Homesteading

January 2005 Notes

Quit laughing. I just noticed that the date at the top of the opening page to the newsletter had 2004. It's been that kind of month. We are in the middle of another cold spell but the rest of the week looks to be warming up. We have it mild compared to what other places are getting. We have had a winter's worth already and it could just go on to springtime now.

I am still filling water jugs and storing them in the bird's room. It is a big time chore but I am cleaning as I go. I have had our limit of garbage for the refuse collection every Monday. I found fabric I forgot I still had on hand. I actually found some that will do great for the gardening aprons I hope to make soon. I have so many sewing projects lined up that I really must get started very soon. We went to town on Saturday. Made a trip to the Dollar Store, found lots of good items but especially a package full of sewing pins. I had only a few left and now I have no good excuse not to get busy.

I had opened the chicken's yard to the new gardens so the birds could be scratching and eating bugs. But they were escaping all the time. Randy found one spot and closed it up but then two days later, they were out again. So I decide to just stand and watch them. It wasn't but a few minutes and one of the hens goes to the new gate, pushes it open and walks on back in. Wow. 

It is a sad time right now. Wanda has written that she wants to stop writing for a while. For a few weeks perhaps. Says her hands are hurting very bad. I know she was having to do lots of extra crafts for presents and such. She has items in shops on consignments and that takes a lot of work. She had been doing house cleaning for extra money and that job is gone. It is best that she cut out some of the things she does, especially the ones that are not making any money for her. I will try and call her every week to have an update for her fan club. 

Noticed yesterday that the daffodils are up about two inches already. Then I am reading a newsletter that mentions putting lots of shredded leaves around such little eager plants to keep them safe until it really gets closer to springtime. I can do that. Randy had the shredder out last weekend and I have a good supply already. I'd read long ago where it will do more harm than good to use whole leaves that would have lots of air space within their mass. If we have time and energy, I hope we can be out to shred some more this coming weekend. We found that the unit won't even pick up the wheat hay I'd hoped to chop up. Don't think we're close to getting a better shredder so I need to work on a composting pile or just add them into the new beds for the garden. The inside of the bales had already started turning black with rot.

I am capturing fresh photos of the pets to update their pages of the newsletter. The pups are growing huge. They were quite young when they appeared here not older like I'd thought. Beau is now much bigger than Max. His voice is deeper but he has taught Sammy to bark just like he does. Yawn, 2 this morning, I was running down to their house chasing Sammy yelling you go back to your house and be quiet. He went all right but he would not mind me just telling him to be quiet. And it was cold. Beau was in their house asleep and it was probably that Sammy was calling for him to come camp out in the yard by the house but they didn't make another peep all night. Yawn. 

One of the joys of having over 600 foot of waterline from the well and pump to the house is that usually there are problems (no joys there.) Right now, we're looking at more hard freezes. Some of our water lines are water hoses lying on top of the ground. While we have little time where we stay below freezing, the water must be kept flowing or it will freeze solid. Two weeks ago, we had 4 days where we didn't get above freezing and we did freeze and stay that way. We used up all the water stored in the gallon jugs. Some had been in storage for over 6 years and yes, some were broken and had leaked their water. But the only ones to give up were the ones on the bottom layer where two more layers were on top. 

We'll be down to the low 20s tonight but would thaw out tomorrow or at least the day after. I don't have enough more water drawn up but am getting much done. I have yet to reach the very bottom layer in the far corner. When you have one room that catches all storage, it can get complicated. 

My goal is to get the space cleared of boxes and jugs that must go to the dump. Fresh new jugs and boxes. I have lots of good cardboard and will yet need to move a few things out to the Shop for storage. There is a refrigerated a/c that will stay since it is incredibly heavy. There is a spare propane heater that will go to the Shop to keep it protected.

This is the time of year I enjoy hearing from Leonie in Australia telling of the heat waves and the lush green and the beautiful flowers and the fun vacations to fun places. Arlene is leaving Kentucky for warmer Florida and fun family doings.

Randy started clearing on the site where we will build the house. It has trees and brush that must be cut but it is a fairly flat and level spot. He's drawn out his plans on paper and it is exciting to see what will be where.