Paul Miller, Dad, 7/30/49 - 7/9/2010

My dad was a man who met life full on. He was a risk taker whose head was full of ideas and plans. He enjoyed taking on new things and he enjoyed a good challenge. He completed these thing with a super human amount of hard work mixed with a good old fashioned dose of bullheadedness. He didn't back down from the challenges, and quitting was not an option.

I think I was in grade school when I first realized how hard dad worked. His insurance business was in its infancy. We lived on my gradparents' farm. They both were fighting losing battles with cancer. He put in an incredible amount of hours in his own business, and was running grandpa's farm. I'm honestly not sure when he slept those years.

I remember going out on the corn planter at night with him. He would plant the corn by the headlights of the tractor. I would ride along, and always fell asleep while he went back forth through the field.

Over the years he had a lot of different jobs, but he did every one of them with the same attitude; full on. 100% effort was put in while completing the work to his own high standards.

Though he did not play nearly as much as maybe we all thought he should, when he did play it was with the same force. I remember long Sunday drives, Monopoly games, euchre, back packing, camping, softball, and just horsing around with kids.

He had a huge soft spot for kids. It could be seen when he was a youth pastor and foster parent, but I've seen it most in the last five years here with his own grandchildren. The grand kids were always tagging along with him to work on fence, run to the feed mill, feed the animals, or just watch him work on whatever project was occupying him that day.

I am so incredibly grateful for the last five years of living and work beside him on our little farm in the woods. What a precious gift it is for Tim and I and the kids. I can't really begin to fathom what life here will be like with out him. We all ready miss him so much. But he taught us how to face this challenge. We will meet it with hard work mixed with a good dose of Miller stubbornness. All the while remembering to, "Consider it pure joy. . . " James 1:2.



Paul M. Miller, 60, of Ona, WV, formerly of Fredericksburg, OH passed Friday, July 9, 2010 from injuries sustained in a farm accident. He was a generous man who freely gave of his time and resources. He met life's challenges with a sense of adventure and perseverance. He encouraged others around him to do the same, often using his favorite verse, James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." He touched many lives, and will be deeply missed. Paul was a successful business man, a youth pastor, backpacker, spelunker, bus driver, wrestling coach, foster parent, but spent the final years of his life doing what he loved best, tending to the land and animals and spending time with his family. He was born July 30, 1949 in Millersburg, OH, a son of the late Melvin B. And Mary P. Miller. He is survived by his wife, Linda Franks Miller; one daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Tim Appleton of Ona, WV; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Eric Miller of Oak Hill, WV and Jake and Delilah Miller of Cuyahoga Falls, OH; sisters and brothers-in-law, Sara and Paul Mast of Apple Creek, OH, Clara and Andy Troyer of Millersburg, OH, Amanda Raber of Holmesville, OH, Katie and John Erb of Walnut Creek, OH brothers and sisters-in-law, Eli and Verba Miller of NY, Roy and Lovina Miller of Holmesville, OH, Pete and Anna Miller of Coschocton, OH and Abe and Erma Miller of Danville, OH; and ten grandchildren. Visitation will be Tuesday from 6-9 pm at the Wallace Funeral Home, Barboursville. Funeral services will be conducted at 10:00 am Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at the Wallace Funeral Home & Chapel, Barboursville, by Paul Richardson. Burial will be in Barker Ridge Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan's Purse, Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timefor memory.com/wallace.

The Blackberries are Here!

Here we are the first week of July, and as if on cue, the blackberries are ready. They are just about to peak, but we've already picked so many. I think the kids and I have picked at least 8 quarts this week. Mamaw has picked a bunch, and so have Miles and Ashley.

Pies, cobblers, dumplings, and jams are being made, and the kids have already sold a few. They hope to sell a lot more. Picking and selling berries has been their summer money project for several years now. They sell them for $8/quart.

We literally have blackberry bushes on every scrap of land that gets a little sun. They are everywhere. Did I mention that we live on Blackberry Lane? Yes, we have so many blackberries that we named the road for them. They are wild, and sometimes a little challenging to get to, but that is half the adventure isn't it? The blackberries must love the humid heat we've had this summer. The plants are loaded this year with big and juicy berries.

The weather this week is a bit cooler, and I plan to take full advantage by picking berries like crazy. I have lots of things to make.

Here are some links to my favorite blackberry recipes:
Blackberry Shrub a drink concentrate
Blackberry Freezer Jam
Boiled Blackberry Dumplings
Blackberry Syrup
Blackberry Vinegar
Blackberry Cordial

Nobody Again?

Today, I am doing laundry and the dishwasher is running too. I hear this strange sound that I can't quite place. I stopped the washer to look inside. Everything appeared normal, and I thought it must be something in the dishwasher rubbing up against the top rack. I went to investigate, and realized that the sound really was coming from the washer not the dishwasher.

Of course, the worst thoughts pop in to mind. The sound must be coming from the machinery. The washer is broken, and we'll have to spend time and money, neither of which we have in abundance, on fixing the darn thing. I stopped the machine again to look inside. This time the cause of the noise was abundantly clear, and laying right on top of the wet laundry in the machine.

Now, how did those get in there? I'm sure nobody knows.

Future Bacon and Ham

It is farrowing time again here on the farm. Two of the five sows have farrowed. The first was Lydia's pig, Sassafire. She had her piglets in the woods a little over a week ago. Here they are today.

Ashes, Kellen's sow, had her piglets this morning in the pig house. 

Little piggies are awful cute, but baby goats are still the cutest. (Said for Kellen's benefit.)  Though I must admit that goats don't make as much or as delicious bacon and ham.

To See What We Can See

Today Lydia, Nolan and I set off on an adventure to see what we could see. Actually, we were hoping to find black raspberries. We did find about enough for a pie, but in the process enjoyed scouting some other wild foods and coming across other interesting things.

We picked daylilies, elder flowers, and milkweed flowers. We will be making fritters with these soon.

We found the blackberry bushes are absolutely loaded this year. We found a few that were ripe, but it is still early. They usually are at their peak around the Fourth of July. Looks like there will be a ton this year.

The sumac is also flowering. These are slow to ripen though, and won't be ready until the end of summer when they turn a deep red color. I'm ready for some sumac pie now, but will have to be patient.

We also stopped at Big Knot for a little recreation. Big Knot is the kids' term for a spot between the barn and driveway. It really is just a rope swing hanging from a high tree, but to them it is a starting point for many adventures.

A walk around the place wouldn't be complete with out seeing a box turtle. Today we saw two.

We didn't see a lot of what we wanted to see on our morning walk today, but we appreciated the things we did see and the time spent together in fresh air and sunshine. It was a good morning.

Surprise!

Our resident broody hen has been at it again. I didn't even know she was sitting on a nest, yet she emerged yesterday with seven new chicks! Henrietta, you are amazing!

DUCKLINGS!

Dual Pro X

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.


As a kid, I remember going on youth back packing and camping trips and always being a little envious of the kids that had Swiss Army knives. Those knives were the cool ones, full of useful gadgets. Last Christmas I gave Kellen and Miles small Swiss Army knives. So, I was thrilled when I was contacted to review the new Dual Pro X made by Victorinox Swiss Army.

This is a great knife that has found many uses around our farm. Here you can see Tim using it to cut off  a piece of hose so he could replace a leaky connection.

I particularly like the one-hand opening lock blades. I often have trouble getting the blades out of pocket knives. This one is easy. Of course, it has lots of useful gadgets. The knife is sharp. It is a good tool. Visit their Facebook fan page for a chance to win a $25,000 adventure.

Every homesteading and outdoor family can use a good pocket knife. The Dual Pro X will get a lot of use around here. The only problem we've had with the knife is that we all want to claim it as our own. Kellen thinks it should be his. It actually was sent to me, but somehow it is made its way to Tim's things. Hmmm I wonder how that happened. 

Because We Needed Something Else to Do

What a week or two.....

The last couple of weeks have been too busy around here. We've been butchering chickens, going to picnics and concerts, and tending to the farm. On top of all that our donkey, Daisy, disappeared. We spent the better part of the day yesterday searching for her to no avail. Tim finally found her, unharmed, this morning.

And because all of that just must not be enough to keep us busy, (rolls eyes,) last night we bought dairy goats. A friend offered us a deal I just could not pass on. I have continued milking Maggie because that darm lamb just won't nurse much on that side, and now will be adding two goats to the milking schedule. You people were supposed to talk me out of this madness! (wink) Instead I have jumped in up to my neck.

But aren't they cute contently munching away in the pasture. I milked a little this morning. There wasn't much because I didn't separate the kids last night, but the girls were fairly co-operative. Looking forward to the milk, yogurt, and cheese!

Around the Farm

Things are busy here in the 100 Acre Woods. We've been butchering chickens, getting the garden going, baling hay, and working on lots of other projects.

 We butchered a bunch of poultry including our extra roosters and drakes, older hens, and so far 40 Cornish Cross Rocks.

The peas are blooming. Can't wait to have some of those fresh goodies!

The potatoes, in tires and conventionally planted, are looking good.

Tried something new this year. We've never had much luck with growing carrots. Since we have heavy clay, I tried a chunky carrot variety last year. I wasn't thrilled with them. This year I mixed sand with the soil in a raised bed. We'll see how the carrots grow there.

What is this? Not sure, but I'm guessing acorn squash even though no squash has been planted in this garden for several years. We are letting it grow.

Mmmm.... and the best yet, the strawberries are starting to get ripe. Too bad the kids and I are eating them all as fast as they are ready. Maybe we'll have enough to freeze and make jam in a week or so.

We have a duck hen sitting now, and I can't wait to see the little ducklings out there! In a different nest of duck eggs I saw a black snake. Normally I'd just let a black snake go about its business, but not when it is eating eggs. Especially not when I have a hen sitting. I got it out of the nest, and Kellen whacked it. Can you tell what Kellen found when he whacked it? Bye Bye Black snake.

It is a busy time here on the farm. Lots of exciting projects and delicious things growing. Lovin' it.

Frost? Are you kidding me?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of SaferBrand. All opinions are 100% mine.

Don't you hate when you go against your better judgment and then regret it later?

I started many of my plants from seeds this year, including tomatoes. They grew beautifully, up until a couple of weeks ago. They really needed transplanted, but it didn't get done. There were a lot of reasons including time, and a lack of larger containers to put them in.

I knew it was a little early, but went against my better judgment and planted them anyway last week. The weather had been so warm. We even had some days in the 80s and 90s. Then it frosted last night. Yes, I said frost after we've had days in the 90s. UGH!

I was scared to go look at them this morning. They did survive, but they certainly aren't thriving. I should have just bought the pots and transplanted. I knew better.

Gardening is a challenge. One that I enjoy though. Seems every year there is some twist with the weather,  the plants, or the bugs that has me puzzled and trying to figure out how to make the garden thrive, despite the challenges.

Right now the challenge is a late frost. Soon, the battle will be with the bugs. The potato and squash bugs challenge me every year. In trying to keep the garden organic, much of the bug battle involves picking the little buggers off the plants. I can never keep up with the squash bugs that way though. This year I have a new weapon; EndALL insect spray

EndALL sent me a sample of their insect spray to test out and tell you about. This is an organic insect killer that kills eggs, larvae, and adult insects. I prefer not use insect killers, organic or not, because they kill all the bugs, not just the bad ones that make us crazy. (Yes, there are good bugs that you want in the garden.) But some bugs, like the squash bugs just take over, and an insect killer is necessary. And if I have to use an insect killer I want it to be an organic one. The key ingredients in this spray are Organic Pyrethrin, soap,  and Neem oil. 

I tested it out on a houseplant that had some gnats. The spray is easy to use. In the cool of the day, spray it on the plant where the insects are eating or resting. Then say bye bye to the bugs. When using on vegetables, the product is safe to use up to the day of harvest.

The garden challenges (and joys) have only just begun. Hopefully my tomatoes will survive this late cool weather. Who knows what else this garden season will bring? But I do know when I see those copper colored eggs on the underside of my squash plants this season those eggs will be getting a shot of EndALL.

Sheep Milking - Revisited

Our last lamb was born Tuesday night. It was another boy. That makes all males lambs this year. Surprisingly it was a single from Maggie, a mother who has always given us twins. He is the largest lamb we've ever had though.

Maggie always has a lot of milk. With only one lamb nursing, her udder looks painful. Apparently this lamb also prefers one side, making Maggie a little lopsided. It makes me hurt to look at her udder.

You may remember that earlier this spring we had another sheep with a lopsided udder. We ended up milking her a few times. Her udder had a clog in it, and once we had that cleared and the teat back to a usable size, her lambs were more than happy to use both sides of her udder.

We thought maybe Maggie had the same issue. So, we milked her, but there was no clog. What there was was a lot of milk. Tim milked out almost two quarts from that one side. This morning she was looking miserable again, and Kellen and I tried to milk her. (We don't have a milking station set up, so this is quite the adventure.) Not exactly sure how much milk we got before Maggie kicked the bucket over and we gave up in frustration, but it was a lot again.

And the lamb still isn't interested in nursing that side. Maggie will call him to nurse, and she will nudge him to that side. He sniffs at the nipple and then goes to the other side. Poor Maggie.

Because she has so much milk and because there is only one lamb, I am seriously considering milking her regularly. I really don't have the time to add another project, but if we had a proper place to milk, and she got used to being milked, it really wouldn't be that big of chore would it? The other thing, besides free milk,  that is tempting me to make the commitment is the richness of the milk.

I know that it doesn't show up well in the photo, but I am pointing to the line where the milk and cream have separated. All I can think is butter....cheese....yum....

Someone talk me out of this madness....or convince me that it isn't madness... or come and milk my sheep for me!

Our Horse Girl

Lydia has taken quite an interest in the horses over past couple of months. She loves to feed them, and brush them, and is learning to ride.

Papaw says she is a natural with the horses. She is calm and gentle, but also firm when she needs to be. They trust her, and let her brush them. Even Daisy, the donkey, who has not been trained, lets Lydia sit on her back. Lydia will sit on Diamond while someone else leads her. Lydia has spent a lot of time with them, and she loves every minute of it. Well, at least she did.

Last Friday Lydia also learned that riding and working with horses can be dangerous. She and Mamaw were brushing and feeding the horses. Lydia sat bareback on Diamond. They weren't even moving, but as Lydia was trying to adjust herself, she lost her balance and slid right off Diamond. She landed on her arm....This is what she got from that adventure.

She isn't quite ready to get back up on the horses, but she still loves working with them. For now, she will be feeding and brushing them, but I have a feeling that it won't be long until she is back up on the horses again.

Fort Triforce

Not long ago Papaw scored a fabulous deal on cement blocks at the Re-Store. He brought home pallets and pallets of them for future building projects here on the farm.

It didn't take long until Kellen realized that he could remove the middle blocks and create a small shelter. With a little adult encouragement, the small one pallet shelter quickly turned into a fort; Fort Triforce.

Here are a few views of the fort:

Notice the shelving inside the fort. Those are the "swords" on it. The bows are hanging under the shelf. The taller weapons in the corner are spears. Oh, and that satellite dish? That, of course, is a shield.  Also stockpiled within the fort is water, snacks, a change of clothes, and tools padlocked into a plastic storage container.

To the older boys, Kellen and Miles, this fort is all fort. It is a stage for their battles and they have plans for outposts in the woods. To the younger children, this is a perfect playhouse. A place to take their stuffed animals and blankets. Let's just say that Fort Triforce has already withstood many a battle. In the end, it remains a fort, and the younger children are learning to be respectful of the time and effort that has gone into planing and stocking the fort. Fort Triforce stands tall.

And while I'm sharing videos. . .

Posted about this one over at Stop the Ride today, but wanted to be sure the video itself made into our family archive here (Hey I don't scrap book or keep up photo albums. This is it folks.) Sorry to those of you are getting this duplicated.

This is my brother Eric and I in 1973.

We're On the Small Screen

A few weeks ago we had a lovely visit with Tammy, The Unusually Unusual Farmchick and the Captain. They got the dime tour of the farm, and helped with sheep shearing. Tammy is creating a Homesteader Video series featuring the methods (and madness?) of homesteaders. Check out the video that she made while visiting the 100 Acre Wood: Homesteader Spotlight Video 1.  And I know that Tammy is looking for more homesteads to feature. If your homestead is within driving distance of NE Ohio, and you'd like her to come visit, send her and email.

Spring is Here!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of MyOrganicGardeningBlog.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring! Spring! How I love thee! The weather here has been just perfect. Good and warm through the day and nice and cool in the evening. This really is my favorite weather. Why oh why can't it be like this all year?

The red buds are in full bloom. The Dogwoods are just beginning to open up, and our brown forest is turning green by the day. The early vegetables are in the garden, and LOOK there are blooms on my strawberry plants! The blooms are on the ever bearing plants. The June berries are not blooming yet though. And my asparagus has me a little worried because nothing is coming up yet, but I'm trying to be patient and hoping for the best.

The garden seems to bring new challenges every year, and because organic gardening is somewhat new to me, I'm constantly looking for helpful tips and information. My Organic Gardening Blog has lots of helpful information. It is written for the experienced and the novice gardener. There are posts about vegetable gardening, houseplants, pests, and flowers. Of course, I'll be mostly looking at the vegetable garden posts.

If you are shopping for organic gardening products, coupon code SBSSMOGB will save you 20% off at Safer Brand. You can follow them on twitter too, http://www.twitter.com/saferbrand.

I just love spring, and am so thrilled that is here. I love working in the garden, and simply enjoy the process of planting and watching things grow. Of course, I also enjoy the payoff that all the hard work brings. I can't wait to enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of our labors! Has spring sprung in your area? Do you have big garden plans for this year?