Guests

The last snowstorm gave us quite a bit of snow. We were thankful the township snowplow came in the evening before my brother Mike and wife Pam arrived from northern Minnesota, so they were able to get in. We have a new snowplow operator, and because he had not been into our farmyard before it seemed he didn't know exactly what to do and where to push the snow. He didn't even get close to making an open pathway to the house, so Andrew had to take out our walk behind snow blower to finish the job. It took him quite a while, but he did a good job making a path for us to get into the basement where we live.



Now we drive through a tunnel of sorts to get down to the basement door. Hopefully I can back the car up the path; backing up in a limited space is not one of my strengths!

Our family woke up the morning after Mike and Pam's arrival to the sound of the carbon monoxide detector going off. Jim immediately opened up the door and vented the house. We have had trouble before with the drastic changes in temperature outside, which causes ice to build up in the chimney pipe just as it makes a bend upward, outside of the house. The guys usually then take off the plate at the bottom of the vertical pipe and clean out the ice (doesn't everyone keep an acetylene torch in the house for activities such as this??) and we are back in business. Our usual notice that the ice is building up is a dripping of creosote/water into a bucket in the back of the wood stove, but this time it didn't happen.

Upon inspection, Jim discovered that two sections of piping located just above the insulated chimney pipe had rusted completely through, and was causing major problems with the exhaust from the wood stove.

The guys took a section of the ladder and headed to the old Norwegian cabin located in the woods a ways from our house. There was extra chimney pipe over there that is no longer being used, since the little wood stove they had installed in there is now located in our guest cabin.

They had some pretty sights while walking along the ridge to the old cabin. I'm thankful the guys were able to get the barn painted before winter set in.

There is lots of snow in the woods!

This is the old Norwegian cabin. When we first purchased our place the cabin had two additions on either side, but they were dilapidated and full of animal droppings. I guess at one time this cabin was used by snowmobilers as a place to get out of the wind and warm up. There had been a lot of wood pulled off from those old rooms and used as firewood for a bonfire site located just down from the cabin. We also had to clean up a lot of broken beer bottles and cans from around the abandoned area.

Off goes the chimney pipe.

Time to take off the rusted pipe. The brownish stain on the temporary vinyl siding was caused by a combination of creosote/water that had drained from the chimney piping.

When Jim saw how terrible the piping up there actually was, he removed the pipe and left it with the sections missing. We now are using our floor heat until we can get to Minot to purchase insulated pipe.

The decision was made that when we repair the piping it will now be located inside the house, and piped through the two floors above. Jim plans to build a brick chimney around the pipe after it's installed. It has taken a long time to figure out just how we wanted to situate the wood stove; whether to move it to the center of the house and pipe it up from there, or leave it in its current position by the wall facing the lake. Jim thinks it will work better staying where it is. The plan is to add a wood cook stove in the kitchen area on the main floor and construct a second chimney when that is utilized.

Later in the afternoon the Bartlett Boys gave Aunt Pam and Uncle Mike a concert.

Thanks, Mike and Pam, for making the trip up to visit. We miss you already! (Looks like Peter still has a ways to go before catching up in height to Uncle Mike!)

Another Storm

I watched Jonathan and Peter go out to milk this morning, and the snow is quite deep. The outside door to the basement faces the lake and we are quite secluded from the winds that are whipping out in the field. Peter is supposed to vacuum at the retreat center, and we'll see if we can even get out of the driveway. This storm isn't supposed to slow down until later tonight.

Hopefully when daylight arrives we can get some photos.

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TODAY. A VIGOROUS HOLIDAY STORM WILL CONTINUE IMPACTING THE DAKOTAS THIS CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW CONTINUES TO SPREAD WESTWARD INTO WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA, AS MOISTURE FROM THE MID ATLANTIC SURGES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. VISIBILITIES RANGED BETWEEN 1/4 MILE TO OVER 1 MILE ACROSS THE REGION BECAUSE OF FALLING & BLOWING SNOW WITH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THIS IS IMPACTING ALL MAJOR ROADS IN CENTRAL & EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. NO TRAVEL IS ADVISED OVER ALL BUT THE FAR NORTHWEST.

THE RESULTING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON, WITH VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS 50 FEET AT TIMES IN SOME AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN OPEN COUNTRY.

TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH TODAY ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE AS HIGH AS 18 INCHES IN THE MINOT AREA, & FROM 13 TO 16 INCHES FROM AREAS AROUND JAMESTOWN AND SOUTH, 10 TO 14 INCHES FROM ELGIN & FORT YATES TO BISMARCK AND NORTH TO HARVEY & RUGBY, 8 TO 12 INCHES FROM HETTINGER TO GARRISON TO BOTTINEAU, 5 INCHES FROM BEACH TO STANLEY TO KENMARE, & 2 TO 4 INCHES FROM WILLISTON TO BOWBELLS.

TRAVEL CONDITIONS WERE DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN & CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS MORNING. PLEASE TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT ALL LIFE & PROPERTY. MOTORISTS & HOLIDAY TRAVELERS ARE URGED TO DELAY TRAVEL AND STAY INFORMED WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION & FORECASTS AT WEATHER.GOV/BISMARCK.

We Lost the Calf

Jim, Jonathan, Peter and I were up pretty much all night with the calf. We brought him in the house an hour after he was born, since the cow had been too weak to get up and nurse. The guys gave her an injection of calcium and she rallied. Then they milked out the colostrum and fed it to the calf via a tube placed in his mouth, since he seemed unable to suck from the bottle.

He was a cute little thing. We thought for sure he was on the mend this afternoon, as he would attempt to get up on his own, and the boys would hold him up so he got a feel for his legs.

Henry the cat thought he was pretty neat, and loved playing in the straw.

Jim decided to go to town to get some vet supplies, and shortly after he left the calf started going downhill. He developed symptoms of pneumonia, and within a half hour he was gone.

All I can say is we sure learned a lot these past 2 days. We learned what to do and what not to do, and now we can recognize symptoms of various things that happened. Farming is such a learning process, and sometimes the learning can be a painful process as well. I am so thankful that Sandy is doing great, and we look forward to her fresh milk, cream, butter and cheese.

Calf Update

It's been a very rocky start for our calf. It's almost 3:00 a.m., and he hasn't been able to stand up. Sandy the cow ended up with what looked like milk fever, so Jim and Peter gave her an injection of calcium. She perked up after that, and was able to get up and moving.

We have the calf in the house, and are feeding him the colostrum that Peter milked from the cow. We also have given him colostrum replacer that we mixed up, since Sandy was too weak at first to get up. I also read the calf needed an electrolyte replacement, so Jonathan gave me a recipe for one he found on the internet. Good thing. Shortly after the calf was given this he perked up and even attempted to stand. His hind legs especially are very, very weak, so Jonathan had to hold him up. Time will tell.

I am so thankful that Sandy is doing okay. We continue to work with the calf, asking the Lord for wisdom in how to proceed. We'll update later in the day.

It's a Boy!

Sandy our Jersey has a bull calf tonight. The guys cleaned and dried him off, as Sandy hasn't wanted to get up. Jim fed him some colostrum replacer from a bottle, then tried to get him to nurse. We will leave her alone for an hour, then go check to see if her baby was incentive enough for her to get up. More to come in the morning.

Winter Wonderland

Andrew does a very good job of capturing the beauty of our land:

There are predictions of our area receiving 8 to 12 inches of snow in the next few days. We'll see if it actually happens.

No Calf Yet

A friend stopped by today to take a look at our cow. She spent many years raising cattle, and we value her opinion. We all filed down to the barn and watched her take a look. Then she said, "Well, it looks like it will happen soon -- in 7 to 10 days." What?? We've been checking on her (just taking looks, nothing invasive) every 2 hours for the past 2 weeks! Maybe we all will be fooled and she will deliver earlier than that.

I spent my afternoon at the neighbor's, learning how to make lefse. It's still amazing to me that I grew up with a big Scandinavian family, and yet no one made lefse. I would have rather done without lutefisk!

Calf Situation

No calf yet! This is getting worse than waiting for a human baby to arrive! The temperature is supposed to start declining again tonight, with a low of ten below zero. Hopefully if Sandy doesn't deliver today she will wait until tomorrow during the day. I remember thinking that way when I was pregnant with our boys!

Still Waiting in the Maternity Ward

Sandy, our Jersey cow, is soon be a mama. The guys have taken turns checking on her every 2 hours for over a week now, and maybe tonight is the night. Peter just returned from the barn and said she is standing up and may have some mucus.

I haven't spent much time with Sandy, but she has been a very gentle cow so far. Peter and David have done the most work with her, and she seems to respond well to them.

Calliope our horse has considered Sandy her best buddy, and I wonder how things will go when the calf is born and Sandy has no more interest in her. They used to spend a lot of time together grazing in the field.

In preparation for milking, Peter created this stanchion in the corner of the barn.

Every night Sandy has been kept in this area of the barn, away from the curious eyes of the goats. She is in there tonight, and hopefully things will go well for her and her calf.

I wonder if cows feel uncomfortable when they get this big!

Winter Enjoyment

David has been itching to get our snowmobile going.

This snowmobile was given to us by someone who was probably relieved he found someone to take his junk. It is a vintage 1970's Viking, and I've never heard of that brand of snowmobile before. David came in after riding the snowmobile and said his bottom was wet. No wonder, since the vinyl on the seat has long ago disappeared and only the foam is left.

Last summer Andrew took the engine out of this snowmobile and placed it into the go cart he fixed up for David for his birthday. Now that winter is here it was time to get the engine back into the snowmobile. They managed to get the job done, and sometimes it even runs!

Back in my high school days snowmobiles were just getting popular, and of course my brothers and I wanted one. My Dad's comment was to the effect that they spend more time in the garage getting fixed than actually out being driven; so no, we were not getting one. Now I totally understand his reasoning! Yesterday Andrew drove the thing the quarter mile down to the mailbox to pick up the mail, and when he returned it was David's turn to take a spin. That was exactly when the engine died, and they have yet to get it started once again.

Oh well, this old snowmobile is a good way for the boys to learn about how an engine works, and gives them hours of fun in the snow.

Trips to Minot

Usually I am a stay close to home person, but the past two Mondays were spent in Minot, a larger town about 1-1/2 hours away. I went both times with a friend to attend a Healthy Lifestyle meeting.

The first Monday we decided to check the thrift stores for bargains. I think we checked out four thrift stores as well as a consignment store. I was very surprised at how difficult it was to find a winter jacket that Jim could use for every day work. Minot has a military air base, and usually there are military style parkas at very cheap prices -- but not this year. We finally found a bright orange parka style hunting jacket at the Salvation Army, and that was the last thrift store we visited. I talked with the lady that rang up my purchases, and she said winter gear flies out of the store as quickly as it is placed on the racks. I guess either people are choosing to hang on to their clothing, or more people are shopping at thrift stores these days. I was very thankful for the purchases I managed to find.

Then last Monday night we did a bit of shopping first with Jonathan, who was along this time. Of course that meant checking out the sporting goods store. I hadn't been into a mall for ages, and was even less impressed than I have been in the past. I was amazed at all the impulse items to purchase that were lining the aisles. A lot of those items will be in the thrift stores in the near future.

I was very thankful we attended the Healthy Lifestyles meeting. We were able to share a table with our friend who was selling health books and also a wonderful healing salve she makes. Jonathan offered brochures on his chickens, and I sold raspberry jam sweetened with honey, homemade bagels, dried minced onions, and also decided to bring along some sugar sweetened raspberry jam in case there were people needing last minute Christmas gifts.

There was a homeschooling family we had not met before that also attended for the first time, and told us they are interested in some land that is for sale only 15 miles from our farmstead. They are interested in doing much of what we are doing! We'll have to wait and see if events fall into place for them.

We then met another couple we were excited about. The Licks were also offering information on purchasing meat, eggs and CSA shares from their farm. They live a couple of hours away from us, so we would not be in competition with each other's products. It was so enjoyable to talk the same language with someone else, discussing everything from rendering lard to butchering chickens to grass fed beef to ... lots of other topics. The event was over by 9:30, but we didn't get out of the building until after 11:00. Licks had just returned from the Acres USA conference held in Minneapolis. I would have liked to have grilled them about what they had learned, but we just ran out of time. I didn't know it then, but when Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions and the Weston Price Foundation came to Minot for a conference back in the winter of 2008 it was the Lick's daughter that I had contacted for information. Hopefully we will run into them again in the near future.

There was one humorous thing that happened. This meeting was held for people interested in healthy eating; I only sold three jars of the jam made with honey, but sold all ten jars of the sugar sweetened raspberry jam!

Great Recipes and Stories

Somewhere I read about a set of cookbooks written in the 1980's by Rita Van Amber and her daughter, Janet Van Amber Paske. The title is "Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930's". There are three volumes. I sent for them through our state's interlibrary loan, and they arrived last week. I need to push to get through them, since I have a deadline to get the books back. The recipes are great, as they give me an idea of what was available for ingredients in the Depression. There are also neat stories of how families "made do" with what they had and how families helped each other out.

I just came across something else that I need to keep in mind.

THANKS

Thank God for dirty dishes

They have a tale to tell

While others may go hungry

We're eating very well

With home, health and happiness

I shouldn't want to fuss

By the stack of evidence

God's been good to us.

Our Warm November is Only a Memory

Once again, from the Weather Service:

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST FRIDAY.

* MORNING LOW TEMPS OF 10 TO 20 BELOW & NO. & WEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL DROP WIND CHILL VALUES TO 25 TO 40 BELOW ZERO THIS FRI MORNING OVER NO. CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE.

* EXPOSED SKIN WILL FREEZE IN 10 TO 30 MINUTES.

Hopefully our cow won't deliver until the weather moderates. So far, so good.

Winter's Definitely Here

Look at this forecast:

Rest of Today: Highs 5 below to 10 below zero. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Lows around 20 below. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Highs around 5 below. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Lows around 10 below. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Occasional flurries. Highs zero to 5 above. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday Night and Friday: Lows around 10 below. Highs zero to 5 above.
Friday Night: Lows around 15 below.

Saturday: Highs around 5 below.
Saturday Night: Lows around 20 below.

Sunday through Monday: Highs 5 to 10 above. Lows around 5 below.

Brr!!!!!

Back to Butchering

Jonathan decided it was time to process this year's deer, so last night he took it out and left it on top of the freezers to thaw. It hardly began to soften, so the carcass sat out on our kitchen table all day to thaw. We finally started the process about 4 this afternoon.

No one really had the heart to do the project, but we forged ahead and have half of the work done. I guess after doing this year's chickens, pig, and ducks we are a bit tired of working with raw meat. We'll finish the rest tomorrow.

Jonathan plans to make pemmican this year. We tried a recipe for it about 4 years ago, but for the fat we used peanut butter and it was nasty stuff. We found a different recipe and will give that one a try; it calls for using the fat from the deer. Jonathan plans to mix that with dried raspberries. It still doesn't sound appealing, but we'll see how it goes.

It's Snowing

What a difference a day can make ... And it's still snowing!