City Girl Hits The Farm...

This past week, we have had our niece (great-niece, actually...) staying with us on the farm. She has visited a few times, but this is the first time she has actually been here without her parents.

We picked her up last Saturday, and took her to a tractor show. She had a LOT of fun - especially when we came to the corn shelling displays. She kept shelling until she had filled a five gallon bucket.

She needs to come back when I have some ear corn....

She's been bored a few times - what 11 year old isn't - but has been having fun doing things with Aunt Deb and even with me.

One of the first things she learned was how to milk a goat. I showed her, then used her finger as a goat teat to let her feel what she had to do.

She was a little puzzled at first but then I used an analogy that every pre-teen can understand.....

"Think of her teat as a WATER BALLOON...."

For some reason, that hit home and the light bulb came on.

Now, most people, when they are first learning to milk, struggle to get a squirt from the one holding the milk. Not so with Jazmine. She kept at it and was getting good, steady streams in no time flat. We even tried a second goat. She mastered that one as well.

I held the hind leg of the first goat because we weren't sure if she would kick or not, since the hands on her teats were new. It turned out that I didn't need to - Annie stood just fine.



Here is her turn at milking Sassy. Note that she is using her LEFT hand.



I'd say it was pretty durn good for the first time.

She also had fun feeding the chickens and collecting eggs. At night, she helped with getting the milk goats into their stalls, feeding them and saying good night. She has been a really big help in the barn.

On Thursday, I decided to let her have a turn at driving the 8N.

We drove around awhile with me sitting behind her on the seat until she got used to how the tractor steers. I taught her how to take off and stop, and how to turn.
Then she was ready for her solo. This is her checking things out before she takes off:



She has been help in the house, too. She joined in when we separated milk, then made cheese.

Of course, she was right in there when Deb made cookies and brownies....

On Wednesday, we took a trip to Nebraska City to go through Arbor Day Farms. If any of you are unfamiliar with Arbor Day do a Google search for it and Jay Sterling Morton. Very interesting reading.

It was hot, and tiring, but a fun day. We even managed to visit a person with goats on the way home and bought two that we had to pick up on Thursday. It meant another trip, but the two goats will be nice to have.

It's been hot in the afternoons, so we haven't been doing a LOT of heavy work outside. Instead, we have been playing UNO, and a couple of other games.

She's quite the card shark, too...

She has to go home soon, but it has been fun having her here. She's learned a lot while she has been here.

Maybe she'll be able to come back next summer.....

Horse Tank

There is a farm near here that had been in our family since the 1860's. I remembered an old horse tank in the front yard. It was made from native stones and covered in concrete. I have wanted that tank for years. I figured it would look nice sitting in our yard - and also be a wonderful piece of family history. This morning, we went over to see how much of a job it would be to move it home. We found that it was approximatley 6 feet long 3 feet wide at the top and 30" tall. These were the "above ground" measurements - it continued below ground for at least a foot. The "foundation" consisted of rocks, concrete, chunks of metal and a 2" pipe holding it to the ground.

This afternoon, we went back with my neighbor and his tractor to see if it would load onto a trailer. We found out that it was one heavy beast! His tractor could only lift a corner about 6" off of the ground! We ended up backing the trailer under one corner and dragging the tank onto the trailer with the tractor and chain. We even broke a chain in the process. We managed to get it on the trailer and headed home. We dropped it about 6' from where I want it, but I will have to get the spot ready before it gets moved to the spot.

This tank had been sitting in that spot since my Great-Grandfather built it there in October of 1913! It's hard to believe it has withstood time and weather for 96 years! Hopefully, I can get it set up and put where I want it this Summer or Fall.

Apparently I was wrong....

The beautiful (if not HOT) weather we have been having lead me to post in the last entry, that Spring was here! True, the pastures are greening up, flowers are blooming, and we HAD nice temperatures. Only problem - those durn Canadians sent us some of thier Arctic Air again! The lows for the past couple of nights have been in the low 20's and highs in the upper 30's, or low 40's. We even have some light snow in the forecast! Oh well, it will be July in a couple of months, and we will be complaining about the heat....

I did manage to scrounge up a few more pallets in the past few days. I brought home 97 more. I was also given more tin last week! I am still a few sheets short for what I need, but I am REAL close. I have had a material list for the barn I want to build for quite some time. I am gradually filling it.

We also had a funeral this past week. It was for a neighbor lady who used to baby sit my brothers/sister/and I when we were little. My brother has been over-seeing her and her affairs for the past several years that she has been unable to do it herself. The Bible tells us to take care of widows and orphans. He and his wife did a good job of it.

Parts for the 46 Chevy are slowly coming together. When the weather turns nice again, I hope to get back at trying to get her to run.

One of theses days.....

Another Birthday....

Well - another one in the books! I turned 45 today! For my birthday present, I got a trip to the VA Med Center in Omaha, for a doctors appointment! LOL! I got a poke in the spine to help with some of the back pain I have had for several years. We will see how well - if at all - it works in a few days.

I've had a lot of e-mails, forum posts, Private messages and friends/neighbors wishing me a Happy Birthday! It is nice, and I appreciate it! Thanks to the many wonderful friends out there!

Back home again.....

Well - we had to make an unplanned trip to NW Missouri to my wife's parents house last week. We were just over there Thanksgiving. My wife's Grandmother was not doing well and took a turn for the worse when we left. The weekend of 16 December, her parents told us that she was REALLY down and had refused food and water for several days. We decided to go see her one last time and help out with anything we could. Grandma decided to hang on until 7:00 pm Wednesday 20 December 2006 before she died. A problem we faced, was that 2 of her 3 remaining sons live about as far away as you can get from Missouri, and still be in the CONUS! One is in Florida and the other in California! While Getting a flight from Orlando to Kansas City seemed easy, one from CA proved to be a challenge! The blizzard in Denver and the holiday weekend did not help matters any. The other son managed, after CONCIDERABLE searching, to get ONE seat on a flight from San Bernadino to Las Vegas to KC. His wife was unable to come with him. We all got together on Saturday morning, the 23 of December for Grandma's funeral. See was 89, and had led an interesting life. She had four sons of her own and helped her husband raise 19 Foster boys. Two of the foster boys were Pall Bearer's and two more attended.

My wife's parents are busy deciding what they should do FIRST. We figured out that since they were married in 1967 - after the first 9 months before thier son was born until the time my wife left (1991), they were busy taking care of thier two children. Three years later, his parents moved in and they have been busy caring for parents ever since. They took care of all four of my wife's Grandparents - all four of them died at home. Each one happened to die in the same room as thier spouse. So - it all boils down to - since they got married, they have spent a total of just a little more than 3 years alone with each other, since 1967! They are trying to rearrange the house and get used to thier "new life".

Since we were going over there, I borrowed a friend's trailer to bring my corn picker back on. I had it all ready to load, just waiting. The day after Grandma died, my wife's dad and I went to Independence MO to get the arrangements finalized.While we were thier, we talked to one of his cousins. He retired from working at the Allis-Chalmers Plant in Independence. We were talking tractors, when I mentioned that I needed a 2 bottom plow. He told me he had one in the shed out back. I went to look at it and he told me it has sat there for 20-25 years since he bought it and NEVER USED IT! He told me that the man he bought it from had had it in HIS shed for awhile without using it. I don't know for sure how MUCH use it has seen, but not much. He told me that if I wanted the plow, I had to take theold loader that was beside a different shed in his back yard. It fits and A-C "CA" model tractor (I think). I is in good shape, but the hoses are really bad. I told him I'd drop by on Saturday (23rd) with the trailer and get it. He stopped me at Grandma's funeral and told me he didn't want ANYTHING for them! I thanked him profusely and was glad to have them! I ended up bringing the plow, the loader, and PART of the corn picker home. My BIL will bring the rest later. The plow is a 2-14 unit made for the AC "single point" hitch. It seems to be a later model of the "snap" hitch AC made. I am thinking that, since I need to modify it for use on a 3 point, that I MAY try and trade it for a 3 point 2-14. My theory behind this is that, in it's original, unmodified state, a collector might want it. I would hate to modify something that someone would want original. Still need to find info on it, though!

As for the corn picker, I couldn't see it very well in the man's shed, and was going on the information he gave me. Now that I have seen it in the light of day, I have found out that it is a "Farm Rite" Corn Picker, not a David Bradley as I first thought. Now I need to find info on Farm Rite!

It's good to be home! My brother from Kansas was by today, also. He had a get-together yesterday at his daughter's house in Lincoln, NE. My sister was there and made a BUNCH of her World Famous Apple Strudel. Brother Bob, stopped by here with a LARGE Strudel she had made for us. I had to make the frosting, but it was EXCELLENT! I'm sure glad she made the special effort to make us one and to find a way to get it here - she went out of her way to do it - thanks!

Burr......

True, it has been a little cool lately, and the north wind really drops those wind chills but, in this case, the BURR I mean is my Letz Burr Grinder! I FINALLY got the chance to use it for more than just playing! I ran about 3/4 of a 55 gallon drum through it today. I mixed in some milo and layer crumbles for the chickens while I was grinding. The milo and crumbles are small, so they didn't grind much, but mixed real well. I filled the hopper bin I made for my chickens and put the unground corn in a bin for my goats. A 55 gallon drum of whole kernal corn will last the goats quite awhile, but the chicken feed will be used faster.

I ran the grinder with my 1949 8N - it just purred along without complaint! The more I use that little tractor, the more I am impressed with it! Before I bought it, I had people tell me all kinds of things it WON'T do. I am now finding out all the things it WILL do!

We went to my brother's house in Kansas this last week end (by way of Grand Island, Nebraska). They were moving from one house, to another one 2 blocks away. I didn't help much, but it was good to see them. He is expecting thier first grandchild in early February, so we will probably need to make another trip to see the baby. It was a LONG trip and my back/hips/legs made me pay for it! I think I even caught a cold to boot!

Thanksgiving 2006

We have lots to be thankful for this year, and all years! My wife and I are thankful for each other, we are also thankful for the many wonderful Blessings that Yahweh (God) has given us - we have our home, dogs, goats, chickens, some wonderful neighbors, bountiful opportunities, friends and family!

We just got back yesterday from visiting my wife's mom and dad in Missouri. While there we butchered a cow and divided the meat up between her parents, her brother, and us. There was enough to go around for all of us! I couldn't wait, so this noon I cooked up a small package of ribs (there were 5 in it). I sear-fried them, then baked them for 2 hours in a roaster. I then cut them apart, transfered them to a different baking dish, covered them with BBQ sauce, and baked them for 1 more hour. DELICIOUS! I wish I had started out with a bigger package of them! It will be awhile before we do more, so we can spread them out further. The dogs really enjoyed the bones!

Speaking of the dogs - while we were over in Missouri, we lost our little girl, Crystal. She was failing during the last few months and decided that it was time to go last Wednesday morning. She was the best dog I've ever had and she will be greatly missed. We brought her home and buried her by a tree in the yard. We both are thankful she was brought into our lives, and for the 12 1/2 wonderful years she was with us. Rest In Peace, Little Girl.....

A Visit.....

Got a visit from a cousin today. He and my brother stopped by for an hour or so. About 30 years ago, my Uncle August and a few of us cousins tore down my Grandpa's house and barn. Uncle Auggie took home LOTS of wood from the buildings, and has built several things from it. Since he was a preacher, the wood moved a couple times. Cousin Paul had taken some of the wood and made "knick-nack" shelves out of it. He made one for each of the people who helped tear down the house and barn. He also made sure that our two aunts had one, and each oldest child of our Grandparents five children. Along with the shelf came 2 old fashioned square nails from the house and a couple of photos (one I believe, is Grandpa and Grandma's wedding photo). The back of the shelf has two lathe that can be used for attaching it to the wall - these lathe also came from the house. The shelves themselves were made from the tongue-and-groove flooring that was in the house. There are cracks and missing pieces to the boards - he used the boards in whatever condition they were in. He COULD have sanded them down smooth and cut the boards so the cracks and stuff were gone, but chose to leave them as they were so some of the "character" would still be there. All-in-all, a fine piece of work and a wonderful gift! Thanks, Paul!

I also managed to grease the "runnable" A-C Rotobaler Friday evening and Saturday morning. It took awhile as there are 45 zerks to find! My mother-in-law e-mailed me a copy of the lubrication chart from the manual they have (I don't have one!) - I had only found 32 until I had the chart! I hooked the tractor up to the PTO and turned it on SLOW. As it turned, I oiled the chains. Everything ran pretty smooth! I just need a couple of belts, some twine, and a small spring and it will be ready to go! I'd rather have a square baler, but this was free, so it will work until I can afford a square.

Rainy & Drizzley

The weather has been dreary all day. We had partial sun early this morning, but it closed in fast! We've had off and on light showers and drizzle all day. It is supposed to be like this again tomorrow.

We had a visit from the bow hunters that came all the way from Michigan today. They had driven all night to get here, so they didn't really stay to long. They are staying with a farmer north east of town a few miles, so they don't have motel bills. They were here last year, also. Good bunch of guys! Hope they have good luck!

I took an old letter I found into town today. I was trying to get it translated. It was written in the 1850's in German. It's hard to read, due to the handwriting, but is in remarkably good shape. I just recently found this one and another, but I have a total of 32 letters, postcards, and documents from the mid 1800's up to 1911 or so. Some of these have been translated, but a few have not.

I stopped by the court house and was told that an elderly woman in town MIGHT be able to read them. As it turned out, she grew up on a farm that was across and just to the south of my Great-Grandfathers farm. My Great-Grandfather died in 1937 AND SHE REMEMBERED HIM (she's 93)! She told me her eye sight was to the point where she couldn't read them, but she did make out a few words. Nothing major, just a word here and there.

A couple of the documents are original deeds to places my Great-Great-Grandfather had in Marthasville, Missouri, in the 1850's - LOTS of "legalese" in these two items, even for mid 1800's! I know there is a County Museum in town, I need to go talk to them and see what they think!

About Me

I was born and raised near Tecumseh, Nebraska. Growing up on the farm is still one of the greatest treasures of my life! We didn't have much, but we made what we had work wonders! I only got to spend a short 10 years with my Father, but, being the youngest of 5, I spent a lot of that time with him. I like to think I retained at least SOME of his quaities, abilities and patterns!

After High School I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where I proudly served for 8 years. I was in the Air Wing, serving in several Heavy Helicopter (CH-53) and Headquarters Squadrons. It was my PRIVELEDGE to serve with some of the finest people I will ever know. SEMPER FI!

My wife, Deborah, and I were able to purchase 101 acres of the family farm. We moved in a 100 year old house (scrounged for free!) and live here with our Fur Children (three Mini - Dachshunds). Being disabled from the Corps, I have had to come up with new (and sometimes OLD) ways to do things around the farm. That is what this website is all about! I am always on the lookout for new ideas!

Being that some people have wondered about the nature of my disability - all I will say is that it includes knees, back, hips, artritis, and other physical problems. If you have questions COME TALK TO ME, and don't fall victim to those who spread rumors. Spreading a lie is worse than telling one. Get BOTH sides of the story before you climb the "Holier Than Thou" hill and pass judgement. If you listen to the uninformed and continue the lie without listening to both sides, then your opinion just doesn't matter.

If you would like to contact me, feel free to e-mail me at scrounger at scroungeman dot com.

***The following is moved from the homepage of the origional website, and I decided to put it here.

NECCESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION!

We live in farm country, and both my wife and I grew up on farms. When we bought the farm we own, one of the biggest obstacles was finding the right equipment at a price that we could afford. I also love to "tinker" , and have a love of old tractors (especially Ford 8N and 861's), so I decided to put it all together! I began to scour the countryside for old, worn out implements and scrap iron. I began to drag home all manner of things, from horse drawn implements to old barn tin and bridge railings. One of the first items I built was a Tree Shear for the loader on my tractor. I couldn't afford to buy one, nor could I afford to hire the job done! I decided to BUILD ONE! It worked so well that I decided to build other things for use around the farm. I also picked up a few bargain items at farm sales that no one else wanted. These machines may have been to large for my tractor, but I figured on cutting them down to size. I even managed to scrounge enough wood and tin to build a 14' x 14' Chicken House and a 15' x 32' Tractor Shed! I came up with enough items that I spent a TOTAL of $3 on the Chicken House and a TOTAL of $35 on the Tractor Shed! Now, neither one will win a beauty pageant, but they are functional, and that is all that matters! I will get into the story of the Chicken Coop and Tractor shed a little later on, and will publish a guide book on how I built them cheaply. I do know that the cost would have been CONSIDERABLY higher if I had not scrounged used materials! Remember that just because it is old, and may even be worn out, it doesn't mean that it's usefulness is over! You may be able to find a use for something that is TOTALLY different than what it started out as.

Another busy week so far!

Well, last week was pretty busy! My wife and I managed to pour concrete in the forms for a small "stoop" and a ramp onto our patio! The ramp still has one more section to complete, but it is WAY closer to being done than it has been since we first built the forms last Summer! One more 5' x 12' section and it will be done!. We would have had MORE fun doing it, but the truck driver did a lot of the work! Would have been hard without him!

Friday was also my wife's birthday (19th)! She is now a bright and beautiful 29 year old!

I also have corn coming up! I planted a few rows on the 11th and it is about 3" tall already! Didn't plant much, but had fun playing! Next year.......

Over the weekend I picked up the Letz Corn grinder from the neighbor I bought it from. I haven't had a chance to try it out, but I will in the NEAR future!

Today, I started cleaning out the property line fence that is overgrown with Willow rushes and wild grape vines, and cedar trees, and, and, and! I am planning to fence of another "padock" for the goats. I also managed to pick up our "new" horse trailer that we plan on using as a "goat hauler". I had to help the lady clean up around her place, for it, but I got a lot of other stuff with it, so it cost me a days work and gas for the tractor. Not a bad deal!

Finally feeling a bit better!

After not feeling well myself for a few days, the wife caught what ever I had and she was out for most of the past three days! I'm about 95% recovered and she is about 75%. Still haven't put the glass in the pick-up because I need her help to hold it for a minute or two, and she hasn't been able to do much. I HATE Spring colds! I did manage to work on some fence this morning and haul out the last of the old bedding from my Tractor Shed! I just have to tear down a couple of temporary walls and I have my shed back from the goats!

I have a hen who is pretty adamant about "sitting". She is on a clutch of only 4-5 eggs so far, but she wants to stay there BAD! She gets off of the nest twice a day to eat, stretch, drink and "other" things, then it's right back on the nest. I decided that I will just let her eggs alone and see what she does. I will have to build a "cage" of some sort, before too long, so the other hens leave her, and her clutch alone, but that won't be a problem. This afternoon, after one of her stretches, she hopped back into the wrong nest box! She settled down like normal for about 10 minutes, then suddenly jumped out and moved over to the right one! The "light" must have come on when she realized she wasn't sitting on any eggs!

I also managed to push up a few Cedar trees with the tractor today. These were the ones we had cut and sheared earlier in the year. I still have to pile about 1000 more in the next week or two!

I posted a couple of additional photos in the "Goat" photo album. These are ones of Bunny, the youngest girl we have. She is having a good time climbing on me and getting a back scratch!