Month: February 2012

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Sale on used tractors and equipment

Since I started farming at a very young age, as time went on and we updated our heavy equipment, we would post a notice that we had used farm tractors for sale. Back then…years ago, of course we didn’t have the computers and the internet, so we had to rely on bulletin boards, and also small ads in the papers. We also had a local radio station, that we could advertise the farm equipment we had for sale. Now with the internet and world wide access, it’s made it a lot easier to sell our used tractors, and other farm and construction equipment.

I have my favorite trucks, but am looking for used trucks for sale. I like the big trucks that will take a beating and still hold up. I have an ’82 Bronco with a 351 Windsor in it, and also a Reese hitch on the back end. I will never ever get rid of my “Bad Boy” as I call my truck, but I do need a big truck, like a dump truck because of hauling wood and stone.

Right now we are looking for used dozers, because we have to doze the old farmstead house down. It’s going to be sad to see it go, but it would cost too much money to repair it. Plus having a bulldozer would help a lot with other chores on the farm.

 

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Rain, Snow and Ice

Even though the temperature today was nearly like Spring, at about 8:00 pm it was raining and then it turned to wet snow. The old body sure can feel it too. ):

It is supposed to snow from today on. Everyone is so used to it not snowing, that to tell you the truth, even if I’m supposed to go to my Mom’s this weekend with my daughter and her boyfriend, who my Mom will just be meeting, I’m not sure I want to go. I mean, it would be a disappointment to her, as she is making all kinds of good things to eat, and I was going to go over my garden plans for her yard with her, but I don’t trust the other drivers. They just are spoiled by the odd weather and lack of snow and ice. It gets scary when drivers become complacent.

I went outdoors a little while ago, to let the dog out. He didn’t want to get his feet wet though. He’s really strange like that. I did notice that the temperature is dropping quite fast, and the winds are picking up. It is kind of doubtful that the kids will have school tomorrow. We have to be at the bus station by 2:00 and it’s out of State, where my Mom lives. I’m going to try and get an appointment for my daughter and I at the clinic, as soon as they open. I like the MD there and I just don’t want Mom and my daughter’s boyfriend to catch what we have. I’ll get some masks we can use, from the clinic. Hopefully we will be feeling up to par sooner than soon. I feel for my daughter. She had all kinds of plans to clean our “wing” and our rooms upstairs at Mom’s, but I seriously don’t think she feels much like doing anything. I personally have to tend to the plants and annuals I am growing inside, when I was told they would never grow in the house. Pfffttt… they are inpatients and are starting to be turning into very long vines with flowers all over. I’m going to need a bigger elevated pot for them come Spring, but they are still going to stay inside. I’ll take them out for fresh air, now and then, but now they are used to being inside in my bedroom. Apparently they love it in there as much as I do!

 

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Checking out online florists

Deciding on the best online florists is a hard decision. Usually I send my friends from other countries flowers or plants through a local florist here, but believe me…it gets really costly. I’ve checked to see if the arrangements I wanted were sent, or if something totally different that had no personality what so ever were sent. Sometimes the florists just don’t care. They will cut their cost by sending a plant or arrangement, that is not up to the standards that I was shown in person or that I have picked out online.

I have to admit that I don’t often send flowers after some really bad experiences, but since my brother is a Chief in the US Air Force, he has lived all over Europe and he gave me a site to go on from there. I have never had a bad experience with where he directed me. Indeed it is the best online florist that I ever have used.

I am into gardening and though I’m not a professional gardener, I am really good at my passion and to me it isn’t even really a hobby anymore. I love to see gardeners talents from all over the world and have gotten some really great ideas for mine, plus some awesome tip and information. All by searching the internet. There are so many places with awesome gardens that I know I will never be able to see in real life, but they are just a click away on my computer. It isn’t the same, but it’s as good as it is going to get, and I’m happy just browsing and getting some ideas! The plus is, some of the arrangements I’ve sent via really good florists that are mainly in the UK, look like they were picked from awesome gardens and then arranged with perfection to be sent. That is how I really like it, since my flowers from my gardens of course would never get there without wilting.

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Sharing seeds

A friend of mine has made me a trade. She is recording her first CD…and she sings like an Angel…for some of my herb and flower seeds that I gathered last fall.

Like me she is an avid, though not professional gardener, which is the kind I like. I would say we “old world/school garden. It is a perfect description. We both are always experimenting with what we plant and how to make the most of the space, along with making our gardens useful, but beautiful also.

I love this exchange also, since I always listen to music in my garden. It seems my plants love the music as much as I do. My friends are so cool. This is a great exchange!

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Not getting it done

There was so much I wanted to get done today, but didn’t. I’ve decide to pack some of my collections away for awhile, since the mill is going to start running full blast soon and that means loads of chafe and dust coming into the house from cracks and crevices that are not even apparent.

With surgeries coming up soon, I know I’m not going to be able to do much if any lifting or actually much of anything for awhile. My doctor said at least three months. Great. If I do anything at all, I have to be very very careful.

So, packing things away and making storage space is exactly what I’m going to be doing after this weekend. I’ve got some great ideas and will write some of them down if they work well. Until Monday however, I’m going to take the next few days to relax and just, regroup and also search for those tiny cracks and crevices that let in unwanted dust and chafe, and fix that problem somehow.

 

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Small chicken hatcheries

For the twenty years we have lived here, I have always wanted my own chicken coops in the yard and a couple chicken hatcheries in our back yard pole barn. We have lots and lots of property to build even more space, and yet because even though we are out in the country, surrounded by corn, wheat and bean fields, it is still considered the “city limits” and we are not allowed to raise livestock in the city limits.  What I want to know is, what CITY?? I’m not sure what the population is here, but I know that the people in this small so called village, would only fill about 10 or so buses. And I’m sort of joking, but not by much.

I’ve always wanted the chickens in the yard type setting. I’ve wanted to be able to go out in the morning and collect eggs, and also I’ve wanted to raise chickens from the time they were laid to the time they hatched. To me, incubating them and watching the progress, would be simply amazing. It also would be really cool for my grand daughter and even my kids who are so much older, to be able to check out.

If I had a hatchery, it would be part of my dream for this place, come true. It is a shame to have all this property and not do anything with it. At least this way, we would have eggs, chicken to eat, and also chicks to sell. It sure would help with finances also.

 

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Flu season again

Every one in the family has a cold, cough or strep throat. It seems it’s going around all over. I talked to one of my son’s teachers last night and she told me her whole family had it and that there were quite a few kids out of school last week and this week due to it.

I have to admit, that I honesty can not wait until warm weather comes. I think that it will make a lot of people feel better, and even if they aren’t up to par, health wise it might make a difference in at least attitude. I know it sure would for me. I find myself getting kind of snippy about little things, since I have had a sore throat and a cold for what seems like weeks.

My daughter and son have colds and coughs and it’s all kind of making us feel sluggish and tired and cranky. Hurry up, warm weather!! It will be a joy to be able to go outside in the fresh air without getting chilled to the bone.

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A wonderful shopping trip

Usually I don’t say shopping is a wonderful experience, but today it was. I picked my grand daughter up from school, and we went into town shopping. First we went to the market, to pick up things that I didn’t pick up when I went grocery shopping. Then we went to a store where I knew there were garden supplies now on display. It was great how my grand daughter had helped me in the market, hanging onto the list, weighing onions and peppers, and even finding sales on what I needed that was on the list. That kid is a great shopper! I told her that I had a surprise for her, since she had helped me so much.

Once at the farm supply and feed store, I took her to the garden section. She looked like she was in heaven. I let her pick out ten seed packets that she wanted in her garden and she surprised me by picking out vegetables, all the while telling me that most kids her age don’t eat “veggies” and they should. She wanted to grow them, so she knew she would have them when she wanted them. Kid after my own heart.

Since she was so responsible about the veggie decision, I told her she just HAD to pick out some other seeds she would like to plant. She picked out ten seed packets of herbs like chives…which she absolutely loves and has since she first got teeth, despite of her breath… and then mints so she could make her own tea. Also eatable flowers. She made me so proud of her choices. Our next shopping trip is for a garden Angel. She is reading a book that is about a young girl searching for her Angel. Since we both believe in Angels, I’m going to surprise her and we’ll go pick one out that is just for her. I love that child so much.

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The mailbox fiasco isn’t over

Ever since I had my mailbox hit and destroyed, everyone is asking where I got a new one from. Apparently there is now a rash of destruction happening in out little village and it’s getting pretty bad. It started out with just an accident with my yard rocks and mailbox, then it escalated to unruly kids, that are actually juvenile delinquents who are now using BB guns, big M-80 “fire crackers” and even bottle bombs to do property destruction around here.

On the main highway that goes through town, there are houses that line each side of it. Behind the houses on another street is a sort of apartment complex. It has a actual row of residential mailboxes, for each household that are across the street from the complex. The kids that are causing all the destruction in the village are making a game out of seeing if they can knock off each box with ball bats. The police seem not to be able to catch who is doing this. It takes them forever to come out on a call also. I don’t really feel safe here anymore.

So far the mail boxes on my street/road (since it turns into a dirt road right before our house, are safe for now, since we have everyone aware and watching. Most of the neighbors have security lights and some even have security cameras hooked up now. I really hope the catch who is doing this. It’s scary to think even more destructive things could happen here. juvenile

 

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Home improvement and survival

Lately I’ve been coming across some really great web sites and FB pages about easy but good home improvement  projects. I’m finding a lot of great ideas, that I will be posting, with my particular twist.

It’s really interesting seeing and reading how other mom’s make their homes better, and ideas for storage, organization and also small repair projects that one can do on a budget. We all need ideas that will work, but will save money also. I’ve been running across some pretty awesome garden ideas also!

I have a feeling that I am going to be pretty busy come Spring. I’ve already started to roll some ideas around in my head that I’d like to do, both inside the house and outside the house. Especially for organization and to give us more space and storage.