SSDreamin Blessings and curses

[hqueen13]

Silly meatie birds!
Glad that icecream is doing better!

 

[SSDreamin]

Crazy busy last couple of days! Did my first milking of Ice Cream yesterday, 'All By Myself' All I can say is thank you Dansha farms!!! It took a bit - we first bought a hand pump model, with regular 'cups'. What we've ended up with is a battery powered model, with a set of small cups. So nice, and so easy! Plus, now we have the hand pump as a back up. I managed to choreograph everything fairly well - and the pump lets me get up and do something if needed.
So, yesterday was the anniversary of my DS#1's accident, so DS#2 and I went to the cemetery and tidied things up/put stuff back out that I bring home over the winter. I was shocked at how little snow there was left, just 2 towns south of us! It was cold and bitterly windy, so we didn't stay long. Half way home, a state cop climbs right up my tailpipe! I told DS#2 "well, that makes me uncomfortable!" He stays on me for a mile, then turns on his lights! Now, I don't know about you, but the few times I've been stopped, my mind immediately starts trying to remember if I stopped fully at the last 4-way, used my turn signal, etc. I also start shaking. Cops make me fearful. So he approaches the truck (after sitting behind me, in his car, with his lights on, for what SEEMED like 10 minutes!) and asks me if I had just been in _____(city). Yes. Was I at the cemetery? Yeeesss? WHY was I at the cemetery? Now, what kind of weird question was this? Has _____ passed some law where non-residents must ask permission to enter? I tried to explain calmly, but broke down crying, which made me feel stupid and angry at the same time. He said that the 'gentleman' who owns the scrapyard near the cemetery had called them. The man had said my son and I had stolen some scrap metal from him, described our truck to police, said he 'gave chase but couldn't keep up' (Ha! Top speed for my beast these days is 50!) so he called them! Can you believe that??!! The cop then told me he would need my drivers license and ccw permit - 'to check and see if my story is legit'. Ummm, how do you verify the story I just told you from THOSE documents? Does that magnetic strip on the back of my license contain ALL the details of my life? Does the state police keep extensive files on me - including the name of my deceased son and where he's buried??!! He finally comes back, hands me back my stuff and says "You're free to go. Have nice day!" Are you kidding me? Bad choice of words, guy! How about, 'sorry for the inconvenience' 'sorry to waste your time and add to your grief on such a difficult day' or, better yet ' thank you ma'am, I am now going to go back and read that crazy old man the riot act for doing this to you today' !! I told DH I am half tempted to call the city police there before I go next time - tell them I'm on my way over, this is what my truck looks like, this is WHY I'm coming to your crappy little town, and I am formally requesting permission to visit my son's grave in peace - without harassment! Geesh!

 

[Wannabefree]

Sorry you had such a horrible experience Some people are just jerks!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's horrible... I'm so sorry you had to deal with that.

 

[hqueen13]

Ugh! So sorry to hear you for harassed! What a crazy odd story that is. Not cool that the chip want more sympathetic, geez.

 

[Denim Deb]

You could file a complaint against the guy for harassment, filing a false police report, etc.

 

[SSDreamin]

Life goes on.

Flank is growing like a weed. Ice Cream is not producing as much milk as expected, but that's OK. I have five gallons in the frig right now, so I guess I'm making mozzarella and ricotta cheese at some point today! DH had me order a butter churn and a cheese press - I can make butter in the blender, but he INSISTS we (ME) do it by hand We need the press for hard cheese, and he won't make me one/I can't figure one out, so I bought one.
I spent a good chunk of yesterday cleaning April's pasture. We divided Jim & April up. She just turned one, and I was worried that, if she started having heat cycles he'd try to mount her - not good at her size! Plus, Jim was not exactly mean, but not really nice to her. So, it was 50 degrees and sunny, and I hauled poo. I couldn't clean it all out, because there are huge sheets of ice in there - I left those covered so she didn't slip and fall. I wanted to start on Jim's pasture today, but the farrier is coming. I figured I'd do him a favor and not get Jim worked up before he shows up. Jim hates new/strange things in his pasture. Me, shoveling/hauling poo in a wheelbarrow would probably wind hi pretty good! We have been working with April every day for the last 2 weeks, trying to get her more comfortable with having her feet done. She'll *almost* lift her feet on command now!
We cleaned out the cows inside pens, again, and dumped/spread it on the garden. I was surprised at how little area it covered! After I'm done with Jim's pasture, I'll start hauling some of the compost from the old pile out there and spread that around. I've started my peppers and tomatoes and they are almost all up! I can't plant them for 8-10 weeks yet, but this way they can (hopefully) grow cool and slow, to be stronger at transplanting time!
The one duckling and 'Hawky' DS#2's chicken, are now out in the isolation pen in the chicken coop. Our six replacement buffs, 2 more runner ducklings and 2 khaki campbell ducklings are in the brooder. I am thinking we'll build a ramp up into the coop and keep the ducks in there at night/let them free range during the day.
The meaties are in the meatie house, growing like...meaties The horse pine pellets are working fantastic for them - no huge stink in there as of yet! Could be the cooler weather too - helping keep the smell down.
Still no pigs. Nobody has any for sale right now. I've heard there's a desease going through that wiped out thousands of them, so - if we even can find some - they will be pricey
My brother and his family came over on Sunday, to 'check out the zoo'. Ugh. They didn't even knock on the door - they went straight to the back yard, went INTO the chicken pen, went INTO the barn and INTO the cow's pen!! My doofus dog never barked to let me know anyone was here, so I looked out my back door and see people roaming all over the place!! I was I don't go to their house and wander through their garage, garden, or rummage through their cars and never even knock on their door!! Geesh!! Maybe I'm overreacting, but it really ticked me off!
I made bagels again this week. My MIL loves them and INSISTS I make her a batch. Uh, no. Recipe, yes. Bake them up for you, no. I'll admit, I love them too. Ds#2 and I scarf them whenever I bake a batch! The bread is almost ready to come out of the oven, the farrier will be here in an hour, and - if I'm lucky - that should give me just enough time to make a batch of cheese.
Oh - the front yard is STILL mostly covered in that nasty white stuff, but we're expecting 50's and maybe even a 60 degree day this week - so I'm hoping it will all be gone soon

 

[Denim Deb]

I don't like for people to go wandering around my property either. Ask me if you want to see something, but don't just wander around!

Hope it does get warmer for you. I'm glad we don't have any more of that nasty white stuff left!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow - you've been busy, busy!

 

[hqueen13]

The bfs dad stopped by last week unannounced and luckily we were fine. I told him he's got to set a boundary and let him know that he needs to call first. If we don't answer don't come by. I told him it would be really awkward if we were busy and his dad interrupted! Not cool!
Sounds like you're getting lots done!
Do you have a butter press? I've been trying to figure out how to get all the water out of the butter and am not having such good luck with it. I know they used to press it way back when but I'm not sure how to do that.