Sometimes, if you're lucky, someone says something to you that, as a parent, you hope that you will hear one day from at least one of your children, but seldom do. I was lucky to hear such a thing. And so, Madison, this post is for you. THANK YOU!
Yesterday and today the weather cooperated enough to let us get more of the outside work done. Yesterday I raked leaves and bagged them, and started stacking the bags against the north side of the chicken coop. I only managed to get 17 bags done. Holy Cow! I have a long way to go. I sure didn't think this job would take so long to complete. Fortunately, I have a whole big box of heavy duty trash bags so work will proceed as long as the weather favors me, and my chickipoos will have a snug coop for the winter. My goal is to get all the leaves raked and debris picked up within 100' of the house to secure my fire safety zone. Today, Tom, Ed and I worked out in the field. Tom turned over the two big garden sections while Ed and I cleaned out the high tunnel. I planted oats in the high tunnel and on one garden section; there was enough vegetative matter on the second garden section Tom turned over that I'll let it decompose without additional planting so I shouldn't have too much trouble next Spring turning the ground over again. It sure would be nice to have a bigger tractor with a disc. And a rake. And haying equipment . . . .
My sister, Mary, called today and asked me if I wanted her old windows and front door since she had new ones installed. Great! I told her that I surely would take them. It would be great to scrounge enough materials to build a regular greenhouse. I could even use something like that as a dedicated brooder.
I got really tiffed today. For the last week or so a mysterious white helicopter with no markings has been flying over our neighborhood. This morning it actually hovered for a couple of minutes right over our house just above the tree tops. I heard it, but at the time I was busy getting Ed out of bed; it was Tom who saw it as he was driving home from doing some grocery shopping in town. They flew off as he neared the driveway. I want to find out who those people are, and I want to complain. That really makes me mad. I'm quite sure the chickens were freaking out at the giant "hawk". I want to swear, but I'll take deep breaths instead! I put new batteries in the camera and should I hear that thing again I'm going to get pictures of it.
Seeing red reminds me that I have one last bag of tomatoes in the basement that needs to be checked for ripeness. I'm sure they're ready to process. These are bigger tomatoes and I think I'll just stew them.
Tomorrow is Special Olympics bowling again. We are having a short Halloween party for the kids afterwards. Lara can't wait to go; she loves parties -- and candy.
Radio reception where I live is pretty lousy so I like to roam the Internet and search for radio shows to listen to, or surf YouTube for short videos to watch. On Fridays I like to listen to the Zeta Talk show on The Micro Effect. http://www.themicroeffect.com/ I hardly ever get to really listen to it because it comes on at our supper time, but I still try to tune in. Anyway, on that radio station I happened to catch part of a new show called The Remedy. (I don't know if it really is a new show on The Micro Effect; I only just noticed it.) As a person very interested in alternative medicine and natural health practices, this show really grabbed my attention. I hopped into the chat room to get involved in the discussion with the show host, but wouldn't you know it, I got a phone call that took me away and I missed the rest of the show. The next day I located the host's web site http://augmentinforce.50webs.com/ and wound up migrating to his YouTube site where I spent almost the entire day absorbed in watching his fascinating videos about making natural remedies. This guy, Tony P., is a real treat to watch. He is very down to earth and his instructions are easy to follow. I thought I would post one of his two-part videos here for you to see what I mean:
I equate surfing the Internet with gold mining, and the web sites I uncover are my gold strikes. It certainly is fun on dreary days -- like today when the Chicago Bears are getting clobbered . . . . Some times I positively feel like a billionaire from the knowledge I mine -- and it sure helps to forget about the Bears.
We had a good 3" of snow that happily is now melting, but the damp is miserable. The chickens like staying in the coop. I will have to buy them some more feed this week. Too bad the green grasses will soon be gone and they will be dependent on mash. I have a bag of oats and will start adding some to their feed now because the oats give them more carbs to better weather the cold. I will be happy when this snow melts (and I think it will) so I can finish bagging the leaves up and stacking them around the coop for additional insulation. And, there is still the rest of the garden work I need to do.
Well, I have to collect eggs again. See you later!
