Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[jvls1942]

we made great progress in the leanto.
I hauled out two buckets of ceramics and dumped them on the burn pile.
still have a bucketful left.
I can almost drive the tractor from one end of the leanto to the other.
someone is supposed to come for the three aluminum framed windows.
If they don't show, I am going to relist them on craigslist.
someone is also interested in the 200 bricks.
I had a head ache so I took two Tynenol and a muscle relaxer pill. that did me in. for a while I couldn't stand up without having a head rush. so I took a short nap. better now.

aI

 

[Callender Girl]

Congrats on your anniversary and your accomplishments, Jim. Sorry about the headache. It was a good day to nap here -- rained this morning with thunder so loud in the wee hours that sleeping was impossible. Only about a quarter inch of precipitation, however.

I seem to be cycling into lazy mode. My two "big" accomplishments yesterday were replacing a regular hook on a coop door with one that has the safety slide and adding a piece of wood to a gap between the bottom of the door and the framework of the Urban Coop. Not enough room anymore for a mink to slip in.

Today, I read a book, cover to cover -- "Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals." Makes me feel better about having a Much Smaller menagerie here. lol

My sister and I joke about the days where your "butt clutch" slips and you just can't get yourself into gear. I hope I get some ambition tomorrow.

 

[WIchickMama]

today we drove to Rhinelander and back for a V-plow. Hubby found one cheaper than it should have been on Craigslist so we packed up the youngest and snacks and did the 8 hour round trip. Not bad, nice day for a drive, trees just starting to turn.

Tomorrow--farmers market (for fun, not canning food) and a park for the youngest as a thanks for riding with and not complaining once AND no electronics.

Chicks are 7 weeks old today, one crowed 3 times this morning-cute but not cute enough to keep, lol. I think I have 2 MAYBE 3 boys out of 5. Not bad but I would love 3 girls for sure- time should tell.

Congrats on the anniversary Jim-that is amazing. We will hit 20 years next year and I consider that a miracle some days after working together on a project all day, lol

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Happy 59th anniversary Jim and Annie.

 

[jvls1942]

this morning I said if we got that big heavy wardrobe out out of the leanto I would be satisfied. well, I am satisfied.
It took some doing. had only inches to spare with the tractor.
Now I owe Annie. I will help her process beans, apples and raspberries.
I can drive the tractor all the way to the far end of the lean to.
I should have taken before and after pictures.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@jvls1942 Sounds like alot of work, but it must feel good to have the space reclaimed and a place to store all your important stuff in.

 

[Callender Girl]

I take lots of before and after photos --gives me a way to see some accomplishment. Good work, Jim! Good luck heling Annie with the beans, apples and raspberries!

I just discovered some squirmy things in one of the coops. Avian vet had me send photos because my description over the phone didn't help her know what I've got. Hope she figures them out and has a not-too-expensive solution. Probably won't hear back until tomorrow. I cleaned out whatever they were and will hope for the best.

 

[WIchickMama]

ewww squirmy things, hopefully you get some answers soon Barb.

Almost done canning here for the season. I put up 6 pints of veggie soup and 8 1/2 pints of beef bone broth yesterday. I cooked down 12 lbs of grapes too, so today I will can that into juice.

I have some winter squash to process. Have any of you ever canned it? I usually cook and freeze but would love to save the freezer space as I have some lamb and beef coming in the next couple months.

If anyone knows of anyone that needs a rooster, I have at least 1 7 week old that needs a new home. I can keep 1 rooster but I know that I have 2 for sure, maybe 3 (not that any of you are super close but you never know)

We are down one person at work, so our small team of 3 is now 2 and we are just entering into a busy season. He left for more money, which in my 30s I maybe would have done as well, now I look at benefits and stability-which working for the state has given both of those to me. Was hoping to take some time off now but thinking I will have to wait until the holidays or the beginning of next year. Wanted to take the kids to the UP in MI but it will have to wait.

Hope you all have a great day!

 

[jvls1942]

I am happy with getting the leanto cleaned. yesterday I filled the bucket with scrap metal. I parked the tractor with the bucketful until tomorrow morning. It was supposed to rain during the night. I heard thunder in the distance, but it never got close.
I am thinking of canning apples for pies instead of freezing them. our freezers are always too full for more food.
I hope a quart of apples is enough for a pie ?

 

[Callender Girl]

No help on the amount of apples for a pie, Jim. And, I don't have to worry about filling the big freezer with food -- there are more critters than I care to admit to languishing in the big freezer, awaiting burial.

Every year, I plan to learn to (safely) can food and even checked into a local Extension class on the how-to. The $80 registration fee deterred me, however. And, this year, there really wasn't enough of anything here to can. Or freeze. Barely enough to eat fresh.

I totally get your thinking about benefits and stability, Anjanet. I spent the last years at my job wishing I could go elsewhere but fearing the loss of the two aforementioned items. Insurance, especially, was a factor. I talked to a friend yesterday who is selling his business to the city (because buying out a second-generation, decades-old small business to build another parking lot is a great idea). He wants to take a month off before he looks for a job, which he says he has to do because he and his wife need the insurance coverage. They are paying $3,000 a MONTH for coverage because Jennifer is a cancer survivor.

Hope your rooster(s) gets rehomed. I have one intentional rooster, part of a breeding trio Jim wanted, and one unintentional -- that's the one who tries my patience daily.

Good news on the squirmy things in the coop: although they are a different color and smaller than the gazillions of maggots in my many fly traps, Dr. M is sure they are fly larva of some sort and not poultry worms. Not that I'm thrilled to have more flies, but it's better than worms. Too many girls are molting right now to be able to deworm the flocks.

Yesterday, Iowa had record-setting heat. It was 95 here, hotter in the southern part of the state, I hear. Today, it will be in the high 60's. What is going on?