Oh, man have I been sick!  Right after I did the whirl-wind spring cleaning,  I felt so wiped out the next day.  I hurt all over.  I knew it wasn't the work and sure enough every day it progressed a little more until it was in my head, then down my throat.   I lost my voice to sing on Sunday so I ask a friend in the next pew if she would sign with me.  I don't like to do it all alone, and the songs were so good I was ready to bust!
Amidst of the busy weekend to come, Jessalyn started her new job at a butcher shop.   She will be working weekends until she graduates next month and then will roll over to full time. The owners also work the race track so she is offered that job, weather permitting, again this year running the concessions.  And she is just so popular that friends ask if she had any time and she was willing, she could come and work on their garlic ranch this summer.   Ah, youth is fleeting.  
In that time the neighbors wanted to butcher the next cow.   So over the weekend we worked on cutting and freezing it.  I tried to do two batches of meat simultaneously with the two canners I have but the one just would not seal and of course you see that  after it starts to rattle.  Heck with it.  I put that batch in the fridge and will do freezer bags for now.   The other needs a new seal for sure.   It did all right, but it must have leaked a jar because at the  end of the timing the pressure shot up and I leaped over there to shut down the gas!  Those were messy, but they all sealed thankfully.
One of the jars we had the other night for dinner.   I made a stroganoff that called for....pressure cooker.  Ha Ha.  It was really good.  I used the saucepan cooker and it was so tender!
Pork loin tonight with home canned potatoes and veggies.
All this snow and we have a fire going.  It seems to be to hot though.  We have the windows open at the same time.  Well, we will be ready for the teens tonight anyway.
So yesterday I was getting the mail and noticed the ditches needed to be cleared a little.  I had a stick and was plinking away the leaves when I came upon this MAMA.

I could see her eggs hidden up in her back side.   Ewww!

I had to show Jessalyn then I put it back in the ditch.  You can see how big it was just by how it is sitting on the cellophane of the envelope.  Had to be about 3".
So now it's cooling down and Tom and Ken are home to look at his truck.   Broke again.   They think they can fix it enough to get it to the shop to work on it inside.   But wait...don't be in despair Ken...

Tom will come out and help you!

   But not in the driving rain.  They no sooner got out there and WHOOSH  the rain pelted down, and down, and down.  Ken had to get in the truck for a while.   When it let up (but didn't stop of course)   they tried again.   Seems he needs a few more parts before he can get it out of the driveway, so it's the buddy system when going to work for a while.

Still more snow!  Tom is ready to go out and warm up the cars.  You know it's cold outside when he pulls this out to wear!
Over the weekend we traveled into Big Town for the outdoor show.  I really didn't think I would see anything, let alone in the trapper's area.   But, lo and behold I found a surprise!   Pig scrapers!

  I was so excited and glad that Tom could pick up two.  Now we are ready for the next time we butcher.  We came home and decided to work on more of the beef.
Our friends were good to us and let us borrow their grinder for the rest of the meat we had bagged in the freezer.

Done in a matter of minutes. This is what REAL hamburg looks like!

While we were busy in the kitchen doing that, Jess was helping Collin study for his permit.

  Looks like they are quite the studious pair.  How can you go wrong with a tutor like this?

Later in the week  I got a more serious Jess studying her schoolwork.   Great hairdo.

Everyone is just killing time and  anticipating the warm weather to come.

Tom wearing his winter hat.

 

 
 
Friday night, the Amish and Tom put two bulls down.   The first was for them, the second for friends and us.  They had raised the cows but were very generous and shared half with us for helping them in different times of need.

 

Tom started out with the reciprocal saw to make the pieces manageable.  Then Jess fired up the  meat saw and he continued on from there. 

You can see how Ken had to hold the half up in the rafters as it was so heavy.

Good sized beef!

 

George had butchered a lot in his time and was great help in administrating guidance in just where to make the cuts and what they were for.

 Steak!  Steak!   Steak!

Bag!  Bag! Bag!

Then it was yum, yum, yum  when I took a few smaller pieces that were left and put them on the George Forman for dinner.   Real Meat!