The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

MY brother only had to go to his car in the parking lot and see his tires slashed. He had refused a suspicious script. He carries extra insurance because he is a pharmacists.

I liked shooting a .22 when I was a teen. All my brothers practiced but girls were not included. I learned when I went away to summer camp. It was fun to try to hit the paper target--much harder than it looks!! But loads of fun.

We have been experiencing an increase in robberies, too, mostly at stores though. I'm waining to see if anyone will try for my chickens. Between the dogs out at night ( too hot in the house for them) and no one knowing how to dress a bird anyways they are probably safe.

We have a lot of drug abuse here, I always thought it was because everyone has so much extra money to spend here. I guess that problem is everywhere.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

MY brother only had to go to his car in the parking lot and see his tires slashed. He had refused a suspicious script. He carries extra insurance because he is a pharmacists.

I liked shooting a .22 when I was a teen. All my brothers practiced but girls were not included. I learned when I went away to summer camp. It was fun to try to hit the paper target--much harder than it looks!! But loads of fun.

We have been experiencing an increase in robberies, too, mostly at stores though. I'm waining to see if anyone will try for my chickens. Between the dogs out at night ( too hot in the house for them) and no one knowing how to dress a bird anyways they are probably safe.

We have a lot of drug abuse here, I always thought it was because everyone has so much extra money to spend here. I guess that problem is everywhere.

Isn't that the truth?! Ha.

Rx abuse is big up here I thought because there is nothing much for people to do - no real jobs and ease of obtaining the drugs. Sadly Rx abuse kills more people in the state of Maine than vehicular accidents. We've had an insane amount of pharmacy robberies lately, too. So much so that the police are offering safety training programs to pharmacists up here. I've only had my car keyed once at work back in 2006.

You should pick up a cheap 22 and go to a gun range. Our range has open day every Saturday - you don't need to be a member to use it. Teach your kids to shoot and to use a gun safely.

I'm still trying to figure out the pressure canner. I've at least got the thing put together and I've figured out what to do with the extra piece (pressure regulator). Now I'm trying to figure out what recipe I want to use. I'm feeling the start of a headache!

 

[Arielle]

Sorry you are getting a head ache!!

After you have canned a few times, you will look back and see how easy it is. THe regulator thing bangs up and down releasing steam. Annoying really. Packing the jars is the annoying part. What will you try first? THe tomatos? Do you know how to check for a seal after they cool?? We often had to eat up those that didn't seal properly. My mother didn't waste much with six kids.

NO-- no guns here. I do talk with my kids about gun safety in general; even if its a toy gun that shoots nerf bullets. I don't want them to be lax with a toy gun then be lax with a real one later in life. Always use care. Our major motto is: Safety FIrst.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Yeah I was terrified of hot water canning until I tried it about a month ago. Now I love it and am hooked. I have so many jams stored, I'm going to have to give most away.

I am doing whole tomatoes packed in "their own juice" whatever that means. Just random tomatoes from my plants, not specific types. I had about 7 pounds of tomatoes I had picked the last few days. It made 5 pints and they're quite pretty with yellows, pinks, reds and dark reds in there. I've got about 10 more minutes at "10" pounds of pressure... it's been more like 13 but I'm already on low heat setting, so there's not much I can do about that. Then I get to let it cool and see what those suckers look like (and hope for a seal).

Most of my tomatoes are in the final throes of death right now with blight and I'm hoping to have enough to make a few things of sauce and salsa.

I can absolutely understand your stance on guns and love that you do it with all types, even toys. We had a kid in high school lose an eye to a bb gun him and his friends were playing with. We pretend everything is loaded and dangerous at all times here, too.

 

[Arielle]

YOu must have been busy. THat's a lot of jams.

Jams are wonderful on a million things. Popovers--use your own eggs to make them in muffin tins. My boys ( and I

) will eat 3 dozen with butter and jam ! YUMMMMY Pan cakes with jam; ice cream with jam; layered cake, with jam and whipped cream layer; PB& J sandwiches.

I don't make jams anymore, I try to live low carb, My boys and I eat the berries right off the bushes. We have a few wild high bush blue berries, and wild blackberries; they nibble all day when in season.

I put tomotos in late. Nothing close to ripening . Woodchuck hasn't visited them this year.Wonder if he is still around. I'm not a hunter, but he would make a feast, he is /was so big; last sighting last summer.

Water bath canning is very easy; I wish more people grew vegies and canned. I just thought of someone who's family members are big fisher men, and she cans all the fish. Most for the familiy and the bits for the chooks!! I wonder if chicken can be canned ,too?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Yes, a friend of mine on FB just posted the picture of her canned chicken. And I want to can my stock instead of freezing it, saving freezer space.

Went outside a few minutes ago and found my speckled sussex rooster dead. Yes, he was a jerk. But I was hoping to have his kids in December and then eat him. He's thwarted my plans. I wonder if it's bad genes - I had 5 hatch out of 12 eggs. Two were boys and both mean as heck. One we ate. One girl dropped dead all of a sudden about 3 months ago.

BF says we should get their eggs out of the coop and hatch them now, but I've had a frisky showgirl rooster in there, too, so I can't guarantee who fertilized the eggs.

I guess I'll be going through winter without a rooster and just purchase eggs when I start hatching again. My neighbors will at least be pleased.

 

[dsqard]

SCG I thought you said you got a cockerel out of the eggs I sent you?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG I thought you said you got a cockerel out of the eggs I sent you?

Oh crap! I forgot about him! Not exactly a SS but he will do nicely!

Neighbors beware...

 

[dsqard]

He will probably start crowing now that the other boy is gone. BTW sorry to hear that he passed away. He may have been a jerk but it always sucks to find one gone even the brats.

 

[Arielle]

I have one SS rooster, he pecks my hand when I reach into his crate. It occurerd to me after purchasing him to ask about temperament. What is a SS supposed to be like.

SCG--Sorry your Ss died.