What's everybody doing today?

[Spikedriver]

Up at 0350, showered and drove 55 miles to work in a heavy fog. The sky finally cleared up after two wet days so that's good, but the ground is still muddy so work is going to be slippery and hazardous. During our morning job briefing we were told that we will work in Des Moines until the 3rd and then show up in North Platte Nebraska on the 10th to work 13 straight days, then get 9 days off for Christmas. I said I give zero cares because I work 5 hours on the 13th and then I'll take my remaining vacation and be off until about the 7th of January.

 

[Amish Heart]

Up at 230 for husband's med stuff, back to bed then up at 615 for little granddaughter to get ready for school. Ugh.
Working on stuff around here today, putting away things near the woodburner for the season..a small table of moms, and other this and that. Time to put down the big mats and bring in the wood boxes, kindling for the woodburner. Also taking out the little tv in the upstairs family room since little granddaughter appears to be addicted to youtube and is not going to sleep at night, but sleeping during math class. Tonight is the big amish Thanksgiving homemade dinner at the Menno church building down the road from us. The whole town comes, so it's great fun. Food is excellent...turkey, sides, pie for dessert. Donation of money goes to the amish medical fund. Cousin Wanda will meet us there, she loves driving here and going. Hoping husband feels well enough to go, but if not, they'll fix him up a to go container.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Sorry about the chicken but also sorry about the owl. I don't think I would ever shoot a large bird like that.

We put a plastic owl on the chicken coop to scare away the hawks and it seems to have worked. But maybe they have just moved south, haven't seen them lately. But I would not shoot them, would probably rather sacrifice a $3 chicken

Problem is they don't stop at just one chicken or one duck. We've never had a problem with hawks before, they tend to stay out in more open areas. The one owl managed to get through the wire before I got within range, and I don't think the injured one will be back. I patched up the wire where I think the owls got in. I hope that's the last of these two owls. But when it comes down to protecting my animals I will use whatever means necessary.

 

[snappy1]

Haven't done much yet.
Will walk first.
Probably some ebay.
Several misc. chores.
Make buttermilk biscuits to use up the rest of the buttermilk.
Easy day!

 

[winds-of-change]

Sharing a Cuban cigar on the beautiful beaches of Dominican Republic.

 

[Amish Heart]

Looks like a beautiful place, enjoy!!!!!

 

[teeceetx]

Just about to have breakfast - eggs, sausage, toast, tea.

I'm told we need to go to the store for a few things.

Lots to clean up in the house ...

 

[sonya123]

Problem is they don't stop at just one chicken or one duck. We've never had a problem with hawks before, they tend to stay out in more open areas. The one owl managed to get through the wire before I got within range, and I don't think the injured one will be back. I patched up the wire where I think the owls got in. I hope that's the last of these two owls. But when it comes down to protecting my animals I will use whatever means necessary.

can't you put the chickens inside the coop at night? We put ours up at night
I will not hesitate to shoot racoons or skunks or coyotes but I have a problem with shooting birds or killing snakes unless they are poisonous

 

[Tirediron]

Coffee, watching the fog clear, it was thick last night so we should get some serious moisture, (snow) mid February. If anyone is interested, I put up some pics of my improvements to my ,Admitting I am not as young as i once was firewood system. starting here https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/my-firewood-stuff.15459/post-1037173

 

[Weedygarden]

Sharing a Cuban cigar on the beautiful beaches of Dominican Republic.

Looks lovely!

 

[Mountain trapper]

can't you put the chickens inside the coop at night? We put ours up at night
I will not hesitate to shoot racoons or skunks or coyotes but I have a problem with shooting birds or killing snakes unless they are poisonous

We try to. A few of the chickens like to roost on the handrail under the roof, and the ducks never go inside. Over the years we've only lost a couple chickens to predators. We have lost a few ducks to owls though. We have a fox that comes around every night and takes things off the porch. So far he hasn't figured out how to get to the chickens, same with coyotes and bears.
Our small run is covered with wire and I think I patched the hole where the owls got in.

 

[Neb]

I have gradually getting strength back in my left shoulder. Yesterday I managed to hold 20 lbs with my right arm while diddling with my keys to get in the jeep. Used 60 lbs of concrete to fill a form of a new footer. In my basement. The footer will support will support a beam that has been bending over the last years or more. I hope to be able to close a crack in a wall of the kitchen that has been growing.

I took cutting from my elders in an attempt to clone them. I need about 15 so I am starting with about 60 cuttings.

Ben

 

[Patchouli]

@winds-of-change that is some serious beachy weather, skies, beautiful. Glad things are going well.
@Neb i get garden envy looking at your goings on. Those future elder shrubs...
@Spikedriver with zero cares! haha. Long Christmas vacation for you.
I'm still feeling low.
Ordered some slacks/pants online over a month ago, 2 out 3 didn't fit right. All same size, all same brand, but different styles. I dilly dallied around about putting them in for return since I've never had to do that through Amazon and finally checked on it late last night. I could return them by today, free shipping if hand delivering to a staples store with a QR code they sent me. So drove down to the nearby staples, back home, now wiped out. Had lunch, just laying low. Dog on floor, cat on bed.

 

[Pearl]

Sharing a Cuban cigar on the beautiful beaches of Dominican Republic.

MUCH NEEDED HAPPY VACATION!! Don't forget to come back home!! I know I wouldn't want to leave!!

 

[Peanut]

Had an uneventful but really strange trip to the VA in Birmingham. Hotel was decent but they had a screwed up tv feed I’ve never seen. The channels used the decimal system. 24.1, 24.2… 28.2, 28.3... 31.7, 37.8 etc. Fine except the the tv didn’t accept decimal inputs from the remote… which left only up or down arrows with 80 channels to choose from with a very, very slow response time, very annoying!!! I ended up watching 2 channels all night, fox news and a movie channel. Dune came on so the night wasn’t a total waste.

The VA was interesting. No traffic in downtown Birmingham, none, nada, zip, very strange. Was there a bomb scare? Didn't see any police so probably not... I got a parking spot on the 2nd level by the elevator in the 5 level VA parking deck, also strange! My appointment was for 2:15pm. I knew my va id card expired last august so I arrived about 9:30am thinking it’d take most of the morning to get a new id. The id system was down so no id’s today, bummer. I knew the eye clinic had changed buildings so I went searching for the new clinic thinking I’d find it then take a 3hr lunch.

The old eye clinic was a nightmare, even by va standards. Wall to wall people with a 2+ hour wait past the appointment time. The new clinic only had 1 person waiting so I thought… while I’m here I’ll check-in then take my long lunch.

The lady checked me in then said ‘wait and I’ll see if they can get you in early’. They could and did… I was finished and out the door by 11am. Wait.. What? This doesn’t happen at the VA… ever!!!! but it did today!

Then I had a 2hr drive home with dilated eyes on a bright sunny day. There was still no traffic!!! I set my cruise control at 75mph. Only one car passed me in 70miles! There was no one but the odd car or truck on the interstate. I can only assume all the democrats in Birmingham had moved to Canada already.

Since I was so early… I stopped at the VA in tuscaloosa and got a new id. Their system was working. Got lunch, a few groceries and still made it home before 2pm… Exhausted from my really strange trip, no plans but sleep and rest for the next couple of days.

Only pic from my trip!

 

[Neb]

Had an uneventful but really strange trip to the VA in Birmingham. Hotel was decent but they had a screwed up tv feed I’ve never seen. The channels used the decimal system. 24.1, 24.2… 28.2, 28.3... 31.7, 37.8 etc. Fine except the the tv didn’t accept decimal inputs from the remote… which left only up or down arrows with 80 channels to choose from with a very, very slow response time, very annoying!!! I ended up watching 2 channels all night, fox news and a movie channel. Dune came on so the night wasn’t a total waste.

The VA was interesting. No traffic in downtown Birmingham, none, nada, zip, very strange. Was there a bomb scare? Didn't see any police so probably not... I got a parking spot on the 2nd level by the elevator in the 5 level VA parking deck, also strange! My appointment was for 2:15pm. I knew my va id card expired last august so I arrived about 9:30am thinking it’d take most of the morning to get a new id. The id system was down so no id’s today, bummer. I knew the eye clinic had changed buildings so I went searching for the new clinic thinking I’d find it then take a 3hr lunch.

The old eye clinic was a nightmare, even by va standards. Wall to wall people with a 2+ hour wait past the appointment time. The new clinic only had 1 person waiting so I thought… while I’m here I’ll check-in then take my long lunch.

The lady checked me in then said ‘wait and I’ll see if they can get you in early’. They could and did… I was finished and out the door by 11am. Wait.. What? This doesn’t happen at the VA… ever!!!! but it did today!

Then I had a 2hr drive home with dilated eyes on a bright sunny day. There was still no traffic!!! I set my cruise control at 75mph. Only one car passed me in 70miles! There was no one but the odd car or truck on the interstate. I can only assume all the democrats in Birmingham had moved to Canada already.

Since I was so early… I stopped at the VA in tuscaloosa and got a new id. Their system was working. Got lunch, a few groceries and still made it home before 2pm… Exhausted from my really strange trip, no plans but sleep and rest for the next couple of days.

Only pic from my trip!

View attachment 167469

"
used the decimal system. 24.1, 24.2… 28.2, 28.3... 31.7, 37.8 etc

"

Probably digital broadcast channels.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

Oh, one interesting and useful tidbit of knowledge gleaned from my trip... I didn’t take my laptop. At the hotel I realized it’s carry bag has all my travel cables including the charging cables for both my phones, bummer. However, I keep a universal charging cable in my truck so I can charge while driving. The truck cable connects to a plug into the cigarette lighter receptacle.

What I discovered last night… The lighter receptacle always has power, even with the engine turned off and the key in my pocket. So, I can charge phones, even my laptop in the truck while it’s sitting in a parking lot. Just lock the doors and walk away. I guess cigarette lighters were still important in ‘02 when my truck was made.

 

[hashbrown]

Jake practicing touch and goes, if the weather is good he will solo Sunday morning.

 

[Patchouli]

@hashbrown
one of the forum babies. He's just a kid.
Okay okay, he's a man now if he's flying planes!!! How nerve wracking and exhilarating. Tell him he's doing great!!!

 

[hashbrown]

@hashbrown
one of the forum babies. He's just a kid.
Okay okay, he's a man now if he's flying planes!!! How nerve wracking and exhilarating. Tell him he's doing great!!!

It seems like yesterday he was hanging on my heels! Alex is sort of having a hard time with him becoming a man, but that’s what we raise them to be.

 

[Patchouli]

@hashbrown You guys are amazing and he shows great promise. Now I know kids make mistakes but he seems like one that will just keep on making the right choices. You done good, son! lol

 

[hashbrown]

@hashbrown You guys are amazing and he shows great promise. Now I know kids make mistakes but he seems like one that will just keep on making the right choices. You done good, son! lol

He’s more like an old man than a kid, I guess maybe because he was raised by an old man. I was 40 when we had him

 

[Bacpacker]

Congrats to Jake. Bet he is excited to solo.

Glad things went good Peanut

Went to rehab this afternoon. They've doubled my time on each machine, and today increased workout level. I was tired by the time I got finished

 

[hashbrown]

Congrats to Jake. Bet he is excited to solo.

Glad things went good Peanut

Went to rehab this afternoon. They've doubled my time on each machine, and today increased workout level. I was tired by the time I got finished

I hope the weather is good Sunday morning!

 

[LadyLocust]

Up at 230 for husband's med stuff, back to bed then up at 615 for little granddaughter to get ready for school. Ugh.
Working on stuff around here today, putting away things near the woodburner for the season..a small table of moms, and other this and that. Time to put down the big mats and bring in the wood boxes, kindling for the woodburner. Also taking out the little tv in the upstairs family room since little granddaughter appears to be addicted to youtube and is not going to sleep at night, but sleeping during math class. Tonight is the big amish Thanksgiving homemade dinner at the Menno church building down the road from us. The whole town comes, so it's great fun. Food is excellent...turkey, sides, pie for dessert. Donation of money goes to the amish medical fund. Cousin Wanda will meet us there, she loves driving here and going. Hoping husband feels well enough to go, but if not, they'll fix him up a to go container.

I sure hope you were able to sneak a nap into that day somewhere.

Coffee, watching the fog clear, it was thick last night so we should get some serious moisture, (snow) mid February. If anyone is interested, I put up some pics of my improvements to my ,Admitting I am not as young as i once was firewood system. starting here https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/my-firewood-stuff.15459/post-1037173

I like seeing those. I actually miss getting firewood

Congrats to Jake. Bet he is excited to solo.

Glad things went good Peanut

Went to rehab this afternoon. They've doubled my time on each machine, and today increased workout level. I was tired by the time I got finished

They’re gonna pump-you-up!

 

[LadyLocust]

Well me being me ~ my SD starter wasn’t acting up to snuff so I fed it an extra day . Well she did dandy so this morning I mixed up a quadruple batch . Tomorrow I’ll bake off two loaves of bread and a whole mess of cinnamon rolls.
Fire investigators were here yesterday and said the report should take about a week (not supposed to clean until we get word from them) so I called property mgt today and asked if we could start cleaning- knowing I’d probably get the run-around. She sent me notice that we can - yay. We have so much nasty to clean up. Praying for some miracle pieces to be spared.

 

[Pearl]

Well me being me ~ my SD starter wasn’t acting up to snuff so I fed it an extra day . Well she did dandy so this morning I mixed up a quadruple batch . Tomorrow I’ll bake off two loaves of bread and a whole mess of cinnamon rolls.
Fire investigators were here yesterday and said the report should take about a week (not supposed to clean until we get word from them) so I called property mgt today and asked if we could start cleaning- knowing I’d probably get the run-around. She sent me notice that we can - yay. We have so much nasty to clean up. Praying for some miracle pieces to be spared.

 

[dademoss]

@hashbrown
one of the forum babies. He's just a kid.
Okay okay, he's a man now if he's flying planes!!! How nerve wracking and exhilarating. Tell him he's doing great!!!

Flying is easy unless I take the yoke and the stall warning starts SCREAMING

 

[Ekatarina]

Just having memories tonight and ...feel a bit sad

 

[elkhound]

Just having memories tonight and ...feel a bit sad