Productive Days

Hello Dear Readers,  our days have been productive, lots of activity going on inside and outside on the homestead. We listen to NOAA weather on our scanner daily, to get an idea of how the day, days or week is suppose to be so we can plan our projects. With the days of late being pleasant, we have been outside, husband clearing one of the creek beds of dead trees, fallen limbs and water willows that have become too numerous, but not before I was able to harvest bark and leaves for drying. These trees are amazing at how they root almost instantly where ever a limb may fall into the water. There are still plenty around down in the other creek beds for future harvesting of bark and leaves.  I have been laying garden hay, which is very fine hay with no seeds in it at all, but old enough we don't feed it to our livestock, in the back orchard, the upper orchard, around my rose beds, wolf berry patch, muskadine patch, grape vines and in the main garden. I pruned the blueberry bushes a month ago, we now have 22 and with the very warm weather they are budding and some want to put out blooms already.  I planted two new cherry trees in the back orchard, awaiting two nectarine trees to come in the next few days and I will plant them in the back orchard too. Our two established cherry trees are in full bloom, of which I got some cherries for fresh eating last year, and hope to get a bit more this year.

With more physical work I am doing I make quite sure to take my tonic everyday in the morning and it helps so much.  Tonic:  8oz water, 2teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, and a dash of cayenne pepper, stir well, add one or two ice cubes, and drink. Within 10 minutes I notice my energy level rise and it last till a good bit into the evening, 8 or 9 pm.

We have nursing care for the children M-F 8 hours a day, which is wonderful blessing and is allowing us to be outside so much now. On the weekends, husband continues with outside projects and I stay inside with my 'to do' list. Yesterday I made bees wax wraps. I made these for the first time several weeks ago and I really like them. The ones I made yesterday are for a spring sale I am having soon to raise money for the historical, old general store we bought several years ago. I also started on a stain glass for the front porch. The design is of an authentic, antique stain glass window in our previous home in Arkansas. That home had so much character, I shall forever miss it. But this glass will give me fond, happy memories of it.  Today, husband and I made turmeric capsule supplements. Turmeric is very beneficial. As we gain more knowledge and take steps to produce what we can for ourselves, not only in our food, but also in medicinal ways,  we find it very rewarding. We continue to see good results from the colloidal silver we make. And all does not only benefit us humans, but our livestock benefit too. 

I found really cute ideas to make bird feeders. One will be made for a granddaughter having a birthday in April. I made some suet blocks for our birds yesterday and put it out today. The birds have not come yet today, but I gave some to the chickens and they loved it. There are many recipes on the internet, but the basic ingredients are lard, peanut butter, oatmeal, sugar, flour, and wild bird seed.

This week will see our steer going to the butchers on Tuesday, pig will be butchered on Friday. Our dear neighbor who gave us pig, will be teaching us about hog butchering, as we have never done one ourselves. We will kill pig on Friday morning, then load him and go to the neighbor who has all the equipment, etc.  It is to rain Mon.-Wed this week, so I will begin sanding down the kitchen counter, restain and polyu it. I have a jumper I am working on for sewing and started another dish cloth recently, I need to finish. Husband will go get feed and hay, he has some things going on in his machine shop as well.  Always good to have 'lists' for out and in, this way a body does not get bored, but then, on our homestead, and most probably on any working homestead, there are no idle days. But I did get a 2 hour nap in today "). 

I hope those who stop by and visit are encouraged, blessed and are making progress in your homesteading journey.

In Joy

'Jamming' on the homestead today

Hello Dear Readers, it turned cold quickly yesterday eve, with the wind blowing in with a howl. Temperatures dropped rapidly as well, low last night of 30, high today of 40.  So, a good day to 'jam'.
Making jam from canned wild possum grape juice I did up a few years ago. It has taken me all day but I have 15 pints of jam. If one is wondering why it has taken all day, a reminder that we have several handicap children that require much attention throughout the day. I try to be very scheduled with projects and the care of our children, so I am blessed to have accomplished what I have today.
(typed on Feb. 10, 2017)
In Joy

Life is Living on the Homestead Today.

Good Day Greetings dear Readers,  today is as it has been for the last several.......   rainy, damp, gray, cloudy and warm for this time of year.  The daffodils are in great bloom. Some bowing their heads from the rains others holding their heads high singing of soon coming spring. And still others are just putting forth their buds in anticipation. Of course these bulbs are of different variety and bloom at intervals, which I enjoy. The blooms are over too soon for one big splash.

Our maple trees are also budding red. I walked about some of the flower beds and there are different ones coming forth with great speed. Green and life abounding on the homestead. With all this, I can not help but wonder,  shall their be a killing frost before all is done? I am also always reminded of scripture,  This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it."  After all, we are to take only one day at a time.

I am looking for some new chickens for this year. Buff Orphingtons and Domineckers are on my list. I so enjoy these breeds and have not hade them in a very long time. My original hens of Aracana's are around 8 yrs old as is our rooster. I am not intending to sell them, but introduce the new ones in. I like all my chickens and even though some of the hens are so old that they may lay one egg a year,  the enjoyment they give me is worth keeping them.

A hawk flew down into our chicken pen last week and pinned down a hen. Charles happened to be around and scared the hawk off before it could take off with the hen, but yesterday I found her dead in the coop. She had no markings of injury on her, so I believe she died of delayed shock perhaps.  We had another rooster that several years that a raccoon was dragging him off by his leg. Again, we happen to be out and got the rooster, and although he was so very scared, he did not die, but his leg had nerve damage of some sort and he hopped along, so that is what we called him, 'Hop A Long'. He lived several years afterward.

I have been experimenting with the hens for the last few weeks concerning their egg laying.  A true, old timer of homesteading told me if I would not let the hens out early in the morning, but wait till about 11 am or so, I would get more eggs. I usually let them out first thing in the a m and some days do not get any eggs, some days one or two. I realize the shorter or longer days play a part in the egg production as well as age of the hens. Some of the hens I did get last fall from a neighbor and they are only 2 yrs old. With a total of 14 hens I was not seeing good results for eggs. So for the last week and a half I have kept the hens ups till 11 am  with food in the coop. I have gotten from 3-7 eggs the last several days. Perhaps I shall continue this as I keep seeing good results.

Here is a picture of our chicken pen area. Ms Scare A Way did not do a good job the day the hawk swooped down, but she is a joy to see each day when I go out. Soon it will be time to change her clothing for spring.  I placed a wooden ladder with cedar limbs around it, the hens love getting underneath it. Several will gather in there and look as if they are visiting one another, only missing is a tray with a pot of tea. ")   I also have stumps in various places for them to stand on. This they enjoy too In the back ground we have ducks for eggs only. I love baking with them. Our cages hold our meat rabbits we raise.

I hope your day is delightful in many ways. I hope as you endeavor to pursue a homestead, you will experience all the wonderful blessing it affords. In the days and times we are living, this way of life is one that should be treasured and sought for in a great way.  We are thankful and blessed.

In Joy