# Singles Monthly Homesteading- March 2015



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

bet none of you are using your dining room the way I am today. forcing a few bulbs to get a bit of color by Easter. couldn't find anything to put them in because I can't get in my back shed to get the pots for ice everywhere so I used dishpans lines with plastic bags. in the meantime I'm making SP Day decorations on the other end. I get lots of light in this room. ~Georgia.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Thankful for the misty rain today. I finally got to burn 2 big piles of limbs in my yard without worrying about burning the neighborhood down. 1 more to go.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

I have a big pot of grape hyacinths on my dining room table actually. They should start blooming soon.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

did you have to give them a period of cold also Handymama? I have some in the garden but of course they are under 5 or so ft. of snow and ice and I wont see them until may if that this year. I love those. wish I had thought to put some in the fridge in sept. like I did with the tulips. ~Georgia


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

I bought three twelve packs for a dollar each at Wal-Mart that had been left outside and got frost on them around Xmas. They started sprouting on their own in January so I figured I may as well pot them up. I was afraid the snow would get them if I put them outside since they weren't acclimated yet.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I see. well that will be interesting to see what happens. try to remember to take a pic. if they bloom. ~Georgia


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

I don't have any maples myself yet, but decided to take a class on maple tapping when I saw one offered at a nature center. It was good and walked us through everything we need to know to tap and boil. They sent us home with a complementary set of tools, with a spile, bag, and holder...but I picked up a few extras so I'll be ready when I find my land and have trees to play with


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Detroit Dark Red Beets, Early Wakefield cabbage, ---It's March, and that Is the BEST time for me to start seedlings inside. So, I am looking over my seeds.

Top Crop beans, Purple Top Turnips--- not that we eat very many turnip but I have heard that chickens do excellently well on them! Beside the seeds were only 39 cents at the Feedstore.

Early Wakefield Cabbage, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, ---Now THAT would give an early bite of salad: I will start both inside for the earliest start possible. 

Bloomsdale Spinach, Zinnias,---this years garden should be huge. Ah, well. DS was only PRETENDING to brush his teeth, and so he now has a mouth full of cavities and he needs 2 crowns.

Watermelons, Zinnias, --- so I told him he could pay me back by giving me the back yard of my dreams this year, and he can start as soon as it warms up.

Strawflowers, Sweet peas,---- The ground is frozen and it is starting to snow, but this weekend should be LOVELY! We can work together on the garden clean up.

Kale, bok choi--- C'mon, spring!


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## FarmerCathy (Mar 14, 2009)

I still haven't started any seeds yet, but I have my set up almost complete and I need to see if I have soil to start seeds with, otherwise tomorrow I will get that and start them Sun. or early next week.  I can't wait to have something started inside.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

FarmerCathy said:


> I still haven't started any seeds yet, but I have my set up almost complete and I need to see if I have soil to start seeds with, otherwise tomorrow I will get that and start them Sun. or early next week.  I can't wait to have something started inside.


Wow, you are an early bird! I'm a couple zones ahead of you down here and still don't start until late in the month.


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## FarmerCathy (Mar 14, 2009)

viggie said:


> Wow, you are an early bird! I'm a couple zones ahead of you down here and still don't start until late in the month.


Really? That's when I was told to start here. Well, we'll see. I will just have to re-pot a couple times. I'll do some now (cuz I'm excited) and then start some in a couple weeks.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

It's been a long time since we had this much snow. Work was called off today but we have to work all weekend. Booooo!!


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

If you get snow, snow geese come with it?

At times they make fields look like frozen water from a mile or two away here.

And the only ones I've eaten, a bud smoked the breasts, and we had it sliced with crackers, a few years ago. It was good then, but I'd like to try some more. Any recipes?


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Tambo, please feel free to keep all that snow on your side of the state.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Tambo...love the pictures of the geese! Soaring, swooping, graceful....!

Handymama...will the mini hyacinths have a scent when they bloom?


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

They do, but IIRC, it's much fainter than the big ones.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Waiting on the spring thaw here. Just getting over a wicked sinus and respiratory infection. Mostly just quilting going on here.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

March 8, today is first day above freezing
For over a month. Supposed to warm up this week, 
hopefully be able finally to rip out floor in chicken shed
for replacement and build up more pen space. Dead mink
shot under there since January (frozen) I'll be able to get
out of there finally and clean up.
Chukar partridge survived well over winter, so will be doing
Lots of incubator hatching. Got to have 60 black Australorps
Chicks presold early as possible. So, that adventure is off to
A start looking forward to much bird work....got decent amount
of rebuilding supplies....when time allows. 
Snow depth here isn't much....should melt off quick....then pruning
Fruit trees, etc.....lots to do!


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Moon, I wish you were closer, I'd take some of those Lorps off your hands. 

I'll start outside this week on the trees and cleanup, but today I have 20 pints of black bean and corn salsa in the canner now and a big pot of veggie soup cooking up on the stove. Some of it will go into jars after bit.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

*GREEN!!!!!!*
Well, and a whole lotta white yet. But still...GREEN!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

the only green shoots I can see are the ones coming from the forced bulbs on the table. the banks of snow are a little lower though. we were on the plus side today. still plenty of ice around. I have a bet with a friend as to when it will all be gone. she said may. I chose june. lots of decks gave way under the ice and snow but mine is still holding~Georgia


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Going to a beekeeping expo thurs evening and Sat morning. I'm really looking forward to learning about all this. Not sure if I can do it or not, but y'all make it sound not as complicated as I thought, so we'll see.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

I should have several feet of snow still. The little pond should be frozen still. We are looking at closing fire season way early this year. Had a small brush fire last Sunday. Not wanting that yet.

But in other news I have finished up a update in my bathroom. Plan on showing soon.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

My house is a wreck but I got my tractor fixed with a little help from my Dad may he rest in peace. He had just the part I needed in his ole pickup truck. He is still taking care of me!! A country girl can survive.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Working in the 60+ warm weather....ripping
out floor in chicken shed...retreived the mink
shot before freeze up
Well, lots of dirty work ahead in the sloppy snow
Melt.....new floor and expanded chukar partridge pen
and put up more hen nests....collecting hatching eggs.
Indoors the one incubator full with Australorp eggs for
chicks sale early April presold 60 and ready to set up
Second incubator for more and expected chukar eggs.
Geese laying already....fun...The ducks out on higher grounds
Foraging whatever this early time of year, nice benefit.
Sprouting in full swing for extra bird supplement enhance fertility
and just plain good for them, especially the penned gamebirds.
C' est la vie.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

I've been counting square bales in the barn loft this afternoon for a man who called saying he would probably take everything we have left, including the hay from our first test run of the rehabbed square baler which was baled in September 2013. It's been a good year for fescue hay sales here, primarily because a lot of the coastal bermuda fields got hit with armyworms. If the weather cooperates, I'll put fertilizer on the hay fields Tuesday and on the pasture Wednesday. If the rain holds off until Thursday, I might even get the garden tilled. It's still too wet to put a plow on it just now. Weather wise, we're in the 70's (F) today and may hit 80 (F) tomorrow, but then we're due for a 20-30 degree drop and rain.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Y'all, I had the BEST time at the beekeeping class. I'm definitely gonna do it now. And I made friends with a couple that keeps bees and has a home brewery that lives maybe ten minutes away from me. The neatest part was that we got to watch an antique smoker in action and build a hive. I'm pumped!







here's the smoker. The box on the back is a bellows that you pump. You put the fuel down in the little can and the lid flips down so the smoke comes out the funnel.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Here's the hive I worked on.








And I found an old Dietz little wizard up in the barn that my daddy used to use as a kid for farm chores. I had to clean it up and order a new globe and wicks for it online. I'm thrilled to have it in working order now. Feels like a piece of family history. Its at least fifty years old.








I also finally found a guy to fix my tiller so I'll be planting soon. Its been in the sixties here all week.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I have 3 newer version lanterns just like that handymama. I was suppose to go to a bee meeting tonight and forgot about it. Is that you in the picture?

I planted some english peas today in the mud. The Almanac said best days to plant are tomorrow and the next day but it's going to be raining here so I planted them today. It is a barren day according to the Almanac but got to get it done when time and weather permit. I also sowed some grass seed on some ground I cleaned up over the weekend. Its on a slope so I'm hoping we don't get a gully washer and wash all my soil away.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Folks had many kerosene lanterns and lamps. I had very little interest in them, since I remembered using them during power outages that lasted for ten days-two weeks. Twin sis and I would gather the cow herd to water at the river during outages. Plus I was checking traps on the way. I can remember doing homework by dim kerosene lamps. It wasn't often, but at least a couple times during a winter?

The folks moved closer to town after we graduated, and I moved back in to the homeplace part time. Had to pay utilities, but I had a Coleman Lantern for the times the power went out!!!

No comparison between white gas and kerosene!


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Keep us updated on your beekeeping, please!

I know nothing of them, but think I should do something more for pollination?


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Tambo, no, I went alone, so I wasn't able to get pics of me. That's one I took before I dove in lol.
Littlejoe I definitely will. What has concerned me lately is this: I grew up where I live now, and most of the fruit trees are older than me. I can recall as a child standing under them when they were in full bloom, with so many bees on them that it seemed as if the trees themselves were in motion. It isn't like that now. The amount of fruits and flowers I get aren't nearly what they were when I was little. And it's no wonder. The pests, such as varroa mites and hive beetles,which are wreaking havoc with honeybees, were unusual just a couple decades ago. What's worse, they said only about forty percent of our local honeybees survived this winter. 
The start up costs are pretty expensive. But once you buy your equipment you can use practically all of it for the rest of your life. Around here, the basic hive and all the beekeeping equipment would be about 500, and a package of bees is 100 dollars. A lot of the things I saw I believe I could make myself for very cheap.
The honey and beeswax would be nice. But mostly, I just want an abundance of fruits, veggies, and flowers, and if braving the bees is what I have to do to get them, then so be it!
Went by the library and checked out a book on natural pest control. Between ants and slugs I barely get a third of my huge bed of strawberries and I can't exactly throw slug bait on something I'm about to can in the next couple of weeks. They're not even blooming yet but hopefully this year I'll have some tricks up my sleeve!
I planted some sunflower seeds and glads around my back porch today, and adding rabbit poo to the bed last fall really paid off, because I'll bet you I accidentally dug up twenty nightcrawlers. Only reason I keep a pair of rabbits really. Their poo is fabulous. Well, that and the kids adore them.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Oh and here is that pot full of grape hyacinths. Still no blooms, but they're enormous.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I found one little lone tulip just about ready to bloom from my bunch on the table. the others wont be far behind. good thing too with what I have to look at outside today. the city is shutdown. I measured 13 inches around 5am. that's over 5 hours ago. still coming down.they are comparing it to white juan. I got a car out there somewhere in that mess you see.no telling when someone will be around to get me out. as I said before. no worrys if the power stays on. I'm putting on a chicken to roast in a bit. lots of grub etc. ~Georgia


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Oh Georgia! I like snow but it's past time for it to be something on the ground. What you have there is insane.

We've still got little piles of it here and there but it's March now and the winds are howling. In fact, it's so windy my hair perpetually looks like I'm eating peppermint patties on a wind swept mountaintop. LOL

I planned on planting some peas this weekend but they're calling for 3 or 4 inches of snow. It melts. It snows. It melts. It snows. I feel like I live in a snow globe and we keep getting shaken up. LOL


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Wow Georgia!! Glad you are ok and are going to be well fed!!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I don't think my like button is working. anyway it's definitely insane. up to 50cm now and still coming down or it was half an hour ago when I was upstairs. couldn't possible see out of my windows down here. they are completely blocked. you wouldn't know it though because I have the drapes pulled so I wont see it and lots of lighting.

just got a call it will be at least 4 days before anyone gets here. but the power is on! my chicken is browning nicely. I have bread to put in the oven soon. lots of books to read and crafts to finish. keep your fingers crossed! I tell ya this city is shut down but I bet you'll find a Timmies open somewhere around. they never seem to close. ~Georgia


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Homesteading - maybe - maybe not. I finished the re-do on my bathroom. All I wanted to be able to do was access my line closet from inside my bathroom. I used to have to open the door, walk around the corner, open the linen doors etc... Now, I can access from inside the bathroom.

So for want of a hole in my wall...... Will be in tow posts.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Haven't finished decorating it but I love it. It's so bright and clean looking.. My flooring is 6"x36" peel and stick and is commercial grade with a 10 year warranty. My neighbor made the screen door over the linen closet. I will be placing lavender tissue paper on the backside and sealing with modge podge so you can't see in the linen closet. I love how he made my door look like an old fashioned screen door just as I wanted. I'm very happy. Wasn't sure on the bead board on the walls but sure glad I went with it.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

well, all is not lost. I found my car. cleaned it all off. shovelled paths . now waiting for the guys to get the driveway cleared. they are bringing a snowblower today. about time! I have to pay 80.00 extra but that's a mere trifle when you look at all that snow. had something like 75 cm. that is more than we had in white Juan . 

my son still can't get into work from the country. my street is ploughed. not too many driving on it though. the sun is shining brightly which always makes a person feel better after blizzards and whatnot. I have a new tulip blooming on the table. spring will be here tomorrow! ~Georgia


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Today was one of those rare days when everything went right. The housework got done, DS filled out 2 job applications, the kale may be ready to pot up tomorrow, my 4 hens gave me 4 eggs, and just today the ground has suddenly turned from brown to green!

Sometimes it is GOOD to be a homesteader!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

by the time mine turns green it'll probably be getting ready for winter again. the last time I saw anything like this was when I was a child and we had snow up to our top windows in a 2 story house~Georgia.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Heavy snowfalls are tough on livestock and people, but at least it happened in the springtime. Would be double tough to have that in mid-winter.

Glad you doing alright, Georgia!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

that is so true. I was thinking last night in a way I'm lucky. never lost power once(I don't have much back-up) and the temp are not bad. today I am above zero and the sun is shining. right now the boys are out there trying to get me out. they were bringing a snowblower but already broke 2. they are getting through it though. I had all the paths done so they just have to get my car free and shovel what the plough put in last night which is considerable. ~Georgia


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

While I was out and about today I bought some blueberries to plant. My fruit trees and brambles should be coming before too long. Hopefully within the next couple of years I'll start having some good production out of this stuff.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

The other day at work I bumped into a fellow from
my past workplace. We chatted about hatching birds that
he used a hospital baby incubator to hatch geese eggs. I
also had one, but never used it before it got ruined in a fire.
So, he mentioned I could get his now he don't use it. Lucky
me if I actually score on this. It could significantly increase my
bird raising capacity....I felt I won a lottery!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I got nothing to offer except snow and more snow. another storm last night. we didn't get any of the 40 mil of rain that was forecasted and that I was waiting for. just enough to make what came down real heavy. I cleaned that up. then the street plough went through and I cleaned that. that was the worst. the sidewalk plough hasn't been around for over a week. my son saw the bobcat guy trying to get through several blocks away friday but couldn't make it. so dangerous for the people having to walk on the streets. I got pic. somewhere here on how high it is.

I'm up to 850 in clearing snow so far. I was thinking i'll have to tighten my belt this summer and think of ways to make up for that. (this is the first full year I've paid for it)next winter remains to be seen but I think i'll buy another snowblower. I gave my big one to my son when his father passed and said "i'll get it back if I need it" but really he needs it to get to work and if I'm getting one I want a new one. not sure where I will put it. there was a garage on this place but was turned into a lovely looking den so that's out. i'll think of something. perhaps one of those narrow and tall things HD sells. i'll think about it later, got to get through the rest of this mess first.

yesterday I cleaned out the snow around the one window in the lower level that was blocked to the top with snow(never ever had any floods in 8 years but no harm in taking precautions. this is a finished basement and I can only imagine the mess) standing here this morning I saw a robin pulling at a worm there. camera was upstairs at the time. they must be around somewhere although I hadn't heard of them being sighted yet. poor things are going to have a hard time. I might go out and try to shovel another bit for them later ~Georgia


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I went out in the yak yesterday. I didn't catch anything but was nice being out there.


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## FarmerCathy (Mar 14, 2009)

I'm glad our snow has mostly melted before we left. I can't imagine getting more at the moment. 
I'm on Spring Break at the moment in NC so its about 20 degrees warmer where we are. When I get back I will be in full homesteading/farming mode.  I'm getting muscovy ducks for eggs to put in my chicken tractor for the growing season. I pick them up the day after I get back. Then the following Saturday I'm picking up two ram lambs. One will be for meat and one will be for breeding and then I will pick up two ewes after that. So, I can have lambs next year.  Moving to a farm in July. He's turning it to Cert. organic this year. So exciting!! We will have organic/pastured lamb to sell next year!! :nanner:


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## reneedarley (Jun 11, 2014)

Ã propos lambs here are the first of the season. My niece was visiting which was lucky as they are quite a handful


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

another 350dollars today. this winter has been hard on the pocketbook. I was up the whole night worrying because the furnace wouldn't cut out when it was supposed to . the den was like a sauna! a tiny but critical part. called the guy and he was here in half an hour. I hope to get some sleep tonight. one good thing today the sun has been shining and the temp is creeping up and I also saw the/a robin again. no sidewalks done though. schools have been closed again because of that and they only just finished march break. the poor mailman had to crawl up a snowbank and I crawled up the other side and took the mail. we are all so weary of this! ~Georgia


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

So sorry Georgia. The mental picture of you and the mailman did make me smile a little!! I hope you see dirt soon!! I'm not going to post what I did today because it would be rubbing salt in your wounds!!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

it's okay Tammy post what you like. can't get any worse here and things are improving. I was able to get out through the driveway and went shopping today. got a good sale and loaded my car to the gills. went to the hardware store and got lots more salt. dropped by the bank and paid 2000 for my interim bill for house taxes came back, packed everything away . was able to dig out around the shed door and get in for the first time in 3 weeks. water is running out there and it's just a gorgeous day. I was out shovelling in my shirt sleeves. people are out for their walks again although they have to walk on the street but it's good to hear people calling out and whatnot as they pass by. (a people person here) slept like a log last night. the furnace was working perfect again.~Georgia


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Well it got down to seventeen degrees here last night, and I have a fourth of an inch of snow on the ground. No doubt it has killed the blueberry and Apple blossoms. This is the third year I've had this happen. I'm disappointed.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

we had a couple days of thawing now we are back into another snow storm. not a significant amount though. I just shovelled it. we got maybe 3 inches but I thought I'd do it just in case there is more coming tonight. looks like temp on the plus side for next week. going to take a long time for the ice to melt though. it's anybodys guess when I will be able to get into my garden. may or june I'm thinking.~Georgia


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

My hen pheasant laid first egg..promptly it
went into the incubator with chukar eggs that started
3 days ago.....I really didn't expect them till mid April.
Early spring....geese have been steady laying the big eggs,
Though ducks slow about it. I boosted their ration with 
some higher protein supplement. Got people wanting ducklings
for mid May delivery. Guy at the feed store said people calling
him asking for my birds...not too shabby!


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## FarmerCathy (Mar 14, 2009)

handymama said:


> Well it got down to seventeen degrees here last night, and I have a fourth of an inch of snow on the ground. No doubt it has killed the blueberry and Apple blossoms. This is the third year I've had this happen. I'm disappointed.


Is it possible to cover them? Or are there too many?



moonwolf said:


> My hen pheasant laid first egg..promptly it
> went into the incubator with chukar eggs that started
> 3 days ago.....I really didn't expect them till mid April.
> Early spring....geese have been steady laying the big eggs,
> ...


That's exciting moonwolf! I'm hoping to get some muscovy hens tomorrow and some drakes on Tues.  Maybe I should see if my local feedstore would want some ducklings to sell too.:happy2:


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I finally got some stuff done outside. Perfect day. Cleaned up and used the rest of the leaves I had bagged from year before last. The bags had disintegrated and had bermuda grass all thru it. I used it to mulch the fruit trees after I cleaned the roots out of it.

Dixie was keeping busy. I dug up some rose bushes and moved them. Potted a nice rose of sharon bush. I dug up a nice straight Bradford pear tree. It would be a nice tree but I don't like them. I hope to give it away.

I have fruit trees bloom and it got down to 29 last night. I trimmed some back too.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Got the fruit trees pruned a couple weeks ago here. Starting to see green leaves on the blackberry and elderberry. Some fruit buds on one apple tree are fixing to break open, though I'm sure they'll get froze.

Filled six 35 gallon cattle feed tubs tubs with humousy dirt and potting soil, since I had no compost ready. Do you think more than one tomatoe plant can do well in that size? Won't try any for a couple weeks, and that's a little iffy?


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

well I shouldn't have jinxed it by saying there wouldn't be a significant amount. I shovelled until 11:30 last night. now this morning there is just as much again. I was trying to save money after spending close to 900 so far but I'm ready to say uncle at this point. there just doesn't seem to be an end in sight. ~Georgia


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Hang in there Georgia!!


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## FarmerCathy (Mar 14, 2009)

Picked up my drakes today. Muscovies are such wonderful laid back creatures. So nice to have. Anyway, the farm I got them from have the pigs I want, Large Blacks, and I put myself on the list for buying breeding stock this year. :nanner: Excited, but kinda freaked out a little bit. Wheee! What a ride this year is going to be. Hehehe.


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