Icelandic Horse tack options

Seems like being active doing stuff does not leave much time and/or energy to kick back and write about them as well afterwards! Plus, two accidents and starting a new small business kinda take up quite some time as well...


Luckily our local Icelandic group had quite a few activities this late summer and fall so I did get my horse fix, exercise and recreation taken care of rather nicely - a great big thanks, girls! We rode with mostly the same riders, Cordy from Penn Yann and Stephanie & Deb from Naples and explored the Seneca Lake Outlet Trail, Stephanie's extensive woods & fields, Cordy's nice woods & vineyards (the houses! wow!) and last but definitely my favorite, the Backbone Trail of the Fingerlakes National Forest.


To get back to the point, I found a few good places to buy Icelandic tack and other horse related things and thought it would be nice to share them. Not everything is as easy to find as a simple google search - word of mouth still seems to be the best way :)

The Tack Shop at Tolt Away - www.ToltAway.com

Tolt Tack, the US Supplier of Icelandic Tack at www.ToltTack.com

One company I was referred to several times, with high accolades from all, Dunne & Krum Icelandic Tack Store, seems to have gone out of business unfortunately.

Quite a few of Icelandic Horse breeders also sell tack, but most seem variations of the tack shown above, for higher prices. My absolute favorite is the Tolt-Line Set 400 with rounded leather, a bridle set I'd seen and admired at Heleen Heijning's West Wind Farm, and when I have the opportunity (or they have a sale) it will be the first thing on my shopping list!

A couple Horse equipment, tack and whatever you ever might need catalogs are (also good for leaving thru on a cold dark stormy night, with a cup of hot tea and a roaring wood stove...):

State Line Tack at www.StateLineTack.com
Large equine selection, seems to have similar prices as Jeffers.
State Line Tack sells Kiwi gate latches - the Deluxe Gate Latch - which I'll be getting for the new gates of the back woods pasture (you can open & close one handed).

Jeffers Pet Supplies, Equine Supplies & Livestock Supplies at www.JeffersPet.com
Large horse and livestock selection, seem to have the best prices around.

Dover Saddlery at www.DoverSaddlery.com
A favorite of all, gorgeous catalogs, but pricey looks like (but could be better quality?).

Schneider Saddlery at www.sstack.com
They have an especially large selection of horse blankets and lots of western riding equipment.

toddler picnic table

And how easy it was to make! With a design from the internet and some free 2x4's from Lowe's this one was made in an industrious afternoon. It was actually more work to get it painted than it was to get it cut & put together! And all I paid for where the screws - the lumber was strapping wood from lowe's and the paint was something left in the basement by the previous house owner...

Find the complete plans at:
www.ana-white.com/2010/03/plans-kids-picnic-table-you-can-build-it-for-15.html

Bunnies!

Haven't been here for a while... it feels like forever!
Summer always is our busy season, lots of gardening, selling photography and new this year: making soaps. It's getting a little less hectic recently, so I'll try to back up and add some things that happened the past couple months over the next couple posts :)

One of our goat kids died few weeks back from a major worm infestation we totally missed... by the time I realised something was wrong, dropped off a fecal sample at cornell and started her worm treatment it was already too late. Right after that we got an open email warning about major worm infestations because of the wet spring - we're not the only ones to loose animals this year.

On a happier note, I was able to sell two of the girls, Karamel from Thirteen and an unnamed boer from Monica, to Sarah who was Simon's toddler room teacher. She's starting her own petting zoo (and my girls sure are used to little kids by now!) to accompany her new daycare. The girls will live lives of plenty (of hugs and treats) I'm sure!

And we seem to have enquired two bunnies - two babies from Angelika's angora bunny collection. They are real friendly tho not tamed much, we're working on that! No food unless they eat some from my hand first :)

Initially they lived in the chicken ark which they outgrew pretty fast, so with some left over hemlock 2x4's and repurposed tongue and groove oak flooring I made a two apartment bunny house which works really well. The layout is something Angelika's husband Simon designed for her bunnies and I copied for mine - I really like I can raise a wire wall in the middle and separate the bunzen immediately when needed, with a house for them on either end.

And if the bunnies do go back to Angelika I can use it for brooding chickens which would be really nice instead of the sunroom!

go organic - or not?

On the "dirty dozen" list are:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Imported nectarines
7. Imported grapes
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Domestic blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The group also lists the "Clean 15," or those that rank lowest in pesticide residues. These are:

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Domestic cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

After-the-Plant-Sale sale!

The After-the-Plant-Sale Sale
Wednesday, May 25, 4:00-7:00 pm
CCE-Tompkins, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca

The Master Gardener volunteers from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County have some perennials left from the Plant Sale this past weekend, and Josh Dolan (who works with community gardens/Gardens4Humanity) has some veggie transplants and woodies left, so we are having a joint sale here at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, 615 Willow Avenue,
Ithaca.

Getting ready for yet another bonfire...

In the middle of the pic, right behind the mowers' trailer, is yet another bonfire pile! Hubbie and I have been cleaning out the back woods of all the maple that was left over from the large tree that came down. We had the bottom part milled, but the crown with all the small stuff was still there for us the clean up. And of course it had fallen right where I planned part of my woods path and new goat fence!

I use that yellow wood contraption in my tractor trailer to stack and haul scrub and it works like a charm. With that thingy I've been able to get most of the large loose stuff cleaned out. Last year I did not realize I could use our chop saw to cut smaller diameter wood to wood stove size so there is a large stack of relatively good wood left of the bonfire stack we're been slowly working our way thru. I do not feel like going thru it again to separate out the decent stuff. This year we did and now have quite the stack of small rounds in our fire wood house.

Saturday it's time for a bonfire again... hope the weather will hold!

Our new baby goats!

These two are Monica's new girls, born Friday the 6th at around 1030am while Simon and I were mowing the lawn :) We'd checked at 1015am, noticed Monica looked heavy and did not get up to look at us over the door, but no contractions and her water had not yet broken... less than half an hour later, both girls were born and the placenta was on it's way! Man, human births are not like that!!!

Trying to stand under mommy's watchful eye. The little beige headed kid is called "bunny" the other one has no name as of yet.

My kid checking out Monica's kids. He was very impressed by her post delivery cleaning skills, and told daddy later in a surprised voice: "momma goat licking baby goats!" Hey, as long as he does not expect me to clean him the same way LOL

we've got chicks - and 40 of them!

Just like the past three years or so we ordered meat birds and I picked them up April 15th. It is unbelievable, the growth difference between these and my hen chicks! And they behave differently too, much more food oriented -less interested in foraging, but way interested in their human 'mommy' bringing them food! I feed them twice a day a set amount otherwise they'd overeat.

The first year we grew Cornish X meat birds from Agway, great birds but man, they grow fast. And every time they moved around their joints tend to click... it just did not seem natural, a harvest ready bird in 8 weeks! So after that experience we chose Color Rangers, which grow a little less fast (12 weeks) but with hardly any of the health issues.

This year I ordered even more chicks than usual - we only need about 20 birds for the year - as we had several friends and acquaintances interested. So we'll barter some with Eileen for sewing & baby sitting, with Christine from school for beef her husband grows and with a hunter for venison. How varied our freezer contents will be!

Only after two weeks or so they moved to the outdoor "lean too". Still with a heat lamp, at least at night or when it's chilly, until they grow their complete feather coats - and it stops raining!

Alternate Goat Cart

When I found this bike cart it took me a while to think of a way to use it - you won't see me bike anytime soon, Ithaca is not dutch flat - and what a way it is! With guidance of the Working Goats site I devised shafts from 3/4" electrical piping we have laying around (intended for goat barn electricity someday).

One day while Monica was still pregnant - she's due the next week - I figured, what the heck, it's beautiful weather, Monica LOVES cookies, let's see what happens! I had parked the cart in front of their pasture for a few days for them to get used to the thing and with a handful of horse cookies and the new harness we went to work.

First I walked Monica on her leash around near the barn and close to the cart. She ignored the thing.

I put a cookie in the cart seat which got hoovered up real quick.

Then I walked Monica around while pulling the cart myself, sort of next to her and behind her. This made no impact either.

So I took the big step, maneuvered both in position (with cookies) and hooked her up. Now the cart got a good once over, and then it was time for more cookies according to her!

While leading her by the leash we walked around in front of the barn once or twice at the cost of two more cookies and I unhooked her to end on a good note :)

Monica got a nice mouth full of the fresh spring grass as reward!
She's such a good girl!

The balance of the bike cart is perfect for a toddler or two in the back - or some shopping, but nothing major heavy as the floor is just canvas. And it hardly weighs anything either, it is significantly easier to pull than a metal gardening wagon. I can't wait to put it to good use - and Simon can't either, he loves being towed around the yard!

Looking at the pics I do think I'd like to move the shaft hooks up a couple inches, the point up front seems long and leg room seems tight. Guess we'll know for sure when we start using it for real.

Oh, Monica had healthy twins the Friday after, both girls...
Which means I do not - yet - have a boy to wether and train as a cart animal! Go figure, we got five girls from two mommy goats! And if number three Gazelle really is pregnant (starts to look like it) you see we'll get a boy from her, and a girl from her & buck Jamie I'd want to keep...

A question I received recently, if we have any harnesses for sale - I'm sorry but no, we don't. And really, if you look at the pics, and know basic sewing, you should be able to make one yourself fine! This was my first attempt and it looks and works great - so I am sure you can do it too :)

You can get the materials at Jo-Ann's (webbing, fleece and buckle snaps) for about $20 if I remember correctly, tho I did use a coupon of course. There is someone on the internet who does sell them for about $120, I'm sure you can find her with google (I used her pics to make this one).

Greenhouse progress

It's getting there!
The plastic sheeting roof is on, the wall is painted, the windows are in, the doors are hung - and we even started on the inside furniture.

Here my dear hubbie is working on the seedling table, It's fairly tall - and we're tall people already - but I wanted to store empty planters under it and have room for a row of black 55 gallon drums for heat retention. It's actually nice having a tall bench for weeding, tho lifting a full 5 gallon waterer is a little much. Guess I'll need to get another garden hose & sprayer :)

Right now I'm working on leveling the pathway, which has a 6 inch hemlock runner on both sides. I'll recycle whatever gravel is still hiding in our woods and pave the pathway with my treasured stack of collected bricks. Some have neat inscriptions on them and some I even moved all the way from Pittsburgh! Really!

local plant sharing list serv

And here I was thinking I could use one of these :)
It's already available, and even funnier, I know who started it! If only he had mentioned it to me before...

From the Plantcycle webpage:

PlantCycle
From Gardener to Gardener

The intention of Ithaca Plantcycle is to share plants, seeds, tools, ideas, and make it easier for people to turn the hills and terraces and flat lands of Ithaca green. Our primary goal is to promote food security.

Ithaca plantcycle is an e-mail list (“listserv”). There is no cost to join — just visit the Plantcycle information page and subscribe. (Be sure to respond to the confirmation email that you will receive after subscribing; it’s necessary before you can use the list.) Then, if you have something to share, you can send a message to share@plantcycle.net to reach all the Plantcycle subscribers. If you are wish to receive no more than one message a day, subscribe to the digest mode. You may respond to a either the sender or the group.

We are always interested in your comments and suggestions about Plantcycle and your ideas on how to improve it.

Pat and Andrejs

For a couple of years I saved these flat rocks with the idea to make a path or something with them. We found them in our woods, at our property's edge, I even picked up some large ones thru a craigslist ad. But after I again slipped and nearly went on my butt hauling chicken feed down the slope I gave in, got all my rocks and puzzled together this great looking and well working stone step staircase!

I used four loads of five buckets each of gravel as a foundation, and sprinkled that with Quickrete we had left over from the goat barn build before placing the stones. The steps are surprisingly solid, only one or two wobble slightly and might not have at all if we had not used the steps while the quickrete was curing (forgot about that step). But man, was I glad we have an old pile of driveway gravel on our property! That would have been 20 bags of $5 each, geeh.

No, that's not the new door :)
I removed the old door and put this didn't-quite-work greenhouse door in the opening so it does not rain in as much. Had to tie it down with bungees though, this one immediately blew over as well! Maybe we should start thinking "windmill" instead of "solar array" LOL

Indonesian Scrambled Egg & Easy Curry

Needed:
bunch of eggs (we love geese or duck eggs for this)
Sambal Oelek (chinese stores sell this)
soy sauce (thick version, also called soy paste)
pepper and salt to taste

Add table spoon of soy sauce and sambal to hot oiled skillet.
Add eggs, seasoning, let congeal.
Scoop and mix eggs and sambal/soy but keep the chunks fairly large.

This is really good in curry!

I like to make fast & easy curry with:
1 can of coconut milk
curry paste, curry seasoning or premixed curry sauce
1 can of peas
1 can of whole corn
1/2-1 can of pineapple chunks
maybe some bamboo shoots, baby corn or palm heart

from the garden and/or freezer:
chopped string beans
bellpepper pieces
collard green leaves
pak choi greens

When everything is thoroughly heated add the egg mixture.
Eat with steamed brown rice, maybe add a little kurkuma for fun!

almost time for veggies...

Our basement windows have this eerie glow at night... from the seed sprouting setup in my photography studio! Two layers with four halogen lights (two fixtures) each I start my leeks mid February, cabbages etc first of March and tomatoes and peppers mid March. My tomatoes look a little forlorn this year, a little extra TLC needed looks like, but other than them everything else is growing like, well, cabbages!

Leek plants, cabbages (broccoli & head cabbage), basil and more cabbages (broccoli & brussels sprouts).

I find that using the flat lids and the high domes for sprouting, even in the closed "greenhouse" cabinet really help the seeds going. When I first start the flats I only use the flat clear lids and lower the lights pretty much right on top of them. Then when the seedlings touch the lids I raise the light fixtures and switch to the taller domed lids. A couple of weeks before they go out I remove the domed lid and slowly let them acclimate to the air in the cabinet, then move them out to our sunroom and then outside behind the house (back in sunroom at night if night frost is imminent).

Last year I did not use the domes on the tomato and pepper flats - I wanted to use larger starting pots and the lids did not fit - and mice (!) had gotten in and eaten most the young seedlings! I could not believe it...

Make your own tallow

For my soap project I got a 5 gallon bucket of beef fat from Maine's restaurant supply store off of route 13. They sell the stuff for 50c a pound, but that's before rendering and I was pretty curious how much tallow would be rendered and how long it would take! Well, it took me two days to cook it all down, first boiling it down in a stock pan, then frying it in a cast iron skillet to get it all... The house reeked of frying for days (kinda pleasant/unpleasant) and the stove needed a good cleaning as well, but the (pet sitted) dog and chickens loved the cracklings left over!

Quite a few of my soap making books referred to getting tallow for free from supermarket butchers (leftovers) but after asking around town no-one seemed willing to do so. Maine's was the only one willing to separate and store the fat (not just for me) for a small fee and he told me with the fda cleanliness rules anything that leaves the cutting block and hits the garbage can is therefor contaminated and can not be sold/given away ever, even for animal food or soap making. Maine's has food grade buckets they sort the beef fat into before tossing, which is extra work, and not something everyone wants to do.


From the 25 lbs of fat I got about 12 lbs of tallow, which is about a dollar a pound. Still better than pig fat at $1.75 a pound, but that's already rendered :)

some winter pics...

I thought this looked so funny in the shallow sprinkling of snow last winter! All those ducky footsteps - the chickens don't come out as soon as it snows, but the ducks don't seem to have any issue with that, and they sure love hanging around outside in the rain!


My privy project turned out such a success and then a big wind blew the door right thru the hinges... both black hinges are bend at a 15-20 degree angle (which is why the door doesn't close) and that tongue & groove board of the door is badly cracked. I took the door off recently, took it apart and glued the board back together - next time I'll also add an outside lock (way out of reach of little kids hands) just in case!

DIY cat pee remover

Yep, I put the cat in the livetrap in our sunroom, not thinking livetraps don't come with kitty bathrooms and our sunroom does come with carpeting...

From the DoItYourself Forum:

Get rid of cat pee and dog pee smells forever - Recipe

Ingredients
Baking Soda
White Vinegar
Dishwashing Detergent
3 % Hydrogen Peroxide

Directions:

1. If the cat has recently urinated on the carpet, first absorb as much of the cat urine as possible using paper towels or an old towel. Place clean paper towels over the cat urine area and tread on them so as to absorb as much of the urine as possible. Repeat with dry towels until no more moisture can be absorbed.

If the cat urine has dried and you are not sure where the soiled area is you can use a black light to detect it. In a darkened room the black light will pick up urine and other stains. Hand held black lights can be purchased for between $15 to $25

2. Next, wet the area with a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. Make sure you use enough of the solution to penetrate the fibers deep down. Allow it to almost dry. You can assist drying by blotting with paper towels as described above. If you own a wet and dry vacuum extractor use that to remove excess moisture.

The acidity of the vinegar will neutralize the ammonia in the cat urine.

3. Apply a liberal amount of baking soda over the affected area and drizzle it with a quarter of a cup of hydrogen peroxide mixed with a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent. (not caustic detergent that you put in a dishwasher) Work it in with a scrubbing brush or your fingers (be sure to wear rubber gloves) to dissolve the baking soda and work it down into the carpet. Allow it to dry. Then vacuum.

The vinegar will neutralize the ammonia and hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer capable of killing bacteria which cause the urine smells. Baking soda is a well known deodorizer which absorbs odors. Sprinkle it on your carpet monthly then vacuum up to keep your carpet smelling fresh all the time.

Important. Never use ammonia or ammonia-based products on the carpet. One of the ingredients of urine is ammonia and your cat may well be encouraged to re-offend in the same area if it detects the smell of ammonia. Many household cleaner cleaners contain ammonia so be sure to read the label.

If you don't have hydrogen peroxide on hand you could substitute it in an emergency for a spray laundry stain remover. Check the bottle. If it says 'Oxy' anywhere on the label then it probably contains hydrogen peroxide.

Caution, you should test your carpet for color fastness in an inconspicuous area.
Use only 3% Hydrogen Peroxide.

For peed on Laundry:

Remove cat urine odor from laundry. Use this method on your clothing, bedding, rugs or anything you think you can stuff in the washer (not including your cat). Simply add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar along with your normal laundry detergent, start the washer and VOILA!

>>> tried it, and it works! Does still have soda crystals coming up in the carpet (sort of a cloudy stain that vacuums out) and locally the carpet is really clean - but - NO SMELL!

SPCA feral cat program

With the new goat barn and multitude of rodents I was thinking of contacting the SPCA to rehome a feral cat - they have the ads in the store at the mall. And while I was thinking about the pro's and con's someone moved in :)

For the past couple weeks a slender grey very shy cat has been prowling our perimeter and sleeping with the girls (hay stacks are sure a cat magnet, Greebo loves to sleep over in them too). I was not really planning to mess with it, but after catching it by mistake in the livetrap - someone is tunneling big time thru the shed and barn - I figured might as well have the feral cat program look him over.

So he went today and turns out it's a boy and already neutered! So most likely a dumped pet, tho for us he's been real snappy and hissy - our "pet" name has been "enge kat" (scary cat) and Simon wanted to leave him at the SPCA and take the beagle in the window back home!

Why I am posting all this? Turns out the SPCA has a program for feral cats where when you catch one and bring it in (and I presume then take it back to your barn) they'll spay/neuter and vaccinate it for free! You can contact them at 257-1822 and they operate on Tuesdays.

baby goats - oh my goodness!

We have baby goats! Last Friday the 8th in the late morning Thirteen delivered triplet girls, all by herself as she had not given me any (for dummies) signs she was ready! The girl with beige head was chilled and off in a corner when I found them, so I gave her some extra attention and a teat to herself since they needed some help nursing the first day or so as Thirteen's teats were pretty swollen. Right now she's running on empty most of the day as they suck the milk straight out the moment it's available - good thing we have a couple extra gallons in the freezer for ourselves :)

Our toddler Simon likes to go down to the baby goats at least once a day and check them out, though he's still pretty shy and careful with handling them. Thirteen is not too fond of him, he moves unpredictably, and keeps me between him and her at all times... guess she does trust me, at least a little.

Make your own chicken feed

10 pounds mixed grains - Farmer Ground Flour has everything from soup to nuts in the "waste" grain mix Tom's been using--corn, wheat, wheat bran, buckwheat, oats, rye, spelt, etc.; texture varies from flour to meal to whole grains.
1 pound organic fish meal - from Fertrell via Hilltop Organics in Dundee, NY; made by International Protein Corp., Minneapolis, MN
4.15 oz (1/2 cup) Fertrell Poultry Nutibalancer - from Fertrell via Hilltop Organics in Dundee, NY

recipe from Tom Shelley, Compost Educator and Sustainability Scion
Learn more about the Sustainable Chicken Project at steephollowfarm.wordpress.com
and on facebook www.facebook.com/129295929#/home.php

Working Goats

After finding that picture on the web at WorkingGoats.com I knew for sure, this is the year I'm gonna try to train one of our goats to pull! We have that same green metal garden cart, and man, is it a chore on my joints getting it back uphill (even tho it's empty most of the time)... Hopefully we'll have a buck, or two to choose from from our first group of goat kids and I can start training from scratch. It'll be a while before I'll have help pulling the cart; definitely not this year, maybe next - but I am already looking forward to having help moving the chicken manure, goat manure, wood and weeds :)

A few weeks and Thirteen our first doe to deliver is scheduled to kid! Michael my goat guru invited me to watch the birth of his first kids of the season; his Nubian doe delivered two kids, a boy and a girl, very graciously and without any help even tho the first one was breeched.

A lot of training and equipment information an be found on the Working Goats website. They also sell harnesses, but with the help of friend Eileen we sewed one ourselves which seems to fit fine (have not pulled with it yet). Later I'll upload some pics with measurements etc for other sewing enthusiasts.

my plunge into soap making

With the three week stay of my sister last recently I decided it was high time to learn the ins and outs of soap making as she makes and sells artisan soaps at renaissance fairs for years now. No better way to learn than from an expert I think :)

And I must say, now I know what to look for and what to look out for, soap making is not as difficult as I worried - sort of like making custard with rubber gloves and a ski mask - and definitely a heck of a lot more addictive than I anticipated! Which kinda means that if I'm not gonna sell any bars anytime soon, we'll have plenty of soap for us and any birthday presents until the end of times LOL.


So, what did I learn?

Lye goes in, but does not come out, so to say: soap making is a chemical process which means the fats/oils plus lye equals soap and the process is called saponification.

Wear protective clothing, gloves and goggles - until the chemical process is complete the soap soup is caustic and can burn holes in what you wear and you!

Go slow, do not hurry; no distraction from kids, cats or husbands allowed.

Wait 24 hours before cleaning, most will be saponified and suds up, plus it's not as caustic.
Oh, and if you have a septic system, wipe all chunks off first and discard in the trash - no sense in blocking up the pipes with "undigested" soap traces!

Don't handle uncured soap with bare hands, we have to wait the 6-8 weeks as well.

Before doing any actual work have someone walk you thru the process, either "live" or by reading lots of books with color pictures and watching a dvd or two. You'll need to learn what to "look" for before mixing any hazardous chemicals on your own.

About that last, have a gallon jug of vinegar on hand to neutralize any caustic spills if needed.

My sister taught me well :)


What materials seem to work for me?

a large 7qt crock pot
a digital scale
2 candy thermometers
a large (narrow) measuring beaker (to add lye crystals to water)
a medium measuring beaker (to weight water in)
a small measuring beaker (for lye)
several metal stirring spoons (full and slotted)
several rubber spoons to remove the last bits
several molds
rubber gloves
large safety glasses (wrap around kind)

an electric grater to hand mill / rebatch
a small band saw to cut hardened soap.

I already had the large crockpot (bought on sale at Wegmans) for making apple butters and most of the beakers from our dark room - a bunch of the other stuff I got at the Salvation Army store and Dollar Stores around town. The scale I got at Bed, Bath & Beyond (wait for the coupons) and the large beaker at Maine's restaurant supply.

You can use pretty much anything as a mold, though you might have to line it (wax paper) and/or freeze it to get the bar out. I prefer partially flexible plastic molds that don't need to be lined and most of the time the bar comes out of fairly easily. Ikea has good food grade plastic storage containers (with lid), kitchen stores carry flexible silicone molds like square cake pans or muffin pans and dollar stores tend to carry drawer dividers - all useful soap molds. Same for empty milk containers (waxed cardboard), pringle tubes, novelty cake pans, oatmeal containers, pvc piping...


Interesting books:

Soap Makers Workshop by Mc Daniel.
My definite favorite how-to book, comes with instructional DVD. Great pics, great recipes, geared towards people who'd like to start a soap making business.

Handmade Soap by Country Living.
Not really a how-to, but loads of good recipes and ideas.

The Soapmaker's Companion by Cavitch.
Lots of recipes, techniques and know-how (learn to design & calculate your own recipes).

The Natural Soap Book by Cavitch.
A great basic guide for herbal and vegetable based soaps.

All available thru Amazon.


Interesting websites:

Miller's Home Made Soap Pages
www.millersoap.com

Majestic Mountain Sage (has a lye calculator)
www.thesage.com


When I feel like typing again, I'll add some of the recipes I made the past month!
The olive oil only soap smells wonderful (and no added fragrance whatsoever!) and the oatmeal and honey soap smells like cookies... I still think it's funny, though, when cleaning my soap making stuff the stuff to clean off is soap, that'll suds up and clean itself :)

it's Spring... time for Bird Houses!

I made a whole bunch of birdhouses - just before my second hand surgery and I knew I would not be able to do anything for at least another two months... I googled quite a few sites and settled on a couple interesting designs and ideas. We still had quite a few hemlock 6, 8 and 10" wide planks left over (not so much anymore) and all the houses below are made from what we still had laying about the workshop.

All nest boxes are made from recycled rough cut hemlock - the rough cut gives grip and traction and the hemlock gives long life even left untreated. The ones listed below are available and range between $15 to $30 each (see craigslist).


The Woodpecker House:

From the site http://www.freebirdhouseplans.net/woodpeckerbirdhouseplan.html
A birdhouse suitable for members of the woodpecker family and also for nuthatches and titmice, including chickadees.

It is attached to boles / main trunk of trees. The bottom is removable. It has grooves below the hole on the inside to make the inside surface rough to make it easier for the baby birds to get out of the box.


measures 30" by 10" (it's large but skinny)


The Squirrel Nest Box!

from the website http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/ndblinds/kestrel.htm
Indeed, who needs more squirrels :) This nest box is suitable for the Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrel, and Fox Squirrel.

Squirrels can be attracted by using this box and filling it half full of leaves and mounting it at least 30 feet above the ground on a tree at least 10 inches in diameter. It is not necessary to clean out squirrel boxes.



measures 22 inches by 12 inches (it's heavy)


Wren & House Finch Nest Box:

from the site http://www.freebirdhouseplans.net/wrensbirdhouseplan.html
For wrens it may be placed on a tree or fence post. If attached near the eaves of a building, house finches will use it as well.

The insert / shelf can be easily removed by prying it up and sliding it out for easy cleaning access.



measures 15" by 10"


Robin & Barn Swallow Nest Box:

from the site http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/ndblinds/robin.htm
The nesting shelf can be placed near a window where the birds can be observed throughout the nesting season or to a tree trunk or post 6-10 feet off the ground. Barn swallows will also utilize this shelf structure and may be encouraged to nest away from a doorway or other inconvenient location if presented with this opportunity.



the shelf unit is 13 inches tall and 8 inches deep


Peterson Blue Bird House:

Made from both recycled hemlock and old barn wood.
Mount on a post at/overlooking a field at about 5 feet high

for specifics please check the NPWRC website at:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/ndblinds/peteblue.htm



the mounting board is 30 inches tall, the house about 10x14 inches.

Whichever house does not find a new home I will mount this Fall, when I can properly use a screwdriver at the top of a ladder again :)

apple cider vinegar & honey help arthritis

I've come across one too many references to the apple cider vinegar (with mother) with honey mixture as an old time remedy for arthritis I decided to google for more info - see below - and plan to try it for a while. Since my sister recommends drinking something acidic with meals anyway to help digestion it seems this way I could help two problems with one honey drink :)

From the website: arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com

"Dr. D.C. Jarvis, practitioner in Vermont, wrote a book entitled Arthritis and Folk Medicine. It is an interesting account of the centuries-old remedies used by farmers in Vermont for preserving vigorous health into old age. The book explains in detail the uses of apple cider vinegar for everything from relieving arthritis to reducing blood pressure to curing osteoporosis.

Jarvis believes that people with arthritis are calcium deficient, yet their joints and blood vessels are lined with calcium deposits that interfere with blood circulation and cause pain. He explains: “People with arthritis are usually classified as calcium deficient, although they do tend to accumulate calcium deposits. Vermont folk medicine says they are not making hydrochloric acid in the stomach, or else the amount made is too small. Normal calcium metabolism is so highly dependent upon this acid that when there is a lack of it a disturbed calcium metabolism is inevitable.”

Apparently Vermonters believe that treatment of arthritis, and many other health problems, must begin in the stomach. Jarvis found that when an apple cider vinegar cocktail is taken daily, calcium deposits are released back into solution in the bloodstream to be re-circulated to the proper parts of the body (the bones), thus alleviating arthritic pain and warding off osteoporosis. He explains: “The bones are a storehouse for calcium, and the ability to deposit calcium in the bony framework of the body with the aid of vinegar is certainly of value in elderly people because it makes the bones stronger and much less likely to be broken.”

In his conclusion, Jarvis summarizes the Vermont folk medicine prescription for arthritis: “Give 2 teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and 2 of honey in a glass of water, taken at each meal. If this mixture is not accepted by the stomach at mealtimes it may be taken between meals.”

Use the cider vinegar and honey treatment for arthritis and also apply cider vinegar externally to painful joints. Local treatment can also be given by soaking the arthritic hand, or foot in a strong, comfortably hot solution of cider vinegar for ten minutes, two or three times a day - (a quarter of a cup of cider vinegar to one and a half cups of water).

Arthritic knees can be attended to by making a poultice - soak the cloth in a mixture of cider vinegar and water, (as per above mixture) wring out and wrap it around the joint, then secure with a dry cloth to retain heat. When the wet cloth cools, it should be wrung out in the hot solution and applied afresh. Repeat several times, twice daily.

The Arthritis Foundation does not endorse this treatment and lumps it under unproven remedies. My patients sometimes will try things like this. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I personally don’t see any real harm in trying it. But I wouldn’t advise using this as a substitute for what your rheumatologist recommends."

goat potato chips...

thinking about other free goat munchies; at some point I read an article about feeding goats dry fall leaves during winter, tried it out this fall and yes, they do eat them like we do potato chips :)

A couple things I learned, they LOVE apple tree leaves, but pitted fruit trees like cherry (wild and cultivated) and peaches are poisonous. As are Rhodondendron, Mountain Laurel and Yew. Do a google search for a complete listing...

When leaves are abundant the goats are probably not that interested in what you offer since it is available everywhere; it's when it's all gone 'in the wild' when a handful each day with their hay will be greatly appreciated. Don't throw it on the ground; eating of the floor is unsanitary anyway, but even yummy leaves on ground tend to be ignored.

I only save leaves in paper bags and when 'collecting' filled bags only save the ones for the animals that are completely dry (at least a couple days no rain) and are light weight, without extra moisture. Wet leaves will start composting, and the molds would make the goats sick, not happy.

Furry Chrismas Tree Recycling?

I was thinking... seeing all those dumped nice Christmas trees along the roads... how good a goat treat would those make?

I asked Michael my goat guru and he remembered seeing an article on the web about a town collecting all it's trees after new years and donating them to a goat farm, so it's not that unusual of an idea! He did also mention feeding white pine on the other hand (not a xmas tree type pine) can cause miscarriage - very good to know, as we have a large white pine which always looses branches I was intending to feed to my (pregnant) girls!

I brought home a nice looking tree (no spray on glitter etc) and the girls are steadily munching on it - not too much at once, bu munching away none the less :)

See blog article "Christmas Trees recycled by Goats" and article "Rescued Goats eat Discarded Christmas Trees like Candy"

Cinnamon Bread

6.5 - 7 cups white & whole wheat flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 pkg / 2.5 teaspoons yeast
1 cup milk
3/4 (1/2 if proofing) cup water
1/3 cup margarine
3 room temperature eggs

filling:
softened butter to spread
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2-1 cup raisins (optional)

Proof dry yeast with 1/4 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Mix 2 cups of flour with sugar & salt.
Put milk, water & margarine in glass bowl and microwave for 2 min.
Gradually add to dry ingredients in KitchenAid and mix.
Add proofed yeast and eggs.
Gradually add the rest of the flour to make a stiff dough which pulls off the sides of the bowl.
Cover with warm damp cloth for 30-60 minutes in a warm spot.

Remove dough from bowl and divide in two.
Punch each half down to about a 14x9 triangle.
Spread softened butter all over, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon.
Roll as you would a jelly roll, begin at short side.
Tuck in ends to prevent leaking and place in metal bread pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes.
To see if it's done, turn over and knock to hear if it's hollow.
Place cookie sheet under bread pans as the goodies can leak out.

Great to bring to potlucks, the bread looks wonderful and tastes even better!

From Countryside, Nov/Dec 2010 page 71

Oliebollen

New Years' Eve fried dough "Dutch style"

1 cup raisins (optional)
4.5 cups all purpose flour
2 cups lukewarm milk
1 tbs salt
1 egg
24 grams yeast

rinse the raisins, black and/or yellow, and drain well
dilute / proof the yeast in a little lukewarm milk
combine flour and salt in stand mixer, add milk, egg, yeast mixture and raisins - mix well

the mixture should fall in flakes, not sheath

let rise covered in warm environment for at least an hour
when it has risen and is full of bubbles it is ready

use a deep fryer on the french fries setting (remove the colander)
use two spoons to scoop batter from bowl, constantly rotating to make 1,5-2 inch balls, and drop them into the frying oil - leaving room to move about

After about 3 minutes turn around, if they have not already done so, and bake for an additional 2 minutes (the larger the diameter of the ball, the longer the baking time). They should be golden brown (like french fries) and crispy, without a doughy center.

"Oliebollen" are the predecessors of Doughnuts - believe it or not since they do taste completely different. The batter changed over the years, especially with the addition of sugar. One invention to prevent a doughy center (an issue with frying large volume) was to remove the center completely, resulting in the recognizable doughnut "O" shape :)