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

I am glad your trip was pleasant.
Too bad about Jack.
Our doe returned yesterday with two fawns. they are fun to watch when they jump and run like baby goats.
My sister, 84 yrs, went to a pow wow in Iowa. she ended up taking a ride in an ambulance to the hospital.
dehydration and too much heat. she is fine, now. had to stream the pow wow on TV.
 
Thanks, Jim.

Sorry about your sister's bad experience. My folks always took us to the pow wow in Tama. The last pow wow I attended with Jim was White Eagle in Iowa. As an Army veteran, he was allowed to carry the POW/MIA flag into the circle.

I guess I forgot to mention one of the highlights of my North trip (how can I be so tired from a "vacation"?).

On the shore of Lake Superior, overhanging the water is the Little Cedar Spirit Tree. It appears to grow out of solid rock and has been there for as long as anyone can remember. The Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) consider it a spiritual place. While anyone can see it from the water, land access is restricted to Grand Portage band members and their guests.

Anna, whose late father was a tribal chief and who we first met as a teenager many years ago, took me and three of Jim's friends through the unmarked entry, along a wooded path with signs warning that only band members were allowed, to a place where ribbon offerings were tied to other trees and sacred tobacco was scattered on the rocks. I took my urn of Jim's ashes with me, and everyone took turns cupping it in their hands. It is designated a "quiet area," so I don't know what anyone was thinking or saying in their heads, but I saw a lot of tears running down faces.

Jim would have been honored to be there.
 
Barb, so glad to hear that your trip went well and more memories were made. Hopefully you can reflect and find some peace in the next couple days too. Forget about unpacking, it is so overrated! Also, sorry to hear about your goat, that stinks

Jim, glad to hear that your sister is doing better, scary though!

Lisa, hope you are doing well!

I am ready for the weekend. Not that I really get a weekend as we prep, plan and work no matter what the season is, it is just nice to have a break from the desk job. The last week or so I have had a hard time concentrating and balance work/life as all I want to do is harvest and processing veggies for the winter!

Oldest just left for work, youngest and DH are still sleeping, chickens are out and fed/watered, so I am going to grab one more cup of coffee and then log onto work. Enjoy the day all.
 
Barb glad to hear your trip went well. I'm sure it left you emotionally drained. I wouldn't unpack either until the mood hits.

I'm doing okay Anjanet. Have problems with my oldest dog with her kidneys. Been taking her for fluids daily. We tried at home but I couldn't handle shoving that big needle under her small back so I'm letting the professionals do it for the week. They are just down the road thankfully. I thought last week I was gonna be putting her to sleep, but now she's perked up and eating again, so been enjoying spending time with her as much as possible.

Enjoy your nap Jim. Sounds like the chili was delicious.

I'm making some bread today. Been a long time since I've made it. More work than I remember. I had a discussion with my vet a few weeks back about how store bought bread lasts forever. Since I've been trying to eat clean, cutting out processed food, I've realized how nasty the bread must be, so I plan to bake some a few times a month since we don't eat a lot of bread.
 
Lisa, I have a real simple recipe for potato rolls. it takes a little putzing , but it is well worth it. you use left over mashed potatoes. I once didn't have any left over potatoes, so I boiled one up and mashed it and used the water I cooked it in, too.
today I want to do some big tractor work. I hope the rain holds off.
I hope you can keep your dog for a long time. but that is the trouble with pets, they don't last long enough.
 
Lisa, I have a real simple recipe for potato rolls. it takes a little putzing , but it is well worth it. you use left over mashed potatoes. I once didn't have any left over potatoes, so I boiled one up and mashed it and used the water I cooked it in, too.
today I want to do some big tractor work. I hope the rain holds off.
I hope you can keep your dog for a long time. but that is the trouble with pets, they don't last long enough.
Care to share that recipe? I'm definitely looking for more recipes to try.

My little dog has been on and off for a couple of years. She's only 11, but has gone through multiple things. She's half Chihuahua so I blame that half. She's had congestive heart failure which disappeared, than cushings, which disappeared, now she's got kidney failure. Maybe that will disappear too? She was by my side when I went through some substantial health stuff. We are like peas and carrots. I wish dogs would live longer.

I'm happy to see it's overcast out today. I won't burst into flames when I go out to pick beans later.
 
We got a lot done outside today, too.
I pulled a few T posts out with the tractor loader. Hauled a few tree tops to the burn pile. squashed down some weeds and brush with the bucket. it was too tall to mow. had little trees in with it.
then we set up a table and loaded it with all kinds of buckets of tools and odds and ends. Will sort it all out some day. I told Annie that we have the same mess only it is in a different area.:lau
It must be a woman thing, to grab a broom when straightening up a mess ? I am not unhappy that she swept , but I doubt that I would have had I been alone.
 
Jim, I can totally relate to the mess in a different area concept; I have tried many times to sort through my Jim's stuff, only to realize I've mostly just rearranged stuff --there's no less of it, and it's still in the way, just in a new place.

Lisa, our dogs never live long enough. I used to be the de facto "hospice home" for a breed rescue -- every dog that came to live with me was old and/or likely terminally ill. I loved each one, and every time one passed away, I was devastated. Best wishes for your Chihuahua mix girl (I have one of those, too, and she's personality plus!).

Anjanet, hope your harvest is going well, and you're getting veggies prepped for winter.

I always try to get the propane tank filled before the farmers will start needing propane for drying. Yesterday, my favorite driver came out; while I have some concerns about the new company owners, Rick has always been great to work with.

I mentioned that I'd told one of the owners about the BIG scratch they put on my tank. unloading it, after I'd had them paint it this spring (there was as much rust as paint on the thing). Although I'd been promised the company would fix it, no one did. Rick said to call again and that he would mention it when he got back to the office.

Mid-afternoon, there was a truck in the driveway, and Rick and another guy got out. Rick said he figured he'd just take care of things himself; he buffed and painted the big scratch and caught a couple of other places likely to rust again, too.

Not only that, but while he was filling the tank in the morning, I pointed out the tree that died suddenly this summer. Rick showed me where ash borers had been and recommended a tree service. I called, and someone will come out to bid the job tomorrow. So, Jim, don't worry that one of my well-meaning-but-not-competent neighbors will drop the tree on me, the coops or the shiny propane tank!

Before I left for my trip, I dewormed the poultry. I hate egg withdrawal time; throwing away all those lovely eggs is So Sad!
 
good morning , another 4AM wake up. I have been on the computer since 5AM
I can't complain about it being too dark out to do anything anymore. I moved the operation into the garage where there is plenty of good light.

I have the mower deck off.
the blades didn't want to turn.
I put a socket wrench with a long handle on the bolts on the pulleys.
all the blades are turning, now
I am going to disassemble the shafts and re grease the bearings.
If they are too bad, I can get a set for about $20.oo.
I can ride the mower around frontwards, reverse is very weak
More research.....
Barb, was your Jim a Native American ? Just wondering how he qualified for the ceremony ?
 

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