January 2025, and so it Begins

As expected, it started to get cold the second week of Texas. We battened down the hatches, made sure plants and animals were protected, then loaded up on firewood to keep the house toasty.

As I write this, it's snowing, a big event in this part of Texas. The only thing I dread is having to go out to feed chickens and check my plants tomorrow. If it ices over, I'll have to be extra careful. Apparently, I don't bounce back like I used to. LOL!

Dictator Dog, Nana, had a rough few weeks, but she rallied again and is feeling much better. Despite being on allergy shots, she had a bout of skin lesions that came out of nowhere and made her miserable. We got her through that and her health improved.

Odin, is Odin. He's matured, but still a goof. Recently, we had my friend's dog over for a couple of weeks. He got the chance to play and run with a buddy, something he can't do with Nana. Unfortunately, his buddy is tiny in comparison, so Odin had to be careful, but he had a blast.

Jammy, the cat has gained a lot of weight! It started about three months ago. He's an inside cat, so I know he doesn't get much exercise, but he's become particularly whiny about being fed. I've upped his meals but only by adding sweet potatoes in his mash. More fiber, less calories.

To all my cat experts: Do you have any advice to keep a whiny cat satisfied? Remember, he cannot eat anything solid. Because of his damaged esophagus, he can only eat pureed foods.

I think he's lost a pound on the sweet potato mash, so I'm hopeful we're turning him around, but as we all know, losing weight is a process, and Jammy is not amused.

Greg and I are doing well, aside from arthritis and general rickety-ness. I was afraid I was coming down with an ulcer due to taking Naproxen. I've never tolerated pain meds well. Naproxen used to be the least upsetting, but now it seems it's off the table. I had a pretty rough week recovering.

I'm still freeze drying, and still learning. We had our first error message. The machine said it had lost vacuum and went into protective freezer mode to save the food. We changed the oil in the pump and I thoroughly cleaned the dryer itself. 

Turned it back on and it's been running fine ever since. Lesson learned. Maintenance is critical. 

One nice thing is that the machine keeps a log of everything it's done. I keep a separate log of the food I've freeze dried and my results.

Sour cream, broth, chicken and ham--excellent! Lemon juice and heavy cream--not as good. I think they're still fine, but it didn't powder like I expected. The lemon juice oxidized too, which was my fault. I should've covered it when I pre-froze it. According to the freeze drying veterans, the heavy cream is supposed to be greasy (because of the fat content). They tell me that it'll keep and not to worry.

This year, I plan to focus more on the gardens and expanding my food forest. Maybe if I grow enough food for the wildlife, they'll leave my landscape plants alone. Oy!

The closest garden club is over an hour away. We can't make it for regular meetings, but we try to go to some of their workshops and plant sales. It's nice to rub shoulders with people who like to grow things.

I need to shake a leg and start some fig tree cuttings. I've already missed my window for garlic. It's been a madhouse ever since I recovered from knee surgery last year. I can't seem to catch up, but I'm gaining.

We are definitely having a garage sale this year. I am in serious purging mode. 

My greenhouse is a dream! I love it so much, but it's already full to the brim. Greg is mad he didn't build it himself and make it bigger.

On Christmas day, I harvested tomatoes and peppers. In January, my first squash made an appearance.

For some reasons, some of my chickens started laying on Christmas too. 

On a dreaded note, I'm afraid I will have to buy a new computer. Despite constant clean ups, my old computer keeps freezing.

I hate buying new computers. You never know what makes the transfer.

How's your new year coming along? What plans do you have for this year?

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