Update:

Cortney passed her written driver's test and now has her Learners Permit! :o)  She begins driving in Driver's Ed. on March 18th.

Thought we'd share a couple of necklaces Cortney just finished. The one on the left was a commissioned order, where the patron provided the center piece and the two pearls on either side of it and the one on the right, Cortney made as a donation for the "Volunteer Fireman's Chili Feed", the second weekend in March.  She wanted to donate one last year but she was still perfecting her beading skills.

If you click on each photo, you'll see a more close up version.

Our week last week was so.... hectic and ended in disappointment. We headed into the city( Mike took the afternoon off from work, so when Cortney passed her test we could celebrate), upon arrival at the drivers license office we were informed that their computers for testing had gone offline just ten minutes before our arrival. Her appointment was for 2:30pm and we waited until 3:45pm and still no Internet, so we had to reschedule for tomorrow at 3pm. The kicker is our weather is falling back into the sub zeros with snow beginning tonight and we all know how much I love driving on bad roads*sigh*  I guess if it's to bad we'll cancel and wait for better weather to reschedule, it certainly isn't worth taking the risk of an accident.  Please keep her in your prayers, as she's worked so... hard for this test and was so.... disappointed she didn't get to take it on Friday. I'll be glad when it's done and she can begin the driving part of he Driver's Ed. course.  We'll have to check on insurance costs for her and she's going to pay half. This is how we started Jon off until he had a regular paycheck coming in.

We're working on laundry and prepping for this cold snap. I will say, with this winter being so up and down I've grown intolerant of these cold snaps, I'm ready for Spring, mud and all!

Blessings for your day!

Alternative crops for animal feed.

There is method to my madness, with the way our economy is going I'm looking into the future a bit( it's called foresight and yes blonde's do have this ability*wink*). When looking to the future, preparing a more natural way and source of feed for our animals.


Breaking free of commercial feeds was our first step. We then mixed our own grain feed for poultry and our feeder pigs.


In feeding grains there is compromise( GMO and pesticide usage), shortages, rising costs, etc....

We're searching and learning more natural alternatives of feed for our animals, especially our poultry, as they are the primary grain consumers on the farm.


Our plan includes fencing our property( to contain poultry) so our poultry can free range and forage for their own needs. Then we're going to increase our alternative crops, such as; flax, amaranth, millet,oats, rye, Indian corn, sunflowers, mangle beets, extra root crops and squash, etc.... Many of these items will be stored in our cellar, some harvested, dried and bundled for later use.


We have the ability to grow a portion of our hay needs and have sources for the extra needed. The cows and horse only receive hay, graze and "alternative treats", such as; mangle beets, carrots, alfalfa cubes, apples, etc.... We do supplement with a mineral as well.


This will be the first year we're going to try to get away from commercialized grains and feed our own alternative food sources.


This winter we supplemented our poultry with old hay and alfalfa hay that was weedy and the results were great! Now if we add to this free ranging and foraging, bundles of grains we grow, veggies and herbs they should be fine.


In other news around here;



Cortney is working on building up her jewelry for resale( see above photo of one of her latest creations), as well as woven pot holders and hot pads for table tops.

Today I'm concentrating on getting laundry finished and on the line, making use of our excess carrots in the root cellar, by pickling them and need to look into either dehydrating potatoes or canning them. The ole' say goes; "Waste not Want not", right?

We ordered our chicks for meat, White Plymouth Rocks. They are due to arrive 25th of March, before then we have 8-10 old hens that will become stew hens. We may look at butchering a turkey as well.

Slow germinating seeds( rosemary, thyme, habenaro peppers, a few varieties of tomatoes and flowers) will be started by this weekend with the remainder being started second week of March. This way we only end up re potting once before hardening off and planting in ground.

If our weather holds I have plans to begin hauling wheelbarrow loads of composted manure for the gardens, before Mike fires up the tractors and gets to spreading it on the pastures*wink*

I still have Jon's old room to clean up, it's become the catch all for junk*sigh*. I sorted our old taxes and bills that I need to re-sort just to be sure and then burn. After it's all cleaned up I have to paint the whole room and get it set up for sewing/ quilting and crafts. The time just seems to be flying and I haven't gotten all the items I'd hope to get done finished but there is always tomorrow*wink*

Show and Tell

This is the necklace and braclet Cortney made at our beginner beading
class last night. I thought being outside it would show the beautiful
colors, but alas the camera just doesn't do it justice *sigh*
We also learned how to make ear rings, but ran out of time.
There is a better picture below( 3rd), at least it shows the color better

This is the necklace and bracelet I made. I'm not a jewelry person, so
thought that smaller beads were better. The main beads are Mother
of pearl and then crystal beads and silver spacers to offset it. It's 200%
more beautiful than the picture shows, and that is credit to the
beautiful beads not my work.


Here the color is better of Cortney's, but still not doing it it's full justice.

The result of the rhubarb in the 5 gallon bucket. We made this pan of

crisp and plan to make rhubarb sauce and can it, with the remainder.

Rhubarb is an acquired taste and we tend to like ours on the tart side,

so we don't overload it with sugar.

Rhubarb, like dandelion greens is a good Spring tonic to cleanse your

liver. Most likely, it is best eaten raw, provided you can stand it that

way! *LOL*

Shows the bags full, these are gallon size. We've stored them for a

few days, until we have time to make and can the sauce. I need to bring

up a couple dozen pint jars, my waterbath canner, lids and needed

items. Sure wish the strawberries were ripe, we'd make Strawberry

Rhubard jam and pie, YUMMMMMM.....! The strawberries are just

now beginning to bloom and I have first dibs on the biggest ripe one

I can find! *wink*