I love my neighbors.

This morning a knock was heard at the front door.When I opened the door there stood my Colombian neighbor Gloria with what looked like 5 squash starts carefully cradled in her hand. Now let me tell you Gloria's English is much like my Spanish,limited, but some how we always get our points across to each other.She tells me in English "Colombian Pumpkin."
  I know the story behind these little plants from her daughter who's English is just fine.The seeds had come back with them from Colombia hidden away in a suitcase with the hopes they would be over looked.I have been told these squash are absolutely delicious.There are no American squashes that compare to them. So a treasure was shared and I am honored. I will be sure to save the seeds.
  Gloria and I continued our conversation with her speaking to me in Spanish and me trying to guess what she was looking for.First a trowel,then a spot to plant them,dig a hole just so and finally said in a motherly way water the plants right away. We wrapped things up by Gloria telling me basically "I have five more growing,over there in the front yard at our house." At least I think that is what was said,I caught enough words I know so I am probably on target. I thanked her in my crappy Spanish and we said good bye.

  I don't know a lot about Gloria only that she hates the cold here,she has a great sense of humor,she is interested in what we grow ,she likes that we butcher our own chickens since she does too and someday she will show us how she butchers her chickens which is different than our method. All of this I have learned from our funny little conversations half English half in Spanish and some interpreting from her family. I like her though she's a good lady.I am expecting some scolding though if some how I am not taking care of the squashes the way she would and I can't wait for it because I'll learn something new.

Rois 

Fowl Fans See Golden Eggs in Catering to Pet-Chicken Market - WSJ.com

Fowl Fans See Golden Eggs in Catering to Pet-Chicken Market - WSJ.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"


This is the saddest thing I have ever heard before.Poor Chickens.

Homestead style awning.

 A good friend of mine called to see if we are keeping cool during the heat and I mentioned to her that Chance had built us an awning over our front window,my friend requested a posting about it so here we are.

  As some of you already know Chance and have been trying to figure out how to replace the shade that was once given to us by the plumb tree we had to cut down.By mid afternoon we get full blasting sun which causes the temperature in the house to jump by 10 degrees,not pleasant when it is already 90 plus outside.

 Our long term goal is to plant some foundation plantings and build a trellis for some vines for shade but this spring we ran out of good soil and cash to do this. Chance had brought home some canvas triangles from work.Using these pieces and some lumber we had on hand he was able to make a us a functional and a bit funky (funky in a good way,I think.) awning.
  To build the awning Chance put together some 2x2's so that they made a rectangle that was the size of the front window.Next we laid out the triangles until they had a shape we liked.Chance attached the canvas to the wood frame with heavy staples.He then put heavy hooks into the top part of the window frame and then loops on the frame that would line up with the hooks.We raised up the frame and hooked it into place.Finally Chance placed another 2x2 as a center support.By not permanently attaching the awning we can take it down for the winter when we want the added sunlight.




  The awning is really helping and I don't feel so shut into the house.Last summer we bought a cheap roller shade for the exterior of the house,it worked but I felt claustrophobic not being able to see out. I am one of those people whom   lived out on many acres of land with no one close by, I would have no window coverings,just so I could always see the outside world. 

 Soon after Chance built the awning I found this picture (the very first one.) of some awning that have really caught my eye.I love the way they used bamboo poles for the supports.it has me wondering if we could later add some bamboo poles to our awning.
  
 Rois
                                                                                

How To Truss a Chicken | Michael Ruhlman

How To Truss a Chicken | Michael Ruhlman: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

I am sharing this video with all of you because last summer when Chance and I taught our Chicken Butchering class 1/2 to 3/4 of the class had no idea how to cook a chicken. I don't truss my birds but never the less here is some good advice.

Rois

Heat Wave & Chicken care

 Finally we have some heat here and just like the rest of the country we are all searching for ways to keep cool. I want to remind everyone to keep a close eye on their hens while it is so hot.

Heat Wave Chicken Check list:

 1. Chickens are thirsty birds always, during hot spells check their water more often.Some folks add ice to their hens water when the temps are high.

2. Consider hosing down the coop and run area to help things cool down.

3. If your Chickens have little or no shade think about creating some. 

Pretty simple when you look at it,all the things you think of for yourself when it is hot. Stay cool everyone.

Rois

Around home.

I have been so busy that I had to go through our photos to figure out what I have not had time to blog about. I have been sure to grab snap shots here and there just so I could keep up and remember what we had done.It has been a crazy mix of life and homesteading around here.

Issac is going to summer school and working this month which means he is gone form 7:30 in the morning,comes home to change and then leaves for work until 10 at night.It is a good thing his health is great right now and has the stamina that only a teen has.

Sol has become a social butterfly and is out daily with friends but I did nab him one morning for strawberry picking.
  This year we picked 25 pounds of berries which is up from last years 16 pounds.We had plenty of jam with the 16 pounds but this year I would like some extra jars for gift giving. I ended up freezing the berries until I had an open day for jam making.

Chance harvested and braided our garlic into 3 thick ropes of garlic heads. He found a couple of videos on Youtube that he gleaned the how to part from.I watched him do it and it was easier looking than I ever thought it would be.Garlic braiding is one of those skills that has always been a mystery to me.We now have around 45 heads of garlic for winter,maybe not enough for a whole year but it is a start.Each year we just keep adding onto the quantities we grow and will do so until we think we have hit our mark.








We took a Sunday off and took my Mom and the boys to the beach for a day of sandy bliss.The weather was PERFECT. That is Sol in the photo enjoying the quiet of the beach.I love living in Oregon and will most likely never move form here.As you can see from the photo our beaches are clean,beauty filled and empty.I always say if someone is on the beach while you are and they are closer than a city block it is a busy day on the Oregon coast.Our nearest neighbor that day was about 3 city blocks away.

We harvested our first bunch of carrots,yummy sweetness.

And the Pancette Chance made is now ready to eat. Chance cooked some up for us and it was good, a nice mild herb flavor to it and not smokey like bacon.

We are starting to eat small amounts from the garden, swiss chard,strawberries,raspberries,salad greens and carrots.Our beets are ready to pull and the potatoes have bloomed ,a sure sign we could dig them now and have baby potatoes but we are waiting until the plants wilt down so we can have bigger potatoes.The rest of the veggies are making a come back after the horrid weather and all was not lost like we feared.We may not have the large quantities like we did last year but there will be plenty.
 Even with all of these things done and made I am the most proud of Mama Trixie and her Chicks.Now I really feel like we are firmly standing on the path way to being more self sufficient.The whole process of having our own homegrown chicks was pretty darn amazing.We started out with big hopes that one of the hens would go broodie and we lucked out one did.As Mama Trixie sat we hoped and prayed we would get even just one chick.During this time my Dad said to me ," Well the hen is doing her job,if it does not work it is the Rooster's fault." I had to laugh at that.In the end both Mama and Rooster had done their jobs and we were gifted with 3 darlings.We have had chicks before but watching the chicks with their Mama is just so, nifty,natural,wondrous and endearing.None of the batches of chicks we have had in the past beats these three.With the nice weather I have the kitchen widow open and through out the day I can hear Mama Trixie clucking to her chicks,talking and teaching them what ever it is a mama chicken teaches her little ones.Her voice is so different than a non-mama chickens,deeper and mellow.
  There have been moments through out the past year and a half where I have felt like maybe we would never really get the hang of this homesteading life.And moments when I did not want to look like someone along for the trend ride.When our spring turned into a flooding, gray and depressing hell I wondered how we were going to get on track and keep things going. We have kept our chins up and pressed forward and having that Mama and her babies right out my backdoor has silenced those fears.Now I feel like if we can have homegrown chicks there is nothing stopping us from our journey.
  I'd like to say thank you to everyone who chimed in on my blog posting about learning to cook.Several of the comments have given me food for thought and I am working on answering some of the questions and incorporating some of the comments into my next posting in the series.
  Rois

Mama Trixie and her Chicketts