Homesteaders

[wyoDreamer]

Those folks in Flint. Anyone got a solution for that? Is there a filtration system that could have fixed that water? I did a paper for a class when I was in college and that is a tough one. It's impossible to remove 100% of that lead from the water.

It might help if more of the residents actually paid their water bill, the City might be able to afford to upgrade the system ...

 

[wyoDreamer]

I may have been generalizing when I said 'a few days'

I have started my own seeds for years but I don't think I've ever had 20 days to germination. Maybe my memory isn't serving me well enough haha

I hope I didn't offend you, I just know a couple of people who threw out their "starts" after a week without any germination because they didn't know that it may take up to 3 weeks for peppers to germinate.

I had a packet of seeds a few years ago that took 4 days to 18 days for the seeds to germinate. All planted in the same 72 cell tray, turned every day to avoid hot spots and on a heat mat. I had a couple of cells that had a 3 inch tall sprout when a new sprout popped up... you just never know I guess.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

We are rural country and mechanics for both small and large equipment are all around. My husband is a certified mechanic as well as a jack of all trades. The man across the street from me is a semi owner/operator and a diesel mechanic. The big reason people think everything "way out" cost more is because they think we actually have to pay people to do things for us. Not always the case, in our community a lot of trading goes on. Either goods for goods, services for goods , goods for services. Just depends on what you have and what you need. It always pays to know the people in your community well. We have gatherings in our town that bring everyone out.

And we do not trade that often. Occasionally with farm work, DH might bale a neighbors hay in return for that neighbor spreading manure on our field. But most of our services are paid for. I have lived in cities and cannot say that things were cheaper there. Yea if i go to the little grocery store the bar owns in town for milk it will cost me more. But i rarely buy milk there. Instead i drive once a week to a "city" and buy everything i will need.
I have not noticed that things cost more in rural, maybe elsewhere?, just that what you can find is limited.

 

[rancher hicks]

It might help if more of the residents actually paid their water bill, the City might be able to afford to upgrade the system ...

I had not researched to know that residents weren't paying their bill. Here in Syracuse, they've had to pressure landlords to pay the water bill. Some I'm sure still owe a lot.

Same with taxes. My sister is disabled and concerned because they landlord isn't paying the taxes. I checked the website and he owes over $43 thousand! How can someone do that? The city waits too long to seize properties IMO.

So in other news.

I've been talking and planning on giving up the chickens. I did sell 7 C. Rocks which is a start, but..............I have 7 chicks in the basement................and I did buy more chick grower...............which I guess I could feed to the larger birds to use it up......................I've got an EE and Marans in the back room near laying.....................and I noticed Buckwheat in the nest box yesterday, she's Frenchy's daughter, she's got to be at least six years old..................but I think closer to seven.....................she got all swollen up last year and I expected her to die but I treated her as best I could and the swelling went down and she started laying again.............then she didn't lay for a long time..............til now............I figured she was done....................Frenchy who is eight is laying........................the Lord knows I can't fully get rid of the chickens til Frenchy goes.........................then I figured what will I do with Buckwheat? ..................................since she wasn't laying I figured she might not be around much longer since she's still slightly swollen........................she is up on the roost again..........................she'd been sleeping in with Frenchy since the real cold weather came around...................anyhow DW leaves today for Texas without me and I'm fine with that but..........................I'll miss her..............................I do have lots to do here, like paint the living room..................she's picked out the color......................plus the oven needs fixing......................the car inspected.................well she should be up any minute.............................."Her bags are packed she's ready to go, the taxi's waiting, he's blowin his horn, I hate to wake her up to say goodbye, she's leavin on a jet plane, she'll be back in three weeks again,

(get it?).................



Good morning time to let the chickens out folks, up and at 'em.

Rancher Hicks

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I had not researched to know that residents weren't paying their bill.  Here in Syracuse, they've had to pressure landlords to pay the water bill. Some I'm sure still owe a lot.

Same with taxes. My sister is disabled and concerned because they landlord isn't paying the taxes. I checked the website and he owes over $43 thousand!  How can someone do that?  The city waits too long to seize properties IMO. 

So in other news. 

I've been talking and planning on giving up the chickens. I did sell 7 C. Rocks which is a start, but..............I have 7 chicks in the basement................and I did buy more chick grower...............which I guess I could feed to the larger birds to use it up......................I've got an EE and Marans in the back room near laying.....................and I noticed Buckwheat in the nest box yesterday, she's Frenchy's daughter, she's got to be at least six years old..................but I think closer to seven.....................she got all swollen up last year and I expected her to die but I treated her as best I could and the swelling went down and she started laying again.............then she didn't lay for a long time..............til now............I figured she was done....................Frenchy who is eight is laying........................the Lord knows I can't fully get rid of the chickens til Frenchy goes.........................then I figured what will I do with Buckwheat? ..................................since she wasn't laying I figured she might not be around much longer since she's still slightly swollen........................she is up on the roost again..........................she'd been sleeping in with Frenchy since the real cold weather came around...................anyhow DW leaves today for Texas without me and I'm fine with that but..........................I'll miss her..............................I do have lots to do here, like paint the living room..................she's picked out the color......................plus the oven needs fixing......................the car inspected.................well she should be up any minute.............................."Her bags are packed she's ready to go, the taxi's waiting, he's blowin his horn, I hate to wake her up to say goodbye, she's leavin on a jet plane, she'll be back in three weeks again,   (get it?).................



Good morning time to let the chickens out folks, up and at 'em.

Rancher Hicks 

Love that song...

 

[KlopKlop]

 ​I hope I didn't offend you, I just know a couple of people who threw out their "starts" after a week without any germination because they didn't know that it may take up to 3 weeks for peppers to germinate. 

I had a packet of seeds a few years ago that took 4 days to 18 days for the seeds to germinate.  All planted in the same 72 cell tray, turned every day to avoid hot spots and on a heat mat.  I had a couple of cells that had a 3 inch tall sprout when a new sprout popped up... you just never know I guess.

Oh not at all. I knew where you were coming from. And on that note you won't believe what my seed trays looked like this morning!

The other tray is just as green I would say over 1/3 of my plants are up already. I hope all the rest come up soonish. It can be hard to prevent mild or damping when I have the domes on too long waiting for all the seeds to come up. I would say this is the hardest window of time when starting seeds. Similar to the first few days after a chick hatches. If you can get through it you are probably good!

 

[Beekissed]

Isn't that just lovely to see? No matter how many times I see seedlings come up, it never gets old to me....such a miracle that this little plant comes from that tiny seed, grows to be huge and produce so much food. All that potential in just one tiny seed....

 

[rancher hicks]

Placed an order with Burpee. They had the zinnias that I wanted. Well the only place I could find white. There is a place in the U.K that has some nice green/white but they don't ship here.

Ordered two more tomatoes. I like their Italian Ice tomatoes. Very good tasting. I think I'll have about five varieties.

Well six when I get my black Cherokee. Another cherry type that tastes really good off the vine. Some do manage to make it to the house. I just buy one plant at the farmers market.

 

[rancher hicks]

Tomatoes coming up. Also planted some seeds that were from 2014. Soaked and checked some Okra seeds in some paper, to see if they were still good. After three days could see some sprouting so planted them too.

Will be watching to see if the other seeds I had sprout. Will have more varieties of tomatoes. Found I had some left over Rutgers and Red Calabash seeds.

The weather here has been much warmer than the norm. I am worried we'll get hit with some cold weather and snow later in the year. Hope to plant the garden on May 1st.

Anyone know what the Almanac says?

 

[Woodsdweller]

Words of advice:

If one has any thought of eating a chicken that is being processed..... one shouldn't get ****** off and shoot it with a 12ga.

Was going to process the last of the roos today. Got the first one in the cone, sliced one side of the neck with a scalpel, went to cut the other side and since holding hand was slick with life juice and the roo suddenly struggled, I lost my grip as I was making the second cut and sliced open the back of my thumb. By the time I got the bleeding stopped, scrubbed out the wound, glued and butterflied it to negate getting stiches, and got back to what I assumed would be a dead roo, it was on the ground and ran when it saw me. The even tempered individual that I am, got a 12ga. intending to calmly "incapacitate" the bird a little. Ummmm... bird disappeared in a cloud of feathers. What was left wasn't worth processing. I then decided it wasn't such a good day to proceed and packed it in. The other birds went back to the isolation coop and got a reprieve until next week.