Some of the strawberry muffins Susan made from our wild strawberries.

This is an outdoor oven in the process of completion at our friend's home. Kind of a cool design. We may have to make one out of stone instead of brick (we have lots of stone available).

Normally Susan doesn't have any problems with mosquitoes. If someone else is around they'll bite them but not usually her. This one still hadn't done any drilling even while she was getting the camera ready to take it's picture. Me, I'd swat the stupid thing and take a picture of it's flattened carcass.

These are some of the wild strawberries. It takes a lot of time to pick very many but the flavor is good. We have one daughter who excells in tedious jobs. When she was little we'd give her a pan and have her pick wild strawberries. She'd be content for hours doing things like that.

Susan getting ready to do some sealing around the stove pipe. (One of the places the rain was leaking in.) The lader in the background is used in winter when there's snow on the roof when we need to clean the chimney.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

I made huckleberry pancakes for breakfast using some of our dehydrated huckleberries. After that I washed dishes and then washed my laundry. While I was doing that Susan cleaned the rugs and mopped the floor and picked some mint to dry for making tea.. After that we tried to fix the leak in the roof. I’m not sure if it got accomplished since we haven’t had any rain since then. Susan picked rhubarb and made a couple of rhubarb pies. She also picked some wild strawberries and made strawberry muffins. While she was picking the strawberries she intruded into the space of a momma deer. It probably had a fawn hidden nearby and was pretty aggressive, stomping it’s feet and “hissing” at her (a very aggressive “hawk” sound).

Deer make quite a few sounds that most people have never heard. In addition to this hissing, they sometimes make a “cawing” sound, like a crow, when you startle them at close range. I remember one time rattling antlers when I had a buck come in downwind and very close behind me (about three feet). When it realized I was human it “barked” loudly and ran off through the woods making a “cawing” sound. When that happens you might as well pack it up and move. It’s a warning deer don’t ignore and none would be in the area for awhile. The only time I’ve had deer come in to close range downwind of me was when I’ve been rattling antlers. I’m not sure why they completely ignore their sense of smell at that time.

Later in the afternoon Susan worked in the garden transplanting broccoli plants. I cast more bullets for my 44 cap and ball revolvers and round balls for my 50 caliber rifle. We watched the first two episodes of Dual Survival on Hulu. They were very good.

Our oldest daughter passed her Ham radio licensing test Saturday morning.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

I rode my bicycle to church. Susan and I had a birthday party at a friend’s house in the afternoon. He’s another of us “self-sufficiency” types in the area. He’s got a nice set-up with land bordering a trout stream. Likes to hunt and fish and grows a fantastic garden. They also raise pack goats. We may be getting one soon. It’s small yet so it won’t be able to pack anything for awhile but we plan on putting it to work eating some of our local scenery. We got a look at his grizzly bear rug from a recent hunt in Alaska. It squared about 9 feet, 1 inch. Nice bear.