Monday, May 9, 2011

Barn Hop #12

Ninety-seven homesteads... that's how many of you linked up last week to the Homestead Barn Hop! And what fun! It's so amazing to see what all of you do each week. Do you think we'll break 100 this week?


Our community here is not only growing in numbers, but we're getting to know each other as well. And in just 12 weeks, we've laughed and cried; celebrated and grieved; hoped and prayed; learned and shared. 


Please continue to keep one of our homesteading sisters in your prayers... Sherry Lee and her 13 children as they try to move forward with their lives after the loss of her husband (and father) and their home. I've gone back to her blog several times and looked over those last photos of her homestead where she linked up with us and I've grieved for them... no more husband, father; no more garden or bees; the window boxes are gone; and the sorghum harvest they worked so hard on is no more. It would have to be overwhelming and swallow them up if it wasn't for the Lord who sustains them. It certainly brings a new perspective to what our pioneer ancestors faced as they tried to settle new lands amidst the harsh elements. (If you would like to help the Lee or Crawford family, click here - thank you for the many who already have!)


Here at my own homestead, the coyote who lived on the back of the property is no more. We had to do something when she attacked a dog and tried to lure it to attack again. She already killed two chickens recently and she seemed very aggressive, so it had to be done. Sad to see such a pretty creature destroyed, but safety was the priority.




If that wasn't enough for one weekend, this guy...




attacked the other end of this...




and somehow killed it without getting bit himself...





My husband grilled it for dinner, but I confess I only tasted a very small amount. Two of the girls loved it and ate all they could while one would not even touch the serving dish to pass it. If I were hungry, I could certainly eat it, but since I'm not, I decided I'd wait until the need arose. It was something like eating scallops - a bit chewy and fish like in texture. (I would have linked this portion to the Preparedness Challenge as a dare, but that wouldn't be very nice, now would it?)


On a happier note, we have a family of owls living in a tree. The mother seems to come back every year to have her babies in the hollowed out portion, making a nice nest. Last year she had two, but this year there are three! They won't be here much longer as they're getting big and have actually hopped out onto the crook of the tree. If we go out early in the morning, they're always awake to catch the action before going to bed for the day. 


My beekeeping friend, Lori, shared some of her first honey ever with me this week! And it was unbelievably good! Such a treasure to share with a friend... isn't it beautiful? I'm saving it for special treats. It's really exciting to think that I might get some of this from my bees this year!




What's happening at your homestead? Join me and the other Homestead Barn Hop hostesses... 

and Me!

and link up to help cultivate the Homestead Community.

1. Write a blog post about what's going on at your homestead or a post on something you're learning or an item of interest that will benefit the homesteading community. Be sure to add the red barn button and link back here so others can join in the fun.

2. Come back here and enter your information in the Linky. Please be sure to link to your actual post (click your title and then copy the URL above) and not your home page so those participating later in the week can find your post easily.

3. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment and tell us what's going on at your homestead!

Please Note: As hostesses of the Homestead Barn Hop, please understand that we reserve the right to remove any links that are not family friendly. While this may be subjective, we will err on the side of caution in order to keep our blogs appropriate for all readers. Thank you for your understanding!





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