Daydreaming while waiting impatiently!

[tortoise]

Funny you say that hqueen! We had crockpot chicken yesterday, so today is bone broth day!

I can only imagine the trees are tiny? We are planning to get hazelnut, nannyberry, and highbush cranberry. Maybe dogwood too. Other varieties on the list are pine, spruce, oak, and maple.

 

[wyoDreamer]

We have gotten the Conservation Service trees twice, once in Wisconsin and then again in Wyoming. That is probably the same type of program.
Typically they are just one- or two-year old trees. Think sticks with roots.

 

[tortoise]

I found a blog I really like about frugal living. theprudenthomemaker.com It's inspirational. I'm between goals, and being a goal-oriented person, that is rough. I'm not sure what my next little challenge to myself will be, but something frugal/financial/budget. Since the grocery budget is 100% within my control, I take special interest in it. I'm wondering if a dairy animal is worth it? Half our grocery spending is dairy! We have a *one-teated* dairy goat. She had been bred and milked in the past (previous owner). She had enough milk when we got her for me to see how she behaves for milking (good) and feel comfortable with it. Not sure how to get breeding done since I don't want a billy goat living here.

 

[tortoise]

Oh, but don't try the lemon poppyseed muffin recipe at that blog link! I hope the chickens like them.

 

[goatgurl]

studies have been done that say after 72 hours of bed rest a patient starts to loose muscle mass so being unable to do anything tor 16 weeks for sure puts you at a disadvantage. it will get better after the baby gets here, so just let dh and ds help now. you'll get your turn soon enough. and thanks for the web site, i'll check it out

 

[tortoise]

A neighbor sent me a message that they are selling out their dairy herd. She recommended a particular cow for us. It's an older Jersey, currently dry, due in June (4+ weeks after my baby is due, seems like good timing). DH didn't immediately veto. hmmmm.... 6 days until the sale. I've wanted a Jersey cow for 20+ years - fell in love with them when I was young. This seems like a good time. I'll definitely NOT be working next year, I'll be home, no vacations planned, and my life will be revolving around lactation anyway.

I'm having a physically comfortable day (so far). Moved my bunny buck to the outdoor hutch, and new baby doe into the cage he had been in. Cuddled Grace, our barn cat. She is getting decidedly FAT eating 2 eggs a day!!! We give her eggs with cracked shells.

I'm picking away at household chores, wanting to get 2 loads of laundry done and the counters cleared off. ahhh.... lowered standards. I was fairly comfortable yesterday and got a lot done, but suffered for it in the evening. I'd prefer not to repeat that!

 

[goatgurl]

the jersey would definitely be something to think about. milk, butter, cheese and beef if the calf is a boy. hmmmm

 

[Denim Deb]

On another forum I'm on, they're having a contest for a free Jersey heifer. My only problem being, it was in Washington state! So, as tempted as I was, I didn't enter.

 

[hqueen13]

Feed the cracked eggs back to the chickens! It's good for them, and we don't have a problem with the chickens cracking their own eggs. If you notice if one gets broken bad enough in the best box they'll eat it.
I agree the "trees" ate probably twigs. They'll need special care for the first year or so. I planted mine in 5 gallon buckets with holes drilled in them. Then i planted them out and about and they did ok.

 

[tortoise]

DH and I talked about Jersey cow yesterday, no decision. How would we get her home?! We don't have a stock trailer yet! (We will get a stock trailer on permanent loan from FIL in spring after show thaws and we can get to it.) Financially, a milk cow is break-even after 1 year of milking. We spend about $90/month on dairy products from the grocery store!!! And that break-even is assuming about $700 purchase price (she is about 950 and cull price is about $0.75/lb, but sold at auction anything could happen) that we don't make hay, not including value of the calf, and assuming we only milk/keep her 1 year.

I'm starting to look for more rabbit cages on Craigslist! I'll need to find approximately 6 more before summer! I intend to keep at least 6 babies back from the first litter until they're old enough to pick breeders and culls.

My most important project now is finding ways to entertain my brain. I've been off work for only a week, and this is 2 days after purging my social media contacts. I'm already getting emotional and anxious, not sleeping well, etc. My brain does not tolerate boredom - boredom on me looks like mental illness, it's really bad. I have a short list of things I can do. I don't particularly WANT to do any of them, but I'll have to do something each day regardless. I was planning to take an online CE course, but now I'm balking at the price ($89 for 6 weeks).