Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

I know. I collect series and authors. I must have at least 20 cartons of paperbacks in the loft. I never throw away a book. Now that I have my Kindle, it is so much easier to keep all my favorite authors. But there is nothing so satisfying as holding a book in your hand! Reading is such a gift. It takes you to places that you could never visit. Lets you do things you could never do. When I read I go away - which infuriates my family who have to shout at me or grab my shoulder to bring me back! My family can be very annoying when i am reading.

Made a start on the Connexes today. Sorted several boxes of children's papers, report cards, camp photos etc. into separate boxes for them. Sent DD1's box home with her husband and kids. DS3's box will go with all the stuff I am sending to him soon. DDIL2 said they might be going to visit DS3 this weekend so I need to get some of the horse tack boxes sorted NOW so they can take some of the stuff when they go.

Next get at least one of the shelves out and put it in the Rubbermaid storage shed so we can bring move the stuff in the shed up onto the shelves instead of just sitting on the floor. Vertical storage means we can move the portable table saws into that shed. Then I can start cleaning the barn loft to store the livestock tubs and feeders where they will be handy.

Hopefully the weather will cool down a bit so I can get out to do the work.

Teaching my grandson to make meatloaf this weekend. 30 lbs. of ground beef, chicken and pork to mix up with onions, celery, crackers and eggs, and freeze in loaves.

The family loves my meatloaf and DGS2 has been wanting to learn to make it. It is a lot of work making meatloaf, so no point making ONE when I can make 30 with just a little more work. Much easier to take a meatloaf out of the freezer and pop it into the oven with gravy than it is to make one from scratch each time. LOL We have been out of meat loaf for a while now, and the natives are getting restless. I did make a large pot of pork chile verde tonight for dinner and will freeze the rest tomorrow. I am a lazy cook - I would rather work all day every couple of months to make a lot of meals for the freezer than cook each day.

 

[Mike CHS]

I thought I overdid it when I make 4 loafs so I have to give it to you for making 30.

 

[Mini Horses]

Used to have a lasagna making day with ex-stepdtr, once a yr. About a hundred pds, lot of containers full. But, enough for all year. Was fun. Also used to make about another 30 qt of spaghetti sauce, all day event, own use. Then can it. DH loved his Italian meals.

I like a big cook session and meals in freezer, too! Some days it's needed to be ready.

 

[Ridgetop]

Same here when making spaghetti sauce. I freeze it with the meat in it. When I had tomatoes (pre demon ground squirrels) I used to make the tomato sauce with seasonings and can it in quarts. Then I could brown 1 lb. of ground meat (goat, lamb, beef) and just add the sauce. Quick meal. Now no tomatoes so haven't made as much spaghetti sauce. Also DS1 has decided that he does not like cooked tomatoes anymore! Spaghetti used to be his favorite meal! Oh well, we have spaghetti on the day I have one helping of leftovers in the fridge.

Another good item to do for the freezer is Chicken Divan. This is basically chicken in a curry sauce over broccoli and rice. I use Costco BBQ chickens (a loss leader at $4.99) and take all the meat off the bones - I use this for chicken enchiladas too. When broccoli is on sale, I lightly microwave it, then layer it in the pan with the chicken and curry sauce over the top. To save freezer space I fix the rice on the day I serve it, but you can freeze the cooked rice on the bottom of the layers if you want to. Or cauliflower rice can be used too.

Chicken enchiladas are super easy - just chopped cooked chicken, chopped green onions, and shredded jack cheese rolled in flour tortillas. Dip the flour tortillas in oil, fill with the chopped chicken, chopped green onions and grated cheese. To avoid the filling leaking out I use the largest tortillas and fold it like a burrito. Then freeze the enchiladas on a cookie sheet, you can layer them with wax paper. When they are frozen, just store them in Ziploc bags. You add the sauce when you put them in the oven. 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 small can of chopped green chilis. Over the years I have substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream, and a small can of green chili sauce instead of the chilis. I also often make chicken gravy with bouillon, water, and flour instead of using Cream of chicken soup which has gone to $1.00+ per can!!!

DS1's favorite meal is meatloaf. But he only likes it with Cream of Mushroom soup gravy over it. I used to occasionally change it out by cooking the meatloaf with BBQ sauce n the top. Big complaints so back to gravy and potatoes with meatloaf. Easy to bake all at the same time.

I prefer cooking lots of meals in one go instead of cooking something every day. I make a lot of stuff ahead and freeze it so I don't have dinners hanging over my head. You might think from this that I am not a good cook but that is not true. I just have better things to do with my time than cook a single meal every night!

Went through 2 boxes of miscellaneous tack today and found 4 lamb halters the kids used in 4-H. A lot of old leather stuff that needs heavy oiling, a new fleece girth, and English saddle pad. Also found a couple items I'm keeping - a 26' new lunge line, a new small string girth, a new hoof pick with the ribbons on it that one of the kids won years ago in a Gymkhana, and the folding halter rack we used at the fairs. I bought 2 last year because I couldn't find this one . I keep both of them in the barn to hang the sheep halters, bucket ties, etc. on. They are made with swivel hooks on the top and bottom They are so handy to hang on 2x4's in the barn or on the stock trailer sides when camping or at shows.

Checked the large moving boxes that were labelled as saddles. The labels are correct so I dumped the tack into the boxes that are going to DDIL1, so I could keep the plastic bin. I still have a lot of winter and fly blankets, bell boots, shipping boots (I made them for the children when they were showing), smaller size halters and good fly masks that won't fit Josie The Mule's giant head. So still getting everything sorted to take to DS3 and DDIL1.
DS1 got the overhead racks out of the milkshed so we can move a couple of shelving units into that and transfer building stuff from the Connexes. We have 3 good light fixtures, 2 brand new fancy wooden medicine cabinets, and the new stove top that was supposed to be installed when I got my new counter tops. Been waiting for those for a while. I would keep it for Texas, but the stove there is electric. Anyway, any stuff that I kept for remodeling purposes will go in the old milk shed. On the new shelves.

Checked the items in the barn loft. There are not too many and they can come out and go on the milkshed roof. The milkshed roof has become a loft now since the barn roof was extended over the top of it. Some items that we have no need to access for quite a while. If ever.

DH also said that we will pull daddy's old boat Foxy Lady up to DS3 too. DS2 nd DS3 want to scavenge both the boat and trailer for parts (Foxy Lady is almost 60 years old so you can't get parts to repair her but DH put a built in cooler and some other special stuff in her about 15 years ago thinking we would go to the lake with the kids. They were to busy showing livestock, and he did not replace the motor so it never worked properly. Foxy Lady has been deteriorating on our field for years now but she is a "family heirloom" so we had to keep her. Some families have gold and gems as heirlooms. We have a 60 year old Glasspar ski boat with an Evinrude outboard that is not allowed on most lakes now due to the pollution regs. The trailer is good though and DS2 wants to put daddy's little fishing boat on it since that trailer is not in good condition. Then they will junk the rest for parts. I think that is what they are planning, not real sure and don't care! I am just glad to get the boats out of my field! One more thing done in getting ready to move to Texas!

DD1 just called to say she is ready to make meatloaf. I will collect my giant bowls and the meat! Should be shady back by the saddles and tack when I get back so I can sort the horse blankets, etc. And see about getting the first shelf unit out of the Connex!

 

[Ridgetop]

Made meatloaf with DD1 and DGSs at her house. DGD1 played with the new puppy all morning. I wrote out the recipe and talked them though everything. They decided to have one meatloaf for dinner so I had DD1 drive me home and gave her some baking potatoes. Then sent them all home and collapsed.

Since DS2 had a bunch of large boxes sitting on the large freezer, I couldn't get to my frozen ground beef to make my meatloaf the next day. I went ahead and put the ground chicken and pork in the other freezer and will make meatloaves after DH picks up 2 heads of celery.

Sorted out the tack, and realized I was 2 large boxes shot of the good stuff. DS1 brought the boxes up from the milkshed. I sorted everything I plan to keep into a large PVC chest and into the box with my large nylon saddle. There were 2 tooled leather breast collars, a leather crupper, (I need these items here in our steep mountain raiding terrain, and also because TWHs and mules are build differently from other horses. Riding with breast collar and crupper is necessary to keep saddle slippage to a minimum in mountains. Found Josie's tooled leather bridle, along with a brand new halter bridle that I bought for horse camping. Kept a couple crops and lunge whips, sent 2 crops to DD1 for her children . I didn't bother keeping the hobbles, but did send DD1's English bridle over to her. She already has her English saddle. I kept Camalen's large blankets - winter and summer - since they will fit Josie. The smaller ones will go to DDIL since she has a couple of 14.2 horses. Lots of English and western bridles and bits. Sorted out what I use and put the rest into the boxes for DDIL. Also several good heavy duty metal saddle racks that mount to the walls of a tack room.

Found a nylon cow halter. Also found the missing nylon webbing lamb halters that the children had from 4-H. Couldn't find them 2 years ago when I broke down and ordered several poly rope halters. The stretchy show lamb coats are still packed somewhere in the Connexes with the pig brushes, calf combs, etc. I did find 2 calf/steer neck tie up ropes from 4-H shows. Tomorrow I will bring over the calf show sticks and pig slap sticks and put them with the stuff to go to DS3. As long as the weather stays cool I can work in the Connexes and milk shed. I might bring up the solar hot wire charger and give that to DS3 too. It might need some wire work, but I don't want it and he can fix it to use for his calf and horses in spring when he has grass.

Then over the weekend it got hot again I cleaned out the 3 large bookcases in the family room. The children's books were trapped in a corner behind a large recliner. I rearranged the shelves for the different size as of books and moved the children's books over to the side by the sofa where they are reachable for the grandchildren. That job took 3 days since I sorted out a lot of books. Some will go to the grandchildren, some to the senior center and a whole box full of books that belonged to my uncles, mother, aunt, and grandparents. Those books are 100 years old and I gave then to DS1 to find a used bookseller and sell them. I kept my 100 year old second printing of To Have and TO Hold that belonged to my grandfather. The pages are onion skin and it is leather bound. I like the story too. Tomorrow I will find my grandmothers journals from her early days here in the SF Valley. They detail all the fundraisers - dinners, bake sales, etc. that the parishioners held to raise the money for a church. The church that they raised money to build is no longer ther3. It was replaced by a much larger church where Dh and I were married, our children were baptized, DD1 and DS2 were married and babes baptized, and grandparents, mother and aunt buried. I promised those journals and photos of the consecration of the church to the pastor for the church archives. They won't mean anything to my children but will be valued by the parish.

Found the wooden handmade alphabet and number puzzles that my mom gave to DD1. She didn't want them so gave them to DD2 for her children. Slowly winnowing out stuff.

Got a tenant for the ranch house for a year. Friend of the owner who sold his property (retired and downsizing) and is building a new house for his wife and himself. He doesn't need us to do anything so although the rent is not great it will pay the bills. Since he is multi generations in Sulphur Springs, it will be good intro for us when we move back there.

My fried (mm) was able to play bridge today. she is feeling stronger nd is going to keep up with the new treatments. No more pet scans though since her GP said that even if she is riddled with cancer there is nothing further that can be done so why suffer through another pet scan. Her GP will discuss with oncologist So happy she is feeling stronger. Maybe she will be able to go to her granddaughter's wedding after all.
Don (her significant other) was expecting a visit from his brother for his birthday but the brother's wife who was suffering with Alzheimers had a massive stroke the day before he was due to fly out from Minnesota. She only survived a couple of days which in many ways was a blessing for the family. She was a bright witty woman and the 5 children were all there at her bedside. 2 of the sons are doctors and they brought her home on Friday and she died that night during the night. After all the funeral and business work is taken care of we are hoping that he can come out for a longer visit with Don. One of the brother's sons lives in San Francisco so maybe they can go up there for a visit too.

Heading into the holiday weekend, DS2 has 5 days off and will be babysitting Robert while DDIL2 wife has to work on Friday and Tuesday. We will have Maysie and Annabel on Friday, and Annabel on Tuesday. Feeling ! Annabel had terrible colic yesterday. I didn't think we would survive! Poor thing refused to eat anything from 8 am to 5:30 pm. She was having intermittent bouts of abdominal pain and throughout the day we passed her from one to the other and got little bits of gas up. Finally, I gave her some colic medicine her mama had in the diaper bag and she fell asleep. When she woke up at 5:30 she pooped and then drank 8 ounces! If she hadn't eaten by the next morning I was going to tell DD2 to take her to the pediatrician! Luckily she is fine. Robert also didn't poop for 8 days!!! DDIL2 finally had to give him a laxative and he pooped a lot.
DD1 was a little constipated around 3-4 months, but you could buy baby suppositories over the counter then. Apparently you can't get them now. Robert is also eating cereal. Annabel hasn't started yet but is trying to crawl. She can get onto all fours but hasn't figured out that to go forward painlessly you have to move your hands forward on the ground. Instead she just pitches forward onto her face! Robert is still working on rolling over. He is a lazy baby but I think his other grandparents hold him most of the time. No need to bark if you have a dog. Both are adorable.

So is the puppy who at 10 weeks has learned to sit before getting fed! He also occasionally runs to the door to go out and pee. They are crate training him. I was worried that DSIL1 would not like him since he never had a pet but he really likes him and is impressed at the speed at which he learns. This is a calm sensible pup from good hunting lines and will be easy to train. Good conformation too.

Had a surprise lamb in the corral today. 18003 was due on August 30. I had forgotten that she was not in the jugs and she lambed early this morning. I iodined the cord and it is a nice healthy ewe lamb. DS1 moved her into the last open jug. Tomorrow DS1 and I have to move 4 more ewes in with Smalley. One didn't take, another is her daughter that turned a year old in May (I forgot about her because I bought her at her mother's side a year ago) and 2 purple tag lambs that escaped when he was moving all the purple tags in to the breeding pen. Got to get out and mark them in the morning so we can move them.

 

[Baymule]

I know the recipients of all that tack will be thrilled. That's like manna from Heaven! Lots of work on your part to get it all out and sorted, but it heeded to be done and you can cross another chore off the list.

Good news on finding a tenant for the new house. That is a big help. I'm glad your friend felt good enough to play bridge. I pray that she will be able to go to her granddaughter's wedding. Those pictures will be priceless.

Grand babies are the best aren't they! So much fun watching them crawl, walk, then get into everything! LOL

 

[farmerjan]

That is really wonderful that the friend is feeling a little better. I pray that she is up to going to the wedding...

We are about ready to pull the bulls from some of the pastures now so we don't get calves all summer... Then they will get a rest, and go back with the cows that are due to start calving now into late fall. Trying to tighten up the calving seasons again... but don't know how much cooperation I will get from DS.... closer tighter seasons makes for more uniform calves at sale time.

 

[Ridgetop]

I agree on that. While our lambs go through one at a time I like to breed at least 5-6 ewes at a time. Easier t go through a batch at a time. When we move to Texas I will try sending the lambs through in lots to see if they bring a better price.

Uniform groups of at least 3 seem to do better in cattle. When we were raising our bull calves on goat milk, we tried to raise at least 3 at a time for sale. Better prices on a group of 2 month old Holstein bull calves raised on fresh goat milk! Auction owner was a cattle man and he told me to sell at 2 months instead of holding them another month or 2. He also advised me to raise and sell in groups. We had been raising veal calves for Fair and I thought we should raise one at a time to 300-400 lbs. He said to bring in several at a time at 200 lbs. We had plenty of milk (15 gallons daily) so no problem raising multiples. I got Angus prices for my shiny, healthy, frisky Holstein bull calves. He taught me a lot. I always listen to advice. If it works, wonderful! If not I haven't lost much and can go back to the original way.

 

[Ridgetop]

Grandsons fed on Thursday night after asking us to babysit their puppy and guinea pig for the weekend. No school for grandchildren so they were going to San Jose to visit DSIL1's aunt. Didn't want to babysit since after a hard week, but other family members (DH) said "No problem" (for them). We would have baby Robert, baby Annabel, 4 year old Maysie after preschool. DS1 and DS2 would be home as well. (5 day weekend for DS2).

Friday dawned and it rapidly became a typical Ridgetop day. Breeding pen of sheep had escaped. No, not escaped - gate was not locked by DGSs - they simply walked onto the field. Nothing like starting the day herding escaped sheep back into their pens. Since we did not have any grandchildren there to complicate things, I opened the lower gate, DH chased them onto the driveway and into the front yard. DS1 then herded them down, cutting off any escape. Back into the pen.

Next - September 3 - DS2's birthday. We were also having a joint dinner and birthday party for him and Maysie, whose birthday was August 30. We had gotten a cake. Apparently DDIL2 hadn't realized we were getting a cake so she had ordered 2 - a unicorn cake for Maysie and a regular one for DS2. We now had 3 cakes. A giant sheet cake in the freezer, and 2 more to be picked up.


DDIL2 had already left for work and DS2 had baby Robert. The previous night we had acquired 2 more pieces of baby furniture from DDIL2. They had been at her mom's house but she figured we needed them for the 5 day weekend. Luckily, I had cleared out the boxes of books and made room in the family room - not for more baby stuff, mainly so we could actually move around. No longer possible now that the baby stuff was in place, together with the baby jail play yard. Oh yes, and since baby Robert is on solids I needed to get the high chair up from the shed. Not sure where it will go. On the patio maybe? That way we can utilize Bubba to clean up spills and baby Robert. Our dogs work for a living!

DD2 arrived with Annabel and Maysie who was on the way to preschool. She reminded us that Maysie's birthday bike would be delivered that day. Also that we would have Maysie after preschool. BUT we did not have to pick her up because DSIL2 would be off work and pick her up then bring her to us and put the bike together. The day was just getting better.

I fed the lamb, and the barn full of sheep. I discovered that for some reason when feeding the previous night DGS2 had felt it necessary to feed the 3 week old bottle lamb a huge double flake of alfalfa.
I removed it and broke it in half for 2 of the ewes, then finished feeding and watering.

Returning to the house I stripped the bed and loaded the sheets and towels into the washer. Then I got my morning coffee, gave Annabel a bottle, changed her and put her down for a nap.

At 9:30 am the traveling notary arrived for the signing on the refi on the rental house. I put her in the dining room at the table I had cleared for the signing. The process took about an hour. Just as she left Annabel woke up from her early nap.

Meanwhile Robert had also woken up. Robert did not want a bottle. He was very fussy and his daddy couldn't comfort him. Thoughts of colic ran through my mind in nightmarish form. Annabel started wailing in sympathy. DS2 took Robert in and put him to bed for another nap. Annabel calmed down and took a bottle.
It was only 10:00 am. The day stretched ahead of us. Slowly.

DS2 had thawed 2 tri tips for his Traeger grill birthday extravaganza. This now entailed his entire day being spent in the kitchen making a rub, and a grilled vegetable dish. Slavishly following the recipe for the rub he berated me for not having any Cayenne pepper. He had already added the black pepper and Paprika. He announced he would have to go to the store. I told him not to bother adding any more pepper since the seasonings would be too spicy. He sneered but continued his work in the kitchen. Needless to say, every counter was occupied by "The Chef" in pursuit of his work. Using a tiny corner of counter I prepared lamb formula for the day, bottled it and stored it in the fridge.

Both babies were now awake and getting hungry. DDIL2 arrived home early and fed Robert his cereal. Annabel had some too and liked it. Yes, definitely going to have to get the 2 high chairs out of the shed, wash them down, and find a space to set them up. Both babies settled down to play in their assorted spaces.

The bike arrived. DD2 called to tell me she had checked and the bike had arrived. Thank you dear. A discussion was held as to whether DS1 should put the bike together for Maysie. He vetoed this since he said that if he was a dad and bought a first bike for his child he would want to put it together for her himself. This began a discussion of how many toys and pieces of children's equipment everyone had assembled over the years. We lost count.

Sometime during the morning DS1 repaired the Diaper genie that had not been working. I was very glad since I had been reduced to wrapping dirty diapers in a plastic bag and putting them in the trash while holding a squirming baby Annabel. For the past week.

DSIL2 arrived at 12:30. He settled down to visit with DH - I reminded him that he had to put together a bike. He brought the bike into the crowded family room and proceeded to assemble it. DS2 was still occupying the kitchen.

I changed the laundry over and started folding in my bedroom. Since only a small amount of laundry remained that had not fit in the last load I stripped the bed pad and washed it too. Then I went back to my room to wrap Maysie's birthday presents. I was glad to escape to a neutral territory since the family room and kitchen were occupied by large men with large voices and babies (also with large voices). Both baby daddies were present so I felt no compunction to remain.

Eventually I had to return to the family as 2 screaming babies made their unhappiness known. No baby daddies were there. No baby mama was there either. DSIL2 had left to pick up Maysie from preschool and run by the grocery store for DS2. DS2 was outside fiddling with his Traeger. DDIL2 had gone to pick up the birthday cakes. DH was alone and at the mercy of 2 screaming infants. Handing off Annabel to DH with a bottle, I changed Robert and started feeding him his bottle. Annabel was not happy DH was not getting any burps from Annabel so I switched babes. I had just gotten 2 burps from her when DDIL2 came through the door screaming for help. She had gone to pick up the birthday cakes. One had started to fall over in the car. In her hands was a tall cake that was toppling over slowly. Putting Annabel into her play yard I quickly grabbed the cake from DDIL2. Rushing to the kitchen I found a tiny area of counter where I could push stuff aside. The only thing keeping the cake upright was the side of the box and it was being stressed to the limit. I grabbed my cake lifters (giant 8x8' spatulas) from the cupboard and was able to rescue the cake - to a certain extent. It still tilted badly, and the lovely pink and blue decorations were history. It seemed to be a unicorn cake, since it had a large gold horn and gold ears on the top. Other than that it's face was just a smear. Using half a dozen bamboo skewers I speared the tilting layers together. Then I retrieved the icing from the box and re-iced the cake. Sad! But it was a cake and had a number 4 candle on it. Carefully, I put the cake on a large plate and made room in the laundry room fridge. Hopefully it would stay together till candle and cutting time. One tragedy averted.

DSIL2 and Maysie arrived back. I gave him a bottle for Maysie to feed the lamb. Then I asked if he was going to take the kids home and come back with DD2. I was informed that he planned to "hang out" with the family at our house till DD2 got off work. Apparently he has adopted us as his parents. At least DH, which is ok since DSIL2 has not had any male role models in his life. DS1 and DS2 are also able to be role models for him.

DSIL1 and DD1 arrived with DGS2, his guinea pig, their 10 week old puppy, and food for both. The guinea pig in his traveling bin went on a table in the rapidly overcrowded family room, the puppy went into his X-pen in the yard. DD1 milled around grabbing babies and talking. DGS2 was given an earful from DH and DS about his carelessness in not locking the sheep gate. DSIL1 tried to give everyone instructions about feeding. Naturally no one listened. In typical Ridgetop tradition everyone talked at each other at the top of their lungs. 20 minutes later they left. I put the guinea pig greens in the fridge.
I changed out the laundry again and returned to my room. By now my back, knee and feet ached. I also had a major headache. I decided to lay down for a while and take a couple aspirins. Maysie kept coming back to see what I was doing.

On a trip to retrieve more laundry to fold I noticed that Maysie was coming into the house followed by the puppy! Amid screams of "who let the puppy out?" and "catch him" as he ran into the carpeted living room, we noticed the DSIL2 was no longer around. I took puppy back out and reattached the clips holding the gate shut. Later while in my room I noticed dsil2 reappearing and releasing the puppy for Maysie (who was not interested) "to play with". Out to the family room again to instruct everyone that the puppy was out and someone (not DSIL2) should be watching it. I saw DH had the puppy now so went back to fold laundry and lay down.

I made the bed and lay down with a TV program. I might have fallen asleep because DS2 came back to tell me that DDIL's parents had arrived and dinner was ready. DD2 was also there. My headache had responded to the aspirin. The day was almost over.
The tri tip was very good, but everyone agreed the sauteed bell peppers and onions were too spicy. I did the dishes and put the leftovers away while the girls got the cakes ready. The candles were lit and blown out, the cakes cut, The tilting unicorn managed to stay together long enough to cut off the overbalanced side. Maysie managed to open her presents before falling asleep. Everyone departed. I returned to the bedroom showered and collapsed. DH woke me up when he came to bed so I could turn off the TV.

 

[Mini Horses]

So much for "family" days!!! Yikes..... TX is sure calling you, right??? What, two yrs? Not sure you will make it that long. Can you get the loans closed and go camp out on your new farm?????? Zoom meetings for family days.