Sunday, October 31, 2010

Storms and new paint

We got our first snow on the 26th of October; snowed for about 3 hours.

It has been a very busy couple of days here.
Yesterday Dave just got wood into the front porch and unto the wood rack and not 15 minutes later the winds kicked up and it started to rain cats and dogs; sideways rain. That went on for a few hours.
Couldn't really do any more outside work during that so we pulled everything out of our small bathroom and started to paint. Light yellow walls and a very nice light cream on the window and door frames. They were both Behr Premium oops paint, $5.00 a gallon can. Sure looks  different from the lavender.
Today we will do touch ups; let dry and then hang the medicine cabinet back up, shelving and move all the towels and etc back in.



 I picked up some material for a new curtain a week ago; that sure has gone up in price. The cottons that used to be $1.99 are now $3.99 a yard. I found some with a $1.00 off a yard. I still to wash it before i sew the curtains up.
This bathroom had no shelving at all when we moved in. There was no place to put anything with a pedestal sink to boot. We replaced the sink 2 years ago.

I have been crocheting socks lately. 






One of our older daughters came up and brough her 2 daughters, she got them ready for a Hollween party while here.





Monday, October 25, 2010

Lost weekend

Dave was ill during the end of last week and this weekend. He still wasn't feeling to well but got up at 5 am and went to work.
He was miffed at having a bad cold and coughing constantly and wasn't feel well enough to get more things done here that need done before we have lots of snow and lots of cold.
I told him he didn't plan on getting sick.
I also wasn't feeling well and we were babysitting our 22 month old grand daughter Kaylee.
She started being ill last night and I have her today. Diarrhea etc.


It rained cats and dogs at night for the last few days and yesterday and today we have high winds with the rain. It is now 34 degrees and it is 11:35 am.
Chance of snow tomorrow around 3700 feet, and that is us.


I have a yak vegetable soup going for supper tonight.
Ground yak, beef, venison or whatever meat you prefer browned with
salt, pepper, onion and garlic in the meat as it cooks
Then add 1 gallon of water
Add:
Half a cabbage sliced and diced
1 can peas
1 can carrots
5 or 6 medium potatoes, diced
Greens beans and or beets if desired
Add any other vegetable you wish
Salt and pepper
1/2 diced onion or 1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons red pepper if desired
bring to boil and then simmer for 4 to 7 hours, as you like to taste. Can cover after it cooks down.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Making head way

Friday was a day of more clean up and make sure everything was tied down good for the landfill run. Plus heading into town for Doctor appointments.
Then some shopping and more work supplies.
At Home Depot we found another oops exterior paint and added that to our collection ($5:00) and a couple other things we had to have.
I have to do the Goodwill stop :).
We now have 4 gallons of exterior paint to mix together and paint the trailer with.
We went to Hay's market in Clarkston and picked up a 10 pound cabbage wowee a big one.
Picked up a quick Taco John's supper and took that along to eat as possible.
We had to pick up our granddaughter Kaylee from daycare and head home.
We had picked up some food from Taco Johns she could eat and some milk from the store part.
We got the baby in and I got her changed while Dave unloaded the truck.
Still had chores that had to be done and Dave did those while I watched the baby.
I was done in.
Saturday Kathy didn't work until the afternoon shift so we were able to get things done out there with out trying to keep baby out of the paint and etc.
We got the small shed tarped and the old camper that needs lots of work. We threw a fogger in because the camper was filled with wasps.


The camper needs both sky lights replaced, some of the floor right inside the door and the lights on the outside.



Then it was time to get the sprayer ready and get the paint mixed.
Oh and I am not in many pictures because I am the go-fer/helper/holder and picture taker.





I had to scrape and sweep the layer of mud off the front of the trailer so Dave could paint it. There were still some good sized giant mud puddles we couldn't avoid on the way up to the National Forest where we had a wood cutting permit.
We got the paint sprayer on sale a couple years ago when we had to paint the barn.
The barn hadn't been painted in we don't kow how many decades and it was showing it big time.
Talk about a time and worker saver.



We were glad we got to paint it before any more rain came in.
And of course by the time we were finished it was turning cool and it was time for regular chores again.
We got the old caulking off from around the bath tub, time fore it to be re-caulked.
Only problem is it is the only bathroom we have. We might have to sponge bath it for a couple days after we caulk it to make sure it is good and dry.
I am sure that will go over like a lead balloon with our daughter lol.We tried that roll on caulk the last time.  Forget that stuff it doesn't last long at all.
We found a light yellow paint for it also in the oops section.

Dave was going to paint it but our daughter spent 3 hours in the bathroom getting ready for work.
So I guess that will have to wait for another day.Our bathroom is a one person bathroom, it is the length of the tub and then 3-4 feet if that to the next wall and has to have the sink and toilet in that space. One can almost do everything at one time in there lol.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Done deal

Well the wood cutting in the mountains is done.  
We got home by 3:00 and had the wood pushed and thrown off the trailer a few minutes later. Sure takes a short time to get it off and lots of time to get it loaded.
Unloaded the truck and showered; then got work clothes into the washer.
We got the normal chores done ate some dinner and then loaded the truck for going to the land fill tomorrow morning.




All that's left it to get the wood split we need for winter this year. No small feat.
Dave wasn't feeling well most of the year and we switched him to a new high blood pressure med and he is doing MUCH better. 
But because he wasn't feeling well he wasn't up to splitting wood and now it has to be done.


Here are pictures of a cow, far away and then zoomed in.

Can you spot the cow on the ridge?
Closer    


Now this is a series of pictures for the road we call Rattle Snake Grade.




Lizzie dog sight seeing.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tired out

It has been a busy week here and it is only Tuesday.
On Saturday we got the windows and back door that we needed the plastic replaced all done.



Kaylee having a ball and laughing because she took off her hat.


Monday we cut 2 cords of wood and today Tuesday we cut 3 cords; needless to say we are both pretty tired out.




Here are a couple of views form where we do some of our wood cutting.


You can see Seven Devils from where we cut to.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Not Again

Would you believe yesterday morning about 5:30 am as Dave was headed out onto the highway a deer ran head first smack dab into the side of our Explorer head first. Right into the new fender and then swung around towards the car and hit the drivers door and back fender. We had that new fender what two weeks?
I hope this is the last of this kind of thing for a good while.
The deer was fine.
To day we are finishing up on the trailer but found we need one more hinge, he thought he had bought it put apparently not.
He pulled the hoses and the garden tools out of the garden and brought them to the shed for the winter and the few odds and ends that will need to be done today to.
We have Kaylee today as she wasn't feeling real well this morning.
Dave is on vacation next week, a working vacation.
We will be going to cut wood 4 days next week hoping to get 2 cords each day, that makes a full day for the two of us.
Then there will be the canning that has to be done.
I made Italian tomato sauce yesterday with the few tomatoes I had, made 2 quarts and 1 pint.
It is in the 50's today and it rained last night with more coming in tonight.
Next week is supposed to be dryer so that will help with going up into the mountains to cut wood.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

It's cold outside campers

I took a look at the gauge it was 36 degrees at 5 AM..
We were supposed to get frost last night and I bet we did.
We pulled the turnips last night and brought in the pumpkins that were pretty much turned and I covered the tomatoes. Hope that saved them.
Dave couldn't sleep after about 4 so he got up and went into work by 4:35 am and I have been up ever since also lol.
I will most likely crash later. 
I am about ready to go out and open the chicken coop for the day, I was just waiting for it to warm up some first.
I got a fire going in the wood stove about an hour ago.
All Right; stove is reloaded with wood and the coop is open; I also started a load of clothes washing.
Modern conveniences are so nice, we don't have to wash by hand and on a washboard. But I do have a washboard just in case. 
They have pail sized ones also.
I need to do more canning today; I haven't been up to getting that done since doing the pickles.
One reason is Kathy came down with the flu Monday. (People at her work place are passing it around). I thought OH NO not already.
I took care of Kaylee Monday and half of Tuesday and was pooped out. 
Then Kaylee came down with it yesterday afternoon and poor baby was miserable. 
So we will see how today goes as Kathy has today off work; she was lucky Tuesday was her day off to but who likes to be sick on their days off?

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Where to begin

Lets see last Tuesday the 28th of September I snapped, blanched and froze in food saver bags our green beans. I picked the rest in the garden which made just enough to have with supper that evening. 
I did evening chores and after Dave came home we did a few more things like some more work in the garden by digging up the last row of potatoes and laying them out to cure up on the table by the barn and covering them for the night. 
We finished up by the light of the big barn light. 
I baked a Apple cinnamon bread pudding hat day also.
Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
Oven 350 degrees.

3 cups soft bread broken up in small pieces
1 ½ to 2 cups sliced and cut up apples
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together
Warm together 1 ¼ cup of milk and
2 tablespoons butter
Add to mixture; then add
3 beaten eggs

Pour into greased 9x9 or 8x10 pan and bake 1 hour (60 min.)

Wednesday I got up to find I must have pulled a muscle on the left side of my neck. I had a very hard time just getting the basic morning chores done that morning. The day was then spent with the heating pad and Icy Hot. Getting eggs that evening was also very interesting to say the least.
Thursday my neck was a bit better so I managed to get a few more things done like wash a load of good clothes and pick up the house.
Friday Dave cleaned out the chicken coop while I did house chores and then we worked on the trailer box. 


We took down the tarps over where the X-rocks and turkeys were raised.
I washed the cucumbers so they would be ready to cut up for bread and butter pickles.

We went to town in the late afternoon and spent $45.00on a few had to have groceries. Had to skimp because we had to pay the deductible on getting the car our daughter drives out of the shop. They called that afternoon and it was ready. 
That night we cut up the cucumbers and onions up and put in layers with ice and canning salt in a ice chest (cooler).
Saturday we worked on the trailer some more and a few other chores before Dave had to clean up and leave for a Church meeting, he got home about 8:45 and we went out and again by the barn light packed up the potatoes in pine shavings to store for as long as that will help them last.  I will also can them as I am able.
I made a double batch of bread and butter pickle brine and had it ready to go for that evening.
By 11:30 I took off the last batch of pickles from the steam canner.
We did some pints, some pints and a half and quart jars.
Once while I was in the back yard Spring came to see if I had something for her.