Homestead Update

Recently we bought chickens to replace the ones that were carried off by a bobcat.  They are about 18 weeks old and growing everyday.  We have one black astralorp that for a couple of weeks now I have been telling Trudy that it was a rooster.  She disagreed, she just thought that maybe the chicken was developing faster than the others.  Well this morning were were sitting drinking coffee, talking and checking Facebook and lo an behold the chicken started crowing near our back window.  We were both surprised and Trudy got up and ran to check which one it was and sure enough it was the one... So below is a picture of the rooster.  This is the first rooster we've had, but in the future we'll be able to let the flock replenish itself, which is a nice thought.

There's the rooster with one of the Hens.

While breakfast was in the oven this morning I went out and took pictures of the garden.  We still have plants that we sowed as seeds coming up, but pretty much all of our different plant types have finally come up.  I think we need to replant a couple of items like add more beans, and cucumbers, although we have one cucumber plant growing.   The tomato's are starting to set flowers, and they're starting to grow tall.

In this raised bed are luffa plants.

Strawberries... they're slowly filling in the small bed we have.

Some of the roma's they usually produce pretty well in the desert heat.

Most of the corn is up and a lot of the beans are up, but we will probably have to replant some of the beans.

More tomato's, these are Arkansas Travelers and there are yellow pear tomatos in there too

Strawberry Flower.... we added fertilizer to the strawberries and seem to be getting better fruit.

Cilantro Flower

Garlic Chive flower

Gardening 2012

There's a lot going on around here.  I'll try to show some of it in pictures rather than a wordy blog post.

We had to renew our flock, because a predator carried off our original

 

 

Compost piles are getting started and/or turned

Jake helping turn a compost pile.... I need to get him off the pile, the boys growing like a weed.

 

 

 

Seeds are started and tended to by my lovely wife.

Meat is being canned, this is hamburger.  In the canner tonight is both turkey and ham.

Sauerkraut is being fermented.

The garden is being prepared.

Strawberries are growing, and there's a tone of berries growing on the plants.

Seedlings are being hardened off.

This is a blackberry plant I thought was going to die.

Elderberry, the coffee can was used to keep ants out of it.

Onions in a temporary home.  We'll replant some of them around the tomato and pepper plants to try to keep bugs away.

The watering system is going in.  We lay the soaker hose down, sow the seeds or plant the plants then mulch to keep weeds down and moisture in.

In this picture you can see that I moved the tomato supports to the west side of the garden.

Pockets and Eggs

Today my wife and I were outside taking inventory of fencing material and garden items and discussing what to plant where.  While we were out there we checked and got one egg from the single chicken that is currently laying.  My son came out and since we had more to look at my wife gave the egg to my son, who promptly put it in his front pocket.  About two hours later he found the egg, broken.  I laughed... it was hilarious to see the reaction on his face when he pulled this slimy mess out of his pocket... CLASSIC!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Today my wife and I have been married for 23 years.  We have grown up together, we've grown together.  I thank and love my wife and I look forward to spending the next 23 years together.

I haven't posted in the last couple of days. We've been busy and it's been hot outside, so with 107 degree temps going on outside we've been staying inside at night.  We've been getting 2 quarts a day from the goat.  They seem happy with the pen.  Right now we have a tarp up for shade.  My in laws have a roof that Trudy and I are going to go get then we can make a permanent covered area.  I have to find the time to go get it... probably after work one day this week. 

Wednesday Ashley hit a mule deer on the way home from a friends house where her and Jake are taking horse back riding lessons.  When I got on the scene the deer was still alive so I had to dispatch it.  I think the most traumatic thing for Ashley, Jake and the friends was that the deer suffered while they waited for me to get there. 

 The above paragraph is my preparedness info for the week.  I happen to be armed about 90% of the time, without the firearm I would have had to snap the does neck to put it out of it's misery and that has the potential of failing, or the deer would have had to suffer longer while we waited for 'law enforcement' to get there to decide what to do with the injured deer.  A firearm is a tool to be used responsibly and safely, everyone should get one and learn how to use one safely.

Getting back to the first topic in my post: Love and respect are the two things that make the foundation of a marriage.  With love and respect the two parties of a marriage desire to communicate, to spend time with each other and enjoy each others company.  Love and respect, true love and respect between a man and a wife are a picture of the relationship that Jesus Christ has with those who place their faith in Him for salvation.

Ephesians 5:33  Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Milking

Our LaMancha is in milk, and is on a once a day schedule.  The previous owner milked all her goats in the morning, so we are maintaining that schedule.  So far we're getting at least a quart a day and yesterday we got more.  Also I'm getting better at milking.  I milked goats a time or two as a kid, so I understand the process and how to do it, it's now just a matter of doing it regularly to get good at it.

The only thing I think I'd change in our whole goat experience thus far is to get an experienced goat that had kidded before and understood the process of standing still during milking.  Our goat is not full milking table trained, and she's a kicker.  Right now either one of the kids or my wife is holds the goats hind legs, I'm hoping that as time goes by the goat will calm down and get more used to standing still during the milking process.  Getting faster as I and others get used to milking will also help.

By the way the milk from our goat is YUMMMMYYYYY!!!

Americans view of the Future

I never watch mainstream news on TV and don't normally read mainstream media articles, but this headline caught my eye: More Americans Think Economy Will Never Recover

A basic summary is that most Americans think it's going to be a long time before the economy and consumer spending is back to where it was pre-recession.  Some going so far as saying their spending will never be like it was before.

It seems people have a pretty poor outlook for the future, I find that sad.  My wife and I are among those who say we will never spend the same as we did in the past.  That doesn't mean we have a less comfortable life, in fact, in the last 3 years we have started eating healthier, better and less processed foods than ever before.  We have fundamentally transformed (thanks BIG O) our spending.  We have taken steps to produce our own food and be sustainable, and we'll continue working to be as self reliant as possible in that area.  All in all life is looking pretty good.  So the way I look at it, maybe this isn't a bad thing, maybe people will get back to the barter and/or trade among each other instead of going to the big stores.

There's a lot to be said for the barter system when items, time and possibly currency is being traded.  I believe it's more sustainable than a straight currency trade system.  Granted not everyone has the ability to trade time or knowledge, however those who don't have time or knowledge have the goods or extra items to trade.  I think we need to get back to that kind of system, but I also think we have to remind people that they can trade other things besides money.

God Bless!!! Remember He controls history.