Spring Cleaning Starts 2009

[10 eggs today, so far]   The chickens are enjoying the sunshine today!

- click on the photos -

This is a very wet Morgan, yesterday, drying

and warming up, after being out with the chickens

in the rain running through the wet leaves.

(I am usually a day behind blogging.)

Morgan looks so sad, like she did something wrong.

She doesn't care if she gets wet.

I can't wait to get to the stove area

and clean up all the debris.

Hauling in dirty wood, kindling, and dropping it

and ashes, etc., makes for a winter mess.

Keeping the house warm comes before cleaning.

I could spend all my time just taking care of this area.

So, I just deal with the big stuff.

Sunny days are coming and this area will

be all spic an span for the summer!

This time I remembered to put foil in the bottom

of the pan and then the metal steamer.

These sweet potatoes baked on top of the wood stove

with the lid on.

I promised some photos of the loft.

This is the guest bed area.

I strung one of the clothes lines across so it would show.

The box at the end of the bed is a

light/fan that will be installed to replace

the inadequate light that is there.

It is beautiful, and I need to give it back

to my brother and sil, 

she made it out of stained glass!

That is another post.

There are wind chimes on the rug, too,

waiting to be dusted and for a place of their own.

The cloth bag hanging on the railing

is full of clothes pins.

That is a bookcase being used as a headboard.

There are still lots of cobwebs.

There are Christmas lights strung

along the bottom of the railing.

They make a great night light.

I did hang a wind chime/bell on the beam

to warn against cracking your head

on the beam when you get out of bed.

Tricky business, beams are...

Things are coming together!

These are some of the bookcases

we carried up, and books.

Kristine used to have a used bookstore!

So, we have lots of books.

We are only about half way finished with

the loft... and then we start on Kristine's room.

More loft photos tomorrow.

Kristine had to leave today.

Poor thing had to meet someone for lunch!

How sad... hee, hee.

Well, while she is away

I get to do what I want, so I'm moving stuff around.

We can always change it back if she doesn't like it.

I'm having fun.

If only my migraines would take a hike,

I would be even happier.

I wish I could find the off switch.

Well, they will go away eventually.

And my sewing room will be done eventually,

and I will be able to quilt again!!!

Yea!

Be happy!

Smiles

Chickens in the Rain

                                 [6 eggs]

Empty loft!!!

Lots of cobwebs!

Today we get to arrange furniture and make a cozy, fun place for Kristine to hang out and read, watch tv, do school work, etc.

The Christmas light strings that run along the bottom of the railing still work! They look kinda cool when we turn them on at night. Better than a night light, well... prettier.

The quilts are being washed and the one on the right is now on a bed. Things are moving along! The white thing on the ceiling beam is a wind up clothes line that we use for delicate things or stuff we just don't want to put in the dryer. We have two of them and the clothes dry very quickly up in the loft because the warm air all collects up here. And we have use these lines (there are two) when the electricity goes up and the weather is bad outside. I want to set up clothes lines in the spa house again. It is called the spa house because it used to have a hot tub in it. But now the hot tub is in Arizona!

It has been raining, but it let up for awhile, so I let the chickens out to run about. Happy chickens!

Our chickens are all Heritage chickens. Kristine chose them especially because they do very well as free range chickens and to help preserve the breeds.

Starting in the front, Light Brahma, Australorp, (left) Wyandotte, (right) Orpington, Dark Brahma, Buff Brahma, (on the right an Australorp and a Light Brahma.)

The hens were eager to get out in the wet leaf litter and scratch out areas into the wet dirt and find yummy somethings to eat. As I said... happy chickens!

All these chickens are camera shy.

As soon as I want to take a photo they all take off in different directions. I'll have to bring some corn with me next time.

Come back! The camera won't hurt you...

Look on the side bar for links to click on to see photos of the hens as chicks and as adults.

And if you are interested in learning more about Heritage livestock or endangered livestock, click here to go to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Kristine used this site, among others, to chose which chickens we would raise. Yesterday, we were talking about eventually getting another rooster/s and having the hens raise some chicks. But that is a few years down the road, unless we have a predator attack. Right now we have enough chickens! Ducks...? Maybe, some ducks? And/or goats? We were talking about how much we would love to have some goats again.

When the girls were in 4-H we had a dairy herd. I loved the goats. They were like big dogs! Sweet girls. Maybe we could get two does. You need at least two because they are herd animals and are seriously not happy if they are alone. I am still deciding if I want to get into the twice a day milking, dealing with raising meat kids (the bucks,) and building goat proof escape fencing. Goats are monkeys when it comes to getting out of pens, and they would have no trouble getting out of the fencing we have now. And they would need predator proof housing too. Chickens are a lot easier to care for. But I do miss the goats... sigh...

Smiles

Easy Rice

                                  [10 eggs]

Get ready:

Pot w/lid

2 cups water

1 cup rice

little salt

timer

I figure everyone knows how to do this, but just in case...

Sometimes I use chicken broth instead of water, or I add butter to the water. You can add what you love. 

Add water to pot.

Add salt.

Bring water to boil.

Lower burner.

Stir in  rice slowly.

(so it doesn't boil over.)

This is how low I set

my burner.

Cover Pot.

Set timer for 20 minutes.

Timer goes off.

Rice is cooked!

Easy, Peasy!

You can mix/stir it up to make it fluffy or scoop it out in clumps.

I used to have an electric rice maker that had lots of use when both  the girls were home. But now I don't use that much rice and this way of making the rice is just as easy and fool proof. Well, as long as I remember to set the timer... otherwise I'm in big trouble.

Kristine and I are very busy today cleaning out the loft. We have cleared everything out! Yea!!!

Tomorrow... there will be photos of the loft. No before pics because I really don't want to remember all the stuff that was stored away up there.

Spring has sprung! And Spring cleaning is underway big time! First the loft, next the sewing/computer room, then the spa house, then the storage area, then the garage, then...

Wow! I do love to get rid of stuff I don't use that is taking up space. I wish there were still Junk Men who would come around and pick up "stuff." 

Smiles

My Easy Wood Stove Stew

I added this photo

to make sure it is

clear that the pot

needs a lid and the

stew needs to be covered!

I call this a dutch oven,

but my other dutch oven

doesn't have a handle and

it has a wire bale handle for hanging over a fire. I would

Imagine that this dutch oven has another name. 

But it is the same size as the other one, in fact the lids

fit either one. I checked and it is called a

cast iron chicken fryer. 

Here is a wiki page about dutch ovens. My other dutch oven is a modern one with a smooth bottom (like this one) and it has a glass lid. I would rather use the metal lid on the wood stove.

I have used this dutch oven inside the wood stove on some wood coals and put foil over the metal lid and piled coals on top and cooked biscuits. It worked fine. I really should invest in a flat top metal lid or perhaps another dutch oven with a metal flat lid.

                       [12 eggs today!]

Here is the finished stew!

Click on the photos.

The fire in the wood stove

is hot but not blazing. There are

three or four pieces of wood in there.

 These are the             

ingredients that

I used this time.

Sometimes I use garlic. I use olive oil and a little salt for seasoning. Look, can you believe... 12 eggs and there was one hen still setting on a nest when I left. So, maybe 13 eggs? It was raining today so the hens had to stay in their coop and I got all the eggs. No laying eggs in the leaves today.

First thing I do is heat the skillet. Then cut the stew meat into bite size pieces, add some olive oil to the dutch oven, and the stew meat. Don't over heat the pan. I don't want the oil to smoke.

While the meat is doing its thing... not really browning because a lot of meat juices come out in the pan. I salt the meat a little.

I wash the vegetables

and prepare them.

Add seasoning to your taste.

When my girls were little

I would add other

vegetables to the stew

I remember once I added

turnips. I am not a turnip

lover, but they were OK.

You can add whatever

vegetables you like.

After I get everything

cut up and the meat has

changed color I start

adding:

first the onions

and then I move the pan

onto the wood stove

and put the spatter

cover over it so 

steam can escape

and it keeps the stove

from getting more messed

up than it already is.

I do stir the meat and onions

as they are cooking every

now and then (as they are

cooking and browning.)

Be sure to click on the

photos so you can get a

better idea of how the

wood stove browns the

stew.

Don't go away and leave the stew.

I let the meat and onions

cook until they are browned.

Then I stir in the celery.

Then the carrots...

and then I layer the potatoes on top without mixing them in

with the rest.

Then I pour in 2 cups of water. 

(or broth or other liquid)

And salt the potatoes a little.

And put on the lid and check back in 15 minutes.

The time depends on how hot the stove is. Don't leave the stew and do be sure to keep checking or you can easily end up with burned stew if all the liquid steams away.

Sometimes I do flour the meat and brown it in the pan and then take the meat out and add the onions and brown them. But, it is a matter of taste. I like the way this stew turns out with all the vegetables retaining their flavor and it is easier and faster to prepare the stew this way. And I use way less oil this way! If you add more water you can end up with more of a stew soup. Add whatever you like. Make the stew your own. Enjoy!

While the stew is cooking

I make some rice.

Tomorrow I will show

my stove top rice

making.

I think it works because I lucked out by having a pot and lid that let the rice cook without burning. I got the pot from my family and the lid from a garage sale.  How neat is that!

Smiles

Dirt Road?

[6 more eggs so that makes 9 so far]

Gee, two posts today!

One of the reasons I wanted to move

here was because this place was

on a dirt road.

I remember dirt roads when I was

a child and in the summer I loved

the feel of the hot silky dirt

between my toes when I went

walking to see the farm animals or just

to take a walk.

The main roads were paved, but I also remember crossing a covered wooden bridge near where we lived. I treasure all those memories. So, anyway, I wanted a dirt road but that was not to be.

Because neighbors got together and paved the road... 

That was good for them, but I decided I didn't want to put any money into building the road because they were not going to follow code and deed it to the county. I heard too many stories about people being sued by people who had accidents on their self paved road... blaming the paving. So, I still have a little bit of dirt/rock road and that means I need to rake the leaves. Good thing I like to do the raking thing.

In the top photo you can see

where the pavement stops and

the rock covered dirt road

begins. The neighbors really

did need the road in front

of their homes paved because

the level of dust raised by

cars was pretty bad.

But since we live at the end of

the road we didn't have that

problem. So, lucky me, I get

to enjoy my dirt road! 

I finished raking, took the photos, and by the time I got back to the house clouds had begun to move in and block the sun. Looks like the rain is going to show up after all. Well, I'm glad I got the raking finished in the front. The rain will wash off the rocks and it will look even better. Now the forecast is for more rain this week. Well, I think I will make a stew again tomorrow. This time I will take more photos!

Smiles

Back To Raking Leaves

I'm back to raking leaves!       [3 eggs]

Almost finished the

driveway entry yesterday but had

to quit before I was done, so I will

be back out there today to

complete the job.

Click on the photos :)

To tell you the truth I like the driveway

like this covered in leaves, but if I let the leaves

collect they will cover the rocks and the

driveway will turn back to mud in the winter

and a dusty, dusty road in the summer.

So, I rake and it is great exercise. Better than

going to a gym. And free!

It is supposed to rain today but it is sunny and warm, if a bit windy.

Smiles

My Space

This morning                [6 eggs]

when I went out to

collect some eggs for breakfast I found these two hens trying to lay their eggs in the same nest.

I don't know if it is a dominance issue or if they are convinced that the other hen has found the choicest nest. They were each trying to sit in the same place very quietly and not fighting at all. Maybe it was a shoving match?

       

On the way back to the house I was amazed to see how fast the trees are beginning to leaf out. The leaves look yellow from the ground. Today is warm in the 70's and shade will be very welcome come the hot days. 

And...

Here is a view

of the myrtle in the front

of the property that

has spread almost

to the path.

I transplanted the myrtle

to the other side.

And here is a shot

of the myrtle I cut back

to the roots or at

least to the rocks as

close to the ground as

I could get. The myrtle

comes back looking better

than ever. 

Smiles

Myrtle and Hypericum

[8 eggs]

The myrtle is blooming!

I transplanted cuttings from the

swath of myrtle that is growing

in the front of the property

to areas along the driveway.

Click on the photo to get a better look at the flowers. You can click here to get some more information about myrtle or periwinkle. I'm not sure of the name of this variety of myrtle. It seems to do best in areas that get the most shade.

It has taken a few years but the myrtle has finally taken hold and is spreading out over the adjacent areas all on its own without my help. I do water it when it gets very hot and dry.

I plan to take some more cuttings this year and start the myrtle in some new areas probably along the other side of the driveway and around the fruit trees.

For some reason the chickens are not interested in eating the myrtle. I remember a gardener at a nursery telling me once that deer don't care to eat plants with purple flowers. Although it has been my experience that deer will eat pretty much anything if they are hungry enough.

I have tried several times to start some beds of hypericum but each time the plants have died during the hot, dry summer triple degree spells. Admittedly I think it was my fault for not keeping the plants watered well enough, but I also wonder if the chickens and deer have been partly responsible for it disappearing. I plan to start the next group of plants in my garden where it will be protected by fencing.

I didn't plant the hypericum in my garden because it is just about impossible to get get of once it does become well rooted. The roots are invasive and are like coat hanger wire. In fact once the plants are established they do best if they are cut back to the roots every now and then. I cut the myrtle by the rocks back this year and it is already back and looks great.

Hypericum, here, is a drought resistant ground cover and will do very well here if I can only get it started. I do have a few hypericum plants growing but not in large areas. I keep hoping the plants will take off and spread out like they did on our property in the Santa Cruz mountains. The plants have lovely yellow flowers and shiny green leaves.

Smiles

Amber Glass

[ 11 eggs] The girls laid 9 eggs in the morning, one later in the woodshed and one even later in the bottom nest box. I still think some of them lay their eggs out in the woods.

A dear friend gave me a set

of 6 of these amber glass

dessert plates.

She also gave me

the old chair

that I posted here.

You can click on the photo

and see a much better

view of the design pressed into the glass

on the back of the plate.

I think that these plates are depression glass but I have not been able to find the name of the pattern or to find another example of these plates. The plates are not listed on the internet sites I have visited. I wish I knew the history that belongs to these plates but that is not going to happen. The lady who gave them to me had lots of things that had been in her family for generations. So, I am inclined to believe that these plates are old. Her family had lived in the same place since 1850.

I'm old enough to remember opening boxes of soap and  looking for the plate or cup buried inside. And sometimes we would get dish ware at the movies as a promotion they would run to get people to the show. I'll keep looking for information about this glass and I'll post about it if I find anything.

I love the amber color!

smiles

Mistletoe

[5 eggs]

I spotted the mistletoe in the oak tree this morning when I went out to unlock the gate to let Kristine out on her way to work. Usually I forget about the mistletoe because I don't see it when the trees are leafed out and I don't look up. Here is a site with lots of information about our California mistletoe.

At times we have found a dead chicken that died for no apparent reason and I have wondered if the chicken ate some mistletoe seeds or leaves that fell to ground. But the site says that birds eat the seeds so I guess the chickens are safe. At Christmas I would like to be able to get to the mistletoe to add to wreaths, but it is up way too high in our oak trees to collect. Farther up the mountain there are trees where the mistletoe is accessible.

Our oaks are just beginning to leaf out. It is very difficult to see, but there is a slight difference in the color of the branches. It wont be long before we will have lots of shade.

Today around noon I heard a terrific noise overhead and went outside to try and get a look, but I couldn't see anything in the sky. It got so loud that I thought something was going to come near to crashing nearby. We are on a flyway so it is not unusual to see airplanes very, very high passing overhead. But I never heard such a lot of noise before.

Smiles

Stew

[7 eggs]

Today I'm making stew

on the wood stove.

After I took the photo

I put the lid on the pot

and I will check it

every 15 minutes

to make sure it doesn't

cook all the liquid away and burn. I set the timer.

One Thanksgiving

I cooked a turkey on the wood stove

in this dutch oven and in another one

I have that is a little bit bigger. I cut the turkey in half

and crammed a half in each pot then added some water.

Hard to believe but that was delicious turkey! And it

even looked browned as if it had been in the oven.

April Fools! Sorry I'm a bit late but I want to post a photo

of an egg a hen laid on April 1st.

Is this strange or what?

At first I thought a piece of shell

got knocked off and the membrane

was showing, but the light area is

as hard as the shell. Go figure?

Those hens are playing tricks on me.

It is cold and supposed to get colder all week.

The forecast is for rain but I don't think it is

going to rain today, maybe tonight. 

Stew is always good on cold days.

Makes the house smell good too!

Smiles

Boot Cleaner

[8 eggs]

Is this neat or what!

I bought it at a flea market

from a lady who was a

4-H leader.

Her group of kids were

learning welding and

they put together a

lot of these boot/shoe cleaners as a 4-H project. When we were in 4-H the girls had goats and rabbits for projects among others.

We had the most fun and the best time exhibiting at the county fair every year. We would take the goats (and other projects) and camp at the fair grounds for the week. Lots of fun. And since the goats were dairy goats we got to bring them home. The girls did raise sheep and pigs but they didn't care for having to auction their animals off and watch them being taken away by the buyers. After that we stuck to the dairy goats, which were really just like raising big dogs. The bottle fed kids were especially docile and wanted to be with you all the time even when they were grown. 

I used to be a 4-H leader so I had to be supportive and I bought one of the shoe cleaners to help out the kids. 4-H is such a wonderful organization for children and their families.

You step on one of the horseshoes and scrape the bottoms of your other shoe off on the bars and scrub off the mud/dirt on the brushes. It works too!

Smiles

Mossy Rocks

[5 eggs]

I love the mossy rocks!

This is the front view

that gets sun most

of the day.

This is a view

of the back that only gets

morning sun

and lots of shade.

I think it is amazing

how the moss can

live through the 

100+ temperatures

that we have in the summer.

I would really like to

have a solar water feature of some kind this summer.

I'll have to add it to my list of stuff that I need to accomplish.

I have been searching around for some way to put this blog on a cd. The main reason I'm making this blog is to have a remembrance of living here to add to our family genealogy. But I'm not having much luck finding anything. I guess I will have to have it printed.

Phooey... I have a very light migraine. 

Smiles

Welcome

[5 eggs]

This is the Welcome plaque that I have by my front door. I love this color scheme. The shades of blue in the flowers, the golds and browns and the green. Perhaps this could be the beginning of a quilt someday?

Since Kristine has Monday free we went down the mountain to town and I bought a book, Tolkien's The Hobbit. When the girls were in elementary school I bought a lovely Hobbit for them that had beautiful illustrations. But after the earthquake who knows what happened to the poor book. I look forward to reading The Hobbit again. This is a very nice edition with illustration by Tolkien. Here is the official Hobbit site for information about the Hobbit movie Peter Jackson may be making? And here is another site with more info.

I made a quick stop at the quilt store and managed to get out without buying anything. I am going to make up some more blocks and take them with me next time to better match the fabrics and determine what I need to buy.

We even lucked out and found an organic restaurant where we had rice bowls with spinach, red cabbage, red bell pepper, carrots, sesame, and a cayenne and ginger dressing. Very, very good.

We stopped by our department store to say hello to a clerk we know that works there to wish her lots of good luck because the store is thinking about maybe closing or selling out. Nobody seems to know what is going to happen. I sure hope the store stays open especially for the people who need the jobs but also for all the people who rely on it for a place to shop.

I am so bad. I put my camera in my purse so I could take some photos and then forgot I had it with me. Sigh...

Smiles