Season of Realignment

As I tried to decided what to title this post in our crazy upturned world I decided realignment best sums it up.  It is full of unknowns and scary.   I choose to think of it as a time for people to realign, realign priorities, realign how we do our days, realign how we help others.   This looks different for each of us.  

Some of my realigning has been to remove me from Facebook most of the time.  I have removed it from my phone. It’s only on my iPad. I usually use my iPad before daylight and after my day is done. So those are the times I now check fb. I read my notifications, one group and usually scroll until my heart starts growing heavy or I get disgusted.  So not to long.  What I do miss is second coffee rambles on my favorite group and sharing photos throughout the day.  

I decided instead of a second coffee ramble of a morning on fb I will blog.  My goal will be to keep it real but positive.  I don’t do doom and gloom. I think it’s toxic and dangerous.  

I realize I’m highly blessed to be comfortable at home.   It’s my favorite place to be anyway.   Because I grew up poor and a long ways from a grocery store then have carried on the long ways to the store I make do better than many.   I did go to town Saturday (first time In 2 1/2 weeks) and stock up a bit more than normal.  At this point we could survive months without going hungry with the basics.  Beans, rice, oats as staples a case of potatoes and sweet potatoes, a case of apples and oranges from the store add our beef, milk and eggs we will do fine here.  A few years ago I bought this much monthly.  I don’t mind offering tips on making do with basics.  

I will probably do a post most mornings after chores.  Maybe with a few early morning pictures.  Then do a running blog post until evening of all my normal fb post. Usually pictures of grands, plants or critters.  I may dig back in my photos to share things that make me

smile in hopes it will brighten your day if you choose to read.  Let’s spend this season of realignment helping each other.  I’m a hermit but here if I can talk to you or if you have a need.  

Thanksgiving in Pictures

If our count was right we had 51 total on Thanksgiving Day.  That was in multiple waves of eaters. Days of preparation and a day of fellowship it was all worth it. This was the first wave of eaters!  Thank each of you who came and all the wonderful helpers!

 

We had lots of pies both regular crust and grain free. 

Lots of cutting with lots of helpful hands. 

Fried Turkeys. Seasoned just so

More pies!  Measuring flour for crust. 

Duckponics!

Husband is working on his own idea for combining duckponics and aquaponics. Today grandson and I are playing with the duck part. 

We added enough dirt around the pond to then stand flat rocks up for a hedge. 

 

Once that was done I sent my helper for the skid steerer.  

I removed the extra dirt. Then we were off to get rocks to fill from the hedge to the pond.  

He knows to stay out of the way when the skid steere is in operation. This was over kill!  

Ready for rocks!

Finished!  Have one dumb duck that can’t get out so will put steps. 

Wet and cold

Where are all the people wanting my life today?  It’s 36. Chores took an hour and 1/2.  It’s sprinkling and muddy and generally yuck to be out in!  Thankful for the rain!   It’s actually feeling muddy which is nice.  

Chores went well. Had one calf that didn’t eat well.  Will try again about lunch.  Hopefully it will improve.  Other than that it was just regular barn chores then off to put hay out.  That was cold.  Grandson helped and we got a round bail out.  Then I had to go find the sheep and show them. Back to the house for ducks.  They loved me.  I got 5 eggs!  Two camo!!!!

Took some pictures of my dove and pigeons this morning because I can.  

This is my young bird. First day out of the nest.  

This 

Looks like she is setting again. 

COLD!

It was 61 degrees at 7 right before chores, grands assured me it wasn’t cold.   When I can in 45 minutes later it was 46!  About the time the garage door went up it hit!  Misty stinging wind thrown specks of rain with a 10+ mph wind out of the North East.   Life goes on. Barn opens to the south so it is warm and dry.  I pulled the kobato as close as possible to keep the seat dry. Then stuck a sack over the seat.  I hate sitting down on a cold wet seat!   

Chores were good.  I now have 4 helpers at the barn.  Youngest is 5. Her presents has been requested by me. And her parents agreed.  I do believe chores and responsibilities help kids grow into productive adults.   It builds self esteem, muscles and capabilities.  

This also makes chores go faster since an extra bottle holder frees older Kids to go do other chores.  Of a morning feed chickens, fill cow water and take ladybug to feed her calf.  Of an afternoon two of them can go get alfalfa for the milk cows and two can feed.  I milk and pour up bottles and orchestrat everything.  On a good day it runs as smooth as a well oiled machine. Most of the time in fact.  Some days are just different.  It takes about 30 minutes to do all that.  Of a morning then I come home feed ducks, Muscovies, dove, and quail.   This morning I had to replace the light for my button quail.   My ducks must be loving the weather I got 4 eggs!

Good thing since I’m hoarding for Thanksgiving.  Remember you are invited!  

My ugly pigeon baby is becoming beautiful. It is big enough I can see it now.  

Time to accomplish something. Everyone stay warm!  

November and Monday!

Monday already!  Laundry half done.  Chores finished.  It is warm enough, barely to have second coffee on the porch.  

Chores took less than an hour. That’s milking two cows, bottling 6 lambs and 4 calves, feeding my ducks and Muscovy and finally cleaning up the milker and bottles.  I have great helpers!  I milk while they feed lambs. Then I took that milk and filled calf bottles and they did calves while I did second cow.  Second cow’s milk is lambs milk tonight.  Last night I didn’t get enough to have morning lamb milk so they got powder.  

The bobtail cow who I finally named Ladybug is finally putting on weight.  Her milk supply isn’t great but I’m hopeful it will continue to improve as she adjust to our water and gains some weight.  First picture is when we got her. 

 This was Saturday.  

While Galveston came in this morning to eat and be milked for the first time.  We have had to driver her into the stanchion. She wants to hold her milk up.  I have discovered if I attach milker to three tests and hand milk the closest she will usually let it down.  

December is bagging nicely and I’m hopeful she will soon calve.  Then we will be doing the back stroke in milk.  Kids are ready!  In a couple of months they will be groaning that they have Soooo much milk to drink.  

So now you have way more information on my cows than you probably ever wanted!  

Today Is greenhouse and in house water day.  I may keep a grand this afternoon. Dishes in the sink look like they have never been done. I want to start cleaning the garage out for Thanksgiving. So we can set tables up in there as needed.  We have a storage container set and ready to handle our clutter. Down side is shelves won’t be here until AFTER Thanksgiving for it so we will stack and then reorganize when they come in.  
I started a trend!  First I, with dh help of course did a duckponics. Then two friends are into it. Now my husband decided to do a larger scale one. We saw this idea where I got my Muscovy. There is a switch that each time the pump cuts off it switches to the next bed. Will fill it then cut off and go to the next bed while the first one drains.  All the water will drain back into the duck pond.  The totes will be filled with gravel.