Over the Fence Chat for 7/20 - 7/26

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Country Style Homesteading : One Thread

Yeah ... we're still here and still kicking (somewhat, at least). Sorry about the inactivity and the herb listings falling behind. I listed a few on the other forum, but I think I got behind over there, too. "Real life" stepped up and kicked us in the butt so the computer has sat idle for a while.

First of all, the heat has been playing havoc with us and our animals, but we've managed to keep everything alive and somewhat comfortable. LOTS of water and ice bottles and shade - that's about all we can do at the time. And that's when WE can stand to be out in it. The way I look at it ... whatever doesn't get done because it's too hot will be there when things cool down (grin)! Did manage to get my two pigs in to be butchered - big, they were. Hanging weight was 255 and 280 pounds! Lottsa bacon - YUMMY!

Events of this weekend have put a strain on us, though. Yesterday I took my oldest daughter to Oklahoma City to meet up with Cheryl's brother and his wife. They are taking her to spend some time with them in Austin, TX, and to spoil her rotten. When we heard the plans they have for the kid, we both wanted to go with, but alas ... the farm demands our attention :-)!

Everything went pretty well on the way down ... my mom went with us and we left early enough so the heat wasn't too bad (our car's A/C quit working a WHILE ago) and the car didn't overheat but once - no biggie! On the way back home, however, is another story. It was hotter and later in the day, so the overheating was a problem (bad thermostat, I think) that led to much worse things. I stopped a couple times from OKC to the Kansas border to refill with water and let things cool off. We were crusing along just before the Kansas border on I-35 when I heard the car clicking, so I figured I better stop and check the oil (thinking, "What else can go wrong?"). As I was pulling over to the shoulder I looked down at the heat guage and it was pegged ... smoking rolling out. Well, I knew I didn't want to get stranded out in the heat with mom with me and I knew there was a weigh station just ahead of me, so I eased the car on up the road to the weigh station. Just as I pulled in the car died and coasted far enough to be off the road and out of the way of the trucks (WHEW!).

I got out and popped the hood and realized immediately what part of our problem was ... busted radiater hose - and me with no tools. Jimminy-crickets!!! To make a long story short, the folks at the weigh station did all they could do to help us (lent us tools, took us to get a new hose, almost insisted that we stay in their building out of the heat, and were some of the friendliest folks I've met in a while) only to find that the engine got way too hot and was ruined. You could stand across the street and hear the rods knocking in the thing. So I called my brother in Weatherford, OK to come get me and mom and bring us home. The blown-up car sits locked up at the weigh station on the north-bound side of I-35 at the OK/KS border, and I don't know if it's even worth going after. We're so broke I don't know where I'd get the gas money to go after it, much less money to rent a trailer or car dolly to get it back with. My thinking is that the money it would take to replace the engine would be better spent as a down payment on a more dependable car. For now, though, here we sit ... without a car and not sure what to do. Something will work out ... it always does - somehow!

And that's how our weekend has been ... how about you all ... what's going on ... how have you been ... how busy are you all ... everyone managing to stay cool? WASSUP??? :-) Oh ... and does anyone have a car they want to trade (not sure we have anything of great value, but ...) get rid of cheap or on payments or ???? Hey .. a fellow can ask, right? :-)

Guess on that note I will get this posted and go put something in my tummy. Cheryl and I just got finished with all the chores (I still gotta take ice bottles out to the bunnies while she fixes lunch, then I'm gonna sit on my big 'ol rear and get cool a while. Hope you all are doing great and get a few minutes to visit sometime soon!

-- Phil & Cheryl in KS (cshomestead@planetkc.com), July 21, 2002

Answers

OUCH ! ! ! ,,, been there, done that myself. I have a 85 sonoma 4x4 for sale,, but its in Mich runs like a top though. You can always call a junkyard, scarp man to go get it, depending on the car, he might even pay you a few bucks for it, as long as he doenst have to go far. Worst case,, he'll get rid of it for nothing.

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), July 21, 2002.

Sorry to hear of your troubles Phil and Cheryl. Been there and done that myself. One time when it was just me and the three kids I went for 18 months without a car. Lots of walking and lots of public transportation.

It's hot here as in so many places and we are just kind of holding on. The alfalfa is blooming and it is only about ankle high as we have not had the needed rain. I am so grateful that we make a practice of always keeping a years hay back or we would be having to sell some stock. We water the gardens most all day and they still look droopy. We are eating out of the garden and that is always such a blessing.

I hope that everyone is having a sweet sabbath. hugs

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 21, 2002.


Between the heat, trying to water, and marketing those berries I have been VERY busy!!!! The baker who said she would take my entire berry crop changed her mind because she was getting shipped in berries from a wholesaler, and decided to just stay with the wholesaler! I wish she had told me this when I called to tell her I would have 8 - 10 pints of blackberries at the end of the week, instead of telling me friday she was no longer interested!!!!! So I made 2 pies and cooked the rest of the berries down to can some ice cream topping, and saturday I went around to farmers markets and networked, made a couple of calls, and so forth. This morning I took samples of Sundays pickings to a couple of possible customer, and when I got back 2 people were trying to get in touch with me!

The deal is, there is a permanant stand that will let me take berries to her and she will sell them on consignment. The BAD part is, without refridgeration I will have to deliver a few pints EVERY day to keep the berries sound and take back anything that isn't sold. Still, I am glad of it: I was looking at 20 pints of blackberries a week, and we DON'T use THAT much fruit!!!! Even with canning some, that just to much of a good thing!!!!!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), July 22, 2002.


An update- every pint of berries has sold (GRIN)!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), July 31, 2002.

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