The Old Folks Home

[Bunnylady]

There's a certain Broody Magician that is very much in my thoughts.

 

[Arielle]

I"m here!!

We lost power like so many. ALl the years of living in Maine keeps me prepared. Fill all possible water containers constantly. I was watering when my boys come running out--mom the power is out! Expected, but still an annoyance. I admit it-- I love having amenities and electricity. I'm thankful to have those niceties.

THe boys wanted to use the barbeque. At 10 am they started setting up to light a fire. Rather comical with everything wet. Kept them very busy while I did chores.

We made homemade pizza on the grill, then grilled 2 baby back racks ( very juicy and yummy) then put on bacon. THe best bacon I've had in a LONG time. Perfectly cooked. THen 6 hamburgers.

Of course the chickens had to check out the activities; one person is always on guard to keep the chickens safe. Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought him back. Not sure if chickens are so lucky. THey did enjoy the leftover ribs that we tossed to them!!

Chicken Wrangler-- hope you are safe. Sounds like you are prepared and can manage. I'm sure the snow will melt quickly and be gone. THe devastation though lasts until clean up is complete. We lost one big pine --snapped off 30 feet up. Kids were playing on it off in the woods.

DH was gone for two days. I was rather horrified when he told me he was out driving in the storm looking for damage. I know it is his job, but most people just don't realize how much effort goes into keeping roads cleared for emergency vehicles. We are very spoiled me thinks. Sorry I"m ranting. I worry when he is in harms way. He loves what he does so I am thankful for that. and Kids were happy to see him tonight when he arrived home late.

Now I feel guilty--so much damage in Manhatten and NJ. No electricity meant no news --just found out about the damage to those areas.

 

[Cynthia12]

Yaay! Glad that you didn't have power outage for very long..considering!! Glad everything is ok. )

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Glad you and family are ok, Arielle.

The commercial electricity went out at 2 am this morning. There's three feet of snow on the roof and much larger drifts across the yard. Most of the chickens stsyed in the coop, some stags came out and under the coop or sat in snowdrifts...one tried walking on the snow, the he remembered to fly.. only one pullet was sitting by herself in the middle of the yard...she seemed OK, but I perched her on the poarch on a rocking chair out of the wind...she's OK, just never saw this white stuff before...her buddy came over and they roosted there tonight. Mostly all are sleeping through this. It could be two weeks before power comes on...it is just an inconvenience for us, but for some it will be a hardship. The roads are impassable. My friend a little north says they have no snow accumulation. Geez.

Wow. That's insane. I hadn't read or seen much about the storm further down south. My parents in VA just got rain, so I assumed all of you did. My chickens won't go out in the snow, but they will if I shovel. The first few storms are tough up here, it takes a lot of coaxing to get them to come out and see the snow doesn't bite. By April they're standing on top of hard piles of snow, looking for food possibly buried in it.

Got pictures?

 

[Stumpy]

Arielle, I'm so glad to hear that y'all are okay.

 

[Arielle]

Yes we are fine; found another tree down, on a fence line. DH can tackle that this weekend.

Chickenwrangler--Love to see pictures of the snow. CHickens can be so silly in the snow, like it's an alien. YOung horses do the same thing the first time, Stop at door and plant feet, BLOW loudly thru their nostrils. Hope you are still safe.

I'm still stunned by the video coverage of the damaged areas. I called a friend last night, her parents are in NJ, and she said they are planning a built in generator run by propane. Installing a larger propane tank, generator and new electrical panel. We both think this crazy wild weather is here to stay for years to come.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Glad to hear your OK arielle. Yes, we've been through some really tough winters, so have all the lamps, flashlihts and generators....kind of like just another drill.....but you get to realize in real time how much time and energy it takes to do the simplest chore...I still automatically flip the switch walking into the bathroom...then surprise! No light..oh yeah...no power. We also have pizza...the little frozen ones, I just put 2 bricks on top of the wood stove, put the bread tray on that, and tented aluminum foil over it. Works. I have cooked alot of one pot meals on the wood stove, direct contact to sear, then on a trivet to simmer. I will try to post pic...it is already starting to melt, thankfully. Chickens are out and about....roosters crowing under the house...a good sign. I have gotten several ideas from this to make their life ( and mine easier this winter) so something good has come from this early blizzard. One thing is moving the ff feed to the house..meant to do that sooner. And studying the drifts, I think alot of pine trees will be planted for them too. The biggest problem for me is the stags....they all hatched early this spring, which meant they all matured early this fall...they are pure game so that means early fights...and they are too young to know for sure which ones I want to keep to breed. As you may have guessed...one coop isn't big enough. Natural selection is tough...on me. Hubby can't get to build me another coop yet, so guess what is formulating in my mind? I have about 50 by 25 feet of unused space under the house.....it faces south.....there is alot of room there for pens......roosts.....feeders.....he will hate that and put new coop high up on the honey do list. If i hang tarps on three sides it will be practically wind free....and they will have a great view over the edge of the mountain.....and I will also be able to see any predator sneaking up same side......what do you all think?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I think as long as it's predator proof, and easily accessible by yourself to clean and do feeding/watering, then you're fine.

I'd say the storm really freaked my biddies out, I only got 2 chicken eggs today (out of 42 hens and pullets). Of course the duck laid, the duck lays an egg every day like clockwork. And I'm pretty sure they loved the rain, puddles, mud...

I came home today to a large road crew paving the road I live off of. It's been dirt since I bought it and the town generally comes along twice a year to faithfully grade it and it's really in nice shape because of that. Let me paint this picture for you: The road's maybe a mile and a half, two miles long at the most. It's a dead end, so not even a throughway. There's seven houses on it. SEVEN. Of the 4 houses I associate with, there's 12 people total in them (this includes all children). Now there cannot be that many people in the other 3 houses/trailers to make this worthwhile, price-wise. Granted, there's 3 pharmacists and a medical doctor on this road, but I can't imagine we pay that much in personal and property taxes to make the town pave our road. Besides being more than likely fiscally stupid (as is grading twice a year) I enjoy living off a dead end dirt road. I know it's just asphalt, but it's like I live in suburbia now. As an aside, you should see the mess that's my driveway. I'm working on the Grand Canyon II. I'm going to be really embarrassed now when what's left of my driveway washes into the public paved road, because now it won't blend. I hardly ever mow the lawn, too, so I'll be the scourge of the uppity and paved Town Farm Road. I'm lucky that there's only 2 houses after mine on the road.

 

[ronott1]

I think as long as it's predator proof, and easily accessible by yourself to clean and do feeding/watering, then you're fine.

I'd say the storm really freaked my biddies out, I only got 2 chicken eggs today (out of 42 hens and pullets). Of course the duck laid, the duck lays an egg every day like clockwork. And I'm pretty sure they loved the rain, puddles, mud...

I came home today to a large road crew paving the road I live off of. It's been dirt since I bought it and the town generally comes along twice a year to faithfully grade it and it's really in nice shape because of that. Let me paint this picture for you: The road's maybe a mile and a half, two miles long at the most. It's a dead end, so not even a throughway. There's seven houses on it. SEVEN. Of the 4 houses I associate with, there's 12 people total in them (this includes all children). Now there cannot be that many people in the other 3 houses/trailers to make this worthwhile, price-wise. Granted, there's 3 pharmacists and a medical doctor on this road, but I can't imagine we pay that much in personal and property taxes to make the town pave our road. Besides being more than likely fiscally stupid (as is grading twice a year) I enjoy living off a dead end dirt road. I know it's just asphalt, but it's like I live in suburbia now. As an aside, you should see the mess that's my driveway. I'm working on the Grand Canyon II. I'm going to be really embarrassed now when what's left of my driveway washes into the public paved road, because now it won't blend. I hardly ever mow the lawn, too, so I'll be the scourge of the uppity and paved Town Farm Road. I'm lucky that there's only 2 houses after mine on the road.

If you lived in California, I would be looking for the Model Houses to go up.....And the walls for the new Gated Community.....

Ron

 

[superchemicalgirl]

If you lived in California, I would be looking for the Model Houses to go up.....And the walls for the new Gated Community.....

Ron

You're not kidding. I grew up in Charles County, Maryland, full of green things, fields and amish communities. Every time I go home it's like another little piece of me dies. I don't recognize it. Does every "small" town in America need a Target, Walmart, Applebees, Home Depot, CVS... I used to love Twin Kiss and Pancakes Plus, the little local places. They're no longer there. Now there's traffic and housing developments, including gated communities, where farms once stood. Every fall we used to have tobacco barns full, with their sides slated open to dry the tobacco under a protected roof, and it smelled so good.

With the paving I guess a little piece of me is nervous that my small town is changing. I fell in love with this area in Central Maine because it reminded me of Southern Maryland growing up, albeit with a nastier climate, but looks- and people-wise. And I'm suspicious of many changes. I can't find anything about my road on the selectmens meeting minutes for the past year, either.