Mandieg4 - Update and lots of new pics of kids and animals.

[framing fowl]

Hey Mandie!
Good deal on the trees. I'm jealous! They'll be great shade in no time.
Are you building the shop and barn on your own or are you having it built for you? Details!

 

[mandieg4]

We're building them ourselves as cheap as we can. Mark's dad gave us some steel beams that we will use for the shop and a friend of the family gave us a whole bunch of plywood concrete forms that we are going to use for the walls. The barn will probably be a pole barn made out of what ever we can scrounge up. As much as I would love for the farm to not look like the Clampett's, money dictates otherwise.

Mark shot shot another deer this morning. It's a good thing we have church in the afternoon or we would have been late. I made him debone the hindquarters this time, they are much easier to wrap that way. I'm going to order a meat grinder off amazon this week, as much as the kids would rather I make jerky out of the whole thing, hamburger is easier!

 

[mandieg4]

As I was cutting up some deer meat to put in my chili tonight it dawned on me that it has been over 6 months since I bought any meat from the store. I love living in the country!!

 

[Mainergal]

Wow, six months! That's great!

My husband didn't get a deer last year and we really missed the venison. He just got his first this year and we are so excited. It's hanging and we'll be processing this week. I'd LOVE for him to get another and try to go a full six months for our family.

We raised turkeys last year and we still have some of those and we've put almost 10 chickens in the freezer this fall.

I'm poised and ready!

 

[Denim Deb]

Today, I had to help my boss put some tape on the headlight on her hubby's car to hopefully keep it in place when they take it to get repaired. He hit a deer last night. I just had to ask, what did he do w/the deer? Unfortunately (for me, at least), it ran off.

 

[mandieg4]

I'm copy and pasting this here from the other thread so that I can keep track of it better.

1. Declutter/simplify - sell what I can and either donate or trash the rest. If an item doesn't have a specific place it has got to go.

2. Build more raised beds - I think I'm going to use the tire idea from another thread and put my tomatoes in them

3. Get some rabbits - the kids need more chores

4. Stick to a budget - I'm really good for about two months until something goes wrong and then the whole thing goes down the toilet. I really need to quit worrying about the numbers being perfect and just stick to it.

5. Plant at least 2 fruit trees

6. Stay off caffeine for a full year. - I do really good until finals come around, then I'm back to drinking Coke like it's going out of style. Luckily the college is switching from quarters to semesters this fall so finals won't come around quite as often.

7. Put up a fence to keep the chickens out of the garden. - I haven't decided whether I'm going to put the fence around the garden or the chickens. It would be really easy to put a fence around just the raised beds, but I hate to put a fence around the big garden because that limits expansion and using the tractor. On the other hand I really like having my chickens free-range because it really cuts back on the feed bill and I love watching them play from the house.

8. Get a milk cow. - I could get one next month if I want, but I'd have to keep her at my FIL's barn. The barn is only a 1/4 mile away, but I'd still rather have her here on my property. Maybe the drive twice a day would be motivation to get my barn finished.

9. Get bees. - Well technically I'll probably have to wait until spring 2012 to actually get the bees, but I'm going to have all the stuff ready and order the packages this fall.

10. Get a job. - Half of my goals require money and poor DH's paycheck is already stretched as far as it's going to go. I won't graduate from school until 2012, but I took a CNA class last quarter and plan on taking the license test next month. Hopefully I can find a part-time CNA job that will work around my class schedule so that I can make a little money while I'm finishing school.

 

[framing fowl]

Those sound like great goals and definately doable!

 

[mandieg4]

1. Declutter/simplify - working on this one, slowly but surely. This quarter is over next week and I only have one class next quarter so I have no excuse not to be mostly finished by the time the kids get out of school.

2. Build more raised beds - My bil just gave me 60 used tires and DH found me enough boards to make two more boxes. Now for the weather to cooperate long enough to get it done.

3. Get some rabbits - The rabbit shed is nearly finished, we got the tin on the roof this weekend, now all I have to do is finish getting the tin up on the sides and make cages and find some rabbits.

4. Stick to a budget - umm...I think we'll skip this one today

5. Plant at least 2 fruit trees Actually planted 4 apple trees and 6 grape vines.

6. Stay off caffeine for a full year. so far so go. Finals are this week though, we'll see what happens

7. Put up a fence to keep the chickens out of the garden. Fence is up, chicken wings are clipped, and broccoli and onions are doing great! We did have on mishap with the chickens getting in and destroying one entire crop of broccoli but I fixed the hole in the fence and replanted.

8. Get a milk cow. - Still deciding on the best timing.

9. Get bees. - still going to the monthly beekeepers club meetings but haven't gotten any further than that.

10. Get a job. - CNA License test is scheduled for next week, wish me luck I switched my major from Surgical Technology to Practical Nursing. I really think I would enjoy being a Scrub Tech more, but job availability and flexibility are better for LPNs so I guess I'll go that route instead

 

[mandieg4]

My father in law surprised me with a new incubator a few days ago. I got is set up over the weekend and finally had a chance filled it up this morning. 41 eggs! I think I'm just as excited as the kids. My 4-year old has peeked in the 'bator window every 15 minutes all day long (although I must admit I'm just as bad ). He keeps telling me that he can "hear the chicks peeping" and "how come we don't have babies yet?" It's going to be a LONG three weeks!

 

[framing fowl]

Good luck on your test. Is the upcoming quarter with one class your last? Sounds like you've been busy lately! What kind of grapes did you plant?