Winter Workings

We finally were able to pick up the wood cook stove I talked about a while ago. It is very hard to wait for a place to be built to use it in! It is in very good shape and is the one that they used before they got their present one. It isn't an air-tight one so we won't be using it to heat (well, maybe a little bit) the house as well as for cooking.
It was so beautiful to see all of the teams hitched to the wagons with snow on the ground because everyone was busy cutting ice to fill the ice houses with. The ice had gotten five inches thick and there was a break in the weather so it was time to cut! I really appreciate the men that stopped working right away to help load the stove.
Things are very busy this time of year celebrating Christmas. I really do love Christmas and don't want it to end too quickly.
We weren't able to see the lunar eclipse last night because it was cloudy. Disappointing! Interesting that it was a blood moon.
Hope your days are going well and that you are also enjoying the holidays.
Nancy

More Turkey Details

Here's how we were able to fit the turkey in the oven: Fortunately, in this oven you are able to put the rack down just above the bottom coils. The rack bowed down from the weight of the turkey which enabled us to barely pry the legs into an opening in the coils on top of the oven. Pretty funny, huh? We were hoping to not have to cut the legs off to get it in and it worked! After it cooked for a while the legs shrank down just enough to pull it out of the oven to baste without touching the coils. The men took turns getting it out of the oven because it was so heavy. It was a lot of fun and after Thanksgiving everyone we or family members talked to wanted to know how cooking the turkey went. :-)
Yes, we have eaten a LOT of leftover turkey (even though 13 people ate here for Thanksgiving dinner) including turkey sandwiches (my favorite!), turkey dinner leftovers, turkey casserole, and turkey soup, AND we sent turkey home with family members AND we put some in the freezer for sandwiches later. It's been a tremendous blessing.
Nancy

Latest Goings-On

It took a little doing but, we were able to fit the turkey in the oven. Fortunately, fresh turkeys don't take as long to cook. Otherwise, it would have taken a mighty long time! The meat was exceptionally moist and delicious. It was one of the broad-breasted whites but, raising it the traditional way from spring to fall, resulted in a bird that was very well-proportioned with plenty (and I do mean plenty) of white and dark meat. Interestingly, the heirloom breed Spanish Black turkeys that we have raised this year are much smaller with different eating habits and most of their instincts intact. We enjoyed raising this batch of the broad-breasted ones more than any of the others, probably because they had to be herded into an inside shelter each night and then herded out to pasture each morning. We really got to know them! (We had more problems with predators this year than ever and lost some in the pasture pens in the beginning.) Unfortunately, the broad-breasted ones are a hybrid breed and are unable to mate so we will be keeping some of the blacks for that purpose.
We have been having some frigid weather lately and I'm having a hard time adjusting. It seems like we just jumped into winter and there are so many outside things that I want to work on! Good thing that the Lord put the seasons in place because I wouldn't know when to quit! I have been able to do some sewing and other indoor projects and am hoping to be able to gear down and enjoy more of the inside things soon. We really should enjoy each and every day and season, shouldn't we?
Nancy

Here Come The Turkeys

We butchered four turkeys last Saturday and here is the weigh-in:
Drum roll please....
1 at 34 lbs.
2 at 36 lbs. and
1 at 40 lbs!!!
We are cooking the 40 pounder tomorrow. I'll let you know how fitting it in the oven went! :-)
Truly hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Nancy

Farm Stuff

We borrowed a boer buck from a friend to breed our does with. We have Alpines and have always had Alpine bucks but this time we are using the boer buck and will sell the offspring for meat. We had to take the pygmy goat, Enna, otherwise known as "the tank", out of the goat pasture so she didn't get bred. The baby would be too big for her to have. I would really like to breed her with an Angora. I used to have a pygora and she was so pretty! And the children would LOVE the tiny baby goats!
The grandchildren are loving riding Ruby. She is such a sweet horse and so easy to ride.
We'll be butchering turkeys for the holidays this weekend. I am so looking forward to Thanksgiving even though I can't believe it's that time already. It's such a wonderful holiday and it's so good to think about everything we have to be thankful for. The down side is that our youngest son and his family won't be here for dinner this year because he can't get off from work. That makes us very sad but we hope they have a wonderful time together.
Are you cherishing those loved ones and each moment?

Busy Times

We have been taking advantage of the warm beautiful weather lately. We finished the barrel stove and before we could move it a gust of wind came through and knocked it over and it broke a handle on our horsedrawn plow. A friend picked up a pair of new handles for us at the buggy shop and saved us a trip. It's one more thing to do having to replace them but it will be very nice having new handles next spring.
It dawned on me that it would be a good idea to make soap while it was warm in the house so I made two batches; a plain castille that is a wonderful bath soap and the same soap with oats and honey added. When I cut the oats and honey one into bars my little granddaughter kept saying, "that smells so good!" It made me hungry for oatmeal cookies! I planned on making a batch with lavender but didn't get around to it.
Today we rendered a lot of beef fat into tallow, cooking it outside in three very large pots over propane burners. It was good to get it done and just in time before the rain started. This is the first rain we have had in several weeks.
Wanted to get spinach cut yesterday but we had to make an unexpected trip into town. It is supposed to be quite a bit cooler the next couple of days.
Yesterday we sent two of our cows to be with a friend's bull. I can't wait until they're back.
We have a new little horse that is just the right size for the children. She has a very sweet disposition and is very easy to ride. They are having such fun! There was rain close by today and our grandson came riding up on her and stopped with a beautiful rainbow behind him. It was quite the sight.
I hope you are enjoying fall. It is a wonderful time of year.

Cold Frame Reminder

Here's your annual cold frame reminder. We have spinach large enough to eat now but the lettuce is coming on slower. If you still haven't tried a cold frame, you might want to consider it. It's pretty great to be able to eat fresh lettuce and spinach in the winter and LOTS of it in the spring before anyone else even has their seeds in the ground. And, it's weed- and insect-free gardening.
We got the garlic planted yesterday and covered it with a thick layer of straw. I love growing garlic! You don't need much room to give it a try. Plant your garlic cloves pointed-side-up spaced about 5 inches apart and cover with straw. Next summer you will have your very own fresh garlic!
Millie is doing very well and getting used to the place. She is very sweet and so beautiful!
There is a freeze warning tonight so we harvested more comfrey leaves and blackberry leaves to dry while we could! Sure hate to see everything go. Well, there is a time for everything.
How are your fall activities coming along?
Nancy