The Birthday Girl.

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday was Terri's Birthday (She is 29.........Again!). And I wanted to do something special for her. We normally take each other out for dinner on birthday's. But with a hectic life for all of us, I decided that I would make her a Birthday Dinner at home instead.
She is always feeding me and she records all the LA DODGER games for me on her DVR (I converted them to Dodgers fans a few years ago and we are all very happy with the season so far! The best record in Baseball!!!)
Anyway, I decided to roast a Beef Tenderloin for her. It took me hours to find a place in town that had any, and yes it was not cheep. But I figured that I would have spent as much, If not more taking her out.
So here is the menu:
Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Garlic, Thyme and Rosemary
Baked Potatoes
Turnip Greens with onion and bacon
A green salad
And at her request.....Lemon Marang for desert (From Scratch!)

I got a 4.9 lb Tenderloin and after removing the excess fat and trimming it down a little, I finally chopped the Garlic,Thyme and Rosemary, Added enough EVOO to make a paste and spread it over the roast. I cover it with plastic wrap and set it on the counter for 3 hours while I worked on the other stuff.
Do any of you know how much work there is in making a pot of Turnip Greens? HOLLY MOLLY!!!
After cleaning the greens chopping them and  the Turnips and onion and the bacon, I was ready for a NAP!
I cooked the bacon, then added the onion and Turnips. Cooked them for a few Min's and then added about 3/4 coups chicken stock to deg lase the pan. Then added the Greens and put the lid on. Let all that cook for 15 min and then it was all mixed together, placed on a back burner on low, to keep hot.

I placed the roast in a 400 degree oven for 35 min (internal temp 120) and then let it rest for 15 min. I have to say "That is the best slice of Beef I have ever had! Terri was surprised  and loved the meal. And I expect the leftover's to be just as good!
Tom

The big move

Last Friday I moved the kids from the brooder to the new Coop. I placed all 6 in a cat carrier and loaded them in the back of the truck. Also had the feeder, water font ready to fill and place in there.
Here are some pictures of the move:

The finished coop. All that I have to do now is get the fenced yard for them built!

They were not sure that they liked the cat carrier. But when I placed it in the coop, only one of them would come out. I had to pull the rest of them out. A couple of them even went back in!

The water font, filled and in place. I had to later place it on a raised platform, as they kept kicking the bedding in the tray. Same with the feeder.

"Would you please let us out?"

Ellie introducing her self to the kids. She was convinced that they were food for her! 

Up close and personnel. "Are you sure that's not food?"

First time on the roost. She could be a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" 

Food, water and bedding. What more could they ask for?

Yep, some place where they can run around in the sun and chase bugs! The two on top of the feeder are "Oddball" and "Chipmunk". Now that they are Teenagers, I can not tell them a part!

Terri took all the pictures, so I could get them in the coop. They have been in there for a week now and seem to like the new place.
So there is the new home for them and they have more room. But I need to get the yard put together and let them out side.
They went through the first heavy rain storm the other night and I was worried about now well the coop would hold up. But it did not leak and they were fine.
I wonder how many Hens are in this group? Time will tell!
Tom

I have a secret

Hey everyone,
This is my One hundredth post!  I wanted to post something special for this post! Maybe the big move for the Chickens to their new home in the newly built Coop. But that's not the secret.
I have not mentioned this secret to many people in the hopes I would not Jinks it and everything just disappears!
Susan (e-i-e-i-omging) and I have been e-mailing out side the Blog world and she has been keeping her fingers  (and other parts crossed!) with the hope that this all works out!
Well it has and now I'm ready to tell the whole world!
The big secret is.........I have been offered a new JOB! And it's so much better then what I have now!!!
Here's the story,
Back in late December I was told that Job applications were being taken at the "Rivers Correctional Institute" near Winton N.C. This is a Federal Minimum Security Prison and is under contract with the "Bureau of Prisons".
I applied and went Thur the process of filing all kinds of paper work and 3 interviews.
It took some time for the back ground checks to be completed. But with my military time and the fact that I have been in Security jobs for the past 11 years, I though I had a pretty good chance to get the Job.
In late February I got a call from the HR office wanting me to get a physical (another worry, I'm 58 after all) and I got that taken care of and was classed as FIT FOR DUTY!
Now remember this all started 5 months ago and like I said, I did not want to jinks it by getting my hopes up to high and I did not want to tell you all until it was a sure thing!
Last Friday I received a call from HR that I missed (out side working on the Chicken Coop!) and I did not check my messages until I was on my way home Saturday morning. You know how they say it is unsafe to drive and use a cell phone? Well, I can tell you they are right! As I almost ran into the ditch when I listened to this message!!!!
I pulled over in the first safe place I could find and listened to the message again! The HR lady said that the start date for training was 4 June and I needed to get two more documents to her (DD214 from the Air Force and the Arizona Army National Guard). She did not come right out and say that she had a Job offer for me, But it sure sounded like it to me!
As it was Saturday and there would be  no one in the office until Monday, I was going to have to wait until Monday to talk with her. I had two days to be excited and worried! That was a long two days!!!
First thing Monday morning I called and the first thing I said to her was, "Is this an official job offer"?
She said that it was and the the Warden had chosen me first from the list of candidate's (there were 18 candidate's for 4 positions!). I was doing the Happy Dance!!!!!
I went on line and requested the two DD214's and even talked to the records office of the Guard unit I belonged to and got them to e-mail the forms to me. Yesterday I found a copy of the one from the Air Force that I did not know I had and should get the other one today.
I will take both to HR and sign my letter of intent. I have already given my notice to leave QVC and my last work day with them will be 30 May.

Let me tell you why this is so much better for me and the Homestead!

1. The starting pay is so much better then what I'm making at QVC right now!
2. Its closer to home! QVC is a 115 mile round trip each day and it is running me $200+ in gas each week just to get to work! Rivers is only 17 miles from home!! That's $200 I can put back into the budget for the Homestead!
3. With the increase in pay, I can get my bills back in line and start to get out from under the worry of how am I going to pay bills on time!
4. I can now start to put some $$ away to do some of the things I have wanted to do ever sense I got the Homestead almost 5 years ago! (It took me three years just to be able to work just 6 Chickens into the program!).
5. As I will not have to spend over an hour and a half driving each way to work, I will have more time to work on projects at home!!
And yes there are a few CON'S to this new adventure. The big one is I will now have to work with Inmates! That is something I have not had to do before and I will have to a just to that as part of the Job! But the PROS far out weight all that!

So that's my Big Secret! And I can now see some light at the end of the tunnel!
Wish me luck!

Next post, 101 and the Big Chicken Move!
Tom