Mississippifarmboy's Living Simple Journal, Ready for a Fresh Start.

[mississippifarmboy]

Boy am I tired. And my back is killing me, but we did get a good bit done today. I haven't felt real good today, but not near as sick as I have been the past couple of days.
We have the old metal shed in pieces and loaded on my wagon I pull behind the riding mower but still need to move the wagon down to the drive and unload it to be loaded later to haul to the scrap yard along with some other scrap. I picked up some of the larger pieces of brush and dead limbs around the rear of the property, some old rotten wood rabbit boxes and all the feed sacks and such from the barn and burned a huge pile of it today. Em spent most of the day with a scrubber and a water hose sitting out under the oaks washing stuff from around the farm like old feeders, waterers, plastic bins, some incubator trays... just a ton of stuff. She didn't get finished, but done a heck of a lot. She's in bed sick now. Poor thing is tuckered out and running a fever too. Hasn't even ate any supper yet.
The breeder cage I bought a month or so ago I got mostly deconstructed so I can rebuild it to suit me for breeding pairs of our show birds. Maybe one more day and I'll be ready to move it to where it will be staying. It's about 20' long so weighs a lot.
Still stressing over bills, but it's getting to the point I'm just starting to tune it all out. It's that or go crazy worrying and I can't let myself get too depressed because I know my family needs me. And I am so blessed to have great kids and the love of a good woman. Anyway, just another day in paradise.

 

[Wannabefree]

Bills schmills brother Let the bills take care of the bills. Don't let it get to ya, they'll still be there when you're ready for them, I promise Glad you got a good bit done today, and sounds like you both need a break now Take it easy tomorrow, or let me come help

 

[Happy to be Me]

Hope you are both feeling better today! But wow--you got a lot accomplished yesterday!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Well Emily is still sick, but I feel a little better myself. Not great, but better.

Terra sold her English Bulldog today and I sold a couple of boxes of price guides, so we were able to get a couple of bills paid. Of course I had three others call wanting their money... oh well. Little by little we are getting there. I just keep telling myself to remember to take baby steps and that every bill we get paid is another one that's forever in the past. We are hoping a few more people will share the "Second chance for Gus" link on Facebook, we haven't raised much yet, but have several who have emailed they are going to donate on Friday, so hoping that will at least cover the vet bills by the weekend.

Picked up a little feed, moved the scrap metal off the wagon into a pile, worked just a little more on the breeder cages, feed and watered the critters and picked up a little more around the yard. Gave Gus his final shots and his probiotics. He has a little swelling starting in front of his sheath, so we called the vet and he had us rinse him off with the hose and walk him a little. Easier said than done with a huge, stubborn, wild horse, but we got it done.

Tired but now that I got my milking done and a little play time with Lily, I'm gonna sit back with Em and the kids and watch a movie and have some supper. I am soooo ready to just snuggle up and rest a while.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Raining and COLD here tonight! Haven't had to build a fire yet, but it won't be too much longer I'm thinking. Still need to clean the flue and blow out the fan on the wood heater before we do need a fire.
Didn't get much done yesterday or today. Mainly just doing some research and such. As soon as we get caught up and I get the work shed cleaned out I'm going to start working on a few things I've had in mind for years like an improved water heater for the wood burning stove, a flue oven and a low volume scrap wood camp shower. I've had tons of ideas wonking around in my head for years, just never took the time to build them. I need to build some more portable coops, feeders and rubber hinges to sell too.
The cow is going dry, the chickens are molting, the grass is turning brown and the garden is over other than the winter greens. The weather is cooling off and ever year about this time I get to wanting to just hibernate until spring.
Winter to me is a time for warm fires, snuggling up with a good book, working on indoor projects, spending lots of time researching and planning the next years projects, and conditioning the chickens for the spring breeding season.

Thinking I might order a hundred or so hatchery pullets to grow out for spring sales. Maybe a few winter broilers too. Or not. Can't decide.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Been a couple of days since I posted, but not much going on. Been working with Gus, deciding where I'm going to be setting up some new coops this winter and cleaning up a little around the farm. I need to get some scrap metal hauled off tomorrow if I can and I have a friend coming to look at an old commercial air unit I have. Still don't have the new fence up in the rear, been raining and cold. The sun came out this evening, but was drizzling rain all morning.

I will be glad when the leaves get off the timber. I sure would like to get a good mess of squirrel and dumplings......

 

[SSDreamin]

Been a couple of days since I posted, but not much going on. Been working with Gus, deciding where I'm going to be setting up some new coops this winter and cleaning up a little around the farm. I need to get some scrap metal hauled off tomorrow if I can and I have a friend coming to look at an old commercial air unit I have. Still don't have the new fence up in the rear, been raining and cold. The sun came out this evening, but was drizzling rain all morning.

I will be glad when the leaves get off the timber. I sure would like to get a good mess of squirrel and dumplings......

DH & DS#2 went hunting this past weekend - got one squirrel and one partridge. This was the first time in all DH's years of hunting he got a partridge, so I cooked it up last night for dinner! I seasoned it, wrapped it in bacon, and baked it (along with a few chicken breasts, so we'd have more than a bite to eat! ). It was good - just like chicken but, even with the bacon wrapped around it, it was a little dry. Wonder if I could do a partridge version of chicken and dumplings to help with that?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

SSD, around here we use almost any meat in dumplings to stretch the meal. A cup of meat to a large pot of dumplings will flavor them and be good, of course, the more meat the better it tastes. We use chicken, rabbit, squirrel, ground hog, turkey, quail, dove, pigeon... just whatever. I guess squirrel, chicken and rabbit are the most common.

Saw some wild turkey too. Might go get a couple in a few days.

It'll be a few days though. I just got the crap kicked outta me by our mare. I'm sitting here tight lipped holding an ice bag to a hoof print on my hip. ouch!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Owwwwwwwwwww... I'm surprised you're not holding a 2 x 4 upside her head! Shame on her... Hope the ice helps!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Owwwwwwwwwww... I'm surprised you're not holding a 2 x 4 upside her head! Shame on her... Hope the ice helps!

Ummmm...... let's just say it hurt and I "corrected" her promptly. All in a day's work though.

I finally finished deconstructing the breeder cage, just need to move it to where it's going to stay then I can start rebuilding it. I cleaned the flue and the wood heater. Got everything fed and taken care of and loaded a small load of scrap. Em hauled it to the scrap yard while she was in town for an interview. Was not much, but another 30 bucks anyway. Plus that much less to look at. If I get my trailer back tomorrow I'm going to try and haul off a big load. Assuming I'm able to get outta bed with this hip.

Been a beautiful day here. A bit cool, but sunny and just perfect.