Cabin Crafted

Blog

  • Olio

    A miscellaneous collection of things.

    Most of my blog/journal postings fit that description anyway, but that title hasn’t been used in a while.

    Two of the pullets were getting braver and leaving the coop. Unfortunately, the other 8 aren’t following and peer pressure hits and the two go back inside. A couple days ago, now that we have a series of spring days, they were forced out, with some scratch and some water in the pen so they get accustomed to being outdoors. This resulted in having to catch all 10 and walk them back up the ramp to the popdoor at dusk. Yesterday, only one appeared and never left the ramp. Today was coop cleaning day as they had made quite a mess of it in the few weeks they have been in it and my efforts with the snow shovel chased them all out into the pen. The coop is clean, they have a container full of food and another of water, however, as dusk approaches, not a single one has gone back into the coop. When it gets a bit darker, if they still haven’t figured it out on their own, another catch and up the ramp session will occur.

    And with the warmer dryer days ahead, planning on getting the tunnel around the garden secured so they can expand their territory if they ever start coming out on their own.

    If it was up to me, the television would rarely be turned on. Hubby knows that and generally only turns it on late in the evening or after I have gone to bed. However, there is a series in it’s second season that does interest me. The series is “Doc.” As we don’t watch series shows for the most part, a characteristic of this show bothers me and I don’t know if it is typical of series in general or if this is an anomaly. The show is an hour. The content is probably only 15-20 minutes of that hour and the remaining 40-45 minutes is commercials, often repeated. This is not an exageration. For every 4-5 minutes of content, there are 8-10 minutes of ads. It has become so irritating that I may stop watching it entirely. It is bad enough with movies, even in theaters now, you get the commercials seen on TV at the beginning. At least they don’t interrupt the flow of the movie in a theater with inserted ads. When you pay an arm and a leg to have TV in your home through satellite or cable (we live in the mountains and antennas are basically useless), it is annoying to have that much of the show time not actually the show.

    The itch to start seeds for the garden is strong. The average last frost date here is around Mother’s Day, so 6 weeks prior wouldn’t be until near April 1, a long 3 weeks away. The seed is ready, the LED lighted starting boxes clean, but the date is too early. In the past, I have succumbed to the temptation then struggled to keep the seedlings from getting too leggy or outgrowing the starting pots. This often results in then purchasing starter plants at the nursery closer to planting time. Maybe the urge can be tamped down by preparing beds and repairing fences. And peas can probably be started in the ground now.

    Earlier this week, I got my new hearing aids. Because my right ear canal is not straight, or even close to straight, the audiologist suggested trying a custom mold so the aid stays in place. In numerous tries, she could only insert it correctly twice and I have yet to be able to accomplish it. Another appointment has been scheduled for Monday to discuss this with her and other options. If I am going to constantly have to be adjusting it, the dome like I had before and on my left aid may be the only option. At least that doesn’t make my ear canal sore while trying to insert it.

    We have 5 more days of spring like weather before we return to seasonable March weather. At least there is no snow in the two week forecast, that is a win in my book.

  • The Weather is Fickle

    This time of year, it can be 60 one day and snowing the next. We have had three days of beautiful mostly clear weather with daytime temperatures around 60 f. Wonderful for outdoor walks along the river on the Bisset Park trail, across the road at Wildwood Park, or along the Huckleberry, the rails to trails paved path in in town, the county, and over to the next town. But tomorrow it will be in the low 30’s with rain, snow, and freezing rain. Fortunately this is only a one day event with no expected accumulation. Then a warm up occurs with a day in the 50’s then a series of days in the 70’s. It is March in Virginia. We can have late springtime weather and a killing frost. The trees are beginning to show the signs, buds forming causing the distant color to change from dull brown to coppers, red, and hints of green. My plum tree looks close to blooming which worries me as a frost could mean no plums this year.

    Several days ago, after the last rain, the pop door on the coop was freed to operate on the battery timer. So far, the pullets are reluctant to leave the “safety” of the coop. One evening, a Buff Orpington was sitting on the ramp and the door was half closed, it hadn’t operated properly. When I approached, she ducked under the door and went back inside. The next night, she was out on the ramp and when I approached, she dropped down into the run on the hay. Unfortunately, she had to be caught and returned to the coop before the door closed. Last night, the door didn’t close until I went over and closed it. Maybe new batteries are in order, or the track has debris in it. They do seem to know what the shaking yellow cup means now. When I open the coop door while shaking it, all attention is turned in my direction and as soon as the treats are dumped in the dish, several run straight to it, only a foot away from where I stand. Once I step back, the others rush over to get their share.

    This is the beginning of Museum season. It officially opens today with Founder’s Day activities from 1 to 3:30 then a dinner at 5. We won’t make the drive over for the activities, but have reserved two seats at the Bavarian style meal. This means that spring school groups will begin to schedule and days of dressing in my Colonial clothing and teaching elementary and middle school students about fiber growing, processing, spinning, and weaving to make the clothing, coverlets, sacks, and other needs their households would have required.

    Summer camp at the Museum this year will focus on those left at home during the Revolutionary War and I will have a part of one of the days to probably teach spindle spinning while discussing the same topics done with the classes. If Carol can’t come to do the women on the frontier, the topics may be expanded to cover other jobs of the women.

    Yesterday our favorite garden center reopened for the season and the seeds that were needed to round out what we had or had ordered were purchased.

    The hydroponic garden has 6 seedlings, three I can identify, but as I didn’t label the when planted, I need to wait for the other three to get larger to see what is in which cell.

    There is hope that the bitter part of winter is over and spring is pushing it way into the Virginia mountains.

  • The Blog

    Blogs are developed for several reasons. Mine is basically a journal. I have tried paper journalling, however, writing is much slower than I think or type, so the blog evolved. If my thought are deeper than I wish to share, there is a private typed journal that occassionally I use.

    This week has been full of life. After our Anniversary dinner last weekend, we have had a busy but usual week. With the chick teenagers now in the coop, daily trips over to check on them and carrying a plastic cup with a handful of dried mealworms as a treat. The cup is shaken from the garage to the coop and as the door is opened and the treat poured into a small dish. The idea, to train them that the noise, the yellow cup, and me mean a treat so that when they begin to free range, they will come when called with the treat cup. It is about time to let them into the run, so most of a bale of hay has been spread in the run, areas of the fence that either had a broken wire or not tight to the ground were reinforced, and the battery operated pop door reset for times, but still wedged shut. We have two days of winter wet starting tonight with rain, turning to snow tomorrow into Monday night, so the door will remain closed for a couple more days. I don’t want to have to be out there in snow and cold to encourage any of them that don’t find their way back inside the coop as night falls. They are looking like small chickens now, less awkward.

    The two black ones are Mystic Onyx breed, one I had never seen before. They are a cross of Silkies and meat birds, medium sized, gentle nature, black legs, beaks, combs, and feathers. One of these has feathered feet and a head tuft more like a Silkie.

    We had several beautiful days this week where we could take our daily walk outdoors on the rails to trails trail. The mid section still hasn’t reopened from bridge repair, but is supposed to reopen in the next couple of weeks. Getting outdoors encourages a longer walk than when we walk indoors in the mall. We have managed a couple of 3 mile walks this week. When the weather warms a bit more and the spring flowers are showing more, we will extend the walk to the Hahn Garden on campus.

    With the nice day today, we made it back to our routine with breakfast followed by the local Saturday Farmer’s Market for the first time in several weeks. Being able to get some fresh greens, radishes, bread, and a small roast is wonderful.

    The new spindle has been the spindle of choice this week. It is Koa wood, hubby selected as a reminder of our trip last November to Kaua’i.

    I love the smaller spindles, this one is a bit larger than 3 of mine, but still small enough for travel and tucking in my daily bag, but large enough to hold more spun fiber.

    The hydroponic garden has 6 young herb plants sprouted. Soon they will be large enough to begin to enjoy some fresh herbs in cooking and salads. Our favorite garden center reopens next weekend and seeds needed for this year ‘s garden can be purchased. There are some left over seeds from last year, but not enough peas or beans, and after the raccoons got all of the sweet corn, I will go back to planting popcorn instead. The brightly colored popcorn can be used for fall decorating and popping and the raccoons don’t seem to like it as well. Last year I tried to cover the unplanted areas with pumpkins and failed. I don’t want to deal with the weed load this year, so a plan needs to be developed. Maybe gourds that can be used also for fall decorating and shared with daughter. If that fails, the line trimmer will have to be used more frequently as the garden fencing hasn’t been moved.

    Spring can’t come soon enough, we are tired of the cold and the ridiculously high energy bills.

  • Anniversary

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Yesterday on Valentine’s Day, we celebrated the 48th anniversary of our wedding day. We met through a mutual friend 49 years ago and after a post Christmas ski trip together, he proposed on New Year’s Eve at midnight. I had my left arm in a sling from having seperated my shoulder on the first day of that trip, my first real ski trip, continued to learn to ski that week and didn’t get it Xrayed and treated until we were back home. In discussing when and where to marry, he suggested Valentine’s Day, laughingly stating that if he ever forgot, he would be in double trouble. He has never forgotten, no, he treats me like a Queen, always, and makes that day extra special.

    Flowers have been brought to my office, meals out at fine restaurants, three times contacting spindle makers I like to purchase me a new spindle, jewelry he picked with daughter’s help. One piece, a heart shaped necklace that I have worn daily for more than 20 years, having had the chain replaced or repaired a few times.

    Yesterday, a group message initiated by eldest son wishing us a wonderful day, elicited many family greetings wishing us a Happy Anniversary.

    There are a few nice restaurants here in rural Virginia, there were many more when we lived near the coast. And they book very early for Valentine’s Day. We started looking more than a month prior. A couple we like were fully booked, one is temporarily closed, one is up the mountain at the resort. We were successful booking our dinner there only to receive an email later that they regretted they were accepting no outside reservations that night because of a weekend event and open only to people staying at the resort. Needless to say, we were upset and disappointed.

    We live near a University town, a wonderful location with many local restaurants. Many calls and online searches later, we managed to book a table at a new Nepalese place in town. Upon arriving, there was a line down Main street and around the corner and every table in the place was seated. As we had a reservation, we bypassed the line and approached the owner. He looked around, didn’t ask our name or check a list and finally seated us at the only table not seated, a rectangular 6 top. Seeing all of the mostly college aged couples and groups still waiting, we offered the other end of our table to share. They seated two delightful young women, one from Baltimore, one from Williamsburg who chatted with us briefly about their majors, thanked us for sharing the table, and left us to our meal. Town was buzzing with activity. It was certainly a different experience, but very pleasant. And a new spindle joined by fiber tools.

  • Aging isn’t for sissies

    About 8 years ago, I was in my ENT’s office having my annual thyroid check due to nodules found while diagnosing a parotid gland knot that ended up resulting in a parotidectomy for a benign tumor. I mentioned that I had recently realized that when sleeping on my left side, I couldn’t hear household noises or the television in the next room with my right ear. I was immediately escorted over to the audiologist next door and given my first professional hearing test. I had mild hearing loss in my left ear and moderate loss in my right with much more significant loss at high frequencies in my right ear. I was also sent for a head MRI to make sure there wasn’t something else going on and it was normal. My mother had unilateral hearing loss and I was told it can be genetic. All of this resulted in a right ear hearing aid, not wanting to spend a fortune on two aids. For several years I struggled with the imbalance of having only the one aid and about that time, OTC aids were becoming available and they were rechargeable and at a reasonable price.

    After some research, a pair was purchased with the idea of only using the OTC one in my left (better) ear and continue with the prescriptive one that required weekly battery changes. After the prescriptive one began to fail, a better pair of OTC ones were purchased that could be adjusted by an app on the phone. This worked fairly well for about a year or so.

    Recently though, hearing (more understanding) unless I was sitting directly across from the speaker and in a quiet place was becoming more difficult. It was causing me stress and even stress for hubby. Last weekend when we were visiting son and his family, family games were even difficult and he was having to “translate” to me what others farther down the table were saying. As a result, I called the audiologist and scheduled an appointment, it had been 3 years. Today I saw her and though I still have fairly good lower frequency hearing in my left ear, it has deteriorated in the upper ranges and my right year has deteriorated overall. The word recognition part put me in the low moderate loss range. New high tech aids have been ordered and a custom mold made for the right ear that has a wonky ear canal. Hopefully when they come in, hearing will improve. We didn’t choose the absolute highest level ones they had, but close.

    I know that they don’t make hearing normal and certain accomodations still need to be made, but hopefully the higher tech product will help in the noisier environments. It had even gotten stressful attending my spinning group as many side conversations go on at the same time and I end up sitting like a deer in the headlights as I can’t follow any of them.

    Oh the joys of getting older.

  • Cha-cha-changes

    This past weekend we had the opportunity to drive 275+ miles north and east in the state to visit one of our son’s and his family. Never have I traveled across the state and seen snow/ice everywhere. Twice we again drove through snow falling and traffic throwing salty, muddy splatter up on the windshield and rear window making visibility difficult.

    Our son’s family’s apartment is across the street from the hotel where we stay and with temperatures in the teens and up to 60 mph wind gusts outdoor walking was brutal. Then on Saturday we went to a play in the city about 10 blocks from where we could get off the Metro and it was bitter and windy . Sunday was still only in the teens and windy but not quite as brutal. The snow showers we experienced on the way there had stopped and the sky cleared on Sunday. We got home to find another 4 inches had fallen here and there were some deep spots in the path that had been plowed out on Thursday night.

    The plowed driveway that finally allowed us to drive to the garage and get back out.

    The new snow didn’t hamper that fortunately, and yesterday we started a warm up, thaw, and clearing finally after about 3 weeks of ice, snow, and temperatures never reaching 32f. Today, we reached a high of 57 f and we were able to take our daily walk outdoors, though the rails to trails path was only plowed to about half it’s width. It was wonderful to get outside in only a light jacket and enjoy the sunshine and mild temperature.

    I am still sore from my fall on the ice a week ago, but am managing daily chores and our walk as long as I don’t lift anything too heavy.

    With the more temperate week ahead, the chicks purchased in early January and now fully feathered, too large for the 45 gallon stock tank they were occupying in the basement, were moved to the empty coop. A bale and a half of pine shavings were added to it as it had been cleaned out in November when the adults were gone. A 5 gallon waterer and a 15 pound feeder were placed in before we moved the teenager chicks. They haven’t had heat on them for several days other than basement heat.

    Here they were at about 1 1/2-2 weeks old before they outgrew the smaller crate and were moved to the stock tank. Having them in the basement for almost 6 weeks, they have created an amazing amount of dust. After we moved them and removed the stock tank, I did do a surface dusting, but will go down tomorrow and do a more thorough cleaning and try to get the floor clean. This batch of birds will be the last ones I raise for eggs. It is getting too difficult to move 50 pound sacks of feed and hauling a 5 gallon water container to keep them fed and hydrated.

    After they spend a week or two in the coop to learn that it is home, they will be allowed into the covered pen on hay for another week or two, then allowed into the covered run around the garden, hopefully to keep the bug and weed load down in the garden.

    A box of supplies for the hydroponic herb garden was finally delivered today. UPS has been trying to deliver it for 2 1/2 weeks, but unable to get down our icy road. It will be nice having fresh herbs again once they germinate and get some size on them. Once spring arrives and they can go out to the half barrel on the patio, more will be sown and before next winter, the hydroponic will be started again for fall and winter use. I was too late this year getting the baskets and sponges to start it in the fall.

    I know winter isn’t over, but hopefully the artic temperatures have passed and more seasonable winter temperatures will prevail. There will be more wintry precipitation I’m sure, but inches of snow topped with ice then more snow creating 30 acres of glacier hopefully is gone. For the first time in weeks, we can see some grass peeking through the snow in the back field and gravel on the driveway. This has certainly not been typical.

  • Winter, it is time to quit!

    As we had been able to plod to the car up the hill in ice cleats and get out, we had been staying well supplied. Monday evening, we decided to go to town and see a movie. Though the lot was full of cars, we were the only two in the theater for the film we selected. Walking down from the car when we got home, using a flashlight to guide us, I apparantly lost one of the slip on cleat units on one of my boots and didn’t realize it. We were about 2/3 the way down to the house when that foot hit ice, slid out from under me and down I went hard on my back. Fortunately, nothing broken, I got up, carefully moved to an area of a drift of deeper unfrozen snow and got back to the house.

    The next morning, using my remaining cleats and one of hubby’s, I walked back up to find my missing one near the car.

    As we had a very early appointment on Wednesday morning in the city about 75 minutes away, we packed a backpack with overnight gear and next day clothing, trudged up to the car and drove to a hotel in the city nearer the appointment. The appointment got delayed by a couple hours and after a minor complication, ended up spending the entire day there. On our way home as night fell, it began to snow again. Not wanting to risk another walk in the dark, I drove carefully down our icy driveway to the garage. The snow accumulated another 1-2 inches on top of the ice. It is supposed to get up to about 35f (1.7c) and sunny today, so maybe last night’s snow will melt off, again leaving us just the ice.

    The young man that mows, bales, and takes our hay is coming down this evening with his truck and snowplow to try to break up the ice on our driveway and clear us a path so we can again get out.

    The weather prognosticators are threatening another inch or so tomorrow afternoon and night and a cold Saturday, but then a warming trend with a couple of days actually reaching the 50’s next week, so maybe it will begin to melt off.

    The snow is beautiful, the ice is treacherous, especially for our 78 and 82 year old bodies. It is time for the winter to moderate back to cooler, dryer weather and let this mess clear off.

  • Did I go to sleep in Virginia

    And wake up in Maine? The storm for which all the preparations were made ended up about 4 inches of snow and 6 inches of sleet. We never got the freezing rain, thank goodness, and our power never went out. However, the highest temperature we have had in a couple of weeks is in the upper teens and most nights in low single digits. With those temperatures, the ice wasn’t melting. Late in the week, we got the AWD SUV to the top of the driveway and out for more supplies. To get to and from the car, 2/10 mile away, we have to don ice cleats on our shoes to prevent falling on the ice.

    To make life more interesting for our senior souls, on Friday, we had another storm and about 6″ of dry blowing snow dumped on the ice. This morning, we managed to trod up to the car through the drifts and get out once again. Though once at the car and the snow brushed off, the cleats removed in the vehicle, I foolishly got back out without thinking and slipped to a sitting position by the driver’s door. No injury, just embarrassment at being foolish. We have had animal care duty for the past few days and needed to go check on them, thaw water bowls, feed the indoor critters, and purchase feed for my chicks and bird feeders. We got a short mall walk in while we were out, and parked the car again at the top of the driveway, hauling 90 pounds of feed down to the house on a plastic tobaggan that we had stashed in the back. The high today is 20, last night it went down to 5 and is expected to do so again tonight. The wind is howling and blowing the dry snow into drifts. Because of the wind and the fear of losing power, the woodstove has been burning for most of a week now. It heats the basement up to about 75 degrees and some of that heat rises to the first floor bringing it up to about 70. The upstairs is the 68 that the thermostat is set on. We finally have a couple days in the near future where it is going to get above freezing, but also three days of snow or snow mixed with rain, expected in the next 6 days.

    This is not typical Virginia winter and if the groundhog came out today, he would definitely see his shadow and 6 more weeks of winter (like there won’t be anyway by the calendar.)

  • Preparations

    Preparations

    We are in one of the eastern states that is in the path of the winter storm marching across the south. Far enough north that we will get snow followed by freezing rain. This morning’s prediction is 8 to 12 inches of snow followed by .25+ inches of ice. This is enough to cause power outages in our rural area where most of the above ground transmission lines run through wooded areas. An ice storm a number of years ago, took our power for 6 days and without power, we are also without water and our stove is electric. At that time we had two dogs and couldn’t just leave them to go to a hotel once the roads were clear enough to get out. We live about a half mile from a paved road, all uphill. This snow and ice event is supposed to be followed by a series of days where we will see single digit to very low double digit temperatures and even some negative temperatures at night, so melt off anytime soon is remote at best.

    We have a small tractor with a blade, but it won’t handle a foot of snow for plowing the driveway. Beginning about three days ago, every time we drove by the grocery store, the large parking lot was packed and since I didn’t do any canning this past summer, there was little on the pantry shelves that could be quick cooked. We generally shop on Fridays because we get 4 times gas points and braved the mobs of hoarders. It is fascinating to see the “bread and milk” buyers. If the power goes out, the milk will spoil. We picked up some produce that doesn’t require refrigeration, a few cans of soup, a couple packs of quick rice, and a couple packets of chicken. Once home, prep was done here. With a fireplace in the living room and a wood stove in the basement, we can keep the house from freezing. I filled a couple food safe 5 gallon buckets with drinking water and the downstairs bathtub for toilet flushing and dish washing. There was a load of wood in the garage and another in the basement, but I hauled 5 wheelbarrows of wood to the covered front porch, right by the door. Cleared a spot for the camping stove in the garage, located my backpacking alcohol stove that will boil water or heat soup, and the camp pots, so if necessary, we can eat. The three solar lanterns were put in the sun to charge up and the power block is also being charged up.

    Since the freezer has sausages in it, we bought a couple long forks for cooking them on the fire, and a package of buns.

    The hope is, since we are prepared, we won’t lose power, but if we do and can’t get out in the car, we won’t dehydrate or starve to death. Hmm, think I better go grind some coffee beans too.

    Here’s hoping it was all unnecessary preparation, but rather be safe than sorry.

  • Autumn Days

    Yesterday was almost springlike in temperature, though windy which chilled the day some. By Sunday night and into Monday morning, it is going to feel like January with forcast snow showers possible, not accumulation.

    Most of the leaves have fallen except for a few vivid reds and yellows. And the stubborn brown leaves of the oaks.

    Yesterday’s walk took us to a nearby town to walk along a creek bed then along the river it feeds for a couple of miles. The path is paved and smooth with a couple of steep long rises that take it from the path on the park side up to a tunnel that passes under the four lane main street of the town and down to the continued path along the river bank. The park walk is about two miles round trip, the one along the river is about 2.5 miles one way from one end of the trail to the other. We alternate the park way with the river bank walk when we go over and don’t walk the full 5 mile up and back of the river bank one.

    The park is more rustic and a pleasure to walk.

    Most days, we stay closer to home walking sections of a rails to trails paved path. The original terminus begins at the town library and traverses about 2 1/2 miles to where it connects up on the other side of the main highway to continue in two directions for several miles each. If you choose to go right, it eventually ends up at Brown’s Farm, several miles away,now a park for the county. If you choose to go left, it continues for another 5 miles to the recreation center of the next town. We often park along that section near the old Coal Miner’s Park, but that section is currently closed until March for repair of 3 bridges.

    Our daily walk is generally 2 1/2 to 3 miles, though hubby will sometimes do 4 when I go to my spinning group once a week. We are striving to keep mobile and flexible as we are both advanced senior citizens.