Queen's Edge Farm: Rattlesnakes everywhere it seems!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Rattlesnakes everywhere it seems!

Whew! Almost got snake bit tonight. Very scary. The dogs were at the bridge barking their faces off. After a long while, I went and tried to run them off, but they just wouldn't budge. I walked up to the bridge and tried to see in the dark what they were barking at...I thought there was something by the well. About that time Rodney came out with a flashlight because Baeta was barking. When she barks you KNOW something is really wrong. There was a 5 foot rattlesnake curled up, rattling like crazy, in strike pose. Rodney shot and killed it. I either stepped directly to the side of it, or right over it. Praise God I was not bitten! Reminds me of the story book I read last night at Bonita's. I believe it is called "Soft Child, How the rattlesnake got it's fangs". Very cute story. Anyway, I think from now on we will just stay inside at night.

Here at the farm we are going through a major personal speed bump. Don't really want to talk about it at this moment, but major changes are coming. I will talk more about it in the future, maybe. ;-)

A verse God has reminded me of recently is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you. They are for good and not for evil, to give you a hope and a future." Another recent verse that seems meant for me is Isaiah 49:10 "They shall neither hunger or thirst, neither heat nor sun shall strike them. For He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water He will guide them."

The goats are doing well and seem to be thriving, though the little babies don't appear to be growing very fast. I'd like to get additional pigmies and a couple of guineas to help with the snakes, but that is the future. In addition, I'd like to purchase some Cornish crosses and have Bonita help me put them in the freezer. The girls don't eat much red meat, so the chickens will be very welcome. All this of course for the future, as I can only deal with one thing at a time.

I was lightly chastised last night for not posting more. I apologize, but moving has taken it all out of me. Still trying to recover, unpack and organize. Dealing with the heat, and temps over 105 are a major source of my day. I am up early getting things done, because right after lunch we retreat to the bedroom and the air conditioner until the evening. This means I lose a good 4-5 hours of work time every day. I can't wait for the Fall when it will get a tad cooler. The winter will be really cold in here, but I am still looking forward to this new adventure of living in the container/cabin. I expect we will spend a lot of time around the wood stove, or watching TV/reading in the bedroom curled up under covers with the heater.

Lauren and I played Scrabble for the first time tonight (her first time). She scored 138. Which is great! The directions state that a beginner will typically score around 70. I did have to help her a little on how to position her letters, and explain the rules. I tried to take it easy on her, since I know way more words. I scored a 163, but did use words like canty, grouse, and bray. We looked up the definitions online as we were playing, so I guess that was our vocabulary lesson for the day ;-)

A friend is sending me her Robinson Curriculum for FREE. I am so beyond excited.

Well, I am off to bed, I am very tired tonight. Stress will do that to you.

1 comment:

Bob Westbrook said...: Canty??? I thought I was well read and have an extensive vocabulary but don't have a clue what canty is. Geese Amy, now I'm gonna have to look it up.
Just know we're praying for you. Five foot rattler is a pretty good sized one. Did ya save the rattler? I'm collecting them off all the snakes we kill up here.
Call if we can help with anything. I'll have Cherie check out the Watkins stuff. See ya. OH, say hi the the kids for me.; August 8, 2009 at 10:38 AM

Grandma's Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs active dry yeast or 5 tsps if using bulk yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not too hot)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, butter, margarine
2 tsps salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 to 12 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

Yield: 4 loaves

Soften yeast in warm water, springkle in a tsp of the sugar
In LARGE mixing bowl blend sugar, shortening, salt and milk until shortening is melted. Add cold water, cool to luke-warm. Stir in yeast. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover with foil or damp towel. Let rise in warm place (85 to 90 deg) until light and doubled in volume about two hours. Punch dough down by plunging fist in center. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.

Roll out one fourth of dough to a 16 X 12 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 TBSP of melted butter. Combine 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (or more to taste). Sprinkle mixture over dough. Starting with 16 inch side, roll jellyroll fashion. Either cut into 16 1 inch slices or leave as a whole loaf. Place on a greased pan, cover and let rise in warm place until light, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix one box 10X sugar with 2 tbsps water. If too stiff, add more water until icing consistency, add a drop of vanilla too. Spread on baked bread while bread is still warm.

2010 Homestead Stats

Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small washpan or bowl that holds about 2 gallons.

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the washpan. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Transfer soap (using a funnel if necessary) into empty plastic laundry holders, milk containers (I use my empty glass milk bottles and old Fab containers) Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

5 cups grape juice (about 3 1/2 pounds of ripe grapes)1 (1 3/4 ounce) box of sure-jel pectin7 cups sugarBefore getting started it is best to clean the entire kitchen, making sure the sink is empty. Bleach the sink and all utensils used in making jelly (I do this as I sell my grape jelly as part of my homesteading business.)

Wash the canning jars in warm soapy water, and rinse well. Set off to side.

Place a large pan of water on the stove to heat. Once it starts steaming, place lids and rings in the bottom, and 2-3 jars (depending on if you use actual jelly jars or pints) to sterilize.

Next make the grape juice using clean washed grapes (make sure you use rubber gloves when picking or washing wild grapes)To 3 1/2 pounds of clean grapes (6 cups of grapes) add 1 1/2 cups water.Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.Strain and squeeze out all of the juice with cheese cloth (see paragraph below)
I didn't have cheese cloth, so I poured the grape mixture into a large spaghetti strainer with a large pan underneath. I had to stir it around some as the skins and seeds would sink to the bottom, and clog the colander up. Stirring allowed the liquid to drain out. I then used a large metal spoon and squished it some to get more of the juice out.

In a very big pan, put 5 cups of the juice (it’s okay to add no more than ½ cup water to even out amount)Add the fruit pectin to the juice.Mix well.On high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Stir in sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil, again boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove jelly from heat, skim off foam
Use a large spoon inserted inside the jar to lift CAREFULLY out of the water. DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE JAR OR THE RIM WITH YOUR HANDS.
Ladle jelly into hot jars, place a lid and ring onto jar (do not tighten yet).
Set jars to the side. After a while you should start hearing “pings” as the jar seals.
When jars are completely cool, tighten rings and store on pantry shelf.**SIDE NOTE: Wild Mustang Grapes are normally ready the end of June, so be prepared. Keep an eye open for vines on the side of the road, or any that friends and family may have growing in their yard. Many people just let them grow and don’t do anything with them, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a good supply. Also, the more you pick off the vine, the more the vine produces new grapes, so you probably won’t EVER run out of grapes to use until the vine dies or you get sick of making jelly. Good luck and feel free to contact me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com for questions.