SECRET NEST

I FOUND IT! I KNEW IT EXISTED BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE. OUT OF 7 HENS I HAVE BEEN GETTING ABOUT 3 EGGS PER DAY.

WALKING PAST THE YUCCA TREE I HAPPEN TO GLANCE DOWN AT JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT....

SNEAKY LITTLE DEVILS....STUDMUFFIN WAS GROWLING AT ME TWO FEET FROM MY HEAD THE WHOLE TIME I WAS STEALING HIS GIRLS EGGS.

HERE IS THE STASH...29! NOT ONE ROTTEN ONE IN THE BUNCH EITHER. BUT I DON'T WANT TO STORE THEM BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN WARM FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS.

THEY ARE ALL IN BOILING NOW....MAKING MORE PICKLED EGGS. I AM IN LOVE WITH PICKLED EGG SALAD.

^

^

OUTDOOR COOKING

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE SMELL OF MESQUITE SMOKE IN YOUR HAIR.

WE COOKED OUT OVER THE OPEN FIRE TONIGHT. WONDERFUL SEASONED CHEESE BURGERS. WITH LETTUCE AND CHIPS AND ICED TEA.

FOR DESSERT...WARM CHERRY CRUMBLE. I DIDN'T COOK THAT OVER THE FIRE BECAUSE I HAVE NOT SEASONED MY NEW DUTCH OVEN YET.

BEES IN THE GARDEN

Not much time this morning to post, but here are some garden pics. I hate to mow my field because it is full of yellow flowers which I am sure are attracting the tons of bees in my garden.

If you will look close at this plant you will see a baby pumpkin.


Jayden was so excited about the large tomatos. Please note that I brutally prune my tomatos. If you leave all of those beautiful leaves on them, the leaves will suck up all of the nutrients the plant would otherwise use to produce fruit. The leaves also hold in a humid situation which will produce mildew on the leaves. That is not good for the plant. They need few leaves and air flow.

This is a full view of the pumpkin patch.

Here is a baby yellow squash.

Here is the rest of the yellow squash plant...look at those pretty flowers.

Here is a honey bee coming in for a landing.

Here the squash is running up on the fence.

Here are baby butternut squash.

Here is one of my sunflowers. I can't wait for them to bloom. I hope they get tall.

The farmer who owns the field behind me baled the high grass. That would make a bad food except maybe for goats but I am glad he mowed it down.

The canteloupe plants are struggling but one has a flower!

A boy can't walk through a yard full of flowers without picking his favorite girl a bunch.

Time to pick and dry some mint.

3 SURVIVORS

AND BOY ARE THEY FIESTY.

WHEN MY DAUGHTER PUTS HER HAD INTO THE BOX THEY TRY TO JUMP INTO HER PALM

HERE IS LILLY

HERE IS SMOKEY

AND HERE IS BANDIT

HE LOOKS LIKE HE IS SAYING, "HEY...WHO YOU LOOKIN AT?"

NEPHEW UPDATE AND BABY CHICKS

First off, my nephew was moved to a specality hospital next door to Baylor...one that specializes in betting people off of ventilators. He is able now to swallow soft food so that is great, but he still had a Trach in. Thanks for your prayers.

Second, we had a hatching of eggs and here are the pics. Had a 14 hr day so not much talking:

PEEKABOO

GOOD NEWS

I found a chicken processor close to the ranch that I buy my meat from and they are the place that Rehoboth buys their chicks from.

By the way I talked to the young man on the ranch who is in charge of the meat chickens. They do sell Cornish X chickens as the meat chicken. They did a lot of hands on research and had a high rate of caniblism in the heritage meat chickens like I have, and they take sometimes twice as long to reach butcher weight as the cornish.

I was able to find out that the feed I am giving them is all wrong. It isn't nearly high enough protein as they needed. So no wonder they are scrawny.

I wonder if it is also why they are tough.

I found that I can buy good feed through Rehoboth and also the same Cornish X that Rehoboth buys I can get at the processor. They also are a family farm with a USDA chicken processing plant onsite.

I really like seeing family farms doing business this way.

Ok I went truck shopping today. Ouch!!!! Ok so I wont be buying new.

I have narrowed my focus to a Toyota Tacoma around 2007 35k miles and under as my price range. Wish me luck.

MEMORIAL DAY--WILL BE UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

I am working outside and as I think of things to add I will so I won't forget.

First and foremost thank you to all military men and women who put up with the military lifestyle to support your families and to protect our freedom and help others obtain that freedom. Thank you also to the families of fallen soldiers. They gave the ultimate sacrifice.

1. Only 4 out of all those eggs began to hatch. It has been 12 hours and they are still not out of their shells.

2. First thing this morning I was loading my car with books and came out the front door and suddenly the goonies began to put up a huge noise unlike anything I have ever heard from them. I walked around the side of the house and standing just on the other side of the fence was a huge coyote. He saw me and didn't move, he was focused on the goonies who were running madly in irratic circles making a noise that hurt even my ears. While he was focused on them, the two cows that had been standing behind him had had enough and charged him and chased him all the way out of their field. Then they came running back with their tails straight up in the air bucking and snorting.

3. I piled all the boxes out on the burn pile and soaked them in kerosene. I lit the first match, touched it to the first box, it burst into flames and then suddenly the wind switched directions and went straight for my house. It filled the house with smoke since all the windows were open.

4. My arms ache bad. I am still not done. I cleaned off a tent I found in the storagae boxes and put it in my bug out box.

5. I raked up all the charcoal that Had spilled from it's bag and put it in an alternative container.

6. I tried to stack neatly the things that will stay on the porch. My dad will have to come fix the cradle. I need chairs and table.

7. I rolled up the large tarps that had covered the trailer full of my stuff and put it in my car. i will take it back when I feed horses.

8. getting ready to take a shower and run by and visit my nephew, then to half price, then to feed horses, and then you know what? I might sneak over and see Terminator!!!

9. Last one of the day but the biggest one: Ok let it be said that chickens around the world call my daughter Saint. How many time in her life she has saved the lives of chickens. Ok everything I read said 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch. DON'T BELIEVE IT. Today was day 22 and there was only 4 chicks trying to peck out of the eggs. I could smell rotten egg so I knew I had to get the rest of the eggs out. I put them in a bowl and figured I would throw them away tonight when I got home. So I did the things I said I would and just got home to find....6 chicks in the incubator and 4 more eggs with holes and beaks sticking out. 21 days my ear. Just then I got a text from daughter asking me what I was doing pulling the poor chicks out of the incubator to hatch in a bowl on the counter.

I think I will stick to raising fruit trees.

RELAXING SUNNY EVENING

Well I gave up not working in the rain. So I mowed in the rain (until the mower died!), and I planted turnips and green bush beans in the rain. I worked all day outside. I had a pick up of the free stuff so that is gone.

Due to the rain I haven't been able to burn all the old cardboard boxes yet. I am getting ready to go try the mower again just to pull the tarp around and pick up burnable stuff. This worries me that it is not running right.

I have a 2" thick fresh ham roast in the crock pot with potatos and carrots. I am starting to smell it and it is smelling so yummy.

Well I don't think that my front porch is gong to be pretty. I can't believe it has taken me so long and it isn't even done yet.

But I was walking back from the garden watching the funny goonies in the field, listening to the sounds of red wing blackbirds in the cattails, Studmuffin crowing someplace out front and it was the first time that the stress from work was gone. I will try to finish the front and clean up under the carport. I want to feel as if I have accomplished something major this weekend.

Why can I not feel that relaxing is an accomplishment? I feel so lazy when I do.

***UPDATE** some chicks are talking to us from the incubator. They are supposed to hatch today. One shell is cracked. I can hear two talking. But I can smell that there is a rotten egg in there. When I smelled that I didn't expect any to hatch.

RAINY SUNDAY

The pile of free stuff is covered with a tarp because it is raining right now. I swear I can't get a break.

This morning was kind of nice. I posted lots of stuff on Craigslist including my bed! I hope it sells and I get enough out of it to at least pay off the mattress. Here is what it looks like in case you forgot.

I made coffee and started laundry. Still working on that. Yesterday I strung 1 single clothes line and was going to use that but the weather won't co-operate.

I have about 5 loads to do.

Last night I cleaned the kitchen but today I strained the homemade peach wine and that is always a messy sticky job. So I had to clean it again and sweep and mop when I got done.

I will post pics on Monday or Tue of this stage of the homemade wine. This is my favorite. It is when you add it to 1 gallon jugs with an airlock on each and watch it fizz.

I put the tops on the tool container, the garage stuff container, the Bug Out Box and moved all to the garage. It still looks messy outside. But will look better once I move all the trash to the burn pile and light it.

I am not good with taking assorted stuff and decorating with it and making it look good. But I will try to use what I have to decoate the front porch. I have an old cradle which i was going to sell but I think I will put it on the front porch and hang the old ugly quilt over it and inside put an old gourd I have which I will fill with potting soil and add some colorful flowers. I also have the 3 old irons which I want to use. At the end of my porch I want a table to set up that portable grill so I can grill under cover.

^

I still need to move the 2 5 gallon buckets of kilz to the garage and sweep.

^

Last night before I went to bed I went through a huge bag of photos I found. I only kept a fraction of them. I will use those to make a family memory wall in the hall.

^

I took the duplicates and gave those to my daughter.

^

The rest I threw away. That was so hard but I did it. I kept the really good ones but they won't be in a closet..they will be out on a wall.

^

I piled all the old books I don't want and am taking them to Half Price Books on Monday. I tried Paperback Swap but by the time I shipped all of them out I would be out close to 300! And I wasn't getting the points I was promised when I mailed books to people. So off they go to HPB.

^

Another thing I have for sale is some scrap book stamps and large scrap book catalogs that I bought from Stampin Up. There are 100's of ideas in those books. I am trying to sell those for 10.

I just sold the remote control cars I bought the grandboys for christmas. They are too young for them. I made $100

Well the rain stopped and the sun came out and now it is 500 degrees and 100% humidity! lol

TAKING A BREAK

To tackle the job I decided I needed to see what I had. So I decided to start piles and just get everything out of the boxes and drums. I started at 1pm after I got back from Rehoboth Ranch and it is now 4:37pm. Just to get the stuff out of the containers.

Garden pics first. Here on the right..dark green...is my pumpkin patch. It is thriving so far and there are the first male flowers starting to open.

Here the lighter green on the left is yellow summer squash with the two tomatos in the background. They are doing so well I will probably start some seeds in the summer for a fall crop. I have now 9 tomatos on the plant on the right.

See the sun flowers growing along the fence? They are supposed to grow 6 ft tall.

My battery died at this point since I took pics of the storage stuff first.

Here is Bobby's hat. He was the first boy I ever really liked. Ok I am a pack rat.

Does anyone know what these are? I don't want to throw them or give them if it is something I will use.

This pile is a give away pile. Will try Craigs list first and then off to Salvation Army it goes.

I unloaded the tool box that a guy in my past gave me and I had forgotten how many cool tools it has. I have to get my tools organized and put in waterproof containers.

I am going to use the wooden tool box he gave them to me in by the firplace to store fire starter. I also found sand paper so I am going to sand it down and stain it first.

Here is the beginnings of my "Bug out Box". It has a camp shower, fire starter, two tree steps, and one fishing kit in a can.

Portable grill.

A basket full of cute little decorative stuff. A jar of sand and two lamps that need shades.

I forgot I had this. It is a garden bag. It holds all of my garden tools, and gloves etc. I can carry it easily and hang it when I am done.

An old blender. I will use this to powder my dry laundry soap.

A pile of "garage"stuff.

Two very cool leather pillows.

One ugly quilt.

A full sized comforter sheet set with cool pillows and a cool spiderman blaket.

And a cool cap gun.

Out of time. Gonna eat and go feed horses.

I'M HOME

Just a quick note. It got worse after wed. Thu I worked so long I stayed in town and got a hotel room next to work. I just could not drive home. Then today I worked 15 hours but just had to come home. I may have to do a couple of hours either Sat or Sunday but that is it! I need this weekend.

Faith showed us her list. I LOVE it. I love seeing all those blue marks. What a success.

I am not making my weekend list until the stuff on my front porch is gone. I bought 4 Rubbermaid boxes and I am on a mission.

First thing tomorrow though I will be going to get meat out at Rehoboth Ranch. One of the things I am buying is a whole pork belly. I am making homemade bacon. More on that later though.

WHAT DAY IS IT?

Must be Wed right? I remember I was off work sick on Monday, then had a 13.75 hour day the next day plus the 2 hour commute and today was 12.5 plus the commute and tomorrow will probably be the same. No more sick days!!

Ok let me get caught up. The "goonies" I guess have decided this is home and when I get out of the car they come running to me talking. This is very cute since they are terribly homely. I had a little daylight left tonight so I threw out some scratch, corn and sunflower seeds for them, then took a bucket and shovel to the compost pile and took 2 5 gallon buckets full of finished compost and mulched the tomatos. I wish I had had my camera. Saturday I will take some daylight pics.

I have yellow squash!!! Ok only 1. I tell you if the shtf and I am 100% dependent on my garden....I will be skinny. I also have A tomato. But the pumpkin patch is HUGE and very beautiful. The zuchinni looks like it is dieing, the soy beans look sick, the butternut squash are finally sending out runners...reluctantly. and the 1 cantelope plant is sending out runners. I have so much empty garden that needs planting. Saturday that is what I will do.

After that, I sat on the swing and talked to a friend on the phone until I was totally dark. I had eaten lunch today at 11am and by then it was 9:15 and I was kind hungry but didn't want to eat much. I looked in the frig and there were my dill pickled eggs! I also had wheat saltines. So I used a shredder and shredded the eggs, added mayo and pepper and made egg salad. OMGoodness if you have never done this please do. It is unbelievable. Ok I might be biased and really hungry but really, it is good.

I hold in my hand a dvd that came in the mail from the Hunt County Ag Extention office. I had inquired about a small farm owners class they were giving but ended up not being able to make it. The girl remembered I was interested and actually sent me a dvd of the meeting. How cool is that?

Another thing...while in the car today I was listening to KRLD 1080 am in Dallas to the Ernie and Jay Midday show...I think. Holy Cow they had a show on credit card debt and what this bill is that our new prez is trying to pass and what it will do to people who do the right thing with their cards like paying them off each month and things like that. Did you know your credit card company thinks you are a low life when you use your card and pay it off each month?

It was a great show and I plan on going online to see if it is archived and listen to the whole thing.

Ok gotta go listen to The Survival Podcast and go to bed. It is a nightly ritual now.

HOME SICK!

Did I catch something while unpacking? Maybe allergies due to all the dust?


Well I am still working through the boxes. Here is what I have found so far.


A copper tea kettle. This will come in very handy especially in the winter.






A Sears scale! I am so excited I still have this. I always need to measure stuff when canning or making wine. I tested it and it is accurate.







A back to basics wheat grinder. This puppy works really really great. I can't wait to make some homemade whole wheat bread.






An old cookie press that I bought at a garage sale for $1.






The book for my pressure cooker.







My mixing bowl!!!! I am so excited. I just said to myself yesterday that I don't have a big bowl.


























a coffee can of silverware. Not sure I need this but what the heck. I am always throwing away forks and spoons.

























3 more ice trays....to match the two in the back that we never refill.
















My bible! Why the heck was it in storage?










































2 hammocks...1 single and 1 double.