Tuesday

This morning we headed out early (with the MIL) to the Bread Store. I had a list of items to stock up on, but in the distraction of MIL not wanting to ride in my car (because I let my dog ride in the car) I left my list at home.

I was able to pick up 2- 50 lb containers of grinding corn (for cornmeal), 1-25 lb container of brown sugar, a large jar of molasses (finishes out my molasses requirement), 2-2lb containers of dehydrated/powdered cheddar cheese (1/4 cup powder + 1/4 cup of water = mac and cheese sauce).

Completed an inventory of what I have....Here is what I have, and what I need:

Hard Red/White Winter Wheat: 450 lbs (need 225 lbs more)
Flour: 50 lbs of flour (60 lbs)
Oatmeal: 5 lbs (107 lbs)
Pasta: 25 lbs (75 lbs)
Corn/Cornmeal: 70 lbs (30 lbs)
Beans: 30 lbs (unsure)
Rice: 70 lbs
Brown Rice: 2 lbs
Barley: 2 lbs
Sugars: 50 lbs (150 lbs)
Shortening: 5 lbs (13 lbs)
Oil: 4 qts (5 qts)
Mayo: (9qts)
Salad Dressing: 2 qts (3 qts)
P.B.: 10 lbs (8 lbs)
Honey: 2 lbs (11 lbs)
Molasses: 5lbs
Corn Syrup: (13 lbs)
Jams: 4 lbs (9 lbs)
Fruit Drink/Juice: 15 quarts
Gelatin: 5 lbs
Pudding: 2 lbs
Coffee: 5lbs (don't need more, as I don't drink it, it's for guests)
Tea: 2 cases (arrived today from Bigelow, HEB doesn't carry anymore)
Plus I need an assortment of syrups, dried fruits, and powdered milk. I have a variety of frozen meats in the freezer, as well as, some frozen fruits and veggies. Not much as I am not a big freezer person.

Hannah and I read out of her new textbook "What Your Preschooler Needs to Know" by E.D. Hirsch. We read a couple of poems. One being:

"There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house."

She really liked that one. We then read the Three Bears, a story out of the History section entitled "The First Americans", and a couple of pages in the Science section on Animals. We counted the legs on a spider, an ant, and looked at the pictures in the book of "How a Frog Grows". We have lots of frogs at the land, so she was really interested in that one, and "How a cat grows." She also did several shapes and number games found at www.mickeymouseclubhouse.com. She also likes www.nickjr.com, as there are pre-school games created around the Dora t.v. show.

Lauren is reading a really good book. I didn't realize I had read it when I was her age. It's titled "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craigshead(?). I re-read it tonight while we were at the land, and I was watering the garden. She has the two sequels to them too, so I will read them next. We will watch a Civil War video tomorrow, as part of her schoolwork. She also recently finished a documentary on Coyotes, which I will try and post here soon to share with you all.

(courtesy of Wikipedia)

Tonight at the land, Lauren walked into the barn to get the key to her four-wheeler and almost stepped on a rattlesnake! Apparently, it had just eaten a rat, because it had a big bulge in it's middle, and it wouldn't hardly move. It was a baby, with one button on it's tale, but they are still dangerous. She went and got her dad, he chopped it in pieces with the shovel. We plan to only kill rattlesnakes, as the other snakes are useful in keeping the rodents under control. I wanted to take a picture to post here, but I forgot, and then it was too dark.

I am not really surprised that the snake was in the barn, as that is where I keep the chicken feed. I bought metal trashcans to keep the mice out of it last week, after a mouse jumped up and hit me in the chest. I need one more for the catfish feed, and then will clear out all the trash, and put up shelves to get everything off the floor. Hopefully, this will not give the snakes a hiding place, and we will be able to see better. (chicken feed = mice = snakes)

Everyone will need to wear jeans and closed toe shoes out to the land from now on. Me included. I had on jeans, but wore my sandals (bad mom). Rodney ran over another rattlesnake while cutting the grass with the tractor/shredder.

Tomorrow I will be cleaning and shampooing the carpets again, as well as, going to the vet to pick up the vaccinations for the puppies. They will be going out into the kennel tomorrow, so please PRAY for them. They are 9 weeks old tomorrow, and I am really scared they will die of Parvo. But I just can't keep them in the house. They are destructive, poop everywhere, and I can't have the house stink and be gross, when I am trying to sell it. I don't like big dogs in the house (really any dogs), but they are so little, and so susceptible to Parvo, that I am worried. I know they are only dogs, but we paid a bit for them, they are babies, and they will be part of our security plan/system out at the land.

Tomorrow's my birthday, so it's not too late to rush out and buy my present. If you need an idea just ask. I am chock full of ideas. I am especially looking for gift cards to Lowes and/or Home Depot. LOL! ;-)

ETA: Gardening notes - the watermelon plants have grown by leaps and bounds, the cucumbers too! I fertilized the tomatoes last week, and they look so much better, bigger and greener.

Need to replant the green beans, and the corn. I think my seed was too old, as both of these seeds didn't germinate very well. Out of 500 seeds (100 seeds per row) only about 10 have grown. The green beans I planted are a bush variety, and out of about 20 seeds only 6 have sprouted.

The onions are doing great, and going gang busters, likewise the jalapenos and the mescullin. The basil is doing the best, and I have already pinched off several leaves to cook with....very good!

The trenches are all dug in the garden. I only have to lay the hose in the end rows, and it flows down the entire length, much easier, efficient and effective than the sprinkler system.

The rain we received last week, has really helped the garden along. Praise God! (doing a happy dance in my chair)

A busy day planned tomorrow. I am off to the vets to pick up the vaccinations for the puppies so I can give them their Parvo injection, then I will be cleaning and shampooing carpets, as we have a showing on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Maybe this will be the one???? Please God!!!!!