Food Storage Class

Okay, I admit it: I'm not the most imaginative cook in the world. I'm happy with a basic dinner of a spinach omelet or vegetable noodle soup, whereas Spouse is a maestro, cooking Thai, Indian, Korean, Italian, you-name-it he-knows-it. Which probably explains why when I offer to cook a shared meal Spouse will often politely demur, saying "Don't worry dear, I'll fix myself something, uh, later." This is why I say to guests: "If you want something to eat, I can cook you something. If you want something good to eat, better ask Spouse."

Regardless, I'm hoping that my simple cooking imagination will actually be a boon in the area of staples canning and food storage.

Sharon Astyk is holding another on-line class on Food Storage this January, and I've signed up. Not only covering the basics of pantry building and food canning/drying/etc., she will also discuss how to plan a garden around canning, and how to pass on the knowledge to your local community. Spouse already knows how to can from helping his mother and grandmother when he was a wee lad, so I plan to also lean on his experience while getting started. Hopefully he's not been too scarred from past forced family labor to lend his advice. (Just kidding, Mom K! He's never said anything like that, honest! *cough*)

If you decide to take this class as well, please leave a comment saying so - it'd be neat to have some known folks in the discussions!

[pic: a round loaf of gluten-free rustic dark bread, made by Spouse. He is a minor god among mortals.]

Hill Country Snow

I replied to Chance in the previous post that snow in the Austin area is a once-in-a-decade event... a person more familiar with the area says that it's more like a once-every-30-years type of event. So, an even more rare and fine happening, and I'm just happy to be here, folks! I love the way the snow sets off some of the native grass colors:



The live oaks stay relatively green, however, only losing their leaves come Spring when the new leaves push out the old:



And the dogs, per usual, remain oblivious.

Sleet and Snow and Oh!

We got snow in the Hill Country! Woo-hoo! Didn't think to snap a picture on my way out to work this morning, so am hoping Spouse will think to do so come daylight.

We had heard that a hard freeze was coming through the area, so I asked Spouse if he would pluck the sleeping chickens off their preferred snooze spots on the juniper (aka Texas cedar) boughs and place them into their coop. Thank goodness he did so! The winds were so fierce, Spouse says, that the upright feeder was knocked over twice. For once, all the excitement occurred while Spouse was home and awake, and I was sleeping. Still... it's snowing! It's snowing!

I can hear my East Coast friends snickering now.

[pic: Texas State Capitol Building in Austin by John Tullis, reader-submitted photo to The Austin Statesman]

Pic: Dust Bath

A powerful lure of dust, sand and barbecue ashes, it cannot be denied: dust bath time!

[the tired and cranky, it is starting early this week]

Good Doggies

They're not yet fully grown, nor at full maturity. They still occasionally give a playful bounce towards a chicken or a goose (a big no-no, and fortunately becoming more rare). For the most part, however, their guardian instincts are kicking in and they're doing their job around the property. All we really need is for them to guard the chickens and geese, but the two pups seem to be developing specialties:

Bandit has learned how to gently herd the geese at dusk into their night-time pen. I've watched her do it, unassisted, a couple of times now. This is not something Spouse or I have specifically taught her, so I'm guessing she's learned from watching. She will also walk at my side when I herd the geese on those evenings when they need to head in early. As of last night, she worked with me in tandem to herd one side while I worked the other side. w00t! Now I just need teach her how to shut the gate, latch it, set the electric fence into place, and switch it on... what?

Maggie's specialty appears to be guarding the house. Bandit will patrol far afield (well, as far as the fenced-in eight acres will allow), but Maggie stays close. Some nights when she's by the poultry pen, she'll hear the back door close as I'm on my way out to work and come tearing around the corner, barking. Once she sees it's me, then it's nothing but tail wagging and butt wiggling and oh by the way, is there a treat? Treat? Yes?

After guarding throughout the night, they'll sack out during the day, usually sleeping wherever the chickens are hanging out at the moment (which is tough to do, as the chickens are constantly on the move). They listen for the geese, and if the geese give a honk of alarm they'll come running to check out the situation.

It's been nine months of hard work, teaching the dogs daily on basic manners and making sure they know who's the "alpha". It's finally starting to pay off. Good doggies!