September Recap by Photo #1

Burning off the slough behind our home.  Yes, it seems very close and I didn’t like it one bit.  The whole slough is dry, though, and this is the quickest way to get the land prepped for tilling.  It will be planted next year if we stay this dry.

Somehow, I managed to find time to preserve the pears I purchased.  The Cinnamon pear sauce is excellent on its own, but even better in Pear Streusel Pie.

What do ya know!  The garden started to produce.  Right before a big freeze.  Thankfully, Marcus slept a couple hours straight on this day so I could go harvest everything.

Finally found time to bake a peach pie, too.  It was yummy.

More pics of Marcus.  Is there a cuter subject in my home at the time?

Wednesday DayLook: October 12, 2011

Looking out from my back porch... the soybean field is harvested, the sun is getting ready to rise for the day.

I am thankful for... my husband, who is always supportive and willing to listen.

I am reading… had time to read the diocesan newspaper and The National Catholic Register.  The next issue of StAR arrived, but no time to read last night.

I am praying for... a fellow homeschooler, who is struggling just as much as I.  We’ve agreed that praying for each other just might be easier.

I am hearing... Louis is jabbering to everyone upstairs in the kitchen.

I am wearing… grey capris, teal t-shirt, yellow zip-front hoodie.  I hope bright makes my mood bright.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… only time for washing and barely that!

From the School Room... oh, it has been a struggle to get into a good routine.  We are STILL adjusting.  I tell you, this year has been SOOOOOOO very hard.  I couldn’t do it, if not for my husband, the support from fellow homeschoolers, and the knowledge that this IS what I am called to do for my kids.  Praying for the kids to have the desire ‘to desire to do schoolwork’!

From the Kitchen... made Knuefla soup yesterday.  It was yummy!

From the Garden… harvested more tomatoes  yesterday.  If cold weather holds off, I’ll get more.  The roma tomatoes are so huge … and still green!  Still need to clean out the garden, weed out the flower beds for Fall, and pull annuals.  So much to do.

From the FarmYard… soybean harvest ended last week and they finished up a small patch of corn last night.  The rain gave us a break between crops and settled all the dust.  We plan to move the young flock into the back section of the large coop this week.

A successful moment… I’d consider this post a successful moment.  Haven’t done a very good job of recording the past few weeks.  Maybe the winter months will provide more time for bloggin?

Also, we’ve been praying the rosary in the morning before school.  On those days when we are really pressed, we pray a decade instead of all five mysteries.  I can only say that this has reduced stress tremendously, and I heartily thank and pray for the mother who suggested it.

A few plans for the rest of the week…

Wednesday: laundry, Adult RE (Echoes program)

Thursday: Appts for Zeke and I, trip/overnight to Fargo for Suzie (EC meeting)

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: WOG for Suzie, possible corn harvest, 4-H meeting, Dash’s last regular season FB game

A picture memory...

Grandpa Green Acres tried combining while Eric was gone for his District Meeting the last week in September.  It was very wet, so he didn’t go farther than this first strip that day.

33/52 & 34/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

 

33/52

Other FMCHE Annual Book Sale purchases…

Charity for the Suffering Souls:  An Explanation of the Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory by Rev. John A. Nageleisen

 

Padre Pio: The True Story by C. Bernard Ruffin

 

The Jesse Tree: A Cutout Book by Marlene Konrady

 

Essentials Digital Photography – this is more for Zeke than anyone else, but I imagine I’ll be reading some of it to him.  He has an interest in photography and videography.

 

Below is the Marian Garden Shrine Dash made for me.  He used the old shrine (it completely fell apart) to make a pattern on oak (leftover from building our hosue) and used the ‘old’ statue and added a crucifix.  I think they’re beautiful!  He’s making a few more for gifts.

 

German chocolates brought by a good college friend when she and her kids visited this past weekend.

 

And, the Kroshus crew is out again.  This time, they’re tearing out the front walk (that’s done), lowering the grade so water will drain AWAY from the house and foundation, installing a new walk, and landscaping between the walk and the house.  These guys know how to work…I really like their productivity!

Redoing the drainage.

 

And chickens…

…running out to meet their mistress…

…dust bath time…

…the broody hen…

…older pullets and two cockerels in the holding pen and getting used to the big hens.   The door was opened and the two flocks merged on August 18 (about a week after the two flocks were housed together).  We’ve kept the younger flock separated at night, but they needed outside time during the daylight.  A people-person stuck around the first couple days when they were out together.  On Saturday they were pretty much left alone.  The Buff rooster is definitely the dominant as he gets into the most fights with ‘head’ hens.  I just enjoy sitting and watching them…

 

…the Ameraucanas enjoying the outdoors…

I’m going to harvest tomatillas this year!!

 

And, a sleepy child (Zeke) to end the collage.

 

34/52

And another crazy week!  Lots of travel, first varsity football game for Dash (and he played because they were ahead by sooo many points… ended up winning 68-13), Dentist and Orthodontist appointments, Sam’s club shopping (with the three youngest in tow – they did better than I imagined!), overnight with a good friend for Angelina, peaches from the fruit truck in Fargo, first corn on the cob from the garden.

Big chickens have been successfully merged.  The roosters are settled in with the new hens and their authority established.  The flock is happy and the youngest pullets are getting closer to the ‘laying’ age.

We’ll be harvesting a few more chickens later in the year because the Ameraucana group includes about 4-5 cockerels that we cannot keep, or need, as adults.  So, more for the freezer later this Fall.

The newest three were moved to the Wahoo on Thursday.  They’ve outgrown their water tank home and were just getting too smelly to keep up with in the outside garage!  They have more space and better feed containers in the Wahoo.

Here are a few pics to memorialize the week…

Progress on front landscaping…

and the next day!

At the Ransom Co. Fair:

Zeke and his friend, Brett.  These are Mickey Mouse ears.

Above: Dash showing a pig.

Below: Graham in the tractor pedal contest…he won tickets to the rides (participation prize … but he did well for his first time ever!).

Below: Angelina showing a pig.

Below:  Louis was just happy to run around and see all the animals.  As for me, I was absolutely beat by the end of the day!

Above:  Love this pic of Angelina walking back from the mailbox.  Wheat field being harvested in the background.

Below:  Happy Birthday, Eric!

 

Harvesting

Friday was chicken harvest day at the farm.  We are now down to 17 pullets … besides the 12 laying hens in the older flock.  Friends will be taking 5 of the pullets, which will leave us with a laying flock of 24 over the winter.  The pullets should start laying eggs in about 4-5 weeks.

This is the last batch of cleaned and bagged chickens to freeze.  We started around 12:30pm on Friday and finished up the bagging at 10pm that evening.  We processed a total of 35 (33 cockerels and 2 runty hens).  Note to self:  Do NOT attempt more than 35 in one day, and less would be better!  Not too bad for our first year.

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While we wouldn’t normally work out in the garden on Sunday, but the plums needed harvesting, too.  Eric mentioned that he’d seen red fruit the other day, so after brunch, I drove over to check for ripeness.  The first tree I checked was filled with plums ripe enough to fall into my hand.  Dash, Angelina, Zeke and I drove over and harvested a five-gallon bucket of fruit.  Some fruit is ripe, some will need to wait a few days.  Jelly and syrup making is in our future … YUM!

 

The larger plums were ripe enough to eat.  The skin is tart and a bit thick, but the flesh is wonderfully sweet.