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!

A Slower Week

Hello, friends.  It's been a slower than usual week, due to being a bit under the weather, but I'm on the upswing now.  I made a batch of suet for the birds.  The wintersown seeds are starting to come up.   So far cosmos, bachelor buttons, and calendula.  I wanted to try one more thing, to see if it would make a difference with the chickens and compost.  Our last remaining Buff Orpington hen waits for me to lift her off the roost most mornings.  I'm not sure why.  Perhaps it's because she's low girl on the pecking order, and feels safer that way.  In any case, I decided instead of on the ground, I'd place her in the compost after letting her see me throw scratch in it.  She wasn't sure at first, but she stayed a few minutes, to eat the scratch.  After I did it the following day, there was more interest from the others.  Now, a few days later, there are at least two hens getting in there, scratching and pecking.  It worked!  Even if it's only the two of them, between their manure and scratching and pecking, it should get the compost going.  I'd love to have some finished compost, when setting up the spring garden. 

  

I caught up on my mending and sewing.  A few weeks ago, I picked up what appeared to be a relaxed fit black tank top at the thrift store, exactly what I like to wear on the homestead in the summers.  After I got it home, I realized the back opened up right below where a bra would be, so I sewed the back up.  It's a little wonky, as one side is a little longer than the other, the way it was made, but it should serve the purpose.  I also sewed a wool and cashmere cardigan, where it was coming apart at the seams.  It's a house sweater, so is fine if not perfect.  A holiday wool vest and wool sweater were hand mended, where there were holes from moths.  I've researched alternatives to mothballs, and cedar keeps coming up, but the products seem to have mixed reviews.  If you know of anything that works, I'd love to know.  We finished the jigsaw puzzle, and it sadly was missing a piece.  I guess that's the risk you take when getting them from the thrift store.  One of the workers where I got it, wanted it when I was done, so I took a pic of the finished puzzle with missing piece, so she can decide if she wants to do it, and will know where it is.  J got the onions planted Sunday.  We've gotten 1/2" or so of rain, which we're grateful for, though we were still listed in severe drought earlier in the week.  I believe J said we were 10" below normal.  I know parts of the country are getting a big snowstorm right about now, so no complaints here.  Stay safe and warm out there!

Beauteous Blooms

Hello, friends.  The first hellebores are blooming, so spring can't be too far off.  On a warmer day, I planted seven wintersown containers, because that's how much potting soil I had.  Calendula, cosmos, hollyhocks, bachelor buttons, coreopsis, borage, and mullein were planted.  The avocado oil arrived, and I finished making the batch of plant butter.  The flavor is much nicer, with the avocado oil.  After placing the butter in freezer containers, it occurred to me that using it would be much easier using it if was shaped like traditional butter, so I bought a silicone butter mold.  I've been moving it to the mold, freezing it, then wrapping in waxed paper.  So far, I've gotten 12 sticks, and it looks like there's at least enough for four more, in addition to what we've already used.  It was a two-day process, to make the butter, so I'm happy we should be set for some time.  

Lambs quarter was pulled from the freezer, for a spaghetti squash florentine dish, which we had with our sweet potatoes and crowder peas.  We finally got enough rain to switch back to it for our household, and wouldn't you know, the fittings on the pump are leaking, so we're back on well water again.  This is the longest we've been on well water, since setting up our rainwater collection system for the house, probably 15 years ago.  We're having a nice rainy day, over an inch already, as I type this on Sunday, so the tanks should be pretty full, once we can switch again.  We got two eggs last week, the first in a while.  I'm sure the warmer days helped.  Other than a couple of days with highs in the 40's, the next two weeks look to be warmer, which will be lovely.  Shortly before the snow storm, when I accompanied J to buy lumber, I decided a little floral cheer was in order, and bought the orchid.

After the Buddhist monks arrived in Washington, DC last week, they held a global peace meditation, and I participated in the last hour of it.  I'm happy to know they've arrived back where they started, in Fort Worth, and will hopefully be able to get some good rest and relaxation.  Walking such a long distance, in the snow, ice and cold, had to tax their bodies.  After an appointment, I stopped by my favorite thrift store, and bought a king pillowcase and 4 napkins for $2.  I got my senior discount on groceries at Harris Teeter, and picked up more potting soil.  Asparagus was $1.49, and I got two lbs.  Artichokes were $2 at Food Lion, and I ended up getting six throughout the week.  That's the best price I've seen in a few years, and I love them.  

When J went to the VA on Friday, he was given a handmade card from an 8th grade student, thanking him for his service, and wishing him a Happy Valentines Day.  We thought  it was very sweet.  A cushaw pie was made for J, for Valentines Day, and I received lovely flowers.  On Friday, we went to a Mardi Gras event with friends.  It's always a treat to have a night out.  We're still working on the jigsaw puzzle, which is a tough one.  We need to get it finished up soon, as it's where our seed starting station lives.  Take care, and have a beautiful week.  

Cold February Days

Hello, friends.  Joseph has been working on the chicken coop addition, in anticipation of the day old chicks, arriving in a few weeks.  The current chickens have yet to figure out the new compost system.  I tried putting an upright log next to it, and put scratch on top.  They'd get up on the log and eat it, but then jump back down.  Joseph placed a ramp to it, and again, we tried the scratch on it, but they still didn't go in.  I even tried putting a hen who was at the top of the ramp into the compost, but she jumped right back down.  The compost is inside a 2' chicken wire ring, with scratch sprinkled on top.  They can fly into it, if they choose.  We've seen videos of it in action, so we know it can work.  It may be we have to wait until the new ones get old enough.  It's funny how personalities can differ so much, in the various flocks I've had over the years.

With the refrigerator as empty as it ever gets, I took time to clean it well.  Somehow, I can never figure out how to get the crisper drawers back in correctly, and have to call J for help.  It's the same with the drawer below the stove.  At least for me, they are not user-friendly.  It's always nice to open the fridge, when all is clean.  I noticed before the holidays I was not able to find Miyoko's plant butter, in the usual stores.  Thankfully, I had frozen a couple of lbs., being I had to drive an hour to buy it.  Recently, I found she'd run into financial troubles, and the company was bought out from under her by a competitor, whose product is of a lesser quality.  She has kindly made videos, as well as a cookbook, showing how to make her products.  I made my first batch of butter.  The recipe calls for a neutral oil for one of the ingredients, and I used up some grapeseed oil I had.  It's OK, but I've got some avocado oil on the way, which should give it a more buttery flavor.

One morning, early in the week, Guinness was very excited as I was getting up, and peed on a large wool rug.  I'd read of cleaning rugs in the snow, and tried it.  It seemed to work quite well.  As cold as it was last week, when I thought of doing anything other than what was necessary outside, it made me shiver.  I've been wanting to gather seeds for winter sowing, and finally did that on Sunday, anticipating a few warmer days this week.  As usual, I've got quite a pile to plant.  Probably more than the available containers.  But, it's a start.  I don't know about you, but I'm very much looking forward to warmer days.