Back to the Twenties

Andddd 

We rebounded and got up to only 26 today.  From your comments, I can see that many more of you are going through the same thing.  

Be strong, Sisters and Brothers!  

Several of the red hens were hard at it when I got out to the henspa this morning.  I do it last... it is snug, they have a warmer for their water fountain.  I know they will be okay while I take care of the "other side"... the old henhouse, the ducks, and the goats. 

Speaking of the goats... their time in the yard grows short.  Normally I bring Lilly in when I turn the goats loose, as they have attacked her several times. 

The two little girls went after her today as Keith came down the drive... I heard Lilly cry out in pain and ran out the door, to find Keith in the middle of the mess.  I called the goats to me, so Lilly could get away safely, and then got Lilly and walked her inside.  

No more.  We value our Protector too much.  

Keith told me that the little girls were going after her from either side, and Lil was trying to hide under the truck to get away from them.  Even right now, she is hesitant to go outside, and I am just not going to put her through that.  

If the sun is shining tomorrow, we will give a shot at the ducks using the pophole in the fence that Keith made for them.  I honestly think the babies are too big to get through it, and I am going to watch them to see if they cam get through the only other hole I can imagine into the chicken yards. Once I am sure they will keep out of there... they are banished to the pasture.  I can't take a chance on Kelly getting into the rich chicken feed.  (The ducks will have to use the pophole instead of my opening the gate for them... thus keeping the goats from getting into the henyard). 

It is supposed to rain/snow on Friday, so the goats will probably be in all day because of it. 

I had a load of feed in the back of the HHR, and I wanted to show some of you how I move it, in case you need to do this yourselves. 

I was able to hitch the wagon up today, so that helped very much, but you can actually do this 

with buckets, as well.  Just takes longer. 

I pull the wagon up to the car, and then I pull--tug---shift the bags into the wagon, usually only two at a time.  This bag you see here slipped from my grip and fell on the ground.  I heaved it upright, and then took my two quart scoop, and scooped the grain into DRY buckets... very important that they are DRY so that your feed won't spoil.... and then hoisted the sack into the wagon when it was down to about 15 pounds, and took buckets and sack to the henhouse where I needed them.  I can't lift even the 40 pound bags of wild bird feed anymore, so I haul them over to the cans, and then bucket the seed into the cans for it. 

It takes a little longer, but it works, and like I said, if I have to, I open the feed sacks in the car.... scoop it into buckets standing on the ground at the back of the car, and carry that to the feed cans in the henhouses. 

That's where it gets hairy... up the steps into the henspa.  I am glad the hens can get under the building to stay cool in summer... but whew... carrying up and down can be a pain.  To be fair, it only takes about ten minutes to get the two sacks scooped into the buckets, and into the cans inside.  

I think this is so interesting... can you see where the grass stops and the "other stuff" begins? 

Creeping Charlie, I think... but a completely different color in the winter than the grass in the yard. 

I love to notice differences like this. 

I promise tomorrow we'll look at the book I ordered, and also at some other things that are coming in the mail these days. 

But for now, here's the first of the peppermint fudge batches that are rolling off the burners here!

Stay warm! 

The Kindness of Others

To all of you who answered my plea for the fudge recipe last night, my heartiest thanks!

 

Here it is, sent to me by several kind people:

 

               Peppermint Fudge

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup (5 fl. oz. can) Carnation Evaporated Milk

2 T. butter or margarine

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

1/4 cup crushed, hard peppermint candy

Line 8" square baking pan with foil. Combine sugar, evap. milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, morsels, vanilla ext. and peppermint ext. Stir vigorously for one minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; cool for one minute. Top with candy, pressing in slightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

 

As you see, Diann (in this instance) took the trouble of re-typing it.  I was sent the same recipe by 3 other people, and I am so very grateful to you all.

 

I used goat's milk instead of Evaporated... and did not put peppermint extract in it, but used peppermint marshmallows.  It was so creamy and good.  I got the pan out to make more this afternoon, but ran out of time, so will make some tomorrow.  (Oh, and I will use parchment paper, too)

 

In the meantime, I received a wonderful gift from little Ramsey, the Dancing Donkey, of homemade fudge!  Thank you so much, Ramsey, Emma, and Kris!

 

I am stunned again at the kindness of bloggers and blog readers everywhere.

 

 

Friend Jill, who is a registered vet tech, believes she is a pregnant vixen, and I think I agree.  I have seen no evidence of a dog fox.  We got many pictures of her last night around 7 PM, and again at 4 AM.  Something was worrying her, as she kept stopping and turning around and looking down the pasture, though this is to the northwest.  Something was worrying her. 

 

No possums last night, which is very curious.

 

 

Nathan caught these geese for me on the pond at the foot of our road.  There is still some water in it... and the geese land there often. 

 

 

Nathan and I went to see this tonight.  We liked it, it was nice to return to Middle Earth.

However, I must really be getting old, as I can't watch the fight scenes anymore.  I close my eyes and scrunch my face. I liked it, but came home to read reviews and found out lots of people were disappointed, but I thought that the director would have had to squeeze three movies out of a small book, and do a lot of filling in.

 

Here are our two little girls, so excited when Daddy comes through the gate at night:

 

 

Every morning, I push the curtain aside so that Gertie can lay on the back of the loveseat and watch out the window.  She loves to lay there and watch the road and the gate.

 

 

Here's Nathan popping the Reese's bells into the peanut butter cookies this afternoon before we left.  These are going to the food pantry in the morning, for the volunteers, along with some others.  They do such good work all year.  Then, I'll make some more after Nate goes to his dad's for the day and night.

 

I have a LOT more baking to do after that!