CrabGrassAcres

Welcome, Pearl! (That was my grannie's name.) Pull up a chair and set a spell!

Waving!!! Wish I could gift you some of these chicks my hens keep presenting me with. I have about 20 in the house right now and a hen running around outside with 5 or 6 I can't catch.

Getting an RV if at all possible is good advice to someone who is struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Rather than scrambling for rent or mortgage payments plus utilities, it might be an option for some to get a used travel trailer and set it up somewhere while saving what income you can. If I were renting, for instance and knew there was a good possibility of losing my job, or if the job didn't pay enough to have a comfortable cushion in the bank and I was living from paycheck to paycheck, I'd explore the possibility of getting an RV set up in a cheap park or on a friend's back forty. Then I'd sock away every penny I could so I could get into a better situation for the long haul.

That camp was clean because that minister quit his job to go live there and look after those people. Most tent cities are haphazard with nobody really in charge or helping. I would far rather go camp alone in the woods if I were homeless again. When we sold the house just ahead of foreclosure, I was able to find a piece of property that I could make 130/month payments on and pitched a tent on it. We lived in that till someone had pity and loaned us an old camper which we lived in until I was able to get a ratty old mobile home pulled out there. I KNOW how quickly you can go from having a decent roof over your head to being out in the elements with nothing. I also know there are a LOT of people who are doing a major balancing act, trying to keep their roof over their heads. The crazy part is, many of those could and should have their financial act together with a little self discipline. It is also amazing how many, like I was, have been devastated financially by selfish, manipulating family that put them into a hole and then refused to pay back what they borrowed and refused to even give a hand when the helpful family member needed help themselves. That is why I constantly encourage people to stand up to family that are using them and refuse to be drawn into the drama and financial straits. I am reminded of when I was 9 and my sister was 10 and we were playing on a boat ramp while Daddy fished off the dock. She stepped off the end into water over her head. Neither of us could swim. When she began flailing around I stretched out my hand to her and she promptly pulled me off the edge too. Daddy finally realized we were in difficulties and pulled us back to shore. He was almost too late. Of course, I was too young to realize that I should have stood on the higher area and called Daddy to come help and almost paid with my life. Sometimes you just have to stand on your own ground and call for assistance. Maybe offer to take the person to get food stamps or offer to take the pet they can't afford to the shelter or help them locate a cheaper place to live, but don't buy groceries, don't pay the rent and don't buy pet food or take the pet "just till you get situated better".

Praying.

Glad you are getting moisture and not fire! We are in the 80s again today but this afternoon/evening sometime the front is supposed to hit with dramatic temp drop. I think the goats will be glad of the wind break I put on the hoop house.

It used to be fairly common for elderly people to go to boarding hotels, especially after the loss of a spouse. I might enjoy doing something like that. Actually, I wouldn't mind running one. Just have to make sure they understand it doesn't include nursing care!

Praying.

Yes, I bought them. I don't mind paying a few dollars for a hard copy that I can hold in my hand when the grid goes down.

Remove the sheet rock or paneling from any standard 2x4 stud wall. Fasten 1x2's on the outer edge of the stud. Put 1x4 shelves between the studs. Now make a ceiling to floor shelving unit that has a fully covered back and is on wheels or hinges so you can swing it away from the wall to expose the shelves in back. A sheet of paneling over the wall in addition will give more secrecy if someone actually moved the shelf unit. With only a 1inch thickness added, it will not be obvious that the rear wall is thick enough to hide anything, but you can put qt canning jars one deep on those shelves.

No, the dried ones won't boil soft. Tried it.

Philbe, you can install a stack if code requires it.

http://people.ku.edu/~kennedy1/faces_of_shaanxi.htm Something interesting I found while doing more research on these heaters.

I just got these books that are reprints of colonial cookbooks. "The Virginia Housewife or Methodical Cook" by Mary Randolf 1834 "The First American Cookbook" ("American Cookery") 1796, Amelia Simmons. Authentic recipes and tips for someone cooking with wood and no electricity.

If you will follow the links to Ernie's site, he has some photos on an album that show them actually building a couple of the heaters. It is really neato. I was thinking I really wouldn't want the barrel in the living room, so I did some searching. I think some radiator covers would disguise the barrel if someone wanted it to look really nice. They are designed to go over the old steam radiators. You'd want to have them surrounding the barrel but be out a few inches from it.

Trudy you need green peanuts if you want them like the commercially canned boiled peanuts.

Oh dear. It is so hard when the caregiver is ill and the person she was caring for still needs attention. Me? I am waiting for the washer to finish so I can hang daughter's bed pad outside and get the rest of her laundry in the dryer. I don't like to put the pad thru the dryer because it is hard on the vinyl backing. Want to get her bed done before a friend of a friend comes to pick us up for a belated Tnksgiving dinner at the friend's house. We'll be late getting home. Wish daughter hadn't chosen today to sleep in and pee the bed. Guess I should have routed her out sooner but I was enjoying a little relaxing time. See, I paid for it. (Rueful grimace.)

I caramelize about 1/3 of the sugar first in an ungreased, dry skillet. Stir constantly with a stainless spatula. When the sugar is almost as dark as you want the final caramel take it off the heat and pour in your milk, stirring until the sugar dissolves back into the milk. The sugar will harden into lumps immediately that you pour in the milk. Just keep stirring and when it stops boiling put it back on medium heat, stirring till all is dissolved. Then add the rest of your sugar and corn syrup and stir constantly till it is almost as thick as you want. It will thicken more as it cools. Sorry I don't have exact amts since I rarely measure anything.

I buy the dolomite 50# bags from a ceramic supply in Austin. There may be a supply place near you. That stuff is heavy to ship. http://www.coppersulfatecrystals.com/home.html This is where I bought mine in the 50# bag. Figured I won't have to buy it again. LOL It also has ag uses tho. Most feed stores carry copper sulfate CuS04. Make sure it is pure. Should say 20% copper. The other 80% is the sulfate part.

Commercial minerals don't have nearly enough copper for goats, which is why a lot of people bolus their goats. I've seen clinical copper deficiency in bolused goats too. Goats need a great deal more copper than most livestock, however most are copper deficient. Parasites are a symptom of copper deficiency in all animals, including humans. CAE and mad cow and CWD are all diseases of copper deficiency. Alfalfa contains sufficient calcium most of the time but deficient in magnesium. The dolomite supplies both and helps prevent mastitis as well as calcium deficiency symptoms. You can safely give both.

Glad you are doing ok.

You'll always hear that little voice saying you coulda, shoulda done 'better'. Don't listen to it. Yell at it if you have to. You'll feel better for it. Showers are good places to yell, BTW. Close the door and try to do it when nobody is around that will get upset. My deepest regret is that I let all the abuse and manipulation and using go on so many yrs. Not just mother, but my sisters and one brother. When I finally said 'no more' I got the boot from the family. Wish it had happened a lot sooner.

I mix extra copper with the goats' mineral mix. About 1 tsp copper per cup of mineral. Dolomite has to be given separately since it will neutralize the copper if it gets wet and my mineral feeder is out in the open. If you can keep it dry, mix 1 cup dolomite, 1 cup goat mineral and 1 tsp copper sulfate. I do give BoSe as well on the standard schedule. If you are feeding dolomite, you don't need alfalfa, which is extremely expensive and hard to get here. You also don't have to trim hooves as often if not feeding alfalfa.

I buy the copper bulk online, but you probably don't need 50#. LOL Most feed stores carry it for killing algae in ponds. Put it in the dogs' water at about half the strength of the poultry. If it is too strong the dogs won't drink it. I make the dogs' food so I include the copper in their food to make sure they get it. When I forget to give it, they will get ticks really bad and sometimes hot spots as well. It protects against heart worm also.

DE is totally ineffective against internal parasites. I wouldn't waste money on it. If they do have parasites, put 1/4 tsp of copper sulfate per gallon of water and that will take care of it. Use the vinegar with the copper to keep it in suspension. If you have iron in your water you may see some red discoloration, but this will not hurt anything. Don't use copper sulfate or vinegar with metal waterers. You don't need the chemical wormer with the copper. The copper will also take care of any other parasites including lice and I give it to the dogs to keep ticks off them. It really works. I give it to my goat herd and have zero problems with parasites of any sort. Watch all the birds for any respiratory disease. They may have brought in CRD to your flock.