Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

I know this is a homesteading thread and not my pet house goat thread but.....



Who can resist this smiling face?!? Yes it's a goat....in a sweater.....in my house....and? Ended up back at the vet today and FINALLY have some answers! Her rear legs are fine but she has some hair line fractures on the right side of her pelvic bone. I'm going to make her a "goat walker" like a baby walker but for my four legged baby. We are going to do steroids twice a week for awhile. Vet says since she is young and I'm crazy (yes I'm goat crazy at this point go on laugh) that he thought she would walk. She might only walk with three but hey that's ok.

Post whatever you like, I don't mind. Way cute though. Made me smile.

 

[kentuckychicks]

She makes me smile too! Bum hip or not she's a keeper! You guys should see her after this steroid shot she is acting insane! My dog that is actually three times her size is beyond freaked out by her right now! Lol

 

[kentuckychicks]

Wanted to wish all you guys a great Thanksgiving! Hope you and your have a day to be Thankful for!

 

[rancher hicks]

Same here, have a nice day.

We got snow last night. Not a lot but some. It's cold too. The cover on the key pad to the garage was froze and I couldn't get it open. Then the handle on the back door that I WENT out was frozen too. I had to hit it hard to get it to work so I could get back inside after letting the chickens out.

 

[Butterflyhigh]

Hello fellow homesteaders! I thought I would share some pics.

We had our first snow of the season here. Approximately 3 inches and the temps are not going above 30 (F) or so. I spent several months over the summer splitting and stacking wood in preparation for the winter. This is my first full winter in this old farmhouse. It has two wood-burning stoves which pretty much keeps the entire place toasty. There is an oil furnace for backup, but one tank cost me $800 to fill so I am trying hard not to use it.

Anyway...here are a few pics of what I built. It is called a Holz Housen. Nearly two cords of wood are in this thing. Now, after five days of heavy burning I can see that I probably should have doubled or even tripled the amount!! Next year I will start the woodpile process in the Spring.

The chickens LOVED when I split wood. They quickly discovered that when I was finished they could scratch through the mess and find large amounts of ants and other woody loving bugs. They would just hang out off to the side waiting for me to finish.

 

[rancher hicks]

Very nice. You made me wonder how much we spent for heat and lights last year. I'm sure it's more than $800 though that wouldn't be to bad. I estimate about $2700 - $2900. Including electricity..

Keep that in mind as you stack wood.

 

[boskelli1571]

We used to have a drafty old Victorian and out electric bill was huge!! Now that we heat with wood our electric is almost a joy to pay, Sue

 

[Butterflyhigh]

Very nice. You made me wonder how much we spent for heat and lights last year. I'm sure it's more than $800 though that wouldn't be to bad. I estimate about $2700 - $2900. Including electricity..

Keep that in mind as you stack wood.

 

[rancher hicks]

We tend to forget that not everyone had big houses, before the gas and oil heating systems were invented. Not to mention I think home were much colder than we'd tolerate.

Our house has 7' ceilings, which is what I had in mind when we were looking. We have a new furnace but I suspect we could use better insulation. We have to keep the thermostat at around 68-70* just to be warm.

Night's it's at 65 * but my fingers and nose get cold. I do keep the vent closed in the bedroom cuz DW likes it cool, but sometimes it's too cool for me.

In '59 the furnace and heating ducts were placed in the center of the houses. Now the are on the outer walls. To have our moved would cost a lot of money.

I based out heating and electric cost on our bill. We are on the budget plan. Otherwise we'd have hard time paying in the winter. Based on what it is now, we'll pay over $3,000.

 

[Butterflyhigh]

We tend to forget that not everyone had big houses, before the gas and oil heating systems were invented. Not to mention I think home were much colder than we'd tolerate.

Our house has 7' ceilings, which is what I had in mind when we were looking. We have a new furnace but I suspect we could use better insulation. We have to keep the thermostat at around 68-70* just to be warm.

Night's it's at 65 * but my fingers and nose get cold. I do keep the vent closed in the bedroom cuz DW likes it cool, but sometimes it's too cool for me.

In '59 the furnace and heating ducts were placed in the center of the houses. Now the are on the outer walls. To have our moved would cost a lot of money.

I based out heating and electric cost on our bill. We are on the budget plan. Otherwise we'd have hard time paying in the winter. Based on what it is now, we'll pay over $3,000.

This is what I think as well. My home was built in the mid 1800's. It's your typical colonial farmhouse. At the time is was built there was a traditional fireplace in the main first floor room, a wood cookstove in the kitchen, and little coal pot-bellied stoves in each of the three second story bedrooms. There would not have been any indoor plumbing to worry about freezing. I just replaced the second floor windows which were the original weight and pully's. (I hated that I had to replace them. I did hold onto the originals with the hope of someday restoring them). My neighbor's house was built at the same time mine was and his family have been farming there for four generations. His father remembers it being so cold in the winter that they would take a glass of water to bed and upon waking would find it with a thin layer of ice. He said they would put their clothes under the blankets while sleeping so that the next morning they wouldn't be putting stiff cold clothes on.

I think about the original family who lived here a lot. Life then, in many ways revolved around the weather. When it was hot outside they would cook in the summer kitchen, not in the house. Gardening and raising livestock was about stocking up and preparing for the winter. Also on hot days they would often avoid being inside the sweltering house and sit on the porch instead. Traveling was very weather dependent...not a good idea to take the horse and buggy out after a hard rain or snow. If there were strong winds it meant that the next day's job was to collect downed trees for firewood.

The longer I live here and work on my property and in this house I feel more and more connected to the natural flow of all that is around me. Each season brings it's own set of challenges and rewards. I used to live in a beautiful brand new home in your typical midwestern suburb. Now, there is nothing that could get me to trade in my steel-toed farm boots and old beat up pick-up truck for that old life. This life is so beautiful in it's simplicity. I love Homesteading!