Happy July, everyone!! Got up this morning and pulled another page off the calendar - sure seems as though this year is flying by, and I can't seem to get a darned thing accomplished!! But then, I look around and see that things do look a little different around here, so I must be getting something done!

Worked a long week last week - 5 out of 6 days, 12+ hour shifts, so I was pretty whupped. Then add in taking Sis and some other girls over to Cheer camp and then going back over 3 days later and watching the competition and hauling them and all their junk home....Hubby said I didn't move for 9 solid hours while sleeping - he says he couldn't even see me breathe! Our girls did great at camp - won first place and the opportunity to go perform at the Citrus Bowl (whenever and wherever that is!) - so there are probably going to be some fund raising battles fought....maybe I'd better go out and plant some more pumpkins and birdhouse gourds!! Sis also has the opportunity to go to Venice, Italy for something to do with cheerleading - groan...why do I forsee lots of overtime in my future this year!?

On the farm front, we lost 3 chickens to what we figure was coyotes yesterday - came right up out of the gully during broad daylight and snatched 'em. Pop says they will continue until they've got them all, so I am pushing to move the chicken tractor up closer to the road, where Haz will have a chance to see them and run them off or kill them. I've seen a red fox near every morning when I come home from work, but I don't think he would take down three in one 2 hour period, so we figured the coyotes must be teaching the pups to hunt. Uncle Ivan is ready to mount a coyote hunt - and he doesn't even LIKE chickens!

Went up in the attic of the shed and rummaged around yesterday and found the electric ice cream freezer. I also found the old wooden one with the crank - and left it right there; not enough young men around here to crank anymore!! Hubby and I went to town last night specifically to get milk, ice and rock salt. Well, we went out for supper and we looked at some gardens and we stopped and looked at some new Ford pick-ups...and then we drove right on home without stopping by the store! So, Pop is heading in to get the Sunday paper and I've bribed him to pick me up my supplies! I've got some peach freezer jam that didn't jel well, so maybe I'll use it in place of fresh fruit and we'll be having peach ice cream for dessert. (Turn North at Willy Smith corner, go through the stop sign at the jog, then turn North again after the S curve. Go to the bottom of the hill and turn West - last house on the right!)

I'm looking forward to getting some garden type work done today; I've still got a few perennials to plant and some annual flowers. I've still got some tomato plants on the porch that I was just going to compost, but Pop is insisting we go plant; plus some peppermint and lemon balm that I'm not quite sure where to plant - maybe in pots!! I've got tons of weeding to do, the chicken house to move and re-fence and lots and lots of composted manure to move! So why am I sitting on my butt in front of the computer!??! See y'all later!

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2001

Answers

You sure have a lot of stuff going on, Polly! Congrats to the girls!

We are getting psyched up today for shearing. It is *such* a rodeo! Mr. S. is currently making a big omelette (for all our hard work! So much for Weight Watchers today! Oh well, I haven't been going lately anyway, although I've dropped about half of what I want.) Anyway, the shearer will be here late this morning, so I am missing church again! I hope God knows where to find me! :-)

Happy Canada Day everyone! I think I'll take a loooonnnnnnnnngggggg nap this afternoon.

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2001

I checked my email this morning. Now it is 10:50 pm and I'm just now getting to the computer (still the first here, don't know what time this board is on)! I spent most the day on dog stuff -- collapsing and folding down the borrowed kennel that was too small, setting up the new big kennel, walking the dog, assisting in bathing the dog (best friend was a dog groomer), walking the dog to dry, combing out the tons of hair the washing loosened, and walking some more. Now I have a white dog, instead of a light beige dog.

Oh yes, clipping bird nails (they get caught in things -- these are my pet birds, mostly cockatiels) and washing a messy cat hiney (and I have the scratches to prove it) -- I HATE it when that happens. So does she, poor kitty.

Then there was all the plant watering, as the promised rain has not materialized. The weather has gotten a lot cooler -- gorgeous day, only topping out around 70, and sunny. I KNOW I could get a lot accomplished if every day were like this one! And the humidity has dropped. Tomorrow is supposed to be even cooler, and tonight down to 41! Happy um, July, was it? Oh well, should be good sleeping weather! Now they say rain tomorrow afternoon, but I don't know if I believe them.

Staked the tomatoes with the long stakes today (just used short ones when I planted). Visited with friends this evening. I'd better go to bed soon.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001

Hey everybody,This sure is a busy time of year.My DH and I butchered chickens yesterday and it just about whopped this ole fat girls butt.Our chickens turned out good as far as weight goes. They are nine weeks old and are dressing out at about 4 1/2 pounds. There was one monster boy that tipped the scale at 6 pounds. I ordered those silver barred giants from an ad in CS magazine. I hope they taste as good as they look, it'll be a few days before I want any chicken for dinner. My first crock of sauerkraut turned out good and I started another crock full Saturday. It sure is a good felling to raise and eat your own food, I know the love we put in it must be healthier not to mention what we don't put in it. Well I hear some cucumbers calling my name, have I got a dill for them. Sherry

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001

Got the sheep sheared. Hoooray! What a perfect day, too; not too hot. Took about three hours and left me with some big fleeces and sheep that now look like velvet, especially the black ones! It was amusing, watching them get to know each other again (sheep know each other by smell, and taking off their fleeces gets them all confused. They have to establish their "pecking order" all over again.)

Looks like hot weather for the next few days....a rarity on the Fourth of July around here, that's for sure! We have three parties to go to, and I'm going thinking of a red, white, and blue molded salad for each. Anyone got recipes? If not, I'll make something up with cranberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001

Brrrr!! Joy, you coulda kept that cold weather up there with you! Got up and bopped out the door in my nightie to go get the paper and do the chores - made it almost to the driveway before it kicked in that - DANG! It's cold out here! 45 degrees. On the 2nd of July. Dagnabit Sheepish, I want my weather back!! Took me a good 10 minutes to unearth my sweats!

Pop and I transplanted 56 tomatoes yesterday, and planted a bunch ( I only THOUGHT I had a FEW more to plant!) of perennials and annuals into the front beds. Then we planted some more pumpkins and some birdhouse gourds. We cleaned up the front yard and porch and I took some pics....the brat wants to go to Kentucky to see Ryan next week - she may just have to offer up some computer time in trade so I can get some photos on the photo page!

Pop won on the grape arbor. We are now going to put woven wire fencing on the top where I had planned to put lattice, and put the lattice on the bottom of it - somehow. He pointed out that the grape leaves will cover the top to where you wouldn't see the lattice anyhow, and that we ought to get it down where you could see it. I sure do hate it when he makes sense!! I've got some grape vines that Mama planted 20 years ago near the edge of the woods that haven't done much, so I plan to cut them back and transplant them to the new arbor and see how they do out in the sunshine.

My green beans in the raised beds surprized me by actually having some beans on them, so I picked them this am and they are merrily cooking away in the crock pot. Mmmm-Mmmm!! Only problem is that I am going to have to take a club to work to fend off my co-workers from my lunch bucket!

Sheepish - I always have to take the finger jello; red cut into stripes and blue cut into stars. I don't know what I'm going to do on the Glorious 4th this year; Sis has to work and can't go parading with me. Mama (who used to put Capitalist down as her religion on forms) loved the 4th. We would hit 2 or 3 parades, wearing red, white and blue of course. She was in her glory when the 4th would fall close to a weekend so that some communities would have their fireworks on different days and she could go watch them all! Some people feel sad and miss their passed ones on birthdays or Christmas - I miss Mama most on the 4th of July. Wonder where I can find me some kids to borrow to take to the parade!?

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001

Polly, well, maybe we can have our own cyber Fourth of July parade! (those of you HTML experts can toss in a few kinetic bits!)

My dad died on the Fourth (22 years ago) so it's a mixed blessing holiday for me, that's for sure. Still, my brother has a great picture of my dad,in his Air Force uniform (he was Commander of the VFW in a small Michigan town) post-WWII, that looks like something right out of "It's A Wonderful Life" (without snow, of course!) My dad is leading the Fourth of July Parade! Hooray! All the banners, the old fashioned buildings, the folks in their '40s summer clothes, etc.; looking at it makes a nice holiday focus for me. The fact that I wasn't even born yet makes no difference...it's just a cool way to remember my dad!

I'm not a fireworks fan at all (don't like the smoke and noise...scares the critters, including this two-legged one.) But I'll wave a sparkler or two...Thinking about jello now....thanks!

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001

I've been so busy lately, with the calves and we had a new baby goat. Guess what Sherri! He's black and white! Solid black with a white dot on one side. He's a doll. His moma's bag is huge, so I've had to milk her out twice a day. The calves are growing mega-pounds, and so much fun.

The young buck goats got out yesterday, and me and the dog got all sweaty and cranky trying to get them back. The hot wire was touching something, and they tore up the fence, went on the other side, and then stood there screaming to get back in! I was NOT going to go walking thru 4 foot tall grass next door and get chiggers. No thank you. The dog did. He got them back where I could pull them over the fence! Oh how I love goats.

Had a huge burn pile on the 4th. Yeah. Got tons of scrap wood and old furniture all cleaned up. I ate a tomatoe on the 4th! Strawberrys need pickin now. Had to bury the pot of cottage cheese in the garden. It didn't work, so I'll try try again.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Hey Cindy, the chickens eat all my "mistakes"!! We are so dry here that I am spending many hours each day just watering. For once I am glad I don't have raised beds because back when we did (before the all rotted out in four years..for you jim..) I couldn't keep things watered enough to keep them "happy" and producing. Feast or famine with the water I guess. Strange year....woke up this morning and it was below forty. I about freaked out because I thought I saw frost on the tomatoes I have planted along the fence near the house. My husband about cracked up at me out there inspecting before I was completely dress!!!

Been picking peas, zucchini, lettuce, beets, and have finally got some blossoms on the tomatoes and the first corn is starting to tassle. Little tiny green beans on the plants...........I love this time of year when I can go out and pick my supper.

I have often wondered why it is that the bucks always know when the fence is out??? LOL They must test it every day or something because mine have never missed. My girls never even go near the fence...must be a guy thing.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Diane, I'm such a lousy cook I'm afraid I would kill even the chickens! I poured a huge splat of yogurt in the goats big bowl, they came a runnin', sniffed it and looked at me like I had lost my mind! Like "Mama, we'll eat rose bushes with one inch thorns, but we won't eat that!"

The only chickens left are two roosters, and they guard the goats. They deceided that's their job. My girl goats never get out either, unless it's the young ones I am weaning.

I gotta go ride-a-ring-around-the-rosey-ride-a-mow. I'm gonna try to snarf some rays on my bright white legs. I gotta go over friends tonight and go swimming, Oh my.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001