My Favorite Weedeater

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Demolition

Saturday morning a notice went out on Freecycle offering the wood, metal roofing, and loose hay from an old barn that was to be torn down. With several outbuildings on the to do list, we were soon headed across the river to a nearby town with my parents, two vehicles and two trailers to haul stuff in.

There was one other taker on the offer who arrived before we did. She wanted to build a small garden shed, so we worked out what she needed to salvage, and the rest was ours for the taking. First we went through the contents of the building. Mom found a decent porch swing and some other things. I found some old jars, including half gallon canning jars. There also was a whole box of unused jelly jars!

Next was the loose hay in the loft. What a messy, stinky job! Papaw would rake the hay down and Tim would shove it in the end of the cattle rack while Mamaw and I tried to stuff it in as much as we could. Eventually we gave up and let Papaw and Tim handle it.

The hay is old. There probably isn't much nutrition left in it, but it will make great bedding or filler. They baled it yesterday and it made 20 bales. They went back and got the rest, which filled the cattle rack again. The second trip yielded 26 bales.

Next the men (and my little man) headed to the roof to remove the metal sheets. They ripped off and Mamaw and I stacked them in the trailer. The other people were there also working on taking the siding boards off the one wall.

After the roofing was all off, the guys knocked out all the boards that the roof was attached too. Again Mamaw and I stacked. Next came the notched rafters. Four were given to the other people for their building and the rest were loaded on top of the roofing in the trailer.

The younger kids helped some and played in the yard. There was also a box of books leftover from a yard sale. Lydia spent a lot of time reading those herself, and reading to Nolan and Vivian.

We worked about six hours, and were just about at our quitting point when the owner offered to buy us dinner. Gratefully we accepted and he went to town and brought back pizza and pop. While he was gone we cleaned up the area a bit, and he returned to find us all sprawled out in the grass exhausted. This picture was taken when we were almost to calling it a day.

The process seems very simple as I type about it. In reality, it was a lot of hard exhausting work. We all are still dragging from the hours of physical labor put in that day. There still is a lot of barn to tear down yet, but all those materials will be put to use in new buildings here. The hard work will save a ton of money. Now to find another day and the energy to go do it again!

When you can't play...read!

Kellen bought a Nintendo 64 game system (our first) about a year ago, and I was concerned about the battle it would become with Kellen. It has been no battle with Kellen, but Nolan well it is a different story. 

The kid is infatuated with Nintendo. He doesn't care if he is playing. He is just as happy to watch Kellen play. When they figure out a new trick or how to get to the next Zelda level, Nolan wants to call Tim at work to tell him about it. He tries to tell me about it, but has figured out I am basically clueless. Our donkeys are already named after Mario characters, Luigi and Daisy, and now Nolan wants to name our new cat Toon Link. 

Since school is in and the new TV rules are in place, the Nintendo does not even come on most days. That hasn't stopped Nolan though. He may not be able to play the games, or even watch Kellen play the games, but he can read about the games. 

His new thing is to get the booklets that come with the games out to read. Well, not really read, but to look through. He will spend a good hour pouring through the little booklet. He will show Kellen the pictures and  give his interpretation of what those pictures mean. He gets so excited. (Kellen in typical big brother fashion is not impressed.)

I don't know whether to be happy he is looking at a book (of sorts) for so long or be frustrated that I can't get his mind off Nintendo!

Boys will be boys

The boys have found a new form of entertainment. This kept them busy for hours yesterday.

T.V. Time Rules

Back to school is an adjust whether your children go to school or you homeschool. This fall we've fallen back into the book routine fairly smoothly. What has been a little rocky is TV time.

We don't watch a lot of TV, even in the summer, but I am a little more generous with TV time in the summer heat than I am during the school year. When we started back to the books Kellen (10) and Lydia (6) fell easily into the routine of no TV until school is done and we've eaten lunch. Nolan (4) was not so compliant.

Every morning the first thing he would ask me was to play Nintendo. When that answer was no he would ask to watch TV. When that answer was no he would ask to watch a movie. When that answer was no he would give up, for about an hour, and then we would go through the whole process again. I thought I was going to lose my mind! (or throttle the kid) Finally after a few weeks he got it through his head that the darned TV was not coming on for any purpose until after lunch. Then began the next phase of the battle.

Those of you who know my bright determined child may guess at what happened next. He would scarf down lunch, declare, "I am done," and ask to play Nintendo. I'd set the timer and let him play. Immediately after his time was up he'd ask for a snack. UGH! A few days of making him wait for a snack fixed that problem. He decided he better slow down and eat a better lunch. But still our TV time rules were not working.

Even after Nolan finally got in the routine, the TV was driving me crazy. The problem is there are four kids. Each of them want their TV time, and of course all the others want to watch while someone else is getting their time. So the TV was on basically all afternoon, and I was constantly hearing bickering about whose turn it was to pick. I tried getting them to agree on something, but with two boys and two girls ranging from 2 to 10 it can be a little difficult to find something everyone likes. Nothing was working for me.

Then I happened across something in a book I was reading that made a light go off. Why does each kid get to pick something each day? Why not give each kid a day that is theirs? Aha!

So we started the new TV rules. We rotate days for who gets to pick what is on for the allotted time for TV. I didn't assign specific days since we aren't always home on the same days and weekends don't count.

This is our second week for it, and it is working like a charm. The kids keep track of whose day it is, and I've yet to hear any arguing or complaining about what the person picks. They know how much time they have and plan accordingly to watch the shows or play the games that they really want to.

Last year TV time during the school year wasn't a problem. This year it has been an adjustment. I guess it is growing pains that come with the kids getting older. Rotating the days each child gets to pick what to watch has saved a lot of bickering, and cut back on the amount of time the TV is on. It is working for me!

Works for Me Wednesday: find more ideas and tips.
Photo credit: P. Costa

Telling it like it is (photo added)

The other day Lydia spent a good portion of the day over at Mamaw's house. When she came home I waste teasing her about being gone so long, and asked her why she liked Mamaw's house better than home. She didn't miss a beat, and informed me, "Because Mamaw's house is clean." Ouch!

Yesterday I was out feeding the pigs and Vivian was standing in the driveway near me. She had found the spray end of a backpack water toy that we have. She was using it as a microphone and singing her little heart out. I couldn't exactly make out the words, but she was sure into her singing. She was swaying and dancing to her own music. I smiled at her and asked if she were singing me a song. She gave me a look that pretty much implied that I was out of my mind. Then she tells me, "No, sing piggies." Now I know where I rank.


*****
This morning Vivian decided to serenade the pigs again. I had to add a picture!

On the job training, again.

Our ram is a big old boy. He is tough, and has a tendency to be a bully. He isn't exactly mean, but he will push you around. He has sent Papaw, Tim and I all flying a time or two. His favorite target once was Billy Bob, the goat. Billy was pretty young when we got him and the ram was the boss.

We separated them, and during that time Billy grew up. He still isn't as big as the ram, but he has a large set of horns that more than compensate for the body size difference. The last time they got together, while we were moving some animals to a different pasture, Billy got the better of the ram. He gave him a couple of good scrapes and small punctures. We put bag balm on the sores, and other than the ram being a bit more humble for a few days, he was just fine.

The ram's latest tangle we suspect was with a deer about a week ago. He had two puncture wounds, one on his front leg and the other about mid abdomen. We covered them with bag balm and didn't think anything else about it.

About mid week I noticed he wasn't acting quite himself. He stayed in the barn a lot, and wasn't waiting at the gate to plow me over at feeding time. It was very hot this week, and he has behaved similarly in the heat before. I didn't think much of it, and was happy to not have to fight him to feed the sheep.

Then yesterday he came out for feed while I was still there. I noticed that the wound on his abdomen looked black and not healed, and he stunk. Not your normal sheep stink, but a rotten stink. I tried to look at the wound. It wasn't easy to hold him and look at it, so I decided to wait until Tim was home to help, but I supected fly strike.

I knew sheep were susceptible to fly strike. I had read a bit about it when we were deciding about docking the lambs tails. The problem is that I had only read about it in conjunction with tails and flies laying eggs in manure that could accumulate on the fleece. I never even thought about it being a problem elsewhere.

Looking back it seems silly that I wouldn't see that there is a connection. Blow flies like sheep. An open wound is a warm moist place perfect for laying their eggs. Well, duh! But that seems to be how we learn things around here, a little at a time, putting bits and pieces of knowledge together. On the job training you could say. I know this is part of the learning curve with animals, but every time something happens I feel so bad.

If you're squeamish you may want to skip ahead to "SAFE NOW."

When Tim got home we went out to look at the ram. The wound looked to be the size of a quarter, so we didn't expect cleaning him up would take long. Tim pulled back on the wound, which in fact was nothing but black rotted flesh, to expose it and found it full of maggots. I couldn't look, but the smell was awful.

He started scraping them out and just kept finding that the wound and the maggots went deeper and longer along the rams abdomen. Tim trimmed back fleece and dead skin, scraped out maggots and poured on peroxide or alcohol for about an hour and half while I tried to keep the ram still. We were all exhausted by the time we were done.

SAFE NOW

The ram is left with a gaping wound about four inches long. We debated stitching him and tried to find information on the internet, but with no luck. Most of what I found addressed pets, (This can affect almost any animal, but sheep are the host of choice for the fly.) or for commercial farming, not for homesteaders.

We think we got all of the problem out, but are opting to keep the wound open and clean it out several times a day with antiseptic just be safe. The ram was given a dose of penicillin and we removed him from the pasture and barn. We tied him out and are moving him around the yard to keep a closer eye on him and to give him a cleaner place to lie down. We also gave him a good spraying of fly spray to try to keep the flies away.

He seems perfectly happy and is eating, and hopefully headed for a full recovery. From other accounts I read about in severe cases (I can't imagine what that would look like.) the animal is listless and lethargic. It will kill them and it is best to put them down. This was bad enough. I am glad to have caught when we did, though I wish I had paid closer attention earlier.

Lessons learned from this on the job training session:

1. Fly strike can happen at any weak point on the sheep.
2. Fly strike can affect other animals.
3. I need to pay more attention when an animal has a wound or is not quite acting like their normal self.

These are hard lessons to learn.

Save the Bees

Yesterday we went on a field trip to Stiltner's Apiary. The kids enjoyed it, especially the taste testing. I found it fascinating. Mr. Stiltner has raised bees for a long time, and works for the State Agriculture Department. He knows his stuff.

He walked us through part of his bees. He keeps millions (literally) of bees. He explained some cross breeding projects he is currently working on, and showed us the process used to get the honey. All along the way giving lots of interesting tidbits and facts about bees. I learned a lot.

The Africanization of bees.
I didn't even know there was such a thing, or that it was a problem. Basically African bees are very aggressive toward people and other bees. They also are genetically dominate. His bees are very gentle, and his cross breeding project is an attempt to get a hardy, productive and gentle bee suited for West Virginia. He suggested that those who want to start with bees do not order queens from Florida or California because they are likely to be Africanized there.

The demise of the bees.
He recommended a National Geographic production about bees. Another mom at the field trip said that PBS also recently showed it. I don't know the exact title.

You may have heard about the great numbers of bees that are dying for reasons scientists can't explain. According to the film, if the current loss rate continues there will be no honey bees by 2035. If you've seen the animated Bee Movie, you know what happens when the honey bees stop working, plants stop producing our food.

Health Benefits of Honey
I know that honey is supposed to be a healthier sweetener, but am not very educated on the subject. A couple of things he mentioned on the field trip caught my interest.

Honey can help those with allergies, but not any honey will do. You need to eat honey that was made locally or at least in a place with similar vegetation. Honey produced far from you was made with pollens that you don't encounter, and therefore won't help your allergies. Makes sense doesn't it?

According to Mr. Stiltner honey that is mass produced has little more health benefit than sugar. The processing it goes through kills all the good stuff. Ever microwaved your honey after it crystallized? That is a no no too. It kills the good stuff. Warm it up with hot water or in a sunny window.

The glue like substance the bees use in the hive is like penicillin. In fact, it is nicknamed Russian penicillin and has been traditionally used to treat illness.


Papaw has mentioned getting bees several times. While I've always thought it was a good idea, this field trip has piqued my interest. Time to do some more research and move bees up on the want list. The other project that has been mentioned latley is maple syrup. Mmmm.... it is going to be sweet around here!

A little of this and a little of that

Having not posted for a week, you might think that we've been terribly busy around here. Tim has been busy with work, working late every night this week except Friday, and he will be working Saturday too. For the rest of us though, it has been comparatively quiet here at home.

Last Saturday mom and I canned apples all day. Something like 30 quarts of sauce and 20 quarts of sliced apples. I am ready to do some more, but don't have any picked. It has been raining the last two days, and I can't see dragging the kids out in the mud to pick apples in the rain. Maybe tomorrow.

The rain was much needed. The rest of the month was very dry. My fall garden, peas, beets, and beans need the water. The tank we use to catch rain water and water the animals was almost empty after staying full almost all the rest of the summer. Yes, the rain is good.

As for the animals nothing too exciting. Two hens are sitting on nests. The baby pigs are doing well. You can see charcoal and her piglets were making good use of the mud hole made in the pasture. Flame's piglets are doing well too. The little red one in the photo is the one we stitched up.

For the most part school is doing well too. The biggest problem I have is I can't get library books. It is a long story that is going to end in us paying for a book I'm pretty sure we returned. Frustrating? Yes, but I need books!

Lydia is having a bit of a mental block with math. She just shuts down. There were tears this morning. The frustrating thing to me is that she knows how to do it! When I sit by her she whips right through. When I am not there she whines and cries that she can't do it. I guess I'm going to have to hand hold her until she gains the confidence to do it alone. She is reading like a pro though. I can't believe how she has just taken off with reading.

Kellen is flying through his materials, like always. He really is into his trombone right now. He is learning to play the Mario theme by ear. He posted a video of it.

Nolan also wanted to do school this year. We are reading books, and playing games mostly. I printed out a freebie workbook for him, but I need some library books to supplement. Well you know why that isn't happening.

So, that is what we've been up to.

Navigating in West Virginia

I once considered myself to have good navigation skills. I liked to try new ways to get from point A to point B. I was confident that I could figure out how to get somewhere even if I'd never been that way before. And if I had a map in my hand, well, I could get anywhere.

I did not realize that I was simply spoiled. Spoiled by navigating roads that generally went the direction they started. Spoiled by roads that were labeled and maps that matched.

When I moved to the land of ridges and hollows, I quickly learned that my Northern navigation skills meant diddly squat here. Roads that appear to go west will actually end up taking you east. Not that I can ever tell which direction I'm heading in anyway here. The curves and hills mess with your sense of direction. I learned that trying an unknown way only leads to burning a lot of gas, seeing a lot of country side, and feeling like you'll never find your way out of all the twists and curves. Driving here is like navigating a huge labyrinth. I learned to only go ways I'd gone before, or to get very specific directions from those who knew the way.

Today there was a swim party for our homeschool co-op at a family's home I'd not been to before. They gave very specific directions from a variety of nearby places. The trouble with all these directions though is that from my house they made a big U, traveling south, going east, and then north again. Shouldn't I be able to just go straight east and get there faster?

So, I got out the county map. The swim party was just into the next county (of which I don't have a map,) but I could see one of the roads listed on the directions. Lo and behold it was directly east of me. And the "big" road I live near turns into another "big" road. (This is something I just don't get here. Roads are essentially the same road, but at some point get a new name. It is all so confusing!) This second big road goes directly to the road on the directions to the party. I felt like I'd just found the Northwest Passage. (Except I was going northeast, but you get the point.)

We set out this morning and headed to the "big" road. I am familiar with this road, but have not traveled it beyond where it turns into the second "big" road. We were traveling along observing the scenery. We saw the electric company trimming trees with a helicopter in a hollow. (Oh why didn't I get out the camera?) We saw a wide variety of beautiful homes, and some that were not so beautiful. We saw three housing developments on this winding curving in the middle of nowhere road. We were enjoying the country drive.

From the map the road we were traveling appeared to be the only sizable road. The road did twist and curve and at times would branch off. Of course there were no road signs to show which road was which, but this didn't phase me much. I just stuck to the bigger road.

At one point I did begin to wonder if I were still on the right road. I tried to draw on a northern navigation skill, looking at the address on the mailboxes, only to remember that mailboxes here are marked not with road names, but with some strange RR code that only makes sense to postal workers.

Suddenly the road had not more lines painted on it. Then it began to narrow. Soon I was on a one lane road in the bottom of a hollow. Could this still be the road I thought it was?

I really began to wonder when I came to a T in the road. I saw no T on the map I was looking at. Where was I? There also were no road signs. Having the map was no help, even if I were still in the right county. Left or right?

Luckily for me there happened to be some state road maintenance workers there. I asked if I should turn right or left to get to the road on my directions.

They looked at me funny.

And said that left would take me to some place I'd never heard of. Right would take me to a road I do know, but not the road I named, if I turned left after this bridge and right at this fork and right again at the old barn, or something like that. (I later realized that the road they mentioned was actually just another name for the road on the directions. I did know that the road changed names, but it didn't register in my confused state.)

I looked at them funny.

And asked if I was still on the second "big" road.

They looked at me funny again.

And said no you are on some road I've never heard of. Then they asked me where I was actually trying to go. I told them. they consulted each other on the best way to get there, and offered to take me to the road where the pool party was.

I looked at them funny again.

And they explained that they were waiting for asphalt. The truck had just left and had to go to a "nearby" town for the refill. It would be at least an hour, and they didn't have anything better to do. Well I think helping a lost mom with four kids is a better use of our tax dollars than just sitting there waiting don't you? The whole crew loaded up in the truck for the ride.

They must of driven me at least five miles to get to the road I needed to be on. Then they pulled off to the side and waved me on. We waved our thanks and followed the directions that led us straight to the house.

I'm forced to admit I can't navigate the back roads of West Virginia, even with a map. In case you are wondering, we followed the directions home, making a huge U and enjoying every minute of it.

The kids are ready

Seeing that it is now the end of August, I thought that it might be a good idea to order our school books this morning. LOL! We still have a few things to finish up from last year, but I wanted to be sure that Kellen and Lydia had math books ready to go. They use the Key To and Miquon workbook series.

I asked them to pull out their workbooks to see where they were at in the current one and if we had the next one in the series. They did and I went about ordering the things we need for the school year. I glanced over to them, and they were both sitting at the table doing math! Then they pulled out their reading! Lydia even cleaned and organized her shelf of school supplies. (Now if I could just get her to do the same in her bedroom!)

I guess we have officially started back to book school routine!

On the way home from church

Nolan: Mommy when can I get my ears peered?

Because his sister used the same word up until a few weeks ago, I knew he meant pierced.

Me: Oh I don't know. Maybe when you are thirty.

Scattered conversation about why at the age thirty he could get his ears pierced.

Me: Daddy doesn't have his ears pierced.

Nolan: When will he be old enough?

Me: Oh I don't know maybe when he is fifty. You'll be old enough too when you are fifty.

Nolan: Fifty?! I'd be dead then!

Piglet Hospital and Nursery

Early this morning Ashley's pig, Flame, had piglets. Ashley and Miles went back to their mom's Wednesday, so Ashley missed it, but here is the story for her and you.

Yesterday afternoon Flame started building a nest. Yes, pigs build nests. It is an interesting thing to watch. She pulled up roots, moved sticks and branches, and leveled off a bit of ground. She even tried to pull the wire off the fence. The result was a lot of pulled of chicken fence, but I don't think she ruined it. Papaw put some hay in the building, and that enticed her to move inside with her sticks.

At 5 AM Papaw went to check her, no babies. About 7 he went back out and there were already half a dozen or so. Tim and I woke up to, "We've got babies." Papaw gets a little excited about his animals. He thinks that 14 were born, but only 12 are living.

One piglet got stepped on and had a big open wound on it's hip. Time for stitches. My kitchen was soon turned into a piglet hospital. Tim stitched the pig on my table. Thanks so much for putting some rags down honey! Ya know we eat off that table!


One runt was pretty weak. He is currently in a box in my kitchen. Kellen and Lydia have said they will bottle feed it. My plan is that they will feed it until it is strong enough to go back with Flame. Kellen's plan is to raise it as a pet. Despite our warnings that the pig may not make it, and if it does, we will not be keeping it, he has named it Arnold. He isn't taking very well to our feeding him, so I guess we will just see what happens. Any suggestions?


NEVER a dull moment in the 100 Acre Wood!

My Little Teacher

Lydia has been teaching the younger kids sign language. It is so cute. I had to catch it on video, and of course, share it on the blog!

Conquer the Turtle

Wordless Wednesday

Oil Painting with Tim

Tim has taken up a new hobby, oil painting.

He isn't painting on canvas. He prefers to paint on wood or metal. He isn't using a wide variety of colors. In fact, his painting is rather monochrome and dark.

He is painting with used motor oil.

This is a little trick we learned from the neighbor. Used motor oil can be used to paint untreated wood and metal. Here you can see the manure spreader and a gate that have been painted. The oil soaks into the wood to preserve it. On metal, it helps prevent rust.



Our neighbor uses this method on several of his outbuilding as did his father before him. It stains the wood a deep gray color as you can see in this photo, except of course for the red doors. Apologies for the shadows in this shot.



The oil we used was saved from servicing the vehicles around here. It is a cheap and easy way to make our wood and metal last. The largest drawback I see from it is that it is a little messy. Not so much more than paint, but it did seem to take a little longer to dry.

I hope Tim enjoys his new hobby, there are a lot of gates and other wood to paint around here!

Finally, A Break in the Schedule

The kids returned from a long weekend and a trip to Cedar Point with Grandma and Grandpa on Tuesday. I'm done canning beans. I'm done freezing corn. Little Lambs is this weekend, but I've dropped off my clothes. We are done picking blackberries for those who ordered them. The tomatoes that are ripe are processed. The apples aren't ripe yet. I just want to pick some more blackberries for myself before they are all gone. Other than that, all the pressing work is complete.

And. . .

A friend emailed me the other day about an awesome field trip she is arranging for homeschoolers next week at the Huntington Art Museum. The topic is the Civil War and the kids are going to make pinhole cameras. I thought it would really be something the kids would go for, but was afraid that we wouldn't be able to make it. I turned to my planner for the week, and IT WAS BLANK! A whole week with no appointments or scheduled activities?! Well, it was until I wrote in the field trip to the art museum.

A lull in the schedule is just what I needed. I spent today piddling at various projects. Don't worry it isn't like I don't have anything to do. No chance of being bored around here, but it is nice to not have schedules, commitments, and over ripening vegetables breathing down my neck.

Ahhh......I will enjoy it while it lasts.

New Pigs

Miles' pig, Charcoal, had piglets Saturday evening, eight of them to be exact. Tim and I were there when the last two came. Charcoal is a good mom, and fairly tolerant of us being around. Sows can be pretty mean when they have piglets. Charcoal has a gentle nature. I doubt it will be the same story when Flame, Ashley's sow, has her piglets. She is mean now. I bet she'll be a beast when her piglets come in about a week! Now the question is what are Miles and Ashely going to do with all these pigs?!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my dad's, aka Papaw, birthday. Happy Birthday!

Last week at the fair was crazy, but good. Kellen's rabbits placed about the middle of their class. He was slightly disappointed, but we were happy. The kids had a grand time being at the fair everyday. We walked the animal barns everyday. We watched the demolition derbies, mud bog, fireworks, and motor cross. Kellen showed his rabbits twice, and then sold them twice on Friday. Lydia participated in the open class for rabbits. They were both nervous, but did well. Kellen also took part in a watermelon eating contest.



Monday Kellen participated in the annual Battle of the Books. His team took third. They had all the questions right until the tie breaker round. His team has won the previous two years, so third was a slight disappointment, but Kellen handled it well.

Today Kellen is having Ryan over to spend the night for a late birthday celebration. It is actually Ryan's birthday tomorrow. Have I ever mentioned how crazy the end of July is for birthdays? For some reason the majority of the birthdays in this family are clumped around May and July. Kellen's was the 21st, Torrey ( a cousin) the 22nd, Avery's (Jake's youngest) the 27th, Jeff's (Tim's dad) the 28th, Jake's the 29th, my dad's today, and Gage's (Tim's brother's son) the 1st. It really is crazy!

The Big 1-0

Today Kellen turns double digits. The fair also starts today, so we will be celebrating his birthday next week. And how does the birthday boy want to celebrate this special occasion? He just wants his best buddy to spend the night, and to eat pizza and cheesecake. Kellen is becoming a very practical kid! Happy birthday Kellen. We love you!