Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

I loooove Spring Break! We've got a bunch of stuff done the last couple days. One of my students has been helping me out some more this week. We got half of the garden mulched yesterday and today we got the rest of it tilled and rowed up. After I took him home I even got some spuds planted. I put some in a big ol' pot about the size of a half whiskey barrel. And just for good measure, I put some in the ground too.

I'm trying my hand at bacon making. I took some of the pork bellies and put a dry cure on 'em. They'll be hangin out in the fridge for 7 days - gettin flipped over every morning. I have noooooooooooo idea how this will work. In fact, I'm not even sure we cut the pork bellies off the pigs the right way... this was new to all of us. My neighbor has butchered tons of wild hogs, but has never made bacon - so we'll see how this goes. I mean, it's pork - so it'll be good, huh?

If Lucy's eggs are gonna hatch they should go in the next day or so. If not, I'll try to slip the two under her that hatched in the incubator. If that's what happens, I'm sure she'll wonder how those babies came out so big, lol.

Whew, all this work has me worn out. I think I'll have a bowl of cereal and hit the sack pretty soon.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Five new goslings! Four girls and one boy to go along with the first two boys that hatched in the incubator. I wanted to see if she'd accept the first two even though they're older then the new hatchlings. Drum roll please............tah dah! Lucy is officially the best goose mom ever - she accepted the first two like they were her long lost children - which - they are!


I've spent most of today cleaning out the big freezer in the garage and the two little freezers on the two side by side refrigerators. I still don't think I have nearly enough freezer space for the pigsters. If we'd stuck to the original plan and butchered one at a time, I would have been able to can some and freeze some and geeze, I wouldn't be looking at buying another freezer right now - UGH! BUT, the bright side is that I cleaned out the big freezer and the two little freezers on the two side by side refrigerators! They needed it - I think the peas that expired in 2009 really needed to go. It's a good thing that chickens eat anything....(especially since I don't have the pigsters anymore).

Grandbabies are coming tomorrow!! Yippee!! Now I gotta go turn the chicken brooding room back into the kiddos play room...

 

[Denim Deb]

If you have too much pork, you can send some to me. I have room in my freezer, and would be more than willing to help you out.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It might come to that, Deb! But, before I start looking for insulated shipping boxes, I've got a lot of people ahead of you in line... sorry!

The neighbor and I have been discussing the merits of building a slaughtering/butchering facility. It wouldn't be anything big or fancy, but I want a place to do it that's not outside under a tree. I'm thinking of something that we can hose down when finished so it would need to have water resitant walls and a drain in the floor. We'd need some tables to cut meat, and to mount grinders and stuffers and slicers on. Maybe a place to scald chickens too... And, while I'm dreaming, why not a commercial size cooler for hanging meat? Guess I could get really carried away here! Neighbor has the skills and I could probably scrape up some money.... but, it's just an idea and a dream at this point!

Gotta get busy - grandbabies come today!!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh my goodness! My grandkids are here and I'm loving every minute of 'em.

We went out to feed the critters and they, of course, wanted to hep. And they did help! G carried the egg bucket and K carried the feed scoop. I carried the bucket of feed.

They loved, loved, loved the baby geese and the baby chickens. They hand fed the horses. The silly critters won't let me near 'em, but they have no issue with the little kids wh are smaler than they are.

My granddaughter is the sweetest, most innocent little thing ever. She's 5. The last time she was here she saw the LGD running toward us and said "Look, a polar bear!" I laughed until I had tears....

Tonight, while we were gathering eggs she asked me if we could put them in the egg machine. I asked her what she was talking about. She said "you know, you put 'em in the egg machine and they turn into chickens'! Isn't that the cutest thing you ever heard?

They're in bed now and I'm wishing I was too. Some kitchen cleaning to do and I'll be right behind 'em.

 

[Denim Deb]

Kids are cute. I miss that age w/my kids. I just wish I had everything I have now back then.

 

[Wannabefree]

Awwww baby peoples are the cutest!!! Hope you get some rest, you're gonna need it to field all the questions while little ones are around Have fun!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You mean the questions like ----- "Why is that chicken holding the other one down?" How many times have you heard that one - even from adults, lol!

We just did tub time and bedtime stories and they are, thankfully, absolutely worn out and nodding off.... sweet peace and quiet....

 

[Denim Deb]

Those questions are why, when I did pony rides, I only used mares! I had NO desire to answer questions about something dangling down from a gelding! I preferred for the parents to have to answer those questions!

 

[Wannabefree]

Really? I think if a kid is old enough to ask, they should get a straight answer. Of course it has to be considerate of their age and understanding but.... well...I guess I've never been a conventional parent anyway I think it's good when kids ask those kinds of questions. I'm always impressed with the Amish kids and how they don't bat an eyelash at things like that, they know what reproduction is at an early age, and it's not made out to be some big huge mysterious thing that is being kept from them. I guess I view it totally different than most folks though.