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It is!
Night for neighbors to stop by. First, our neighbor and her three kids came by and brought us some pb and some choc chip cookies. I kept peeling mandarins for her two yr old and he kept wolfing them down, he's so cute. Picked up takeout at the amish place, it was bison night. Then our neighbor next door came by to see if we came back from Denver ok, and he's been so busy working and with cows getting out, he didn't realize that we didn't go. So we caught up. Son is working one more day on the greenhouse, hoping to get the roof finished tomorrow. Fowl sale is happening early evening tomorrow, so I'll take son and little granddaughter. It's always a good time.
 
I agree, great moon. Humidity is lower, moon is a brilliant white.

Also, decided to try a set of guitar strings i received by mistake, amaziing change in the sound. Different than my usual, each string is 1/1000th thicker. Hard to imagine that small of a change made a wooden box sound so different. But it did!
 
Last time yellowjackets hit me, I burned their home/hive/nest to the GROUND and danced on it.

Good thing it was in an old stump in the backyard :)
They nest everywhere around here. I usually dont have fights with them surprisingly..
If I'm aware of where they are..I try to be mindful when I'm around. I've noticed you can tell when they have you in their sights and if they are getting aggravated they move differently on the nest..or start buzzing about. That's when I take my leave calmly n I don't have issues.
Occasionally though..especially this time of year when they are all dying off anyways..
This is the first bad reaction I've had though. My whole hand halfway up my arm puffed out..next year I might not be so relaxed regarding their presence if I turn into a puff ball..
 
Yesterday was our 39th anniversary but it was non-eventful. The son is flying in tomorrow morning and leaving 24 hours later, the wife is trying to plan 3 dinners around that (keep trying to point out that there will only be 1 dinner together)... Today I am finally getting an in-person Dr.s apt, it's at 08:00 so I plan to do it on my way home from grocery shopping. Work is still constantly adding something that needs to be done tomorrow :( . I took off the whole day today and I hope to be able to do a lot of work around here, if I am lucky I will be able to make 2 runs to the land fill. I am hoping that the rain they forecast for today is in error, it really slows down the work outdoors.
 
Yesterday was our 39th anniversary but it was non-eventful. The son is flying in tomorrow morning and leaving 24 hours later, the wife is trying to plan 3 dinners around that (keep trying to point out that there will only be 1 dinner together)... Today I am finally getting an in-person Dr.s apt, it's at 08:00 so I plan to do it on my way home from grocery shopping. Work is still constantly adding something that needs to be done tomorrow :( . I took off the whole day today and I hope to be able to do a lot of work around here, if I am lucky I will be able to make 2 runs to the land fill. I am hoping that the rain they forecast for today is in error, it really slows down the work outdoors.
Happy Anniversary!!
 
Today we are planning on canning the chicken stock we made yesterday. We butchered around 50 Delaware (Mind you, this is our first time with meat birds ever) this past week. We put 31 in the freezer and the rest were cut up for stock and then bone broth and a few pieces and parts went back to the chickens, lol.

I grew up in an affluent area and had a cleaning lady and Eric grew up in a trailer park and was never home. We never learned to break down a chicken. This has definitely been a huge learning curve for us.

Although we have been homesteading over 3 years now, this was one endeavor we had never ventured into.

Sorry for my long winded self today, lol!
Today's List:
Can Stock and Bone Broth
Start to clean up the raised beds, some chop & Drop
Eric is going to brush Hog around the one side of the pasture
Clean Office/Supply Room
Clean Kitchen/Mop Floor
 
Sounds like a busy day, Happy Roots. Not sure I understand what you used the other 19 whole chickens for? 31 went to the freezer, and....
These are very small birds, Delaware. Which are heritage dual purpose breed. Need to find another kind of bird for next time.

Cut them up for Soup (Legs, thighs, wings, breasts) and from there took the extra bones to make bone broth in the crock pot. We made 24 Qts of Soup, we are going to can this.

This was our first time doing meat chickens. So there was some feathers we didn't get off, so extra skin with feathers and extra pieces I didn't like I sent out to our laying hens.

Sorry if I'm not making sense, lol.
 
Only 4 hours tonight..
Last night was a frustrating night at work but I was able to put my glove on my poofy hand!
So , we had a few trucks come in to be loaded with lumber. Always a hassle on night shift with only one forklift driver because my outfield rolls get back up in units needing to get picked up.
So..I'm getting backed up..I've got 5 units on the rolls needing to get picked up.
Finally, my driver picks one up and the other 4 bump ahead untill... the unit in que had 2 boards that were just a tad not in line, boards smack the building frame n start pushing themselves out behind as the rest of the unit moves forward out the doorway. The boards that are being forced out are now smacking into the unit directly behind it causing almost half of its boards to shear off . Because of the force..the unit heading outside is turning sideways now too n shearing off half the unit behind it all at the same time untill I see what is going on n hit the emergency stop.
If I wasnt backed up..the boards that caused the problem would just shear off the unit n bounce onto the rolls. It's been a annoying problem that is being caused by my machines faulty pullback bars not placing boards just right occasionally. So on the far end if one or two boards are just a few inches off..it will catch the doorframe going outside n off they go. Occasionally, they might shear off a few layers.
Last night it happened to be a 12 foot 6/4 ×10.5 unit , 3 boards sheared off n hit the 10 foot 2x4 unit behind it n sheared off about 12 layers of 2x4s.
What a mess..and I was keeping pace with production dispite being backed up on the outfield.
So..once that got resolved..everything picked up n straightened out. Trucks are gone, forklift driver is keeping pace with me..Another 6/4×10.5 unit heads out the door. Now..this issue with the pullback bar has been ongoing with any unit I have to use them on. 10.5 units or any 6/4 unit I have to use the pullbacks n hope it doesn't screw it up. Sometimes it works like it should ..sometimes it doesnt. The guys keep trying to fix it but ..the machine has been scheduled to be replaced since may but the fire we had put a wrench in everything..n to do prioritys isnt on my old pos machine.
So I get gym type workouts occasionally..last night was special.
The unit starts heading for the door , doesnt hit the frame n keeps truckin...it makes it through without a hitch. I'm relieved..a few more feet out n it's ready for pick up..
Suddenly..I see it rear up like a charging stallion upon the roll case frame beam..its back end slides to the right off the rolls as the front end tries to ride up the frame beam and before my emergency stop kicks in..its plopped onto the ground spreading the whole unit of 10 foot 6/4 ×10.5 all on the ground.
My forklift driver calmly stated, "Well..at least it's my Friday." I grab my hardhat n head outside..
It was a nice evening..lol..
 

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About 6 years ago I subscribed to Mother Earth News and shortly after the first couple magazines arrived I saw an add in the magazine allowing me to buy a thumb drive with all there previous issues, I think 30 or 50 years worth. I paid something like $30 and they sent me the thumb drive so now I have every article for every magazine they ever published. My thoughts were all that good OLD information was way better than whatever new stuff they are talking about now so I never renewed my subscription. They shot their selves in the foot with that offer, I am more interested in the old ways of doing things than the fancy modern versions they are writing about.
We subscribed to Mother Earth News back in the 80's, I didn't renew because they went so commercial, half the magazine became ads and most of those ads were for gasoline powered machines that I felt at that time were against the principals of getting back to being able to do things naturally, just like what you said, "all that good OLD information".
 
Did some more bush hogging this afternoon. Got the most dangerous spot on the farm, between a fence and a 15ft embankment. Only about 3ft to spare but I can't see the edge of the drop off. I'm always worry it's erroded, drop a wheel and the tractor is going over the edge. There'd be no saving it.

Anyway, the goldenrod is huge this year, 10ft tall in places. And so thick it made fence repairs difficult. Looks better but I need to do something with the top edge of the embankment. I'll take the chainsaw and cut the saplings, that'll help.

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Big drop to the left...
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Gotta get ready for work..I might be able to fit my hand in my glove today..
Yellowjacket ..yep..got me good..lil jerks.
I hope the swelling goes down quickly, that's really a PITA to deal with, I'm just thankful I've not gotten stung this summer as the Yellowjackets that make nests in the ground seem to have an aggressive attitude and will bite and sting just for the fun of it. This year has been exceptionally bad for Yellowjackets here in Southern Oregon, my son set out probably around 20 traps and in just a few days filled a 2 gallon bucket full of dead Yellowjackets.
 
Went to Samsclub yesterday to get groceries so I was tired today. Well, mostly tired bc I couldn't sleep last night bc of the dogs.
I cooked for Mom and am about to take a nap again.
You’ve been awful quiet- hope you’re doing okay.
 
Got of work at 130 today. Got home and drug out the big ladder. Had to clean 2 of our gutters that had gotten stopped up and wasn't draining, just going over the top. Got nearly a 5 gallon bucket from each one. I hate dealing with them.
Gotta work all weekend too. Was planning to get the camper ready to go. Try and fit that in over the evenings
 
Yellowjackets everywhere this year. They colonized one of my raised planters and I didn't know it until I tried to move it. Thankfully I got away without getting stung.
Getting very close to being able to list this old house. Tried roller painting the basement walls, two gallons of expensive UGL paint only got me about 15', and even though I had brushed and vacuumed, chunks of the old paint kept pulling off and sticking in the roller til I had a huge mess. Today I spent the $100 and rented a sprayer. 5 gallons of waterproofing basement paint was another $180. But the basement walls are done and they look great. So much better than the shaggy, flaking, dubious green/gray that they were.
Had the electricians in to take out the wall sconces and install overhead fixtures and ceiling fans in the new house. Tomorrow my brothers are going to help me put up a tv antenna tower so that the internet guys can come back and get the new place hooked up. Have to have it for work, so it's a big priority.
I had professional cleaners to come in and do a deep clean to this old house. I pretty much quit doing a lot of stuff after losing my Husband; I still vacuumed occasionally and kept the bathroom clean and did the dishes, but I guess I let it get bad. It took them two days and massive amounts of chemicals. I still can't properly smell or taste anything. It was a very unsettling and stressful experience for this old introvert. The cleaners not only talked a lot and asked impertinent questions, but on the second day they had somebody's kid with them and he was running around with a rag messing up the windows. And every single thing still in the house got moved and put somewhere else. I could see moving stuff, since the deep clean included inside the cabinets and appliances, but why not put things back where they were? I left an empty tea jar on the counter. They washed it and put it away in the pantry. My mom was helping me pack and boxed up everything in the pantry. Then there was the moment when my tea boiled and I went to pour it in the jar....that couldn't be found. The coat rack was placed in a different corner of the hall. The hairbrush that lives in the bathroom drawer was put in the medicine cabinet. Uff da! I guess it was worth it, I have no time to clean and the place looks really good, (they even got all the old Christmas tree needles out of the cold air return) but I'll never do that again.
I should be painting the stairwell but I'm just too tired.
 
Got chores done and picked up another batch of laundry detergent from my friend. Pulled some ground venison out of the freezer to thaw for tomorrow, think I'm gonna try a new lasagna soup recipe. That or chili. Making a test batch of a peanut butter cookie recipe that I came up with, see how they turn out. Probably need some tweaking.
 
Got chores done and picked up another batch of laundry detergent from my friend. Pulled some ground venison out of the freezer to thaw for tomorrow, think I'm gonna try a new lasagna soup recipe. That or chili. Making a test batch of a peanut butter cookie recipe that I came up with, see how they turn out. Probably need some tweaking.
Peanut butter cookies are a favorite of mine (and snickerdoodles) 😉😉😉😉😉
Lasagna soup sounds interesting. Let us know if you make it how it turns out.
 
Brought three kittens (free) to the fowl sale, came home with 26 guinea keets. They are in brooders next to Bibi the parrot (still not well, in a brooder), and they won't stop beeping, so I just unplugged their lights. Son goes back to New Mexico on the 3 am train. We'll miss him. He got half the new roof on the big greenhouse. Will be back in a month to finish it.
 

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