Birthday Boy

Here he is... on the left. Festus is two years old today! As we speak, he's waiting for the poor unsuspecting cat to walk down the stairs so that he can try once again to kill her. Black Cat has gotten quicker as she's gotten older.... That kind of luck can't last forever.

Late Summer Kitchen

I suppose only one word describes this time of the year...'canning', or if you'd rather...'freezing'. For me, it's mostly canning... since the freezers are pretty full of pork, chicken and Icelandic cod when I can find a deal.
 The paste tomatoes are just getting into high gear, and deep inside I'm wishing for rain... or at least a cool spell, to justify spending a day in the kitchen hovering over a pot of simmering water. Until that day comes, it's tomato sandwiches with homemade mayo for breakfast... and lunch... but seriously, who's complaining?? Once I start canning tomatoes, I'm going to have to bring the pickles and peaches down to the root cellar... and right now, I've got another dinner to make! Here's hoping that everybodys problems are as life altering as mine...

Summer... no time for vacations

Another year has come and gone and I find myself doing the same things over and over again. I suppose if I expected different results,,, well, that be be the clinical definition of insanity. But alas, I've been cutting firewood, raising and butchering meat chickens, and working on the old homestead. I suppose if we're lucky we'll get another winter like last year... but luck is a fickle mistress, and I've got a feeling she's pissed off right about now. I'm not sure how older folks are going to deal with the ever increasing costs of heating fuels and electricity. While they've got my compassion, that generation is also the beneficiary of the best this economy and planet had to offer... we're left with the scraps... and to fend for ourselves. Enough complaining though, what did YOU do on your summer 'vacation' of 2012?

 

 

We had a terrific blueberry season. With seven of these cultivated bb bushes we managed to eat plenty and freeze even more!

 

 

 

 

This year I moved the meat bird operation to another area in need of 'fertilizer'. With the addition of quality bird netting and a fine job of fencing, I managed to ward off all of the red fox and red tailed hawk poaching that has troubled me in the past. I never really had a big loss... but the fox population has exploded this year and in hindsight, I'm glad I made the investment.

 

 

 

 

Most of the 60 Cornish Roasters came in dressed at 6 1/2 - 9lbs. It sure is nice to know the freezers are full.

 

 

 

 

The gardens and peach tree got off to a good start, but the early March hot spell and subsequent April hard freeze were enough to dispel any hopes of a good pear and apple harvest around these parts.

 

 

 

 

 

I've got lots of peaches canned and headed to the root cellar for Winter reminders of a long past Summer.

 

 

 

Festus took his job of protecting the peach tree very seriously this year. The little guy will be a whopping two years old on August 31st!

While it's been really dry here this summer, lots of watering... and having a pond across the road helps... has kept us growing and now canning up a storm, along with the dehydrator and a fair amount of freezing veggies, thing look pretty good even if mother nature deals us a bad hand this winter. With 7 cord of wood covered and ready... hell, I'm ready for whatever the old girl dishes out. And so is my back-up generator! 

 

Jack & Festus are already practicing their winter hibernation...