bless-my-farm.com » weather

mud, mud, mud

Penny — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:38:00 +0000

We had so much snow last week that now everything is mud. Mud everywhere. Everyone who works outside around here had rubber boots. That helps. We tore down a neighbors barn a couple months ago, and have a huge pile of wood siding from it that we intend to use for an addition. We were going to use it for new (old) hardwood flooring but then decided we would rather have a mudroom. Many old houses have mudrooms. In newer houses they sometimes have what they call a mudroom but it is not the real thing. The real thing keeps the mud from getting in the house. It is a room between the outside entrance, often a room off of a covered porch. Guess what goes in it. Mud boots!

preparing for yucky weather

Penny — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:33:00 +0000

You can always tell when the weather around here is going to get yucky. Folks head for the store and clear out the bread and milk. Watching those shelves at Walmart is a better indication than watching the weather channel. Seems to be something in the air that the locals can smell. I am not kidding here. So after our first winter in Tn, I learned a few things.

get a cow
learn to bake bread
never be without cocoa, or coffee

Chocolate is a mood enhancer. And when it gets yucky outside and everyone is tired of being inside so much, you do not want to run out of cocoa. Other things we stock up on are beans, beans are wonderful in the winter. And we keep on hand plenty of flour and sugar. And chicken leg quarters and ground beef or deer meat and home canned tomatoes or tomato sauce. If we can make chicken and dumplins, chili, homemade bread and some sort of dessert, and have coffee with cocoa in it, all will be well with the world. Even if it is raining ice.

more snow

Penny — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Well the weather here lately has been snow. Sort of. Around here a “wintry mix” is more common than snow. A wintry mix could be rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow, and or ice, all mixed together or maybe just a couple of those. Either way what it amounts to is a mess. And then the ground gets frozen or semi-frozen underneath and it is like walking on rock with half melted icing on to. Messy, messy, messy, and gross. The answer is to stay home. Which is what I would rather anyway. So, we have the woodstove stocked, and chili in the roaster. Chili is best when it simmers all day. We will make some cornbread to go with it. We had bucketfuls of peppers from the garden and there may be a couple left. Peppers are great in cornbread. And cheese on top.

winter

Penny — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:39:00 +0000

This has been one of the coldest winters I remember, I wonder how long it will last? Usually by this time of year the butter cups have at least sprouted, but nothing so far.