# Singles Monthly Homesteading Thread- November 2014



## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Picked my Great Northern beans and the Pinto beans. I will post another picture when I have them shelled.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

You're slipping girl, that's a pink bucket.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Terri did you have go and tell her?!? LOL Now she'll paint it camo. LMAO


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I love the pinto's look!


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Terri in WV said:


> You're slipping girl, that's a pink bucket.


That's a faded red bucket!!


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

tambo said:


> That's a faded red bucket!!



You just keep telling yourself that. :cute:


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Ok then I have 2 pink buckets ( faded red bucket)!!!


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

tambo said:


> That's a faded red bucket!!


Uh huh, riiiggghhhhhttttt! 

I want some "red" buckets too. 

BTW, the beans look great!  Are you going to can them or dry them?


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Tambo, I'll trade you for my faded red buckets in the barn.
They're still red. Lol.
My power came back on around three AM.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Terri in WV said:


> Uh huh, riiiggghhhhhttttt!
> 
> I want some "red" buckets too.
> 
> BTW, the beans look great!  Are you going to can them or dry them?


I will probably leave them dry. I will use some for seed for next years garden.

handymama this one has a crack in the bottom from leaving out last year to catch rain water then it froze.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Well darn lol


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

that's definitely a faded red bucket and I think she stole it from my barn! ~Georgia


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Just picked up my beef to finish off my mini-share from the farmhttps://www.facebook.com/basilfarmllc. 33 pounds of beef to compliment the 68 pounds of chicken. And there's still plenty of room in the freezer for some deer 

It's 9 pounds of ground beef, 2 t-bone steaks, 2 rib steaks, 1 round steak, 1 sirloin steak, 1 sirloin tip roast, 1 chuck roast, 1 liver, and a bag of soup bones.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I had to make another batch of baking mix.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Tambo what do you do with the baking mix?


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

If you add a little yeast they make the best yeast rolls. Just like the ones we had in school. I add a little water to make biscuits. You can make anything you can make with Bisquick.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Tambo, nice beans! Reminds me of first years on zen stead
I grew a bunch of dried beans, and colourful. My favourites
we're Jacob cattle and French Horticultural.

Viggie, nice batch of freezer meat. I just finished off another
4 duckling for freezer camp. This brings it to around 20 for
the year along with 25 nice big Cornish chickens.

I took the rifle into the woods north side checking for deer
today. Low and behold a bird flushed startling me dead in my 
tracks. It was one of my escapee pheasants. Good to know he's
survived the past two weeks he'd gone missing. I'll have to
go out there next time with the shotgun!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

planted a bit more garlic





found a few sprigs of old amish heirloom garlic i been growing..so i dug it to transplant in a better location before i lose it.had it since 1994.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

met my goal of growing tomatoes as late as possible...i think i met that goal this year...roflmao.had 3 plus inches of snow.








still have a few cherry maters hanging...the snow didnt kill any of these plants...amazing.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

garlic







bok choy and a few sweet bannana peppers...season is about over except for greens.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Good looking beans Tambo! I also use a baking mix like yours, sure comes in handy for lots of things, and I think it's way better than Bisquick don't you?

Good deal on that meat Viggie, and that chicken from the other thread looked really good too. You'll have that freezer full in no time! 

Well, I just planted garlic for the first time this year, planted it on October 1st. I was worried when it got so cold the other night, but I guess if Elk's is okay then mine is too...no snow here!  I pulled the last of my tomatoes then too and made a few fried green tomatoes, yum!

That plate sure looks good Elk!


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Elk, I still had cherry tomatoes too until I cleaned out the beds last week. What is up with those? It's like they just refuse to die...


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

How weird is that ? 3 in. Snow and up here in the northland
haven't had any, yet ! Nov. 2 was 60 degrees, sunny and I 
was spraying water letting my ducks enjoy getting hosed off .

Another day off today...fired up the scalding tank and the
semi auto plucker. Another 20 lbs. prime ducking processed
for the freezer. 
My May hatched australorp hens laying their first eggs. Just
In time. My chicken egg stock was running pretty low.
I hope to start getting enough stead eggs to sell by next
month.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

A good day on the stead. I finally have a green egg layer again. I'm not sure which one she is yet but it put a big grin on my face when I found it. Carrot seeds are germinating in the greenhouse. I've planted a gazillion carrot seeds and never had any to come up. The hard frost we had the other night didn't kill my snap peas!! I know it's silly but it's the small things that truly make me happy. I think it's the hen in the far back ( third one from the end on the top roost pole) with the brown breast that may be the green egg layer.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

I just got my chickens a week and a half ago, and I'm enjoying them immensely, lol!  I got six barred rock laying hens and a rooster, and they're already about to run me over with eggs, nice big brown ones, yum! I knew that was a lot of chickens for me, but I want to breed my own, and I figured I could give eggs to my neighbors, but I may have too many even for that...what a good complaint to have though right??

They're so funny...there's one who comes running the minute she sees me or hears my voice, I think she thinks I'm her mother or BFF or something, lol. The rooster steps back away and stays close to the fence, circling it and watching me out of the side of his eye the whole time I'm in there, like HE doesn't trust ME, ROFL! I've got news for him, I'm halfway scared of him, so he has the upper hand, guess it's good that he doesn't know that though. :hysterical:


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

My brother grew a giant pumpkin this Year. It weighed 502#. He brought it out to my place to compost-we are going to harvest the seeds out of it this weekend. We hauled it back to the compost area with the tractor, and tilted up the 3-point, and pulled it down to its resting place.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

It'll be interesting to see what size pumpkin will grow from the seeds in next year's crop.


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

We are going to split them up, and I will distribute them among'st my friends. My brother purchased a seed, from a record setting 1900+ pumpkin-$50-for one seed (for next year), and they were sold out in minutes*. The variety is: 'Dill's Atlantic Giant'-if You want some seed Pm me, and I will send You a couple*-Free*

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...pv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=dills+giant+pumpkins&tbm=shop


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Thanks for the kind offer Tom, but that thing would take up half my garden!!! Think I'll concentrate on acorn squash instead. That'll give me an incentive to put some shelves up in the hole in the ground that could be a root cellar if I would just finish it.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Wow, that's a lot of pumpkin pie, lol!  Actually, would it be good for eating, assuming you wanted to be bothered with that much pumpkin?? I picture it being tough and stringy, just good for show, is that right? But still, wow!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

no, not if it's Howard Dill's pumpkin. it's definitely not just for show. ~Georgia


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

The last of this years harvest are going into the canner this weekend before the snow starts. I did a 5'x6'ish plot and expect to get just over 10 gallons, which at this rate will be 4 double stacked canner loads. I'm kinda relieved, as I started digging this morning I realized I've pretty much used up all of my oomph this season


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Ooh, those look so pretty in the jar Viggie! Do the different colored carrots taste different too? 

Never grown anything but plain orange carrots here. I'm just now starting to venture out into things besides plain Jane stuff, lol. I may have to do that though, those just look so yummy!


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

That's what I was wondering Callie.

No deer for me today. Boo. But the woods provided me with a pop up blind!! It was laying flat on the ground and had been there for awhile. It's still in pretty good shape, the top was messed up but still good enough to use I hope. I got to thinking that if it rains a lot it may break the tent down because the top wouldn't pop out so it is sunk in. If it holds a lot of water it may tear it up. I will work on it again tomorrow. I sat it up in what's hopefully a good spot!! We will see torrow.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Mostly buttoning up things before winter. Got Freddy (the new Freidrich AC) covered. Had Friday off and thoroughly enjoyed not working. Got a haircut (actually got them all cut. :drum and spent the rest of the day unpicking stitches in the robe I had sewed in the spring. Darn thing was way too big to begin with and now with the weight loss it was really really big. Undid the seams, recut it and resewed it. It'll be nice and warm to have this winter. 

Decluttering and nest feathering is this winter's project. I'll be starting on that tomorrow with a clean out of the storeroom adjacent to the garage. Canning supplies and boxes of fabric are destined to be in there.

Going to pull the beets tomorrow and hopefully get around to making borscht with them for the freezer.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

working inside today. took 3 hours to clean up my bedroom. I'm so messy! washed all my bedclothes and dried and put them back on. started on the linen closet. that will take a couple days. collecting up more clothes for thrift store. windy today . only went as far as the recycle bin. a few steps. I'm so prone to earache when the wind is blowing..supposed to be down to freezing tonight. I have turned on my electric blanket for later anyway. ~Georgia


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

calliemoonbeam said:


> Ooh, those look so pretty in the jar Viggie! Do the different colored carrots taste different too?
> 
> Never grown anything but plain orange carrots here. I'm just now starting to venture out into things besides plain Jane stuff, lol. I may have to do that though, those just look so yummy!


They do taste different. The whites especially are very mild.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Hmm, not sure I'd like milder all by themselves, but maybe in a mixure like that they'd be okay...and they're so pretty, lol! I may try that next spring. Thanks Viggie!


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Done! It ended up being 40 pints plus what I used fresh from my 6'x5' bed. I had help today from my mom who wants practice canning. In exchange she got to go shopping in my pantry and took home some of the carrots, apple pie filling, corned beef hash, and bone broth.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Not much cooking for me this weekend. I did open a jar of green beans and added some potatoes in with them last night. I've been eating on that roasted chicken. 

Oh and my crab apple jelly finally set on it's on!! Took long enough.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

I never think I have enough canning jars, that is until I go to move them! Got the trailer 1/2 loaded and will load some more in a little bit for a trip to WV tomorrow.

Hopefully I'll be able to get some heat on up there and the guy will come and start working on the water lines. I'm hoping to get the rest of the carpet pulled up, tile in the entryway smashed up and a couple of rooms painted. Oh, and the chicken coop ready and some sheet vinyl delivered for an upstairs bedroom. 

Is it too late to trim the fruit trees? Or should I wait until February?


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

Cut back and covered all my perennial herbs this afternoon. Hope this winter is milder than last. I'd hate to lose my rosemary. This variety is not so upright, more bushy. It spread so well... just filled up the spot I have it in. I bought a 4" pot this spring, and before I cut it back it probably took up 2, 2 1/2 feet and just as tall. Rooting from the stems laying on the ground too.

Well, with all those great aromas massaging my senses I got to thinking it would be a shame not to put some of them to use. So, I made this holiday wreath. Actually, I have to give Tom some of the blame too, LOL. His question on the interview thread about using pine cones got it started. 

The big four of course; parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Two of each kind. Then lavender, mint, a couple touches of red from autumn colored oregano leaves, and some leaves and berries from a winged euonymus. I braided it and kept feeding in more pieces as I went to make the circle, then wrapped it a little with honeysuckle vine. Oh, and I didn't forget the pine cones Tom. LOLOL Everything from right here on Turtle Ridge.

The house smells wonderful!


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Pretty, creative, and smells yummy too! Looks great!


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks. I know it won't last long, but if the rosemary doesn't dry out too bad I'll make one from it and lavender for Christmas too. I'd never use that much of some of the herbs and I hated the idea of tossing it on the compost pile.


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## Jaclynne (May 14, 2002)

That's lovely! I can imagine it smells fabulous too!


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

It's supposed to smell good burning too. Only thing I hate is when it dries out and the "leaves" start falling off.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Karl, that right there is a business idea, if you're interested in such a thing. It's beautiful, functional, consumable and... well, just a perfect gift! 

I have a neighbor, retired from school teaching, who makes conventional holiday wreathes for a couple of months preceding the holiday season. She hires the locals to help and makes enough money to live in the style to which she has become accustomed with no further side work for the rest of the year.

With some inspired marketing, something tells me you could do the same -- and even beyond, because your wreathes have purpose beyond just their stylish beauty!

Just a thought.  It's really special!!


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

Yeah. I have a pan I can use for chafing herbs, but mostly I cut them up a little and simmer them. Chafing puts too much smoke in the house. I like to simmer allspice and cinnamon sticks or rosemary and sweet marjoram. Like that.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Sounds ignorant but I never even thought of simmering them just for the smell. I know what to do instead of spraying air freshener now lol.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Well, they did it to me again. The IRS. They slammed me.

No, no, I haven't been audited... but my work is entirely driven by them. Last year they issued unforgivably tardy guidance and created a ton of extra work for me. And now they did it again for this year! I've been nose-to-grindstone non-stop. :grump: Don't they know I have better things to do than earn a living? 

This, too, shall pass.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Just a pic of my compost pile. I'm glad to get it going. I started getting a few big bales to compost and mulch my fruit trees with a few years ago. Now it just keeps growing. Grass clippings form the city, probably 30 bobtail loads of wood chips from a trimmer, Couple belly dumps of manure, and 30 ton of bad hay and straw. Bigger pile than it looks from the pic. There is another 30 ton of big bales in the background to use sometime as well. THe white thing on the left side is a Gradall excavator I sold four years ago, that he still hasn't come after. Told him last May he really needs to get it moved, and it's still here. Getting tired of seeing it!


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

Wow! Karl!, Rae is right, You have a great idea, and the talent to put it together-very nice wreath* I asked about pine combs, cause a Friend asked me about them*


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

My Brother visited tonight, and we cut into the 'Great Pumpkin' with a sawzall, and harvested several hundred seeds. My Brother kept 100, and let me have all the rest. I rinsed them with the hose, and they are drying out on the porch right now* If anyone would like some-just PM me with Your address, and I'll send em'.

When we were finished seeding, My brother wanted to blow up the pumpkin, so we did!The 'Great Pumpkin' is finished! lol


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

LOL, Tom, that's adorable, and I bet you guys had a blast (literally)!!! I'd have loved to have watched you fellers being.. well, fellers.  I can practically hear you whooping!!


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

Well you might as well have. Sure nuff couldn't find a cannon big enough, ROFL.


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

We used a TP roll with 1000grns of black powder-it went puff!

Then we did break out with a cannon!


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Holy Molly Batman, it's cold outside. I took the afternoon off and finished up my pre winter prep. Got the rest of my firewood put up, back porch wood crib full, mowed the lawn to pick up the leaves, put away the mower, cleaned off the back deck and put away the deck furniture, wrapped my faucets, raked the driveway of the last of the pine needles and am burning them as I type. Phew, 25Â° and the wind is cold. Might be the end of our fall weather. 17Â° predicted tonight and up to four inches snow on Wednesday.

It can come now. I'm ready. Oh wait need to put my studded tires on yet. Switched my vehicles around. Parked the Saturn and will start driving the suburban. Gas hog. But I love it. The Saturn feels like you are sitting on the highway.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Nothing to report. Do think bears have the right idea (hibernating for the winter).


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

the last of my roses for this year. I was out raking leaves today and came across these. might as well bring them in and enjoy for a few days. tomorrow is supposed to bring frost. ~Georgia.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

So, I finally got my HT app to work enabling to show a few
sample pics. 

Here are a few wild edible shrooms bagged in early October on zenstead. The gun nearby is trusty little old
Browning pump .22 just in case a grouse happened along the trails. Mushrooms are a mix of chanterelles, coral, I think also oyster...can't remember now, but they were pretty good eating:


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Terri in WV said:


> I never think I have enough canning jars, that is until I go to move them!
> Is it too late to trim the fruit trees? Or should I wait until February?


I have very few jars, since I havn't yet expanded into canning. That's to come! I am however a packrat, and pick old glass up whenever I get the chance. Some of these came from my mother, some I found around old homesteads. There are Masons, Ball/Perfect Mason, Red Mason, Ball Mason, Atlas, a crockery Weir with a clamp on lid, and a no name with a spin on glass lid. I've got much more old glass and indian artifacts. Not near as much as some, but something I enjoy finding. I should've thought about that in moonwolf's hobbies thread. History, especially local, interests me! 

The pic is overlooking the cellar. I do have a Ashely woodstove in it, to warm it up a little when I work down there. I'ts my leathershop, reloading room. And directly above the entrance from the house.

My hands-on knowledge is pretty limited on trees. But from what I've read, early spring would be a good time to do your pruning at this time.




moonwolf said:


> So, I finally got my HT app to work enabling to show a few
> sample pics.
> 
> Here are a few wild edible shrooms bagged in early October on zenstead. The gun nearby is trusty little old
> ...


The mushrooms are neater than heck, but I know nothing about them. We get a few little toadstool type if we're in a wet period. and I see some of the same sprouted on the compost pile before the cold weather. I'm scared to try any without help from a knowledgable source.

Would like to see your little Browning pump though! Guns are always intrigueing to me. Not all, but historically...well, even some of the new ones. 

A pic of the only Browning I own. Got it in a package deal with four other rifle/revolvers. The magazine tube was broke off at the receiver. I knew it was a Belgium Browning, but the smith I took it to, to repair the tube said it was an early one and complete! It's a keen little gun in hand and looks/feels good. got a little ding in the butt stock, otherwise 99%. I'm scared to shoot it now, and I like shooting my guns!


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

I cleaned the feed/mechanical room in the barn today. It took longer than it should have, because of some nosey calves wanting to get into the feed sacks. Finally I got them out of the way by leading them to the big pasture and to the grass there. I keep hoping they will develop a pattern of eating grass in the bigger pasture during the day and coming to the barn at night. They're not quite there yet, but at least the little charolais is running with the herd now, a good thing. Using some downed limbs I had stacked next to the branch/stream along with some paper sweet feed sacks, I'm going to have a little bonfire tonight, if the wind continues to lay low.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

it's some spell since I had a bonfire. not since my first husband passed. always liked a bonfire. dad had one for us every weekend and then of course the town had a really big one on Guy Fawkes night. they were preparing for that for a couple weeks. brings back memories. ~Georgia.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I need to find another hobby I swear. I went this afternoon and I shot at a doe and either missed or something. When I shot and looked, she was in the air upside down. I mean all fours were straight up in the air. I thought I knocked the fire out of her. Then she ran off like a scalded dog. I couldn't find any blood or anything before it got dark. I'm gonna starve!!


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

This reminds me of when ex hubby was shooting woodchucks that had a burrow near our garden. I was watching this and was every bit as confused as him.
He got one, I saw it drop. Then dang if it didn't hop right back up, so he shot it again and it fell again.
When we walked down to see, there were two. The first had fell at the exact moment another popped up out of the burrow right in front of it. But it sure looked like whack-a-chuck. Lol!


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Here ya go littlejoe:

Got my little Browning .22 few years ago a guy in this area
collects and sells the odd used one. He sets up the local gun show. Decent fellow. I don't know much more about
the gun. Maybe you can figure out more from the closeup.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

That's a classic, moonwolf!


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## hawgsquatch (May 11, 2014)

Tambo I am sorry. I lost a few deer with a 243 and 257 before switching to a larger rifle. The old Texas heart shot always works with a 338 lol. I think a nice long walk around the area in a circle radiating from the place she went down might turn something up. If the bullet blew up inside her she isn't going to leave a blood trail at all.


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

It's getting a little nippy in these parts. What a week. Just going to hunker down and hope most of the bad mojo runs its course  My son failed his driving test again and was devastated. Gave him the parental pep talk and then did a spectacularly ditzy thing that night. 

I guess I was more upset than I let on because I apparently left my keys in the car with IT RUNNING all night. Who does that? In the middle of town on the edge of a somewhat sketchy neighborhood? I am so lucky it wasn't stolen and that I had a full tank of gas. In a way, it was a good thing because it made my son smile. Proving yet again, Mom takes the cake for absentmindedness  Going to stay inside today and catch up on cooking and house cleaning...somewhat safe I hope!


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I did not intend to use my big dehydrator this year at ALL, but when the grocery store marked the slightly over ripe apples down to 19 cents a pound I could not resist! There are now 5 quarts of dried apples in the freezer downstairs. I finished last night around 8.

I felt greedy because I took all that they had: they had perhaps 20 pounds????? 

I also got enough good apples from my tree to refrigerate and I still have several waiting to be eaten, AND this Fall I also bought some unripe Granny Smith apples because I knew if I stored them they would still be good in January. I did not PLAN to have so many apples it just HAPPENED!

I froze all of the peelings: today I will use them to make jelly.


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

Ouch homefire! Good to hear all you lost was some gas. I did that once, too. But, the van _did_ run out of gas. Then it fried a part in the ignition circuit. Shoot! Sounds like your timing was pretty good, in any case. I reckon I'd trade a little embarrassment for a timely reminder to my son that everyone screws up sometimes. After all, you don't want them learning that out on the streets, do you? 

Terri. That's a great deal! I was wondering if you were going to do anything with the peels. I was thinking cider vinegar.


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## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

The cornfield next door was harvested this weekend, so I asked permission to go over the field, and glean whatever the combine missed for my poultry. I spent a good hour combing the field, and all I got was about a dozen cobs. They must have had that cornpicker dialed in, cause it did not barely leave a kernel for the mice or me* Everything is 90+% picked/harvested around here. might get our first measurable snow tonight. Mounted the blade on the tractor, ready for snow removal!


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Since it was wet I burnt garbage from the house and shed. Feeds sacks collect a lot of trash. I don't have enough trash for garbage pick up. I unloaded the four wheeler and unhooked the trailer from my truck. I have company coming for the holidays so all I will be doing is cleaning house until they get here. I hate cleaning house especially during hunting season. I have ADD when I have to clean house because if I don't focus I will be out digging a ditch or anything other than cleaning. Did I mention I hate to clean house.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Twp.Tom said:


> The cornfield next door was harvested this weekend, so I asked permission to go over the field, and glean whatever the combine missed for my poultry. I spent a good hour combing the field, and all I got was about a dozen cobs. They must have had that cornpicker dialed in, cause it did not barely leave a kernel for the mice or me* Everything is 90+% picked/harvested around here. might get our first measurable snow tonight. Mounted the blade on the tractor, ready for snow removal!


I used to buy cornstalk bales to feed ten years ago. they'll work if you give adequate protein supplement. At that time there would be ears of corn laying all over the field, and ears falling out of the bales.

With the improvements in harvestors and corn, there are very, very few ears of corn left in a field!


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

Well, here I am in my new apartment and new town.....and much to my chagrin I brought all my baggage with me. After work I took a long walk...you know, the thing I was going to do every day. I was going to be more social, try more new to me things. It's just all to easy to fall back into old habits. Work and home, work and home.

I've had a very stern talk with myself...this will not do at all. I started by really listening to my son today. I'm just not going to take things for granted anymore. Gosh, he is an interesting kid and just getting his take on the world is priceless. That tai chi DVD I bought, it's getting played tonite  I will get my caboose in gear as of now, this minute!


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Compost pile is at work. This morning at 23*
[/URL
There are hot spots, and some spots that still havn't received enough water to heat up. Little toads are all over it, despite the cold!


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

Love that picture, Joe! Back to frugal and thrifty ways here at El Rancho Terran. Who says you can't name an apartment? You can never really take the Texas out of a girl...even if she would never go back  I have five, count em', five turkeys in the freezer at .59 cents a pound. I've saved the last venison roast in the freezer for February, I'll need something to look forward to in that cold, bitter month.

Going to pop out to the apple store and get their ten pound bag of seconds today. Need to make about nine pies to freeze. DS will be recruited to peel aforesaid apples. It's only fair, I'll be rolling out eighteen pie crusts. A job reserved for only the worst of sinners  

A client I work for wanted to go Christmas shopping yesterday. So I loaded her up in the car and off we went to Massachusetts. She shops at some pretty trendy places. I got a lot out of it though. I realized I could make a lot of the things I saw for much less and have the fun of doing it.

have a great day on your homesteads..it's not just a place but a state of mind!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

boy what a day this is for almost the last of nov.! +10C . I was outside with just a shirt on. dug some soil and put in large pots and stored in the shed. for march. it's so hard to find any when it's time to force my bulbs so I'm preparing now. fed the birds a ton of food. they just love the last suet I made them. had 2 woodpeckers and a flicker I think it was and numerous other birds there for hours today.must be the warm day. 

took down my old deck wreath and tore off the autumn stuff and put on things in keeping with the season. just bits and pieces I had laying around so this was a frugal one for sure. baking bread at the moment. ~Georgia


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

It warmed up here so I finally got my beets out of the planter. Beautiful tops but I needed a magnifying glass to see the beetroot. LOL Did get a handful that I can roast up for dinner during the week. Had plans for borscht but that's a dream now. I threw the seeds in the planter on a lark so I'm not really disappointed. 

Been busy doing the purge and organizing thing. Discovered Evernote for keeping track of my sewing patterns. I'll be adding fabric in there and see a 1000 other uses for it. It's free too!

My dad's decided that he wants a big TV for the (how he's been putting it) few years he has left. He's getting a 48" Samsung that he'll be able to use to watch YouTube and web browse. He's happy he'll be able to see BBQ Pit Boys on a big screen rather than his computer or tablet. LOL Well I'm taking his old one--a 37" flat screen. Currently I have a 27" standard def tube TV. Unfortnately, mine's in a cabinet that won't fit the flat screen so that has to go. Along with a good amount of the stuff in it. My cousin will be probably be taking both the cabinet and TV for his new townhouse's basement room.

You wouldn't believe how much stuff this cabinet held. I did find a corner stand for it one of the discount furniture places here so I'll be ordering that tomorrow. Nothing like a deadline to clean something out!


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

LOL, I think TV size grows in relationship to our ability to see... just a notion of mine. 

Re your beets for whenever you next plant them, they are very sensitive to soil pH. They won't thrive in acid soil. In fact, they are a great indicator of how acid your soil is. You want the pH above 5.5 to make them happy. Beyond that, they're pretty forgiving.  (Learned that from a beet farmer, if it lends more credibility!)


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

My sister and her husband are here for Thanksgiving. I have been experimenting with my homemade Bisquick mix. I wanted to see if I could make something like crescent dough. I made some baked pies. They are ok but need more filling. 

I experimented with the sour dough starter I made. I am real pleased with it.

Other than that just enjoying life. I can't go hunting until Saturday when they leave.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I've been mowing large areas in preparation for planting flowers in the spring. Planted 50 pounds of white clover earlier this month. I've been going up and down roads and collecting goldenrod and milkweed seeds and scattering here on my place. 

Been patrolling for trespassing hunters. I think between the game warden and I that we have convinced most folks that I'm just not going to tolerate trespassing. Yippee!!

My bees are going into winter with no stores due to spraying. I about lost my mind during that week of hard freezing because I was sure I was going to lose hives. They all came through ok. I made little spacers by cutting down hive bodies and now I'm feeding patties in the hives. I plan to try the loose sugar method and see how it does.

The black mats you see on the trailer was a craigslist find. Heavy duty horse stall mats for $20 each! Going to put them under hive stands to block grass.

Oh!...and I published my first website(see signature)! I've been taking classes on website design. I did all the coding myself!


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

TxMex said:


> I've been mowing large areas in preparation for planting flowers in the spring. Planted 50 pounds of white clover earlier this month. I've been going up and down roads and collecting goldenrod and milkweed seeds and scattering here on my place.
> 
> Been patrolling for trespassing hunters. I think between the game warden and I that we have convinced most folks that I'm just not going to tolerate trespassing. Yippee!!
> 
> ...


Enjoyed my stroll thru your web page and Facebook page. Good job.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Echoesechos said:


> Enjoyed my stroll thru your web page and Facebook page. Good job.


Thank you! 

Both are very much still a work in progress. I'm hoping to put a lot more pictures up on the website soon. I'm nervous and excited to be taking my beekeeping up to this level!


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

TxMex said:


> Thank you!
> 
> Both are very much still a work in progress. I'm hoping to put a lot more pictures up on the website soon. I'm nervous and excited to be taking my beekeeping up to this level!


I don't blame you. Several years back, when we took the stone yard I managed at the time up to that level, we ended up landing a job to supply more than 800 tons of boulders and misc. smaller stone for a golf resort project in FL. It was a crash course in quarrying and logistics. But, it turned what was normally a slow winter season into the most profitable period we ever had. Good on you for taking the plunge, Tex. :thumb:


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

TxMex, like your website very much. Wish I lived closer so I could take classes. Will you be offering bee products in the future? Don't know where in east Texas you are but my grandmother was born and raised in Marshall (sp)?

It is snowing to beat the band here. I moved my car an extra two feet to the right, there is a leaning tree that I don't like the looks of! The parking space I rent belongs to an elderly lady down the street. I noticed that a tree had come down on her car so I called and left a message for her. I think she is a bit deaf and decidedly feisty.....no one seems to like her very much. Offered my assistance if she needs it.

I have made three apple pies, two pumpkin cheesecakes and a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. Plenty with lots of leftovers for the coming weeks. My son will roast the turkey and make the dressing tomorrow, I'll do the sides. Just the two of us but we plan to feast between snow shoveling  Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

homefire2007 said:


> TxMex, like your website very much. Wish I lived closer so I could take classes. Will you be offering bee products in the future? Don't know where in east Texas you are but my grandmother was born and raised in Marshall (sp)?


Thank you! I need more rainy days so I can get more info up 

I am working on quite a few things that I will be offering. Mostly bees and bee equipment. I'm an odd beekeeper in that I'm not that interested in honey. I've got so many people begging for raw organic honey that I'm going to dedicate a few hives to making honey rather than making more bees. I may start offering beeswax too.

I'm not too far from Marshall....an hour and a half west of there.


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## homefire2007 (Sep 21, 2007)

One holiday down and one more to go! Had a great one with younger DS. Older son called and sounds great. What more could I want? The cat turned his nose up at the turkey, so I opened a can of tuna, his favorite.

Watching North of Sixty episodes on Youtube and catching up on some knitting time. All is well


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