Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone,
Just a quick post to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
It has been cold and wet the past few days and work has been long hours away from the homestead! Yesterday I got a call to report to work at 1700. I normally work from 2130 until 0700. the reason was I had to go to Pitt County Hospital with an Inmate that had been hit in the head with a padlock and needed surgery to remove a blood clot that was putting pressure on his brain. I spent 16 hours at the hospital and got home at 0930.
Needless to say, I went to bed for a few hours, But today was our Thanksgiving and I got up at 1500 to help Terri get things ready. We finally had dinner at 1900 and after we played cards.
Now it's time to get to bed.
So I hope that you all have a great day, with plenty of food and Family!
Tom

Dead Computer

OK, I know, I said I would start to post again (Way back on Sept 24th!). And fully intented to get to it.....BUT.....The Computer had other ideas. IT CRASHED two days later and it has taken for ever to get it back up! And its still not right! I need a new one. That's not going to happen any time soon.

So I will try to get this post out tonight.
The weather has been crazy and it has confused the plants and trees to no end! We had our first heavy frost a couple week ago and it killed the two volunteer  plants I had. The one near the chicken yard, I though was a summer squash plant, But it turned out to be a pumpkin plant instead. I got one good size pumpkin after the plant died back.

Yep, It's Yellow!

And the Tomato plant got hit too! But I was able to harvest over 100 grape tomato's before the frost killed it.

My heat pump has been down all summer and now that the temps are on the down side, the house is cold. Got home from work the other morning and the thermostat read 44 degrees and both dogs were shivering. I have a space heater in the bed room and that's where we spend all our time when in the house.
 It was 68 degrees today and after I got some sleep, I got some work done out side. Months ago I picked some old picket fencing that some one had dismantled and set out for the trash man. It has been laying out back for quite some time and I though today was the day to do some thing with it!

The new compost bin! There are two compartments.

And as you can see, I have started to fill it with grass clippings, Chicken bedding and house scraps. Not bad for a freebie!

Speaking of Freebies. I have been doing a lot of research on what can be done with old pallets. I have picked up a few here and there and want to do something with them. Well I have gotten some good ideas and now I have to find some place that will let me have them for free! Living out side a small town, there are not to many places I can get them here. And I have to drive about 60 miles to get near any place that might have them. Have to start looking this week!

An up date on the Chickens:
I am down to 10 layers now. The two RIR's were killed by the new dog. Izzy is a real sweet hart, but she hates Chickens! It did not help the the two lady's could not seem to be able to stay in the Chicken yard and when they would get out, They headed right to Izzy. And she thinks that they made excellent chew toys!
But the 10 I still have went into molt and I got my last egg back on Aug. 28th. At that time the total number was 1710. And I got my first egg just the other day! 76 days with no eggs! I had to buy eggs at the store for the first time in over a year! In the past week I have gotten 6 and that take the total up to 1716! I  hope to add more layers next spring and I really want a rooster so they can add to the flock on their own

Well, I guess that's it for now. Again I hope this get's published and you all get it! I will be back
Tom