Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Feels like temp is 114 right now. That's my cue to go out and put out cool fresh water for all the critters. Then it'll be time to come in and shower for the 2nd time today. After feeding tonight I'll get to shower for the 3rd time! I need to remember that there's a drought....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Spent about 25 minutes outside. By the time I got back in the temp was over 104 with 41% humidity. That makes the heat index closer to 120...

We've been getting extreme heat warnings all afternoon. This is baaaaaad!

My crazy LGD that hates water sat, without restraint, while I hosed her down from top to bottom and head to toe.

 

[baymule]

I worked outside until nearly 12 noon. Done. I went out a couple hours ago and gave sheep fresh water. They are hot. The shade is hot.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

The heat is relentless! I don't want it anymore.

Geeze, every day in summer is pretty much like the day before. Lather, rinse, repeat.

DH is waiting for an appt for an MRI. He's barely better. I try to convince him that sitting on his tuckus every day all day long is not helping the matter. But, that's all he feels like doing...

I'll be taking a couple hours off of farming today and having a bit of girls time with DIL. We're going to have a movie afternoon. I'm looking forward to it.

Sent a care pkg to DD today. She's had long term visitors most of the summer and she confided to me yesterday that she's going broke feeding them all. Mama to the rescue, lol. She's so generous with other folks that I thought it would be nice to do a little bit to repay her for being such a good person!

Picked up some extra gr. beef that I'll try to get canned this week. Really looking forward to that...

 

[flowerbug]

beans, cabbage, turnips, taters, onions, melons.

however, one way to scare off visitors who are eating too much is to say that if they don't help out in the garden they can't eat. instant vamooses to cabooses!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Been a busy few days.

I pressure canned 9 lbs of ground beef. Did it all in crumbles. One didn't seal - ugh. We had it for dinner that evening.

Two of the massive Argonaut squash have been processed. Biggest majority of each were dehydrated. It takes forEVER to slice them up into nice thin dehydratable size pieces. Some of the randomly shaped pieces were tossed into a pan to cook down into a sort of puree. Some of the puree went into some experimental "pumpkin" bread. I have to pronounce that experiment a success, lol. Roasted some of those odd sized pieces too and they are quite delicious. Two down and maybe 7 to go? I need to count 'em.

Dug the sweet potatoes. I had read to dig them a month after the flowered. Had some HUGE potatoes - had some tiny ones too. Not a huge harvest overall though. If I had more room I'd probably plant them again, but I'll have to consider the yield vs. the amount of space they take up. The goats love the vines so maybe I should grow them as goat food, lol.

Picked more than half of a 5 gallon bucket of okra. That's AFTER I tossed all the ones that were too big and tough. Shame nothing else on the farm will eat okra. Chickens will pick at the seeds if I open the pod for 'em. That will be dehydrated.

Cucumbers are still coming on strong and the second batch of cucumbers planted (pickling type) are producing now also. I have ONE Heart of Gold melon on the vine. I'm babying that thing like crazy, lol. It better be delicious.

Zero figs this year. In fact, the tree is looking crazy stressed despite the couple of deep watering sessions I've given it.

However - hope it recovers because we are getting RAIN right now! We've had a quick 1/3 of an inch! Whoppee!

MRI for DH coming up on Wednesday.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Same ol', same ol'. It's that time of year where not too many things change. Trying to keep up with the garden, the critters, the house, and DH. Not doing a great job of any of it, lol!

I finally got the oil changed in my truck. It had started screaming at me so I couldn't put it off anymore. A hundred bucks for an oil change? Geeze! Guess I should do it myself. It's been a whole lot of years since I changed my own oil - but if I did it before I probably can do it again. Thank goodness it won't be due for awhile. By then I'll forget that I should really do it myself.

Still no rain. Houston weather report said 17 inches needed to get out of this drought - and here we've been a lot drier than Houston proper. Just. Not. Ok. But, since I'm not in charge of weather I'll have to just deal with it until it changes.

I hatched some guineas several weeks ago. Dumbest birds ever, lol. They want to kill themselves every time I try to feed/water them. I did discover this morning that if I don't face their cage directly that they're calmer. It's a challenge to replace feeders and waterers while standing sideways. Better than them scalping themselves or breaking their necks I guess. I need them to grow faster so I can get them on the ground.

DH had his MRI last week - hope to get results this week. I'm ready for him to get better.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hope MRI shows good things!

Wherever you posted about those 1/2 gal jars....I went to WM site hoping for some. Nope $47. . I'll just treasure what I have! WOW! CRAZY!

 

[tortoise]

Hope MRI shows good things!

Wherever you posted about those 1/2 gal jars....I went to WM site hoping for some. Nope $47. . I'll just treasure what I have! WOW! CRAZY!

Walmartdotcom has tons of 3rd party sellers that jack prices way-way up. It's hard to sort them out. I've seen 1/2 gallon jars at normal prices in my area. I hope you have better luck finding them! They should be about $15 for 6 jars.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I had one case of the 1/2 gal jars delivered yesterday. Got a notice this morning that my shipment has been delayed. Sure hope that doesn't mean that I'm not going to get the rest of 'em. Gotta just wait and see.

@tortoise - I've never gotten them for $15. Generally been in the $20/21 range around here. I was tickled pink to find 'em for under $14.

@Mini Horses - I check prices frequently. Sometimes you get lucky.