Photohunt: Pointed (rock and spade)

Posted July 5th, 2008 by Jen in family life, the ranch
5 Comments »

Today’s photohunt theme is pointed. The pointed spade smoothes on the mortar for the pointed rocks. This section of wall is part of the outer front facade of our home. The rock work may be done by the end of the weekend - one step closer to moving in!

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:21

We are grateful to God for the blessing of this home, for however long or short He chooses for us to make this our dwelling place.

Technorati Tags: Central Oregon, construction, photo hunt, ranch, mortar, rock, masonry

Independence Day!

Posted July 4th, 2008 by Jen in family life, holidays, the ranch
4 Comments »

JoJo and JJ would like to wish you all a Happy 4th of July! They say “We love America” and hope you do, too.

We enjoyed our hometown Independence Day parade this morning, and the girls got their fill of horses…and candy. I call them “professional parade goers” since they never forget to bring their candy bags, and beg to go to any parade within a hundred mile radius. At first, I thought they just loved parades. I’m a slow learner.

Dear children! I had had to say more than once. This holiday is about FREEDOM not candy! I don’t recall this inundation with treats at my childhood 4th of July parades. It’s all in good fun, but for kids the age of mine, it can be…distracting!

We talked about the first 4th of July and will be listening to this story today about George Washington. If you have young children, I highly recommend subscribing to You Need a Story, an outstanding weekly production from Robert Green that will show up in your inbox every Tuesday or so, always an exhilarating audio adventure, maybe a classic, maybe an unknown literary gem.

Here is a photo of my kids’ favorite parade entry this year:

They adore the miniature horses, and we pass the farm where they live nearly every day, so they said a friendly hello!

And of course, our dear friends from Lone Pine Clydesdales were back at this parade, all rested from last week’s parade.

We stopped at our property on the way back to our rental house, and Big L took a moment to make a wish. “What did you wish for?” inquired JJ. “I can’t tell you!” he says.

“Was it for a great and awesome destiny?” JJ prodded. “Or a miracle?”

I loved her guesses! What a thoughtful and creative mind. I certainly have those wishes for our great nation!!

Do you have a wish for America? And any parade pictures posted? Let me know, and enjoy a lovely Independence Day, my fellow Americans.

Technorati Tags: Fourth of July, You Need a Story, American flag, Independence Day

America: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Posted June 29th, 2008 by Jen in family life, holidays, humor, politics/world news, the ranch
18 Comments »

This next weekend ushers in the birthday of the United States of America! Here are a few word pictures from this past week from me, in small town America, 232 years and still going. I’ve included the good, the bad, and the ugly, but as you’ll see, in America, we take the good with the bad and roll with it, and even the ugly - well, it’s a free country and we can call ugly if we want.

Yesterday morning, at a local parade, celebrating that old west pastime called Rodeo, I was thrilled to see my friends’ Clydesdales in all their hugeness. This was GOOD.

And where else but Prineville could I find the Amazing Trash Can Marching Band? They dispose of garbage in step and in style. These guys were GOOD!

On to the BAD…look at the interesting mound I discovered on our property a few days ago.

Kids, do NOT jump in the pretty pile, because…take a closer look:

Ooowwww. These are some aggressive ants, and I’ve been scrambling to find out what they are. Most notably, they have a red head and body and a shiny black behind. At first glance, they look and act just like the Allegheny Mound Ants. Build enormous piles. Have red head/thorax and black abdomen. But those mostly live in the upper Midwest to the New England states and south to Georgia.

So, another possibility is the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA). They also build mounds. Also have red forebody and black abdomen. But they live mostly in the southeast, however a few California counties have been infested, and there’s been suspected infestations in Oregon. I’m supposed to immediately contact the Oregon Department of Agriculture if I think I have these RIFAs, because they are considered an invasive species, and a serious health risk to pets and children, not to mention the damage that can be done to crops and other native plant life.

A final suspect, perhaps the most likely, is the harvester ant. This is a common desert ant, which fits my habitat. Another aggressive mound-building ant. Someone wrote a whole thesis on the harvester ant and how it’s helpful in locating small artifacts in archaeological surveys. I think I’ll start digging for Paiute relics in this very spot.

The only issue I’m trying to resolve with the harvester ants is whether it’s likely for them to have a red head/thorax and a black rear. This is the only photograph from the Oregon high desert (or anywhere) I can find that fits what I see here on my property; the rest are all red or all black. Anyone?

I can’t live with these creatures. It’s summertime and they are seriously swarming. They inflict especially painful stings and bites. Enter the brave husband. With the poison. We are not poison-happy people, but there are limits to my consciousness.

Don’t worry, my pretties, there’s enough here for everyone. Take this to your egg laying machine MOMMY!! But here’s a small problem. I went back to the mound yesterday, expecting it to be very quiet. But no. More activity and seemingly more ants than ever. I re-poisoned the area, and I’ll check again later.

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer and gathers her sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? Proverbs.

Enough of the BAD! But, remember, this is the United States, and I actually own this land of the mother-of-all-anthills (and have many ant poison options), God bless America!

Would you like to see the UGLY from small town America?

America is soooo great, that even our “ugly” isn’t that bad. Okay, that is not true, there are truly horrific things going on in America, just as there are around the world. We all need Jesus! But, with our great nation’s birthday upon us, I’d rather find a bit of humor, a bit of appreciation for our free country.

Isn’t it great that a local fruit stand can sell delicious, sweet oranges, ugly and all? Great value, free from government imposed pricing, grown on fruitful land in a country where one can actually be a land-owner, we are so fortunate. If you really want ugly, you can read this supposed celebrate-America-Fourth-of-July-but-really-just-leftist-propaganda editorial, for which this newspaper should be ashamed.

How about these berries? I feel some baking coming on. One aisle over from the ugly oranges, and as beautiful as they come.

In closing, I hope you enjoy this lovely song, one of my very favorites, from that incredible musician, Rich Mullins. Here in America.

Some of my favorite lyrics from this song:

“…Once I went to Appalachia, for my father he was born there, and I saw the mountains waking with the innocence of children…and the Holy King of Israel loves me here, in America!”

Do you have anything (good, bad, or ugly) to share from your slice of America?

God Bless the U.S.A.

Technorati Tags: fruit stand, ants, July 4th Parade, Crooked River Roundup, Fourth of July, Clydesdales, Rich Mullins, Here in America

The Unknown Insect (that’s giving me nightmares).

Posted June 22nd, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, the ranch
15 Comments »

WHAT is this???

I’m so sorry to post such a disgusting picture. My apologies in advance if you have nightmares about this enormous arthropod crawling in your bed tonight. The kids found this on our property, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what it could be. I’ve looked in local field guides and can’t find it. Anyone know?

This was found in Central Oregon on our desert property; the kids accidentally dug it up or overturned it while shoveling dirt. Other habitation/features nearby include juniper trees, dry, volcanic soil, lava rocks, Western Fence Lizards, rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, jackrabbits, deer, field mice, owls, quail, lots of other birds of prey. And….this. ugly. thing.

I’m sure if I know the name of the creature my nightmares will stop. Thank you.

UPDATE: You all bloggers are so smart! Thank you for your input!! Drum roll, nightmares away, it’s a Jerusalem Cricket, commonly called a potato bug!

It’s neither from Jerusalem, nor a true cricket, nor does it prefer to eat potatoes. Most importantly, it is NOT venomous. But it is known to have a powerful bite, so do beware.

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The blog stuff:
Christian Carnival
Carnival of Family Life
Carnival of Homeschooling
The Carnival of Homesteading

Technorati Tags: insects, Central Oregon, country, desert creatures

Of Deer Sheds and Eggshells

Posted June 12th, 2008 by Jen in family life, the ranch
15 Comments »

“Mom! Look!” I had walked right by the 4-point deer shed, trying to keep my eye on the six children running wildly through our Juniper forest, praying the littlest ones wouldn’t trip on all the volcanic rock outcroppings. We had company, and they hadn’t seen our property yet, so off we went on a hike.

JoJo made the big find of the day, with this great deer antler. We stumble upon at least one every spring, as the deer run our property year round, and bed down and poop all over the place make themselves at home here. I remember my children’s amazement when they discovered that deer shed their antlers and grow a new set every year. Note to the deranged individual who continually posts comments here (I love my delete button) about how my husband, the deer hunter, is a “worthless, inhumane piece of sh*t for killing poor innocent deer” - JoJo did not kill this deer nor rip the antler from its head, the Hunter had nothing to do with this, and we love deer as creatures as well as deer for meat.

Big L was distraught that he was not the one to find the great antler, but some bird saved the day. His spirits returned as he soon raced over to me with his find: an enormous eggshell. We pondered what feathered friend could have hatched out of this. An owl? A hawk? An eagle? It’s anyone’s guess, but his treasure. Incidentally, he did find a spike antler later that day, which he immediately turned into a weapon.

There’s nothing so lovely as watching children play in nature, discovering the wonder of God’s creation. Even when said deer horn is used by one child to impale the head of another child, it’s all worth it. It was an accident, people (and oddly enough, only involved the girls). Something to do with a made-up game called “Deer Fighters.” Stitches not even required, but today’s hike cancelled.

I realize there are people who are “professional deer shed hunters.” They make money off these. Just in case anyone is tempted to come gather these, or any other objects, from our property, we have several signs posted just for you, all some variation of this one:

Have a sunny day!

Technorati Tags: Central Oregon, children, country, family life, homesteading, outdoor play, ranch, spring, wildlife, eggshells, deer sheds

Homesteading Carnival: Oregon Trail Edition

Posted June 9th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, the ranch
13 Comments »

Welcome to the Homesteading Carnival Oregon Trail Edition! The articles will be arranged around details of the Oregon Trail, so let’s pack our wagons and head west.

The Oregon Trail was a route to not only Oregon, but the only feasible pathway to the entire western United States. Travel to places like Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and California was only possible because of this passage over the mountains. The 1843 wagon train, with about 1,000 pioneers making the journey, kicked off the big westward expansion, with over half a million travelers over the next 25 years braving the journey.

Carole DeJarnatt presents Build A Chicken Feeder Series posted at Fowl Visions.

Also commonly found slung on the sides of emigrant wagons were water barrels, a butter churn, a shovel and axe, a tar bucket, a feed trough for the livestock, and a chicken coop. A fully outfitted wagon on the Oregon Trail must have been quite a sight, particularly with a coop full of clucking chickens raising a ruckus every time the wagon hit a rock. From End of the Oregon Trail.

GP presents The Innside Scoop on Hosting House Guests posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.

Bush established a successful farm near present day Olympia on land that became known as Bush Prairie. He and his family were noted for their generosity to new arrivals and for their friendship with the Nisqually Indians who lived nearby. From HistoryLink.

Jennifer Bogart presents Planting Rhubarb posted at Measure Twice, Cut Once.

A typical day started before dawn with breakfast of coffee, bacon, and dry bread. The bedding was secured and wagon repacked in time to get underway by seven o’clock. At noon, they stopped for a cold meal of coffee, beans, and bacon or buffalo prepared that morning. Then back on the road again. Around five in the afternoon, after traveling an average of fifteen miles, they circled the wagons for the evening. The men secured the animals and made repairs while women cooked a hot meal of tea and boiled rice with dried beef or codfish. Evening activities included schooling the children, singing and dancing, and telling stories around the campfire. From End of the Oregon Trail.

Belle presents Did You Know……All Soaps Have Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)? posted at Born 100 Years to Soon.

One pound of Castile soap was recommended for the journey (for one man on a three month expedition).

Dora Renee’ Wilkerson presents Soap Creations review posted at Y-2K Hippie.

Minimal cooking utensils included a cast iron skillet or spider, Dutch oven, reflector oven, coffee pot or tea kettle, and tin plates, cups, and knives, forks, spoons, matches, and crocks, canteens, buckets or water bags for liquids. A rifle, pistols, powder, lead, and shot were recommended for hunting game along the way, and for self-defense. Candles were used for lighting, as they were far less expensive and lighter than transporting oil, and several pounds of soap was included. Only two or three sets of practical, sturdy, and warm clothing of wool and linen had to last the wear and tear of the journey, and a small sewing kit for repairs was important. Basic tools such as a shovel, ax or hatchet, and tools to repair wagon equipment were essential. Bedding and tents completed the list of necessities. From BLM Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

Jacque presents Summer Plans posted at Walking Therein.

June 3 Passed through St. Joseph on the Missouri River. Laid in our flour, cheese, crackers and medicine, for no one should travel this road without medicine, for they are almost sure to have the summer complaint. Each family should have a box of physicing pills, a quart of castor oil, a quart of the best rum and a large vial of peppermint essence. Elizabeth Dixon Smith. From End of the Oregon Trail.

Miss Jocelyn presents Making The Home: Washin’ The Laundry posted at Growing In Grace Magazine.

Resting on Sundays, in addition to giving the oxen and other animals a needed break, also gave the women of the wagon train a chance to tend to their domestic chores — particularly doing the laundry, as the dust on the Trail pervaded every article of clothing exposed to it. Occasionally, a wagon train’s arrival at a source of clean water was enough to prompt a special stopover for laundry day. From End of the Oregon Trail.

Lady Olivia presents Cherry Pie in a Cup posted at Growing In Grace Magazine.

In procuring supplies for this journey, the emigrant should provide himself with, at least, 200 pounds of flour, 150 pounds of bacon; ten pounds of coffee; twenty pounds of sugar; and ten pounds of salt. From Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California, 1845.

Thanks for visiting, this is the end of the trail! The next Homesteading Carnival will be hosted by The Daily Planet. You may submit your post HERE.

photo credits:
www.historyglobe.com
www.isu.edu
Diary of 1

Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Homesteading Carnival, country, family life, gardening, Oregon Trail

June random stuff. Blogging, Ranching, Giving Away.

Posted June 1st, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, giveaways, the office, the ranch
16 Comments »

Yesterday was an interesting day of firsts. The kiddos found a chirping nest full of baby birds (children, do NOT touch!) and happened upon (cued by loud barking from the dog) a nest of wild baby bunnies jackrabbits (children, do NOT touch!). As we drove home late in the evening, I came within inches of smashing a great horned owl into my windshield, as it was concentrating on the baby field mouse it had snatched off the road. And finally I pulled into our house to see a yard full of little deer. It’s spring in the Oregon high desert.

All of the childhood exploring was possible because my husband and I were busy breaking our backs trying to get the yard prepared to plant some grass. I snapped off my shovel handle just above the spade (is that a bad sign?) trying to pry up a boulder and I bent the prongs of my husband’s $50 rake. I’ll go soak my weary bones in a hot bath and try to focus on how green that grass will be in a few months.

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Well, it’s June now. I have a special giveaway for DADS (or grads). Father’s Day is June 15, just two weeks away. I’m going to let the winner choose any in-stock item under $30 from our online sports store, TeamMASCOT.com. We carry team logoed products across six leagues - NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, NHL, and NASCAR. If you’re not going to settle for giving another necktie on Father’s Day, consider a key chain, wallet, or even a hammer with his favorite team’s logo!

Please be sure the item is in-stock (noted after the product description), because I’ll need to get this shipped by the end of the week to guarantee arrival for Father’s Day. CONTEST CLOSES Friday, June 6. TO ENTER, leave a comment on this post, letting me know which product you would like. Open to U.S. and APO addresses. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you, so I can notify the winner and get this shipped to the correct address.
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Marriage Monday, hosted by Chrysalis blog coming tomorrow! Submit your post after today on any aspect of your wedding here.

There are several blog carnivals that you may want to catch up on. Just topical collections of blog articles.

Christian Carnival and up again Wednesday at Ancient Hebrew Poetry.
Carnival of Homeschooling, and up again Tuesday at Tami’s Blog.
Carnival of Family Life, and coming again tomorrow at Live from Waterloo.
Homesteading Carnival, and coming again tomorrow at Lighter Side.

Technorati Tags: blogging, family life, blog contest, giveaway, Father’s Day, outdoor play, outdoors, parenting, baby jackrabbits, ranch, sports business, spring

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Posted May 13th, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, family life, the ranch
11 Comments »

Would you like to see what we’ve been up to at the ranch? The outside is nearly done, save for some dormers, the porch, and landscaping. Here’s the view from the east side.

Inside, we’ve been busy, busy. Drywall and texture is now complete, and tomorrow we begin painting. We spent the morning finalizing our interior colors (mostly earthy tones, some yellows, browns). We’re doing it ourselves, and the rest of today will find me and the kids pulling up paper from the floor and sweeping/vacuuming all the dust, in preparation for tomorrow. Here is my husband’s grand office last week (since been textured and primed):

It’s not all work and no play. The kids run around and find so many interesting things to do for a break. Like climbing trees:

….catching lizards….

….digging tunnels….

We hope to be moved in to our new place in a few months. It’s been about three years since we first embarked on this project, so you can imagine how ready we are to be done, how excited we are to be “home,” how exhausted we are. :-)
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Blog Carnival links:

Learning in the Great Outdoors
Carnival of Family Life
Carnival of Homeschooling
Make It From Scratch
Carnival of the Insanities

Technorati Tags: blog carnival, Central Oregon, country, family life, building a house, outdoor play, outdoors

Brothers

Posted April 29th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, family life, the ranch
24 Comments »

My two country boys.

Wordless Wednesday.

Technorati Tags: brothers, children, country, wordless Wednesday

How can I possibly have a child old enough to ride a motorcycle?

Posted April 24th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, family life, parenting, the ranch
7 Comments »

When did his scooter sprout a motor? When did those endearing “vroom-vroom” noises of my baby begin to emit from a big, scary machine and not his pouty little lips? As every parent knows, and as every older parent loves to tell the younger parents, they grow up so fast.

Here is Big L, in all his nearly-nine-year-old glory, with his first motorcycle. I guess this is what comes after the “big boy bike.” First they shed the training wheels, then they shed the pedals. He was enjoying a ride around the trails Dad made at the property, his reward for spending a few hours helping clean up the drywall debris.

He’s big enough for real work now, and when Dad called me to drop Big L off at the property to help him, it was not out of an affectionate desire for his company (although that’s a nice benefit), but because he truly needed a hand. I feel like I’m in a sort of time warp, watching my boy become a man before my very eyes. Vroom-vroom!

Technorati Tags: parenting, motorcycles, children, growing up, family life

Carnival of Homesteading #45

Posted April 14th, 2008 by Jen in arts & crafts, blog stuff, carnivals, family life, health/cooking/food, the ranch
10 Comments »

Welcome to the 45th Carnival of Homesteading! If you’ve been around here when I host a Blog Carnival, you know how much I love themes! But, alas, I had issues. Computers, kids, work, and some other meanies all conspired against me. Or maybe I was just lazy.

So here is a very SIMPLE carnival, which I suppose is in keeping with the theme of homesteading! There were just 12 submissions, which I’ve listed first, followed by some of my own Top 10 Editor’s Picks that I grabbed from around the blogosphere, which fit the homesteading motif. You’ll find my own small commentary following each post.

(Let me know if you find any errors, omissions, bad links, etc.)

Rose Denson presents Spearmint Hot Pepper Horseradish Spray posted at Grandma Rosie’s Texas Home.

This is for the bugs, not for you!

Dora Renee’ Wilkerson presents Making Cottage Cheese posted at Y-2K Hippie.

This looks yummy. There is also a recipe for hand milled soap here.

Belle presents My Diary of No Shampoo—-Day 4 and 5 posted at Born 100 Years to Soon.

Belle shares her egg shampoo experiment. Yes, the kind you crack open and out comes gooey stuff. Find out why in the world she’s putting this in her hair on purpose.

Valereee presents Foraging: hot new foodie trend, or the hottest new foodie trend? posted at Cincinnati Locavore.

Finding wild edible treasures - is this trend here to stay? Is it fueled by fears of a depression? Read more!

Dave Trenholm presents How to Make a Square Foot Garden posted at Alberta Home Gardening.

Learn how to plant in blocks and eliminate the 80% of your traditional garden that you just walk on.

Moobeema presents MooBee Farm: The Burn Barrel Incident posted at MooBee Farm.

What happens when WIFE wants a burn barrel to match the color of her house…MooBeeFarm delivers up some amusement for you.

Sister Brenda presents Da Yooper Pasties Recipe and Tutorial posted at haflinger.

Mmmm, meat pie!! Having lived in Michigan for many years, I knew right away what this was all about! “Da Yoopers” are those great folks who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Flossie presents Aunt Lizzie’s Pound Cake posted at The Funny Farm.

Oh, my, this isn’t just the aunt’s recipe…it’s the great, great aunt’s recipe! And Flossie knew her! This family must have started having babies young. I didn’t even know one single great aunt, let alone a great-great.

Stephanie presents So Much to Say! posted at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood.

We know about the guard dog, but a guard donkey? Oh, yes, read on!

GP presents How Green is Your Garden posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.

Just get a load of her greenhouse! I’m positively green with envy!

Miss Amanda presents Cake Baking Photo Essay posted at My Learning Experience.

What a sweet sister to make such a lovely cake for her brother!

Jacque Dixon presents From the Archives- Gardening 101 - You *Can* Teach Your Children!! posted at Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths.

There is something for every age in the garden, and Jacque gives some great tips on teaching children that incorporate science, math, art, biblical lessons and more.

And now for the 10 other goodies that I discovered in cyberspace:

At Tales from Creekistan, I found The Daffodil House. Just don’t look inside the house.

At Blind Pig & the Acorn, I enjoyed The Fields of Home. I love that field, and read her garden wisdom.

At Hidden Haven Homestead, this author is Counting Blessings. I’m just trying to count the goats.

Down On The Farm shares some “Tails” From the Farm. In search of the perfect Jersey cow - bringing Buttercup home to the Back Forty.

At Kentucky Hollers, Running Into the Neighbors can be a literal experience, and Catherine discovers that sometimes movie stars retire to the Appalachian foothills.

Adventures in Farming coins a new saying, Snug as pigs in straw. The cutest little things I’ve ever seen.

In My Kitchen Garden has an intriguing offer: Attention Homeless Organic Vegetable Lovers: Would You Like To Move To A Farm? Seriously. Pack your bags and go live with the enormous pot-bellied pig.

Old Red Barn Co. clarifies work: It’s the reason you have kids, afterall. It was planting time, and lucky for Dana, she has a few sprightly young’uns.

Yarnstorm muses about tulips and tempests.Wow, those colors.

CraftApple instructs us on Gathering. For the seamstress in you - simple, foolproof techniques for a perfect gather.

Happy homesteading, now get on with your baking, planting, stitching, haying, milking, crafting, canning, quilting life!

Stay tuned next week, when the Homesteading Carnival will be hosted by Jacque at Seeking Rest in Ancient Paths. Submit your Homesteading posts HERE.

Technorati Tags: blog carnival, carnivals, farm, garden, gardening with children, homesteading

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Twist(ed)

Posted April 11th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, the ranch
27 Comments »

This week’s theme: Twist(ed)

About 1/4 mile down the road from me, this twisted barbed wire fence marks the boundary between one old farm and another. At times it held back cattle, at times perhaps a feud.

Technorati Tags: barbed wire fence, country, photo hunt, ranch, farm

Homesteading Blog Carnival: Call for Submissions

Posted April 10th, 2008 by Jen in blog stuff, carnivals, family life, the ranch
0 Comments

My, another blog carnival is on the way! The Homesteading Carnival will be hosted here at Diary of 1 this coming Monday, April 14. You can submit your blog post/article HERE by Sunday at 9 p.m. EST.

This blog carnival description reads:

A carnival full of homesteading articles… from your kitchen with yummy recipes, your sewing room with homemaking ideas to planting your garden, raising farm animals, and raising a family on the homestead. Please join us on the homestead and submit something from yours!

Now, if you don’t have a big ranch or farm with 12 children milking goats and collecting eggs every day, do not exclude yourself from this carnival! The Homestead Act (1863) provided the original homesteader with 160 acres if he could build a home on the property and inhabit the place for five years. But how many folks have 160 acres these days? And certainly not for free.

Homesteading has a broader interpretation these days. There are urban homesteaders who may not have a lot of real estate but sure have a lot of self-sufficiency. Maybe you have a balcony vegetable garden, maybe you have some good advice for living simply, being frugal yet generous, becoming debt free, or have figured out creative ways for how to make do with less. Please share your wisdom!!

Here is an unfortunate thing for a Christian like myself: Christian perspectives about homesteading are lost among the ideas of earth/nature worshippers, pantheists, pagans, socialists, New Age thinkers, and other extremes of the “green” movement. I believe that the Bible has answers for a rightly balanced life, with God at the center, and that Christian homesteading can be a piece of this balance.

Once again, submit your homesteading blog post HERE, and I look forward to presenting an educational and inspiring collection of articles on Monday!

OH, and don’t forget to leave a comment on my Gardening With Children post if you’d like to win a copy of Roots, Shoots, Bucket & Boots: Gardening Together With Children. Closes on Sunday evening. (The author, Sharon Lovejoy, left me a sweet comment on that post! Not a paid post, just a kind author.)

Tags: blog carnival, Christian homesteading, homestead, homesteading, urban homesteading

WW: Greetings From the Garden

Posted March 19th, 2008 by Jen in the ranch
20 Comments »

Here’s the Diary of 1 family waving to you from a pile of dirt our future garden. I love my garden stake. For more Wordless Wednesday participants, go to the WW hub or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Technorati Tags: garden, dirt, garden stake, the ranch, wordless Wednesday

Bone and Stones and More at the Ranch

Posted March 6th, 2008 by Jen in family life, the ranch
13 Comments »

It’s a child’s playground at the ranch, and always a unique adventure around the corner. Here are thirteen snapshots of my kids enjoying the land around our ranch, and they would like to invite their friends to come and:

1. Catch a lizard

2. Ride a tractor

3. Investigate old bones

4. Dig up interesting stones

5. Collect feathers

6. Ride the tire swing

7. Sit in the dirt

8. Collect firewood

9. Build a fire ring

10. Build a fire

11. Catch a scorpion (with Dad’s help!)

12. Explore with the dog

13. Speculate what animal this was

What would YOU like most to do?

Technorati Tags: children, outdoor play, Thursday Thirteen, bones, the ranch, wildlife

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - Wooden (our ranch)

Posted February 23rd, 2008 by Jen in family life, the ranch
21 Comments »

This week’s theme: Wooden

That’s a lot of wood! We’re getting there, folks! We continue to build the wooden structure that we call “the ranch.”

Here is a view from the back, and I truly hope to show the finished product in a few months. To all of you who have ever engaged in a building project, and survived, you have my highest regard.

Technorati Tags: PhotoHunt, the ranch, wooden

WW: I Had to Pull Over

Posted February 20th, 2008 by Jen in carnivals, the ranch
15 Comments »

Sunset over the Three Sisters, part of the Cascade Mountain Range that I’m blessed to look at every single day. This photo is from last week, and I wasn’t the only one to pull over. Even us locals who see this stunning horizon all the time are still in awe on days like this.

For more Wordless Wednesday participants, please visit the official WW Hub or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Technorati Tags: Cascade Mountains, Three Sisters, sunset, wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: The Homestead

Posted November 14th, 2007 by Jen in carnivals, the ranch
15 Comments »

About the photo: This is the original homestead from our property - and yes, it’s still standing, won’t you come in for a cup of burnt coffee boiled in a pan over the cookstove? The land has since been divided, and the 20 acres we own isn’t graced by this dwelling. Our neighbor who does own the property this sits upon has plans to reinforce the structure and keep it up as an historic landmark - she just needs to keep her cows from knocking the place over. You wouldn’t believe how many tourists and locals alike pull over to take pictures of this old homestead!

More Blog Carnivals:

The Carnival of Family Life

The Carnival of Homeschooling

The Christian Carnival

Enjoy a wonderful Wednesday! I guess this post really wasn’t “wordless.”

Wordless Wednesday: When You’re Three, You Can Own an Island

Posted October 30th, 2007 by Jen in family life, the ranch
11 Comments »

About the photo: I call it Wheelbarrow Island. I just sat back and watched my kids turn an old wheelbarrow into a magical little place, with captains lost at sea, mysterious creatures of the deep, and a luau back at the beach. This thrills me to no end.

Wordless Wednesday: Ride Off Into the Sunset

Posted October 16th, 2007 by Jen in carnivals, the ranch
8 Comments »

I captured these sunset-kissed railroad tracks on my way home one evening, and couldn’t help but think of Lady’s magic gold dust (for you Thomas the Tank Engine fans).

Blog Carnivals to catch:

The Carnival of Homeschooling
The Christian Carnival
The Carnival of Family Life
The Festival of Frugality

Progress at the Ranch

Posted October 8th, 2007 by Jen in education, family life, the ranch
13 Comments »

Building a house…we are determined to make this a positive experience for the family, despite the reality of the many pressures and strains such a project can create. We pray for grace and mercy in this endeavor.

Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1

So, here’s a little photo journey of the latest developments. We all worked and played there over the weekend, and our Friday homeschool day was spent learning about septic systems, barn building, pump houses, mixing concrete, and such.

As you can see, our house is framed, sided, and just about ready for roofing. We’re racing against the weather to be dried in before the rain and snow is upon us. This is my husband’s handiwork; he put an incredible amount of effort and detail in the design of this home. He’s been on-site managing and laboring from the beginning - and he’s doing an amazing job. His maddening profitable habits of perfectionism have made for a remarkably straight, square, and perfectly plumb house.

The pole barn/shop is on its way up, as well. I was dreaming of an Amish barn-raising, but it’s mostly just my husband doing the labor, with some help from whoever happens to be around. The poles are set in the concrete and this building will be done within a few weeks. It’s a simple structure, but the man is so excited to have a place for the tractor, the lawnmower, the bikes, the tools. Yes, we want to use the garage to actually park cars, not store the ranch equipment. Man, do you see those clouds rolling in? Hurry it up!

Some little child discovered the physics of wet concrete. There may be a shoe stuck down there. There is some magical, magnetic property of wet concrete, because my kids could not stay away from it. There were little piles of extra concrete that the mixing truck had dripped here and there between poles, and the kids were all over it. My 8 yr. old son quickly scooped together a pile, inserted a piece of metal rebar, and began to “build” something. He pounded with Dad’s sledgehammer and set the pole for his imaginary barn.

I hope the kids remember this time. I would love to raise my family in this home, on this land, but I don’t know the future. Come what may, I hope the kids tuck away treasured memories of helping their daddy build a house.

I wouldn’t have thought one could take such pride and joy in a septic system. However, this is a rockin’ septic system, folks! My husband could tell you all the reasons why, but I will not put you to sleep nor cause you to even imagine for a moment the reason one has a septic system. But when the inspectors come out and say, “You did this yourself?” you know it’s good. Actually, at every turn, the inspectors have said that to my husband. One even took a picture of his power trench to show the regulars how it’s done - step it up, a do-it-yourselfer is doing a better job than you.

This will be the pump house. I never thought about what a pump house was until we started this project. I think I was imagining the old days when people literally had to pump water by hand. The pump house is just a little storage building to protect the water pump and the pipes. The day after this photo, the older kids went back with Dad to finish the concrete for the pump house. They arrived home well after dark, and apparently the kids were an invaluable help. Sorry, I will admit I was a little surprised to hear this. My husband said he could NOT have finished it without them - they were the stir boy and stir girl, and he would have been facing a big glob of half-dried concrete without their tireless effort. When I gave the kids a bath that night, their hair looked gray.

It was not all sweat and labor, however. The kids and I gathered firewood, which they consider “fun,” not “work.” Because the purpose of gathering firewood is to have a campfire - nothin’ better than that! There is no shortage of firewood on the property, especially with all the downed trees which were cleared for the house. It was a quick and light task, and immensely rewarding.

Do your kids love to gather firewood? I don’t know any kids who don’t. The only problems encountered were fighting over choice pieces of wood, or arguing over whose turn it was to push the wheelbarrow. We somehow navigated those bumps without tears.

I had no trouble getting helpers to rebuild the fire ring, either. The original fire pit was bulldozed aside to make way for the path to the new pole barn. I’ve mentioned before the ROCK around here? I think the well-drillers went through close to 90 feet of solid rock before hitting dirt. Again, no shortage of rock, and with the purpose of gathering rock being to form a new fire pit, the workers were happy little helpers.

So, the day at the ranch ended with a stunning sunset closely followed by a lovely campfire, complete with the roasting of hotdogs and marshmallows, and even a few campfire songs. Kum-Ba-Yah, anyone? My husband said to me, “I hope we keep having these campfires even after the house is built.”

My Elk Hunt and Shoot

Posted October 5th, 2007 by Jen in family life, the ranch
9 Comments »

When I shoot elk, it’s with a camera. There’s a gorgeous herd across the field, at least two hundred of them, that I see everyday (and spy through the binoculars), and of late have been hearing in the early morning and late evening - have you ever heard an elk bugle? Wow, it’s nature’s music. Well, they are currently in “the rut,” and there is great purpose in their frenzy of bugling.

Several days ago, my neighbor let me drive up as far as I could on their property to try to capture the herd. Sorry to say, I do NOT have a camera with a powerful telephoto lens, otherwise you’d be seeing several bulls with enormous racks; as it is, you see specks in a field. I thought about trying to sneak up on the elk to get a closer shot, but these are wise creatures. They were very aware of our presence even from a distance, and stampeded away from us shortly after I snapped this picture.

I just had the girls with me, and my little darlings were absolutely as excited as I was with the captivating sight. My 6 year old has even mastered an elk call - thanks to Will Primos hunting videos.

We were bewitched by the elk, but the view of this valley from up here was simply enchanting on its own. Our house is one of those little white spots in the distance.

I’ll use this post as my entry for Sprittibee’s giveaway:

“I’m entering the Fall Five Kodak Printer Give-Away at Sprittibee’s Blog. Kodak and Sprittibee are giving away an EasyShare 5300 printer!”

I would really love to print out all the photos I’ve been accumulating on my computer and begin an album for the family. There’s nothing quite like a collection of photos in your hands that you can flip through and set out on the coffee table.

On My Way Home

Posted September 27th, 2007 by Jen in family life, the ranch
9 Comments »

I have three lovely pictures to share with you from my drive home yesterday. First, you’ll see the friendly deer I passed, with the amazing vistas in the background; next is an abandoned bridge stretching across the Crooked River (which the cows still use); and finally, the full moon rising over the hills in front of my house. (Here is a handy Night Sky Calendar from Space.com, if you’d like to know the moon phases.)

The Hunter

Posted September 23rd, 2007 by Jen in education, family life, the ranch
10 Comments »

My husband (”The Hunter”) just had his first archery kill yesterday. It was special for several reasons. First, he had taken our six year old daughter (”JJ”) with him that morning, since it was her turn. Second, they were hunting on our own property. Lastly, the whole thing turned into a family affair and a great educational experience for all.

I’ve mentioned our 20 acres in Central Oregon where we’re currently building a house. It’s not an enormous piece of land as far as hunting grounds go, but it’s situated in an ideal location for the sport. One end of the terrain drops down to a rimrock cliff which is the natural path of herds of deer and elk that run though here. The other end is bordered by a large canal which makes a nice watering hole, and the other sides of the property are bordered by large acreages. So it works.

The Hunter has been rifle-hunting for years - mostly for elk in Eastern Oregon. Last year, he switched to bow hunting and seems to enjoy the sporting challenge. Since we lived on our property last year at this time, in our travel trailer, we had opportunity to see all the wildlife up close. There was an enormous buck (”Chester”) that came by nearly everyday during the late summer, and The Hunter was out looking for him all during the hunting season, but with no luck.

The night before this hunt, The Hunter had taken our eight year old son (The Scientist) to the property to hunt, and with just two days left of the bow season, he was anxious. The Scientist has his own small bow, and just target shoots for fun - but you can imagine that he really feels like he’s hunting with Daddy. They were hoping that Chester would make an appearance. The hunters saw nothing that evening.

So, the following morning, JJ begged to go with The Hunter, as she had been in tears the day before at not having gone. But The Hunter just wants one child at a time at this point. I’m sure you can understand all the noise made by a six and eight year old poking each other. I was home with the other children and had really forgotten about the morning activity.

My phone rang, and there was a bad connection, but I did hear the word “spike.” Yes, The Hunter and his young huntress had accomplished the mission. Standing in our future master bath, they were getting ready to leave, when along came the buck. The Hunter waited patiently for the deer to change his head-on position, took the shot, and the well-placed arrow shot clean through the animal.

Here’s where it was really neat to have him hunting less than 10 minutes away. I was able to grab the neighbor to come and help, pack up some supplies and the other three kids (and Grandma), and head over. Now all my children are well educated in the gutting, hanging, and skinning of a deer. If we were lost in the wilderness, we’d all survive. :-)

Family Hunt: notice the various expressions…and the proud huntress posing next to her Daddy. The Scientist was so jealous, and on the way to the property, said, “I hope JJ didn’t help Daddy track the deer.” I said, “Honey, you will have your time.”

Gutting the deer: the kids and I learned what an awful, dreadful, and vile smell is created in this endeavor.

Hanging the deer: the old Juniper tree, rope and pole are skillfully used.

Skinning the deer: not for the faint of heart, but now we all know the ins and outs of this.

We all had a good chuckle as The Scientist put the front legs to good use. He strung them up and made some sort of deer puppet…he said he was making deer tracks. I love the creativity of this child.

The deer needs to hang for a few days, then The Hunter will take it to the butcher and we’ll have a freezer full of venison. Dinner last night? Backstrap, of course. According to The Hunter, tradition in the hunting camp calls for the backstrap to be cut off immediately and cooked for dinner, so this coincided well with the fact that the neighbor who helped him was having us over for a BBQ that night.

Much to The Hunter’s delight, I’m now convinced that hunting can be a family activity for us. He likes that the kids are learning not just the sport of hunting, but the entire process, from field to fridge. We know where our food comes from. :-)

Wordless Wednesday: 90′ of Solid Rock, 240′ Total, WE HIT WATER!

Posted June 27th, 2007 by Jen in the ranch
1 Comment »

Shallowness

Posted June 14th, 2007 by Jen in the ranch
4 Comments »

There is a time to hope and pray for shallowness, and I’m facing such a time.

In two hours, the well-driller begins his quest for water on our Central Oregon ranch-to-be. This is the desert, my best beloved (been reading too many Just So Stories), and some of my desert dwelling friends have been known to drill over 700 feet in search of those refreshing underground deposits. Perhaps, great divining was used and he hits the right spot.

We’re off to the property with camera in hand to capture a geyser, we hope. I’ll post pictures later.