Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Denim Deb]

We have a cold front coming thru as well. Today was beautiful and I wish the rest of the week was going to be as well.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Just had a power outage. Went straight to the hutch and got the battery lantern. Got out the candles. (which ones do we use? The tall tapers, one or two of 100 or so tea lights, the nice smelling ones?) grabbed a box of matches - could've used a butane lighter, but the matches were stored right there with the candles.

Walked outside to see the neighbor walking this way with only her cell phone for light. She knew she had a flashlight "somewhere". We loaned her a lantern to go find HER lantern, lol.

We were sitting down finishing our dinner by candle light when the power came back on.

It was only out about 20 minutes, but it was a reminder that what is easy for us, because we're prepared, could be a true emergency for someone else.

She brought back our lantern, with her 3 year old in tow. We sent her home with a couple of extra candles and matches too....

Getting down to 40 tonight. Coldest night yet for us.

 

[Denim Deb]

One of the best flashlights to have for a power outage is one w/a magnet on it. We have one and after we get other light sources going (or turn the generator on), it goes back on the fridge. That way, we always know where it is.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Agreed - we have one of those too. I think I'll get the neighbor one for Christmas.

We keep flashlights in practically every room in the house. We have one in the hutch in the dining room, 'his and her' flashlights on the headboard of the bed, and one on the bookcase in the living room. DH keeps one in the garage, by the door too. We're flashlight RICH, lol.

 

[moolie]

We have flashlights everywhere as well.

The kids each have LED "headlights" that they received from their Aunt for Christmas one year, we also have a big rechargeable flashlight and hand-crank lantern under our bed for power outages/camping.

My favourites are the dollar store mini 9-LED flashlights--they fit really well into pockets, backpacks, my purse etc. and we also have one in the kitchen drawer and a drawer in our coffee table in our family room. They are surprisingly durable (been dropped lots, even on the tile floor with no issues) and easy on batteries (we've had a few of ours for several years and they've seen lots of use with none ever needing their batteries changed yet).

Great stocking stuffers, we gave them to all our extended family last year and everyone loves them They look like this:

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I love those Moolie. I need to go pick up a few more. I want to get one for the barn and the other out buildings. I sometimes wear a head lamp out to feed/milk after dark, or before sunrise - but oftentimes I don't. I think if the lights went out while I was milking, I might appreciate having some light.

Speaking of milking - Red lost her mind this morning - OMG. She wouldn't even come up to be milked - she was hanging out at the buck pen, bawling and acting like a "loose" goat. I took her by the collar and half-drug her to the milk room. She didn't want to get on the stand, she bawled the whole time, and then she decided to see if she could do a double back flip off the stand. Needless to say, the milk didn't survive the experience, and she almost didn't either. Then we had to have a lesson about getting on the milk stand when mama asks her to. She didn't want to - but I insisted. It was a hard fought battle (seriously) but I won. Then we got her down and did it all over again, lol. She got treats after she settled down, but DAY-UMMMMMMM! That's no way to start the morning....geeze, critters!

 

[Denim Deb]

I have some of those flashlights as well. Sometimes you can find a coupon for a free one in Harbor Freight. I always look for those.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's only Wednesday and I'm already trying to plan out my weekend. DH is going to work on the very last chicken run. That'll give me the space to pen up some more of my breeds and get ready to sell eggs in the spring. I'll have Sussex, Silver Grey Dorkings, Red Dorkings, Barred Hollands, Faverolles and maybe some Black Copper and Wheaten Marans. I've never shipped eggs before, so I guess I'll have to look into that too. I'll never be 'large scale' but maybe I can help a few others out with hatching eggs and make a little feed money at the same time.

I'm going to see if my son can come help out with a building project. I've got 8 sections of 8ft board fence that I'm going to try and use for the walls of some new shelters. I've got the posts too, so all I'll need to buy is roofing material and maybe some nails. I'm tired of the 'makeshift' atmosphere in my newest pens and want to get them looking a little neater and tidier if possible. For some reason tarps just don't look so awesome flapping in the breeze, lol.

Time to think about making another cut in the pygmy goat herd. It's hard because I love the breed so much and I've been raising them for at least 20 years now. I won't sell all of them, but if I'm going to concentrate on a kinder type (nope haven't got 'em registered yet so I can't call em Kinders, lol) goat I won't need so many pygmy does. Of course, I'm planning on butchering three wethers through out the winter and spring, so that'll help.

Duty calls... will finish this later.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Geeze, you gotta love a ditzy co-worker, huh? I work the occasional Saturday - but today was not one of them I was scheduled for. I was really, really, trying to stay in bed til at least 6:30 this morning - didn't work. Our group was scheduled to go on a field trip this morning that was to leave at 6am. So, at 6:10 my phone starts ringing... grrrrr. One of our chaperones over slept and called me .... she didn't have the number of our other co-worker who was leading the trip. Oh well... there are worse things than getting up early, lol.

I've got tons of things on the agenda today. My son is supposed to come by for a few hours and help out. I loaned him some money a few weeks ago (which he promptly paid back!) , but I told him his 'interest' charge was to come help out for a few hours today. I'll be cooking up a tiny little pre-Thanksgiving dinner that he'll enjoy while he's here. DH hurt his hand about 3 weeks ago and hasn't been 100% since then - plus his allergies are horrible right now so it'll be nice to have some able-bodied help.

My son is very mechanical so I'm gonna ask him to change the oil in the lawnmowers and the tiller - plus replace the pull string on the tiller that I broke...grrrr. I know he'd rather do that than any real 'farm' work. DH and I are gonna butcher some roo's and I hope to get some posts in the ground to start building some extra shelters out of the old fence material.

I need to take some pics and put a few goats on Craigslist... would really like to lower the feed bill for the winter. But, it's HARD for me to sell adult goats. I worry about them long after they leave here. Plus, I'm beginning to worry that the two Nubian does I worked so hard to get bred back in September - may not be bred at all... GRRRRR What's up with that?? THis is an un-proven buck - but dang - he's a buck! Time will tell I guess... I'm probably worried for nothing.

Sitting in front of the TV right now, drinking my coffee and typing this and noticing that one commercial after another reminds me that Chritmas is coming. So much to do - so little time....

 

[SSDreamin]

Gah! Christmas! I am soooo not ready this year!

We are still in wait-n-see mode on our cow too. I think she's preggers, but don't know for sure yet. The vet here doesn't sound very confident about 'checking' her because of her size, either :/ She sure is eating like she's eating for two though!