Author: Cabincrafted1

Rough week on the farm

This week has been marked with disruption and illness. There was no school midweek for a teacher workday then a 2 hour delay that turned into a closed day because of a light snowfall and strong wind on Friday. We have been experiencing cold nights and damp cold days and Romeo, our Buff Orpington rooster, a calm gentle fellow had a serious case of comb and waddles frostbite. He may not be such a handsome fellow by the end of winter.

This was taken before his frostbite. He is a good guardian to his hens and gentle to them in his ardor. As the days are lengthening, we are beginning to get more eggs, up to half a dozen one day. These are welcomed, with 5 of us in the household now, we use many more than I did before.
Yellow Cat, a rescued barn cat, obtained as a sickly kitten lived out his life this week. We had been told he would likely only live a couple of years as he had feline Aids and it finally took its toll on his fragile immune system. I found him on his bed on the porch yesterday with no life left.

RIP Yellow Cat.
For a couple of weeks, we have noticed our German Shepherd licking herself more than routine cleaning would require. A vet trip to have her checked out and to get her nails clipped as it takes two people to hold her down while one clips, revealed that she had malformed lady parts that have become inflamed, likely infected so she is receiving antibiotics once a day and pain meds twice. This sounds like an easy process, but she doesn’t take pills, even flavored chewables and you risk your digits to try to force them. She can remove a pill from cheese, peanut butter, meatballs, any trick in the book. Daughter who used to be a vet nurse was going to be the pill giver, but the Vet gave us a can of prescriptive canned food and suggested putting the pill in a small meatball of it and magic, she gobbles the pills right down. A solution to a three year old problem, yay.
I was to leave on a bus today to Northern Virginia to babysit Grandson #1 tomorrow and return home with my car on Tuesday. Last evening, Son#1 sent a text and suggested that I try to change my reservation for the bus as they had a stomach virus spreading through their region and he had come down with it. Not wanting to catch it myself nor bring it back to our household, my car will have to stay for another bit. I hope they don’t all catch and suffer the virus.
Another week on our farm, I can’t believe it is February and in two short weeks, Mountaingdad and I will celebrate 37 years of marriage and in three weeks, our baby will turn 28. It can’t be so.

February 1, 2015
Things I don’t buy anymore

Tortilla’s for tacos and enchiladas

Ricotta cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Pasta noodles

Bar soap, shampoo, laundry detergent

Eggs

Chicken

Tomato products, salsas, jams, chutney

Mustard

Yogurt and cream cheese

Hand and body lotion

The longer we homestead, the more products have been eliminated from our shopping list, more products are made at home. As the garden and orchard grow and my desire to be more aware of what goes on and into my body, the more items are removed. Hopefully, the day will come when we are growing a couple of pigs on our land and at least some of the lard will replace the oils that I buy for cooking and soap making. If Son #1 or 2 raise bees, we will be able to have honey and beeswax too (I am allergic to bee stings, so I can’t tackle that task.)

I love being able to make these items, our bread and chicken feed, grow most of our vegetables and have the health and time to do it.

January 27, 2015
Winter Disappointments

By this time in winter, we have seen several snowfalls. Sometimes a dusting, others a real snow, but this winter has been mostly rain or freezing rain We went to bed last night listening to the dire warning being issued in the Northeast USA and a forecast for snow to fall beginning around midnight and accumulating up to 5″ here in Southwest Virginia. We awoke to no snow on the ground, no snow falling and broken clouds. Granddaughter hoping for snow later in the morning but wanting to wear her short sleeve, frilly “Frozen” dress, created a most interesting outfit.

Her leggings are black and white with zigzags, hearts and other patterns, the boots as you can see are black and pink with multicolored polka dots. She was ready to go out.

Daughter has commented that she needed slippers and warmer taller socks to wear, so we decided to venture out early to return something we purchased yesterday on our girls afternoon out while Mountaingdad and Grandson went to a movie. We also were seeking socks and slippers for her. Did you know that slippers are an item like gloves that are purchased by stores for Christmas and are not available year round? We finally found her a pair at the third store we tried.

While we were out, the chickens were free ranging, but when we returned home a bit after noon, she and I lured them back to the pen so the dogs could wander. Our dogs don’t mess with them usually, but their Golden Retriever by nature wants to chase them and barks at them even if he sees them coming and going from the coop. When we went to lock them up and check for eggs, the coop smelled damp and too strongly of ammonia. My two large round bales of hay that were set aside for coop use this winter and garden use in the spring have gotten wet and moldy and can’t be used in the coop anymore. The local feed and seed had square bales of straw so I drove in to purchase two. We are due for more very cold weather and I have already seen some frostbite damage on Romeo the rooster’s comb, so I had to do more cleaning than just adding layers to the coop and stirring up the layers. Trying to leave at least some of the composting layer in the bottom, most of the hay was shoveled out and tossed into the run and into the compost bin, including the nesting box hay. About a third of a bale of straw, clean and dry put a nice deep layer in the coop so hopefully the gang will stay warm and dry in the upcoming cold.

Though I don’t like to put food or water in the coop, I have been tossing a handful of scratch into the coop in the late afternoon to encourage the chooks to keep the bedding stirred up and broken down and the corn they eat helps them stay warm.

I guess the spoiled hay will be used to keep the run drier and less muddy and in the spring to mulch the garden. I hate having to buy straw when we harvest 80 to 100 round bales of hay each spring. Next year, I will find a better way to store it.

This afternoon, it has begun to rain off and on with a snow flurries expected as the temperature plummets to the teens tonight. More is expected later this week and weekend, just as I have to ride a bus to Northern Virginia to babysit Grandson #1 and pick up my car from Son #1 who has been using it for a bit.

I really hope we have at least one good snowfall for the kids.

January 26, 2015
First Meetings

Early this morning, Son #2 arrived with his family. The eight year old boy cousins haven’t seen each other in several years and the 3 year old girl cousins had never met each other or the boy cousin.

The girls hit it off immediately this morning. They are about 5 months apart in age. The boys have been running and playing chess with each other all day.

While this has been ongoing, I decided to learn to make Ricotta cheese. . .

A gallon of milk first made into mozzarella and a second gallon into about 4 to 5 cups of Ricotta. Two balls of pasta dough made and a pound of sausage cooked and a fresh homemade lasagna assembled.

Son rolling out the noodles.

A baking and a salad and we will have dinner for 9 tonight with two new lessons learned, Ricotta and Pasta. Three products I will no longer buy. In a day or two, daughter and I will make homemade tortillas. I used to make them when Mountaingdad and I were newlyweds but with kids I switched to commercial ones. Daughter bought an 8″ cast iron tortilla press so we will make our own.

The dogs don’t know what to make of all the activity and want to be in the middle of all of the play. The girls escaped. . .

It seems safer inside the dogs cage than out.

January 24, 2015
The Changes

I have lived in this house for about 8 1/2 years now. Mountaingdad for about 6. When I first moved in, Son #1 and his family were living with me, but they moved to the university town after a couple of years and the household was just Mountaingdad and me for a couple of years, then 3 years ago, we added the pups and we had visits by Son #1 and family, Daughter and family, and Son #2 and family from time to time. Two summers, we kept Grandson #1 for extended periods to help out.

Almost three weeks ago now, daughter, 2 grands and granddog moved in as her husband tries to sell their home in Florida and moves here with them. They will live with us for a year or two. It has been a new experience for everyone. The children are having to adjust to not having Dad in the house for now, but having 3 adults monitoring their behavior. Mountaingdad is very good about staying out of behavior correction, I’m not as good, but try to defer to their Mom dealing with issues that arise. The household experiences the pattering around of children, the dog that barks at our cats, the visiting cows, anyone coming or going on the driveway or walking around in the basement or the loft if he hasn’t seen the person leave the room he is in.

Since their arrival, we have had only one afternoon that was both dry and warm enough for the bundled up Floridians to play outdoors, but they loved having the huge yard in the midst of the farm on which to run, bike and play without fear of cars on the road or the canal behind their house that was home of “Chewey” the 5 foot alligator that appeared at times.

There have been times when each adult has had to escape for a bit, to a closed bedroom or to leave the house for an errand or two without kids. Fortunately, they are okay being left with one of us for a while.

Granddaughter has had the hardest adjustment at night. Because our bedrooms are spread out over all three floors of our home, with the master upstairs, two on the main floor and one off the finished basement, the kids are sharing a room with a twin over double bunk. Eight year old grandson took right to it, getting the top bunk. Granddaughter has the double bottom. They each had a double in Florida in their own rooms. Daughter has been trying to keep Granddaughter in her own bed for naps and at night, but Granddaughter has other ideas and will resist until she is so tired from crying that she finally falls asleep, sometimes for an hour, sometimes all night. Yesterday was a resistance day and this is where I found her…

Curled up with her blanket, stuffed toy and pillow, outside her Mom’s bedroom door on the floor. She had cried for over an hour before falling asleep there for her nap. I texted daughter not to come out of the room quickly and sent her the photo. She slept there for about an hour.

Lately, we have been having a nearly daily visitor, Jumper Jr., the ginger cow in the background. She comes over to graze, I guess our field is more appealing to her than her own. Yesterday she brought her Mom, Jumper. They got their name because neither of them can be kept penned up. Daughter and I decided they should be Ginger and Blondie. We don’t mind the visits and the kids think it is great. Granddaughter runs to one of us whenever she spots the ginger cow and excitedly states, “Jumper’s here.” Now if we can just get their dog on board with this idea too.

Today, we are having a winter storm that began around 10 a.m. They closed the schools 3 hours early and brought the kids home. When Grandson got home, his Mom and I were both knitting and he decided that he wanted to learn too. Since daughter is just beginning to pick it up again and is a novice knitter, and since Grandson and I are both left handed, I was nominated to be the instructor. This is lesson one. He is excited about learning and eager to make a scarf. I patiently have had to tink (knit backwards) more than one of his rows this afternoon to repair his work, but he is being persistent. I think he is going to catch on. I don’t know if his interest will hold, but it is fun teaching him. Three year old sis thinks she is “big and strong enough” to do it too. I think we may buy her a spool knitter or pot holder loom to start on.

January 23, 2015
OLIO 1/19/2015

Olio: a miscellaneous collection of things

This has been the birthday weekend for the 8 year old grandson now living with us. His Dad flew in from Florida to be with his family for the weekend. The celebration began with three generations bowling, 6 of us. I can’t remember the last time I bowled and in spite of sore stiff joints, it was fun. From there we were off to the birthday boy’s favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse for steaks and ribs, then home for a birthday cake that took his Mom 3 hours to decorate while he was in school on Friday. He wanted a Corvette Stingray cake and she managed it nicely, placed high enough that he couldn’t see it until serving time Saturday night. Sunday they went out for family time and lunch together and today, his actual birthday was supposed to be a school holiday, but ended up being a makeup day for a weather missed day last week.

Before he got home from school and while his Mom was taking Dad back to the airport to fly back to Florida, I finally cleaned up the garage from the move in night when we quickly unloaded their trailer into the garage. Son #1 had left his butchering station cleaned up, but left in place after we did fall chickens in hope of the deer he never got this year. I dismantled it and put it back in storage until it is again needed. The box of outdoor toys was finally opened, the crate shelf moved to a more convenient place, the bins of balls, bats and helmets filled, bikes lined up until we can get wall hangers for them.

Toys are now accessible and I can walk through the garage to get to the outside.

Also today, 10 gallons of whole grain chicken feed was made and stored. Before grandson got home, I made 18.6 oz of homemade Mozzarella cheese, solo this time, in preparation for homemade from scratch pizzas, his request for a birthday dinner.

In 20 minutes, I can make this cheese with a gallon of milk at a cost of about half of the price of 8 ounces of “fresh” mozzarella from the grocer.

It was a beautiful day for all of these tasks. This gorgeous sky was seen while awaiting his school bus to arrive. Once he got home, I stayed outdoors with him for a bit of archery practice with his bow and arrows that he got for Christmas.

The pizzas were made and savored, followed with left over birthday cake and ice cream. The end of a busy and full birthday weekend for the young man.

January 19, 2015
Snow play

Today we have a dusting of snow and frozen drizzle from over night. Enough to make the roads slick and close schools again, but not enough for real snow play. Granddaughter’s only other snow was when she was months old and being worn in a carrier by her Mom. After breakfast and chicken chores, we bundled her up and I took her out on the deck for some snow play.

The only place we could accumulate enough snow to “play” in was on the back deck. The snow was too dry to pack into snowballs but it stuck to her mittens like it was velcroed, but she had a blast and was so excited.

Such fun for this little Florida born cutie.

January 14, 2015
Baking with a Grand

This was another morning where the freezing early temperature was the high. It was foggy with occasional freezing drizzle, not enough to affect the roads or school, but enough to warrant hunkering down in the house for the day. Daughter woke with a bad cold and after taking her son to the bus stop nearly half a mile away, she got in a hot bath then back in bed. Once granddaughter awoke, I decided to entertain her to let her mom sleep.
After we had breakfast and I did chicken chores, we decided to bake crackers together.

She put on her apron, helped measure, pour, mix and cut. After they baked, her job was to put them in the jar.

I think she ate one for every 3 she put away, but it kept her entertained for a while and she made a glorious mess playing in the flour.
This afternoon, we used two very ripe bananas to make a loaf of banana bread and now a pot pie is baking. The warm oven has helped the fire keep the house warm and cozy for sick daughter and the healthier crew that just didn’t want to be outside today. Except for bringing in wood and doing chicken chores, I have stayed inside. If it is going to be cold and damp, I wish it would snow.

January 13, 2015
Pizza from scratch

Today was girls day out while Mountaingdad and Grandson watched a movie. We ventured to Bed, Bath and Beyond to get a lidded glass jar for compost as the newest canine addition to the house puts his feet on the counter when no one is watching and steals from the compost bin. We also needed a broad strainer spoon to make cheese and a cake pan to make grandson’s birthday cake next weekend, then off to the natural food store and grocery. During our outing, we decided that tonight would be an excellent night for homemade pizza and we were going to have a cheese making session to make Mozzarella.

This cheese lesson was without the son that gave me the first lesson and was a lesson for daughter.

A pound of delicious cheese. Then we made dough for two pizzas. Cooked down a pint of my homemade pasta sauce for the pizza sauce, chopped red onion, some of the frozen green pepper strips from last summer’s garden, some chopped garlic, cooked a couple of Italian sausages and assembled them for dinner.

One was special for the adults, the second with just sausage, sauce and cheese for the kids.

We still have a few more ounces of our cheese, so we will look for another dish to have in a day or two to enjoy the rest of our success.

In a day or two, we will have a soap making lesson, after making a batch of laundry detergent today, the soap supply is low and after all, it does take several weeks to cure.

Lovin’ life on our mountain farm and having part of our family here.

January 11, 2015
A Week of Adjustment

Tomorrow evening will mark a full week since Daughter and children arrived with me and their trailer full of household goods that we have been incorporating into our mountain home. All but one box from the garage has been brought in and mostly unpacked. On Thursday, the first day that the school counselor was to be back from the holidays, we scheduled to enroll grandson in 2nd grade, but the weather played havoc, treating us to unseasonably frigid temperatures and strong winds with sub zero wind chills and school was cancelled.

The Principal and bookkeeper were there, so we went by to pick up paperwork and take the necessary documents to try to expedite the process the next day. I worked as a school counselor for most of the 37 years as an educator and never in all of that time did we refuse to register a child who had a valid school physical form from another state, if they had all of the necessary vaccines. This school said that the info had to be on the Virginia form and signed by his doctor. His records had already been transferred to the new Pediatric practice in this area, so a quick appointment was made for the next morning and instead of starting school, he went to the doctor. Once the forms were complete, he did get to go meet his new teachers, see his 14 classmates and get to ride the bus home.

On Wednesday, in the frigid weather, we drove two towns over and bought a twin over full bunk bed for the room the kids will share. It was delivered on Friday and we realized that the foundation under the mattress made the bed too tall for the three year old, so back to the furniture store to get a full size bunky board. Their room is more spacious with the bed turned 90 degrees and pushed up against a wall, our huge heavy headboard and footboard with the rails and foundation stored in the basement.

Daughter realized the bookcase that we brought from Florida would not hold all of the kids books and the board games, so she purchased a second bookcase and we put it together yesterday. She and grandson are sorting and arranging the books on it.

After an initial moment of intimidation with the big dog, granddaughter has decided that she loves “Stranger” (Ranger) and he loves her back. A very tolerant beast he is, fortunately.

We are getting used to the activity of having little ones in the house again, they are getting used to not having Daddy here yet and living in a different place. All of us are trying to get used to the cold, though it does look like we might see more seasonable temperatures this week with a bit of rain and then snow, followed by a few even warmer days.

The chooks are laying a few eggs again, though they aren’t happy about the frigid weather either, spending much more time in the coop.

January 10, 2015