Tidbits #3

Today is a tidbit day, nothing big, just tidbit thoughts.

1.  Our fields are finally done and planted with Rye.  We have the "Bee Field" on the north side of the barn, which will eventually be fenced in and grow more fruit trees, grape vines, sweet corn and clover.  I will also be the home of our future bee hive and an area where our 3 pudgy beagles can run.  On the south side of our house we have the "Park" as I call it because there are still some beautiful trees back there and it looks like a park.  The Hubby has deemed it "South Park."  I don't think so.  This is our food plot for our resident deer and hopefully a few wild turkeys.

2.  We are in round 2 of raising meat chicks.  We are about 4 weeks into the process with about 3-4 more to go.  Chicks are funny when they sleep.  Last evening when I went to put them to bed, one was sleeping under the heat lamp with it's right leg and wing all stretched out, until it tipped over.  :)  It got up, shook it's head, turned in a circle and snuggled back in.  Silly bird.

3.  Trapping and hunting season is fast approaching.  We are drying clean sand for trap sets.  Climbing stands are attached to trees to be aired out.  Rat poles are being cut and prepared, and the Hubby and Adin will be going to a wolf trapping class this weekend.  Our Mighty Trapper got himself a wolf tag this year.   Can I say jealous!

4.  It is almost time to pick my last batch of green beans and can them away for winter.  Next year I will have to plant twice as many beans.  They are a favorite around this homestead.

5.  We finally tested our soil and found out we do have acidic soil (which we knew, we just didn't know how acidic).  In our 2 acre "Park" field, we had to put down 7 tons of lime.  Holy cow!  That is a lot of lime.

6.  Did you know that crushed Ag lime is different that barn lime?  Who knew.  Not this farm girl, who's only experience with lime that I remember is putting down this very white and chalky lime in the barn.  I was so confused when we got this tan colored stuff.  If anyone actually knows the difference other than color, let me know, I am curious.

7.  We have a new to us freezer.  It came from my parents who are moving and do not need this big of a chest freezer any more.  It is not a new freezer, as it is the one I remember having back on the farm in the garage for as long as I can remember.  I don't care.  Because of this wonderful freezer, I am now able to take all of the frozen food out of the chest freezer in the barn and move it to a food only freezer.  Hubby's barn freezer can now be exclusively for taxidermy projects and trapping bait.  This is one happy Mama.  Simple pleasures.

Chick Preschool

Once again it was preschool day for our chicks.  We currently have 18 two week old meat chicks in one of our two coops.  Four of those little ones got to make the trip to two preschools this year.  The kids thought that it was cool to watch how they drink and there were lots of ews as the chickies pooped a lot because they were nervous.  They weren't used to this much commotion and tried to all climb in my lap and up my arms to be safe.  By the second stop, the chicks were old pros and didn't seem to mind the noise.  They were even checking out the ants running around on the sidewalk and trying to be big kids.  All the way home I didn't hear one peep.  All 4 of them were sound asleep in the carrier.

Surgery Rehab

This has been a LONG spring and start to summer.  To start it all off, spring was really poky this year and than I discovered that I had a herniated disc and ended up having surgery 3 weeks ago.  My poor garden is very green because of it.  Green because it is covered in weeds. Taking it slow is really hard for me to do.  I feel great, but have to remind myself that I still have restrictions.  Restrictions are not good for a Northwoods girl.  Don't bend at the waist or twist and turn wrong.  Don't shoot the bow, because that is twisting and turning.  Don't lift more than 20 lbs. (at least I am finally up to 20.)  Don't mow the lawn (because with our lawn - lots of hills equals lots of twisting and leaning.)  As you can tell, I am not one to sit still.  It is even hard to sit still long enough to right on this blog.  Well, off I go to do some rehab for my foot/back.

Tidbits #2

Today is a tidbit day, nothing big, just tidbit thoughts.

1. Starting to wonder if we will need tip-ups or a boat for fishing opener in a week and a half.  Who knows?  This is by far the latest that there has been ice on Lake 26 in a really LONG time.

2.  Chickens with spring fever is not a good thing.  They are crabby, don't like the snow, and scold me whenever I try and take the few eggs that they are laying.  Thank goodness we have Lucy, or ever faithful Leghorn.

3.  You know that spring needs to get here when you tell your kids to go out and play and they look at you and say "Mom we are so over snow!"  Ouch!  Bring on the bike riding weather.

4.  I have been dealing with a sprained ankle and nerve damage/pain and no dorsal flexion in my right foot for over a month now.  Found out I have a herniated right L5 disk and may need surgery after I finish my spring semester finals.  Yuck!  What a way to start summer.

Well, have a great snow melting day.

I Hate April Snow

Ok.... What is up with this Wisconsin weather?  It is the end of April and we still have tons of snow.  Hopefully that will be ending this weekend as it is "predicted" to reach 70 degrees.  We'll see.

Sugaring has been going well the last few weeks.  We are over our 70 gallons of sap collected (we lost count) but we have 12 pints of syrup canned already and 24+ gallons yet to boil down.  That should be enough to last us another 2 years.  :)

I am so glad that I have not started my seeds yet.  By the time that the ground gets to a place were I can actually plant out the seedlings they would be too long and gangly.  I will be starting my seeds this weekend I believe.  I can't wait to get my hand dirty in the garden and my chickies can wait to get outside without snow.   They are all a bit crabby.

Well off to school I go - I have less than one month left of this semester.  I have loved it.  Wishing you all a bright and sunny snow melting day.

Sugaring Time Is Here

Things are warming up.  We are starting to see day time temps up above the freezing level and night time temps are still below freezing.  What does this mean?  Well, it is time to dust off the rubber mallet, taps and buckets.  I am going to tap some Maple trees this afternoon.

Last spring sprung really fast and we totally missed sugaring season here in the northwoods.  Seeing has how we just opened out last pint jar of syrup from 2011, we need a good sweet season.  I am hoping to get at least 70 gallons of sap this year if not more.  We will just have to see what out 8 taps will do. 

Off to the woods I go.
I will keep you all updated on the flow.

How You Know You Live With A Trapper

How you know you live with a trapper.
1.  You catch random wifts of "beaver" as you pass the hooks that your "Trapper" hangs his outside clothes on.
2.  The door knobs of the barn and the steering wheel of the truck are a little slippery with beaver grease.
3.  You have happy chickens who get a beaver carcass as a big treat in their run.
4.  Your hubby has a treasured ice chisel.  Heaven help us if it ever got lost.
5.  You know the difference between a conibear and leg hold trap.
6.  You always know what is good ice and what is bad ice.
7.  There are Ziploc baggies of ? in the freezer.  Oh yeah, it is just bait.
8.  The aroma of the Fur Shed in town doesn't offend you.
9.  Your kids and nephews like to go beaver and rat "hunting".
10.  Your trapper gets a bit stir crazy when there is just too much ice to chop so you are waiting for things to warm up and the ice to thin out.