Homesteaders

[Raech]

I just realized that the last 3 nights my soon to be 2 year old has been sleeping through the night!!!!!

I am so excited, he is still nursing which I really don't mind, we are starting to slow down, he can have it in the morning and at bed times, or right now he has an owie that only GG can fix(no clue where he got that from). But I am really surprised, I find my cat sprawled across me now, and sometimes he is in the foot of the crib, he hardly ever sleeps in there, unless the baby is in bed with me. And to top it off my oldest has started to stop fighting me at night to go to sleep, but he has also started to take naps again, which he does fight but he gets so whinny I just can't keep him up by 3, so naps it is.

Got the front pasture cut this morning, it was well over 5 feet tall of just grass, I lost the kids a few times in that field. The windrows are about knee high and that was only a half of the swather, so we will get some good grass bales for the 2 horses we have. Didn't grow any alfalfa this time, it had a lot of weeds in it, and Dad was on the road more than often than normal due to some unforeseen bills that popped up. But I can now see the garden from the house!! And that also means that I can get my orchard started here pretty soon, we just need to chop down some locus trees that are blocking the spot that we are planning on putting the 6-8 new trees. The horses decided they like cherry trees and ate the top off of the new tree that was a volunteer just outside the pasture fence line. So that should be done in the next week, maybe this weekend I think. Working on the camper tomorrow to get it ready for hunting and huckleberry picking this summer and fall. I am really excited, this is the start of my favorite time of the year, I love huckleberry picking, and plan on picking a ton, just so I can actually have some in my freezer for the first time ever. And I am kind of on the fence for hunting this year, it will be my first time, Dad got permission to hunt on a HUGE private property so maybe he will get some game this year, and as I live in a different state than him I might have to get an out of state license so I can go with him. Glory of watching a child with family that has property I guess, I honestly didn't even know about it, but he started talking to Dad about the elk horns on the wall and invited him out, guess it is close to 45,000 acres, filled with elk. Well, I hope everyone is staying busy, and in good health. I am off to bed, it is my day off tomorrow, sort of, so I will be sleeping in till 7:00.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Wow, Raech, all the way till 7:00! lol
I remember when sleeping in was till noon.

Congrats on cutting the field and making hay.

Dh is going to talk with the neighbor about haying our field for us - well, more for him. We are going to see if he will do it for 3/4 of the hay. We will keep some of the hay. Not sure what we will do with it - I suggested maybe we would get a steer to raise to fill the freezer. Probably don't want grass hay for that though, probably need to get some alfalfa hay. The neighbor was the one who planted the hay field and has been taking care of it for the last couple of years. He had rented the pasture and machine shed at our new place for his horses. Good chance he will want to store the hay in our barn also.

I am kinda jazzed - Mother Earth News has plans in this months magazine for the solar dehydrator that I want to build. I had been working on plans for DH to build a dehydrator like this, but he doesn't trust my design so much. Now he has a plublished plan set to work from. Just the right size for us also.
go here for plans: http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/solar-food-dehydrator-plans-zm0z14jjzmar.aspx#axzz33bMMJ0rN

photo from Mother Earth News

 

[Raech]

Wow, Raech, all the way till 7:00! lol
I remember when sleeping in was till noon.

Congrats on cutting the field and making hay.

Dh is going to talk with the neighbor about haying our field for us - well, more for him. We are going to see if he will do it for 3/4 of the hay. We will keep some of the hay. Not sure what we will do with it - I suggested maybe we would get a steer to raise to fill the freezer. Probably don't want grass hay for that though, probably need to get some alfalfa hay. The neighbor was the one who planted the hay field and has been taking care of it for the last couple of years. He had rented the pasture and machine shed at our new place for his horses. Good chance he will want to store the hay in our barn also.

I am kinda jazzed - Mother Earth News has plans in this months magazine for the solar dehydrator that I want to build. I had been working on plans for DH to build a dehydrator like this, but he doesn't trust my design so much. Now he has a plublished plan set to work from. Just the right size for us also.
go here for plans: http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/solar-food-dehydrator-plans-zm0z14jjzmar.aspx#axzz33bMMJ0rN

photo from Mother Earth News

That looks amazing. Made it till 9:00 but that was with waking up a couple of times from voices outside, then the baby came into bed with me, then the oldest dove across the bed and started playing. Kicked them out and got a few more minutes. But now I am late to be over to dads, they are eating shredded wheat right now so I have a couple of minutes. Looked in my cupboard for my coffee creamer before I made coffee, and almost cried, it's all gone!! Guess I am waiting till I get to Grandpa's to have a cup of coffee, or probably hot cocoa since they don't have any creamer that doesn't have alcohol in it. Really wish I could remember to buy enough creamer to stash some at their house for mornings like this.

 

[RustedOak]

Wow, Raech, all the way till 7:00! lol
I remember when sleeping in was till noon.

Congrats on cutting the field and making hay.

Dh is going to talk with the neighbor about haying our field for us - well, more for him. We are going to see if he will do it for 3/4 of the hay. We will keep some of the hay. Not sure what we will do with it - I suggested maybe we would get a steer to raise to fill the freezer. Probably don't want grass hay for that though, probably need to get some alfalfa hay. The neighbor was the one who planted the hay field and has been taking care of it for the last couple of years. He had rented the pasture and machine shed at our new place for his horses. Good chance he will want to store the hay in our barn also.

I am kinda jazzed - Mother Earth News has plans in this months magazine for the solar dehydrator that I want to build. I had been working on plans for DH to build a dehydrator like this, but he doesn't trust my design so much. Now he has a plublished plan set to work from. Just the right size for us also.
go here for plans: http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/solar-food-dehydrator-plans-zm0z14jjzmar.aspx#axzz33bMMJ0rN

photo from Mother Earth News

This is cool, but what prevents bugs and other creepy crawlies from getting inside?

 

[RTFchickens]

Raech,
It's funny how we know immediately that we have been up with a kid all night, but not always when we get to sleep ;-)

 

[wyoDreamer]

This is cool, but what prevents bugs abd other creepy crawlies from getting inside?

The bottom opening has window screening over it, and the two top vents have window screening attached on the inside. The door is supposed to shut tight, I will probably add a door seal around it to be sure. I am also going to make the door hinged on top, with a way to lock it open so I can work in it without having to lean over the door. I like that the food is not exposed to the sunlight, which will break down some of the vitamins and other nutrients.

 

[RustedOak]

Oh okay... I didn't read too far due to time. I just saw that the bottom was open for airflow. Guess I'll take a closer look when I get some time. Very interesting stuff. Be sure to post pics when you get it done!!

 

[Raech]

Raech,
It's funny how we know immediately that we have been up with a kid all night, but not always when we get to sleep ;-)

Yeah I woke up in the morning, roll over and then freak because I have no little body right there, than I realize he is still in his crib, or he just fusses a little bit at night and goes back to sleep. It is nice, I have noticed I don't look like a complete raccoon right now, it is still bad but at least my Dad quit commenting on if my husband punched me, then laughing when I say it was just the baby up 5 times every night. I know I get more sleep considering I go to bed at 9 after all the kids are asleep and wake up at 7:15 thinking I am late for the child that I watch. And I have been drinking less coffee too.

 

[boskelli1571]

This is cool, but what prevents bugs and other creepy crawlies from getting inside?

I would imagine the heat could be quite extreme, so anything crawling in would be cooked! But to be sure, you could cover the open end with window screening I think.

 

[GerbilsOnToast]

@wyoDreamer - You don't need alfalfa to raise a beef steer, just grass hay that's cut at the right time. We feed first cutting to brood cows and second to yearlings, third to the final finishers - and it's just orchard grass, rye, clover, timothy, and some fescue, plus the assorted weeds here and there. The trick is cutting at early boot stage; and getting the weather to let you. Our first cutting usually tests over 12% protein, second at 14%+, and third has gone as high as 16%, which rivals alfalfa. Any hay that's of adequate quality for horses is more than adequate for a beef steer. All the vets swear our cows are too fat - but their health & fertility rates are fine, and... how do you put grassfed beef on a diet?

Also, if it's important to you - almost all alfalfa is GMO now...