We knew it was coming, a night and day of rain, which is supposed to turn to snow tonight. We busted butt splitting firewood and Will hurried to get as much stacked inside as possible. But he ran out of “Will” last night and we were hoping the rain wouldn’t come until today. Wrong. We woke up to drizzly, nasty, cold rain. And the last truckload we’d split yesterday got wet. Bummer. We should have tarped it. But you know how that goes … So today Will is finishing up stacking that wood, mixed split and pole cuts, into the woodshed. He is stacking with lots of air space around the wood so hopefully it will dry in a week or so.

Wet Will, finishing unloading the last load of firewood … until it dries up outside so we can cut more.

This weather is fit for ducks only. Our ducks, Biggie and Major, seem to love the wet orchard, puddling around in the grass looking for treats. And the wild turkeys don’t seem to mind, either. But the goats? Ha, they won’t even look outside. Goats hate rain. Where cows will ford a creek to get to another pasture, a goat would starve before getting their feet wet! What sissies!

Our orchard ducks, Biggie and Major love the rain; the more the better!
The turkeys don’t seem to mind wet weather. From right to left; Papa (domestic), son, son, daughter, son, and Mom, wild.

With wet weather, I’m working inside mostly, cleaning the plastic bins we had our seed tomatoes in from tomato debris and getting the kitchen clean enough so I can start canning up the last of the cabbages. One froze but is now thawed and doesn’t look worse for the wear. That’s a good thing to know. One will be canned in chunks, and I think I’ll cook up some for supper. Gee, now I’m hungry! — Jackie

18 COMMENTS

  1. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your posts. I’m retired but work as a cashier at a gas station. After a day of interacting with customers, both nice & nasty, it’s always a pleasure to get home and find a new post from you.

  2. I read about all the rain you guys are enjoying. Here in central Indiana it is dry, dry,dry! We are watering to keep things going over the winter. Including our patch of winter wheat.
    Yes, agreed canning never stops! But, now that the wood is stacked and ready I can get to it.

    We have turkeys around but haven’t seen any yet. Neighbor up the road has about a dozen of them. He feeds grain so I may never see them here.

    Thank you Jackie for your Blog Posts. They are so helpful!

  3. We had a ice storm yesterday that delayed the surgery I am having but not life threatening so better than to travel in ice! It pretty much rained ice all day yesterday here in Iowa and white frozen world here-coming up to you, Jackie!

    • Ish! Ice storms are terrible. We just got 8 plus inches with more falling. But it is winter here…. Stay safe and good luck with your surgery.

  4. Before my husband died, we always cut wood in the winter for the following year. We didn’t have to worry about the wood drying before we would put it in the furnace. It was nice not to worry about creosote build up and chimney fires. It was difficult to get ahead the first year, but after we we did, our minds were definitely at ease!

    I also just love your posts and following your blog. I have learned so much from you! In return, I am teaching my son! Thank you!

    • You’re welcome Salimah. We try to have at least two years’ worth of dry wood available all the time. (Who knows when one of us could be ill or break a leg or something?) It feels secure to know everything’s fine, regardless.

  5. Oh Jackie, you made me laugh. We have a few goats and they can really move if it starts to spit a few drops of rain, the noise they make if they can’t get to their shed sounds as though monsters are attacking and rendering them limb from limb. Here in Australia we are enjoying longer days,frantically planting and the watering has already begun. Already picking peas for freezing, we Never have too many peas and the house cow And the goats love the pods. No waste ever!
    Sue from Oz.

    • You can sure hear the goats beller if it starts to rain. Then there’s a stampede for the barn!! I didn’t know goats could move that fast! Very happy gardening this year!!!

  6. We had about 3 inches of snow last week, here in CT. This brought us a little cold weather, but now we have been in the 70’s. My husband keeps yapping how we need to keep getting wood and he’s right. I know all about forgetting to cover the pile. The canning never stops, but that’s a good thing. I am getting ready to do cabbages today also, but they will be sauerkraut.

    • Sounds like your weather’s a week or so behind ours. Today it was 18 degrees when I got up and two days ago it was 71. Go figure…. We sure did get a lot done with the good weather recently, though.

  7. Turkeys are pretty resilient. Our flocks have now combined – couple dozen of them (they refuse to hold still for me to count lol). Four smoke phase hens, one with smoke phase tail feathers. Plenty of hens for next year. Rain here tomorrow – high of 70, low of 30 – last warm day until next spring. Glad we got our must-do outside chores finished.

    • Yep, we figure we won’t see warm weather till May. Maybe. Oh well, we did get a whole lot done during the spell of unseasonably warm weather. Now snow for tonight. Boo hoo.

  9. Thank you Jackie. Your column is one of a few that I turn to each day in hopes of finding some semblance of normality. I sure enjoy all the tales of farm homestead life. Such great feelings of nostalgia. Please keep on.

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