Blog Listings confusion

Someone, pointed out that I am listed under gardening, and here I am talking about violence.

I am actually listed in all sorts of places, gardening, construction management, cooking, do-it-yourself, frugal, farming, alternative, survival, crafts etc. . .

Here's the rub, I didn't list myself in them. I listed myself in only two places, under homesteading and personal journal, and I have only received a couple of hits from those places. Wonderful readers list me in other places, like stumbleupon, pintrest,  and blog rank are the most popular. Many of these places do not list homesteading or farming as a general listing, so many blogs like mine end up under gardening. Some times when a person asks to list a blog, the listing employees look at that blog, and if you have been talking about gardening for that week, the employees label the blog as such. (and I have looked at the blog rank listings, they have my numbers way lower then they truly are)

The most hits I see in a day are about butchering, as several e-how posts link to them.

So, now you know.

This is a personal journal that talks about everything. If you want gardening come back in mid march.

The Best of 2010

For more pics of the chicken condo go here; Welcome to the Doll House

The State of the Homestead

I was going to post this today, even before being called out on it.

Yes, I realize that I have slowed a bit on the homestead updates. Not much has actually been happening.

The lack of canning posts are due to me not experimenting as of late. With most of my summer taken up with working on the farmstead, I kept with my traditional recipes, all of which you can find posted somewhere in these last 5 years of postings. We also lost a lot of veggies because of all the flooding this year. But pumpkin season is here, and I plan on playing with those. I love me some pumpkin. I have also been harvesting apples. So stay tuned for all that fun.

The cattle get to stay. We sold the goats, (still have Zombie) and are currently looking for a good home for our quarter Horse, Seminole Wind (Sam). We worked out a deal with a neighbor on hay. So will be fine with the cows from here on out. Undies gets butchered in a few months, next year Winston, the year after X. If we have multiple bulls in the same year, we will butcher younger than the almost 3 years of age. No profits this year, but next year looks promising right now.

Mama and Urth have been milking. Looks like the girls are all prego half by Winston, half by Undies. Hopefully Murrial will drop soon, she's who I really want to start milking again. Courage is still skittish, and I need to separate her from the group to be trained to the stanchion before she drops.

There is stress and depression running rampant here. Some of the stress has been relieved because of the farmstead being out. I have been hesitant on discussing it for various reasons. Especially since it is family. I do owe my mother an apology for being harsh, but I still stand by what I have said, just not the way I said it. SO here is the thing. we started planning the farmstead 2 years ago. The boys and I were to move out there and care give. Suddenly my mom and step dad decide that they will move out there. That's fine. I still planned on moving out there and doing what we agreed on. Then they decided no electricity and there was an argument over solar power actually being able to run an entire farm. ~sigh~ It got to the point that I decided that because of the lack of facilities and heat that I would not move out there on a permanent basis with my boys. I would move out there while milking. But the girls we moved out were on freshening, no reason for me to move out there. We worked hard all summer, chopping fire wood for my parents, putting up fencing, all with an understanding that we would be able to lease the back 47 acres from them in August. Even heard my stepfather talking with the man that holds the lease about it. He was fine with it. We also came to an agreement over a year ago that we would supply 1/2 a cow to my parents for winter hay. As the farmstead grows several acres of brome and alfalfa. This was husband and I's understanding. Someone left the gate open, and the cows got out. They learned where the alfalfa fields were. Back into the pen and things were fine until august. Now the tall grass is gone and the bull knows about the fields. Him and Urth keep jumping the fences, wanting to eat. Husband and I ask about the back 47. There is now confusion on the agreement. Then we ask about the hay and that is a flat out no. But. . . well we can't drive hay bales all the way out there at the moment, and the bull keeps getting out. I go up there day after day. The cost of gas per drive is the same amount we spend on hay, so this is just digging me into a hole. I don't have the money for this. I spend hours redoing the fencing and securing things. but he keeps finding a way out. Next thing I know I am getting several horrible texts from my mother. Saying that husband and I are a problem and that we keep changing plans so how are they to know what was really agreed upon. I got ticked, and told her that they were the ones being flaky, not us. ~sigh~ Well I thought just Undies was out, didn't know that all the cows were loose. So it took us a bit to get down there. We had to borrow a truck. Someone put the cows in another farmers field and we went and got them. Since nothing that was promised has come through Husband and I have decided not to venture further into the farmstead. We have spent over $1k since the beginning of all of it. And are done. We lost all of this years profit in it. And we would just take a bigger beating trying to move hay to a hay farm to feed our cattle.

Now you know why life seems a bit drab around here, and why I am not feeling up to posting about the homestead. The wedding is good timing for us however and we are joyous about it. That has helped me stay a bit happier about things.

Husband is still a bit put off about the whole thing. He worked so hard to help them get the farmstead up and going, and feels cheated. He is upset of the money spent, and we reaped 2 months rewards at a price that would have feed the cattle all year. Without having to make "arrangements" with a neighbor.

So this is why it seems like the life has been suck out of this blog. Don't do business deals with family and get everything in writing.

Once we have dealt with this massive regrouping, things will get back to more normal. Hopefully.

We are adding a run to the chicken condo, and trying to finish up the rabbit hutch. Will let you know all about that when it is finished, it is another one of our experiments, something I guarantee you haven't seen before.

What's been going on

Saturday we went to the open house at Husband's shop. We just got there as they were loading up the exotic animals. The handler let the boys pet the joey (not a wallaby as Husband said). We ate and hung out until the cops showed up.

Local police, one that has come by several times, looking to buy a bike. But this day he showed up to tell us that hail was coming. Shortening the event by an hour.

Managed to snag some pics finally of the 1st custom Husband built under his own name, not a company.

Paint by Hooter. To see more pics, go to Following the yellow brick road.


Sunday we headed out to the farm. Well Husband and Brian did. I stayed behind for a bit to finish putting up the electric fencing. My hands were bloody and sore by the end of it all. Took me 4 hours to finish it all. I loaded up the boys and headed out to the farm to meet with the men. However half way there I saw them headed toward me, sans cows. Turns out that ALL the cows were gone again. No one bothered to tell me that all of them were out. I thought it was just Undies again. And someone once again put them in that farmers field. ~sigh~ He was at a family reunion so unavailable Sunday. Monday morning, Husband gave him a call. He was ok with us, but not happy with others in the area. We are to put him on our Christmas mailing list.

Sunday we headed out to pick up the cows. He had placed them in a pen for easier loading. Eddie went in first. Took a bit but she went. Husband wrestled X to the ground, he was covered in manure, Husband not X. He managed to drag X into the trailer hoping that Urth would follow. Nope. Didn't happen that way. We got Courage to go into the chute and that's when Urth decided to follow in. Undies was all that was left.

The bull just didn't want to go into the chute. We tried for a good 20 minutes. Finally Brian handed me his little stun gun and said "Shock him!" Well to be honest I really didn't want to. But suddenly Undies tried to jump the fence, He gets held up by it. His front legs flinging wildly about, another 2 inches and he would be free and on the loose! I zapped him. lightly 3 different times to no effect. Husband's yelling lay into him! So I did. A good 4 seconds of stunning and Undies freezes, then slowly falls backwards. Husband is speechless, I feel sick. Suddenly Undies is up. He looks at me, then husband, then walks into the chute, then into the trailer. He turns around and waits for Husband to shut the trailer door. He was done with it all.

Home again and everyone is happy.

We sunk all of this year's profit into the farmstead. Husband is not very happy about it. But we live and learn. Undies will be butchered next month, and we have already sold half of the meat. We will have no profit this year, but next year, here's to hoping.

Hectic

I have been up at the farmstead almost daily. Undies keeps testing the fences and winning. I am tired and gritchy now. Waiting for that phone call that says he is out again. Luckily he isn't leaving the farmstead.

Here on the Homestead, we had a lamb born a couple of days ago. Little boy (as soon as I get a battery charged I will post a photo)

And on the wedding front, will go looking for a dress tomorrow and we will be having lamb for the diner.

You'll Never Guess what I've been doing

Pulling nails out of reclaimed 2x4's.

I know exciting. well I did manage to draw blood as a whacked myself in the face with the pry bar. That was fun.

Oh, and trying to put a wedding together in a month.

Oct 31st 2010 is our wedding day. Husband (or should I say soon-to-be Husband again) decided to give me a bit o' fun and make it a little more than a month away.

Halloween? Yes Halloween. We have a soft spot for that holiday. We have been together for 14 years, and have spent almost 10 years on the Neophyte Homestead which we signed the papers for and moved into on Halloween.

And since Husband says wedding are no more than production plays, I thought I would give him a good one, and it will be a masquerade ball. All on a budget of $1.25. No really, I have to put it together with no money. And so far so good. Since we don't need anything, no presents are required, however doing this seems to encourage people to offer wedding help. Only thing I need to buy so far is Halloween make up and fx makeup, cloth for my dress and contact lenses for husband.

Husband has been ornery these past few days. I think he is happy about it, but still feels the need to make me work for it. The brat.


I have to go to the farm this morning, Undies keeps slipping out of the fence, and no one is sure how. Luckily it isn't all of them, and he stays close. And the remnant of Hermine will be here sometime today. I have been getting flood warnings for the past 2 days. So early out, hopefully. I don't want to be caught in floods at the farm. But will bring a couple books just in case.

Mondays

Husband and I took the bike to the farmstead yesterday. Right after the boys left for school we took off. The air was nice and cool. As we slowed down to turn onto the first dirt road to the farmstead and shout "UGH!" the stink of death was horrid there. On our right side, in the ditch was a decaying Angus bull. Had been hit by a truck. Husband says it has been there for a few weeks, but you don't smell it in a car as you do on a bike.

All our cows were in their pen. X is so rusty in color! As husband was climbing up the windmill, had to get measurements, Sam the grumpy neighbor drove in. He was on his tractor, he had been spraying when he saw our bike. "Don't see many motorcycles out here." he told husband. They chatted a bit, Sam apologized about putting our bull on someone else's property, and he was amazed at how docile Undies was. He informed us that he didn't know that anyone was out here again (farmstead) otherwise he would have brought it back. Inortunatly for him, we know that Earl told him that the cows were ours before he put them in someone elses field. He doesn't like Earl.

He says now that he knows, if it happens again, he has our number and knows where they go. He also told us that until 50 years ago the farmstead was a dairy. Husband and I had thought so, because of the alley that splits the property. That isn't normal on most properties.

We came home and picked up cow manure. oh the joys of small holdings.

In the Dark, Peeing with X Bunnies

Can you tell the difference?


before



After



I was painting the hallway at the farmstead, white. No electricity, no windows in that area. The white has brightened it up a bit. And yes, I am painting wood paneling.






X is looking good. He seems happy and busy.



You saw the bathroom at the farmstead. There is a little traveler potty. A composing outhouse is in the plans but for now the above tree is perfect for peeing. No really. I thought you guys were just dying to see it.


After we left the homestead for the farmstead, we stopped at a store. I opened the back of the car to put the bought items in. Out came 6 quarts of canned pickled, crashing to the pavement. Mom was upset, but I told her to look, it was only 2 jars, not all of them. I cleaned up the glass and the now useless pickles and put them in a grocery bag. As I was putting them into the trash can, I discovered that the entry hole was a bit too small. Now the peat moss bags are covered in blood.

The cut is deep and long. I could move the flesh around the bone easily. I needs a stitch or two (three would be my guess). I wrapped in in Kleenex. My mother wanted to stop at an ER. I waved her on, we have what we need at the farm. Turns out we didn't though. Mom had nothing for stitches. And she says she doubts she would be able to sew any one's flesh up. We still need stuff for stitches out at the farmstead. We poured clean water on it, and I bit my lip to keep from cursing in front of my mother. It burned! Then some peroxide. But the vinegar and salt had kept the wound clean. I also had to pucker the wound out, as it was trying to curl inward. It will be a good scar. (still burns a bit this morning)



I wasn't home 10 minutes, when the phone rang. There were rabbits at the shop.



Free range rabbits. But the are very docile. We received 7 yesterday and the guy says there are more on their way. And I didn't have to pay or barter for them.

White Trash Farm Monday

some before and during shots of the inside of the farm house (can't say after because it is still in progress)




We showed up at my mothers on time, to take a large desk and piano out to the farmstead. Once there it was all about the fencing, again. But I think we are done with it. Barbed wire is stretched and the walk gate is up.





I included this photo because I still think Husband is a hotty, especially when he is working.




Cows seem to be very happy. They scared one of my mom's helpers. He has never been close to a cow and it worried him.





Small said he wasn't feeling well. And you know what they say. . . animals have a sense about these things.



This was a good ending to a productive day.

What is this?

They are all over the farmstead. Can anyone put a name to them? Could it be poke weed?

Just when you thought it was safe to come back here

I whip out another long story.

I get a phone call Saturday night, horse wife had just dropped horse neighbor off at the airport, to head back to Afghanistan, when she got a phone call. Her s-i-l was talking to a vet that had a colt that was going to be put down. She thought horse wife would take it.

The foal's mother was very sick. She gave birth to the little boy and then out right rejected him. Now from the story I got, it sounds like the vet rejected him as well. Didn't feed him for the first 24 hours of life, didn't even clean him up. When horse wife said she would take the baby, he placed an iv for plasma into the tiny neck. The colt weighs maybe 15 lbs. He is a miniature breed. When horse wife got him, he had managed to beat himself up trying to stand. His eye was bloody and swollen shut, he was still covered in birth. And the vet gave her PET (evaporated milk) and told her good luck, he has a 10% chance of making it.

That's when she called me about goats milk. Oddly enough, Patch had (after months of not milking her) swelled up with milk. I got almost 2 quarts from our goat-a-corn, and passed it on to horse wife. The poor colt is having issues. I showed and informed her the best I could. Telling her I have never dealt with a foal before, but goats instead. Next morning enema and her personal vet was called. The foal is on an IV and is receiving antibiotics. If we can get him to live another day and continue to eat, he should make it.

Yesterday, we went to the farmstead. We got water going again, and finished up two sides of the corrals with barb wire. And I became ill. Head hurt, stomach rolled. I told husband we have to call it. I can't do it anymore. Husband begrudgingly agreed. He wasn't feeling well either, and there is so much that still has to be done. We loaded up and head home. Husband decided to go the backside of the property when I asked about a chute in the back 47. No permanent chute, the was a mobile one sitting there as the people that lease it are getting ready to take their cos to market. Husband decided to drive on, taking a different route out of the Flint hills.


We ended up in the Ghost town of Cedar Point. A sign on the bridge called for help, to save the Flour mill on the river.
We don't see a lot of these here in Kansas. The Chase County Historical Society has nominated it for a historical site. Which it should be. You can't park on the bridge where you can see it, but you can stand a little ways off. This part of Kansas is gorgeous by the bye. The Historical Society is trying to raise money to keep the mill standing. Husband and I were talking. Thee have been several small ghost towns in Kansas saved by bikers. I know, odd, but here how it works. 1 small restaurant, 1 historical place, 1 decent but scenic drive out of Wichita and VIOLA! You have a saved community. Wonder if there is a way to talk to the historical society about something like this. Plenty of abandon buildings in that town to sustain a weekend restaurant.

The ride home was pleasant enough. The air helped cool and relieve the headache. Once home I turned on the news, and wouldn't you know it the temperature was 100 F. Have no idea what the heat index was with the humidity, but that would explain why husband and I were getting so sick.

Just got a phone call from the Horse wife, the foal died earlier this morning.

Starting to wonder if my readers work for the TSA

Because it has been very quiet around here, and I have never had a problem with lack of people wanting in on a give away. ~wry grin~ TSA story

Yesterday morning, my mother and I (and boys) headed to the farmstead. As soon as we pulled in. Courage was there in the alfalfa field to greet us. At first I wasn't sure how she got out, so I rounded her back up, and placed her in the gated fence. Mother and I walked next to the alley way to find the sand plums,, not enough ripe to justify a thing. When we returned, there was Courage out again. I figured out how she was getting out, and placed a t-post in the ground and tightened up the fence there. We decided to hide and wait to see if she would get out. Courage licked the post, and stood there. My mother started playing "Car 54 Where are You?" Large snickered at it, but they didn't get what she was doing.

After a few moments of surveillance it was clear she wasn't getting out for now. But that doesn't mean I trusted her staying in all night. As soon as I got home, I called husband. We would be heading up again to put up barb wire.

Now those of you that are desperate to build some muscle mass, I have a work out program for you.

Take one windmill and attach a long piece of wood to it. Now grab the wood and squat, then thrust. Do this repetitively until your lower back cramps up and you can no longer feel you upper arms and shoulders. Take a breather and repeat.

Nest place a crowbar through a roll of barb wire, and carry it for 1/2 mile while rolling it out. Be careful not to get a barb in your arm. Next stretch the wire, until your back screams. Next start hammering away until darkness falls.

As we were hammering the mosquitoes came out in full force. The cared not that we were drenched in bug repellent. The world turned a shade of rose colored glasses, but we didn't see the giddiness of it. No breeze and the humidity was oppressive. Courage mooed at us, knowing full well she was now trapped, and wouldn't be able to get to that sweet alfalfa. Poor thing. Eddie just wanted her treats. I have been bring treats with me when I visit, but as this was my second time that day, I neglected to bring them. She followed us along the fence, sticking her nose out, and giving me that, I love you. . . please. . . moo of her's.

On the way out, I saw that we were not the only ones with an escapee cow that day. 3 were laying in the ditch next to the road.

Moving Day

Yesterday I had to run into the farm store to pick up a hand crank gas pump, while I was out, I gave the phone to Large. Tell Daddy when Brian calls, I instructed him. 45 minutes later I returned, and surprised to see that husband was still home. Brian had indeed called, and Large said he was on his way out. That made no sense to me because the trailer was closer to Brian than it is to us. So I called him. Of course that wasn't what he said, and we were an hour behind schedule. We had to start late morning anyhow because of Brian and his physical therapy.

Husband took the bike and went to get Brian and then the trailer. This took almost 3 hours.

The day before, we had to make a chute for the cattle. Well there was some miscalculations as the cows had enough room to turn around. This was bad. Once we got them through the chute and to the trailer they bulked, then turned around and shoved husband out of the way.

I yelled at horse neighbor (who is back from Afghanistan for this week, and then gone again until May) if we could borrow him for a moment. He was up for an adventure. We then knocked out part of the fencing and quickly rearranged the chute. This time it worked. Husband scooped up X (pronounced Ten) and placed him in the trailer, hoping to lure in his mother Urth. That wasn't happening. After about 20 minutes of "clowning" around, ( Brian says that's what it looked like we were doing as he watched in the truck mirror) we were able to get Eddie and Urth as well as Courage into the trailer. Undies and Myrruil were another matter. They ran around the lagoon, avoiding us as much as possible. and no amount of treats was helping.

Our puppy Sprocket showed me that my training wasn't put to waste. I guess she had been waiting for this moment to show me that she was a good cattle dog. She managed to bring us Undies. I was shocked, and Sprocket got some good loving. She chased them through the lagoon and back to the barn where we could easily get Undies to the chute.

Undies was a problem. Not yet a full grown bull yet big enough and strong enough to make a point. He was not going into the trailer, or rather once in the trailer, he was going to get out of it. With Undies head in Husband crotch, my pushing the gate closed, husband's feet pushing against the gate, and Undies pushing against husband. It was a mess. And Undies wanted nothing to do with the cattle treats that Large tried to tempt him with. With a little help from the Horse Neighbors, we were finally able to get Undies locked into the trailer. You know what happened next? It started to rain.

We moved out as fast as we could, hoping to stay ahead of the rain. I had to stop at a gas station, as did Husband and Brian. 40 minutes out from our destination. It's a long straight road. That is one thing I am grateful for, because suddenly without much of a warning, I was in a frog strangler. A down pour. I had two options at the at point. I could barely see the road. I could pull over and wait for it to pass with the chance of the road disappearing, or I could continue through it. I continued on. The boys in the back seat nervously laughed about what we were doing. I would yell WWEEEE!!!! whenever we hydroplaned just so they wouldn't get to scared. There are no shoulders where I was, I needed to make it to the highway, where I could wait it out if needed. 20 minutes of knuckle white action later we found the highway, and I continued on. Too may cars to stop safely. I found our dirt road and relaxed a bit. However there was so much flooding across the roads, that I feared I wouldn't make it. I did. And as I turned into our driveway, slam brakes! Someone had placed huge round bales in the drive.

I sat there with the boys, waiting on husband. What were we going to do? The field was too wet to drive through without getting stuck, and these bales blocked our only access. Sometimes I feel there is a conspiracy to keep us from moving out there. The rain was still falling, but not a hard, when husband arrived. I stood in the pouring rain, while husband stayed nice and dry in the cab, and discussed what to do. I mentioned that the back 47 acres has a road access, we can walk the cows through there and into the alley, keeping them away from the alfalfa fields.

Sounds like a plan.

The boys had ran up ahead to the house, so I was forced to go find them while Brian and Husband went to look over the back 47. I found the boys at the creek. I had told them to stay away from there when it was raining. Of course they don't listen. and Large's friend that had come along didn't believe you could drown in 2 feet of water. I had to explain it wasn't the depth it was the current and flash flooding, besides you can drown in 2 inches of water. We decided to walk the alley to see how bad it was and meet Husband and the cows that way. I was almost to the end of it, which the water was knee high in some places, when I saw Brian's truck out on the road, heading back toward the drive way. I assumed that they had decided it was a no go.

I am not sure how to explain the amount of walking that has already taken place. I was drenched with rain, and covered in prairie swamp water to my thighs. The mud is thick, and holes come out of nowhere. My water proof boots where filled to the brim with water. I walked a least 3 miles like this.

Once back to the drive, Brian was alone. Husband and the cows were already walking out there, somewhere. The boys and I grabbed the round water tank, and the hoses and proceeded to roll it to all the way back to the windmill. It fell a few times, and was slow going as tightness was developing in my lower calves.

Husband tells it like this. When they pulled up, the cows that were in the 47 came over to see what was happening. Husband and Brian sat for a bit, allowing our cattle to calm down and the other cows to lose interest. Once that was accomplished, they allowed the cows out and into the 47 acres. It is thick with trees, and all but Eddie had never seen trees like this. The water was high, mud thick and tree branches and holes hid themselves in the colored water. The cows agreed with Husband that following the fence was the easiest route to take. Husband says he was slightly over waist deep in water for some time. Managing all the while to keep the 5 cows in line. (we didn't have room in the trailer for Myrruial). He claims he heard us talking and was relieved when he thought help was coming. However that was the same time I saw the truck and headed back. Husband wasn't happy with me about that. I did try to explain myself, but he wasn't in the mood to listen.

We made it back to the windmill with our tank, and I sent the boys ahead to see if they could find husband and help him. He was half way down the alley way by that time. So we lined up to keep them out of the alfalfa fields as they came through. The boys broke ranks and the cows found the alfalfa. (Don't worry mother, you can't even tell they were in it, we checked) Husband ended up grabbing Eddie by the horns and pulling her into the pen. while the boys scared up Undies and Urth and chased them into the pen where X was waiting.

I dealt easily enough with Courage once everyone was out of the way.

We couldn't get water pumping. Luckily the field was full of water, with water collecting in various places. The fence on one side was bent over, in half. Not sure how that happened, so we went to work fixing that. That's when the boys disappeared. At one point Medium came walking by. I told him to tell everyone we were getting ready to leave. An hour passed and the world was starting to go dark, nocturnal animals could be heard preparing for a night out. I had to go find the boys. I headed for the creek thinking that's where they would be. FLASH FLOOD! The creek was replaced by a small river and the boys were now where to be found. I teared up thinking the worst, and started screaming for them. After 5 minutes I heard them. Large was yelling that they were up by the house.

I couldn't help but to scold them out of my own fearfulness. The ride home was dry and uneventful. The boys slept until the thunder woke them. Up ahead we saw a tower of a storm. It was both scary and awe inspiring. Luckily enough it was too far south of us.

Sometimes I wish things would go easier for us. But if it did, what would I write about?

I am Batman

Well that was what I told my husband as I walked away from him with a utility belt hanging from my hips.

Saturday was a pleasant day. Husband got off work early to attend horse neighbors going away party. I was surprised that we were the only friends invited, everyone else was family. I hit it off with Horse neighbor's father, just happened to know that he was wearing a wedding shirt. However I said Panamanian,because I have those, his was actually Philippines. Then horse neighbor's brother and I started talking. We seemed to have hit it off, and turns out he lives not too far from the farmstead. Wonderful, now I know someone out there.

Sunday we didn't make it to the farm as usual. Instead we had to pull T-post from the homestead ground to be used at the farmstead. I also discovered Saturday that I have the persuasion of price. I went to buy a roll of fence. Got to the counter, told the lady what I wanted, and then told her I wanted it for a certain price. She gave it to me for that price. When I went to load out, I discovered that I paid $20 less than it was listed for. hhhmmm. . . next time I'll try for $30 less and see what happens.

We made it to the farmstead late in the day Monday. We had to wait and talk to the Sheriff officers before we headed out. There has been an increase in odd behaving people in front of our home as of late. And yesterday was the line in the sand and I called the cops. I don't know what all these people are doing but when they are trespassing and parking and staring I start to get a bit paranoid. I think they are more interested in the neighbor across the ways place, still something needed to be done.

The Sheriff's out here enjoy following Husband around. They have told him it is because he doesn't look like he belongs here. One even claimed to have never seen him in the area before, Husband politely told him that we have lived out here for 10 years. Want to talk profiling, I got plenty of stories about husband

I digress, we made it to the farm and set to work on the fencing. 1320 ft of fencing is now up and finished. I ended up with a humidity triggered migraine. I wasn't pleasant to be around, but I kept working. We stretched the fence, tightening it up, then Husband fitted the utility belt around my hips. Not only was I Batman, but I could kill an attacking cougar with my claw hammer, or so I proclaimed as I marched off into the wilderness, at twilight, to secure the fence to the posts. The grass was chest high, yellow flowers bursting from their tops, and smoke like pollen whisked around me as I pushed my way through. Yes, I think the cows will like it there.

I listened to the fawns bark for their mothers, the bull frogs were out calling to each other, and turkeys could be heard laughing in their gobble gobble way. If it wasn't for the ticks and mosquitoes, twilight would have been wonderful as we finished our work.

Husband and I ate thumb sized mulberries off the trees as we walked by them. The older trees have sweeter fruit we have discovered. The boys gathered a jug full, then ran off to the creek.

Hopefully this weekend we will be able to split the heard, and the adventures at the farmstead shall truly begin.

I don't want to talk about it

We had a rather bad day yesterday. husband was in a bad mood for the boys had lost some of his tools. He is rather tired of spending so much time looking for his tools.

We left for the farm. At one point husband asked me a question, and answered back, being abrasive and loud. He asked why I was getting defensive. And I replied, I thought we were bickering. I was just doing my part. That got him to smile.

We spent the entire time on fencing. We are now out of fencing and out of money and still not complete. ~sigh~ Husband fell a few times, we forgot to bring the come-a-long, and yeah, I don't really want to talk about it.

However Husband almost stepped on Bambi.



And Small found a Faline as he went to retrieve some tools.



That made everyone's day. And smiles and giggles abound.

Don't send a girl to do a boy's job

Because she might just show that boy up.

We left a little late Sunday morning. We were a little selfish and wanted to sleep in. Running a working homestead and trying to rebuild a farmstead is exhausting. Then throw in my husband has a full time job, I care for 3 active boys and well, once in awhile it is nice to sleep in past 530 am.

Off to the farmstead!

Zombie has stopped nursing in the middle of the day, so I took this opportunity to take Sprocket, our 2 year old hound/ German Shepard mix. Sprocket has never been on a lead, and has only rode in the car once before. This of course was not a pretty sight. She refused to get into the car. Large tried using a lead. I warned him, and she flopped around lie a fish. All of us just stood there watching in amusement.

Once she was in the car, she laid down on the floor board for about half the ride, then found Small and Medium's laps to spread out on. Small got the raw end of the deal.

Once there it was back out to work on the trees again. But I faked them out and started pulling hemlock. That's when husband noticed half buried fencing, and he too pulled hemlock, and sticks and locks, and compost. We spent a good chunk of the morning doing this. Some of the wood isn't burnable, it is, but would go up like paper, so we created a dam to keep soil erosion down a bit. As I bent down to tie my shoe, I heard a very odd noise. I looked around a bit, trying to find the area where the new born puppies were. Turns out I was standing next to one of those hue rats nests that I showed you before. Inside was rat pups. They were making the noise. Wonderful. Nothing makes you feel bad about killing rats then see and hearing the pups.

I then had the brilliant idea to ask husband about the lean-to shelter. It was decided to go ahead and tear part of it down. Between the claw hammer, sledge hammer, bow saw, pry bar n brute strength, we got the north side of the shelter roof down. Arms up and WOOHOO!

We pushed it up aginst the other side, hopeful that it would colopse under the weight, no go. Now we had to tear down the one side of the roof, separating the tin from the wood. Turns out it isn't that easy. We had to flip that roof back and forth 3 times. With nail pulling, jumping and kicking, the roof was torn down and stacked up. Then to the next side, and the same thing. Loud crash, arms up and WOOHOO! Roof down, separated and stacked.

As a reward for all our hard work and to scout for down lumber that can be used as fence posts, we walked down to the creek. I gathered some of those unbroken bottles from the junkyard, and kept feeling something burn under my right armpit. I kept wipping it, like one does when set on fire. It finally got to the point that I hollered at husband "What is it!?!" He looked and pulled out a freckle tick. It burned just like a fire ant bit. Took a while before the un-comfort subsided.

Husband and I watched the boys build a dam, skip rocks, and Small showing off his muck boots in the water, and talked about our future. It is times like these, when we are away from the normal world that we feel everything will be wonderful. I so love my husband. Even when he does things that might deserve my anger, I still feel as passionate about him as I did 14 years ago, and was filled with teen lust. Our future is bright, he even says so.

On the walk back, husband and I stumbled upon a large piece of hog panel. As the boys ran back to the house to see if dinner was ready, husband and I started to dig the buried panel up. Took time, there was at least 10 years of compost and grass covering it. But every piece of fencing we can savage is less money we have to spend. Arms up and WOOHOO!

Sprocket killed and ate a rat.

We got back to the house, my mother had supplied a feast for dinner that night. We ate and discussed the future of the farmstead. Moter asked what we were doing as she kept hearing loud crashes and then WOOHOOs.

Arms up and. . . .

Rat pups sound like newborn puppies

White Trash Farms presents; How to tear down only part of a 100 year old lean-to animal shed.























I discovered new muscles, and that tick+armpit= fire ant bite

From Hence Forth, It shall be known as WTF

White Trash Farms

With the flash flooding, the old farms, and a creek as well as a ditch running through the farmstead, we have accumulated a variety of items.

See something you like?

Have any repurposing ideas? Broken glass and rusted tin cans will be an issue

And my mother is asking; Those of you that use wood burning stoves, how does one go about keeping the ash from going all over the place.