North Carolina

[MaryRuthLangdon]

Story time....

There were lots of guineas at WCA yesterday, which brought back memories...so I decided to share.

When I was a kid, we had guineas. They were everywhere. They were loud, and I loved them. They laid rock-hard eggs that I actually used to play ball with. They wouldn't break unless they hit a rock. Daddy always said they were good watchdogs, but Mom loved her guineas too and could watch them all day.

So, when hubby and I got our little place, and I got a few chickens, we quickly followed with the first guineas we found. At first...oh, the memories! How wonderful they were! But soon the honeymoon was over. The guineas were attacking my chickens, particularly my rooster, Barbarosa. (Strike one) They'd gang up on him and were really trying to kill him! Then, a neighbor a quarter mile away had guineas, and theirs would come over and pick fights with mine. Loud fights. (Strike two). All this time I was getting in more chickens, and had raised up 100 Buff Orpingtons. I walked out one day, and all the BOs were at the chickenhouse, inside or under the eaves. It wasn't bad weather. I looked across the pasture, and the guineas were out free ranging, eating bugs like they're supposed to. Then I looked up. In the tree right over the guineas was a red-tailed hawk, watching them. All the chickens had run for cover, but the guineas were blithely going about their business. So much for "watchdogs" (Strike 3) I figured 100 chickens could eat more bugs than a dozen guineas, so I sold them off.

When I told my dad I sold them, he told me a guinea story. After he retired from 20 years in the army, he worked at a factory on shift work. When we were kids and he was on night shift and sleeping during the day, woe be unto any child who made enough noise to wake him (usually me). He asked me if I remembered when half mom's flock of guineas got eaten by foxes, and of course I did. She was very upset about her missing guineas.

Turns out Daddy was the "fox". Mom and me and my sisters were at church when he was on nights, and trying to sleep, and the guineas came right up under his bedroom window and started a ruckus. He got the shotgun. He says he only meant to scare them, but he had to collect carcasses and go for a drive to hide the evidence. Then when mom noticed missing guineas, he went "looking" and came back and told her he saw fox sign.

She didn't know what happened to her guineas until I sold mine and he 'fessed up!

While I'm tattling on Daddy, I'll also mention that Mom used to plant watermelons every single year, in her huge garden. Every year she would watch those melons in anticipation, and every year, right when they were getting ripe and she said she was going to pick one tomorrow...the deer would get it. Break open a melon and eat the insides out.

Those "deer" were me and Daddy. Mom didn't know about that until the first year I planted melons here!

Poor Mom!

Sorry...Just in a story-telling mood today! Mom turned 80 on Sunday. Dad is 83. I will always be grateful that they homesteaded when Daddy retired from the military, so I grew up hand-milking cows, and raising goats and chickens and pigs and a huge garden, learning to can and dry and put up food. It was a good way to grow up, and having those skills now means a lot to me. Thanks Mom and Dad!

LoL... seems you & your dad were a pair of stinkers.... I loved your story.
I learned quite a few things from my granny... that lived right across the road from me.... she had a garden every summer and I helped hoe, pick beans, shell/snap beans and watch her cook... never did a day go by that she didn't cook a dozen homemade biscuits.... but she raised 7 children.... I don't think she knew how to cook a small meal. It was a good thing that my family & one of her daughter's family lived right next door... she would send leftovers all the time. I really miss her.

Really?? If you don't need/want it...I will DEFINITELY take it (let me know if you want anything for it). DH talked about doing the black weed barrier, but when we looked into the cost of it and how much we'd need...it didn't seem like our garden would be very profitable (although currently it's not profitable either...LOL). We have a 50x60 area and another 10x20 area solely for grains (oats and wheat)...we haven't planted the grains yet and I don't think we'll get to it this year, but...mulching/weed barrier using paper would be fantastic (and a good way to recycle)!! I live "in" Middlesex, and you're welcome to visit - we do live in the middle of nowhere, kind of like one of those homes in horror movies where you keep driving down this dirt road and you realize things are not looking good...that's kind of like how it is to get to us!!
OR....we could converge at someone's house...like a .... a get together at Beth's!! LOL

WELCOME to the new people!!

ETA: Hollow - GREAT stories!! Sure wish my dad had the forsight to homestead when he retired from the military, especially since he grew up on a HUGE (I'm talking 2500 acres) farm!! He raised cows, pigs, horses and corn/wheat as well as had a huge orchard, a pond, and tons of outbuildings...man I loved that place, I never did understand why my dad hated the county. I bet it was because his family hired people to do the farming/tending for them and he refuses to be more than a 10 minute drive from fast food and solid Wi-Fi!! Anyway, DH and I are completely NEW at homesteading...which is why we went with chickens to start off with. We figured IF something happened to them, they were small enough that we could start over if need be. Neither of us have EVER grown anything, so the whole gardening to supplement our groceries is completely new to us as well. I'm trying to convince DH to get together with our wonderfully kind elderly "neighbor" who farms and see if we could get help from him, since he is just "down the road" and also brings us his surplus. I had NO idea what to do with the 15lbs of squash (crooked neck) that he brought us the other day. Ended up sharing most of it with people at church, because I just didn't know how to cook it.

My mother never fixed anything but peas, corn, green beans (all from a store bought can...EWEE) so I am at a loss with regards to most vegetables. LOL...care to take someone "under your wing?" LOL Seriously...you inspire & encourage me!!

Cooking squash is easy.... cut it up and boil it with some cut up onions... add salt & butter to taste..... (Squash & Onions)
Or you can slice it, batter it with flour, salt & pepper and fry it like onion rings.... (Fried Squash) my favorite.
You can also slice it long ways and grill it.... eating healthy.

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Beth's place sounds great!

Don't take my wandering back in time as I know how to do everything. I certainly don't...as witness me losing 5 BCMs to foxes last week. But I'll bet there's enough old skills in this group that we could have a good time sharing them with each other. I'd be willing to teach what I could, and learn what I can't from someone else. That would be fun! We can make our own "Farm Days" meet-up!

OOHH!! I LOVE the "Farm Days" meet-up idea!! SIGN ME UP!! Hopefully you won't mind two wee ones toddling along (okay...well only ONE is toddling, the other one will be in a sling). I cannot thank you all enough!! BYC'ers are the BEST!!

Cooking squash is easy.... cut it up and boil it with some cut up onions... add salt & butter to taste..... (Squash & Onions)
Or you can slice it, batter it with flour, salt & pepper and fry it like onion rings.... (Fried Squash) my favorite.
You can also slice it long ways and grill it.... eating healthy.

LOL...allergic to onions, so I avoid them like the plague BUT DH would just love you to pieces if I was actually make something like that!! Maybe I will try to "trick" him with some fried squash instead of onion rings!!

PFFTT...why would we want to go the Healthy route?? I mean it's not like we were growing our own squash ... oh wait.

Thank you for the suggestions!! Can't wait to try it <gasps> it will be my 2nd new vegetable this month!! (I just tried some swiss chard...not bad...need to work on cooking it. LOL)

 

[MaryRuthLangdon]

OOHH!! I LOVE the "Farm Days" meet-up idea!! SIGN ME UP!! Hopefully you won't mind two wee ones toddling along (okay...well only ONE is toddling, the other one will be in a sling). I cannot thank you all enough!! BYC'ers are the BEST!!
LOL...allergic to onions, so I avoid them like the plague BUT DH would just love you to pieces if I was actually make something like that!! Maybe I will try to "trick" him with some fried squash instead of onion rings!!

PFFTT...why would we want to go the Healthy route?? I mean it's not like we were growing our own squash ... oh wait.

Thank you for the suggestions!! Can't wait to try it <gasps> it will be my 2nd new vegetable this month!! (I just tried some swiss chard...not bad...need to work on cooking it. LOL)

Have you ever had fried green tomatoes or fried okra? If your hubby likes onion rings... he'd loved that.
Sign me up for a Farm Day at Beth's... oh wait shouldn't we ask Beth first.... LoL

If you wait long enough into the summer... I promise to bring fresh garden goodies or fresh blueberries or somthing.....
Here's a pic of our tiny garden.... it is kinda staggered... so things are coming off all summer instead of all at one time.





Of course... my mom & dad have a huge garden and I go get stuff from theirs too.

 

[BHep]

I go out shopping..come home and we are having a get together at my place????

Actually LOVE the idea !!! We need to wait for CSB & RF to get back from their walk a bout. (drive a bout)

So sometime late summer. Everyone's veges should be ready.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

I go out shopping..come home and we are having a get together at my place????

Actually LOVE the idea !!! We need to wait for CSB & RF to get back from their walk a bout. (drive a bout)

So sometime late summer. Everyone's veges should be ready.

What a great idea.....and yes........need to wait til we get back in August. We leave after June 15 or we won't be able to play too.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

I go out shopping..come home and we are having a get together at my place????

Actually LOVE the idea !!! We need to wait for CSB & RF to get back from their walk a bout. (drive a bout)

So sometime late summer. Everyone's veges should be ready.

See what happens when you turn your back for a minute!

And yes, without CSB and RF, it would be far less fun. Must have them there!

If you're really up for this ('cause we were sorta joking and hoping at the same time, I think, so don't let us bully you into it!) and anyone wants to learn basic soapmaking or learn to spin wool (after they learn to make a drop spindle) or knit the wool (or crochet), I'm up for teaching those that day! I can provide the wool for learning, and tell you what you'll need to bring to make a drop spindle. (And bring two of my spinning wheels, in case anyone wants to try one out.) And I can provide the stuff to make a couple batches of soap, and you'd just bring something to mold it in, so you could take it home. (And goggles would be good, or some type of eye protection, when you're working with lye.) A batch makes about eight bars. I can also teach making coiled baskets out of rope and fabric, but I'd really need a head count for it, because I'd have more to prep.

There's my donation. Along with baked goodies for all. Bread and muffins and cookies and cake. I love baking. Any excuse......

 

[happyhippiechik]

Hi! I'm in Franklinton. Welcome!

 

[MaryRuthLangdon]

I go out shopping..come home and we are having a get together at my place????

Actually LOVE the idea !!! We need to wait for CSB & RF to get back from their walk a bout. (drive a bout)

So sometime late summer. Everyone's veges should be ready.

Definately count me in... since you at least know about it now... LoL
I will some fresh veggies... some cooked ones and maybe some other goodies.
And yes we must wait for CSB & RF.

See what happens when you turn your back for a minute!

And yes, without CSB and RF, it would be far less fun. Must have them there!

If you're really up for this ('cause we were sorta joking and hoping at the same time, I think, so don't let us bully you into it!) and anyone wants to learn basic soapmaking or learn to spin wool (after they learn to make a drop spindle) or knit the wool (or crochet), I'm up for teaching those that day! I can provide the wool for learning, and tell you what you'll need to bring to make a drop spindle. (And bring two of my spinning wheels, in case anyone wants to try one out.) And I can provide the stuff to make a couple batches of soap, and you'd just bring something to mold it in, so you could take it home. (And goggles would be good, or some type of eye protection, when you're working with lye.) A batch makes about eight bars. I can also teach making coiled baskets out of rope and fabric, but I'd really need a head count for it, because I'd have more to prep.

There's my donation. Along with baked goodies for all. Bread and muffins and cookies and cake. I love baking. Any excuse......

I don't know how to do any great craft... but would definately be interested in learning some. I have some french angora rabbits (the ones that the hair is used for sweaters)... I need to shave for summer... I don't suppose you'd be interested in their fur???

Hi! I'm in Franklinton. Welcome!

To all you noobies!

 

[BHep]

PARTY AT THE CHICKEN RANCH

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[LukesCityHens]

SO....my phone rang this morning and it was my realestate agent!!!!! WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!! so I will be moving all my belongings and chickens to the new home with my broken hand!!!
here's the downside =( I must downsize some.....I will go home after work and come up with a list of things that MUST GO =( I'll post here before I go to craigslist.
Great news and not so good news all in one day....but I am ONE HAPPY CAMPER RIGHT NOW!!!!