Dawn419 & doc's LSTA: Confounded Computer!!!

[Denim Deb]

Glad Smoke made it home OK.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Oooooh- you got AC just in time! I went up to 105 here today. Hope you were cooler up in your woods.

 

[Dawn419]

Back again! We've been dealing with pop-up thunderstorms since my last post here so I've barely bothered turning the ancient computer on. The weather has been a bit cooler and we've gotten some rain so I can't complain!

We'll be ordering a game cam this week to help find out what's been spookin' around the coops since every time I've sprinkled the DE it rains. What ever it is had Bub raising fits last week. Still have the chickens on lock down but have been letting the guineas out to range later in the day just to keep the grass hoppers from completely taking over.

January 2010:

Built an above ground cold frame to use for helping to keep spare water bottles and poultry waterers from freezing solid. We covered this with heavy, clear plastic and it did a suprisingly great job at keeping the water thawed since it's south facing an gets a lot of sun. I added a piece of tin to the floor and west end of this one last year and it worked even better.



Got to see one of our resident hawks and their nest:





A funny squirrel story real quick. We were ate up with gray squirrels back in TN and I got to the point that I totally despised them for constantly raiding my bird feeders. We move out here and what happens...we have a resident pair of fox squirrels and I make sure to put out extra food just for them. I ain't right...



On the 28th, we had a storm move in that gave us atleast 1/4" of ice before the snow started on the 29th for doc's birthday! It was one of the best snows that I'd seen since leaving South Jersey in '84.





And it just kept coming down!





We went out every so often to try and keep the worst of the snow knocked off of the coops and soft-sided shed.





Snow ended that night but another adventure began on the 30th.

Bambi came to visit while we were enjoying our morning coffee (taken through camper window):



And the ice layer on top of the hoop coop caused it to collapse in the center. I didn't realize this at the time I took this pic, but you can see a bit of a "buckle" in the cattle panel on the right hand side. I was too busy taking "pretty pictures"...



Found this when I went out to feed and water:





So we got to play out in the snow and build the center support for the hoop coop, which we should have added in the first place but was forgotten about with so many other projects going on. Some days our journey towards a self-sufficient life seems more like a journey of self-stupidity!!!





Chicken snow angels:





Next up...February 2010 and I'm sure more blunders!

 

[Dawn419]

That pear wine sounds good. I'm trying to start making wine. Finding cheap corks is a pain though. I'm tempted to sterilize Arizona Iced Tea bottles instead. Hmmmmmm ... ? I know it wouldn't be something to age for years that way, but maybe up to a year, or so???

I've recently made a post about the pear wine at BYC. We're getting our supplies at Midwest Supply as they're close and seem to have the best prices, even on corks and are fantastic to work with. When we started the pear wine last year, we caught them at one of their busiest times, explained our situation and they did their best to get us what we needed when we needed it

We're using "food grade" plastic for fermenting since we don't need any glass bombs going off in the camper. Plastic can be scary enough. We used to use pop bottle CO2 reactors in our fresh water, live planted tanks back in TN. One time I had replaced what I thought was a dead pop bottle reactor with a live one and capped the dead one until I could empty it out. Forgot about it and the darned thing reactivated and basically blew up. The shredded plastic tore up leaves on an old Mother-in -Laws tongue plant. Yep, don't need glass bombs when Dawn's in control! Let me know if you want some plastic bourbon bottles for your adventure, got plenty saved back.

We've been trying to slowly build up our bottle supply again and are using the excuse that by buying the bottles with Sam Adams Summer Ale and Grolsch that we're basically getting free beer for what we'd be paying for empty bottles!

 

[dragonlaurel]

That pear wine sounds good. I'm trying to start making wine. Finding cheap corks is a pain though. I'm tempted to sterilize Arizona Iced Tea bottles instead. Hmmmmmm ... ? I know it wouldn't be something to age for years that way, but maybe up to a year, or so???

I've recently made a post about the pear wine at BYC. We're getting our supplies at Midwest Supply as they're close and seem to have the best prices, even on corks and are fantastic to work with. When we started the pear wine last year, we caught them at one of their busiest times, explained our situation and they did their best to get us what we needed when we needed it

We're using "food grade" plastic for fermenting since we don't need any glass bombs going off in the camper. Plastic can be scary enough. We used to use pop bottle CO2 reactors in our fresh water, live planted tanks back in TN. One time I had replaced what I thought was a dead pop bottle reactor with a live one and capped the dead one until I could empty it out. Forgot about it and the darned thing reactivated and basically blew up. The shredded plastic tore up leaves on an old Mother-in -Laws tongue plant. Yep, don't need glass bombs when Dawn's in control! Let me know if you want some plastic bourbon bottles for your adventure, got plenty saved back.

We've been trying to slowly build up our bottle supply again and are using the excuse that by buying the bottles with Sam Adams Summer Ale and Grolsch that we're basically getting free beer for what we'd be paying for empty bottles!

I gotta do some partying with you someday. Bourbon is good and homemade wine too. Thanks for offering on the bottles. I got a 5 gallon water bottle and the old reliable 5 gallon bucket so I'm good on the primary fermentation.
I got 15 empty wine bottles (free) from a fancy restaurant, but just wished corks were cheap and easier to put in. Don't like needing a fancy corker.

I drink Arizona Iced Tea when I find it in the glass bottle then save them. That size (20 oz) would be great for wine bottles, so I'd like to try it with some.
Hubby goes through soooo many 2 liter soda bottles but they are bigger than I would want to drink fast. hangovers suck

eta- I just checked the links you gave me. I got some good reading to do. Thanks.

 

[Dawn419]

I'm gonna be evil and say that we're not that far apart! 3 more months and Doc is gonna be on a regular work schedule where he's gonna have a week off. In less than a month, we're gonna have my Dakota back on the road...Oh dragonlaurel, watch what you wish for!

I'm something like a semi-vegan...give me fresh fruit and vegetables....but come winter, and it's show me the protien, where's the meat? And I have times where my body says "stick with light protien" in the winter, too.

Since Doc has this "real job", I just got a flyer in the mail, take this test and earn some points...I'm half way there and they aren't totally appreciative of what I'm telling them but excuse me... I smoke less cigs than I did years ago and drink less too! Last 3 months can KMA, ain't brewed our own in how long???

 

[dragonlaurel]

Cool We're in Hot Springs- about 1- 1/2 hours SW of Little Rock.
I'm vegetarian. Hubby's a devoted carnivore, but he is having to work on his diet now from health problems. He's starting to try the stuff I like.
What is the test for?

 

[Dawn419]

The tests are for the health insurance that Doc has through work. It's basically an on-line quiz that we had to take then you do biometric tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc. By doing these, we actually get paid, as in they add money to his prepaid health card that we can use for herbal supplements, cold medicine, vitamins...anything health related. It's actually pretty cool.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Getting paid is worth some questions. Cool.
I subscribed to that wine making thread. Looks promising. I'm getting ready to make my first batch. It's gonna be grape and apple juices, with some pomegranate seeds.
I was gonna make a batch last winter, and froze the seeds then. It took a while to get my equipment, so I'm getting started this summer instead.

 

[abifae]

I'm half way there and they aren't totally appreciative of what I'm telling them but excuse me... I smoke less cigs than I did years ago and drink less too! Last 3 months can KMA, ain't brewed our own in how long???

LOL I lose points on health quizzes for being low carb.

I eat "too few" grains and too much fat. Bwahahahaha!!!