No, we’re not getting snow like they did around Great Falls and where we used to live. They got over 8 inches! And not in the mountains, either. Wow, that’s early. Instead, we went from nearly 80 degrees F down to just above 40 this morning. And it’s drizzling rain. Yes, we need it but there still is a lot I’d like to get done outside. Oh well, if it’s one thing we homesteaders learn is to adjust. So, instead of picking beans and digging carrots, I’m going to turn some of those hundreds of jalapeños Will picked in the Sand Garden, into more Cowboy Candy. At this rate, I won’t have to make another batch for a couple of years anyway! He still is going to pick the Sugar Rush Peach and Striped Sugar Rush Peach hot peppers in the hoop house. From those, I’ll make Gaucho Relish, which we really love. I made 4 half-pints of watermelon rind sweet pickle. We really love it, but it is so labor intensive! Out of a medium sized watermelon, I only got four small jars. But boy, it is worth it at holidays.
Grandson, Drew’s generator kind of died yesterday. It starts and immediately dies. No, it’s not low oil shutdown; Will checked. We took it to Hibbing this morning to get repaired and the guy said he’s two to three weeks behind. Luckily, Drew has a backup generator. Around here, we try to have a plan A, B, and C. Just in case. On the way back, we stopped so I could get pictures of the Trumpeter swan family we had seen on a pond, earlier. Yep, they were still there. Mom, Dad, and four cygnets, grey but big and flying. I’m sure they are resting during their fall migration south.
Will finished haying yesterday and is busy cutting more firewood to split. Our woodshed is full with a huge pile, but it is not stacked yet. Once stacked, it’s shocking how little that huge pile actually was. Beware folks, buying a “truckload,” just thrown into a pile in the back of a pickup. No, it isn’t a cord. Or even a half cord. The 4′ x 4′ x 8′ stacked pile is what is measured for a full cord, not just a “huge” pile in the truck bed.
As soon as it warms up a little and quits drizzling, we’ll pull the carrots and last of the onions because that unwelcome snow is coming before too long. Some forecasters say we’ll have a mild winter with little snow and others say we’re in for a wham-bang winter. The beavers aren’t agreeing with the last guess. I’m hoping for a “normal” winter, not with either dire forecast coming true. I guess we’ll see. Better get ready, just in case, though. — Jackie
Beautiful carrots and jalapeños. Preserving is certainly the way to go. I appreciate your honesty in preparing us for coming food shortages. I have a canning question. I have been gifted a venison brisket. I’m a widow and was thinking of canning it in chunks for stir fry, pulled barbecue sandwiches, stew. Would brisket “tender up” enough to do these dishes? Rain expected intermittently here the next 2 days. Take care.
Yes, when you can venison brisket in chunks, it does get more tender. I chunk mine and partially brown it to help it shrink down some in the jars. I add 1 tsp powdered beef soup base to each quart or 1/2 tsp to each pint. As we don’t have a big family at home anymore, I usually opt for pints or even half pints.
Great. Thank you so very much.
I watch the ag news most mornings and it is scary what the farmers are saying.
I also read that a lot of wheat berries are already selling out. I need to stock up on more just to have on hand. I have an electric wheat grinder but thinking about getting a hand wheat grinder just in case. Makes delicious bread with fresh ground.
Reading news about the grocery stores getting hacked in France. If anyone has not read this article it can happen here.
Yes, it can! With increased use of the internet, it makes it easier to do damage via hacking. Having no food on grocery store shelves is alarming to a wide population. And I hope folks don’t make the assumption that it can’t happen here, as it sure could.
We keep track of the ag news too and boy is it scary on all fronts. We have an electric grain mill but also kept our old standby Victorio hand mill. Just in case. As we have increased our solar capability needing the hand mill is less probably. But it’s plan C. Always have a plan A, B and C. : )
Beautiful carrot s! I didn’t get a single one planted twice in spring and again mid summer for fall harvest. Weather just didn’t cooperate. 38 this morning low 60’s afternoon s lately Fall colors are strong but we’re so dry in the Pacific Northwest.Everett is definitely building up his herd prices are not going down Glad we heat with wood. Hope grandson generator is fixed sooner than later
I had to plant 3 times as our weather was also crazy. But, at last, we have carrots galore! Will is building up our herd too as we had to downsize twice, due to drought causing less pasture and hay. Yep, no cheap beef in the future, especially with all the ranchers facing wildfires and drought this year, plus a lot of us having had to downsize, due to drought a couple of years ago. It takes years to build a herd back up unless you buy. And at current prices, who can do that???
I got 5 half pints of watermelon rind pickles- these I hoard. Weather here unusually warm. I have 5 cabbages left. Garlic and potato onions have sprouted. I have the last of the green beans to pick. When heating season starts my wood pile shrinks. Every year I think I’ve cut a 2 year supply-never turns out that way. Each year it takes me longer to get the wood pile done. I don’t stack it now as that is too much work. I put it in a big pile in the shed. Years past my sons and I stacked the wood. They’ve gone to their own households. One also burns wood. With the price of fuel I think you’ll see a resurgence of wood for heating. I would prefer a snowy winter and not a bleak cold one without snow. We hit 85 yesterday which is a new record. Soy beans are harvested and soon the field corn. We’re going to keep beef heifers to grow the herd (now 36 cows). I never seem to finish all the loose ends but enjoy every day. I’m happy to be upright and taking nourishment-my standard reply to “How ya doing”. Stay warm
Yep, every morning I thank God that I’m still here. I don’t know how folks on a fixed, minimum income can get by, with the cost of fuel, the reduction in AEOA payments, the cost of groceries and everything else. I feel so bad for them.
We love our new wood stove! It’s bigger than our old one, which we passed on to grandson, Drew, as it is better than his old one. It is harder when the “boys” move on to their own lives and aren’t around to help Ma and Pa like they used to. We old timers take longer to do everything, it seems. But we keep plugging along and, somehow, stuff gets done.
I’m glad dad doesn’t solely rely on SS. I had one relative who truly was on a fixed income long before this government inflicted mess started. Until said relative passed, we had family to assist when needed. As I have disposable income, I am helping a fixed income senior and a family who are being screwed by our current government (those who help the US in times of war should not be left out to dry. And we all know from here on out, our soldiers will get less help when they so need it – off soap box).
I am worried about this winter’s heating costs for those on fixed incomes. So much help has been cut in order for the 1-2% to get their precious tax cuts. Gads don’t get me started but I will say the more money you have the more you have to lose.
It was 87 here today. Not as warm tomorrow, rain moving in. Saturday morning is predicated to be 34 (it was 32). The corn is tinder dry so farmers are watching for sparks. Hopefully not so much rain that they’ll have to turn around and wait to pick. Bad enough diesel is well over $6.00 in most farm areas, no one wants to run their dryers (more electric than natural gas).
Garlic came the other day so that will need to be planted here soon.
Yep. I don’t think most people give a thought to what farmers go through to put food and other ag products in the stores. We were so lucky we bought our farm fuel when prices were just starting to go up. We could see the writing on the wall. It’s been raining for 2 days here. Ugh!
Good luck planting your garlic!
While I don’t see farm fuel dropping any time soon, may you time your next purchase to be the least hit to your pocketbook (and I wonder how many these days know what a pocketbook is, much less a kitchen table issue).