tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56629683270546665932024-02-18T21:54:38.005-06:00Hoof 'n BarrelHossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-72120466570849709062012-05-01T21:00:00.000-05:002012-05-01T21:00:17.771-05:00Let's Try Again...I posted this the other day but I was still fighting with Blogger ...and losing miserably ...to allow comments on my posts. I <i>think </i>the problem is resolved (thanks to MDR and Sista!) so I'm reposting this as a test run. If there is an option to leave a comment after I publish it ...I will be a happy camper. If not, I'm going to be thoroughly disgusted (again) with Blogger. Cross your fingers!<br />
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<i>Repost of </i><br />
'Three Grapes ... ?'<br />
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I witnessed something amazing this morning. I stopped at the grocery store on my way to work and felt fortunate to be only second in line at the only register open that early in the morning. The lady in front of me had only four items, including a very small bunch of grapes. She asked to pay for the grapes separately. Not unusual. Maybe she was picking them up for a friend and needed a receipt. The cashier rang up her other purchases ...less than $10 total. She swiped her card and got cash back on that purchase. I'm not sure how much cash she got back ...it was three bills and one of them was a $10 bill. The cashier reached for the bag of grapes and laid them on the scale. She said, 'No, I need you to ring them up SEPARATELY ...one grape at a time.' I'm sure my eyebrows went up, it seemed an odd request. The cashier was undaunted though and pulled the grapes out of the bag. There were three of them and they were all loose, as if she had plucked them separately from a bunch before putting them in the bag. <br />
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He put one grape on the scale. The screen read 2 cents for the purchase. The lady swiped her card, then got cash back ...another three bills, one of which was a $10 bill. Okay, now I was intrigued. The cashier placed the second grape on the scale ..again, the total was 2 cents and the lady got three bills in cash back on that purchase. She looked at me apologetically and said, 'Sorry ...just one more. This is the only way I can get all my cash off the card.' I smiled and said, 'No problem ...but how did you figure this out?' She said her mother worked at a grocery store and told her how to do it. Awkward silence and she went on about the business of swiping her card for the last grape. Dumbfounded, I was thinking to myself how ingenious people can be when they are trying to find loop holes.<br />
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My train of thought was interrupted at that point when I heard her tell the cashier, 'You can just throw those grapes away.' She had paid for and pocketed her 'cash back' on the last of the three grapes and they had served their purpose. They weren't food to her. They were a means to an end. Each grape merely represented a 2 cent surcharge that allowed her to extract 'her' cash from the food stamp card she was using to pay for them. Is anyone else shaking their head? <br />
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Food stamps in Texas are distributed in the form of a debit card and only work for certain purchases. If you buy something that is not an approved item, you have to pay cash for it. Why in the world should 'cash back' be an option on a food stamp card? How is that appropriate?<br />
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I could not see the denomination of all the bills the lady got back today. But I could see that one of them was a $10 bill each time. She got three bills back in cash on four separate purchases. Assuming the other two bills each time were only $5 bills, she just 'cashed' $80 worth of food stamps. What if each of the bills I couldn't see were $10 bills ...or $20 bills? The lady in the line in front of me this morning purchased less than $10 of actual <i>food</i>, and left the store with somewhere between $80 and $200 in 'cash back' on her $10 purchase. Adding insult to injury, she told the cashier to throw the grapes away!<br />
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Again, I ask, is anyone else shaking their head?HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com201tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-63620116450103160872012-03-18T10:50:00.000-05:002012-03-18T10:50:21.747-05:00Now I Need to DecideYeoldfurt converted from Blogger to Wordpress a while back and after much soul searching has deleted both blogs. I don't think he'll be back. <br />
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Maintaining a blog does take a lot of time, especially if you try to post with any regularity. The benefits used to be there ...a sense of community, a sharing of ideas and information. I'm grateful that we had the privilege of meeting some of you face to face and grateful for the friendships we've made, even with some that we only know in this cyberworld format. But could the hours I spend at this keyboard every week be put to better use in the garden, with the animals or perhaps even researching new skills? Probably. No, not probably ...absolutely. When money is short, you get frugal and watch every penny before you spend it. Well, time gets spent too, folks. And time that is wasted or misspent in less productive endeavors will be far more costly in the long run than money wasted or misspent. <br />
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Though my readership is more now than I ever thought it would be, I am seriously leaning toward following Yeoldfurt's lead and shutting this blog down. If I do, please know that I appreciate everyone who clicked 'Follow' and has stuck with me through the many dry spells of sparse posting. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-87341551862422232332012-03-05T18:32:00.000-06:002012-03-05T18:32:31.337-06:00Exceptionally Good Weekend!My weekend got off to a great start since I was off work on Friday for Texas Independence Day. It was an optional holiday at work. If I had gone in to work, I would have earned comp time, but I had the option of <i>not </i>going in and that sounded like the better deal to me! <br />
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<a href="http://moderndayredneck.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Modern Day Redneck</a> and his family were coming to visit on Saturday so I had plenty to keep me busy getting ready. Yeoldfurt and I had the pleasure of meeting MDR and Mrs MDR a few months ago when they dropped their oldest daughter, <a href="http://wishonshootingstars.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">BEB</a>, off for her freshman year at Texas A&M. We were looking forward to seeing MDR and the Mrs again, but this would be the first time we would get to meet the girls so we were really looking forward to it. <br />
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If you are familiar with Modern Day Redneck's blog and have been reading his posts for any length of time, you will know that he is very proud of his three girls. After meeting the girls this weekend, I can tell you that he is not just blinded by fatherly love ...those are some truly awesome young ladies! <br />
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When I found out a few weeks ago that they would be coming to our place, I decided to make lasagna for dinner while they were here. I made a grocery run that Tuesday before and accidentally grabbed two big packages of MONTERREY JACK instead of MOZZARELLA cheese. They're both WHITE cheese and I was in a hurry, what can I say? I discovered my mistake when I got home and resolved to pick up the CORRECT cheese on Thursday ...which I did. Unfortunately though, I did not have the foresight to put the MONTERREY JACK in the freezer and far, far away from the MOZZARELLA cheese in my fridge. Nope. That would have made too much sense. Instead, I put them next to each other in the fridge and again ...they are both WHITE CHEESE and I was in a hurry Friday morning so I grabbed the wrong one! <br />
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I did not discover my mistake until the lasagna was made and I was cleaning up the kitchen. I grabbed the bag of cheese and there in big block letters were the words MONTERREY JACK CHEESE. When I realized I now had a FIVE-POUND pan of lasagna made with the <i>wrong cheese</i>, a couple of rather non-churchy words escaped my lips. Okay, it was really only <i>one </i>rather non-churchy word repeated several times in rapid succession. <br />
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I confessed my mistake to MDR in email and left it up to him whether to forewarn the rest of the family that the lasagna would have a bit of a southwest twist. I told him I hoped it would still be good ...I <i>thought </i>it would still be good and that I experiment on Yeoldfurt with recipes all the time. But I was a little freaked to be subjecting HIM and his FAMILY to such an experiment, especially considering it was not a PLANNED experiment. He graciously laughed off my concern with "<i>I don't know if there is such a thing as wrong cheese. No worries."</i> What a nice family those Rednecks are! <br />
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All's well that ends well though. We had a great time catching up with MDR and the Mrs, and really enjoyed finally getting to meet their three girls. Yeoldfurt also managed to get the tractor running again so he no longer has to roll round bales by hand. Yup, it was an exceptionally good weekend! HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-89940084942925852162012-02-19T14:47:00.000-06:002012-02-19T14:47:07.617-06:00Well, They're Gone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Two of the horses we thought would be with us all their lives left in a two horse trailer this afternoon, heading back to Alvin with their new owner. This will be a new chapter in their lives and, hopefully, it will be the beginning of happy times and new adventures for them. The man who bought them has a lot of kids, including two teenage boys. Yeoldfurt and I hope each of the boys will strike up a bond with one of these two horses. If that happens, the lives of those boys and these horses will be mutually enriched. <br />
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The trailer they left in was a fancy rig but has seen better days. The floor was good and solid though and the latches are secure. We don't haul that often and ours is an open aluminum stock trailer. This is a two horse straight load and I wasn't sure if the horses would be balky. But they loaded right up when asked, they made me proud. Maybe it was the fresh hay I put in the mangers for them, but I like to think it was their quality upbringing. <br />
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We sent them off with a 50-pound bag of feed so that if the new owner has a different type of feed, he can introduce it gradually. We gave him their bridles and bits too. They are good leather headstalls, double-stitched and well-oiled, and they are already adjusted to fit these horses. We have a surplus of tack anyway and want the transition for Lucy and Lyric to be as smooth as possible. Hopefully, a few little familiar things from home will facilitate that. <br />
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The two horses that remain will have 8-1/2 acres to themselves. We expect them to be anxious and calling for their missing herdmates for a few days. It's always unsettling to a horse when members of the herd come or go. But by next weekend, they will have settled into the notion that they are the herd now ...just the two of them. The good rains we've had these past six or eight weeks have caused the grass that was so stressed by last summer's heat and lack of moisture to try and come back. With only two horses on it now instead of four, it will recover more quickly. If the rain patterns continue through the spring and we have at least minimal rain this summer, maybe hay prices will come back down too. With only two horses on the feed/vet/hay/farrier bill now, maybe our finances might have a chance to recover too. One can hope.<br />
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I took one last picture as they pulled out of the driveway. I wish them and their new owners all the best. Sometimes we have to let go of things we love in order to do right by them. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCJT8Phxgn3iULqFA1eNXgHbBSCZZn3q2apn6MMgPWFi9BsKoZeDHlk4jbi0tABwY7NzHgI-SK5yjSfhCITwNul31fjeZUFtvQxh2PuW5xJj-wSKu6tyswudCRmz2HbT3ykb91w4xxBPp/s1600/Feb+19+2012+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCJT8Phxgn3iULqFA1eNXgHbBSCZZn3q2apn6MMgPWFi9BsKoZeDHlk4jbi0tABwY7NzHgI-SK5yjSfhCITwNul31fjeZUFtvQxh2PuW5xJj-wSKu6tyswudCRmz2HbT3ykb91w4xxBPp/s400/Feb+19+2012+007.jpg" width="340" /></a></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-43851683630482493282012-02-06T21:09:00.000-06:002012-02-06T21:09:48.678-06:00Paying it Forward<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nothing like an unexpected accolade from a friend to brighten up your day. <a href="http://moderndayredneck.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Modern Day Redneck</a> nominated me for the Liebster award. The icing on the cake was that he referred to me as his 'teacher' when it seems to me I've learned a lot more from him than the other way around! But it sure was a bright spot in my day and now I get to pay it forward. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BdmNxAKyb1_AnW0WGMDZ6g2iCEaYe9O-rSqyd7kBM89ylrriS55gyz2I8Ci60M3DzeYoMapRQWA6RlJoNSBQ8zDTWjkSSn5CJTMWVk2hLGKPocTGCTUf05rE5lEchzryC_W0CFbtSi1C/s1600/liebster-award.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BdmNxAKyb1_AnW0WGMDZ6g2iCEaYe9O-rSqyd7kBM89ylrriS55gyz2I8Ci60M3DzeYoMapRQWA6RlJoNSBQ8zDTWjkSSn5CJTMWVk2hLGKPocTGCTUf05rE5lEchzryC_W0CFbtSi1C/s1600/liebster-award.png" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here are the rules:<br />
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.<br />
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2. Link back to the blogger who gave you the award.<br />
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3. Pick your favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.<br />
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4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 17px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 17px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">It's hard to choose just five from the many that I read every day. But here are my five: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Lamb of <a href="http://droptheshoe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Frippery Farm</a> who I first met through the chatroom. A world class lady who carves a homestead out of the west Texas desert ...quite a feat in itself. But she also bravely wrangles teenagers and an ever growing menagerie as her Darlin' Man seems to bring home a new critter every time she lets him out of her sight. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Humblewife of <a href="http://doublenickelfarm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Double Nickel Farm</a> who is the epitome of all things wholesome and good. She loves the Lord and embraces all her roles ...wife, mother, homemaker, homesteader ...with grace and humility and enthusiasm. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">KX59 and Southern Belle of <a href="http://bellsaringing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bells A Ringing</a> are a husband and wife team, emphasis on team. They are 'on the same page' and yet autonomous in their perspectives when they each post on the shared blog. Sometimes serious, sometimes humorous and sometimes downright hilarious ...but always well worth the read. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Melissa at <a href="http://kidsandcanningjars.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kids and Canning Jars</a> is a homeschooling mom with a knack for canning and all things frugal. She cans hotdogs ... who'd have thunk it possible? She dehydrates citrus ...again ...I never would have thought of that. Maybe I've just led a sheltered life in my homesteading ventures so far, but I always look forward to her new posts. I just know I'm going to have an 'a-HA!' moment!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Last but not least, is Kate at <a href="http://craftivista.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Craftivist</a> who is one talented lady! She can knit and crochet and sew. If it's crafty ...this lady can do it. She even did a post on making homemade <a href="http://craftivista.blogspot.com/2012/01/bouncy-balls.html" target="_blank">Bouncy Balls</a> ...how fun is that?!? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">If you are on my blog roll but not on the above list, please know that I read you every time you post and choosing just five for the list was really hard. </div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-74801292683596506762012-02-04T16:34:00.000-06:002012-02-04T16:34:01.861-06:00Yup, 'Interesting' is One Way to Describe this Past Week...Like Yeoldfurt said in his <a href="http://yeoldefurt.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/400-and-a-new-mailbox/" target="_blank">post</a> earlier today, it's been an 'interesting' week. It seems like everything around here either needs fixing or replacing these days. The vehicles have been taking turns breaking down for three months now. We've had to put money into every single one of them, each time from $200 to $1500. They're just old vehicles and mechanical things have a tendency to wear out. I broke that tooth a couple of weeks ago and get to spend $95 to have it pulled next Thursday (a good bit cheaper than what the dentist wanted to do) and today I got to spend $15.00 on a new mailbox and hardware because some hooligans trashed our old one night before last. Makes me wonder what next week has in store for us. <br />
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My venture at Yesteryear's pays for itself but not much more than that. In the three months I've had the booth space, my net after expenses is a little over $100. Not exactly a revenue stream, but I am purging a few things and turning them into cash. My primary goal in setting up the booth space was to purge, so technically it's a success. But I was hoping it would generate just a wee bit more cash than what it has so far. I could really use an infusion of cash right now. I'll give it a full year ...or until the first month I actually have to pay the booth rental ($35/month) out of my pocket instead of my sales ...and see if it's worth continuing. <br />
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Looking around for what else I can sell, I couldn't help but take another look at the horses. We have the two that we ride and we have the 23 year old who is our grandkid horse. Those are 'forever horses.' That only leaves the six year old, Lyric. The one I was going to saddle break last year and it just didn't happen. Well, technically, she's broke to saddle and will take a bit and bridle very nicely. I've just never climbed up on her back. Every time I think I'm going to, my wiser self reminds me of how well I <i>wouldn't </i>bounce if I hit the ground these days. It's been about 12 years since I had a 'horse wreck' and I was lucky that time ...nothing broken, just some cracked ribs and a hairline fracture of my pelvis. The way things have gone for us in general the last couple of years, I think my luck may have run out. <br />
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So, I listed Lyric on Craigslist today. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1cgJG_TvJoHSLDJoKP57oVThEaUJTaxbFM2oc6MQde7aBdZCZgjM1nGc9M8U6XCpYscHJkEKvb-jRxDlMxBXd1vVdaDyGTR52oJ7x6PhtamHXfpl1exWCnCrn-6TUdCM6pqc9YoHiWml/s1600/Copy+of+lyric1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1cgJG_TvJoHSLDJoKP57oVThEaUJTaxbFM2oc6MQde7aBdZCZgjM1nGc9M8U6XCpYscHJkEKvb-jRxDlMxBXd1vVdaDyGTR52oJ7x6PhtamHXfpl1exWCnCrn-6TUdCM6pqc9YoHiWml/s320/Copy+of+lyric1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
She was a pretty little thing as baby and she's grown up to be a really nice mare. I'm asking $600 and hoping I find someone half my age who has a bit more disposable income than I do ...most importantly, someone who will love her and appreciate her. She deserves more than I can give her at the moment. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3d-YF3PJbkfvghSrx-bynhdyUdvGTUaWVU3X3D-1BHWtVWBvl6Cq6snLfvZOPDjS9-wbp4wK-k_M-8Jv-zg2f_QlFMSuYoOpJniTc7MIRXaTVjyp6nQXFfnlTbLKOOiw364lONkJzcm2/s1600/SUNP0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3d-YF3PJbkfvghSrx-bynhdyUdvGTUaWVU3X3D-1BHWtVWBvl6Cq6snLfvZOPDjS9-wbp4wK-k_M-8Jv-zg2f_QlFMSuYoOpJniTc7MIRXaTVjyp6nQXFfnlTbLKOOiw364lONkJzcm2/s320/SUNP0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is my first ever attempt at selling something on Craigslist. The price is right (free) ...I just hope she sells. If I can get $600 for her, the money will go to stock up on hay for the three we will still be feeding. Sounds like a lot of money, doesn't it? We used to get 1000-pound round bales for $70/each ...delivered. Now we can only find scrawny little 500-pound bales for $135/each including delivery. So converted to round bales at today's prices, $600 is only about 4 weeks worth of hay for the three horses we'll still be feeding. Lord, I hope the good rains we've had for two months now continue through the summer so our local hay producers can get up and running again!HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-4404176406916695772012-01-21T08:38:00.000-06:002012-01-21T08:38:51.719-06:00Dora's Very Bad Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNurOH2CTacXAT3lkT5gaMbx5U8ujBhwlFDtLNs1b_xUYKjfVNuM3LGOQqvwMW7QEwMHQde5x7kWLFRN8jc7PIkLVj7NGLGpfmB-ZFq2sVVdsUJY3x5G8E_aknLfFnDhW2y75EJO0Fydyl/s1600/The+Target.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNurOH2CTacXAT3lkT5gaMbx5U8ujBhwlFDtLNs1b_xUYKjfVNuM3LGOQqvwMW7QEwMHQde5x7kWLFRN8jc7PIkLVj7NGLGpfmB-ZFq2sVVdsUJY3x5G8E_aknLfFnDhW2y75EJO0Fydyl/s400/The+Target.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>You remember Dora, don't you? She's one of the three hens from our first year of keeping chickens. She and Reba and Red literally rule the roost around here ...never letting the three newbies we added last spring forget who is in charge. Well, she had a rather traumatic day last week when a Red Tailed Hawk tried to make her his dinner. <br />
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I happened to be home and just happened to look out the back window in time to see the hawk pin her to the ground and to witness her desperate struggle to get free. I was about thirty yards away but slammed the door behind me as I came out of the house, hoping to startle the hawk and scare him away. I yelled and waved my arms as I came out and the hawk finally let go of Dora and took off when I was about halfway down the hill to them. <br />
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Feathers were everywhere, it looked like someone busted open a feather pillow in the middle of the yard. Dora was lying where the hawk left her, limp and not moving. Her eyes were closed and I thought she was gone. But when I touched her, she opened her eye a little and made a weak attempt at a cackle. I picked her up and just cradled her for a minute, trying to let her know she was okay now. Her little chicken heart was just a fluttering. I carried her to the little brood coop and set her on top so I could check her over. She couldn't even stand, she was so weak, but I felt her all over and found no puncture wounds at all.<br />
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This is the last thing she might have seen or the last thing her feathered friends might have seen before the attack. A bird of prey zeroing in on it's target is an awesome and beautiful sight ...unless you're the prey. <br />
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Poor Dora was just scared to death. I'm sure she saw her little chicken life flash before her eyes when she was underneath that big hawk. <br />
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Satisfied that she was not physically wounded, I carried her with me and searched the coop and the yard for the other five chickens. I finally found them hiding underneath some equipment in the awning next to the shop. Thinking they were all okay, I left the dog in the chicken yard to make sure the hawk didn't bother <i>them </i>and took Dora into the house. Our dog is a Boxer and that's not your typical livestock guardian breed, but she's an exceptionally <i>good </i>dog and she's been around the chickens since they were just pullets and she was just a pup. She would never hurt them. If she ever tangled with a hawk, she might be hurt but so might the hawk and I was hoping the hawk would be smart enough to know that. <br />
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I fixed Dora a temporary nest in my laundry basket with newspaper lining the bottom. She still wasn't able to stand, but she seemed more alert and 'talked' if I got out of sight from her. She seemed to want me to stay with her so I carried the basket with me as I worked around the house for the next hour or so. By then, she was starting to stand and though still a little unsteady on her feet, I felt she might be better off down in the coop. I popped a bag of popcorn before I carried her down there ...a treat for her and bait to help me get the other five out of the awning and back into the coop. <br />
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When I carried her back down the hill, I set her in one of the nest boxes Yeoldfurt built last summer, thinking she would feel safer in close quarters. I gave her a handful of the popcorn and she went right after it, so I was pretty confident she would make a full recovery in time. <br />
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Coaxing the other five hens out of their hiding place in the awning and back into safety of the coop proved to be a bit of a challenge. We originally only had three hens but we bought some new chicks last spring to enlarge the flock and as replacements for when the original three hens were gone. The older hens tolerated the newcomers but just barely. Before the hawk attack that day, you never would have seen the older hens mingling with the younger hens. Though they all share the coop at night, the three older hens would be on the roost and the three younger hens would be wherever they could find a spot. But there was definite segregation going on in there. So to find them all huddled feather to feather, beak to beak in a two-foot square space told me they were traumatized as well. Dora was the one that was attacked, but they witnessed the attack and they were traumatized. <br />
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Microwave popcorn is a real treat though and the familiar sound of me shaking a bag was too much for them to resist. I stood at the doorway of the awning shaking the open bag of popcorn and four little heads popped up from behind their refuge. I tossed a handful at my feet and started backing up the hill toward the coop. <br />
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Chickens are highly motivated by food and they're also highly competitive about food. All it took was for one of them to make a move toward the scattered popcorn and the others wouldn't be able to resist making a charge themselves. As soon as they were in sight of me, I tossed another handful and they ran toward me ...now halfway to the coop and real safety. I wasn't counting heads at this time. I was just intent on getting them to the coop. Once inside, I scattered several handfuls of the popcorn for them and started counting. I came up one short so I counted again. Still one short. One of the younger reds was missing. Dora was still in the nest box and seemed okay so I locked them in the coop and went back down to the awning. I looked high and low but found nothing. Then I walked the yard, checking every clump of grass, every nook and cranny that could possibly conceal a hen. <br />
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I was just about convinced the hawk had made off with the missing hen and that Dora was perhaps the second course that day when I decided to check the awning one more time. There is some lumber stacked vertically in the very back corner and it's right next to the metal piece that the other hens were hiding under so I decided to move a couple of pieces and see if she might be hiding back there. Sure enough, when I moved the first piece, I heard a faint chicken gasp ...a kind of '<i>yikes, something's found me!</i>' sound. I poked my head back there and shined the little pen light into the darkness and there she was ...wide-eyed and looking very ...well ...chicken! <br />
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I would have thought when she saw it was me and not the hawk or some other scary unfamiliar face, she would have come willingly. But she was not willing at all. I had to move several pieces out of the way and make a grab to finally convince her to come out. It was very tight quarters back there and lousy footing, so I missed when I made the grab. She darted out into the open though and I went after her, thinking I could either herd her back to the coop or corner her and catch her. The riding lawnmower is parked smack dab in the middle of that awning though and she used it to her advantage several times to keep me from getting her out of the awning. She was determined <i>not </i>to go out in the daylight where something might swoop down on her like it had swooped down on Dora. <br />
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I was finally able to spook her out into the yard and once in the open, she made a beeline for the coop. Chickens are big on personality, not so big on brains ...but they do know where they're safe. Once they were all back in the coop, I topped off their food and water and went back to the house. Twenty minutes later, I looked out the back door and the hawk was back, sitting on a fence post directly across from the coop and not twenty feet from where he attacked Dora. As I watched him, another hawk flew in and settled on a branch a few feet above the fence post. A mated pair ...no wonder they were bold. They probably have a nest in the dense woods that border our property. I couldn't get close enough to get a picture of them together, but this is one of them sitting on the shed roof next to the chicken yard. I think the Red Tailed Hawk is a magnificent bird ...just not when it's trying to eat one of my chickens!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik55obKjFKm-e7Gzjqosc0YqOoZGlOdPxi_Gkf2yuKgIIfl4WaT3v2pzBxkYfycPjvUizq5t4MRBkfD9VtiuVJFAf7fS-ZGK0H5ihpLJMmun1Obd2_7mYxR-VvBQvgGm7JGwgeSOS_wEAv/s1600/Doras+Nightmare.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik55obKjFKm-e7Gzjqosc0YqOoZGlOdPxi_Gkf2yuKgIIfl4WaT3v2pzBxkYfycPjvUizq5t4MRBkfD9VtiuVJFAf7fS-ZGK0H5ihpLJMmun1Obd2_7mYxR-VvBQvgGm7JGwgeSOS_wEAv/s400/Doras+Nightmare.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
From now on, if the chickens are in the yard, they will have an MP with them ...Mutt Patrol ...Maggie, guardian of her domain. Hopefully, she'll never see action. I'm hoping her mere presence will be enough to deter the raptors. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2n3f-B2VYy_2uxclCvl7xNMae3i_K7otG-H63tv73WchV_gpFW_8naU2gjCLlLjy-STf5bYbEryZc_t-rKDPXcFw2ZbGEqT1ucICzlttvBeLiPICHwG8hEqFuC7v42hXvpwOlc3DO74H/s1600/MP+on+duty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2n3f-B2VYy_2uxclCvl7xNMae3i_K7otG-H63tv73WchV_gpFW_8naU2gjCLlLjy-STf5bYbEryZc_t-rKDPXcFw2ZbGEqT1ucICzlttvBeLiPICHwG8hEqFuC7v42hXvpwOlc3DO74H/s400/MP+on+duty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-37078979762847892012-01-19T14:00:00.000-06:002012-01-19T14:00:11.570-06:00Whack a Mole, Anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Ig7LJRMNE6g9Z-o___pT5ZHu9P9LOErIOgkVETiHB4hTzXEZ_ZCwkfL4c7XWFpNkpfCoKBM-2eVdv9kLs5-mDP6prRQicMuWpTne9v_ws1B_CWl1e5xTR3PsT8OcEcwKO4G60j0tLih/s1600/mole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Ig7LJRMNE6g9Z-o___pT5ZHu9P9LOErIOgkVETiHB4hTzXEZ_ZCwkfL4c7XWFpNkpfCoKBM-2eVdv9kLs5-mDP6prRQicMuWpTne9v_ws1B_CWl1e5xTR3PsT8OcEcwKO4G60j0tLih/s320/mole.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>You know the old arcade game where, armed with only a mallet, you had to try to whack the mole as he popped up in any one of a dozen places. Okay, it was primitive by today's gaming standards but could be strangely exhilarating if you are the one with the mallet ...<i>and </i>you were halfway good. In the arcade version, the the mole won out in the end more often than not.<br />
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Since mid-November, it's been one financial crisis after another. Thousands of dollars in vehicle maintenance and repairs that <i>had </i>to be done to keep the cars running ...so we could both get back and forth to work ...so we could pay the repair bills along with all the regular bills. Lately I feel like I'm trapped in a Whack a Mole game ...and in my real life version, <i>sometimes I'm the mallet and sometimes I'm the mole</i>. <br />
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Every one of our vehicles cost us <i>something </i>those last two months of 2011. A couple of weeks ago, the main ride, the '95 Camry with only 130,000 miles, developed a slow intermittent leak at the oil pump which will be another couple of hundred dollars. But the mechanic said as long as the leak doesn't worsen and we make sure there is always oil in it, we can let that slide for a little while. So I'm saving ..hoping to scrounge up the funds by March. Then last Sunday night, I broke a tooth. Great. Now I'M falling apart too! <br />
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The tooth didn't hurt when it broke and hasn't hurt since. It doesn't seem to be hot or cold or pressure sensitive so my immediate inclination was to let it slide for a while too. But Yeoldfurt's kind of funny about some things and this is one of those things. He likes his wife to have teeth. So he <i>encouraged </i>me go to the dentist and see what the options might be. <br />
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Of course, the dentist is all about people keeping their teeth so she wants me to put a crown on it ...my cost would be over $700 even <i>with </i>insurance. Not happening. It's a back molar and has a huge filling in it from at least 20 years ago, so I asked her how much to pull it. She gave me THE LOOK and started telling me about some fancy 'buildup filling' work she could do. My cost would be $120 <i>with </i>insurance. She said she didn't know if it would last six weeks, six months or six years ...but when it failed, she could pull the tooth then. The only guarantee apparently is that the buildup filling would <i>not </i>last forever. Grumble, grumble. <br />
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The full set of xrays, exam and consultation cost me nothing because the insurance considers it preventive, but apparently <i>fixing </i>any problems are going to cost me dearly. I guess I should be grateful she found no other immediate problems. She did say I grind my teeth. I've never had a dentist tell me that before so I guess it's a new habit I've picked up. So she wants me to wear a mouth guard when I sleep ...apparently to protect my teeth from each other. <br />
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Great. I think I am officially old. My teeth are at war with each other and both sides are losing. I am still keen on yanking the offending tooth out. I am open to doing it now or postponing the expense until it actually starts being sensitive. But it would be $100 (my cost) and problem solved. It's a back molar so it's not a cosmetic issue and I'm pretty sure I won't starve to death with one less tooth in my head. The dentist and Yeoldfurt want me to go the 'buildup filling' route, then pull it if that method eventually fails. But that would cost me $120 now and at least $100 down the road ....allowing for inflation in case the fancy buildup filling work actually lasted a couple of years. <br />
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Hmmm... $120 now with a guaranteed $100+ later or $100 now and be done. Any money I spend now postpones the needed repairs on the car which, as I mentioned, is kind of important because it's our means of getting to and from work so we can pay all the bills. <br />
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So. Fix the tooth and postpone fixing the car ...or stay on track with saving for the car repairs and postpone fixing the tooth. No wonder I've started grinding my teeth! HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-90939227812065149652012-01-09T20:30:00.000-06:002012-01-09T20:30:30.291-06:00My Version of Tomato PieYeoldfurt posted on his blog recently about the Tomato Pie recipe and how much he liked it. I had never heard of the dish until a girlfriend mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. When I first described it to Yeoldfurt, he really didn't act too enthused. His hesitation made me a little apprehensive, but I made it anyway and he <i>loved </i>it. He raved about while he was eating and told me I should post the recipe. Then he ate the whole thing before I got a picture of it. I was going to wait until I made it again so I could post a picture with the recipe, but apparently KX59 emailed him the other day and is anxious. So I here it is...<br />
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I started with the basic recipe at <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tomato_pie/" target="_blank">Simply Recipes website</a> and tweaked it for my own purposes. This is what it looks like when you make it according to the recipe on the website.<br />
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<i>Ingredients</i><div id="recipe-ingredients"> <ul><li class="ingredient"><i>1 9-inch pie shell </i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>1/2 yellow or red onion, chopped</i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes</i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8 leaves)*</i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>2 cups grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozarella)</i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>3/4 cup mayonnaise</i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank's Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)</i></li>
<li class="ingredient"><i>Salt and freshly ground black pepper</i></li>
</ul><i> Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you'll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer. Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes. In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snow ball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.</i></div><div id="recipe-ingredients"><i> </i></div><div id="recipe-ingredients"><i>Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.</i> </div><div id="recipe-ingredients"> </div><div id="recipe-ingredients">I'm a tweaker when it comes to recipes. I've been cooking for several decades and been cooking for Yeoldfurt for over 12 years now. I know what I like and I know what Yeoldfurt likes, so I'm not afraid to tweak. When I made this recipe, I used a 6x10-inch pyrex baking dish. Instead of making a pastry pie shell, I sprayed the pan with olive oil cooking spray and layered the bottom with crushed Ritz crackers, about 1/4-inch deep. I doubled the onions (one whole onion) and caramelized it in four tablespoons of butter. I poured the caramelized onions and butter evenly over the crushed crackers. I sprinkled this layer lightly with Parmesan Cheese. I spread my three cups of chopped, drained fresh Roma tomatoes over the onions. Yeoldfurt likes anything hot and spicy so I added a well-drained can of Rotel on top of the fresh tomatoes. Instead of basil, I used dried crushed red peppers (the kind they serve with pizza) on top of the tomatoes. I used about four tablespoons. I followed the crushed red peppers with another light dusting of Parmesan cheese. For the top layer, I mixed one cup shredded Cheddar with one cup shredded Monterrey Jack plus 3/4 cup generic Miracle Whip. I finished with about 1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers sprinkled on top of the cheese. </div><br />
I'm sure the dish would be good with a pastry pie crust shell on the bottom too. I was just making it as a side dish and wanted to make it a little lighter. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-7883211326299854312012-01-06T19:22:00.000-06:002012-01-06T19:22:17.381-06:00I'm In ...Are You?<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3><div class="post-header"> </div>On January 2nd, my friend, Lamb, of <a href="http://droptheshoe.blogspot.com/2012/01/declutter-challengeare-you-in.html" target="_blank">Frippery Farm</a> fame did a great post about setting objectives instead of making resolutions for the New Year. The concept is simply to assign a theme as a goal for each month and focus on achieving that goal before the next month rolls around. In theory, the theme for each separate month will help her achieve "<b>No Waste</b>" which is her main theme for this whole year. January's theme is "<b>Organization</b>" and she plans to tackle every room, every closet, every drawer. <br />
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When I read her post, my first thought was, '<i>Great idea!</i>' My second thought was, '<i>Yeah, but it'll never happen here.</i>' I'm not a hoarder, but I am very sentimental so I accumulate <i>stuff</i> very quickly. I also tend to multi-task so, in spite of my good intentions and best efforts, there are always several unfinished projects around this house. But my third thought on the subject was, '<i>Why the heck not?</i>' <br />
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So today, I was happy to see Lamb's post about the Declutter Challenge from <a href="http://www.thesinglesaver.com/p/declutter-challenge.html" target="_blank">The Single Saver</a> blog. Signing up for a challenge might be just the motivation I need to achieve some of these goals so count me in! Read about it <a href="http://www.thesinglesaver.com/p/declutter-challenge.html" target="_blank">here</a> and consider joining us. I double dog dare you! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkMtE3bgDrBo2KC71WZ28iai91ilWiDunLZ3CDPvlPCdkxEhJHvg7ovbjE3QnkVB_7T0Z67vdgLGbxSaw8_-pwQcQunAbP3ZgyK160SG9_TCyPTEKuYUFy4BERnn2FqXr72kpYxRzxtDp/s1600/declutterchallange250.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkMtE3bgDrBo2KC71WZ28iai91ilWiDunLZ3CDPvlPCdkxEhJHvg7ovbjE3QnkVB_7T0Z67vdgLGbxSaw8_-pwQcQunAbP3ZgyK160SG9_TCyPTEKuYUFy4BERnn2FqXr72kpYxRzxtDp/s1600/declutterchallange250.png" /></a></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-40613876269078046302011-12-31T21:17:00.000-06:002011-12-31T21:17:42.814-06:00A Few Lessons LearnedThis was a rough year for us as far as homesteading due to the drought and prolonged heatwave in our neck of the woods, but we still managed to maintain in most areas and even slightly improve in others. Experience is such a great teacher and we definitely learned a couple of things this past year. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Expiration Dates</b> They're not set in stone, but there is sometimes a trade-off. When we initially stocked up in December 2010, we were just guesstimating how much of any one item we would need for a year. We had a pretty good start on the food storage but our goal was to beef it up to the point we had at least a 12 month supply of everything. Well, we tended to over buy on a couple of things but so far it hasn't resulted in any waste. The best example this year was store-bought ketchup. I'm the only one that eats it, and I only eat it on certain things ...meat loaf and stuffed bell peppers are all I can think of right now. But Yeoldfurt knows I don't like to eat those things <i>without </i>it, so he set the goal high to ensure I would have it when I wanted it. Well, we apparently way overestimated because a year later, I have three bottles left that are a couple of months out of date. They still smell fine and taste fine but it's no longer that bright 'ketchup red' color ...it's more the color of bottled bbq sauce, kind of reddish brown. It won't go to waste as long as it seems edible, I don't really care what color it is. But I've also noticed the plastic squeeze bottle it is packaged in has started to degrade. It is apparently composed of two layers of plastic and they've sort of started to separate. When you squeeze it and then let go, the outer layer returns to it's originally intended shape but the inner layer is much slower to go back into shape. With three bottles still on the shelf and one in the fridge, I'm thinking I don't need to buy ketchup until possibly 2013!<br />
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<b>Repurpose Value of Wood Ash</b> I knew you could make lye from wood ash and I knew it generally wouldn't hurt vegetation so could be spread on a lawn or garden. But I had no idea it was actually very beneficial to compost pile. Apparently, high acidity can be a problem in composting, slowing the decomposition process. Wood ash helps to neutralize the acid, thereby facilitating faster decomposition. I dumped a bucketful on our compost pile a week ago and turned everything over with a pitch fork this evening ...I can already see an improvement and it's only been a few days. <br />
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<b>Tweaking the Pantry Inventory List</b> We still use the spreadsheet that Yeoldfurt put together, but added some intermediate steps that make it easier to maintain and (hopefully) more consistently accurate. I used to print it when I went shopping. But being several pages long, that was cumbersome and a waste of paper. Then I started just reviewing it before I went shopping and adding to the shopping list what items I thought we could afford to stock up on. I still do that but now I also keep a small notepad, a pencil, and a Sharpie marker on the shelf in the pantry. When I go down there to get one thing, I invariably come back with one or two other things ...spur of the moment. So now I list what items I'm taking on the notepad as I gather them together so I can take a complete list back to the house with me. Also, for each item I bring back, I do a quick count of how many are still remaining in storage, then write that number in parentheses next to the item on the list. That way when I give the list to Yeoldfurt to update the spreadsheet, he can spot check the 'amount on hand' to make sure it's still accurate. It's not a perfect system, but it's evolving into a pretty good one.<br />
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<b>Making Pennies Squeal</b> I've always been frugal and budget-minded but circumstances the past few years have made me even more so. If you asked me a year ago whether we were getting all the mileage we possibly could out of every dollar, I would have said yes with very little hesitation. But we've found a couple of new ways to significantly stretch those pennies recently that make me wonder if there aren't more ways we just haven't discovered yet. The biggest savings comes from Yeoldfurt and I being able to adjust our schedules so that we can carpool to our jobs 40 miles away. With each of us driving separate vehicles 80 miles/day five days/week to and from our jobs, our fuel bill was equal to our mortgage payment ...it was outrageous! But when the transmission went out in one of the vehicles, we adjusted our schedules for a week while the truck was in the shop and were able to get permission from both our bosses to keep our schedules that way. By doing so, we cut our monthly fuel cost in half. Over a year's time, we'll also save significantly on replacement tires and oil changes for the vehicle that sits in the driveway most days. Conservatively, I estimate of our savings the first year to be approximately $5000. We also started keeping a Walmart gift card with $100 balance on it and using that to buy gasoline. Walmart's price is always the same or lower than any other stations in our area ...sometimes a dime or more lower. By using the Walmart card to pay, we get an additional 10 cent per gallon discount. I paid $2.80/gallon for regular last Friday. I don't know about prices in your area, but around here, that's pretty darn good. Since we use about 1400 gallons per year just driving back and forth to work, 10 cents per gallon is significant. Of course, since we have three geriatric vehicles, all that money saved will probably go into mechanical repairs over the course of that same year ...but at least we'll have the money in savings to take care of those expenses when they come up. <br />
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I'm sure there were other little bits of knowledge accumulated this year, but these were the ones that stood out to me when I was contemplating writing this post. It seems to me that the intangible things we gain every year ...the knowledge, the skills, the little tricks that make every day tasks easier ...are the real bounty in homesteading. <br />
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I hope the coming year is better all the way around. I hope we have normal temperatures and rainfall so we can have a garden, fewer mechanical crises so we can get a break from diverting so much to vehicle repairs, and a decent man in the White House so we can as least slow the decimation of our economy, our country and our values ...maybe even begin to rebuild some of what the past four years has destroyed. I don't know what the future holds, but I never want to become so discouraged that I no longer believe a bright future is possible. So at the close of this year and hopefully the beginning of a better year, I leave you with this poem that says better than I can what I feel and hope for tomorrow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGex1o5ybGQq_r3cI3_tx7tBpDOF6Goye3Mt4uXr4jzhkVk6nxMOtJuMTx5AHGC7JiGP3tH77c-WpSZn1QFy1Hmu75mDjXGuJHtGGN2h5HyExO9ogg5Gm3kHL-OWcyDEYFARKsUHFXtA8F/s1600/happy-new-year-poem-2-708x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGex1o5ybGQq_r3cI3_tx7tBpDOF6Goye3Mt4uXr4jzhkVk6nxMOtJuMTx5AHGC7JiGP3tH77c-WpSZn1QFy1Hmu75mDjXGuJHtGGN2h5HyExO9ogg5Gm3kHL-OWcyDEYFARKsUHFXtA8F/s400/happy-new-year-poem-2-708x1024.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-58695263292950630592011-12-26T16:27:00.000-06:002011-12-26T16:27:00.217-06:00Credit Where Credit is DueI posted this picture a couple of weeks ago as a lead-in and illustration of the 'cowboy up' attitude I think we could all use a little more of nowadays. If you missed it, click <a href="http://womanrunswithhorses.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-it-means-to-cowboy-up.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhqftFOPv3lb4yZYqph6uNq3_DQeVgbpLmSnHPGUWMX4BTTZ6rMNlr1RbFs08Ae7DpQu6zIL4z2SzgA7YHKUo5jQRDG6N5CFjzBBusNXXRBTToI-v2kTxYeOIFjwzVrEo3QU1-NM8qlcP/s1600/Cowboy+up1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhqftFOPv3lb4yZYqph6uNq3_DQeVgbpLmSnHPGUWMX4BTTZ6rMNlr1RbFs08Ae7DpQu6zIL4z2SzgA7YHKUo5jQRDG6N5CFjzBBusNXXRBTToI-v2kTxYeOIFjwzVrEo3QU1-NM8qlcP/s1600/Cowboy+up1.jpg" /></a></div>As I said in the post, I got the picture in email from Yeoldfurt and he had received it email but couldn't remember who sent it. Come to find out, CoolChange of <a href="http://tranquilitylost.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post_13.html#links" target="_blank">Tranquility Lost</a> posted it on his blog the day before my post. So at least in a round about way, it came from him and I want to give credit where credit is due.<br />
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If you have not checked out CoolChange's blog, I encourage you to do so. I knew as soon as I saw the badge on his sidebar that reads, '<i>Invest in precious metal, buy lead ...support the 2nd Amendment</i>' that he shares at least one of our fundamental values. I'm following his blog now and have added him to my blog roll.<br />
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They say we all only separated by six degrees ...simply stated, we all know someone who knows someone who knows someone else who knows someone <i>else</i> who knows us. The connectivity of the worldwide web is making that more and more apparent.HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-55582361503160064492011-12-24T21:43:00.000-06:002011-12-24T21:43:49.932-06:00Christmas Wishes and a New RecipeThis will be an especially joyous Christmas for us because we will have all three of our grandchildren here at the same time, for the first time ever. With one more on the way, next Christmas promises to be even more special.<br />
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I'm sharing below a poem written in 1976 by Norman Wesley Brooks. A friend posted it on Facebook. Thirty-five years after it was written, it's still a good message. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Let Every Day Be Christmas </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Christmas is forever, not for just one day, </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The good you do for others is good you do yourself.</i> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Let us always remember the reason for the season, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and let us each do our best to let every day be Christmas. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDgMaCpyKFE6T3SLhjxswR7YM9EquKJosf5s_e-68Us7lATc3e0MeKZPVfKAKAsQlObVRuWKZpp-4qaE_TwbyKUrArMzjpJBaCywNGq_gSlcTEEYQTKlrfF62L6bz8837roD6HBE-pI17/s1600/nativity.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDgMaCpyKFE6T3SLhjxswR7YM9EquKJosf5s_e-68Us7lATc3e0MeKZPVfKAKAsQlObVRuWKZpp-4qaE_TwbyKUrArMzjpJBaCywNGq_gSlcTEEYQTKlrfF62L6bz8837roD6HBE-pI17/s320/nativity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit to Dan at </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=587</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">~~~ </span> </div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
I seldom make desserts except at the holidays or on special occasions, so it's fun to try something new once in a while. Yeoldfurt came home with a recipe for Caramel Apple Cheesecake the other day. He got it from a co-worker who just raved about it. Since we will have a full house for Christmas this year, I decided this would be a good time to give it a try. It's in the oven now and smells wonderful.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Graham Cracker Crust</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">1-1/2 cups graham crackers, finely crushed </div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/3 cup melted butter</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The recipe called for regular graham crackers but I used cinnamon grahams. Combine crushed graham cracker crumbs and sugar, add melted butter and blend well. Press evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, using the back of a spoon to press the crumbs up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Cheesecake Filling & Caramel Topping</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 21-ounce can apple pie filling</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened </div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tablespoons lemon juice </div><div style="text-align: center;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup caramel topping </div><br />
Reserve and set aside 3/4 cup of the apple pie filling. Spoon the remaining filling evenly into the cooled pie crust. Combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until well blended. Pour cream cheese mixture into the pie crust and spread evenly over the apple pie filling. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until center is set. Cool to room temperature. <br />
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Mix the reserved apple pie filling with the caramel topping. Next time I make it, I will dice the apple slices to make it easier to spread them evenly over the top. If the mixture is too thick to spread evenly, heat in a saucepan or microwaveable dish for approximately one minute. When smooth and spreadable consistency, pour evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. <br />
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The above is the original recipe, which fills a 9-inch pie pan and supposedly serves eight. Whoever wrote the recipe obviously doesn't know how much my husband and son-in-law like cheesecake. I doubled the ingredients and made it in a 9x13 pan. It still looks yummy, don't you think?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfOQW5EmDq7ZLcUeSD9nxvrpsFXjre-iZehO8-YeDytIbI8tcSMHS73YL2NOPtcr2msrC_MSPsWekwXeqXpTU3-yTFojI3r_QXYLJXki5xuh6fwT9zmuivx-gbYKrwZRvvWP3mb7cfqaJ/s1600/Caramel+Apple+Cheesecake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfOQW5EmDq7ZLcUeSD9nxvrpsFXjre-iZehO8-YeDytIbI8tcSMHS73YL2NOPtcr2msrC_MSPsWekwXeqXpTU3-yTFojI3r_QXYLJXki5xuh6fwT9zmuivx-gbYKrwZRvvWP3mb7cfqaJ/s320/Caramel+Apple+Cheesecake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-77758102534351231022011-12-14T00:02:00.000-06:002011-12-14T00:02:03.127-06:00What It Means to Cowboy UpYeoldfurt sent this picture to me in email, I'm not sure where he got it. I had to crop the caption off the bottom of the picture because it was too small to read, but it said, '<i>Keep smiling big boy ...I got 8 seconds to kill and I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew!</i>'<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhqftFOPv3lb4yZYqph6uNq3_DQeVgbpLmSnHPGUWMX4BTTZ6rMNlr1RbFs08Ae7DpQu6zIL4z2SzgA7YHKUo5jQRDG6N5CFjzBBusNXXRBTToI-v2kTxYeOIFjwzVrEo3QU1-NM8qlcP/s1600/Cowboy+up1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhqftFOPv3lb4yZYqph6uNq3_DQeVgbpLmSnHPGUWMX4BTTZ6rMNlr1RbFs08Ae7DpQu6zIL4z2SzgA7YHKUo5jQRDG6N5CFjzBBusNXXRBTToI-v2kTxYeOIFjwzVrEo3QU1-NM8qlcP/s320/Cowboy+up1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That kind of encapsulates the meaning of the phrase 'cowboy up' that you hear these days. No matter what trials you're facing, no matter what seemingly insurmountable obstacles are in your path, you stand up, square your shoulders and forge ahead. Anything less and you're just guaranteeing your own demise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a lot of doom and gloom in the news and in the blogs lately. Lord knows there's plenty of things to be worried about, but there are plenty of things to be grateful for as well. I think it's wise to keep an eye on the horizon and know what you're next challenge is going to be. I think it's important to prepare yourself and your family to ride out the hard times with as little discomfort as possible. But lets not forget that every day is a gift. When the going gets tough, the tough cowboy up!</div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-87866395584177812892011-12-05T04:21:00.019-06:002011-12-05T04:21:00.043-06:00Politics as Usual ?<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">On Friday, November 4, 1949, a newspaper in Manhattan, New York, <u>The Daily Times</u>, published the following article. Over sixty-two years have passed since it was published. But other than a few intricacies of grammar and punctuation, it doesn't look to me like much has changed in all that time. I don't know whether to be fascinated or frustrated by that realization. Read it yourself and see if you don't agree.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><b>ODE TO THE WELFARE STATE</b> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Mr. Truman's St. Paul, Minn., pie-for-everybody speech last night reminded us that,at the tail-end of the recent session of Congress, Representative Clarence J. Brown (R-Ohio) jammed into the congressional record the following poem, describing its author only as "a prominent Democrat of the State of Georgia."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>DEMOCRATIC DIALOG </b><br />
<i>Father, must I go to work?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No, my lucky son.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We're living now on Easy Street</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>On dough from Washington.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We've left it up to Uncle Sam</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So don't get exercised.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nobody has to give a damn-</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We've all been subsidized.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But if Sam treats us all so well</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And feeds us milk and honey,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Please, daddy, tell me what the hell</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He's going to use for money.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Don't worry, bub, there's not a hitch</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In this here noble plan-</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He simply soaks the filthy rich</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And helps the common man.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But, father, won't there come a time</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When they run out of cash</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And we have left them not a dime</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When things will go all to smash?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My faith in you is shrinking, son,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You nosy little brat;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You do too much damn thinking, son, </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> To be a Democrat.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Hat tip to my friend at <a href="http://akaangrywhiteman.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wildriver Blog</a> for </div><div style="text-align: left;">sending this newspaper article to me in email. </div></div></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-82236475460759719032011-12-03T15:44:00.000-06:002011-12-03T15:44:12.516-06:00Always SomethingNovember was a vehicular nightmare for us as far as maintenance and upkeep goes. I already mentioned this is a geriatric fleet we drive. The 'youngest' one of the bunch is a 2001 F250 and the other two are 1998 and 1996 models. Last month we put two new tires and a rebuilt transmission in the 1998 and cv boots (both sides) on the 1996 ...it was a $2000 month. We are only 3 days into 'this month' and we're looking at another mechanical problem. <br />
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I had a list of town errands this morning and decided to take the F250 to give it a little exercise. I guess it was jealous of all the attention the other vehicles have been receiving lately ...it stalled on me just going down the road. Fortunately, I was on a little residential side road. It started right back up when I turned the key, but then stalled out again within seconds. It's a big truck, extended cab, and when the engine quits, so do the power brakes and power steering. That's not a problem I wanted to deal with on the highway so I called Yeoldfurt. I was already in town so we decided to have it towed to the shop just a mile or two up the road. <br />
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I have the phone number for the wrecker driver saved in my phone. The wrecker driver, Trey, is a local guy and we're on a first name basis. That's one of the perks to driving old vehicles ...you get to be on a first name basis with the wrecker driver ...and the mechanic. I told him where I was and which vehicle it was this time and he said could be there in 20 minutes. I called Yeoldfurt back to let him know and he said he was on his way too. <br />
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Trey turned onto the side street where I was stranded and I flashed my lights to let him know where I was. As he was positioning his truck, I tried to start my truck again ...it started right up. I left it running and told Trey what it had been doing. He said if I wanted to try to drive it to the shop, he would follow me. I said, 'Okay, but I'll pay you anyway.' He laughed and said, 'Not if you roll in on your own, you won't ...let's see if it will make it.' Did I mention he's a good guy? <br />
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Half a block on this side street, I had to make a left turn at a traffic light onto the state highway. It's only 40mph on that stretch of highway and no more turns except into the shop parking lot, so it was worth a try. I had to wait for the green light before turning onto the highway and only made it about 100 yards before the truck stalled. I had a little momentum and was on a section of the highway with literally NO SHOULDER ...so instead of hitting the brakes, I dropped it in neutral, gave it some gas and turned the key. It fired up right away and I goosed it up the hill. We only made it another 100 yards or so and it stall again. This time, I was right next to a big gravel parking lot on my right and faced with crossing a major highway intersection up ahead. I didn't want to push my luck any further and cranked it into the gravel parking lot. We tried but Trey ended up having to tow me the couple of blocks. He only charged me $30 and said it sounds to him like a clogged fuel filter which is a relatively cheap fix ...I sure hope he's right. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-10174194011811369562011-11-29T09:41:00.000-06:002011-11-29T09:41:25.066-06:00Ladies, It's Time to WinterizeI'm not talking about your house, or your wardrobe either ...it's time to winterize your vehicles. This post is being written mostly for ladies, from a lady's perspective since that's the only perspective I have. Some of us are blessed with men who take care of all these things for us and some are on their own in this department. Even if your partner takes care of vehicle maintenance, I think you should be knowledgeable enough to do for yourself too. I'm of the opinion that if you drive it, you need to take care of it ...or at least see that it's taken care of. <br />
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Yeoldfurt and I have a geriatric fleet decorating our driveway. The odometers on our three vehicles are all well past the 100,000 mile mark and one of them is well over 200,000. Maintenance is important with any vehicle but with older vehicles, it's critical. Two drivers with three vehicles might seem like overkill to some but there's a method to this madness. The big truck, a 2001 F250, is the only one of the three that can pull the stock trailer. When you have livestock, that kind of truck is a necessity. But that diesel engine gets lousy mileage even on the highway, and diesel is $3.75/gallon these days. So other than a short trip to town once a week to keep the juices flowing, we <i>only </i>drive the big truck when we need to pull the trailer.<br />
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Diesel powered vehicles are cold sensitive and require a little extra attention when winter rolls around. A fuel additive such as "Amsoil" helps, but it takes a little discipline to keep the ratio right. An optimal 8 ounces of additive for every 25 gallons of fuel is hard to regulate unless you run the tank down before you refuel each time. If you are in the habit of topping off your tank every time it gets down to about half, the ratio gets out of whack pretty fast, potentially causing other problems. So even if that's your normal routine in summer months so you never get caught with an empty tank, it would be better in winter to run the tank down to at least the last quarter before using more additive. <br />
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Diesels have two big batteries under the hood and painful as it is, it's probably best to replace them at the same time. One may crap out before the other, but batteries almost never crap out overnight. They weaken over time and as the one battery has been getting weaker and weaker, more strain has been put on the other battery so it's far from equal to the new one you just put next to it. I'm sure I'm on the minority side of that opinion but I'd rather be safe than sorry. A lot depends on how far you drive, how remote your route is and what your options are going to be if you get stranded away from home because the batteries are too weak to start the truck.<br />
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One thing you can do to take care of the batteries you have is to use your plug in. Every diesel I've ever owned or known of has had an electrical plug tucked down inside the front grill. The cord runs to a heater on the block of the engine. The block heater provides just enough warmth to keep the fuel from gelling which makes starting so much easier in the morning. You can start it while it's plugged in, but as a safety measure, I always unplug <i>before </i>I start the engine ...cuts down on the risk of driving off while still attached to the garage by the electrical cord. I've seen it happen, though not to me or my truck ...thank goodness. But I decided then and there I was going to take measures to ensure it <i>didn't </i>happen to me. <br />
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Check the tire pressure when the temperatures drop too. Tires that looked okay yesterday afternoon when it was in the 70's might look a little on the under-inflated side today when the high was only in the 50's. A vehicle with over or under-inflated tires is far from safe on slick winter roads, so check your pressures when the seasons change and adjust them according to the PSI embossed on the sidewall of the tire. We keep a cheap manual tire gauge in every glove box of every vehicle we own. You're not always going to be at gas station when you think you have a tire pressure problem and I've never trusted the gauges at the 25-cents-for-air stations anyway.<br />
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Check your fluids, ladies. It's not rocket science. The reservoirs are marked with a minimum fill line. If they're low or the fluid looks dirty, change it or take it to someone to have it changed. Even your windshield wiper fluid should be topped off before winter. If it's already raining outside, you might need to wash your windows to be able to see the road. Ever had a big 18 wheeler blow by in the lane next to you and spatter mud and sludge all over your windshield? Your wipers won't make much difference without a little boost from washer fluid. <br />
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We had our first real norther blow through last Sunday. I guess that's what got me on this subject. The skies were clear and blue but there were gusts of icy wind that felt they went right through your clothes. The horses were all frisky and the chickens only wanted to venture from the coop for a few minutes at a time. While I was out taking care of the animals, I decided to do a little winterizing on the two vehicles that were still in the driveway.HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-12058264140229641282011-11-27T10:45:00.000-06:002011-11-27T10:45:28.451-06:00So Much to Do, So Little TimeFirst, let me say thank you all for the nice sentiments left in the comments on YOF's post about my birthday. And thank you, Mayberry, for the birthday wishes you left on the last post on my blog. Yes, as KX59 pointed out on YOF's blog, 'a birthday post on HB’s blog (was) noticeably absent.' I don't think one should announce one's own birthday. It seems inappropriate somehow. Maybe that's just me. But I had a very nice birthday, even if I am 'Captain Kangaroo' old now. It started out with YOF letting me sleep in and ended with him taking me out for a burger and back home for a movie on Netflix. In between rolling out of bed two hours late and getting taken out for the evening meal, I had a few cards in the mail, several phone calls and a great many comments and well wishes on Facebook and the blogs. I've always been a little uncomfortable with being the focus of attention so tend to enjoy everyone else's birthdays much more than my own. But this birthday was just nice. It was very quiet which was very nice, so thank you all. <br />
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Now, today ...life goes back to normal. Along with the usual laundry and housework that I do on Sundays, I need to devote some serious effort to organizing my office because it will be the center of our little Christmas celebration this year. We found out yesterday that our grandsons that just moved back to Houston will get to spend a few days with us this Christmas. My daughter and her family are driving over Christmas Day also and it will be the first time the grandsons get to meet their cousin, Isabelle. I will have a house full of grandkids at Christmas and I can't think of a better way to spend the holiday. It's been a long time since we had overnight guests and we've never had quite this many at one time. So much to do, so little time. But having all my grands here for the holidays will make it the best Christmas ever for me. <br />
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I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a joyous Christmas with your family and loved ones. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-49350109624427210582011-11-13T21:52:00.000-06:002011-11-13T21:52:28.595-06:00Technical Difficulties ...ugh!They say trouble comes in threes. Two weeks ago, the little truck had to have two new tires. The old ones were literally down to the wire. Last week, the transmission went bad in the same truck. Well, technically just two of the five gears went bad ...but it still means a complete rebuild. Since the second problem was astronomically more expensive than the first one, I was dreading the third thing. That proverbial other shoe felt like it was hanging right over my head. <br />
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Well, I didn't have to fret about it for long. As soon as I walked in the door from my two days of visiting the granddaughter, I heard this loud annoying hum emanating from my computer. Looks like one of the fans in the CPU is about to crap out on me. It seems to be the one that cools the tower itself and not the CPU fan. But if I ignore it long enough, I'll only end up with a bigger problem. In light of the tire and transmission expenses we've already incurred this month, hauling the computer down to the shop for someone else to fix is out of the question. I'll just have to dust off my 'geek hat' and do it myself. <br />
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The inside of a computer is not terribly complicated these days. Plug-n-play is more than just a catchy phrase. Most of the internal components 'plug in' on the inside of your box just like a printer or other external peripheral would plug in on the outside of your box. Usually the hardest part of the operation is figuring out how to open the case. Since my tower has been with me about 10 years, I'm already familiar with how to open it up. <br />
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The fans themselves are not expensive so after I get the model number for both fans, I'll probably pick up two of the one that's currently on it's last legs and one of the CPU fans. For all I know they're the same model, but that would be ultra convenient so I'm not counting on it. Whatever the case is, I'll have to replace the bad fan and want to end up with a spare for both of them. About $30 ought to do it if I pick them up in town somewhere and don't have to add shipping to the equation. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Normally, my computer is up and running 24/7 because I'm lazy and impatient. I don't want to have to turn it on and wait the two or three minutes for it to boot up and load everything. Lazy and impatient, I know. But in deference to the loud complaints from the bad fan, I'm going to modify my behavior at least until I get it fixed. The computer will be shut down as soon as I finish this post and will remain shut down for most of the week. Actually changing out the fan is about a 30 minute job and that includes opening the case and chasing out the dust bunnies that are sure to be there. But I'm pretty sure it will be at least Friday before I can pick up the parts and probably next Saturday before I have time to install it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm just grateful that <i>this </i>time it's something I can fix myself and for not too much money. I'll have to limit my email and surfing to the allotted break times at my office. I never take my 15 minute morning and afternoon breaks but I betcha I do this week ...just to get my 'web fix' ...ha! But I only get those two 15 minute breaks and one half-hour lunch break at work, so I probably won't have time to post any comments. I'm a confirmed net-ahlolic so being 'unplugged' at home won't be fun. But who knows what productive things I might accomplish around the house without the Internet to distract me every evening! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpuqpni7FfEwgvyFEjce4MYqScU_Q-vWxDAi0MhlLqjPxs9rNVfLduI6UvlR6Uu68o5tC_Gl1AbK9CulgneEo6T86qm3mSHZsjsqB5RYpZULVDQgejYiCZ1q12SReV3hzZmfhqUDPiwVn/s1600/th_geek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpuqpni7FfEwgvyFEjce4MYqScU_Q-vWxDAi0MhlLqjPxs9rNVfLduI6UvlR6Uu68o5tC_Gl1AbK9CulgneEo6T86qm3mSHZsjsqB5RYpZULVDQgejYiCZ1q12SReV3hzZmfhqUDPiwVn/s1600/th_geek.jpg" /></a></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-5451970134660695472011-11-05T22:13:00.000-05:002011-11-05T22:13:11.740-05:00Our Boys are Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bzdaPqVLbdUK9VkB8vGwr1xTrGCOSJK-ifOFNZabqu9mfLaDdt3xzdoLnyEYnXpRfmXhzWpKOEvoUcXCv9_lid5lO3TM9UHJQyCUlKP05xXpracztIAUsoGc78mV5KRGLt_uhw8-95eV/s1600/59921_101166289947100_100001611872763_5596_3698140_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bzdaPqVLbdUK9VkB8vGwr1xTrGCOSJK-ifOFNZabqu9mfLaDdt3xzdoLnyEYnXpRfmXhzWpKOEvoUcXCv9_lid5lO3TM9UHJQyCUlKP05xXpracztIAUsoGc78mV5KRGLt_uhw8-95eV/s400/59921_101166289947100_100001611872763_5596_3698140_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our grandsons have moved back to Texas from Arizona ...yeah!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think just the boys are here right now, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">their momma will be here by next week. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Though they will still be a couple of hours away by car, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">we're so thrilled to have them back in Texas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A couple of hours away is a whole lot better </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">than a couple of STATES away! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-83756626682564807752011-10-23T22:25:00.000-05:002011-10-23T22:25:12.841-05:00Yesteryear'sIn between cycles of messing up and cleaning up my kitchen on Saturday during the canning project gone awry, I loaded the trunk of my car with merchandise for the booth space I rented at the antique shop. I was supposed to meet the owner there at noon Sunday to set up my space. The plan was to have all of the non-edibles loaded in the car the day before so that all I had to do Sunday was pack the jars and go. The shop is open from 1:00 to 6:00 on Sundays so arriving at noon would give me about an hour to set up my space. <br />
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The reason I only loaded the non-edibles on Saturday was because the recipe ingredients for the Cookies-in-a-Jar were not yet <i>in the jars.</i> Instead, they were all over the work table in my office. Ingredients for a dozen different recipes in unopened packages were all over my work table. Wide-mouth canning jars, still in the shrink wrap cardboard flats they came in, were setting on the floor underneath the table ...ugh! So I was up early again Sunday morning, determined to take care of all my normal weekend chores and still make my goal of meeting the shop owner at noon. <br />
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This whole idea of renting a space to sell things sounded so simple in the beginning. But jumping through all the hoops to get it off the ground has been a little wearing. The first step was a trip to the tax office for a permit. That was a little bit of a hassle as most permitting things tend to be ...but I got it done. Then came what I thought would be the fun part of finding recipes. Most any recipe can be adapted to this form of packaging but the more varied the colors and textures of the dry ingredients are, the better it will look in the jar. Sugar cookies, for instance, would be visually boring ...just flour, sugar, baking soda, salt. Boring. <br />
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Finding recipes has been fun but it's been time consuming too. When I found a recipe I wanted to use, I added it to my 'inventory list' and then added the ingredients to my shopping list. I have a document set up in Publisher to create the instruction cards that are attached to each jar. I created a new page for each recipe and set up a theme-appropriate border or a graphic for each different recipe. Four 'instruction cards' fit on a page, then I cut them apart using these fancy little craft scissors designed for the Scrapbooking crowd. It's all fun and appeals to my crafty/creative side ...but right now, it's time consuming. <br />
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So far, I have collected a dozen or so cookie recipes with dry ingredients that include oatmeal, M&Ms, chocolate, white or butterscotch chips, raisins, and dried cranberries. I found a couple of fancy brownie recipes too and some flavored hot chocolate recipes. At the suggestion of the owner, I will stock two jars of three different varieties for now. Today I put two jars each of Cowboy Cookies, Cowgirl Cookies and Mississippi Mud Pie Brownies on the shelves. The six jars I put out are all I have made up so far. But the plan is to make them ahead so that restocking will be quick and easy. I'll generally stock the same varieties for one month. When the weather cools down, I'll use pint jars to stock flavored hot chocolate mixes. These are the three varieties I put on the shelves today. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHaldbi4NoqKr7nYZZrs-K-e-_A2BQEQonWS4Y7tqKP6P1tccgxD38eYG2r-JiZ6RIX1XwsoUATudjBzAvhhMfNzSQewhAbOsqN84IVdLlJ-JbHYOT0dn1S5YDfyvHwfBolaizI8nD2oH/s1600/Cookie+Jars+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHaldbi4NoqKr7nYZZrs-K-e-_A2BQEQonWS4Y7tqKP6P1tccgxD38eYG2r-JiZ6RIX1XwsoUATudjBzAvhhMfNzSQewhAbOsqN84IVdLlJ-JbHYOT0dn1S5YDfyvHwfBolaizI8nD2oH/s320/Cookie+Jars+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mississippi Mud Pie Brownies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KJxGg2Y8hcTeci5W80CckwwpIL4j_qRIZUWrWmOV61m_4dj5EEpf8kaEkrY-7sbcm7wWtHGP4lDA3wgUHsMBsZF7P70laDqDsLgb_RKoIyChkzl6mkI6H7QKb-lignO0TFrGdBxq_tFv/s1600/Cookie+Jars+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KJxGg2Y8hcTeci5W80CckwwpIL4j_qRIZUWrWmOV61m_4dj5EEpf8kaEkrY-7sbcm7wWtHGP4lDA3wgUHsMBsZF7P70laDqDsLgb_RKoIyChkzl6mkI6H7QKb-lignO0TFrGdBxq_tFv/s320/Cookie+Jars+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cowboy Cookies</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuypdIjUfXaNd8CPg3h09UOmK-9GV-Ljrfig4U-p2tBU9JvZTfmZsueSQyfuV2_WqqLNMxmizm_b5NJjudKOeDa1v4J4H_6y9I5j6nRGbotH9-GDjJKBEYGpngHEq1U1Ipd0EEYvB90P0K/s1600/Cookie+Jars+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuypdIjUfXaNd8CPg3h09UOmK-9GV-Ljrfig4U-p2tBU9JvZTfmZsueSQyfuV2_WqqLNMxmizm_b5NJjudKOeDa1v4J4H_6y9I5j6nRGbotH9-GDjJKBEYGpngHEq1U1Ipd0EEYvB90P0K/s320/Cookie+Jars+002.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cowgirl Cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The only differences between the CowGIRL Cookies and the CowBOY Cookies are the color of the M&M's, whether I put Chocolate Chips or White Chocolate Chips in the jar, and what color bandana I cut up to put over the top. The lids are vacuum sealed onto the jars to keep the ingredients fresh. <br />
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I've seen similar jars with cookie ingredients in specialty shops being sold for $15 and up, but I don't have any real overhead. I've kept careful track of my costs and only have $2-$3 in each jar so I intended to price them at $8 each. The owner talked me into putting $15 on them though. She said she has been in business in the same location for over 9 years. She knows what sells and has a feel for pricing things. According to her, there's already a lot of interest even from the other vendors in the store and she doesn't want me to be afraid of making a profit. <br />
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O.K.A.Y. Feels like a lot of profit to me but I guess if they sell at that price, that's the market. I might splurge and fancy up the fabric tops a little if I'm going to be making $12 per jar! Other vendors at the shop that purchase from me get a 10 percent discount. I get a ten percent discount on their merchandise as well. So worst case, I will net $12 per quart. Wow. That still boggles my mind. <br />
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This is what my space looked like when I left the shop today. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ0TGZpXaFCDA_lF5O9seBGZpDMg0hDBzANp9q4Fj2KdN2uA8JOrpIrEPdAKMro4ArFAmTehtt-qsWFD3R5Gu_2lktJGf9ecLt02uUOG5D35frIp8-iKeDHjuw-4qe8a1SPFplvXWsxm7/s1600/Yesteryears+Booth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ0TGZpXaFCDA_lF5O9seBGZpDMg0hDBzANp9q4Fj2KdN2uA8JOrpIrEPdAKMro4ArFAmTehtt-qsWFD3R5Gu_2lktJGf9ecLt02uUOG5D35frIp8-iKeDHjuw-4qe8a1SPFplvXWsxm7/s320/Yesteryears+Booth.JPG" width="215" /></a></div><br />
It's just a bookcase, not a whole booth space but it's a good start. I am in a good location in the shop and now that the preliminary legwork is done, I think it will be fun. Especially if she's right about how much those jars will sell for ...wouldn't that be a nice little bonus! HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-76191332006128693102011-10-22T20:01:00.000-05:002011-10-22T20:01:56.370-05:00One of Those Days...The day started out good. We were both up early. Yeoldfurt had some things he wanted to do in the shop and he was down there at first light. I wanted to do some pressure canning today. I made a spicy chicken soup for our supper last night and purposely made extra so I could process a couple of quarts for the pantry. Not wanting to process just two jars in my big seven quart pressure canner, I went down to the food storage this morning and brought up three of the vacuum sealed jars of red beans and rice. Last July, I had the bright idea to vacuum seal my dried beans and rice in quart and pint jars. I didn't think it would take long so decided to make canning the first project this morning.<br />
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Thinking I had it all figured out, 'I only filled each jar half full of whatever I was putting in it because when I cook them this fall and winter, the amount that's in the jar now will still fit in the jar after it's cooked.' Oh how naive I was ...never underestimate the swelling potential of beans or rice!<br />
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So I bring up three of my vacuum sealed quarts and dump them in my big soup pot. They are about three inches deep in the bottom of the pot and the pot is 11 inches deep, so I thought I was fine. I add water until it's two inches deeper than the beans/rice, bring it to a rolling boil for ten minutes and then take it off the burner to let it soak for an hour. Of course I had a lid on it while it was soaking so I had no idea what was going on in the pot. When the hour had passed and I went to drain and rinse, I was amazed to see the contents had swollen to a height just two or three inches below the top of the pot. There was no way I was going to able to add enough water to boil them for another hour, so I had to find a bigger pot.<br />
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The only pot bigger than the one the beans/rice were already in was my seven quart water bath canner ... a bit of overkill for the job, but it was my only available option. So I transfer the swollen beans/rice to the water bath canner and start adding water. It took eight quarts of water to bring the level up to the prescribed two inches above the beans/rise. Sigh. I start running the math in my head and quickly realize I'm going to end up with a minimum of eight quarts of beans/rice to process. My pressure canner only holds seven quarts so that means at least two batches. Sigh. Ninety minutes processing time plus the heat up and cool down on both ends makes for a long day in the kitchen. That's fine if that's the original plan. But tomorrow is the big 'move in' at the antique shop and I still have some loose ends to tie up. THOSE were on the agenda for this afternoon. Canning in the morning, loose ends in the afternoon. That was the plan but that's not how it went. <br />
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Well, as sunset approaches, the first batch is cooling on the counter and the second batch is about halfway done processing on the stove. My second batch ended up being one quart of the beans/rice and two quarts of the soup. I prefer not to run the canner at half capacity. It just seems wasteful to me but sometimes it can't be helped. Today was one of those days. Everything I tried to do ended up two or three times harder or taking two or three times longer or making two or three times as much mess. I'm tired, a lot more tired than I expected to be this evening. But I guess putting ten meals on the shelf is a decent accomplishment for the day. It was a long day in the kitchen. I'm glad I at least have something to show for it. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-66270989878770231132011-10-17T03:52:00.003-05:002011-10-17T04:49:27.236-05:00Fall Vegetable Garden ClassThe free class on Fall Vegetable Gardening I attended last Saturday was outstanding. I loosely adhere to the old adage 'you get what you pay for' so I was not expecting all that much from a 'free' class, especially one offered by a retail business. At most, I expected to get a few pointers and maybe hear about the latest gardening tool or product for this area. Even though Producers is an ag co-op, they are still a retailer ...in the business of selling their wares to the public. I half expected coupons to be handed out for discounts on those tools or products which, of course, would be available for purchase from the store hosting the 'free' class. The skeptic in me always looks for a catch when something is offered for free. I was pleasantly surprised on all fronts. <br />
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I have been to Producers dozens of times in the five plus years we've lived in this area but this is the first time I was there on a Saturday when the free classes are offered. I was surprised to find out I was only one of about a hundred people attending yesterday's class. I had no idea attendance would be that high and I was amazed to see the lengths the store went to accommodate the attendees. Large display racks were temporarily moved off to one side to make room for the rows of folding chairs. Two tables were set up where you entered the area ...one with registration sign in sheets and a nine-page handout of the material that would be covered in the class and the other with several carafes of coffee and trays of cookies. The store apparently goes to a lot of effort and expense to host these classes every week and I really didn't come away with the impression I had been to a sales pitch. <br />
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One of the things I learned that we will be implementing this coming year is that it's far more beneficial to rest and improve your soil during July and August than to push for production during the two hottest months. This part of Texas has relatively mild winters and it's entirely feasible most of the time to keep a garden going for nine to ten months out of the year. But just because we can doesn't mean we should. Gardens need time to rest, organic matter needs to be worked in to replenish depleted minerals and restore balance to the soil. The speaker recommended cleaning out the garden at the end of June. Remove the old crop, clear weeds and grasses and add approximately three inches of well-composted material. Work the compost in by hand or with a tiller, then saturate the garden with water to a depth of at least four inches. Let the water soak in, then saturate the ground again the next day and the day after that. By the third day, you should be able to dig down 8 or 9 inches and still have very damp soil. If the soil is not damp to that depth by the third day, you are not watering enough. When it is damp to that depth, flood it one more time to the point you have standing water, then cover it with clear plastic and leave it covered until the first week in August. The hot summer sun on the clear plastic will sterilize the saturated soil, killing any seeds, fungi or bugs that may be in it. Even in a normal summer, the temperatures under the plastic will reach at least 160 degrees during the day. That heat will help speed up the decomposition of the compost you just added.<br />
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The first week September, remove the plastic and 'fluff' the soil by hand or with a tiller. Additional store-bought compost may be added at this time if necessary. This is not the ideal time to add material from your home compost because you need to transplant seedlings to your fall garden by the middle of September and two weeks is just not enough time for typical home composted material to break down in the soil. It is also <i>not </i>good to work horse or cow manure into the soil because it adds too much phosphorous and will stress your seedlings. <br />
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Mid- to late-September is the ideal time to transplant seedlings into the garden. Most of us keep our thermostats set so that temperatures in our homes fluctuate very little between daytime and nighttime during the summer. So if you started your seedlings yourself in an air-conditioned setting, it's best to move them to a shaded area in the yard for a few days before you transplant them into the garden so they can become acclimated to the more extreme outdoor temperature fluctuations between daytime and nighttime. <br />
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If you purchase seedlings for your vegetable garden, look for boxy, full-leaved specimens, rather than the tallest or the one that already shows flowers. Height that is disproportionate to fullness is a plant's response to tight quarters and having to compete for sunlight. Early flowering is not a sign a vigor, it's a sign of stress ...literally according to Dr Masabni, the plant is saying, 'OMG, I'm going to die soon ...I must reproduce!' That generated some chuckles, as you can imagine, but he's right. The base instinct of all life is to survive and reproduce. Plants are no exception. <br />
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If these kinds of classes are offered through your local ag co-op or the county extension office, I urge you to take advantage of them. All of the classes won't be relevant to your situation, but take advantage of the ones that are. Knowledge is something we need to stock up on occasionally too. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-6986022288746361612011-10-14T20:37:00.000-05:002011-10-14T20:37:23.415-05:00Continuing Ed TomorrowProducers is the name of the big feed co-op store in Bryan. Their advertising slogan is 'Everything Ag' and that's a pretty fitting description of what you can find there. In addition to all the normal things you'd expect at a feed store, they offer free one hour seminars on Saturdays, covering a variety of subjects that would interest most any farmer, rancher or homesteader. The seminars are held at 11:00 on Saturday mornings in a small section of the store that's set up like a casual den ...complete with fireplace and big comfy chairs. The subject this weekend is Fall Vegetable Gardening and the speaker is Professor Joe Masahni, an Extension Vegetable Specialist from Texas A&M. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihw-cinf0_OocMWH9itBwqzP_kCgR42KaUUUhOShe7a1PJmdkYiuHRUVKebhQT0CtkWwzPtixsKAnK_IDr_dTmYfBMqK96xFvGxBpBFnUNLUr6M6a7b82n95o2psEH29uU0G3TodipWJTm/s1600/header-img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihw-cinf0_OocMWH9itBwqzP_kCgR42KaUUUhOShe7a1PJmdkYiuHRUVKebhQT0CtkWwzPtixsKAnK_IDr_dTmYfBMqK96xFvGxBpBFnUNLUr6M6a7b82n95o2psEH29uU0G3TodipWJTm/s400/header-img.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I don't know if I'll learn anything new in the class, but I'm pretty sure it won't be a waste of my time. I happen to think that adding to your own store of knowledge is an essential part of being prepared. The timing for this class is great and the price is perfect. We were just talking last week about whether to plant a fall garden this year and what we should grow and since the class is free ...well, you just can't beat free! <br />
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There is always a list of errands that need to be done on Saturdays and this weekend is no different. The oil needs changing in the little truck, a trash run has to be made to the local collection station and now I have this class I want to attend in Bryan. Yeoldfurt will be tied up at the the Appleseed shoot in Millican all day tomorrow and again on Sunday, so I'll take care of whatever needs to be done this weekend. He'll load up tonight and leave bright and early for the shoot in the morning. I'll be leaving an hour or so behind him so I can be first in line at the Kwik Kar in Caldwell when they open. I should be back home by 9:00, giving me plenty of time to make the trash run and start the weekend laundry before I need to leave for the class in Bryan.<br />
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After the class, I'll gas up at the HEB in Bryan because it's always 10-15 cents cheaper than the stations in Caldwell. Then I have a short list of items to pick up while I'm at HEB and I should be back home by 2:00. Yeoldfurt will call me when he's heading home after the shoot, but I don't expect to hear from him until at least 5:00. That gives me three or four hours to finish the laundry and have a nice dinner for him when he gets home. I've told him he's off the roster as far as feeding the critters or any other chores this weekend. He's managed to finagle a day off work on Sunday so that he can attend both days of the shoot and I just want him to enjoy himself. There are plenty of weekends that he has shouldered all the responsibilities for me so I could go visit the granddaughter in San Antonio. This is my opportunity to return the favor. HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5662968327054666593.post-23382662571115492312011-10-04T22:39:00.000-05:002011-10-04T22:39:30.565-05:00New VenturesPurging was pretty high on the list of goals for this year and I think I may have found a fun way to go about it. Some friends of mine own a little antique store called Yesteryears located just off the town square. It's one of my favorite stops when we have errands to run ...kind of like H&H Guns is Yeoldfurt's favorite stop. We are usually together when we go either place, but I can be entertained at Yesteryears a lot longer than he can ...just as he can be entertained at H&H a lot longer than I can. Possibly, the Venus/Mars phenomenon again.<br />
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A couple of years ago, Yeoldfurt and I discussed the possibility of consigning some of the things we want to sell to Yesteryears. But we found out the owner doesn't do consignment, just rents booths to vendors with part of the 'rent' being a few hours a week of minding the store. That was not an option for us because of our 40-week jobs so we didn't pursue it. But recently I found out that the owner is now renting shelf space by the unit. One unit is a bookcase, approximately 3' x 6' with up to six adjustable shelves. The rent is $35/month, no requirement to put in hours at the store ...just a simple lease outlining acceptable items for sale and the terms of payment for sales made. Very little is required of the seller other than to keep the shelves reasonably well-stocked. Most of the things we want to purge around here are suitable to being displaying on a shelf so I think it's a win-win. <br />
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After I got home with the vendor agreement, I started wondering how hard it was going to be to keep the shelves stocked. I only have an hour or so of 'free time' in the evenings and Saturdays are already pretty full with odd chores and projects around here. I wanted to come up with something I could make ahead and keep in quantity to fill space in between things I was purging. I will be making some Cookie-in-a-Jar type recipes to give as gifts this Christmas and wondered if the owner of Yesteryears would consider letting me sell them on my shelf. I sent her an email with a picture to show her what would be on the shelf and she loved the idea. Oh, boy! Cheap, easy, and fun to make ...I can get creative with the recipes and decorating the jars according to the season. <br />
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I'm on vacation (I know ...again ...right?) on Friday this week so that Yeoldfurt can give me a ride to the paint shop to pick up my car. He's on vacation until Sunday and I think he plans to head back home after he drops me off at the shop. But while I'm out and about and have time on my hands, I think I'll go to the hobby store and maybe the fabric store for ideas and supplies. I really think this is going to be fun. If it turns out to be profitable too, all the better!HossBosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13444735851486747330noreply@blogger.com7