Mission Field Designs

With out the help and encouragement of my daughter Ali, i would not have found my way to the homestead family.  you may have noticed the button on my blog on the right side bar, Mission Field Designs, she is my go to gal for everything regarding my blog here.  thankfully, God has blessed her with hidden talents i never could have imagined.  a busy wife and homeschooling mom, she has been a blessing to so many others needing help with their blog/websites on a donation basis which helps supplement their family's income.  thank you and God bless you my dear daughter.

These Two Things

It's a jungle here on the homestead.  This past week the temperatures have been hitting 90+ degrees.  The humidity is high too here in the woods and the weeds have shot up.  I am taking a breather as i have done frequently today.  a little burst of energy and then i take refuge here in the house, kicking off my shoes, propping my dirty feet up and cooling down so i can hit it again.  Two things brought me smiles though.  I did a succession planting of buckwheat in our vegetable garden today and instead of raking it in which usually does not come up very uniform for me, i dragged a little skid of plywood behind me that was carrying two good size paving stones. it pressed the seed in nicely and smoothed it out too.  i will remember that one and then as i was putting away the skid in the garden shed, i heard the familiar squeak of a mouse, i spied it up in an eave in plain sight, it's nest made of soft yellow lab fur from when i groomed out Gus' winter coat.  Vermin, i know! but it was so cute sitting up on that ledge squeaking a warning not to come closer and i could see the morning light through it's dainty transluscent ears.  well, back to the weeding! 

blessings,

b

Interesting! but what is it?

Greetings ya'll, i have emerged from quite a lengthy retreat from blogging.  The ash bucket was my last entry 4 long months ago and it has been tucked away in the garden shed.  Spring has run head long into summer on our little homestead and i am feeling a bit renewed, and eager to share the happenings here at Panther Creek Cottage.   You may know exactly what this is that is featured here in my picture.   Like many country folk, dragging garden hoses here and yon are a daily summer ritual.  I have crushed many perenials trying to negotiate corners of our property.  Hoseguides were the solution, but the ones at Lowe's lacked the character and proper color of rust to suit me.  Scrounging in the barn i discoverd several old trailer hitches.  With my husbands experience with welding (bless those skills!) we produced some one of a kind hoseguides!  This one stands a little higher than the rest  because it is located at the bottom of some steps.  Yeah! no more smashed flowers.   Now the kinks in the garden hose are my new pet peeve.  I hope your summer is blessed and gloriously long.

B

Ye Ol Ash Bucket

Down by the woodshed

DOWN BY THE WOODSHED

here a most valuable tool pressed into service each fall.  i was thinking how often over the years my husband has replaced ax handles.  and of course they just don't make them like they used to.   even a good ol hickory handle will crack and break after a few years of steady use.  this was one of those years and it is one of those tasks i have never really paid attention to as to how one replaces a handle.  so my husband gave me a little demo, cause i always wondered how the heavy steel head stayed secure on the end of the handle.  am i the only one who feared a flying chunk of steel would go flying off the end of that ax handle and kill someone!???  once i learned the procedure my fears are at rest from flying ax heads.  the brand new hickory handle has a split in the top end that fits into the hole in the ax head, then a small wood wedge that comes with your new handle is placed in the split and hammered down spreading the end out and firmly securing it in the ax head.  it was neat to see how  quickly an ax handle is replaced and woodchopping resumed.  but i see that  crocus' are blooming,  daffodils are beginning to emerge and splitting wood will soon give way to garden chores.  people seem more lighthearted almost joyful with the unusually warm sunny weather we are having.  but not all as i found out when i greeted a gentleman who when i said "how are you?" replied, terrible!! he was gassing up his rig that had a beautiful boat hitched up to it. i guess those gas prices make it a little hard to enjoy those luxuries that require ample fuel.  these leaner days certainly have most of us homesteaders relying on those skills we value most and don't you just feel good knowing you can make do with less? the Lord truly does supply all our needs.

blessings,

bfitz

Baby it's cold outside.

Perhaps oregon can't claim being the coldest as the rainiest, but the northern cold front has made it's way to our little cottage.  We have kept our water taps running a smidge and keep a light on in the pump house.  Our goaties are closed in the barn at night with a nice manure pack under the straw to generate some heat and keep them warm as well as their water bucket from freezing.  Gus our lab sleeps close by the goat pen on his bed with a heater board underneath.  I find that as cozy and warm as our down comforter keeps us at night, my poor head freezes.  Hence, ma in her cap scenario again, (sorry hubby) warmth trumps attractive.  but the cold snap has brought blue skies that are  so welcoming and always a side bar to every conversation while it lasts.  Returning from a trip to town I found my package from Penney's on the porch. Yeah!, our new flannel sheets have arrived! 

Blessings always,

bfitz

Grandkids and goatie

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas homesteaders, and a blessed New Year too all!

The homesteadbloggers are an industrious bunch, with many traditions being celebrated and heaps of holiday cookies and other goodies prepared as families gather to commemorate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  As I was reading along I imagined how wonderful it would be to turn the latch on each door entering into homes filled with the aroma of holiday treats, crackling fires and laughter and warm embraces.  The homestead spirit is an especially blessed one this time of year and how gracious of our Lord to give us peace to live simply with quiet and thankful hearts.  Praise Him. 

What can I share?  This great snack mix makes a wonderful gift when given in a tin or decorative jar.  And in the spirit of simplicity.......

SWEET AND SALTY SNACK MIX

2 large pkg. white chocolate chips

3T. vegetable oil

1 large pkg. M&M's ( red and green for Christmas)

1-10 oz. pkg. small pretzels

2 cups salted peanuts

5 cups Cheerios

5 cups Rice Chex

Melt chocolate chips and oil in the microwave, stirring often until smooth.  Mix the rest of the ingredients in large bowl.  Pour melted chocolate chips over mixture and stir to coat.  Spread out onto a wax paper covered counter.  Let set up, break apart and it's ready to go.  Makes 8 quarts.

The grandkidlets displaying ornaments they made in our annual grandma's Christmas workshop.  In the new year I would like to share about this wonderful little studio my dear husband built for me in what used to be our llama barn.  Blessings, bfitz

Black Walnuts

Is harvest time over?  Here it is almost Christmas and I have black walnuts drying.  I have always heard they are close to impossible to crack so I usually let the squirrels gather them.  Amazingly enough you will find halved shells lying all around the tree.  The grandkids find them and call them pig noses, and if you follow the familiar grinding sound you can spot the industrious squirrels up on limbs cracking those nuts.  But how am I to do it?  Any suggestions?   I thought maybe a hammer, but I am afraid I might ruin the nut inside. 

Driving home along one of my favorite routes, a graveled way through neighboring farmers fields, I spotted a tree among the hedgerows of mostly hawthorn and rugosas.  I am thinking it was a crabapple, but I can't be certain because I have never really seen one formally.  I stopped however because it was pretty full of  extra small dangling golden fruit.  I bit into one, and it was bittertart , if thats a word.  I thought wow this would make wonderful jelly so I picked about 5lbs.  Was it ever!   A beautiful amber jelly with just the right combination of sweet and tart.  I thought this would make lovely gifts for the holidays.  Then I got up the guts to knock on the door of little farm not far from the road who had a row of those orange pumpkin leaf bags stuffed full lining the drive.   But they weren't home.   I left a note offering to dispose of them if they would like, and mentioned that I was in need of mulch for the garden.  Truly, we have mostly fir trees and very little deciduous trees.  Leaf mold is a fantastic winterizer for garden beds, keeping weeds and grasses supressed,  and of course it's also great for the compost pile.   I haven't recieved a response yet but I will get a jump on this great idea next year for sure.  Dear homesteaders, God has blessed us with some awesome sunny weather which has lifted spirits immensely following the storm and flooding last week.  Many are still dealing with the destruction of homes, barns and livestock.  Please offer a prayer these kindred folk. 

Blessings always,

bfitz

My small pile of black walnuts, outer husks still intact.  The inner lining is mushy and very black making the walnut itself very black too.

The passing storm

The storm has passed.  A real gully washer!  Panther creek overflowed it's banks and became a river, brown and muddy carrying limbs and bits of debris.  Today we have normal rain, and the coastal winds didn't affect us this time.  My husband came home from work early fearing he would not make it through.  Later roads were closed due to high water so I was glad he was home.  The barn began to accumulate water.  I moved some alfalfa that was beginning to get wet (too expensive to lose), and trenched out some behind the barn to keep water moving away, but the goaties were dry on their deep bedding happily munching away. Hubby and I decided to take an afternoon nap, snuggled and listened to the rain on our little cottage roof.  I later wrapped Christmas presents for the grandchildren, and served up goolash for dinner.  Why is it so delicious the second day? 

I was blessed to recieve a devotional forwarded to me by my daughterAli on the high calling of motherhood from "Above Rubies" by Nancy Campbell.  For those homesteaders raising little ones these words of wisdom are filled with God's assurances and encourage one to just hang tough.

Blessings

B

Love and Togetherness

Thanksgiving was a beautiful day here in our neck of the woods.  Crisp fall day with sunny skies.  Family gathered and much turkey with all the trimmings was heartily enjoyed by all but, oooooohhhhh... leftovers the last two days have me thinking I need to take in some serious hiking.  My youngest daughter Katie made the pumpkin cake recipe recommended by Marilyn Moll of the Urban Homemaker and it was superb and a nice change from the traditional pumpkin pie.  With our children grown, my husband and I enjoy preparing the feast together.  It's amazing what clever ideas the menfolk can come up with in the kitchen.  His method of making deviled eggs was really interesting and of course he loved explaining why his method works best!  Our son Joah came early thus  peeling the potatoes became his job, now two men in the kitchen!  I loved it!!!   I thought of all the love and togetherness occuring in countless homes across our country and what it means to hearts young and old.  God bless you all dear homesteaders, God bless you all.

Thankful Heart

Like ya'll, I have been preparing at least mentally, my list of "to do's"  before the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Our little cottage is quite small and planning as to food prep, seating, where to put those coats!, etc. takes a lot more brain power than in days of yore.  But thanksgiving always gets me motivated to jump in and get organized thus allowing more time just to enjoy and take in the Holiday Season.  I have been particularly blessed this year with my introduction to Homesteadblogger.com  by my daughter Ali, who posts on Homeschoolblogger.com.  She is such an  inspiration to me and of course I am very proud of my girl.  Thank you to those who have blessed me with your encouraging words.  With all the wickedness that pervades the internet, God has used this same modem to connect  His people in ways we never could have imagined, all to His glory, and proclaims His goodness to us.  Praise God.  My Heart is truly grateful. 

In my last post I pondered the humble clothes line and was happy to hear that I am not alone as many of you have the same feelings.  A post by Marilyn Moll,  also shared thoughts on the subject too.  Her entry was very imformative too on the benefits of 'linedrying"  And may I add that everyone must know the pleasure at least once of drying off from bathing with a freshly line dryed towel.  My friends, not only is the absorption ten fold, but you get the great little bonus of gentle back scratch.  Oh the joy!

Blessings,

Bfitz                                 "where all the little orphan pumpkins go"

Right to Dry

Tell me.  Is anyone offended by the humble clothes line? I mean does not this traditional mode of 'doin laundry' evoke memories of yesteryear for many of us?  In the quickly growing central Oregon town of Bend it seems that 'doin laundry' the old fashioned way may mean being sued.  You see as more and more association governed communties spring up across the country, the rules in which they adhere to seem to becoming more stringent and absurd.  For those who believe a clothes line is unsightly remember your neighbor is being a conscientious consumer by conserving energy.  Doesn't that benefit the community?  I have admiration for those who line dry.  I personally know the time and effort it takes to task.  Perturbed neighbor here is an opportunity for you to get to know who those folks are in your neighborhood.  Are there oshkosh bgoshes hanging on the line?(children are present).  Diapers? ( babes, and enviromentally conscious mom).  Overalls ?(hardworking folks).   Now that you know a little about your neighbors, take over some home baked cookies and a "howdy' and get to know the ones who wear those clothes you've seen drying on the line.  A little more appreciation for this time honored tradition of 'doin laundry' benefits the whole in so many ways.  It's all about how you choose to look at it.

Blessings! And may your laundry be bright, white and hang proudly on the line.

B

Look Up ( and praise God from whom all blessings flow!)

Time has just flown by.  Seems there is so much to do before the real cold weather and rain begin in earnest.  We are experiencing some beautiful Autumn days and I am truly taking advantage of it.  The vegetable garden bed is pretty much cleaned up, something I wouldn't necessarily recommend for those who do not have a compost pile that would benefit from the debris. Letting the bio mass just decompose in place will act as a mulch and weed suppressant that ultimately becomes chow for the soil organisms, uppening the earth in their own marvelous way

I have a compost pile treasure! and I am not talking about my favorite paring knife I retrieved a year after I had mistakenly thought I misplaced it.   Hearing a ting from the pitch fork I was using on the pile I was esctatic to find my trusty paring knife ( as only those of you who own only one truly good one would know.)  I had inadvertantly tossed it into my food scrap bucket with potato peelings I had peeled onto some newspaper.  Just wrapped it all up and tossed it into the bucket!  Alas the trusty knife has been restored to it's rightful place and all is well in my world.  But, back to the treasure.  I plucked from the vicinity of where lasts years compost pile was a knobby, large, pear shaped gourd with a nice curling stem.  What a nice FREE decoration for the thanksgiving table.  Mind you I did not plant this but obviously I must have thrown out a decorative gourd the previous fall and I was rewarded.  Usually these carry overs are not exact replicas of the former so it is always a nice surprise to see a step back from the version I bought. 

In all this Autumn busyness I hope we all take time to pause and Look Up, and thank God for all his provision, and  the beauty that surrounds us.  I know that in my neck of the woods I tend to forget just how amazing God's green earth is, from the old 100 ft. Douglas Firs that surround our cottage to the microscopic organisms of the  soil food web, the Creator has made them all.  Enjoy this poem written by my sister-in-law Paulette as she was inspired on her last visit. Blessings B.

The Sentinel

By Paulette Erickson

The old pine treee stands like a sentinel.

Tall, but weighted down with age.

Robed in a worn mossy coat.

Tattered shreds hang like an old boa.

The arms sag and long fingers droop,

Too tired to hold up under their weight.

The shourlders are stooped with the years of burdens

They have had to carry.

 Still, it is a wonder to behold.

Standing guard over this little patch of earth.

It shelters many within its embrace,

 The birds that nest in its leafy hair.

The flowers that bloom at its feet.

The squirrels that store their harvest.

And me, resting in its shadow.

I know I can dwell here for a space of time

And be comforted from daily worries.

The sentinel will watch and protect me.

My mind can drift and wander where it will.

Serentiy surrounds me and I am one with the tree.

We commune and I feel at home.

It shares its' secrets, and I tell it mine.

It teaches endurance and steadfastness.

Despite its age and shabby garments.

Grace and dignity shine through.

The old sentinel has weathered the years

With strength, beauty and peace.

I will cherish this time and savor the feelings,

And remember my gnarled companion

And what I learned from him.

Straw Bale Garden

We have been cleaning up our vegetable garden bit by bit.  Of course all of this green debris will enrich the compost pile immensely.  We used about 8 three string bales of straw to make tiers on the little slope of our vegetable bed.  It worked out great!  We  put the bales in place last fall and the winter rain sprouted remnant wheat grains, I pulled these out easily, letting some mature a bit so I could pick them and put them in a little vase.  In Spring we dug a little hole in the center of each bale, and planted nasturiums thinking this would make a lovely display and it worked beautifully.   I think we may get one more growing season out of these bales before they completely decompose hastening another uppening stage in the garden.  An elderly couple that lives across the creek, up a gravel hill and tucked into a very serene wooded abode blessed us with some canned fruit juices, peaches, tomatoes and plums today.  How wonderful to have these home preserved goodies, and to have neighbors such as these wonderful folk! 

Panther Creek Potluck

I love this sign that was posted on our street a few weeks in advance to a get together for family and friends of the "Creek".   The hosts supplied hamburgers and hotdogs aplenty cooked over an open fire pit on a cast iron setup I envied.  It was fun to see how it was operated, and my hotdog, yum, a nice black crispy line down the center. Lotsa mustard and onions of course.  Seems these get togethers don't happen with much regularity these days and it was a pleasure to catch up and see how children have grown.  One young lady a year older than my oldest daughter shared about her homesteading and the particular difficulties in their 2 years of working a 75 acre farm.  The fencing, coyotes and the endless repairs and maintenance of an old home and barn.  And loving it I might add.  She had previously completed college and is also a "door lawyer" she stated. " What is that?" we asked, and she replied "What ever comes through the door!"   It was suggested that maybe next year we would try to miss opening of hunting season as some of the menfolk were un accounted for.  Per Oregon weather the sprinkles did come, but some lovely old trees made a comfy refuge.  A fine day! 

soil fertility

Okay so soil fertility as an entry is just another attempt to talk about compost, kinda, sorta.  Bear with me, I'm sure to get past this phase sooner or later.  There have been some good articles of late in the Capitol Press, our regional agricultural newspaper.  One article titled " Soil fertility aids in battle against global warming"  was really interesting.  Angela Black quotes from Australian Allan Yeomans book "Priority One"  Mr. Yeoman is knowledgeable on farming practices and the degradation of our farmland soil.  He states that soil has a very significant role in climate change.  The breakdown of soil organic matter ultimately releases carbon in the atmosphere in the form of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.  He goes on to say that the release of cabon dioxide from the destruction of the world's farmed soils is similar in quantitiy to all that released from the burning of fossils fuels!  The farming practices of monocropping, inversion tilling and agricultural chemicals have led to soil infertility ( a loss of soil life).  Remedies are addressed, ways to reverse the damaging trend and ideas that educate you and get you thinking.  I think this book would be great reading for the homesteader at heart.  More of Yeomans' refreshing ideas can be found on at his website.  I think you can download the entire book free from this site.  I am really encouraged to continue to compost and uppen our little patch of earth God has so richly blessed us with, I hope you will too.

 In Oregon, if you want more sun, you grow it!

kefir

Occasionally I have thoughts that aren't about composting, imagine!  Today as I was making muffins,  I was pondering about the kefir I put into it and thought wow, I wonder how many people know how easy this wonderful beverage is to make.   My daughter gave me some kefir grains about a year ago,  she got hers from a friend who probably got hers from a friend, etc.  Kefir is a live culture that you add to milk and within a few weeks fermentation, you end up with a tangy nutrient rich beverage with a consistently much like buttermilk.  Soon you will have a surplus of grains to share with a friend too.    It is a wonderful addition to smoothies and baked goods or just straight from the jar as a soothing drink.  I think it is superior to yogurt for it's friendly bacteria to boost the immune system as well.  Google kefir and you will find many sites on the subject like Dom's that is very informative.   If you are able to acquire some kefir grains you might like to try the following recipe I came up with.  It's a favorite of my grandchildren when they spend the night. 

Kefir Cakes

Makes approximately 4  5" pancakes (increase ingredients if needed)

1/2 C. unbleached flour

2 T. cornmeal

1/2 to 1 T. turbinado sugar

1/2 t. baking powder

pinch kosher salt

pinch cinnamon

1 egg

1 T.flaxseed oil

1/2 to 1C. kefir

                                         Blend the dry ingredients first.  The cornmeal gives the kefir cakes a rustic texture we prefer, but you may omit if desired.   Mix in wet ingredients adding only enough kefir to make a medium thick batter.  Let this set while you prepare a griddle.  I like using a good coating of olive oil to give the kefir cakes a nice crispy brown edge.  I also like to plop a few fresh berries when in season onto the wet kefir cakes as they cook.  Serve with butter and warm pure maple syrup.                                

blackberries

Composting Revisited

i'm so happy to hear that some of you were inspired to begin composting to create your own nutrient rich soil, uppening the earth and improving the soil food web.  In my prior composting blog I realized that there might be questions how to contain all the makings.  My pile is usually quite large, but when a full year has passed you will be amazed how much it has reduced in size.  I create 3 bays using 12 bales of straw.  I can rotate between the three, using some compost from a completed pile to boost one in process of layering.  The straw bales usually last a couple of years even with all our rain, the twine keeps it all neatly intact. When a bale starts to decompose, I will remove the twine, feed the straw back into the pile or use as a wonderful mulch for the garden.  I will then replace a new straw bale in the bay.  Works great for me. I know alot of folks build wood  and or wire framed compost bins and there are plastic barrel types on the market as well.  It just seems the straw bales have the extra bonus of being a soil builder themselves. I'm sure other random thoughts of composting will pop into my head.  I haven't heard anyone say "Enough already!!! 

Thresher

Still more photos from our trip to Dufur Oregon for their annual threshing bee.  A crew headed out to the fields in large horse driven hay wagons and brought in the small shocks or grain.  the lower photo is of a gentleman feeding these bundles into the thresher.  The upper photo is the chaff spewing from the thresher and on the opposite side of the thresher burlap bags are being filled with grain which will then be hand sewn shut. 

At home we are still anxiously waiting for tomatoes to ripen.  Fall is drawing near as I can hear crickets chirping in the warm afternoons and we haven't even tasted our first vine ripened tomato!  We have had a very mild summer, more so than what is the norm here in Pacific Northwest Oregon.  The summer rains have made many grumpy as rain, rain and more rain is what we have most of the year, but it sure keeps our forests less suseptible to wild fire.  Our little farm is nestled in the foothills of the coast range and of course very treed.  A few dampening summer rains are welcome here.  We are trying to wrap up summer chores.  We have hay and alfalfa put up in the barn.  All our wood split and stacked.  We will check fencing and make any repairs and make sure the electric part of it is working properly.  oops we haven't picked up some straw for bedding yet.  I am thankful hubby and I are still able bodied, although much slower in pace, to flow with this rhythm of life the Lord has blessed us with as we aspire to lead " quiet and peacable lives in all godliness and reverence."(1Tim 2:2)