AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[AL]

Thanks, everyone. I was just having a poor pitiful me moment after I saw this yesterday:

The plants are dead... but I have about a dozen small squash. Will they be lost too? Probably, huh?

Last night when I was putting the lights on the meaties I was thinking about how they weren't really any better off than industry birds, because of it being so cold they were confined to that swimming pool. But today, after a little rest and an attitude adjustment, I moved them out of the pool onto the ground.
Sunshine, dirt and grass... room to chest bump and flutter around like the dimwits they are

Today I'm nailing tin for half-walls around the shelter and dumping a deep litter floor. The plan is to leave them in the pen during the day (temps in the 70's) and herd them into the shelter at night so they can have the lamps (temps in the 50s).

For my spring garden I have 2 piles of compost "cooking". I'll pull up my peas hopefully this weekend and till everything else under.

Thank you for the tip on the powdered milk! An old man at the feedstore said to take a tablespoon of lime and a tablespoon of epsom salts, mix them in the hole with lots of water and plant. I'll set up experimental patches to find out what works for our soil.

I watched a DVD of a Clinton Anderson horse training clinic. He really breaks it down to simple tasks, so I have started as of this morning on working with Buddy. He doesn't like it. HAHA


Now I am going to go outside and soak up some sunshine to help my attitude a little more.... and start planning the demise of some little chickens.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

keep on keepin' on baby! really - you're doing a great job and if the only thing you "achieved" was learning something or learning how to do something different next time - you are still waaaaaay ahead of the curve.

great work!

 

[AL]

Boy howdy am I learning!!

The meats are loving being out in the pen. They swarmed me when I went in this morning (they were shut in the shelter for the night). I swear if I leave my hand on the food tray too long it is going to be stripped of flesh. Little feathered piranhas.

My squash (the actual veg) still look ok, so I am risking them becoming chicken feed by leaving them on dead plants.

I still haven't had a chance to play in pumpkin guts. My new target date is tomorrow afternoon.

I got my first official "name calling" incident today. My mom didn't know I was still at their house and she told me sister I am goign through an "Earth Mother" phase.

 

[Henrietta23]

Boy howdy am I learning!!

I got my first official "name calling" incident today. My mom didn't know I was still at their house and she told me sister I am goign through an "Earth Mother" phase.

Take it as a compliment!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

ha! if thats all you got called baby, consider yourself lucky.
;-)

and have a GOOD LAUGH about the whole thing. just wait till she has some of that fresh chicken then we'll see who's the earth momma!

i think our meats are just about done... i cant wait! whooooot!

 

[AL]

When I heard her, I thought to myself "I guess there are worse things I could be... like grumpy and negative"

Fridays are my errand days, I usually spend the whole morning on the road. Today was no exception. I am having a hamburger with my folks and then it is moving on to pumpkin guts!! I cannot tell you how excited I am to try this. I have printouts from this site, your blog OFG, and another website. With that much instruction maybe even I can get something out of this
(by the way - talked to my friend who made more butter than me with milk from the same dairy, she had failed to mention she also used a quart of heavy cream!!! )

Wish me luck......

 

[AL]

I'm back

The first pumpkin I cut and gutted I am not sure what kind it is. I don't think it is a sugar pie pumpkin because the meat is kind of stringy. It is in the oven now... I can still use this for pumpkin bread or something, right?

I have 4 sugar pies, and of course I didn't start with them.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

yep. taste first - as long as it just doesnt need sugar you are fine...but if its totally icky then toss the the chickens
;-)

after mine has cooled i use my hand blender to puree it - easy as.. well.. pie
;-)

 

[AL]

Thank you! I did read this right after you posted it, but I was having too much fun to slow down.

I had an absolute ball playing in pumpkin guts! I have (4) 1 quart ziplocks. It took me an insanely long time, but the last pumpkin I had figured out a little better. I have 3 more sugar pumpkins to work with. Tomorrow I am going to make pumpkin bread! Pumpkins are my new favorites!!

In fact, I was so carried away fooling with pumpkins I totally forgot all of my evening chores! It wasn't until I walked home (do all of my cooking and most of my computing at my parents house)with my pumpkin scraps that I noticed the lights were still off in the meatie shelter. I grabbed my flashlight and went out to herd them back to their lamps. They were all piled up outside and wouldn't be "shooed", so I had to pick them up 2-3 at a time and carry them in... they feel as nasty as they look and smell!! I still feel like I need to sanitize my hands.

I counted heads in the henhouse and gathered today's neglected eggs, fed the horses their evening grain and dished out some hay. I am out of Buddy hay so I had carry some of Skye's hay from the hay room to the feed stall. Fed Buford and gave him his pain pill. Cleaned up my pumpkin mess and put 3 bags in the freezer and 1 in the fridge for tomorrow's bread.

YAY Pumpkins!!

 

[AL]

I have been playing in pumpkins again today - but I did my morning chores first!
Went to feed the meaties and they were all crammed into a totebin that I have turned on its side for extra shade. They were very quiet. Weird. When I got to the run, I saw Reba, one of my grouchy RIR hens in the run. She'd made a nest and was guarding her freshly laid egg. LOL

My meaties are traumatized by the big girls - Crazy Agnes chased one down when he escaped the run and had him cornered screaming obscenities at him.

Fed the chickens, gave them all some pumpkin guts and meat but the meaties just pooped on it and moved on. Fed the horses, gave them hay.

Buford is doing great on his new medicine. He was even at the fence barking at the neighbor!

Gonna roast seeds in different flavors this afternoon, I have 3 more pumpkins to cook down.

Yay pumpkin!

And this morning's project - pumpkin bread! And yes, one loaf is already missing a slice