Opa's place -Where an old rooster visits with friends

[Opa]

Today was a pretty good day. Woke up, something I am really glad to do. Worked the crossword, drank a pot of coffee, wound up on line at the same time as my darlin' daughter, which considering the 6 hour time difference, is always special. Then at 8am looked out the back window and noticed a nice buck. Grabbed my muzzleloader, snuck out the door and eased around my workshop to reduce the range, and dropped him where he stood. I was able to drive my truck right up next to him, put him on a sled, and then tow him right to the door of the workshop. One hour after shooting him, he was skinned and the carcass hanging and cleaned waiting to be butchered.

It was nice to find that MommaG and Luna have both been doing well and found time to add a post.

After lunch I helped Granny make the pizzelles. She now has something to take to her party, so she is a happy camper. Every day life is good, but some days are better than others.

 

[Highlander]

7C here today. Much much warmer than it has been for a few weeks, so how come I am colder today than I was at -15? oh well good excuse to get the fire blazing. The snow is shifting fast today, I just hope it doesn't freeze again overnight as it turns our farm track into a bobsled run - fun for 5 minutes but it gets old very quickly!

Good news on the buck Sam, if only they were all that easy!

Have a good day all. Stay warm.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Hi Sam....My husband would sure like a morning like yours, unfortunatly with six dogs bucks normally do not just wander up to the yard!

Vicky, we are expecting more snow today also, I sure seems winter started early this year! You have had snow for as long as we have, is that normal for you?

Look out Sam....and Vicky....it heading your way

 

[Opa]

It's cold and gray here today. It's supposed to reach into the mid 30's today and tomorrow and then single digits for next week. No matter how you look at it, winter is here to stay.

Thought about going hunting today but decided to stay home and butcher the deer from yesterday. I pulled the tender loins when I skinned it out and will probably have those tonight if anyone wants to come for supper. I'm going to pull the loins and then the rest I will make into summer sausage and pastrami. Since I still have til January 1st to hunt I'm sure I will get at least 3 more does and they will make much nice steaks and roasts.

Got to talking with David over coffee this morining and he told me his wife doesn't like the pizzelles we make due to her dislike of anise. So we started thinking about other flavor extracts that might be good. We decided to make more using coconut, cinnamon, and peppermint. I'm looking forward to making some with peppermint oil, seems like it would be an ideal holiday flavor.

 

[ranchhand]

With your buck luck, I sure hope you got some lottery tickets today!

 

[Ec_Prokta]

Hello! Oddly enough, a song made me wax nostalgic, so I popped in for a quick visit. *shakes fist at TAMusic*

So, school is going great. I'm almost done with my math book! And I've completed all of my English for this year!

I've been writing a lot. I participated and won National Novel Writing Month (You can find me as TewiInaba) and am going to do Script Frenzy this April. My fanfiction has improved, and I have a few fans!

I am still being my silly, serious anime loving, video game playing self.

My dad is almost 100% fine. He can walk without walking poles now! It's so great.

And the chickens are great, but I'm down to 6. I'll be getting some more next year, however!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and lots of hugs to you all.

 

[Opa]

Sprite, what a pleasant surprise to hear from you. I glad that school is going so well and congratulations on your writing success. It's great that your father is doing so much better. I'm sure that it has been a long haul for all of you.

Have a great holiday season.

 

[NotAFarm]

PK,
It's so good to hear from you!

I was wondering why you'd been missing and am glad to hear it was because you were busy doing fun and creative things! I listened to the song that made you "wax nostalgic" and it is truly beautiful. I would love to have that playing in the background while I work.
Great news about your Dad's progress. Prayers for his full recovery will be going out from me.
Sorry to hear you only have 6 chickens left, but Spring will be here soon (hopefully!).
Merry Christmas to you and your family!! Don't be a stranger!
Later, Mary

 

[ranchhand]

Good day all,

And a weird one it is! We've gone from cold and dry, to drizzling fifties and tonight down to 20F. and ice. Wouldn't be so bad but all the kindling is soaked and DH is supposed to drive 2.5 hours to a new jobsite tomorrow and will be gone overnight. Any time the company says 2 days worth of work we assume at least 4, and I'm really hoping he doesn't get snowed or iced in, stuck in a hotel. Guess we'll see what tomorrow 5 a.m. brings!

I was awakened this morning by a high pitched, screeching, two syllable, nails on a chalkboard sound. JarJar Binks (JJ) has been practicing his crowing since early on and has done an admirable job of royally screwing it up! It's the most painful thing I've ever heard from a rooster and apparently he has decided to perfect his art by practicing non-stop!

I have a stack of newspapers outside on the picnic table, awaiting my efforts to turn them into paper "firebricks". They need to be wet anyway, so the rain is no problem. What IS a problem is all the squirrels that have started raiding the pile for nesting materials! They are soooo funny, shredding the papers, stuffing their faces full and scampering for the trees. Both the dogs and the cats like to watch from the sliding glass door, now known as the "wide screen TV".

PK, nice to see you and hear that all are doing well. Very proud of you, congratulations!

Hi Mary, sure hope you all are staying warm.
Sam, did you get the lottery tickets?

Highlander, how are the new chicks, got any pics?
Harlan, I don't know how you live in that climate, I'd become a hermit, sitting by the fire.

 

[Opa]

I just came in from brining the hindquarters from the buck I shot. Plus the neighbor, who I've sort of adopted, wanted to brine some as well, so now it's soaking and will require overhauling for the next five days. Then the day after it will be smoked pastrami. Hard to think of a greater use of venison.

Chickens are fed and watered so now I only must make a quick trip to the coop at dark to check on them and gather eggs. Today is not a good day to be outside. It's snowing quite hard, 8" predicted, wind gusting to 40mph, and falling temperatures. It's going down to 10 tonight with a high of 15 for tomorrow.