winter

HA! Winter!

I could get used to 70 degrees in December.  Although you are confusing things Mother Nature, I do enjoy not having to keep a fire going day and night.

So, thank you.

That is all.

Holidays

Thanksgiving went well.  Parents came up and we visited with the family and friends.

The weather has been changing.  And thanks to Allie's snow dance we've had our first snow flurry (shakes fist).  But the temperatures haven't been terrible for the end of November and beginning of December.  However the heavy frost on the ground this morning was not a pleasant sight.  Please winter, hurry through for two months and then leave.  I want it above 50 again in February.

All the critters are doing well.  Dad helped me cover the chicken tractor to winterize it a little more.  A windstorm had done some serious damage to the plastic that had been over it.  I think (hope) Miss is pregnant, but I'm not sure about Godiva.  This will be Camo's last winter here, either I get up the gumption to butcher him or I need to take him to a sale.

Varg is growing, I think he is fifty pounds now, if not more.  Khain's back legs are getting weaker, but he still gets up and down the deck stairs without much complaint.

I've been diving back into crochet and writing again.  It keeps me from doing foolish things, like going outside in the cold.

I guess I'll give a snippet of what I have been writing (really rewriting).

Quick, nimble, grey skinned fingers loosened the snare from the dead rabbit’s throat; pulling the limp animal free.  The kill had been long enough ago that the rigor mortis had released, but the cool fall air had kept the insects away.  With a sureness of practice the young giantess reset the willow snare and brushed some leaves back over her trail.  She pushed her grey hair back behind her ear, the afternoon sun catching the blue highlights, and tucked the rabbit into her leather satchel.

            Madger wasn’t supposed to gather the meat from the snares for the clan; no woman was supposed to hunt or know how to set snares.  She wanted a more substantial lunch than the scraps of stale bread the other women in her clan had given her.  Most of the leftovers from the morning meal and traveling foods were reserved for the men when they went out on their hunts or checking the traps.

            The snares were checked daily but so far her male cousins hadn’t come by to handle the chore.  If she was quick and quiet about it she doubted they would notice.  More often than not snares were empty.  She knew this season though the snares would be set in her prime berry picking area as the small animals fed on them.  Soon the season would turn and the mountain would be covered in snow, and all sound would be muffled by the white blanket

Her sharp features creased as she shielded her eyes from the sun; she bore the high cheekbones and deeply set eyes indicative of her race.  Her body was thin; just beginning to bud into womanhood.  Fully clothed in soft leathers, from her wrists to her neck and down to her ankles; no skin was allowed to show other than her face and hands, according to the Traditions, the laws that ruled all Stone Giants.  She wore no ornamentation unlike most of the other women in the clan, not wanting any extra noise to give herself away while out gathering berries or collecting firewood.  Often the charms were designed so the small rocks would click together rhythmically while they walked.  Even some of the younger girls tied bright pebbles around their wrists, or to their necks, pretending to be married while out playing.

            The side of the mountain she traversed was covered in rough brush, small scrubby trees and a few hardy pines.  Most of the ground consisted of rocks that constantly threatened to slip out from under foot.  The mountain range wasn’t tall enough to keep a continual snow cap, but at the distant peak the vegetation wouldn’t grow in the thin air.  The sky was clear blue, except for the occasional white puffy cloud.

            She hurried through the lighter brush of the rocky mountain side toward a tall pine, the thin bush branches slapping back from her passage and the leaves and rocks barely sliding under her thinning shoes.  It was far enough from the trap line that no one would easily see her, unless they purposefully went off the trail.  She swiftly bent several branches of the pine back and settled under its branches.  Inside her satchel she pulled out a small bundle of dry tinder she always carried.  More than once she had been caught in the wet and cold but it had taught her a valuable lesson.  She would have to bring back some more of the dry twigs for her larger stashes in the cave where she lived with her family.

            A few strikes of her flint got the fire started, and she scooted out from the shelter to gather some more deadfall to roast the rabbit.  After the fire caught the extra wood to her satisfaction she went about gutting and cleaning the rabbit with her stone knife.  This was a skill her mother and the other women of the clan had taught her as none of them wanted the job.  It wasn’t a pleasant chore, but it proved useful for her, especially on the rare occasions that she dared to harvest her own meat.

Most of the dirtier and harder jobs were relegated to her, which was why she was out gathering berries.  Women weren’t supposed to roam from the home according to the Traditions.  The other women looked down on her so sent her out on the jobs that bordered on the edge of being proper for them.  Even being the clan chief’s daughter didn’t save her from the spite of the other women of the clan.  She was too small, a mere eight feet, compared to the usual ten of her family, too curious, too eager to adventure, and finally when the magic came to her, too strange.

She had a nearly 50 years of experience working outside and knew how to keep from making herself less noticeable.  Years of skirting the Traditions, and at the same time trying to follow them as best she could.  Doing her best not to react to the spiteful interactions with some in her clan because of how different she was.  But her race was long lived and she had just begun to be considered an adult.  Her mother and father well into their 200s, and her brother had just broached his 75th year.

            The fire was nearly smokeless and the pine boughs helped break up any telltale sign that a casual observer might see from up the mountain, where her family’s cave was located.  The wind was mild and barely offered enough force to rustle the leaves on the ground; the soft crackle of the fire was the loudest noise.

            Madger propped the prepared and skewered rabbit up against some rocks so the heat of the fire could begin cooking it, the exposed skin of her hands almost blended with the grey stones.  After burying the remains under several other rocks, so one of the men wouldn’t find the obvious gutting, she washed her hands with the water she carried with her.

            A sudden hard rustle of leaves and several rocks sliding down the mountain near enough to be heard clearly made her stop all movement, her heart hammered in her chest, fear of one of the men discovering her and her meal made her clench her jaw.  Madger’s storm cloud grey eyes scanned the area the sound had come from, trying to pick something out in the bushes and settling leaves.  Whatever had caused it, she hadn’t caught any sight of it when the rocks had shifted.  She held her breath, waiting for some other motion, some sound, to give away what had broken the stillness of the afternoon.

            Shadows shifted and she took a shallow breath, the sound of her blood pounding in her ears threatened to block out any other noise.  After several tense moments a small flock of birds flew skyward from nearby trees, just beyond where she had heard the rocks slide.  More than anything that told Madger that whatever had been near her was moving away and she let herself take a deep breath.  Perhaps it had just been an animal, following the scent of her cooking; it was too far from the trail for it to be her cousin checking snares.

            The thought of the cooking meat brought her back from the panic that had seized her gut and she turned it over to keep it from burning.  She had yet to be caught taking meat or trying to practice her magic while out in the woods but she never wanted it to happen, or the consequences that would follow.  The Traditions of her people were very strict regarding women, and she didn’t want to have to put her father in the position of having to discipline her.  He hadn’t yet had to strike her for any improper actions, but most in the clan thought he was too soft on her and her brother.  More than once one of the other men slapped her, or some of the younger boys threw rocks at her as she passed because she had made an infraction while her father was away.

            More confident that no one was nearby she took the time to practice using her magic, lifting small stones with the power that collected in her gut and pounded in her blood.  Concentrating and forcing her will to shape the magic that coursed through her to solidify around the rock, no bigger than her hand, had her wincing with a headache.

She had heard from listening to her clan gossip that there were magic words, maybe symbols to draw, motions with her hands that would assist with the concentration, even make a spell, but she didn’t know how or what to do, so she simply concentrated.  She wasn’t even sure how to weave a spell; at least that was what she had heard it called.  Madger assumed it would be like weaving a basket or tapestry but she didn’t know how to shape the magic like that, and so simply let it move fluidly in the manor she wanted.

The clan had begun their gossip about magic when she first started developing her ability to wield it.  It also coincided when her body was beginning the transition to adulthood, though she was still thin and hadn’t developed the curves of a more mature giantess.  At first she had wanted to listen to the little knowledge she could glean from the clan’s gossip but she soon discovered there was no real knowledge there, just guesses and hearsay. Sometimes she thought some of them purposefully mislead her in how to work the magic.

No one else in her clan could wield magic, and few wanted to be near her because she had not yet learned to fully control it.  The neighboring clan had a mage that could teach her though, but there was a dispute over their territories and her father was in the midst of trying to work a treaty with them.

Her father was gentle though, often with good humor.  He could have struck her whenever she misbehaved like the other men in the clan did with the other women.  Instead he would talk with her, and listen to why she misbehaved.  Often he still punished her with more chores, but he never allowed anyone to strike her while he was within sight.

Her mother tried to teach her to ignore the teasing, suggesting she try and get along with the other girls and join them in their silly games.  But her brother, Merion, was her real respite in the clan.  He understood her willfulness, her need to explore.  Some saw him as odd too.

He didn’t train with the other men often, didn’t hunt often, but rather tended to the small herd of goats.  It was a job he should had relinquished to younger boy a long time ago.  He should be married now, or at least searching outside the clan for a woman to find one to his liking, as none of the ones in the clan had drawn his attention.  His taste was for a woman who could keep up with him while walking with the goats; one he could discuss the books with, and challenge him with her wits.  He had a keen mind and a sharp tongue that favored jokes, and he longed for a companion with the same.

No woman was allowed to read though, so he taught Madger in secret.  No woman could keep up with him and the herd of goats on the rocky mountainside, so Madger visited with him while on her hunt for forage.  And although she didn’t speak much, even with him, she laughed at his jokes.

The scent of the cooked rabbit made Madger finish her practice with the rock.  She rubbed at the bridge of her nose for a moment to ease the headache from her practice.  Then she devoured the meat, nibbling the bones clean and sucking the grease from her fingers.  It was a small meal, but substantial enough to keep her stomach from grumbling until supper.  The bones she placed with the guts and left the shallow grave with rocks over it for scavengers to find and make look natural.  As she left the pine she bent the branches back, covering the remaining charred rocks from the fire she had stomped out.

Co-workers

So I finished the west side of the fence line.  I had two co-workers with me but they weren't much help.

Jethro and Gibbs went out with me and stayed with me the whole time I was out there.  Then they followed me home.  They were good for entertainment when I took a few breaks.

This is the north view from the end of our property, towards the cow pasture.  This is the west corner.

 Hard to see what exactly I cleared here but this is facing south back towards the house.

Crochet Therapy

So a bout of anxiety ended the job at the factory.



Been working on my crochet this week to keep my mind occupied.  Also been looking at more information about what I have, or think I have.  I don't recall ever being told exactly what my diagnosis was, which had lead me to just call it depression.  But I do recall the new insurance not covering my psychologist because it was coded as borderline personality disorder.  Which seemed really odd.



Anyways found some videos that might explain more about it.  At the same time it reminds me of the "fortune telling" trick of making general statements and the person saying, "Yeah that happened, is happening, or will happen."  For example, going on a trip, a death in the family, something happened that made you sad.



I really wanted to just work through the winter to get some extra cash and get myself out more.  I have been noticing more bad days this year, and I am worried that the medicine may not be as effective.  And as disappointed in myself as I am for failing, I have to pick myself up and try something else.



Which is where the crochet is coming in.  Video games helped with the focusing of the mind too, basically so I didn't wig myself out with my own thoughts.  But crochet seems to work as long as I have something to listen to also.  (Ancient Aliens is plenty mindless enough)

Finally got this to link.

2nd shift

I never want to smell Hawaiian punch again.  Or whatever it is that you want to call the Hawaiian scent in the aerosol can.  Because I had to smell it for 10 hours last night.

Yeah, I got a factory job.

Wanted to complete a week there before I mentioned anything.  Working 4 days a week at night for 10 hours.  Its not too bad for me, except for the standing for 10 hours.  But I will be getting some insoles now to help with that.

I like that I don't have to deal with the public, and really there isn't much talking because the machines are so loud and we have to wear ear (and eye) protection.  The only thing I couldn't wrap my mind around was grabbing three cans in each hand to put them in the box.  You would think it is a simple thing, but no.  For whatever reason my coordination would just fail.  That was the first day.  The next three days they put me on a different line to make  sure the valves were placed correctly etc in the cans.  That went much better.

So I may not be posting a whole lot this winter at least.  My original plan was to have a job during the winter, but maybe I will stay on longer.  I'm not sure how it will all work out as I am just hired now through a temp agency, so I am not going to worry about it until March rolls around.

film at 11

The new, awesome, super exciting video of fence line clearing!!!

*cue audience approval*

Also the large hunk of metal (I would almost call it an engine block) that was stuck in the ground where the wet weather creek is.

Back to work

Started clearing the fence line again.  I just have the west and south side to clear.  The west side will be around 1000 feet, and the south side is 200 feet and closest to the house and is where the main gate will be.  I let the goats clear some of the shrubs for me and then I went in with the loppers and chainsaw and cleaned up the line I wanted.

You might be able to see one of the goats down at the end of the cleared part.

 In other news my five dollar Wal-Mart shoes finally gave up the ghost.  I only had them for 3 months maybe, but they were five bucks and just used around the farm really.  I tried gluing the sole back on, but it wouldn't hold.  Time to buy my next pair.

I think I prefer getting cheaper pairs of shoes than really nice expensive ones.  Cause for just around here I don't want to have to worry about tearing them up.  I love the ariat shoes that I used to get but they were around 100 dollars a pair, and while really comfortable and held up my feet really well on concrete, I didn't like that I tore them up while helping shingle a roof.  Basically the asphalt shingles sandpapered down the thread holding the tops of the shoes together.  I was very sad about that, and still used them around the farm for far longer than I needed to.

Also the persimmons are ripening.  I need to collect some and make some jam with them.  Right now the chickens and turkeys are scooping up what falls on the ground.

Fall

The leaves are turning, but they are mostly turning brown.  Because rain refuses to fall here.  It has been a more than a month since we have seen any measurable sort of rain.  I mean last this morning there was enough rain to make the deck wet but the ground showed little impact.  The dirt is hard and cracked and the grass is brown and brittle.

Went to the horse auction again, this time by myself.  I should have gone a little earlier as I didn't have enough time to wander the aisles to look at the horses like I wanted to.  But I enjoyed seeing the horses.  It still amazes me how cheap horses are now.  There was a 5 month old colt that went for $60.

I hope to have the fence up before winter and in the spring have enough money saved to get some more critters.  I do need to get a trailer though, so that may take precedence over more critters.

If I could get a horse I could train and then sell to someone for a profit that would help.  But I have no guarantee that it would work.  Just the belief that it would.  Sometimes that's all you have to go on.

The goats got out the other day.  I grabbed the grain bucket and was walking around the flatbed trailer to them but Godiva decided a straight line was the fastest way to the grain.

 Last weekend Allie took me to see the balloon glow in Forest Park.  This was the only balloon that got up, there was just too much wind for the others.  When we were leaving they blew the horn for the fires that heat up the air in the balloons.  They lit those torches off, but there were no balloons over them.  Maybe next year.  I doubt I will go again, just too much chaos and children running around screaming for me.

 Rags and Jethro are getting along.  They enjoy playing with each other.  Jethro's twin, Gibbs, is hanging around the garage.  But all he is getting from me is food, and maybe some cuddles, but no more inside pets!

Drama

So I freaked myself out last week.  Made a lot of people worry about me.  But everything turned out ok.

To those I worried, I apologize and I thank you for your kindness and concern.  I have learned a valuable lesson, don't post on facebook when having an anxiety attack.

What it comes down to is our cat Rags got very sick over the weekend and I took him to the vet on Monday.  The vet took great care of him, told me he was very sick and dehydrated.  This much I knew which is why I had taken him to the vet, but then she added that he had fleas.

Fleas?  I don't see any fleas in my house!

But when I went to the vet to pick him up, they showed me all the flea dirt, and he was covered in it.  Flea medication was applied to all critters in the house and flea powder to the carpet.

Rags gradually got better over the week, and at the end of it I released him from his quarantine room.  He was not plugged up (not able to urinate) a common problem with male cats, and once he started feeling better he started drinking again.  The vet still wants to check him for diabetes but I think he just got a virus, but I have been wrong before.  He had been spitting up a lot of saliva which is why he got dehydrated so badly.

On top of that, I was supposed to take Rags back to the vet the next day (Tuesday last week) but Rob's car went on the fritz.  At first we thought it was the transmission going because Rob said it was shifting roughly.  So he brought it home and took the truck.  I didn't take Rags to the vet because I didn't want to damage the transmission anymore, or get stuck on the side of the rode with him, if that was what it was.

So on top of a $300 vet bill, I was looking at a possible broken transmission.

Pay attention folks, this is when Mary enters meltdown mode.

Money worries freak me out.  Our very friendly, lovable, fluffy cat was sick and had fleas. I came unglued and posted on facebook about how horrible I was feeling, thinking there was no way out, thinking I had failed all my pets and maybe should take them out with me.

But no.  This was the sickness in my mind talking.  Sometimes I can stress myself out beyond the delicate balance my medication keeps me at.  And I have wonderful friends and family who care about me and wanted to help.

Anyways, Rags got better.  We got the computer code for the car checked and found out it was a vacuum problem.  A good dusting out of the air filter (yeah it was bad) and the car runs fine.

So that was the cause of all the drama.  I have learned a valuable lesson.  And the world spins on.

I was going to post about fall and the trees turning etc.  Maybe next time, this post ran long.

Chicken wrangling

I was watching a movie or something last night, so Rob went out to put the pullets away for me.  (The other hens have been on lock down for the past few days to teach them to lay in the nest boxes again).  He called me outside because, he found Jethro's twin, and he couldn't find three of the pullets.  And while Jethro's twin was cute, we were not about to take in another cat.

Rag's, our large orange cat has been sick over the weekend and is racking up quite the vet bill for us.

So onto looking for the three other pullets.  This was the first time they were not near their coop to be put away.  We hoped they had just found a comfy place and decided to sleep there, but feared predators.  It wouldn't have been the first time some of the chickens had been taken out by a predator. But we had just seen them a few hours before while cooking supper.

We looked with the goats, under the big tractor, in the old hen house, under the deck, and under the flatbed trailer.

Nothing.

Then Rob mentioned something about seeing them near the propane tank one night.  So I started shinning my light up there (it is surrounded on three sides with fence and honeysuckle).  Finally I caught a glimpse of one of the birds.  She was nestled into the honeysuckle on top.  There was another even deeper in, and the young white rooster (one day to be stew pot rooster) was up on an old birdhouse platform.

Birds found!

So Rob got a long stick and coaxed them down and with much grumbling we got them put into their house.

Chicken Wrangling.

Security Blanket

Went to the horse auction last night.  Not sure I would have gone without my security blanket but Rob even drove. I know it isn't his idea of a fun Saturday night, but I enjoyed being around horses again, even if it was just the sale barn.
100 plus horses were there. We're not set up to take any in yet, but there was a small mule or two for less than 100 dollars I would have snagged to train up to skid some logs out of the woods if I had been ready.

There was a really cute and fuzzy donkey there that went for 65 dollars.  He was old, scarred up and had a bad back.  He would have been a fuzzy lawn ornament.

I also found 9 eggs under a bush in the front yard.  The next day I found four more.  The hens are locked up in their house for the weekend or until they learn to lay in the boxes again.

 Jethro has figured out he has the good life.  Although he has started to want to go outside more now that he is fat and happy.

 He does enjoy a good game of Diablo 3 though.

Tough Week

Well the depression/anxiety/pudding brain hit me hard this week.  After Dad left I planned to take a day to relax and then get back to work.  I haven't done anything since he left.

The fear is crippling and there is no reason for it, I just don't want to go outside.  The resulting anger and sadness just doubles up on top of it and it all snowballs into a bigger mess in my brain than I can deal with.  I know it is a simple matter of realizing that it is just chemicals or hormones or whatever making me feel this way and I can physically go out and do things.  But it is traumatizing.  And I hate it.

I haven't had a week like this in a long time.  Not since I got my medicine.  I've had a few days of this before while on my medicine but it usually comes back to normal.  At least normal for me.

I know it will pass, but the frustration of my brain releasing me to do what I want is agony.  So for now I am stuck behind this wall until it crumbles enough and I can Kool-Aide man through it.

Visit from Dad

Dad came up for a visit while Mom was at a retreat.  He was bringing up the trailer for me to get hay with and on it a post hole digger and several pieces of wood he had salvaged from a deck he was working on.  Since he was coming up Thursday I stayed near the house and cleaned out the goat pen.  It is now freshly covered with hay and the wood is clear of the dirt (poo) again.

 He helped fix the goat fence the next day while I was finishing cleaning their house.  It is so great when he visits cause he is so helpful and knowledgeable for the projects around here.  The T-post was being pulled over (I know they aren't meant for corner posts but it was what I could do at the time), and the goats had the fence half down.  He got the come-along and some chain and pulled it straight (you can see it pulled from the tree).  And he got some wire and made a tension-er to another older T-post nearby.  Turned out great.

 We also worked on the emergency brake line for my truck since it had broke.  Took us most of the day and we had it assembled about 2/3rd of the way 6 times, but eventually we finished it.  This picture shows the new spring on the line where is attaches to the rear drum brake.

 This is the broken line.  We think there was a rubber grommet that fell out of a hole in the frame where the line ran, and the line just whittled away in the metal.

 We put up one of the posts he brought up so the post hole digger would have a stand to be stored on.  The ground was so dry that me and Rob had to lean on the auger to get it to finish digging.

 Then Dad helped me clear the 200 feet of the north side of the fence line.  There were a lot of trees to chop up and it took around five trips with the little yard wagon to get all the wood put away behind the garage.  The storage area for the wood is packed!  I should have gotten a picture of that too.

 Even got to see the neighbors cows.  I would have liked to get a better shot of them but they were on the other side of an electric fence.

 And finally, meet Jethro Gibbs (yes that NCIS Jethro Gibbs).  Rob had seen him in the morning but he had to get to work.  We found him after coming home from dinner, he was in the driveway, and I just picked him up and brought him in.  Super friendly kitten; even gets along with the dogs!
I am guessing he is 3 or 4 months old since he still has his kitten teeth.
He will be our barn-garage cat.  He has already proved himself to be a mouser.  He was playing with his first mouse his first night in the garage.

Thanks for all the help Dad, you're an amazing man and father.  Couldn't ask for anyone better!

Double Video

I find it is easier to show how the fence line clearing is going than try to describe it.

Wasps

Hate me some wasps.  I got stung while putting away the wood from the dead tree we cut down.  Right on the knuckle of my middle finger.  Perhaps the wasp was a hit man sent from the bad drivers in St. Louis.

But I do have a fair amount of wood now.  Not sure how much more I can fit because it is starting to get difficult to stack it much higher.  I do have some room on the left that I am trying to reserve for the wood I start splitting.  It doesn't look like it but I would say the pile is at least four feet high.

Also made gooey butter cake.  As you can see I didn't get around to taking a picture before I had some.  I regret nothing.  But a great easy recipe I found on facebook, here: St. Louis style gooey butter cake

Shaky Cam

I didn't realize how bad the video would be shaking when I took this, but it is what it is.  I just always complain about stupid shaky cam work in movies and shows to give fake action and here I am doing it myself.  Just not on purpose.

Also a cute picture of Varg sitting in Bone's lap.

pictures

Picture of the fence line I had cleared so far.  Rob helped me this weekend to get some trees and a branch that was up high.

 Turkeys being very helpful.  They wish they had thumbs to help unload the wood.

quick video of what I had gotten done.  Will get another made in the next couple of days.

Technology

I was going to take this caffeine induced hyperness in the middle of the night to put up pictures and maybe a video of the progress being made on clearing some of the downed trees and clearing the fence line (deep breath), but nooooo.

I upgraded to Windows 10 and now I can't import pictures or videos off my phone.  I searched online for a solution but the few recommended ones haven't cured the problem.

So I went on to scan in a receipt for a rebate.  But noooo.  The computer doesn't want to import that picture either.

So here I was, going to be all productive and showy and stuff, but Windows 10 has defeated me.

Otherwise it seems to run pretty quick and smooth.  I am sure Rob or his brother will cure the computer this weekend.  Or thump my on the head with the, "Duh, click this option." solution.

But I did clean up a majority of the trees me and Dad had cut down last year, and I have a good start on a winter wood pile with them.  It is very satisfying seeing that pile grow.  The last couple of winters we heated the house with just the wood stove and it was fine, except we were usually bringing in wood from one of Rob's co-workers.

It was great that he was giving us the free wood, but it sucked that I had stock piled any ahead of time.  I feel much more secure with this wood pile, but I know it isn't nearly enough for the winter yet.  There are several downed trees in the woods from a storm a year or so ago that are begging to be chopped up.

The fence line is beginning to take shape.  I cleared several yards of it, giving myself about four feet to work with and it looks pretty good to me.  There are some spots where I will need help (which I volunteered Rob for on the weekends) where some dead fall is to high for me to reach or I need to drop a big dead tree.

I hope to get the pictures up soon, cause there is an awesome one of the turkeys on the wood I hauled up in the lawn wagon behind the tractor.

collecting wood

Just some pictures of get the woods clear and the collection of firewood for winter.

Father-in-law

My father-in-law is amazing.  He let me borrow his saw.  I don't want to say what it is or anything since this is a public blog and I don't want strangers to know what equipment I have on my place (especially when it isn't my equipment) but may I just say, "Hot knife through butter."

I know what brand I want now.  I even figured out how to pull it off of the ground.  Unlike the homelite and poulan I have, this one doesn't yank back on you.  It starts on the first pull 90% of the time, and always within three.  I am going to have to write the company a love letter.

At first I was dreading going out and I admit I made several excuses until 10 o'clock rolled around, but once I got out there and started working, the saw made life so much easier.  Of course I waited a bit too long into the day and decided to come back in as the heat climbed higher.  But now I know I want to be out there first thing.  I can start gathering logs for the winter and the path back into the woods is open for the first time in over a year.

I appreciate what my dad tried to do with getting me some cheap saws.  I mean the first one I bent the blade in a tree the first time I used it.  I am in no ways proficient, but just like having a sharp knife keeps you safer when cutting things or butchering, a good saw makes you better at cutting wood and trees.

I hate 2 cycle engines

So the little red homelite chainsaw that was supposed to be fairly new and ready to go just died on me.  I have cleaned the carburetor, checked the spark plug, checked compression (thumb over the spark plug hole worth of checking) and even checked the magneto for rust.  It won't even offer a pop on starter fluid.  I am at my wits end.  I have moved on to the green poulan, dubbed the green monster.  I hope I can get this one operating because I really need a chainsaw to start my fence line.  I did find a carburetor rebuild kit for the weed-eater, but I had to go to ebay for it, but it only cost 4 bucks.

Picture show and tell time:

Varg is growing and still looking cute:

 Size comparison for Squire, Varg, and my big baby Bone. Oh and Khain hiding in the background.

 My hatched chicks have begun exploring outside their house.  I really needed to let the out a little earlier with as bad as the heat has been.  There just wasn't enough breeze going through their house.  I believe I have 4 hens and 2 roosters.

 Also the hen I had lost several weeks ago is confirmed dead.  I found a trail of feathers when I went to move the goat pen yesterday.

 She had an egg ready for me too, which really sucks as the rest of the hens have shut down in this heat.

 All the was left was her feathers and her keel bone (breast bone).  Thankfully I haven't had anymore losses.  But something is killing the semi-wild rabbits.  They just get really lethargic and die.  I think there is some sort of parasite wiping them out.

 The goats in their portable pen helping clear were me and Dad had cute down some trees last year.  I hope to have a chainsaw running soon to get the wood chopped up and ready for winter.  You can see just beyond them how much they clear in a day or two.

tools of the trade

So I have been flooded with broken tools.  Our push mower broke the pull sting, the chainsaw won't fire up, a friend's mower and weed-eater stopped working.
Thankfully both push mowers were an easy fix.  Obviously with our's, just redo the string (which I still need to do).  The friend's mower just needed the shaft cleared of some nylon string, possible shredded hay string or fishing line.  Not sure exactly what it was, but once clear it fired and worked.

The chain saw is in pieces downstairs.  After several attempts at starting it, including squirting a little fuel into the spark plug chamber, I decided to check the spark from the plug.  (On suggestion from my dad) From what I could tell there was no spark, but I was trying to hold it and the chainsaw while pulling the string.  I have a new spark plug but I need to test it out.  Hopefully this will fix the issue.

And the weed-eater.  Awhile ago they had asked my to look at it; it would start but not continue to run.  When I finally got around to looking at it, it wouldn't start at all.
First problem: they didn't know to mix the 2 cycle oil with the fuel - oops.
Second problem: the fuel line came apart in the tank and the filter was just rattling around in it.

So I dumped the fuel and bought a new fuel line.  I just need to get that ran, mix up a new gallon of fuel and see if she even wants to fire.  Hopefully that is all that is wrong,

So that will be most of my day.

This all started because I wanted to use the chainsaw to cut down a stump in the front yard.

Stupid Stump.

Over a month late

Been really behind in my posts.  I can just own up to it and say I was lazy, but I also have the excuse of family in town, Mom and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary I planned and hosted, July 4th guild social, getting sick, oh and a new puppy.

His name is Varg.  Technically he is "Rob's dog".  (Not that we really divide up the animals like that but if he messes in the house I can make Rob clean it up that way.....)

 Also it rained for a week straight it seemed.  This used to be a field next to the river I usually swim in.

 Parking lot and soccer field next to the feed store.

Baby chicks are growing like gangbusters
(confused by this word I know, and yet do not know the origin of, I looked it up: Usage of the idiom like gangbusters has become a little weird over the years. Originally it meant with great initial excitement, speedily, with a strong start, or with immediate success. The idiom originally came from the midcentury American radio program Gang Busters, which began each episode with great excitement and vigor (i.e., with lots of loud sound effects). You can hear some episodes here.)
Unfortunately I lost one of the white hens to a predator, and the rest of the hens don't seem to be in much of a mood to lay any eggs.
Other than that .... I need to mow the grass.

cheese, jam, and chicks

I made my fist batch of goat cheese and it is tasty.  Light and fluffy and delectable.  Mixed will mulberries it is amazing.

 Then I took the 8 cups of mulberries I picked with Rob and made them into jelly.

 I put that on a bagel with my goat cheese and it was great.

Babysat my Sister-in-law's puppy and caught puppy fever.  Hopefully will have some more news about that in the coming weeks.
His name was Jake.  I added, from State Farm.  And when asked what he was wearing, "Nothing."

 The chicks hatched under my broody hen!!  Super excited that 6 out of the ten eggs made it to hatching.  All the chicks look healthy and mama seems to be doing great with them.  Very protective, which made getting pictures difficult.  4 look like my golden laced wyandotte rooster and two will probably be like the white hens, rhode island whites.

 I had to move them into an old rabbit cage cause I was afraid the chicks would slip out of the dog cage and be attacked.  So for now they are in the garage with mama.  I hope to move the turkeys outside soon and put my three pullets with the older hens finally and get mama and her 6 chicks in the brooder.  Basically musical chicken housing.