Johnson Family Farm

Almost a year now ???

2010-05-30T21:32:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe it has been a year since I have posted on this blog. Life has been ( and seems to continue to be ) very crazy over the last year. I am trying to settle down and find peace in my life and to continue on my path to a simpler life. I've just not had much to say in quite some time that is worth repeating to others. Nothing to inspire or give meaning of any kind to anyone. Things are ok here at the farm but life could be much better. Even writing these few words I feel that I may be bringing others down in some way or another.

Just a little post to hello to all of you out there...I have missed you.

Hoping to be back soon,

Chris

Where does the time go ??

2009-07-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

It seems like years since I have been able to just sit down and blog a little...it has been quite some time I guess. Just so much work to do and then that living thing takes up a lot of time too. Between the farm and the kids the hours fly by, daylight then moonlight, all in the matter of a few minutes it seems. I am so sorry to have let all of my dear friends and faithful readers down these last several months. I feel as if I have let myself down too. I started this blog so I could have a place to bring my thoughts, hopes, dreams and experiences to share with others, good or bad as they may be.

I must report that there have been many failures in these past months here on the farm, garden is as bad as bad can be I think. Just too much rain. Maters and Cukes are doing good, what corn that did manage to grow some was consumed by the goats the other day. When had to go out of town for a few days and when we pulled back in at the house the goats where making their way thru the garden eating the corn as they went. LOL !! Might as well laugh it off, nothing else is going to help it anyway. LOL !! Tater bugs got the best of me yet again this year, trying to have an organic garden is pure hell sometimes. I use NO sprays of any kind and it's hard to fight off all the enemies of a garden without them. But, we get by I guess, at least we know what little we do get is not full of poison, thank God.

Well, got to get back on the run, life calls and I must answer. I hope to be able to get around to reading all of your blogs over the next few days, I miss that more than anything else. Ya'll take care now, ya hear.

Chris

How to keep your cool

2009-06-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a little trick that I use to help keep the house cool. At night I open a few windows, not all of them, just a few on the north side of the house. I then place a window fan in a window on the south side of the house. This fan is blowing air out not in. By doing it this way you are pulling the cool air into the house from the other windows. The key to it working just right is, of course a rather cool night and closing all the windows the next morning thus keeping the cool air in. I close all blinds or curtains on the east and south side of the house to keep the sun from coming in and warming the warm too. This little trick helps keep the house pretty nice until late evening and I sometimes don't use any air condition until 5 or 6 o'clock. Keeps you cool and saves you a little money on your electric bill too. Hope this helps some of you.

Just too much for one man

2009-05-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

This place is working me to death. Really!! From daylight til after dark each and every day, it never ends. hahaha!! You all know that I love every minute of it too. From the goats to the chickens to the ducks and the garden, I love it all. I am a little overwhelmed at times with all that needs to be done but I just do what I can and pray there will be a tomorrow. Like so many of you I never seem to have enough time to get it all done no matter how well I plan.

Spent the better part of the morning cutting firewood. Me and my friend are cutting and piling it up in a big pile at his farm. This fall we will take the wood splitter down to the field and spit it all. This way when we haul it home it is seasoned and split and ready to stack and burn this winter. Hard work but he and I both love it. Good hard honest work that pays true benefits, warmth for our families during the winter to come. He's a good friend and we share so many of the same beliefs about the way life should be. I value our time together.

Back home to more work. We bought a Wagner Paint Sprayer from Lowes the other day and it has been a blessing. I wasn't really sold on the idea of getting it but glad that we did. I have always been a roller and brush kinda guy, old habits are hard for me to break. But I love it. We painted our 12X24 out building with it and then painted 6 doors from inside the house. Just take them off the hinge and take them outside and spray away. Does a great job. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Tomorrow will be spent in the garden, again. I need to run the tiller for a few hours and weed some more. Also still have seeds that need to get planted. If time would only stand still for a day I MAY be able to get caught up on my work. It's 10:30 and I am just now getting settled down from the days work. Ate about 9:00 and then hit the shower to try to get some of the daily grime off of me. LOL I think I got most of it. If not it will blend in tomorrow and no one will know any different. lol

For those of you that enjoyed my last post about Little House on the Prairie and left such nice comments, I thank you. I have also found a Amazon link to the first season dvd collection for those that may be interested in getting a copy of your own.

Little House

2009-05-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

We a storm roll in yesterday, nothing really bad. Just enough to block our satellite signal. Well, me and Katie have been here by ourselves since Wednesday and the tv kinda keeps us company. Liv has been in WV, some of our friends and family had damage due to the flooding there. Here dad's Law office had 4 foot of water in it and some of our friends had a lot of damage around their homes too. She went to see if there was anything she could do to help them out a bit. She came home today. OK, now, where was I ?? Oh yeah, the tv. After sitting there for a few minutes I though we would maybe watch a movie until the signal came back. After looking thru some of the dvd's I found Season 1 of Little House on the Prairie. Not really sure if Katie would go for I put it in anyway to give it a try. She love it !! We watched the first 2 dvd's yesterday and never even tried the satellite again that day.

I forgot just how much I enjoy that show. The love of Charles and Caroline warms my heart like you will never know. The simple look or touch they give each other sends chills all over me. If people only loved like that the world would be some place to live in today. The genuine goodness of the neighbors from Walnut Grove and their love for each other should be a model for us all. Only to watch as the community would come together when any of the others were in need gives me hope that one day we will live like that once again. With REAL peace and REAL love for our family and friends we would know a joy like the world has never known, one we could never explain to others. I know it's just a television program but I means so much more to me than just actors on a set. I can almost feel the love they have for one another and many times I caught myself getting a little choked up at their simple acts of kindness and love. I guess I'm a softy and some things can just turn my heart to mush. But I am not ashamed that I long for a life with the kind of love and peace that I see portrayed on that prairie and between that couple. If you say that you don't or wouldn't give anything for that kind of love you are either a liar or a fool. I know that not everyone is lovey dovey but we all need to feel loved and to be able to freely love others. I have a lot of love to give, and I do give it. But I could give so much more if I would only allow myself to do so.

I am just happy for my children to know REAL love from their parents. I am happy to have a family that I love and know that they love me too. A refresher course in love can be found in these simple old programs and I am so glad that we decided to watch them.

Chris

Walking on Wood

2009-05-11T17:03:00.001-07:00

The wood floor is finally down. We still have to put our trim down but we are taking a few days off to rest up a bit. It's been a pretty big job.

Here yo can see the hall. It may not look it but it's 17 feet long and 40 inches wide.

We also put down 3 pieces of tile in front of the Buck stove too. Still need to grout around the tile. That too can wait another day or two.

We installed this floating floor in the living room dining room and hallway, in all 630 sq feet.

We really love this floor and are kinda proud of doing it ourselfs too. A pretty big DIY project for anyone.

Kids, K-9's and Karpet

2009-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Those three just don't do too well together around here. Kids, namely little Miss Katie Bug is well...........hell on carpet. She spills everything everywhere all the time. Really she does. And the dogs, well if you have any that spend anytime at all inside, you know what I mean. Well, I guess we can't part with the kids or the K-9's but we can part ways with the nasty carpet that catches everything. No matter has much you clean it's dirty are you know it. So, out with the old and in with the new, wood floor that is. We have pretty much destroyed the house over the last 3 days, it's a mess. That's the reason there are no pictures just yet. Liv said NO WAY when she seen the camera in my hands. She wins. I'd hate for anyone to see this mess. We cut up and took out the carpet in the living room and hall way so far. Pulled about 4 million staples out of the floor from the carpet and padding. Cleaned up the floor with the shop vac, layed down a layer of foam looking padding for the new floor. It's in a roll and I'm not sure what it's called but it is recommended. Liv and I got the floor down in the living room and the hall way today, well maybe this evening would be the best to say and late at that. Tomorrow we will take out the carpet in the dining room and get the floor down in there or at least that's the plan. Then all will be done except the baseboard trim and some new trim around 2 doors. It's been a job for sure but it looks great. In all we are replacing 630 sq ft of carpet with wood floor, not cheap or easy but it's well worth it. We are installing floating floor and the color is Bay Chestnut. It's made in France not Mexico or China believe it or not.

When this project is over and we get everything cleaned up I promise some pictures but not until then. lol I overheard the lady of the house on the phone today saying that we had some other projects to complete after we get finished up with this one, I pretended not to hear that. Anyway, with all the work here on the farm and in the house there's not much time for anything else. I'll get some pics up of the new floor ASAP.

For those who are interested I have made $237.32 so far with my Survival Seed Vault ad. If you have signed up for their program I hope you are selling seeds too. If you are having success please let me know, just leave me a comment.

$218.08 and counting !!

2009-04-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

That's right, I reached my goal of $200.00 in my first month with the Survival Seed Vault campaign. I can hardly believe it ! Like I said in my last post I never thought you could really make money having ads on your blog. Boy was I wrong. Several of you took me up on the offer to have the Survival Seed Vault ad on your blog too and I hope you are doing well with it too. I know some of you are getting some sells because I have made around $13.00 from your sales too. That is the 2% I mentioned last post. I received credit for an order someone place that was $325.00, my commission, 10% = $32.50 !! That put me over the top with my goal of $200 in my first month. Needless to say, I am a believer now. LOL

I never intended this blog to be about money but, if you can make it that easy while providing others a means to order their Heirloom Seeds, it's hard not to do. I feel very confident and proud to be able to offer people a place to purchase seeds and to make some money too !! Now here are a few tips that I have seen others doing that make much more money than I do with their Survival Seed Vault ads. If I had more time to devote to this blog and could write good articles about the seeds I am sure I would do MUCH better with my sells. Anyway, here is what I have seen others do.

Let your readers know about the Survival Seed Vault. Heirloom Organics offers other seed packages as well but this seems to be the one that most people are looking for. Write a post telling your readers that you now offer this VERY IN DEMAND PRODUCT. Many are looking for heirloom seeds either to start now or for future use. I personally ordered another Survival Seed Vault for possible future barter if the economy continues on this dangerous path. Many others have the same fears of the future as I do and are buying all they can in order to provide for their families future needs. Let your readers know the importance of heirloom seeds vs. hybrids. Many people still have no idea that you can't really depend on getting usable seeds from hybrids. You guys probably know more about this topic than I do, so let others know to. Provide a link at the bottom of each of your posts that goes to the Survival Seed Vault ad or any of the other seed packages they offer. Remind your readers regularly that you have the ads there for their benefit as well as yours. You are providing a valuable service. Just google Survival Seed Vault and look at all the hits they get. People are looking for places to buy these seeds and they are going to buy them. Why not buy them from your ad ? It costs them the same no matter where they get them and I'm sure most of your readers would rather buy them from your ad than anywhere else. Let them know you got 'em. Like I said before, this is what I see others doing that are making a lot more than I am and I'm pretty happy with my earnings. Find someone that is successful and just do what they do. If I had the time I would be posting a lot more about the farm and the seeds. Anyway, good luck to you all and I hope you sell a million bucks worth of seeds. LOL, you would get 100,000 dollars and I would get 20 grand too. I kinda like the sound of that. hahahah!!!!

For those of you who still want to get in on the fun and the money use the link below and sign up to get your seed ad for your blog or website too.

http://www.performance-based.com/affiliate_programs/organic_affiliates/organic_gardening/organic_seeds_seedlings_plants/non_hybrid_seeds.html?roia=!hT1Mvq1BAAGNdmMxMjIAVQAABU5CAAAowg-A

Thanks again and good luck to you all.

Chris

$171.72

2009-04-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

That's how much money I have made by placing the Survival Seed Vault add on my blog !! Just for having this add on my blog so people can take advantage of the Heirloom Seeds that are provided by Heirloom Organics Seed Company. Whenever someone places and order through my add on my blog I receive 10% of the total sale !! Is that cool or what ?? And when someone signs up to sell seeds on their blog using the link I provide, I get 2% of any of the sales made through their link too !!! I never really thought that I could or ever would make anything from this but I WAS WRONG !! I have only had this add up on my blog for less than 3 weeks and I am pretty sure I will reach the $200.00 mark in my first month !!! And the best part...IT COST ME NOTHING !!! All I done was sign up to have the add on my blog and then in a few minutes I got and email that said I was approved for their campaign and that was it. I just copy and paste the html code and place it in a new gadget from my dashboard and place the code there. It's really that easy !!! You guys have got to try this--it cost you nothing at all--totally free.

So come on and join in the fun and the MONEY by signing up with this link. You will get 10% of all sales that are made though your add. THIS REALLY WORKS !!!!

http://www.performance-based.com/affiliate_programs/organic_affiliates/organic_gardening/organic_seeds_seedlings_plants/non_hybrid_seeds.html?roia=!hT1Mvq1BAAGNdmMxMjIAVQAABU5CAAAowg-A

If you have any question please email me at ifarm@yahoo.com

Anyone know what these are ???

2009-04-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Olivia has a set of cookware that belonged to her great grandmother and we are just not really sure what they are. We would like to find out because she needs a handle and a lid for one. They are made of enamel and have no markings on them anywhere. If you have any ideas or know where I may go to find out please let me know. This is a beautiful set and we would like to find the pieces needed. Here's a few pics.

This littel guy here is the one that needs and lid and handle.

These have been in storage for quite some time and we would love to get them cleaned up and put them in use once again. If anyone has any ideas we would love to hear them.

It's all about self reliance for me

2009-04-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Being self reliant or self sufficient is something that I long for and work towards each day. It's not easy either let me tell you. Like most of you, I have been addicted to consumerism since birth. Everywhere we go, everything we see encourages us to spend spend spend. Everything is disposable now days. Products are made cheap so as to not last too long and are usually priced so that it's cheaper to replace an item than it is to have it repaired. That's sad I think. I try to repair anything that has problems before I even consider buying a new one but parts are hard to come by and too expensive to be an option most of the time. Quality seems to be a thing of the past. I would gladly pay a little more for a good quality product if you can even find one. That's the problem that I have, I can't find any products that are good quality no matter what the price is. We just use things and then throw them away. There they sit in a landfill for the next million years or more because they were junk to start with. The days of spend spend spend are over here at the farm. I'm just not going to buy things that are junk to start with and then have to buy them over and over again once the give up the ghost.

I guess that's the reason I am so happy to have purchased my Survival Seed Vault. I know that I will never have to purchase these seeds again. All good quality heirloom seeds that will replenish themselves years after year. I'm not buying any of that Monsanto chemical filled seed that is gone with the end of harvest season. I don't want my kids eating that crap anyway, God only knows what they do to those seeds that ends up in the fruit in the end. I don't need some scientist monkeying around with my seeds. I think God had a pretty good idea of what he was doing when he spoke this seeds into existence and ordered them to reproduce a good quality seed that could/should be replanted year after year. I guess God isn't a consumer either...lol

I guess what I am trying to say is that at least with these heirloom seeds that I have now I feel a little saver and more prepared for the days ahead. My Survival Seed Vault provides me and my family a lifetime of seeds that will feed us for the rest of our lives. It's another step in self reliance I would say.

Now, click that link on the side and....Get ya some.

An update...Finally !!!!

2009-04-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all my very faithful readers for my sparse posting. Life happened. With taking care of this little farm and my girls very little time is left for anything else it seems. Busy time for anyone that has a garden to tend too, most of you do I know.

So here is a little of what's going on in my neck of the woods. Plowed the garden a few weeks ago I think.....planted some taters, onions, broccoli and lettuce. I have some mater seeds started and peppers and cuke's too. The cuke's are already up too, in only 4 days they sprouted. Planting all heirloom seeds this year, nothing else. I ordered the Survival Seed Vault on the banner on the sidebar and I am VERY PLEASED !!! I should never have to buy seed again, not too bad for a hundred bucks either. Click on the banner and look at all you get. A big thanks to Bullseye for letting me know about the seeds and for showing me how to get the banner for my blog too. If you want to have this banner on your blog just click the link below the banner and sign up, it's that easy. I think you get a few bucks too if someone buys the seeds from your banner. Hey, you offer a great product at a great price and everybody wins, I like the sound of that. Anyway, order you some heirloom seeds and get signed up to have the banner too, maybe will can all make a buck in the end. LOL

My pygmy goat, Emily never did have her kids, I think she must have lost them somewhere along the way. I was really looking forward to see those little babies too. I'm going to breed her again real soon and try again. Liv is out of town this week with the girls and the camera or I would post on recent pics of the kids, they are growing like crazy.

Chickens are really starting to get in the groove too. Been getting 4 or 5 eggs a day from my 7 layers. Ducks are laying like crazy too. One of the hens is setting on 15 eggs and I think they should hatch in a week or so. It takes the Muscovy's 33 days to hatch I think. I know it's longer than any chicken or any other duck. Guess that's why they're so pretty, they get to take their time. hehe!!

Got a few apple trees planted too. I hope to get a few more next week. Lowes has them for $19.95, well, 20 bucks. lol Planted a Granny Smith and a Red Delicious so far. I would love to have 10 or 12 trees, that would be great. But like everything else, not enough time or money to go around. Maybe later.

Well, I better get back to work. Talk to you soon, I promise.

Chris

Attack on Your Right to Garden!!!

2009-03-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

I found this post over at American Preppers Network and ask Tom if it would be OK to repost it here. He and I both agreed that this is too important not to pass on to others. Keep in mind folks that this is real, VERY REAL !! Be sure to take a look at the GOOD work that is going on at APN and join the forum too.

Looking more into HR875

For those who think gardens and small farms are safe under this bill, you need to keep reading deeper into the bill....They've purposely made it so long and boring, that you miss the important parts. Therefore, I've taken out just one small but very important part for you to read.

First of all, "food production facilities" ARE regulated. Sure, Food production facilities are excluded from the same regulation as Food establishments, but fall under separate regulation under section 206. Now, as in the definitions: food production facility' means **any** farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation. That is so broad that it could include hobby farms and even gardens. Let's say you have a couple rows of grapes. Can that be a vineyard under their definition? Lets say you have 5 goats and a horse on a 5 acre piece of land. can that be considered a farm? Now go to section 206 Here is just a small part of it. This is where it gets scary....

I've highlighted my comments in Blue

SEC. 206. FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITIES.
(a) AUTHORITIES.—In carrying out the duties of the Administrator and the purposes of this Act, the Administrator shall have the authority, with respect to food production facilities, to—

(1) visit and inspect food production facilities in the United States and in foreign countries (overstepping their bounds a little eh?)to determine if they are operating in compliance with the requirements of the food safety law;

2) review food safety records (are you good at record keeping?) as required to bekept by the Administrator under section 210 and for other food safety purposes;

(3) set good practice standards to protect thepublic and animal health and promote food safety;

***Notice this part***

(4) conduct monitoring and surveillance of animals, plants, products, or the environment, as appropriate; and

5) collect and maintain information relevant to public health and farm practices.

(b) INSPECTION OF RECORDS.—A food production

facility shall permit the Administrator upon presentation of appropriate credentials and at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, to have access to and ability to copy all records maintained by or on behalf of such food production establishment (Look at this one, I highlighted it in Green, these guys are so STUPID that they are intermingling 2 different defined terms "food establishment" and "food production facility" taking it into context I'm assuming they are talking about a food production facility) in any format (including paper or electronic) and at any location, that are necessary to assist the Administrator— (You want government prying in your personal life more than they already are?)

Plus there's tons more very restrictive legislation. This is an evil bill Co-sponsored by the wife of someone who works for Monsanto

Not to mention, even if it did specifically exclude gardens, hobby farms and organic farms, which it does not, the cost would be so enormous that our already high food prices would go through the roof....If Monsanto favors this bill, it cant be good.

Now, there are those people out there that think this is a good bill because it "protects us", or those that feel small farms and gardens are safe. But some of the problems are

1) They appoint industry leaders as experts. Who do you think will get to be the "expert" a small organic farmer or the CEO of a major corporate farm?
2) The wording is so broad that it's open to interpretation.
3) They appoint "food police" to enforce these regulations.

Now, when the food police come to your "farm" and fine you. You know what they will say? "Sorry, I don't interpret the law, I enforce the law" Can you afford an uphill legal battle to protect your farm, garden, vineyard, orchard, or livestock?

Here's The petition to fight this bill
HR875 Petition
Sign, copy and email this petition to everyone you know.
Drop a comment and let the world know you've done your part

Here's my personal declaration to fight this bill

http://americanpreppersnetwork.blogspot.com/2009/03/hr-875.html

**Note,
Please copy and forward this article to everyone you know and re-post it to your own websites, just make sure there is a link back to this site so we can get more people involved in fighting this bill

Thank you,
Tom

Super Nice Weather !!

2009-03-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

We have had some GREAT weather the last two days. Along with the warm Sun comes a lot of work too, and that's fine by me. I love to be out working in the yard and garden, getting ready for planting once again. I can hardly wait for the smell of freshly turned dirt and wild onions to fill the air. This weather gets me so excited I can hardly stand myself, I know others have a hard time standing me too..lol The chickens have celebrated the first of spring with a bounty of eggs, gathered 11 eggs from my 7 layers in the last two days. I'm so proud of them girls and glad to have them back in action. Eggs have been scarce through the long winter months. Still not recovered the greenhouse, it's on the short list now, but will be starting some tomato's inside in our little mini greenhouse tray tomorrow. Would love to do it today but we have all played ourselves out for the day. Should sleep good tonight, with thoughts of seeds,bulbs and plants filling my dreams. There seems to be nothing that feels more at home in my hand than the well worn handle of a hoe or shovel, we become one if only for a short while. It's like shaking hands with and old friend, it's hard not to smile.

The goats and the girls had a nice day in the goat lot playing. Here's a few picks of my animals..LOL

Auto Repair and Sloopy Joe's

2009-03-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Well, my Jeep and I have been having some issues. The issue being that my charging systems was getting kinda wacky. Once the Jeep was started, the check engine light would come on and my volt meter would hit rock bottom. After referring to my repair manual I came to the conclusion that my alternator was bad. Two hours later I finally was able to get it off, pretty tough job on my Jeep. By that time all the auto parts stores has closed so I had to wait until this morning to go to town and try to locate one. First stop, Auto Zone. I took the alternator inside and ask if they had one in stock that would replace mine. The guy at the counter said he could check it first if I wanted. Hey, you bet man, check it out. Tested 100% Positive, my alternator was in perfect shape after only 212,000 miles. Great news, a new one was gonna set me back $105.00. The gentlemen then advised me to check all my connections at the battery and the alternator to make sure they were clean and tight. Well, I know they were tight but I'm not too sure about how clean the are. After getting back home (with my $105.00 still resting in my wallet) I began to clean all the connections, all of then. Needing it or not, they all got a good cleaning with a piece of sand paper. Now they are all nice and shinny. After I put everything back together I crossed my fingers and gave it a try. It started right up and the charging system was fixed with zero dollars out of pocket. All thanks to the good guys at Auto Zone in London Kentucky, thanks guys.

Well, after that was all over I had to have something to eat. I skipped breakfast to get an early start on the Jeep project. Nothing in the fridge seemed to catch my eye. It was then that I remembered I had bought some Sloppy Joe Sauce for my food storage. This seemed like a great time to try it out, anything sounded pretty good at this point. 1lb of ground beef, OK, maybe 2 lbs, and 1 can of sauce and I was in business. The smell made my mouth water, my eyes too. We had bought a loaf of Italian bread on sale yesterday and it seemed like a good combo, so I toasted the bread. After a long day under the hood all I can say is.......MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Warm weather and time with the Goats

2009-02-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Been really nice here today, around 60 degrees and partly cloudy. This morning I could hear the birds singing their songs of spring and it really got me excited all over. I hauled several loads of sawdust to add to the garden today trying to build up the garden beds some. Most of the rest of the day has been spent with the goats. Katie just can't get enough of the goats and neither can I. I am looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt soon. I need to get some onions started and I also need to work on the greenhouse some too. The plastic that I used to cover it is pretty well gone now. Also have some ginseng roots and seeds on order and can't wait til they get here so I can get started on that project too. Just been trying to stay busy and do the things that will make my spring work a little easier. There is always something to be done here on the farm it's just trying to figure out which one to do next. Me and Katie have had a good day and we are going back outside to play. Sorry I have been so long posting but there has just not been a lot going on to post about, at least not anything anyone would want to read about. LOL

Picture of me and Katie in the goat lot. Liv took it with her phone and it's not very big. But anyway here we are enjoying the goats.

Thinking about a cash crop

2009-02-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

Before you get too carried away I'm not planning on a pot field. (That's what closets and grow lights are for.) LOL But, from some research I've done on the Internet, one could make some pretty good money from raising ginseng. Although cultivated ginseng in no way demands the high price per pound that wild "seng" brings it is still a good investment of time, land and money to raise and harvest. From what I have read (and I will be reading much more) one can expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 to $100,000.00 from an acre of cultivated ginseng in about 5 to 7 years of growth. The idea is to plant some each year for maybe 7 years and then in the 7th year you harvest, sell and replant more in that spot. The 2nd year you do the same with your next plot of ground and on and on. This would give you an income each year after your first crop gets to harvest/market size. Now I have no plans for planting an acre but I would like to dedicate some land towards this venture. Property on a hillside under trees and out of the way would be great for my use. I'm not doing anything with this land anyway so why not put it to some use. You can plant seeds or small rootlets that you have found or dug yourself or you can order them here. There are many websites that sell these products.

My question is, do any of you raise ginseng and have you had any success with it? Is this a good idea? I would love to hear your comment or ideas on this subject, I think it would be a lot of fun. If I don't have enough to make any money at least I would have it for personal use. Below is some information that I found about Daniel Boone that I thought you my find interesting, I did.

Daniel Boone, often remembered as a pioneering woodsman in Kentucky for his fur trading prowess (among other things), made a good part of his fortune not only on furs and skins, but also on a small and unassuming plant known as ginseng that still grows throughout the forests of eastern North America.

Though Boone lost twelve tons of ginseng roots in 1788 when his boat overturned in the Ohio River on his way to market in Philadelphia, he did much better in subsequent years, amassing his fortune.

Birthday Girl

2009-02-15T15:26:00.001-08:00

Friday, February 13th, my baby girl turned 3 years old. We had Katie a birthday party at a restaurant in town and all the kids attended a cooking class. Each child made their own pizza from scratch and had a really good time.

Here is Katie making her very own Pizza.

All the kids got their hands dirty in the process. We must have made 100 trips to the sink for them to wash their hands. If nothing else, they did learn that you must have clean hands if you're gonna cook.

Here is Olivia, Katie and Me too, lol. Katie was getting pretty tired by the time this picture was taken. Boy, I tell ya, I'm looking way too old to have a 3 year old. I guess that's what I get for having a woman that is 10 years younger than me. I'm too damn old for either one them . LOL

Walmart Zombies

2009-02-07T17:30:00.001-08:00

You've seen them. Hands with a death grip on their shopping cart. I fixed straight ahead. Roaming the isles and stopping systematically to put items in the cart, half zombie half robot like. Answering the subliminal messages that that big smiley face sends out to them. MUST..SPEND...ALL...OUR ...MONEY...ON...WORTHLESS...JUNK...MADE...IN...COMMUNIST CHINA. You can sometimes hear them mumbling under their breath. Walmart is a scary place to me. I hate to even step in the door of that place. I had to get my medicine today, I usually always get it filled at my local Kroger. They were out and I had to venture in to Zombie Mart to get what I had to have. While waiting for them to fill my meds, I listened to three people talk about how much they were selling their pain pills for. They seemed rather proud of the fact that they were making a good second income from their medicine that Medicare was paying for. They too were of course..Zombies. I watched and listened in amazement at the actions of the people in there. It was in one way pretty funny, in another pretty scary. Even in the parking lot they were ever present. Nearly driving over top of people to get a parking spot close to the door. I could see that I was surrounded by Zombies everywhere. I was happy when my name was called so I could get out of there. Next time, if there is one, I will take silver bullets, a wooden stake and a cross. Not sure if any of these work on Walmart Zombies but it's worth a try. If you have to go to Walmart be aware that they are everywhere they. Please be careful. To see a video of Walmart Zombies be sure to watch the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG0MEZgxczk

Been slow here

2009-02-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

Not much going on here on the farm so I made a little post over at Kentucky Preppers Network. Join me over there and take a read if you like, love to have ya.

Too Cold to do anything else

2009-01-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Just look at these precious little kids all snuggled up together in the barn. Priceless !!

Daisy is introducing Eve and Scout to their father, Chief. "Hey Dad wanna play??"

Eve and Scout are both eating anything and everything a goat would or could eat. They are only a little more than 3 weeks old now, that's gotta be a good sign.

Chief beat me to the gate in his pen today so I just let him graze for a while. He's not going anywhere when there are 3 does near by...Kinda like me..LOL

I had a few branches to break due to the weight of the ice. Goats love pine needles as you can see, they will eat the bark off the branches too.

Eve is always eager to pose for a picture, she's such a pretty little thing.

Muscovy's on the prowl always looking for something to eat. These things can eat more than any animal I have.

When it's cold enough to freeze the pond over like this.....

I'm sure glad I have this. This baby is a '97 model with 212,000 miles on it and it's still the best vehicle we own. But that's just my opinion..the girls seem to think the HHR is the best one. As you can see the van is just sitting there and has been since we bought the HHR. Oh well, it's there when we need it I guess.

"Stylin" New Kids on the Block

2009-01-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

Well, Liv thought it was just too cold for these new kids to be unclothed tonight so she decided to get them some snazzy new matching hooded sweatshirts. Ain't they cool??

Storm is Stylin.

And of course little Miss Prissy had to have one too. She also wants the matching handbag to go along with her Stylin new sweatshirt. Man I hope Liv don't buy it for her.....

She almost looks like an opossum in this picture. Come to think of it so do I. LOL

Look mommy, it's like a little baby doll.

Snow Goat Kids

2009-01-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

Look what we woke up to this morning. Lou Lou finally had her babies sometime last night I guess. 1 buckling, the little brown one that looks just like our other 2 kids, and 1 doeling, snow white. I present to you, Storm (the buckling) and Miss Prissy ( the doeling ). I will no doubt be posting some more pic later but now I need to go spend time with our new arrivals. Nothing makes me happier than new life on the farm !!!!

Ice Ice Baby

2009-01-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Got some ice from the storm last night, could have been much worse here for sure. Getting mostly rain now but more snow and ice are in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. We are now under a flood watch for the entire area. I have a small post over at Kentucky Preppers Network with another picture of the ice here. If you get a chance take a look. As for now all is well and we are warm and dry and very well fed. lol I'll keep you all updated as the storm progress.

Getting Ready for Snow and Ice

2009-01-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is what I found while taking a look at the weather....yuck..

.. WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY...
THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY.
A MIXTURE OF SNOW... SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING... FALLING HEAVILY AT TIMES. THE PRECIPITATION IS THEN EXPECTED TO CHANGE OVER TO ALL FREEZING RAIN AFTER DAWN TUESDAY... MIXING WITH RAIN AT TIMES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING AS TEMPERATURES RISE TO OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING FOR MOST AREAS. UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED... WITH ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH OF ICE FROM FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED BY NOON ON TUESDAY. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD THEN TURN TO ALL RAIN FOR A TIME TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY EVENING AS TEMPERATURES WARM ABOVE FREEZING... BUT THE PRECIPITATION WILL THEN LIKELY TRANSITION BACK TO FREEZING RAIN... SLEET AND SNOW BY DAWN ON WEDNESDAY WITH ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY.
AT THIS TIME... IT APPEARS TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING... WITH SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE INTO THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. AROUND ONE HALF AN INCH OF ICE FROM FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO EXPECTED. DOWNED POWER LINES... TREES... OR TREE LIMBS... COULD RESULT FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE ICE. RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES. TRAVEL COULD ALSO BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
THE EXACT AMOUNT AND TYPE OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE TRACK OF THIS STORM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THERE CONTINUES TO BE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE EXACT TRACK OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM... SO BE SURE TO LISTEN FOR LATER UPDATES.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

OK, no problem just got to get a few things in order is all. After making sure all the animals where well taken care of, I went to town and picked up a few extra snacks, chips, cookies and candy bars just to have to munch on during snow and ice that will be going on just outside our window. Stopped on the way home and topped off the gas tank in the Jeep...$6.00..lol If the power is out you may not be able to pump gas these days. No hand pumps anywhere that I've seen. Made sure all flashlights had fresh batteries and were within reach. All dishes are washed and so are the clothes. Everyone will be taking a hot shower tonight rather than wait till morning when there may not be electric service. Ice and snow are pretty hard on over hanging tree limbs and even the power lines themselves. If we get very much of either we could be in for a power outage that could last for a while. I also caught up some more drinking water...got plenty but this was a good chance to get more in storage. Solar lanterns are fully charged. Mine also have a wall charger and I used them to get a really good charge in them. One of my solar lanterns have a hand crank to charge it too. You can even plug your cell phone or ipod into and charge them too by hand power. Small one burner propane stove is ready and waiting for it's call to duty. I have 8, 2 pak propane bottles in storage. I have a tote full of firewood and more just outside the door if I need it. All in all, I'm ready for whatever may come. For more information on what to do if you are caught in a snow storm check out Kentucky Preppers Network. They have a great post on skills and ideas to keep you safe if you are caught in a storm.

Here's a few pictures of some of the preps I made today...the storm may pass..either way..I'm ready....Are you??

I'm a dough beater

2009-01-23T20:17:00.001-08:00

After all the waiting for the starter to do it's thing, I finally have sour dough bread. Believe me...It was worth the wait. If you don't remember I used this recipe here. I got it a little brown but man it's great. The crust was really hard when we got it out of the oven but after cooling over night it was just right. I never knew that could happen. I thought it was just gonna be tough but the next morning it was fine. If any of you give this recipe a try please let me know you yours turns out too.

Warren ask in a comment on the last post about my smoking and my cokes. Thank you Warren for asking and I am doing some better the last few days. The numbers I was posting just seemed to make it harder for me and I felt that i was letting others down each day I posted my results. I will start next week, on Monday, posting better results for us all. Thank Warren for asking about it. I was hoping...I mean thinking everyone had forgot about it. LOL

I am sorry I have been so long answering comments.....I have been busy helping out some friends. Is that a good enough excuse???? Thanks for staying with me.

Chris

Sourdough Bread is in the oven

2009-01-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

Got my sourdough bread in the oven and man it smells sooooo goooooood. I'll get ya some pics just as soon as it comes out. Not been much going on here on the farm the last few days so not much to post about. Just been cold and been taking care of all the animals. Having to carry water several times a day so they will always have fresh water to drink. Goat kids are growing like crazy, 3 weeks old now. Lou Lou has still not had her kids yet. She is getting a lot bigger though and has a huge milk sack. Maybe soon. I'll get you some pictures of this bread tomorrow and let you know how it tastes. If it's as good as it smells I better be quick with the camera, it'll go fast. Talk to you all soon.

KPN Post

2009-01-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

I'm posting over at Kentucky Preppers Network today in a post titled Off Guard and Off Grid. I would like to invite you all over to take a look. Comments are of course always appreciated. Posting as The Scavenger as always.

Thanks,

Chris

Helping out

2009-01-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna be helping out over at Kentucky Preppers Network a little. Sharing what little I can about preparedness and such. Their asking folks that live in this area to help out with the blog and I'm gonna do all I can to help. I encourage all of ya to check in with your states preppers network and try to lend a hand, I know they'll appreciate it. There's a lot of things to prep for if ya ask me, natural disasters, financial disasters ( I've got experience with that one big time,lol), civil unrest, food storage and many many more. I feel that we all need to answer the call for help for these prepper networks, it's just the "Christian thing to do" as Larry the Cable Guy would say. I'll still be posting here as always, maybe not quite so often at first so please bear with me. I'll keep ya informed of all the goin's on here on the farm and all that crazy other stuff ya'll seem to get a kick out of. I'll be gettin back at ya soon.

American Preppers Network Formed

2009-01-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

Someone has had the insight to establish the American Preppers Network. This is a network of Preparedness minded people from all over. There are already Prepper Networks in Kentucky, Utah, Texas, Ohio and Idaho with many more on the way. If you live in any of these states the preppers network is looking for your input. And for the many states yet to be formed people are needed to take over those networks too. Follow the link for American Preppers Network to see if there is a Preppers Network in your state and let them know you want to help. These networks provide all types of emergency preparedness information for all to benefit from.

You all know that there seems to be a common understanding that hard times are headed our way like it or not. The weather man can tell me it's not going to rain but if I feel a strong wind and I can see dark clouds on the horizon, I know better. I have my umbrella and my rubber boots close by because I chose to be informed by those who are not part of any hidden agenda ( one that they don't even try to hide anymore it seems). The signs are all around us and it's time we all took note of the situation that we are living in today. I know most of you have the means to get yourselves prepared for the uncertain future that awaits us. Well, it's time to get prepared folks, like it or not. Look for your states Preppers Network and see if there is something there that may be of use to you and your family. I know that we all want whats best for our families and we will do whatever it takes to insure their safety, this is a step in the right direction for us all. Get involved with the Preppers Network in your area and let's all stay safe and prepared.

Back at Bread Again

2009-01-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm a bread lover. Just about any and every kind of bread will do. Found a good Sourdough Bread recipe over a Hallland 1896 and wanted to give it a try. Liv and Savannah also like Sourdough Bread too, so it's a win win for me. Just got my starter mixed and now it's wait and see time. Looking pretty good so far, it's working away. If you're interested in learning to make this Sourdough Bread Starter jump over to Hallland 1896 and give it a look. Come on, you know you want to. I'll keep ya posted as to my results.

A few experiments in alternative energy

2009-01-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Alternative energy is something that is always on my mind. I of course want/need to find ways to do this on the cheap. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know I always try to find the cheapest and most efficient solution to any problem I have. I have been reading a lot of the posts over at Dragon's blog. He has a really nice set up that he has put together on a small budget. He has also coined a new phrase "The Re-Volt". Dragon's system is mostly a 12vdc system. By using 12vdc devices you avoid loosing energy through the use of an inverter. There are many things you can purchase that use 12vdc. 12vdc electric blanket is one that I thought was great! Check Dragon's post and links for more very informative 12vdc systems.

I have a few things that can be used to generate some alternative energy too. One being a small solar panel that I took off of my solar electric fence charger. Here it is while in the sun and hooked up to my new meter. In the sun producing 11.71 amps.

OK, so how can I use this? I just happen to have a lawn mower battery that has a very low charge. Here you can see it's reading 5.52 vdc rather than the 12vdc a fully charged battery should read.

I hooked the solar panel to the battery. Placing the meter between the positive leads.

A reading of 4.50 amps are entering the battery through the solar panel.

This reading is made with the solar panel attached and not much sun at this time. You can see that the power from the battery and the solar panel combined are now 10.13 volts. After charging for a few hours I will take another reading to see what the battery alone reads. Update!! 1 1/2 hours later--no sun, nearly total cloud cover and the battery now reads 7.59 volts. The small solar panel is charging the battery. I have not charge controler so I will have to keep close check on it. That is good news for sure.

Another project that may be of use is the cordless drill motor/generator. This is just a motor taken from a cordless drill. I had a blower wheel that I think I got from an old air conditioner. Attached the blower wheel to the motor shaft with a wooden dowel rod. Not the best set up but it was what I had at the time, so... I then took the rig over the the overflow from my pond. This overflow runs year round. By placing the wheel, which is now the turbine, so that the water passes over the turbine thus turning it, I can produce a small amount of dc power. A very small amount is all I was able to get from this. 0.15 amps. I will be doing a lot more work on this set up. I know that Dragon uses this as a wind turbine and gets good results from it but I don't get much wind. The overflow runs year round though and may be the best for me.

Cold & Goat Pictures

2009-01-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

Spent most of the day caring for the goats and chickens. Carrying water mostly. It was a great day to own coveralls for sure, couldn't make it without 'em in this weather. Took of few pictures of the goats while I was out too.

Eve is so photogenic, ain't she a pretty thing?

I see where the goats milk is going. That's ok, nothing better for the kids.

Eve just had to turn around for one more picture. hehe!! You can see where I put plastic over the front of the little barn.

Eve and Scout investigating a water bucket.

And the Chief, our pygmy buck and the father of the kids.

Chief's little house. This is Katie's summer playhouse that I bought at the flea market for 10 bucks. Works great for goat housing in the winter. I don't think Chief cares much for the pink door though.

Don't Waste that HEAT !!

2009-01-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

Any of you guys and gals been cold lately?? I have. I am sure that most of you probably have electric heat of some kind in your home. If you are a 100% off girder, then maybe not, but if you do have electric heat and you use it, you know how dry that heat can be. Crack the inside of your nose kinda dry, right? OK then, most of us also have an electric dryer too. If you answered yes to these two questions or if you heat with wood, coal or what ever this may be something you would like to try. When using your electric dryer, all the heat that is produced from your heating elements that dry your clothes is exhausted out of the house. Now what's up with that?? I'm using all this electricity (not cheap either) to produce this heat and then I let it blow right out the wall or floor?? Here is a little trick that will let you capture some of that heat and add some much needed moisture to the air in your home too. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS WITH A GAS/PROPANE DRYER !!!! The exhaust from these can be harmful or possibly fatal if exposed to for long periods of time. If you have a gas or propane clothes dryer *** DO NOT TRY THIS ***. OK, now you're on your own if you do. Sometimes when it's really cold out and it's a little cooler than I'd like it to be in the house, I use the exhaust from my electric clothes dryer to help warm the house. You simply take the vent hose loose from the wall vent or floor vent, which ever you have, place an old towel in the hole in the wall and let the dryer vent into the house. Place a (are you ready for this??) pair of pantyhose over the end of the vent pipe to collect any dryer lint that will get through the pipe. The result, warm air (usually around 140 degrees F) and moisture from your wet clothes that are drying away in the dryer. Now I know most of us have a clothes rack that we use to dry our clothes in front of the fire or near a window or wherever it's warm and out of the way, BUT, if you're are gonna use that dryer to dry clothes...Don't Waste that HEAT !!

I know we are all trying to save in each and every little way that we can, it's just the kinda folks we are. I have used this method many many times and it in NO WAY effects the efficiency of your dryer or harms it in any way. Just make sure you clean out your pantyhose after each load. LOL God, that just sounds too funny....

Reference Manuals

2009-01-13T13:06:00.001-08:00

I love using the Internet to find all types of information, I use it daily as a matter of fact. But, nothing compares to the warmth of a good book on a cold winter day. Cup of coffee (and one for each of you to0 ), my favorite chair (the one closest to the wood stove ) and a good book are all I need to be complete. I love books and have many. Our shelves are full of books that I have acquired over the years on various topics. I do, like most of you, have some favorites. These are the ones that sit on my chair side table at this moment. They are changed out every few days or so, so I can refresh myself on the things that I enjoy most. Nearly all of my books are reference manuals of some sort although I do have some non-fiction that I enjoy too.

The last few days reading have consisted of the 3 books below. I highly recommend them to all of my readers, packed full of useful information.

1. Outward Bound - Wilderness First-Aid Handbook.

Can you ever really have enough first-aid knowledge?? I though you would agree.

2. Staying Found- The Complete Map & Compass Handbook.

I was amazed at the number of people that perish, ones that have a compass, and don't have any idea how to use it. The numbers are mind boggling. Always refresh myself on this skill from time to time.

3. The Boy Scout Handbook.

How could anyone be without one. I have read this thing until the pages are worn. I have made numerous notes on nearly each and every page. I would never be without it, never.

I just wanted to share a few good reference books with you today, ones that could save your life or the life of a loved one. Now I don't keep these with me everywhere I go but I do refer to them often. A good knowledge of the skills offered in these books makes me feel a little safer in the fact that if the need arises, I will know what to do. Reading and learning from these is also a good way to prep for future events too, and the best part is, you can do it when it's cold outside, it's wet outside and you're BROKE !! lol I truly believe that knowledge is the most important preparation one can make.

Bread Success

2009-01-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in the last post about making sandwich bread. It turned out really well. I got it a little too moist which made the crust harder than I would have liked, but still good. I used probably a 1/2 cup on warm water which was too much but it just didn't seem to look right me. The instructions said to make it really dry to have a light crust but I didn't listen. Next time I will. Maybe I'll try again tonight, I have all the ingredients so why not. It will be eaten for sure. I sliced it pretty thick too, thinner next time. If anyone has tried this recipe please let me know how yours turned out. Maybe you have some tips to offer.

Now that I think about it, it looks just the right thickness for Texas Toast. mmmmmmmm.

200 th Post

2009-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that I have sat at this computer and clicked 'New Post" 200 times. But you know these puters, they never lie. hehe!! post # 200 comes with an Award too, can you believe it. Shiloh Farms has given this blog "The Lemonade Stand Award". A big thanks to Shiloh Farms. She has a great blog and was given this award and was kind enough to pass it on to me as well. Once again Shiloh Farms, Thank you !!

The Lemonade Stand Award

Seems there are a few rules to accepting this award. There so easy even I can do it.

The Rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate 10 blogs that show gratitude or great attitude or both

3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog

5. Share the love and link this post to the person whom you received your award from

Told ya it was easy. So here are the blogs that I pass this award on to. Hard to pick only 10 but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do.

1. Amy Twelve Acres

2. Throwback at Trapper Creek

3. Self Sustained Living

4. Farm Dreams

5. A View from the Green Barn

6. Woody's Rocky Ridge

7. My Home among the Hills

8. Wretha's Adventures Living Off Grid

9. Melissa's Ramblings

10. Hallland 1896

This list could have gone on and on but, I can only choose 10. Be sure to check 'em out, you're gonna like what ya see, I just know it. Well, I guess I had better let them know the good news.

Once again, thanks Shiloh Farms, appreciated ya.

In other news, we made bread tonight. Sandwich bread that is. Got the recipe here. We eat a lot of bread, we make sandwiches all the time. At nearly $2.50 for a loaf of bread we thought it was well worth a try. Pretty easy so far, it's still in the oven. I'll try to post ya some pics tomorrow, it's getting late. Boy it sure smells go though. One thing to remember is, warm that milk so the yeast gets kinda frothy when mixed together and I should have melted the butter too. Just wanted to mention that in case you want to give this bread a try.

Today wasn't a total loss

2009-01-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

Even though I still have no goats milk the day was still pretty productive. Daisy did seem happy to get on the milking stand, that has to be good. We are in for some really cold weather this week and I needed to work on the chicken coop and the goat barn some to prepare for it. Don't want to loose any animals due to my neglect. I covered the 2 windows on the chicken coop with clear plastic to keep the cold out and the warm in. I also got 3 eggs today, have only been getting about 4 or 5 a week. That's better for sure. I covered the goat barn on the front where I had left somewhat of an opening so they could get plenty of fresh air. I sealed it up and left an opening in the door so they can still get in and out. This should keep it warmer and dryer in the barn. Lou Lou, our other boer doe, is getting bigger and bigger the last few days. Maybe we will have more kids soon. She is not as big as Daisy was so I am not really expecting twins from her. This is also her first breeding as was Daisy's. Emily, our pygmy doe, is gaining some weight but I don't think she will kid anytime very soon. Ya just never know.

I know I have gave you nothing but failures the last few days and I'm sorry. You all take time to stop by and read my ramblings and you must leave on a bit of a sorrowful note. Hope I'm not ruining your day by sharing my failures. But, I want to give you an honest account of what goes on here. It's not always success. I am new to many of the things that I try and can only rely my research, your advice and trial and error. I can only keep trying and learning along the way. For some of you, none of this is new, for others that may be thinking and dreaming of living on a small farm, maybe you are learning along with me. I hope so. I don't paint the prettiest picture for you but, and honest one. I hope you will stay with me and maybe I can post on some real success stories for us both. Until then, I'll be here, one foot in front of the other, moving along as best I can.

'Til then, I remain,

Your Friend,

Chris

Success with the Stand, Not with the Milking

2009-01-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Daisy on the milking stand.

Woke this morning with nothing but the thoughts of sweet goats milk on my mind. My stand was ready and I had my easy goat milker in hand. On to the barn. Once there I feed the girls and persuaded Daisy to follow me into the little barn and onto the stand with a little feed. She happily followed right along and jumped up on the stand like an old pro. I closed the head gate, all was well. This is going to be a great day for me were my thoughts. I added a little more feed to the feeder so she would have plenty to keep her busy while I easily filled my jar with milk. I washed the utter and teats (hehe!!) and gave a good rub to help let down the milk. My easy goat milker that I am sure will work doesn't want to work for me. I try several times but just can't get enough suction. I had another sprayer with me just in case. Spinner said that the one I had may not work quite so well so I found another. Still, not success. OK then, I'll give it a try by hand again, she seems pretty happy on the stand anyway. No dice. The first squirt was fair but then the teats, both of them) went limp. There was just nothing there. So, I have a few questions for my goat milking readers.

1. The kids are still nursing, are they beating me to the milk??

2. Should I wait until the kids are weaned to start taking milk for myself??

3. Am I just too stupid to learn this new skill??

4. Should I just keep trying the same thing that I'm doing now??

Any answers to any of these questions would be much appreciated. I am determined to learn this skill and, like so may I have read about, starting to feel beaten. Any help for this po' ol' farm boy??

Milk Stand Complete and Easy Goat Milker

2009-01-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

Well, if you have read my last post you know that the only thing left to do on the milking stand was to attach the feeder. Got 'er done. Had time today to get ready to try to milk again tomorrow. The feeder is made of scrap 2x2's and the bucket is one I got for free from a bakery. Cool !! I built this thing with scrap wood and a free bucket, my only cost was for the nails!! Now that's my kinda project.

The feeder bucket can be removed for cleaning too !!

I had to have a way to lock the head gate. I have seen many online that used a chain at the top or a rope or bungee cord to keep the gate closed so the doe doesn't pull her head back thru. I decided that a block placed on each side would work fine too. This also keeps the gate from moving from side to side. Just drop them in place and the gate is locked. Take them out to release the gate and the doe. Again, scrap 2x2's.

Feeder in place and the head gate in the locked position.

Loaded up and ready to go to the barn for the girls inspection. Once there our pygmy doe, Emily, jumped right up on it giving it the thumbs up. As fate would have it I forgot to take a picture while in the barn. Tomorrow I post a picture. (Hopefully in use.)

I am a lot of things but an experienced milker is not one of them. On my last attempt I was really afraid that I was hurting Daisy by not doing it just right. If I am unable to grasp the tit....oops...I mean teat (who ever came up with that word anyway) in the right place I could force milk back in to the sack causing her pain and discomfort. Well, I was lucky enough to be surfin around over at Spinner's blog and found this GREAT IDEA !! An Easy Goat Milker as Spinner calls it. It consists of a 20 mil. disposable syringe attached to a 1/4 inch tube and then to a sprayer from a spray bottle. Go here to see it in action. You all know how cheap I am so this was great for me. Another cheap and easy project. I didn't have the supplies that I needed here so me and Katie headed out to Tractor Supply where I found it all. The syringe -.99 cents, 10 ft. 1/4 tubing $1.79 and they charged my $1.50 for the sprayer (which I thought was high). Total for the supplies- $4.28 + tax. Not bad at all. The barrel of the syringe is placed over the goats tit....errr.....teat and then you pull the trigger on the sprayer. The suction brings the milk thru the tube and out the sprayer and into your pail. Spinner has great success with this and I hope I will too.

A big GIANT THANK YOU t0 Spinner for the idea.

Milking Stand

2009-01-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Made a little progress today. I rounded up enough scrap lumber to finish the Goat's Milking Stand. Well, I'm nearly finished, still have to attach the feeder on the front. All in all it's not bad and will work just fine. I made it 20 inches wide and 4o inches long, 18 inches high. Those numbers just seemed to be right for me. I kinda went by this picture and made a few adjustments along the way. In the first picture you can see the neck gate is open. The goat will put her head thru the gate to get to the feed and then you close the gate. This holds her head in place so she can't pull back thru and interrupt the milking process. In theory that is. If she tries to move her legs around and kick the bucket over I will attach a small strap to the base so I can restrain her legs.

The neck gate is closed in this picture.

I can also use this stand when I need to trim the goats hooves or examine them. This way I can feel better knowing they are secure during the whole thing. I'll move it to the barn tomorrow and let the girls kinda get used to it being there. I may add a little feed to the feeder too. That is if I get the feeder finished. Anyway they can get used to it. In a few days I will try to milk again. Maybe have better luck this time. Oh yea, I also have some roll roofing left over that I can use on the base. This will keep them from maybe slipping while on the stand and it's good and rough and will help wear their hooves down some to I guess.

I had a plan that I thought would help with my addictions today. I would just be without them. If ya ain't got ya can't smoke or drink 'em. Well that was a good plan. The only problem is that I have 3 vehicles sitting out there that will take me anywhere I want to go. Too bad I had a little cash too I guess. Well, you know where this storey is going. Next time I will get rid of this nasty money. The battle continues..........

I got a new PLAN !!

2009-01-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

It's seems that my addiction to smokes and cokes is turning out to be a pain to break. A BIG PAIN and you now where. Tomorrow I will try a new plan that I will post on tomorrow. Chris <-- Fingers Crossed. I am also looking into a way to add a little more income to the farm. I have ,and will continue to be, working on setting up a ETSY account. If you have never heard of it please take a look. A good way for any homestead or anyone else really to sell some of our hand made products. Some of what you will find there : Jams and jellies, pickles and bread and cookies. Alot of homemade products. It's all got me thinking of ways to supplement our income here on the farm with our extra canned goods and things that could be made right here. Be sure to take a look. Maybe you will find a new outlet to sell some of your products and increase you $$$ flow.

If it can go wrong, it will !!

2009-01-06T17:16:00.001-08:00

Well it's been one thing after another today here on the Johnson Family Farm. I had hoped to start work on the milking stand today but the rain kept me from that one. Ok, I'll go down to the clubhouse to work on some renewable energy projects that I have had in mind for some time now. Walked in the door to find that the chimney was leaking like crazy, water all over the floor and all. Ok, I'll work on that and get it fixed. After climbing the ladder in the pouring rain I finally got the pipe sealed off pretty good. Or so I thought. Went back inside and got a fire started in the wood stove. After a few minutes I began to hear drip, drip, drip. Once the stove pipe had heated up it must have melted the sealer a little and began to let more water in. At this point I'm out of sealer. I put a pot near the stove to catch the water and let the fire die down some. Nothing else I can do at this point, I'm not going back to town to get more sealer today. I had to leave the farm 3 days in a row and that's about it for me for a while. I'm a home body to the 10th power.

I did check to see what I had available to me for my off grid projects and was pleased with what I had. 2 cordless drill motors that will work as 12 volt DC generators. 1 24 volt permanent magnet motor from an old electric scooter that will act as a DC generator also. 1 small solar panel that I took of off a solar fence charger that works as well. I hooked up the new volt meter to each of the cordless drill motors and gave each a spin. Each showed voltage while being spun. Same with the Scooter motor. Hooked the leads to the solar panel and even with it raining like crazy outside and me being inside with just the light from the door window the meter read 8.2 volts. I have some goodies to play with for sure. Now just decide how to turn the motors, wind turbine or hydro (homade of course). I do have 2 12 volt rechargeable batteries from the scooter that are in working order. I gave them a full charge here in the house with the adapter that came with them. Rather than use an inverter to change this 12 dc power to 120 ac power, I want to have a complete 12 volt dc system. You can get some nice lights that run off of 12 dc and many other useful things too. Still looking into all that. At least I got some idea of what I have and what can be done with it. The first thing that has went right today, I'm feeling better now.

I made a big pot of chicken vegetable soup on Monday. Today we had left overs and that was about all the soup that we wanted for a while. I have been having canning withdraws for weeks now so I thought I would can what we had left. Got my jars out and cleaned and put them in the oven at 220 degrees to keep them good and hot. Got my caner out and noticed that the dial gauge was reading 11lbs. Wait, that's not right, it should be on zero. I gave it a shake or two, smacked it against my hand a few times and then it was back to zero. I'll still keep a watchful eye on the caner just to make sure. After I put the hot soup in the hot jars and place the lids on I put the jars in the caner. Let it steam for 10 minutes and then put the weight on. Everything seems to be ok. After about 5 minutes the dial was on 5 lbs. mmmmmm. Should be a little more than that by now I though, I'll keep watching. After 2 or 3 minutes more the weight began to rock, this is one of the many safety features on this caner. The thing is that is doesn't begin to rock until the caner is up to 15 lbs. and my gauge is reading about 6lbs at this time. Oh well, turn the burner off and set the caner to the side to cool. Once the jars cool I'll put them in the fridge where they will keep for a week or 2 no problem. I have read somewhere that the County Extension office will check your caner gauge and recalibrate it if need be. I'll have to look into that and see.

Well, if it could go wrong today, it did. But on the bright side, I'm warm, I'm dry and my belly is full. I'll make it 'til bedtime. Tomorrows another day, a better one I hope.

Rain Rain Rain

2009-01-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Nothing but rain here today so no work on the milking stand I guess. I'm gonna head down to the clubhouse and work on some renewable power projects. Dragon has a great post about his set and you should read it if you are interested in getting off grid on the cheap. Tell him the Scavenger set ya his way, he'll be glad to hear from ya. Then jump over and see Wretha's post on her solar set up too. Both are very good read and easy to understand information.

A little pantry pic for ya.

2009-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Gen, always wants pantry pictures and I promised some after the holidays, so Gen, here ya go. Not much, this is just the kitchen pantry that holds some of the goods that I canned this summer. There is also some flour and meal in the jars on the top shelf and totes in the bottom. So of the buckets also hold flour and meal for longer storage. The buckets have a rubber seal, got 'em free from a food delivery place. Just a little pic for Gen and all my readers. Liv has been cleaning and getting things in order the last few days.

Round 1 - Daisy- 1 Chris- 0

2009-01-05T13:24:00.001-08:00

Well, my goat milking day could have went a lot better, could have been worse too I guess. I still have a grin on my face thinking of the days events. I gathered my bucket of warm soapy water and rag to wash of the utter and teats. I had my bucket for my anticipated milk. I had a feed bucket fixed to the wall of the barn at just the right height. I had my bag balm and teat dip ready. I had a small box of raisins to offer as a reward for being such a good girl while I milked her. Daisy's collar was attached to the leash to keep her from moving around during the process. I was set, or so I thought. I gently placed my hand on the first teat and gave a little squeeze and a small stream of milk came out and onto the ground. The first few squirts are sent to the ground as to clean the end of the teat of anything that may be in the end. OK, seems to be going ok. Then 3 more squirts in the bucket and then Daisy began to move around a bit. Ok, I'll talk to her and maybe calm us both down a little. After a little conversation and brushing my hand over her back I tried again. Daisy made it clear that this was not something that she cared for at all. Ok, let's talk it over and see if we can get through this. She was getting very frustrated and tyring her best to free herself from the leash that held her somewhat in place. I decided to unclasp the leash and see what happened. She went to the opposite corner and turned and faced me as if to say "that's enough for today". Well rather than leave us both frustrated with the situation I decided that maybe that was enough for today. I gave her the raisins anyway almost trying to say I'm sorry and gave her plenty of love. So for today, Daisy 1, Chris 0. She may have won this battle but I will continue to fight the silent and gentle war. It was something new for us both and we both have much to learn. That's ok, we have to start somewhere and today we got our start. Tomorrow I will start on the milking stand that I want to build and we'll see how it goes with that set up. Only time will tell. I remain very determined to milk my goats but I am willing to be patient so as to make it a pleasant experience for us both. Tomorrow, I will try again......and again......and again.

The reward for today's efforts. Hey, it's just a drop in the bucket as they say.

Tomorrow - I Milk !

2009-01-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will milk a goat for the very first time. I have read all that can be read and done all my home work and now the time has come to get down to business. I have gathered some supplies and I am about as ready as I can be. I still need to get some teat dip, Tractor Supply was out today so tomorrow I will go to Southern States to get some. Pickup up a collar for Daisy today and put it on her. I hope to use a lead rope to secure her while I milk her and she will have a bucket of feed in front of her too to keep her busy. I still have not built a milking stand, that's soon to come. I guess it will be a learning experience for both Daisy and me. That has been the plan for some time now, to have somewhat of a dairy goat farm. Now that we have bred and birthed a set of twins and have a doe to milk we are getting closer. My plan is to make goats milk soap, lotion and cheese and maybe sell some of it on Etsy or the Farmers Market and or the flea market. I guess it would be a pretty good barter item as well. Trade some milk for something that I don't have. Our Doe is a Boer and not really a dairy goat per say but all goats give milk, some more than others. I have read that a good dairy goat will give about 1 gal of milk per day. Maybe I can get 1/2 that or so, time will tell. I do want/need a good stainless steel milk bucket. I have found one online that I really like for around $50.00 with shipping but I will wait to see what I can find locally first. This one has a hood so nothing can fall into the bucket of fresh milk. I too am looking forward to drinking some of this milk, the only goats milk I have ever had before came from the store. I'm sure it's not even close to what fresh milk tastes like.

I am continuing to prep as I can each day. Took my pop cans off today and got $25.00. The price had dropped from 50 cents to 30, but it's some anyway. Put $20 in the tank in the jeep and picked up a 4lb bag of pinto beans at Kroger for $3.49. You can never have enough pinto beans and they go a long way too. 1/4 cup of beans cook up to be 3/4 cup of cooked beans, not too bad. Plus I love them.......cornbread and a big sweet onion.....mmmmmmmmmmm. Now that's some preps I can get into big time. Each dollar I can spend toward food storage or fuel will keep me better prepared in the future. Hard times can happen to anyone and anytime and I want to be ready if it comes my way. Putting some away is just smart to do for anyone. Why not spend your extra on something that will be useful for you and your family in the future, it doesn't have to be much at one time. A few dollars here and there really add up over time. I am always looking for things that I can keep and use for preparedness, even at the fast food places. Yep, I prep Wendy's style too. If I am at the drive thru I always ask for extra condiments, always. If I go inside ( where you can get even more ) I hit the condiment bar hard and heavy. Hey, they said to help myself and I have paid for it so why not get what I need. Now I don't clean them out or anything but I do get some of each condiment. Once home I put each in a separate jar with lid and there ya have it, preps for free. (well kinda free). I have plenty salt, pepper, sugar,ketchup and mayo, napkins, plastic spoons, forks and straws for future use.

My smoking habit is tough to break. Tomorrow I will try the patch, maybe 1 over each ear, 1 over each eye and 1 over my mouth will do the trick. Today has been better than yesterday though. 9 smokes and 7 cokes, sounds like a lot, don't it?

Goat Kids and Preps

2009-01-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Had to go to town today (Grrrrr) so I thought since I was there anyway I might as well pick up some goodies. Found this great first aid kit made by Johnson&Johnson. This thing is loaded with all kinds of stuff. 200 pieces and coverage for Skin: Wound Treatment and Protection, itch relief,burns,poison ivy toxin removal, splinter removal. Muscle: aches and pains,swelling,finger sprains,muscle pain. Body: diarrhea,body heat retention,colds and allergies. Equipment and instructions: emergency light, first aid instruction,temperature measurement. All in this neat plastic container that is marked as first aid. We needed to add some stuff to our first aid and this thing just has so many different things that I thought it would be a great addition. I would also recommend this to any one as a very good starter first aid kit. Walmart-$20.00 I also picked up 2 more 1lb (well 1.02 lbs) propane fuel bottles. I try to pick up a few of these each month. Walmart-$5.36 for a 2 pack.

Well I might as well pick up some more CFL's while I'm there too. These things can really save you some $$$. You get the same amount of light as a 60 watt bulb for only 13 watts. If you change all the bulbs in your house to these CFL's you will see a difference in your energy usage. Walmart-$6.97 for a 3 pack, they cost a little more but are well worth the savings.

Then on to Lowes. My meter has been on the injured list for a while now. It's an old one that my Dad gave me years ago. And I mean like 30 years or so ago. I have to have one for my alternative energy projects, so I'm already here, and it's cheaper to get it now rather than come back to town later to buy one. This one should fit my needs just fine. Lowes-$21.95. The funny thing is I just went to Walmart to pick up a prescription and Lowes to get 3 2x6's. Hey, it's stuff that we need and can use so I can justify the cost.

The new goat kids are really doing well. They are running and jumping around the lot and having a ball. They seem to be really healthy. The doe we have named Eve, they were born on New Years Eve and it just seemed right. She has a white spot on the top of her head. The buck kid will be Scout.

This is Scout wondering what those things are with the feathers.

Gotta grab a little warm milk before he goes out to scout the area again.Lou Lou looks like she may be getting close to having kids of her own soon. Only time will tell, I'm not even gonna try to guess again. lol

I'm doing a little better

2009-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

After a long day full of headaches and nervous jitters I am going to bed now. I wish I could have done better with my Declarations on quiting smoking and Diet Coke but I have made much progress in my ultimate success. Total count for January 1- smoked 4 cigarettes and drank 6 diet cokes. Not good by any ones standards but tomorrow I will continue the fight. I have added a side bar to let others keep track of my success and failures. I vow to continue to battle these addictions until they are defeated no matter what. I have given my word to you and to myself and I WILL keep my word. It's a matter of honor to me now. I'll keep you updated.

On a lighter note, the new goat kids are doing great. I kept them and their mother in the barn last night and I let them out today to enjoy a little sunshine. They ran and jumped and had a ball. We held them and made sure they knew that we were no threat to them and that we provide nothing but love and kindness. It was a good day here on the farm for all.

Reaffiramation of New Years Declarations

2009-01-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

This is a re-post of my New Years Declarations. I know that many have been inspired by them and many have been kind enough to link to this post. I wanted to post them again for any that may not have read them before and to reaffirm my Declarations to myself and to the World.

I have decided that this year there will be no New years resolutions, there will be declarations instead. Resolutions are too easy to wiggle out of if you ask me. My list will be Declarations. I declare I will do these things, or die trying. My list is complicated and my goals are high but this is a time in my life that I need to demand more of myself, as we all should. Let's get serious about what changes need to be made and tackle them head on with a vengeance. Here is a list of my Declarations.

I DECLARE, I will stop smoking these cigarettes. Marlboro has shortened my life and emptied my pockets long enough.

I DECLARE, I will stop my addiction to diet coke, 20 a day is just a little out of hand.

I DECLARE, I will make better use of the things available to me, my garden and my livestock, my land and my water source.

I DECLARE, I will produce electricity in a usable amount, be it solar, wind or micro hydro power. I will begin my energy independence this coming year.

I DECLARE, I will learn new skills to help improve our way of life. Soap making, Cheese making and Blacksmithing are among them.

I DECLARE, I will be a better brother, son, father, husband and friend to those I love.

I DECLARE, I will continue to gather and store food and other perps necessary to protect my family.

I DECLARE, I will make better use of my finances. I have never seen a well that won't run dry.

I DECLARE, I will take better care of the things that have been given me. My cars, animals, tools, property and my life to name a few.

I DECLARE, I will take time to smell the roses. Time management will be a top priority.

I will be posting on the success of these Declarations in the near future and will be honest with you and myself as to the outcome. I encourage my readers to call me out on these Declarations. If I haven't mentioned them in some time, ask why! Don't let me forget that I made these DECLARATIONS right here for the whole world to see and hear and that I am obligated to fulfill them.
I am interested to know your plans for the New Year. Are you making resolutions or DECLARATIONS ??

Finally, New Baby Goats !!!!

2008-12-31T07:29:00.001-08:00

Finally Daisy our Boer Doe had 2 kids this morning. She was bred to our Pygmy Buck Chief so these are Boer/Pygmy cross. These are the first to be bred and birthed here on the farm. I am more than a little proud as I'm sure you can tell. 1 boy and 1 girl, and she could have another. She is still pretty big and looks as if she may have another kid in there somewhere. Have to wait and see. Well, gotta get back down to the kids. Just wanted to post the GREAT NEWS and a few pictures, there will be many, many more to come.

Trying to get back to the blog

2008-12-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry for not posting but there is just not much going on here right now. We are still trying to recoup from the Christmas rush and our trip to West Virginia with the family. Be getting back to you soon with updates on my New Years Declaration. I'm getting myself prepared for the battle ahead.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to send a Big Merry Christmas to all my friends out there. Hope you have a wonderful and save holiday. May all your wishes come true.

Chris

Gifts for the boys in my family

2008-12-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

This is the gift that I have chosen for 2 of my nephews. They are at that age were they are impressionable, and I want that impression to be a good one. The American Boy's Handy Book is the ideal gift in my opinion for any boy that falls into the 9 - 12 age group. Hey, I'm 41 and I think it's the greatest thing ever. A lot of good useful information in this book for people of all ages I think. Below is a product description of the book and you can click here to learn more.

Product Description
Originally published in 1890, The American Boy’s Handy Book is the ultimate collection of timeless boyhood activities. Written and illustrated by America's founding father of scouting, this book shows how to have fun while being constructive, creative and daring. The American Boy’s Handy Book is packed with tips, instructions, and illustrations for things boys don't learn while playing video games and surfing the Internet. From making fireworks, shooting arrows, and fighting war kites, to building a raft, riding a sled and training a dog, the author encourages boys to be boys, be active, enjoy some innocent mischief, and develop their self confidence and character (although they probably won't realize these last two are happening).

Now does that sound pretty cool or what?? I would have loved a book like this when I was their age. I have read some of it, don't tell, and man it's full of great stuff that they can use for the rest of their life. This is a wonderful addition to any young (or old) boys collection. I added a little hand written message for each boy on the inside flap of each book also. Maybe some day they will pull that book from it's shelf and remember the great times it provided them over the years and maybe, just maybe they will remember ol' Uncle Chris too.

Now with a book like that you gotta have a good knife to go along with you on the journey, right? OK, so I added to each a inexpensive 7 function swiss army (type) knife. I have carried one on my key chain for years and it has been a life saver for me.

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

2008-12-19T17:04:00.001-08:00

OK, not really. But I do really like the song. It's an old one which makes it even better when played on our old Victrola. We have been trying to make it feel a little more like Christmas around here, which seems to be pretty hard, so we brought out the Christmas hits from the past. These are, as I'm sure you can tell, really old 78's (which means that they are to be played a 78 rpm's to play correctly). They are a little scratched up but still sound wonderful on the old Victrola. Here is the only Hippopotamus that I want around here at Christmas or any other time for that matter You can go to this link to hear it, and yes it will be your new favorite.

http://www.links2love.com/christmas-songs-hippopotamus.htm

Another favorite is Gene Autry, with Here Comes Santa Claus. Another oldie. Man, that voice just makes me feel good all over. Calms me yet excites me all at the same time. Listen to it here and see it played on a record player. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpPpBxZhi6s

Well ya gotta have something to play all that old music on, what better that an old Victor Victrola complete with the hand crank on the side. A friend found this ad on the net some time ago and printed it and gave it to me. Can you believe this thing cost $425.00 in 1925-26. That was near the price of a new car at that time. Who ever purchased this one new must have had some coin, if ya know what I mean. I would love to be able to tell you a nice long story about how this has been in the family for years and years. The truth, I bought it at an Antique store maybe 12 - 15 years ago in West Virginia. Well, I could have made up a good story for ya, but I have a hard enough time keeping the truth straight. I would never be able to remember a lie to tell it twice. hehe!!

Ours is not new condition or anything but it's still really nice for it's age, going on 100 years old. There are small cups to hold extra needles to the back left and I also found a place on line to buy needles NEW !! Can you believe that?? Notice the volume, you just open or close the cabinet doors to adjust. lol Man, I love things that are that simple and work so well.

Power source- Crank handle several turns and enjoy. "Off-grid entertainment"

And what would Christmas be with out Sponge Bob hangin' around. hehe!!

Laundry Soap and New Blog

2008-12-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Well, we ran out of laundry detergent today and I thought I would whip up a batch that I had seen on a blog that I read often. Cath posted how to make it and I referred back to the post before I went to town to pick up the ingredients. God, I hate to have to leave the farm for anything, just don't care much for the outside world anymore at all. Too busy for me. Anyhow I got my goods and once back home mixed them just like Cath said. Wow, it works great !! I had made some once before that was a liquid soap and I just didn't care for it. It worked ok, but was kinda clumpy. This batch is a keeper for sure. Thanks Cath for the inspiration, seems reading blogs is where most of mine come from these days. Speaking of which, Cath has a new blog where she has come out of the closet about her food storage activities. I think she came out of the closet so she could make some more room for her massive canned food supplies. Anyhow, check out her new blog with pantry pictures for all of us food storage lovers. She and Big Daddy have a pretty nice set up looks like to me. It's worth your time to check it out just to see the cabin where she and Big Daddy and the kids hang out on long weekends. Give 'em a look, your gonna love that cabin... I do....

I have been such a Fool !!

2008-12-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

For those who follow this blog you may remember my New Years Declaration post. Well, I have been doing some thinking about it and thought I would run some numbers just to seen how much I have wasted and how much I will save by making these changes. I am focusing on Cigarettes and Pop in this post. To my way of thinking I will be more devoted to the task when I see how much money I can save since my health obviously hasn't mattered much to me. The numbers nearly made me hit the floor although I should have hit the roof after seeing my wasteful ways. And here I am trying to live a life with less consumerism. Check out the stupidity below.

20 cans of Diet Coke per day = 7300 cans per year = 608.33 Twelve packs per year @ $3.18 = $1934.49 per year or $161.20 per month or $40.30 per week.

1 1/2 pack of cigarettes per day = 547.5 packs per year = 54.75 cartons per year @ $27.56 per carton = $1508.91 per year or $125.74 per month or $31.43 per week.

Savings of quiting both

$3443.40 per year

$286.95 per month

$71.74 per week

$10.25 per day

Kinda knocks ya off your feet don't it !! I hang my head in shame looking at the amount of money that I have wasted that could have gone to improve the life of my family. Just think of the amount of food storage that represents........the upgrade to solar power that would make us independent of the energy company's (and a few years of this budget would do that).........the debts that could be satisfied and gone forever..........the money that could have been saved away for emergencies. Keep in mind also that this is a conservative dollar amount too. There are times (many of them too) that I run out of these that I have bought at a (bargain?) and had to run out and pay even more for these items of destruction at close by convenience stores. So the amount shown is actually more. Now add to that the fuel cost for these addiction runs and it's even more!

Well that all stops on January 1, 2009 !!! No longer will I be controlled by my addictions !! No longer will I be money in the bank to those that manufacture and sell these products !! No longer will I smoke and drink away the future well being of my family !! The Buck Stops Here !!

Sometimes we just can't wait.

2008-12-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

Well UPS and FedEx trucks have been wearing a path to our house the last few days with Internet purchases for Christmas. Liv has been getting some great deals from Amazon with some things less than half their original price. Makes for a little better Christmas for all you could say. Well Katie wasn't feeling too well this evening and we thought an early Christmas gift may make her feel a little better. Liv went to the back of the house and brought back this thing by Playskool, a Cherry Blossom Market, A part of the Dream Town Collection. $17.99 with free shipping from Amazon. It was a big hit to say the least.

How much is that baby girl in the window?? ( Can you see her there ) Don't matter how much she is, believe me you can't afford it.

It's the little things

2008-12-16T08:46:00.001-08:00

It's the little things around here that seem to bring a smile to my face. Yesterday I was wondering around the place and found a box that our Muscovy ducks have been laying eggs in. I have several wooden boxes around the place so you just never know where you may or may not find an egg. Eggs have been in short supply for a while. I think, like chickens, ducks butts must freeze shut. hehe!! In this box I found 4 eggs. Well I wasn't sure how long they had been there so what should I do? I decided to mark the eggs with a marker so I will know they are the ones that have been there and if a new egg is laid I will be able to tell. The ducks of course came running when they saw me around this box so I made sure to feed them well in this spot. Thinking this would keep them close to the area, I also filled the box with straw and replaced the eggs where I found them. This morning, a new egg. I was so happy to find that egg, it was like an early Christmas gift from the Duck Gods. Long story short, by marking the eggs I was able to get an egg that I knew was fresh.

This Post is for Amy

2008-12-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Amy has started a new blog that showcases her vintage items that she has collected over time. Her new blog lets us all see the wonderful pieces she has and gives us some information on them or asks questions when she's not sure. Amy has a great blog and I encourage you all to go and see the vintage stuff she has, Amy is what I like to call "Good People". She has a really nice green bowl that belonged to her aunt on there now. This got me to thinking about a green bowl that we have and I wanted to share it with Amy and all of you too.

Picked this one up at an estate sale a few years ago along with a box of other glassware. This one kinda struck my eye because it is such an unusual shape. No name or mark of any kind on it anywhere. I have never seen another one quite like it, it is a 3 sided bowl and came with utensils which is very unusual as well. The utensils are plastic which started to be popular during the 60's. To me it's just a real pretty green salad bowl. I am not a collector but I keep what I like and I like this one.

This is one of my favorites, I'm sure you all remember the Spruce Goose. This cup is made by Anchor Hocking.

New Years Declarations !!

2008-12-15T02:50:00.000-08:00

I DECLARE, I will stop smoking these cigarettes. Marlboro has shortened my life and emptied my pockets long enough.
I DECLARE, I will stop my addiction to diet coke, 20 a day is just a little out of hand.
I DECLARE, I will make better use of the things available to me, my garden and my livestock, my land and my water source.
I DECLARE, I will produce electricity in a usable amount, be it solar, wind or micro hydro power. I will begin my energy independence this coming year.
I DECLARE, I will learn new skills to help improve our way of life. Soap making, Cheese making and Blacksmithing are among them.
I DECLARE, I will be a better brother, son, father, husband and friend to those I love.
I DECLARE, I will continue to gather and store food and other perps necessary to protect my family.
I DECLARE, I will make better use of my finances. I have never seen a well that won't run dry.
I DECLARE, I will take better care of the things that have been given me. My cars, animals, tools, property and my life to name a few.
I DECLARE, I will take time to smell the roses. Time management will be a top priority.

I will be posting on the success of these Declarations in the near future and will be honest with you and myself as to the outcome. I encourage my readers to call me out on these Declarations. If I haven't mentioned them in some time, ask why! Don't let me forget that I made these DECLARATIONS right here for the whole world to see and hear and that I am obligated to fulfill them.

I am interested to know your plans for the New Year. Are you making resolutions or DECLARATIONS ??

She was the Greatest Lake of all !!

2008-12-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

There is a time in my life that I hold onto more than any other. This time was spent with my Great Grandmother on my Mother's side. She was destined to be great from the start of her life. She was born, Lake Erie Blankenship, on March 20th, 1893. In 1911 she met and married Francis Mathers Harless and they were married on September the 3rd of that year. Francis and Lake lived a happy life together for the next 59 years until Francis "went to be with the Lord". For some reason when we speak of them that is what is said, they"went to be with the Lord". I think it is because we just can't stand the thought of them dieing or being dead and out of the great respect that we all have for them both. All the great grandchildren called them Big Mawmaw and Big Pawpaw although we don't know where those names came from nor did we ever question it. The names fit and stuck. I can hardly remember Big Pawpaw, only a few images in my mind of how he looked. Those memories are of him sitting in his rocking chair in front of the ever present fire place.

The time that I remember most is when my mother and I lived with Big Mawmaw while my father was away on a cruise in the Navy. This was only about 6 or 8 months and I was just a small boy, but the memories are were burned into my mind by that old coal fireplace. I was probably between 4 and 5 years old at the time. We had electricity but no cable tv, there was a tv in the room where my mother and I slept and sometimes you could even get a little bit of a picture on it but never any sound. That was fine though, there were many good stories to heard, much better than anything I have seen on tv since that time.

Big Mawmaw and Big Pawpaw had live in the old house since they were first married, no one knows for sure who built it or how old it was. Big Mawmaw said it had always been there and I say she's right. Little more than a tar paper shack, there was more love shared in that old house than any other I have been in. I can remember when my mother and I were staying there, I would lie on the feather bed at night and listen to mom and Big Mawmaw talk about everything from chickens to the Vietnam War. When they had something to say that they didn't want me to know, they would spell it, knowing that I would not have any idea what they were talking about. One night that we all remember even now, I was hungry and wanting to get in on this spelling thing, I ask my mom if she would fix me a 'G O P T'. They had no clue what I was talking about so after a few laughs I told them that I had spelled grilled cheese sandwich. At my moms house we still call 'em that, fix me a GOPT. To this day I still can't spell. I can also remember mom waiting outside the outhouse door for me during those cold nights of winter. No bathroom in the house, besides that's nasty, poop right inside your house where you eat. LOL How times have changed. Now we use the bathroom in the house and go outside to eat, crazy folk we are. Staying warm was never a problem in that old house. Big Mawmaw could get that old fireplace so hot it would burn the front of your pants off. Peoples faces would glow red after just a few minutes in there. We all gathered in what was really Mawmaw's bedroom, it was in the front of the house and the room had 2 old wood rockers in there. People would sit in the floor or on her old feather bed and there was a stool for the electric organ that she would play. Oh, that organ. She loved to play and loved it even more when someone ask her to. She would wobble over and pull the stool out and take a seat, turn the switch on and that thing would hum so loud where she had it turned up all the way. It was such a funny site. She would then play the prettiest and loudest music you ever heard. On Sunday after church, many times people would stop by Aunt Lake's house and many of the old timers called her. They would have church (round 2 for the day) right there in Mawmaw's bedroom, organ music and all. Many a preacher had dinner at that house. For years, Sundays were spent there, family and friends from all around would come.

This is a picture of me and my Big Mawmaw. I was maybe 10 at the time. I'm sure it was around Christmas because you can see present on the bed. If you look close you can see a picture of the Last Supper hanging on the wall to the right.

This is the old house where so many good memories where made. As you can see there are 2 chimneys to keep the house good and warm and another that you can't see for the old wood cookstove. There was only a walk bridge to the house across the creek. This photo was taken on the side where you parked your car. To get a car or truck on that side you had to drive through the creek at a spot just left of the picture. Me and my cousins would have the time of our life around this old place. Located in Logan County West Virginia in an old coal mining community called Emmett. The creek that flow by Big Mawmaw's house is Elk Creek, and that is what eveyone calls the area, no one ever calls it Emmett.

Here is a picture taken from the same location only different season. The old house is gone now. A flower garden takes it's place as a tribute to the woman that held the whole family together. The last year or two of her life she bought a small mobile home and placed it behind the house. It was much easier for her to take care of during those last few months. My uncle lives in the mobile home now with his wife and they take good care of the place. Visiting with them always brings me back to the old house where Big Mawmaw lived and the good times we all shared there. Big Mawmaw went be with the Lord on February 3rd, 1990. Named after one of the great lakes, Lake Erie Harless was surely The Greatest Lake of all.

Wind fall and Snow Day

2008-12-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

As you may have read in my last post, we had snow last night. It's beautiful though there's only about 2 or 3 inches on the ground. As Liv was going to town to deliver some cake's and such she was stopped by a tree crossing the drive. The heavy wet snow was just too much for this old dead pine and it made it's last stand to no avail. I had to get the chainsaw and clear it out so she could get through and I of course took the camera along. The funny thing is that I took pictures of everything but the fallen tree before I cut it up. I guess I just got carried away with the task at hand. So, here's so random pictures around the farm.

The trusted farm dog, Smokey.

Chief, our pygmy buck don't seem as excited about the snow as I am.

The girls saying "Look here comes Daddy, where's that feed bucket"??

OK, now time to head up the drive to move that tree.

This one will probably come down next. For now I will leave it, I think everything deserves a second chance.

Driveway is clear. I will cut the rest of the tree up for emergency firewood. I don't really like to use pine but ya just never know what winter may have up it's sleeve.

Another picture along the driveway.

This is my second Love. This Honda ATV is the greatest thing I have ever owned, couldn't make it without it. Here it is ready for action.

This is a symbol of the real me. Folks around here call me Taz sometimes. hehe!! They say it's because of the way I fly into any task that do. I think it's funny.

Man I love this work horse. Makes my life much easier, I cut the tree in bigger sections that I would have if I had to carry them all. I can tie my tow rope to the large pieces and to the back of my ATV and then drag them away. Saves this poor boy's back a lot of lifting.

Snowy Night

2008-12-11T22:10:00.000-08:00

We have had plenty of rain the last 2 days. Tonight, Thursday, well it's early Friday morning as I post this, it turned to a wet snow. We have around 2 to 3 inches on the ground now. I love snow and had to take a few pictures for you all. These were taken while standing with the front door open, using only the camera's flash. Some droopy pine trees. In the last picture you can see Katie's Tree house/Swing Set and some of Smokie's footprints in the snow.

Pups are spoken for

2008-12-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to freecycle both pups are now spoken for. I know they will both have good homes for Christmas and will bring joy to their new owners. Thanks to all that looked.

Chris

Free Puppies

2008-12-11T16:00:00.001-08:00

Posted these pups on www.freecycle.org and I needed a place to let folks come and see the pictures. These pups are being offered locally so if I have anyone that reads this blog and is close by and you would like a pup just let me know. 1 male and 1 female born October 11. Poodle mix and they don't shed at all. I have had their mother for about 6 years now. God these things are too cute but I can only deal with so may animals. Come and get your Christmas Pups today.

OK, so I cheated a little

2008-12-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to try making soap at home. The main reason we raise goats is to be able to get milk to make soap and cheese and then pretend we are going to sell them. Well, the goats are bred and we hope to get milk soon but I wanted to make soap now. After a little research I ran across a method call Remelt and Pour, this seemed to be able to give me my soap making fix for now. I plan on making my own lye from wood ashes from our wood stove for the process later on and use milk from our goats along with fresh herbs from our garden but that is in the future. It seems like everywhere I looked homesteading bloggers where making soap, I'm easily influenced and wanted a piece of the action. I rounded up some goodies from around the house and got into the process. Here is what sorta, kinda happened.

Grabbed 3 bars of Dial soap that we got at a bulk store. = cheap

Took out my good ole pocket knife and shaved into pieces. This Old Timer has worn a hole in many a jean pocket as you can tell.

Let me say that I should have used a grater for this, these large pieces took a long time to melt. Hey, there's my smoke's, been looking for those.

Placed the soap in my make shift double broiler. = Glass bowl inside of a pot. Add some water and mix and melt. Sorta looks like gravy to me. hehe!!

Found some of this bath treatment stuff under the bathroom sink, yep we got a sink and a crapper in the house. We're big time around here, nothin to good for my woman. Why, the other day we was at the Dollar store and I told her to get anything she wanted. Ain't nothin in there to good fer my woman. lol Anyway added this powder to the mix and stir some more.

Ain't got any of 'em fancy soap molds or anything but Liv had these cupcake trays that she said just didn't work out to good for and was kind enough to let me use them if I promised I'd leave her alone and let her do her cake thing. Deal !! These are plastic or something, they are flexible. (or "bendy" as Katie says ) Pour in the mix that I melted, not real neat like either as you can see. After it sets a bit I can clean it up some.

A couple hours later I removed them from the pans/tray to continue to dry.

Kinda looks like candy of some kind here. lol

The next day that are still not set up good, it takes a few days or so I have read. They look like can biscuit's in this picture. Man they smell good, the bath treatment stuff had oatmeal in it too and you can smell it. Not very pretty soap but, it was a trial run. I had no extra $$ invested and I sorta got my feet wet in this whole soap making thing. I have much to learn I know but this was a good confidence build for me. I will feel a little better when I try to make my first batch of real homemade soap now that I have cheated a little.

Cheaters soap/Canned biscuits

Check out this Wonderful Christmas Story

2008-12-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

In my travels around the internet and world the of bloggers I found another good'n. Goats in the Garden, and they have a wonderful Christmas Story that I would encourage everyone to read. It will only take a few minutes but you will want to stay longer and enjoy the rest of the blog too. So, head on over and tell 'em The Scavenger sent ya over. Follow this link and enjoy.

http://goatsinthegarden.blogspot.com/2008/12/favorite-christmas-story.html

Frugal Food Storage

2008-12-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

I can't stress enough how important it is to have food storage for you and your family. In this day and time it is essential to put away some extra food for hard times that may or may not be ahead. I have read and learned much about this subject over the past few years and have added to my storage due to the lessons learned. One of my favorite sites is by Marie and I highly recommend you to read and learn from her blog and any others that you may find on food storage. Marie is always happy to answer questions from her readers as are most all bloggers.

First let me say that you don't have to spend a fortune to have food storage. No need to let the mortgage slide or the utilities go unpaid to start this endeavor. The first thing I would recommend is to check your local sales paper. Ours came in the mail today and there are a lot of good bargains to be had by someone interested in keeping their family feed. Here is just an example of what I see in this sales paper. These are just the items that require no special needs for storage, they can be just set in your pantry or a shelf.

Hormel Chilli w/Beans 16oz - $1

Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce 160z - $1

Hunt's Diced Tomatoes 14.5oz - $1

Hunts Tomato paste or sauce 15oz -$1

Store Brand pasta Sauce 26oz $1

Creamette Dry Pasta 16oz -$1

Kraft Easy Mac Cups 2.05oz -$1

Pasta Roni 7.25oz -$1

Rice A Roni 3.8oz -$1

Store Brand Canned Vegetables 11-15.25oz 2 for $1

I am in no way recommending these brands, just posting what I see here in the paper. I hope this will give you an idea of how simple and inexpensive it is and can be to begin your food storage. Do some research as to how much you need and then look at the sales papers in your area. These items are all $1 or less, from only one sales store sales paper and can be simply stored on a shelf with no extra effort on your part. There are many items that are available for $1 or less, just take a look around and see for yourself. Good Luck and please start today.

Cold Farm Pictures

2008-12-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are some pictures of the pallet barn. Remember that I said it's not the prettiest thing you ever laid your eyes on. As of now I have $3.18 invested in this project, that's for nails. I reused a lot of the nails that I pulled out of some of the other lumber but still had to have some new ones to get this far. As of now I am using a weather proof tarp for the roof, not gonna add this to the cost because it is temporary (hehe!!). I will no doubt have to buy some tin for the roof in the future but this will do fine for now. I had the old door, just had to cut it off a little. It really won't look too bad after a coat of paint, probably a sorta light green (we use this color for other small projects and we have given it the name 'ugly green')Plan on adding to the barn in the very near future so I used the few pallets that I had left to extend the back wall a little. Later, I will put the wall on the right and wall in the front with the roof. Once I get this part done, I will build another one just like it in front of it spacing it out about 10 ft. The 2 structures will then be facing each other. Then I will set posts and join the two with a roof that will be higher than the two. I plan to floor this section, in the middle, and be able to store hay up there.Feeding tray thingy, I just used a top to an old gas grill. Turn it upside down and nail to the wall. If I put it up any higher they seem to want to jump up in it and lay there, so I keep it at ground level.Water bucket placed in old tires. The tires are packed with old hay on the sides and bottom to keep the water from freezing and it keeps the goats from turning it over too.Daisy's T & A pictures. LOL As you can see she's getting a pretty nice milk sack.The ducks always come running to see if there is any feed that may have spilled on the ground. I always try to spill some for them. hehe!!

It's 21 degrees this morning as I take these pictures. Pond is froze over pretty good.

OK, now stop laughing at my pityful little barn project and enjoy the rest of your day.

Brrrrrr.....It's cold in here.

2008-12-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

That's a line from one of the cheerleader movies that Savannah watches all the time. I think it's a cheer. Well, either way it fit's, because it's cold in here. Been wet and cold since I got back from the folks house for T-Day. We had a great time, all the family was there. Katie and I took the van to WV on Wednesday and Liv and Savannah brought the car. Liv has a new 2009 HHR that we bought about 2 months ago and she and Ban love it. We took separate vehicles because I just couldn't be away from the animals that long, me and Katie came home on Friday, Liv and Ban on Sunday. Katie travels fine with me in the van though, it's a Dodge Grand Caravan with the DVD player and all the stuff. We stopped on the way there and back and had a picnic in the back of the van, that's the great thing about the van, it has what's called stow and go seating. The two seats in the middle and the bench seat in the back can be stowed / folded down and you never know they were there. Makes it like a cargo van once the seats are down. We sat and had sandwiches and watched one of her movies somewhere just outside of Pikeville Ky. There is a new section of road that just opened and there are a few places that you can pull off the road onto large area's of land that overlook the valleys. We got out and threw rocks and enjoyed the view and had a lot of fun.

Once back at the farm we just knew that Daisy, one of our goats had had her kids while we were gone. Not a chance, she's getting bigger by the day and now has a large milk sack. Still no kids. I have worried myself silly about her birthing and now I have just decided that babies of any kind are like apples....when they get ripe....they'll fall.

I had been working on a new barn for the goats just before we left and hope to pick back up on that project once it warms up a little. Cold, Rain and Arthritis just don't mix I tell ya. In the spirit on being a Homesteader, I have gathered up some shipping pallets and am using them to build the barn. I will try to post some pictures in a day or two. Need a little time to do some cosmetic work first, it's not the prettiest thing you ever saw if ya know what I mean. But it's free, so it's me.

On the subject of being a Homesteader, I am also working on a project to have renewable energy down at the Clubhouse. Yes I still have dreams for the Clubhouse just never enough time to pursue them as I'd like. I'll update on that too as time allows. I have an old electric scooter that the kids have pushed to the side so to speak that has a Permanent Magnet motor in it. This motor, if I can find a way to keep it turning, wind or water mill, will produce DC voltage to charge batteries that can then be used with an inverter to make AC -110 power.

And let's not forget the puppies. We had ( I thought ) decided that we would find a good home for all three of them. Looks like we have......right here.

Rub A Dub Dub, Three Pups In A Tub.

Don't worry pup's, Katie still don't like bath time either. You'll get used to it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

2008-11-25T10:35:00.001-08:00

Headed to my parents house for Thanksgiving so I'll be gone for a few days. Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!! We all have so much to be thankful for.

Survival Gardening Part 1 peak oil, food storage, TSHTF

2008-11-20T21:43:00.001-08:00

A Country Boy Can Survive

2008-11-18T20:48:00.001-08:00

Me and old Hank don't care bout what goes on 'cause we know that a Country Boy Can Survive. Enjoy!!! Boy I'm such a Redneck. hehehehe!!!!!!!!!

Charlie Daniels Band - Simple Man

2008-11-18T18:14:00.001-08:00

Still Singing It...

Ducks, Cakes and The Ice Age

2008-11-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

We have 6 ducks now on the farm, lost a few to predators. These are the funniest little things, they are always hungry. They are free range and we feed them plenty too. They are always eating bugs in the yard and the garden along with whatever they find in the pond. But it seems that the food they like best is cracked corn. They could and would eat a 50 lb. bag if given the freedom to do so. Every time they see me they come running as if they hadn't eaten in weeks, pecking at my legs and boots like I'm a giant bug. LOL I get so tickled at them and I always get them some more corn. It seems that I have spoiled everything around here. hehe!! The ducks gather around me like I'm their mother.

There was an old farmer with a big green shoe,

When the ducks see him coming they don't know what to do,

So they peck and they peck 'til the farmer gives in,

And gives them a big scoop of corn once again.

As some of you my know, Olivia has a bakery business that she runs out of our home. The name is "KOST KREATIONS", KOST is the first letter in each of the girls names, Katherine, Olivia, Savannah and Traci, so it only seemed fitting to spell creations with a K also. Here is a picture of one of the many wedding cakes that she has made. She stays very busy. You can take a look at more of her work here.

Me and Katie have been watching the movie Ice Age, the first one I think. She likes to watch them until she is sure that Daddy knows every line in the movie until we move onto the next. I don't mind too much though, I like the kids movies anyhow. This one is pretty funny too. My favorite part is when the mammoth is trying to find something to eat for the baby that he has rescued and finds a melon. The Dodo birds inform him that he can't have one because they are saving them for the coming Ice Age that they say will last for millions of years. The Dodo birds are there guarding their three melons they have stored up for the event. The mammoth then says " So ya got three melons?" hahahaha!!!!! Now that's food storage Dodo bird style. Man I hope I have better food storage than a Dodo bird!!

2008-11-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

With the way things have been going latley in the world, I catch myself often singing this song.

By the great

Charlie Daniels Band

I ain't nothin' but a simple man
They call me a redneck I reckon that I am
But there's things going on That make me mad down to the core.

I have to work like a dog to make ends meet
There's crooked politicians and crime in the street
And I'm madder'n hell and I ain't gonna take it no more.

We tell our kids to just say no
Then some panty waist judge lets a drug dealer go
Slaps him on the wrist and then he turns him back out on the town.

Now if I had my way with people sellin' dope
I'd take a big tall tree and a short piece of rope
I'd hang 'em up high and let 'em swing 'til the sun goes down

Well, you know what's wrong with the world today
People done gone and put their Bible's away
They're living by the law of the jungle not the law of the land
The good book says it so I know it's the truth
An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth
You better watch where you go and remember where you been
That's the way I see it I'm a Simple Man.

Now I'm the kinda man that'd not harm a mouse
But if I catch somebody breakin in my house
I've got twelve guage shotgun waiting on the other side
So don't go pushing me against my will
I don't want to have to fight you but I dern sure will
So if you don't want trouble then you'd better just pass me on by

As far as I'm concerned there ain't no excuse
For the raping and the killing and the child abuse
And I've got a way to put an end to all that mess
Just take them rascals out in the swamp
Put 'em on their knees and tie 'em to a stump
Let the rattlers and the bugs and the alligators do the rest

You know what's wrong with the world today
People done gone and put their Bible's away
They're living by the law of the jungle not the law of the land
The Good Book says it so I know it's the truth
An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth
You better watch where you go and remember where you been
That's the way I see it I'm a Simple Man

More Funny Stuff

2008-11-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

Got this link in an email toady and I'm still laughing. Funniest thing ever. Please click on the link and enjoy a few minutes on humor. Noah tries to build and ark in today's world.

http://home.att.net/~hideaway_today/t133/noah.htm

Thanks to my sister for the email too.

Obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense

2008-11-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Got this today in an email and just had to pass it on. The saddest part is how true it is....

OBITUARY OF THE LATE MR. COMMON SENSE

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain, Why the early bird gets the worm, Life isn't always fair Maybe it was my fault Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies: Don't spend more than you can earn And reliable strategies: Adults, not children, are in charge His health began to deteriorate when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Tylenol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a student but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant. Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when it became punishable for you to defend yourself from a burglar in your own home but the burglar could sue you for assault. He began to lose ground rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 -year- old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his Daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing...

Pumpkin Puree and Family Visit

2008-11-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

My mother and father came to visit from West Virginia. We are always glad to have them, just wish they could come more often and stay longer. Katie kept them very busy while they were here. Mawmaw was worn out by the time bedtime rolled around. Katie and Mawmaw wearing silly hats.

Come on down here Pawpaw and play with us, oh, I'm getting sleepy.

Before they arrived, Katie and I made some pumpkin puree for pumpkin chocolate cupcakes. I read about them over at my buddy Warren's blog. Be sure to check it out, they were great.

Before you start any project of this manner you must first find a good helper which I am lucky to always have on hand. After cutting a fresh pumpkin in half Katie removed all the seeds.

Once the seeds are removed they look a little something like this.

Place the pieces in a bowl with a little water and microwave for 15 mins. to cook the pumpkin.

Once cooked remove the meat from the skin. I use a knife and fork in this manner and it works fine for me.

We then place the pieces in a mixing bowl like so.

Got out our handy dandy immersion blender.

The blades on the end just destroy the soft cooked pumpkin.

After about 60 seconds the deed is done.

Once you have done all the above you can simply put it into a freezer bag and then into the freezer for later use. We got 3 cups from this one small pie pumpkin, used 2 cups for the cupcakes, be sure to read about those here.

Canning Butter?? Yep !!

2008-11-05T19:47:00.001-08:00

Yes you can can butter. I found this over at Green Apple Orchard and wanted to give it a try. Really Liv did all the work, I just took the pictures. We found Land of Lakes butter on sale today and bought 10 lbs. to can. This way it dosen't take up room in the fridge or freezer and it will keep for 3 to 5 years in a dark cool area. Hop on over to Green Apple Orchard and read the entire process.

5 lbs. being melted

Now ready for the jars.

A nice easy food storage project

I had a dream

2008-11-05T07:22:00.001-08:00

***************WARNING***************

Rant Following that may offend many

OK, You have been warned

I had a dream last night that left me turning in the sheets with sweat pouring from my every pore. We as a country had sunk to the level of electing a President that stood for all the things that I am strongly against. A man (a black one, which doesn't sit well with me in the first place, sorry, I have that right,) that is a member of the Muslim faith (ya know the one that has declared war on America, MY COUNTRY), a man that supports same sex marriage ( I don't go for that one either, sorry), a man that can't and won't prove his citizenship of MY COUNTRY, a man that is against the 2nd amendment (One that I would die for and may have to), a man that has said that he WILL NOT take an oath on the HOLY BIBLE ( the same Bible that has set on my family's table for generations, you know, the one that this country principles we built on) a man that will not pledge allegiance to the flag of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (the same flag the my grandfather and my father fought for, my grandfather in WWII and my father in Vietnam, as have many of my uncles and cousins).

I don't care if I have to pay taxes, we always have and always will, but some things I just can't go along with. After a restless night, I awoke to realize that it had all came true. Now we must all live the Nightmare that has come to pass

God help us all, and I'm talking about the God of our fathers, the God of Moses, Abraham and Issac, the God who no doubt weeps for this nation today.

VOTE !!!!!!!!

2008-11-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

OK, now get off the internet and get out there and VOTE !!!!!

Home Defense

2008-11-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

My thoughts have been on Home Defense to a large extent these past few weeks, with the election coming, I have been thinking of nothing else really. I wanted to add something to my Home Defense that is easy to use and easy to carry. This Hi-Point 9mm Carbine Model 995 fit the bill. I bought this one used from a local gun trader on Saturday and I fell in love with it after giving it a test drive. Plus, I have a bunch of 9mm ammo. You can read a review here.

Specs.

Hi-Point 995 Pro semi-automatic carbine 9mm caliber 16.5" barrel 10 round capacity Thumb safety Fully-adjustable front post & ghost ring rear sights All-weather black polymer stock Blued receiver & barrel shroud Includes sling swivels & scope mount Magazine pouch & 2 extra magazines included 32.5" overall length 5-3/4 lbs.

I put about 100 rounds through this baby with no problems, no jamming or unejected shells. It was begging for more work after I gave it a good workout. This is what I call a good Truck/Jeep gun, easily fits in or behind the seat. I also fired a few rounds from my ATV with good results. I plan on getting a few add ons soon and will post these as they come. I paid $180 for it without the mag pouch. Not a bad price for a good gun with no paper trail.

If you're looking for an addition to your Home Defense, consider the Hi-Point 9mm Model 995. I think the best part of this gun is the NO QUESTIONS ASK LIFETIME WARRANTY. And it's made in the good 'ole USA. Nice gun for the price.

Compost, Chickens and Walnuts

2008-10-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day here today and I feel great. So pretty in fact that even my arthritis decided to give me a day off from it's constant nagging pain. Wish everyday could feel this good. So I have been outside playing on the farm.

Started a new compost pile today in the garden where I raise corn. I decided to make one right in the middle of the spot and then spread it all out when planting time comes in the spring. This pile is started with a good amount of cow manure then adding leaves and the mess from the chicken run and coop.

All this came from the coop, mostly old wood chips and sawdust that I put in there in the spring last year. Losts of good nitrogen in that pile of poop.
Cleaned out the chicken run too and add some hay and leaves for them to play in. Would love to let them free range but the cyote's would have all in a night. They are happy and well feed.

New material for the nesting boxes that I hope they will soon start using to lay eggs again.

Some hay on the floor of the coop.

Come on in girls and check it out. Hope it's to your liking.

I have a bunch of walnuts to get hulled out. This is the way my Great Greatmother taught me to do it. When I was around 10 or so me and my cousins decided we were gonna hull some out for her. We ofcourse used our hands and got walnut stain all over them. Our Great Grandmother in all her wisdom told us that only one thing will remove walnut stains from your hands.......Time.

So with the walnut on the ground she showed us how to take our shoe and press down on the nut and then roll your foot around a little.

The hull comes right off with very little effort and no stain on your hands.

Now, just gotta do the rest of them. I'll hang them in a onion sack in the dry until they are good and dry, they crack eaiser when they are completely dry.

Pictures of a Homestead House Wanna-be

2008-10-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from inside the house, Liv does such a good job making it look all pretty and all, I thought I would share some photos

Just to let you know you are in the laundry room.

Cabinets in the laundry room. One of my favorite things is this wooden pop crate turned counter shelf.

An old ladder we found somewhere and Liv decorated.

This is an old wooden highchair that was used by my only sister, she was born in '72, so it's been around a while.

An old dresser base someone gave me long ago now acts as storage/shelf and hids Liv's computer desk.

Everyone has a fall decoration tree don't they?? LOL

Off-Grid sewing machine from the early 1900's, still works like a charm.

An odd chair with some old suite cases and a picture of Savannah.

1925 RCA Victor Victrola, in perfect working condition, that we use to play old Christmas records around Christmas. The shelf on the wall is whats left of a very old wooden chair, we cut the legs off and shortend the seat area and hung it on the wall, everyone loves it that sees is. Also and old tube type radio sets on the record player. I guess you could say it's an old time version of an entertainment center. haha!!

Every homestead must have a good heat source, and a good place to sit an smoke when it's too cold to go out on the deck.

My Command Post !!

Ok, here is the real Command Post, Liv's chair with an old ironing board/step stool/chair for a table.

Cedar chest that I picked up for $5.00 at a yard sale acts as our coffee table.

And ofcourse every homestead has a 42 inch plasma, the girls told me they did.

Cracking nuts and my favorite Magazine

2008-10-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well I have finally found time to crack a few hickory nuts that we have picked up around the yard and field. This is the way that I crack them. It takes time but I don't hit my thumb with a hammer either.

First I remove the outer shell of the nut. It will just peel right off a dry nut.

Nut with outer shell removed.I then place the nut in a small vise that I picked up somewhere cheap. A larger one would do a little better.

Slowly turn the handle until you can see and hear the nut start to crack. At this point remove the nut from the vise and you can crack by hand pretty ease. If this picture wasn't crap you could see the crack in the nut.
The result is a cracked nut that you don't have to chase all over the yard and it's mostly still in tact. Just remove the nut meat with a nut pick and repeat.

This is probably my favorite magazine in the whole world. Countryside Magazine - The Magazine of Modern Homesteading & Small Stock Journal. What struck me as most interesting when I first purchased this magazine, years ago, is their Philosophy that is posted on the first page of each new and interesting issue.

Our Philosophy

It's not a single idea, but many ideas and attitudes, including a reverance for nature and a preference for country life; a desire for maximum personal self-reliance and creative leisure; a concern for family nurture and community cohesion; a belief that the primary reward of work should be well-being rather than money; a certian nostalgia for the supposed simplicities of the past and anxiety about the technological and bureaucratic complexities of the present and the future; and a taste for the plain and funtional.

Now, the people that came up with that are what I call Good Folks. Check them out and I'm sure you will like what you see.

http://www.countrysidemag.com/

Wish this crop would have done better

2008-10-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

If only I could grow more of this crop things would be a little eaiser around here. We use a lot of this and there never seems to be much left over to can, but every little bit helps. To can this crop, fill jars with product, no need to leave an inch head space on this one. The more you can get in there the better. No boiling water bath or pressure canner needed. Dig a hole in the ground and bury, be sure to mark the spot.

Just kidding, I would never part with my mason jars. haha!! That's what coffee cans are for.

Canning "Survival Chili"

2008-10-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well I made a big batch of my World Famous Chili today and I canned what was left over. We love chili and was wondering if we could can it at home, Hormel does it so, I thought we should be able to also. After a little research over at Jackie Clay's Blog I found out how to can my own at home. We ate all the chili that we wanted and still had 5 qts. left to can. This will provide easy meals that you just heat and eat, that's my kind of cooking. I much rather can foods than freeze them because ya just never when the electric my be off and you loose all the stuff in the freezer that you can't eat up pretty quick. Plus this is good Survival food. Throw a quart in your 72 hour bag as you head out the door and you have a good meal that's easy to prepare. I guess I may have to start calling it "Survival Chili". In an power outage one can heat it up on your woodstove, you do have one don't you? If not think about it getting one soon, the grid is and will be even more unpredictable in the future (Near Future)

Here's the question that one of Jackie's readers ask:

Canning chili with beans

I was wondering if I am able to pressure cook can chili with beans. I am only able to find recipes without beans.

Yes, you may home can chili with beans. I do it nearly every year, which gives us convenient, instant meals without the chemicals included in store-bought chili. Besides, mine tastes like chili, not some flavorless goopy paste.
Make up a big batch of your favorite chili, then ladle the hot chili into quart jars to within an inch of the top of the jar. Remove any air bubbles with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Process the chili in a pressure canner only, at 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes. If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning manual for instructions on increasing the pressure to correspond with your altitude. — Jackie

2 qts. filled and ready for the canner. We canned 5 qts. in all.

Guess what I've been doing ?? haha!!

2008-10-24T10:12:00.001-07:00

Just can't seem to quit making apple butter.

Getting jars filled and ready. 6 soldiers ready for battle.

I guess I better get to cracking those Walnuts and Hickory nuts.

Making Apple Butter

2008-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

As you may recall, I was lucky enough to be given a lot of apples. Well, we love apple butter and have been making up a bunch for ourselfs and to give as gifts. All my family back in West Virginia have let me know that they expect some apple butter when we come back for Thanksgiving, so I have been busy.

First you need apples (Free ones will always taste better) We for some reason or another we don't have a food mill. I can hardly belive it myself, but we don't, so I had to peel all those apples. Like nearly all of my reciepes this one came from here. Lucky we found this really cool apple peeler at a yardsale this summer for 25 cents. Best Quarter I ever spent.

Place apple on top.

Start turning the hand crank.

And you have a neatly peeled apple. These are much faster than peeling by hand but the best part is that it wastes none of the apple. All you get is a very thin peel.

The most important part of making apple butter is having a good helper. Katie is testing the apples to make sure we use only the finest in our apple butter.

Me, happily at work.

Cut the apples into slices and cook until soft.

It's gonna look something like this. Cook in a crokpot over night. It gets darker as it cooks.

I am a Hunter - Gatherer

2008-10-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have, I guess always been somewhat of a Hunter - Gatherer all my live. I love to look for and find things that I can use or re-use in some way or another, wether it be food, lumber or just good old junk. As of late I have been a Gatherer. Gathering walnuts, hickory nuts, pears and apples all for FREE. Walnut trees are all around us as are hickory trees so nuts are a good easy distance from the house. Fruit trees on the other hand is not something we have got around to planting just yet, got to get that done this fall or in the spring. Luckily, a guys down the road has 2 huge old pear trees. I seen him the other day and he told me that everyone in his family had picked pears from the trees and they are still loaded with fruit. After a few minutes of conversation he ask if I would like to go and pick some for my family, well not being one to turn down free food I said I would love to have some. He told me to get all I wanted but watch for the bees, they seem to be everywhere there. I picked, from the ground and from the tree nearly a bushel of fresh pears. Well as fate would have it, one of Liv's family members seen me picking the pears and ask if I would like to come to his place and get apples. Wooo-Hoooo !!! You bet I would. His trees had produced like crazy. He said that about 20 people had come to pick apples and they are still everywhere you look. He was right! Never have I seen so many apples from so few trees in my life. The limbs were so heavy that some had been proped up with 2x4's to keep them from breaking. I was told to PLEASE take all that I could to keep them from rotting on the ground. I picked 7 large bags full. I have plans to make Apple Butter and Apple Cider and some Apple Sauce, some will go in the freezer and some stored in the shed for winter eating. We have been so blessed this year with people giving us food. The folks around here are for sure the best.

Katie and her Mimi Gracie (Liv's Mother) gathering hickory nuts.

Just a few of the many walnuts that we have gathered.

This is just 1 of 7 bags of apples that I gathered. This one weighs 23lbs.

"A Little About Goats" II - Terminology

2008-10-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

This information was taken from goatworld.com. Please feel free to check out their site for more on Goat Terminology. Many of these terms I have never used nor will you under normal care of your goat. Our boer doe ,Daisy, is showing signs of kidding anyday now, when she does I will be sure to post all about kidding. We will kinda learn together you might say.

Abomasum

The fourth or true digestive part of a ruminant's stomach that contains gastric juices and enzymes that begin the breakdown of complex materials.

Abortifacients

A drug or other agent used to cause abortion. Other agents could be considered as toxins or poisons from plants, trees, etc.

Abortion

Expulsion of the fetus (or fetuses) by a pregnant female before the normal end of a pregnancy.

Acidosis

A condition when the rumen becomes too acid. Usually due to over-consumption of grain.

ADF

Acid Detergent Fiber; an indicator of relative digestibility of forages.

Aflatoxin

Toxin produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.

Afterbirth

The fetal membranes that attach the fetus to the membranes of the pregnant female and which are normally expelled from the female within 3 to 6 h. after parturition.

AI (Artificial Insemination)

The technique that involves breeding of females without the males being physically present.

Ante-mortem

Before death.

Anthelmintic

A compound that kills or expels internal parasites - such as worms.

Antibiotic

Chemical compounds from living cells, that inhibit growth or kill microorganisms.

Artificial Rearing

Raising a kid on milk or milk replacer.

Atrophy

Wasting away or decreasing in size of cells, organs or entire body; due to disuse, disease or severe malnutrition.

Banding

This involves the use of castration rings (bands) to remove the testacles.

Billy

Male goat; frequently used to describe an older, adult male goat - non wether.

Body Condition Score

A value from 1-5 (thin to fat) used to estimate condition of an animal.

Bolus

A large oval shaped pill containing antibiotics.

Bots

Tiny larvae that crawl into nasal passages.

Breeding Season

The period of time when the doe is showing estrus.

Brood Doe

A doe kept for the purpose of continuing a desireable bloodline and genetics in her offspring.

Browse

Broad-leafed woody plant, shrub or brush.

Brucellosis
Infection with bacteria of the Brucella group, frequently causing abortions in animals and remittent fever in man. Also called Undulant fever, Malta fever, or Mediterranean fever.

Buck

Male goat.

Buckling

Baby male goat.

Burdizzo

Tool used to castrate bucks by severing the cord without breaking the skin of the scrotum.

Butting

Method of fighting among goats (especially bucks) by the striking of the head and horns.

CAE

Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis, a goat virus alot like AIDS in humans.

Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio

Relative amounts of calcium and phosphorus in the total ration. Usually recommended to be at least 2:1.

Chevon

Goat meat.

CC

Cubic Centimeter, same as ML; 3CC and 3ML are the same thing in shots.

Chlamydia

Small organisms associated with pneumonia, abortion, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, arthritis and encephalitis.

Chlamydiosis

Type of infectious abortion.

CL

Caseous Lymphadenitis, an abscess disease of goats that is highly contagious.

Cloning

The production of genes or individuals which are genetically the same as the donor.

Clostridial Organisms

Anaerobic bacteria that produce spores under certain conditions.

Cocci

An oxycyt that destroys the lining of the small intestine causing diarrhea and death; (also known as coccidiosis)

Coccidiosis

An oxycyt that destroys the lining of the small intestine causing diarrhea and death; (also known as cocci)

Colostrum

The first milk full of antibodies for the kids, essential to their life.

Corpus luteum

A ductless gland developed within the ovary by the reorganization of a Graafian follicle following ovulation. Also known as an extract of this gland of the hog or cow, the chief principle of which is progesterone. plural = corpora lutea.

Corticosteroids

Any of a class of steroids, as aldosterone, hydrocortisone, or cortisone, occuring in nature as a product of the adrenal cortex, or synthesized. Also called corticoid.

Creep

An enclosure into which young (small) animals may enter but larger animals cannot. Any feeders in this area or in farrowing crates or parturition pen that are only accessible to the young are called creep feeders.

Critical Temperature

Maximum or minimum environmental temperature tolerated by the animal before additional dietary energy is required to maintain normal body temperature.

Crossbred

The offspring resulting from mating a buck and doe of different breeds.

Crossbreeding

Mating plan involving two or more breeds.

Cryptosporidiosis

An organism that proliferates in the small intestine.

Culling

The process of removing animals that are below average in production, unsound or undesirable.

Culls

Goats which are below a required standard.

Custom Feeding
The practice of having livestock fed and managed for the livestock owner in another facility for a fee.

Cut

To castrate.

Cysticercosis

The condition where a larval form of a tapeworm has encysted or embedded itself in the tissue of its host.

Dehydrate

The loss of body fluids by fever, virus or heat.

Disbudding

The practice of removing the horns on a goat.

Doe

Female goat.

Doeling

Baby female goat.

Drenching

The oral administration of medication.

Drylot
A penned area for holding the herd for an extended period with or without housing.

Dry Matter

(DM) The portion of feed that is not water.

Elastrator

Instrument used to apply heavy rubber bands (elastrator rings/bands) to tail and scrotum for docking and castration. Some breeders also used this method for disbudding.

Embryo Transfer

Recently fertilized eggs from donor doe are transferred to the uterus of a recipient doe, usually by surgically exposing the uterus of the recipient.

Emaciation

To waste away physically.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain usually with severe signs such as fever, incoordination, and convulsions.

Enteritis

An inflammation of the intestinal tract.

Enterotoxemia

Actually misnamed "overeaters", it is a toxin in all healthy goats, that multiplies with a stressor to cause stomach cramps and death.

Enterotoxemia Type C

Disease that affects goats in the first two weeks of life causing bloody infection of the small intestine and rapid death.

Enterotoxemia Type C and D Toxoid

Vaccination given to young goats to build up antibodies against Enterotoxemia type C and D. It is also available combined with tetanus vaccination.

Enterotoxemia Type D

Disease that affects unvaccinated goats that have been placed on high energy diets.

Entropin

A heritable trait in which the lower eyelid is inverted, causing the eyelashes of the lower lid to brush against the eye.

Esophageal Feeder

Tube placed down the esophagus of a goat to administer milk or other liquid.

Estrogen

Hormone that causes regression of the corpus luteum and stimulates estrus.

Estrous Cycle

The time period from beginning of one heat to the beginning of the next heat. Usually about 16-17 days.

Estrus

The period of time when the female is sexually receptive to the male, Usually 24-36 hours, also known as "heat".

External Parasite

Parasites that may be found on the hair, skin and in the nasal and ear passages.

Fecundity

Efficiency of an individual in production of young. Animals that bring forth young frequently,
regularly, and, in case of those that bear more than one offspring at a birth, in large numbers, are said to be fecund.

Fertility

The ability to produce offspring.

Fetus

The unborn young in the later stages of development.

Flight Zone

Maximum zone of comfort or security of animals.

Flushing

Management practice of improving a does's plan of nutrition just prior to mating to improve ovulation rate.

Foot Bath

Chemical and water mixture, that goats stand in, used for the prevention and/or treatment of foot rot and foot scald.

Forage

Fiber-containing feedstuffs such as silage, hay and pasture.

Forcing Pen

Pen used to confine animals prior to moving them into treatment chutes.

Freshen

To come into milk.

Galatopoiesis

Stimulating milk production.

Gambrel Restrainer

Restraining device that is a gambrel-shaped piece of plastic that is placed over the top of the animal's neck, with slots on either side to hold both front legs of the animal.

Gastroenteritis

An inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

Gestation

Period of pregnancy beginning at conception and ending with birth (142-152 days).

Grafting

Fostering a kid onto a doe that is not its natural mother.

Group Fed

Feeding system where all animals in a group are fed at one time.

Guard Dog

A dog that stays with the goats without harming them and aggressively repels predators.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, an internationally recognized and recommended approach to food safety that anticipates and prevents hazards associated with ingredients.

Heat

See estrus.

Helminths

Parasitic worms.

Herd
"Herd" is a term that describes a small (or large) group of goats. Goats are "herd" animals meaning that they will thrive better with one or more of their same kind in numbers. By comparison, almost every species is given a specific group term; "flock" of geese, "pride" of lions, "pack" of dogs, "school" of fish...

Hypocalcemia

Low levels of calcium in the blood.

Hypomagnesemia

Low levels of magnesium in the blood.

Hypothermia

Inability to keep warm often caused by cold or wet weather.

IM

Intramuscularly, in the muscle shot.

Immunity

Developing resistance to a specific pathogenic microorganism.

Intermediate Host

An animal or other living body in which a parasite completes part of its life cycle and usually causes no damage.

Internal Parasites

Parasites located in the stomach, lungs and intestines of goats.

International Unit

(IU) Unit of measurement of vitamins and drugs.

Iodine

Disinfectant used on navels of newborn goats that helps dry up the navel, thus closing the passageway into the body of the goat. Also applied to hooves of newborns by some breeders. Veterinary iodine contains 7% iodine while common iodine for humans contains 2% iodine.

Johnes

A wasting disease of ruminants, contagious in their fecal matter (poop).

Keds

Bloodsucking ticks that pierce the skin causing serious damage to the pelts.

Ketones

Compounds found in the blood of pregnant goats suffering from pregnancy toxemia.

Known Carrier

An animal that has produced offspring with a genetic defect.

Kid(s)

Baby goats, either sex.

Kidding

Having babies.

Lactation

The period of time when the doe is producing milk. Normally from birth of kid to weaning.

Lactated Ringers Solution

Used for adding body fluids to a dehydrated goat (known as LRS).

Legumes

Family of plants bearing seeds in a pod. Alfalfa hay is an example of a legume.

Leucocyte (leukocyte)

Usually referring to white blood cells.

Liver Flukes

Small leaf-shaped organisms that roll up like a scroll in the bile ducts or liver tissue.

Loading Chute

A chute used for loading animals into a truck or trailer.

Lochia

The dark blood discharge a doe has for several weeks after kidding.

LRS

Used for adding body fluids to a dehydrated goat (known as Lactated Ringers Solution).

Lungworms

Roundworms found in the respiratory tract and lung tissue.

Mange Mites

Mites which infest and damage the skin and hair.

Manure

Poop, nanny berries, fecal matter, excrement.

Mastitis

Inflammation of the mammary gland caused by bacterial infection, resulting in reduced milk
production.

Metritis

An inflammation of the uterus.

Milk Fever

Substantial reduction in plasma calcium which interferes with nerve transmission, causing partial or almost total paralysis occurring at or just giving birth and initiation of lactation.

Milk Replacer

Artificial milk substitute fed to young goats.

Mineral

Inorganic substance found naturally in all body cells, tissues and fluids.

Mitigation

To make less harsh or severe; using goats to control brush or weeds is commonly referred to as
mitigation.

ML

Milliliter, same as CC; 3CC and 3ML are the same thing in shots.

Monogastric

An animal with a single compartment stomach. Goats are not monogastric.

Mycotoxin

Toxic compounds, produced by fungi, that contaminate plants.

Nanny

A mother goat; infrequently used depending upon your location.

Natural Immunity

Inherited resistance to disease that varies between breeds, strains within breeds and individuals.

Necropsy

Examination of a dead animal to determine cause of death.

Nematode

Also called Roundworms, nematodes are among the most abundant animals, occurring as parasites in animals and plants or as free-living forms in soil, freshwater, marine environments, and even such unusual places as vinegar and beer malts.

Nitrate Poisoning

Condition in which toxic levels of nitrates accumulate in plants.

Nose Bots

Tiny larvae that crawl into nasal passages.

Omasum

The third part of the ruminant stomach located between the reticulum and the abomasum.

Oocyst

A stage in the life of coccidia (a protozoal parasite) that is shed in manure. Goats become infected by ingesting oocysts from contaminated pastures.

Orifice

The hole in the end of a teat.

Ovary

Primary female reproductive organ.

Over the Counter Drugs

(OTC) Drugs that can be purchased directly by the producer.

Palatability

This refers to how avidly a goat will choose from among several different choices of feed.

Parasite

An organsim that lives off of a host.

Parous

Females that have produced young.

Parturient Paresis

Substantial reduction in plasma calcium which interferes with nerve transmission, causing
partial or almost total paralysis occurring at or just giving birth and initiation of lactation.

Parturition

The act of bringing forth young; childbirth.

Pinkeye

A highly contagious disease that affects the eyes of goats (also contagious to humans).

Placenta

The big membrane that the doe expells after kidding.

Post Mortem

After death.

Postpartum

After birth.

Prepartum

Before birth.

Pregnancy Toxemia

A metabolic disease of pregnant does generally caused by diet deficient in energy during late pregnancy.

Probiotic

Living organisms used to manipulate fermentation in the rumen.

Progeny

Offspring.

Prolificacy (fecundity)

The number of offspring actually produced by a female.

Protein

Nitrogen-based essential nutrient, composed of chains of amino acids, that is present in all living things.

Protein Supplement

Feedstuff that contain a high level of protein. Fed to animals in addition to their base diet.

Ration

A mixture of feedstuffs fed to animals over a 24 hour period.

Rehydrate

The addition of body fluids which have been lost from fever, illness, heat, etc.

Rennet

Extracted from the fourth stomach, the enzyme component rennin is used to coagulate milk.

Reticulo-Rumen

Section of the ruminant gastrointestinal tract consisting of the reticulum and the rumen that is the primary site for microbial fermentation of feedstuffs.

Reticulum

The second compartment of the ruminant stomach, also known as the second stomach. The lining has a honeycombed appearance to increase the surface are for absorption.

Rigor Mortis

The permanent contraction of skeletal muscle associated with death.

Roughage

Coarse, bulky feed high in fiber such as hay, straw and silage.

Rumen

The large first compartment of a ruminant's stomach containing microbial population that is capable of breaking down forages and roughages.

Rumen-Reticulum

Pregastric fermentation chamber that host a large microbial population.

Ruminant

A group of animals that chew their cud and characteristically have a four compartment stomach.

Rumination

The process of regurgitating food to be rechewed.

Scours

Diarrhea usually only associated with incorrect milk feeding.

Shipping Fever

Respiratory disease usually accompanying transport.

Silage

Green forage converted to a succulent feed of 30% - 40% dry matter for goats by storing without air (as in silo or air-tight bags).

Sire

The father.

Soremouth

A highly contagious (also to humans), viral infection that causes scabs around mouth, nostrils, eyes and may effect udders of lactating does.

SubQ

Subcutaneous, under the skin shot (sometimes written as SQ or sq).

Synchronization

A management practice used to cause the goats to cycle at the same time.

Systemic Disease

A disease where more than one portion of the body is affected; often the whole body or one or more systems.

Total Digestible Nutrients

(TDN) Standard system for expressing the energy value of feeds.

Trace Minerals

(TM) Minerals that are required in very small amounts.

Urinary Calculi

Metabolic disease of male lambs characterized by the formation of stones within the urinary tract. It is caused primarily by an imbalance of dietary calcium and phosphorus.

Uterus

Portion of the female reproductive tract where conceptuses devolop prior to birth (womb).

Vaccination

Injection, given to healthy animals, used to stimulate prolonged immunity to specific diseases.

Vaginal Prolapse

Protrusion of the vagina in does in late pregnancy.

Vitamins

Small organic compounds, necessary for proper metabolism, that are found in feed in minute
amounts. Deficiencies result in distinct diseases or syndromes.

Wether

Castrated male.

White Muscle Disease

A disease caused by a deficiency of selenium, Vitamin E or both that causes degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles of goats.

Withdrawal Period (or time)

The time when a drug must not be administered prior to marketing to insure that no drug residues remain in the meat or milk.

Yearling
A one year old goat.

Zoonosis

Diseases of animals that can be transmitted to humans.

Zygote

The product of fertilization, ie. a cell formed from the union of an oocyte and a spermatozoan.

Puppy Pictures & Katie

2008-10-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

My little Katie Bug holding the puppies. We have 2 boys and 1 girl. Katie says "I promise I take good care of 'em dad."
I had to lay a shirt over her because she likes to go naked all the time. She calls it being a "nakey butt."

A Little About Goats Part I "Breeds"

2008-10-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of posts about goats. I say a little about goats because that is really all it is and will be. I am in no way an expert and have only owned goats for about 3 years so I hardly know all there is to know about them. I will be posting some of the information that I have found in diferent places, book, the net and so on. If I am mistaken in any of the information please leave a comment to let me and my readers know. There is a lot of information out there for those of you who may be interested in owning these wonderful animals and I will provide links for additional information. First lets talk about the different breeds of Goats.

Goat Breeds

Goats can and are raised for many reasons around the farm and homestead, Dairy Goats are raised for their abilty to produce a good amount of milk, though all goats give milk, these will give you the most amount of milk. Meat goats, these are ofcourse raised for thier meat which is known as Chevon and eaten throught the world. And ofcourse if you just want a pet you can just purchase the goat that most appeals to you. Here is a great link with lots of information of Goat Breeds. Please read as this will help you learn a lot about which goat would be best for you. There are many breeds so don't let that scare you.

We have, here on our small farm, 2 Boer does, 1 Pygmy doe and 1 Pygmy Buck. Ok, now why did I choose these breeds. The Boers where close by and well bred and cheap. We fell in love with these flop eared girls as soon as we seen them. The Pygmy doe, I seen at a local flea market and just felt so sorry for her. She was being kept in a small dog crate. I was larger enough for her but I just wanted to bring her home and let her have a much better life. Through a friend I found Cheif, our Pygmy buck. We were looking for a buck to add to our small herd and he was perfect for us. So, we just sorta fell into these breeds so to speak. We would love to add some Dairy Goats to the herd in the spring.

This is just the start of what I hope will be an infomative series of posts for those readers who would love to own goats. Please be sure to follow the links provided. Rather than copy and paste this information I would rather let you follow the link and maybe find more information than I would have provided. Stay tuned for "A Little About Goats" Part II in the near future. Next we will be discussing "Terminology".

Firewood, Goats and A Good Book

2008-10-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well I have finally got all the firewood split and stacked. I think I should have enough ready for 3 winters stored. I am glad to finally have this chore done and over with. I can rest a little easier knowing that I can keep my family warm if the electricty where to go out. This is all hardwood save for a few pieces of poplar that will be used as kindlin to start the fires. As you can see I took advantage of a few pine trees to help hold the wood in place. These are now covered with plastic and tarps to keep the weather out. On nice sunny days I will uncover the wood so it can get a good breath of fresh air which will help dry it further.

In the background you can see some of the wood storage, nothing fancy just a place to keep it dry. I had planned on building a large wood shed this year but it just never seemed to happen. Like many other things around here. lol Well there's always next year, or at least I hope there is.

A faithful reader of this blog, Cath, has ask for some information about goats and shown interest in owning some of her own. After some thought on the matter I have decided that I am going to write a series on goats and what few things I have learned from them and about them. So stay tuned, coming to a monitor near you this weekend, "A little about Goats" - Part I. Until then here are a few pictures of my girls just hanging out in the yard.

"Look, there's daddy, is that food that he has in his hand?"

Daisy resting up to have those kids soon, I hope. Maybe she's just lazy.
Emily investigating the wood pile. She is so nosey.
Lou Lou asking " What am I supposed to do with all this, I can't eat it, can I?"
Zoro's Field

Got a new book from Amazon today and can't wait to dive into it. My cousin, who lives near Statesville NC, had told me about it in a phone conversation a few weeks ago, he knew it was my kind of book. After hearing about it and reading the following from Amazon's review I just had to have it. I have also place an Amazon link to the book for those who might also like to own a copy. Well, I have a 1000 things to do but 999 of them will have to wait as I hope to lose myself in the pages of Zoro's Field.

Review from Amazon's page:

After a long absence from his native southern Appalachians, Thomas Rain Crowe returned to live alone deep in the North Carolina woods. This is Crowe's chronicle of that time when, for four years, he survived by his own hand without electricity, plumbing, modern-day transportation, or regular income. It is a Walden for today, paced to nature's rhythms and cycles and filled with a wisdom one gains only through the pursuit of a consciously simple, spiritual, environmentally responsible life.
Crowe made his home in a small cabin he had helped to build years before-at a restless age when he could not have imagined that the place would one day call him back. The cabin sat on what was once the farm of an old mountain man named Zoro Guice. As we absorb Crowe's sharp observations on southern Appalachian natural history, we also come to know Zoro and the other singular folk who showed Crowe the mountain ways that would see him through those four years.
Crowe writes of many things: digging a root cellar, being a good listener, gathering wood, living in the moment, tending a mountain garden. He explores profound questions on wilderness, self-sufficiency, urban growth, and ecological overload. Yet we are never burdened by their weight but rather enriched by his thoughtfulness and delighted by his storytelling.

Animals and signs of fall

2008-10-07T16:03:00.001-07:00

A lot of pictures around the farm of the animals, lot of pics and a lot of animals too. Here I am trying to get Daisy to let me know when the kids are gonna be here. She's not telling. Guess that nice stroke on the nose just don't do much for her.
The ducks always come to see if the steers left and food for them. They are little bums. We feed these ducks several times a day and they still come running everytime they see one of us.

The trusted farm dog. Smokey Bear. How could ya not love that face.
Cheif, our buck pygmy just hangin out.
Liv talking it over with one of the goats. I bet their talking about me. I just know it.

Our little Honey Girl had a surpise for us today, 3 black puppies. Not sure about the father of these pups, probably a wanderer just passing through. She likes the "ruff" type.
From that look I belive I have taken enough pics of her baby's.

Our oldest calico cat, patches, enjoying the day outside with us.
This is one of Honey Girls pups too.. Bandit is about 4 years old now and still so little. He's my little grandson. haha!!!
Liv and Katie with 2 of patches kittens, I think Katie is holding Fluffy and Liv has Iddy Biddy. Patches is in the floor keepig and eye on things.

There are sure sign s of fall around there these days and not just the cool nights. The trees are starting to change their color.

Sir. Loin and T-Bone eating a little hay. Hang in there boys, won't be long until your in the freezer.

Arm Yourself with Information

2008-10-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

As we all are thinking about prepping for when the poop hits the fan, consider information as a #1 priority. Now we can search the net for all the good stuff that we like to learn about and read to our hearts content, but what about when the grid is down. When TSHF big time like, the grid will most likely be down too, leaving us all of a sudden unarmed with that infomation that was so readily available before. I suggest doing what I have been doing for a while now, if you like it and learn from it, PRINT IT. That's right, just click print, then store your hard copy in your organized notebook that you have just for this information. Sort by subject matter and now you can arm yourself on or offgrid with survival information. I hate to think that I had forgoten a firestarting trick or a water purification step in all the maddness that is to come. Think of new topics that interest you that you want to learn about and click and print. Make this notebook as large or small as you wish, the information you may need will vary with individuals and with their situations I'm sure, but you get the picture.

Can't seem to get Prepping off my mind

2008-10-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

For the last several days my mind has been on prepping like crazy. With the economy in the shape it's in everyone should be getting ready for a long hard ride. I'm not really the gloom and doom kinda guy but I know what I see and what I feel and I don't like either. The "Bail Out" is gonna cost us a bunch, I don't what anyone to loose money I just don't want to be the one to pay them back if they do, ya know? When I was down and out a few years ago I don't remember the gov. working late at night to secure my well being or even caring if I lived or died. Come April 15th though and they know excatly who I am and my ability to to pay them their cut.

It's this junk that keeps my up at night wondering if I have done enough to be prepared. There are many more preps that I would like to have but I'm in good shape overall. More guns and ammo are always nice, but you need far more than that for the long haul. Food and heat are the most important to me right now. I have been splitting firewood like a mad man. I think I have enough for 3 average winters, average being the key word there. Most folks think were in for a long, cold and dark time, I feel they may be right, and not just about the weather. Gonna make a run to Big Lots and see what else I can come up with in the canned good department. I got a 20% coupon off your entire purchase through an email yesterday and I'm gonna take advantage of it. Anything you add to your food storage is better than nothing. Our gov can't take care of us and wouldn't even if they could so rule that out right off the bat. It's gonna be the good people of this country that have prepared for TSHF that will survive these dark days ahead. Are you one of them???????

Went to town the other day to pay my property tax. Grrrrrr!!!!! I told the lady there that I was here to make my freedom payment and she looked at me kinda funny and ask what I was talking about. Well as I understand it, if I fail to come in and make this payment the county will sell the property that I OWN to the highest bidder. Now does that sound like freedom to you I ask. She was quick to take my money and give me a reciept that shows that I can keep MY property for another year.

No Kidding.......Really!!

2008-10-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Katie giving Daisy an exam to see when we might expect the kids. She is getting fatter by the day.
Liv and Katie are keeping a close eye on the goats these days. We can hardly wait for the kids to arrive.

I guess that I am a little off on the due date of the goat kids seeing as we still don't have any. I had thought that they should be due around mid September but I'm wrong again. I am going by the date we introduced them to Cheif, our pygmy buck, I never seen them do the dirty deed so I'm not sure when it happened. They are for sure packing on the weight though. Here is Katie feeding Emily, the only pygmy doe that we have. They are both so cute. We have been keeping them in the fenced garden area during the night the last week or so and they have really cleaned it up. This part of the garden ran it's course and now the goats are adding manure in large quanities. We turn them out during the day to forage on all the good weeds and grass around the yard, saves me some work too.