Salt of the Earth

In popular usage, “salt of the Earth” means a person of admirable character.

If you say that someone is the salt of the earth, you mean that they are a very good and honest person. ~Cambridge Dict.

Morning vent. Please Exit in an orderly fashion

It's foggy and hot. Of course while I was sick it was cooler out. Now I have 3 days of chores to catch up on in 100 degree weather.

I have been thinking (hold the chuckles down, the people in the back can't hear me) about this new blog. I have a few worries that I might tick some people off. Oh, I know I have never worried about that before, but this one isn't my blog. But I was asked to do this project by a person that reads me, and knows what a piece of work I can be.

One is this entire notion that homesteading = green living. Who concocted this little perverse lie? Homesteading is primitive, yes, but green? Don't make me laugh, my belly still hurts this morning. So, before I go over and introduce myself to their readers, let me break down this homesteading and green ideal in mine.

There are many things that we do that isn't Kosher. The 100 mile diet thing is ok for a lot of us, but then there are people that are in regions were this isn't going to be easy, take Sassy in Alaska for example. Alaska isn't the easiest place to homestead. The growing season is very short, you need to bring in your domestic farm animals, hunt, fish, gather, and have a quick growing garden if not a green house.

Reduction in utility vehicles isn't an option for homesteaders, unless they have no domestic farm animals, or have enough acreage to feed their livestock. Many of us have no more then five acres. I have done the math, and milking my own cows, plus the cost of feed, saves me $67 a month, versus buying it at the store ( this includes gas as well) And that is just the 4 gallons we go through every week, not adding in the surplus, which is currently 3 gallons and soon will be 10 gallons extra a week. I save $2 a day on eggs. Because of this, I will continue to use my big ole truck to haul feed.

We tear up the ground. For our gardens, we ripe open the earth, lusting for her deep, rich, dark blood. We grow non native plants in our regions so that we may feed ourselves and our families.

Everything we do is selfish, it benefits ourselves not the environment. We use glass, and rubber and plastics. We chop down trees for homes, fuel, baskets, and fences. We work animals in ways that certain groups would come out and protest for. ( milking, meat, fiber, draft) If we were to be labeled, we would be closer to survivalist, then green elitists. We don't want to government involved in trying to save us, take away things we need, tax the things they may think is bad to a point where we can't afford to use them. I have noticed some green people want the government to step in, to save us from ourselves. We want them to step back and allow us to live the way we feel is correct.

Most of us have guns, and those that don't will once their livestock has been attacked. Homesteading is a strange little world, mixed up and in between what the general population thinks it is. We are not survivalist, we are not green people.

I have said it before, and I will say it again and always. We are Salt. Big ole selfish Salt tablets of the Earth. We work hard, age quickly and die young all to live a lifestyle that makes us feel accomplished, loved, close to the Earth and our families. And if you have come here for something greener, I will be happy to point you to some excellent blogs about that.

Now that, that is out of my system, I can introduce myself tomorrow.

MIA

I was having a "shoot me now" moment yesterday. I thought I was feeling better on Wednesday, turns out it was just the eye of the storm. I was unable to do much of anything yesterday. Hot flashes, cold flashes, cold sweats, unable to stay awake and hallucinations. Talk about a fun day. I even fell asleep in the shower.

I am feeling a bit better today. Enough so, that I can do a few chores, but nothing that keeps me standing for too long. Might be a good day to make pasta.

I hope every one is fairing well. And I will try to have something more entertaining for you tomorrow.

Don't forget about Women not dabbling in Normal. Saturday is my day over there.

One Flu into the Cuckoo's Nest

Being sick is unreasonable. I haven't been this sick in years. Everything hurts. I can feel my hair growing, I am have cold sweats, my throat hurts, my muscles ache and my tendons seem to be having some sort of sharp stabbing pain convulsions.

I am going to have to take you back into my past a little here It reminds me of the time I got a hold of some really bad acid and suffered from too much strychnine. Those of you that were as evil as I was back in the day, know what I am talking about. The feeling is horrid and doesn't stop.

I had to go out and do my morning chores feeling like this. I had to control a horse and feed everyone. Then I came inside and passed out for most of the day. By the evening I was still feeling this way, and had to milk a cow. My hands were worthless. I was only able to get one quart before I had to move or pass out in the barn. Mama was kicking at me because of that one big teat is hurting her, and I was not fast enough to get out of her way. She doesn't kick fast, per se, it's more of a your annoying me, stop it, push away. It still hurts however when you get slapped by a hoof.

I am feeling somewhat better this morning. Achy in my joints, but I am hopeful that this is it, and I am done with this flu like situation.

It's so big!

I had a great weekend with Sunny. Our horse neighbors brought over a child's saddle yesterday while I was out picking grapes. I went and brought Sunny out from the field, and they commented on how much better he looks in just merely a week. I am of course very proud of myself and my son. The Horse neighbor showed me what the emergency stop was all about. You could see the Sunny was confused. The female horse neighbor commented that he has a lot of good training in him, and the spinning is normal, but could also be part of the barrel racing training. As soon as Sunny stopped spinning the male horse neighbor let him relax, then started up again on the other side. I guess horses don't seem to retain info from one side of their brain to the other.

Then it was my turn. I lead him around the yard, attempting the stop, but he would back up, not spin. Soon however he would stop.He did spin on the left side, but only twice, soon he was stopping. I did well enough that when I stooped him the last time to remove the saddle he didn't fidget, of course that might be do to another's training rather then mine. But hey, I get to be proud of something.

My 6 year old was up on Sunny on Saturday. Sunny was really into the clovers out in the yard, and the neighbor across the way (that now live in my backyard) who has many years of horse background told me to hand the lead over to my son. Sunny should just graze. But as soon as Sunny realized that I no longer had the lead, he went back to the gate that lead to the field. He pushed the gate open and my son's leg bounced several times off the wooden post. He was hurt and crying, but no blood or anything broken. He learned to pick up his leg if something like that happens again. We don't think Sunny can really feel him up there. He weighs almost the same as the saddle we were given. My middle son's spirits are not dampened, he wants to get back up and try again.

Some of you might remember talking about Hooter. He was my best friend 15 years ago, one day he disappeared, then showed back up in my life as my husband's friend last year. I hadn't forgotten about how great of a friend he really is. When I called him that day the dogs went nuts, he made phone calls of his own. He found me some Nubian's for $15 a piece. I asked what was wrong with them, as Nubian's seem to go for around $500 here. He said nothing, they are kids and too many people in that area have them. So it looks like we will be going on another road trip adventure soon.

Have I mentioned that I love my cows lately? No? Well, I love my cows. Uma the calf is starting to ween. Unfortunately I didn't notice this until Mama's balloon teat got too big for me to tug on. Since Uma had been nursing on it, and the stream s little and the teat is big, we have been allowing Uma to take care of it. I had my husband go out last night and attempt to milk it down for me. No go. Now Mama won't go into the stanchion when he is around. Instead of me getting a gallon of milk last night I only got 2 quarts. My husband wants to build a sturdy gate to keep her in the stanchion long enough to get that teat milked down. (it has been tested for mastitis, no worries, its all good)