Surviving Minnesota!

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jerryse said:
Morning . Strange happenings here . Woke up to a noise I could not place . Something running . After a thorough search I open the door to the deck . Outdoor water running . Walked over and turned it off . Hmm my best guess is a raccoon turned it on near morning .
Click to expand...
that or a 2 legged varmint:rant
although I kept waking up to the dryer running years ago... turned out I was sleep walking and turning it on :oops:
 
Hello all!

I hope everyone was able to survive Minnesota this winter. We are getting to be unfortunately busy. The kids love being able to do so many different activities, but the logistics are crazy. Fall and winter were hard.

I got a nice buck, DD did well in travel bball, the boys have been busy with soccer, swimming, and basketball. Toss in a 1st communicant, DW still working nights along with my offices in Brainerd and down to Cambridge twice a week, it's been a lot.

Birds are doing ok, I think. Finally started laying heavy this week after an extended hiatus. They fist started again in late Jan, but when weather turned for 6 weeks, they shut down again.

If you'll recall in the fall I was debating which of my 2 PC roosters should be kept. My original which is now 2 or replace him with a cockerel that was hatched April of 18. I was indecisive and kept both, together over winter. They seemed to get along ok, but over last 6 weeks, the younger one has taken over the girls and the older is often off on his own. I found him in a nesting box tonight. He doesn't seem to be bleeding anywhere, but I even noticed a few hens pecking at him as he walked by while I was cleaning the coop yesterday. Looks like he probably needs to go to a soup pot. He doesn't appear to be injured, but looks pretty rough.

That's a really long post. Sorry for that. I hope to be around a bit more frequently again. I hope you've all been well.
 
I am here. And alive.

I had a busy day, I started boiling sap early. I will be boiling for another 7 hours. I have finished yesterdays boil, I read online to finish it in a crock pot with the lid off.
It works but takes a whole day to finish. I am going to use the electric roaster to do the end of todays run. I can control the heat better in them to prevent loss of another cooking pan. The WW was not impressed with the religious pan I made her for lent (Holy pan).

I had one actual maple (not box elder) that gave me its first drop of sap today 5 gallons! I have several maple that have not ran yet, but I have to pull the taps. They started blooming today. Not just buds by a few buds opened. When the trees start to bud everything I have read says to pull the taps as the sap is bitter then.

I am down to one pair of Royal Palms. I still have most the others. I only got rid of four of them. Freezer will be filling.

I allowed the layers out of their pen and gave them access to outside today. They have been locked in the pens since early November. 11 decided to move back to their old coop. Tomorrow I need to shut the door on them so they cannot get in. I do not want any birds in there this summer.....(Actually Judy told me I do not want any birds in the building nearest the deck this summer)......

I thought in 2 weeks they were suppose to think of their new quarters as home. I feel bad about moving some of the freeloaders. The Toads Matriarch is still alive at 8 years old. She has not laid an egg in 4 years and sleeps in a nest box. I went to pull her out of the nest tonight and she just snuggled up next to me and sad eyed me...


I put her back in her nest box. Stupid Bird!

I have one less bunch of house chickens, I moved the oldest outside, again not happy birds.

See busy day. I am headed to Fleetfarm tomorrow and see if they have more taps. I assume they will be out.
 
Tfred1399 said:
Hello all!

I hope everyone was able to survive Minnesota this winter. We are getting to be unfortunately busy. The kids love being able to do so many different activities, but the logistics are crazy. Fall and winter were hard.

I got a nice buck, DD did well in travel bball, the boys have been busy with soccer, swimming, and basketball. Toss in a 1st communicant, DW still working nights along with my offices in Brainerd and down to Cambridge twice a week, it's been a lot.

Birds are doing ok, I think. Finally started laying heavy this week after an extended hiatus. They fist started again in late Jan, but when weather turned for 6 weeks, they shut down again.

If you'll recall in the fall I was debating which of my 2 PC roosters should be kept. My original which is now 2 or replace him with a cockerel that was hatched April of 18. I was indecisive and kept both, together over winter. They seemed to get along ok, but over last 6 weeks, the younger one has taken over the girls and the older is often off on his own. I found him in a nesting box tonight. He doesn't seem to be bleeding anywhere, but I even noticed a few hens pecking at him as he walked by while I was cleaning the coop yesterday. Looks like he probably needs to go to a soup pot. He doesn't appear to be injured, but looks pretty rough.

That's a really long post. Sorry for that. I hope to be around a bit more frequently again. I hope you've all been well.
Click to expand...


Welcome back!
 

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