Future Hunters Arise!

Great news! Everyone passed their test and are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to go afield and enter the chase. Our oldest will be able to get her license immediately, while the other two will have to wait for their 12th birthdays. She is quite excited that she will be able to go deer hunting this year. They have all been out in the blind with me, but never with a chance at taking a shot. Their next project is earning enough money to obtain a bow, rifle, and shotgun suitable for their use.  We shall see what the future holds!

Homestead Root Beer!

The kids have been asking about doing some brewing, as they seem quite interested in the subject. When I learned that root beer could be brewed at home and was actually a pretty simple process, I figured that this was the perfect opportunity. So we proceeded to begin the process with everyone giving a hand to finish the process. The boys started it all off by sterilizing a cereal bowl, measuring spoons and cups, the brewing bottles, mixing bowl, thermometer, funnel, and mixing spoon. Once they were fresh and clean, the girls stepped in and started the process. They warmed up a gallon of water to 95 F [check with thermometer] and then poured a cup of it into the cereal bowl. To which they added a 1/4 teaspoon of brewer's yeast and then set it aside. The rest of the water was poured into the mixing bowl and then everyone took a turn adding 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar, 2 cups of white sugar, and 2 2/3 tablespoons of root beer extract [ 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons] and mixed it up until everything was dissolved. Once dissolved, the cereal bowl of yeast was added to the mixing bowl and then all mixed together. The 'mixture' was then poured through the funnel into the brewing bottles. Be sure to leave a nice gap between the top of the bottle and the lid as to allow the excess gases to escape and not cause the bottles to explode. [ Plastic brewing bottles can be obtained that have caps with a hole in them and a latex fitting which will allow gas to escape. We had some available from another brewing kit. If you are not using such bottles, you can leave the bottle uncapped and instead place a balloon over the lid and secure it in place. It will allow the mixture to breath. ] Then place the bottles in a dark, warm place for about three days - or until the bottles are firm when given a squeeze. We stuck ours on the top shelf of the pantry. The kids were sure to check on it each day. On the third day they were ready and so we placed them in the fridge and let them chill for 24 hours. The next day we broke them open to try. Consensus was 6 to 2 that it was great! I think the fact that it didn't taste like the root beer that they are used to made a difference. It was rich, creamy, and foamy -you could definitely taste the dark brown sugar in the mix. We are going to brew another gallon and see if it tastes any different. May substitute dark brown sugar with light brown sugar. I also found an original recipe for root beer. If we can get ahold of all the herbs it calls for, I think we will give it a shot as well.

Hunter-Trapper Education Class

Tomorrow is the big day. The three eldest children have been diligently studying the online portion of their hunter-trapper education course [seems nowadays their is a 4 hour online course that must be completed prior to attending class, guess things change over the years.] They are quite excited, as am I. Upon completion of the course and their 12th birthday they will be able to obtain their first hunting license and begin what is hopefully a lifelong joy of hunting. They have already spent quite a few years afield with me on various occasions, but have never been able to actually have their own gun and 'hunt'. I believe this is an important milestone for them, and one they have been looking forward to for many years. They are growing up and the opportunity to provide for the family through the hunt is now before them. I plan on rewarding them with a feast/bonfire and a gift if they pass. I am thinking that a knife making kit would be a great gift. They could create a blade that would serve them well for many years. We shall see what tomorrow holds!

Sassafras

Scientific Name: Sassafras albidum
aka Sassafrax,White Sassafras, Red Sassafras, Silky Sassafras, Winauk, or Cinnamon Wood

A distinctive tree that is very abundant here on our homestead. For those unfamiliar, it is a deciduous tree with three different shaped leaves that share the same branches from a trilobed, two-lobed or single lobed elliptical leaf that appear green to yellow-green. In the fall they turn a flaming shade of yellow and some leaves may be tipped with red. The entire tree is aromatic and spicy. When you break a branch or rub against it you will definitely notice the scent - which personally I enjoy. It is very easy to recognize once you see it and all of the kids can pick it out. It makes a refreshing tea which can be enjoyed in small amounts. The goats and pigs also seem to love it!

[[The following information is shared for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.]]

It has been used by the Native Americans, the Europeans and early Americans as a medicinal herb. The leaves & roots can be used as teas or poultices and the bark could be crushed and steeped in boiling water. It was used to reduce fevers, treat rheumatism, gout, dropsy, kidney disease, toothaches, to relieve inflammation of the eyes, ease menstrual pain, cure various skin conditions [including insect bites, germs, and head lice], used as an antiseptic, to cure urinary tract infections, to relieve swelling, to treat syphilis and even cancer.

Sassafras can be used to flavor sodas and teas. It is also used in cooking as a thickening agent, in salads, as a condiment, or to brew beverages.

It contains a chemical called safrole which has been labeled by the FDA as a carcinogen. This was after testing in rats which were given extreme dosages each day, each person can be their own jury in this. Excessive dose of sassafras can cause anxiety, shakiness, abnormal heart beats, vomiting, dilated pupils,  stupor, spontaneous abortion, collapse and even death.

Homestead Handyman

The day began without a plan, hoping for one of those sunny days like we have been having for some time now - but to no avail. Off the job for a week, so been planning on painting the goat shed. Today was not to be that day! Forecast was for rain and it came. In between though I did finish cutting the last two panels for the goat shed and screwed them in place. Came back up to the house and decided to take care of another problem on the list. When we added onto the old place, I was very green and following the ways of a couple of old timers who were teaching me the ropes. I know now what I did not know then - the importance of OVERHANG on a roof. Not sure as to why that was left out when we built the roof, but none the less it didn't take long for us to notice a problem. Water had been creeping down the inside of the exterior wall and soaking the floor and interior wall. So I grabbed the old sledge hammer and pry bar and proceeded to rip off all the wood on the exterior wall. Then came the scraping of the old insulation, then chipping out of the floor and general cleansing. Had the boy giving me a hand in that process. Continued moving along and reinsulated it, then replaced the exterior wall with fresh new boards. So that moves the interior wall closer to the top of the list. Tomorrow's plan is to go and retrieve as much timber as possible to side the lower half of the addition, grab a few sheets of plywood siding for the top half, and also recover a ton of cement blocks from a friend's scrapped construction project. Figure on rolling the older ones out of bed bright and earlier so they can assist! They do love helping out though, and are learning a lot. Not a project goes by that they don't help in some way. Teamwork! Makes it go by faster too.

We also built a milking stand for the goats, as we want to start training the doelings on the routine. I found a few plans online and kind of adapted them as best I could. Ended up only needing two brackets to reinforce it, was able to find everything else I needed around the ole homestead.

Corn Cob Wine

As I sit here and contemplate the hours until the 40 begins again, I thought I would post about one of my first brewing experiences. Last year, we canned a lot of corn. Trying to make sure we could use everything possible, I began looking for something to do with the cobs that we had cut all the corn from. We ended up with a couple of options: Corn Cob Jelly and Corn Cob Wine. I will discuss the jelly in another post, but needless to say, I had been wanting to try my hand at brewing for years but I never had the patience. This recipe seemed simple enough so we gave it a shot.

You will need:
A plastic gallon jug
8 corn cobs [roughly]
1 packet of yeast, activated [1 teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons of warm water + yeast]
3 quarts of water
2 cups sugar
Mason jars
Coffee filters/fine strainer

Slice the lid of the jug so as to create a hinge. Slide the corn cobs inside the jug. Boil the water and then dissolve the 2 cups of sugar inside after removing it from the heat. Once it cools enough to handle, pour the water/sugar mixture into the jug up to about an inch or so from the rim. Then add the activated yeast to the mix. Close off the slice in the jug enough to stop any unwanted visitors, but with enough space to allow gas to escape from the fermentation. Then put the jug into a nice warm place and check on it until it stops bubbling [roughly 1 1/2 to 2 weeks]. Once the fermentation stops, decant the liquid through a filter [coffee filters or a fine strainer work just fine] and into a Mason jar. Place it in the fridge and allow the yeast to settle out. You can decant it further if you wish, or just drink it straight from the jar, slowing once you get to the bottom. In all honesty, I have to say I was impressed with the simplicity but nice quality product. It is definitely something we will continue to try as this year's harvest comes around again. Enjoy!

The Kids have arrived!

In case you haven't guessed all this busy work getting together a fenced in run and building a house was in preparation for the arrival of the newest addition to the homestead. We have been long debating on how we would acquire a means of adding 'dairy' to our homestead, which gave us two options: Cow or Goat! Though I have nothing against cows, I think they require a lot of funds and storage space which we currently do not possess. Goats on the other hand are a more versatile option and one that would fit nicely within our current arrangements. A farmer down the road aways happened to have several  available and we had been saving for this opportunity. We had to decide which route to take as he had some older goats available and several 6 month old kids. After doing our research and listening to advice, we decided to start fresh with the young ones - our hope is that we will be able to build a better bond with them and prepare the young does for milking with advanced training. The doeling was bottle-fed so is very apt for attention and is not shy in the least. The bucklings on the other hand are a bit skittish, but we are making great progress with this already. I think it helps that they watch her interacting with us. They will not let us touch them yet, but they will come and eat out of our hands. Here are some photos:

Indian Pipes UPDATE

I thought I would take some more photos of the Indian Pipes to show them as they are maturing. I can't believe the number of them all over the hillside. Some of them are starting to bloom. I continue to look at that as a positive sign of our continued bond with the land. 

I also found some interesting mushrooms growing near the Indian Pipes. They were quite larger in comparison I placed a penny beside them.

Bees, Mud & Piggy Puddles

It has been a busy week following the previous busy weekend:

*There was a bit of trouble when one of the girls started getting stung each time she would collect eggs from the chicken coop. Upon further inspection, we located a hive of bees that had built a nest on the roof of the coop - it appears they burrowed under the tar paper layer on top. A bit of agitation brought about a surprising number of angry homeowners, and a speedy escape left me safe and ready to think of ways to relocate them. I did not want to destroy them unless absolutely necessary as they are definitely beneficial to the area, but the current arrangement was not going to work. We increased activity on top of the coop each day for the week and by this evening there was only about 10-20 bees still present when I rumbled a jig upon the roof. Safe to say they are no longer a concern!

*It was time for summer cleaning in the coops. I wanted to wait for the broodies to hatch their eggs first but I suppose the disinfection will have to wait. I did scrape down the insides and sweep them out, while being clucked at for being such an annoying person! We added fresh stray and remade the laying nests. Disinfection will have to wait a wee bit longer.

*All this rain has made the pig wallow a muddy mess. I think even the pigs are getting sick of the mud and wanted away from the puddles. I enlarged their roaming area to give them a chance to find some fresh ground for exploration. They always get so excited with a new area to discover and run around like little piglets bucking and snorting.

*We installed the latch and finished up some more odds and ends for the house and run.

Busy Weekend!

It has been one heck of a busy weekend! The kids and I spent almost the entire weekend preparing for the arrival of some new additions to the homestead. We finished tearing down our old hog pens removing all the cattle panels and 4 x 4 posts so that we could flip them into a run. Then we pounded in the t-posts and began wiring the panels up. I thought I was getting quite the deal when they told me to take all the t-post clips I wanted, but now I can see why it is that many people don't even bother using them. So using a mixture of successful clips and galvanized wire, we completed the run. The kids were not thrilled after trying out the post driver, but it was a good learning experience for them. While trying to level out the area for the panels, we managed to dig up a nest of ground bees - no one got stung thankfully. Then a massive downpour arrived and I took that as a sign to pause for the day. Sunday was construction day! After finishing the fencing, I developed a pleasant and hopefully functional design for the house. It is a 7' x 8' x 6' three sided building with partial covers in the front. We used the good old handsaw to cut the angles and I spent a good several hours instructing the older children in the joys of framing. Now it just needs a nice paint job and a latch and it will be good to go! I will post pictures as soon as we are finished.

A 40 Hour Week...

I work a full time job and have been there for 18 years. For the last 20 years of my life I have never not held a full time job. From the age of 17, I obtained a job and have held one ever since without any pauses. I did not come from a rich or middle class family. I did not have all the latest video games, coolest clothes, newest shoes, or travel on vacation or school trips. I learned that in order to have something, I had to work for it. I did not blame my parents for this and in all honesty am glad that I gained the work ethic that I possess from experiencing life. I attended school in a district which was highly composed of those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. I didn't allow the difference to affect my life. I am sure that the differences were apparent, but I didn't care. I was an A.P. Honors student and excelled in my classes. When the time came for college, I knew it wasn't feasible so I joined the USMC straight out of high school. Since then I obtained a college degree while working full time as a produce manager in a local grocery store, and then as a direct care staff at a facility for the mentally and physically handicapped, and now as an educator in that same facility. I can see how my experiences and the societal pressures led me to believe that life had to be lived a certain way. That one need conform to the idea of amassing large amounts of printed paper in hopes of being the same as everyone else. That one had to dress a certain way or act another in order to be 'a productive member or society' and to join the herd. My 'friends' were there mining my abilities and luring me deeper into the herd. All the while, I was determined that I was not like the 'sheeple' [btw I know consider that term an insult to sheep]. I would speak out against the ideas, always being adamant in my opinions and actions while all the while wearing sheep's clothing.  Then one day the moon rose full, and I could no longer stand forth and accept the path I was being led down. I re-examined life and saw that the honor I sought was being tarnished by the incoherence of the life I had begun to live. I did not need to change to be something I was not, but instead needed to embrace fully my true being and live. I needed to direct my energies to living as coherently as possible. 110% had to be given to the truth of life instead of the facades of this society. I saw the taint for what it was and even still find more and more differences every single day that bring about a change within. But still that hold is squeezed tight in one simple fact - I still work a 40 hour week. Could I quit and focus all my energies where they belong - on my family, our homestead, and our dreams? I have no doubt that we would survive and be able to make that adjustment. Would it be easy? No, there would be more trials and tribulations, more planning and scarcity, and more reinforcement to return to being that obedient servant. I still work a 40 hour week. I truly believe that directing my energies away from what is truly important will constantly hold back our efforts at achieving our dreams. Aye there's the rub! One can not keep one foot in the land of our consuming society and one in a self-reliant agrarian belief. Doing so essentially cancels out progress. Society does not like change, it doesn't care for those who choose to stand outside its boundaries, or those who go against the flow. It strives to pull everyone into the melting pot of monoculture and blind ignorance. As long as I work a 40 hour week I am forced to flow along with the rest of their wishes and dreams, forsaking our own. How does one change that? It takes money to escape money? Can one ever escape? Thoughts to ponder during those 40 hours...

An Unfortunate Departure

The night went well with the little guy cuddling up to the cardinal and all appeared well in the morning. The food was gone, so it appeared that he ate. He was up and moving around as 'normal'. He started getting lethargic around noonish and so my wife let him drink from a dropper and ground up some worms for him to snack on. She also added a 'chirping' chick toy to give him some company. It seemed that he had a flea problem so she removed as many as she could. He seemed to be fine and was acting normal again, then a few hours later he became lethargic again and unable to stand. Everyone continued to give him attention and comfort, but to no apparent avail. He would attempt to rise but tire quickly and lay down breathing heavily. A few hours later he returned to the Earth to continue on his journey. He was given a blessing and buried near the old oak tree. The children were upset and we pondered the turn of events, but as we know well the journey of life begins and ends when the skein is cut. We did our best to offer hospitality and kindness to our guest for the length of his stay and were honored to care for him.

It does make us ponder what the reason for his abandonment was. Perhaps his mother was killed, or he got separated from the group, or chased away. Did his mother know what fate awaited him? Was he a runt? Was it the loneliness? We will never find the answers to these questions, but at least our experience is richer for having shared a brief amount of time with this beautiful creature.

A Dinner Guest

The family had an interesting experience today on a more positive note than those trespassing beetles. We were sitting down to dinner and enjoying another excellent meal. Suddenly we were interrupted by sounds of distressed chirping, looking out the window there was a small bird ducking in and out a pile of rescued lumber stacked along the edge of the woodline. As we watched for a few moments, we did not notice any other birds around and none of the chickens were in the vicinity [as the sound was distinctly similar to young chicks, which made us think maybe the broodies had hatched their eggs]. Our next move was to take a closer look, much to our surprise it looked just like a chick, except we do not have any chickens with markings or colorings of that nature. It appeared to be at least a week old, as it did not have any egg tooth remnants. We decided to watch it for a bit and see if it was lost or if anyone [mom or siblings] might show up. No one ever did. We couldn't just leave the little guy, so we gathered him up and put him in one of the bins we use for newly arrived chicks. As we made him comfortable, the investigation began.

It didn't take long to determine that our guest was a young wild turkey poult. We can't figure out how he arrived alone on our homestead, and further searching of the area where we found him has not revealed any answers. We do have a good sized wild turkey population that ranges through our land and the surrounding area, so I am not surprised. We have tried to ease his transition and provide him with as much hospitality as possible. Adding leaves, food and water to his bin made him a bit more comfortable. Much like with young chicks, we have been encouraging his exploration of the waterer and added some crumbled feed. Having had a similar situation last year, when one of our hens hatched a single chick and abandoned it, we were greatly concerned about his health and the fact that he is alone. We contemplated adding him to the three ladies batch once they hatch but we are not positive when or if they will be successful. One of the girls volunteered her little stuffed cardinal to keep the poult company. Surprisingly after a bit of chirping, he has cuddled up with the cardinal and is resting peacefully. 

Nasty Discovery...Popillia japonica!!!

My wife was walking through one of our gardens and was astonished to find this nasty little devil and a swarm of his friends devouring our sunflowers...

The loathed Japanese Beetle. This is a first for us, and it is a bit unnerving because our bush bean's leaves are starting to have a similar appearance, but we have not found any beetles on them yet. This is the classic example of another nonnative invasive species that has come found a destructive niche in our native ecosystems. We are hoping to find a natural method to remove them before they can destroy too many of our plants. 

My current research involves adding natural repellants to the garden to create an unpleasant environment for the beetles. It seems that the addition of Garlic is one of the most recommended means of discouraging their presence. I have also read that Chives and Catnip are also good deterrents. I am thinking of trying to alternate all three and will gather some personal data. 

I am thinking that the chickens are also assisting in removal of the beetles, but cannot reach the tops of the sunflowers. Will also have to experiment with offering them as snacks to see how well they respond.