Ever Evolving

It seems like it has been forever and a day since I last posted.  We've had some major projects happening here so I've been busier than a one-armed paper hanger lately.  If I've said it once, I've said it one thousand times.  I am always looking for ways to make my space more efficient.  Therefore, I am always assessing whether a project done in the past works for me today, especially as I expand, and how a project on my to-do list will make things run a little more smoothly.  Late winter to early spring seems to be our time for big projects.  I don't have too much going in the garden and it's not 100 degrees outside.

So, here is a run-down of this year's projects.

The GA Henitentiary came down.  The run portion was in prime growing territory, and since I made the decision a few years ago to move all of the animals to the back half of the yard, having animal housing here just didn't make sense anymore.  Plus the termites were having a field day with it, and it was only a matter of time before it came down on its own. 

In its place went a new 10x12 greenhouse.  Doing this opened up the bed where the run used to be and also freed up my smaller greenhouse, which is actually in the animal yard, for feed storage.  This greenhouse was almost grounds for divorce at our house!  Ha, ha!  It will have to last forever because Nate will NEVER construct one for me again. 

And, as if the greenhouse wasn't a big enough chore, it was followed by another whopper.  What was originally my rabbitry and then storage was converted to a four stall barn.  This was my major expansion project for this year giving me greater versatility in animal housing.  The raccoons had figured out that the lattice was easily ripped off and they were helping themselves to the feed, removing the lids from the containers, and making a huge mess in the process. I was limited by the henitentiary because I could only grow-out one rabbit litter at a time.  Now I can breed more than one rabbit at once and not worry about grow-out space.  Plus, it gives me the option for separating animals when needed.  The really fun part of this was digging out all of the stalls to a foot depth, in the Georgia clay mud I might add, laying down chicken wire and stapling it around the perimeter and then back filling with mulch.  The mulch has been wonderful for providing drainage.  Because of the density of the clay and the high water table of this area, it was always muddy.  I've noticed a huge difference now after a big rain storm.  The chicken wire serves two purposes, to keep predators from digging in and baby bunnies from digging out.  By the way, a stackable organizer from the Dollar Tree flipped sideways and screwed to the wall makes an excellent hay feeder.

Since I lost my feed storage area, my old 6x8 greenhouse became my feed storage shed.  Nate finished the shelving for it, and it is perfect.  It sits in deep shade during the summer so with the ventilation windows and the door open during the day, I'm not too concerned about the feed getting too hot.

And, here are a few photos of the animal yard as it is today.  The rabbits are to the right.  My feed storage is above that.  The chicken coop is just behind the barn.  I'm digging it!

Happy homesteading,


Candace 

Canning Center

I've posted before about my canning jar fetish. I don't know how many dozens I have; I'm scared to count them. Some have been acquired new and others at yard sales, attic sales, from basements where they were headed to the trash heap, and from the kindness of neighbors. The vintage ones I love the most, and no one will ever get them filled with goodies. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.

I use my jars in a few different ways, first and foremost, to can, but I also store leftovers in them. My problem is, until today, I didn't really have a good system for storing them. I had some in a small cabinet in my kitchen, but I never seemed to have what I needed, and as we emptied jars, they would start to accumulate on the counter top because I wouldn't take them to the attic. Clutter overload for me! I have to have order, or I just can't function. Traipsing up and down the pull-down stairs to the attic to either put away jars or get them down for canning was annoying. Once in the attic, they were in such a varied array of boxes I had to search for the right box, and the boxes didn't match, which really got under my skin. I want to see what I'm looking for without having to search for it.

Today, I decided enough was enough, and the space in my office that was designated for my elliptical machine has become my canning center. Sorry elliptical; we'll get back together soon. Now, my jars, rings, and lids are easy to access and are organized, and I can see them. I even have space for my pressure and water bath canners and the jars that are still in my pantry and refrigerator filled with food.

I'm not quite finished because I'm thinking I might even bring my dehydrator down from the attic, so it would be my preservation center, rather than canning center.

I like it. I really like it!

Happy homesteading,

Candace

Pickles and Shelving

I am constantly amazed at the quantity of food Nate can put away. I joke that we have to have a garden; otherwise, we couldn't afford to feed him. He's so skinny, yet he can eat just about anyone under the table. A few days ago, I opened my last quart of bread and butter pickles. At the time, we had a few on our burgers, so the jar was still practically full. This evening, Nate ate 1/2 of that jar of pickles after eating his supper. That's 1/2 a quart. His excuse is they are so good he can't stop eating them. Flattery will get him everywhere as will giving me the following cast-off from his workshop. It's going in the attic to store my canning jars. I'm so excited!



Happy homesteading,

Candace