Canned my first lot of apples last night, 2 of the 3 quart jars didn't seal, so had to re-do them. That was caramalised apple pie filling, and I also had apple pie filling in the crock pot cooking overnight which I canned this morning. It is rather tart, calling for 2 T lemon juice and only 1/4 cup of sugar. Perhaps I'll need to sweeten it up a bit when opened. My canned goods stock is slowly growing.
Didn't get the loom, oh well, 'twasn't meant to be ! The free entertainment unit is now down in the basement, thank you DH. Nearly had to take the whole thing apart to get it down the stairs.
In my head I'm working on my pantry. It needs to have the shelves taken out, painted white, new back supports added as the top shelf bows rather extremely, all put back together, and then stocked with my canned goods. First have to kill all the spiders and other creepy crawlies that seem to have taken refuge in the grocery cupboard, do a massive throw-out on all yucky stuff, and start fresh. In the other cupboard in the back entrance hall, or mud room I suppose, is the shoe rack DH built for me when we first moved in. I don't wear the assortment of shoes I had to to my office job, so am thinking of moving shoes upstairs to another container under the guest room bed (yes, there is already a full one under there) and then re-commissioning that cupboard to additional kitchen things. Already have my buckets of sugar, rice, flours etc in there and have more buckets that space.
Milking today - Bambi kicked at me when I pulled on her udder, pulled the milker off, stepped on the vacuum line with the milk line entangled behind her hoof, got muck from her feet on everything. Eventually got her calmed down by tipping more feed into the trough, then cleaned up the milker, but when I tried to put it back on it wouldn't suction. Fiddled with all the hose attachments, there are 18 of them, and eventually got it back on to her. Then she lifted her tail, so I pulled it down, she repeated, so did I, but when I moved she lifted again, so I just moved the milk bucket out of splash reach and she pee'd. The milk is never in danger of being contaminated as it is a closed system, it's more of the work for me to clean up after her each time she does it. Someone seemingly arrived while I was down there, but by the time I got up the ladder they'd left.
Yippee, Larry is coming for his calves this week-end. They are looking good, hope he is pleased with them. He's also bringing those extra large grain bags so that I can pack the now-dry barley away in them and be able to park the truck in the shed again.
Went over to Mikes today to get 2 large round bales of hay. He's really expanding his operation. Must have over 100 steers he's growing.
The sheep are looking better although the little boy gave me a scare today while I was looking for eggs. He was lying down against the fence and I thought he was dead. Went over and he struggled to his feet and went off to eat some hay. Psheew, don't die on me little one. His face looks less gummy, but I think I'll go give him another Iron shot tomorrow, Ruth as well if I can catch her.