Sorry bout the Rooster, Hooch...
The soup sounds amazing!
The soup sounds amazing!
What's everybody doing today?
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Started off the morning with just chilling as it was too wet to be outside after all the rain yesterday and made out a list of things we needed to pick up from our grocery list from specials I saw. We decided as well as picking up our grocery order that we could pick up some things for a school fete craft stall we are going to have next month to compliment things I made from the discount variety store and also picked up some permanent markers and some island dressings for the medical kit. Onto another small country supermarket where we picked up 4 boxes of frozen sausage rolls that were on half price special too. We are trying to have some convenience foods in the freezer for days where we are busy in the gardens and don't feel like cooking.
Next stop was the supermarket where we picked up our frozen grocery order we got for some better than 50% off specials and I also found valencia oranges on special for $4 per 3kg bag which we will juice to make orange juice for the freezer and some for the fridge and possibly make a whole orange cake with citus buttercream icing on top.
Home again and unpacked the groceries for the freezer which thankfully all fitted as we have been having a run of really good specials on half price or better meats and frozen goods so we are pretty stocked back up again for a few months. It is also cheaper to run a full freezer than a half empty one.
DH then watered all the potted herbs, fruit and ornamental flowers with the rain water we collected in buckets from yesterday. Tonight's dinner will be sausage and spring rolls as neither of us feel like cooking
.
Next stop was the supermarket where we picked up our frozen grocery order we got for some better than 50% off specials and I also found valencia oranges on special for $4 per 3kg bag which we will juice to make orange juice for the freezer and some for the fridge and possibly make a whole orange cake with citus buttercream icing on top.
Home again and unpacked the groceries for the freezer which thankfully all fitted as we have been having a run of really good specials on half price or better meats and frozen goods so we are pretty stocked back up again for a few months. It is also cheaper to run a full freezer than a half empty one.
DH then watered all the potted herbs, fruit and ornamental flowers with the rain water we collected in buckets from yesterday. Tonight's dinner will be sausage and spring rolls as neither of us feel like cooking
.
@MoBookworm1957 it is so nice you are giving lots of elderly people something to smile about with the flowers and I am sure you have made their day . Sadly there are a lot of elderly people who's families never visit them and dump them in aged care facilities .
. Sadly there are a lot of elderly people who's families never visit them and dump them in aged care facilities .
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Will be wandering down to the Ford dealership in this town in a few hours to see if our truck has a new radiator installed. Then the 7 hrs from here drive home. BB reds were too stinky in the rental car, so they are on the motel room porch with a blanket over them. Didn't have any seed, but they are going through some bread rolls I packed. A few more eggs were laid.
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This is so kind and thoughtful of you and your siblings. I always wonder about people who have no visitors. Family too busy? Family who doesn't get along? Family who doesn't care?
I have worked on getting memorials for all burials from my home county on FindaGrave. I was able to get the records from various sources. Most memorials are made from headstones, and then there are all the graves with no headstone, which will go without a memorial. It is a a great tool for people who search for their family history information. In seeing the records, I see some that say, "No family." Everyone had a family of origin, but I have to wonder what happened? Was the family all deceased? Was there a family dispute? I had one great uncle whose parents both homesteaded in Nebraska before they were married. They came to America, engaged, so that each of them might get a homestead and then more wealth. It is hard to imagine what life was like as peasants in the 1800's in Europe, but they had their eye on getting land and working it. They wanted their only son to be a farmer, so they purchased a quarter of land (160 acres) for him to start with a couple decades later. He wanted nothing to do with it. There was a big fight with his parents. He left home and never saw his parents again. They, formerly European peasants, could not understand how he wouldn't want land and to farm it. In Europe, it would have been a great thing.
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Hooch, I am so sorry to hear about your rooster.
We are going to meet my parents, sister and her family for supper tonight at our favorite fish house. My step dad told mom he was gonna take her out for her 80th birthday. Sis and I are going to be there waiting on them. She has no idea, but will be super excitied to see us all. Back to sisters afterward to celebrate a little.
Most rural nursing homes around here have 4 or 5 wards.
You have 35 people in every 2 wards on average, that's about half of the town's population at one time or another.
Weedy, in some cases yes the families put them in the nursing home to die, but not in all.
Sometimes the residents have problems that the families are having a hard time coping with.
Like Alizheimer's , TB, Cancer etc .
Ran the sweeper throughout my place.
The kitchen table top is now completely cleaned off and so is the freezer top.
Had to throw away my bread, it was moldy.
Took dad his liquid starch all 64 fluid ounces of it.
Had a late lunch with him.
It's only 6 pm and I am so ready to put on my pj"s.
Swept the kitchen floor up with broom and dustpan so I could catch all the dirt up from repotting all the plants.
Watching Strawberry sitting upright in the recliner sound asleep.
Waiting on her to fall over again.
She slept last night in her kennel for the first time since mom died.
There she goes, she's now sprawled in my recliner snoring.
I can hear her snore clear across the room.
If the wind isn't blowing a gale in the morning, maybe Strawberry and I can sit outside and enjoy the morning sun.
While I drink coffee.
Hooch, sorry about the rooster.
Think I might cook for the first time in about 10 days.
Been trying to use up as much stuff as we can, but frankly I'm getting tired of casseroles, sandwiches.
And I think dad is too.
So this afternoon, I put some stuff still good in food saver bags, sucked the air out, labeled it put it in his freezer.
The rest got tossed.
Showed him again how to run the dishwasher, we started it as I was getting ready to leave.
You have 35 people in every 2 wards on average, that's about half of the town's population at one time or another.
Weedy, in some cases yes the families put them in the nursing home to die, but not in all.
Sometimes the residents have problems that the families are having a hard time coping with.
Like Alizheimer's , TB, Cancer etc .
Ran the sweeper throughout my place.
The kitchen table top is now completely cleaned off and so is the freezer top.
Had to throw away my bread, it was moldy.
Took dad his liquid starch all 64 fluid ounces of it.
Had a late lunch with him.
It's only 6 pm and I am so ready to put on my pj"s.
Swept the kitchen floor up with broom and dustpan so I could catch all the dirt up from repotting all the plants.
Watching Strawberry sitting upright in the recliner sound asleep.
Waiting on her to fall over again.
She slept last night in her kennel for the first time since mom died.
There she goes, she's now sprawled in my recliner snoring.
I can hear her snore clear across the room.
If the wind isn't blowing a gale in the morning, maybe Strawberry and I can sit outside and enjoy the morning sun.
While I drink coffee.
Hooch, sorry about the rooster.
Think I might cook for the first time in about 10 days.
Been trying to use up as much stuff as we can, but frankly I'm getting tired of casseroles, sandwiches.
And I think dad is too.
So this afternoon, I put some stuff still good in food saver bags, sucked the air out, labeled it put it in his freezer.
The rest got tossed.
Showed him again how to run the dishwasher, we started it as I was getting ready to leave.
@Sewingcreations15 you've been busy! If you need a taste tester for that orange cake, just let me know ;-)
@MoBookworm1957 when I was a young'in, we did "adopt a grandparent" in our 4-H group. The nursing home would assign someone to us. We would send holiday cards, and go and visit about once a month and probably gave the poor old dears a heart attack part of the time as there were usually about half dozen of us all at once. Then even after the year was up, sometimes we would pop in to see the g-parent from the prior year. I think it was good for both sides.
The snow is finally beginning to recede- yay!!! So we got out and got half of our garden area (which is much smaller here at the new place) dug up and took a tilling fork to it. The soil was totally compact and hasn't been worked or conditioned for some time. We went and bought some organic soil amender and compost and worked it in. It looks much better already. It was kinda difficult to work in as it was still partially frozen in the bags. This week is supposed to be warmer so that should help. I am chomping at the bit to plant, but it's too soon.
@MoBookworm1957 when I was a young'in, we did "adopt a grandparent" in our 4-H group. The nursing home would assign someone to us. We would send holiday cards, and go and visit about once a month and probably gave the poor old dears a heart attack part of the time as there were usually about half dozen of us all at once. Then even after the year was up, sometimes we would pop in to see the g-parent from the prior year. I think it was good for both sides.
The snow is finally beginning to recede- yay!!! So we got out and got half of our garden area (which is much smaller here at the new place) dug up and took a tilling fork to it. The soil was totally compact and hasn't been worked or conditioned for some time. We went and bought some organic soil amender and compost and worked it in. It looks much better already. It was kinda difficult to work in as it was still partially frozen in the bags. This week is supposed to be warmer so that should help. I am chomping at the bit to plant, but it's too soon.
it turned out awesome! It's a creamed carrot soup with beef stock and beef stew meat. A gal at church made it for one of the pot lucks and I had 3 bowls of it! I just finished a huge pot of it for my lunch next work week.
slept in...ahhh….
hiked up to my neighbors ranch to see how much snow they have on their road. Its melting fast but unplowed driveway still has about a foot and half of heavy ice under the snow..
It was sunny and beautiful today too!
brushed all the goats and horse..everyone is itchy and shedding
ran into town ..
clipped 4 goats toenails..2 more still need their pedicures before spring and 2 others need a redo in a few weeks..couldn't get it down enough without risking a bleed.
ran 2 miles on the treadmill ..I pushed treadie out in the sun and got my run on..I gained some weight this winter so now that it's warming up..time to hit it..
finished my Finnish Soup!
Its a creamed carrot with beef..first time I made it and omg! it is good..
hiked up to my neighbors ranch to see how much snow they have on their road. Its melting fast but unplowed driveway still has about a foot and half of heavy ice under the snow..
It was sunny and beautiful today too!
brushed all the goats and horse..everyone is itchy and shedding
ran into town ..
clipped 4 goats toenails..2 more still need their pedicures before spring and 2 others need a redo in a few weeks..couldn't get it down enough without risking a bleed.
ran 2 miles on the treadmill ..I pushed treadie out in the sun and got my run on..I gained some weight this winter so now that it's warming up..time to hit it..
finished my Finnish Soup!
Its a creamed carrot with beef..first time I made it and omg! it is good..
@LadyLocust good to hear you got some of your garden prep work done . We are champing at the bit to get some of ours done but hopefully it looks like the metal garden beds will be in this months budget and we have the soil to go in some of them and the well rotted horse and cow manure too.
. We are champing at the bit to get some of ours done but hopefully it looks like the metal garden beds will be in this months budget and we have the soil to go in some of them and the well rotted horse and cow manure too.
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Made it home. The BB Reds were very happy to get out of their very small traveling cage. Looks like things around here have survived our absence, but it'll take awhile to get things sorted out (son has the run of the house while we're gone). Tomorrow will be busy...looks like I need to get more feed, fill up 4 more 5 gallon water containers at the water store (like I said, son was here), and go to the store for some fresh stuff.
Started off the morning with doing some scripture study together and DH made some magic mix chocolate pudding for dessert for a few days. We had planned to do some juicing of oranges and cooking some choc chip and coconut biscuits and a whole orange cake but sadly there was a storm outside and our power here is up and down at the slightest hint of storm so we decided not to risk it. Tomorrow is again predicted possible thunder storms so we will start early in the morning to cook as the storms usually come in later in the afternoon and there will be no chance of working in the yard as it is too wet.
We have early this morning had another 25mm of rain and a further 3mm of rain today. Strangely the ground isn't even sloshy and the water has just soaked straight into the ground it has been so dry for so long here. With the rain barrels we put out to catch the runoff off the tank shed roof we had enough water for me to water all the shrubs around 3 sides of the house and the potted herbs, ornamental flowers and fruit trees too with one watering can to spare. We think our water tanks are all nearly topped back up with water again which is a real blessing.
This afternoon we went to the local RSL branch and spoke to some locals and had a good time and had a few soft drinks.
We have early this morning had another 25mm of rain and a further 3mm of rain today. Strangely the ground isn't even sloshy and the water has just soaked straight into the ground it has been so dry for so long here. With the rain barrels we put out to catch the runoff off the tank shed roof we had enough water for me to water all the shrubs around 3 sides of the house and the potted herbs, ornamental flowers and fruit trees too with one watering can to spare. We think our water tanks are all nearly topped back up with water again which is a real blessing.
This afternoon we went to the local RSL branch and spoke to some locals and had a good time and had a few soft drinks.
I'm up, Strawberry's not, she's sprawled out on my bed.
I'm dressed, including teeth(can't wait for dentist appointment at VA, to get proper fitting teeth.)
Strawberry has been out taking care of her business.
Drinking coffee, planning my day somewhat.
It's hazy, gloomy here, but so far no wind.
Not suppose to rain, but get real I live in Missouri.
The weather changes every 5 to 10 minutes.
Got my laundry sorted, not enough for a full load of anything.
Including bedding, quilt, shams, towels etc.
So will wait till next week.
Dressed back in comfortable sweat pants, tennis shoes, long john shirt, I had cut the long sleeves off several years ago.
Laid out a small beef roast(about 1.5 pounds) to throw into crockpot with celery stalk diced, carrots coined, potato cubed for the start of soup.
That should last a couple of days at least for me.
Later will throw in sliced mushrooms, frozen peas from friends garden(I do his mending in exchange for fresh vegetables).
And whatever else I can find will go into soup pot.
Working on Christmas gifts, trying to get as many finished as I can before October.
Oh, my!
The sun is trying to peek over the hill finally.
I'm dressed, including teeth(can't wait for dentist appointment at VA, to get proper fitting teeth.)
Strawberry has been out taking care of her business.
Drinking coffee, planning my day somewhat.
It's hazy, gloomy here, but so far no wind.
Not suppose to rain, but get real I live in Missouri.
The weather changes every 5 to 10 minutes.
Got my laundry sorted, not enough for a full load of anything.
Including bedding, quilt, shams, towels etc.
So will wait till next week.
Dressed back in comfortable sweat pants, tennis shoes, long john shirt, I had cut the long sleeves off several years ago.
Laid out a small beef roast(about 1.5 pounds) to throw into crockpot with celery stalk diced, carrots coined, potato cubed for the start of soup.
That should last a couple of days at least for me.
Later will throw in sliced mushrooms, frozen peas from friends garden(I do his mending in exchange for fresh vegetables).
And whatever else I can find will go into soup pot.
Working on Christmas gifts, trying to get as many finished as I can before October.
Oh, my!
The sun is trying to peek over the hill finally.
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Do you normally drink water from the water store? Or is it just the water you store, in the 5 gallon jugs? Where do you go to get water in your 5 gallon jugs? Do they have caps after you fill the jugs? I have some 5 gallons jugs of water, but haven't found caps. I use my Berkey to filter the water, then fill the jugs. Need something besides plastic wrap and twist ties to seal the top.
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The Berkey is at the farm. Here we fill up filtered water at the little store a mile away. It's $1.75 for 5 gallons. I'm tired of hauling water. I think we should get another Berkey. Husband just said ok. I'm going to hold him to that. I need a few more caps. We have about 15 five gallon jugs at home, 5 at the preschool. Was thinking about stopping at the water store in town and seeing if they'll sell some caps. Maybe on Amazon? Haven't looked. Anyway, I was steamed, because all ours were filled when we left town, and son and girlfriend stay in the house whenever we're gone, so 4 of them were emptied. He never refills. Good thing I don't have a problem lifting them.
Was riding down the rail at the end of the day, to our tie up point in City of Industry, California. This is just East of Los Angeles about 20 miles, and still very much part of the L.A. urban area. (Not a real good part either!) I couldn't believe my eyes when a coyote popped out of the weeds along the tracks and started trotting along side us. It was the fattest, healthiest looking songdog I've ever seen, and right in the middle of L.A. in broad daylight. He didn't care about us being there either. I guess a steady diet of California garbage does well for Coyotes...
they are very adaptable animals..I recall many years ago when more homes were being built in the hills around LA, folks kept loosing their pets to them. It was epidemic all over southern cali that coyotes and mountain lions were preying on domesticated pets. Those folks were all bent outta shape by it all..but if one thinks about it ..they build there huge homes in their turf further into the hills..it would seem logical that they either adapt or die. So it isn't too uncommon to see the coyote in a city over there...
took the dog on a nice walk..
church..
had plans to hit treadie again and nope...
chores chores chores before the dinner party I partook in..
corned beef and cabbage with my neighbors and buddies and a documentary about a solo mountain climber..amazing doc...
now its stoking the fire back up and news..
life is good..
church..
had plans to hit treadie again and nope...
chores chores chores before the dinner party I partook in..
corned beef and cabbage with my neighbors and buddies and a documentary about a solo mountain climber..amazing doc...
now its stoking the fire back up and news..
life is good..
Coyotes are absolutely everywhere in my area. But you never see them in daylight, and they're always rough looking. I actually think they're overpopulated. A few years ago, the group I hunt with totaled 115 Coyotes in one winter, in an area about 50 miles square. Seems like as soon as you shoot one, another takes it's place...
I just never saw one so fat and sassy as this one. I've seen house pets that didn't have as glossy of a coat, and he was fat. I suppose some urban PETA loving clown could have been feeding him...
I don't think all the caps foe those 5 gallon bottles are the same exact size.
So far today we have seen more rain yay this morning and more thunder storms too but it passed us and fined up close to midday.
We then had lunch and DH made another batch of yoghurt from the one we started yesterday and flavoured it with a little caster sugar and homemade strawberry jam. I have him converted to homemade yoghurt from shop purchased which is quite expensive here and that will also stop the need to buy probiotic tablets as well that he needs for back injury Q Fever related symptoms. We will however be keeping probiotic tablets as a backup in our preps.
Then onto making a batch of chocolate chip and coconut biscuits and a whole orange cake from oranges we purchased on special which are now cooked and cooling. Shortly we shall make some buttercream icing with orange juice instead of milk and top the orange cake icing with fresh citrus zest. Then onto juicing some more oranges for fresh juice and some for the freezer too.
About to head over to eBay as they are having a sale on the above ground garden beds and an petrol auger with $20 off the usual prices on a purchase over $200 and 5% off with other items which we will take the funds from one of our savings accounts for which we planned ahead on.
We then had lunch and DH made another batch of yoghurt from the one we started yesterday and flavoured it with a little caster sugar and homemade strawberry jam. I have him converted to homemade yoghurt from shop purchased which is quite expensive here and that will also stop the need to buy probiotic tablets as well that he needs for back injury Q Fever related symptoms. We will however be keeping probiotic tablets as a backup in our preps.
Then onto making a batch of chocolate chip and coconut biscuits and a whole orange cake from oranges we purchased on special which are now cooked and cooling. Shortly we shall make some buttercream icing with orange juice instead of milk and top the orange cake icing with fresh citrus zest. Then onto juicing some more oranges for fresh juice and some for the freezer too.
About to head over to eBay as they are having a sale on the above ground garden beds and an petrol auger with $20 off the usual prices on a purchase over $200 and 5% off with other items which we will take the funds from one of our savings accounts for which we planned ahead on.
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Round 2 of today is DH took the dry washing off the line and from 2.20pm this afternoon the heavens opened up and gave us so far 39mm of glorious rain in 5.35 hours so far and more predicted overnight. That will go a long way to filling up our rain water tanks and will have given us about 3120 lts of water or more in the rain water tanks. Just as well we cleaned out the gunge out of the grey water tank which is now operating perfectly and setting off itself instead of us moving the hose around as the back extension of the home all the water off that runs into the grey water tank. When I cleaned the inside of the grey water tank I noticed the pump was sitting too close to the side of the underground tank causing the float to get jammed which stopped it going off.
We have used the water pumped from the grey water tank to water a lot of the back lawn and the native trees in the back yard too. Hopefully we will get more rain overnight as we all need it to fill up dams for livestock and water tanks for homes here too. Just heard we are going to get more rain over the weekend with quite good rain too.
Have to say when you are in drought for so long you practically dance in the rain when you see it. Did I run around in the rain, well yes I certainly did
I'm glad you got rain SC.
You can have some of ours!
We had a violent short storm blow over and brought with it tiny hail, excessively strong winds and horizontal rain.
Fortunate the power didn't go out again.
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@Hooch sorry about your rooster.
Why is that it's always the nice animals who cop it and the ones with bad habits that have you gritting
your teeth and praying to the Lord for patience live for ever out of sheer spite?
I hope his brother are as nice tempered and produce plently of nice chicks.
Failing that there's always soup.
Why is that it's always the nice animals who cop it and the ones with bad habits that have you gritting
your teeth and praying to the Lord for patience live for ever out of sheer spite?
I hope his brother are as nice tempered and produce plently of nice chicks.
Failing that there's always soup.
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Did see a lot of caps on Amazon and there's a few different ones. Most run about a buck a piece. Some are pop on, some screw on, some for 3 gal, some for 5. Ordered 10 of them.
Off to work I go again. Vacation was sure nice.
Off to work I go again. Vacation was sure nice.
Thank you @Tank-Girl we really needed the rain and all of us here will take any rain you want to give us . We have had another 30.4 mm since I last posted to date and we think the rain water tanks are full which is a blessing.
. We have had another 30.4 mm since I last posted to date and we think the rain water tanks are full which is a blessing.
Round 2 of today is that we purchased 6 x 2.4 x .9m above ground premade metal garden beds off eBay and a petrol post hole auger all on special using promotional codes and discounts saving $66.50 on usual prices with our savings that we had planned ahead for. This will go a long way to getting us started on getting our gardens set up. We also have enough manure and soil to fill 2.
Currently we are dividing the rest of the chicken meat for the freezer from the roast which made 3 1/2 more meals for us, will wash up the dishes and put out the rubbish.
Currently we are dividing the rest of the chicken meat for the freezer from the roast which made 3 1/2 more meals for us, will wash up the dishes and put out the rubbish.
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