Snow & Wintry Pursuits

view from our driveway

Hello, friends.  I hope you've been safe and comfortable this past week.  Like much of the nation, we've had wintry weather.  We received a little over 6" of snow on Saturday, which is not much by some standards, but more than we've seen in a number of years.  My sister and brother got closer to 11", a little north of here. I'm not sure if it's because lots of ice hadn't melted from last weekend, and then snow on top, but there were 750 collisions on NC roads yesterday, and a portion of I-85 was shut down, due to 100 stranded motorists, including 30 tractor-trailers.  We're more than happy to just stay put at home.  

In anticipation of the weather, we finished up the new compost system, aka chicken tractor on steroids, or CTOS for short.  J gathered composted chicken bedding in his tractor's bucket, to place on the compost scraps, and I emptied one of the 5 gallon buckets of biochar that had been inoculating.  The permaculture consultant said snow is helpful for the beneficial microbes to grow, giving them a pretty steady environment underneath, so we were happy to get it done.  Our chickens haven't figured out that they need to work yet, lol.  Hopefully, they'll get the hang of it before long.  I spent a little time several days, working on gathering tax paperwork.  We've worked on a jigsaw puzzle, the hardest one we've attempted yet, due to it's non-square "special shape".  I grabbed some of the pears I froze last summer, and made a pie.  Knowing wintry precipitation was on it's way, I caught up on the laundry.  I will say that my hands hurt from the cold, when hanging and gathering it on the line.  Using the clothesline is not for the faint of heart, mid-winter. 

out our front door

I've been fascinated with a new to me subject, which deals with autism, particularly non-verbal or minimally verbal autistics, and the prevalence of telepathy in their community.  It goes much deeper than this, and has been so interesting to learn about.  Resources are The Telepathy Tapes podcast and Spellers documentary, both accessed on YouTube.  There may be other ways to hear and view these as well.  It may be helpful to listen to the first few podcasts, to get an understanding of Spelling as communication, before watching the documentary.  I've spent time with those with mild Asperger's, but have not been around the world of non-verbal autistics.  Their brilliance is something to witness.  I'm so thankful the world has finally figured out a way to communicate with these wise souls.  We've wrongly assumed cognitive disabilities, when it's instead issues with motor skills.  This development has set thousands of these souls free, from bodies that won't cooperate in "normal" ways.  Well friends, I hope you too are finding things that feed your soul, during these slow days of winter.  

Winter Weather

Hello, friends.  We were able to see the monks last week.  My niece and her children had a homeschool trip planned that day, so it was just my sister and I.  They were all able to see them the next day.  We thought we timed it well, but ended up waiting 3 1/2 hours.  When they walked by, it all happened so quickly, though they did stop in front of us, to bless a young girl in a wheelchair, who was just beyond us.  It did my heart good.  I didn't take any pics, but my sister said I could share this.  

Suet was made for the birds.  While I was putting Christmas away, I couldn't help but notice the beauty of the bird's nests.  Like much of the country, we spent time making preparations for the winter storm.  J winterized some things, and brought lots of firewood to the porch, and into the house.  I spread more leaves in the chicken coop, for added insulation, and filled half gallon jars with water, in the event of a power outage.  With gray skies and possible snow or ice cover on the solar panels, we knew we couldn't rely on them.  As I'm typing this, around 6 Sunday night, we've mostly gotten sleet.  The freezing rain has just begun, so we'll see how it looks in the morning.  I got out a jigsaw puzzle, and books from the library, for some happy pastimes during the storm.  I hope you're staying warm and safe.

For the Love of Birds

Hello, friends.  We actually got some rain last week.  Almost 1/4" on Weds., and it's raining as I type this on Sunday, ending up with close to 1/2".  Each time it dips much into freezing temps, J has to drain the pipes leading from the house to the cisterns.  If we don't, the pipes crack.  Ask us how we know.  Which means, each time it rains after a frigid spell, it takes something like 50 gallons to refill the pipes, before it ever starts collecting in the tanks.  So, you can see how collecting water in the winter is a more complicated proposition than in the warmer months.  Our neighbor recently told J his well ran dry.  It replenishes enough that he has access to around 100 gals a day, to provide his household, herd of cows, and flock of chickens, but can't go over that without running dry.  We're all hoping the drought ends soon.  There had been snow forecast for the afternoon, but it stayed north of us. 

 

I'm keeping an eye on the monk's journey, as they get closer.  My sister, niece and little ones, and I are trying to figure out a safe place to witness them.  They're walking in rain and snow today, bless them.  I saw this video and song last week.  I can't watch it or most things, without being moved to tears, as their journey resonates deeply with me.  Wish us luck, in finding a safe, quiet place to honor them.  We were down to our last jar of crowder peas, and I was able to can a batch.  I've continued going through a file cabinet, and shredding much of it.  The shreds are being saved for chicken bedding, which will end up in the compost system.  We've started implementing a compost system the permaculture consultant recommended, which uses the chickens to scratch it up and add their manure.  It's often referred to as a chicken tractor on steroids, which you can find on YouTube.  We need a warmer day or two to get it fully set up.  Hopefully, the chickens will cooperate, and do their part.

Though I still have a long way to go, I've been learning about the effects of light on our body... sunlight, red light, blue light.  There's plenty I don't know, but it's convinced me to pull out every LED bulb I can, and switch back to incandescents.  I've had blue light blocking glasses for the computer, and do use the night light setting to lower blue light in the evening, but now have an amber pair on the way, which apparently does a better job.  I'm very interested in learning more.  If you know of any great resources, especially books, I hope you'll share.  Two resources I've listened to are Sowing Prosperity and Dr. Jack Kruse.  Another health-related item I was recently made aware of, when researching for a safe lipstick, is almost all (as in >99%) is contaminated with lead.  Yikes!  Apparently it's not new, and the FDA allows a certain amount.  I don't know about you, but I really don't want any in something that will be on my lips.  So, now I'm looking into trying to make my own natural version.  I don't wear it very often, but do like it on occasion.  The blue birds began showing up at the fountain and bird bath, which made me happy.

blurry pic, but the best I could do

Last week, J told me he ordered 25 chicks, to arrive in March.  That was a surprise!  That's several more than we've had in the past, so he'll be making an addition to the coop.  It's always interesting, here on the homestead.  Looking over my photos, it seems there's a bird theme going on.  He's making good progress on the skoolie transmission swap.  I should make a separate post soon about that.  Stay well, friends, and may all your surprises be good ones.

Peace is Possible

Hello, friends.  Last week, I found a wonderful documentary on Thomas Dambo and his giant trolls.  We've booked an Airbnb, so my friend and I can visit the ones in Asheville, in a few weeks.  I did end up canning the last of the winter squash, while we remain on well water.  The two nights and day we were forecast to have good chances of rain ended up being only a 5 minute sprinkle, so nothing measurable.  It looks like there's another chance at the end of the two week forecast, so I continue to hope.  There's some exciting news on the skoolie.  J has been intending to swap out the transmission this winter, got it jacked up, and has begun working on removing all that needs to come off first.  Here's hoping our first real trip isn't too far down the road.

can I come in, Mom?

Our washer gave up the ghost last week, something to do with what holds the drum in place.  We bought it 13 years ago, so of course, parts are no longer available, other than used, so we ended up buying a new one.  We'd both read about Speed Queens being some of the best out there, and decided to get one we hope will last at least as long as we do.  We don't need lots of bells and whistles, so it's one of the simplest ones.  J found an appliance store with one significantly less than those online.  We called, and asked if he would hold it until the next day, which is good, as he said two other people called wanting it that night.  It's much quieter than any washer I've had, which is lovely.

the latest heart to show up, bread in a pan for drying

I harvested lettuce, oregano and rosemary, and made golden paste and ketchup.  The weather was so beautiful Saturday, we were able to open several windows.  Have you been following the monks walking across the US for peace?  There's something very moving about watching them, and watching the crowds swell, as their journey continues.  They'll be coming through 30 minutes from here, and I'm looking into how to stand and witness, and support them.  Though the major media outlets are mostly ignoring it, as a post I saw beautifully said, their walk is proof that peace is still possible, hope still exists, and loving kindness has not disappeared from this world. May their light add to the ongoing shift.  Wishing you a beautiful week, friends.

Making Lemonade

Hello, friends.  Happy New Year!  Our rain last week consisted of a couple of showers, maybe 1/10" total.  So, we're still on well water, but as they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  It occurred to me that with all the water canning uses, now would be a perfect time to can as much as possible, saving the precious future rainwater for our personal use.  The first day, I canned up all the cushaw squash for J.  The flavor is not my favorite, so I'll be making pies with it for him, as he enjoys it.  Two other days, I canned various other winter squash, including two massive ones.  J believes they're from seeds a friend gave me, which people around here called pumpkin squash.

The girls have started laying eggs again, after many months.  We think it was August, or possibly earlier, when we got the last one, so it's a very nice surprise.  I requested books from the library, knowing I'd be in town for an appointment.  More biochar retorts were made.  I've been doing some research on eczema, and found it would be helpful to have a lipid rich barrier on my hands.  Savannah Bee Company's products were highly recommended, so I'm trying their honey almond beeswax hand cream first.  If you're interested in their honey or health & beauty products, the above link gives you 100 pts. on a $25 order.  Each 100 points give you $5 off.  

GF bread ends were ground into bread crumbs.  Our homegrown red pepper flakes container was almost empty, so the last of our dehydrated hot peppers were ground to refill it.  Two items were hand washed, and hung on the line.  Our New Year's dinner consisted of homegrown sweet potatoes, collards and field peas, with cornbread, which J ground the corn for.  With almost no rain in the forecast for the foreseeable future, I plan to continue to work on canning the winter squash, and may also can some beans this week.  I'll end with one of my favorite YT channels, Hey Wanderer.  They're two young women, who built their off-grid home from a shed, started a homestead, and just generally get things done. Watching their videos never fails to uplift me, and gives me the feeling that all is well with the world.  I hope you enjoy them too.  

Another Love Wink From the Universe

Hello, friends.  Last week, our freezer reached it's limit of 10 gal Ziploc bags of veggie scraps, so I defrosted them and made broth.  As usual, I let them simmer on the woodstove overnight, then strained and canned the broth the next morning.  The cherry tomatoes that are still ripening in the house are fairly tasteless at this point, so I made the decision to add all the ripe ones, almost all of them, to the broth, to get whatever nutrition they may have.  That seemed the best use of them.  I used the $20 credit I had at Vitacost, in addition to a code for 20% off, and 4% cash back through Swagbucks on an order.  We've had a really dry few months, and have been on well water for several weeks.  After building up through several showers, it makes my hair feel like straw.  Yuck.  Once we're back on rainwater, I'll do a vinegar rinse.  There's a slight chance of rain today, but doesn't appear to be much accumulation, if we get any.  

While J was cutting wood one day, this heart appeared.  A little love wink from the universe.  I made a double batch of cashew parmesan, as we decided to have Giada's pasta with olives and bread crumbs for Christmas dinner, and parmesan is one of the ingredients.  We enjoyed dinner with our granddaughter on the 26th, then headed to an upscale village nearby, where we viewed a large gingerbread display in the lobby of a hotel.  This year, the gingerbread had a Whoville theme.  My new car key was ready to pick up.  As it was only 15 minutes from our granddaughter, we went by there on the way to pick her up.  I tried inserting the key and removing it 25-30 times, and it seems to be working well.  The parts department told us if it didn't work, I'll probably need a new cylinder, which made J think they've had this issue before with my car.  Hopefully, the key is all I need.  Saturday was a warm, sunny day.  It was enjoyable spending time harvesting carrots.  May the New Year on the horizon usher in greater hope, peace, love and light for us all.

Happy Winter & Happy Holidays to You

Hello, friends.  Last week, the holiday baking was accomplished.  Four types of cookies were made, and more than half of them have been handed out so far.  I needed more sugar while baking, and not knowing about some J had put in storage, I ground sugar cubes that have been in our preps for some time.  I got the cubes, knowing they'd last in long term storage, better than a bag of sugar, and they worked fine this way.  Suet was made for the birds.  After having a massage and delivering soap 45 mins. away,  I had some car issues, and J had to come rescue me.  I believe the car itself is fine.  I just couldn't get the key to turn in the ignition.  J thinks it's likely just a worn down key, and I've ordered a new one.  Hopefully, that will take care of it.  If not, I'll need a new ignition lock.  I do have a back up key, which is what J came with, but it's as old as the one I use (15 years).  For all I know, that key was the previous owners main key, so I'd feel safer having a new one.  Our Christmas tree is up, and the lights are hung.  Next up, ornaments.  Wishing you and yours a holiday filled with peace and all the things you love.