kappydell

Mt_Rider, IDK anything about the old well at all. Just that the well head is still there in the old pump house, Our water table here is reportedly quite high which is good for doing a shallow well but thats a pretty big project right now. I think we are done fencing (and we are grateful Ms Busybody cant see the goat pen behiind the house. Out of sight out of mind.) Meanwhile the goats (Nigel and Norman) happily dispose of blackberry trinnings, suckers tripmmed from around trees and stumps, leaving me compost in return. Im going to need several nore barrels for composting in

Absolutely. Jeepers. About time the courts recognized religious rights instead of inventing other rights NOT in the law.

Ugh. We are building fencing AGAIN. We just got finished putting an addition on to our front dog fence so ALL the dogs can be ithere at once. Our PITA neighbor was calling animal control on us AGAIN. This time because our dog was not on a leash in his own yard. (I did not know that was a law.) I had him out to go potty while the other one was tied on, and I was out with them. Dodger ran toward her barking, and I called him back to sit with me while she walked past. He was 50 feet inside our yard line. He came back right away. Animal control was nice about it, came by "as a courtesy" to tell us she had called in a complaint. Apparently their law here says the dog must be either fenced in or on a leash in his own yard. Being with an owner makes no difference. Being voice trained makes no difference. Being a service animal makes no difference. So today we built more fencing. (BTW - Court visit for original animal control call where he broke his tie out...$300. No time to pay. ) That neighbor of ours has alienated everyone with her poor attitude, She is divorced, has no children at home anymore and is head of the homeowners association (which we declined to join...I think she has a grudge over that one_) So she has beocme the self appointed vigilante on almost everything, calling the authorities out at every opportunity rather than just telling someone if they go afoul of various regulations they may not even know about. We are not the only people she had made a project out of. Thank goodness animal control was nice and told us about it. She has also threatened to mace our dogs if they come near her. This is from a woman who can barely control her pit bull and does not carry a bully stick in case it bites someone or another pet. I dont understand why she is so negative, but we must work around her. So we built another fence. Mary is very angry with her, and I was until I thought about it from a differnt perspective, and decided to pray for her instead. ( I do not like myself when I am amgry at someone. It eats at me.) Obviously she is missing for something in her life, so I pray she will find whatever she is looking for, will find happiness and be at peace. This bitterness she seems to carry around is not good. I did get to astonish Mary during our fence-a-thon which gave both of us a good laugh. We were taking a break from pounding in fence posts and were trying to figure out where the water line ran so we would not put a fence post in the wrong spot. I told Mary I knew how to find out where they ran, and she asked how. I told her I could dowse it, and she looked at me like I had sprouted horns and a tail. So I had her cut me a couple pieces of the wire we were using to tasten up the fence with, and I held them in the proper way, walked around where we though the line was, and the wires crossed. I backed up a couple paces and the wires uncrossed. I went forward and they crossed again. Now she was wide eyed. I moved a couple paces to the side and marked the water line a couple more times so we knew right were it went. Mary said "how did you do that" and I told her I had been messing around years ago with a friend and we tried dowsing on a bet. The willow rods worked for the other person, but not for me. Years later I read about using wires (coat hangers is what I tried it with) and that time I was able to map all the old water lines on the farm house property we were renting, and find where the old hand well pump stand was. Apparently some things work for some folk, other things for other folks, and some folks get nothing at all. I asked her if she wanted to try, but she said, nope, now that we knew where the water lines came in we had to get back to fencing, because rain had been predicted in a couple hours (it showed upm too!) Who says those old timey tricks don't work? Now I am wondering if we can drill a well thru our clay soil to put in a hand pump. The local water drilling folks have been very eager to discourage a hand pump well, saying they are not cost effecrtive to drill. Pfffft! I have a sneaking hunch they really meant un-profitable fot them to break out the truck for a simple hand pump. Hmmmm (my old fashioned analog brain box is humming as I mull over whether I would need a permit, license and certification of some kind to do it myself - probably - and how I would find out if they even make DIY equipment for that any more.) I'd sure love to have a non-grid well on the property, even if it was "unprofitable" LOL. Even if I had to do it myself.

Becca I agree on the fence. We priced having it done for us, but decided on sweat equity instead. So far we have saved 75% of what it would have cost to get it done for us and all the hassle of dealing with outside contractors. Your kitchen adventures have me a little skittish of hiring someone to do what I can do myself (or rather we two can do together). (Well, that and maybe I have been watching a little too miuch "Holmes Makes it Right" on the DIY channel, LOL ) Chainsaw Mary is very sore. She pushes herself quite a bit when we do projects as she is more impatient than I am to hurry up and get 'er done. It does not help with the hot weather, either. She actualy ate two helpings of scalloped potatoes & ham tonight, which is unusual. But she ate a very light brunch, then we got to work. Today we got a lot of the goat house built. It is shaping up nicely, and is very sturdy. (Not bad for a couple of hobby carpenters who drew their own plans up.) Mary talked to the guy at the recycle center about getting a truck tire. He was reluctant until she said it was for a goat toy, then he broke out into a big grin and said we could have it. Everybody around here seems enchanted by the idea of mini goats.

Mother I got copper tape from the electrical dept of Lowe's building supp;y. Also available online from amazon. Electricians use it, so look in electric supplies. Also you might want to glue it down, as the sticky does not weather all that well. But it works big time. The cucumbers are just about finished up now. The tomatoes are hanging in there, Mary dusted hevily with Sevin to kill the hornworms, and that seems to have helped. Now we are watering again, and yes the weather has been wierd again. Mary says not to panic, it is an abnormal year....just like the previous two, lol. Im not panicking, just not expecting "normal" anymore. Thinking of putting in some "southern peas" (blackeye, crowder, lady peas, and the like). There is one that has edible pods at snap stage, and of course the oriental wonder yard long beans thrive on high heat and humidity. Mary is skeptical, she has trouble with dry beans and peas as food. But we may have to depend on those more and more, as the weather and economy changes, Im thinking. Might as well get the learning curve over with. Winter crops are something we always get here. Of course we have to plant things that tolerate some frost, but some plants can handle quite a bit below freezing. I have found some winter specific cabbage (Winter King) I want to try, which is supposed to be more cold hardy than most. Kale I have picked through snow up in Wisconsin, I am a huge kale fan for winter greens. Collards can also handle lots of cold, and a good freeze makes them taste sweeter, just like kale. So I recommend them first for autumn/winter planting. There are many kinds with varied leaf shapes, colors, etc for variety. Both have survived here down to 18 degrees easily. To be honest, winter gardening is nicer than summer....no bugs, few diseases, even the weeds slow down. If we were still in Wisconsin, I'd be trying to squeeze in an unheated partially underground greenhouse, for winter gardening.

Our fence in nearly up. I have to admit, it is the nicest one we have done to date. Nice and straight, nice and tall, nice and secure all the way down to the dirt. Some of our earliest fences (like around the garden) are a little more, errr....artistic....as in crooked. But they still get the job done. Maybe we are getting better with practice. Today, after we get in some groceries, we will start the goat house. Nothing fancy, just a 3 sided shed like they seem to enjoy, smack dab in the middle of their pen. A big old truck tire for them to climb and bounce on, and a ball to push around, and it will be ready. The pen is adjoining the dog pen, so Jack can watch the goats, and they can watch him. He loves "babies" of all species and is quite protective of them (he is a good little shepherd-boy). The kids are used to dogs, so everybody should like the new arrangement. (I guess I will have to make an "official" compost heap area, as I am going to have lots of "raw materials" in the future. ROFL) Plus we are considering cleaning out the cinder block pump house this winter (snakes are less active then) and see if the pump was filled in or simply disconnected and left. Maybe if it is the latter we can rehab it as a a secondary water source (our own well would be really cool just in case SHTF). If it is plugged or filled in, or whatever it is called, we can use the pump-house for another use, just put a roof and a door on. But that is a winter project, we have plenty going on now already. Still in the consideration stages. The chickens are almost big enough to go outside. Oh joy! I can have my tub back again, after one heck of a good scrubbing. Who knew chicken-sh*t couold be so sticky! One of the mama cats has figured out how to get in the bathroom, but not in the chicken-tub (we have a heavy metal grate on top of it). She is an ouside cat we brought inside to have her babies. Well, they are all old enough to go back outside again....so we are introducing them to the great outdoors, a little more each day. And mama goes OUT whenever we are gone or outside for any length of time lest she figure out a way to bypass our safety grate! The chicken coops are fenced with hardware cloth, but are tip-able, so we will have to weight them down or something to prevent mishaps. Or mayve put inside a larger pen as we will have posts and fencing left over. (More fencing)

Great. My post just dropped itself. Grrrr. OK, we will do this again. I had bad bronchitis for last 30 days. Doc gave me "horse pills" and it cleared up. At her insistence I got a covid test...negative. Our chickens are feathering out nicely. Looks like they are silkies. Now we are fencing yet again, this time for some dwarf goats. Two males, as Mary and I did not want to get into milking. Mary wants them a pets. At least I have talked her out of a house horse... There are days when we both feel like we are in an episode of Homestead Rescue...only without the rescue part, just the building stiuff. Today was one of them. We pounded in heavy metal stakes,

fill with veggies to give away; lay flat as mulch on garden paths (also helps keep weeds and mud down)

Our chicken coop came, it is cute and quite strong for the price. Ordered another to separate the roosters from the pullets. It came today. Mary found the box on the fornt porch, in the rain, so we wresteled it inside. We would build it in here, but it would not fit out the door, so we are waiting for a break in the rain. Mary took me to Tractor Supply "to look" at chicken stuff. I should know better by now....they had bantam chicks in stock so we now have peeps in the bathtub. Cute littlethings. They could not tell us what they would look like grown, but thats OK. We got 2 black and 2 yellow ones. They are scooting around the tub, digging in the wood chips, eating, drinking, and even chasing (and occasionally catching!) flies. We did have to put a screen up across the bathroom door and another fence section across the top of the tub just in case the cats get curious. So far they could care less. That is good. The rain is pretty constant here now....rain, hot and humid as hell, rain again. Repeat ad infinitum. So everybody has cabin fever, though we try to work thru the rain pauses to get them outside to take care of business and stretch their legs. Last nights storm was a little stronger than usual and we woke to find a big black cable across our lawn, draped on our shed, and over the greenhouses. We did not lose power, but we called to have it checked (we do not mess with high voltage). It is not a power line. So I have been calloing around to all the assorted phone carriers in the area (and there are a lot of them) to determine the owner and have them come pick it up again. Somehow I think there would be a lot of bitching if we just cut it and threw it in the ditch, even if we could cut it, LOL. I have ended up texting numerous chat lines (NOBODY seems to have live people anymore except as sales force.) As soon as they find out I am not a customer and do not plan on being one, the computer switches me to the chat. I think I may have found the carrier (5th try) but they are "not sure" and are sending someone out, one of these days, to look at it and decide if it is theirs. (You would think folks would want to know if their lines were down but there is a total lack of enthusiasm from customer service.) And the wait times on hold are CRAZY.

Yes, Ma'am, Mother. Wychwood, excellent research on your part. I understand there is much hysterical fingerpointing all around. So I have been reading widely and have taken as my motto...."trust but verify"....and I end up digging in some pretty unusual places, LOL. Thank you for being willing to discuss rationally, rather than hysterically, and balancing things out a bit. I wish more folks would.

I quite agree on that one. But unfortunately, the non-sensational is not considered new anymore.

According to who? Ive read the complaints to the world court. I have seen videos of intervies of medical specialists putting the blame on his untested vaccines. I think he was using third world folks as guineas pigs and that is despicable. There has been a LOT of disinformation on both sides, as well as the attempts to silence wello credentialed critics. If it is not true, lets let it out in the open for scrutiny.

I ran across the info on a site called "countdown to the kingdom" they had many videos when covid first hit detailing the Great Reset plan and covids place in it. It also mentioned Mr Gates rather shady involvement in mandatory vax programs in third world countries...The vids of the polio victims in India were pathetic. And he never did wipe out polio there or anywhere. Just made it bigger and badder. https://www.countdowntothekingdom.com/videos click on the one called following the science. The Great Reset is on Rumble.com now along with many more

I am not surprised at the uptick in polio as Mr Gates' past history in Inda with trying to "wipe out" polio with vaccines for allo (sound familiar?) resulted in massive sterilazations, deaths and the development of a "super polio" bug before India govt got mad and threw him and his program out. There are quire a few lawsuits pending thru world courts. Ditto for African vaccine programs. Those poor victims....past and yet to be.....

Do you like Chinese? This is easy and mind blowingly tasty. I leave out sriacha as I don;t like it hot. CRACK SLAW 1 pound (16-ounces) ground beef 1 16 oz pkg coleslaw mix or shredded cabbagbe if thats what you have 1/4 cup (2-ounces) shredded carrots 1 Tablespoon oil 1 onion , chopped 2 cloves garlic , minced 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (or dry to taste) 3 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 Tablespoon vinegar (rice, apple cider, white...) 2 teaspoons Sriracha (or to taste) 4 Tablespoons chopped green onions 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, opt Place a large wok or skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add oil. Add onions and saute for about 3 – 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and minced fresh ginger and cook for about one minute, stirring the whole time. Add the ground beef to the onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook the ground beef until brown and no longer pink and juices run clear. Empty the bag of coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage) and shredded carrots to the ground beef. Cook the coleslaw (shredded cabbage and carrots) with the ground beef until the cabbage is wilted and carrots are softened. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, and sriracha and stir. Garnish the dish with chopped green onions, more sriracha, and sesame seeds. Serve hot! (IGNORE the prices here they are quite old. At the time I was coillecting foods under $1 per svg for main dishes and under 50 cents for sides....back in 2015! They probably doubled now.) SHEPHERDS PIE (6 svgs) 4 servings of mashed potatoes, about 2 cups (instant OK) (from instant 50 cents) creamed corn (optional)(69 cents) 1 chopped onion (24 cents) cream of mushroom soup (optional house brand) (70 cents) 1/4 lb of cheese (slices or shredded) ($1.25) 1/2 pound hamburger ($1.75) 2 cups cooked vegetables (7 cents) 2 c beef stock (10 cent from bouillon cubes) 4 TB flour (2 cents) 1/4 tsp garlic powder (1 cent) Make mashed potatoes; fry hamburger with onion and garlic powder. Drain grease. Measure 4 TB hamburger fat back into the pan and add flour, stirring to make a brown roux. Add beef stock, vegetables, cheese, soup and creamed corn. Put in a casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes. Bake about 20 min. at 350 degrees. recipe total $5.33; per serving 89 cents. Variations: >Mix 1 c cooked rice into mashed potatoes. >Add sliced peppers, sweet or hot when frying onions with meat. > Add thyme, oregano, rosemary. >Instead of cream of mushroom soup add 2 cups home made mushroom sauce. CORNBREAD MEAT LOAF (8 servings) 1/4 lb bacon ends and pieces (90 cents) 1/2 lb hamburger ($1.75) 2 c tomato sauce ($1.20) 1 onion (24 cents) 1-2 cups cooked beans or one can beans (69 cents) 1 c shredded cheese ($1.48) optional cornbread batter (Jiffy Mix) ($1.30) Fry bacon, remove from pan, cutting it in small pieces. Chop onions, fry in bacon grease until light brown. Add hamburger, brown it, and drain. Add bacon pieces back into meat mixture, Pour tomato sauce over the mixture. Add 1 soup can of water, beans, spices and herbs of choice, and mix well. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring often, adding water if it gets too thick. Add cheese, stirring well. Put in casserole dish (or a cast iron skillet) and pour your favorite corn bread batter on top. Bake in 400 degree oven until cornbread is done, about 20-30 min. Recipe cost $7.56; per serving 94 cents. Variations: for vegetarians, eliminate bacon and hamburger and use extra beans. FRUGAL FRIED RICE 2 cups or 1 main / 2 side dish serving = 31 cents 2/3 c raw rice 1/2 broccoli stalk 1/8 onion a few TB cooking oil Water Cook rice using preferred method. Finely chop broccoli, and onion and saute in a little oil. When onion is brown and broccoli softened, add rice and toss. A beaten egg is a nice addition if you can afford one. FRIED RICE, EASY In a large frying pan or wok, brown a bit of garlic in a tablespoon or two of oil, then add one sliced onion. When the onion is softened, drop in two eggs and scramble them up on one side of the pan. Now crank up the heat and toss in whatever other ingredients you want or have on hand — peas, corn, mushrooms, broccoli, diced carrots, pineapple, or chunks of ham all work well — along with your leftover rice, a spoonful of sugar, and up to a 1/4 cup of light soy sauce. Cook on high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, and serve right away. 2 cups or more of leftover cooked rice: Free 1/4 cup of soy sauce: 50 cents Minced garlic, sugar, and 2T olive oil: 50 cents 1 onion: 99 cents 2 eggs: 50 cents Frozen peas or other veggies: $1.29 Total: $3.78 (makes six servings) Price per serving: 63 cents CURRY RICE (4 servings) 1 cup rice (20 cents) 2 cups liquid (water, broth, bouillon from cubes) (10 cents for broth) 1 TB margarine or other fat (3 cents) 1 c chopped carrots (40 cents) 1 chopped onion (4 cents) 2 minced cloves garlic (20 cents) 1 tsp curry powder (2 cents) 1/8 tsp pepper (1 cent) 1 TB lemon juice (bottled) (5 cents) 1/8 tsp pepper (1 cent) (optional) 1 pound shrimp, cut up chicken, leftover meat, etc. Put it all in a pot, bring to a boil. Stir once, lower heat to simmer and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let sit 5 min, then fluff with a fork and serve. (Hint- get a mild curry powder, you can always heat it up with some cayenne pepper if you want more ‘fire’.) Total recipe cost: $1.06; per serving 27 cents. WAYS TO USE EXTRA (LEFTOVER OR ON PURPOSE) COOKED RICE 1. Add a little cooked white rice to other burrito ingredients to make a nice, fat, burrito. 2. Substitute rice for crumbs in meatloaf or meat balls; it will also work well in stuffing, instead of bread crumbs. 3. Rice adds body and texture to any soup, and the grain protein complements any beans in it too (rice with chili, for example). 4. I do not usually buy soups to stir into cooked rice (expensive) BUT there is one exception. Wal-Mart makes a house brand chili-dog sauce (fairly cheap by the can) that is perfect stirred into 3 cups of warm cooked rice for a Tex-Mex rice with a little meat in it to boot. The sauce is still half the price of soup as of this writing. 5. Rice and Beans: any kind of rice, any kind of beans, mixed is the main meal of choice for balanced nutrition, protein and energy in many lands. Any ratio of beans to rice may be used, but most recipes call for half and half. The addition of diced onions is a flavor enhancement preferred by many for a quick, cheap and filling meal. Add a sauce and you have a really classy casserole. RICE BOWLS To a base of cooked rice (1/2 cup per serving) add: VARIETY VEGETABLES (cooked or raw as desired) PROTEIN (cooked or raw) SAUCE, SEASONING, GARNISH Southwest bowl Green & red pepper strips, corn, chopped onions Grilled chicken or beef strips, cooked black beans Shredded cheese, salsa Taco bowl Tomatoes, onions, green pepper strips Taco seasoned ground beef, turkey, or lentils Cheese, plain yogurt, tortilla chips Vegan bowl Raw cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, celery Pinto beans or other beans as desired Italian dressing; shredded cheese Fruit & Nut breakfast Raw fruit: mangos, banana, or apples Walnuts or almonds Brn sugar, cinnamon raisins or milk Huevos breakfast bowl Diced tomatoes, green onions, green peppers Fried egg on top Salsa or enchilada sauce Mediterranean Bowl chopped tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers White beans or cannellini beans Tomato sauce if desired Italian or Pizza bowl Canned/cooked mushrooms, onions Chopped pepperoni or cooked lentils Any pasta sauce Parmesan cheese (I USUALLY CUT THESE NEXT 2 RECIPES IN HALF FOR TWO, WORKS GREAT…SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM THE BRITS) Budget Recipe: CHICKEN CURRY ( £2.99 for a family of four - 75p each…$3.78 USD or 95 cents ea) 500g chicken, diced (£2) (1 1/4 lb US) 1 onion, chopped (12p) 2tsp curry powder (13p) (2.2 tsp) 1 tin of tomatoes (31p) (14 oz? US) 300g frozen peas (29p) (4 oz US) 1 chicken stock cube (2p) 300 ml water (1 1/4 cups US) 1 tbsp oil (1p) 280g rice (11p) (1 3/8 cups) Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chicken for 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and onion, stir in, then cook until the onion has softened. Mix in all the other ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes Serve with rice. Budget Recipe: STIR FRY (Total cost - £3.94 for a family of 4 - 99p each….$4.97 USD or $1.25 ea) 375g turkey, sliced (£2.59) (1 pound) 150g bean sprouts (21p) (12- 14 oz can) 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks (6p) A few leaves of cabbage, finely sliced (10p) 1 onion, sliced (12p) 1 Clove of garlic, crushed (10p) 1 tbsp soy sauce (6p) 200 ml chicken stock (2p) (3/4 cup US) 1 tbsp oil (1p) 250g noodles (67p) (3/4 pound US) Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and when hot add the turkey. Cook for a few minutes stirring then add the onions. In a separate pan, cook the noodles for 4 minutes. When the onions are slightly softened, add the carrots and cook for a few minutes. Then mix in the cabbage and bean sprouts. When the noodles are cooked, drain then add to the pan. Stir in the soy sauce and chicken stock and stir for about a minute. MEXICAN RICE & BEANS (4 svg @ $2.22 or 55 cents ea) 2 tsp olive oil 1/4 onions, finelly chopped 1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/2 green peppers, cut into dices 3/4 tsp ground cumin 3/4 tsp paprika 3/4 tsp dried oregano 3/4 cup basmati rice 2 tsp tomato paste 1 1/3 c red beans (canned), or pinto, drained and rinsed 1 1/3 cup vegetable broth 1 pinch salt [optional] ground pepper to taste [optional] Keep the serving dishes in the oven at the lowest setting so they are warm when you serve. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic then sauté, with occasional stirring, for 2-3 min. Add the cumin, paprika, and oregano then cook 1 min with stirring. Stir in the rice then cook 2 min, until the grains are completely coated in oil. Add the tomato paste broth and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to 'low', cover and simmer until the rice is cooked al dente, about 15-20 min. Adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand a 2-3 min. Fluff with a fork then serve in the warmed dishes. These are from my el-cheapo collection that has all my best rice recipes....

Hello ladies, sorry for not being online for a while. I am still sick with something or other....bad bronchitis, pneumonia, or the big C...? Doc has tests ordered & I got them awaiting call on results. In meantime taking prednisone and horse pills from doc. She was funny....I had an appointment with her and came in wearing a nasty heavy mask so I would not (at least try not) make anyone else sick whith whatever it is. Felt like very bad sinus infection Dos saw me and ordered tests, pills, and the like. I was due to see her 2 days later, so when I went to sleep clinic I stayed in car. Could not breathe in mask easily with our heavy humidity. Doc saw Mary waiting inside to tell me when to come in and told her I was out in the car because I could breathe easier without the mask. (Also did not want to alarm other patients with ny constant hacking & coughing.) Doc came out to car to check me over, ordered me to go HOME and take those meds AT ONCE and that the other (CPAP) appointment could wait. And if the pills did not work call right away. (I dont think she understands that we don't want to waste her time with constant minor complaints, so we wait until I'm certain I am sick before we come in. But she is known as best doc in town and we like her. She is worth the long waiting room waits.) We gifted her with cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbages, green peppers and new potatoes from garden as she loves fresh veggies and has no time to garden. So now I am voluntarily staying home (as if I had energy to go anywhere much in hot humid temps while masked). The garden is slowing down, kicking out smaller amounts of things, but still putting out decently. I don't have energy for huge canning sessions right now, even doing the dishes took all day. But we can still get things done, just not very fast. Cant get enough together to fill a canner so I am dehdrating the smaller pickings instead. I am also slowly tackling the spring cleaning that kept getting set aside for garden, flowers, and outdoor "helping mary" chores. Slowly, but at least its getting done. Two families in our area got evicted (one for selling drugs, one for nonpayment of rent) and they had chickens. So now chickens are running round the neighborhood. One of our other neighbors has been finding them, and eggs, in his yard. He wants to keep 1 hen, I guess we are getting the rest. So we ordered a medium (3-4 regular size bird or 6-8 bantam size) coop. It has nice features including an enclosed chicken yard area (which we will reinforce to keep some of our local predators out. We dont expect regular "chicken wire" to be any protection, and will put up woven wire on all sides and top. I asked Mary what kind of chickens they were but she did not see them when the neighbor asked if we wanted some. We discussed kinds of birds, and when I described bantams (she never heard of them) she said those appealed to her most. This morning she caught sight of the wandering chickens and said they looked like banties (little half-size birds). I told her eggs would be smaller, but she has no problems with that. I told her I would handle the rooster and any of the chicks that turn out to be males if she wanted, as sexing fluffballs is HARD. She says it is OK if I butcher and can the meat, as then she cant tell the meat source, LOL. So we will be getting ready for our "free" chickens as soon as that coop arrives. Fireworks (if it does not rain) tomight!

Mary chided me a bit while I was brining cucumbers for pickles, canning the yellow squash into faux pinapple and getting ready to can blackberries. She said I should tell her if I go on a canning binge (!) because "now we won't have anything to give away". I looked at her gaping and then replied (mildly) that I had to do something as the kitchen was awash in produce and more would undoubtedly be coming in. After she thought a bit she came back and said I was right, there would ALWAYS be something to share coming in, especially as the cucumbers are going like gangbusters, and the snap beans are putting out more and more. The tomatoes are making babies, and we picked 3 nice cabbages yesterday (and another galloon of cucumbers this morning, so I am glad I am doing cucumbers and squash, and blackberries now, because when the tomatoes start so will the tomato canning. She uses tomato soup a lot in cooking, but it is now almost a buck and a half a can at Walmart (she likes Campbells only). I will can as much as I can for the coming lean times. Fortunately she likes my homemade tomato sauce (I must admit I have not always told her when I made it for dinner, and she said it was good, so I guess I am lucky there.) I am also buying extra tomato paste, as I can also make 3 cups tomato sauce, ot 1 qt tomato juice, or 6 cups tomato soup, or 1 cup ketchup from that little old 6 oz can. Not too shabby. I miss my victorio strainer, It got put SOMEWHERE 3 movrs ago along with my bullet casting and reloading gear, I couldnt watch everybody to see where they put stuff or where they stored it. I had some massive preps...even radiation gear, but nobody kept track of what went where in all the bustle. Oh well.

Wow. I have NOT been able to send those pics from my cell phone anywhere. I hate my new phone. I guess all further photos will have to be on my Canon camera. Today I got up early (sort of) and spent one hour picking blackberries before it got ridiculously hot. Then went back inside to move the dogs in (away from high heat) and out (to go potty) and then back in for most of the day, though I did get dishes washed. I miss my dishwasher. Its water pump went out. I helped Mary put in another AC unit, so the others would not nave to work so hard. Last night was choir practice. I am the only one in the choir singers who can read music (and sight read) but the others have excellent ears for the music snd pick it up quickly. I switch back & forth from first soprano to alto as needed. Last night the organist paid me a complement (I think). She asked if my college music training was in voice or piano. Wow!~ I did not go to college, nor have I sung in any choirs since I was 7 years old...as soon as the music teachers found out I could play the piano and was used to accompanying the hymns aty church on the organ, I would ALWAYS get stuck playing the piano. I was flattered that she thought I had college training in music (the organist is a college music professor!) I just like to sing and can control my pitch closely and accurately. What I DO have to practice is my latin pronunciation...I have a midwest accent in Latin, LOL. We are working Gregorian chants now. I go to You Tube to listen to the Monks sing & work on my pronunciation. I love that old fashioned Latin, and many of the great composers wrote for the chuch in Latin. The Mozart piece we are singing next sunday (Ave Verum Corpus) is exquisite. Tomorrow is canning day, blackberries & zucchini pineapple made from all the yellow squash. If I get ambition I might try some sweet pickles (Marys favorite)

We have a devil of a time with those too. We had some success with p0utting newspapers under the vines wherever they toucvhed soil, because the borers hatch from eggs in the soil and climb up onto vines. The theory is that if they cant find the vines 9blocked by njewspapers) they cant find vines & bore in. The problem wqas keepibng up with the rampant vine growth. But it helped somewhat. This year we tried diatomacious earth. It supposedly kills insects & invertebrates by microscopic cuts in their bodiws, and they dry up and die. The problem with that is all the rain (and watering) keeps washing away the DE so we are constantly replacing it. Again, it helps some, but we have lost a few plants. In places where it is dry it works just fine. It cured our ant problems. The only other solution I have read about (and might try to raise our success rate) is to plant the zucchini between hatches of vine borers. Apparently there are two hatches, and if you can space it right you can "miss" being on those little critters' menus. We will be starting zucchini seeds for a late crop as added insurance. But the struggle continues. We plant extra vines, harvest like mad as long as we can, hoping to get enough for Mary to make several batches of her famous zucchini bread. Next year I will try floating row covers IF I can find them in the "new" economy we seem to be burdened with. Oddly the yellow squash bore earlier and more prolifically, although they too get borers easily.

Our cucumber trellis is of saved fencing, so it is hardware cloth in one area, chicken wire in another, and 3x4 inch welded wire in yet a third area. The cucumbers do not seem to care. They are trying to bury us. I took 2 gallons to church today to give to my pastor, who distributes his fishing and hunting results (he is very good at both) to the needy. He knows who can use them. One man commented "they are early for around here" but was impressed by their size. This is the other side of the trellis down the center of the cucumber house....as you can see cabbages will be next, and tomatoes are in the back....making tomatoes. Those greenhouses we got on sale at Wayfair were worth every penny (and every bit of sweating and cursing as we put them up, LOL.) And you can see our pot collection in one, also....herbs, green peppers, etc. Eventually this will be another raised bed if the economy ever allows us to afford it. Today was a hot one here in north central GA. Sent to church and it was already starting to heat up. Picked up some pineapple juice and lemon juice to make zucchini pineapple, both chunks and shredded. It is a tasty [pineapple substitute, works well in baking, and is a good way to handle our glut of yellow squash. Tomorrow we will be running to doctor apointments (Marys & mine, both). But I checked the blackberries I picked and they are holding very well in the fridge. I will pick a bunch more, and as long as I am canning with the water bath I will can some berries up, too. I have to control myself though on the noshing....they are sooooo good. Peaches are here in the roadside stands, too. Expensive though, I bought a few for fresh, but I will buy canned peaches, they are still cheaper than doing them at home, and now they come packed in water, or juice, instead of just heavy syrup, so I am pleased to get them without all that sugar. If Wal mart can keep them in stock. I was there this morning, and some shelves looked pretty sparse. I did bring home a beef tongue as a treat for Mary...her mother used to cook them and she loves the meat in sandwiches. Other than that, no extras. I went in to get a new hasp for the freezer padlock, and that is what I bought. (all 3 freezers are padlocked. when I did it Mary thought I was nuts, but now she says "Hurry and replace the broken one". Sad when you have to lock up the food...). I checked the "kitty tunnels" among the boxes in my room this morning, and removed all the kittens (eleven of them) to check to make sure they did not need eye ointment and were healthy and growing properly. A couple did need eye ointment, so I treated them and put them back in the tunnels. Both mamas and little ones like it there...the tunnels are kitty cat sized, but protected with little rooms (spaces between boxes) where they can play and practice walking, feeling safe from cross traffic from people and doggies. It sure gets noisy there at dawn though when 3 mamas are in there feeding the littles and talking to them (and the littles are complaining because mama want to lick them with her rough tongue, LOL) Soon we can take the whole batch to the no kill shelter as we simply can NOT fit any more cats inside or outside here. Then we will have room for another expectant mama to come in and use the tunnels so she does not have them outside in triple digit heat. Obviously the mamas are slated for surgery, ASAP....enough cats! Today Mary found a black snake in the yard, so she washed it across the road with the water hose so the cats would not kill it. They are a protected species here, as they kill poisonous snakes as food. My kind of snake! Its our turn for triple digit heat the next 3 days. Happy Summer!

The garden is officially starting to produce. We are fighting vine borers in the squash and pumpkins but so far we are holding damages down. Our cucumbers went crazy on the greenhouse trellises, and we are picking & picking. We gave a bunch to a neighbor today to make cucumber salad and fridge pickles, and we are still dealing with bunches of them. The green beans are coming on strong, we are also picking those like mad until the weathers makes them shut down. Meanwhile they are delicious! I am picking blackberries, and planning on dragging out the canner to can some berries for serving in various ways. I understand they are very high in anthocyanins, so much the better. I am considering making pickles (again) but not too eagerly as mine are always un-crisp. I have to figure out what I am doing wrong before I can any, but refrigerator pickles will work for me. As soon as I make (a little) room in the freezer I might try some freezer pickles, they were OK last time I made them. So those cukes will not go to waste. Today Mary pulled up all the Prunella plants in the orchard plot....I made her save it so I can dehydrate it, as it is a well known medicinal that goes by the name of "All Heal". It grows wild around here, so more will come up later. In the past she has not always understood about the medicinal "weeds" in her lawn, but she is learning to leave some of the plants alone. The pennyroyal patch, for example, she can mow, but not poison....it is a flea repellent. I am still having trouble with her dislike of dandelions, but there are a few secret patches in our "wild" area. And she has agreed not to mow down ALL the wild blackberries, just mow enough to keep it in its designated borders, and a path for me to get to the center of the patch. (So I will make her some jelly, for her help.) We are hearing more and more about upcoming SHTF shortages, around september or so. (I woud not be surprised to hear it is orchestrated for that time for political purposes....legislating by emergency order is so much easier than making congress pass unpopular/extreme/controversial laws.) My nieghbors are beginning to speak openly of prepping, which is interesting. Better late than never, I guess.

Annarchy, I too have a Searchlight cookbook! My mother told me when I was a child that she wanted one because HER mother had one. So when I found one in an antique store I got it for her. After she died, I got it b back and it is a great cookbook!

Yes put me down. And the wicking pots are wonderful, we started them last year. Our flowers last summer were the talk of the neighborhood, surviving weeks of 100 degree plus temps and no rain. To make them we used fake half barrel planters, 2 pieces of 6 inch performated drain pipe (from Lowe';s, its perforated corrugated plastic drainage pipes you can cut with a knife (or jig saw, or saws-all), some ladscape fabric cut to cober the pipes (to keep the soil from getting in them). A length of old pvc pipe (1 inch so the hose fits in it) large enough to reach from the bottom of the chosen pot to about 2 inches over the dirt level. Then potting soil to fill it up. (Regular woil will not wick the water up from the bottom reservoir.) Fill or cover bottom holes to prevent water leaking out. Drill ONE drainage hole in the side, 5 incheas from the base. (if you are using other size drainage tubing, you want that hole 1 inch shorter than the tube's diameter, ie, for a 4 inch pipe you would drill 3 inches from the bottom. This is your only draining hole, and it also lets you know when you have put in enough water. Cut 2 pieces of the 5 inch draining tube, to fit inside the bottom of the large pot. If you have a shaller deep pot, it might take only 1 tube, thats ok. You want most of the bottom covered, with space on either side of the tubing. Cut a piece of landscape cloth to fit over the top of the tubing, covering it enough to keep dirt from getting in there. Aligh the drainage or weep hole with the open end of one of the tubes and drape the cloth down the sides. Fill with possint soil making sure some gets down on either side of the tubing, to the bottom of the pot. This dirt will start wicking the water up to the plant roots from the bottom when you water. Plant above the drainage set up, and put water thru the pvc pipe with the garden hose. You have enough to fill the reservoir when the water comes out that side drainage hole....Now your plants have both water, and air (important to prevent root rot) in that reservoir. Now all you have to do is water every 3-4 days, up to a week depending on the size of the pot reservoir (which depends on the pot). You can make up this wicking system in any size pot, you just need to find drainage tubing to fit the changing size of pot. I found if I went over 50% with the reservoid there was not enough dirt for the plant roots. I am wanting to get some of that 4 inch draining tube to fit in the kitty litter pails, which are about 14 inches tall. That will tive me a depth of soil of 10 inches which should be enough for most plants. You now have a pot of dirt, with two drainage tubes covered with landscape cloth underneath, and a drainage/weep hole on the side. The first pic shows some tubing in a tub. the 2nd pic shows a side view generally how it works. The reservoir in my wick pots is inside the perforated drain tubes, the wicking area is on the sides instead of in the middle, where the dirt goes alongside the tubes. The watering pipe goes down in front of the tubes and the landscape fabric goes over the whole thing to keep the dirt from clogging up the tube perforations. That is the best I can explain the wick pots. I cant lrecommend checking YouTube for "gardening with Leon" where he does demonstrations on how to make wicking pots and use them.

Do my wicking pots count? We also put a trellis up one side of the greenhouse and up to the apex of the roof for the cucumbers as our space is limited. And for our slug ranch (as we called it in jest) we found that copper tape Lowes sells DOES repel slugs and snails. Hooray!! I noticed in Lowes the other day that they have 4 inch perforated drains, which will work perfectly to make my kitty litter pails that I saved into wicking pots as well. The 6 inch size would have been too big, taking up nearly half the dirt area, so the 4 inch size is on my wish list.

Every one in a while among all the hustle bustle we get an "AWWWW" moment. Yesterday evening we met a new neighbor. She and her husband had bought the house on the other corner from us, one that we had looked at while shopping for a place to live. In her hands she held an itty bitty kitten. She had fouhd him in the middle of the road, and asked if it was ours. It wasnt, but we said we could take care of it as we had 3 nursing mama cats who would not mind an extra baby (we hoped). It was almost the same size as mama Shamrock's babies, so we put it down near her. She immediately began to nuzzle and lick it, as if checking it over for owies. (First "AWWW"). Little Buddy was big enough to eat wet cat food alongside Shamrock and her babies, and just before bed we spotted her cuddling and nursing him. ("AWWW" and sigh of relief!) So now we have a foster kitten. We have not seen any others, nor any mama come looking for him. Did he wander off? Was he tossed out of a car near the "cat ladies" house? Did mama get killed by a car? Who knows. All we care is that he is now no longer crying and wandering around, but is cuddled by a foster mom, is well fed, and has 3 new playmates. And yes, he cuddles us, too. Something kind of special about a kitten falling asleep in your lap. AWWWW.