tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post4686268926134464944..comments2023-10-21T16:38:35.007-05:00Comments on Thoughts from Frank and Fern: Homestead News, Volume 16Frank and Fernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-32637103807901103932015-11-14T19:19:23.148-06:002015-11-14T19:19:23.148-06:00Frank and Fern, those are some really big acorns, ...Frank and Fern, those are some really big acorns, I'm impressed. The indians used to make flour from acorns, I wonder if yours could be processed for flour. Just another source of food if you found yourselves in need. I like your outdoor kitchen idea. We may make a shelter house that can be used in similar fashion and also a kitchen in the garage so we don"t have to heat up the house in the summer while canning. Here in southern Indiana, carrots will keep in the ground over winter with a mulch. It was a very cold winter last year and my carrots were fine. They get sweeter when they get a frost.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-91564029607183322362015-11-07T20:08:33.886-06:002015-11-07T20:08:33.886-06:00I wholeheartedly agree. I often get more out of an...I wholeheartedly agree. I often get more out of an article when I read it the second or third time. It just seems like I missed a lot of the intended meaning the first time around. In reference to the rain, we've had about four inches the last few days and things are a little soggy right now, but it was certainly well accepted. We've got more forecast Veteran's Day. Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-29339207889206817632015-11-07T20:05:57.958-06:002015-11-07T20:05:57.958-06:00Sometimes. I'm just figuring out that they nee...Sometimes. I'm just figuring out that they need very little of the plant in the ground. When onions are growing in the garden, I usually get busy with other things and they get neglected. Maybe next spring will be the year of the onion for me. Thank you for the reminder, Pat.<br /><br />Fern<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-45991509054613774382015-11-07T20:03:44.249-06:002015-11-07T20:03:44.249-06:00Hi, Sassafras. Our average annual frost date is Oc...Hi, Sassafras. Our average annual frost date is October 31st. We expect a frost tonight, maybe not area wide, but in our location. We've still got green beans and okra up, and a handful of ground loving plants, carrots mainly. We'll know tomorrow morning about 6:00 am. But it's time, it's time for this part of the garden to go to sleep. Actually I've been waiting for the garden to go to sleep so I can put some antenna towers down and make some adjustments and improvements, but antennas come second to gardening. Time for the long sleep. Good night.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-19732919872681770122015-11-07T19:59:08.589-06:002015-11-07T19:59:08.589-06:00That's good to know, Michele. I hope our trans...That's good to know, Michele. I hope our transplants make it. We'll let you know how they do.<br /><br />FernFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-46185798183278815172015-11-07T19:58:09.401-06:002015-11-07T19:58:09.401-06:00Hi, Vickie, thank you for sharing the information....Hi, Vickie, thank you for sharing the information. Fern and I have looked into this type of jerky maker, and we will certainly look more with your recommendation. I also don't care much for the rock hard jerky, and it's something we are fairly new to. Hopefully with time it will become more palatable. Thank you for the recommendation.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-72323840529783581272015-11-07T19:32:24.906-06:002015-11-07T19:32:24.906-06:00Here in NE Texas it has been very rainy as well. I...Here in NE Texas it has been very rainy as well. In this time of limited outdoor activity, I have started reviewing old posts here and on other blogs as well as re-reading articles and books to refresh my memory about things. So much becomes clearer the second time around. Just want to say keep up the good works and pray for the best. <br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-55104544051618009552015-11-07T14:07:22.594-06:002015-11-07T14:07:22.594-06:00Just wondering if you pull the soil away from your...Just wondering if you pull the soil away from your onions as they begin to grow. They don't do well buried deep.Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10875406997088528566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-28558712054382191592015-11-07T07:10:29.731-06:002015-11-07T07:10:29.731-06:00We are above you in the state I think and will be ...We are above you in the state I think and will be pulling green t'maters today!!! Supposed to be nigh on to freezing tonight. The garden season got off to a rainy start as you well remember, but it seems to be hanging on longer on this end. We had some trees by the house removed the other day (to close to house & powerlines for us to do ourselves safely), and the tree man made the observation that spring weather was about six weeks late this year and summer was hanging on about six weeks later on this end. Our normal first frost is Oct 15th-ish. To be pulling ripe tomatoes this week? A first. I have red tomatoes still on the vines as well as loads of green ones! Weather here is supposed to warm back up some this coming week so I was even contemplating just covering a few of the tomato plants to see if I can extend it farther. However, the chipmunks & squirrels here are in hyper-drive to load up on nuts! ~SassafrasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-1511194712655643942015-11-06T23:05:21.485-06:002015-11-06T23:05:21.485-06:00Hi
I move peppers to unheated greenhouse also. The...Hi<br />I move peppers to unheated greenhouse also. They survive for quite a while. They may pout about the transplant for a while but they are guaranteed to do better indoors than out in the frost. Good luck. Michele Reeveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11085023818566649799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-77349232932913369412015-11-06T21:46:44.513-06:002015-11-06T21:46:44.513-06:00My teeth can't handle really tough, hard jerky...My teeth can't handle really tough, hard jerky - but I love the flavor! So, my husband gave me a Nesco American Harvest Jerky Works. It works like a caulking gun. You fill the barrel with ground meat and press out the meat either in 1 inch wide, 2 inch wide or rope style jerky strips. It works like a charm and the meat comes out chewy but not stringy and leather hard! I can't wait to see your outdoor kitchen when it's done!Vickie @ makingoursustainablelife.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01210045536198927269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-3826035174987196532015-11-06T21:15:59.653-06:002015-11-06T21:15:59.653-06:00Great ideas for the carrots, Lorraine. We are in s...Great ideas for the carrots, Lorraine. We are in southeast Oklahoma in zone 7, so we are warmer than you are. If I were to leave some carrots in the ground over winter they would need to be planted somewhere else. This part of the garden will need to be worked before long, so they will have to come out. I just haven't gotten organized enough yet to get a winter patch growing. Thank you very much for sharing your techniques.<br /><br />Fern<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-3755477937487238042015-11-06T21:13:01.939-06:002015-11-06T21:13:01.939-06:00Interesting, Sassafras, thank you. Now I will do m...Interesting, Sassafras, thank you. Now I will do more research, and pick up more acorns. I also went and picked up more pears today, most of them blemished or half rotten for the pigs, but some for us too. Thank you for sharing.<br /><br />Fern<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-42458097498067947572015-11-06T21:10:54.611-06:002015-11-06T21:10:54.611-06:00Thank you, Sandra. Our goats are healthy and happy...Thank you, Sandra. Our goats are healthy and happy, especially the females, we don't butcher them.<br /><br />FrankFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-24818167769419379862015-11-06T21:09:55.148-06:002015-11-06T21:09:55.148-06:00Thank you for the oak information, Deb. We read Ba...Thank you for the oak information, Deb. We read Backwoods Home regularly. Take care.<br /><br />FernFrank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-20073733757441925632015-11-06T21:08:40.410-06:002015-11-06T21:08:40.410-06:00Hi Calidore. We had a good rain yesterday and last...Hi Calidore. We had a good rain yesterday and last night, just shy of 4 inches. I'm really glad that Fern put hay down across the garden a couple of weeks back, if not we would have lost our topsoil again. Our winter is coming, but I'm happy for your summer. Hopefully, it will be a very productive year. We'll keep you updated about the outdoor kitchen. Thank you again.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-67277442899329323592015-11-06T21:05:43.079-06:002015-11-06T21:05:43.079-06:00Thank you for your kind words. No birds in the kit...Thank you for your kind words. No birds in the kitchen yet. We still have lots of work to go to get it up and running. If the open design doesn't work out, then we will screen it, hopefully it will work, though. Again, thank you.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-7671249527247788042015-11-06T21:03:19.351-06:002015-11-06T21:03:19.351-06:00Hello, Kathy, thank you for the ideas about jerky....Hello, Kathy, thank you for the ideas about jerky. Fern made a batch a couple of days back. It's not bad jerky, it's just not good jerky. It just needs something. We'll keep trying. And yes, the more points you have, the more of a jaw workout, life is tough. Thanks again.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-5444035878479191282015-11-06T20:59:48.242-06:002015-11-06T20:59:48.242-06:00Hello, Bluesman. Sounds like your plate if full al...Hello, Bluesman. Sounds like your plate if full also. We're putting our garden down tomorrow, frost should be here tomorrow night. It's been another bad year for the garden, it takes a terrible beating with multiple different building projects. Hopefully next year there won't be as many pieces of heavy equipment. Thank you for sharing.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-31003737787621834262015-11-06T20:56:46.780-06:002015-11-06T20:56:46.780-06:00Hi, Fiona. It's been a long summer, we're ...Hi, Fiona. It's been a long summer, we're looking forward to winter. Hopefully things will slow down a little bit. We'll take a look into the recipes you're talking about. That's just what we need, one more thing to do. Thank you for the help. We all need to be paying very close attention right now, things can slip quickly. Very quickly. Stay close to home.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-18803185255335655812015-11-06T20:53:16.286-06:002015-11-06T20:53:16.286-06:00Hi Everett, always enjoy reading your comments. It...Hi Everett, always enjoy reading your comments. It must be nice to have family that close. As for the chestnuts and the acorns? Good for you. I did research on the cookstove, seems to be a good, solid model. Someday in the near future, a good wood cookstove may be worth it's weight in precious metals. You know, brass and lead. Thank you for your thought provoking comments, they are earnestly appreciated.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-66235903004610180602015-11-06T20:44:47.294-06:002015-11-06T20:44:47.294-06:00Hi, SJ. We've never had any luck anywhere, any...Hi, SJ. We've never had any luck anywhere, anytime growing onions. Other folks we know have bumper crops, and to this day we have never had successful onions of any type or variety. Thanks for the idea. I guess we're just onion failures, but we will keep trying. Thanks, take care.<br /><br />Frank<br />Frank and Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570058990887565563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-59596571036842832622015-11-06T17:25:50.824-06:002015-11-06T17:25:50.824-06:00Hi Fern! Just a quick note to tell you how I did m...Hi Fern! Just a quick note to tell you how I did my carrot patch last year. After I had dried and canned all I wanted, I still had a slew of them and they were lovely right through the first frost. I took old straw and covered the whole bed thickly--maybe 8 inches thick. I left the straw on the bed and each day that the weather warmed up enough, I went out and dug a tub full of lovely carrots. There were areas that froze but interestingly enough, it was usually just the soil surrounding the roots and I had enough cover on the whole thing that it was protected. I finally dug out the last of the carrots in late March, I think. I'm planning on doing that again this year. We live in Central Missouri. We got quite cold weather and some snow last year. Can't remember where you are but you may even be warmer than us?Lorraine Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07592739730442748917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-75139959005741155222015-11-06T16:36:43.309-06:002015-11-06T16:36:43.309-06:00There is such a thing as an 'Overcup Oak' ...There is such a thing as an 'Overcup Oak' wherein the cup encloses most or all of the nut. The 'Bur Oak' cup covers half to three-quarters of the nut. ~SassafrasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003348645601520194.post-8965618571132636122015-11-06T08:58:24.945-06:002015-11-06T08:58:24.945-06:00looks like you have kept yourself very busy!
Beau...looks like you have kept yourself very busy! <br />Beautiful goats :)Sandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14643387947219993819noreply@blogger.com