Turkey Time

Well Saturday September 11 started out for me at 6:30 AM. 
Dave got home at 12:30 AM from Spokane so I left him sleeping.
Kathy got up a couple minutes later to start getting ready for work and had to hurry as she had to be out the door at 7:30 and have Kaylee with her. Her sister Terra was babysitting as we were going to butcher the Turkeys. 
I looked out the window at the temperature gauge and it was 34 degrees. 
So wool soaks, sweat pants, fleece cap, long sleeved flannel shirt and winter coat went on. 
I collected car and truck keys as they were parked in the gravel driveway in front of the garage and needed to be moved.
I drove the truck up to in front of the wood shed and the car down closer to the house in the yard as Kathy would be taking it.
I gathered up the firebrick and stacked it around 20 feet from the front of the garage in the gravel, found the grate to lay over that; then got the big galvanized tub to sit on that. I had brought all four tubs down the night before so they would be one thing I wouldn't have to get in the morning.
Next I went after the wheel barrel and up to the wood shed to get firewood. Got some wood stacked under the tub and got a fire going.
It takes about 2 hours to get that much water to near boiling as we had decided to start butchering about 9. 
I went up to the barn and got the card table to lay butchering knives, towels, rags, knife sharpeners, butcher paper, tape and etc on.
Dave's co-worker was supposed to be here around then, three of the turkeys are theirs.
I went to garage to get the things I needed for a good hardy soup for our lunch (kind of a yak, vegetable, beet borscht) and get that going, then back out with knifes and other equipment to set out.
I got into the house as Kathy was leaving and helped put baby Kaylee's coat on her. 
Dave was just coming out of the bedroom so he didn't sleep in as much as I was hoping he would.
We took the truck up to the barn and backed it up to get the big eight foot table we made to do the bird cleaning and plucking on.  We set it up about ten feet form the fire and tub and put cinder blocks under the legs for the taller people lol.

Br hauling a turkey over

Chopping block

Dunking

  Plucking

Cleaned and getting wrapped in plastic wrap and butcher paper then weighed.

Clean up 2:30 pm

 We did break for lunch when the turkeys were all cleaned and sitting in very very cold water.  
The soup was good I had to keep coming in to stir it all morning even when it was simmering. We had good 12 grain bread with homemade raspberry and peach jams and yellow cake for desert.

By 3PM B was headed home with their turkeys and we took a shirt break before putting away all the table, tubs and other equipment and so on.
Then it was time for chores, Dave went up to the barn and got the tractor; it makes it so much easier to take the bags of grain to the chicken coop. 
While I went and got the clothes off the line.
Then he loaded wood into the back of the truck and backed it up tot he ramp/bridge to the house and hauled it by wheel barrow up the ramp and into the front porch. 
I got the wood that was in the front of the truck bed and stacked it by the tail gate so he could get it easily.
The wood rack is now 3/4's full and we will get more later on in the week.
He still had to prepare the lesson for his Sunday school class and unkink before bed.
I saw the weather report and we will have high day time temperatures in the low 70's this week they say.
Kaylee should be up from her nap anytime and Dave just went to take a short one. 
And not to forget a remembrance to all those who lost their lives nine years ago, may you be under the Lords care.
Until we meet again.