Surviving Minnesota!

[Momof3plustwins]

Last day of teacher workshops! Open house was last night and I gained more students. I know have a total of 44 preschoolers. I have 20 in my 3/4 year olds and 24 in my 4/5 year old group. I am thinking we may split the 4 year olds into two classes. That is a lot of 4 year olds in one group! I do have help though too. School starts Tuesday.

Butchering chickens tomorrow. We'll see how that goes!


Too busy for more updates now. Maybe tonight. Off to school I go!

 

[duluthralphie]

I have tomatoes simmering again. Egg plants drying and coffee in my hand.

My chickens are out already. Not my doing. My Mom decided to help me yesterday because of the WWD being locked up and not hear. She opened the chicken door.

I have been opening the man door to let the birds out because the turkeys cannot fit through the chicken door. When I went out to release them the turkeys stuck inside were not happy and squawking their displeasure.

When I do open the chicken door I set it in front of the man door so I cannot forget it is out. She put it up on a shelf, when I shut the door I forgot it was out so they were unprotected all night. Like BC I hate when that happens. I may sue my Mom for emotional distress to my chickens and myself.

I am thinking of taking a walk along the hillside to see if any mushrooms popped up this morning.

 

[jerryse]

Thanks everyone for your comments on seeds surviving the winters . Absentee gardening in my future . Time to own up to my first attempts . I planted pole beans and zucchini last trip to the lake . 60 days is enough time but heat units might be too low to mature . Love the lack of weeds up there . Also scattered deer clover , shogun turnips and tillage radish for the deer . No plans to hunt it . Maybe someday in future years . Already have deer clover growing .

Found some giant puffball and pheasant back mushrooms Tuesday . Did not pick any . Yesterday did not go as planned . My back went out so I got into the Chiropractor . Walked carefully rest of the day . Still a little tender but I think I can wrench on the truck and maybe mow some .

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks everyone for your comments on seeds surviving the winters . Absentee gardening in my future . Time to own up to my first attempts . I planted pole beans and zucchini last trip to the lake . 60 days is enough time but heat units might be too low to mature . Love the lack of weeds up there . Also scattered deer clover , shogun turnips and tillage radish for the deer . No plans to hunt it . Maybe someday in future years . Already have deer clover growing .

Found some giant puffball and pheasant back mushrooms Tuesday . Did not pick any . Yesterday did not go as planned . My back went out so I got into the Chiropractor . Walked carefully rest of the day . Still a little tender but I think I can wrench on the truck and maybe mow some .

Jerry, When are you heading up here again and for how long?

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but in Minnesota if you are 60 years old you can use a crossbow and hunt the regular bow season thus avoiding the cold weather and getting a shot at the less skittish deer.

I know that is probably 10-15 years in the future for you, but it is something to look forward too. Fi you really want something to look forward too at, I think, 84 you can get a free deer hunting license! We are a generous state!

Of course my Brother in Alaska gets a free, deer, Moose, caribou, elk, small game and fishing license and he is barely over 60, I guess Alaskan elders are treated better than Minnesota ones...


Could you post some pictures of the Pheasant back either here or on the Mushroom thread? I would like to see them. How big was the puffball? Mine have been really small. Smaller than a Tennis ball.

 

[jerryse]

pheasant back . really young and not much brown markings yet . Taste test is raw they taste like watermelon rind . pores not gills .

Giant puffball . Split due to growing so fast with all the rain . This one about 6 inches . Can reach 8- 12 inches . I tried them once .

Ralphie you made my day with the crossbow info . I had to switch when my right eye went bad . Can not use a peep sight or any of the others on the right eye . Illinois allows it for 60 and over also . Anyone after first gun season . Switching shoulders and eye is easier on crossbow . Left hand pull is harder to learn . I checked the info last year for MN and did not see that . As I recall your bow season starts mid September . I will be up around Sept 27 - Oct 12 or 13 . No chance to bow hunt as the sawyer will keep me busy . Lots of lumber to plane and stack after he is done .Building will keep me too busy for a couple of years . I have been putting out a trail cam the last couple of years . October they seem to disappear . Same here but I think here they hit the crop fields . No crops nearby there so IDK .

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I found some boletes down at the coop....Ralphie. But they have yellow pores (not white) and something had been eating them...they are pretty holey/buggy. They would not make for good picture on your 'shroom thread.

Minnie you are a temptress with your chickens. Lovely Lovely NH's.... We'll see how Junior works out. If he's a son-of-a-gun for the mutt he is, there will be a call and order placed to you. But for now...need to give the boy a chance. I will hold for now.

 

[Rhetts]

Ah yes, here come the pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING in every store!!!

Can you smell that................fall is in the air

 

[jerryse]

Dickinson pumpkins nearly ripe .

My zuke project . Short length for a zuke . Best of the F2 . Boer resistant .

This is the vine . Semi bush about 6 foot long . Very healthy no borer damage so far .

Done with the muffler . Easier this time . A torch makes all the difference .First time I had a torch to use .

 

[Cluckies]

Ralphie, I believe you would have been duly impressed with the size of the drumstix on that buckeye of Minnie's I posted, I think they were the biggest I saw at the fair, lol

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ralphie, I believe you would have been duly impressed with the size of the drumstix on that buckeye of Minnie's I posted, I think they were the biggest I saw at the fair, lol

I should have take a picture of the drums on the boys I had butchered a couple of weeks ago. You get a decent sized breast on them, but their real value is in their dark meat! Did you see my Cornish cock? He is tough to hold he is so beefy and those short legs so wide apart. I have to wrap both arms around those ones to carry them.
I was just laughing and telling my kids, the only 'big' awards I have gotten on any of my chickens has been with my Cornish and I am selling them off. I said it before, I am crazy.