Is it February yet?

There is a big part of me that can't wait for this month to be over. It's been one of those months where for every step forward we take in the house, it seems like we take two steps back.

We made some great progress on the living room floor. Hooray!

Then found a flood in the crawl space. Boo.

The fireplace insert was delayed. Again. Boo.

Ghon fixed the pipe. No need for a plumber. Hooray!

The well pump seems to have been destroyed from the flood. Boo.

The floor boards Ghon bought to fill in gaps in the floor won't fit. Boo.

Ghon's truck has been having issues. His truck will drive along then lose all acceleration. Big repairs. Boo.

Last week we had a snow storm come through that brought close to nine inches of snow, single digit temperatures, and lots of wind. It's been cold.

On the other hand, all the snow and cold weather has kept Jonathan home from school and we had a great time sled riding and playing in the snow. One of Ghon's days off work coincided with one of Jonathan's days off school, so both kids headed to the farm to work with Ghon. While he was there, Ghon took some great cell pics of the farm.

Telescopehead all grown up.

The Homestead from the road.

I ran lunch down to Ghon and the kids. Despite Jonathan dying to go work at the farm, he wanted to come home, and Genevieve stayed with Ghon. The two of them later went to the top of the hill to pull memory cards from the trail cams. When he got home, he found this beauty.

Coyote on the hill!

One good thing that has happened this month was finding a new church. Last year, the kids and I attended a church across town. It was nice and Jonathan enjoyed Sunday school, but it wasn't a good fit. There is a church right by the farmhouse, St. John's Lutheran, that we started attending this month. Turns out several of Jonathan's classmates and their families are members. We've gone a few times this month, and the kids like it. George Crabill, who lived in the farmhouse is buried at the church cemetery. I've promised Jonathan that when the weather is nicer, i.e., the field isn't wet or covered in snow, we would look for his tombstone.

This past Sunday, Ghon had a horrible drive to work, his truck breaking down on him several times. The kids and I skipped Sunday School to research parts prices. Ghon then called to ask that I head over to Dulles...the baby chicks had arrived!

We spent way too much time in the car. From church, to the car parts store, to Dulles and the USPS facility, where 73 chickens joined us on our ride to Harrisonburg to take Ghon his truck part. With the truck fixed, we headed back to Winchester to get the chicks settled into a temporary brooder box.

Take a peep inside...

Preparing the food dish. All hands on deck.

The makeshift brooder is ready!

Before moving the chicks into their brooder, you must make sure that they take a single drink. Genevieve helped Ghon first, while Jonathan was the official counter.

First sips!

Drink chicken! Drink!

Thirsty bird

So happy to help!

Each order of 50+ chicks from the Murray McMurray Hatchery comes with an exotic bird. Here's this order's free bird.

Mr. Exotic

I'm gonna get you...

Somewhere in the area of 32, Jonathan lost count. He was getting upset, so we had the kids switch roles.

Jonathan's turn to help.

Attempting to count.

He's so gentle with them.

Tomorrow the chicks will be getting a larger, yet still temporary brooder box. In the end, they will be in the coop for a while to grow. It's been so cold though, that despite several heat lamps, we didn't think it would be warm enough in the coop for them. A temporary indoor home they get! We had a chili gear box that had broke. We were using it to collect aluminum cans, but now, it's the chicks home.

Broken chili gear box - repurposed!

Seventy three little peeps.

Making fried chicken. Just kidding, it's just a heat lamp....

I can't wait for the end of the month. The chickens made it safely, but now we must get them to survive the cold. Then spring and the onslaught of predators.

The fireplace insert finally has an install date. By the end of this weekend, we should be able to have a fire in our fireplace! So excited about this. Now we need to get some wood down to the house.

Next week, Ghon and I have a week long staycation to work on the house. Who knows what we will get done. Regardless, we need the break. My work has been crazy busy and I need some time off. I am hoping and praying that the install goes well and ushers February in as a new, warm, and month of forward progress. And that maybe, just maybe, we can figure out how to get our well pump working without a total replacement. A week of work at the farm with no water (meaning no toilet...) is not going to be fun.

S.S. Hummingbird

Big plans for big progress this week came to a screeching halt on Tuesday.

Ghon had two days off in a row and planned major progress on the floor. He even wanted to surprise me by starting the staircase.

After making a quick trip into town to purchase a few extra floor boards Ghon headed to the house. And heard running water.

We have a very large root cellar. The entry is from the front porch, and descends into the dining room area. There are two rooms, one that encompasses the full size of the kitchen, the other, half of the living room. The right side holds the well pump and hot water heater.

Tuesday, it also held water about 5 feet deep.

An indoor swimming pool was not in our plans.

Ghon looked down the stairs to the cellar and saw water up the stairs. It filled both rooms and was rising.

After about 90 minutes of pumping. The water covers the bottom two steps and had come up one more.

He quickly turned off the power in the house since he knew there was electric in the cellar. Frantic messages to me, at work with no cellular reception, conversations with Cindy and another trip to Lowes to buy a portable electric pump, Ghon chopped up my 100ft hose and got the water flowing out toward the creek. By the time I found out what was going on, I sat through a few more minutes of a meeting and jet. I stopped to get a stronger hose on my way in (pictured above). Fortunately, the pump was working and Ghon had pulled enough water out to drop the levels by about a foot.

You can see the water line on the door and the wall.

This looks off to the left room. See how high the water was?

This is the room on the right, and how high the water is. See the board floating with antique bottles?

Creating suction to get the pump going.

Output at the edge of the stream.

Such high hopes. Nothing was done in the house. Ghon spent all of his Christmas gift cards to buy a pump rather than a table saw. It was my birthday, and a flooded house was my gift. We had to find the bright spot. Create a little humor. Leave it to Ghon!

Big release!

Having 'fun'

With the pump running and the fun over, it was time to get the kids and dinner. Time to eat good in the neighborhood! We told our daycare provider what was going on in the house and she mentioned that the local fire department had once pumped their crawl space. Wheels in motion, I sent a message to a friend whose husband is the Assistant Chief at the local fire department. Although they were out of town, he was able to get in touch with some department members and we planned to meet up at the house after dinner and they finished calls they were on. Thanks, Assistant Chief Hagenmayer!

North Mountain Volunteer Fire Department - Attack 19 Truck

So thankful these two guys came out! It was COLD that evening.

Down the hole with a plate attachment to better suction the water.

Their hose is bigger than ours.

After a bit, I left Ghon at the house with the fire department and took the kids home. In the end, they dropped the water level to about 3 inches.

The next morning, Ghon headed off to the house to try to find the cause of the issue. About an hour later he came home and tossed this on my desk.

The culprit. Burst pipe from the main water line to the well pump.

The pipe from the well pump had burst. If you look back at the picture of the right side with the floating board, you can see some of the white wash missing on the rock wall. This is where the water was shooting out and hitting.

Ghon's not much of a plumber, but this was a job he felt he could handle, if he had a propane torch. He called Tim who thankfully had a torch. Even better, Tim had copper connectors and the right size pipe. Together, they got the pipe repaired in short order.

The electric was turned back on, and thankfully again, the well pump still worked, and the hot water heater was working too. Ghon still didn't get any work done, but not having to call in a plumber was a major bonus.

That evening, we moved one of the heat lamps from the chicken coop into the basement. All of the remaining water absorbed into the ground to create a nice mudslide. We turned on the single overhead light (a single light bulb), and ran an extension cord down to hang the heat lamp. Fingers crossed it helps keep everything warm enough to not freeze and maybe dry up some mud.

Ghon's father had put lots of pink insulation around the pipes, but we are going to update that a bit to some heat tape or new insulation. Can't have that happening again!

Despite all of the panic and the fear that comes with owning an indoor swimming pool, I had to keep reminding Ghon of the positives, and things to be thankful for, just as Cindy did.

1. It completely sucked. But he found it before it rose another 2-3 feet, at which point it would likely have seeped into the living room, dining room, and kitchen floors. That would have majorly sucked. Not only that, but he found it period. Ghon doesn't usually have off on Tuesdays, let alone two days off in a row. So glad he went to the house when he did.
2. Ghon really wanted to buy a table saw with his gift cards. We can use it for so many projects. Instead, it was used to buy a pump. Glad he had the cards to use!
3. It's a good thing Lowes had a pump in stock!
4. Now we own a pump. So if this ever happens again, we are set. Or Ghon's preferred thinking, he now has a pump to pull water out of the creek to water our garden this summer.
5. We had the means to buy a pump, the pump was available, and well, the pump worked.
6. Hooray for Company 19, the North Mountain Volunteer Fire Department. I am so thankful they helped pump the remaining water out. Ghon would have been there hours with no heat if it wasn't for them.
7. No one was electrocuted. Remember, there was a bunch of electric down there.
8. Through this exercise, we found that Ghon's dad wired the well pump and heater to the same circuit breaker. We now know to change this!

I'm sure I could think of more, but you get the point.

If you noticed, these pictures do not command the same quality as my other pictures. I've used my camera so much at the farm and the farm is so dirty, I've jacked up the lens. It started acting up here and there, and now it's nearly fried. Ghon had bought me a new camera for Christmas, but I kept saying I didn't need it. Until last weekend when I wanted to take pictures of the floor progress and the lens wouldn't extend, or would shut down at random. It just wasn't working for me. I gave in and put the new camera in my bag, and as I snapped the first flood picture...realized I'd left the memory card in my computer. We had to resort to cell phone pictures for all the flood action.

No worries, the card is now back in the camera. The new one. The one with a protection plan for when the lens jams this spring from taking it in and out of my pocket while gardening. Or taking pictures while sanding floors. You know, everyday life at the farm.

This is the official 100th post of the Project Farmhouse blog. I wanted it to be the great fireplace reveal. Instead, I got a flood. Guess it's still momentous.

Fireplace Reveal

This post has been a long time coming.

I've had the pictures in place for a few weeks.

I wanted this, the big reveal of the fireplace to be post 100! As I fretted over posting this weekend's exciting development, combining it with the big reveal, and knowing that the insert is still delayed and won't be here for at least another week, I bring you post 99. One of the most exciting in my personal opinion. I really wanted to wait until the insert was in to make the reveal, but with other news to share, it's going to have to wait for a special post of it's own.

Pictures (and their captions) speak 1,000 words. Behold, the fireplace transformation.

On the right, the only thing removed from the wall is drywall. A month later, the wood stove is gone and the fake bricks removed. Yes, fake brick front drywall.

This shot was taken after the demo party and the floor removal. Down to nearly bare logs and a fireplace filled with concrete. A total mess.

Well looky here. The first visit by our stone mason. Clearing out the fireplace.

The original fireplace exposed, mortar between the logs exposed.

Similar shot as above, but after I cleaned the logs.

Bringing the stone mason back to work - preparing the concrete forms to support the floor.

And then there was concrete.

This is where I stopped sharing pictures.Behold, the stone laying progress. Artwork in stone.

Progress after the first day of stone work.

Artist at work. Day two...

The end of day two. You may be asking what the wood pieces are there for. That's to secure the original mantle.

The end of day three. Stone to the top - and fresh mortar on the logs.

Our fireplace is alive! Live freaking moss on our fireplace!

Some artists sign their work with a signature. Ours left a smiley rock he found on the property the first time he visited. He found this rock on the hill, and I insisted it be somewhere on the fireplace.

End of day three - base mortar between the logs.

End of day four. The logs are rechinked a shade of tan and the hearth complete.

A-freaking-mazing.

The full view. The mortar is still a little damp in this picture.

Size perspective. Roughly 8' 6" wide.

Size perspective - Hansel and Gretel style.

The final comparison. Before and after.

The fireplace was complete late last year, but we have been waiting, and waiting for the insert. Still waiting. Last Tuesday, we had a chance to get the floor timbers in the house, and seized the opportunity. Ghon, and his friends Clint and Ryan carried the timbers into the house. It definitely took three guys to do it. Even more amazing, they did it when it was about zero degrees outside.

Saturday was the first weekend day Ghon's had off in a while. We ran a few errands together with the kids then did some window shopping at Lowes before heading to the farm to work. I'd wanted to get Jonathan a tool kit for Christmas but never did. We found a complete set marked down and he was so excited to get it.

Trust me. He doesn't look excited in the picture, but that's because he wanted to work, not take pictures.

With his entire Lowes tool set on.

It was actually quite cute how many times Ghon used one of Jonathan's tools.

There was a lot of stopping through the afternoon while Ghon and I contemplating strategies, but in the end, we cut and placed two new support beams. Along the way, we tested the levelness of the floor using one of the floor boards. Too excited, we placed about 5 boards back into their spots. Tongue and groove, numbered in order as they came out - and they fit perfectly.

Smoke in the air from the chainsaw with Handy Fin ready to help. More support cutting, and finally, after about 10 months with no flooring, the floorboards are going back in!

We tested the boards out, then removed them and started over. We wanted the first board perfect to line the rest of the floor, or at least that side. Once in place, we started to secure #2, but ran into a dilemma.


Look at the picture below, and check out that little groove and where the arrow is pointing.

That my friends, is caked in dirt. That's what it looks like between your tongue and groove boards.

It was all along the board, but worst, of course, in the area by the door. Ghon kindly reminded me that a lot of it was probably old horse manure, as the the side door in the living room used to be the front.

Disgusting. One hundred year old dirt and poop.

We removed most of it off the next 2 boards. We were using a hammer and nailset, the claw on the hammer, and the wire brush with the metal scrapper. It was hard to get clean. We kept stopping and asking each other if it was worth it. Then kept doing it.

One lesson I learned that night was that I am far from the best hammerer. My Dad gave me mine own toolset for Christmas. My own tools that are black and PINK. I couldn't wait to use my own hammer. However,  Ghon would drive in the nails in 2-3 shots, while I'm on bang 20 and driving it crooked. I did much better setting the nails, so that's where we focused my attention.

We worked on the floor for about 4 hours Saturday. With a good foundation in place, we have fingers crossed Ghon gets the floor laid this week. He has off two days back-to-back. I will be so happy to be able to walk across the floor again and not worry about the kids falling into the rocks. I will be so happy to have the dirt hole covered and not worry about any critters hanging out that I can't see.

I will be so happy, as it will mean HUGE progress has been made. I couldn't wait to share the progress of floor installation - and since the fireplace made it into some of the pictures, you get the reveal as well. There are more details about the fireplace to share, but I'll save those for the final pictures with the insert.

Neglect 2.0

It is crazy cold here. I guess it is crazy cold everywhere.

I am seeing posts all over the internet about staying warm, helping the homeless find shelter, bringing your husbands inside, and don't forget about your dogs and cats.

But what about the chickens??

Since we have an apparent record of negligence when it comes to our chickens, I'd like to share a little story about tonight's activities.

Again, it is frigid. Temperatures in single digits, double digit negative wind chill.  Our youngest chickens have a nice secure pen, and a cozy little box to protect them from the elements. However, it is it in the middle of the yard, and well, it is freezing.

Last night, Ghon picked up  few heat lamps on his way home. We had a bit of freezing rain last night, so once Ghon made it home, it wasn't a good idea to head back out. Today on their way home, Ghon and the kids stopped at the farm on a rescue mission.

The kids couldn't wait to help. They were talking about it since last night when we thought we were going to the farm. Once they arrived at the farm, Ghon hung the heat lamps in the big coop. Despite being bigger, the coop is solid, and the lamps should heat it pretty well. He left the coop door to the run closed, so there is no option to run outside for a few days.

After the lights were hung, Ghon grabbed the kids to collect the chickens. Jonathan was placed into the run, and according to Ghon, the chickens flocked to him. Our super chicken catcher scooped one up, passed it to Ghon, who passed it to Genevieve, who proceeded to hug and love on her. Ghon helped Jonathan back out of the run, chicken in hand, then scooped up a bird of his own. The three scurried off to the coop to put them in a warmer place.

Genevieve kept the chickens company in the coop while Ghon and Jonathan grabbed the last chicken.

Fortunately, the lamps seemed to be putting off good heat. According to Ghon, by the time they left, he couldn't see his breath anymore. Fresh food and water, and they were off.

Mission accomplished.

The kids were so excited to tell me about their rescue mission. I hope the chickens make it through the next few days. The kids will be devastated if they don't make it.

So take that, chicken neglect reporter. Our birds are warm and cozy for the night.

What's this...Homesteading?

Homesteading. I admit, I don't know a whole heck of a lot about it. Ghon has mentioned it, and I know our friend Daniel has as well. I've seen some neat-o links on Facebook shared by my friend Becky, so I decided to learn a little more.

Hang tight while I consult Wikipedia.

Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of foodstuffs, and it may or may not also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craftwork for household use or sale.

OK, that I can handle. Ghon always calls it "living off the grid." I'm not ready to go all hardcore. I am still a city girl and always will be. However, I can see the good in being able to grow some veggies and fruits, have chickens (and eat them too!), and the like. Ghon is really hoping to turn Hummingbird Farm into a profitable business a few years down the road. I'm happy to take care of my family.

A couple days ago, Becky shared a post from the blog The Prairie Homestead, 101 Skills for the Modern Homesteader.

So credit given to Jill over at The Prairie Homestead. Here are her 101 Skills for the Modern Homesteader. Links within each skill will open to "how to" blogs on her site. Anything the either Ghon or I know how to do, I am going to strike-through. That mission is already accomplished.

1. Learn how to milk a goat, cow, or sheep.
2. Learn how to successfully compost kitchen scraps and manure. We have done the kitchen scraps before.
3. Learn how to make the perfect pie crust. As much as I love baking, I don't do pie. Between this and Ghon's dream, I guess I have to learn.
4. Learn how to cook a whole chicken. Both of us can cook a chicken. Fried is his department though.
5. Learn how to grow a vegetable garden in your climate. We have varied success, so I'm not scratching this off yet.
6. Learn how to prune a tree. We will be learning this in the fall. Our fruit trees should need a pruning.
7. Learn how to read the weather. Weather.com right? Hmm, I wonder what this means.
8. Learn how to tell time without a clock by using the sun. Morning, noon, dusk. What more do I need to know?
9. Learn how to give an animal an injection. I've given Ghon injections. Does that count?
10. Learn how to foal, kid, lamb, and/or calve.
11. Learn how to pull a calf or baby goat during a difficult birth.
12. Learn how to grow a windowsill herb garden. I grow herbs in deck boxes. I should be able to manage this.
13. Learn how to properly cut down a tree. Lumberjack Ghon!
14. Learn how to make perfect sausage gravy from scratch.Thanks to my Dad, I can make some gravy!
15. Learn how to drive a manual transmission.  Ghon's department. I've been taught, but it isn't pretty.
16. Learn how to drive a tractor.
17. Learn basic mechanic skills so you can fix your tractors and vehicles. Thank God I married a mechanic.
18. Learn how to change a tire. See comment above.
19. Learn how to change oil. See comment above.
20. Learn how to properly handle, shoot, and clean a gun.
21. Learn the laws and regulations regarding hunting wild game in your area through a Hunter’s Safety course. Ghon's taken the Hunter's Safety courses. I know how to look online for the regulations. All set.
21. Learn how to hunt wild game–both large and small. Ghon's got this one too.
22. Learn how to humanely kill, gut, and clean an animal. Depends on the animal. Another one for Ghon.
23. Learn how to butcher an animal and the proper cuts of meat.
24. Learn how to pluck a chicken. I'm only partially striking this one. We got the idea, based on the turkey, but not perfected.
25. Learn how to use a smoker. Have you tried Ghon's pork shoulder? Ribs? No? Come work at the farm, we'll feed you.
26. Learn how to fish. Ghon knows how to fish. I know how to fish as long as the rod is ready to go. I will bait a hook too.
27. Learn how to clean and fillet a fish. Almost there. Ghon knows how to clean 'em, but not fillet them.
28. Learn how to tell if your chickens are molting. Chicken man has this one figured out.
29. Learn how to tell if you can doctor an animal at home, or if it needs to be taken to the vet.
30. Learn how to dry laundry using a drying rack or clothesline.  I know how to use the rack now. It's been a long time since I've hung clothes on the line. Kinda looking forward to doing it again. For sheets. I HATE crunchy jeans.
31. Learn how to make your own laundry detergent. I've wanted to try this.
32. Learn how to build a fire–both inside and outside.  I can do the outdoor fire, but Ghon is MUCH better. He knows how to do it inside. I will learn soon enough!
33. Learn how to cook over an open fire. Ghon was a certified Boy Scout Leader. He's certified in open cooking.
34. Learn how to make hard and soft cheeses.
35. Learn how to make yogurt.
36. Learn how to make sourdough bread. I've made my own bread, but never sourdough.
37. Learn how to keep bees and harvest honey.
38. Learn how to make basic yeast dough which can be turned into loaves, rolls, buns, pretzels, etc. Pizza dough uses yeast. Does that count?
39. Learn how to incubate fertilized eggs and hatch your own chicks.  We've had the suckers incubating on our nightstand. CHECK!
40. Learn how to identify and manage a broody hen. Ha, Ghon said he can identify them (and so can I), but he's not sure if picking them up and tossing them is proper management.
41. Learn how to cut and bale hay.
42. Learn how to stack hay.
43. Learn the art of intensive grazing so you can better manage your pastures.
44. Learn how to make your own soap.
45. Learn how to make your own candles.
46. Learn how to darn a sock.  Mr. Outdoors surprised me on this one!
47. Learn how to mend damaged clothes so they don’t have to be thrown away.  And again with this one.
48. Learn how to sew clothing from scratch.
49. Learn how to knit, quilt,  or crochet  I can crochet! I will keep us warm!
50. Learn the art of no-till gardening.
51. Learn how to candle eggs so you can tell if they are fertilized.  We've done this!
52. Learn how to cook outside with a dutch oven.Queue the Boy Scout!
53. Learn how to heat your home with wood or other sustainable sources.  We will when the insert arrives!
54. Learn how to trim the feet of your goats and sheep.
55. Learn how to build and fix fence. Ghon says he's got this.
56. Learn carpentry skills so you can repair outbuildings or even build basic furniture pieces. I've seen the coop Ghon built. He had training as a cabinet maker. CHECK!
57. Learn how to tan a hide.
58. Learn how to save seeds. Ghon is sounding pretty handy...
59. Learn how to use a water bath canner. Ah, something I know how to do.
60. Learn how to lacto-ferment foods to preserve them.
61. Learn how to use a pressure canner and/or cooker.
62. Learn how to make saukerkraut.
63. Learn how to forage for wild edibles in your area.
64. Learn how to identify the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms.
65. Learn how to identify the difference between harmless and venomous snakes in your area. Ghon feels he knows this one. We know how I hate all snakes. I do think I need to know this on my own, so it only gets a half credit.
66. Learn how to grind your own wheat.
67. Learn how to repurpose everyday items to save them from the landfill. I try to do this, but not enough that I'm ready to scratch it off the list.
68. Learn how to sharpen a knife or ax.  Ghon. Again.
69. Learn how to prepare for a blizzard. Ghon said "buy toilet paper." That long time ago city boy is coming out now.
70. Learn how to prepare for a wildfire.
71. Learn the basics of animal breeding.
72. Learn how to work together with your neighbors to accomplish more and foster a sense of community. This is where Daniel comes in. :)
73. Learn how to halter-break an animal.
74. Learn how to split and stack firewood. Ah-ha! I know how to use a chainsaw! I have used a log splitter. Stacking can't be too hard (I know it is strenuous).  Ghon knows how to do it without a splitter too.
75. Learn how to make butter.
76. Learn how to use essential oils properly and safely.
77. Learn how to build/use a greenhouse or cold frame to extend your growing season.
78. Learn how to start seeds indoors. We've done this!
79. Learn how to store food in a root cellar or in a cool basement. I am totally going to use our root cellar. Just need to learn the right way how.
80. Learn how to make vinegar.
81. Learn how to make your own skincare items. This website had a 'recipe' for deodorant that I totally want to try.
82. Learn how to make your own cleaning supplies. More than just vinegar?
83. Learn how to make herbal extracts, infusions, poultices, and tinctures.
84. Learn how to render lard or tallow.
85. Learn how to chop ice.
86. Learn how to make and apply whitewash.
87. Learn how to tap trees for maple syrup.
88. Learn how to repair a roof.
89. Learn how to humanely euthanize an animal.
90. Learn to identify the weeds in your yard/pastures and figure out which ones are edible.
91. Learn how to back up a trailer. I won't even it drive it forward, let alone backward. Again, Scoutmaster and Band Roadie Ghon comes in handy here.
92. Learn how to purify water.
93. Learn how to make bone broth.
94. Learn how to use non-electric lighting. If this means lanterns and candles, CHECK!
95. Learn how to put together a 72-hour kit for emergencies.
96. Learn how to cook eggs in a cast iron skillet without a sticky mess. I'll never forget the time I cooked in a cast iron skillet. It was the first and last time. I apparently cooked a non-egg product in an egg pan. Never again... Ghon has an egg pan. He can use it. I will stick to my stones.
97. Learn how to put food scraps like eggshells, coffee grounds, apple peels, and whey to good use.
98. Learn how to make bacon and cure hams.
99. Learn how to protect your livestock from predators.
100. Learn how to make your own chicken feed.
101. Learn how to live within your means and get out of debt. Almost, but not quite.


Wow. We are almost half way there! We apparently know, or almost know all of 41 things on the list. However, if you take out those that I either learned with Ghon or am totally dependent on him for, my total is somewhere near 14. See? City girl, not a country girl. I need my redneck to make it when it comes to farm life.

I am going to try to learn more of these skills. And I'm pretty sure Ghon does as well.  Keep an eye out for updates on our homesteading skills! Anyone care to join me?

Happy New Year!

New Year's Day presented a variety of opportunities for the family.

1 - Head to the National Zoo in DC and hang with our friends/chosen family, the Dusolds. (2 hour drive & train ride)
2 - Head to Palmyra Virginia and visit friends cooking chili.(3 hour drive)
3 - Head to the farm to try to load timbers and clean the yard. (6 minute drive)

We slept in and chose the farm. I missed seeing everyone, but if 2014 is to be the year we move into the farm, work must get done.

Ghon and Jonathan headed out in Ghon's truck while Genevieve and I rounded up a few more things then headed out.

When Genevieve and I got there, Ghon and Jonathan were cleaning out the fire pit. We have burned so much this summer, the put was full of ash. Seriously, we burned brush, paper, rotting wood, a chair, a sofa, doors; you name it, it was burned. Genevieve ran off to help Jonathan and Daddy, then I got to work with my own tasks. Like taking pictures of them working.

Working hard cleaning out the fire pit.

Once I snapped a few pics, I got to work. I fed the chickens, then started rounding up trash and putting away summer yard stuff: chairs, toys, random bungee cords and the kid's rakes. Ghon used the 4-wheeler to haul off the ash, so when he came back, the kids of course wanted a ride. After their turn, Ghon broke out his inner kid and tore up some mud in the garden area.

Genevieve had a blast riding. Jonathan was excited. Even Ghon had some fun with a quick spin.

Playtime over, I decided to clean up the pallet pile. I couldn't stand how they were stacked in the yard haphazardly. Drove me nuts. The kids were running all around the piles, hiding in them and playing 'house.' I started moving the pallets with the kids pleading me to let them keep playing with them. I promised them a way to play with them.

I started moving the pallets next to the chicken coop when Ghon and Tim decided to head up the hill to cut wood. But before they left, they decided to find out what the mysterious pink liquid was in the plastic container. Sure it said kerosene, but you never know what may have been put in the container.

Don't try this at home. Cigarettes, a shotgun, kerosene and an open flame. 

Once we established that the liquid was indeed kerosene, Ghon and Tim headed off and took Jonathan with them. Genevieve and I ordered lunch and kept stacking pallets and working around the yard.

Priceless. I kept telling her to "roll" the container. So she sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat!" She was such a good helper today.

My little tom-girl stomped all through the mud, ran around, and climbed the new pallet tower. She tested my structural integrity, jumped off the top, and reminded me where it needed stairs. I think she was also pretty happy to be there for some one-on-one time with mom, and to test it all out without her brother.

Before leaving with the guys, Genevieve and Jonathan "did teamwork" to move some pallets.

Once the pizza came, Genevieve and I had to head up the hill to try and find the boys. I was quite nervous driving up the hill. I made it, but somehow still went down the wrong road and couldn't find them. By the time I turned the Ranger around and went back down the hill, Tim and Jonathan were there. Jonathan road down with Tim on the 4-wheeler and "looked everywhere" for us. The kids and I headed to the house for lunch while Tim went back up the hill to tell Ghon lunch was ready.

While getting the high class dining ready (paper plates, cheap pizza and standing room only for adults), the kids cleaned up in the living room. Apparently, Ghon and Eric really did clean up the living room last time they were there.

There is always more dirt to sweep.

After being refueled by lunch, I reminded the men that we were supposed to be trying to get the timber in the house. So Ghon and Tim tried pick up the timber. I reminded them to lift with their knees, 1, 2, 3, and nothing. It wasn't getting more than a half inch off the ground. We could really, really, use some help.

With that failed attempt, Ghon and Tim got antsy. It is almost the end of hunting season! Anxious to get in the woods for an evening hunt, I had Ghon start a fire for me before heading back up into the woods. We'd had heavy rain for a few days and a short supply of lighter fluid, so the fire was slow starting. Then, he remembered we had kerosene.

When a little doesn't work, drench the board and start again! Fire!

Fire lit, the guys left and the kids and I resumed work and running around the yard. Well, I worked and they ran.

After about 90 minutes, I headed inside the house and Jonathan followed. He started playing on the hearth, measuring the width with a large tape measure. He walked backwards, watching the end of the tape and walked himself right off the edge. Kid is pretty lucky he wasn't hurt worse. There are so many broken rocks and even some old broken glass in the hole. He was shook up, so we headed to the fire ring to sit. I put a cold bottle of water on his back and held him for a bit. Genevieve tried to open the truck door to get her jacket, and the door closed on her fingers.

That was it - I was done. It was getting colder and I had two hurt kids. I snuggled with both kids by the fire, then got them in the car, texted Ghon that we were leaving, put out the fire and left.

The next morning. You can see a small lump and his scratch.

Our weather is reliably unpredictable. We worked outside in layers, no jackets, on a sunny day in the upper 40s. As I am writing this the very next evening, it is about 20 degrees and snowing. The roads are a mess, cars are sliding off the road everywhere. Jonathan's bus arrived home over an hour late after being stuck behind several accidents. It's insane.

Although I missed visiting with friends on Wednesday, at least I was able to get the grill put away before the next snowfall!