H2O, Firewood, and Eggs

 So my well finally froze last week. Up until this point, it has generally worked to prime it with hot water on cold mornings... or occasionally attach one of my lanterns to it for a few minutes if the water wasn't quite enough to thaw the little bit of ice. 

But last week, I labored at the pump for 30 minutes, two days in a row, and could not get it going. I even tried piling hot coals around the base of the pipe. It must have a good, solid plug of ice somewhere in the line.

So, clearly, a better long-term solution is needed. I'm working on some ideas, and in the meantime, I'm back to hauling water from Dad and Mom's place, and occasionally melting snow on my woodstove. I even hiked back to the creek one of the first days. Like my technique for filling the jug? :P 

Here's the view on the way back to the cottage:

 

If you accurately guess the number of Collies in the above photo, I'll give you a free dog!! (Just kidding. :P )

We've been alternating back and forth between mild winter weather and some pretty chilly nights here in the Northeast... I do love waking up to a day when everything outside is sparkling with frost in the early morning sun.  This was Tuesday morning: 

I was actually just thinking this morning how grateful I am that God gave us a world to live in that is full of variety, beauty, and all kinds of intricate details. ❤️

Even the dogs had frosty whiskers that morning!!

The chickens might be starting to lay again...or at least, this year's pullets might be starting. I got this tiny egg yesterday. I still love finding fresh eggs in the coop! (And the dogs like the fresh eggs too. :P )

Today I decided to do something different... I've mostly been working in the house lately, trying to organize, declutter and decorate. I still have a long ways to go with that, but I also want to be making progress on outdoor projects. So today I fired up the chainsaw and did a couple hours of clearing. I took down a couple dozen saplings and small trees. Lol, in the picture you can't really tell what I accomplished, but I am beat!!! 😂 I think it was working in the snow that really did me in. There's maybe 6-8 inches on the ground, and it's like walking through loose sand on a beach.

I'm leaving a few trees up along the road, but eventually I want to have a few acres completely cleared for pasture, so I am more or less clear cutting this area. I can tell from today's work that this will be a lengthy project, as I have probably 2.5-3 acres to go, and cleared maybe a 10x30 foot strip today. 😂 But it's good, healthy physical labor, and I am looking forward to it.

Here's the little pile of future firewood I got out of today's work: 

And then the artistic view, which makes it look like I accomplished more... 😉

I'll have to have a nice big bonfire at some point to deal with all the small branches... unless anyone has creative ideas on things to do with them? 

Anyway, time to feed the dogs and head to bed!! I hope everyone is having a great week so far. ❤️

Happy Chickens

 It occurred to me that it's been a while since I've featured the chickens...they're doing well. I'm planning some major coop upgrades next spring, and I also plan on working with the dogs so that I can start free ranging the chickens at least some of the time. This chicken breed, the Icelandic, is known for being especially happy when allowed to range. In theory, free ranging them will also cut down some on feed bills.

So, here are a few of my birds! 

This one is a cockerel (young rooster) from this year:

And a pullet (young hen) from this year...one of only 2 girls from a large batch of chicks, lol,

Another cockerel. I love the dark "barring" on his chest!

The same pullet from above. She doesn't have a name yet.

This is the other girl from this year's batch of chicks....I call her Rusty. Lol, I'm more creative with dog names than chicken names. ;P 

One of the roosters from a small batch I got early this spring. This batch was also weighted heavily toward boys - 3 out of 4 ended up being roosters. At least they're handsome ones!

Another spring rooster. I call this one Mr. Speckles, lol. He might end up being a keeper - he's a pretty chill dude.

And the final early spring boy. I like the colors on this one a lot, but he's a bit more skittish than Mr. Speckles.

I'll have to get more pictures of the various hens next time. Off the top of my head, I think I have 10 or 11 at the moment. They molted a few weeks ago, and still haven't started laying again yet...but come spring, I should be getting several eggs a day! Maybe I can even get my girls to hatch some of their own eggs this year...they tried a few times last year, but were unsuccessful (though they accepted and happily raised day-old chicks twice). 

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far!! :) 

Illumination!

 I found something exciting at a thrift store today...an old oil lamp in functioning condition!

 

There isn't a ton of homestead news, except that Dad and I have the insulation about 98% done now... it's finally really making a huge difference! 

Other than that, I've been working at my retail job a lot, and when I'm at home, I've been trying to get organized and weed out stuff I don't need any more. Once that is done, I can paint my walls and figure out what I want to do for curtains.

Oh, and both Breeze and Kat went into heat! Kat's is pretty much over... she won't be bred for at least one more heat and maybe even two, since she is being treated for heartworm. But I am hoping to breed Breeze, so I am watching the boys' behavior with her carefully...they will let me know if/when she is ready to go meet her beau. I'm excited to hopefully have puppies again this spring! ❤️ 

In conclusion, here is Bartholomew in the basket he has claimed as his own. 

Happy Thursday!!!

Bit by Bit!!

I had a busy morning running errands (good news - my truck passed inspection!!) and then kind of a lazy afternoon. I did get a little straightening done, though, and this is the result: 

And yes, I am hanging pictures before I've even painted my wall. 😂 I'm still trying to decide what I want to do with the walls - I might try to make them look like antique plaster. 

Anyway, I hope everyone had a nice Monday!! :) 

 

New Year!!

 Happy New Year!

What are your goals and dreams for 2021? Here are a few of mine:

1. Spend time daily in the Bible and in prayer. This is something I've always struggled with making into a habit, and if you're not "eating," you'll never "grow." I've got plenty of room for growth in this area, lol.

2. Try to focus on spending more time with local people (many of the people I speak with the most are Collie friends I met online, and while I have made several great friends that way, I want to make sure I'm not neglecting face-to-face time with people who are physically nearby).

3. Determine whether God wants me to be married or single. This is a big one, folks!! I honestly could see this one going either way! While I do often crave the companionship of a husband, I also have gradually put together rather large long-term homesteading plans that could have the potential to tie me down. The ideal in my mind would be to find a husband who wants the same thing I want... but I know it doesn't always work that way, and it might be God's will for me to downsize my plans and focus on starting a family rather than expanding the homestead. I would greatly appreciate prayers in this area.

4. That being said, I do plan to continue to work on this land as long as God has me here, so I have the goal of finishing clearing the 4 acres I will be developing.

5. I would also like to get a perimeter fence up this year, as well as some cross fencing, in anticipation of possibly getting sheep in 2022.

6. I want to revamp the chicken and duck areas this year, and get a few more egg-laying ducks.

7. I want to improve my (almost non-existent) dog training skills.

8. Continue eating in a healthier way, and perhaps even get down to my goal weight. (I've lost 43 pounds since the start of September, which is a huge praise!!)

9. Here's another big one that ties into a couple of the above goals... I would love to drop a couple days a week at my retail job and be working on the homestead more. But I need to be praying for wisdom about the timing...it would mean living on a smaller income, and I also want to be fair to my employer, who has treated me very well over the years. 

10. Get my solar panel system and propane fridge up and running and build an outdoor shower so that I don't have to always be visiting my parents' house for those necessities.

So there are a few goals for 2021! Above all, I know I need to be seeking God's will in each of these, as I won't find satisfaction otherwise. I hope everyone has a good day as they look ahead to this new year. ❤️