Thursday was a gorgeous day,sunny,and comfortable. I picked the last of the potatoes and any of the green tomatoes that survived the frost.I would've done it earlier,but this past week has given us rain off and on,so nothing was dry until then. Now the beds are empty and the plants are in the compost pile. It wasn't our best season for gardening. I didn't even can anything because we didn't get enough of anything to can,with perhaps the exception of the green beans,which I froze instead. Rick cleaned out the coop to make the girls a bit more comfy.
Yesterday it rained all day,and this AM it's still foggy and rainy,though the weather is suppose to clear by noontime. Rick,Brother B,and Zach are all going down to Dad Shaw's house to split some wood for him for the winter later on today.The turkey that Brother B got yesterday turned out to be a bit smaller than we had hoped-8 lbs- a bit too small for Thanksgiving,so we are going to eat it tomorrow for Sunday dinner.Even though my Mom is the only extra guest we have for dinner,just that one extra person would not leave enough for a filling meal.( It reminded me of the The Fabulous Beekman Boys episode where they kill a turkey for Thanksgiving and it's waaay too small for the number of people they have invited). We may still have to buy our turkey this year unless Rick can get one with his bow.
Since yesterday was not nice, I decided to attack one of our worst areas of clutter-the front of the file cabinet and the top of the printer. Clutter in a file cabinet,you may ask? Isn't a file cabinet suppose to keep papers in order? Well, yes,in the normal world. Here in my world,I have a tendency to put papers in the front of file cabinet drawer because I am too lazy to just take the extra thirty seconds to put it in the folder it belongs. Sigh.
Many things I just placed there while still in their envelopes,so I had a whole pile of envelopes to get rid of (some which I could save for the wood stove,others I had to throw out). That in it's self freed up some space. Now I everything is filed in their proper folders,and the top of the printer is clear. I also went through the folders to see if there was anything that was no longer needed,so I had a nice pile taken out from that,too. Some weight had been removed,from both the cabinet and from my shoulders! It is so gratifying to see stuff go away.
Our new kitty,who we named Mini Moxie ( or M& M)is doing very well.He slept with us last night, Today I am going to show him the litter box. Hopefully he can climb into it,as he is still quite small.
Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!
Showing posts with label turkeys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turkeys. Show all posts
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thanksgiving Dinner,Baby!!!!
Today is the last day of shotgun season for turkey. Rick is in his tree stand with his bow (bow season lasts longer) and Brother B was on the ground. Brother B does not have a bow license,so today was do or die for him to nab a turkey.
It was do for him and die for the turkey.......
Thanksgiving turkey is now checked off the list :)
Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!
Monday, October 15, 2012
A Hard Frost
We knew it was coming,and that we were actually overdue.
Our first hard frost of the season happened Friday night. The temperatures went down in the low 20's. Of course, Rick and Zach were camping out all weekend with the Boy Scouts for their annual Fall Camporee,so needless to say it was a wee bit nippy for them,but thankfully they had warm clothes and sleeping bags. It was windy all weekend,which made the temperatures even colder. Sunday morning it was pouring out,so they had closing ceremony at 8:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM. We made sure there was hot coffee and cocoa waiting for them,and we did start the wood stove up so they could have some nice heat to warm their bones after being out in the cold all weekend. It was the first time we started up the wood stove this season. This week is suppose to be a nice week-only a chance of rain today with temps in the 70's,and the rest of the week is going to be sunny,which is good. Our poor chicken run is still a muddy mess,because the weather has been rainy and chilly all last week. At least now it will dry out and we can get it de-smellified ;)
Once everything is dried out I can put the garden to bed for the winter.
We brought our cat Smokey to the vets today to be neutered. It was his first trip to the vets and he actually did OK. We brought Samson and Sasha last week for their check ups. Samson is having hip problems so we give him meds every day to help with the stiffness. We discovered that Sasha has Lyme's Disease, but it doesn't bother her at all. Her joints are fine and she is not suffering from any symptoms,which is good.
Last week when I went for a walk I saw a turkey in someone's yard,and as I walked by I watched her pecking at the ground.We are not raising turkeys anymore,so if we want fresh turkey for Thanksgiving,The Men will have to hunt one. Further down the road on my walk,I noticed an old cemetery. I love old cemeteries and of course,had to walk over to check it out. As I climbed the small embankment,I heard a rustling off to my left,and I just caught the flash of the white tail of a deer as it jumped into the woods. The cemetery consisted of four stones-two adult sizes and two child sizes,which made me rather sad. There are quite a few family cemeteries around here-in the woods,on the side of the road-and coming upon one always makes me wonder about the families. Sometimes their homes are still standing,sometimes there is just a foundation left. What drove them off their property? What killed the little ones? Were they farmers? Trappers? Hunters? All three? When the resting places become overgrown,and the stones broken,I feel so terrible. At one point,these were living,breathing,humans who laughed,cried,and loved. Now they are forgotten. It's so very sad.
Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!
Our first hard frost of the season happened Friday night. The temperatures went down in the low 20's. Of course, Rick and Zach were camping out all weekend with the Boy Scouts for their annual Fall Camporee,so needless to say it was a wee bit nippy for them,but thankfully they had warm clothes and sleeping bags. It was windy all weekend,which made the temperatures even colder. Sunday morning it was pouring out,so they had closing ceremony at 8:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM. We made sure there was hot coffee and cocoa waiting for them,and we did start the wood stove up so they could have some nice heat to warm their bones after being out in the cold all weekend. It was the first time we started up the wood stove this season. This week is suppose to be a nice week-only a chance of rain today with temps in the 70's,and the rest of the week is going to be sunny,which is good. Our poor chicken run is still a muddy mess,because the weather has been rainy and chilly all last week. At least now it will dry out and we can get it de-smellified ;)
Once everything is dried out I can put the garden to bed for the winter.
We brought our cat Smokey to the vets today to be neutered. It was his first trip to the vets and he actually did OK. We brought Samson and Sasha last week for their check ups. Samson is having hip problems so we give him meds every day to help with the stiffness. We discovered that Sasha has Lyme's Disease, but it doesn't bother her at all. Her joints are fine and she is not suffering from any symptoms,which is good.
Last week when I went for a walk I saw a turkey in someone's yard,and as I walked by I watched her pecking at the ground.We are not raising turkeys anymore,so if we want fresh turkey for Thanksgiving,The Men will have to hunt one. Further down the road on my walk,I noticed an old cemetery. I love old cemeteries and of course,had to walk over to check it out. As I climbed the small embankment,I heard a rustling off to my left,and I just caught the flash of the white tail of a deer as it jumped into the woods. The cemetery consisted of four stones-two adult sizes and two child sizes,which made me rather sad. There are quite a few family cemeteries around here-in the woods,on the side of the road-and coming upon one always makes me wonder about the families. Sometimes their homes are still standing,sometimes there is just a foundation left. What drove them off their property? What killed the little ones? Were they farmers? Trappers? Hunters? All three? When the resting places become overgrown,and the stones broken,I feel so terrible. At one point,these were living,breathing,humans who laughed,cried,and loved. Now they are forgotten. It's so very sad.
Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Compost Bin Is Done...And So Is Our Tom
Rick finished up the compost bin on Friday afternoon. The area is now nice and clear,and the tractor can get in and out. We have three sections: soil on the left,and the breaking down areas in the middle and to the right:
Rick didn't want to put side walls up on the ends,because he wanted to be able to access the piles from either angle with the tractor to dump and turn compost,or to retrieve soil for the garden. Good plan. He just used old pallets,held them together with rope,and used some lumber to support the back.Finally! That area is cleaned up and all our composting and composted materials are where they should be!
Sunday evening it finally started to rain.I left the bedroom window open a bit,and it was fabulous to wake up during the night and hear the rain outside. Monday it rain all day,and though we desperately needed it,it would've been more beneficial to have a a few days of good,slow,leisurely rain than one day of downpours.At this point,however,we will take whatever we can get!!! The grass did start greening up,and we have seen more leaves on the trees.
Yesterday we had to take care of our Tom.One of the females (we had 2) died,because the Tom wouldn't let her eat,apparently.He was also getting very aggressive when anyone went near the cage,and jumped up towards the door of the cage with his talons front and center. Not good. It was long overdue,anyway. So Zach did the deed,and after Tom was dead we weighed him-he was 50 lbs! We had to cut him up to get the meat into the fridge,and we still didn't almost have enough space. He was a big'un!!!
Tuesday we went down to North Hampton to visit Rick's Dad Dick,and Brother Spencer. Dick was kind enought dig out the old Shaw family bible so I could double check some dates:
The bible was given to Rick's great x 3 grandmother for Christmas in 1873.It has beautiful illustrations in it that still have tissue paper over them. Marriages,births,and deaths all have their proper pages,in lovely handwritten script.(My dates were right,by the way)
Yesterday I brought Zach down to my Mom's for an overnight visit,and I stayed for lunch and chatted. She had just returned the previous day from VA. My great nephew had his christening,and Mom went down with my sister and her husband (they are the grandparents). Zach always likes visiting his Nana. She is going to bring him back today. We had an early morning as we had to be down in Manchester for an 8:00 AM eye appt for Rick. His double vision is starting to go away,which is good. This was just an annual checkup.
Today I am going to start my cukes and pumpkins.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Super Easy Venison Sausage
Right now the Menfolk are in the middle of the turkey fest. Zach did the dirty deed ("Mumma,you are going to have to use Oxyclean on my clothes,I hit the jugular.")Two are hanging out back,and Rick is plucking one in the garage. I braved the masses and went grocery shopping today,thankfully I went a bit earlier than normal so it wasn't so bad.I got a few small things ready today-cooked my cranberries for the stuffing (actually dressing,but we always call it stuffing),made my cream cheese/olive filling for celery sticks,and made my venison sausage.This was my first attempt at venison sausage,and I must say it came out AWESOME. It's very easy. I got the recipe from Cooks.com.
Deer Breakfast Sausage
1 lb ground venison (no suet)
1 lb ground pork
2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Put venison and pork in a large bowl. Mix the spices together and pour sprinkle over meat. Using your hands,work the meat and spices together until thoroughly combined.Shape into roll,wrap in plastic or foil,and chill overnight in the fridge.Slice and fry as regular sausage.
The only thing I did not do was make the meat into a roll. I cooked some up right away and brought it outside so the Menfolk and The Boy could try it,and they all loved it.Our neighbor,Kelly,was chatting with Brother B,and he loved it as well.He told me to give his wife the recipe. I put the pound of sausage I need for the stuffing in the freezer in a separate freezer bag,and froze the rest together.I wasn't sure how long fresh venison lasts in the fridge,since it had been in our fridge since Saturday. I figured an overnight freeze wouldn't hurt,and tomorrow I will cook up what I need for the stuffing so it will be all set for Thanksgiving.
Tomorrow I will make pumpkin pie with homemade pumpkin puree,iron the tablecloth,wash the glasses and china,dry out the Gluten Free bread for the stuffing,and fill the celery sticks with the cream cheese and olive mixture. Less things to do on Thanksgiving!
Have a lovely day!!!
Deer Breakfast Sausage
1 lb ground venison (no suet)
1 lb ground pork
2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Put venison and pork in a large bowl. Mix the spices together and pour sprinkle over meat. Using your hands,work the meat and spices together until thoroughly combined.Shape into roll,wrap in plastic or foil,and chill overnight in the fridge.Slice and fry as regular sausage.
The only thing I did not do was make the meat into a roll. I cooked some up right away and brought it outside so the Menfolk and The Boy could try it,and they all loved it.Our neighbor,Kelly,was chatting with Brother B,and he loved it as well.He told me to give his wife the recipe. I put the pound of sausage I need for the stuffing in the freezer in a separate freezer bag,and froze the rest together.I wasn't sure how long fresh venison lasts in the fridge,since it had been in our fridge since Saturday. I figured an overnight freeze wouldn't hurt,and tomorrow I will cook up what I need for the stuffing so it will be all set for Thanksgiving.
Tomorrow I will make pumpkin pie with homemade pumpkin puree,iron the tablecloth,wash the glasses and china,dry out the Gluten Free bread for the stuffing,and fill the celery sticks with the cream cheese and olive mixture. Less things to do on Thanksgiving!
Have a lovely day!!!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Let The Harvest Begin (GRAPHIC PHOTOS)
WARNING...GRAPHIC PHOTOS OF DEER BEING SKINNED
Like I mentioned in my earlier post,we got a deer that was hit by a car.He hung over night in our tree in the backyard. Saturday morning,The Menfolk,Zach,and nephew Brody went out hunting,but were not out long.They didn't see any deer,but they did see a mink.
This past weekend was mighty busy,as we planned on having Brody up to hunt,then harvest the turkey that we had sold. Then we got the call about the deer,so that was added to the mix.Saturday-out early hunting,then home to harvest the deer. Some photos of the skinning:
*GRAPHIC PHOTOS*
He let Nephew Brody try his hand at skinning as well,under his guidance:
After the deer had been skinned,then the real processing began. We have a food vacuum sealer and that keeps the meat nice and fresh.Thankfully,most of the meat was good and not ruined from the accident. The whole process of skinning,butchering,and processing took about four hours or so. We have medallions,roasts,and steaks. I have meat in the fridge that I am going to make into burger today.
The Men were exhausted by Saturday night.Sunday they harvested the turkey that we sold. We let Nephew Brody harvest the turkey,since it's not something he normally does. Zach,who is our turkey harvester,was fine with it because he knows that he will be helping with the rest this week (he has the whole week off from school).
We don't have any fancy scales,so our method of weighing turkeys is to stand on a regular scale,take note of the persons weight,then put the person on the scale with the turkey.The difference in weight is the weight of the turkey. The one we sold was 19 lbs and a Tom. We did sell it for incredibly cheap,on par with frozen at the supermarket.(a mere .75 cents per lb) We had not been keeping track of feed costs,so we really had nothing to gauge it on. Selling one was last minute decision. Our customer,Stephanie,told me she would like to get one from us next year,and I told her that the price would be much more. She seemed pretty pleased at any rate,which was a good thing.
The rest of the turkeys will be taken care of over the next couple of days. We have one for our neighbor,one for Rick's Dad,one for Brother Dale,one that we are trading for some pig meat,one for us,and three that we are donating with food baskets. We only sold the one.No money making venture this year,which is fine.Next year,we plan on keeping track of costs,buying more and selling some at what the price should be. I don't like the thought of charging people I know,though.It's just who I am.
Our neighbor,Kelly got a call about a hit deer.The Menfolk are going to help him harvest it,and he is going to give us some meat in exchange for the help.So we are going to get more venison!!
There won't be much hunting up until Thanksgiving Day. Everyone is going to be busy.
Today: Menfolk-process Kelly's deer
Me:make fresh pumpkin puree from two Sugar Pumpkins;finish shopping list and food basket list. Make venison burger.Begin cleaning house.
Tuesday:Menfolk/Zach:some hunting in the AM.Begin turkey processing.Shop for food basket items.
Me:Shop for week and Thanksgiving.Make venison sausage.
Zach :Make up the food baskets
Wednesday: Menfolk/Zach:Process more turkeys. Deliver food baskets.Make my Birthday cake(Rick and Zach insist on it)
Me:Iron table cloth,wash china and special glasses/dishes,make gluten free pumpkin pie,stuff turkey with citrus,make venison sausage stuffing,and celery stuffed w/cream cheese and olives.
Plus,there always other goodies that pop up.How do you prepare for Thanksgiving,if you celebrate it?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Solitude
Rick and Brother B left yesterday on a four day fishing trip up in Maine. There is a spot that Rick has always wanted to fish since he was in his twenties,so now that his knees are healthy again,he is finally doing it. This leaves me alone during the day while Zach is in school,which is strange to me. Mind you I do have hours by myself sometimes,but never this much. It's certainly different.
Today the sun has finally decided to make an appearance.It has been rainy since Friday,and the temperatures have been chilly. Typical New England weather-90's and sunny one week,the next,cold and rainy. I must say I am very pleased with the rain,though,because it's really helped the garden along....
Today the sun has finally decided to make an appearance.It has been rainy since Friday,and the temperatures have been chilly. Typical New England weather-90's and sunny one week,the next,cold and rainy. I must say I am very pleased with the rain,though,because it's really helped the garden along....
You can see my broccoli on the left,next to that are my onions. The seemed to sprout overnight! My green peppers,cukes,and tomatoes have done well. You can't see the corn because it's way in the back,but it's about 5" high. My beans,peas,beets,radishes,and potatoes have taken off as well,but it's hard to see them here. My lettuce and spinach are starting to sprout,and I have flowers on one of my pumpkin plants.The strawberries are thriving,I have a few green berries popping out.
Today I am going to reorganize my living room,then tomorrow I am going to work in the garden. We are not expecting any rain today,so everything should dry up nicely,so I should also be able to finally make my peppermint soap,which calls for fresh mint. Before Rick left he spread loam out on the areas of lawn which he used some fill on,and he put grass seed down,so I will have to make sure that's watered. So far, our turkey chicks are doing great. I made sure that they had plenty of water and feed,and the light is giving off just the right amount of heat. The Girls are doing good,a few of them are broody,but they aren't being protective of the eggs to the point where they try to peck me this time. I have been able to just go in the coop and gather the eggs,though I do talk soothingly to The Girls who are nesting,and I pet them as well. They grumble at me,but that's all. Our big turkeys are still laying eggs,and they are doing fine as well.
Right now the dogs and cats are sleeping,there is a slight breeze blowing,and the birds are singing away.There is something about the sounds that of nature that I find very soothing and relaxing. This is the life!!!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Doings
Our weekend with the Scouts went well and we had a lot of fun. Zach's Troop helps the district run the Fish and Run each year. The annual Abnaki District Fish and Run is designed for Webelos to stay the weekend,have a fishing contest,and do various stations to test their scouting skills.They have a big competition at the end of the day and a campfire with skits and songs. First year Webelos are fourth graders. Second year Webelos are 5th graders and they are already crossed over into Boy Scouts by the time that Fish and Run happens. Each station covers what the boys are learning in their handbooks. Each patrol is graded on how well they work together,etc. The younger Cub Scout-,the Tigers (1st grade),Wolves (2nd grade)and Bears (3rd grade)-have their own fishing competition and they too,can try their hand at some of the stations. Zach was again this year at the First Aid station,playing an injured person. The Webelos had to figure out what was wrong with him. He enjoyed it,as he got to lay down in the dirt all day!!!! Rick helped man the rain gutter ship building station,and I sold hamburgers,hot dogs,chips,drink,cookies and brownies to help raise money for the troop. Needless to say,by the time we got home on Sunday AM,we were all tired from the fresh air. I think we all napped-I know I did!
We ordered more turkeys this year. We have 14 Bronze turkeys coming next week.We will have to see how well our remaining turkeys get along with their new pen mates. We are still getting random turkey eggs.
Today Rick and I are going to Zach's school for their "Lunch At School Day." We like sitting with Zach and his friends. The school has a great salad bar,which I always enjoy when we go. After that,I need to get more pots. My pumpkins are growing like crazy and I need to transplant them from the seedling tray.No planting outside yet. It's not safe until Memorial Day-ish,unless you have a low tunnel,etc. Which we don't :(
Our backyard is still quite soft,so we haven't been able to get out and work on our beds.We are going to build more square foot boxes within the next week. We also need to get more compost. I don't think we will have enough to replenish our current boxes and fill new ones. We also need to get some fill for our backyard. When we had our artisan well put in,the subcontractor who back filled the trench did a very poor job,so we have sink areas. Not cool. Just one more thing to add to the already long list!!!!!! Our strawberry plants are starting to come up,and I hope we get a good amount,because I want to make quite a bit of jam this year.
We did have a bit of a scare on Sunday when we got home. Our cat Moxie apparently got out and was gone for over 24 hours. He hasn't been outside since we found him in our woodpile back in November. Monday afternoon I went into the "boathouse" (one of those canopied half circle storage things that folks put boats or cars in that zippers up)thinking he could be in there. Brother B went on the other side in case something ran out. I called ,"Moxie! Little Mo!" I then heard a faint "Meow." Turns out he was underneath a pile of miscellaneous stuff we are storing there until household pick up day. Brother B was able to retrieve him and now he is back in house. Right now he is laying at my feet under the desk :) Zach was really upset and worried that he would never come back. I was too. I have a real soft spot for cats.
Turkey season opened up on Tuesday,and they boys have been out each morning. They have seen turkeys but never in a good spot to get off a shot. Here in NH,they can only hunt turkey until noon. Maybe tomorrow we will have fresh turkey!
We ordered more turkeys this year. We have 14 Bronze turkeys coming next week.We will have to see how well our remaining turkeys get along with their new pen mates. We are still getting random turkey eggs.
Today Rick and I are going to Zach's school for their "Lunch At School Day." We like sitting with Zach and his friends. The school has a great salad bar,which I always enjoy when we go. After that,I need to get more pots. My pumpkins are growing like crazy and I need to transplant them from the seedling tray.No planting outside yet. It's not safe until Memorial Day-ish,unless you have a low tunnel,etc. Which we don't :(
Our backyard is still quite soft,so we haven't been able to get out and work on our beds.We are going to build more square foot boxes within the next week. We also need to get more compost. I don't think we will have enough to replenish our current boxes and fill new ones. We also need to get some fill for our backyard. When we had our artisan well put in,the subcontractor who back filled the trench did a very poor job,so we have sink areas. Not cool. Just one more thing to add to the already long list!!!!!! Our strawberry plants are starting to come up,and I hope we get a good amount,because I want to make quite a bit of jam this year.
We did have a bit of a scare on Sunday when we got home. Our cat Moxie apparently got out and was gone for over 24 hours. He hasn't been outside since we found him in our woodpile back in November. Monday afternoon I went into the "boathouse" (one of those canopied half circle storage things that folks put boats or cars in that zippers up)thinking he could be in there. Brother B went on the other side in case something ran out. I called ,"Moxie! Little Mo!" I then heard a faint "Meow." Turns out he was underneath a pile of miscellaneous stuff we are storing there until household pick up day. Brother B was able to retrieve him and now he is back in house. Right now he is laying at my feet under the desk :) Zach was really upset and worried that he would never come back. I was too. I have a real soft spot for cats.
Turkey season opened up on Tuesday,and they boys have been out each morning. They have seen turkeys but never in a good spot to get off a shot. Here in NH,they can only hunt turkey until noon. Maybe tomorrow we will have fresh turkey!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Turkey Egg!
We have friends who also have turkeys,and they have been telling us about the turkey eggs that they are getting. This led us to wonder why we haven't seen any eggs yet. Our Tom has been busy huffing,puffing,and strutting around in front of the two girls with all his feathers unfurled for the last couple of weeks,so we figured that we might see something soon. Rick made a bigger bed for them thinking it might help. Then,yesterday,he came into the house and told me to open my hand. I did,and lo and behold,there it was....our first turkey egg!!!
I have never seen a turkey egg before. I expected it to be bigger than a chicken egg,but I was still surprised at the size. None of us have tried eating turkey eggs before. Our friends informed us that they have more flavor,and are a bit richer than chicken eggs.Some of them told us they prefer turkey eggs to chicken eggs. I am curious to see the difference!
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| Turkey egg and chicken egg for comparison |
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Things That Keep Returning
Well, here I am,feeling better but still fighting cold symptoms. This cold is kicking many a butt in our area. Because all I have been doing since I last posted on Saturday was the same thing,I figured I wouldn't bore you with it! Wake up,computer,putter around the house a bit,lay down,Dr Quinn. That's it.
Among some of the things that keep coming back this week :turkeys and snow. Yep.This 10 days we have had four turkey sightings:two in our yard,and two across the street. We had Tom turkeys trying to get in our turkey cage,and they tried to fight our Toms through the cage. Girl turkeys and food,what more could a male turkey want? I took this photo yesterday:
The next thing that keeps coming back is this:
Snow.Today is the first day since the week began that we have a nice sunny day. In the last week we have had well over a foot of snow from the two snowstorms. This photo shows one of the heavier bands of snow we had.We had light snow again yesterday.Tomorrow we are going to get more snow-with higher amounts than previously thought. The front is moving further north,so instead of an inch or two,we are going to get 5"-10". Looks like Zach might get another snow day this week.
There is something else that has returned. Those of you in their 40's and older might remember the show "Family Affair" and Buffy's doll,Mrs.Beasley. In 1972,I received a Mrs.Beasley for Christmas. It remains one of my favorite gifts. Rick found Mrs Beasley and bought her for me as an early Valentines' Day present! He said that he remembered how much I loved Mrs Beasley and how when Christmas time rolls around I always mention her as one of my favorite gifts. I felt like a four year old all over again,and all I could say was,'Mrs.Beasley!' over and over again. Now,going on 40 years later,Mrs Beasley and I have been reunited. What a kind,thoughtful,hubby I have!!!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
Last night was a very laid back night,at least for me.We had decided a while ago to stay in this year. Our plan was to have appetizers,I would have a drink or two,and we would have some champagne at midnight ( Rick actually said he would have glass this year).
Rick and Zach started assembling his new entertainment center/TV stand. We wanted to help create more space in Zach's room,since it is rather small,so we bought him a 26"flat screen TV and a horizontal TV Stand. He had our old corner entertainment center,which stuck out a bit. This new stand has all kinds of storage space,which is behind doors,so the games,books,and movies are out of sight. Since the TV in our room was beginning to go on the fritz,we now have his old TV in our room. They began this project at 2:00 PM.
One thing I forgot to mention is that Rick has been put on Ritalin,to help with his organizational skills. Many of the issues that those with TBI have are the same as those who have ADHD. They are not acquired in the same way,but Ritalin works the frontal lobe of the brain in the same manner. He takes this at 8:00 AM and again at noon. He says he can feel it working. It does help,though he still gets confused,but he is more focused than before. He has also been getting more accomplished and has more drive.
At any rate,the building of the TV stand hit some bumps along the way. The instructions called for building the unit upside down,but then when they turned it over,Rick and Zach realized that the instructions called for them to put the back on the wrong way. So they had to redo it. Then the doors were put on wrong. Zach kept coming out every so often saying," I have good news,and I have bad news..." I felt so bad for Rick,but he did not want my help. They stopped at 6:00 PM for our dinner of grilled chicken quarters,rice,and green beans. They then went back to work. I told Rick to just leave it until tomorrow(which is today),but he said he had promised Zach that his TV and stand would be done and he was determined to keep his promise. So while they were in Zach's room, I sat in my recliner watching Dr Quinn and knitting. I then lit my candles and finally figured out how to shut off the flash on my camera so I could take some photos...it only took me over a year to think about and do it!
This gives you an idea of what our house looks like on any given winter night,with the exception of the Christmas decorations,of course!
At 8:00 I made the appetizers ( frozen mozzarella sticks and pizza rolls -they were awful...next year I will make my own.I know...what do I expect from frozen,right?)
Rick was going to have unbreaded buffalo wings,but wound up not because he was concentrating on the stand. By 10:00 PM,the stand ( with the exception of a couple shelves) and the TV were done. We sat and just watched New Years Eve coverage on CNN with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. Midnight rolled around,and I did not feel like drinking champagne. I was tired and didn't want to open the bottle,so we are going to drink it today. Brother B was down at Brother Dale's house,so I would've had to drink most of it myself,and I knew that was not going to happen. We all went to bed by 12:10.
This morning we woke up at 8:00. Brother B came in and was looking out the kitchen window when all of a sudden,he said,"Quick! Look out front!" We did,and there,across the street,were 10 wild turkeys.
You can't really see too well in this photo that Zach took,but you might be able to make out a couple of birds to the left of the tree in the foreground. Apparently,according to our neighbor Kelly,they came out of the field down Avon Lane,and there were 20 of them in our driveway. They then proceeded down the front of the yard( we can see their tracks),down the pathway,and across the street to the woods. By the time we saw them,half of them had already made their way into the woods,and a few were hanging back.
Rick and Zach finished putting the doors on the stand,hooked up his game system and DVD player this AM. It took two hours.
Today our New Year dinner will consist of ham,potatoes,yams,peas,rolls,and pineapple. We will have that this evening. I haven't forgotten the champagne!!!
Happy New Year!!!!
Rick and Zach started assembling his new entertainment center/TV stand. We wanted to help create more space in Zach's room,since it is rather small,so we bought him a 26"flat screen TV and a horizontal TV Stand. He had our old corner entertainment center,which stuck out a bit. This new stand has all kinds of storage space,which is behind doors,so the games,books,and movies are out of sight. Since the TV in our room was beginning to go on the fritz,we now have his old TV in our room. They began this project at 2:00 PM.
One thing I forgot to mention is that Rick has been put on Ritalin,to help with his organizational skills. Many of the issues that those with TBI have are the same as those who have ADHD. They are not acquired in the same way,but Ritalin works the frontal lobe of the brain in the same manner. He takes this at 8:00 AM and again at noon. He says he can feel it working. It does help,though he still gets confused,but he is more focused than before. He has also been getting more accomplished and has more drive.
At any rate,the building of the TV stand hit some bumps along the way. The instructions called for building the unit upside down,but then when they turned it over,Rick and Zach realized that the instructions called for them to put the back on the wrong way. So they had to redo it. Then the doors were put on wrong. Zach kept coming out every so often saying," I have good news,and I have bad news..." I felt so bad for Rick,but he did not want my help. They stopped at 6:00 PM for our dinner of grilled chicken quarters,rice,and green beans. They then went back to work. I told Rick to just leave it until tomorrow(which is today),but he said he had promised Zach that his TV and stand would be done and he was determined to keep his promise. So while they were in Zach's room, I sat in my recliner watching Dr Quinn and knitting. I then lit my candles and finally figured out how to shut off the flash on my camera so I could take some photos...it only took me over a year to think about and do it!
At 8:00 I made the appetizers ( frozen mozzarella sticks and pizza rolls -they were awful...next year I will make my own.I know...what do I expect from frozen,right?)
Rick was going to have unbreaded buffalo wings,but wound up not because he was concentrating on the stand. By 10:00 PM,the stand ( with the exception of a couple shelves) and the TV were done. We sat and just watched New Years Eve coverage on CNN with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. Midnight rolled around,and I did not feel like drinking champagne. I was tired and didn't want to open the bottle,so we are going to drink it today. Brother B was down at Brother Dale's house,so I would've had to drink most of it myself,and I knew that was not going to happen. We all went to bed by 12:10.
This morning we woke up at 8:00. Brother B came in and was looking out the kitchen window when all of a sudden,he said,"Quick! Look out front!" We did,and there,across the street,were 10 wild turkeys.
Rick and Zach finished putting the doors on the stand,hooked up his game system and DVD player this AM. It took two hours.
Today our New Year dinner will consist of ham,potatoes,yams,peas,rolls,and pineapple. We will have that this evening. I haven't forgotten the champagne!!!
Happy New Year!!!!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Odds and Ends
Since I haven't been feeling well this last week,not much as been going on,aside from the basic everyday things:dishes,dusting,sweeping,feeding the poultry,etc. Today I actually feel better than I have since last Friday. Last night I was running a low grade fever of 99.6.maybe that was helping purge whatever was going on,because even though I still feel fuzzy in the head,I do feel better,though tired. Right now I am in the middle of straightening out the kitchen.Things are piling up on the butcher block and the dining table,so since I feel better,that is my project for today.I always tend to overdue the first day I start to feel better,so I will limit myself to that one project.
Sunday I decided to take some photos outside since I haven't done that in a while. I poked around in our potato bed and found this little guy staring up at me:
Holy smokes,a potato! We didn't plant many. I think we only have 5 plants total. It was more or less an experiment to see how well they would do. I proceeded to pick 5 potatoes all together,and they were quite good. Next year we are going to dedicate a whole bed to just potatoes.
Next I took a look at our turkeys:
They have grown quite a bit,and we discovered we have 6 males and 6 females. You can tell the males because the waddle under their necks is bigger than the females,and it turns more red.They also wind up growing a beard.Males also fan their tail feathers out and puff themselves out,making huffing noises. I tried to get our boys to do it for me,but they were not interested in the least.
Sunday I decided to take some photos outside since I haven't done that in a while. I poked around in our potato bed and found this little guy staring up at me:
Holy smokes,a potato! We didn't plant many. I think we only have 5 plants total. It was more or less an experiment to see how well they would do. I proceeded to pick 5 potatoes all together,and they were quite good. Next year we are going to dedicate a whole bed to just potatoes.Next I took a look at our turkeys:
They have grown quite a bit,and we discovered we have 6 males and 6 females. You can tell the males because the waddle under their necks is bigger than the females,and it turns more red.They also wind up growing a beard.Males also fan their tail feathers out and puff themselves out,making huffing noises. I tried to get our boys to do it for me,but they were not interested in the least.Now on to the rooster and his harem:
Here is Runt ( the beige Buff Orphington) in all his glory.Runt is the cock of the walk! He was so small for so long we thought he was a female ( remember?) Then once the Cornish Game Hen Crosses were gone,he was able to get more food and he grew. We got rid of the other couple roosters,but we have grown attached to Runt,so he will stay. I love hearing him crow,but his crows always sound like a question. He has an upward inflection at the end of his crows.The boys keep telling Runt that he needs to have a firm,decisive crow,but so far he is not listening to them.
I have one pumpkin left on the vine.The rest I have picked. They are sitting on my porch,with my old ironing board and a box full of canning jars.The ironing board is waiting to be picked up by our friend,Paul,who collects scrap metal to help pay for his mortgage.It no longer opens up. The canning jars were given to us by our neighbors.
I want to attempt making fresh pumpkin pie,but of course,this has not been the week for it. Our local apple orchards have apples that are ready to pick as well. Everything is so early this year! My cozy content Fall feeling is not quite out yet. The leaves have been turning for weeks,although slowly.Our maples have just started,though. The foliage experts say this is not going to be a very pretty foliage year,and it is not going to last long.The summer was too hot and dry. Last year was gorgeous!
Here is Runt ( the beige Buff Orphington) in all his glory.Runt is the cock of the walk! He was so small for so long we thought he was a female ( remember?) Then once the Cornish Game Hen Crosses were gone,he was able to get more food and he grew. We got rid of the other couple roosters,but we have grown attached to Runt,so he will stay. I love hearing him crow,but his crows always sound like a question. He has an upward inflection at the end of his crows.The boys keep telling Runt that he needs to have a firm,decisive crow,but so far he is not listening to them.I have one pumpkin left on the vine.The rest I have picked. They are sitting on my porch,with my old ironing board and a box full of canning jars.The ironing board is waiting to be picked up by our friend,Paul,who collects scrap metal to help pay for his mortgage.It no longer opens up. The canning jars were given to us by our neighbors.
I want to attempt making fresh pumpkin pie,but of course,this has not been the week for it. Our local apple orchards have apples that are ready to pick as well. Everything is so early this year! My cozy content Fall feeling is not quite out yet. The leaves have been turning for weeks,although slowly.Our maples have just started,though. The foliage experts say this is not going to be a very pretty foliage year,and it is not going to last long.The summer was too hot and dry. Last year was gorgeous!I am off to finish up my kitchen.Have a great day in your neck of the world!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Fresh Air
Thankfully,Hurricane Earl just seemed to cough it's way up the coast here.It has been a long time since NH has seen a good size hurricane,and we like it like that. We have our share of winter hurricanes (otherwise known as Northeasters) so we can do without them in the Fall. We did get some rain and a bit of wind,but nothing to write home about. We are about 30 minutes from the coast,so anything they get is far less up here.
This last week has found us with yet another stretch of oppressive heat,coupled with humidity. Records were broken as the many parts of the state (including ours)found themselves in the mid to upper 90's. Our AC has been going nonstop for days,which has meant our windows have been closed.Now the heat is over! A cool front has finally moved in. This morning I have shut down the AC and flung open every window in the house (except for the ones which have an air conditioner in it-we have two).Finally! Some fresh air in the house! The sun is out,the wind is blowing,and the air smells lovely. One of the wonderful things about having windows open is you can hear and smell the outside. Instead of the steady noise of the air conditioner,we can hear birds,feel the breeze,smell how fresh it is after the rain,hear the leaves rustling on the trees,and hear our beloved rooster,Runt crowing at the day.It's wonderful and relaxing.
Today I need to can tomatoes.Our tomatoes have finally started ripening,and our neighbor gave us a bunch of them.I do need to pull out my cuke plants.They are finally dead and have served us well.The pickles and relish I canned came out great,if I do say so myself! :) I have two or three pumpkins left on the vine,but they should be pretty well ripe by now. I picked 5 of them about 2-3 weeks ago.Everything so early this year.My corn didn't turn out very well.The stalks all died within the last three weeks,so even though we propped them up and extended their lives by a bit,it didn't have the desired effect. At least I can use the stalks for fall decoration.As Ma Ingalls used to say,"There's no great loss without some small gain."
I am still getting some summer squash and zucchini,though the leaves have white on them.I have a few green beans that need picking,and my green peppers are doing OK. I need to check my potatoes.The herbs did great,and we are still getting strawberries.This last strawberry harvest has been our best all summer,so next year I am sure all three harvests will be very bountiful.(fingers crossed!!!)
The girls should be laying very soon,so we are anxious for that. The turkeys are getting big,and it's funny to see the males strut around and make their huffing noises.
Yep,it's a good day!
This last week has found us with yet another stretch of oppressive heat,coupled with humidity. Records were broken as the many parts of the state (including ours)found themselves in the mid to upper 90's. Our AC has been going nonstop for days,which has meant our windows have been closed.Now the heat is over! A cool front has finally moved in. This morning I have shut down the AC and flung open every window in the house (except for the ones which have an air conditioner in it-we have two).Finally! Some fresh air in the house! The sun is out,the wind is blowing,and the air smells lovely. One of the wonderful things about having windows open is you can hear and smell the outside. Instead of the steady noise of the air conditioner,we can hear birds,feel the breeze,smell how fresh it is after the rain,hear the leaves rustling on the trees,and hear our beloved rooster,Runt crowing at the day.It's wonderful and relaxing.
Today I need to can tomatoes.Our tomatoes have finally started ripening,and our neighbor gave us a bunch of them.I do need to pull out my cuke plants.They are finally dead and have served us well.The pickles and relish I canned came out great,if I do say so myself! :) I have two or three pumpkins left on the vine,but they should be pretty well ripe by now. I picked 5 of them about 2-3 weeks ago.Everything so early this year.My corn didn't turn out very well.The stalks all died within the last three weeks,so even though we propped them up and extended their lives by a bit,it didn't have the desired effect. At least I can use the stalks for fall decoration.As Ma Ingalls used to say,"There's no great loss without some small gain."
I am still getting some summer squash and zucchini,though the leaves have white on them.I have a few green beans that need picking,and my green peppers are doing OK. I need to check my potatoes.The herbs did great,and we are still getting strawberries.This last strawberry harvest has been our best all summer,so next year I am sure all three harvests will be very bountiful.(fingers crossed!!!)
The girls should be laying very soon,so we are anxious for that. The turkeys are getting big,and it's funny to see the males strut around and make their huffing noises.
Yep,it's a good day!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Welcome Home!
It's official: Tomorrow Rick is coming home!
He will have to go to the VA twice a week for therapy,but that shouldn't be for long. It will get down to once a week,once every other week,etc. They said the only reason they are letting him go,aside from the fact that he is doing such an amazing job,is that I can bring him to his appts.
I went grocery shopping today,instead of my usual Tuesday,and spent the day sweeping,washing the floors,cleaning our bedroom,washing the bedding,cleaning the bathroom,dusting....in other words,getting the house nice. Rick's raised toilet seat is in,and the shower bench is ready. We already have a handle in case he needs it to get up off the toilet ( we put that in a couple years ago)and he will be bringing home a hand held shower head and a handle for the tub. He should have no trouble climbing the steps to get into the house,as he has been climbing half a flight of stairs with ease at the VA. Zach made a "Welcome Home Daddy" sign for the house.
He has lost 20 lbs since the operation. He still doesn't really have much of an appetite,but that was to be expected. We were told it might take awhile for it to come back. His clothes hang off of him now,and he is hopeful that he will continue to lose more,once he starts being more active. His goal is to get down to 200 lbs ( he is now at 234-he hasn't been that in a long time). The more weight he loses,the better it is for the life of his knee replacements. I told him we can lose weight together!!!
We got our turkeys on Saturday,and they are quite funny. I finally got the cuke trellis done as well. Rick has been bothered by the fact that he his missing this phase of our Little Farm. We now have a tiny little green pumpkin! I bet that once he gets settled tomorrow the first thing he will want to is walk the property and check everything out. He knows he cannot do ANYTHING! No weeding,feeding chickens or turkeys,NOTHING! All he can do is walk and do his exercises until Dr Bernini tells him differently. Rick does not want to mess his knees up,so I know he will heed what he is told. There was a gentleman in PT with him the other day who did too much when he wasn't suppose to.He felt great,and decided to do some yard work. He wound up dislocating the joint and had to have his knee operated on again to have everything put back in place. Rick does not want to go there. As much as I know it will bother him not being able to do anything, I also know he is smarter than that and he will content himself with just being able to enjoy seeing what is going on (and maybe pointing out what needs to be done!!!)
Well, I need to go make the bed......have a great day!!!
He will have to go to the VA twice a week for therapy,but that shouldn't be for long. It will get down to once a week,once every other week,etc. They said the only reason they are letting him go,aside from the fact that he is doing such an amazing job,is that I can bring him to his appts.
I went grocery shopping today,instead of my usual Tuesday,and spent the day sweeping,washing the floors,cleaning our bedroom,washing the bedding,cleaning the bathroom,dusting....in other words,getting the house nice. Rick's raised toilet seat is in,and the shower bench is ready. We already have a handle in case he needs it to get up off the toilet ( we put that in a couple years ago)and he will be bringing home a hand held shower head and a handle for the tub. He should have no trouble climbing the steps to get into the house,as he has been climbing half a flight of stairs with ease at the VA. Zach made a "Welcome Home Daddy" sign for the house.
He has lost 20 lbs since the operation. He still doesn't really have much of an appetite,but that was to be expected. We were told it might take awhile for it to come back. His clothes hang off of him now,and he is hopeful that he will continue to lose more,once he starts being more active. His goal is to get down to 200 lbs ( he is now at 234-he hasn't been that in a long time). The more weight he loses,the better it is for the life of his knee replacements. I told him we can lose weight together!!!
We got our turkeys on Saturday,and they are quite funny. I finally got the cuke trellis done as well. Rick has been bothered by the fact that he his missing this phase of our Little Farm. We now have a tiny little green pumpkin! I bet that once he gets settled tomorrow the first thing he will want to is walk the property and check everything out. He knows he cannot do ANYTHING! No weeding,feeding chickens or turkeys,NOTHING! All he can do is walk and do his exercises until Dr Bernini tells him differently. Rick does not want to mess his knees up,so I know he will heed what he is told. There was a gentleman in PT with him the other day who did too much when he wasn't suppose to.He felt great,and decided to do some yard work. He wound up dislocating the joint and had to have his knee operated on again to have everything put back in place. Rick does not want to go there. As much as I know it will bother him not being able to do anything, I also know he is smarter than that and he will content himself with just being able to enjoy seeing what is going on (and maybe pointing out what needs to be done!!!)
Well, I need to go make the bed......have a great day!!!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Clearing Out
Good morning! The sun is starting to break through the overcast sky as I type this. It was quite foggy this morning,but it has burned off nicely and it is suppose to be a great day.
Our trip to Dartmouth went well,with only once glitch. Our 3:00 appt was held up due to an emergency that Dr Bernini had,and we didn't see him until 5:15. The other appt,which thankfully was first, went quickly. EKG,blood work,urine test,and a chest X Ray. We also got Rick's Coumadin prescription filled,and booked a room at a local hotel for the night before the surgery. We left home at 9:45 AM,and didn't' get back until just about 8:00 PM. It was a long day.
Yesterday we finished clearing out the area where our chicken coop is going to be built.It is amazing how much can accumulate. Wood pallets,a snowmobile,more misc wood from remodeling,etc. We ripped out a horrible little shrub that I have hated since we moved in back in 2003. Now we have this lovely cleared out spot....with the rest of the stuff in piles in the yard. Rick is going to chop up the bad pallets for kindling,and we will keep the rest to stack our fire wood on. The snowmobile is going to get put into the tree line with a tarp over it. The rest will get burned. I also planted my cukes,put out my herbs and tomatoes to harden off,and planted more peas. My first planting have just started to show! They do grow fast. I also planted more lettuce.
Today there will be more work in the coop area,and I do want to plant my corn,zucchini,summer squash,and beans. I have Sunflower seeds I need to plant,I just need to figure out where I want them. We have juice barrels that we need to cut the top off of,clean out,and put in the spigots for rain water.
We are going to put our Cornish hens in the turkey cage. They have gotten HUGE and are eating the other chicks out of house and home. Since we have no turkeys yet (hopefully we will find out the status of them tomorrow) it will be a good temporary home until the coop is built.
Out black flies are pretty much taking a back seat to the mosquitoes now. They are getting nasty. My brother in law,Brian,also known as Brother B went hunting this morning with our neighbor Kelly,and when he came back he reported the mosquitoes are thick. It's also humid,so that doesn't help. It seems we go from one bug to another with no break.
Our trip to Dartmouth went well,with only once glitch. Our 3:00 appt was held up due to an emergency that Dr Bernini had,and we didn't see him until 5:15. The other appt,which thankfully was first, went quickly. EKG,blood work,urine test,and a chest X Ray. We also got Rick's Coumadin prescription filled,and booked a room at a local hotel for the night before the surgery. We left home at 9:45 AM,and didn't' get back until just about 8:00 PM. It was a long day.
Yesterday we finished clearing out the area where our chicken coop is going to be built.It is amazing how much can accumulate. Wood pallets,a snowmobile,more misc wood from remodeling,etc. We ripped out a horrible little shrub that I have hated since we moved in back in 2003. Now we have this lovely cleared out spot....with the rest of the stuff in piles in the yard. Rick is going to chop up the bad pallets for kindling,and we will keep the rest to stack our fire wood on. The snowmobile is going to get put into the tree line with a tarp over it. The rest will get burned. I also planted my cukes,put out my herbs and tomatoes to harden off,and planted more peas. My first planting have just started to show! They do grow fast. I also planted more lettuce.
Today there will be more work in the coop area,and I do want to plant my corn,zucchini,summer squash,and beans. I have Sunflower seeds I need to plant,I just need to figure out where I want them. We have juice barrels that we need to cut the top off of,clean out,and put in the spigots for rain water.
We are going to put our Cornish hens in the turkey cage. They have gotten HUGE and are eating the other chicks out of house and home. Since we have no turkeys yet (hopefully we will find out the status of them tomorrow) it will be a good temporary home until the coop is built.
Out black flies are pretty much taking a back seat to the mosquitoes now. They are getting nasty. My brother in law,Brian,also known as Brother B went hunting this morning with our neighbor Kelly,and when he came back he reported the mosquitoes are thick. It's also humid,so that doesn't help. It seems we go from one bug to another with no break.
Monday, May 17, 2010
There's Something Missing Here.....
Lo and behold,I give you......our turkey home!For the most part,it has been done for a few weeks now. The only things left to do is make a shelter and a feeding trough,which won't take much time. We have some roosts that we nailed to a couple of saplings,and the roosts are actually saplings that we cut down to make some room around the cage. We bought a stretch plastic type of netting that looks like chicken fencing and put it across the top of the cage,so they can't fly out.
The only thing missing is the turkeys.
Our friend CJ,who is selling us the turkeys,wound up having an accident with his incubators,so the batch of turkeys that we were suppose to get didn't make it. It has put poor CJ behind,but he says we will still get turkeys,just a bit later than originally planned.
This weekend was a beautiful one. Rick mowed the lawn on Saturday,and I finished putting the square grids on the garden boxes. Rick's brother Dale,and his son,Brody,came over late Saturday afternoon and we had a cookout,with hamburgers,hot dogs,chips and potato salad that I made Saturday AM. We had a fire in the ring out back,and the boys had smores. Then they decided that they wanted to sleep in the screen house,so Zach and Brody took out our camping cots,and zero weather sleeping bags,and slept outside.
Sunday I planted some carrots,dill,and planted my Jack O'Lantern and Sugar Pumpkin plants that I had started. I am still not impressed with my peppers,still very small,and no true set of leaves yet. When they first sprouted,I took the heat off them and put them under lights. Now from what everyone says,I should've kept the heat on them. I put the heat back on,but I think it may have been too late.Sigh. My neighbor did give me some of his pepper plants,so if mine don't pan out,I will have those at least. My Straight Eight and National Pickling cukes look great. My herbs aren't very big,though. I wonder if it's the same reason as the peppers. I may have to bite the bullet and buy the plants outright.
Today we are buying the lumber for the chicken coop. We decided on a spot,finally. Now we just need to move the firewood we have in that spot,and clear out the area.
It's gorgeous out there....enjoy it!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Busy Hands,Good News, and Rememberances
Good morning!
The sun is shining right now,but the forecast calls for some clouds and some showers later on in the day. The leaves on the trees are popping out everywhere,and before we know it,all the trees will be full of them. I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing the transformation each day-just a tiny thin mist of green at first,then overnight the whole forest is a sea of green. Gorgeous.
The weekend was beautiful,and we got most of the turkey cage done. Rick,true to form,pushed himself so he could barely walk each night. We could only work a bit before he had to take a break,and we probably put in about an average of 3 hours each day,give or take. It depended on Rick's tolerance. We got the upper cross supports on,and the attached the top row of chicken wire to it. Today we are going to put the wire across the top so the turkeys don't fly out and flying predators can't get in. Then we just need to put one more roost in ( we use cut down decent size saplings and run them between trees) and a shelter for them and it will be done. Our friend,CJ,is selling us turkeys that will be big enough to go right in the pen.Then we have to organize the garage and redo a small cage for the chicks when they come in later this week. Then we need to build the coop,and make our garden beds. All this as soon as we can. Our rush is twofold. First,we need to get them done,because we need to get them done! The second,is Rick is finally getting his knees replaced! His surgery date is June 7. They are going to set him up for both knees at once,but if the anetheseologist says it's too risky,they will do one then the other about a month and a half later.The VA cleared it and he will be getting his surgery done at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. We are very excited and happy that he will finally get this portion of his life back!!! Pain free. Imagine the concept!
Zach had his Boy Scout Camporee this past weekend,and the troop did well-two first places and a third. He had a great time,and was quite tired. He and I redid our fire ring,and I thought he was going to fall asleep right on the ground. Later in the afternoon we watched "Avatar",and he fell asleep. Poor little guy. He had vacation last week,and was such a big help to Rick and myself outside. We didn't even have to ask! He was more than happy to help his Dad. He's such a great kid.
Yesterday was a sad day for me. It was the one year anniversary death of my dear friend,Alexandra O'Rourke. She passed away from lung cancer. I was going to say something about it to My Dear Friend Michelle while we were picking up the boys at Camporee,but I had a feeling we would both cry,so I didn't say anything. I didn't need to remind her. Alex was her best friend. We both knew,though I did mention it in an email to her later and I posted a remembrance to Alex on Facebook. It was then I started to cry,and went outside to help Rick. He gave me a hug while I wiped my tears. I haven't cried over Alex in a long time,though I think about her alot, and miss her,especially this time of year when she would out in the garden. Rick told me he thought Alex would be proud of me for starting to live this kind of life,and I like to think that she would be. It still feels strange and hurts a bit when I see her sons,especially her oldest boy who is in Zach's troop. He is the spitting image of Alex,and she loved the scouting program so much. A whole year. It has gone by so very fast. It seems like yesterday.
The sun is shining right now,but the forecast calls for some clouds and some showers later on in the day. The leaves on the trees are popping out everywhere,and before we know it,all the trees will be full of them. I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing the transformation each day-just a tiny thin mist of green at first,then overnight the whole forest is a sea of green. Gorgeous.
The weekend was beautiful,and we got most of the turkey cage done. Rick,true to form,pushed himself so he could barely walk each night. We could only work a bit before he had to take a break,and we probably put in about an average of 3 hours each day,give or take. It depended on Rick's tolerance. We got the upper cross supports on,and the attached the top row of chicken wire to it. Today we are going to put the wire across the top so the turkeys don't fly out and flying predators can't get in. Then we just need to put one more roost in ( we use cut down decent size saplings and run them between trees) and a shelter for them and it will be done. Our friend,CJ,is selling us turkeys that will be big enough to go right in the pen.Then we have to organize the garage and redo a small cage for the chicks when they come in later this week. Then we need to build the coop,and make our garden beds. All this as soon as we can. Our rush is twofold. First,we need to get them done,because we need to get them done! The second,is Rick is finally getting his knees replaced! His surgery date is June 7. They are going to set him up for both knees at once,but if the anetheseologist says it's too risky,they will do one then the other about a month and a half later.The VA cleared it and he will be getting his surgery done at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. We are very excited and happy that he will finally get this portion of his life back!!! Pain free. Imagine the concept!
Zach had his Boy Scout Camporee this past weekend,and the troop did well-two first places and a third. He had a great time,and was quite tired. He and I redid our fire ring,and I thought he was going to fall asleep right on the ground. Later in the afternoon we watched "Avatar",and he fell asleep. Poor little guy. He had vacation last week,and was such a big help to Rick and myself outside. We didn't even have to ask! He was more than happy to help his Dad. He's such a great kid.
Yesterday was a sad day for me. It was the one year anniversary death of my dear friend,Alexandra O'Rourke. She passed away from lung cancer. I was going to say something about it to My Dear Friend Michelle while we were picking up the boys at Camporee,but I had a feeling we would both cry,so I didn't say anything. I didn't need to remind her. Alex was her best friend. We both knew,though I did mention it in an email to her later and I posted a remembrance to Alex on Facebook. It was then I started to cry,and went outside to help Rick. He gave me a hug while I wiped my tears. I haven't cried over Alex in a long time,though I think about her alot, and miss her,especially this time of year when she would out in the garden. Rick told me he thought Alex would be proud of me for starting to live this kind of life,and I like to think that she would be. It still feels strange and hurts a bit when I see her sons,especially her oldest boy who is in Zach's troop. He is the spitting image of Alex,and she loved the scouting program so much. A whole year. It has gone by so very fast. It seems like yesterday.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
I Finally Get Through!
I have been trying for the past two days to post,but for whatever reason,I was not allowed to go to the sign in page. I am glad to see whatever issues were afoot are now resolved.
We knew it was too good to last. Our stretch of summer like weather has left us and now we are back to typical April showers and temperatures. However, that did not deter us. Thursday Rick and I put up the chicken wire around the bottom of the turkey cage. We also cut down some saplings that were in the way. It took about an hour,and that was all that Rick could do. Then yesterday it rained all day,so there was no outdoor work.
My seedlings are coming along nicely. I just went into the basement to check on them,and I now have three more pepper plants. So now I have 10 in total. Yesterday I planted 20 tomatoes,because I know not all of them will take.I put the cells that did not have their seeds sprout yet in the same tray with the tomatoes,and kept the sprouted ones under the light. I use regular heating pads for the seeds. I have heard that you should not use heating pads,that regular plant pads are the way to go,but so far it's worked fine. I did make one error,however-when I first bought the heating pads,I bought ones with an automatic shut off. After an hour,it would shut off and I would have to manually turn it back on. Not an option. Fortunately, I had an old heating pad and it worked, though it didn't get quite as hot as it used to. I checked at Rite Aid,and they had the heating pads without the automatic shut off,so I bought two for about $30. It sure beats one plant pad for over $50. You do not need expensive items to get your garden going. I have an basic shop light and cool fluorescent bulbs,for which I think I spent no more than $14. Plant lights are not necessary. I do make sure the soil stays moist,as that is very important.
Rick and his brother Brian are off to pick up the supplies for our square foot garden boxes. We are going to have 9 boxes this year. This is our first attempt at square foot gardening, and starting seeds,and while it does seem pretty straight forward,it's like anything else one tries for the first time-we feel a bit overwhelmed at what needs to be done.We can only do our best and learn from any mistakes we make. Hopefully we will have enough to can and maybe sell a bit by the roadside for a bit of pocket money.We didn't want to go too over board our first year.
Today I am going hiking with My Dear Friend Michelle and her two boys. Zach is best friends with her son,Ethan,and he spent the night there last night. We are going over to Strafford to hike Parker Mountain. It has been quite a while since I have done any hiking,but Michelle promised to go slow. The sun is shining,the air is brisk,so it it great hiking weather. Tonight Rick and I are going to the Abnaki District dinner.This is for registered adults in our Boy Scout district,where leaders can receive awards. Rick did not go last year. They had spaghetti for dinner,and Rick did not want to pay $10 just to eat a salad (he can't have regular spaghetti because of the gluten).This year they are having roast beef,so he can eat that and feel like he's getting his money's worth. :)
Enjoy your day!
We knew it was too good to last. Our stretch of summer like weather has left us and now we are back to typical April showers and temperatures. However, that did not deter us. Thursday Rick and I put up the chicken wire around the bottom of the turkey cage. We also cut down some saplings that were in the way. It took about an hour,and that was all that Rick could do. Then yesterday it rained all day,so there was no outdoor work.
My seedlings are coming along nicely. I just went into the basement to check on them,and I now have three more pepper plants. So now I have 10 in total. Yesterday I planted 20 tomatoes,because I know not all of them will take.I put the cells that did not have their seeds sprout yet in the same tray with the tomatoes,and kept the sprouted ones under the light. I use regular heating pads for the seeds. I have heard that you should not use heating pads,that regular plant pads are the way to go,but so far it's worked fine. I did make one error,however-when I first bought the heating pads,I bought ones with an automatic shut off. After an hour,it would shut off and I would have to manually turn it back on. Not an option. Fortunately, I had an old heating pad and it worked, though it didn't get quite as hot as it used to. I checked at Rite Aid,and they had the heating pads without the automatic shut off,so I bought two for about $30. It sure beats one plant pad for over $50. You do not need expensive items to get your garden going. I have an basic shop light and cool fluorescent bulbs,for which I think I spent no more than $14. Plant lights are not necessary. I do make sure the soil stays moist,as that is very important.
Rick and his brother Brian are off to pick up the supplies for our square foot garden boxes. We are going to have 9 boxes this year. This is our first attempt at square foot gardening, and starting seeds,and while it does seem pretty straight forward,it's like anything else one tries for the first time-we feel a bit overwhelmed at what needs to be done.We can only do our best and learn from any mistakes we make. Hopefully we will have enough to can and maybe sell a bit by the roadside for a bit of pocket money.We didn't want to go too over board our first year.
Today I am going hiking with My Dear Friend Michelle and her two boys. Zach is best friends with her son,Ethan,and he spent the night there last night. We are going over to Strafford to hike Parker Mountain. It has been quite a while since I have done any hiking,but Michelle promised to go slow. The sun is shining,the air is brisk,so it it great hiking weather. Tonight Rick and I are going to the Abnaki District dinner.This is for registered adults in our Boy Scout district,where leaders can receive awards. Rick did not go last year. They had spaghetti for dinner,and Rick did not want to pay $10 just to eat a salad (he can't have regular spaghetti because of the gluten).This year they are having roast beef,so he can eat that and feel like he's getting his money's worth. :)
Enjoy your day!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A Night of Sore Muscles
Yesterday was another gorgeous day,which Rick and I took full advantage of. We worked more on the turkey cage. We dug holes,set the posts with quick crete,and made sure they were as level as they could be. One side of the cage is more straight than the other,because we have had to deal with some roots from the trees. It's OK,though,it still works. After the posts we put up the horizontal post supports,that will also serve as places to attach the chicken fencing. In between this, I did three loads of laundry,and raked by the tree line near the turkey cage. The people who lived in this house a long time ago apparently used the tree line to chuck broken pieces of concrete blocks in,because I picked up about 6 of them,which I put in one pile. Here and there are pieces of concrete. What to do with them? We may just dig a hole and bury them. They can't be used for anything.
We didn't even realize that we had worked through lunch until I asked Rick what time it was and he replied that it was 2:35. Jeez! Almost time to get Zach off the bus! Poor Rick was quite the hurting unit,his poor knees were in agony. He is stubborn,however,and will what he can for as long as he can. Most of the time he can't do much for long,maybe an hour or two.
After the laundry was done, I ironed the clothes,including our scout uniforms,because we had Boy Scouts last night .I think by the time I actually sat down it was after 5:00 PM,and let me tell you, I didn't want to get back up. I hurt,especially my back and hips. I have bouts sometimes with my sciatic nerve. I wrenched it a long time ago lifting a TV from the floor to the top of a table by myself ( I should've used my legs!). So sometimes when I move a certain way it bothers me. Last night I was standing during our Troop Committee meeting and OW! It was quite uncomfortable. When I went to bed last night my back and hips hurt so bad I could barely walk. I can only imagine how much Rick hurt. He could hardly walk as it was.
Today is a gray day,warm,but with passing showers. I went grocery shopping this morning,and after a quick lunch of chicken strips and coleslaw,I made oatmeal-walnut-butterscotch cookies. I don't buy store bought cookies anymore. Soon I must go pick up Zach for his dentist appointment. Tonight we are having broiled haddock,baked potatoes and peas. We try to have fish at least once a week,but it doesn't always work out that way. We let Zach pick either haddock or salmon.He likes both. Thankfully,Zach is not a fussy child. There are very few things he does not like.Then again,we all have things we don't care for!
We didn't even realize that we had worked through lunch until I asked Rick what time it was and he replied that it was 2:35. Jeez! Almost time to get Zach off the bus! Poor Rick was quite the hurting unit,his poor knees were in agony. He is stubborn,however,and will what he can for as long as he can. Most of the time he can't do much for long,maybe an hour or two.
After the laundry was done, I ironed the clothes,including our scout uniforms,because we had Boy Scouts last night .I think by the time I actually sat down it was after 5:00 PM,and let me tell you, I didn't want to get back up. I hurt,especially my back and hips. I have bouts sometimes with my sciatic nerve. I wrenched it a long time ago lifting a TV from the floor to the top of a table by myself ( I should've used my legs!). So sometimes when I move a certain way it bothers me. Last night I was standing during our Troop Committee meeting and OW! It was quite uncomfortable. When I went to bed last night my back and hips hurt so bad I could barely walk. I can only imagine how much Rick hurt. He could hardly walk as it was.
Today is a gray day,warm,but with passing showers. I went grocery shopping this morning,and after a quick lunch of chicken strips and coleslaw,I made oatmeal-walnut-butterscotch cookies. I don't buy store bought cookies anymore. Soon I must go pick up Zach for his dentist appointment. Tonight we are having broiled haddock,baked potatoes and peas. We try to have fish at least once a week,but it doesn't always work out that way. We let Zach pick either haddock or salmon.He likes both. Thankfully,Zach is not a fussy child. There are very few things he does not like.Then again,we all have things we don't care for!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Spring Has Sprung
The weather continues to be gorgeous here in NH. More and more buds are showing on the trees,and our lilac bush is showing leaves. Yesterday we had my Mom up here for Easter dinner,and we were commenting how rare it is to have Easter with such beautiful weather and no snow on the ground. Our Jonathon Apple tree is just starting to show buds. One day we will wake up and all around us will be green. It seems to just happen overnight.
This weekend I cleaned up our screen porch. That poor porch has seen better days. It sorely needs a fresh coat of paint and some new screens. It hasn't been painted since 2005,so I would say it's time. A porch should always look somewhat decent,especially since it's the first thing people see when they come to your house. It's your greeting to friends and family. Right now, that greeting is not very cheerful looking here!
I also took advantage of the weather and did some raking. The boys started putting up the new turkey cage. They seated the lumber posts with some quick-crete,but didn't get as far as they would've liked,because they picked up the free speed boat we were given. So that took a chunk out of the day on Saturday. Then of course, some of the men neighbors had to come down to check it out,which took more time. By the time the boys came back from Home Depot,it was already 3:00 PM. They did work on it some yesterday morning,but of course stopped around noon time since it was Easter. They did get the lights for the seedlings hung,and I had an interesting time trying to figure out the timer...which I finally did,I think !
Today is laundry and ironing day.I will be going outside and helping Rick with the turkey cage and doing some raking in between loads. Tonight is Boy Scouts and we have a Troop Committee meeting,so I not only have to wash and iron Zach's uniform,but ours as well.
It's nice to see Rhonda Jean from Down To Earth posting again. She has a fabulous blog,with great advice. I think she is probably the standard bearer for self reliant blogs. You can't go wrong when you follow Rhonda Jean!
I suppose I should go do what I have to do -start some laundry and hit the great outdoors. I hope you and your families all had a great Easter,and if you don't celebrate it,I hope you all had a great Sunday!!!!
This weekend I cleaned up our screen porch. That poor porch has seen better days. It sorely needs a fresh coat of paint and some new screens. It hasn't been painted since 2005,so I would say it's time. A porch should always look somewhat decent,especially since it's the first thing people see when they come to your house. It's your greeting to friends and family. Right now, that greeting is not very cheerful looking here!
I also took advantage of the weather and did some raking. The boys started putting up the new turkey cage. They seated the lumber posts with some quick-crete,but didn't get as far as they would've liked,because they picked up the free speed boat we were given. So that took a chunk out of the day on Saturday. Then of course, some of the men neighbors had to come down to check it out,which took more time. By the time the boys came back from Home Depot,it was already 3:00 PM. They did work on it some yesterday morning,but of course stopped around noon time since it was Easter. They did get the lights for the seedlings hung,and I had an interesting time trying to figure out the timer...which I finally did,I think !
Today is laundry and ironing day.I will be going outside and helping Rick with the turkey cage and doing some raking in between loads. Tonight is Boy Scouts and we have a Troop Committee meeting,so I not only have to wash and iron Zach's uniform,but ours as well.
It's nice to see Rhonda Jean from Down To Earth posting again. She has a fabulous blog,with great advice. I think she is probably the standard bearer for self reliant blogs. You can't go wrong when you follow Rhonda Jean!
I suppose I should go do what I have to do -start some laundry and hit the great outdoors. I hope you and your families all had a great Easter,and if you don't celebrate it,I hope you all had a great Sunday!!!!
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