The Busy Season

Hello, friends.  Last week, I downloaded a free Amazon first read book, and sewed a button on a shirt.  Our upright freezer didn't get fully closed again, and defrosted overnight.  This makes five or six times over the past few years.  J had a good bit of meat in it.  He cooked up all the chicken, and refroze it for himself.  Quite a bit of other meat had been previously cooked, so he put it all in a pot, cooked and froze it in portions for Guinness.  He's loving it.  The chickens got some too, and were happy campers.  I'm not really worried about fruits and vegetables, but will try to use them up quickly.  The good news is J got a freezer alarm, to alert us if the temperature rises.  I think that's a great idea, because it's obvious it happens much too easily.  The chicken bones, skin and bits were simmered, then got canned up (without the bones) for future meals for Guinness.  The bones will go in the compost, so nothing will be wasted.

  

I'd been using bird strike stickers on the windows near the bird feeders, but they don't last long before degrading, so that they're no longer effective.  This time, I decided to put up a grid, purchased from Audubon.  It supposedly lasts 10 years.  Before applying it, we were getting lots of bird strikes, and we've not gotten one since.  I'd say that's a success.  I've been wanting to clean up the asparagus beds, and got started on it.  A good thing too, as I saw several 1" tall asparagus poking up.  They'll likely get killed back with the nights in the 20's this week, but maybe this will be the last of the frigid temps.  

I met my sister and niece on Friday, and we thrifted three places, then had dinner.  None of us found much, but I did find the perfect basket, to fit in a long space, under the dinette in the skoolie.  It will make getting things in and out of there much easier.  On Saturday, I went with a friend to see Temple Grandin.  She was delightful.  I was pleased to hear the event was sold out.   She was at another local venue the day before, and it was sold out as well.  One of the things she spoke about was how the world needs various kinds of thinkers, working in collaboration.  The diversity of humanity really is a strength.  Due to cold weather, our chicks did not ship as planned, and are supposed to arrive late this week.  J closed in the area below their coop, so none of the little gals can get under there.  He put up new gates on one end of the garden, and at the chicken yard, so he can get to the compost area with the tractor.  I picked up a six pack of chard, and prepped a bed for it Sunday.  When I started planting, I realized I got three bonus plants.  As I had run out of time, space and oomph, those will have to wait for another day.  It's a good problem to have.  Lots of the planted seeds have sprouted.  It's quickly turning into the busy season around here.  

Late Winter on the Homestead

Hello, friends.  A "spring" bouquet was gathered to enjoy.  The forsythias, cherry, peaches and apricot have begun blooming.  The remainder of wintersown seeds were planted.  Though it doesn't much feel like winter now, we're supposed to get some lows in the 30's this week and next.  It's a bit later than I usually plant, but you do what you can do.  I began watering the Amish tomatoes that I prepped in the Fall, and planted seeds of another 9 varieties, plus 5 different sweet peppers.  The wintersown seeds included celosia, black-eyed susan vine, dye amaranth, orach, portulaca, roselle, spilanthes, tansy, tithonia, sweet annie and zinnias.

 J has been working hard on the chicken coop addition.  It's now enclosed, with a door and ramp to their yard, a clean-out door, roosts, and a line of watering nipples.  He added an automatic door to the main coop, and the chickens took to it quickly.  Their feeder was moved inside the nesting room.  These changes were done to make future traveling easier.  Knowing gas was likely to rise, because of the latest war, I filled up early in the week.  The price had already risen .40, from a few days earlier, and when I passed by a day or two later, it had risen another .30.  I expect it will rise again, if it hasn't already, but hope it doesn't continue at .70 or more a week.  I'm sure it's going up everywhere.

I planted kale, cilantro and parsley seeds.  The trays all started next to the woodstove.  Kale started sprouting on Saturday, so the tray was moved to our little indoor grow station.  We haven't used the woodstove in a few days, so I moved all the trays there.  The onions in the garden are coming up nicely.  J worked up a spot in the garden for potatoes.  A male client requested a custom size neck pillow.  I finished it on Sunday, and will deliver it this week.  I hope your week has been a good one.  I put up a skoolie post on Friday, for those who are interested.  Take good care, and be well.

 

Skoolie News

old transmission is out

Hello, friends.  I'm sorry it's been so long, since I gave an update on The Bucket List Express.  Also, blogger is having issues, so the pic placement and font size is less than ideal.  Changing the transmission affected more than just the transmission.  The drive shaft that came with the newer transmission was different than the original, so Joseph had to combine the two, making something that would work with our bus.

It was a real bear to remove all the bolts on the transmission adapter plate.  This required a heat gun, an impact driver, and a new bit.  Mission accomplished.

With the transmission out, and the bus immobile, we received a forecast of a major ice storm.  What to do, with the bus parked next to some iffy pine trees?  With 25 chicks arriving soon, and a coop expansion needed, Joseph had bought lumber for the project.  He had the idea for us to cover the solar panels on the roof with the plywood and lumber, to protect the panels and roof if any large limbs fell.  If an entire tree fell, all bets were off.  The storm ended up being less than predicted, and we sailed through without any damage.

The new transmission was staged, ready to be installed.  The needed seals were delayed, due to the winter storm.  

Once the seal arrived, it was installed, then the torque converter was installed.  With the help of a jack, and ratchet straps, the transmission was raised into place.  Many other steps, involving hoses and fittings, filters and fluid, and bolting the starter in place happened.  Changing the transmission required changing out the wiring harness.  The old transmission was mechanical, and the new is electronic.  There's a whole lot of wires, but he's steadily hooking them back up.  

With the chicks due next week, the bus project has taken back seat to the coop addition.  We missed out on going to the late February skoolie swarm in FL.  Maybe next time.  We don't have any plans yet, except for another shakedown trip somewhere, to make sure everything is running properly, once it's back in commission.  

More Blooms & Crusty Rolls

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Hello, friends.  I hope you've managed to have a good week.  More of the spring blooms on this land have opened, including snowbells, winter jasmine, and more varieties of hellebores.  They are most welcome, and bring some needed cheer.  Last week, with veggie scraps taking up a good portion of the freezer, I simmered them overnight on the woodstove, and canned broth the next day.  With leftovers from a dinner, I made a sweet potato pie.

On our walk yesterday, I saw the first lizard of the year, climbing up a tree.  On the warmest day, some days back, the first tentative peepers were heard, down at the creek.  I pulled our broccoli from the freezer, and used it in pad thai.  J likes to have rolls, whenever we have soup for dinner.  I do less baking, now that I'm GF, and have made loaf bread , which I've frozen in slices for this, but it's just not the same.  I found a recipe for easy, overnight crusty rolls, and baked them this morning.  I kept two out for dinner, and froze the remainder.  

It was such a gorgeous day Sunday, it did my heart good.  It was mostly sunny, with highs in the 70's.  I spent more time outside, mostly in a tank top, than I have in quite some time.  It was lovely to feel sun on my skin.  Monday is forecast to be back in the 40's, but lots more warm days are on their way.  I'm really ready for that!  J did the first turning of the compost, and the chickens were doing a great job working it.  I'll clean their coop soon, and start a new pile.  I'm really excited to see how our garden changes, incorporating some of these new practices.  Wishing you a beautiful week!