on the tractor pushing it down. It just wouldn’t budge. Luckily mom and dad know someone who has a boring drill head. I think they are coming back this coming weekend to give that a try. That means that we’ll be drilling the 8” hole by hand (down 35 feet I would say) but at least it will get it done. I think that the folks are planning on this being done in one day, but I am starting to think that will be wishful thinking. At least we’ve had rain in the last 24 hours to soften things up a bit.
Over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to become acquainted with several of our neighbors. They are quite a cast of characters, let me tell you. Each one of them is just as down to earth and nice as they could be, though. I can’t imagine finding so many folks willing to do anything for one another anywhere near the city. It’s yet one more reason that country living is where it’s at.
With the rain today I had lots of time to stand in the shed and look out over the farm. It’s hard to believe how much it has changed in the last 12 months and how truly blessed we are to have this place to call home. We haven’t even had a chance to take a breath over the last few weeks but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Stop by the chicken ranch it you are in the area. We might just send you home with a chicken of your own - Lord knows we have plenty!
I have been working like a madman trying to get the pen ready for little pigs. Just about the time that I think I’m about ready I think of something else to do. I have decided to put electric fencing around the bottom of the whole pen so that I don’t have to worry about them rooting under. That’s causing more work at this stage in the game, though. I couldn’t figure out why I suddenly didn’t have any power to the hog house to run the fence charger but then realized that it fed off of the machine shed. When I moved the back wall to be able to put the old bus in there I moved an outlet which in turn cut off the supply to the hog house. It seems like every project I undertake around here causes about three others to pop up. That should be the last thing I need to do so I will be ready for those pigs within the week.
The chicks that I put up the temporary pen for are growing nicely. They must be about 2/3 grown by now. I have been feeding them lots of rolled corn to put some weight on them. It won’t be long and I will have freezers full of chicken to put on the table. I can’t wait! In another week I will have a new batch of chickens hatch. I put out 2 ½ dozen eggs so I am hoping for about 20 to hatch. I may end up using those to replace the layers I have going right now. That depends on how many roosters are in the batch. With my luck it will be mostly roosters. Of course, they do make might fine eating. Out of the two dozen eggs I gave a teacher at work she had 15 hatch, so it seems like my odds are pretty high right now.
The new addition of cattle to the farm didn’t last long. All but one of them were hauled off to the sale barn today. The foot problem that they were fighting was getting worse and the vet said they had to go while they were mobile. By the time most of you read this they will be hamburger at the grocery store. That leaves one here. She won’t be for long though, as she is getting put down tomorrow and hauled off. She came up so lame that she quit walking completely about four days ago. We had been hoping that the butcher would still take her to process if she was down, but they have to walk in under government regulation. It’s a shame since that’s lots of hamburger that is going to waste but I am certainly not in the mood to butcher her myself. The neighbor who brought these over will be bringing over a load of steers this week to take their place. I would just as soon have something out there so I don’t have to go to the trouble of mowing it. With the price of cattle so high right now it just stinks that we have one that’s a loss. I guess that’s the way of the farm.
The most fun that ya’ll missed was the well drilling. Oh boy. My folks came to the farm to offer a few extra hands and we went to work. Let’s just say that this ground isn’t the central Kansas sand that we are used to. After a whole day of drilling we had only made it down four feet. That was with me standing on the drill casing to push it down and later on the tractor pushing it down. It just wouldn’t budge. Luckily mom and dad know someone who has a boring drill head. I think they are coming back this coming weekend to give that a try. That means that we’ll be drilling the 8” hole by hand (down 35 feet I would say) but at least it will get it done. I think that the folks are planning on this being done in one day, but I am starting to think that will be wishful thinking. At least we’ve had rain in the last 24 hours to soften things up a bit.
Over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to become acquainted with several of our neighbors. They are quite a cast of characters, let me tell you. Each one of them is just as down to earth and nice as they could be, though. I can’t imagine finding so many folks willing to do anything for one another anywhere near the city. It’s yet one more reason that country living is where it’s at.
With the rain today I had lots of time to stand in the shed and look out over the farm. It’s hard to believe how much it has changed in the last 12 months and how truly blessed we are to have this place to call home. We haven’t even had a chance to take a breath over the last few weeks but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Stop by the chicken ranch it you are in the area. We might just send you home with a chicken of your own - Lord knows we have plenty!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The honeymoon is over...
It’s been forever since I have put anything out there for anyone to keep up with the farm. That’s because the honeymoon is over - things are really crackin’ around here!
With the weather warming up there are all kinds of projects and tasks that have to be done. Last night I planted the cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumbers, carrots, and the second batch of lettuce. It is supposed to rain in the next 24 hours, so those things need to get going. There have been bulbs and seeds planted for flowers as well. But wait, there’s more!
Remember those trees I ordered? That seemed like such a good idea at the time. However, the 18 trees that needed to be removed made me think twice about that. It took a couple of days to plant the 10 Empress trees, two apple trees, two apricot trees, two mulberry trees, peach tree, and cherry tree. All of the fruit trees are budding out nicely, but only about half of the Empress trees have come out so far. I’m hoping that I don’t have to replant any of those. I guess time will tell. They were sticks about a foot tall so the only place they have to go is up. I’m waiting to see if I get my 12-15 feet this summer.
This weekend I hauled in lots of dirt. With a world made of dirt you’d think that rearranging it wouldn’t be such a job. I invented new swear words many (MANY) times. What seemed like such a good idea about a month ago stunk to high heaven as we did it. Blast that dirt.
I wanted to put a berm in the yard where I had removed several trees as it was really low and held water. It is between the house and the garden and is the perfect place for some bushes and plants. I used the grain truck to haul in three loads of clay for a base and then put 15 loads of topsoil on top with the tractor. I also put three loads of clay in the old barn foundation to bring that level up to plant a garden in there. I still need to put the compost on top, but at least the hard part is done. And it was hard, let me tell you. I got the truck stuck in the neighbor’s pasture after loading up the first load (I used the clay she had left from having her ponds dug out) and then got it stuck in the foundation with the last load. Because the load wouldn’t dump where it was we ended up shoveling that load off by hand before pulling the truck out. She still wouldn’t budge, so we had to hook up the 4-wheel drive pickup to the big truck and then hook the tractor to the pickup. There is a fun little picture of that operation I will post when my arms are less sore. If that ever happens. The neighbors at the end of the mile kept laughing at the poor old truck as it growled around the corner repeatedly. We loaded it to the spring stops each time, making each load about 20,000 pounds give or take a dirt clod or two. Harvest will be nothing for the old girl after that, let me tell you.
As I was hauling dirt the neighbor to the east was moving cattle. She ended up with four lame ones that need to be pampered and fattened before butchering. Where better to pamper than here? So, just as we were winding down the weekend we had to fix fence to bring them here. We’ve now got cattle in the corral behind the hog pen. It feels nice to see something grazing back there, and we’ll end up with lots of free meat so it is a win-win. Other, however, has never been around cattle. I just got a fevered order to go outside to see what was wrong in the pen. “There’s something wrong out there - they are making lots of noise. Something must be attacking them,” I was told. As I trudged in from the corral to report that they were rubbing themselves on the feed bunk there was an air of relief that there wasn’t something dead or dying. I have also needed to provide gentle reminders that cattle don’t have paws and that a few flies don’t bother them. This is going to be a big learning curve for those from the city.
It seems like every neighbor I talked with this weekend also wanted a hog to butcher. I think we are up to about 10 now. I will be getting those in the next couple of weeks, so I worked on getting a fence moved for them this weekend. Pounding in 18 fence posts really helped to loosen up my arms after shoveling all of that clay, but I really could have done without the exercise. These beasts had better taste good, as the only thing I will be able to do soon is chew. We are going to be overrun with animals around here! The smell of money will be in the air. Or swine.
Although I am excited about this weather and the things it is doing for all of the animals here, it does have me a bit worried. The peach trees and pear tree are loaded with more fruit than they can ever hold. The yard, pasture, and wheat is growing like crazy and they look like a million bucks. I just worry that this bubble will burst and we will have another summer like the last with not a drop of rain for the summer. I’ll just be sick if that happens. I’ll probably be sick dealing with all of the produce if it holds, too!
In the next week or so I need to finish the hog pen and drill a water well for the hogs and cattle. With no hydrant out by the pens I am running a hose out there and that’s old already. In theory, the drilling of the well isn’t supposed to be hard. With the water table so high I shouldn’t need to go more than 20 or 25 feet to get water enough to fill the stock tank and make a mud hole for the hogs. Yet one other thing to figure out how to do. Any of you “townies” drilling a well in the next week? If’n you want to help out there is another pair of gloves around here somewhere.
We’ve never been more tired, banged up, and weary, but we’re all giggles over here. It must be the delirium. Stop by some time and we’ll introduce you to all of the new additions. Now where did I put that Tylenol?
TJR
With the weather warming up there are all kinds of projects and tasks that have to be done. Last night I planted the cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumbers, carrots, and the second batch of lettuce. It is supposed to rain in the next 24 hours, so those things need to get going. There have been bulbs and seeds planted for flowers as well. But wait, there’s more!
Remember those trees I ordered? That seemed like such a good idea at the time. However, the 18 trees that needed to be removed made me think twice about that. It took a couple of days to plant the 10 Empress trees, two apple trees, two apricot trees, two mulberry trees, peach tree, and cherry tree. All of the fruit trees are budding out nicely, but only about half of the Empress trees have come out so far. I’m hoping that I don’t have to replant any of those. I guess time will tell. They were sticks about a foot tall so the only place they have to go is up. I’m waiting to see if I get my 12-15 feet this summer.
This weekend I hauled in lots of dirt. With a world made of dirt you’d think that rearranging it wouldn’t be such a job. I invented new swear words many (MANY) times. What seemed like such a good idea about a month ago stunk to high heaven as we did it. Blast that dirt.
I wanted to put a berm in the yard where I had removed several trees as it was really low and held water. It is between the house and the garden and is the perfect place for some bushes and plants. I used the grain truck to haul in three loads of clay for a base and then put 15 loads of topsoil on top with the tractor. I also put three loads of clay in the old barn foundation to bring that level up to plant a garden in there. I still need to put the compost on top, but at least the hard part is done. And it was hard, let me tell you. I got the truck stuck in the neighbor’s pasture after loading up the first load (I used the clay she had left from having her ponds dug out) and then got it stuck in the foundation with the last load. Because the load wouldn’t dump where it was we ended up shoveling that load off by hand before pulling the truck out. She still wouldn’t budge, so we had to hook up the 4-wheel drive pickup to the big truck and then hook the tractor to the pickup. There is a fun little picture of that operation I will post when my arms are less sore. If that ever happens. The neighbors at the end of the mile kept laughing at the poor old truck as it growled around the corner repeatedly. We loaded it to the spring stops each time, making each load about 20,000 pounds give or take a dirt clod or two. Harvest will be nothing for the old girl after that, let me tell you.
As I was hauling dirt the neighbor to the east was moving cattle. She ended up with four lame ones that need to be pampered and fattened before butchering. Where better to pamper than here? So, just as we were winding down the weekend we had to fix fence to bring them here. We’ve now got cattle in the corral behind the hog pen. It feels nice to see something grazing back there, and we’ll end up with lots of free meat so it is a win-win. Other, however, has never been around cattle. I just got a fevered order to go outside to see what was wrong in the pen. “There’s something wrong out there - they are making lots of noise. Something must be attacking them,” I was told. As I trudged in from the corral to report that they were rubbing themselves on the feed bunk there was an air of relief that there wasn’t something dead or dying. I have also needed to provide gentle reminders that cattle don’t have paws and that a few flies don’t bother them. This is going to be a big learning curve for those from the city.
It seems like every neighbor I talked with this weekend also wanted a hog to butcher. I think we are up to about 10 now. I will be getting those in the next couple of weeks, so I worked on getting a fence moved for them this weekend. Pounding in 18 fence posts really helped to loosen up my arms after shoveling all of that clay, but I really could have done without the exercise. These beasts had better taste good, as the only thing I will be able to do soon is chew. We are going to be overrun with animals around here! The smell of money will be in the air. Or swine.
Although I am excited about this weather and the things it is doing for all of the animals here, it does have me a bit worried. The peach trees and pear tree are loaded with more fruit than they can ever hold. The yard, pasture, and wheat is growing like crazy and they look like a million bucks. I just worry that this bubble will burst and we will have another summer like the last with not a drop of rain for the summer. I’ll just be sick if that happens. I’ll probably be sick dealing with all of the produce if it holds, too!
In the next week or so I need to finish the hog pen and drill a water well for the hogs and cattle. With no hydrant out by the pens I am running a hose out there and that’s old already. In theory, the drilling of the well isn’t supposed to be hard. With the water table so high I shouldn’t need to go more than 20 or 25 feet to get water enough to fill the stock tank and make a mud hole for the hogs. Yet one other thing to figure out how to do. Any of you “townies” drilling a well in the next week? If’n you want to help out there is another pair of gloves around here somewhere.
We’ve never been more tired, banged up, and weary, but we’re all giggles over here. It must be the delirium. Stop by some time and we’ll introduce you to all of the new additions. Now where did I put that Tylenol?
TJR
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
It's in the air!
Excitement, that is.
I have so many presents coming via FedEx that I had to tell. Yesterday I ordered $700 worth of tractor parts for the loader tractor. I am about 1/2 way through rebuilding the engine and needed all the internal parts. Right now the empty shell is sitting in the shed awaiting the delivery. It shouldn't take me more than a couple of really good day's work to get her back together. I love getting engine parts and putting together an engine myself. It feels good to know what's in there. This is my first old tractor engine and I am shocked at how much easier it is than the air-cooled car engines I am used to. Along the way I found out that the parts that were in there were pretty rare. Too bad they are well used up!
I also got an email that the 10 Empress trees shipped out yesterday. This weekend will be tree planting time! There are several that need to be cut down to make way, so things will be fun!
We will also HAVE to mow this weekend. We've had in the neighborhood of six inches of rain the last 48 hours and the grass is going nuts. There is water setting everywhere around here. I planned on hauling in dirt to fill in lots of low spots but that will have to wait several days. Everyone around here knows just how effective those wheat truck tires are in the mud. I don't need another log chain incident anytime soon. Yesterday a crayfish walked across the road in front of me as I was coming home. That's a sure sign that we've had plenty of rain lately!
Anyone bored to death this weekend can grab your shovel and your gloves - ya'll can help plant trees!
TJR
I have so many presents coming via FedEx that I had to tell. Yesterday I ordered $700 worth of tractor parts for the loader tractor. I am about 1/2 way through rebuilding the engine and needed all the internal parts. Right now the empty shell is sitting in the shed awaiting the delivery. It shouldn't take me more than a couple of really good day's work to get her back together. I love getting engine parts and putting together an engine myself. It feels good to know what's in there. This is my first old tractor engine and I am shocked at how much easier it is than the air-cooled car engines I am used to. Along the way I found out that the parts that were in there were pretty rare. Too bad they are well used up!
I also got an email that the 10 Empress trees shipped out yesterday. This weekend will be tree planting time! There are several that need to be cut down to make way, so things will be fun!
We will also HAVE to mow this weekend. We've had in the neighborhood of six inches of rain the last 48 hours and the grass is going nuts. There is water setting everywhere around here. I planned on hauling in dirt to fill in lots of low spots but that will have to wait several days. Everyone around here knows just how effective those wheat truck tires are in the mud. I don't need another log chain incident anytime soon. Yesterday a crayfish walked across the road in front of me as I was coming home. That's a sure sign that we've had plenty of rain lately!
Anyone bored to death this weekend can grab your shovel and your gloves - ya'll can help plant trees!
TJR
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Spring
Spring has sprung! All around the farm things are breaking out of their winter shell and making a break for the sky. There are parts of the farm that are on their third mowing already. The grass is growing so quickly that the rain that is suppose to last much of the week may cause us to need a baler to get it under control! The fertilizer that I put on the yard has kicked in.
Out in the hen house one of the layers has decided that spring is the perfect time to get broody. Every day for the last five or so she has done nothing but sit on eggs all day long. There are always two under her, although I take them every day as we sure don’t need any additional chicks around here! She gets kind of testy when I reach under her each day and steal those eggs - she usually “bites” a dozen times. I wear gloves so it isn’t painful, but I sure wish that she would get over that. It would be nice to have one of them that is sort of “pet-ish”. I cleaned out the hen house the other day and had to pick her up and take her outside. She didn’t seem to mind me picking her up, so maybe she’s getting used to me being around. She looks a little pissed in this picture I took of her today. She just knows that I am about to steal her goods again.
I also took a picture of the dwarf peach trees. I have never seen peach trees so full of blooms, and they are the most startling magenta color. I sure hope that it doesn’t freeze again, as we could have a huge crop of peaches to enjoy. I’ve got my fingers crossed. I am not a big fan of dwarf trees. I wish that they were big enough to provide lots of peaches and some wonderful shade, but I will take what I can get. Of the tons of fruit trees that I ordered about a month ago there are NO dwarf trees there. Fruit trees usually aren’t big anyway, but I want them to be as big as possible.
I also sowed lettuce this week. It seems pretty early, but when the temps are in the 80’s I just think it’s time. I guess time will tell. I have never tried lettuce before so I have no idea if it is too early, but there’s a first time for everything. I tilled the garden several times this week working in lots of manure and making it ready for everything that goes in it. I may have to drastically increase the size of it or reduce the amount of plants I plan on putting in there. I fell victim to the “one of everything” illness this year.
This week I finished the new chicken coop and moved the babies out there from the office in the machine shed. Today I put up the temporary fence outside. I haven’t let them out yet as I don’t have the wire on the top but they don’t seem to mind. The coop that I built in the corner of the lean-to is quite large, so they have plenty of space to roam and practice their flying. Today I got a large feeder and waterer that should last through butchering time. Immediately the babies took turns trying to fly to the top and sit. Since the feeder is a hanging style it doesn’t have a top - I can see some baby sitting in there all day waiting to be rescued. Probably the one who broke loose in the bathroom! Needless to say, I had to put a board across the top. That’s provided a seating area for lots of them at one time. Here’s their new digs.
Finally, I took a picture of the “infinity yard”. With the wheat field to the east so nice and lush it seems that our yard goes on and on for acres. Each time I needed a break this week I sat in a chair and looked out that direction and watched the grass and wheat waving in the breeze. You could almost see them both growing.
There are so many things I could tell you about this week but I am exhausted! We worked outside from sun up to sun down each day tearing out bushes, moving things, and getting flower beds ready for their spring makeover. It’s only 8:45 and I can see myself sneaking off to bed in less than an hour. So much for night owl.
TJR
Out in the hen house one of the layers has decided that spring is the perfect time to get broody. Every day for the last five or so she has done nothing but sit on eggs all day long. There are always two under her, although I take them every day as we sure don’t need any additional chicks around here! She gets kind of testy when I reach under her each day and steal those eggs - she usually “bites” a dozen times. I wear gloves so it isn’t painful, but I sure wish that she would get over that. It would be nice to have one of them that is sort of “pet-ish”. I cleaned out the hen house the other day and had to pick her up and take her outside. She didn’t seem to mind me picking her up, so maybe she’s getting used to me being around. She looks a little pissed in this picture I took of her today. She just knows that I am about to steal her goods again.
I also took a picture of the dwarf peach trees. I have never seen peach trees so full of blooms, and they are the most startling magenta color. I sure hope that it doesn’t freeze again, as we could have a huge crop of peaches to enjoy. I’ve got my fingers crossed. I am not a big fan of dwarf trees. I wish that they were big enough to provide lots of peaches and some wonderful shade, but I will take what I can get. Of the tons of fruit trees that I ordered about a month ago there are NO dwarf trees there. Fruit trees usually aren’t big anyway, but I want them to be as big as possible.
I also sowed lettuce this week. It seems pretty early, but when the temps are in the 80’s I just think it’s time. I guess time will tell. I have never tried lettuce before so I have no idea if it is too early, but there’s a first time for everything. I tilled the garden several times this week working in lots of manure and making it ready for everything that goes in it. I may have to drastically increase the size of it or reduce the amount of plants I plan on putting in there. I fell victim to the “one of everything” illness this year.
This week I finished the new chicken coop and moved the babies out there from the office in the machine shed. Today I put up the temporary fence outside. I haven’t let them out yet as I don’t have the wire on the top but they don’t seem to mind. The coop that I built in the corner of the lean-to is quite large, so they have plenty of space to roam and practice their flying. Today I got a large feeder and waterer that should last through butchering time. Immediately the babies took turns trying to fly to the top and sit. Since the feeder is a hanging style it doesn’t have a top - I can see some baby sitting in there all day waiting to be rescued. Probably the one who broke loose in the bathroom! Needless to say, I had to put a board across the top. That’s provided a seating area for lots of them at one time. Here’s their new digs.
Finally, I took a picture of the “infinity yard”. With the wheat field to the east so nice and lush it seems that our yard goes on and on for acres. Each time I needed a break this week I sat in a chair and looked out that direction and watched the grass and wheat waving in the breeze. You could almost see them both growing.
There are so many things I could tell you about this week but I am exhausted! We worked outside from sun up to sun down each day tearing out bushes, moving things, and getting flower beds ready for their spring makeover. It’s only 8:45 and I can see myself sneaking off to bed in less than an hour. So much for night owl.
TJR
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Things these days...
It has been a busy weekend on the farm. I have this coming week off and I sure hope that it is as productive as the weekend has been.
On Friday I drove downtown and took the head from one of the tractors to be rebuilt. I am going through the engine on the big tractor so that it will be done in time for summer use. It was time - it ran just fine, but when you used it hard one of the rods was knocking. I have no problem tackling a rebuild, but I don’t really want to buy the special tools to do the head. Those are something that I might never use again. That might be the first time I opted NOT to buy a set of tools, cause I firmly believe that the person with the most tools wins. Maybe there should be a show about tool hoarders. My tools aren’t in a mess though, so maybe that just makes me a collector. That sounds way better anyway. I collect fine tools for a variety of uses. Gosh, I sound accomplished now.
So when I was on my way home I got a message from Other that we had a chick escapee. The box that I had them in had sides that were a foot tall and they had begun flying - someone made it over the side! She was standing in the middle of the bathroom floor wondering how it was that she was going to get back in. That must have been a surprising moment. These 30 chicks in a large box talking all day about what it must be like on the other side of that wall. They probably designated the best flier to try to get over and then report back. The other chicks probably secretly laughed at her thinking that she was such a dumb birdie and she would never make it. Maybe they had a vote and picked her because she had the most annoying personality and they wanted her gone. You know she was probably the one that is in everyone’s business and thinks she knows it all. Imagine their disgust when Other picked her up and plopped her back in the box. They probably had to listen to her go on for hours about how wonderful it was on the other side. She probably made it sound like one of the seven cities of gold. Chickens are so dumb.
Because of their new ability to fly I decided that it was time to send the chicks out of the house. There is an office in the machine shed about the size of a bedroom that is heated and air conditioned. I worked for about an hour putting a sheet of plywood across one corner to give them a triangle shaped abode. The cute little babies got moved out there and are doing just fine. It was time to have the bathtub downstairs back. Bathtubs in the country are a perfect place to put a box of chicks, but they sure aren’t making a permanent home there!
Saturday the yard got mowed and fertilizer put on. It was perfect timing as there has been a slow rain all day today. Yesterday I needed to go get the fertilizer and got in the pickup to go to town. I don’t drive it much - maybe only once a week since I started driving Other‘s old car to work every day. Lo and behold, the check engine light was on. It never ceases to amaze me that a vehicle that is a few years old with 60 thousand miles can have so many issues. If I didn’t like it so much that piece of junk would have been traded in yesterday. This will be the first repair that I have had to pay for, but that makes it one too many.
I sort of sound like one of those old people that goes off on tangents when I say “They just don’t make things like I used to!” It’s true. That’s why I have all of these old pieces of machinery around here - the tractors are over 50 years old and start every time ready for anything. The grain truck that’s 55 years old is the same way. Today I replaced one of the original U joints on it. Not bad for that many years. In 45 minutes I had the drive shaft out, the joint replaced, and was backing the truck out of the shed. When I am sitting in the waiting room at the dealership tomorrow I can guarantee that I will be there longer than 45 minutes. All of the wires, doo dads, and fancy options make for more of a worry and less of a reliable vehicle. I’ll promise you that in 55 years no one will be getting in that pickup and pulling it out of a shed. By then it will have been a tuna can seven times over. It’s just about to make its first trip as a tuna can.
There’s something to be said for the things that have been around and earned their keep. All of the machinery is a perfect example. Those things don’t owe me a dime and keep working in the way they were intended. They were made by proud people whose legacy is remembered every time they are used. I think that is why this old house is so neat. All of the things that it has lived through make each day just another piece of cake. When a friend was here last night we got out some of the newspapers that we have found in the house from 1939. We’ve got a stack of papers in perfect condition about three inches high. There are all kinds of cool articles about “the war” and the sale adds for appliances for $50. Although I haven’t been up there, the Ropers have said there are newspapers in the attic dating back to 1909. I guess now is the time to go up there since it isn’t so hot. There’s just that fear that I will pop my head up there and the boogey man will be waiting for me. I need to throw a cat there or something to clear everything out for me. Maybe they can just get the papers while they are at it. It’s about time Maxine earned her keep anyway.
In the next few days I am going to be converting part of a lean-to into a chicken house for these broilers-to-be. I will take pictures as I go and post those with an entry so that you can see the progress. I’m going to try to do something that can be used whenever we are doing meat birds, but also have something that can be opened up and used if we have calves or who knows what else. We have many building that I could use, but I want something that is close to the house so I don’t have coyotes and other vermin getting in and eating my dinner before it is ready.
I’ve realized that I also haven’t posted any pictures of the farm. Now is about the time to do it - things are greening up and the birds are chirping. I have some time this week, so I think I will bring you along as we work to bring the farm into springtime mode.
Here’s hoping that you are feeling spring as well. It’s the most exciting time to be outside enjoying things coming alive. Spring to you!
TJR
On Friday I drove downtown and took the head from one of the tractors to be rebuilt. I am going through the engine on the big tractor so that it will be done in time for summer use. It was time - it ran just fine, but when you used it hard one of the rods was knocking. I have no problem tackling a rebuild, but I don’t really want to buy the special tools to do the head. Those are something that I might never use again. That might be the first time I opted NOT to buy a set of tools, cause I firmly believe that the person with the most tools wins. Maybe there should be a show about tool hoarders. My tools aren’t in a mess though, so maybe that just makes me a collector. That sounds way better anyway. I collect fine tools for a variety of uses. Gosh, I sound accomplished now.
So when I was on my way home I got a message from Other that we had a chick escapee. The box that I had them in had sides that were a foot tall and they had begun flying - someone made it over the side! She was standing in the middle of the bathroom floor wondering how it was that she was going to get back in. That must have been a surprising moment. These 30 chicks in a large box talking all day about what it must be like on the other side of that wall. They probably designated the best flier to try to get over and then report back. The other chicks probably secretly laughed at her thinking that she was such a dumb birdie and she would never make it. Maybe they had a vote and picked her because she had the most annoying personality and they wanted her gone. You know she was probably the one that is in everyone’s business and thinks she knows it all. Imagine their disgust when Other picked her up and plopped her back in the box. They probably had to listen to her go on for hours about how wonderful it was on the other side. She probably made it sound like one of the seven cities of gold. Chickens are so dumb.
Because of their new ability to fly I decided that it was time to send the chicks out of the house. There is an office in the machine shed about the size of a bedroom that is heated and air conditioned. I worked for about an hour putting a sheet of plywood across one corner to give them a triangle shaped abode. The cute little babies got moved out there and are doing just fine. It was time to have the bathtub downstairs back. Bathtubs in the country are a perfect place to put a box of chicks, but they sure aren’t making a permanent home there!
Saturday the yard got mowed and fertilizer put on. It was perfect timing as there has been a slow rain all day today. Yesterday I needed to go get the fertilizer and got in the pickup to go to town. I don’t drive it much - maybe only once a week since I started driving Other‘s old car to work every day. Lo and behold, the check engine light was on. It never ceases to amaze me that a vehicle that is a few years old with 60 thousand miles can have so many issues. If I didn’t like it so much that piece of junk would have been traded in yesterday. This will be the first repair that I have had to pay for, but that makes it one too many.
I sort of sound like one of those old people that goes off on tangents when I say “They just don’t make things like I used to!” It’s true. That’s why I have all of these old pieces of machinery around here - the tractors are over 50 years old and start every time ready for anything. The grain truck that’s 55 years old is the same way. Today I replaced one of the original U joints on it. Not bad for that many years. In 45 minutes I had the drive shaft out, the joint replaced, and was backing the truck out of the shed. When I am sitting in the waiting room at the dealership tomorrow I can guarantee that I will be there longer than 45 minutes. All of the wires, doo dads, and fancy options make for more of a worry and less of a reliable vehicle. I’ll promise you that in 55 years no one will be getting in that pickup and pulling it out of a shed. By then it will have been a tuna can seven times over. It’s just about to make its first trip as a tuna can.
There’s something to be said for the things that have been around and earned their keep. All of the machinery is a perfect example. Those things don’t owe me a dime and keep working in the way they were intended. They were made by proud people whose legacy is remembered every time they are used. I think that is why this old house is so neat. All of the things that it has lived through make each day just another piece of cake. When a friend was here last night we got out some of the newspapers that we have found in the house from 1939. We’ve got a stack of papers in perfect condition about three inches high. There are all kinds of cool articles about “the war” and the sale adds for appliances for $50. Although I haven’t been up there, the Ropers have said there are newspapers in the attic dating back to 1909. I guess now is the time to go up there since it isn’t so hot. There’s just that fear that I will pop my head up there and the boogey man will be waiting for me. I need to throw a cat there or something to clear everything out for me. Maybe they can just get the papers while they are at it. It’s about time Maxine earned her keep anyway.
In the next few days I am going to be converting part of a lean-to into a chicken house for these broilers-to-be. I will take pictures as I go and post those with an entry so that you can see the progress. I’m going to try to do something that can be used whenever we are doing meat birds, but also have something that can be opened up and used if we have calves or who knows what else. We have many building that I could use, but I want something that is close to the house so I don’t have coyotes and other vermin getting in and eating my dinner before it is ready.
I’ve realized that I also haven’t posted any pictures of the farm. Now is about the time to do it - things are greening up and the birds are chirping. I have some time this week, so I think I will bring you along as we work to bring the farm into springtime mode.
Here’s hoping that you are feeling spring as well. It’s the most exciting time to be outside enjoying things coming alive. Spring to you!
TJR
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)