Chickens and the Whiz Bang Chicken Plucker

Today was D-day for the chickens.....or maybe that's B-day ------ any way it was the day to butcher our meat chickens.  We called Jimmie and Heidi (Walkling) Doyle and asked if we could use their "chicken plucker".... you bet!!!!     So last night we drove over to pick it up.  We got to see their "hobby farm"...... The 4 Winds Ranch.    Sweet!!!  About 10 sheep with their lambs, 4 dogs, one Long Horn ("mean Long Horn") Cow and her calf, one goat, and one llama.  What fun for their 2 kids, River and Bridger, to grow up with such a lot of fun activity going on all the time.  Anyway --- we got the instructions on the chicken plucker --- The Whiz Bang Chicken Plucker----and headed home.

Of course, it rained and SNOWED!!! this morning.  But this was the day and we made it work.  What a process ...... Hot water to scald the birds in and it has to be at the exact right temperature......  Then we needed the garden hoses way out to the barn.  Thank goodness we have lots of hoses....and of course, the spray nozzle.  Then the machete was NOT where it was supposed to be --- so finally I found that back -- Yes, I was to blame....(Barb) ....used it in the garden and left it lay.  Oh man -- what else.....pots and pans and sharp knives...and plenty of ice to cool them....    Guess we're ready.    Well, we were ready but the spray nozzle bombed out on us.....must have been something in the hose that plugged it.... still got a little water to spray on the birds --- but needed to improve on that!!!

I wanted to be sure to take a video so we could share the fun with you ....but in all the stress/excitement it didn't happen.   So you can go to Youtube and put in Whiz Bang Chicken Plucker.......  and see how it goes.

It mostly worked just like that for us.   The first 5 went a little better than the last 4.....  I had the water the same temp....but our big pail was cold the last time so the water cooled down too fast.  But all in all it was a successful event.

We now have chicken in the freezer once again.   Leaving the skin on and plucking them -- in my estimation -- makes for better tasting chicken --- and especially if put on the grill.  Clean up is all done and we are taking it easy --- happy and satisfied with a successful day.

Gary and Barb

Spring "busyness".....

I suppose I should apologize again.......it has been over a month since last update.   I guess my excuse could be that spring is upon us and we've been busy.

We do have our greenhouse planted.  Plus we did some remodeling on it.   We added an inner layer of plastic.   This layer is just 3 to 4 inches from the outside layer.  We did it to insulate the greenhouse.  And we have found that we can get it to cool off faster in there when it gets so hot.  Our fear is that maybe we have the wrong kind of plastic on the inside and the UV rays of the sun won't get to the plants like it should......but so far so good.   The beans are up and looking good....carrots...beets and onions.     We sure hope it works!!!!

Our strawberry plants are also looking good...(no they aren't in the greenhouse).   We should get a good crop this year.   Sure hope we are home for the harvest!!!  Else I guess someone will be glad we took off and they get to enjoy them.

Gary has been kind of short on projects but manages to stay out of trouble -- except when he comes in the house   :)  :)  Right now he has Jon Logterman's truck here to wire up.  Jon will be graduating from Veterinarian School in a couple of weeks and this will be his work truck --- it's been quite interesting so far.

I think Don and Jeannie are going to be putting a new deck on the south side of their home and Gary will be in on that........    So he doesn't have cabin fever too often.

We would sure like to go camping ---- thought about leaving tomorrow .......however, it has been raining ---- thus -- we have MUD.   We just hate pulling the camper out in that....so we will wait.  It's early yet --- but the fish are biting!!!!!   Gotta get out there!!!!

 As soon as the rain is over we will have to mow the lawn........

Tonight we had JDC....... our neighbor Laura did the lesson.  I will try to get you an idea of how it went.      Where's heaven?   Up there (one of the boys pointed)   Oh! So if it's up there can you get there in a plane?  (And meanwhile she is making a paper airplane)  "No" (they all say)     (Laura continues to make her paper airplane).... so how about a rocket ship --- they go higher?    They all say no --- but one boy quietly says   "It just doesn't work that way"          Laura has asked a few more questions and continues talking about how ??can we get to heaven.   Then she starts to rip part of the paper away and says something like so if we can't get to heaven on an airplane or a rocket ship --- then let me show you something....    And she pushes up on her rocket ship (from the back side) and up pops a cross.        The faces that lit up were so precious ----- Bright eyes -- smiles--- laughter----Oh!!!....      Then we searched through the Bible and discussed lots of verses.  Then we sang.   Most of these boys are new ---- a few have been there a couple of weeks.   But we hadn't see them do any singing yet.   Tonight was so different. Everyone sang!!!  It was five boys all singing and a good lesson..... it was great.  Makes it all worth it.  It was a good night.

   We can tell that one of the young men knows quite a bit about Jesus....    Last week we sang "Broken Pieces"  --- there is a line in the song that says....."He made a body out of clay"....   So I asked ?? when did He make a body out of clay?   Holden quietly said "on the sixth day".  Again ---- makes it all worth our time!!!

Update on Release Time.......  We had to take 3 kids back to school a couple of weeks ago.....just wasn't going to put up with their messing around and goofing off anymore.  You could tell that the two boys were upset about it all.... but the girl......not at all.    They would not be able to come the following week.   So last week all three were back -- things went good.  The three didn't sit together (like they usually do) and they were very respectful.  The girl it seems would have liked to get to us.....but it went good anyway.

We thought that the 5th graders had heard the Easter Story often enough so we decided to just ask questions......  But finally I could see that it just wasn't going like I thought it should..    So I asked if they wanted to do the review type questions - or - hear the story?   "Hear the story"!!   Wow that was neat.....to know that they enjoy hearing the stories!!  Gary enjoys telling them too......

So there you are.  We are doing well.   Spring is a grand time of year.... The birds sing so loud sometimes it's almost noisy.   The baby calves are ----so many --- and so cute romping out in the fields.  Branding is starting......Crops are getting planted......   It's a busy time of the year.

We thank you all for your prayers and your encouraging words......And we thank God for continuing to allow us to serve Him out here on the beautiful prairies.
Gary and Barb

Tonight at JDC

Gary did the "Bridge" lesson.....The salvation message........at the Detention Center this evening.  There were 3 girls and 6 boys ------ 4 of the boys couldn't come with the other 2.  That meant we would do the lesson 2 times.    Our first group was finished a little before 7:00.    They love to sing and we hate to cut them short.  We didn't get out of the Center until 7:55...... we are usually not that late in getting out.     But it didn't matter at all........  because.......

Gary had written all the verses out on the white board......     he started with James 4:10 --- kind of to get their attention that they needed to "humble themselves".....respect......    These boys can be a little restless.......    SO--here are the verses --- we will let you look them up   :)
James 4:10....... Romans 3:23.........Romans 6:23.........Hebrews 9:27......Romans 5:8......Ephesians 2:8 & 9....... John 1:12.......John  5:24

The "Bridge" plan of salvation has a picture of the great chasm that separates us (Man) from God.  And then as you give the lesson you write in all the "good works, good morals, education, religion, etc."...that we try to use to get to God.....  They don't work.  And then you draw in the picture of the cross....creating a bridge from Man to God.    Jesus is the One and Only Way for us to get to the Father.

Well ----- as we handed out the prayer request sheets --- we said that if anyone wanted to write down these verses so they could look them up again in the back..... we would give them another piece of paper....   Most all of the kids wrote them down and AND one of the Officers did too.

Please keep these young men and women in your prayers, and the Officers also!!  

We went home praising God!!!!

Release Time tomorrow ---- We are doing the Triumphal Entry...Easter will be here soon -- we only have 3 times to meet with the kids (our group)  before Easter and we want to give plenty of time for the Easter Message.  We pray for attentive hearts and minds!!
Gary and Barb

Spring is on the way~!!!

The Meadowlarks are back.....

and so are the Red Winged Black birds...... both of their songs are signs of spring.   We brought our tax info away today and the gal said those were her two favorite song birds.    Well --- the Meadow Lark -- for sure!!!   But ???? the Red Winged Black bird ?!?!?!?  --- only because it's a sign of spring!!  They group up in tree tops and really make a lot of racket....... that's all I can think of to call it --- racket!!!

We got our peepers today......

......those little white ones will soon be fat ugly meat chickens that can't even stand up to eat........  And the brown ones ---- Rhode Island Reds.... brown egg layers.......  the best kind.   Right now we have a mixed up mess of half Banty and half who knows what.   They lay brown eggs of all sorts of sizes.  We have one full blooded Banty --- she's an ornery little thing and a pretty Banty rooster who might just have to go --- else we could end up with a mixed up mess again.

As I said --- spring seems to be on the way --- but this past Monday evening we had a sudden bit of nasty winter --- so we need to realize that it IS only mid March.  But looking forward to the garden
planting and all that fun stuff....and camping.......

Beautiful day outside........
JDC tonight......
Release Time tomorrow......
God is so good ---- feel blessed.....

Gary and Barb

Geese - .......thousand .......on "pond" February 19

Geese by the hundreds....more like a thousand of them.  They are flying over and then putting on the brakes and coming in for a landing just a 1/4 mile from us.  Real noisy bunch!!  We stood out and watched as some of them came in.   Got a few shots so you can see the numbers.....

That white "thing" in the middle picture is also a goose.....the only white one in the bunch.  I love how they set their wings and go in for the landing.  This "pond" is in the circle to the south of us.  We are figuring they will stay for the night - unless something causes a scare amongst them.    I wish I could be there with my camera when they all take flight --- wouldn't that be a picture!!!
I also took this video ---- it has NO quality to it.... it's just too hard to hold my little camera still when zoomed in that distance....but hopefully you get a good idea of how many there are.

Have a wonderful day.!!  It was a really nice day here but has now clouded over and getting a little chilly.
Gary and Barb

February Thaw ----- and fishing.......... and a poem.

All those snow pictures you saw of our roads......well, now we are having beautiful weather --- in the upper 50's.   So that means THAW!!~~~

The Lakeview Road (if you know the area you will know which road I mean -- otherwise  - for the rest of you-----  the "main road") is actually in great shape.   But the east / west road that we take to our place ---- the pits!!!

Our truck looks like a mud runners truck!!!! We have 3 of these "mud puddles" to go thru to get home......and our driveway is no better.    The car will be remaining home for the duration.....it might just bottom out on some of the ruts and we don't need that.

We went fishing yesterday and today at He Dog Lake.  We will be eating fish for quite some time.  Today we came home with about 32 Crappies.....yesterday about 13 Crappies and ?? 13 small perch.  These guys are super good eating!!!  And bonus for me....it wasn't horribly cold!!!!  The ice is real good yet --- so talk is we might go tomorrow again but to a different place.

This is the dam at He Dog....you can see the 2 "step" pieces......we were close to the overflow --- but not too close!!!  I put a stop on getting any closer!!  The ice is what ?? 18 inches thick yet --- at least!!

Last night we made our trip to Alcohol Recovery in Rosebud.  There were no kids for us - so we listened to the testimonies.  It is so good to see and hear the faith of these hurting people.  God is at work!!

Tonight we will be going out to the Detention Center.  Right now there are 5 boys and perhaps a couple of girls.  We will be doing a lesson on Mephibosheth........  as King David showed him mercy --- so God shows us mercy!!!!   We will also be sharing a poem we found  - author unknown.
I CAN
Figure it out yourself, my lad;
You've all that the greatest men have had;
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say I can!
Look them over, the wise and great
They take their food from common plate,

And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar hands they tie their shoes,
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place.
You must say where you want to go
How much you will study the truth to know.

God had equipped you for life,
But He lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out yourself, my lad,
You were born with all the great have had.
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, I CAN!

Have a good day.......
Gary and Barb

Pictures of why we don't have church tomorrow 😞

Here are some photos of our east-west road just 1/2 mile north of us.  

 The banks are really high --- so the drifts are DEEP!!  Further east - just 1/2 mile --- it would be real interesting to see what it looks like - some of the snow banks were really high and it's the spot where drifting is a big problem --- I think it will take a while for them to clear the roads.    And you can see below where the ranchers have been driving thru the pastures.

That's what we did this afternoon - drove thru the pasture -- had to get out........cabin fever was setting in......went for a cup of coffee at the "Schelhaas Cafe"... (our neighbors Don and Jeannie).

Tomorrow will be a long day....no church service and then can't get out to visit with the kids at JDC.
OH well!     Things could be so much worse --- we have MUCH to be thankful for!!!
Gary and Barb