What's everybody doing today?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 to 2 pounds watermelon rind
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 2 quarts warm water
  • PRESERVES:
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
  • 7 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 2 cardamom pods
Change spices to taste. Sugar can be replaced with honey.
 
joel said:
I cut up watermelon with a watermelon slicer, it work great, after you slice the ends of the melon, so it will sit still for you.
View attachment 88694
Click to expand...
LOL we had one of those when my boys were a lot younger, they always took it as a challenge to get it to work without cutting the top off (just cutting it in 1/2 at the "equator" so it would sit flat). Their preferred method was to stand on top of a stool and jump off it slamming the cutter into the melon. They got a clean cut 90% of the time, but I'm amazed they still have all their fingers ;)
 
This was one of those weekends where you work outside all day until you are drenched in sweat, and repeat it the next day. Stupid thing is, got nothing major accomplished - just maintained things as they are. Mowed the lawn, trimmed my beard, watered everything that was dying from the heat (it's all perking up now except some long gone strawberry plants), removed what felt like a ton of bindweed and dandelions (the later went to the chickens), and cleaned the filters in the Berkey.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate bindweed, especially when it gets all tangled in the holly bushes and I have to dig it all out....
 
This is officially the home stretch. Good Lord willing and the Creek don't rise, Friday will be my last day of work. I will be retired. I am scared to death, but it is time to pull the plug.
 
Amish Heart said:
Hooray for you, Morgan. I was scared to death, too, and husband was more so. You'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I sure hope so. This economy just terrifies me. I do have things lined up that I want to do, and working is not one of them. I don't expect to be bored. At least not for a while. I have yet to meet anybody that isn't happy they did it.
 
Headed to my old police department to do my annual HR218 shooting. This usually consists of 18-24 40cal. bullets into a 3-5 yard target from left side, front side and front center shooting from the holster. They will document what gun I used, but I will get a new ID card allowing me to conceal carry my weapons in all 50 states.
 
havasu said:
Headed to my old police department to do my annual HR218 shooting. This usually consists of 18-24 40cal. bullets into a 3-5 yard target from left side, front side and front center shooting from the holster. They will document what gun I used, but I will get a new ID card allowing me to conceal carry my weapons in all 50 states.
Click to expand...
Someday I should look into doing that again. My old department did that a few times for retirees but I have not heard of anything since. I never went because the Sheriff's department here will qualify me, but I haven't renewed since it expired 5 years ago. Maybe one day.
 
Pearl said:
Are you "doing" anything else today Magus?😁
Click to expand...
I was half asleep, I thought I clicked what's for dinner. :p
Nope. enjoying the cool snap and petting cats.
 
Morgan101 said:
I will be retired. I am scared to death, but it is time to pull the plug.
Click to expand...
I am willing to bet that you are in better financial shape than 99% of the other people in this country. Even the ones that appear richer than you are ... especially the ones who appear richer than you are! And if you were to continue to work longer trying to improve your standing, the government would just take it away and give it to others in the name of income equality. So try not to worry. You'll be fine - so much better than most. Have fun!
 
Up early this morning and went to Walmart for monthly stock up and might I say that the prices are heading towards criminal, in my opinion. I know things cost more including gas, parts and labor, but someone is making a killing.
Came home. Put stuff away, fed dogs, made a few calls.
Did laundry for the week.
Next, will cut up a watermelon that I bought today.
Take ebay photos.
 
IMG_20220627_115923550~2.jpg
This is Bear!! What a sweet, loving boy!!! He met Burberry the deer already and liked her. Also likes the kitties! Never been in a house before, hubby carried him in after 40 minutes in the back yard. Once inside he made himself at home! Already learned "sit", and "shake"! Can't believe he is here!!♥️
 
Morgan101 said:
This is officially the home stretch. Good Lord willing and the Creek don't rise, Friday will be my last day of work. I will be retired. I am scared to death, but it is time to pull the plug.
Click to expand...
I love that saying 😊 and CONGRATULATIONS
1656361678252.png
 
Haertig said:
I am willing to bet that you are in better financial shape than 99% of the other people in this country. Even the ones that appear richer than you are ... especially the ones who appear richer than you are! And if you were to continue to work longer trying to improve your standing, the government would just take it away and give it to others in the name of income equality. So try not to worry. You'll be fine - so much better than most. Have fun!
Click to expand...

Excellent point! I was just talking to a good friend yesterday, this guy has a great job and has done everything right over the years, doing consulting work for the gubmint and teaching troops how to set up satcomm dishes in the desert, and he told me that he just lost 100K (on paper) with his 401k being hit hard. No way to recoup the money either, so he's out that much. This guy's a wizard with finance too, and he still has a retirement package going, but it seemed like the gubmint just stole that money back from him, aye? That really sucks, considering how hard he has worked over the decades. :confused:

Edit: If I didn't say that correctly, it's because I'm no financial wizard, lol. Also, forgot to mention that I'm monitoring cats and drinking cold beer after doing a load of laundry. Movie later, I reckon, as I'm in no mood to continue decorating at present... this cat introduction scene is enough on my plate, lol. But it seems to be working! Hooray!!! Oh, yeah, Pearl, that dog looks awesome! Even though I'm a cat lover, I still like dogs! Had Corgis, a German Shepherd & a Rhodesian Ridgeback in the past, I'm just more into cats now because they're cheaper & easier to maintain. ;)
 
Last edited:
It was a great day to work on The Ridge garden. What I found was disappointing. Not the lush garden I was hoping for.

20220627_142133_HDR.jpg


Broccoli torn up by cabbage worms. Should have covered the chicken wire with deer netting.

20220627_142226_HDR.jpg


All of the sunflowers topped by deer.

20220627_142301_HDR.jpg


Bambi also nibbed the tops of the potatoes

20220627_142328_HDR.jpg


And the wild turkey get into the devastation with their nests. See the turkey feathers.

20220627_142400_HDR.jpg


And if the feathers are not enough evidence the young turkey skeleton confirms they are nesting in my garden boxes.

20220627_160018_HDR.jpg


So what survived the wild life?

Potatoes walking onions and pumpkins.

So I weeded what was left using the chop and drop to mulch the beds.

One more note.
Fruit trees have few fruits. May be due to scarse rain.

But even with all of that stuff any day working on The Ridge is a great day.

Ben
 

Attachments

  • 20220627_142303_HDR.jpg
    20220627_142303_HDR.jpg
    463.9 KB · Views: 14
Neb said:
Fruit trees have few fruits. May be due to scarse rain.
Click to expand...

My fruit trees don't have anything either and we've had more than plenty of rain. Cherry tree is more than 10 years old, a 5-way plum and Gravenstein apple was planted last year and another 3 way apple was planted this year. I know they are pretty young to fruit, but last year that plum tree was loaded and this year only has 1 on it.

And I've given up trying to grow peaches. Every tree I've tried to grow, whether a purchased tree or a volunteer get leaf curl really bad even after using copper
 
I'm hoping for some fruit this year. The very old pear tree does have pears. The one barely living branch of the very old apple tree is full. I won't let husband take it out because the animals will eat the apples off it. The apples trees I planted last year....one of them now has 4 apples on it. Hooray! I did plant 2 pear and 2 peach this year, so maybe in a few years....and the other three apple trees, maybe next year. Our grape vine is full again this year.
 
Haven't been to the forum much this past week. Work was exceptionally brutal. It was searing hot in western Nebraska and the days were long. To top it off, today we were informed that our gang is being pulled off the project and sent to another one in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Schedule changes are nothing new, but getting yanked in the middle of a project and sent 8 hours away is a bit strange. Something is up.

But now I'm home for 8 days and I'm looking forward to it. I worked a half day today and then drove 8 hours home. It's almost 11pm and I was up at 4:30am so I'm ready for bed. See y'all tomorrow...
 
Well the results of my in-person work last week has been interesting. I met with a lot of people I work with virtually on a daily basis. This week I am getting reports that a large number of the people who I met with came down with COVID over the weekend. So far only the people who were not wearing masks have come down with it, fingers crossed. The other thing I find interesting is that the cases are not being reported as part of the organizations COVID-19 tracking. I think organizationally they want to push in-person work and they can't do that if all their in-person meetings result in a COVID outbreak...

The politics of today are "be transparent" but don't report any bad news.

My perspectives have changes some: masks do help a little, the government is in full cover up mode, and it there is a future emergency the government will not admit it until it is completely out of control....
 
So I have just gotten over my first real cold in about 5 years. Pretty sure it was not covid felt like a regular cold for me, very runny nose, sore throat, dripping eyes, sneezing, tired , headache before it started
I tried to ignore it and work anyway but felt like crap Sunday and spent half a day in bed sleeping . Did not take anything for it and felt better yesterday, so far ok today

I wanted to pick up my new puppy, German Shepherd, this week but now it will wait until next .

been watching something I think is really awesome on youtube, this video of this old couple in Azerbajan ( former Soviet country) homesteading and cooking things.

I am going to clean the house today if I feel up to it, plus laundry . Husband is getting more hay
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top