kappydell

Happy Thanksgiving ladies.  Hope you enjoyed yours.  CM (Chainsaw Mary, LOL, she loves that monicker) and I scurried about trying to hook up all the electrical cords to our Christmas display this year.  She likes to turn it on Thanksgiving night.  We got most of the bugs out, found a few more after dark, LOL. 56 displays, lights synched to music, plus our new "folk art" (home made) plywood cutouts.  We decided to wait on the eight foot tall "seasons greetings" archway over the entrance this year as we ran out of time.  

CM saw me sketching it into my idea notebook, and insisted we do it.  Next year.  We are both tired and sore and need to recover some before the Christmas baking seasonn starts up.

 

Our critters are doing fine.  The baby goats are now eating hay like big boys, and although we dont miss the bottle feedings extra work we are sure we love on them a bit when we feed them.  They are cuter than cute!  The chickens like their greenhouse digs, I have finally figured out what kind of perch and nesting boxes I want to put in there and how to make them portable, so when we move the greenhouse everything else will go too. 

 

Emerald Cat, chickens are easy to raise.  This is our first batch too, and I can still hear my Grandmothers chuckle when I told her I wanted to raise chickens but was confused by all the conflicting info on what to feed, how to feed, and what to buy (mostly written in informative articles by the companies trying to sell me stuff, LOL.)  She said, and I quote...

"Chickens are easy, they always were my favorite livestock.  They will eat anything you throw in the pen.  They will nest anywhere they find a place to sit that they like.  You brood the chicks under a heat lamp...if they bunch together its too cold, if then avoid going under it its too hot.  Any big box that will hold them will do for brooding them, must make sure they get ehough water and chick starter feed (cut finer so it is easier for them to eat).  Once their true feathers start to come it move them to a regular pen, with a rain/wind shelter they can hide in from weather.  Throw in their feed, keep the waterer full and you are all set." 

 

We bought 8, only lost one, and pretty much did it just like she said.  We brooded them in the bathtub we dont use often, covered with a grate to keep the cats and their kittens out.  They are now in a 10x10 ft greenhouse, with a chicken wire fence 4 foot high (they are banties, for regular hens higher would be better) all around the inside.  We open windows and doors as weather requires, and they run around as if they are pastured.  I am just now getting in a roost and nest boxes, they are not mandatory, but do help keep things cleaner.  Chickens are dirty birds, and will roost on the highest point in the area (and crap all over it!) including feeders and waterers, but I just take them out and hose them clean, refill, and replace as needed.  I also treat them to a couiple handfuls of greens...grass, weed cuttings, carrot peels, etc with their scratch feed (the stuff you throw around the pen for them to scratch up and eat) and they love it.  I have bug traps set for our abundant water bugs, crickets, etc. and feed them to the hens too as a treat.  They fight over them! The roosters keep us in stitches with their efforts to crow.  They do watch over the hens, very solicitously.  I wish Grandma was still alive, she would be about 125 years old now, and she would be enjoying those chickens!  And she was right, they are easy.  Im thinking about getting more of them!

 

The aforementioned cats we kept out of our "chicken tub" all had their babies indoors as temps were 100 plus.  Now they are all outside again, running all over the place and catching the squirrels and snakes that plague us.  If only they could do something for the pesky armadillos!  Their divots in the yard are hazards to navigation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its about 2 am on Monday morn and I am sitting and watching TV as I let my mind slow down after killing a varmint (possum) that was eating the cats' food in the carport.  That thing was bigger than any of the cats, and the little ones did not know to steer clear of it so it would not feel cornered and attack them (we lost a kitten a couple years back from a possum doing just that).  Plus I did not want it finding and helping itself to any of the chickens, heaven forbid!  So off the to kitchen, grab the .38 snubbie and kill it.  Man, those things are slow to die.  Shot it in the head....nothing....did it again....and it still took forever go give up the ghost.  Meanwhile I am shooing away curious cats (they do not shoo well) so they would leave it alone.  So I am letting the brain slow down before bed.  I do not relish shooting critters, not even varmints, but I deemed it necessary.

 

Got to church today, plenty early for choir practice.  Then run home, so Mary could take the car and tend the neighbors dogs while they were gone to a craft fair to sell their goods.  Meanwhile I made her pancakes for breakfast, and as usual, ate too much of my own cooking.  Darn they were good today!  Watched some football, then another neighbor came over to meet the goats.  The neighbor is from Jamaica, where her auntie raises goats, and she just had to bottle feed one.  I never heard so much baby talk in all my days!  Then off to see the chickens...she had never seen  "silkies" and asked whatever in the world did we did to their feathers, LOL.  She was fascinated by their feather "caps" instead of combs, and their feathered feet.  She said she never saw black chickens, either.

 

More football then evening outdoor cat feeding, quite late, but the cats come anyway when I call.  I was looking for the armadillo, but saw that possum instead...SURPRISE!!  Varmint control needed and right away.  Normally I would have considered trapping it, but since its best bait is cat food, how would I keep the cats out of the trap long enough for the possum to find its way in?   

 

I suspect I have developed a food intolerance, so I am starting a food diary today, trying to figure our what I need to avoid.  Milk is the front runner right now but until I get more data I cant say for sure.  So I am taking notes on what happens after I eat and what I ate to try to figure it out.  

 

 

 

 

Seed savers exchange is awesome.  They are getting a little commercial for my taste, I joined waaaay back in 1990s and they taught me a LOT about saving seeds including easy techniques for avoiding cross pollination on corn and squashes.  Now they want to sell you stuff, more than educate at a grass roots level.  BUT the members swap book in Jan is well worth the joining fee....Where else can you get samples of heirloom seeds to try and multiply for the cost of postage?   Some of their reference books are incredibly interesting if you are interested in saving heirlooms.

This last week went by so fast it was gone before we realized it.  The chicken tractor is done, the chickens LOVE their new and spacious digs.  They run around, flapping and hopping and having a gay old time.  I guess that is how chickens play,. LOL.  The goats are still bottle babies, but eating less at a sitting now, and nibbling hay, imitating the older goat Nibbles. Their antics are always fun to watch, that hippity hop run of theirs is so silly looking we cant help but smile.  And we have a tree stump in the pen that they play "King of the Mountain" on.  

Our sweet potatoes finally got dug.  We got a 30 gal tote and two 5 gal pails full from those 6 plants.  Of course I had to taste test them.  It was hard waiting out the curing time while their starches turned to sugars, but they are now ready to be shared with all our sweet potato loving friends.  Mary just snorts when I talk of canning some.  She does not see the use, but I keep hearing more and more about upcomingh food shortages, so my "hobby" is more satisfying than ever.  Irt is getting harder though, as my arthritis progresses it slows me down.  I am often frustrated with that; sometimes I could just cry for feeling slow and clumsy.  But then someone compliments us on how much us two "old ladies" get done and our projects, so I guess we are doing better than most folks.  Nobody believes we are pushing 70, and thats how we like it.  I started counting my  birthdays backwards when I hit 50, so I figue i should be about 22 by now.....a very CREAKY 22.

Just reading & catching up on everyones postings.  Seems like the world is going more and more off the tracks lately.  Not expecting it to get any better, either. 

 

Neighbors can be very tiresome.  Our PITA (pain in the heinie) neighbors are not as bad as most.  The man is more of a moocher than anything else - he works regular as a landscaper but his car NEVER runs and he wont shell out to fix it.  He keeps coming over to ask for rides...to the store (14 miles away), to the doctor (48 miles away) and to take his daughter back to her mom (23 miles away) after she visits.  We are getting tired of his expecting us to provide taxi service.  We won't loan him money anymore since he never pays it back.  And you all know about the dog walker who is prez of the homeowners association and feels everyone must abide by her orders, whether they belong or not.  Our 7 foot fence in the front yard has a screen on it so she cant see in anymore.  I see her dog walking down our road very slowly in the morning, trying to see what  we are up to.  She never picks up her dogs messes, nor does she have a bully stick...you know the kind...."rules for thee, not for me".  

 

Otherwise we are still getting by just fine.  Mary is preparing to make a "chicken tractor" (at last) after she read an article about it being beneficial for chickens.  I'm tickled she discovered that article.  I had been trying to get her to consider one for our banties but I dont think she fully understood the concept the way I described it.  Now she is enthused with the idea (hooray!!)  It would make it possible to expand the flock a bit.  If the price of eggs keeps going up we may need to! 

Our goats are a source of much pleasure and amusement - they are very personable.  I hope the neighbor who was considering getting milk goats (for the grandkids) does so, so we can swap milk for eggs. 

 

Thank heaven, not all of our neighbors are uptight ex-urbanites, some are down home country folks.  

 

Meanwhile the garden is being transitioned from summer to winter.  The cucumber vines are finally spent, so we are using that greenhouse to cure thge bushels of sweet potatoes we dug Tuesday.  Some are HUUUGE.  I will can some, and we have quite a few volunteers to take the extras off our hands (LOL).  Green pepper plants are still producing, although a little slower.  Gorgeous peppers, though.  And the hot ones are going crazy.  I am drying green chilis, red chilis, and small yellow ones, all hot.  The walking onions I planted in spring are going dormant for the winter; I have starts for another kind of walking onion and for walking garlic, both fall planted, to put in permanent small beds alongside out bigger raised beds.  I like the idea of perennial aromatic veggies...I figure they will make good trade items if need be. 

 

The compost area is also slated to go up on the other side of the chicken tractor area.  The goat bedding is plentiful and easy to handle source of manure which is not hot, unlike the chicken droppings. Some sources I have read say you can use it directly on plants, but I prefer compost that does not look like poop.   So I will start composting it for later use.  That way if we decide to put more garden beds in we will have planting compost ready to go, on site....that stuff is also getting more expensive.  Waste not want not.

 

Chainsaw Mary took down the small tree that fell over on to our carport from the neighbors property just before the hurricane was due to hit.  We did not want high winds grinding it thru the rooftop, so we took it down, and left the wood on his lot where it came from.  We are grateful that Ida went away from us, but feel sorry for those who did take a hit.  It seems they just finished getting back to normal after earlier 'canes, and here comes another.  Glad we live more inland, we get wind and rain but no storm surge or flooding to hamper travel.  We just batten down the greenhouses and the animal houses against the wind.  

 

Our only question is "Where did the week go?"  Seems like it was just Monday yesterday, LOL.

Time to go feed the chickens and outside kitties.

 

 

 

 

Hello ladies.  I have been catching up on things.  Apparently I am not the only one kept hopping taking care of all the 'stuff" that comes down the pike without warning.  Our goats are doing well socially, they have become quite friendly and accustomed to us (or maybe its the treats, LOL).  We are getting ready to split up the banties into two coops, one for boys and one for ladies.  Our plethora of kittens is slowly moving outside, they think it is a big playground. We did lose one cat to snakebite.  She crawled home and we found her trying to get to us, so off to the vet. Even in her pain she was loving on us, as we petterd her and tried to comfort her.  Sadly,  she was too far gone, with major nedcrosis of her entire backside setting in; so we loved on her as they gave her painkillers, then sleepy juice. Once she was asleep, the euthenasia.  She was an affectionate thing, we owed her relief from pain. So we do not regret it, only that we did not find her sooner.  But we miss her terribly. 

 

We are also going out armed at night.  We have an armadillo wandering around digging up the lawn and driving the dogs & cats crazy.  He will go as soon as we draw a bead on him.  Last night I had the spotlight on flash as I shined the trees to chase off the owl again.  He likes to hunt in our yard far too much for comfort, and we cant shoot them, so pestering  him with bright lights to repel him is all I could think of to do.  The cat that survived the owl attack, then a raccoon attack has decided to be an indoor cat.  Cant say I blame him.  

 

Our garden is getting ready for fall - the nursery had the fall garden stuff in.  We got cabbage, collards, kale, and romaine lettuce plants; seeds for radishes and another kind of lettuce.  The radishes are so sweet grown in the cooler weather of winter!  The cucumbers are STILL producing...we discovered, inadvertantly, the answer for vine borers...trellis the vines!  The borers cant find vines up in the air, LOL.  The green and hot peppers are still going.  As soon as I clear the side bed the walking garlic will go in there.  I also have a spot picked out for a compost heap, now that I have ploenty of nice goat pelletized hay to layer in there with the 'green' stuff.  Plus with the vine borers loving our zucchini so much, I am sondering if we cant rig up a hydroponic system for those....no dirt, no borers.  Today Mary was talking to the letter carrier who complained that the hornworms destroyed her tomatoes...and told her about thejm glowing in black light.  Apparently not too many folks know about that way to hunt them and destroyh them.  She also gave her a dozen cucumbers picked an hour earlier.

 

Mary is cutting plywood Christmas decorations out.  The blow ups are soooooo expensive and do not last very long, so we are going back to our plywood scenes.  Today she cut out our gingerbread house...I think it will be one that folks take photos of, it is looking so good!  We already have pine trees and candy canes galore.  Next i draw up gingerbread people, and Mary wants a Santa and Mrs Clause.  If we have any energy (and materials left) we will make up a few Chistmas Minions to scatter around.  Of course we will still use the blow ups but are working in more durable replacements.  Mary is very good with the techincal part, I am good with the ideas, plans and patterns.  

 

Food prices here are nuts, but we can still get hams for $2.50 a pound (spiral cut Sams Club) so our freezer is full of ham packages.  Scalloped potatoes & ham are a staple here, as is ham and eggs with hash browns for brunch and sometimes dinner when we have too much to do to take time to cook.  I'm dehydrating hot peppers both green and red like crazy.  We do not eat many, but many of our acquaintances do, and I found a capsacin liniment "recipe" to try which will use some of them medicinally.   

 

And so, on we go.  My doc asked last time I was there what I did for exercise....well....pull weeds, pick garden produce, stretch fences, chase and catch critters, tow brush and stack wood when Chainsaw Mary cuts trees, etc.  Even the American Heart Assc. says that yard work counts as heart healthy "moderate" exercise.   We sleep very well after a yard work day.

 

 

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. 

On 7/2/2022 at 11:58 AM, Wychwood said:

As usual, the MSM have taken these results and recommendations and sensationalised them. I'm not bothered about the government, they have made a sensible suggestion but by god I'm sick fed-up the media (and I include these snake oil preppers) making a mountain out of a molehill. 

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

6 hours ago, Ambergris said:

This is garbage information.

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)

 

 

 

On 6/11/2022 at 4:11 PM, out_of_the_ordinary said:

Kappy,  what are you doing about the squash vine borers?   My DD loves squash, but we've never been successful with growing it due to those squash vine borers.  

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.