Wednesday, December 23, 2009
CHRISTMAS TIME 2009
Our babies with Santa and Frances and Alex made their first Gingerbread House. Thought they did a great job.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
TRADITIONS
most traditions weren't followed this year but tonight i made my hot cranberry punch and we watched national lampoons christmas vacation. always enjoy the movie and the punch was really good.
LATER SAME DAY
the first little one decided to climb into a small container of water that we had in the incubator for humidity so clay got it reasonably dry and now we are up to 4 baby chicks. no turkeys yet.
it was funny, after the first little chick had been hatched for awhile there was one still struggling to get out of its shell so the first one went over and was pecking on the shell. don't know if it really helped the other one get out or not.
it was funny, after the first little chick had been hatched for awhile there was one still struggling to get out of its shell so the first one went over and was pecking on the shell. don't know if it really helped the other one get out or not.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
INCUBATED EGGS STARTING TO HATCH
first attempt at hatching eggs.
clay borrowed an incubator and wanted to hatch some turkey eggs. the speckled ones are the turkey ones and the others are chicken eggs. he went in to turn the eggs and found these 2 chicken eggs "pipped" so there should be 2 new chicks by tomorrow morning. exciting. we didn't expect them to start hatching until the 27th of this month. we are really hoping to be able to hatch the turkey eggs because to buy them as day old chicks they are almost $10.00 a piece. we have sold, eaten and frozen turkeys and are going to grind some so that we can have fresh ground turkey. it tastes so much better than hamburger and lots less fat.
clay borrowed an incubator and wanted to hatch some turkey eggs. the speckled ones are the turkey ones and the others are chicken eggs. he went in to turn the eggs and found these 2 chicken eggs "pipped" so there should be 2 new chicks by tomorrow morning. exciting. we didn't expect them to start hatching until the 27th of this month. we are really hoping to be able to hatch the turkey eggs because to buy them as day old chicks they are almost $10.00 a piece. we have sold, eaten and frozen turkeys and are going to grind some so that we can have fresh ground turkey. it tastes so much better than hamburger and lots less fat.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
ANOTHER DEER, SAME DAY
There were the 4 does around back this morning, eating and eating in one spot. Then Clay took his shotgun and killed one from our back deck. No sitting in the woods in the cold for this one. It was a really clean shot, went straight through, one side of the chest to the other, right through the heart. Our neighbors came over and helped him dress it. We got 4 really good big tenderloins and the extra we will be taking to a processing place run by the Amish and they will make it into sausage rolls and jerky.
Then this afternoon, almost dark Drew and Frances spot this young buck in our front yard. Got really good video of him grazing for a long time then he finally wondered off into the woods.
I guess the word was out to come over and eat at the Crawford's.
Then this afternoon, almost dark Drew and Frances spot this young buck in our front yard. Got really good video of him grazing for a long time then he finally wondered off into the woods.
I guess the word was out to come over and eat at the Crawford's.
DEER IN THE BACKYARD
Horrible picture. Taken through our kitchen window. I see beauty and wonder of the wild and Clay sees something to shoot at. We watched them for a long time. About 50 feet from our back door.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
SNOW
First snow of the season. The ground is too warm for it to stick but it is still nice to watch it snow. When looking for a place to live I believed that here, there was a lot more snow each season than they actually get. I would have tried to find a place that got a lot more snow.
Monday, November 9, 2009
36 RULES OF LIFE
Found this from a link on Erin's facebook. Really liked it.
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
1 4. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
19. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the real world.
25. It ain’t the jeans that make your butt look fat.
26. If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved it’s full potential, that word would be ‘meetings’.
27. There is a very fine line between ‘hobby’ and ‘mental illness.’
28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
29. You should not confuse your career with your life.
30. Nobody cares if you can’t dance
well. Just get up and dance.
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside we ALL believe we are good drivers.
36. Your friends love you anyway.
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
1 4. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
19. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the real world.
25. It ain’t the jeans that make your butt look fat.
26. If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved it’s full potential, that word would be ‘meetings’.
27. There is a very fine line between ‘hobby’ and ‘mental illness.’
28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
29. You should not confuse your career with your life.
30. Nobody cares if you can’t dance
well. Just get up and dance.
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside we ALL believe we are good drivers.
36. Your friends love you anyway.
DINNER AND TURKEYS
Going to put a ham in the oven for dinner and making potato salad. We have been craving ham, couldn't wait until Christmas. Thinking about making pumpkin bars also.
Sold 2 of our female turkeys. Instead of eating them they are going to use them to breed. We are thinning out the turkeys and chickens for the winter. We have too many roosters so will barbcue a couple this week. By the end of this month we should only have 2 or 3 roosters a bunch of hens, we are keeping 2 male and 2 female turkeys to breed so that we aren't buying chicks every year, plus then we won't have to hand raise them either.
Miss John and Bella so much. Big chunks of my day are so empty.
Sold 2 of our female turkeys. Instead of eating them they are going to use them to breed. We are thinning out the turkeys and chickens for the winter. We have too many roosters so will barbcue a couple this week. By the end of this month we should only have 2 or 3 roosters a bunch of hens, we are keeping 2 male and 2 female turkeys to breed so that we aren't buying chicks every year, plus then we won't have to hand raise them either.
Miss John and Bella so much. Big chunks of my day are so empty.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
LOOK AT HER GO
Our baby girl is toddling everywhere. I think she looks even more adorable when her mommy curls her hair.
At 9am just sat for about 10mins looking at 2 really big deer just a stones throw away from our back door. Was able to quietly go out on the back deck and sit and watch for a bit. I love living with nature. Some nights the owls hoot so loudly that it sounds like they are sitting right outside my window. When the deer finally heard us they bounded back into our woods, their white tails flashing. Beautiful.
Clay canned another of our turkeys and also an extra one for a turkey dinner. I couldn't do it but it is nice eating meat that we raised ourselves. No additives and humane living for them.
I tried a new recipe yesterday. Using the apples that we had gotten out of Angela's backyard. It was an apple cinnamon bread. Probably won't use that particular recipe again, a little on the dry side. It is so nice to have jars of apples sitting on the shelf waiting to be used for new recipes.
Monday, October 26, 2009
CLAY'S TURKEY AND APPLES
22 October 2009
Came back from St. Louis and taking the grandkids back to Utah, decided to harvest one of the turkeys. The two Bronze are getting pretty big and they are the first to go. Not sure if one is bigger than the other or not, but this one weighed in at 24 pounds, dressed and skinned.
I did this one just a little different. I strung him up just like always and slit the throat. All the other birds were out when I did this and they freaked. Then they went in the front and got really quiet. Smart birds, maybe? OK, so while he is still hanging up, I figured I’d skin him. I was going to take it up on the deck and skin it there, but thought of this instead. Worked pretty well. Just can’t start at the legs. Started on the breast and went all the way around, then up to the legs. The tops a pretty difficult where the feathers turn into the skin on the legs. Then I did the wings. Had to pluck all the flight feathers, the big ones and the littler ones. Some of it I was able to cut off.
Then I did the front crop area. Peeled the skin around it, being careful not to puncture anything. Was able to get it all undone and pulled loose, then cut the trachea and esophagus further down. I started the cut on the gut, but decided to take it down and set it in the bowl. I think the came out and some fell on the ground, but so?? I put all the waste in an empty feed sack and then took it out into the back woods a ways and left it. Something will get it and hopefully it is far enough away from the coop to keep them away.
So I started about 1745. It is almost 2000 and I have the first batch in the canner and about 60 minutes left on it. The breasts look huge, but don’t think I got as much as last year. The gizzard had a layer of fat on it, but I couldn’t tell how much was under the skin.
I am thinking that the plucking them while hanging will be a lot easier, too. In my opinion, most of the feathers come out pretty easily. It does take time however. Suppose that if I were going to do very many at once, I could blanch them and then they should come out easier. Or make a feather plucking machine.
OK, it is almost midnight, and I am getting ready to take the second batch out. Broth, with 2 quarts full of meat bits.
Got up the next morning and reheated the broth, got 5 more quarts. Have them in the canner now. Total of 19 quarts for one turkey. Could have gotten by with less, by not doing the broth, but we will use it for dumpling next year. Going to need to butcher another one soon.
26 October 2009.
Peeled all the apples that I brought back from Utah. Daughter has this apple tree that hangs over into her yard, covered with apples and they fall in the yard. So I went out and checked one out, took a bite of it. Was the best apple I remember eating in forever. So I got a whole sack of them, filled up a box and put them in a carry on for the plane. Brought them all back and today we peeled and cored them. A lot of them were like bruised on the inside, so we wasted a lot. But even still, the pieces we ate were delicious. Made 8 pints and 1 quart of apple filling, canned them. There was a little left that wouldn’t fit in the canner, so I boiled them up and made apple sauce out of it. Mashed it with a potato masher and put it in the fridge.
I still have some sweet potatoes and carrots in the garden that I need to dig up. Not sure what to do with them. Going to check into canning the sweet potatoes. Next year I need to plant more and I can put them in the canner to preserve them.
Came back from St. Louis and taking the grandkids back to Utah, decided to harvest one of the turkeys. The two Bronze are getting pretty big and they are the first to go. Not sure if one is bigger than the other or not, but this one weighed in at 24 pounds, dressed and skinned.
I did this one just a little different. I strung him up just like always and slit the throat. All the other birds were out when I did this and they freaked. Then they went in the front and got really quiet. Smart birds, maybe? OK, so while he is still hanging up, I figured I’d skin him. I was going to take it up on the deck and skin it there, but thought of this instead. Worked pretty well. Just can’t start at the legs. Started on the breast and went all the way around, then up to the legs. The tops a pretty difficult where the feathers turn into the skin on the legs. Then I did the wings. Had to pluck all the flight feathers, the big ones and the littler ones. Some of it I was able to cut off.
Then I did the front crop area. Peeled the skin around it, being careful not to puncture anything. Was able to get it all undone and pulled loose, then cut the trachea and esophagus further down. I started the cut on the gut, but decided to take it down and set it in the bowl. I think the came out and some fell on the ground, but so?? I put all the waste in an empty feed sack and then took it out into the back woods a ways and left it. Something will get it and hopefully it is far enough away from the coop to keep them away.
So I started about 1745. It is almost 2000 and I have the first batch in the canner and about 60 minutes left on it. The breasts look huge, but don’t think I got as much as last year. The gizzard had a layer of fat on it, but I couldn’t tell how much was under the skin.
I am thinking that the plucking them while hanging will be a lot easier, too. In my opinion, most of the feathers come out pretty easily. It does take time however. Suppose that if I were going to do very many at once, I could blanch them and then they should come out easier. Or make a feather plucking machine.
OK, it is almost midnight, and I am getting ready to take the second batch out. Broth, with 2 quarts full of meat bits.
Got up the next morning and reheated the broth, got 5 more quarts. Have them in the canner now. Total of 19 quarts for one turkey. Could have gotten by with less, by not doing the broth, but we will use it for dumpling next year. Going to need to butcher another one soon.
26 October 2009.
Peeled all the apples that I brought back from Utah. Daughter has this apple tree that hangs over into her yard, covered with apples and they fall in the yard. So I went out and checked one out, took a bite of it. Was the best apple I remember eating in forever. So I got a whole sack of them, filled up a box and put them in a carry on for the plane. Brought them all back and today we peeled and cored them. A lot of them were like bruised on the inside, so we wasted a lot. But even still, the pieces we ate were delicious. Made 8 pints and 1 quart of apple filling, canned them. There was a little left that wouldn’t fit in the canner, so I boiled them up and made apple sauce out of it. Mashed it with a potato masher and put it in the fridge.
I still have some sweet potatoes and carrots in the garden that I need to dig up. Not sure what to do with them. Going to check into canning the sweet potatoes. Next year I need to plant more and I can put them in the canner to preserve them.
WINTERS ALMOST HERE
Well my incredible grandbabies have gone home. They were here for 2 months this time. I can't believe that by the end of March that I will have 5 grandbabies. I love that 3 of them are so close in age and birth dates. My youngest baby just turned 25. WOW
I look outside and I my green forest has gone. I either have bare trees or yellow, gold, red, really dark red, just all these beautiful colors. Right now with the transition from summer to fall and now sliding into winter, I LOVE IT. I love the cold, the wet, the overcast days. I love the change of the seasons. Weather should not be constant, weather gives us unexpected challenges and surprises every day. It helps keep our lives interesting. I am sure that by spring I will be sick of winter but for now I am enjoying it.
Clay "dressed" the first turkey for the year the other day. Between just turkey and turkey broth we wound up with 8 quart jars.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
PUMPKIN PATCH
Feeding left overs.
Cornstalks, not quite a maze, but still fun.
Shucking left over corn.
Which pumpkin should we carve?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
COUNTRY MOMENT
We just had a wonderful country moment.
Kids went down for a short nap and a storm passed over and by the time it had stopped raining the kids had woke up and climbed up on the bed with me. We all lay on our bellies looking out the window and what a show we had this time.
Right outside our window was 2 big turkeys and a few of our chickens, then we noticed right in the middle of them was a little rabbit. Eating grass and weeds right along side our turkeys and chickens. We were talking and moving around and it did not phase the rabbit. He just kept right on eating. Just as we were staring at him out a little further in the yard a squirrel ran as fast as it could from the left side to the right side past where we could see him anymore. We went back to watching the rabbit when here comes the squirrel back pausing at times but this time he had a huge black walnut in his mouth, storing up for the winter.
It was like nature had put on a little show just for us. They loved it and I loved being able to see these things just over an arms reach.
I will miss having them here and sharing these kinds of things with them. They also have been noticing the leaves turning different colors and starting to fall.
Kids went down for a short nap and a storm passed over and by the time it had stopped raining the kids had woke up and climbed up on the bed with me. We all lay on our bellies looking out the window and what a show we had this time.
Right outside our window was 2 big turkeys and a few of our chickens, then we noticed right in the middle of them was a little rabbit. Eating grass and weeds right along side our turkeys and chickens. We were talking and moving around and it did not phase the rabbit. He just kept right on eating. Just as we were staring at him out a little further in the yard a squirrel ran as fast as it could from the left side to the right side past where we could see him anymore. We went back to watching the rabbit when here comes the squirrel back pausing at times but this time he had a huge black walnut in his mouth, storing up for the winter.
It was like nature had put on a little show just for us. They loved it and I loved being able to see these things just over an arms reach.
I will miss having them here and sharing these kinds of things with them. They also have been noticing the leaves turning different colors and starting to fall.
ANNUAL HAYRIDE
one last ride for the night
on a hayride seeing the baby buffaloes
food always tastes better cooked and eaten outside
i love this picture
he looks like a natural, maybe there's a horse in his futureTuesday, September 22, 2009
JOHN'S 4th BIRTHDAY
What age does the "fake smile" go away? Does it really matter, he is so incredibly cute.
Look how old he looks. Going to be a real "ladies man" in a few years.
It is really John's birthday but Bella wanted for her birthday to be celebrated at the same time as John's. Bella's is 15 Oct. and then Alex will be 20 Oct. So there will be lots more birthday times. I love having most of my grandbabies here together.
John was SO excited about his Thomas the Train, he couldn't believe it. Plus he got this carrying case for his trains and the top of it is train tracks. John has decided that his case is really a "brief case" for "school" He loves carrying it around.
Bella loved her horse and Barbie, but she was sort of bummed that the horse wasn't big enough for her to ride. Funny girl. She does love this horse though, she can't stop playing with it.
Cupcakes with peanut butter icing. YUM they said.
About to blow out the candles.
My incredible grandbabies. I love them sooooo much.Sunday, September 13, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
HEMINGWAYS/BASS PRO SHOP
They love the buffet at Hemingways.Look at that boys lashes.
We are sooo funny!
Waiting area at Hemingways. Just a small sampling of things (as Bella says) "got died and then stuffed."
Taking the stairs instead of one of the elevators.
Can't really see but a big pond full of trout. Right next to the Bear that got died and stuffed. Bella touched it this week.
We are sooo funny!
Waiting area at Hemingways. Just a small sampling of things (as Bella says) "got died and then stuffed."
Taking the stairs instead of one of the elevators.
Can't really see but a big pond full of trout. Right next to the Bear that got died and stuffed. Bella touched it this week.
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