Archery Lessons

 
Just couldn't pass on posting this photo of Daughter #2 and her first archery lesson last weekend.  She did very well her first time!  Never missed the target.  Spud was kind enough to give her some basic lessons.  Now she thinks she's tough!

The rest of us took some practice shots, and did well too.  It's great fun.  Who would have thought?  I've never been the kind of gal to get her nails done, but the rest of me has been a city girl my whole life.  This prepping business has made some noticeable changes.

While I'm not ready to sit in a tree stand, far from it, it's cathartic in it's own right.  Hey!  I even pulled the bow back this time!  I didn't look like a complete wimp, thank goodness..

Home-Ec - Resolution

Earlier this year I made a resolution of sorts to try my hand at some "old school" home-ec projects.  I took up sewing, knitting, crocheting and canning.  I'm better at some than others;  crocheting over knitting.  Knitting takes too long as far as I can tell, and I'm not very patient.  It also bothers my hands more, as I've developed carpal tunnel over the years. 

Part of my resolution was not only to learn the basics of these skills, but use them.  I decided to try and make home made gifts this Christmas for my family.  That may mean someone ends up with a jar of pickles, but they'll get something.

I wanted to share with you a small project I did for Daughter #2's dog Winston.  I couldn't wait to see it on him this past holiday weekend, and figured he would get better use out of it this next month through the holiday season.  Let me know what you think.  The buttons are actually jingle bells.

Thankful or Grateful?

I personally like the definition for grateful, versus thankful.  I know, I’m splitting hairs, they’re synonyms of each other, but the definitions at www.dictionary.com  prove my point. 

thank·ful

adjective

feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative

grate·ful

adjective

1. warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: I am grateful to you for your help.

2. expressing or actuated by gratitude: a grateful letter.

3. pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing: a grateful breeze.

 I’m not just “feeling or expressing” gratitude.  I’m deeply appreciative of the blessings I’ve received.  That’s where I think the words, the meanings are different. 

Are we as a nation just thankful for the turkey dinner, and a day off from work?  Don’t get me wrong, I look forward to them too, but is that how we look at our holidays?  We can get caught up in the planning, and traveling, and we should want to be with family.  But now that the Black Friday sales actually begin on Thursday, what are we allowing to happen to us?  We’ll be too busy planning our shopping excursions, how soon we need to show up to stand in line (have you seen those already camped out in front of Best Buy?), to really reflect on those things that are important or spend time with our family.  It's just another tradition based in history, white washed by society.  Do our children even know the history?  For that matter, how many adults could really tell you why we celebrate this coming Thursday?  How can we be thankful, or grateful for the upcoming holiday if we don’t even know what it’s about?  

I’m grateful for those that in 1620 put their faith in God and decided to get in a little ship, travel across the Atlantic and start new here in America.   I’m thankful for a laundry list of things, but I’m actually grateful, deeply appreciative of God’s blessings in my life. 

What are you grateful for? 

Pillow Fight!

I thought I'd lighten this post up.  After this past week, I need it!

I dub this post;  Pillow Fight!  It's exactly what it looks like in the chicken run.  White feathers everywhere!  This shot is actually under a set of roosts the Moose built the original Hooligans.  Up until the past couple of weeks, they barely used it.  Now all but Miss Corrie and Berta sleep here at night (they still sleep inside the actual coop).

A lot of preening has been going on lately, and Miss Berta is definitely in her molt stage.  No eggs and she has a couple of bald spots on her head and neck.  I also see some new fluff in others. I can tell because it's bright white, and she hasn't been bright white since she moved in at The Compound.

Corrie and Berta enjoying a dust bath

 

The Cotton Club is sure coming along!  Other than a couple of chicken, chickens they are all much more calm around us.  They are all healthier and happier.  They wait impatiently at the door when we arrive, just waiting to get out and run around.  They are so much fun. 

 

Here's a few other photos from Saturday;

 

Miss Dolly our new egg layer!

 

 

The three Hooligan's

 

Rose and Pennie, seem to be all legs at the moment.



Pig Pen, is really getting big.  So far he's a very calm rooster.

 

 

That's all for now.  Have a safe week!



Living in 2012

Let me explain how I now have to live circa 2012:

I must at all times:

• Be sure to keep all doors and windows locked, even when home
• Remove every last item from our vehicles and carry them inside each day and/or trip
• Lock the door from my garage to the inside of my house
• Manually lock my garage door from the inside, at all times

Here's why;

Some thugs, punks, sorry s.o.b's, decided it was OK to break into our truck.  Since it's too big for our garage it gets parked in the driveway.  Wouldn't think this would be a big deal, since it WAS locked. We are neurotic about locking our car.

It along with my MP3 player, the corresponding cords and cables, were all hidden inside the glove box, not out in the open where they could see them.  So even though we hid them, it is still not enough! 

It gets even scarier!  Then the jack balls, decided to take our garage door opener from the truck, use it and gain access to the SUV in the garage.  They proceeded to steel the GPS that was in there, as well as the Moose's prescription glasses.  What in the world would they do with his glasses?  They skipped over his shotgun.  I guess it wouldn't fit into the pockets on their pants.

We count our blessings they decided to keep to the cars, and not work their way in to our home.  This happened while we were sleeping.   You see, we don't lock the door from the garage to the house.  What for?  The garage door is down when you go to bed at night!  Who would think to keep your garage door opener on your person?  If these are "just kids" as the police seem to think, then why are they brazen enough to not just stick to the easy target outside on the driveway, but actually enter our house as we slept!!

We and our dog, did not hear a thing.  It's on the opposite side of our house, and unless you are close to the garage, you do not hear the garage door.  I'm creeped out!

Of course, the police think we left the car open.  Then may I ask, why did it happen again the next night?  We cleaned out any remaining items and double checked that the car was indeed LOCKED!  Of course we took the extra step, after already knowing you were violated to begin with!  So how, did the truck end up open again this morning?  Creepy, and disgusting all at the same time.

I had to file a police report, change the remote garage door openers, and get the Moose some new glasses.  The other stuff is inconsequential.  But really?!

I know, generally speaking I'm naive about many things.  I want to believe the glass is half full, not empty, and that people are generally good.  I am having to re-evaluate my interpretation of the human race.  If this is living in 2012, I can hardly wait for 2013.

Time for Pushups!

OK, I realize I'm no spring chicken, and that my age and lifestyle have played a part, but geesh!  I couldn't pull the string back on a compound bow yesterday.  How embarrassing!

A couple of dear friends, who I would consider experts in the field of archery, were kind enough to give the Moose and I a beginners lesson.  Let me tell you, Dragon Lady, and Spud sure know their stuff!  They came well equipped.  Compound bows, arrows, and the accouterments needed.

Have you seen a compound bow lately!  They are bad ass looking (excuse the french)!  There's no other way to describe them.   Definately menacing!


The Moose did just fine with his $5.00 yardsale compound bow find.  Spud did a little tweaking of it, and he was good to go.  Great for a beginner, especially since we're new at this, and can build our skills from here. 

I on the other hand ended up having to use a recurved bow the Dragon Lady brought along for me to try.  Reminds me of Robin Hood.  I think I did pretty good but I won't be robbing from the rich and giving to the poor anytime soon!   No fancy gadgets for sighting, etc.  Just you, the bow, arrow and target.

If I ever consider trying the compound bow again, I need to do some push ups!  I just didn't have the upper body strength to pull it back.   I was so embarrassed.... something else I need to work on..

It was great fun!  Thanks again to Dragon Lady and Spud for all the instructions.  Now, if I can just remember..

Setting the Sights

With a little help from our friend Spud, the Moose is the proud owner of a .22 caliber rifle.  We don’t know how old it is, but we got it for a paltry sum of $50.00.  How can we go wrong?!  The ammunition is inexpensive, especially in comparison to some of the other guns we own.  It’s also something I can comfortably handle.  I am frankly a bit leery of the 30.06 rifle.  That thing sounds like a small cannon when fired!  I’ll stick with the .22 and my .38 special.

 

 

So of course, it was waaay off, and needed to be “sighted” in.  I lost track of the number of shots and trips between their shooting table and the targets.  I think they shot a few extra rounds just for the fun of it!  Now, I’ll look like a better shot the next time I take a turn at the targets!

The World's Going Nuts

The World’s going nuts for walnuts apparently.  82,000 lbs or approximately $300K has been stolen recently out of Northern California.  What would you do with that many pounds of walnuts? 

http://news.yahoo.com/82-000-pounds-walnuts-stolen-twin-heists-181140174.html

I checked on the price for a pound of them this weekend and here in Central Florida they are going for $7.49/lb at our Walmart Neighborhood store, and $8.49 at our Publix store.  How about your neck of the woods?

I guess my Christmas cookies will be minus walnuts this year.      

 

 

Dumpster Diving in NY - Are You Next?

If you don't think it can happen here, think again.  Be prepared for anything, or this will be you!

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/shock-72-hours-after-grid-down-starvation-supply-shortages-food-lines-no-clean-water-no-gas-transportation-standstill-independent-reports-pics-and-video_11012012

Remember it only takes 3 days for desperation to begin, and that's what we're seeing in NY.  I don't want to ever have to live like this.  I can deal with cleaning up a mess, but being hungry and cold is not an option. 

Being prepared is not as hard as trying to find food for you and your children after the fact.  This is a wake up call for those still sitting on the fence, thinking preppers are nuts.  Living like this would make me nuts.