Meat Bird Processing

The time to process our meat birds is quickly approaching.  This will be a new experience for us this year.  We talked about raising our own meat last year, but were still new chicken farmers.  This year, however, we felt we could give it a try.  So once again, I went to my old friend YouTube to learn how.  You'd be surprised how much you can learn from YouTube.  I found a few really great tutorials on meat bird processing, and my hat is off to these individuals along with a huge thanks for their contributions.  There were 3 videos that I assimilated info from, but posted above is my favorite.  It's pretty raw, so if you have a weak stomach, consider yourself warned.

Don't forget the cows...

It's easy to forget about the cows we live with.  After all, they don't belong to us.  We do, however, see them everyday.  So occasionally I need to recognize them for the integral part that they play on our farm.

Things to do during a thunderstorm...

Go for a hike!  While I don't really recommend this, it is exactly what we did today.  It wasn't planned, that's for certain.  But we haven't had many sunny days this spring, and this was a particularly stormy one.  Rain came down so hard that we had a river running down the driveway, into the cow pasture and down over the hill.  There was so much water that the cows were standing there drinking it as it flowed by.  Too funny.

As I said, we didn't actually plan on going for a 'hike' per se, but instead traveling out to see how much water was passing over the spill way at McConnell's Mills, a local state park in our area.  We certainly weren't disappointed as the water was over two feet higher than the spillway.  It sure was a raging river.  I caught a bunch of video which I'm planning on putting together into one, but here's a small clip:

The rain would switch between light, moderate, and heavy.  During one of those heavier moments, we ducked into the the old mill, which has been preserved as a museum.  How awesome it would have been to see the mill in it's glory days, grinding away at the various grains that passed through it's machinery.  The mill itself has four floors.  We only had access to three of the four.   

The old wood in the mill was incredible.  So perfectly preserved.

This old grinding stone stood about 4 feet tall.

A look out the second floor window.

At the bottom of the 'basement' steps.  I loved the color and textures on this stone.  The stories that these old walls could tell. 

Portions of the old machinery.

A Good Hat

A girl needs a good hat!  Especially when the rain never seems to end.  I ran across this 'outback hat' (as was termed on the receipt) on sale when I went in to Tractor Supply recently.  Now all I need is the duster to go with it, and I'll be set!

A Good Dog

Reminiscence

Railroad tracks are always reminiscent of home.  Growing up, we lived a block away from the tracks that follow along route 6.  As a kid, I remember running as fast as our little legs would carry us up to meet the caboose.  During 'those days' the caboose man would throw candy to the kids he passed by.  It's been years since I've seen a caboose.  It wasn't just the caboose that I remember well; also the sound of train whistle as it passed.  While some may have found this sound disagreeable, it was comforting to me.  Strangely it was the night train that I liked to hear the most.  It came like clockwork, each night as I had just gone to bed.  Occasionally I hear the train that travels the tracks above.  But now we live at least 5 miles from it's closest crossing.

What do you find reminiscent of home or your childhood?

Flower of the Month

(Lily of the Valley - Convallaria majalis)