This is from an amazing young woman.
http://storydreamcaster.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/america-the-beautiful/#like-958
Latest Entries »
At least one of the perils of living in the woods is that of falling trees. Forget snakes, poison ivy, wild animals consuming your garden and livestock, nothing has to be addressed with more immediacy than a fallen tree on your storage shed or across your road. A few years ago, after one of the hurricanes pummeled the East Coast, heavy rains loosened the soil around the tree roots. One tree fell onto the shed and crushed the entire upper story. This led to two years of clean-up and rebuilding. Now that the rebuilding is finished and the cleanup is done, we’ve had to deal with more falling trees and it feels never-ending.
Sometimes falling trees can be a blessing. One year, when my husband was out of town, a tree fell across the road on the night before Mother’s Day. Most women I know don’t enjoy Mother’s Day services. First, mother’s day talks at church relay how angel single women raised ten children while holding down three jobs and still managing to be the perfect mother or it’s the speaker’s personal ramblings about how much they love their mother because she never missed their baseball game—either way, it either makes you feel guilty that you aren’t that mother or you’re irritated that your mother was a flesh and blood woman and not one of these super legends and you’re not at the point in your life where you can accept that your mom has (hard swallow-gulp) flaws. So, in my excitement of not having to attend that particular Mother’s Day meeting, I called my girlfriend to relay my good news. Unbeknownst to me, her elderly father overheard her side of the phone call. So, it was at five in the morning that I heard the sound of the chainsaw humming faintly outside the house. I threw on some clothes and jogged down the road to find my friend’s father, wearing his Sunday best protected by an apron cutting up the offensive tree so I could make it to church on time. How could I not go after that? So much for missing out on Mother’s Day—I tried.
Earlier this spring, we came home after working long hours to find two trees down across the road. This meant that even though we were tired, we weren’t going to go anywhere until the tree was moved. Last month, another tree fell across the road a few feet down from the original spot. Just this week, again another two trees fell across the road in a different spot. Each time this happens, we have to drop whatever we’re doing and concentrate all our efforts and energy into moving entire trees off the road. We drag out the chainsaws, chains and tractor and get to work. Sometimes it takes a few days to get it all done. But, on the positive side, we’ll have wood for the winter . . .
Take Care, ALL
Hey, if you’re planning to buy our “Unplug From the Grid,” ebook, wait a few weeks. We are revamping it, adding to it and doing some reformatting to make it better. However, “The Nearly Painless Guide to Rainwater Harvesting” ebook is ready to go and I think it can help those wanting to find ways to get water without drilling a well. We just uploaded “The Nearly Painless Guide to Food Storage” in May and it’s doing well. If you get a chance, I would love to hear what you think of it.
You never know when you’re looking at someone what they’re going through.
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/02/poverty-being-punched-face-over-and-over
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” A Tale of Two Cities
Today, I worked on my herb garden. I had thrown a few potatoes into one little section since the soil was sitting unused and I had some sprouts. They seemed to really enjoy it there, so for now, I’ll let them stay. Since space is at such a premium around here, I can’t afford to be wasteful. I know I’m getting a late start on planting, but it can’t be helped. I have spent the past few months working on my food storage book and barely found time to take my dog for his daily walk. I knew I would be paying the price for my procrastination, but I had no idea it would be as bad as it was.
First off, by the time I visited the local nursery, my favorite nurseryman had sold it and moved north. The first clue that he was gone was the lack of plants. As I drove up, one car was in the lot. A woman on a cell phone was milling about with her phone glued to her ear. She could hardly be bothered with her only customer and when she finally lowered her phone (not hanging up) to ask us what we wanted, I realized I wasn’t going to have a good experience. Second, the scant amount of plants she did have were hideously mistreated. Yellowed leaves on some, and some pepper plants had ALL the leaves plucked off with only a small undeveloped pepper hanging off it. WOW—I couldn’t believe it, they’d removed every single one of the plant’s leaves. How was it supposed to nourish itself? Anyway, I left there, feeling as if this nursery woman, no, not nursery woman—just woman on the phone, had committed a heinous murder of vegetables—HOW DARE SHE!
We had to drive an extra ten miles to get to the second nursery. As we rounded the corner, I could see the place filled with plants, compost heaps across the yard, and the nursery woman was actually happy to see us. No begging to ask prices. No feeling as though I was a rude interloper when asking about various plants. As I settled on my purchases, I was comfortable knowing that she had actually cared about producing great plants instead of just making a buck. This was evident in the quality of them, the courteous service and her knowledgeable suggestions. Although I didn’t get the exact plants I wanted because of my tardiness, I left meeting a fellow gardener—someone who took pride in their work and was interested in living a holistic and a purposeful life.
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” A Tale of Two Cities
Take care, All—Hope you enjoyed the excursion into “A Tale of Two Cities,” one of my favorites.
If you’re interested in storing food, be sure to check out my new book. http://www.amazon.com/Nearly-Painless-Guide-Storage–Survival-Series-ebook/dp/B00KBCF5FC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402019915&sr=8-2&keywords=hillary+bergeron
First, let me say that a little preparation goes a long, long, long way.
Last year, we tapped anything that looked remotely like a maple tree. The result was a funky mapley-tasting syrup that wasn’t half-bad, which made it only half-good. Who knows what we were pouring onto our pancakes. To repent of our wayward tapping habit, we went out into the woods last fall and searched for actual maple trees and then marked them with orange tape. One tree had rows of woodpecker holes at several different heights. I learned something important from this–if a bird likes it, it’s a good tree. You wouldn’t believe how much sap flowed from it –it’s amazing! It’s like a fountain of sugary wonder–my taste buds are crying with happiness as I type this.
Last year, our spiels drained into open buckets subject to the elements and critters. This year, we ordered 5 new spiels with hoses. At first, I was annoyed that Bob wanted to do this. I’m the cheapest person I know and I saw this as waste since we had 6 perfectly good spiels and our tapping operation was just fine. I can see now the folly of my ways. Instead of the sap water brimming with leaves, twigs, floating dead bugs, it is pure. I should’ve gotten on board with this sooner since I am not a fan of proteins that are not cheese, eggs, chicken, beef or fish. You guessed it, I’m never going to be that person that relishes the idea of fried grasshoppers or chocolate coated worms.
So here are some facts for making your own syrup. Did you know that you can tap trees other than just maple? You may not get the same taste, but it will still be good. Some tapping varieties are box elder, walnut, birch, sycamore, poplar and hickory. However, not all saps are created equal–some may be a tad bitter, some will take more sap to make the same amount you would get from a maple tree and the list goes on.
It’s an easy process to tap a tree. First, it has to be the right time of year. The best sap flows when temperatures are below freezing at night and warming up to above 40 degrees during the day. Find a tree that is between 10 and 20 inches in diameter. Drill a hole about 2 inches into the tree with a drill bit that is the same size as your spiel. Tap the spiel gently into the tree with a rubber mallet. Hang your bucket off the spiel and wait for it to fill. It may take a while. It probably won’t flow like it did in the Hunger Games—when they drove the spiel into the tree, sap miraculously poured out. It may take a few days depending on the tree. Don’t be discouraged that it takes 50 to 60 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup–it’s worth it. Once you have a good amount, put it on the stove and boil it down. If you have endless amounts of energy (like the heat from a wood stove) or someone else pays your gas/electric/propane bill for your kitchen stove, you’re in luck. I happen to heat with a wood stove and I’m unapologetic about having the opportunity to make syrup when I can–there has to be some pay off to having to shove wood into that metal monster day and night 5 months of the year.
Anyway, once you have your syrup–enjoy. I put it on pretty much everything–wheat bread dough, cereal, ice cream . . . and today, I drizzled it over my pot roast. No, there is no such thing as too much maple syrup.
Take care, All.
We added our Rain Water Collection book to Amazon recently. You won’t learn how to tap maple trees here, but it will discuss the ins and outs of rainwater collection.
WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING LATELY
WHAT I WISH I COULD BE DOING
Hi friends,
Yes, it’s been a long time and I’ve been absent. But, in that time, I finished two college courses and I am halfway through another one. Bob finished his Weapons book and is now working on his water book, which should be great.
We are currently experiencing the coldest winter that we’ve ever had here in Tennessee. The week before last, freezing air blasted down from the north and chilled us all to the bone. We had to keep all of our wood stoves going full blast, including the hot tub outside (although it was way too cold to expose our skin to the cold air). At the same time, we were battling the flu. So for that week and a half, while trying to keep our pipes from freezing day and night, and trying to keep our animals warm, happy and watered, we were fighting sickness. Believe me, carrying firewood in while dealing with nausea, coughing, body aches and weakness is no picnic. It was probably the most miserably inconvenient time to be sick. But you know how Murphy’s Law works . . .
To take extra precautions for the animals, we insulated the chicken house and pulled tarps over the pen for more protection. We added extra bedding to the cat cubby where they hang out at nights. Everyone received extra protein and food at mealtime. Bear, our big dog, refused to go into a dog house. We tried everything to lure him into that dog house–putting his favorite food into it so he would have to go in to get it, moving the dog house onto the porch so he could be close to the front door–but nothing worked. He still refused to go in as if the ghosts from dogs’ past were haunting it. So, to save him from the weather, we dragged him into the house against his will. You know how little kids perform the wet-fish maneuver when they don’t want to do something? Well, that was Bear–all 80 pounds of him, as he flopped down on the ground and laid there in a locked paw position, toenails digging into the ground, making it impossible to move him. It took every ounce of strength to get him inside. Once in for the night, he refused to sit and stood next to the door and gave me the stink-eye whenever I walked by. When we put him back outside, he was pretty perturbed with us for a couple of days–and all this because we were trying to save his life. It seems as though no good deed goes unpunished.
We had a week of favorable temperatures, but now the cold weather has returned. However, it should be easier to deal with this time around. We’ve recovered from the flu by about 80%, and the freezing weather is only supposed to last a day or two. So, looks like we’re in for a few more days of hauling wood up to the porch.
Take care, All.
If you haven’t had a chance to look at Bob’s Weapons book, here’s the link:
Happy October Friends,
I know I’ve been a real slug about posting in my blog. My friend tagged me in a Blog-Tag and I thought I’d give it a whirl. I was tagged by Sandy. I admire so many things about Sandy. First, she’s very knowledgeable about art. I’ve been wanting to get into painting for so many years, but it wasn’t until one of our visits with Sandy that I actually made the plunge and started painting. Whenever I want an honest opinion about my work, whether it be writing or painting, I go to Sandy. Then I have to pull up my big girl panties and get to work. She catches things that I wouldn’t have thought about and I’d like to think that I’m a better artist and writer because of it.
Sandy also motivates me to be more of a minimalist and less of a hoarder. Now, this is hard to do with my lifestyle being what it is. I don’t want to get rid of anything I may need in the future. So, I have to honestly sit down and decide–“Is this essential for my lifestyle or will it just get in the way?”
Anyway, if you get a chance to visit her blog, I think you would enjoy it.
So, here it goes:
1. What are you working on right now?
I am editing Robert’s how-to book about home protection with weapons and non-weapons and expect to get this up in the next few weeks. I am also working on an apocalyptic-style survival story about a Mormon girl. This is mostly done, but needs heavy amounts of tweaking, layers and editing.
2. How does it differ from other works in its genre?
I believe the subject matter in itself is different. I feel a lot of adventure, apocalyptic stories published are graphic to the point of being grotesque. Mostly, I would like to think this story will help readers gain enough courage to face their own challenges.
3. What experiences have influenced you?
I was raised in Alaska back when it wasn’t as commercialized and a major tourist destination. It was there that we experienced the fragility of life surrounded by the majesty of nature. I have an unquenchable longing for the serenity of the woods and for this reason, I will never feel “at home” in the city.
4. Why do you write what you do?
I keep a blog for friends, family and those who wish to take the plunge into a homesteading lifestyle, but haven’t yet. This isn’t an easy way to live, but it has its rewards. When I write novels, I try to write the book I want to read, tell the story I want to hear.
5. How does your writing process work?
I don’t spend as much time writing as I should because I’m still finishing my college degree and spend hours upon hours studying. When I do write, I usually push through a first draft as fast as I can and then I go back through and layer in details. This process can take months.
6. What is the hardest part about writing?
Just finding the time. There are so many projects that I need to accomplish in a day.
7. What would you like to try as a writer that you haven’t yet?
Probably, a historical time travel. I love time travel stories if they are done right.
8. Who are the authors you most admire?
I read a hodge-podge of books from nonfiction, history-based memoirs, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers and romance, young adult to adult and everything in between. I’ll usually give an author at least three chapters and if I find their characters too over the top, whiny, weirdly hostile and brash and the story doesn’t move me–I stop.
I admire different authors for various reasons. Sue Grafton has the ability to make me laugh and engage my interest from beginning to end with her masterful plotting. Philip Pullman builds interesting worlds that inspire my imagination. Jude Deveraux portrays likeable, everyday characters in her historical romances that if they were real people, I would probably enjoy being their side-kick. If it’s a good story, I read it. The last set of books I couldn’t seem to put down was the Hunger Games series. I’d heard it was good and it took quite a bit of coaxing for me to start reading, because I didn’t like the idea of a sporting event that killed children, but once I started, I was drawn into that world and that was it.
9. What scares you?
Living an unfulfilling, low-quality life.
I’m passing this Blog-tag onto one of my favorite writers–and I know you’re gonna love her too. I knew her when she was a tiny sprite and this girl is going places. She’s extremely accomplished–Check her out:
Yep, it’s that time of year again. This is the time of year when Hwy 127 that stretches from Alabama all the way up to Michigan becomes a nightmare to travel because the of the World’s Longest Yard Sale. This is why, on this particular weekend, we pretty much stay as close to home as possible so as not to run over unsuspecting pedestrians trying their hardest to burn through the money in their pockets.
People become idiots at this time of year–slamming on their breaks without warning as they pass a yard filled with the junk from someone’s garage or basement–stepping into the road without looking. “Wow, there’s a rack full of really old clothes, I might find a Members Only jacket from the 1980s on it…and look at those old mayonnaise jars–I must possess them right now.” It’s also the time of year when that old exercise bike in the corner of the basement that the owner didn’t give a thought to is suddenly worth $80 and the dated, faded picture of a farm tractor that hung in the kitchen for years and is spotted with mildew is now a masterpiece.
Yesterday, I broke my own rule of never getting anywhere near the 127 Yard Sale. However, in the minimalist spirit, I decided to only purchase exactly what I needed and that the deal had to be a good one. You would be amazed at how high prices can get at some of these yard sales. For example, why would you want to buy a tool that you can buy brand new for the same price with a warranty. Also, why buy cast iron cookware when we have an actual Lodge outlet down the road where we can purchase it for less.
All that being said, I did find something useful yesterday–I bought a brand new pair of steel-toed work boots (tags still on them) I needed for $25 from a lady who said she was closing down her shoe store and had set up a booth at one of the yard-sale hot spots. So all-in-all it was a good day. I’m still looking for that Members Only jacket for my cats’ luxury bedding.
Take care, All
Hi everyone,
It’s week two and the chicks are growing fast. It’s almost time to find them a bigger home. I’ve noticed when chickens get crowded that they fight and peck at each other. Once blood is drawn, that particular chicken is seen as a weakling and the rest will literally peck it to death. So tomorrow, I will be looking for a bigger container to hold them until it’s safe to put them outside.
But, before we sit back and point our fingers at the terrible behavior of chickens, keep in mind the human race’s natural tendency to do the same. First off, when we’re crowded into one area with no hope for escape and have to compete for food, history shows that humans will do whatever it takes to survive. If you’re looking for recent evidence of this, then all you have to do is read reports from the New Orleans Superdome during hurricane Katrina. I can’t imagine what it was like for those people to be cooped up in there, trying to weather the storm outside when another equally deadly storm raged inside.
As I mentioned before, once blood is drawn, the rest of the flock of chickens will literally peck a chicken to death. I’ve experienced this before with my human counterparts. I remember sitting in a meeting and one person will bring up someone’s negative trait or something maybe he or she did, stop and watch how many people jump on the bandwagon. One person, usually someone with a strong personality will say something, and everyone else like a flock of chickens will quickly agree. I’ve seen this done time and time again. As a rule, I try to sit back and delay any sort of judgement until I know all the facts.
This brings me around to the pecking order. Back when I had a full flock of twelve chickens, I noticed that there were about five favored hens that surrounded the rooster almost constantly. The other six hens hung out on the outskirts of the group. Whenever one would get too close to the rooster or were too close to the food when they were all eating, they would get chased away by the favored hens. To put this into human terms, when you walk into any gathering there is always a pecking order that is established. If you have never noticed–probably you’re at the top of the pecking order or you’re one of those rare individuals that couldn’t care less. The learned pecking order starts when a child goes to school. Every kid knows which kids are the popular ones in the classroom and which ones are gross and kept at arm’s length. Hollywood has capitalized on this, in that many teen movies tell stories of the poor kid on the other side of the tracks that just wants to be popular.
The last lesson learned, is that hens don’t really need roosters. They will produce eggs without roosters and they can happily saunter through their lives without a rooster nearby. In fact, if you have neighbors closeby that complain about crowing, you can have a few hens and they probably won’t realize you have animals in your backyard. I refuse to go into the man versus woman debate–it’s absolutely useless banter and a waste of time. Let’s just say that nothing beats having a good man around and the same could be said of a woman….
But back to roosters, a rooster can be useful when you want fertilized eggs and want to hatch out your own chicks. If you have a good rooster, he will actually protect the hens, as well as ensure that they eat. Donnie, the best rooster of all time, never ate anything until all his girls ate. Now, there’s a man!!!
Take care, All
The newest editions to the homestead. My friend hatched out some eggs and gave me half of them. I’m feeling very lucky today.
Solarblessed's Blog 