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Post by hobbitlady on Oct 16, 2020 12:32:39 GMT -6
Besides buying or ordering ahead on anything that comes to mind (groan!)the only new prep for me was getting vet appts for 4 cats and the pup all set. Our local vet is so backed up, the cats are 1st week of Nov and alllll Sundance's neuter- license- microchip isn't until Dec 14. Well...at least I could finally get the actual appt and no longer be on the waiting list! *sigh The garden has wound down to putting frost covers over the last 2 dozen tomatoes across 10 plants and the winter squash. Took the huge net off the top of the grapevines using a grabber;and got it put away. I'm waiting til last minute to take apples but only from the tree that had the bigger ones. Oddly we haven't seen deer for months this year but a bucket or 2 of tiny "drought" apples goes over the fence to any critter that wants them. At least half my garlic is up an inch or 2 and I added some mulch.I sure missed adding my own garlic to everything this year! That's one thing that's easy enough for me to always grow in my one 3 ft tall bed. 10 years ago I got 4 rugosa roses and a couple of them were known for hips. They actually never took over the property due to our fierce summers causing die-back, Now you all have me curious as to what's out there! I used to keep track,and Look,lol,and made some nice jelly,but my days of doing so much by hand are evaporating Fast. I'm starting to feel like Just a consumer with a garden that hardly uses homestead skills. Well instead of beginning a pity party here I'll just do whatever pleases me and doesn't hurt my body. When I think about it I still do more than most people, to be at least be a Tiny bit self-sufficient! At least nothing can stop me from Prepping!(the consumer way, , oh wellll ...)
Mail-In ballots (we've always gotten in Oregon)came today. First time DH and I voted the First Day we got them! lol
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Post by feather on Oct 16, 2020 14:43:42 GMT -6
I used to keep track,and Look,lol,and made some nice jelly,but my days of doing so much by hand are evaporating Fast. I'm starting to feel like Just a consumer with a garden that hardly uses homestead skills. Well instead of beginning a pity party here I'll just do whatever pleases me and doesn't hurt my body. When I think about it I still do more than most people, to be at least be a Tiny bit self-sufficient! At least nothing can stop me from Prepping!(the consumer way, , oh wellll ...) Hobbitlady, every spring and often in fall, mr feather and I talk about the consumer way, or the gardening/home canning/dehydrating/freezing way. He gets fed up with how heavy the workload is (in his retirement) in the gardening part, and doesn't want to have so much he has to do. I've told him, then just quit the gardening, sow some grass and then buy things. Most likely it would cost us more, and it would be hard to get the kinds of things we an eat (low in salt, sugar, and no oil), so it would be tough but still possible. He usually gets over his tiff with gardening, after a while, and then in spring he gets excited about it again.
There are healthy options, the consumer way. Especially with loss leaders and sales and vegetable stands, farmers, bulk buying. Our grains, we already do the consumer way purchasing from Azure Standard. Our beans, the same. Tomato paste without salt or oil or sugar added, is available but we have to look very hard. Bread with whole grains, can be found but expensive. There are more options for ww pasta than there was 2 years ago, Racconti, sells ww pasta at or below the price of the durum wheat (inside part of the grain) pasta, so just as inexpensive.
Produce in general, the common stuff like carrots, potatoes, onions, can be found on sale and we stock up when they do. Less common stuff, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, we pay a little more for. Tomatoes, kale, romaine, cucumbers, peppers, go up and down and we buy it about 50% of the time.
So far, we've been able to get loss leader fruit on sale, and buy 20 or 10 lbs at a time, eat it or can it as a concentrate/puree, or just prepared and dried or canned. Except for a few weeks a year, fruit is available. Oranges are expensive but we buy them, bananas always very inexpensive, apples on sale on and off, we buy them.
As we are getting older, the consumer way will at some point, become the only option. He's 69, and active, so maybe a few more years.
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Post by solargeek on Oct 16, 2020 14:52:48 GMT -6
Oh my stars we were just out pulling most of the remaining garden trying to see what we could get done and we had some sleety snow come through… It always happens before my husband’s birthday which is tomorrow. But I’m leaving the kale in though, and gutsing it.
Also the no good lousy “Michigan Gardener’s“ brussels sprout plants. Nary a Brussel sprout with 35 plants in, planted in perfect bagged soil, watered appropriately, plenty sturdy and tall. Everything else planted in those beds did great. So it’s not the soil which had plenty of compost and was loose. I’ve noticed a bunch of his seeds are just not good. Fair warning to all of you guys.
And the windchill now has to be in the low Low 30s with gusts going up to 35 mph. I’m giving up for the day.
Glad we have been picking and planning and prepping all along. Otherwise this garden would’ve overwhelmed me.
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Post by useless on Oct 16, 2020 15:58:15 GMT -6
I really hated to do it, but they predict low 30s here overnight, so I picked the big green tomatoes, and pulled up all but the one big, healthy cherry-tomato plant. It has a wool blanket and an old comforter wrapped around it now. It has been producing since mid-July. Covered the pole beans, parsley, and some marigolds, too. We'll see. They'll get another week if they make it through tonight.
Another day when I don't feel like I did anything? except the list of small chores is pretty good. Set up next week's lesson schedule; replied to a complimentary parent; practiced piano (not carefully, but minutes in are minutes in); sorted tomatoes already inside to ripen; ordered some things online that I haven't found in local stores on previous occasions: my odd-size furnace filters, for instance. Thyroid med from the vet for old Porky, the cat. Emailed the music store about some books I need, since I'm going in with a student tomorrow. Washed the pots, ran the dishwasher, watered all the houseplants, emptied the dehumidifier, dumped the compost,, cleaned markings off some piano books from the charity store, sorted a few days' mail, took tomato and zucchini plants to the town drop-off, started reading a novel, though not convinced I like it.
Took a ride out to the lake when it cleared up around 4PM, then west past some abandoned apple orchards. The varieties aren't popular now, or the full-sized trees are just harder and more costly to tend and pick. I'd like to just wade in with a big sack and gather a bunch, but I don't quite dare.
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Post by Farmerjack41 on Oct 16, 2020 20:20:34 GMT -6
useless, If there is a farm house in the area of the area of the unpicked apple trees, you might stop and request if it would be alright to help yourself. Around here the pickers miss apples on a lot of trees, never known a problem in helping yourself. In fact that is on my bucket list for the weekend. My favorite for making applesauce is golden delicious. They are still picking them near me, so may have to wait for them. A friend has several thousand acres of orchards. Called him one day, asked if could drop by the warehouse and buy a box. He said I’ll send somebody by with a box. About two hours later one of his helicopters ( has three), landed in the open field behind my house. Pilot jumps out and says the boss told me to deliver this to you. Nice to have good friends! Sounds like you like to take drives out to look at nature too. Made a trip up into the Cascade Mts today. Pulled a lawn chair out and sat by a pond and ate my sandwich. Getting to be the time of the year, with so many hunter, have to be very careful up there. Too many idiots up there that shoot in the direction of any sound in the trees. The scenery in you are must really be something this time of the year, with all the trees, that the leaves are changing. The trees in the mountains here are mostly evergreen, tho some areas have a good mixture.
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Post by useless on Oct 17, 2020 6:28:57 GMT -6
Jack, as to farmhouses nearby, for some of those stands of trees yes, some no. That whole swath along the lake has been a fruit-growing belt for many years. There are big operations that own or use acreage spread out. Some are going towards very small trees planted close and supported by poles or wires. If I go that way again soon enough, I'll pay more attention to what looks truly abandoned. Full-size trees with vines encroaching is a good bet, as long as it's not poison ivy.
I've always enjoyed drives in the country. We did that when I was a child: cheap entertainment with five kids and one salary. I've kept it up lifelong. These days helps me get my thoughts in order, feel less restricted by the situation.
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Post by Farmerjack41 on Oct 17, 2020 9:33:19 GMT -6
useless, A good number of the orchards here are also planted with trees close together and trained to grow along wires. The idea behind all of this is they think mechanical picking machines are going to be the next thing. There are several being used . on a trial basis, in this area but so far are not the answer. One good thing is, they don't allow the trees to get very tall, so the pickers can use much shorter and lighter ladders. Noticed you have talked about the "finger lakes", have heard that used before. Is that a local label for a group of lakes? What is the other lake you talk about, where fruit trees are grown? Don't mind my questions, always interested in other areas of our country and local folk lore. Where much younger, always enjoyed listening to the ole folks and the famous words " I can remember when". Problem is now I am one of those ole folks. If I make a comment like that, can see the eyes of the younger generation roll back and "oh, God, here he goes again look cone across their face.
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Post by useless on Oct 17, 2020 13:29:45 GMT -6
Jack, I've seen a few mechanical grape harvesters around here, but not for apples. There are several different ideas being tried for those short trees besides running them along wires. A lot don't need ladders at all. People don't follow the fruit from South to North much any more. It is and was back-breaking and dangerous work. Farmers around here now provide reasonable housing, transportation to orchards, days off/over-time. There was a time it was by the pound (for cherries) or the box (for apples.) The government restrictions on bringing in foreign workers has made hiring enough hands to get the fruit in timely difficult.
As to lakes, "the lake" is most often Lake Ontario, the easternmost Great Lake. The Genesee River, which cut the gorge and falls at Letchworth Park, empties into the lake at Rochester, NY. There are swamps, bays and inlets all along, with one of the biggest ones north of me about 15 minutes: Sodus Bay. The Finger Lakes, or Fingers, are a series of lakes that formed as the ice age retreated, digging wide N-to-S valleys that partially filled with water over time. They have Native American names, mostly of tribes, but some descriptive words. Conesus, Hemlock (for the tree), Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Cayuga, Keuka, Otisco, Owasco, Seneca, Skaneateles. 5 are "big", but the other 6 aren't that small. There are also two lakes further south called the "Little Fingers": Waneta and Lamoka. They are giant ponds by comparison, but big enough for boats and ringed with cottages/houses. Seneca Lake is so deep, the Navy has done underwater training and research there since I was a child. Skaneateles Lake is often included in lists of best drinking-water sources in the US.
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Post by midtnmama on Oct 18, 2020 11:49:30 GMT -6
I don't want to post a big list since it depresses me when life gets in the way. So I'll start with what I've accomplished:
Planted a fall garden (and starting to eat from it) Almost finished with the outside chicken run Planted all the mums I started in July
To do: Plant Scuppernong that has been waiting for a hole for a year. Get things ready for older barn cat to come indoors for the winter when cold - New flea collar and litter box and biodegradable cat litter Finish wedding quilt Move big rocks from garden to corner Add manure and leaves to garden for winter Fix the hoophouse Cut saplings for garden trellises Deadhead perennial seeds and garlic chives Make food tower inside the chicken run around post Move Jerusalem Artichokes Order seeds Start Cold hardy Fig Trees for trade Caulk Windows Fix Garage Door Put in kitchen backsplash Propagate (pear, mock orange, plum, apple)
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Post by feather on Oct 18, 2020 13:16:04 GMT -6
midtnmama, or everyone, Are there things you give some consideration to hiring help to do. For us: Like for instance, going on the roof for any reason. Taking down any tree that is close enough to a building to fall the wrong way. Plumbing problems. Well issues. Electrical problems. But what about: Some of the mowing. Projects that are too big to do without help. Fixing large things. I'm really thinking about finding a handy man and a teen for a few things we don't get to or don't want to get to. I don't know how much this might cost.
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Post by hobbitlady on Oct 19, 2020 11:09:54 GMT -6
, we've always had to hire help for plumbing,central-air electric,well anything too heavy for us together to manage.DH is not only partly disabled but never had a handyman background...only carpentry and woodworking. Responding to old posts finally: I still have the "blahs" half the time but the celery/ carrot juice Is a great tonic for me (it just plain feels good when it soaks in,haha) ...and to OhioD; I don't think my tiredness is lack of vit D because there is a Lot in the daily bone supplements I take. Always possible I could use a super dose though. I know the VA gave it to DH in mega doses twice in the past....hummmm.
Here's some pictures,complete with a fingerprint blur I didn't notice on the lens,very obvious on the squash pic. more fumbling old age bs *groan...But at least it's cleaned for Next time. haha. I did have Fun taking some pictures outside again!
last gasp tomatoes (nights are close to freezing now), sugar pine with cone on our property and moon in a Clear sky, homestead squash, and Sundance attacking his "herding ball" which Really helps him burn off his teen cattle dog energy!
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Post by Farmerjack41 on Oct 19, 2020 11:16:21 GMT -6
My to do list for this week, is quite simple. Get all the irrigation systems blown out for winter. Looking at maybe four days in the teens by the end of the week. Also winterize the motor home. Time to get off my tail and getter done.
Hope can bale hay also by end of week, if it dries enough. Weather has been pretty decent, so far. Warm days and and some wind.
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Post by mogal on Oct 19, 2020 12:46:57 GMT -6
Hobbitlady, except for one spoiled poodle, I don't think I've ever met a dog I didn't like. I think I would love your pup. He makes me think of our GSD Sassy and the current female Pyr Abby's motto: If it moves, it's a toy. If it doesn't move, worry it until it moves then it becomes a toy. Abby doesn't play with a Kong but I don't think Sassy ever tired of having us throw hers for her to return. CUTE puppy, your little Sundance!
Re: hiring outside work. Unless it requires special equipment or skills, we can usually do it ourselves. We have hired tree work done because some of the limbs they took off would have made decent trees themselves. They used a cherry picker to reach them. Well service--same thing when we had to replace the pump itself, got new pipe while we were at it and when the line from the well to house leaked, we hired guys with a backhoe to dig the 6' deep trench but DH refilled it. He's an ace at electrical stuff and straightforward plumbing work and a good enough at diagnosing problems that he has saved us money by reducing the time repairmen have needed to be here. They usually charge $75 just to drive out here. Before vehicles got so complicated, he could fix those too. We just had new gutters put on the house. For what it's worth, he's built, wired and plumbed 2 barns during our marriage and refurbished 2 others.
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Post by hobbitlady on Oct 20, 2020 12:10:52 GMT -6
mogal, awww,thanks for complimenting the pup. He sure keeps me Going! Luckily he's "getting it" Not to run full speed through the house when he's excited though.That's been the toughest training of all for This one.He's already a mini-tank(despite being slender)and could knock one of us down!... Added a new picture for you to laugh at! I took down the apiary summer shade cloth finally and then winterized my hive. It's getting colder and colder at night and I wanted that done before a hard freeze or winter rains.
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Post by mogal on Oct 20, 2020 13:20:28 GMT -6
He's already a mini-tank(despite being slender)and could knock one of us down!... Our female Pyrs weigh close to 100# in adulthood. The biggest of the male was 125# and our current big boy is 105#. I'm too old to risk being knocked down so I trained them to sit any time they approach me, even if I haven't called them. I figured it was cheap insurance. Holy cow! Does he pick up and put away his toys when he's finished playing with all of them? Wonderful expression on that puppy face.
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Post by Ohio Dreamer on Oct 20, 2020 13:47:14 GMT -6
I have recovered from the weekend, I think. We spent the weekend cutting, splitting and stacking wood. I literally couldn't move with crazy pain on Sunday morning (Bad hips...should go to a Dr). Finally took some Ibuprofen because I couldn't find what I wanted....it worked! Ibu normally doesn't, but I'm happy it did. We now have about 5 cords cut and stacked. I hope that gets us through this winter and next. But....we can always tap into the "wetter" 3 cords at the end of the season if we need to. We still have stacks that need split, but it's wet this week....so they will have to sit till next year. Maybe we should try borrowing the splitter in the spring...
I have a chicken living in our dining room... She was limping last week so I snagged her and saw the pad of one foot was swollen. Brought her in and texted friends. Bumblefoot was the consensus. But it didn't look like what I saw on You Tube. Friday night I sanitized and exacto knife and took off the callous....no pus, healthy tissue. I'm stumped so I called the livestock vet. Took her in yesterday morning....foot looks the same, been soaking it and using an antimicrobial on it. Apparently I caught it super early! So she is still inside, but now with antibiotics in her water for the next 10 days. I'll may mover her out sooner, they gave me enough to treat the entire flock. Not to crazy about that idea, but she seems so lonely I might more her out for the last few days and everyone will get only 2 days of meds.
Went out to the garden to toss sunflower seeds to get the chickens to scratch up the place. Found ripe tomatoes!! It's been cold, but no real frost, yet. I wasn't expecting them as I couldn't see any red from in the house. So I went out and harvested them, then picked the peppers I knew were likely around. I got a lot more then I expected. Brought the dehydrator back up...3 trays of tomatoes and 5 trays of peppers! Lots of green tomatoes still out there. Guess my garden isn't done after all. I'll have to watch the weather....should bring in the green tomatoes, but I'll leave them till I have to bring them in. Saw a few bean plants I forgot to pull. I'll leave them from now, they have some nice big beans. I'll leave them to turn into seed.
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Post by mogal on Oct 21, 2020 20:03:40 GMT -6
Ohio Dreamer, I'm in the same boat and don't look forward tomorrow. We bought that splitter a few weeks back then a couple of lots came up in a local online auction for seasoned hardwood firewood, cut to just the length we need. DH bid on 2 of the 4 lots and won them. Only thing is that there were THREE cords instead of two and we hauled maybe 2 1/2 cords home today, just dumped it at the end of the parking area because we were under time restraints. On top of that the sheds the man had built are included in the lot--pallets, 2"x 6" lumber in varying lengths to support the metal roof and cattle panels to hold the wood in place. We not only have our shed to dismantle but another buyer didn't want his so he gave it to us. We took the shell off my '98 pickup to make loading and unloading easier and to move the shed materials and just threw wood into DH's truck because we can't remove his shell. We'll go back after the last of the wood and the shed material tomorrow. When we finished unloading the third loads, DH suggested I come inside to rest before I went out to feed the critters, shut them in for the night. I told him that if I sat for any length of time, chances were good that I'd have a hard time moving again. On top of that, we unloaded the first batch in a pouring rain. The rest of the day was very cloudy and cool enough that working wasn't that unpleasant. Tomorrow is supposed to reach the mid 80's. Won't that be fun? At least the place has a lot of shade where the wood sheds are.
One of the lots was 5 plants and it went for $2. There was an amaryllis, an aloe, a spider plant and 2 pots of something that looked like green upright Spanish moss growing from onion looking bulbs about 2" in diameter. I didn't bid because I don't have room for five more plants in my house. However, I asked for a slip of paper and borrowed a pen from the cashier and left a note to the people who did buy the lot asking if they'd consider selling one of the onion looking plants or a bulb to start another and included my cell phone number. Not long after, I got a call from a very kind gentleman saying that his wife had wanted only the aloe. They'd already left the auction site when they spotted the note--it was a 3" x 4" note card wired to the hanger with the lot number card. The man told me I was welcome to the plant and that they would be happy to drop it off at our house. Well, we don't live in town so they returned to the auction, leaving the plant with the cashier. Even though I thanked him then, I plan to call to offer a gift plant from our place as a thank you, maybe a perennial herb since the lady wanted the aloe.
I got 2 lots of assorted canning jars, 38 in all, for $18.
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Post by Ohio Dreamer on Oct 22, 2020 14:10:28 GMT -6
mogal, You did good at that auction! Firewood has a habit of heating us more then once, lol. Nice and warm here, today. It dried enough to mow. So I got lots of loads of grass and leaves into the garden. Hope it stays nice enough for a few more mowing's, sure would love to have lots more to till into the garden. Been picking up some medicinal teas at Walmart. I opened a "Sleepytime Immunity Boost"....oh, is that tasty!! Has elderberry, spearmint, echinacea, eucalyptus, etc in it. They have some other blends I added to the pantry. Any tool to help if anyone starts feeling under the weather. I'll keep the ingredients list and see if we can't work on making our own blends. Got up this morning and made a pumpkin pie and apple crisp. DH doesn't like pumpkin pie (crazy guy) so that's why the crisp. Be nice to have a few "healthy" snacks. Seems everyone makes a bowl of popcorn each night, kind of funny. One starts then everyone else (except me) wants some, too. Popcorn isn't bad, but that uses 3/4 of a stick of butter once everyone made thiers (not to mention why we go through 4-5 pounds of powdered garlic each year, lol). So I constantly need to buy butter, lol. So at least for tonight everyone can have something different. I make things low sugar.....so left overs make a wonderful breakfast
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Post by mogal on Oct 22, 2020 19:04:20 GMT -6
Ohio Dreamer, I thought I was the only person in the world who likes garlic on popcorn! I also put a bit of freshly ground black pepper on mine too.
The rest of the story re: the auction. We met a neighbor going out our driveway. He'd already been down once to pick up his wood with his adult son. They--DH, neighbor and son--worked on dismantling the sheds while I loaded the last of our wood into DH's truck. Then I went up to get our lot of wood at the house itself since I'm not strong enough to be useful with the shed dismantling and loading. I realized I was only in the way so told DH I'd come home and unload the wood. We'd have lunch when DH got home. Worked out just fine. Neighbor and his son brought home our cattle panels on their 16' trailer. They loaded the shed roofs intact onto my truck that DH drove home. We unloaded those as best we could--read that as they are just lying in the yard until we have time to move them. After lunch, I finished loading our last lot of wood, dislodging a black snake about 6' long, while DH pulled the fence posts and loaded some concrete blocks from the neighbor's lot that he didn't want. We are tired puppies tonight. We still have to go back on the next dry day is to collect the pallets that were under the various lots of wood. RE: the snake. Some of you may remember my finding a pair copulating in the nest box of the chicken coop 3-4 years ago. DH ended up being bitten. We went to the ER but all they could do for him that he hadn't already done at home was a tetanus booster and course of antibiotics.
The funny part is that I did 2 things that galled me no end. First I drove DH's truck. I hate driving DH's truck. It's proportioned for a big man and the steering wheel is almost in my face when I'm close enough to reach the brake and gas pedals. So, I drove it home the 14 miles or so, just praying I didn't have any problems. I met a guy pulling a very long flatbed trailer on a curve. He came well over the center line and I was looking at the shoulder and ditch for a way to escape. He saw me at the last minute and got back in his lane. The other thing I did was quote "Wil Andersen," John Wayne's character in the movie "The Cowboys." While I like that movie, I'm, all in all, NOT a John Wayne fan. When I told DH I was coming home to unload the wood, I said without thinking that there was no reason hanging around at the auction site BURNING DAYLIGHT when I could be unloading that wood here. I thought DH would burst a gasket trying to keep from laughing at me.
We still have about 30 concrete blocks, 20 something T posts (some 7' tall) to unload from my truck tomorrow.
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Post by mogal on Oct 23, 2020 5:28:58 GMT -6
RATS! I've been watching the weather like a hawk all week, feeling pretty comfortable that we'd be safe enough putting covers on the hoop houses tomorrow before some freezing temps next week. Now the weather folk have thrown a wrench into the works. We're under a freeze warning for early tomorrow morning. The temperature was 68o when I woke up around 3:30 a.m. and it's now 51o 3 hours later. On top of that, we have rain in the forecast. We don't have the stock water heaters out either and I still have relatively tender plants outdoors--I'm thinking about my potted rosemaries and fig trees--that would survive very well in the hoop house. It's going to be another busy day. The pallets at the auction site will have to wait but I'm not sure about the concrete blocks on the truck.
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Post by feather on Oct 23, 2020 5:33:47 GMT -6
Garlic on popcorn, absolutely. We still make 'pop', mixing 1/3 smoked paprika, 1/3 powdered garlic, 1/3 powdered onion. We use it so much I make it every couple months. Popcorn with bragg's aminos, or diluted soy sauce, then sprinkled with POP. Potato wedges, sprinkled with POP. Veggies of all kinds roasted, sprinkled with POP.
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Post by feather on Oct 23, 2020 5:39:15 GMT -6
mogal, Last night I remarked to mr feather how weird our weather was going to be last night. The temp was in the 40's, but it showed to increase to 69 by 1 AM. He wanted to work outside tomorrow. I advised him to start at 1 am when it would be almost 70 degrees. Then, all early AM, the temperature plummets to low 40's (as it is now), and freezing by tonight. He didn't want to start at 1 AM, due to the lack of sunlight. Usually I can count on the temperature going lower from sunset to mid early morning, not last night, it was strange.
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Post by mogal on Oct 23, 2020 5:46:31 GMT -6
Yep.
It was pretty cold and rainy on Wednesday, the official day of the auction pick up, maybe in the upper 40's and people were dressed accordingly. Yesterday, it got up to 85o. DH, our neighbor and his son were all sweating like race horses dismantling the wood sheds and loading them on our truck, their truck and trailer. I was loading wood in the shade yesterday so it wasn't bad for me at all. Except for the snake, maybe. I'm not afraid of snakes but I'm 99.999% sure I touched that critter with my gloved hand when I picked up the piece he was lying under. I so appreciate his(her?) being of a non-aggressive species because he just found another spot in the same pile. After the initial encounter, I knew he was there so he didn't surprise me again. Considering the time of year and the rapid change in temps in the next day or so, I hope he's able to find another acceptable shelter for the winter.
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Post by Ohio Dreamer on Oct 23, 2020 7:12:34 GMT -6
mogal, You are not alone we are YOUR people, LOL. Black pepper is a near second on the "best adds to popcorn" list. feather, your POP sounds good! I should get some smoked paprika and mix some up! Last nice day, today. Both kids are home (insert diabolical laugh here). Need to get the trailer back together and load up the log splitter. Want to return it tonight. That is a whole lot tougher then is sounds, lol. We will be putting the tiny hill in the front yard to our use
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Post by midtnmama on Oct 23, 2020 10:35:49 GMT -6
Ohio Dreamer, feather, mogal, I don't use butter on popcorn anymore, I wet my hand and smear the bowl, then stir the just popped pocorn, then add salt (and will be also trying pepper!!!). That slight wetness lets the salt stick to the popcorn. mogal, I'm hoping to take fig cuttings soon and put them in my minigreenhouse. Do you use rooting hormone? I can't find mine. feather, Mr. feather needs one of those lamps that are on your head, or one of those ball caps with a light. I know of people who had to garden in the dark due to their shifts. I would find it too creepy, myself. I want to see what is slithering in my garden. It's been hard feeding the animals in the pitch dark (but it helps to have lights in the barn). I'm looking forward to morning light!
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Post by feather on Oct 23, 2020 10:38:30 GMT -6
midtnmama, I said he should go out at 1 am, kind of in jest. We like sleeping at night if possible. He does have a light for his head, he uses it for early mid-summer metal detecting. Cinnamon is supposed to be good for a rooting hormone too.
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Post by mogal on Oct 23, 2020 16:41:56 GMT -6
mogal , I'm hoping to take fig cuttings soon and put them in my minigreenhouse. Do you use rooting hormone? I can't find mine. I think I used willow water instead of a commercial rooting hormone. I don't seem to be able to keep up with the packet of hormone powder but I always know where my willow tree is--grin. Kidding aside, it's not necessary but when I have used willow water, I use it to moisten the soil before I stick the cuttings. Figs are really easy to root. Good luck with yours.
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Post by adinwnc on Oct 24, 2020 11:16:20 GMT -6
Has anyone heard from manygoatsnomore? I hope that she is doing well on her meds and will soon be back to her usual athletic self. mogal Love the comment about knowing where your willow tree is! Certainly hard to lose something that big.😉
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Post by feather on Oct 24, 2020 11:27:51 GMT -6
Has anyone heard from manygoatsnomore ? I hope that she is doing well on her meds and will soon be back to her usual athletic self. mogal Love the comment about knowing where your willow tree is! Certainly hard to lose something that big.😉 adinwnc, I haven't heard from her for quite a while. Sent her a package that arrived yesterday, emailed her, PMed her, haven't heard anything back, so worried about her.
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Post by adinwnc on Oct 24, 2020 18:14:16 GMT -6
I was hoping that if I tagged her maybe that would get her attention, or Abby's, and link back to us....
We usually have 4-6 weeks of coolish (if 78-80 is cool) weather in the fall. That is my only window to work on the yard. I have been weed whacking the yard for the last two weekends and have at least two more weekends to go. The side benefits of lifting the weed whacker is lots of helpful strength training/exercise too.
I got all of the veges that I dehydrated last month vacuum packaged and stored in 5 gal buckets. This month I am working on getting the grits and oatmeal packaged and stored.
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