Tag Archives: Off grid

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Adventures in life

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Hi all, it’s been a few days since my last post so I’ll give you a quick run down of what’s been happening. Monday we butchered a hog and the video camera ran out of battery about 1/3 of the way through so I’ll do my best to piece together a video at a later date. 

Tuesday Papa Fred who’s been having some medical issues that needed immediate attending got to make a trip to the ER after I grew tired of waiting (3 weeks) for VA to get back to us. He is having trouble with his bladder emptying and without going into details we were fortunate enough to get a great doctor who understands how and where we live. He drained 4 liters of fluid, sent him home with some medical devices that I can take care of until next Thursday when we meet up with the surgeon. What a great doctor he is-they couldn’t get us in at surgeons office for a month, the ER doc called the surgeon, explained what was going on and got us an appointment in a week. Thank you Jesus for putting us where we needed to be and with such an awesome medical staff. 

I’m so grateful Kimberly has come to assist me. She’s been a godsend for sure. We spent yesterday cutting up part of the pig, getting one ham and one side of the bacon curing so I can smoke it next week. Today we will do the other side then begin cutting and wrapping the rest of it and begin freezing it. Our weather has been perfect for the entire process. Mid to high 30s in the day, low 30’s at night. 

     

   What awesome kids I have! My daughter Cati had earned some money when she went to assist a friend in town for a few days. At 11 she is quite the hand at cooking and cleaning. She is also a very generous soul who wanted to share her bounty. Dear hubby was going to town to meet up with my oldest son Corbin who had acquired some discarded building materials that would be useful to us so Cati asked if he could do some shopping for her. He came home with the materials and her completed shopping list. A treat for all! Banana splits for supper! I used to randomly do this kind of thing on rare occasions back when we could afford such treats. How blessed am I to have a child so giving.  
 My sissy invited me to come stay with her in May for a week, I’m so excited!!!! It will be just us girls as Paul will be gone and I have big plans to eat too much ice cream, stay up late giggling and nap randomly. Yes ladies I know you get it-a moms vacation for sure. I just wish May were closer as I’m already antsy with anticipation.

One thing I’ve discovered in life is to always expect the unexpected and trust that God has you covered. With Faith as my fuel and God as my pilot I’m sure that I’m in for more adventures that will be  to his glory! Have a blessed day all.

Dan and Robin is it leap year yet? Sure missing you two!

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Catching up

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  The clouds cleared for a couple of days and brought us cooler temperatures. The night skies have seen the return of stars so bright and numerous it looks as if someone peppered the sky with twinkling lights. Even in darkness there is beauty. 

The cooler temps have brought back winter with its frozen ground and we are now attempting to catch up on our winter work. Winter is when the majority of our wood gathering and hauling takes place. It is also when anything from the outside can be brought in on our ice “super highway”. 

Dear hubby and Caleb have been busy hauling logs from a blow down area and even had some help from poppa Fred. Cati is in helping a friend of mine who was in an auto accident and the rest of us girls are busy cleaning pens, animal care and doing repairs. The sawmill will be up and running today and that will provide lumber for the many repairs to animal pens that the flooding took out. There’s never a dull moment around here and thankfully the days are growing much longer quickly so we can work by sunlight versus lamp light.

I’m impatiently waiting for the new kids to hit the ground. We lost  a couple due to the ice and wet conditions. Poor goats I wish I could find a way to keep them from falling on the ice.

It’s chilly this morning at 21 degrees and the humidity is high but the fire is warm and my coffee seems to taste particularly good this morning. I will chalk it up to being in better spirits due to the weather not being so gloomy. It’s a short respite though as warmer wetter conditions are in the forecast.

Hoping to butcher one of my older hogs soon as it’s no longer servicable for breeding. Here’s a question for you all and please give me some feed back. Would you all like to see more detailed pics or perhaps a video link to YouTube of the entire process? I’m never sure how much of “farm life” I should show-there’s the ugly side of it that while informative can be quite graphic. Please give me your feedback and I’ll proceed from there.

The family is rousing and I’m sure will soon be looking for breakfast as they start their day so I’ll bid you all farewell for now and leave you with a few random pics as I usually do. God Bless and keep you until next time.  

    
   

  
My friend Kimberly and Cati taking selfies

 

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Yay the girls are working again 

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Finally! I was beginning to think my hens were going to be freeloaders forever. They quit laying this fall when the weather turned wet but finally they are once again laying. I guess butchering a bunch of birds in front of them and telling them constantly to produce or go to freezer camp finally paid off. They are slow starting but it will pick up I am sure-in the mean time I will continue to baby them and gently explain that a few little eggs are much better to part with than ones head. Yes, I do love my chickens but out here no one-not even cute little hens-get a free ride. 

 It’s so nice having my friend Kimberly here. She has motivated my children to get the loft clean. Unlike mom who isn’t welcome simply because I am the momster, they readily accept Kimberly in their domain and her subtle encouragement to get things done.   Kimberly has also been an extra set of hands to help with the ever present problem of water everywhere. It’s a full time job keeping drainage ditches cleared, pens clean and dry and all that  

 comes with the heavy rains and thawing we are experiencing.  

    
 The weatherman says we will be seeing a drop in temps in a couple of weeks.  I cannot decide if I’m happy or just want it to hurry up and be spring. I can tell you I am sick of rain. Months of it has made me water logged and snippy. My kids, critters and hubby are obviously tired of it too as tempers are getting short but I have to just remind them and myself this too shall pass. I frequently say to myself “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Thank heavens for scripture-it sees me through these trying times. 

The days are getting longer and that makes me glad, darkness will soon be replaced with long days and busy hands. I’ve poured through so many seed catalogs I am gardening in my dreams. The little sleep I do get is filled with happy dreams though so I am feeling more rested. If any of you live in an area that grows sugar beets I am looking for some seeds so let me know please. 

Well my phone is almost dead so I will bid you good night. Praying for all those affected by the strange weather. Stay safe, warm and dry. Dan and Robin if your reading this everyone says HI!!!!! We miss you and will be glad when you return. God Bless and sweet dreams all.

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New day dawning

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It’s a crisp winters morning here in Alaska,26 degrees out and clear skies. I love mornings like this when the stars are so bright they seem to come to life and the ice appears to twinkle with them in unison as if they are dancing to an unheard melody. 

I’m back to making goat rounds every couple of hours but will admit I missed one check last night as I slept-finally. Insomnia is something I have always battled but lately it’s been even worse. No new babies yet but will post when they arrive. Yay it’s baby time again! 

Spring is just around the corner and with the arrival of spring everything is fresh and new. Yes spring is my favorite time of year with the trees budding out and grass growing but all in due time. We mustn’t rush it as each season has its purpose and with the confusion our world seems to be in I definitely don’t want to add to that.

Yesterday was a fun day. My friend Kimberly has returned from the outside (lower 48). Making Alaska her home now she wants to learn to be self sufficient and part of that is raising and processing your own food. I had 11 chickens that needed to go to freezer camp so we butchered chickens. We use a cone to hold them and dispatch but one particular chicken had grown to be quite large and didn’t fit so well. It managed to free itself (headless) and began running around. It appeared to be chasing Kimberly who stood there, mouth agape, eyes as big around as saucers, looking at it as if it were a zombie chicken about to eat her. Always the trooper she is, Kimberly quickly recovered her composure when I told her grab the chicken as it flipped and flopped it’s way through the water and slush. One thing you will find that will make any job easier is enjoying the moments of surprise. We all had a great laugh including Kimberly and it made the day go much quicker.

For now we have a few days of dry weather much catching up has to be done. The last storm left many trees down and they must be gathered before they absorb too much water and aren’t usable in the near future. Dear hubby carefully selects the logs that will be used for sawing into lumber and those that will be firewood. They then have to cut them to manageable lengths and haul to their proper location. Keeping up with this after a wind storm is a lot of work and leaving them in place is a waste so it must be done. Using deadfall is one of the ways we conserve our forest. It keeps it healthier and more productive for the future.

The second pot of coffee is now happily perking away on the stove, the roosters are crowing very loudly and although sunrise is still hours away it’s time for me to get busy preparing breakfast and critter food. I pray you each are blessed with peace in your hearts and the ability to enjoy each new day. God Bless

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Goat love songs and cat food crunching

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It’s been a rough start to the year for sure with all the flooding we are experiencing in the area. Sleep has been a rarity as we spend most nights going from one animal pen to the next clearing drainage ditches, removing fallen trees and dealing with the ongoing torrential rains and winds that have plagued us this winter. Finally a night that I can actually get some sleep!  Yay!!! Happy dance!!!! Well, it was a nice thought. Here I sit it is almost 4 a.m. And I have had a grand total of 1 hour and 15 minutes sleep. No it wasn’t the rain, the skies are clear and stars shining brightly. No, it wasn’t flooding as the waters have somewhat subsided and no it wasn’t even dear hubby snoring that has kept me awake. In a word-goats. Goats! Those sweet faced lovable, obnoxious, bellering, sneak in the cabin goats! Apparently someone told them I may actually get to close my eyes tonight and they had a meeting to decide who would take which shift in order to cover the entire night of being obnoxious. 

It began about 10 p.m. One of my yearling darlings came into heat. Up the steps she would run to escape the billies-down she would go bellering. Then the boys started their waaa waaaa waaaing which for those of you not in the loop that sound is what boy goats make to not only annoy me but it’s a love song of sorts sang to the pretty little girlie goats. They must of been off key as she definitely wasn’t interested. Now you would think that after they finally quit singing that things would calm down and I could catch a few minutes of sleep-ha! Hope y’all didn’t put money on that bet for I was in bed-again-for a grand total of 17 minutes. Whoever went to the outhouse last didn’t get the door latched, Frankie seen an opportunity and quietly let himself in. Such a courteous goat is he that he made sure to close the door so the other goats couldn’t get in and began munching and crunching away at the cat food. I was just getting up to reprimand one of the kids for making such a racket crunching cereal (no they don’t do that really but my mind is not quite right at the moment due to lack of sleep) when I see Frankie and of course I asked him just what he thought he was doing in the house and eating the cat food. Before you even think it yes my sentences are going on forever but hey, zombie moms are entitled to do that. Frankie of course looks up at me as if it’s just a common everyday occurrence to be standing inside eating cat food. I will admit I told him to wipe his mouth he had crumbs on his chin before the irrational side of me crept out and began screeching like a banshee and grabbing the broom. Of course getting him out the door took a bit of doing since the other critters outside heard MY bellering and had to come look in the window to see what was happening. Finally I get the goat gone, cat food cleaned up and I realize that through all that commotion, screeching, thumping,bellering and hollering…..not a soul woke up. Hmmm, well guess it’s time to get the coffee going, dig out the mom cape and start my day.  I’ll get the coffee on as soon as I get this chicken out who just jumped into my lap. It looks like it’s gonna be one of those days.

God Bless you all and keep smiling!

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Saying goodbye to 2015

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  These last few days of 2015 are quickly passing by. It may sound strange but as the new year approaches I feel a sense of loss at the days past as if saying goodbye to an old friend. Things are evolving and changing here on Two Moose Farm as they must to permit growth but there are days I long for the the excitement of planning, dreaming and building where once there was nothing. 

The weather seems to be quite confused, what should be winter is more like spring. Temperatures well above freezing, rain, flooding and the wind storms have been brutal. We relish winter as it is much easier traveling on ground that is frozen. Our trip to town the other day was definitely not a cold one. We drove the wheelers through icy slush and water that was up to a foot deep the entire 3.5 miles. I am thankful we didn’t get stuck as standing in that would have been miserable. 

    
 

The critters have been plagued by Ravens, Hawks and owls lately. Caleb has been kept busy with his 410 attempting to scare them away-so far it’s not proving very successful. We’ve got 9 roosters who insist the tarp covering the freezer is their safe Haven and they spend most of their time there. Not a pleasant thing considering it is right next to the front door. I see freezer camp in the near future for them-that is if the predators don’t get a free meal first. The hens make a quick dash for my front door too if there’s a predator around. 

 Our goats have had a few mishaps on the ice and we are nursing them back to health. Soon we will have many kids running around and that will be fun. There’s never a dull moment with goat kids around. 

 With all the rain and warm temps we are watching closely for bear sign. Poor bears, imagine being snug and warm in your bed and you get woke up by laying in standing water. Yes, I do feel bad for them. Bears can’t do what they are supposed to do when it’s wet. They will be quite cranky too and nothing much meaner than a cranky bear.

Our Tom turkey has decided it must be spring and is courting the ladies…..and my dog. Tommy has found an attraction to poor Missy who isn’t at all interested. Missy used to love to play outside and they had a little game of tag they would play-she would chase him and hit him with her paw and he would then turn to chase her and give her a little peck. They would do this for hours then settle down beside each other to sun themselves and rest. It was cute and amusing until the weather turned warm again and Toms hormones kicked in. It started out simple enough, Missy thought it was just a new game. Tom would strut and fluff up then circle her and they would spin in a circle but then…..It  happened…… Tom decided to consummate the relationship and Missy being a nice girl was giving no free “rides”. Poor Missy won’t even venture outdoors if he is in the vicinity so he struts in front of the steps for her. Unrequited love.  

   

Well it’s time to check critters and make sure the drainage ditches are doing the job keeping the water from all the critter beds so I’ll bid you good night. May you be blessed with sweet dreams and a restful slumber.

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Christmas Eve 2015 on Two Moose Farm

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It’s a chilly 15 degrees out but the fire in the stove is keeping us all warm. Soon the aroma of sage, cinnamon and cloves will fill the air as pies bake and dressing is made. Yes in our home food is important and tradition must be followed. 

Tradition. I didn’t realize until a couple of days ago just how important it has become to my children but my eyes were opened when I mentioned instead of making my traditional cornbread dressing I would try a simple stuffing. You could of heard a pin drop. Suddenly my noisy, chatterbox children ceased all activities and stood there staring at me like I had just sprouted a tree from my forehead. Cati was the first to speak up and asked “why”? I told her I thought maybe they would enjoy something different but was quickly reminded that there were only 2 days of the year that I made cornbread dressing and how could I think of cutting out one of those days. She then went on to say and how will we have our Christmas scrapple if you don’t make dressing? I will be making dressing and we will have our Christmas scrapple.

I’m sure your wondering what we do as far as gifting for Christmas. It’s quite simple-we don’t. Finances don’t allow for any luxuries but that doesn’t mean my children go without. Aunt Cathy spoils them and they did recieve gifts from a secret Santa but they learned long ago that Christmas isn’t about spending lots of money to buy things that will soon be forgotten, Christmas is a time for remembering the birth of our Savior. I am truly blessed that my kids get it. They don’t expect, they don’t demand they are grateful for the simple things and thankful for tradition. 

Another tradition we started last year here on the homestead was “building” a Christmas tree. Not having much room we have to be creative. This year our “tree” is made with twigs and decorated with fishing tackle, spent shot gun shells and fly tying yarn. We hung it from the ceiling over the table. The entire family took part and it was a slow start (Caleb dislikes crafts immensely) but when I asked him to provide his shotgun shell casings he suddenly got in the spirit! My kids are growing so fast and when they are grown I think the time spent together doing things like this is what I will miss the most. 

    
 You have heard me mention our friends Dan and Robin before and how Robin hatched out some chicks for us. Dan and Robin are doing well and on the outside in Texas for a few months enjoying warmer weather but their son Brandon and his family are still here. I was contacted by Brandon and his wife Joyce because their chickens hatched out early fall decided to be roosters. They gifted us 7 birds that are destined for freezer camp even though it will be difficult to part with them. They are beautiful birds. Now to the point of my long winded story-while picking up the Roos Brandon’s daughter Courtney asked if we wanted a duck. They had one too many drakes and he was too cute to say no-yes Ducks can be cute. Brandon stated he had been well fed and should be good eating gasp how could I eat him he is too cute. I made it clear to Courtney that he would have a happy life and I would find him a mate to spend it with when Brandon interjects “grab that extra hen and then they will have a pair” so now you know the story of how Quackers (the drake) and Cheese (the hen) came to Two Moose Farm. Thank you again Brandon,Courtney and Joyce! 

 Dear hubby and the kids are working on our snow machine that was given too us. A gentleman who visited out here last year asked if we would like it even though it needed some tlc from years of sitting. Caleb and Mike hauled it in and dear hubby and Cati have been working on it-it should be ready for the trail soon and that’s very exciting as the snow is beginning to pile up. We are so blessed that others think of us and give so willingly. Yes to some they may see that machine as old and worn out but to us it is new and a huge blessing. I’m am so truly blessed by having a husband who can fix or create something out of nothing and the kids are learning so much. Life is good! 

   
Well it’s time to get another pot of coffee going as it will be a long day but I’ll leave you all with a prayer of peace and goodwill.  

    
 Merry Christmas!!!!

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It’s been a great year

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Christmas is just around the corner and soon after we will begin a New Year. It’s hard to believe that 2015 has flown by so quickly. We started the year off with a new birth on Two Moose, this year we may just see that again as our goat girls are getting quite round. 

The months flew by in a blur of new life springing forth, gardening, building, hunting and fishing. With the expansion of our animals came lots of building projects.

  The children grew so much I sometimes felt they had done so overnight. Gone is the baby faced years and they have all turned into young adults with ideas, inspirations and dreams of their own. It saddens this momma to see the birds preparing to fly from the nest but warms my heart to know that with the coming years they will gain enough knowledge to be well equipped to move into the world if they decide that’s their course. 

2015 showed an old dog (dear hubby) he could indeed learn new tricks. What began as a friend needing a deck hand has turned into a new career. My dear husband who had only heard stories from me about the ocean having a life and personality of its own finally experienced it and now feels her beaconing call. I watch his face as he looks out over the inlet at high tide and see the longing he feels to return to her once again.

For me 2015 was the turning point where I could see how far we had come. I am living where I want, how I want and for the first time in my life I am at peace. There is no place like home. From the first little green sprig in spring to the latest snowfall and every day in between I find something daily to rejoice over. Our little farm is growing despite the set backs living in the wild can bring, my children are happy, healthy and learning more than anyone could ever imagine and my dear hubby is experiencing things he never dreamt he would. Yes life is blessed and I expect 2016 to be just as exciting.

As I sit here with the fire crackling, the aroma of coffee in the air, looking out the window to the light of a sliver of the moon reflecting on the pristine snow blanketed land I see the future. Our future. Where someday my grandchildren may sit in this same exact spot and wonder if granny was right-is this truly good next year country. Of course not all will see or feel the pull this land has on my heart but perhaps one will feel it as I do. 

Once again it’s time to make the rounds to check on our critters so I will leave you with random pictures of our life here on Two Moose. May your day be blessed.

   
    
    
    
    
    
 

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Life’s never dull

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Been a bumpy month here at Two Moose Farm. The kids picked up a bug in town and passed it on until it has hit us all, thankfully it didn’t hit at the same time. Feeling much better now but for a few days it was miserable. Having a stomach bug makes trips to the outhouse feel like your hiking a mile uphill both ways. 

It appears dear hubby has taken lessons in grace from me. Usually it is I who can trip over air, fall up stairs and am covered in bruises but now he is the one sporting green, black, blue and purple camo bruises. Now that he’s on the mend I can make light of it but I assure you at the time it was anything but funny. The incident that caused all this started out as routine. He was moving hay from the wagon to the barn and it is quite icy out. Normally he wears his ice cleats but had forgotten to put them back on after taking them off when he went into town to check the mail. Almost finished with the unloading I walked to the cabin and started up the steps when I heard “ah oh”. As I turned I caught a glimpse of my husbands 6’3″ frame as it was mid air-almost as if it was suspended in time and the bale of hay seem to hit the ground a millisecond before he did bursting from its ties and raining hay as he hit the hard ice with a thud. Knowing better than to attempt to run I started to descend the steps when in the shower of green, he rises from the ground surrounded by goats wondering why he was rolling in their hay, turkeys and chickens rushing to see what the excitement was and Henry our Billy standing there looking at him with a confused look on his face. After what felt like hours but was mere seconds I ascertained he was alright and proceeded in to get the coffee going. Ever the trooper my dear hubby dusted himself off, finished unloading hay and then came in for a warm up and coffee. This is his account of what happened-I had just picked up the bale and turned to head to the barn when my feet grew cold and tired of the ice so by their own volition they went on strike and decided to toss themselves into the air in protest. Hopefully next time they go on strike they will do it in a softer spot! Yes folks my dear hubby can be as sarcastic as I am! I am just thankful his injuries were not much worse. Another blessing for sure.

Yes December has been a month of illness, injuries, intrigued and let’s not forget the giggles. I had been losing sleep over something attacking my chickens at night. I had just returned in and was warming by the stove when their squawking began again but this time the young pigs joined in their distress call. I woke up dear hubby and said “somethings out there I can’t see it and my fingers are too cold to handle a gun”-all in one breath with a bit of a screech to it. Perhaps I sounded a bit distressed so dear hubby in his half sleep rush grabs a headlamp and his shotgun then heads out into the night as I follow behind several steps. The investigation shows that once again something had been chasing chickens from their roost but this time one of the chickens ended up in bed with the pigs. Now for those of you who don’t know,  pigs do not like being woke up in the middle of the night much less anything crawling in bed with them. The chicken in question was my dear hen Betty a barred rock that was clearly upset and scared and was not budging from her safe haven with the pigs no matter how much we coaxed and the pigs protested her presence. Seeing that whatever had caused the distress was now gone we went back into the cabin to thaw our cold fingers when Betty began her raucous squawking…again. The pigs not happy with her interrupting their sleep squealed in protest so dear hubby once again goes outside, into the pig pen, folds his very tall frame up enough to get inside their bed and pluck dear Betty off her pig perch and brings her to the house. Yes he’s my super hero. Everyone has quieted down, Betty is drinking her warm coffee perched on my knee and I began to giggle, then full on laugh until the tears ran down my cheeks-not seeing what I am and the cause of my uncontrollable laughter hubby looks at me quite confused. Finally I am able to compose myself and explain. You see dear hubby didn’t get dressed before going outside, so here I have just viewed a long john clad man with a headlamp on completing the ensemble with a shotgun under one arm, in a pig pen with a chicken under the other and it made me think of an old movie with ma and pa kettle on the farm. Those of you who never seen the movie (or too young to know who ma and pa kettle are) may not see the humor. If you get the chance watch the movie and you will see what life is like at times on the farm!

The mystery finally ended 2 nights later when the turkeys cornered our night invader. Turkeys can be vicious creatures and the owl that was disturbing their sleep had finally met its match. We found him huddled in a corner of the shed and after pulling the attack turkeys off him and with a bit of coaxing he came out and flew off, missing quite a few feathers but apparently he decided that the giant turkeys were no match and he hasn’t returned.

Well the roosters are crowing, coffee is gone and time to get the day started. I’ll leave you all with a few random pics and a prayer that each of you finds a reason to smile today. God Bless! 

    
    
    
 

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Butcher, baker, Christmas tree maker?

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Today as I was working through my multitude of chores, doing school with the kids, getting ready to butcher a few turkeys and thinking of decorations for our homemade tree, the old nursery rhyme popped in my head-The butcher, baker and candlestick maker.  Silly of course but it brought to mind a conversation my husband and I had the other day about our lives and multitasking.  Someone had asked him “well what do you all do when the work is done”?  What do people think our lives are like? I am beginning to think they either believe we are sitting around passing the time away at a leisurely pace and the ones not thinking that believe our lives are endless drudgery. 

As homesteaders we wear many hats and work more than a 40 hour week but it’s definitely not drudgery by any means. Let’s take today for example. Of course we have the normal daily chores as any family does, feed animals, clean pens, cook meals and ugh-dishes. Yes dishes are a least favorite thing even on the homestead. After the chores and schoolwork were completed we butchered a few turkeys to use as bartering for other things we need or in one case to repay someone for sharing with us when we had a need. Bartering and sharing are a big deal around here and paying back a kindness is important. I’m getting sidetracked again….back to our day. We were butchering turkeys and it’s not a favorite thing for Caleb to do so he volunteered to split wood instead. So here we were all 6 of us-in the yard doing seperate chores together. That time we spent laughing, talking, catching up with our kids’ hopes, dreams and aspirations. We were entertained by the girls singing and Caleb making jokes. We had a few serious moments when we needed to give advice on life and even a few moments when we were mesmerized by our children’s knowledge. You see there is nothing boring or dull in our lives. It’s all in what you make it. We took less than “fun” work and made it enjoyable.

After the outdoor chores had been completed the girls and I went inside and started the indoor chores. The days are getting quite short now so the men stayed out finishing cooking pig food and getting wood stacked. Inside we had laundry, bread baking and supper to get on. This gives us girl time and the men guy time that I’m sure they need. Drudgery never entered our minds until someone pointed it out.  Maybe we’re an odd bunch but we like working together and being around our kids. Memories are built everyday-let them be happy ones! 

I have to say I’m saddened to see tomorrow come. Our friends Dan and Robin will be going to the outside for three months. It seems we never get enough time to visit-even when we are visiting! Yes they are our dear friends but also our advisors. If we need to know how to do something we know they will of experienced it before as they too homesteaders in the past and have already done it. All I can say is it will be a long 3 months and I’m glad they have cell phones so I can still keep in touch.

My girls share a birthday with Aunt Cathy (a couple days apart but who’s counting) and she is so very hard to gift to as she has everything but she didn’t have a snowman. She does now! I was so excited waiting for it to get to her I almost spilled the beans on several occasions but I did it! I kept a secret! Those who know me know I’m the worlds worst at keeping presents a secret-I get too excited. I think she likes it as she wants a mate for it and that she will get! 

 Dear hubby sat up late the other night and helped me put my tree idea into creation. It doesn’t look right yet but it will and suits our little cabin well as its hanging out of the way above the table. 

 Earlier we heard quite a commotion outside. It was an odd banging like someone tied a bucket to a Mooses tail. Upon further investigation it was discovered 2 goats and a large turkey decided the few grains left in the bottom of the Bucket were worth fighting over. Okay, I’ll admit it my first reaction was to laugh then I decided the noises coming from inside the bucket had turned from startled and frightened to “I’m just plain mad”.  So after my laughing uncontrollably ceased I had the chore of getting  two horned goats and a very angry turkey untwisted and untangled from the bale of the bucket holding them all 3 firmly inside a 5 gallon bucket. After all was said and done the goats were pleased to be free but the turkey decided I was the cause of his distress and proceeded to chase me and peck at my backside-a broom taught him a few manners but if he forgets I have the perfect spot in freezer camp for him.

Well until next time folks I continue to pray that you see the blessings you have and recieve all that you need.