One of Those Mornings

I admit I think of myself as a fairly fearless farm girl.  Things don't bother me too much.  Butchering animals, worms of all sorts in the garden, on dead things, snakes, spiders, mosquitoes, even 'possums on the back porch.  But there are days...It could have been the fact that I was just tired after long hours of working at my full-time job and I was just not in the mood to get up at 4:30 that day.  Maybe it was PMS.  Maybe it was just too much...

I knew there was a black snake living in the cabinets in the tool shed.  We had still been getting eggs and there were no mice or anything around, so it was not really a big deal at this point in time.  Yet, on this fateful morning, the snake skin that draped from the cabinet door down the shelves played havoc with my nerves.  It was almost like one of those badly made horror movies where you scream 'don't do it you idiot!'  I positioned just right and opened all the cabinet doors one by one.  Nope, nothing, well, except that 4ft long skin.  Instead of relief I felt tension and found myself trying to tiptoe in my boots.  I took a few breaths and decided to go ahead and continue to get the goats to the kennel for their grass and also so the chickens could eat in peace.

Infamous snake skin

Let's continue the bad horror flick...
I am not normally an arachnophobia-sufferer, but something happened in the wee hours of the morning when I flipped on the light to move the goats to the kennel.   I saw one pretty little round black spider with the undeniable red markings.  I grabbed a 1x2 piece of lumber that was leaning against the wall and began twirling that freakily fuzzy web hanging above me and where I (or the kids or hubby) gather eggs everyday.  Then she dropped, not gracefully down a single silk thread, no, just dropped...to the floor...AND then dozens of little black spots began to move and drop to the floor.  My blood pressure raised, along with goose bumps and plain old shivers.  I think I beat the goats out of the barn.  I had hoped the goats followed, but didn't really check until I rounded the corner. 

I stopped and started crying or yelling or both in the middle of the yard.  Something to the effect of nope, I am done, can't do this, and I am selling the animals, blah, blah, blah.  Apparently, I continued this rant as I put the girls in the kennel and made it into the house, started the laundry, took a shower, dressed,  and then found Bruce to let him hear about it too.  I don't think he understood as he remained calm and confused at my state of frenzy.

I was fine once I got to work-nice and sterile work environment.  After a few hours of normal breathing I decided I would do a thorough cleaning of the barn.  It was due anyway.  So the weekend is planned.

Farmgirl Sisterhood Project 1-Beginner Level

I love magazines.  I could name a few HUNDRED that I like to read, but I won't go there.  There is one that has a "sisterhood."  Check out their website at MaryJanesFarm.org.   It is like a grown up Girl Scout Troop.  There are badges to obtain in all areas of life.  From cooking and cleaning, community, crafts and Christmas.  There are something things I do, some things I would like to and some things that scare me to death to even think about doing.  But I want to do it! Although I may not go as far as "joining" the troop at this point in time, and obtaining the official badges, I think it would be fun for my daughter and me to step out of the box and try them on our own.  Maybe pick out stickers or "badges" that we like and display them somehow.  I let my daughter pick the first project. 

 

Sarah chose Going Green.

Beginner Level includes:

Get rid of all cleaners in your home that are not "green." 

Okay, that is great if you are made of green.  Unfortunately, I am not going to throw away every cleaner in the house and go out and buy all eco-friendly products or make ALL of them from homemade ingredients.  Unfortunately, my dabbling in couponing at the drug store chains has provided us with non-green cleaners for a while.  *head bent in shame*  That being said, as I run out of what I have, I will definitely be looking into replacing with "green" cleaners or more than likely making my own. (Not off to a good start, am I?)

 

Write a mission statement for your house pledging to use only green cleaners in the future.

"I pledge to bring in and use only green cleaners into my home in the future."...check!

 



Keep a green journal of recycle and green living ideas, recipes, plans and projects and share it with someone.

I could be mean and steal one of my daughters green notebooks and call it my green journal...but I won't.  This can be used for all of those homemade cleaner recipes I intend to look up and use in the near future...check!

 

If your house is already "green", make a gift basket full of green products for a friend or to give away as a housewarming gift. 

Well, I hope that you are further along than I am and this is your step; feel free to drop the basket off to me at work or here at home-just kidding.  That is one of the reasons this Sisterhood Scout Project appealed to me.  It takes us outside of ourselves and gives joy to others, and isn't that where our real joy lies anyway.

 

Won't you join us on these challenges and tell us your journey? 

Crackpot

No, not a typo.  The dreaded crack of the ceramic bowl of the crockpot appeared the last time I washed it and noticed that some roast beef broth adhered to the bottom.  *sigh*

Being on the road to frugality, I hate to just toss it, even if it was a cheap one; and it has been a good friend the last couple + years.  So, let's put those crackpot brain cells to use. 

The ceramic bowl is fairly easily-a planter OR on a stress-filled day grab a sledge hammer and make pebbles for the bees' water bowl or drainage for a larger planter. 

Now, what to do with the heated part?  Is it possible to melt things?  Bees wax, other wax, soaps for repurposing.  Can I put water in a different glass bowl it and use it for a ginormous potpourri warmer?  Could I make some fruit leather on a rack? Use as a dehydrator? Jerky maker?  I am not sure what temperature low, high and warm range, but this might be the opportune time to find out, huh? 

Any other suggestions?? 



This one probably still works!

Abject Apple Trees

On one's quest for a fully functioning homestead, fruit trees are a must.  Having been raised in the Midwest, apples, cherries and pears were a standard; moving to the South I have tried to adjust to peaches, figs and pomegranates. 

I know I can have apple trees but I have to choose wisely with trees with low chill hours.  There are many chill hour charts out there to assist me.  However, my trees have not done well...at all. Since I am strongly against any -cides, including pesti, fungi, herbi (even homi and sui) with their systemic poisoning of the environment, and also because I am just frustrated, I considered just digging all the trees up and getting rid of them for a fresh start on another area on the property and planting garlic beds there instead.  I am trying not to overreact and I have decided to read up on "natural" control methods for our diseases. 


The first problem we have encountered is cedar apple rust (CAR).  We have a lot of cedar trees on the property and a few have those freaky orange fingery things-galls.  So, it really should be no surprise that my trees have developed CAR.   It is even on the crabapple trees. 
So what are my options.  According to an organic gardening author, garlic spray may help, as well as catching the leaves and disposing of them properly.  Another option is to do a little research and find varieties that are both lower chill hours and resistant to CAR.  So before I waste a few dollars and many months, I will attempt to treat my four little trees.  Below either the Winesap or Stayman that exhibits the CAR. 

 

 

My Red Delicious tree does not show signs of bad CAR, only a leaf or two.  It is a resistant variety...well, to CAR.   Unfortunately, the Red Delicious that I have for a pollinator is not resistant to woolly aphids.  I have not been out to the orchard, and I use that term very loosely, for several weeks.  And that is what I found...woolly aphids.  I wanted to get mom's hand cards out and make a rolag (that would be as far as I could go.  I have tried to use a spindle to spin roving into yarn...not too pretty).

 

Luckily, I just need to spray the branches off  and keep better watch on them. 

 

I feel so negligent.  I hope nobody calls the ATPS (apple tree protective services).   Nonetheless, I am going to continue my research and attempts at treating my fruit trees with only natural methods.  It may or may not work.  If it doesn't, figs it is...sigh.

Bulbils

As you know, I love my garlic.  I have it drying as we speak.  I learned something today about the neat the little flowers on the scapes.  I am not a Master Gardener but I have had my share of gardens, growing things in a greenhouse and assisting my mother who is a Master Gardener.  Yet, I did not realize that the flowers were actually made of bulbils or garlic seeds if you will.  One of those a-ha moments that is a bit embarrassing to admit.  I read a few articles on it and discovered that these seeds will produce a good sized garlic bulb in three years, they are often more prolific than the parent plant, and because they have not touched the soil they are disease-free and healthier. Luckily, I am a procrastinator / hoarder and did not throw away the two flowers from my garlic harvest.  I have bagged up 90 bulbils to plant for a huge harvest in three years.  Aren't plants fascinating?

O Ye of Little Faith

Fear, intimidation, inadequacy.  All of those things you feel when you compare yourself to someone else's ability instead of focusing on your strengths...what strengths?  I haven't found them yet.  Oh dear...

What brought on this angst?  The local Tuesday night Farmer's Market.  Saturday the tables were good and plentiful, but I could see many things I could improve on.  That sounds snobby doesn't it, especially from someone who has only assisted a parent in setting up a table once!  Improve is not the word; many things I would like to do differently.  Tuesday, however, a different story.  There were all the ideas I had in my idea notebook.  There were most of the items I was hoping to have on my table that would set us apart.  And they were BEAUTIFUL! *sigh*

 

I am so glad I went and got a good dose of reality.  I had been so focused on the market table that I lost sight of actually doing the work to put something on that table.  There is that "both feet" mentality rearing its ugly head. 

What is the main objective of my homestead?  Is it to make money at the market?  That would be a wonderful side effect, no doubt.  Or, is it to provide my family with healthy food, hard work that heals a soul and a sense of accomplishment whether it be finishing a fence, enjoying frozen strawberries in January or preparing breakfast with the eggs gathered just moments before in the freshly cleaned and straw-ed coop?  Yes, it is the latter. 

Whew!  Thank you Lord for that reality check before I upped and quit my job without having had a successful tray of soap or a bucket of tomatoes to put on that fabulous table that resides in my imagination.  Nonetheless, I am still keeping that table somewhere between file 13 and the trophy case.

 

Chick Cliques

Pecking order.  A curious thing.  Chickens, horses, and of course, humans. 

 

We have watched the speckled chicken fall from the top of the order and she now stays outside the coop under the steps.  I even clipped her wings but she still escaped (of course when you free range throughout the day that will happen). 

 

 

 

According to the squatting, we have a new ruler, the floppy comb.  Of course, I am the one with the food bucket and thus will always be alpha.  I hope to be a kind and fair queen...sorry, I digress. 

 

One of the chickens on the low end of the pecking order has decided it is much more fun hanging around with the goats, even to eat with. 

Wait for me!

 

I am sure this is just a phase and she will get tired of their frolicking and food and return to her kind soon enough.  After all, we are all intrigued by the new and different in the beginning. 

Is she riding Brie??

The End(s)