# Singles Monthly Homesteading Thread-January 2015



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

somebody has to start it...lol


ETA:...RW i didnt wanna bore yall with same pics i posted yesty in Decembers thread of the shelves...lol....but you can bet i will show a picture of my next project....whatever that is...lol


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

"Wull", you started it but took off without saying a word about shelves or anything else! I put in some line posts on the garden fence today in and around regular feeding and firewood chores. Mom also taught us not to start off the year with dirty laundry, so in her memory I did all the laundry before heading outside. It was nice to actually see the sun for a while today, as it's been way wet (and warm) for weeks. But the sun didn't hang out long, and there is rain about 20 miles west of here on the radar now. The square bales of hay are selling well, with customers both today and yesterday. Another person is supposed to come this weekend if the weather permits. We're already talking about doing 1,000 bales next year rather than the slightly less than 500 we did on the second cutting this year. Although not "homesteady", I picked up some Hardie Plank to redo the siding on the house next door. Hopefully that project will start next week, and most of it will be contracted. When the weather warms, I'll have to paint it, but it's an easy house to reach everything.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I went to a friends parents house today to eat the traditional feast. Hog jowl, blackeye peas, cabbage and cornbread. They also had chicken and dumplings, sweet tea and coconut cake ( I didn't eat any cake). Yum it was so good. I even got a doggie bag to bring home!!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I shovelled snow for an hour or more. this was our first snowfall. I was watching the birds feeding. not a sign of snow. at one point I came downstairs. I was probably down for an hour . when I went back up there was 3 or 4 inches on the ground. that was how fast it changed. very easy to move though . soft and fluffy. I hear there were several accidents. likely from people not adjusting their speed. I stayed off the streets today. ~Georgia


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## plowhand (Aug 14, 2005)

That must a been some awful coconut cake......coarse I'm of the opinion that the only bad coconut cake............is one I don't get a slice of


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I'm sure it was good but I was too full to eat any. They had ice cream too. I couldn't eat any of it either.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Project/experiment for the day...dehydrating rice to make instant rice. I made to much rice the other day so I am going to try making instant rice. It smells great because I seasoned it when I cooked it. At best Dixie will enjoy it if it is a failure.

ETA: This is the finished product. It's a little greasy from the butter and chicken it was cooked with so I'm not sure how long it will store.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

so what will you do when it's finished. eat it in it's present state or add something to soften. I know next to nothing about dehydrating in fact this is the first time I've seen one. ~Georgia.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Interesting experiment Tambo. Guess I'm on the lazy side. I'd probably just cook it up and keep eatin' it until it turned green or something in the fridge.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Georgia I will use it like instant rice and hydrate it when I need it. 

I had New Year lunch with some friends and brought home leftovers so my leftovers would've ruined and been dog food. I just wanted to try it to see how it turned out. I will put it in a jar with some other dehydrated vegs to make a meal in a jar.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Wet day here.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Spent the weekend making bone broth from the chicken carcasses I got from the meat CSA.










I used my water bath canner as a stock pot and got 2 gallons of my tastiest broth yet out of it. One quart has already been transformed into potato soup, and the rest were canned up.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I went hunting today as it was the last day. The cotton patch didn't produce for me. No deer for me this year. At least next year they will probably plant corn or beans I hope as they usually do crop rotation.

I am also trying another experiment. Not in the kitchen this time but out in the garden and greenhouse. I let the garlic from year before last dry up in the shed. It was a great waste on my part because it was some nice garlic. Any way I took some of it and broke it apart and planted the cloves just to see if anything will happen. The bulbs were hollow like but we will see what happens.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Started this project in November. It's the west side of the arena. Had T-posts and barbed wire up, with pipe panels over them. Tore it all out, and drilled holes to cement pipe posts in and hang panels from.

Putting a 16 foot double gate where the picture begins, so a truck can turn around, and panels down the rest, with a walkthrough gate if I decide I want a big garden area. Three hours later everything had turned white, and is still white. Winter came with a vengeance that day!

It will still be there come spring, another project waiting to be fulfilled!

Have more trees coming again. So, (hay)mulch and driplines to lay out. Some won't be so lucky to have driplines. Have to count on weather and mulch to keep them alive...I'm hoping! Sometime I know we'll get back into a decent weather pattern.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Built a berm, but it's hard to see in the pic. It will help backup irrigation water in the yard for the trees and grass.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

it is still bitterly cold and blowing a gale out there not to mention all the ice around. I was able to get out at 6am to feed my birdies. they were on the overhead wires waiting. no doubt thinking I wouldn't brave the weather to feed them today. did they swoop down fast!I have all the thermostats in the house on scandalous and the oven is going full blast for baking! so nice to be on the inside looking out cold days like this. ~Georgia


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Windchills are headed down to -34 tonight...brrz. Gave the bunnies extra BOSS and boxes piled with hay to help keep them warm.


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## sapphira (Mar 24, 2003)

deep freeze here


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

The low for tonight is one degree, not even accounting for windchill. I just went out and stuffed more hay in the rabbit hutch. Covered it with a vinyl tablecloth too, hoping to break some of that howling wind, and gave them a bottle of warm water. The clay soil here cracked wherever I stepped, and we don't even have any snow yet.
I checked and filled all the car fluids.
I let my barn cat in the house for the night. Not the one who rode on my head in the car, mind you, the other one. Lol.
I've got the tap on a slow trickle to avoid a freeze up. Sometimes the pipe coming from the spring freezes underground and I can't do anything else for it. I've caught extra water just in case.
My trailer has those double paned storm windows, and I can see ice on all the outer ones. 
They've already cancelled school for the kids.
Wish I was in Mexico right now!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

beef breakfast sausage



added my secret spice to it...smoked paprika





made into patties and put on platter with wax paper to separate each layer.i freeze like this and then i pop them free and put in a gallon baggie so i can reach in and get a single pattie for use.this batch was 4.8# and made 2-1 gallon baggies 3/4 full


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

My organization kick spilled over into Dad's house. I used a couple of gift cards I got for Christmas to purchase some of those OXO food canisters--got a boxed set and a large single one. Used them to store the pasta and barley (Dad makes a lot of soups). Took the opportunity to clean out the pantry cupboard of questionable items and plain old outdated ones.

Also actively working on some quilting and knitting that has been piling up in the place.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

handymama said:


> The low for tonight is one degree, not even accounting for windchill. I just went out and stuffed more hay in the rabbit hutch. Covered it with a vinyl tablecloth too, hoping to break some of that howling wind, and gave them a bottle of warm water. The clay soil here cracked wherever I stepped, and we don't even have any snow yet.
> I checked and filled all the car fluids.
> I let my barn cat in the house for the night. Not the one who rode on my head in the car, mind you, the other one. Lol.
> I've got the tap on a slow trickle to avoid a freeze up. Sometimes the pipe coming from the spring freezes underground and I can't do anything else for it. I've caught extra water just in case.
> ...



Not sure if your washing machine pipes freeze on you or not but I solved that issue in a house I lived in before this one. I bought the quick release fittings for hoses and attached them to the washer hoses and when it git cold I just took the hose off the back of the washer and stuck them down the drain pipe and turned the water on brought so it kept my water lines from freezing.


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

Went out on the ice today fishing for bluegill's*. Caught about a dozen, kept 6*. Fried fish for dinner tomorrow. my friend brought his new under water camera, it was just as much fun watching the camera, as catching fish! I'll try again tomorrow*.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

I've been preoccupied with activities other than homesteading, but I recently had a few moments to capture a couple of pics of our Ichabod Crane weather. It always enchants me:






















Wish I had more homesteady stuff to share, but life has been hectic. Hopefully things will settle down again soon.


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## RedEarth (Sep 21, 2005)

So pretty, Raeven! Where in Oregon are you?


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Just thought this was cute. Here's our mini rex buck eating his first ever strawberry. Bout took my hand off to get it lol.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

RedEarth said:


> So pretty, Raeven! Where in Oregon are you?


Thanks, RedEarth. I do love where I live.  I'm located in western Oregon, up in the Coast Range near Eugene. There may be reasons I'd leave, but they'd have to be awfully good ones!  Where are you in Utah (another gorgeous state)?


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## RedEarth (Sep 21, 2005)

Raeven said:


> Thanks, RedEarth. I do love where I live.  I'm located in western Oregon, up in the Coast Range near Eugene. There may be reasons I'd leave, but they'd have to be awfully good ones!  Where are you in Utah (another gorgeous state)?


That's a beautiful place! I love spending time in Eugene. I swam across the Willamette a couple years ago. That was before I learned it was so polluted 

I am about an hour South of Salt Lake. There are nice mountains around, but I really envy all the green of your area.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I got my outside leaking faucet changed out, my Weber grill I got for Christmas put together and went to the Amish store. It's been a great day.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I wish I had as great a day as Tambo. LOL

Early this morning I had a new remote start installed in my truck--the original one died about a year ago. The starter wasn't my main goal--the remote was. I was going old school and unlocking the doors with the key. No problem during the day, but at night I had to park near a lamp. Oh and there's only one keyhole on the entire truck. :facepalm:

The curveball was when I did laundry after I got home. The pump for the deep sink wasn't working (or it was the sock that got stuck in the drain) but I had to clean up an awful lot of water. Thank goodness for that Craftsman wet/dry shop vac in the basement. 

Still working on piecing the top of a quilt started eons ago. I will finish up these unfinished projects laying about the place.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

It was about a 10 on the Winter Day scale here. Started out cold in the lower 20's but warmed up well into the 50's with lots of sun and no wind. Had to do a fence repair next to the barn as a large pine tree, on a still day, decided to come crashing down. I'll get about four saw logs out of it, but I don't need any lumber just now...not sure what I'll cut out of it. It's been a busy hay week with about 200 square bales and a few round bales leaving the barn. One couple made a two hour drive to pick up a load of square bales for their horses this morning. Hay is getting scarce around here for some reason. If we get a few more days of dry weather, I'll be stretching fence wire around the garden. The posts are in place, but it's been so "mucky" I didn't want to make it even "muckier" by running a tractor over the soft, just cleared ground. My first garden seeds were delivered this week, Floriani flint corn. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange was running out of this variety, so I ordered early. I want to see how it turns out as corn meal, and maybe make some polenta...but that's assuming I have a successful crop. Better not count my ears of corn before they are grown and successfully defended from the rampaging deer in the neighborhood.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

Hmmm... Mother Earth News called the Floriani red flint corn "the perfect staple crop." This, and the description of the flavor definitely caught my interest.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real...n-staple-crop-zmaz10djzraw.aspx#axzz3P9J20Aag

Well, la-de-da, monkey-see-monkey-do. I have put this corn on my grow list! Both Southern Exposure and Fedco Seeds have it.

Glad the tree didn't come down while you were standing there, RW! 


.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Not much doing around here waiting for better weather breaks to get out rebuilding some bird pens. 
Soon be separating flocks into breeder units. 

Got my interest peaking to hatch a bunch more of these fine little birds starting around March.....chukar partridge.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I played lumberjill today. I cleaned up another big tree limb that came down last year in the ice storms. One thing about waiting, the chunks were dry and not as heavy. It still wore my butt out. Chinese was dinner.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

18 half pints canned chicken...was 19 but bottom cracked out of one...arggghhh. i had several ball freezer cups of super nice broth too.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Well my curveballs keep coming. Almost done piecing that quilt top and the sewing machine makes a horrible grinding noise and the screen flashes the thread jam error message. Clean out the whole thing and it still throws the same error. Going to have to take it in for a look-see on Saturday. Probably cheaper to get a new machine--this one was under $140. If it was my mechanical I'd take a go at fixing it myself, but these computer driven ones cause me trepidation.

I also learned last night my cousin passed in her sleep. She was the one I had worked for, traveled with and was friends with. I will miss her greatly.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

sorry for ya loss leslie.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Sorry to hear that TI....



Traded for a 3 point splitter a week or two ago. Got to try it out over my long weekend. About half filled the woodshed.
Splitter isn't powered quite well enough for heavy duty splitting of forks or green wood. Might be my tractor needs the hydraulics adjusted up? I'm unsure as of yet how to do it? I might mount a motor and 2 stage pump up to it...or...I'm kinda needing a larger tractor anyway.

Needs a small steel table welded on, to replace the log on the off side. It was there to stack the splits on as I worked through a piece.

You can see that it was rednecked... the PVC pipe was attached to the hydraulics lever on the tractor.  But I didn't have to move from position anyway.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Sorry about your cousin TI, but it sounds like it was a peaceful passing.

Nice splitter Joe, and neat how they rigged the PVC pipe to operate the remote.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

thanks rw....that was some of my red nekkidness. lol


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Tommyice said:


> Well my curveballs keep coming. Almost done piecing that quilt top and the sewing machine makes a horrible grinding noise and the screen flashes the thread jam error message. Clean out the whole thing and it still throws the same error. Going to have to take it in for a look-see on Saturday. Probably cheaper to get a new machine--this one was under $140. If it was my mechanical I'd take a go at fixing it myself, but these computer driven ones cause me trepidation.
> 
> I also learned last night my cousin passed in her sleep. She was the one I had worked for, traveled with and was friends with. I will miss her greatly.


I'm sorry, my friend, to learn about your cousin. That's a rough slam. Of course she will live on in your memory, but it's not the same. Big hugs to you.

Sucks about the sewing machine, too, but obviously not on the same level. Hope that one is an easy, inexpensive fix.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Snow storm. Another one coming Mon/Tues. Nice and wet and heavy. Kind that makes you think you're having a heart attack trying to shovel it. Argggghhhhh!

Took apart the sewing machine, cleaned it real good and it was working. Put the case back on, plug it in and it's throwing an error message again. Argggghhhhh! It's technically still under warranty but I would have to take it to an "authorized" service center. Closest, according to the Brother website, is in Elmhurst NY 13 miles they estimate. It's only 13 miles if I were a crow and flew it holding my machine in my talons. Jeeesh. It's really a 45 mile (one way) 1 hour drive. Dad and I will take another crack at it tomorrow after breakfast. 

Played with the meat slicer we got from Cabela's. Sweeeeet. Need more things to slice that aren't attached to my body. LOL


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I made a small alcohol stove today out of two aluminum cans. Some people call them jet stoves. It's not bad for my first try. I watched the video again and skipped a small step, so I will try to make another one to see if I can do a better job.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Surprise Surprise We're getting a blizzard this week. Hear it's gonna be a humdinger too. Maybe I'll get a day off of work. Downside is my cousin's wake and funeral is set for Wednesday and Thursday. 

Got the sewing machine working. Glad I won't be spending money on fixing that or replacing it.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I've been bringing home a weekly batch of
4 x 8 sheets of 1/4 inch plywood and chip board
that are scrapped from the freight unloading at my 
workplace in Receiving. They save up the week supply I
take on Fridays. There usually are a half dozen good usable
2 x 4's and a few corrugated thick cardboard sheets I'll use
for weed suppression. So far this month I've collected a stack
around 15 sheets chip board, 4 really clean plywood, a dozen
2 x 4's and 12 sheets of 'weed control' cardboard. It's all free
For my effort, it kerps the folks in receiving happy. They don't
have to cut it up for disposal. It's all good!
Will save me money building up my bird pens!


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