Look at these turkeys!  I have been watching them all summer as they grew and grew.  I hope that they will be around when the season comes.  They aren't afraid of much, as you can see they are right there outside the barn.  Just checking for bugs.

Even though it was a chaotic summer, I still managed to get out and find some apples for applesauce.  I also found grapes that were ridiculously affordable to make jelly.   I didn't get a chance last year and I heard all about it.  I also stuck with the concords to make juice.  Well, not really. I got really tired of making jelly so with the pulp that I made I just canned it.   Despite not straining it, it was pretty good concentrate.  Anyone that needs to strain it, go for it! 
Also as yet another addition, we have Brindy.  Again she is spotted in the Jumbo woods.   Again, a dog finds its way to our home.   O.K.  she seems sweet enough.   A little anxious, but it's expected.   We are keeping her in the winter coop right now as it is cleaned out from the meat birds and we can keep her warm and safe there for now.

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.

As the hours seem to fly by, the days accumulate and pass faster than I can fill them.  I walk around reminding myself the day, only to find that it has passed all ready. 

Tom has taken a day here and there using vacation, as well as his regular bi-weekly day off, so it has been hard to actually sit down and take account of all the comings and goings.   

Jessalyn and I had taken in the pork to be cured/smoked before the snow storm.   On the one Friday off, Tom and I took time to run across the state to pick it up.   We made a day of it getting other groceries on the way.   He helped go through the grocery lines a few times and pick up a few more pounds of flour while it was on sale.  I don't know why they put a limit so low.  People still will go through many times to get the sale.

 So we made it home and attempted to cut the bacon ourselves.  I know Tom wasn't keen on trying to do it, but it was just an added expense if we let the shop do it for us. First we took the six slabs and divided them as evenly as we could guesstimate at a pound or so. Then Tom was in charge of slicing to his liking.  My sister-in-law had bought be this antique hand slicer a few years back.   I washed it up  but never used it until now.   Actually, it glided quite well and made a nice slice of a pound of bacon.  

 

We had sliced off the uneven ends to square everything up, so that is what we fried up to eat that night.   Really good! 

 



 Tom did get a deer the last day of the hunt.  The snow was starting to come again and it was cold!   The afternoon was spent getting the meat in.  I did throw the front shoulders and neck right into the roaster to cook overnight.  I later bagged that and into the freezer and will can it later.   I cut some big roasts out of the back legs and put them up too.

 

 

 

 

 



Of course, had to have a back up plan, so I ask Tom if he would set up the other tank just in case I started canning and the little one ran out.

Have to have some fun in the snow too!  Miley and all the dogs love romping in this deep snow.  Not me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here is the newest ride.   It runs.  It's quiet.  It is paid for.   Guess I like it.  I will be probably driving the van though until my car is fixed.   I really don't care.  I don't have that many places to go anyway.
Finished the pears.  I ended up with 52 pints.  Worked on the bags of potatoes to keep it warm in here.  I struggled with the canners because they need new seals.  The double canner seal is all bubbly from the heat.   I took a cheese cleaver and skimmed around the ring to smooth it out, then put a little vegetable oil around the rim.  Seemed to work well enough.  I could fit 7 qts in each canner twice, so  in the end  I ended up with 56 quarts for about 90 lbs of potatoes.  We had already been eating some baked! 

It has become cold, but that didn't stop the bees. Crawling along the ground, walking from flower bud to bud it was struggling to get nectar from the flowers that were left.  Soon it will be time to start that fire!
In the meantime, it is rain.   Jess and I went to get straps for her dress and as we were getting home it was darker and darker.  About a mile from home it was raining so hard the wipers couldn't keep up.  They don't do the ditches like they should here so when it rains fast and hard the water stays on the road and makes a big mess.  This is as we turned the corner.  It went a mile down both sides of the road, some spots more than others, all the way into our driveway.

I started working on the pears yesterday afternoon.  It was a very late start because of a long morning.  Jess had the school day off so she went to the movies, I had to take Tommy to work, and I came home to make bread.  Might as well make some cookies too so I threw those in to bake.  Just a round of sugar and thought I would do a batch of coffee/almond.  All came out thin and crispy, not fluffy like I had hoped.  That's o.k.  gives them something to snack on. 
I managed to get 19 pts of pears done.  I am so thankful and blessed to have two canners to get that many done in one shot.   I could have used another one or two but my burners wouldn't fit the pots I have.  I am thinking of asking the neighbor if I can pick a few more and make some juice since I didn't get out to get the grapes last week.  I can always mix it with other juices for a nice treat.
Today after the pears are done, I will probably start the potatoes.  Have to start on the 100# soon before we eat to many baked!

Thursday I did a lot of apples.  I had picked about 2 1/2 bushel from out tree out front.   I never used the apples before, but out of desperation of trying to find inexpensive apples, I decided to try to do these.  The skins didn't look very good, but after researching, found that it wasn't a big deal and peeling them was all they needed.  I made quite a few quarts of applesauce, and a few of ready-made apple pie filling.  

Friday  the girls and I went dress shopping.  Jessalyn wanted to find a new dress for homecoming.    Becky had to work so we didn't get to go into Big Town until late afternoon.  I wasn't looking forward to that, but luckily Jess found two dresses at the first store we stopped at.  Buy one get one 1/2 off to boot!  Becky treated herself to a few new things and found a swing dress that she bought me, thinking I needed a treat.
We decide to go to the Salvation Army just because we were in town.  Found a great pair of muckers that a country person should never pass by, and the girls talked me into buying a dress they liked, although I don't know where I will ever wear it.  A bit to dressy for church.
Afterwards, we headed off the crazy street and headed back towards home.  We stopped and had a bite to eat first.   I hope the girls enjoyed themselves as much as I did.

Today was the day we did the chickens.   The debut of the whiz bang was fair to good.  We had a few with broken wings and legs due to getting stuck within the fingers of the tub.  Tom felt it was a belt slipping.  Getting it a little wet when cleaning made it slip.  For the most part all went well.  We had a young couple from church come and learn how to butcher, clean, and cut them.  They took a few, neighbor friends got a few, and that left us with about 40 for ourselves.  I am cutting and freezing the breasts, bagging the wings, and canning the thighs and drumsticks.  Some were so long that they didn't fit in the quart jars, so I baked them and we ate those right away.

It has become cool now.  Like the turn of the season.  Leaves are turning a yellow and I don't think it is from the rain.  All the daylillies are done blooming and gone, their stocks just bare sticking up from the withering leaves.  The Althea bushes have been in bloom for about a week or so now with there buds falling to the ground.  The pool has dropped in temperature even with the sunshine we do get. 
I haven't been as much help to Dad and Mom as I had anticipated.  I did very little mowing, and not much packing and tosing.  They are working on little things themselves.
The prospect of hay is not a good one.  I have a feeling that through the generousity of friends we might make it through another winter, but they aren't putting up like they wanted either.   Tom did get two round bales from down the road, the smaller being put in the barn and peeled when needed, and the heavier a total loss to wet molded mess.  It took us a good deal of time to get it off the truck in the first place, but then to get it out to the field to find it was all a loss.
Yes, the truck is inspected again.  Hallelujah!   Tom still has to work on the four-wheel drive, but at least we have a vehicle with a large bed to use.
I have been working on a blue afghan in my spare time.  I would like to line it on one side when I am done.  I saw one online and thought that would be a good idea.
A young friend from church stopped by this week and we worked on using her new sewing machine.  She made some simple skirts for her young daughter.   She needs them for the school she attends.  Got me a little itchy to sew, but I would like to finish the afghan first.ou
An internet friend I met years ago through a free list read of our plight in our garden.  She offered green beans to us.  I picked an 8 qt basket to bring home and can.  It took me 2 hours to pick and an hour to can.  It gave me 13 jellies and 9 pints.  I am so happy she was so generous to us!

On Valentine's Day, Ken came out with two red roses for me.  How sweet!  I like it when he is single.  He remembers his mom!

Jessalyn and a few friends went to a Valentine dance that weekend.  The night before she and her one friend got together and played "dress up"  by trying on all kinds of dressy dresses.  She decided on this maroon one.

Becky stopped by one day to color my hair.  And wouldn't you know, she joined the ranks of broken cars!  On the way over it blew a hose off of something or other.  Tom brought home a clamp and fixed it right up.

One of the young ladies at our church is expecting her fourth child.  A boy this time.   The shower that was held in her honor was more to celebrate life, not just the expectant new son.  She is the one that was in the van accident a few months ago and we watched her little girls for a week while she was in the hospital.    The main gift was diapers.  I too gave her diapers, but made these black and white high top sneaker booties and a tuxedo bib.

I got on a roll and decided to use up some of my extra yarn.   I made up this tulip afghan in about a week or so.   Next up is a V-neck burgandy sweater.  I am about to start on the sleeves.

I am in the process of cleaning out the big freezer and wanting to turn it off.  I took all but two whole chickens out.  Most of the meat fit into the top freezer of the fridge.  Some of the breasts I canned.   Looks like brains in the jar!   But when I pulled out a jar to cut up and add to make chicken salad, it was so tender and tasty!   I am trying to calculate how I am going to can all the chickens from this year.

Tom had his usual day off Friday.  He spent the morning in the woods.  Tommy had to get new tires so he volunteered to take Jessalyn in to Medium Town to do school.   That saved me from going back and forth to wi-fi sites.   Tom went in after lunch to pay bills, so he picked up Jess.  He tried going back out in the woods, but no deer.
I have been busy baking cookies for the holiday.   I made small batches of favorites, and tried a new one.   Cheesecake cookies.  Not so good.  It was trial an error.  I will have to leave them in for less time next time.
Saturday was the last day for rifle, and no deer.  Ken and his buddy came out for the morning and didn't see a single thing.   They took off elsewhere in the gamelands and I hear they got a small one.  Don't know if buck or doe.
I canned 14 quarts of pumpkin yesterday.  I know it keeps in a cool area, but I really don't have area to spare for a dozen small pumpkins.  I have a five gallon bucket left with butternut squash, but that isn't to much room.  I will use that up first in my cooking and keep the canned for the future.  MMMm!  Smoothies!
Someone told me about mass gardening and canning.  You make sure you plant an abundant amount of crop one year, can it, and then skip the next year.  It seems to work well for those that have tried it. 
When dropping of the goats yesterday, I was talking to my friend about canning meat.   She said she always canned full breast.   I may do that too, and cut back on more freezer space.   I guess I better look for more wide mouth jars!
This morning I stayed home while others went off to church.   The sun is now beginning to shine and it reached a whole 40 degrees outside just before lunch.  I thought Jess is bringing a friend home to ride, but I don't know if that will happen unless it gets a little warmer.
I have been taking two Advil at night about an hour  before bed with a hot cup of tea.  I can't say it has helped me sleep longer, but I know I don't ache as much when I get up.   They say that it isn't addictive, but I know I like taking it every night before bed!

Here is Bagheera,    Baggy for short.  He talks to me all the time!

Warm weather in December has it’s drawbacks. Like cleaning out the coop. Pretty nasty when it goes above 50 and it’s been a while.
It has been a good few weeks since I could sit down and update. I managed to find the picture of the guys when they went out bear hunting.

 One was lucky enough the morning they were coming back, but it was a small bit of luck.
We had a very small thanksgiving this year, despite making the full dinner and baking 4 pies. Tom, Jess, Ken, and I enjoyed it all. I sent some along home with Ken. Tommy headed out before we sat down to spend a short few minutes with his girlfriend and then off to work, and we never did see Becky.
Guns were sighted in that weekend ready for hunting season to begin. Unfortunately, to date none has been shot here. There was a small one given to us, but not much meat to salvage. I did manage to take two legs and can them. I am interested to see how it tastes in a few weeks.
Tom took a few days off and did a few things around the homestead. Taking the tractor out he got wood to cut. Tom and Jess helped stack and cover it.

Then he swung around front and he loaded up the wagon with more of the chips that we were given. We took the time to fill in front of the stalls and around a little more of the outside. It seems to be working quite well. We have had a lot of rain this fall. I was at the laundry mat when I saw a semi stopped for a train. Lots of big round bales, but they didn’t look so good. Farmers are buying them up anyway.

Tommy had a long hard time with his car, but it is running again. He and Ken got together and put on a new fuel pump. He hasn’t had problems since. At least I haven’t heard of any. Funny, as now Tom says the van is on it’s last legs. He says one of the problems is water getting in the oil. Don’t know if it is fixable right now or not. Always something!
I began putting up some Christmas decorations. The last thing to put up will be the tree. Tom took half a day and I ask him to help put up the greenery over the windows outside. I took some grapevines that came down in the storm last month and made a bunch of wreaths. I’d like to decorate them and give them with cookies to some friends this year.
I’ve been working on a few gifts already. It isn’t going to be a big event this year. Everyone working and going there own way, and things being so pricey puts a damper on that side of the holiday. I kind of wish Christmas fell on a Sunday again. They don’t have services when it falls during the week.
I could go on and on about what fell between last writing and now, but it is pretty much the same list day after day. Enjoy the pictures!

Jess had a friend from youth group come  over to ride while the weather was nice.

Things were getting settled with the sale of Grandma's house and the legal matters, so Dad wanted to celebrate by taking us out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants,  Sid's Place.  He and Tom enjoyed the steaks while Mom had very tasty liver and onions.  Jess decided on seafood platter while I reveled in baked cod.   It was really good!

A memorable addition was when we stopped for gas afterwards.  Jess and I were at the gas station waiting for Tom to pay when we saw Grandma and Grandpa sitting at the red light at the gas station intersection.   The lanes both go straight but eventually turn to one.  I was telling Jess how we take our time so they could get home before we got there to meet them.   She agreed saying how slow Grandpa drives. Just then the light turned green,  we saw Grandma's head and upper body reacting to the gravitational pull of the "peddle hitting the metal" so to speak, and off Grandpa went.  We watched as he and the car next to him were neck-in-neck as they raced up the hill towards home.  Jess and I were laughing so hard!  Go Jimmy!  Go!   Grandma didn't think it as funny.

I've been up to my ears in canning tomatoes and canning potatoes.  I have over 60 quarts of tomatoes done, and 100# of potatoes.  We should be good for the winter months.   I have the squash coming in and am trying to can it too.   The other day for dinner we had stir fry and I used a pint of chicken I canned.   LOOK!  We are all still alive and kicking!  Guess I did something right.
Trying to keep up while the rain starts coming down,  the horses are making a mess outside the barn again.   In fact, the other day Penny trotted out, pivoted, and fell on her left side.  This isn't going to happen again!   I took the wagon up front and filled two loads full of the mulch and piled it high.   It is still soft, but they are not slipping around to get out in the field!

We have been looking for hay with none to be found.  The man we help only put up a day's haying in his barn that we know of,  and isn't doing a second cutting.  Others we have known in the past had hay, but said they had "promised" it to others.  What they could spare was minimal,  and from what I hear from a neighbor,  bad.   Quite a quandary.   Friends up the way were keeping their hay for a while as a fall back this winter.   Health concerns are keeping them on their toes for the unexpected.  Thankfully,  they did sell us a few bale so that will keep us for a little time.  I know Tom would really like to find some more round ones to keep us through the winter. 

The day we got the hay, it was late after Tom got home from work.  So here we are taking the truck up and putting half in the bed and coming back home.   We had moved the elevator because we thought there wasn't going to be a chance to use it.  So, back to putting it back up.   Thing is, we hadn't started it in a while, so it wouldn't run.  The motor wasn't set flat so it put to much strain on the belt.   After monkeying with that,  up they started to go.  First load done.  Now back up to the neighbors and take the other half of the load on the bed.   We had to keep filling the bed because there wasn't anything left to hold the ball on for towing.  Regardless,  it was well after dark and 8:00 p.m.  when we got it all in.   Yeah!

Now the time was coming quickly for Grandma and Grandpa to leave for Florida.   The day before they were to pick up the truck,  Tom treated them to dinner at O'Charlies'.

I got the voucher in the mail to get the boy kitties fixed.   I had to have them clear in on the other side of Big Town by 8 a.m.   The good thing about traveling that early is you get to enjoy the sunrise. Gorgeous!

While I waited the day for them, I spend the day with Mom and Dad. Mom gave me my annual perm so I look human again!

It had been a week and a half since the boys got fixed when two started acting funny.   Little Boober didn't come in for dinner one night.   The next morning I found him out in the hay when I went to do chores.  He was crying horribly.   I picked him up and found his backside a mess.  He must have eaten something that was going right through him.  I cleaned him up and tried giving him some water.   I let him sleep a while.  He did get up to move around, but I see that he was still making a mess.  Later in the morning I see things are not good.  Trying to keep him warm on the heating pad,  trying to keep him hydrated.  But by noon he was gone. 

 I just don't know what he got into.  Bernie,  the little black cat acted funny too,  sleeping and lethargic.  But he never had problems like Boober.  Between Jess and I,  we are keeping him hydrated, and attempting spoon feeding.  He is up and around,  looking like he is starting to drink a little himself.  Hope it only gets better.

Packing Day came upon us.  Looks like a lot of room because there was!  Apparently they didn't have the size truck they wanted.  Tom ask if they wanted to take their little red car down because they had enough room!

Getting all that done on a good day, they headed south and made it back down in four days.   Now they are enjoying 80's while we are barely in the 40's!   In fact, we had to start our first fire last week.   Ken had brought home lots of scrap that is great starter.  He also picked up a few tools for the stove too. 

The mums out front are pretty!

Makes for a good ride on Art too.  Jess takes each out for a jaunt a couple times a week if she gets done with school early.

 

We had a warm up and things turned nice in the woods.  Tom decided he would walk out and fix up his tree stand. 

I had taken signs I painted for fun to put along the path.  He helped me put them up. 

O.k.  that's it for now.  To much time playing catch up.

The morning was spent doing more tomatoes.   I have almost a full shelf full, with two trays still ripening.  If they hold until Sunday, I may take them to church and share the fun!

The afternoon was spent driving to the other side of the county to get Tom a car.  He had been looking for some time but to no avail.  Very hard finding a used car these days within a small budget.  This may be a good one though.  Even though it's a wagon, it is a small car so it looks like a four door hatchback!  

Husband Tom took 1/2 day off because it was so nice.   He ended up taking the afternoon to help Tom get his car.   Late afternoon Tom, Jessalyn, and I went to the local fair.  It seemed much smaller than years before.   There were many rented tables under the tents that were just promotions for nothing to do with homestead life.   I think one table displayed attire worn in inner city neighborhoods.  Wow, looked really out of place!  And so was there music.......  

sigh.....

Today I will try to work on the new pile of wood chips the guys dropped off the other day.   All these are to go around the barn area and hopefully help us out this winter.

School started, Jessalyn is officially a Junior this year!  She decided to take common law and German for some of her classes.

Labor Day weekend Becky moved into her little house on a nice little street in a nice little neighborhood.  

Tom bought the parts for the grill Ken had found last year, so he, Jess, and I had  burgers and dogs for our picnic.   We did a few yard sales and I found a crock pot for Becky, and a few kitchen gadgets for me.  

Knowing time is coming to an end for summer,  I am busy in the garden.  The peppers are now coming, and together Tom and I picked a 5 gallon bucket the other day.   I also put up a dozen jars of tomatoes, then went back out to get another 5 gallon bucket and two 8 quart baskets.  They had called for very cold nights so I wanted to be sure to get a few more in just in case it was a chance of loss.

I took some of the corn stalks from the garden and decorated the yard for fall.

  Ken noticed that the bench out front needed some desperate attention since I had backed over it with the mower earlier in the summer.  It looks nice in the front window garden all stained and sitting in the wood chips.   I had a man from Asplundh drop off a load when they were trimming trees.  I had a huge pile that I moved in two days.  Not so much hurried by choice, but because we were going to be inundated with rain.  I didn't want to work with it after that! 

I also took more of the chicken legs out and cooked them in my roaster, picked them clean, and canned them.  They look much better with broth in them!  I did have some concern though because having broth in them it took longer to cool and seal.  After I took them out of the canner the lids kept popping up and down like a player piano as the grease bubbled inside.    Finally, they cooled and the lid sealed tight.  Strange!

The guys got their license in the mail too, to hopefully we will be getting venison this winter!