Thank You

I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for the kind words and thoughts this past week.  It means so much to me. 

 I'll be posting an update on the "doings" around here soon.  Spring has arrived and there is so much to do!

A Needed Break

My grandmother passed away this past week.  My one solid rock from the day I was born.
 I'll be back in a few  days.  I'm just not able to do "this blog thing" right now.  I know you will understand.

Spring is Springing

I guess since it's been raining since night before last and with no end in the immediate future, I should try and catch up here for a change.  I've been reluctant to update because I don't really want to get on a big rant about what is happening lately in the news. Things that mainstream media doesn't seem to think we need to hear.  For those of you who keep up with things, why preach to the choir?  And for those of you who don't, well maybe you should take the time to find out.  It's not my job and I'm certainly not being paid to do it.  I'm disgusted with what is happening with America and even more disgusted with those who wander down that "Everything is looking" up path. 
   OK OK  I said I wasn't going to go off on a rant here.  So.... hmmm... lets see.... Updates around the little homestead maybe?  LOL I guess so since other than the sad state of the nation that's all I really have to talk about here lately!  Until the rain started we have kept busy around here.  Mars has been working on the fence again.  The "shared" barb-wire fence that borders the neighbors property has been replaced with livestock fencing. Now all we have left are the two "short" ends and the goat enclosure will be finished.

   The early crops are all in and I've decided to take a chance with some early planting since it's been so unseasonably warm.  So far we have potato's, green peas, a few bush beans, carrots, lettuce,turnips,onions,spinach, Swiss chard, Lebanese and yellow squash and some pumpkin in the ground.  The tomato's that I was able to get started are still in containers and I'll keep them there for a few more weeks.  I only got about 50% of what I wanted to start so I may end up picking up some more plants in the coming weeks.  I guess my bell pepper seed isn't any good so I'll have to pick up some of those plants as well.  We love our green peppers around here and I really want to put up enough to last till next year.  None of my peppers really came up very well.  The germination rate on the Serrano's, jalapeno's and habanero's were all under 50%.  I'll keep trying! My mom sent Mars several varieties of some "screaming hot" peppers this year so I'll try to get some of them up too. 
  There's still a bunch of planting yet to go but I think we are pretty much on schedule.  I got some basil, cilantro, parsley and chives put in my new herb garden space so we'll see how that works out as well.  I really want a nice herb garden and will be adding things as we go.
   I made a rookie mistake the other day with one of my rabbit does.  Mars has built a nesting box in one of the cages.  I moved the expecting mama to the new digs and didn't latch the door all the way.  I guess she pushed on it and popped it the rest of the way open.  She escaped the cage but couldn't escape the dog.  One pregnant doe gone to Rabbit Heaven.  Argggg..... 
   The chickens are doing great.  We've been averaging 3-4 eggs a day from our four hens.  Until three days ago that is.  Now I have one hen that has staked out a nesting box for the past three days.  Knowing nothing about chickens I'm hoping that means she's wanting to "make babies".  So should I let her keep setting on these eggs? 
   We have been getting torrential rain for the past couple of days.  Mars had to go out in the rain yesterday and dig "trenches" in the ends of the rows to let the water drain out before it washed everything out. So far so good.  The forecast is calling for temps in the 80's once the rain moves out in a couple of days.  Spring is springing!!!   The redbud trees are all blooming and other trees are budding out as well.  I read that the blooms of the redbud trees are edible.  I'm going to have to check it out.  There are also tons and tons of wild onions growing all over the place.  Once it dries up enough to take a walk in the woods I am going to go gather a bunch of them and dehydrate them.  I really need to learn more about wild edibles as there are acres and acres of woods around us here.

FAP'd Again

Probably one of the ONLY things I regret about moving out to the country is unavailability of decent affordable internet service. If anyone doesn't remember, let me once again jog your memory. WILDBLUE SUCKS.  Hey, I just had to say it again.  Not only is the customer assistance some of the worst I've ever dealt with, account information is something a 4th grader might have done a better job putting together,  the service itself is spotty, slow and has a usage cap that is laughable.  Yet again, since last week I have been FAP'd.  For those unfamiliar with the term FAP is their term for Fair Access Policy.  The only word in there that actually means what it means is Policy.  I have found nothing at all Fair at all about their "Access".  What it really means is that "We think you used more bandwidth than we think is fair so we are going to slow your service down so as to make it almost impossible for you to get on the internet.   So until sometime in the future when we feel you have brought your usage down to some mystery level that we will refuse to share with you, consider yourself in timeout."  ARGGGggggggghhhhhh!!!!
   So in my unending quest for another way to connect to the outside world I may have found an answer.  There is a rural company in this part of BFE aka NE Rural Oklahoma that has some towers in the area.  I'm currently waiting to have them come out and see if we might be able to acquire a signal from them.  If so, I have used this type service in the past and it was great. Cheaper and more reliable than what we have now and NO DATA CAP!  Of course the only drawback is the installation cost.  I'm still trying to figure that part out but maybe... just maybe.... with some jiggling of a few bills I could make it happen.  The only thing I'm hating at the moment is that it's going to cost a $20 trip charge to find out if it's even feasible.  And then there is the cost of equipment that we will need, but until they come out we won't know what those charges will be. 
We've been busy here on our little Hillside Haven .  Spring has begun to peek out and things are greening up.  Lot's of work being done and plenty more to do.  I promise to get some pictures up soon and get ya'll caught up on things around here!

Contest Winners Announced!

First of all I would like to say thanks to all of you who entered The Internet Preppers Store Grand Opening Contest.  And my thanks to Chad for giving everyone the opportunity to play.  The Internet Prepper Store has some good prices and free shipping on many of their items.  I am happy (and just a day late) to announce the winners of The Internet Preppers Grand Opening GiveAWay!!  The first prize of one #10 can of freeze-dried/dehydrated fruit or vegetable of your choice goes to..... PoisonIvie!!  The second place winner of a Super Survival CD chock full of excellent information is craftycountrymama!!!!    Please shoot me a message at Scifichicks@yahoo.com with your email address and we will get your prizes off to you.  If I don't hear from the winners by Wednesday, I'll be forced to choose another winner. Again, Thanks to The Internet Prepper for making this giveaway possible and congratulations to the winners.

This and That Thursday

    I woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the roof and a little chill in the air.  So of course I did what anyone would do under the circumstances.  I pulled the covers tighter and went back to sleep for awhile! 
    The wind has been blowing here for days now.  Not just those light breezes of springtime either. I'm talking 40 mph winds.  I keep telling myself it won't last, that it will be over soon.  It might just be me, but I can't stand heavy winds.  Growing up on the Texas coast there was always wind.  Always.  It was actually one of the reasons that I decided to move away from the coast way back then.  Of course, getting away from home and spreading my wings so to speak had more to do with it, but I digress.  It seems that once again I am living in a wind tunnel.  The first clue should have been last year when many of my plants that weren't staked were growing with a definite "slant" towards the north!  Or Maybe that old Broadway tune should have been a tip-off. "Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains"    They don't write lyrics like that for nothing.  Yeah, it's like that!  Yet again I am reminded that the man upstairs has a wicked sense of humor. 
   I've been wanting to get some planting done but with the winds blowing like they have been its hard to actually put them in the ground and get them covered before they get blown away.  Do you know how tiny lettuce and carrot seeds are??  LOL!!   We still haven't got the potato's in either and I hope we haven't waited to late.  The spot we wanted to put them is ready now and it just needs to dry up enough to plant them.  Most everything else is already in the ground. The cole weather stuff I mean. 
    I made some wonderful banana bread yesterday and am sitting here now with a hot cup of coffee and enjoying a slice.  I was reading somewhere the other day about using banana bread to make french toast.  That just sounds wonderful to me and I think I'm going to at least give it a go!
   Speaking of french toast ( ok follow along here ) the chickens are doing great in their new home.  We are getting 3-4 eggs a day from the girls and we are all happy with that for now. 
   If you haven't signed up for the Grand Opening Contest GiveAWay for your chance at a #10 can of your choice of ANY of the fruits or vegetables from Internet Prepper you need to get on it.  There are two prizes so your odds of winning are twice as good.  Second place will receive a Survival CD chock full of excellent information. The contest ends tomorrow at Midnight!  All you have to do is hit the "Follow" button then click HERE and leave me a comment.  If you are already a follower, just leave me a comment saying so.  Good Luck and thanks again to my sponsor Internet Prepper for the great prizes!

Super Tuesday

As they say in Chicago...  Vote early, Vote Often!


P.S. Don't forget to enter the Give A Way!!!

Cool Giveaway!!

I'd like to welcome The Internet Prepper to the blog.  He's A US Air Force veteran, a prepper and a fellow Texan!  He's started a new business site which sells grain mills, grains, freeze-dried,  and pre-packaged foods as well as some survival items. Most of his products ship free too!   OPSEC is respected and information will NEVER be shared.  The store is still growing but there are already some great things there! 
   Now here's the big news!!!  To Celebrate the Grand Opening of the Internet Prepper Store we are doing a GIVEAWAY!!!!!  I just love free stuff....     First prize is a #10 can of your choice of any of the fruits or vegetables on his site!! Chad was kind enough to send me a sample of the raspberries so I can tell you this... These things are GOOD.
  And if that's not awesome enough.... yep!  There is a Second place prize as well!!!   The second place winnner will receive a  Survival/ Preparedness Library CD.  This CD is jam packed with great information! 
   The contest rules are simple.  If you aren't following the blog already, hit the join button and leave me a comment.  If you already follow the blog just leave me a comment anyway.  Oh, and if ya don't mind... please go on over to check out the Internet Prepper store. If you use the "code" bacon and eggs he'll be happy to take 10% off your orders too!   The contest will end  Friday night March 9th at midnight!  Good Luck to everyone!