I realized this morning that I hadn't written to you this week! My apologies. I have been distracted by outdoor chores during some unseasonably warm weather, Gussie's grieving and finishing the jigsaw puzzle (thank goodness, because as I wrote previously, I can't pass the table without trying to...
According to its definition, a brewmeister -- or brewmaster -- "creates and oversees the production of beer, blending science, skill, and creativity." Sounds like you may be well on your way to that title, Jim.
One of the friends I met through my Jim and reenacting is coming for an overnight...
The deck thermometer read 50 degrees yesterday! So, naturally, I spent the afternoon scooping out coops and cleaning up doggy deposits in the other yard. I even tackled the duck pen muck. 💩
Once I dragged and emptied the little ice-filled stock tank, I refilled it with water and let the...
Congrats on keeping your promise to yourself to get chickens into your life again.
Good luck with the coop construction -- you're getting some great advice about poop boards, hardware cloth, metal storage for feed, proper ventilation. Hey, that's mostly stuff I didn't know or think about when...
Isn't it wonderful to have really competent and caring avian vets? I have to drive more than 90 miles one way to a clinic that has docs who specialize in avian care. But it's worth the travel and expense to keep my birds healthy.
Your girls are lovely! It's nice to meet you and them!
Exploding wine bottles sound dangerous! Of course, in the wrong hands, any homemade wine can be -- I once dropped a bottle of dad's cherry wine and it literally took the paint off the basement staircase wall. Makes you think twice about drinking the stuff!
It's 27 here with a promise of 46...
Jim, did your Hungarian neighbors know my German relatives? Aside from the feet (and thank goodness pickled pigs feet were never on our menu), my dad's family did their best to use up EVERYTHING.
One horrifying event from my childhood was the day that I spotted a box in the car on our way to...
Gussie is settling down a bit and doesn't call for Golly as much. I now only let her out of her pen when I'm working outside. She follows me from coop to coop as I clean, standing outside and nibbling at the runs as she waits for me.
The first thing Gussie does when she gets out of her pen is...
I also appreciate a good fruit cake, Jim! Your idea that someone in the family should learn the recipe makes me think of pon haus.
Grandma Kate used to cook up this Pennsylvania Dutch (German) concoction, made with the liver and head meat from a hog, corn meal and spices. Dad was the only one...
I hope you didn't get sunburned yesterday, Jim, while you were catching all those rays. :lau
It's already 18 degrees and is allegedly going to get above freezing. That will make cleaning the floor of the duck and goose shelters easier. I've been using a crowbar to pry off frozen poop.
I am...
Finally, January is all but over! It has been an extremely stressful and sad month. I am hopeful that February will be better.
It's only 2 degrees today, but warmer weather is supposedly on the way -- although there are snow showers predicted for tomorrow morning. Ugh! How has your weather...
Gee, I wish I had Annie's culinary ambition. I tend to drag out cookbooks, search for recipes, check for ingredients and cooking times -- and then default to something that requires less effort. Yesterday, I made a vat of spaghetti that should get me through at least three more days. It follows...
Dinah, by the way, RACES down the stairs she's afraid to climb. I'm starting to think she noticed that George developed a new quirk that got some special attention, so she needed to have one, too.
I used to have rescue Keeshonden. They were amazing dogs. I now have two non-Kees rescues; they are far more perplexing than amazing.
George, a mostly-pit bull mix, is totally blind. Like a polar bear trapped in a zoo, he circles. He walks in circles when he wants to go out, when he doesn't...
Thanks for sharing info and amazing photos! GORGEOUS geese! I would love to have a big flock of beautiful geese.
My "exit plan" for s-l-o-w-l-y cutting down on critters has hit a big snag with the loss of Golly (Gussie and I miss her terribly) and, in November, the loss of one of the female...