up here in lalaland ~ Tennessee here we come!

[lalaland]

hmmm. I think I might have to try the live trap as I can't figure out where in the coop or the huge chicken yard the chickens wouldn't be - don't want to catch one of them in the rat trap.

haven't seen any rat holes anywhere

I walked the perimeter, but didn't see anything suspicious - nothing like a trail or anything. two of the 4 sides of the pen are surrounded by meadow, and the other two sides are mowed. so if the rats are coming via the mowed sides....

I hate to set a live rat trap and catch something else - not sure what that else would be? fox? bird? squirrel?

i think I will set out some 5 gallon buckets with water in them and see if I can drown some of them - usually get a few mice that way.

Blackbird, I haven't seen any holes, so no where to set a gopher track.

took my mom to Mayo yesterday and like always, am coming down with something nasty today - all the usual symptoms of a bad cold or flu: achey, throat itch, ears ringing, muscles sore, fatigue....every single time I go there I get sick. I try preventative stuff (wash hands every 10 minutes, emergency c, etc) but no dice.

 

[lalaland]

its 10:30 am and I've got no call to sit here on the computer.

but, it is pouring rain outside, and so all my plans for today were outdoor chores. It is chilly, no heat on in the house yet and since it is infloor heat, it will take 3 days or so to warm up the house.

if I got off my duff I could warm up in no time!

feeling kinda pleased with myself because last night I actually cooked a quick meal for myself instead of having oatmeal for supper, or toast, or popcorn.

made a savory bread pudding with mushrooms, onions, parm, a mix of leftover sour cream, milk, and egg, and thyme. wow! smelled like a paris bistro, and was sooo good. also made a tiny apple crisp, but it was too sweet. polished the pudding off for breakfast.

I'm thinking of buying a trail cam/outdoor camera and have been looking online for kinds. First use would be to see if I can id the egg thieves. 2nd would be just for amusement, to watch the coming and goings of critters - I miss so much while working and commuting.

anyone got a trail cam? suggestions?

off to make OFG's pumpkin walnut pie.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

made a savory bread pudding with mushrooms, onions, parm, a mix of leftover sour cream, milk, and egg, and thyme.

oh i LOVE this!! yum yum yum.. say i might know what we are having for supper....

happy rainy day!

 

[Javamama]

I don't have a trail cam, but I think it would be neat to see all the critters that come around at night. The dog seems to find plenty to bark at

 

[lalaland]

wetter than wet - had 3 inches in less than 24 hours, and it is pouring again. not pleased as I have two chickens who are in a severe moult and are going to be seriously wet and chilled.

I have a barbie doll pink hairdryer the old dairy farmer down the road gave me after his wife passed - this is the "chicken dryer" for those times when I have had to dry a chicken who was being treated for some wound or something - might have to break that out tonight.

Don't want those chickens to be in the cold coop sopping wet tonight/ They can stay out of the rain, but of course, won't.

yesterday, got half a big round bale of hay spread out over the cleaned garden areas. still have a huge area that needs cleanup for the spring.

gotta find a couple of small bales of clean hay for the coop.

cold grey yucky day. and the forecast has the S word in it for wednesday. here's wishing I had that oak firewood that an idiot burned in the firepit while housesitting.

 

[lalaland]

home last night in the dark and the wind - whoosh - stuff flying everywhere, sounds like a freight train -

chickens all huddled in a corner in the coop- got them settled once the coop door got closed

finally turned on the heat

its snowing! and yes....today I am going to plant garlic. crap.

gotta go find a couple of small bales of good hay for the coop, get it cleaned, get the windows in the coop plastic-ed,

harvest the leeks


made the best easiest dinner ever all from the garden:

take a big cabbage, core it, slice it into wedges. put it in a roasting pan with the curved side down. take some potatoes , skin them or don't, cut them into 4ths or chunked pretty big, tuck them in around the cabbage. throw in a couple of carrots or peppers if ya want.

take some onions, maybe two or three big ones, saute them til translucent. add a couple of cups of broth (chicken, veggie, plain water if that's all you got). Pour onions and broth over the roasting pan. Salt & pepper to taste, careful if you are adding store bought broth because you might already have way too much salt.

:Option: put some sausage in the roasting pan, or fry up some bacon and add that. I usually skip the meat

Tightly cover pan with foil, put it in the oven at 375 and let it bake a couple of hours.

It will smell wonderful, look pretty awful as most of it comes out light coffee colored. Your guests will be doubtful but polite, but...once you bite into it, you can't stop. Even cabbage haters love this one.

leftovers are great at room temp.

 

[lalaland]

snow snow snow! already got 3 inches, and there is supposed to be 8-10 before sun morning.

chickens hate it, had to coax them out

it is sooo pretty. definitely puts me in an xmas mood. Just came in from chores:
- got the snowshoes out
- emptied the rain barrel
- moved the truck closer to the driveway so I can get out tomorrow
- filled the bird feeders
- hung xmas lights outside on the garden arch
- hauled the frozen pumpkins from the steps down to the compost
(yup, too bad I don't have pigs! or goats)
- cut pine boughts from a pine that went down in the last storm and put them in the planter by the door
- switched out the chicken waterers for the winter ones

Now I have oatmeal on the stove and I'm settling down with coffee to watch the birds and the snow - life is good!

 

[framing fowl]

Sounds very cozy! I always enjoy the first snow! It's just the 50th snow in March that starts getting to me!

 

[Denim Deb]

You can keep the snow for now! Part of me wants some, but part of me remembers how bad it was around here last year. We normally get maybe 2 feet of snow all winter. Last winter, we got 3 storms that each dumped 2 feet of snow. I was sooooo done by the 3rd storm, and I don't have 4 wheel drive. My DH doesn't think I needed it. :/

 

[lalaland]

2 feet is a BIG snow to me, we usually don't get that much at a crack. And heck, with global warming, we don't get what we got as a kid.

thought I was just remembering from a kids perspective til going thru old pictures and seeing the snow taller than the cars, etc -

power has been flickering on and off for a couple of hours now, a old farmer neighbor came by to see how I would be situated if the power goes, he was worried I would freeze. He said the powerlines will be coming down with all the tree branches breaking.

-I have turned up the heat (in floor) to get a head start, if the floor is warm the house will take a longer time to cool down in case power does go.
- filled a 5 gallon water jug for me, plus a couple of gallons for the chickens (pump is electric)
- brought in wood, I have a small wood stove that can heat the house if it has too
- shoveled twice
- lucky me, I have propane for the stove, so I will have an easy way to make hot soup, etc.
-got the flashlights and candles out

this is a heavy wet snow, it has already knocked down the fence around the apple trees (protecting from deer). Had to go knockoff the snow from the wire fence topping the chicken pen fence.