Coffee

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Thank you Steve! I do take good care of my animals, they eat pretty darn good. I bought a 3-string bale of alfalfa for $35, it weighed 110 pounds. I couldn’t lift it, so I dragged it off the tailgate onto my wagon, then flipped it off the wagon onto a pallet covered with feed sacks. Reina the horse gets some twice a day, after her pellets. She gets Nutrena Performance feed, high protein and high fat, 2 1/2 pounds twice daily. It’s expensive, put its putting the weight back on her.

I bought 20 bags of 14% for the sheep this morning. They also get a little alfalfa. The sheep get free choice Bahia hay and pasture, but there isn’t much grass this time of year. I couldn’t get cuties like these if I didn’t take care of their mommas!

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They are beautiful!

 

[Zeedman]

Double-strength coffee this morning with my hot cereal blend, which I haven't made for awhile... oats, ground flax, black sesame, chia, wheat germ, quinoa, fresh ground Painted Mountain cornmeal, ground almonds & pecans, pumpkin seeds (from the Little Greenseed grow out) and buckwheat groats. Everything ground except the buckwheat groats, and served with dried cranberries & a little brown sugar. Along with a couple sausage patties, an orange, and a Thai banana. I usually eat kippers with that cereal, but the sausage patties were already made.

I used to add toasted soybean granules to the hot cereal, but they were discontinued. Given that I grow a lot of soybeans, one of my long-term projects is learning to produce something similar at home.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I had my second cup of coffee. I have been trying to keep the house warm. It was 11 degrees a few minutes ago, but the sun is out. DD and kids are coming over and we are going to mess around shopping at thrift stores and see what we can find. I have been housecleaning and deciding how to change things up and do some decorating. I am also sewing for my Etsy shop and deciding what to sew for the kids next. My friend in Kansas died. Very strange not to talk to her about things each day. Talking to one of her daughters more than I used to and she has such a mess to figure out with the property and bills and they will have to get a lawyer to help with it all. Her 5 children are going to be shocked what it is like without the one who had their backs all these years. She has a daughter and son who needed her often to get them out of messes. I am going to see if I can find some potting soil and start getting things ready to start seeds next month. DD wants to do some of the winter sowing in milk jugs and I might be a couple of things out in the yard and see what happens. I have decided my garden is going to be very small this year.

 

[baymule]

Aren't they also talking about chicken feed and a couple of the big companies taking out the amount of protein and the chickens stopped laying eggs? My brother was telling me about it, but I have not read any of the news articles about it.

I don’t know anything about the chicken feed thing.

The feed brand that I’ve bought for years is no longer available here, due to freight costs. That feed store is stocking another brand, lower protein. So now I’ll drive an hour away to get it.

 

[baymule]

@Zeedman that sounds like a very satisfying breakfast!

 

[flowerbug]

... My friend in Kansas died. Very strange not to talk to her about things each day. Talking to one of her daughters more than I used to and she has such a mess to figure out with the property and bills and they will have to get a lawyer to help with it all. Her 5 children are going to be shocked what it is like without the one who had their backs all these years. She has a daughter and son who needed her often to get them out of messes.

...

i'm sorry to hear about your friend's passing. life sure changes when someone you talk to a lot is gone. i thought of my old friend and imagine him being off on a long motorcycle journey again.

 

[digitS']

Very strange not to talk to her about things each day. Talking to one of her daughters more than I used to and she has such a mess to figure out

I'm sorry. Perhaps her daughter is someone who would benefit the both of you to talk with. Doesn't that seem likely? I had something of a hiatus after Dad's property was settled, sold, distributed. Lately, I have been going back and destroying bills, etc. etc. It's been 3 1/2 years since his passing. Nothing new has come up for months & months. Yesterday, I went through the little cedar chest that must have been around longer than I have. Mostly, there were things that Mom had put in there (& she has been gone for almost 15 years). Some things were easy to toss. Others made me smile, still others will take me awhile to overcome the sadness and gather some strength.

My grandmother's good friend in Canada and her good friend in California were two people Mom talked to for years and years. Recently, I talked with a neighbor of Dad's during his final years and to an elderly friend who is now about as old as Mom was when she passed away. Made me feel better.

imagine him being off on a long motorcycle journey

That sort of thinking may be best.

Steve

 

[Branching Out]

As someone entering what might be called no-matter-how-young-you-feel-you-are-definitely-middle-aged, and who has yet to lose a close friend, I note your friends passing with some consternation. I have few very close friends, and I dread the day when I will lose them. We really do need to make the most of each day.

 

[Country Homesteader]

Good Morning all!
@Gardening with Rabbits Prayers of condolences and thoughts of comfort for you and your friends family. I lost my Mother back in 2021 (UNEXPECTADLY I might add) and for a couple of my sisters who was my Moms favorite (well, lets just say they are dealing with it) they don't get that treatment anymore. My sisters and I have never been close but we do talk on occasion.
Coffee pot is almost empty but whats in there is hot so enjoy a cup while waking up and waiting for daylight.

 

[baymule]

Black coffee this morning. I’ve dropped the heavy cream. Too many calories, no wonder I wasn’t hungry until mid day. I might look for something else that is a little more friendly to me. My weight fluctuates a few pounds, always lower in the mornings and higher in the evening. Been watching calories and carbs, have lost two pounds.

Rain! Wet cold. Texas is having one of our winter parties, I’m glad to be far enough south now that at least this time, no ice or snow. Just above freezing, still wet soggy cold and wind. Tired of mud. I want sunshine!