Hay Day May 2012

My goats are gonna love this!

Having grown up in dairy country, my husband spent many summers as a hired hand "buckin' bales". A city girl myself, I had to create mental pictures from scratch as he told me about those times. But now, thanks to my sister on her 20-acre farm in Hurdle Mills, I have participated in the celebration of bringing in the hay. And I say celebration because we have gone the last month without a supply of hay. I have meagerly doled out $18-a-bale alfalfa to my goats, waiting for this day when the hay barn is once again full.

Here is how it works:
1. after planting, watering and lovingly tending the grass to maturity, watch the weather report for the best time to cut
2. email your helpers to be on alert for hay day
3. cut it and allow it to lie in the field to dry
4. pray for the weather to stay sunny and dry
5. email your helpers with a specific date and time
6. keep praying for the weather to stay sunny and dry
7. when the time comes, get everything and everybody set. Have plenty of water on hand. Gas up the equipment and line up the trailers. Position the hay elevator to the barn loft.
8. pray for good weather. We had a glorius day! Temp in the 70's, a wonderful breeze. Couldn't have been better!
9. fluff the hay into rows

Fluffing the hay into rows

10. set the baler to the desired weight and tension. Start making bales.

Makin' bales

11. assign jobs - driver, buckers, stackers. An art and a rhythm are needed for things to go smoothly and safely.

Be sure to wear gloves

12. ride back to the barn with a trailer full of hay to unload

My sister and her daughter heading back to the barn with a trailer load

13. unload in the hay loft and stack (cut side up) loosely to promote curing

14. end the day with satisfaction of a job well done and a barn full of hay. We brought in about 400 bales on Saturday. Praise the Lord!

15. go home, give the girls some hay, watch them enjoy it. Then fall into bed and sleep like a baby. And hope you can still move in the morning when it's time to get up! :)

Good bye, JeanCarlo and Ruben

Good bye JeanCarlo and Ruben, two close neighbors who moved to California yesterday. These young men are goat-birth partners and ... hmmm, shall I say reluctant, farmhands. As latch-key kids, they often came to my house off the bus after school for a snack. In exchange, we made them do a little work around the farm. They are typical American pre-teens, gaining experience from Facebook's Farmville rather than getting dirt on their hands and sunshine on their faces. We wanted to be part of their coming of age, making men from boys.  I lament that we didn't get enough time with them. A 50-lb bag of grain was still too heavy for them to handle on their last day and they never knew the pleasure of a job well done. I will miss them and hope that California is the fresh start they anticipate.

Marly and Alexander

We had a block party so that the neighbors could send them off knowing they will not be forgotten. Unfortunately, the guests of honor were not able to come at the last minute. But, rather than be upset about NOT getting to say good bye and giving them their parting gifts, I am pleased that the family who will be renting their house was able to come so we could begin to get to know them. The weenie roast was a success and the s'mores were a big hit. It was a new experience for me that English was not the predominant language spoken at our home. The new family is from El Salvador and the across the street neighbor is an ESL teacher ... thankfully ... so that our new family felt included and warmly welcomed. Furthermore, the kids go to school together, so that was a happy small-world discovery.

We are so blessed with great neighbors:

My shadow and her dad who live around the corner.

Breanna and Kevin

My waving buddies! They roll down the windows of the car to wave good bye as they leave each morning for school. Such a nice thing to do.

Courtney and Kai

Our next door neighbors, who are our generation and don't know what Angry Birds are (is?) either!

Mickey, you scare me sometimes!

Our back door neighbor who shares our faith in Jesus and helps on the farm alot.

Heather with one of the girls she mentors

Our newest neighbors

Welcome Jose and Elana

A Re-visit to the WHY of Homesteading

I began homesteading for several reasons, two in particular. First, I was home almost 24/7 caring for my dad the last 8 months of his life. (That was a special time with him for which I am truly thankful.) Chickens, a large garden, planting and nurturing other edibles filled my days and contributed to my contentment about being tied to home. The second reason can only be explained as an urgency from the LORD to become more self-sustaining. In early 2008 when I began this journey, I had no special foreknowledge that in just three short years the USA, and the world, would be in the shape it is today. I had no idea the real estate market, which was my primary source of income, was going to tank. I had no idea that the dollar would lose so much value that Kroger-brand cream cheese bars would be $1.75 (and Philadephia brand over $2) each! I had no idea that I would feel an earthquake sitting at my computer in Raleigh in the same week that I would be preparing for Hurricane Irene to come ashore nearby. But the LORD knew and, because I was listening, I heard Him say Get ready.

I realize that gradually and insidiously since 2008, I have grown complacent and shifted my focus from the why of homesteading to the what. I have been more about what to grow in the garden, what to do with all the harvest, what my goats need and what direction I want to go with my chickens than the why  -- because I heard the voice of the LORD. My loving and long-suffering Father has finally raised His still-small-voice to the point where I can hear Him now saying Wake up!

I am groggy from my slumber and still wiping the sleep from my eyes, but I am awake and listening. I am hearing -- and sense -- the time is short. Daily I hear Christians comment that they believe we are in the end times. Not the people who declare the end of the world on a certain day ... no man knows the day or the hour ... but those who read the Bible and watch the news, and interpret world events from a Biblical perspective. Scripture is clear that we can recognize the birth pangs and can know the season of His coming. Scripture warns us not be caught unaware and encourages us not to be afraid. God is in control. The outcome is sure.

Two scholars who study prophecy and understand Middle Eastern culture are coming together for an evening on September 11, 2011 to help us wake up, understand and prepare. Click here to learn more. In a recent conversation about how to prepare for whatever it is that is coming, my wise sister said, "The most important thing is to have a right relationship with Jesus Christ." And that is it in a nut shell. If we are right with Jesus, the we can have peace in spite of turmoil and our fate has been sealed with the Spirit of God as a guarantee. If we are right with Jesus, He will take care of us, never leave us, never forsake us. If we are right with Jesus, He will guide us along the path we should follow so that we will be where we need to be and ready for what is coming.

PS -- Why is our generation different from those over the past 2000 years who believed the return of the LORD was imminent?  Our generation has seen the rebirth of Israel as a nation, the gospel reach all people groups, the development of technology to regulate buying and selling with skin-related devices (the mark of the beast) and hand-held gismos that will allow every eye to see the death and resurrection of the two witnesses and the coming of the Messiah on the Mount of Olives. The birth pangs of increasing frequency and severity of earthquakes and naural disasters, lawlessness, children rebelling against their parents and famine -- to name a few -- are upon us.

My Pullets are Crowing

For the first time in four seasons of buying day-old chicks, a young hen has turned out to be a rooster. And not just one, but THREE of the nine chicks we got this spring have grown arching tail feathers, developed vibrant colored feathering and say cock-a-doodle-do each morning. I confess I'm thrilled to have the boys (especially since I am not out on the number of egg-layers. The breeder made good on his sexing guarantee and replaced the roosters with same aged pullets). In good conscience, I couldn't deliberately get roosters, given the proximity of neighbors and city ordinances. But since their presence is unintentional, my conscience is clean ... well, almost.

What to do with roosters in the city? Wait it out and see what happens or be proactive and sell them or, heaven forbid, eat them myself? I was lamenting their fate when a fellow urban backyard chicken farmer clarified that city ordinances do not expressly prohibit roosters -- they are banned only if the neighbors complain about the noise. The noise, hmmm. So far, their cock-a-doodle-do's are pretty pathetic. They sound like pubescent boys with unpredictable voices. Plus, since we blended the new birds to the flock, the roosters haven't made even a peep. Once the adjustment period is over and they find their full voices, and the fall weather beckons our neighbors to throw open their windows for some fresh air, we may have a problem. But that is several months away. Plenty of time to share fresh eggs with the neighbors and establish the bribe.

Speaking of cock-a-doodle-do's: A precocious 6-year old girl visited our farm the other day. As the chickens gathered around her feet, she looked down and said, "They're clucking. I thought chickens said cock-a-doodle-do." I explained briefly about roosters and hens, and ended by saying, "Chickens can make as many as 30 different sounds!" Her beautiful round eyes turned up to look at me in surprise and delight. And then she asked, "How many different sounds do humans make?" Indeed. It's a good question with an almost imponderable answer.  We speak many languages, laugh, wail, squeal, moan, grunt, sigh, snicker, whimper, burp, whoop, smack, groan, smooch, scream ... and the list goes on.

An Aside: The Process of Blogging

Her words ring often in my ears whenever I write. "I can remove at least half the words in your manuscript and not change the meaning one iota." Although the editor of a prestigious medical journal was speaking to a roomful of aspiring authors, this truth transcends scientific writing. It even applies to blogging, in  my opinion. Scientific rigor may be out of place here, where content trumps process and virtual friends converse, but well-written entries that engage one's mind, emotions and senses make for more pleasurable reading.

Here are some tips gleaned from my English-teacher mother and editorial reviews of my own writing:
- use 1st-person personal pronouns (I, me) as little as possible
- use active voice as much as possible
- use action verbs instead of linking verbs whenever possible
- use descriptive words that paint mental pictures
- don't overuse words like "that", "which", etc. Many sentences read the same if you drop them.
- "whether" says the same thing as "whether or not"
- follow the rules of grammar unless the violation adds to the piece

Proper grammar is falling out of vogue, regrettably. I grew up with Winston Churchill's saying: Ending the sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put. In today's vernacular, such sentiment is archaic. 'Tis a pity.

I envy prolific writers/bloggers. Especially those to whom writing well comes easily. My time spent writing is disproportionate to the number of words produced, as I am my own worst critic. I write, and edit, and rewrite ... over and over again. Balance is the key. I don't want to silence the editor's voice in my head, but I do wish I could dial down the volume just a tad.

Simplify Watering this Summer

If you move sprinklers to water anything this summer, you need one of these. It's a self-propelled John Deere water tractor. The water pressure turns the sprinkler and the sprinkler turns the wheels. It follows the hose to water where you want. Don't buy the cheap one ... get the real thing. You'll be glad you did!

The Beauty of Creation this Spring

Jasmine, roses, peonies and lilac in bloom; hydrangea, hosta and other perinneals coming back to life; and lush green grass ... I love this time of year. This spring, I am more exuberant than usual about the beauty of creation because I can see everything so clearly! The outcome of the surgery on my left eye is "perfect" according to my doctor ... perfect vision, perfect pressure, perfect healing. I am driving again after more than a year. I can see faces again to recognize people and read their expressions. I never appreciated how much of communication is non-verbal until life was a constant blurr.

I am scheduled for my right eye operation Monday. Lord willing, I won't see lop-sided anymore when the patch comes off Tuesday morning. I have enjoyed doing the before-and-after thing, closing my left eye and not being able to see then closing my right eye and experiencing the joy of restored vision all over again. But lop-sided vision has its challenges and I will be happy to have it all behind me soon. And the best part is my sight won't be "back to normal". I have worn corrective lenses since the 3rd grade. No more glasses or contacts for me. Hallelujah!

I wonder how long it will take me to break the habit of reaching for my glasses on the bedside table first thing when I awake in the morning, or how long before I'll stop thinking I need to protect my contacts from dust or wind. Regardless of the time, I hope I never lose the wonder of sight and gratitude for having mine.

Dodging A Bullet at Easter

Saturday, tornadoes ripped through our state and our city.

This is a picture of a house just around the corner from mine. It is one of many nearby with trees through the roof, shingles and siding missing, carports and chimneys blown away, decks and porches crushed. Misty Creek Farm in Sanford, about an hour from here, lost 12 of their 40 horses, not to mention barns and outbuildings. The Thomas family farm in Lee County, a "thriving soybean, tobacco and cattle farm" lost everything needed to farm, plus their home. The Dept of Agriculture estimates 80,000 chickens died and other livestock as well.  Someone reported seeing a pig spinning in the air. I just can't imagine.

I sometimes wonder why God is so good to us here at Uddermost Farm. It's not based on our merit; we are just sinners saved by grace. When we bought this property, we dedicated it to the LORD and gave it back to Him to use as He wishes. As we have added each animal and plant, we have reminded ourselves that it all belongs to Him. Maybe that's why the tornado blew past us ... a close 400 yards away ... and left us totally intact. Not even a branch fell in the yard while our neighbors suffered devastating damage to their homes and property. Four children died less than a mile away. We were without power for less than 24 hours, a trivial inconvenience compared to what others have suffered.

Within hours after the storm, we checked on our tenants and the rental properties we manage. Again, we came through unscathed. But not unaffected. The images that replay in my mind are of people walking around in a daze, surveying the damage with mouths agape.  I was struck with how random the devastation was ... one house in shambles with the next door neighbor's house intact. It was like driving through a war zone ... with the smell of pine.

My heart and prayers go out to those who are picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives and livelihoods. My praise and thanksgiving go out to the LORD, with whom nothing is random. Easter is the perfect time to be reminded that He has a plan and it is good. The death of Jesus on the cross is the ultimate example of how God turns something horrible into victory. Without experiencing death, Jesus could not have overcome the grave and been the Resurrection Firstfruit for us, giving us eternal life. It took the disciples months to understand this truth. It may take us years to understand why bad things happen, if we gain understanding at all this side of heaven. But what we can know for sure ... Peace that passes all understanding is ours in Christ Jesus. As the song urges us, When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart.

No Longer "The Urban Homesteader"

Timing is everything, so the saying goes. Just when I figured out what an urban homesteader is, I learn that I must change the name of my blog. I just discovered that the term urban homestead (and variations like homesteader and homesteading) has been trademarked. How can a term so widely used and not unique to one person be trademarked?! There is much discussion -- and little of it friendly -- about this online. All I can say is that if it had to be done, I'm glad it was done by the Dervaes in Pasadena, CA. They "deserve" it if anyone does., being the original modern urban homestead, as their website claims. Whether I agree with it or not, it means I am in trademark violation to keep the name of my blog. So it must change.

But what to call it? I'll give this name a try for awhile and see how it goes. Good thing a rose by any other name .... is still an urban homestead.

What is an Urban Homesteader?

Silly that I am just now answering that question for myself ... after more than two years of keeping goats, chickens and bees and growing my own tomatoes and veges each summer. I am the type of person that looks at something someone else is doing and says, "I can do that!" (Hence my real estate license after we bought our first foreclosure property 7 years ago). But I don't have a role model or mentor for urban homesteading and have had to kinda figure it out on my own with each passing day.

This week I attended a gathering at Quail Ridge Bookstore for a book signing and panel discussion about farm-to-table. I went for several reasons: 1) a dear friend called and said she would take me if I wanted to go. Thanks, Anne. 2) a friend was on the panel -- Deborah Underwood Brown of High Ground Farm, about whom I blogged on 12/31/2010. 3) I am toying with the notion of expanding my sales from just eggs, honey and goats' milk products to plants and veges. I have seedlings in the greenhouse and need some good ideas on marketing. 4) I am interested in learning how others are doing farm-to-table.

I came away from the evening with the same thought ... "I can do that!"  But "that" is having 150 hens to lay enough eggs to supply Heron's Restaurant, the only 5-star restaurant in the Triangle. "That" is having 6 acres of farm land in order to produce sufficient quantities of produce to satisfy a restaurant's needs. In reality, I can't do that ... not here on my one acre in the city. And it hit me. An urban homesteader is not a farmer, supplying produce for executive chefs and CSA boxes for households. An urban homesteader is not a kinder, gentler poultry operation than the big guys. An urban homesteader is a jack of all trades and master of none.  Self-sufficiency dictates that we do a little of everything and limited space permits nothing on a big scale.

Why has this realization caught me so off guard? It's a simple notion, but such a huge leap forward in my concept of who I am and what I do as an urban homesteader.  Finally, I don't feel like I am underachieving if I only have a few dozen eggs a week to sell or if we sell out of honey by Christmas or if I go a couple of weeks without selling any soap.  The egg sales pay for the chicken feed so that we eat our organic, farm fresh eggs for "free". The honey sales more than pay for the beekeeping equipment, which is not inexpensive.  The goats have not proven to be break-even yet, but they are so sweet they don't have to be.

I feel the need to be at least cost-neutral with homesteading since I don't work outside the home.  But homesteading is not all about money either; it is so much more. Urban homesteading is a peaceful, rewarding way of life that is in harmony with creation. It is sun on my face and wind in my hair. It is a barrier-breaker and path for new friendships as city folk who want to eat fresh and hold baby goats venture onto the property. It is an open book that stimulates the senses and challenges the mind. It is laughter and tears, accomplishment and frustration, and lots of love. It is living life to its fullest.

I would like to be a role model for someone interested in homesteading, but I realize that not having a role model has been a good thing for me. It has forced me to draw from a lot of different places and create my own style that works for us. My guess is that what I am doing in five years will look different from how I do things today. But I'm OK with that.

Our First Fire

With snow in the forecast and teen-temps on the way, we built our first fire in the new fireplace!

Final inspection approved, mantel built and installed by Scott ... and now a fire!



My New Fireplace

I have wanted (and waited for) this fireplace for 5 years, and now it is in! It has been a long road to this point, the most difficult steps at the end. I had no idea what was involved to install an interior fireplace in an existing home. No wonder my husband wasn't as eager as I to get it. His work was complicated by the fact that the wall was not square, among other "character"-istic features of a 1928 farmhouse.
This is before ...

during ... 

and after!

Thanks Honey! :-)

The mantel has not been added since we can't quite decide what we want. And wouldn't you know ... the weather has given us a warm spell. I'm not complaining, though. I am getting good outside work done with the pleasant temperatures.

January to-do List

#1- Order seedlings. So many possibilities! As I peruse my two favorite seed catalogs -- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, which arrived in the mail during the holidays -- the words from The Urban Homestead keep ringing in my ears: "every plant counts". Each plant must have a purpose whether it is to eat, share, sell or experiment. I usually try at least one experiment each season ... a plant I haven't grown before. Last year it was pumpkins (that was a HUGE success) and a large variety of new herbs (much less successful! I think I bit off more than I could chew. Plus, many of the seedlings died of neglect because I was undecided for too long about where to plant them.)

One strategy for choosing which plants to grow is what I call Recipes in Reverse. I am keeping a journal, noting the ingredients of the foods I prepare most often, and making my list from that. For example, a salsa garden will need tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, onion and garlic. A soup garden needs lots of different kinds of beans, carrots, onions, potatoes, celery and herbs like parsley and thyme. An Italian garden, my favorite, requires Roma tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and onions. I am taking inventory of 2010 seeds I saved and 2009 seeds I have left over, and plan to place my order by the end of the week.

#2 - prepare for seedlings. The plastic walls of my homemade greenhouse deteriorated in the hot summer sun. Bummer. To restore it, we will have to dismantle the frame and re-apply the expensive plastic. I am not up for that since it looks to be an annual event. I have watched craigslist for a used greenhouse because my budget will not accommodate the new one I want (about $800). So, ever coming to my rescue, my wonderful husband has made a seedling station in his man cave (the heated space behind the garage where his stuff goes). He built a table on which the seedlings will rest with T12 fluorescent lights on chains above it. As the seedlings grow, I can raise the lights to keep them the recommended 4" above. The temperature is kept at 60 degrees and water is available from the sink. Everything seedlings and urban farmers need to be happy. I need to organize my left-over peat pots and potting soil, and buy what I need for this season.

#3 - prune and mulch fruit trees. Check

#4 - prune grapevines. I will wait until the end of the month to do this. I hope to have enough vine to use as trellis for climbing plants like beans and cucumbers. I saw a set-up, pictured here on http://www.permies.com/ that uses twine dangled from a crossbar as a trellis. If I use grapevine instead of twine, I can throw the whole thing into the compost pile at season's end.

The rest of the month is spent keeping animals warm, fed and watered. This can be a challenge as the water freezes during the day, not just overnight, during this unseasonably cold winter. The caloric need of the animals increases to help stay warm while their ability to graze and browse decreases, with snow and ice on the ground. I refill the hay bins and chicken feeders a couple times a day. And cleaning up manure frozen to the ground calls for creativity and perseverance as well.

A Visit to Nigerian Meadows Farm

We have been friends online for some time now, sharing a love for Nigerian Dwarf goats, among other things. So it was a treat for me to meet Jordana face to face during a recent visit to her homestead. This picture is from her web site http://www.nigerianmeadows.com/ . You can see that photography is one of her many talents. She buys goats with good blood lines and has established a breeding program to produce quality animals. Currently, she has kids for sale (1 doeling and 5 bucklings) -- buckskins, chamoisee and black/white ones with beautiful markings. She is a member of American Goat Society, American Dairy Goat Association, and Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association. Whew!

The occasion was the birth of 7 kids in 2 days, with another doe due to kid soon. As my kids are not on the ground yet, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hold those precious babies or hear their high-pitched baaahs. As it happened, we chatted while leaning on the maternity stall fence, keeping watch while Hallie labored.

My first surprise was her 1923 house. Homesteaders seem to gravitate toward old houses -- if she, Deborah and I are typical. Jordana is gifted at salvaging vintage furniture, rescuing discarded and broken items and restoring them to their former beauty. One unusual piece was a high chair that converted into a child's desk on wheels. I've never seen anything like it.

I was amazed at what she accomplishes on about a quarter acre. Chickens free-range in the enclosed back yard which they share with the dog, a guinea pig and play equipment for her two homeschooled boys. Toward the rear of her back yard is the goat shed which has a separate bucks' pen, two doe stalls in addition to the maternity stall, and the necessary storage area. She has fruit trees and raised beds for organic produce. She hopes to eventually add honey bees, but there must be a feral hive nearby as we spotted a bee atop one of the bags of chaffhaye.  And speaking of chaffhaye, she swears by it for improving her goats's health and coats.

Jordana lends a serenity to her homestead that belies the swirl of activity around her from the animals and her boys. Evidence abounds that she is the heart of their home. A visit to her blog shows home baked soups and cookies (all gluten free), hand crafted Christmas ornaments and gifts, and vestiges of home education. Although she is a stay-at-home mom, her influence reaches beyond her quarter-acre as she shares her knowledge and insights online.

From my perspective, the visit was a Sunday afternoon well spent. Visiting is a past time that I have neglected too long. As time and transportation permit, I hope to do more of it in 2011.

You Know It's December When ...

... the animals have to be patient while we decorate them and take their pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras that allow for less-than-cooperative poses.

... the last of the summer crops gets pulled from the garden. I still have a few tomatoes ripening on the kitchen counter, and had fresh yellow pepper on my salad last night, but this will soon come to an end. Below is the plethora of pumpkins at season's end!

... the most delicious broccoli you ever tasted is harvested in the afternoon and eaten in the evening.

... the house smells like collards cooking.

 ... snow is in the forecast! An unusual occurence for Raleigh, but flurries are expected tonight. Unseasonably cold temps are predicted for next week, too. Final touches for keeping the animals warm and their water unfrozen must be completed today!

Hospitality

The Bible says "Practice hospitality". For those of you who did not grow up with an English teacher for a mother like I did, I will remind you that the verb "practice" is in the imperative mood -- so it's a command, not a suggestion. There are so many ways to be hospitable and I have just had the opportunity to practice a few. A dear friend whom I have not seen in 14 years came for a visit this week. Her schedule permitted an overnight stay, so I got the guest room ready for her. We call it The Blue Room, and from its picture, I think you can figure out why. I have really nice sheets for the bed ... Egyptian cotton with a high thread count. I chose pillows to suit different preferences -- a soft down one for those who like to sink their heads into a cloud while they sleep and a firm one for those who need the support, and a couple in between. There is a favorite book of mine on the bedside table and a new lamp for a little bed time reading.

My wonderful husband allowed me to get a new mini fridge for my guests, which I stocked with bottled water and canned soda. I placed fresh fruit, nice chocolates and a jar of trail mix plus fresh flowers from the rose bed on top. Food is such an important way to say welcome ... at least to me. I threw a small dinner party upon her arrival with menu contributions from the hens and vegetable garden. I even splurged on a bottle of wine, which we shared with a toast to old friends.

Having recently been in a hotel overnight (yes! we actually got away from the homestead for a night last weekend), I tried to be alert to the things I particularly liked (or didn't) about our room. I liked the firm mattress and lots of pillows, the shower head and good water pressure. I liked the toiletries available in case I forgot something. I put together a basket of necessities,a just-in-case assortment, including a couple of my lip balm products as a gift. The complimentary soap at the hotel smelled good and left my skin feeling soft, so I put our homemade goat's milk scented soap at the sink and a bar in the shower, too. I have thick, absorbent towels for the guest bath as well.

I love the way God is bringing people to me since I don't leave home often ... an average of 5 people a week drop by for various reasons. Visiting is such fun. It is a blessing to have friends, and to be one.

Let the Feasting Begin

This is our sukkah for 2010. What is a sukkah? A booth or tent ... for use during the Feast of Tabernacles. Scott and I enjoy celebrating the Leviticus 23 feasts, from Passover thru Tabernacles, because we don't believe they belong only to the Israelites/Jews. When God gave the instructions to Moses, He called them "My feasts" and said several times that they were to be an everlasting ordinance. Since we are the LORD's and the feasts are His, it makes sense to us to observe them. Also, Zechariah 14 foretells that the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated in Jesus's millennial reign. Watch this good video for a explanation of the remembrance this feast entails: http://www.aish.com/v/ho/101958473.html .

The sukkah is a reminder of how God provided for the Israelites as they ate quail and manna in the wilderness, while dwelling in tents. One way to think of the Feast of Tabernacles is as a week-long Thanksgiving. It is a harvest festival, enjoying and giving thanks for God's provision.

Our first feast was tonight ... we had our block of neighbors over for a covered dish dinner. Yum! Fried chicken, biscuits with honey, corn pudding, mac & cheese, slaw, chicken wings, watermelon and chocolate chess pie. Of course we had sweet tea and lemonade. A Christian Sukkot, Southern style! Tomorrow night we have more friends coming over and a family gathering on Sunday.

Umbrella Style Clothes Dryer

What a fancy name for a clothes line! But that's the search term to use when looking online for just the right one. I got this one at Brigg's Hardware for less than $50. It should pay for itself in no time with savings on the electric bill. Some people don't like the stiff towels ... I do! ... and clothes pin indentations on shirts. I solved the shirt problem by hanging them on plastic hangers right out of the washer. So far, my clean clothes haven't been caught in the rain or been christened by a passing bird!

A Well Hand Pump

Several of my blog entries lately have been about water, about how precious and necessary it is to life on an urban homestead. Since the afternoon our well pump quit, Scott and I have researched options to keep us in water even in the worst-case senarios. Thankfully, we have a good well to begin with -- 25 gpm and little change in the water level during two recent droughts. We looked into solar panels, but ruled them out given the senario of an electro-magnetic terrorist attack. (Remember, we let our minds consider the worst that could happen.) The wind charts we found online indicate that only a few places in NC -- along the coast -- have winds sufficient to run a turbine. So that option was out.

We agreed the most basic, dependable solution for water independence is a hand pump for the well. Prices for hand pumps were around $1000, much more than we wanted to spend. So my wonderful husband went to work on designing one. It wasn't long before he had built a prototype of his design ... with less than $100 in parts from Lowes.

The new hand pump is installed (it can remain in the well without interfering with the electric pump's function) and produces a gallon with only 6 easy strokes of the handle. Peace of mind.

My GrannyMobile

One of the 10 elements of homesteading, according to the original urban homesteader*, is use of alternative sources of fuel. In an effort to be a better homesteader and citizen, among other reasons, I am the proud owner of a new bike. (My goal had been to dust off the bike in the garage and use it, but the gears slipped and it wasn't worth the effort to repair.)

After much research into features and costs, I made my wish list. Foremost on the list were features that promoted do-ability and comfort. The days of being hunched over on a sleek bike with more gears than I know how to use are long gone, as is any sense of fashion and need to impress. I deemed my new acquisition "The GrannyMobile" and selected features that lived up to the name. My original list included:

● no more than 7 speeds, but not a single speed either

● light weight aluminum frame

● definitely a woman's bike for easier mounting and dismounting

● mountain or hybrid size tires, not those skinny things that get suck in storm drain grates

● a wicker basket on the front

● normal handlebars, not the back-breaking curly-cue things

● a normal seat, padded if possible

● coaster brakes like when I was a kid, if possible

● fenders to keep water spray and rocks from flying at me

● a kickstand and chain guard

● safety features like a rear view mirror, light and reflectors

● PINK if possible (no self-respecting male would be caught dead stealing a pink bike!)

● around $100. My wonderful husband was willing to spend over $400, but not me!

Some of the features on the wish list didn't make it to the final selection, pictured here.

She's a 7-speed Carolina Blue aluminum beauty. I learned that coaster brakes don't come on bikes with more than 3 speeds. Fenders are hard to come by once you leave the single speed beach cruiser models. Most safety gear must be purchased separately. And to get a bike now, already assembled and not pay shipping costs, my dreams of a pink girlie bike had to go. You can imagine my delight when the bike in stock was actually my alma mater blue instead of NCSU red and white (which they told us over the phone was the one they had). The metal basket on the front will be more durable than a wicker one, and this one is detachable with a handle ... to double as a shopping basket. Best of all, we left the store not having spent more than $125!

Today is the day of my maiden voyage. To the bank and grocery store. Pray all goes well ... : ^)

*Jules Dervaes. Visit http://urbanhomestead.org/about for an amazing adventure into urban homesteading. Visit my blog entries of February 1st and 2nd for a list of the 10 elements and how we are doing.