A beautiful thing…

Samuel Phillip

 

Produce Progress

Tomatoes, eggplant, green and purple stringbeans, broccoli, carrots, Bell Peppers

I know I post a lot about our gardens but it is a big deal to us. A lot of what we eat comes out of that soil so we think about it often. I was perusing through the recent posts and saw that there needed to be some updated pictures.

We have enjoyed a few days of rain on and off, mixed with glorious sunshine. This has been wonderful for our plants which were quite thirsty to say the least! We are very happy with the turn out this year. All of our plants are growing strong and the weeding in the raised beds has been minimal and easy to control. The corn is growing fast and tall with a rich dark green in their leaves. There is a uncontrollable smile that appears on my face when I sit back and look at all of it in the early evening hours with the sun setting behind it all.

Peas, Romaine Lettuce, Kale, Herbs

I built a fourth raised bed and am contemplating planting some spinach, strawberries (for next year) and who knows what else in it. It will be for all late start plants. I hope to keep increasing our production as we become more efficient and increasing in the quality of produce. We would like to start selling some soon. I am looking in to what is widely available and maybe maybe start growing what is not, but yet still desired in the area.

Corn, various squash to the left, Rhubarb at far end.

 

Fire IN the mountain, run boys, run!

Maybe make your own hot spring!

There is a small town on our way to my brothers house called Centralia, Pa. This town has a unique feature in that it is almost a ghost town. You see around the late 70′s and early 80′s it was found that an underground coal mine had caught on fire. While growing up, I had heard a few theories about how it got started. One theory was that it started by a lightening strike. I don’t know the details as to how this would have caused it but alas it is a theory. Another possible way was how the borough used to burn trash in the nearby dump. Apparently the fire wasn’t extinguished correctly, or at all. The other rumor, or theory, was that the state set it on fire so it could relocate the residents and, use eminent domain, then extinguish the fire and start mining the riches of the coal underneath. You pick.

More smoke...

In any case, Centralia is a neat place to drive through. It is basically a field gridded with old streets and sidewalks. A few homes still exist, maybe 5. There are parts where you can see smoke rising from the ground and other parts that are just gray and everything is dead. They have had issues with sink holes and subsistence along the main route 61. It’s an interesting piece of local history and I encourage you to stop by if traveling through that area.

For more pictures go here.

 

Ghostly flies…any ideas?

I thought it was smoke at first...

I was on my way in to work this morning, a nice hot stuffy early morning. Don’t think I am complaining, this is how I remember good summers of my childhood…hot! We haven’t had one like this in a while. Even though many can find reason to complain, me included, it really is nice to have a good hot summer again.

What it looked like while driving along side the field.

Anyway, while driving along my friends field (where he recently plowed and planted an assortment of oats and timothy, I think) I saw what looked like plumes of smoke coming from the ground. The weird thing was that the smoke was in small clouds about 3 to 6 feet off the ground. Though it was slightly moving, it was not rising, just hovering. It took me about two seconds to realize that it was some sort of swarming insect, globs of them, just buzzing around in groups basking in the morning sun. I pulled over and looked around for my good camera. This is one of the reasons I like to have a camera with me at all times…you never know what you will come across at any time.

So I realized that all I had was my Droid phone camera. That would just have to do. I snapped a few pictures and am posting them here to see if anyone has an idea as to what insect these may be. It was really neat to see the sun reflecting off there white bodies and wings.

Tried to get a closeup of a swarm.

 

Your kidding!!!

20-30 min old!

We now have two new baby goat kids! Our Gabby was pregnant when we got her in late April…or was it early May, anyways, we weren’t really sure how far along, or if she was pregnant at all when we got her. But she started getting wider as the days went on and we were sure she was pregnant. We just didn’t know when the kids were due. We started seeing some signs that she was getting close. She started moving slower, the area under her tail started protruding out and she was laying down a lot more. But a day or two before she had the kids, she was as lively as ever. So we figured she still had a ways to go.

Yumm!

I was out in the garden on Friday night picking lettuce and kale for dinner. I had been out there for about 10 minutes and I heard this loud high pitch balling. I knew it wasn’t one of the four goats. So I ran up to the pen and saw Gabby with her two new little ones! I was SOOOO excited to go and tell my boys. I ran to the house and shouted for Charles to come out and see the new babies. He popped off the couch so fast and ran to get his shoes on. I think he was just as excited, if not more so, as I was.

 

…that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

Tilling with helpers.

It has been a rewarding growing season so far. Just the right amount of rain and sun to get our plants bursting out of the ground. To me its a miracle when every seed produces a plant that will feed us in some fashion. I have also enjoyed having my boys help out in any way they can. Both my boys love the tiller and want to help, they also like digging and planting.

Corn Garden

After we tilled this section of our garden, we had to “pick rocks”. This garden is full of them. We are using this garden for our heartier plants like corn, rhubarb and squash. They seem to do well in all kinds of soil. Over the winter I have added ash from our wood stove and other organic material to this garden to help sweeten the soil a bit more.

We have planted: Peas, romaine lettuce, string beans, carrots, broccoli, kale, spinach, celery, herbs, corn, various kinds of squash, eggplant, rhubarb and various kinds of tomatoes, grapes (already started from 3 yrs ago), and red raspberries.

Raised bed progress 2

Raised bed progress 1

Picking ROcks

 

Fishin’ in the dark…

This isnt the same pond, but a good picture of my boy fishing.

There is nothing better than coming home after a long summer days work to your 4 yr old running to your arms saying “Now we can go fishing!” He had called me earlier in the day to ask if we could go and I was glad to tell him yes. I had a job to do after my normal job and it went longer than I expected. On my way home I was feeling awful. Like one of those dad’s you see in the movies that always promises his kids something and never follows through. This was the first time it would have ever happened, but was still as awful a feeling as it could ever be.
I got home about a half hour past his bedtime to find him and his brother still outside playing on the swings. He ran into my arms so excited to go fishing. I was very happy to hear that Momma was ok with a special late night fishing trip. SO without even eating dinner or getting a potty break, I took him to the neighbors pond. He was so excited..and so was I.
When we got there, the pond was lined with thick cattails. I was a little disappointed as I thought he would never be able to cast out through them (he is only 4).
After about three casts that landed smack in front of him in the cattails, he was able to get the lure out of the cattails with ease and then began casting clear over the cattails and out into the MIDDLE of the pond…if not further…consistently!
As he reeled it in, he learned how to finagle the lure through the cattails without getting seriously hung up. I tell you I was, and am, so proud of my boy! He has natural talent. I am excited to have such a capable fishing partner at such a young age.
We stayed out till dark and he got to see lightening bugs and 3 deer to boot!

 

“Prepping”…

Prepping?

I have recently been made aware of a movement of sorts among some folks. These people call themselves “Preppers”. The meaning of this term “prepping” is the idea of preparing yourself for a devastating event…usually with the idea of the end times, or like Armageddon. But some would hold to the idea of being prepared for any disaster, like a severe storm, severe economic depression or anything like that.
I applaud many of the ideas that you see amongst “preppers” in that they have made themselves aware of where food really comes from, and what to do when its not available. Many propose the idea of raising/growing as much of your own as possible, and canning it or preserving it some other way. They also share useful ideas of how to store food for long periods of time, how to find water and so on. These are all important things to know anyway. It’s the same idea as homesteading, which from many of my posts you can see that I am in great favor of this type of lifestyle.

a Picture of Homesteading (http://tinyurl.com/2e83mw7)

What I have a hard time with is the common thread of being militant.

 

Food, Inc.

Food, Inc

I have recently again been captivated by what I eat, and what my family eats. I am slowly getting an education on the food we buy and consume. What is really in it? Or not in it? Does the little picture of the farm on the packaging make you feel more secure about eating it? Is it REALLY cheaper?

 

Molly, Gabby and Diane

Diane, Molly, and Gabby

We finally have goats! It has taken a while to get everything ready, and there are still a few things that need to be done, but we have three goats now. There names are as the title suggests. Molly and Diane are the biggst of the two and are still sorting out who is really the top goat. Diane is a tad smaller, but she has come from a herd that is mostly in pasture and she has horns. When we picked her up she was timid and kind. Now that she is with two new goats, she is not so timid, yet still kind and personable.

 

The skinny on the sap

Jeff's Sugar Shack

This spring has not been the best of seasons for the maple syrup producers. The weather patterns, though delightful to enjoy, have been misery for sap collection. In mid February there was a run of days where the daytime temperature was around 40 and the nights were around 2o-30 degrees. This is perfect for a sap flow. However many figured it was a tad early to tap the trees.

 

It’s tap time!

Sweet water

My son and I are getting excited to start the maple sugaring season again. I stopped in to my friends place the other day in Liberty, Pa. He has quite a large maple sugaring operation. He had mentioned to me that he had some supplies that he no longer needs and was either going to give them away or burn it all. It was apparently just taking up space and he had no use for them. So, of course, I came down to see what all he had. I was amazed as to the amount of equipment he had for his operation. He really had it down to an efficient system. He showed me all around his shack and explained how everything worked.

His sugar shack is quite impressive for the size of it. I will add pics of his shack to this post when I get them. Check back!

I was able to walk away with hundreds of feet of main line tubing, regular tubing and many many spiles. I am so appreciative!

 

Quiet Stories

One of the old well-kept cemeteries.

About 2 or more summers ago I was involved in a project at work. For many years our county had a map of cemeteries in the Veterans Affairs office. This map located many cemeteries with large stick-on flags. Each flag was numbered but there was no key. The man who put it together had also passed on, taking with him the knowledge of the marked cemeteries. I decided it was time to locate these and more. I had plenty of help as a former professor friend of mine enlisted some student volunteers, and then later on volunteered many of his own hours.

 

Barn Savers

A barn near me with an appropriate sign on the neighboring property. It has since collapsed all the way.

Here we go….yet another business idea I’d like to pursue! How many of you have driven by an old barn on its last legs? A collapsed barn? Do you realize how many family dairy farmers are going out of business these days? Its a sad thing but a reality. One of the assets that they can cash out on before they sell the farm is the old barn. The lumber composing that deathly gray looking beast is worth some good money. It has gotten to be quite the style to reclaim the old lumber and make furniture, flooring  or structural pieces out of it.

 

When Disaster Strikes

Image from: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1abe49a-0032-11df-8626-00144feabdc0.html

When disaster strikes, there are many things that seem to happen. Those surrounding the area affected by disaster oddly observe, some act, some ignore. Those involved in the disaster suffer or survive. The surviving  is done in many ways.

 

Homemade Yogurt

Yogurt with breakfast

I  was looking through Debbie Pearls Blog and came across a recipe, or more of a “How To”  article on making your own yogurt. I really like yogurt and last year I was offered a bowl of homemade yogurt at my friend Dave’s house. I had always just assumed it was a complicated process and so I never ventured to try it…till I read Debbi’s blog.

 

The Homestead

Our house

I thank God most everyday for the home he has given me. Not just the house itself, but all that encompasses our Home. The house is a large part of that. But add in the location, neighbors, the wife and children that fill the house, the animals in and around our home, and Gods presence in the midst of it all. Nothing is sweeter!

 

The heart of it.

Pickled venison heart

I know what your thinking. YUCK! Right? Well as my title suggests, let’s get to the heart of it. First off, throw off everything you think you know about eating a heart. Then realize that the heart is NOT an organ, let me repeat, it is NOT an organ. It is a muscle, just like the tenderloin you love so much, or the sirloin. It is one of the most tender pieces of meat on a deer. It does not have a funny texture either. The first time someone offered me some heart, I reacted the same way that you might have. I envisioned  a pasty, mushy,  liver like substance. I was not dis-heartened, rather, I was pleasantly surprised to taste something completely different to all my false ideas. It tasted just like a tender piece of roast.

 

Processing Venison

For many years that I had hunted the white tail deer and was successful, I would take the deer to a local processor to get my venison. It started at around $45 and I began thinking I should do it myself when it was reaching $60. I hear that today, near where I live, it is reaching $75 and more. There is no reason why anyone should have to shell out that kind of cash to have a deer processed.

Bone-in venison

I am not knocking the processor, I would do it to if I had the set up at home. Seems like easy money. But no one should have to think that that is the only way to get it done. It is very simple to do it yourself. I decided one year, that I was going to try it. If it didn’t work out right I would just have it all ground. I figured It was worth giving it a shot, just so I would know if it was possible to do at home. Boy, am I glad I did!

 

Low Mileage Food

Grilled Venison

Take a look at your dinner table right before you dig in. Look at those veggies in the bowl…where did they come from? That barbecued chicken, steak, or even the sausage  on that pizza in front of you…where did it come from?  Now, I don’t expect you to say “The ground”, “A pig”, “A cow”, or anything sarcastic like that. What I want you to think about, is WHERE did it come from?I remember last year being shocked to look on a bag of frozen vegetables and reading “Product of China” !! Anymore we are mostly used to our food being shipped from Central or even South America.

So much of the food in grocery stores today