Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reformation Day, Oct 31
October 31
Happy Reformation Day!!
Today is the 492nd anniversary of the nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg Germany by Martin Luther. This triggered a firestorm across the globe. Though it had social and economical impact, it was majorly a religious movement as the church- the people, rediscovered justification - the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. And all this lead by the great reformer, Martin Luther.
Last evening we had a Reformation Day Psalm sing. Wonderful music! And.. a discourse on reformation and Psalm singing. Randy did a wonderful job.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
FOTO FRIDAY- MOTION
I'm not sure you can tell this little 'bugger' was moving, but when I walked by my stargazer lily, he swung out at me.. so I took his picture..
"C'mon girls! I got goodies!" and they all came running at me. I wasn't sure I could get the shot, they came at me so fast.
This is one of my favorite pictures. I took it a year ago at Gramma Camp at our house. The scenario is a treasure hunt and someone found a clue and read it.. they all came running!
I think this one shows true motion. As Mandy tossed her baseball sized watermelon into the woods, I snapped the picture.. Look closely- you can see the melon in flight between the two bigger trees on the right side of the picture!
It was a particularly windy and dismal day.. I carry the camera everywhere I go now, and just then a huge gust of wind blew these leaves in front of me. Boy, I couldn't have planned that shot.
More leaves coming off the trees
This is my very favorite- the flag of the United States of America! It is the most enormous flag I've ever seen and flies above the Butler Armco Credit Union. Long may she wave!I'm not sure I caught 'motion'.. but this is my offering for this week..
Please join us on Foto Friday.. it's easy.. click on Renaissance and get started!! It doesn't take much time at all, and most of all it's a fun way to improve your photography skills !
Oct 29 Demolition update
The demolition crew was here bright and early this morning to cut up and remove the last of the old trailer..the frame. Now, just a sea of mud remains.
Next step is to have the site inspected to insure that all of the trailer is officially gone, then we wait to hear from the home sales company.. it's hard to wait. Once they call, we will go up to inspect our home and make sure all is as it was supposed to be.. then they bring it on site and install it.Simple eh?.. but so exciting and such a happy occasion.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
October 28, 2009 Demolition Update
It is Wednesday. The demolition crew has come and gone. We had rain overnight which made a lot of muck and mud where they have moved earth.
It was about 5pm when I took my last walk of the day over to feed the chickens and put them to bed..(not really, they roost just fine by themselves).
I had been looking at a small sea of mud when I turned around and just looked out accross the woods behind where we will soon be living. It's beautiful, though dark right now. Soon (this weekend?) we will be turning our clocks back and gain an extra hour of daylight.. yay!
I believe this is our water line coming out of the ground. This is the only area that isn't covered over now.
As I walked down from our house, this is the first thing that caught my sight- flat.. filled in.. nothing left. And I had to ponder for a moment- that dumpster holds everything that WAS a 60' trailer.. how did they do that?!
I stood at the door of the chicken coop and took this picture looking up toward our driveway. One dirt mound gone, one to go..
This is all that is left to cover over. It has the electric line trench, septic hookup, and the water line.
I am now looking down from the road side toward the chicken coop. It's amazing how flat it all looks.
I don't know what the bubbles are in this picture.. it's the hole that needs filled yet.
Another odd bubble on the frame of the old trailer. This will be just about where the new one will set.
Electric line trench
Chickens are lovin' it..
It was about 5pm when I took my last walk of the day over to feed the chickens and put them to bed..(not really, they roost just fine by themselves).
I had been looking at a small sea of mud when I turned around and just looked out accross the woods behind where we will soon be living. It's beautiful, though dark right now. Soon (this weekend?) we will be turning our clocks back and gain an extra hour of daylight.. yay!
I believe this is our water line coming out of the ground. This is the only area that isn't covered over now. 
As I walked down from our house, this is the first thing that caught my sight- flat.. filled in.. nothing left. And I had to ponder for a moment- that dumpster holds everything that WAS a 60' trailer.. how did they do that?!
I stood at the door of the chicken coop and took this picture looking up toward our driveway. One dirt mound gone, one to go..
This is all that is left to cover over. It has the electric line trench, septic hookup, and the water line.
I am now looking down from the road side toward the chicken coop. It's amazing how flat it all looks.
I don't know what the bubbles are in this picture.. it's the hole that needs filled yet.
Another odd bubble on the frame of the old trailer. This will be just about where the new one will set.
Electric line trench
Chickens are lovin' it..Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Oct 27,2009 Demolition at day's end
It was a busy and productive 8 hours for the demolition crew. They sure do know their job. 
They brought in a dumpster.. a huge one.. to put all the scrap and rubble. One cannot burn anything but untreated wood, and that has to be a super small fire with the fire department aware.
That which looks like railroad track is actually the framework for the old trailer. The chickens have enjoyed every step of the way..new bugs.. ughThe white spots are the holes where concrete was poured this morning.
The chickens are very trusting.. they are a little confused by all the activity, as I found an egg up under the bridal wreath tonite..
This is one of 22 holes filled with concrete which will support our new trailer in a week or so. There is a 'tie down' on each corner.. The chickens did find the concrete.. I didn't see it till later tonite, but it's definitely chicken track on one of the holes..
Pouring the concrete in the holes..
I look at this rubble and can only say..."WOW!" These guys know what they are doing.. and they do it with perfection..
Pouring the concrete in the holes..
I look at this rubble and can only say..."WOW!" These guys know what they are doing.. and they do it with perfection..
October 27,2009 demolition
HUGE groundhog hole..no, wait.. not really. This is just one of about 12 or 14 holes being dug to hold concrete which will be the pillars upon which our new trailer will set.
I was talking to Wendy on the phone outside yesterday when there was a huge crash and the one guy was yelling to the other to get out. The 'box' frame had collapsed. I asked if they were okay.. there they were.. 2 guys leaning against the floorboards.. "yeah.. we're okay. It just came down a little faster than we anticipated.".. and then they continued working. They were both in the part left standing when it came down. God is good.
This is the floor of the trailer as it rests on the concrete wall .. The walls were weak, but the base was strong.
The chickens were having a field day. They don't know what to make of all the newly dug dirt.. I saw feathers in one of the holes.. I assume someone was a bit too curious and got inside? It could have been blown there by the gentle wind of yesterday.. The crew is here already. I can hear the hammers and bumping/crashing of studding that was the frame for the trailer. I noted the studs were very small.. maybe 2x3? really small. I believe our new one has 2x6 studding throughout... much better.
Monday, October 26, 2009
October 26, 2009 Update Demolition
Just an update with pictures.. it's not noon yet. By later today, the demolition should be mostly done if not completely.Saturday, October 24, 2009
Charlies Angels
Having been asked questions about raising our chickens, I thought it would be good if I just answer the questions here. Particularly aimed at Peggy from Alaska, a Foto Friday friend who asked some of the questions.
My brother Charlie lived in the trailer next to us and likes to raise chickens as a hobby.
Charlie's chickens, who we also refer to as 'our' chickens, Charlie's Angels, or 'the girls', numbered around 40 until he gave 20 away a couple weeks ago. They are White Leghorns, Buff Orpingtons, and another variety that escapes me.. they are black and white striped.. interesting. These hens are heavy and lay 2X sized eggs.
We have a small chicken coop where they normally like to roost at night. It has doors that close to keep them safe, and a fenced in area or chicken yard attached. We keep their feed inside the coop and have several big trash cans with lids that hold straw for nests. They have access to about 8 nesting boxes, but choose only 3 of them..go figure!?
They are fed commercially grown feed (laying mash) and cracked corn, but they also get the table scraps, and of course, they free range all day too. Keeps the insect population down in the garden ya know? They get all the damaged veggies and fruits all summer. It's really nice to have them follow you when you are trying to pick the raspberries in the spring and the Japanese beetles are trying to compete. You just flick a branch of berries and the beetles fly into the grass and the chickens pounce on them .. By fall, there are few beetles left to compete.
In the winter, they get day old bread from the "thrifty" bakery as well as their commercial feed and table scraps. It seems to keep them going, and encourages us to eat veggies and salads..:)
We also discovered that they LOVE pasta and rice..strange creatures, eh?
They get fresh water by bucket daily.
Since we are doing demolition on the old trailer, they have been roosting up underneath it and eating the insulation. They seem to have a taste for it for some strange reason. It hasn't hurt them a bit, eggs don't float ... just odd creatures.
The chickens don't stop laying in the winter even in sub zero temps. I have to say that they do cut back substantially, but we always have 1-6 or whatever with an occasional stoppage for a week or so. Right now with 20 hens and all the stress they have been experiencing, they still give 6-8 eggs (cackleberries)/day, which means they all aren't laying every day like in the summer.
Their stress amounts to losing half the flock, Charlie's absence while our new home is being prepared, having me as the caretaker and cackleberry thief.. They are just now starting to trust me.
I can't imagine paying $8 a dozen for the eggs there in Alaska. What do you feed your chickens? What kind do you have..? Now I'm being the nosey one. Where do you keep your flock?
One other thing they get fed is eggs with the shell when feed is low. Charlie buys a big bag of rice and cooks it up so it's soft.. then he smashed eggs into it.. not cooked.. just gooey eggs with lots of bits of shell. The chickens LOVE this... and it's a healthy meal for them.
My brother Charlie lived in the trailer next to us and likes to raise chickens as a hobby.
Charlie's chickens, who we also refer to as 'our' chickens, Charlie's Angels, or 'the girls', numbered around 40 until he gave 20 away a couple weeks ago. They are White Leghorns, Buff Orpingtons, and another variety that escapes me.. they are black and white striped.. interesting. These hens are heavy and lay 2X sized eggs.
We have a small chicken coop where they normally like to roost at night. It has doors that close to keep them safe, and a fenced in area or chicken yard attached. We keep their feed inside the coop and have several big trash cans with lids that hold straw for nests. They have access to about 8 nesting boxes, but choose only 3 of them..go figure!?
They are fed commercially grown feed (laying mash) and cracked corn, but they also get the table scraps, and of course, they free range all day too. Keeps the insect population down in the garden ya know? They get all the damaged veggies and fruits all summer. It's really nice to have them follow you when you are trying to pick the raspberries in the spring and the Japanese beetles are trying to compete. You just flick a branch of berries and the beetles fly into the grass and the chickens pounce on them .. By fall, there are few beetles left to compete.
In the winter, they get day old bread from the "thrifty" bakery as well as their commercial feed and table scraps. It seems to keep them going, and encourages us to eat veggies and salads..:)
We also discovered that they LOVE pasta and rice..strange creatures, eh?
They get fresh water by bucket daily.
Since we are doing demolition on the old trailer, they have been roosting up underneath it and eating the insulation. They seem to have a taste for it for some strange reason. It hasn't hurt them a bit, eggs don't float ... just odd creatures.
The chickens don't stop laying in the winter even in sub zero temps. I have to say that they do cut back substantially, but we always have 1-6 or whatever with an occasional stoppage for a week or so. Right now with 20 hens and all the stress they have been experiencing, they still give 6-8 eggs (cackleberries)/day, which means they all aren't laying every day like in the summer.
Their stress amounts to losing half the flock, Charlie's absence while our new home is being prepared, having me as the caretaker and cackleberry thief.. They are just now starting to trust me.
I can't imagine paying $8 a dozen for the eggs there in Alaska. What do you feed your chickens? What kind do you have..? Now I'm being the nosey one. Where do you keep your flock?
One other thing they get fed is eggs with the shell when feed is low. Charlie buys a big bag of rice and cooks it up so it's soft.. then he smashed eggs into it.. not cooked.. just gooey eggs with lots of bits of shell. The chickens LOVE this... and it's a healthy meal for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)