NH Homesteader's journal

[Devonviolet]

Down here, in TX we won't be having a white Christmas. But, when I was milking this morning, it was POURING !!! We are talking TORRENTIAL!!!! We are supposed to have rain all day & into the night. We are supposed to get 2"+ before its done. But so far we already have 1-3/4", if it keeps up all day we will probably

From what I've heard, & from experience, that would equate to 20-24" of snow!!!

I cracked out the rain gear, for going out to milk, and am so glad I did!!!

 

[baymule]

I am happy to get that rain! Used my inside time to wrap Christmas presents. Made yet another seed order...... I gotta stop. I just gotta stop! But I had to get rutabaga seeds.....and on another order, they were out of the New Zealand spinach......so I had to have that too....and other cool sounding things that I would like to eat..... I am seriously afflicted. If the sun would come out, I'd get away from this computer-conduit to seed companies......

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'm trying REALLY hard to contain myself to only a few items for the garden! But it's so hard!

We have about 5 inches so far. It's been steady but light snow so maybe we'll luck out and have less. Yuck on the rain, although if you guys need it then it's not as bad!

Did Peppermint's hooves tonight. Just have Patty and Clifford to tackle while DH is home this weekend. Then we can leave everyone alone until about February when we have to do CDT shots.

We're plotting poultry housing updates for spring/summer. That and more goat fencing will be our big farm projects this year, since we aren't getting any more breeding stock (except maybe more Dominiques from a different breeder and a duck trio because I miss my ducks!)

 

[Devonviolet]

Oh yes! We are so happy to get the rain, because we were in serious drought.

We have been waiting for rain, so we can rototill the garden area. We have gotten so much now, it looks like we will have to wait for a warm spell in 2 or 3 weeks, so we aren't tilling mucky soil. We have 6-8" Sandy loan over red clay. We need the clay to dry out a bit before we try to till it.

I have LOTS of seeds. But, some of them are several years old, so, viability is decreased. I would like to buy some of the medicinal herb seeds, that I don't already have.

I think I will wait a while to buy seeds, until I have time to get my seeds together & see eat I need.

 

[sumi]

With seed viability I always think of the saying I heard a few years ago: One year's seeds, seven years' weeds. Meaning if you let the weeds go to seed, you'll be pulling them for the next seven years. Do at least some seeds stay viable for seven years then? I've never stored seeds long, so I honestly have no idea how long we can realistically expect them to stay viable… I should start a thread on this.

ETA: Storing seeds and viability

 

[NH Homesteader]

Did Patty and Clifford's hooves this morning. She has always been awful about her hooves but she was great today! Cliff took over as the resident pain in the butt lol. You can tell I've been wrangling a buck, I washed my hands twice and I still smell like a goat.

So incredibly thankful for my barn. It's cold and freezing rain. It's nasty out. And we got to do hooves in the barn, and no one has to go outside if they don't want to. They're thrilled, I'm thrilled!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh and as for seeds- I think I'm ordering mostly new seeds this year even though I have a bunch of leftovers from previous years. I just really don't have the space or energy to deal with low viability this year. And I'm growing so few things I would really like the things I am growing to do well!

 

[sumi]

That barn really was a blessing for you!

Hmm, I think you have a good excuse to order more seeds!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ya'll got that barn up just in time! And, yep, order new seeds. I like to try something new every year just to experiment a little.

 

[NH Homesteader]

It's so much easier to get DH to do hooves when he gets to do it inside! Lol

I do have to admit I'm wondering how much I really want to wrestle sheep... When we have to wrestle Clifford and he's only maybe 60 lbs at this point I don't really want a 200+lb ram fight. Haha we'll see... Will be doing some farm visits this year anyway.

My power keeps flickering. Really really hoping it stays on!!