JUSTUSNAK...Summer coming to an end!?

[justusnak]

Thanks for the confidence everyone. Java, thats a good idea...I was wondering how I could possibly mash it IN the jars.
I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday...she is from Albania I think....Anyways..she said when they made kraut....they would take the whole head of cabbage, drill a hole in the TOP of it...and add salt, then place in a large plastic bucket, cover with water and a loose lid, with a towel over it....and let it go. No chopping. Hmmmmmm, sounds almost too easy?? Maybe I will try with one of the smaller ones...cant hurt to try, right?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

you have got to tell him how that works out.. anything involving tools is fine by me!

 

[justusnak]

So, this morning, I am in between sleep, and being awake..just laying there, when I hear a noise...a crackling noise. At first, I am thinking..."hubby is makeing bacon"?? Yeah, dream on!!! So then I realised that the noise is coming from the baby monitor...in the chicken coop. Im laying there, half thinking...what in the world?? Then the next thought...FIRE!! That is the sound of wood burning! Crackling! I jumped out of bed....ran to the window...and look at the coop..no smoke...no flames...but its raining!! Glorius, sweet, wet rain!! I sigh a BIG sigh of relief...for a second...then realised the barn doors are open! DRATS! Well, im not really awake enough to deal with the barn doors..and rain...so I lazily go start a pot of coffee..and by the time I was dressed..the rain had stopped. So I was able to enjoy my coffee before haveing to go out.
Hubby was up early, on a Saturday..so I knew he meant business. We had a whole truck load of firewood that had gotten wet and rotted, so we had to load it over to the burn pile....that took just about 2 hours, since we had to clean all the rotten stuff out of the ground as well. Wanted to make sure there were no termites to get into the GOOD wood.
Tomorrow we are planning to move about 4 truckloads more of wood to the chopping area. I was given 2 large heavy duty plastic crates this last summer..they are about 4x4x4..we are planning to use them for kindlin...I need to get them in the back of the house, and ready to start filling. One will be sticks, branches...the other will be smaller wood from splitting the big stuff. I am hopeing the 2 will get us through the winter. Last winter, towards the end, we had to use paper to get the fire going, and I really dont like useing paper in the woodstove. So, We are plannign ahead hopefully enough...to get us through.

 

[Dace]

First thing I thought of when I read crackling noise was fire!

Glad that wasn't it...boy that would be a mess!

I have a friend who uses bacon grease with dryer lint to make fire starters. I always cringe and the waste of perfectly good bacon grease!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

wow! happy wood stacking!

we got the rain just before we went out to milk.. it POURED!

but i needed it to rain - just not that much

 

[Farmfresh]

Did I miss something? WHY is there a baby monitor in the chicken coop?

 

[justusnak]

Did I miss something? WHY is there a baby monitor in the chicken coop?

We had a problem a year ago, with MINK in the coop. They wiped out my ducks in 2 days(10 ducks) . THEN, they started on the coop. So, I heard on BYC, someone had a baby monitor in thier coop, so they could hear if there was a rucus...and could then run out to "save the day" Well....a few nights after I put the monitor in the coop.....I heard them. The chickens were out there screaming something fierce! So I run out, in my jammies....flashlight and gun in hand. All the chickens ran behind me as soon as I entered the coop...I swear they were all pointing at the mink! I flashed the light over at the nest boxes...and there it was...down behind the box. I waited for it to come out...and BLAM! I got the mink! Once I made sure it was dead, I was looking around, and realised it had gotten my only Faverole hen, and my only Polish rooster. I wanted to put that mink on a stick, light it on fire and do a dance....but realised the neighbors already talk crapola about me...so I better not. But, I was able to stop any further killings in my coops. There have been a few times I have heard the chickens screaming....run out with my gun, and see a wild cat running from the coop...thank goodness without a chicken. Now I play a radio in the coop...with the monitor...and I can listen to the chickens putting themselves to sleep, and the radio on the backround. Since the radio..and monitor...knock on wood...no predators!
The only "predators" in there now are WASPS!!! I was just in the small coop...checking waters...when I felt it. OUCH!! SUCKER GOT ME !!! I ran out, screaming and holding my side. Now I have a welt about the size of a half dollar....then, I went in...armed with a flat board/stick..and raid! I located the nest...it was about the size of a softball! There were about 20 wasps on it...were being the operative word here. I sprayed it with the raid untill it was foamy white...smashing the wasps as the fell. The chickens are all outside, and as soon as my wasp sting quits hurting, I will go back out and clean up the mess. YUK! I hate wasps!!!!!!!

 

[Farmfresh]

Sounds like a great idea! - Who would have thunk it?!

 

[lorihadams]

good grief.......the things we do for our chickens (and ducks )

I have heard of people putting baby monitors in the goat houses/barn during kidding time but I never thought about the coop... :/

 

[modern_pioneer]

18 Aug 10

Well, since this past summer has been a total bust in the garden, I decided to go buy some tomatoes.
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/99_tomaots.jpg
I bought 2 boxes of local grown, for $20. Yesterday I started on one box. I was able to get 8 pints of chili base,
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/99_chilibase2010.jpg
and 6 quarts of spaghetti sauce. I worked on them there tomatoes from 1 pm till 8 pm. I was toasted by the time I was finished. So, the other box I will work on today.
While I was waiting on the last of the jars to process, I ran out to do a welfare check on the animals. Goats...fat and sassy...sheep...fat and sassy...chickens..too hot to lay, darn! As I strolled past the garden, I saw there was corn that needed picked, so I started picking. I ended up with 20 ears of corn. Guess I can add that to my workload...not too hard...then I was looking at the Brussel sprouts...they were loaded. So I grabbed a big coffee can, and started picking. Filled it! At least I can do those in a matter of maybe an hour. I saw a few cabbages out there I REALLY need to get up...but I still dont know how to make sour kraut...and I REALLY want to try this year! (hint, hint)
Here it is, already 9:30 am....and I have nothing done..or even started! LOL Im getting ready to throw in a load of towels..and get them hanging..do the animal checking....then...start in the kitchen. I just LOVE harvest time...canning, picking...and storeing. Makes me feel like all this work is really worth it!

Before I post...... I love my friends.......