Tick control

Posted on June 28, 2025 | Leave a comment

This year my tick population is unusually low. After a bit of study and research I discovered the reason, my chigger infestation eat them.

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Flower Bed Surprise

Posted on June 24, 2025 | 3 comments

Back in February grandson moved a lot of chicken coop compost to my daughters flower bed alongside the driveway. Michelle and son-n-law Ron heavily planted the bed with Gladiolus Bulbs (mail ordered) and sky blue Beaded Iris rhizomes (free from a friend thinning his Iris beds). Hands washed and tools put away. Now set back and wait for spring and summer flowers.

As with many well planned projects there is a snag in this plan. It seems that in the compost there was 1 pumpkin seed that survived from last Halloween. It liked the moisture and loves the chicken manure compost. Germinated and within a week or three was sending out runners mostly north and south. This monster vine is now near 50 feet spread from north end to south end and some 10 or 12 feet wide.

If the vine is not attacked by some unwanted bug by the end of July first of August we will have enough pumpkins to feed a small village.

Current plan is to can enough for roasted pumpkin, pies, bread and soup. Seeds will be toasted for human snacks and for Macaw bird snacks. The remainder will be given to those that want them or fed to chickens, horses, donkeys and cows as special treats.

In the who cares department: Gladiolus Bulbs shot up above the pumpkin vine and we have a nice display of flowers, sky blue Beaded Iris are fighting for sun light but I think they will survive to bloom next spring.

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Posted in Agriculture, Chickens, Compost, DIY, Environment, Family, Food, Gardening, survival

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MAGA means different things to different people

Posted on June 21, 2025 | 2 comments

We had an all American MAGA BBQ today. Beef, pork, chicken, potatoes(potato salad and baked), beans(baked beans), bread, yeast rolls from America grown and processed wheat. Sugar, salt, butter, sour cream, ketchup, mustard, onions, beer, bourbon, ice all 100% American grown and processed by Americans. Sad but couldn’t find American grown tea (ice tea) or black ground pepper.

Support your countries farmers, local businesses. Keep your money out of foreign hands.

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Posted in Agriculture, Chickens, Conservation, DIY, Economics, Environment, Family, Food, Health, How To

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Summer arrives

Posted on June 20, 2025 | 7 comments

Summer that is summer solstice occurs on Friday, June 20, 2025.

Along with summer comes warm/hot weather and garden fresh vegetables. Today and for the next 10 day my weather girl forecast temps to be 95% to 99%. This is the normal temperatures for my little corner of Oklahoma, not to hot not to cold, just right. It doesn’t get any better than this, warm with clear deep blue sky’s and light 5-10 mph south west winds.

Grand daughter-n-law brought me enough yellow goose neck squash to put 3 quarts in the freezer and cucumbers to can 3 pints dill pickles and 2 pints really sweet pickles.

Leaving me 2 small cucumbers, 2 green onions and 1 almost over ripe tomato for a nice farmers salad, served with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and buttered hard crust Rye bread.

The 8 month wait for garden fresh vegetables was worth the wait.

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Posted in Agriculture, Compost, Conservation, DIY, Economics, Environment, Family, Food, Gardening, Health, How To, survival

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Summer delight – Squash, Tomatoes and Onions

Posted on June 14, 2025 | 1 comment

That Old Woman down the road call today asking if I could help her repair her chicken coop door. Seems a coyote or three tried to feast on chicken last night. They failed but door was in need to repair. Long story short hammer, nails and drywall screws, new hinges and latch and all is secure.

As a thank you she gave me a brown paper bag 1/2 full of squash, a few fresh pulled onions. I can’t possibly eat that much squash before it goes bad.

So… I washed and cut squash in to 1 inch slices, quarter slices in to bite size pieces. In a large pan, mine is an old cast iron 5 quart pot, doubles as fish deep fryer. I added 2 maybe 3 teaspoons lard. OK vegetable shorting or some other oil like corn or canola and 2 slices per person chopped bacon. While bacon renders down, coarse chop 1 small onion and add to pot, cook over low/medium heat until onions turn slightly brown, add 1/2 to 1- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with tomato juice, salt and pepper to taste, mince 1 or 2 cloves garlic and add to pot. Add squash, stir. If needed add a bit of water or better yet a small amount of chicken broth. Cover with tight fitting lid and simmer about 10 minutes until squash is tender. Do Not Over Cook your squash. Serve with fresh hot from the oven corn bread as a side dish or as a ‘mostly’ vegetable meal.

In the who cares department: When finished I had 5 meals of squash so I put 1 meal in 4 zip-lock freezer bags and very much enjoyed what was left over in my pot with sweet ice tea for lunch.

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It’s a dog’s life

Posted on June 9, 2025 | 3 comments

Quote “Gardening.. Age taking it’s toil” I said “In the who cares department: I share 47 acres with 2 horses, 2 donkeys and 1 steer, 1 heifer and 1 cow, and 2 mostly worthless old porch dogs, to old fat and lazy to catch a rabbit for the pot.”

I forgot the Rabbits. On and off for the past 70 years I have grown rabbits for the pot. I have an affection for New Zealand whites. They are considered medium to largest in size, have few medical problems, they are gentle and easy to handle, have a good feed to meat conversion rate. Each doe averages 5 to 6 Kitts per litter. One kit at 12 weeks of age will weigh around 5.75-6 pounds and will produce 4-4.5 pounds of ready to cook meat.

Breeding to processing time is 120 days with each kit producing 4-4.5 pounds of table meat. OK stop looking sad and wanting to do me harm. No difference in the cow, pig or chicken you put on your table.

Anyway with 4 does and 1 buck I get around 155-160 pounds yearly of lean healthy protein. Many breeders shoot for 3 litters a year, I always thought that was excessive and a bit abusive. I breed last week of February, litter last week of march after the severe cold weather is at an end and again last week of August litter last week of September after my hot dry summer weather moves in to cooler weather fall.

Grin… You can’t freeze a rabbit to death but they don’t handle 100-107 degree days well requiring lots of cool fresh water. To that end I have installed an old swamp(water cooled) air conditioner on the north end of my rabbitrey.

Finished my late night glass of Evan Williams 1783 whisky. Doctor said it wasn’t good for me, but, I out lived my last doctor and watched as two others retired. With that tidbit of info I’ll say good nite “Gracie”

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Gardening.. Age taking it’s toil

Posted on June 6, 2025 | 12 comments

As I age I’m finding gardening more than my body wants to deal with. My previous 1 acre garden has become one small raised bed with a few tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and a small radish patch.

All other areas have been seeded in a number of different wild(native) flowers. Mowing and weed wacking are now far and few tasks to be faced. Much of my weed control in now accomplished by 2 grandsons and herbicides

One unexpected benefit is the return of many native and migratory birds, butterfly’s and I suddenly see many more cottontail rabbits. I don’t know if changing my landscape has anything to do with it but this I have 2 mallard duck hens that has taken up residents on my small 1 acre pond and has hatched off what looks like 11 ducklings.

From my newly rebuilt patio I have a close up very enjoyable view if my new landscape.

In the who cares department: I share 47 acres with 2 horses, 2 donkeys and 1 steer, 1 heifer and 1 cow, and 2 mostly worthless old porch dogs, to old fat and lazy to catch a rabbit for the pot.

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Posted in Agriculture, Conservation, DIY, Environment, Gardening

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Thanks….. Giving

Posted on November 21, 2023 | 9 comments

I’m thankful that I made it another year
Thankful for all my family and friends that take time out of their busy schedule to visit, repair things that I can no longer repair, thankful they check on my welfare.

Thankful that I have been able to spend time with Daughter, son-n-law, 3 grandsons, granddaughter and my 9 great grand kids.

Happy Thanksgiving and hoping you have a very safe and happy holiday season.

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Posted in DIY, Economics, Environment, Family, Food, Gardening, Health, survival

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Cabbage eating cow

Posted on November 13, 2023 | 1 comment

Not really about cabbage eating cow.

About a year ago a retired Army man bought a 5 acre plot about 1-1/4 miles east of my place. Of course new to country life the first thing he had to have is a broke down old saddle horse. Second thing to get rich as a small rancher be bought 8 Corriente rodeo stock roping cows. Corriente is a small breed seldom exceed 800 pounds, favored in rodeo roping arenas.

April 2023: These cows were under weight and had been handled roughly. New guy soon discovered that he had enough grass pasture to feed 1 horse and maybe 1 small cow. When he had to start buying 75-100 dollar a bail hay he became a motivated seller.
Ron (son-n-law) bought one about 450 pounder with a broke horn for $350 and I bought one that weighted about 500 pounds for $400 dollars. Grin.. I got the best deal mine was pregnant and calved 33 days later.

We took Ron’s cow to be processed Nov 6th, weighed in at 608 pounds live weight, We should be getting back about 375 pounds beef around the 27th of Nov. If she’s back on schedule I’m going to smoke a large rack of ribs for Thanksgiving day.

Just a side note, my cow will be sent to the butcher shop in May 2024, see if I can get her near 800 pounds, and my Calf the following April or May 2025.

Happy Holidays

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HAM… radio station

Posted on November 6, 2023 | 6 comments

Long painful story short. A few months ago I took a ‘Huge’ lighting strike to my Amateur Radio antennas and to my radio shack electric service line.
Lighting totally destroyed my 2 meter, 70 CM and HF antennas as well as 3 – 75 foot runs of Belden 9913 coax cable. In the radio shack this strike destroyed a HF antenna tuner, FTdx1200 HF radio, Signal Link (Digital interface unit) a IC-2730A VHF/UHF duel band radio and a FT-2980 VHF radio.

If this wasn’t enough lighting entered my radio shack via the electric service line taking out the breaker box, radio power supply, security cameras, computer and monitor as well as a 40 inch TV and my internet router, WiFi transceiver and antenna dish. Home owners insurance only covered a bout 20% of the total replacement cost.
Sad smile… National Weather Service said “A typical lightning flash is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps, that’s about 9,000,000,000,000 watts’, that would power a lot, a lot of 100 watt light bulbs.

Over 3 months of time, effort and money I’m fully back on the air. OK I’m finished whining ‘for’ now.
I have 2 new Diamond X-300A (VHF/UHF) duel band antennas and a new OCF (Off Center Fed) Windom style dipole HF antenna mounted on a 43 foot hing over antenna pole with an additional 8 foot copper clad ground rod and copper ground cable, with a 3 new Belden 9913 coax cables installed.

Almost every thing in the shack is new.
Radios I selected are, FT-2980 VHF, IC-2730A duel band radios. I selected the FT-2980 because it is built like a M1 Tank and does 80 watts out of the box, a really great base or mobile radio.
I replaced the dead FTdx1200 with Yaesu’s FT-710. It has a very small foot print, less than 10 inch width/depth and only about 3 inches high it has an auto-antenna tuner built in and receives/transmits every bit as good as the FTdx1200 maybe even better.

Happy Holiday season

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Posted in Conservation, DIY, Economics, Environment, Family, How To, survival

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