3/31/15

Continue to work on cleaning out the barn and horse lot. Embarrassingly enough, the barn is not that large-this chest congestion and straw dust just don't mix...so I take a wagon load or two out every morning at the end of chores.

Our local trash service has had an injunction filed against it-by another trash service...that don't even offer pick-up in our area! So, we have to haul our garbage to the dump...which, shock of shocks, is owned by the county, but run by the suing trash company!

Working our way back into the routine of life...we sat in vain last night waiting for 4-h to start, and then realized that it was a 5th Monday, not a 1st or 3rd! haha! However, tonight we did have Cub Scouts. It was good to see the scouts again.

Second Irish 8-piece hat is completed!

3/30/15-sewing

You may call it a newsboy, a scallycap, a flat cap, or perhaps an Irish 8-piece cap...

The first one, as modeled by my dashing husband:

The second one, just waiting on me to add the liner to it:

I bought the pattern from: ElsewhenMillinery on Etsy.

3/30/15-baking

I have shared my Kitchenaid story before...but will share it yet again...

My mom purchased a Kitchenaid mixer for me for my wedding (even before I met my husband-to-be!)...more than 20 years ago. After many a batch of cookies, and loaves of bread, it quit working  November 2014-just in time for holiday baking. I debated about buying a new one, but I didn't want to think about throwing the other one out...as my mom had died October 2013.

My husband mentioned sending it back into Kitchenaid to get fixed. Well, I wasn't really excited about that, thought it would be a big hassle. Thought, "Yeah, it's like sending your Stanley thermos back in and getting it replaced...it doesn't ever really happen".

I finally broke down, in January, and called Kitchenaid. For a modest fee (about $35) they sent out a box with styrofoam packing for me to send my mixer to them in. The box came with a packing label, so I didn't have to pay additional shipping. The mixer arrived in Ohio on February 10th. The hardest part about getting it shipped was trying to coordinate a pickup from Fed-Ex! I finally just hauled the box into the city (50 miles away) to the Fed-Ex location.

After a few weeks, I began to wonder if my mixer ever made it to Ohio. So, I called and left a voicemail. I was sure that no one would call me back...but they did! And guess what, they left me a detailed message, not just a "I am returning your call". So, I knew that my mixer was going to be one of the next ones worked on.

Kitchenaid called again to say that the insides of my mixer needed replaced. The charge for that? Less than $60!!! So, for less than a hundred dollars, I have the mixer that my mom gave me...and it still works-20 years later.

So, here is my new-again mixer and some of it's wonderful work completed!

That, btw, is a King Arthur Flour Class White Sandwich Bread recipe:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/king-arthurs-classic-white-sandwich-bread-recipe

A few variations: I use milk instead of water and powdered milk, and I use olive oil instead of melted butter.

3/29/15

Went to Billings yesterday, very windy. Saw smoke from the Shepherd fire. Heard of fires at Musselshell, Park City, and Red Lodge as well. Very dry winter and spring. Hope for rains and conscientious neighbors.
Got Tripp a new pair of boots, Ariat. His last boots were Ariat and they seem to last pretty good for him. Going to try to get into the habit of oiling boots the first Saturday of the month. But, for now, all boots in the house are oiled.
Bought 15# of annual rye grass. Too windy today to plant out in front of the house. Ryegrass is a cold weather grass, so it will grow in the cooler spring weather. Once it starts, I might use the seed that we bought from Northern Seed, to build in a perennial grass as well.
Horses are starting to shed.
Day of rest so no extra work today-so didn't work on the barn or the horse lot.
Watered the grass seed. Wish it would warm just a bit...
Fed the birds; usually see chickadees, nuthatches, and a fluffy woodpecker.
Looked through material to make a purse and some hats for Yancy. Don't really have great material here for either of those. I have some jeans to cut up for Yancy's hat though. I may cut jeans up this afternoon while watching a bit of tennis. I am sure he would like at least one new hat when he gets home this coming weekend.
No big plans for Easter. Church, and then Yancy mentioned grilling-so perhaps buy some steaks this week?
Perhaps a trip to Wyoming the first part of April to get a boat and a truck bed full of stuff?

3/28/15

Took 3 wagon loads of used bedding out of the barn while filling the horse tank. Started a new compost windrow on the hillside. We also loaded up 1 1/2 loads of horse manure. Ran some water on it.
Watered the grass seed. Ran just a bit of water on the lettuce and radish seeds.
Horses seem to be happier with their hay rations.
Chest and sinus congestion (both Tripp and I), so brunch, recouping, and possibly boot shopping and church this evening.

3/27/15

Set potatoes to chit today.

Planted grass east of the trailer today. Used Scotts Turf Builder grass seed-a tall fescue. Not what I really wanted for over there...but I had it, so I used it. Lightly watered.

Looking to plant elfin thyme for groundcover/lawn in the long term. Any areas that may get torn up in the next year or two, will look to get annual rye grass to plant.

Cleaned the pine needles out of the salad bed today. Planted it in radishes and lettuces. Radishes are a Baker's Heirloom: Early Scarlet Globe Radish. Lettuce was a mix of Baker's Heirloom: Henderson's Black Seeded Simpson, Ching Chang Bok Choy, and Corn Salad.

Still getting over chest congestion, so while I need to clean the barn, holding off for another day or two. Hopefully the goats will hold off kidding as well.

Increased horse feed last night. They still had some feed left over this evening when we did chores-so that is a good sign.

Want to check with the local Hutterite Colony about the cost of a pickup bed full of top soil.