Getting Ready

It's the end of August and we are having some of the hottest weather that we've had all year.  That's okay, I think Mother Nature is trying to put on a last show before she starts to give us my favorite weather...Fall.

I can hardly wait.  The warm days and the cool nights, the colorful trees, I even love the smell of Fall.  It smells like wood smoke.  :o)  That reminds me, we're going to have to start getting our wood for our wood stove.  We don't like to get it in the middle of summer.  You have to battle bee's nests in dead trees.  You also have a better chance of coming up on a rattle snake or copper head.  So we wait until it gets a little cooler.  Hey, who wants to work in this heat anyway? lol

The farmers almanac has predicted that we are going to have a colder and snowier winter than normal this year.  I'll believe it when I see it, but it is fun to think about.  I'm so glad that we live in an area that has distinct 4 seasons.  By the time I'm getting tired of one, it moves on to the next season.

Anyway, we are getting things marked off of our list to do before it gets cold.  Things like fire wood, and getting the rabbits a place to stay that will keep them out of the wind.  We still have hay that needs to be cut and stored. (Although we have enough for our animals, we are going to sell some to other people that needs it.)   I was wanting to get some of the goat, rabbit, and chicken poop on the garden so that it can work down into the soil through the winter.  With the money that we get for selling the few bails that we bail, we are going to get insulation in the top of the house.  Maybe, just maybe, we will be getting up there soon.  I'm starting to get tired of living in our basement.

Another thing that we need to do before it gets cold, is test out our new wood stove for leaks.  We bought a used wood burner stove for this coming winter and if it turns out to be a good one, it will give off more heat than the one we have.  It's made of think steel and not the thin sheet metal that our old stove is made of.  We need to test it to see if the air drafts are air tight.  I don't want to get a big fire going and not be able to turn it down.  That could be a disaster.  The stove we have now doesn't turn down real good.  It has scared me a few times when we get a fire going up the chimney.  We've had a few chimney fires since we've lived here.  It's mainly because of the stove not being air tight.  Hopefully that will change this year.  Wish us luck.

Phelan and her family have been working hard on getting things ready at their house too.  They have come upon some road blocks, but they are working through them.  The floor ended up being rotted in the cabin that they bought.  The good news is that it should be under warranty.  I hope it is.  That would save them a lot of money.  Since they are in a holding pattern right now, Phelan and her husband came over yesterday and they worked on Hubby's motorcycle.  Well, technically it's his dad's motorcycle, but Hubby rides it all the time.  We had a nice visit.  I keep telling her that I'm glad that I have someone that lives close enough that I can go and borrow a cup of sugar from.  :o)  I just know that once she gets electric and water in her house, she is going to love it here.  She says she already does!  But sometimes, small luxuries like water and electric makes things just a little better. lol
 

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl, sugar borrower.