Homesteading Notes July 1

We have watched the Trumpet Vine for five years now; each year hoping for a few blooms. The above is one of the best shots and you will notice in the collection, they are progressive. A few trumpets open and then more and more. I had looked one day to see a grasshopper moving in for a snack; yup, he was quickly squashed and tossed aside. I check all the pretty plants many times a day for any hoppers. They are thick as the little thieves they are but are mostly sticking to things like the tender briar tips and all of the iris.

There are still a few black-eyed Susan blooms but not many since it has been so hot. I planted out lots of little vines like the Asarina but so far there are no blooms at all.

Randy is still talking about building a house. A few weeks ago, he pounded several metal posts into the ground using a hammer. It has taken all these weeks for his hand to let up hurting. For every project he works on, he pays with pain and that puts him off from building very much more. I still think that if we saved up and found a decent small trailer with plumbing that worked, was in good shape and didn't let in all the bugs in the forest, we'd have a fine new place. If the Shop could have had a bathroom & kitchen, we would have moved right in. When I think that this old mobile home could be repaired, I look at the wall running down the hallway into the back bedroom. The split is about 6 inches in some places. I have it blocked to keep rodents out but it doesn't take much for all the bugs to find their way inside. There is an unseen divide between the kitchen and the bathroom, but it is behind the cabinet and out of sight. When we first moved in, a possum had peeked out from the cabinet door prompting me to patch it real quick. A working shower is a dream of fond memories. Even with all new appliances, if we didn't first get a water softener, the appliances wouldn't last very long at all. We went a long time thinking we need the set up before getting a new washing machine. Boy was I tired of washing clothes by hand. It's been well over a year and the water flow into the machine is the same as when it was new. I keep the hoses handy for when I do need to take them apart and clean out the filter.

We finally got lots of much needed rain. To the point of our being glad when it stopped. But it will mean that we won't have to worry about the water well going dry in future years of drought should it happen again.

One other thing I do miss is window screens. We have only one window with a screen. Of course now most all of the windows have cracked and are covered with styrofoam to seal them. But when the temps are nice and the breeze is cool, I do so wish for a few windows to open and not need a fan or a/c.

I have just finished the fence to the new chicken yard. It is on the far side of the coop and was just a matter of adding 3 sides to the old fence and house. I have the bottom secured from the outside so they cannot dig out and have added 2 foot of netting to the top of a 4 foot tall fence. When we made the new A-frame chicken house for the young hens, we thought the 4 foot tall fence would last until they were moved. Not so. It became an nightly chore to chase them back inside then it became an all day event. So, with every scrap I could find, I added the two or three foot to the top of that fence. It was so worth the effort because I was wasting all my work time just chasing chickens to have to chase them again and again. I sent Byron Tumlinson some more questions and will have his answers in the Raising Chickens section this week to share with others. I don't like the setup we have not for feed or water and with so many more birds, I hope to do it better and to where it won't be such a time consuming chore.

There was a reported case a few weeks ago of a farmer who killed a bobcat that had attacked his dogs. Yup, it was rabid and the fellow is having to take the shots and his dogs have been quarantined. There have been lots of cases of rabid skinks in the last few months and it is something to be watchful of. Bobcats and skunks never come up around people unless they have rabies.

I had asked Byron if there was any household solution for mosquito larva in standing water that could not be drained. Sure enough, soap would keep them from getting the air they need to breath. Worth knowing for when the need arises. Thank you Tumlinsons!