Adventures in Country Living

[TexasCharm]

I photo-document dang near everything we do around here, so I thought I'd start a thread just to share bits and photos of our life here on the little wooded homestead. We are in SE Texas and live here presently with 4 dogs, 3 horses, 13 hens and 2 roosters, tons of wildlife, a garden area, and our back yard sanctuary that we call Little Eden. I hope you enjoy this "photo journal" half as much as I enjoy taking the pics.


A friend took this pic about 8 years ago of hubby and I out riding. It'll be the perfect shot to start of a thread about our life together!

 

[TexasCharm]

What am I making?

 

[Amish Heart]

Noodles!
My neighbor made a whole lot and just brought some over with home canned chicken. I'll serve it when we have all the company here for lunch.

 

[TexasCharm]

Yes @Amish Heart ... we had fresh pasta tonight. I'm having to use up as many eggs as I can now while there is an abundance. Egg noodles are the bomb!

 

[Amish Heart]

I'd be doing the same if I had time, but hopefully soon

 

[Pearl]

My Aunt Cass made pasta often!! They had a LARGE farm family! Noodles would be hanging to dry everywhere in the house!!

 

[TexasCharm]

Growing up in Florida and living across the street from hundreds of acres of citrus groves, I recognize and love the smell of citrus blooms. Though far away, in lifestyle and proximity, to the place of my childhood; this smell reminds me of "home".

Citrus blooms.

 

[Peanut]

I used to service a catscan in ventura ca. I'd drive down the santa clara river valley, hwy 126. It was lined by citrus groves back then. It was usually at night. I'd roll down my window and drive slow when the trees were in bloom. Yep, a wonderful scent.

For me its the smell of a cotton field, thats home. I don't have to see it. In the fall i can tell by the scent how many days until harvest.

 

[TexasCharm]

What am I making?

 

[Pearl]

Looks like something with bacteria... Cheese??

 

[TexasCharm]

Kinda funny. I "inherited" a HUGE bread book. One of their sourdough starter recipes used honey. I decided to make it. I honestly questioned the amounts of the ingredients with quart sized container they said to put it in, So I used 2 containers and split the starter. This starter also used a yeast (booster). Well, apparently yeast loves honey, 'cause an hour later that starter had busted through the coffee filter top and was spilling out all over the counter. The picture above was after the mess, what I managed to keep and it still filled up two jars again. I kinda wished I had just made bread and this was the first amazing rise.. oh boy.

I'll have to tweak that starter recipe.. lol

 

[Pearl]

I first thought sourdough starter but thought no way, too big!!

 

[Shawn Burkett]

My husband keeps bees. I should probably try a sourdough starter with honey too.

 

[TexasCharm]

@Shawn Burkett Let us know how it goes!

 

[TexasCharm]

I was getting in the bathtub a bit ago, glanced out the window and one of my hens was in the front yard (where she doesn't belong) eating with this rabbit. By the time I grabbed my camera, the chicken had moved on, but the rabbit was still there.

We have so many rabbits. They drive my dogs nuts, but we'll be eating stewed rabbit if/when SHTF.. lol.

Good night folks.

 

[TexasCharm]

What have we here?

A flower head developing on the elderberry I planted last year!

 

[Magpie]

Are they native over there? They grow wild here , only used the flowers to make cordial, because the birds get to the berries before I do!

 

[Peanut]

What have we here?

A flower head developing on the elderberry I planted last year!

Are they native over there? They grow wild here , only used the flowers to make cordial, because the birds get to the berries before I do!

It is native here but it's so similar as medicine to european black elder it's used interchangeably. Both grow wild here. I don't notice which is which anymore.

I grow elder for convenience. I make tincture from the blooms, a very good flu medicine, indefinite shelf life. Using the berries but I'd have to make syrup every year to have some on hand. It's simpler for me to use the blooms.

Also, mine is wild stock i transplanted. It's very aggressive. I have to prune it every winter to keep it under control.

 

[TexasCharm]

Thanks for replying, @Peanut , we have been busy with all this rain...

 

[TexasCharm]

The road to the north of us...

 

[TexasCharm]

The road to the east of us...

 

[Pearl]

More on the way......

 

[TexasCharm]

I know.. its been raining all morning.. again.

 

[TexasCharm]

Oh and re: elderberry.. all mine are wild stock too.. I might regret planting so many, but they are so easy! They make you feel successful..

 

[TexasCharm]

Korean egg coffee to kick start my day. Good morning!

 

[TexasCharm]

I took the day off yesterday, had a tire repaired on my truck, then hustled down to my bff's to pick up 3 buff cochin pullets. Scored some elderflower blooms when I was down there (mine aren't in bloom yet). So elderflower tincture doing it's thing.

I needed some hens that will sit. I used to always have a hen or two sit every year, but not in the last 3 years. Hate depending on the incubator.. so my bff has cochins that are sitting machines and offered me 3 young pullets from her stuff. Big daddy came in to inspect them, gave them the big spurs up ('cause he doesn't have a thumb) and they are settling in just great.

 

[TexasCharm]

On a quest to learn ALL the plants! Stopped on the side of the road to pick this because I thought it might be Horsemint / Lemon Bee Balm. Pulled out my books and !Viola!..

 

[Peanut]

On a quest to learn ALL the plants! Stopped on the side of the road to pick this because I thought it might be Horsemint / Lemon Bee Balm. Pulled out my books and !Viola!..
View attachment 142589

Good find!!! horse mint doesn't grow locally for some reason. Climate isn't the issue, grows north and south of me, just not local. I've looked for years. Have yet to see one plant.

It was never heavily used as a medicine though a guy named Gerard wrote a little about it in 1597. It's not as potent as most mints. I put it on par with hoary mountain mint.

In appalachian folk medicine it was occasionally used as an inhalant for folks with chest congestion. Most often it was hung upside down in closets to freshen clothes and ward off moths. I use mountain mint blooms, dried and put in cheese cloth in my clothes dryer. They are much better than the dryer sheets from the store.

Maybe try horsemint in the dryer? or closet?

 

[TexasCharm]

Thanks Peanut. I debated on posting this on the Medicinal Plant of the Day for ID confirmation, but the book made it pretty obvious. I've been watching several areas where it's growing for the last week or so, but hubby thinks I'm cray cray when I want to stop and pick weeds on the side of road..... Soooooo, on my way back from the feedstore, I had to. I love to bring them home, pull out my books and study them until I know them coming and going. Hubby says I'm obsessed.. *shrug*

 

[Peanut]

Thanks Peanut. I debated on posting this on the Medicinal Plant of the Day for ID confirmation, but the book made it pretty obvious. I've been watching several areas where it's growing for the last week or so, but hubby thinks I'm cray cray when I want to stop and pick weeds on the side of road..... Soooooo, on my way back from the feedstore, I had to. I love to bring them home, pull out my books and study them until I know them coming and going. Hubby says I'm obsessed.. *shrug*

You sound like me!!! When I was learning… I have miles of gravel roads near here. I could drive slowly looking for blooms. I’d drive the same roads every week and each week there’d be new blooms. I took hundreds of photos, at night I’d try to identify these blooms…

This site is very handy, great actually. It was my go-to (still is). There are a few university botany databases I use but they are much more difficult, clunky and use latin names sometimes. If i knew the latin name i wouldn't need to search!!! duh!

Southeastern flora is easy to use when starting out.
http://www.southeasternflora.com/SearchForm.php

For a search I’d try to enter these 4 criteria. I can choose ‘any’. But entries help narrow the search results... Then scroll through the results for comparison.

Flower color: 10 colors to choose from

Plant form: usually herb, can be tree or vine. Bushes are tricky though...

Leaf type: simple etc.

Leaf Arrangement: alternate, opposite, whorled… this entry is important. It really helps identify a plant.