Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

Quote:
I've got out of state company visiting this weekend as well as both of my in state brothers and their families but you're still well come to pick some apples if you want. Right now I have red rome,and primas ripe, and some of the golden delicious are ready.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

would using sand with de/stall dry over winter be ok? plan on covering run?

Oh yes, very important point! My pen is uncovered, since what I could cover it with would never support snow load. I use SweetPDZ sometimes inside only, I don't think it makes much difference and cost wise, I think sand or pea gravel is the way to go. (Although with ducks, I've learned that pea gravel disappears in the mud in a short time).

 

[RaZ]

would using sand with de/stall dry over winter be ok? plan on covering run?

I think that you are close to me.
If you like, I could come by and offer a humble opinion.

 

[preciouskitty]

Circling vultures are fascinating to watch.  Their ability to ride the air currents and soar for hours is amazing.  If you watch careful you can distinguish from hawks by their wings.  VultuSres have a Vee set to their wings and the primary feather end look like splayed fingers.  You won't see that spacing with hawks.  Also, with the exception of during migration, you never see very many hawks together.  Its been my experience that if you see three or more birds circling overhead they will be vultures.

Speaking of migration, for those of you that free range or have an uncovered run, in about two weeks the hawks will be headed south.  Not all hawks migrate but those that do do so slowly so you many see a marked increase in local population that lasts for several weeks. 

Today was reasonably productive in that I peeled and sliced a half bushel of apples for the freezer, helped one of Granny's friends pick a bushel, then I picked more apples for pressing today.  I had pressed 9 gallons of cider yesterday but 8 gallons went for wine.  So today I pressed another 3 gallons for drinking.  However today's pressing was definitely an exercise in self control and restraint.  I have never seen yellow jackets like we had to deal with today.  Each time I would place an apple into the grinder I would have to chase them away from the opening.   I kept the catch pail covered with a cloth and when I poured the ground apples into the pressing bag I was constantly waving them away.  If that wasn't bad enough I must have had at least a dozen crawling over my face and arms the entire time.  While at times the urge to swat them became pretty strong I knew that would result in stinging.  I even tried placing some apple pomace in a pail near where I was working in hopes that the majority would be drawn to that.  I think what happened was that they must have called all of the friends and relatives to come to the feast.  I'd almost be willing to bet that some of them were out of state relatives come to visit.

Opa, you are right. Watching the vultures was mesmerizing. I went to the Audubon society & saw the "V" description. At one point I had 10 circling overhead, cool, but almost "Stephen King-like" creepy at the same time! Birds decided they would just hang out under the deck!

Yellow jackets. I got stung for the FIRST time in my life last week at work. 5 times by one. It crawled up my leg inside my jeans at work while I was outside, got back to my desk, sat down, thought I was going nuts as I felt like bugs were crawling on me. Well, one was. Of course, I scratched at my jeans & the yellow jacket wasn't amused. Hurt like heck...luckily I have an office & was able to slam the door, whip my jeans off & dispatch the culprit. But not until it had gotten me 5x. I did not know yellow jackets were actually from the wasp family & usually do not lose their stingers when they use them. Ah, we learn something everyday ...even though it is sometimes painful

 

[Opa]

 

[ladyrsanti]

This is a print I pulled back in college, intaglio, aquatint on zinc, printed on german etch. Buzzards have long been one of my favorite birds. I watched them as a child and they "haunted" both my conscious and subconscious. Art has always been the outlet for my bird obsession. I went to art college in Columbus, OH and having no social life, I would drive out to the countryside in the Hocking region, alone, on the weekends and watch the buzzards out there. Southern Ohio has A LOT of buzzards.

and another, drypoint intaglio on copper - printed on german etch.

Shameless plug: http://ladyrsanti.deviantart.com/gallery/

 

[preciouskitty]

This is a print I pulled back in college, intaglio, aquatint on zinc, printed on german etch. Buzzards have long been one of my favorite birds. I watched them as a child and they "haunted" both my conscious and subconscious. Art has always been the outlet for my bird obsession. I went to art college in Columbus, OH and having no social life, I would drive out to the countryside in the Hocking region, alone, on the weekends and watch the buzzards out there. Southern Ohio has A LOT of buzzards.

and another, drypoint intaglio on copper - printed on german etch.

Shameless plug: http://ladyrsanti.deviantart.com/gallery/

Wow! Those are awesome! The top one totally captures the "Stephen King-like" feeling I was referring to yesterday ... I can't so much as draw a stick figure; tho I guess I am quite good at decorating cakes & cookies!

 

[ladyrsanti]

And decorating cookies is an art in itself, one that I don't have patience for because of the cookies' transient nature. Om-nom-nom.

 

[preciouskitty]

And decorating cookies is an art in itself, one that I don't have patience for because of the cookies' transient nature.  Om-nom-nom.

LOL! Doing my XMAS baking is a stress reliever for me. But I will admit to a bit of envy of those of you that can draw, paint, etc. And knit, tho I could probably learn how to do that one...at least the simple patterns!

I do also make those felt XMAS stockings & wall hangings with lots of sequins, embroidery, etc. you are right, they last a lot longer...of course, I only get to enjoy them from Thanksgiving thru 1 Jan! Hmmmm...now that I think about it, with all this time off, once I finish my canning/preserving, I can finish the one wall hanging that is SO close to being done.....

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

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[/quote True. & Thx.