And the sheep plot

I have spent the entire week reworking the temporary hot fence to keep the cattle and sheep out of certain parts of the field so that greens can have a chance to grow. I place the fence, and within an hour, all the sheep and a couple of calves have escaped through it.

Well maybe it's not hot. OW! No it is hot. But the hot rope keeps getting looser, allowing the sheep to jump ship, between ropes. So I tighten and add another strand of rope. Hour later, sheep out again. It was getting frustrating. But then I noticed something, a white lamb, who had been getting out with the rest of the flock, has decided to stay far away from the rope, and stopped leaving with the others. She would stand a few feet from the rope, baaing at the flock, yet no attempt to get closer.

The next day the brown and black, along with the white, would go nowhere near the rope.

Bad sheep parents! The lambs would hit the rope, freak out over the hot bite, and drag the rope in an attempt to escape it. This allowed the adults to walk right through the fence, avoiding any electrical bites.

Yesterday I mixed wire with rope, and it seems to have done the trick.

Watch those sheep, they are unscrupulous to get what they want, even sacrificing their lambs.

Hail, Microbursts, Tornadoes and all my neighbors

Small and I walked out to other end of the driveway. We were waiting for the afternoon school bus. The breeze was pleasant and the air was warm and humid. Rumbling could be heard off to the south west. I looked up and said to Small, I think it might rain on us. Just then I noticed that Good Neighbors goats were walking to the barn, and then a fat white rain drop fell hard to the earth.

Small, RUN HAIL!

He looked at me for a moment because hail was not falling, but everyone has learned here, that if mama says hail is about to fall, then hail is about to fall.

I opened the gate and Small started running to the house. Dogs ran, Zombie ran, and the turkeys scrambled under the truck. Half way to the house, hail began to fall from the sky. It ended within a few moments of us getting inside.

Small made it onto the bus with no damage.

I checked the weather reports, and of course, once again, nothing was mentioned. I kept an eye on the sky and an ear to the radio and went about my business.

Just like on Monday, the tornado warnings erupted at the same time the Small and Medium were on the school bus headed home. Large gets home an hour and a half earlier than them. Tornadoes don't worry me too much, as long as my boys are at home.

I snagged my phone off the counter and ran outside to tell the neighbor across the way that there were tornadoes spotted to the south and west of us, headed in our direction. The neighbor across the way, doesn't actually live there, and I knew that he didn't have a radio or tv going. He was merely feeding the sheep. We chatted a bit while I watched the sky and the Sheriffs that were at the neighbor with the bad dogs house. My phone rang, it was good neighbor wanting to know why the Sheriff was in front of his house. I really didn't feel a need to go ask them why they were here. I have my guesses of course, but nothing I shared with anyone else.

The bus finally arrived with the storm still looming in the distance. It moved just north of us, the tornado was too far to affect us.

The house moved, and thunder shook the ground. A micro burst had hit us. I went out to check on the animals, everyone was fine. Then I called Husband at work. He took the motorcycle and I wanted him to stay down south rather than getting caught in yet another tornado while on a bike. He said he was leaving work. If he hurried he might just miss it. I waited for him on the porch. I figured I would hear him as he approached and could run and open the gate before he arrived.

However once I heard him, I saw him. He had cut though the neighbor across the way's fields and yard, trying to outpace the impending storm. I couldn't help but laugh as I ran to the gate.

Then it only sprinkled.

Horse neighbor saw the boys and I taking a wagon load of hay to the cows. Our truck wouldn't start and they needed to be fed. Horse neighbors were good enough to help us out and came over with their truck. As I went to get the field gate, I spotted something at the far end of the field, black and white, laying against the fence. "Betty." I shook my head.

The goat had managed to tangle herself up in two layers of fencing. And as husband and the horse neighbors brought the hay out to the field, I was wrestling with a goat. She was not very cooperative about it. And of course, the downpour came, and I fought with a goat, getting angry that she could get her head in there but not out. She gets stuck daily! I was very soaked when I marched back into the house.

"The drama" was my husband's reply to my nasty look.

Maybe Just Happy

Husband and I put 90 squash/pumpkin plants in the ground yesterday. He did a lot of work, attempting to make a natural water shed and irrigation.

I looked at all those squash, and informed my husband we are going to need a larger garden to hold every thing I have started. He already has plans for a separate bean patch. I do hope every one like squash. Luckily they are versatile, you can make both sweet and savory entrees and desserts with them.

I was asked how many tomato plants I would be using this year. I don't know, I haven't counted them yet. But I will tell you as I get them in the ground.

The hog panel trellis was also asked about. Our panel is to short to bend. Right now they are straight. The beans will grow up and then we will add panels to the tops to allow them to crawl over and keep our lettuce and such shaded. After 2 moths, my lettuce seeds are just now sprouting. I was about to give up on them, and plant something else, but here they come It is a little late, but I do hope that shading them will keep them from bolting too soon.

Last night I went to a seminar for activism. It was more like an eighth grade civics class. I was unable to stay for the entire 5 hours as I was falling a sleep and passing notes to my mother. Not something you want to do when you are at a lecture. My mother wasn't sure how to leave without offending anyone. I told mom I would be happy to say "I am now making a graceful exit." She wouldn't let me. She just told one of the instructors that we couldn't stay. I will write about it more on the Kansas Preppers Network. One cool thing was that I met the founder of the Wichita Chapter of the 912ers. I was tired and anxious and a sag, I tend to speak without thinking it through. But I merely embarrassed myself, or actually it should have embarrassed me. But since I am uncouth in public, it didn't faze me.

One of the cows figured out how to open the feed bin. I was unable to get Murrial into the stanchion last night, I think she was a little full of her treat.

The Best of me

My Husband is home!!! Oh, guess I forgot to tell you that little detail. My husband has been away for work these past 4 days. He got home last night. The car parked behind us at the airport watched as we made out, big cheesy grins on those guys' faces.

I had many comments yesterday, a whole lotta amens, but little on what you want to learn. I do have several years worth of info on this blog, so let's do some tags so you can pick what you want.

Canning

Hot water Bath

Tools

garden

Butchering

Recipes (including bread)

So there you go, some basics of my knowledge. Of course you can click on any of the tags to learn more about a subject. At least what I know. I do have specific tags, like apples, onions, mistakes.

I have a migraine, this is the best you get from me today.

I'm thinkin' . . . horror movie

Yesterday we planted children. We are hoping for a good harvest (think Motel Hell)

Actually we dug holes for the posts for our driveway gate. No gate yet, but the cat seems to enjoy the view.

Sunday evening we had a gorgeous storm move in,

a rainbow preceded it. ( I have no idea what that black spot in the corner of the pictures is.)



And I am officially hurt. My right hand is bandaged, my husband diagnosed me with slight tendinitis, and acute muscle trauma. Wonderful! I have it slightly immobile, but as I am severely right handed, I am having a hard time not using it.

I am going to upset a few of you. We decided to go with the name Urth, for our new calf. (pronounced Earth, like Urtha Kit) It is the name of the ancient goddess of Fate. We thought it fitting. Speaking of cows, my husband and I were milking Mama yesterday, things were going right along until she suddenly decided that she was done. She caught my husband by surprise and his head ended up penned between a cow and a bar. That will teach him to keep his head out of places where it doesn't belong. He woke with a headache and a sore neck.

Off to work in the garden.

( remember if you have a question or if you have a topic that you would like me to cover, email me or leave it in comments)

Fence

Last night we finally finished fencing in our back 3 acres. The good neighbor came over to help.

No, he isn't drunk, nor is he trying to build the fence from the bottom, and he isn't wrestling with it. I thought it was too funny so I took the photo.

This would be the good neighbor crawling under the new fencing, to get on the correct side of the fence. There is no gate on that side. We will be putting in a gate between our properties shortly.

It's nice when things go right for a change. No one got bit, no cows charging at the fence makers, no ungodly amounts of blood spurting across the green green grass. We did however lost our post driver, and the good neighbor's knife has gone AWOL.

Uma, the calf, loved getting out in the field. She ran and ran until she had to lie down. The other neighbors horses came running to greet her. Now to see if they will come up to the barn to be milked. Eddie is just like a dog, you can call her in the sweet high pitched voice and she comes running, heels in the air, clicking with joy. She is funny to watch. Mama however has attitude. I fear she will ignore me, but...always a but... with Uma separated for the day, she will be hurting enough that she might now realize that relief comes from me.

I contact Little River View Farm the other day about some bulls they have for sale. I will be calling them this week so we can go out and look this weekend. Yes, the Neophyte Homestead is getting a bull. What could go wrong?

Repurposing revisited

Once upon a time I discussed being ingeniously white trash. Stephanie made sure to correct me, it is called repurposing.

This weekend our homestead added to our already eclectic yard with a few of the following items.


Kansas is windy. Make no mistake about that fact. My father had brought a tent with him when he moved here from Florida. It was suppose to be a very fancy tent. Unfortunately the makers of said tent forgot one important detail, tie downs. We put the tent up and it promptly blew away. What to do with a broken tent? We repuropsed the poles.

By bending them to our needs we created a trellis for my rose bush. We will see how it looks in the spring.

Unwanted and rotting wood sat, sinking in the mud. Simple solution instead of burning, creating a containment area inside of the chicken/goat/sheep area to hold compost so that the chickens can eat and ummm. . . leave their refuse in the area. No nails were hurt in the making of it.

We also built a dog run out of repurposed cattle fencing. I neglected to photograph it. But it is good, trust me.

And finally, what to do with a rabbit hutch when there are no rabbits.


Use it to house your chicks. No more nasty bath tub here.

Once again, please show me or share with me your recently repurposed projects.

The Art of Wattle Fence Making

Subtitled: Look at That Woman Cussing Out Those Tree Limbs.

Chapter one: In the Beginning.

I have been talking about making a wattle fence for about 6 months now. Or something like that time frame. In the early spring my mother called and asked if I wanted tree limbs from one of their rental properties. Me and my childish enthusiasm said yes. Oh the sweet bliss of being ignorant in the ways of tree limb collecting.

I arrived at the property early afternoon, and we loaded up the bed of the truck with as much of those limbs as possible. It took 2 trips to get the bulk of it. The loading wasn't so bad, I had help with that. It was coming home and needing to unload them that caused my first round of incoherent tree limb slander to emerge from my mouth.

I have seen people that are more experienced than I in the tree limb moving process, grab a branch or two and the entire truck load effortlessly flows from the bed. I however was unable to imitate this phenomenon. I was struck, scratched, gouged and slapped as I attempt to pull them off. It took time, but eventually I did get them unto the ground, into an unsightly pile in the front of my house. The I proceeded to allow them to age. Ok, I didn't want to deal with the limbs anymore, let them rot where they sit!

But no, I can't do that. I have a husband that reminded me that I was the one that wanted a wattle fence. I am the one that must deal with them. Next time I have a bright idea that requires lots of labor, could you please stop me.

Chapter Two: Cutting and sorting

This will be the last chapter that I publish for now. Time is not on my side, but a sharp tree limb is, ouch.

I bought a new pair of snips. Mine are old, dull and rusty, never mind the fact that they are awkward to hold with only one hand. I found a nice shinny green pair, and declared them mine as I handed over the money. Mine! I repeated as I walked into the homestead. Mine! You shall not be permitted to use my new, sharp and shinny, snipers! HA! How wrong a woman can find herself amid a houseful of males. But I was lucky, for I was the first one to use them.

And use them I did. Merrily I trimmed this odd branch, and the broken one. Slowly piles of limbs assorted by thickness emerged from the wooden chaos. The day wore on, my face burned, my head sweating under the leather cowboy hat I was wearing to keep said sun off my face. The pile of chaos seemed to loom over me larger then before, while my nice and neat pile looked sad in comparison.

Can I hear a "woe is me"?

Frustration built and then suddenly exploded. May the cat eat you and the cat be eaten by the devil! I cursed at the limbs.

I am finished for now. But they sit, waiting for me to return. I know they have plans to reproduce in chaos while I am attentive on the trimming.