I Voted!

I hope you will too! It's a big election and especially so here for our governor position as well as the national level. The competition for our senator has been a huge one as well and not very nice. Politics seems to have become a very competitive and nasty affair. I find it disheartening that these people who are wanting the political positions side with their party rather than serve from their heart for what is best for all of us instead of half of us. I also find it scary that so many who are new to the country believe all the ads which have so much distorted info. I've noticed they believe what they hear instead of researching where something came from and past history. I'm also disheartened that the media has so much potential to sway voters' opinions and decisions. In spite of that I feel it's important to vote. I also find it appalling to hear what a politician spends to campaign. That money could be better spent creating jobs, funding food banks, etc instead of fancy, slick trash in my mail box. So I make sure to vote.

You're welcome to take a copy of the graphic. Click it to get the full size and copy away.

Tomorrow I hope to have some good farm news!

Newest Cast Iron Finds

Yesterday I found 2 pieces of cast iron at Good Will! This "makes my day" of course! I love checking out Good Will and the store has a "last chance" store next door that has everything marked down to VERY small amounts.

The small round 6" skillet looks to have been used well. It's not too often one sees CI that has been seasoned and cared for so well. It was as smooth as silk to run my fingers over it. I went ahead and paid the $4.99 for it because it's in remarkable condition. The odd spots in the pic aren't there visually. I had to go back and run my fingers over it again!

The griddle was $5.99, which is more than I usually pay at Good Will, but sometimes I get stuff marked so darn low that I don't mind the occassional "off" price for something. Cast iron is one of those occassional somethings as it's RARE to find it there.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a guy on the Today show for the cooking segment who had a brand new cast iron skillet. The theme for the cooking segment was cooking in cast iron. He had commented CI can be bought anywhere these days and cheaply. Then he said it needed seasoning before use and to rub the inside with oil and then heat it. I suspected that the guy learned his seasoning-the-inside-only method from the inter net without questioning what he reads as being the best or proper way. Maybe I'm wrong on my suspicion, but I had immediately got the idea he didn't know much about CI when I watched it. ;) One wouldn't have a well seasoned pan like this (my new find) that was only seasoned inside IMHO. No offense to him as we ALL are on a lifelong learning curve and hopefully we don't close our minds to it before the end! However my new piece clinches my questioning of his method on seasoning the inside only or both inside and outside. This pan I just got is as well seasoned outside as inside and has the same "sheen" outside as inside. So my 2 cents is season both as I have always done. There would have to be some difference in feel and look if only seasoned inside.

I'll need to season the small oval griddle, as it's not done. It looks like it's just sat in a cupboard for some years. I'll do it with another pan I recently found, as soon as I get the wood stove fired up for a good heating.

I also want to look up what the proper name for this oval griddle is from the CI manufacturers.

I think I have recently become a CI collector! I'm tired of teflon pans that loose their teflon so easily so we are eating flecks of it. I guess the big problem is that my cookware is getting tooooo old - just like me (aged with a few flaws)!

Do you like CI? Do you season yours inside and outside the piece or just on the inside?

(PS - The griddle is actually a fajitta pan and would have come with a wooden serving tray. No fear, I'll not tell it and will keep it busy. It now has a real job!)

Quote of the Day

"Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them." --Mother Teresa

Woolly Bears

Yes, you read that right! Are you intrigued? I just read about woolly bears, woolly worms and forecasting Winter from the amount of black and orange. I also read they are called woolly worms in the South, so we all know it's the same "critter". Some might spell them wooly bears or wooly worms but I'm going to side with The Old Farmers' Almanac (The Truth About Woolly Bears), which is where I was reading.

I don't know if the predictions for winter is really true or not. There have been some studies done but it's more for fun to try to predict the weather from the amount of brown/black on them. I've noticed more black on the ones here lately. Rumor has it more black is a more harsh Winter.

If you'd like to read up on them some, there is a group which had formed due to a study of them with a website. You can check it out here: http://www.ecostudies.org/FTFG/FTFG-11-17-03.html I found it by googling them, Woolly Bear Mountain.

For reference, I was reading from the 1998 Almanac as I got one CHEAP at GoodWill (25 cents). The current issues are EXPENSIVE these days so I no longer buy the new editions. I had to get this one as they always have a few good, old-time recipes I like to check out. They also contain the info on the length of daylight which I like to reference in the Winter. For some reason knowing that we'll acquire a minute and so-many seconds per day or so many minutes per week helps me get through the cabin fever months.

Back to trying to find that chart that is simple and easy to track that has the day of each month with sunrise, sunset and the amount of minutes more daylight is accrued by the day..... I can't remember where I had seen that.

Maybe I'd better just to visit the website. After all, there IS a website for EVERYTHING!

Chaos on the Farm

I am so not into the drama and all but some days it seems all I can do is pull my hair, roll my eyes, mutter and dive in! What could cause all that? It's simple.... so very very simple! The does are in heat, RAGING HEAT, and the boys are in rut, stinky, bickering and ready to serve the farm and does in "need"!

Oh, you better grab a cup of coffee, ice tea, pop or what ever and sit back to enjoy your visual observation!

It all started one morning.....

Buckley was being a baaaaad boy and he and Nipper no longer can stand the looks of each other, let alone that the other exists and ESPECIALLY here with the girls they each claim as "ALL MINE"!! Nipper is smaller so I left him in the buck pen (dog kennel) and Buckley is tied out. Buckley also had less of a problem being tied out.

Buckley is no dummy! That rascal figured out how to untie his rope! He's also STRONG and broke a couple collars. Well, he untied himself and went to the barn to say hubba hubba to the does of course. Then he turned his attention to Nipper and the boys and decided they needed out of the kennel and he'd convince them that he's "the man" and they aren't welcome around his "women". That bugger busted up a kennel panel so fast it was jaw dropping. He also had to tangle his horns into the chain link so he was stuck and had nothing better to do than ram it and try to get released. Released is what happened to the boys in the kennel and all the chickens too. :(

Tip of the day:
IF you use dog kennel panels with your goats, don't expect those wire clips they use to hold the chain link to the frame! They are soft wire and they'll pop right off as clean as a whistle on the first good head butting. Reinforce them before they get rammed.

I really was smart about putting that pen together. I made sure the cross pieces were inside the pen to support the chain link against the frame for any rubbin on, etc. I have a couple fence posts outside to help with support. I didn't account for a loose buck on the outside ramming into it, not to mention a loose buck who was ramming into Buckley wanting a good fight over the ladies!

You know, you can't confine the loose critters (6 bucks from the pen and 20 or so pullets with a couple roos) until you get the culprit untangled, retied where he belongs, and the fence fixed. (I should have been milking, a nice quiet job that gives me time to "relax" and ponder my goat plans.) So it didn't help with all the loose critters, that someone went and managed to open the gate leading to the barn aisle where there were about 7 or 8 does with some in heat! Just so you can enjoy the whole visual, ALL the boys found their voice! So Buckley is back to his tie out area hollering, and the other boys are chasing the girls doing their hubba hubba and trying to mount any girl they can catch up with. Meanwhile, Nipper is trying to tend the girls in heat and he knew exactly which those were. The other boys, being 2010 boys are still needing to inspect and hope they are "lucky". So the boys are yelling or whispering goatie mating talk and the adult does in the barn are now screaming "LET US OUT with the boys"! We WANT them!

I got the doelings rounded up and back in the barn, made sure I didn't have any boys rounded up in the fray as they were determined to be the "man of her dreams" and tied a couple boys. PHEW! They all wanted to run from me so they could continue with their own agenda. No one was coming for my calling and clapping which usually brings some of them running to the barn. WOW! CHAOTIC!

I eventually got things under control, repaired, and chores done. Boy was I tired! The boys weren't interested in dinner either. They were chasing each other around the pen yapping. There were pauses for some head butting and power strugles of who could push the other off his pose by their heads.

Then yesterday I was doing chores and all of a sudden I realize the commotion in the pen while I was pounding in a couple more fence posts to better secure it wasn't Nipper keeing the boys away from me being he's top buck. WHIZZING BETWEEN my legs goes a black goat.....Yes, there are 2 black boys in that pen, Nipper and Justin. Again a black goat whizzes between my legs (hay, I'm pounding a fence post into rocky land and have my legs a bit separated bracing myself).... and a 2nd whizzes by my legs, followed by Nipper who is yelling at them! Low and behold, JOLENE is in the buck pen and, yes, she is in heat!!! I had just seen Burglar humping "Justin". HA that must have been Jolene, not Justin. So I hurry and grab Jolene who wants caught but is being chased by all the boys.... Out of the pen she goes. I had let the 6-8 from the barn aisle out into the yard while I was working on the fence. I stand back up and start to go back into the buck pen and notice a couple "brown" goats "going at it" and ACKKKKKK.... That wasn't Buttons and Cinnamon sparing! Bandit was out of the buck pen and he LOVES Buttons and the feeling is mutual. I highly suspect the deed was done! DARN... she's not very big (mini Alpine) and he's a full-fledged Alpine. I'm not one to want to breed a larger buck to a smaller doe or any other species. I prefer the buck be the same size or smaller and the expected kids to be small enough in the head to kid out easily for the doe and kid. Now I have to take care of this!

My next problem is I don't know how Bandit got out of the buck pen. There is an old commercial dishwasher out by the barn in the buck pen (great for the hens to lay in) and Bandit has been getting up on top of that (a good 5'+ high). He has busted the fiberglass "window" panel on the barn which goes into the asile of the barn. I had put some woven wire up there but it's now mashed down! Did that boy get into the barn and when I let the goats in the aisle out he was with them? It's possible!

If so, a couple in that aisle are in heat and it includes his "love", Buttons! Do I have a couple doelings serviced? Remember the theme of this post, CHAOS? Ohhh boy!

I'm almost afraid to face today's chaos! Why did I think I'd wait til next weekend to start matching up the breeding groups? Maybe because I'm also trying to get a new shelter in the buck pen for winter first and because I don't want kids born during the worst weather being our winters are severe. Of course I didn't want to breed any who would be first fresheners until December and then I wanted to spread them out a week or 2 apart.

What's that line about the "best laid plans"?

Chicken In The Road - Cheese Making

I belong to a forum called Chickens In The Road. I love the group, it's grown considerably and gotten better and better. Suzanne McMinn owns and runs it. She's an author and it shows in her wonderful writing and blog posts. I'm sure you'd like it also.

Suzanne McMinn announced today that New England Cheesemaking Supply Company had spoken with her and she will now be doing more on cheese making in conjunction with them. Suzanne will be making a type of cheese each month. (She started with a couple dairy goats and now has a Jersey cow also.) There will also be give-aways of NECSC products! You can join both at these links and then you'll have 2 more EXCELLENT and RELIABLE resources. I highly recommend both!

Chickens In The Road
http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/behold-the-cheese/#comments

Sign up for NECSC's newsletter here but be sure to check the group out too! http://www.cheesemaking.com/cheesemakingnewsletters.html

I hope you'll check it out and find it as interesting and helpful as I have. Even if you aren't going to be making cheese, you'll still enjoy the group as there is a LOT there. Then come back and let me know what you thinkl!

Washing Clothes

This is an old article I've read in the past but saw it again and thought you might enjoy it if you've not seen it.

Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

WARSHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch. Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.

Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass. Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

***
I do enjoy that and surprisingly to some, it's really not all THAT long ago that a lot of laundry was done that way or close to it! I remember using a scrub board and scrubbing laundry as a kid! We did have big "laundry tubs" in the basement so were inside but still hung them outside. I still prefer to hang my clothes outside to this day. Winter gets rough though as the clothes freeze faster than one can hang them and it's even worse on the hands!

National Face Your Fears Day

I've sat here thinking of what I'm fearful of and came to the realization that I only have what I'd term "normal" fears. My fears are of getting hurt falling, getting in an accident, etc. I stress over money, health and such but again, think that's "normal" too. I do have panic attacks at times but they aren't severe and I'm aware it's happening. I do have a bit of "fear" over my van breaking down with hubby with me due to his status post stroke and limited mobility. I'd consider that more common sense than actual fear though. Maybe I'm wrong too.

I don't have anything much to post on this topic but I've analyzed my fears for the day and now I have another year to not worry over facing them! I think I've got it in check!

How about you?

Stroke Indentification

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the individual to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE. (Coherently - i.e. It is sunny out today.)
R * Ask the individual to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

New Sign of a Stroke - - Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the individual to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
If the individual has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

A cardiologist supposedly said for every 10 people who get this info, you can bet that at least one life will be saved. I don't know how true that is, but it's important info to know so we might be able to save a relative from a horrible situation or death.

I hope you don't mind reading this info! I didn't know to do these things when hubby had his stroke a few years ago. I wish I had as we may have made it to the hospital in time for the diagnosis within the 3 hour window for best treatment results. He was in his early 50's at the time. I also had a co-worker who found when her son was born that he'd had a stroke inutero prior to 4 months gestation!

Strokes can and do happen at all ages, but are more common the older we get. So, knowing the signs is very important!

Something Fun

Have you ever done any online jigsaw puzzles? I love puzzles and do some occassionally. Today I had to do this one as it's bales of hay in a hay field.

You can find it here if you'd like to do it:
http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/2010-10-05-BC250550FC73

Enjoy!

Good Bye September!

Where did it go? It just seemed to have flown thru and I couldn't "turn around" fast enough to keep up with it!

Hello October! I hope October can go a bit slower! I have tons to do outside preparing for Winter. We're ready to make our annual trip up North in a few days to bring home a Winter's supply of apples, squash, potatoes, onions, etc from 2 orchards we frequent.

I'll be surprised if we don't have a frost tomorrow night that will be followed by a Monday am heavy freeze. That will finish off the growing season! I have the rest of my ripe and almost ripe tomatoes picked. I need to pick the better green ones tomorrow and can the ripe ones. I HOPE that the tomatoes that managed to rot before picking will sprout lots of tomato plants in the Spring. They were really nice tomatoes and produced lots! Volunteer plants have done well for me in the past.

I have brussel sprouts that aren't as developed as I had hoped. I hope covering them will keep them safe.

Deer season started today for the bow hunters. I hope that several are taken from the herd that is around here. They cause a lot of damage and we have a very high number of car/deer accidents around here.

The trees are turning color fast and a lot of leaves are dropping. The ride North and back should be very pretty!

Another sign of the seasons changing.... I've drug out my "long johns" and sweat pants! Chalk it up to "a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do"!

Decorating Tip to Save Money

Do you have kids who LOVE iCarly? Today on "Nate" was a segment on a teen girl who adores her and wanted to decorate her bedroom like the iCarly bedroom. The "Nate" show decorated a bedroom on the set for the gal to customize it for her but with the iCarly influence. I about fell out of my chair when he suggested buying a large letter M for the gal's name for $24+ and painting it to match the decor.

If you're decorating with your kids, don't go to a "department" store for a letter in the craft or decorating area! Use cardboard or the poster board to make the letter or the full set of letters for a name! It would be so much cheaper and your child could help with the decorating of it!

If you are a bit crafty, you could even cut the letters out of corrigated cardboard and make it a "sandwhich" to make it thicker and cover with wrapping paper or material. It would be soooo much cheaper and still be cute and affordable!

Sunday Silence

Fall

Bahhhh humbug! Some one please tell me it isn't so! It's "that" time of the year and I'm sure not ready for it!

For some reason I'm NEVER ready for Fall! It's just getting too close to Winter and means a lot of tidy up time and preparation time for several months of nasty, cold and well below freezing. It means snow, and more snow and even more snow before I can get it dealt with and throw in a whole lot of ice too! It means closed up windows, and only a couple days of sunshine but a few months of cloudy and dreary skies with limited daylight. It also means floundering around outside doing chores in tons of clothes and snow above my knees. That's HARD trudging and rough on the legs and back.

Then there is the issue of ICY roads and add to them the fools who don't slow down and cause more of a hazard in the Winter then they manage to be in good weather!

Fall is really quite a pretty month and does have a lot going for it such as better sleeping weather, less bugs, but..... it isn't my favorite as it's too short. Winter weather arrives in only a month or thereabouts.

Maybe I need a banner up top for the number of days until Spring! ;)

There's my annual "whine" and now it's time to suck it up and deal with it again!

Interestingly, I wonder if the folks who like Fall the best mostly live in the Southern part of the US. I'm sure if I lived in the South I'd like it a WHOLE lot better and Summer a WHOLE lot less. Is our favorite season a geographical thing?

What region are you in and what is your favorite season?

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September is "Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month". It's a good time to make sure we know the symptoms and IF we had any we hadn't tended too, we really ought to get an appointment made with our gynocologist and get it checked out!

I know we hear the reminders alot, but sometimes we need to hear some a few extra times to get us in motion.

Breast cancer has the pink ribbon for their logo but I've not heard of one for Ovarian Cancer. Does any one know of one? I'd like to get a ribbon graphic if so. ;)

Canning Addiction

If one is going to be addicted to anything, this is the best addiction!

Most addictions are bad for one's health and/or well-being and leads one to destitution and/or major heartbreak.

With canning we come out ahead, and it helps us eat healthy. It also gives us more exercise and personal satisfaction which is good for our well-being!
Do you can?

I need a room added on to the house just for all my canning supplies and the filled jars!

September 11, 2001

I heard on the news we now refer to 9/11 as National Service Day. I prefer 9/11 as National Service Day can include many types of service. I feel that the historically sad day is best not combined with other events in honor of the significant number of deaths, the families and friends of the deceased and our many many people who assisted in so many ways and some for so long. Now some of the firemen/cops and others are having lung issues from the inhaled dust. So for me, I'd prefer 9/11.

That being, my thoughts and prayers are with all who passed in such horrendous ways, the families and friends, and the many many heros who helps and still do. My prayers are also with my friends and family who had losses on that tragic day. My prayers are with all the countries who have come together in these years past to protect freedom.

I so wish there could be much more peace in the world and more understand of other cultures and such to help spread it further.

September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month; and the purpose is to:
encourage individuals to have an emergency supply kit,
make a family emergency plan,
get involved in preparing their communities for emergencies.

http://answers.usa.gov/cgi-bin/gsa_ict.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=7525

Another project I need to accomplish. I need to get my vehicle back into winter mode. This is the time to get the homestead/farm organized for winter, and time to get the house prepared to burn wood for our winter heat. The vehicle is the easy part as I have new tires.

The outside work is the harder part and yet I hate house cleaning.....If I start now, maybe I'll be ready come the end of winter!

Sewing

Do you sew? I have sewn all my life but have had times where I did a lot and other times I did little to none other than mending. I would hate to think of not being able to mend and operate a sewing machine! It has to be expensive to either pay to have mending done or throw clothes out for not being able to mend.

One of the most memorable sewing projects I have done over the years was to make my 3 daughters matching tops with skirts. They got to choose their color and all had lots of lace and ribbons on them. Then I took them to get a free pic at a photographic studio.

I recently came up with a craft idea that will take a bit of sewing. I've been drying homegrown catnip and am going to sew some catnip mice. I hope to be able to sell a few as I have a few people who expressed interest. I've thought of doing an Etsy shop but it needs enough crafts in it to make it worth while. This should be a good one - I hope. Too bad there isn't "dog nip" too!

Then yesterday I read that September is National Sewing Month. Coincidence maybe? I guess I better get my sewing machine in gear! Fortunately I don't have a lot of mending needing done. I can just get to the sewing.

Update on LadyBug (injured goatie)

I think I asked for those who can to please pray LadyBug heals from her injuries. Due to the severity of her injuries, I've been afraid to get my hopes up for her to be able to heal and survive. She still has a ways to to, but the prayers are working from what I can see. Her hoof and leg appear to be healing pretty good. After hubby's bone infections, being septic and such, I didn't have a lot of hope for LadyBug. But now I feel I can take a deeper breath and feel she may have this beat if we don't end up with something else going wrong!

I know I haven't given much at all in details and hope to write that up in the future and include pics.

LadyBug has really become "spoiled"! She LOVES treats and has a lot of expectations of how she thinks things should be going. Being in the house, she's now paper trained for piddling but those berries are another story. Thank heavens they are easy to clean up! We go through a ton of papers with her and the 2 doelings. She does out side a bit now into the doggy yard for a bit of fresh air and for the doelings to frisk around. Today she actually ran a few steps a few times! This was a first and sure had me holding my breath and smiling at the same time. I can no longer bandaging her leg/hoof without her being held. I think she's tired of it being "messed with". Maybe she's afraid it's going to hurt. I know it did for some time. It can't be bad now because she'll put her front legs up on the side of the playyard and stand on her back legs even though she bears most of the weight on her good leg.

Please keep up the prayers for her complete healing. They are working!