Welcome to 2012!

Hello friends! 

Well, it's here, 2012, and I overslept.  That'll teach me to try to stay up until midnight.  I'm just not built for that anymore.  ugh.  Nonetheless, it's time to put down on "paper" what I'd like to get done next year.  Here goes...

Land Management

1.  Taking more lawn for food production.
-- Here I'd like to add plots for field corn, and two more plots for cut flowers and gourds/pumpkins.  I admit right off the bat that this is already begun, because I put down old pool covers on the areas I want to use to solarize during the winter. 
-- I am also considering finding an area to put in a lavender bed.  No, that's not food, but lavender is a favorite.  I'd love to have a field of it, that I could just walk through and roll in.  Barring that, a nice big bed will suffice.  I have to think about a location, though, so that's off in the future.
--I'd like to put in more orchard trees and berries.  I'm on my way here, since my beloved husband gave me three heirloom apple trees for Christmas.  They'll play nicely with the trees already planted.  But I'd also like to add some more blueberry bushes, to get them started. 

2.  Turning the backyard into pasture.
--Insert my father's voice here, saying "But WHERE are your kids going to play?".  They've got the front yard, pop, and they spend most of their time in the woods anyway, so no harm done.
We've got a patch in the back that's sort of sketchy grass.  It's really trampled and nasty and water is starting to just run off of it because the grass isn't doing nice things.  So, I'd like to convert it to pasture.  I'm thinking clover and ryegrass and something else.  It'll be a good area to feed the animals with.

3.  Woodlot management.
--I'd be a fool if I said we had near enough acres to provide with all of our wood needs to heat the house.  But I'd also be remiss in saying that we couldn't at least do part.  Right now, we've got a nice pile of wood in the yard that's doing nothing.  I'd like to see that split this year, and a system put in place so the oldest goes first for burning, and the newest gets a chance to season and dry.  Though we'll always rely on bought wood to heat the house, I'd like us to contribute part as well.  Having a system in place will help with that. 

Soil Management

1.  Compost
-- It's no secret that the dirt here is um, less than wonderful.  Many, many people have raised beds for that reason.  Though I can build a raised bed or two, the whole garden is not an option for us, because it's just too big, and the money involved would be ponderous.  So I look to compost.  This year I will work the two heaps I have already going, as well as find a way to utilize the rabbit manure better. 

2.  Slimy wormies.
-- I'm starting vermiculture this year as well.  Their boxy home is bought, I'm waiting for their slimy-nesses to arrive. 

I'm employing every trick I can think of here, and I'll probably add some I haven't thought of yet, as well.  Gotta get that soil in better shape.

Gardens

1.  The vegetable garden
-- I'm instituting companion planting in some beds this year-for example, pumpkins and corn will be grown together to save space.
-- I will grow much more this year as well.  My biggest problem last year was that there was not enough planted and the weeds took over in all the little spaces-not to mention the harvest was pretty pathetic.  Not this year.  The plants will be more and spaced correctly, so hopefully the weeds will not have as much chance to grow (ha!).
--I will clean up and manage the herb bed better this year.  It didn't need my attention, so I didn't pay any attention to it.  I'll do better with that next year.

2.  Front garden
-- Perennials have become too expensive for me to buy, so I will be starting them from seed this year. 
-- I will also need to find a way to protect the plants from the geese, who can be very destructive.

Livestock

1.  Chickens
-- I've  already admitted to having an addiction problem, so this should come as no surprise.  I'll be adding this year.  Not many, mind you, and not really egg-layers.  I am adding some fancy feathered ones to the flock.  Chiefly because the little coop sits empty, and that's just sad.

I don't like leaving precious real estate unused, so I'll put in some fancy-schmancy chickens so they can be glamorous and have their own special coop, away from the working girls.  :)  They should arrive in May.  Yeay!
-- I may also breed Peter to his girls and have him become Peter PotPie.  He is aggressive and he's attacked me once or twice.  I may just have him produce an heir and then be gone with him, hoping that his son will be tamer.  This is a tough decision, though, as Peter is completely gorgeous and has all the right characteristics for a Copper Maran.  I'll have to decide this as time goes on.  Dispatching an animal is never a light decision for me.

2.  Goats
-- Here's the biggie for the year.  We will be adding goats.  So far, I've got feathers as far as the eye can see and a couple of bunnies.  But it's time to put more working animals on the farm, and goats are where it's at.  It will require housing, fencing, equipment and food, but I'm really hoping we can pull it off.

3.  Turkeys
-- I'm considering turkeys this year, but I haven't decided yet. 

Other Food Production

1.  Maple Syrup
-- The trees are marked, the sap buckets/milk jugs are ready, the splines are bought.  The fire pit's been dug.  All I need now is a large pan to put the sap into over the fire and a couple of cinderblocks to hold it up.  The great experiment of 2012 will begin when the sap runs.  I'll keep you posted.

2.  Bees
-- Since the bees were abducted by aliens, the question in my head lately has been to bee or not to bee.  I've decided not to bee for this year.  The bees aren't cheap, and I really should have started two hives instead of just one this year-I think that was part of my problem.  Though I have most of the equipment I would need, I don't have enough for two hives.  That, and the cost of two packages of bees means that this has to wait a year.  I need what limited funds we have to go elsewhere, so they're a no go.  It's disappointing, but there's always 2013.

 3.  Meat chickens
-- It's time for us, and we will be adding meat chickens to our repertoire this year.  The pen is marked out and fenced, the house will be easily and cheaply constructed, and my husband bought me the proper knives.  I even have traffic cones to convert for the usage.  My plan (which I'm still ironing out) is to have three batches come through, so I don't have to do 50 at once (I have no plucker, so that means it'll take a long time to get through a batch).  I'm planning on starting in March and working three batches to finish out in September or October. 

4.  Cheese
-- The goats are a big part of this, obviously, but I have a book that I got for Christmas, and I am eager to try my hand at this.  I just need a good source for milk and off I go!

Other Homesteading Goals

1.  Soap
-- I took a class back in November on this.  I had read a lot about it, but it was good to do it in a class environment.  I have almost everything I need, and then I'm ready.  We will use homemade soap this year and never look back.

2.  Things to Continue
-- We have been using cloth napkins exclusively for some time.  I will make more so we can keep going with this.
-- I make the yogurt and bread, cookies, granola bars, laundry soap and granola.  We no longer buy these things.  I'll continue this this year and see what other things I can also make to add.
-- I like making pasta, and would like us to eat just homemade.  This one is tough, because my son, the chief pasta eater, is fairly prejudiced against "mommy macaroni".  I'm working on it.

Home Improvement

1.  Doors
-- I'd like to get the front/back/garage doors painted this year.  It's a lot, but really just a gallon of paint--I just have to pick the color.  I'm going to try to work this into my schedule.

2.  Sewing Room
-- I'd love to paint my sewing room.  Again, it's just a can of paint.  If I do it, I know I'll want to spend more time in it.  I should get my butt moving on this one.

3.  Pantry
-- The shelves are up, and it works beautifully.  But it needs to be sheet rocked.  I'd love to see that happen.

4.  Outdoor Light
-- We need a light at the end of our long driveway, because it's pitch black.  We have the light, the conduit and the wire.  Now I just need the husband to dig the trench (hint!).

5.  Main Bathroom
-- This one is a stretch, because of the money involved.  But even if we do it slowly, I would LOVE to see the main bathroom get a facelift.  Nothing major, but it would make such a difference.  This is a project that is on my wish list, rather than my to-do list.

Personal Goals

1.  Fitness
-- I should put here that my goal is to lose weight, but I'm not going to.  I'm never going to commit to a diet plan, because I just can't be bothered and I cook too well.  :)  The best shot I have would be a Nutri-System type deal, and I can't afford that, so it's not going to happen.  Instead, I will make the goal of becoming more fit, because I really need to be to do everything that's required around here.  Last year, I got fit while I tilled that garden and dug that pond.  I have neither of those things to do this year, and I don't want to become fit "on the job".  So, I will try to get myself ready ahead of time.  I think it's time to pull out my old yoga DVDs.

2.  Handwork
-- Another confession; I can't just sit in front of the TV at night.  It's boring.  I will put it on for the background noise (and occasionally something interesting might be on), but I always sit with something to do.  I cross-stitch, embroider and crochet.  This year I will learn needle tatting.  That's my goal.

3.  Fiddling
-- This year, I took up the fiddle.  I am proud to say that with all the practicing I have done, I have developed fiddler's callouses on my left fingertips.  I'm not so proud to admit, however, that fiddling is not a natural thing for me.  I can do it, but I don't think I'm that good.  Therefore, I resolve to continue fiddling this year, and to restart my schedule of daily practices to the best of my ability.  Hopefully I will get better.

Oh my gosh.  Do you think that's enough?  I think I'm thankful I have a year to do all of this.  Whew. 

I guess we'll see how it goes as the year progresses.  I hope all of you have a healthy and happy new year.  Enjoy your holidays!

And So This is Christmas, and What Have You Done?

Another year over, a new one just begun.
Ah, John Lennon.  Wise man.  It may not be Christmas, per say, but I was just looking over some other homesteaders' posts about the year that's just now ending.  Wow, people were busy.  It has inspired me to look back at our year as well. 
Before that new year does begin, let's jump in our time machine and see what this year brought...

January and February

--It snowed and snowed and snowed.  There was not much I could do, so I dug a pond.  It took a long time, between snows and frozen ground.  I worked when the ground was wet or thawed-ish.  The pond was finally finished, after I bought some hip-waders to work on it, as it had gotten too deep to stand in.  I am happy to say that the pond is still going strong, and the ducks and geese love it.  It seems it dries out a bit when it gets dry in the summer, but there's nothing I can do about that.  Luckily, that doesn't seem to last long here.  The pond was a good addition!
--The ducks arrived!  Cute little bundles of fluff!
--We lost a chicken.
--I started seeds way too early.

March

--The arrival of Robert A.  He lives outside now, with two other friends, Bunnicula (who we thought was originally a girl and named Petunia) and Petunia (who actually is a girl).  They have their own houses and, I'm happy to say, are fairly happy.  As happy as bunnies can be, I guess.  I think Robert A. may have some mental issues, but there's no way to tell.  Possibly some therapy is in his future?

--The ducks were teaching me that I should never try to rear ducks in the winter.  Leg problems, back problems, you name it, abounded--all in the name of not enough sunshine and running space.  Lesson learned.

--The end of the month also brought geese!  And Charles the duck, who still thinks he's a goose. 
--I built a goose house for the geese.
--Ginger sat on some eggs.

April
--I made a long, long list of things that needed doing.  Then I did them.  And it took a long, long time.
--The brooder got full.
--The chicks arrived, and it got even more full.

--Ginger sat on her eggs some more.

May
--I sewed a  couple of aprons, because it rained a bit and I had nothing else to do.
--Ginger continued to sit on her eggs, until I finally determined that there was nothing doing.  So I took the eggs away (and yes, I felt bad).
--The bees arrived and were installed.

June
--The sod on the garden had been broken and the garden was planted.  That's a job I wasn't sorry to see the tail end of, I can tell you that. 

--I registered the farm as a business, something I had wanted to do for a while.
--I brought home Dave and Ellie, much to my husband's chagrin, but he's a softie and fell in love pretty easily.  :)
--Our ducks were massacred by a mink or weasel or something like that.  Susie turned out to be the only survivor.  She still is with us, one eye lighter, but a fireball nonetheless.
--I took a chicken processing workshop and learned that yes, I can do it.  This was a big deal for me.
--I took up the fiddle.
--The Guinea keets arrived, and most of them promptly died (by running off and being eaten).  We now have one, and that's plenty.
--The second batch of ducks arrived.  This group did much better.
--We built a chicken coop-a big one.  And I built another rabbit hutch, for Petunia. 

July
--Fat Black got broody, so I put some eggs under her and let her set.  She hatched out 5 and killed one.  She turned out to be a bad mommy.  Luckily, 4 survived. 
--I finished the rabbit hutch for Petunia and painted the chicken coop.  I also built nest boxes in the coop. 
--Susie started to lay.

August
--An accident in the yard turned into a chicken with a broken leg.  She was patched up pretty well, for me not knowing what I'm doing, and I'm happy to say that to this day the only way I can see that she ever had a broken leg is to see that she occasionally steps on her own feet.  However, all the treatment and living room love she got turned her quite personable and she talks to me every time I go outside.
--There was a potato crop failure.
--I built a house for the kittens, which they never used and was later re-purposed to house Ginger instead. 
--The garden started to produce at last.

--Oliver and Caroline went off to a new home.

September
--Hurricane Irene had come and gone, and rearranged our stream for us.
--Baking Day was instituted.  I'm happy to say this is still going strong.
--We got a small honey harvest.

October
--Canning, though I'd been doing that all along.  October was a big month for it.
--I found out I'm allergic to bee stings.
--The chickens were put to work on the garden, which was ready for bed.

November
--I made vinegar.  And then some more vinegar.  And I keep it in the bathroom.
--The oldest chickens molted.  Feathers were everywhere.

--All the damn bees died.  Or were abducted by aliens.  Or abandoned ship.  Either way, they're gone.  This STILL sucks.
--I conquered sourdough bread.  Woo hoo!

December
--The pantry is being constructed!

--Beethoven sang!  One roo and 3 hens from Fat Black's brood, which is just perfect.  They are all Ameraucanas.

--Wood stove.   Truly the best thing ever.  It's become a part of our lives so easily and we already rely on it.  It is a joy.
--Seed tallies were made.  Orders were placed.  I'm getting ready for next year!

Ok, we were busy too!  Now to look into what I'd like to accomplish next year.  That's going to take some thinking.

Enjoy the last Friday of 2011!

In Which She Babbles

-Christmas was really nice.  The kids had a blast, and the grownups did too.  It was a relaxing, fun day spent with family.  I love giving gifts.  It is by far the best thing about the holiday, though the day spent with people I love can't be beat, either.  :)

They can't just make normal faces

-Spent the two days after Christmas sick as a dog.  The cough that has been handed around in all the classes I've been teaching finally found me, and I spent Monday on the couch in front of the roaring woodstove, freezing and sleeping the day away.  Tuesday was only slightly better.  I hate being sick.

-Yesterday I was alive again!  I woke up feeling much better, so I de-Christmased.  I like decorating for the holidays, but when they're over, it's time to clean up.  I like to peel the layers of holiday "stuff" off the top of things and see the plain surfaces underneath-they feel new.  I've decided to do very minimal decorating for the next two months, just so I can enjoy the normal decor, when I put it back up.  It feels like a break that way.

-Did a little bit of window decorating today.  I took down the Christmas window clings, and put up the yearly snowflakes.  Last year, the kids and I cut out snowflakes out of folded paper.  I took them down really carefully, but they still ripped a little.  Instead of just hanging them back up this year and taking my chances that they'd be in one piece, I "laminated" them in some leftover clear contact paper.  To do this, I just placed the snowflakes in a folded piece of contact paper, and made sure the front and back of the flake was covered.  

Then I cut them out. 

Now, when I tape them up, I can also take them down without ripping.  We can save them from year to year!

-I'm still getting the hang of the woodstove.  I've got a routine already-every morning, I wake up, feed and water the animals, and then start the stove.  I clean it out and set a new fire.  It's the new fire thing that I'm still working on.  I haven't yet found my "method" for starting a fire, so it's been a lot of hit and miss.  I'm hoping to find a "formula" that I can just follow in the morning, because I'm not really awake in the mornings.  They are not my friend.

-Dave and Ellie are now outside cats full-time.  We tried to make them indoor/outdoor cats, but they brought fleas in with them, despite the many flea treatments we tried.  Even the back of the neck drops that are supposed to work didn't work.  I had had it with the fleas and chemicals and everyone being exposed to all of that, and we just put them out.  We put a cat door in the garage for them to go in and out.  They use it just fine, though I know they'd still prefer to be inside if they could. 

-We had crazy high winds last night, which have brought in temperatures down in the teens.  I guess it's about time for it.  We've gotten off really easy so far.  It's been a weird winter.

-We had our first off the street egg customer on Monday.  There's been a sign in the front yard for months, but nothing comes of it, and I usually sell our eggs to people at my or my husband's job.  But Monday, someone was out for a walk with their dog, saw the sign, and bought a dozen.  I truly hope that is just the beginning.  With 35 chickens, this Spring should be eggapalooza, and there's only so much quiche I can make.

-Speaking of eggs, I got 4 duck eggs yesterday.  That's a record.   I found one early in the morning, and then later, when I brought them dinner, there was a nest of 3 more.  And a chicken egg.  I've got one Ameraucana who loves to lay in the duck house, but only so long as there are duck eggs in there already.  I guess she likes their company.

-And speaking of chickens, I have to get 4 or 5 chicken saddles made this week.  Seems the boys like the Ameraucanas the best, and a few of them more than others, and the girls' feathers are starting to show it.  Before it gets really bad, I will make them coats.  Should be a fashion statement!

-And finally, I finished my seed tally sheet.  It turns out I need corn, lettuce, and tomatoes.  I was surprised about that one, because I usually have too many.  Not this year.  I will be placing orders at Victory Seeds, Baker Creek, Comstock Ferre, and Pinetree Gardens to fill in the gaps.  Then I'll have to look into constructing some sort of seed "nursery" thing, because the quantity of seed trays that will have to be started this year won't fit where I'd normally put them (in the window).  Joy.  More building.

Have a great day!

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve is here!  I hope you all enjoy your holidays! 

Say What You Will

....about geese.  I'll agree with most of it.

They're loud.
Yep.

They poo everywhere.
YES, and it annoys me to no end.

They are aggressive.
Yes, they can be, but usually only to those smaller than they, or if you turn your back on them after a confrontation.

They're stupid.
Nosir.  They're very smart.  They are just very, very stubborn.

They're untrainable.
Not true.  Mine come when they're called.

So yes, I love geese and I hate geese.  It's complicated.  However, there are times when they can't be beat, and last night was one of them. 

I went outside to put everyone in their houses, as I do every night, and found the geese mixed in with the ducks in the pond, looking at something.  Normally, the geese stay on one side and the ducks on the other.  Since none of them can see particularly well in the dark, I guess they just feel that it is safer to hang with "their own sort", so that's usually how I find them.  And usually they are in the water because it's safer for them.  Predators would have to be able to swim to get to them, so they kind of hang out and wait for bed.

But last night, they were all mixed together, and the geese were on the forward charge, in an aggressive stance. 

It's a bad picture, so you can't see that the ducks are all crowded to one side, behind the geese.  I think that you can see that the three geese of the most aggressive breeds (the Chinese and the Africans) are in the front, looking at something intently.

What did that something turn out to be? A big old raccoon.  Surprised the hell out of me.  I guess he'd gone out looking for a meal.  He wasn't going to get one, though.  The geese were on the scent.  There was no way that the raccoon would make off with a duck last night, if that's what he was looking for!

So, do geese have a guard animal streak in them?  Kind of.  It's more of a very large sense of self-preservation.  They are ALWAYS on the lookout.  During the day, they scan for predators, and during the night, they are on guard to the max.  Having geese- with their poop and yelling and stubbornness- mix with your flock can be an excellent way to guard them.

I was proud of them last night, though they were unintentionally doing a good job.  Sometimes they're worth all the aggravation they can give.  Yeay for geese!

End of the Year Preparations

No, you didn't miss Christmas.  Nope, it's not New Year's Eve yet.  It's Winter Solstice!  Today is the shortest day of the year.  Ahhh, solstice.  It only gets better from here. 

On this day, I will plan my garden for next year.  I have discovered this tool: http://gardenplanner.territorialseed.com/.  I think Mother Earth News has the same one.  If you haven't used it, you can use it for free, and I really recommend it.  You can put plants where you want them, plan bed sizes, move things around easily, and it comes with a lot of good information about the plants themselves and some companions for them.  You can also access a handy chart that tells you the best times to plant them inside and out for your area--something I always have trouble with.  It also tells you the spacing on each plant, so you don't crowd them or do what I did last year--plant too few.  I love this tool, honestly.  I like the graph paper/pencil method as well, but this is so much easier.   And the fact that it tells you how many of each to plant is invaluable.  I always have trouble with that.

Speaking of how many plants to plant, it's also a good day to go over seed inventories.  I started last night making a spreadsheet of seeds that I already have and their quantities.  I know what I have enough of, and what I have too few of.  It helps me to know what I should order, when I start to look through seed catalogs (my favorite!).

So yep, a little organization today.  Then moving wood to the woodpile, so long as it doesn't rain.  A busy day.  I'd better get started!

Best. Gift. EVER!

Back in November, around my birthday, we were given a wonderful gift, something we didn't have on our own.  It was the money to buy this:

Isn't she beautiful? 

We've never had a wood stove before.  The other houses we've owned have had fireplaces, which are really nice, but suck the heat out of a house like no-one's business.  When we moved here, this house had neither a fireplace or a wood stove.  We turned the oil burner down, put up thermal curtains everywhere, and stuck it out last winter.   This year we were prepared to do the same, but with the much smaller budget we're on, oil was getting out of our price range.  We called for it only when we absolutely had to, and put in the least we could (kind of like with my car--I haven't filled the tank in 6 months), closed the thermal curtains, turned the thermostat down even more, and put on another layer of clothing. 

Then we got this gift.  We researched and shopped, and last Friday, it was put in.  The house is so comfortable now, and the kids just love it.  In fact, when they came home from school that day, they glimpsed the chimney, and this is what they did:

Oh wait, that's not exactly what they did.  What they did was come into the house, scream, drop everything on the floor (which is pretty much like every day, minus the screaming), and proceed to lay on the floor in front of the stove like lizards. 

So yes, this has been HUGE for us.   The difference it has made in our lives already is immeasurable. We are so grateful, it's beyond words.  Even the kids feel it's special.  My son even called it the "best Christmas present ever".

Now that's praise.