I knew the thieving rotten red fox was here thanks to photos on the game camera. Extra careful, birds not unattended, watching closely, looking out the windows often, but when I turned my back for 20 minutes, he attacked. 8:30 am. I went back to the house to get water…
This is part of this month’s Self Reliance Challenge. You can find more information and a list of the homesteaders who are participating in an earlier post. Or, click on the graphic to the right. Inventorying the freezer is usually later on the winter to do list. I had an…
Self Reliance Challenge – Thoughts I lost track of time this week and didn’t wrap up the Self Reliance Challenge. I was busy being self reliant, the number one reason I don’t write here more often these days. With so many projects going at once it’s hard to think through…
I haven’t talked about “fresh food daily” much this year. After losing the veggies in the high tunnel to an open door during a blizzard, there hasn’t been much for fresh food. We do have eggs daily thanks to pullets that I still haven’t identified (should do that today), and…
Chick Identification – New Laying Chicks These are two of the chicks we got two weeks ago and am still not positive of their breeds. I need a bit of help in the chicken identification department. What do you think? I’m guessing the darker bird is a Rhode Island Red…
I was skeptical. It gets really cold here! This has been around for a very long time. I don’t know why I didn’t try it earlier! The closer the temperature is to 32°F the longer the water stays open of course, but this makes a big difference as low as…
Winter Storms Preparing for winter storms is different out here in the woods. We don’t have the same resources as urban dwellers. STORM WATCH! Quick! Get to the Store! Wait until the last minute, preferably until the first snow flakes fall or freezing rain starts to build up, and then…
Chicklets! They weren’t expected until the weekend. Chicklets! Beauty hid a nest in the back corner of the hen house, an old cabin turned pig barn turned hen house, longer ago than I realized. When I returned from the writing retreat Steve informed me of the eggs in the nest.…
Finding Peace of Mind Outdoors I wrote this yesterday morning when I was disappointed and disheartened. The state of the world and the inability to visit with friends online without having a lot of hate and discontent thrown at me is upsetting. I needed to set some boundaries with people…
Homesteading Progress Change. Even when I want to make changes and accomplish enough to see it as progress, it’s hard. There’s a lot of change going on over here. Homesteading progress used to be adding a new milk goat to the herd, starting a rafter of turkeys that would replace…