To put it bluntly, the weather the past few days has sucked. MAJOR suckage, as the Darlin' Man would put it!
Wind, HIGH winds, sandstorms, occasionally spitting snow and colder temperatures.
I have to hand the laundry inside as if I hang it out on the line, it either gets blown off across the yard (to get tangled in the fence) or it gets so sand-filled, I have to wash it again!
Taking hay to the goats and alpacas can be problematical. If I get it to them without the wind snatching it out of my arms, it sometimes gets blown out of their pens. Animals, sometimes being smarter and more adaptable than people, have figured this out. They firmly place a foot into the middle of a flake and nibble around the edges! Smart goats and alpacas!
I have kept the chickens in their coop throughout this. I didn't think my neighbors would appreciate chickens flying through their yards!
It is still breezy today, but not as bad as it has been the last 2 or 3 days.
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I am about to change everyone's diet here. We are all feeling a little, you know, pudgy and ucky, after all the oh-so-rich-and-fattening holiday foods. Dinner salads, here we come!
The Darlin' Man hates dinner salads. Ditto for vegetarian meals.
His favorite meals:
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered corn with sliced tomatoes on the side.
Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, and my home baked bread.
My *Greek Feast* ...marinated meat (cut in tiny pieces) served in a rich gravy, cous-cous, pita bread, yogurt w/diced cucumbers, olives, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, 3 kinds of homemade hummus and a load of other stuff too numerous to write out.
Breakfast....bacon, eggs over easy and toast with butter and jam.
You get the picture. He likes rich food. He likes fatty foods. Fried foods. Bacon. Italian sausage. Steak.
I do, too, unfortunately...as does everyone here.
But, in an effort to help ALL of us lose a little weight and feel healthier, I am going to change our diets. Gradually, though.
I cook everything from scratch, so more fresh and raw veggies and fruit should work into our diet easily.
Getting the Darlin' Man to accept more salads...not so easy!
We'll see how this goes....
**************************
Homesteading/Prepping is a lonely, frustrating endeavor some times.
I have a hard time getting anyone to actually help when I am doing my prepping. The homesteading stuff, like taking care of the livestock; is much easier.
But, getting someone to help package rice or beans or redo the medical kits....no volunteers....sigh...
Also, I rarely have the opportunity to meet people face-to-face. I never really go anywhere. I think I have been to the movies twice the whole time I have been here and the Darlin' Man has been able to take me out to eat maybe 8 times since I have been here.
This week his unit is again on one of their *camping trips*. So, I am really missing him.
Just whining here, but sometimes we all need to whine, I guess.
I know my efforts at prepping make a difference to my family. I know my homesteading efforts also make a difference.Just gets frustrating some days.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thank You's and I Am Such a Wuss!
I want to thank everyone that commented on my quandary about selling our sheep. Your kind words and comments really helped!
I had really never confronted a problem like that, but now, I know that regardless of where I live, I will probably encounter it more often.
I figured out that I most definitely lost a few bucks by selling the sheep as low as I did. But I felt better about where they ended up.
Which brings me to:
Am I too much of a wuss to sell livestock for meat purposes?
I really love each and every animal we have here.
Okay, except for those dang stupid Buff Orphington hens!
But the goats, rabbits, alpacas, geese, etc.And quite a few of the chickens.
We have butchered a young male goat before (and he was delicious!) and I was okay with that. But then, I knew how he was going to be slaughtered and everything.
I could butcher out a chicken or two or three if needed...as long as it wasn't Nugget, or Cab or Betty or Inky or Bo or, well, any of our hens that I have gotten close to. Which means I could butcher out any of the Buffs and most of the Reds...except Rosie. I like Rosie. And Calypso, our remaining Ameracuna.She's cute.
See what I mean!
Maybe if I had a flock of 300 sheep I could sell the culls willy-nilly without worrying about how each would be slaughtered.
I guess.
The Darlin' Man thinks I should stick to dairy animals...I dunno. I want to raise pigs and beef cattle, too and ducks for the table, etc once we move North, but I am beginning to second guess myself now.
I guess this is something I will have to think about.
****************
While I am thinking, I'll have one of my favorite snacks...with no meat involved!
Carrot-Raisin Salad
2 cups grated raw carrot
1 cup crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits with juice
1/2 to 1 cup raisins (depends on how much you like raisins)
1/4 to 1/2 cup walnut pieces or pecan pieces if you have them (really not necessary, but nice to add)
Mix all of the above together, chill for a couple hours or overnight, serve! I like to serve mine in a lettuce cup.
I had really never confronted a problem like that, but now, I know that regardless of where I live, I will probably encounter it more often.
I figured out that I most definitely lost a few bucks by selling the sheep as low as I did. But I felt better about where they ended up.
Which brings me to:
Am I too much of a wuss to sell livestock for meat purposes?
I really love each and every animal we have here.
Okay, except for those dang stupid Buff Orphington hens!
But the goats, rabbits, alpacas, geese, etc.And quite a few of the chickens.
We have butchered a young male goat before (and he was delicious!) and I was okay with that. But then, I knew how he was going to be slaughtered and everything.
I could butcher out a chicken or two or three if needed...as long as it wasn't Nugget, or Cab or Betty or Inky or Bo or, well, any of our hens that I have gotten close to. Which means I could butcher out any of the Buffs and most of the Reds...except Rosie. I like Rosie. And Calypso, our remaining Ameracuna.She's cute.
See what I mean!
Maybe if I had a flock of 300 sheep I could sell the culls willy-nilly without worrying about how each would be slaughtered.
I guess.
The Darlin' Man thinks I should stick to dairy animals...I dunno. I want to raise pigs and beef cattle, too and ducks for the table, etc once we move North, but I am beginning to second guess myself now.
I guess this is something I will have to think about.
****************
While I am thinking, I'll have one of my favorite snacks...with no meat involved!
Carrot-Raisin Salad
2 cups grated raw carrot
1 cup crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits with juice
1/2 to 1 cup raisins (depends on how much you like raisins)
1/4 to 1/2 cup walnut pieces or pecan pieces if you have them (really not necessary, but nice to add)
Mix all of the above together, chill for a couple hours or overnight, serve! I like to serve mine in a lettuce cup.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Decision Made
Well, the cringe factor won out.
I sold our two remaining sheep to a different buyer and for a lower price than the *ethnic* buyers would have paid.
I made less money, in fact, I may have not broken even, but I was able to sleep.
The family I sold them to lives locally and is large. Like 10 kids large with many extended family members showing up for meals and celebrations. Multiple generations in the same household.
They couldn't afford my asking price and had resigned themselves to only buying one.
I didn't exactly give them a 2 for 1 deal...but it was close.
Three of the sons arrived to pick up the sheep. They caught them quickly and hog tied them. One petted the ewe and commented on how soft her wool was. He said his mother and grandmother will use the pelt to make a woven blanket (they briefly explained that it will be cut into narrow strips and put on a loom). One brother admired the rams horns and said he was thinking of making knife handles from them. In short, they will use every part of the sheep, nothing will be wasted.
They put the sheep in the back of their old SUV and took them home. Their grandfather will be in charge of butchering them. They told me the slaughter will be quick. The sheep will provide many meals over the rest of the winter for their family PLUS will be the star ingredient for the celebration of one of their daughters 15th birthday next month. (A Really Big Deal in Hispanic families!)
So, my sheep are sold, I cleaned out their pen so I can transfer my pregnant goats into it.
I feel okay.
I sold our two remaining sheep to a different buyer and for a lower price than the *ethnic* buyers would have paid.
I made less money, in fact, I may have not broken even, but I was able to sleep.
The family I sold them to lives locally and is large. Like 10 kids large with many extended family members showing up for meals and celebrations. Multiple generations in the same household.
They couldn't afford my asking price and had resigned themselves to only buying one.
I didn't exactly give them a 2 for 1 deal...but it was close.
Three of the sons arrived to pick up the sheep. They caught them quickly and hog tied them. One petted the ewe and commented on how soft her wool was. He said his mother and grandmother will use the pelt to make a woven blanket (they briefly explained that it will be cut into narrow strips and put on a loom). One brother admired the rams horns and said he was thinking of making knife handles from them. In short, they will use every part of the sheep, nothing will be wasted.
They put the sheep in the back of their old SUV and took them home. Their grandfather will be in charge of butchering them. They told me the slaughter will be quick. The sheep will provide many meals over the rest of the winter for their family PLUS will be the star ingredient for the celebration of one of their daughters 15th birthday next month. (A Really Big Deal in Hispanic families!)
So, my sheep are sold, I cleaned out their pen so I can transfer my pregnant goats into it.
I feel okay.
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