updates, updates updates...

I've emailed a couple of updates here, but alas...they don't seem to be here.

I haven't fallen off earth at all. We've been doing and running and doing some more around here. Honestly, looking over the past couple weeks, it doesn't seem as though we truly did that much, but we have and I've been totally away from the computer with it all.

Nutshell Homesteading:
got a tiller....it literally bounces on the hard clay here and barely kicks up more than a dust :o( GRRR!
bought two dairy goats just yesterday....nearly a gallon on milk thus far...yum! Oh how I missed having milk goats!
bought a 36' Fleetwood camper....

We pulled up the garden somewhat with the box blade jacked up and the tines down. Today I'll go over it more with the disk attached. Maybe, if The Lord is smiling this way today, that will give me a decent soil working and the tiller will go through. I am losing tomato plants left and right. They need in the ground. I put out the word last night at church -- I'll pay someone $100 to come till my soil properly so I can plant. We'll see. I've had a lot of folks say they'll help if I need it as Dewey is gone, but trouble is, folks work and have their own farms to deal with, and no one lives really close by. I just want my garden prepped. I'm not asking for a lifetime commitment here.

Ever looked at Stoves & More Online? Well, visit, then take a look at their 80 gallon range boiler, and the Margin Flameview 2011B cookstove. Those pretty little babies will be coming to this homestead by fall this year. We are going to heat, cook and get all the hot water needs from the pair. We were looking at Kitchen Queen, but after talking to Bro. Daniel there, going over all the particulars and what-not, we decided the Margin is what we need moreso. We were going to get it now, but it's just not in the funding yet. Not in a practical nature. Dewey still has 2 months just about in Arkansas, I have no one to help off-load the stove (700# and then some) from my trailer to at least the porch area. And it would sit. And sit. No point in that. When Dewey gets home in June, we'll put up the back deck and enclose it, then worry about ordering the stove. I'll have my man on the homestead to do the heavy work :o) That's what married life is all about you know :o)

We picked up 2 beautiful Nubians from Linda yesterday in Tennessee. They are moving back to New York State. What a blessing this was for our homestead! I have searched high and low locally and no one does milkers...just brush goats. We milked just over 80 oz yesterday -- including having to stop along the highway on the way home to milk! LOL....poor Happy was so full she was dripping milk in the van. Ok, first...yes, they were transported in the back of my pretty little 15 passenger van. I'm all homesteader here....I use what I have. Second, she was rather full, yes, but we expected to get home and milk her then. With the poor dear dripping around the back of the van, we thought we'd best give her some relief then and there. I was on the highway, milking a goat from the back of my van load of children. We are officially plain dressing, conservative country rednecks I think now.
Today's milking went much more smooth...we built a milkstand last night in the barn room and life is looking much brighter in that respect ;0) They gave just about 60 oz this morning now. And, another point of "officialness" is that KatiAnne gave 2 thumbs-up to the milk this morning, nice and icy cold from the fridge. She sipped tentatively at first, then guzzled it down. Emily took the cup and managed to get one little swig, announced it was "feezin' cold milk" and asked for her own cup of it. So, all is well with the goat's milk adventures here on the homestead! Cheese and soap making isn't far behind now. I've missed this, I really have.

There's plenty more, but it's bill paying day on the homestead which means a trip to town for Momma. The children are working on chores and preparing to start schooling for the morning. We'll hook up the disk and see if we can't manage something in the garden later. I'm getting the soil needs for the raised beds today also, so I can at least get the carrots and beets in the ground. If I don't spend too much, I might try to do a couple more sections and salvage some of my 140+ tomatoes and bell peppers too. Poor things need some soil!

Next Homestead Project of size: Rainwater Catchment system. I've been looking at these for a while and with the average normal rainfall around here, it makes sense. Even if all I managed was animal water needs and maybe garden needs, we'd be doing good. Here's the latest linked design I've found -- enjoy!