Changing of Seasons

Two weeks ago we were at almost 100 degrees. The airport was at 104 and had been over 90 degrees for 23 consecutive days breaking the old record of 18 days set back in the late 1800's. Saturday night it snowed in the high country. Just 10 miles or so from us they got 6-10 inches. Seems there is change in the air. Damp chilly mornings are becoming more common. we didn't even get out of the 40's for the past three days, till today when it warmed up nicely.

The kids started back to school today. It seemed so quiet here. I really enjoy having them home over the summer. I was a bit lost, my routine out of kilter. I think it will be a good year for Emily. She was dreading going back, insisting that this was going to be "the worst year ever." However she doesn't have a first hour class, has study hall second hour, has PE with her best friend, has her favorite teacher once again this year and has a bunch of new teacher all of which "are really nice." So, it seems we are off to a good start. She had a hard time adjusting last year, going from a class of 1600 to a class of 55, and has been pestering me to home school this year. When she finished telling me about the first day, I asked if she wanted to be home schooled and her response was a quick and solid "noooo!"

Josh is still out, so I don't know how the day went. He had a scrimmage, then BBQ and team captain voting, then off to Wal-mart to sell restaurant incentive cards to help pay for football equipment. Mom & Dad are coming to visit the first week in September, I'm looking forward to us all watching him play.

The garden is doing nicely, we've enjoyed our first bacon & tomato sandwiches. I bought 6 lbs of bacon a couple weeks back in anticipation. I remember enjoying them all summer long as a kid and could still live on them. Its just not summer with out a good bacon & tomato sandwich. I see I'll be making lots of zucchini bread too.

I got the hook up from Craigslist for apples this fall, all we can use. I'm looking forward to applesauce, apple pies, apple strudel.... I missed the harvest last year. I thought I had discovered an apple tree on the property here this spring, but after hiking down the other day to take a look, it turned out to be a full sized plum tree with just a few plums, oh well. I hope to plant some fruit trees in the next year or two as well as some sugar maples to tap. We had two maples when we lived in the city and we used to tap them and make maple syrup and hard maple candy. I miss that and had hoped to get some trees in this spring. For sure next year. I did get a few from Mom & Dad's place when we were back in Nebraska over the 4th. Three are doing very well, as are the two walnut trees we dug up. However they are a mere 3-4" tall. Guess any way I look at it, I'm a years away from reaping.


I candled the eggs tonight and made a movie, hopefully you can make out the little chick moving around in the egg. The chick has been 7 days in the incubator, 14 days to go.


Em holding one of 5 "zucchini on steroids" from the garden. Well, ya see it rained for 3 days straight and I didn't check the garden and when I finally did, well, you know.....


The peas were almost as big around as a quarter, and oh so sweet! Em & I snacked on them while watching the olympics.


Some of the smaller zucchini from the garden harvested several days back. Grilled, topped with goat cheese and dried herbs from the garden, looks delicious!


The homemade ravioli I mentioned a few posts back. It turned out great!

The Homestead

Well, I got up at 5:45 this morning. Went out onto the back deck to bring in the load I had hung out last night. I have a T-post line up by the garden with four long lines, but I also strung a line between two of the porch posts out back by the laundry room. That's for when I don't want to trek up the hill to hang laundry or if I'm doing a small load that doesn't need much line. After I had taken all the laundry off the line, I looked over and no more than 3 feet from me was a nice big rattlesnake all curled up next to the house watching me do laundry.

I thought it was a rattler, but wanted to make sure before I sealed its fate, so I grabbed a shovel from the garage and gave it a nudge, sure enough it began to rattle. With it being so close to the deck and able to slip under if I missed, I hollered up to Josh's bedroom window. He was down in a hurry and, being a good aim, made quick work of things. He then buried the head.

The snake had a nice big rattle, I'm going to tan the skin tomorrow, it's rolled up in the fridge, too much going on to mess with it now. If you are easily grossed out, skip to the next paragraph. I skinned him out and gutted and cut him up and we had it for lunch. I breaded it and pan fried it in some bacon grease. The kids thought it was pretty good. Even Emily ate it, stating it tasted like chicken. That's the first I had tried snake, it was actually more tender and tasted better than I expected.

After the laundry, I got the cheese started and headed up to do chores while the milk heated on the stove. I've got one young rooster that is meaner than all get out. He can't even crow yet, but he attacks all the other chickens. So I caught him and caged him up. I'll have to put him in the freezer today or tomorrow.

I added the culture and while the milk was ripening and went back out and trimmed the goat's hooves. Its a monthly chore, I like to keep them nice and trimmed. Tigris the alpine/saanen had bad hooves when I got her, very folded over, pointed and looooong. She was literally walking on the sides of her hooves. Its taken a couple months to get them nice and it only takes 20-30 minutes to get all 5 of the girls trimmed up. I figure if you're going to own an animal, it ought to be well cared for. She takes care of me through milk, babies and eventually meat, it's my duty to care for her now.

Back inside, I added the rennet and once again let the milk set to firm up while I went out to the garden to putz around a bit. Harvested a few grape tomatoes and some zucchini, nothing too exciting.

Well, the cheddar cheese is in the press as I type. I've made ricotta with the whey, its hanging in a buttercloth to drain. I'll post my cheesemaking photos tomorrow, with a little more detail as to the process. Will make Gjetost (or less well known, but more correctly termed mysost) with the whey from the ricotta tomorrow as well. Nothing wasted. With the fresh ricotta, Em will be helping me make some homemade ravioli tomorrow, yum!


Here's the bad boy. If I encounter them away from the house, I leave em. But this close, he had to go.

I heard they made good eating, had to try it.

The tomatoes have grown into one massive patch. They are loaded, hundreds of them. Hope they ripen soon.

The potatoes are run amuck as well. I keep mounding them with dirt, but they've got to be 3' tall now. No more room to mound. Next year maybe I'll plan ahead and put up some sort of fencing system to contain the dirt. Heirloom pole beans are climbing the fence.

Zucchini. Need to shred and freeze some. We'll have some grilled tomorrow as well with the home made ravioli.

These crazy peas have been eaten off twice by the goat, but they just don't give up. They seem to come back each time with just as many pods as before. The edible pod peas are my favorite.

Herbs and some onions line the fence. Everything did great but the basil which got frosted out twice and laid on by the dog. Thankfully I still have a bunch hanging over my pantry door from last year. Ought to last me till next year.

Got a small start on firewood for the winter. My goal is to have 7 full cords (21 face cords). I think we have about 2 face cords so far. Got a long, long way to go!

My harvest for the day.


Here's where I keep the goats and chickens. Not a real high tech system, but most everything was scavenged and gotten for free or super cheap.