Where has the week gone

On April 30th we got some more bunnies. I have been looking for more does so I can start raising them for our own meat, but haven't had much luck. Well last week I was on the Pennswoods Classifieds and saw an ad for bunnies. They only wanted $2 for the big ones and $1 for little ones. I emailed the owner to find out what breed they were and got a reply saying "just plain bunnies"... LOL.. After reading the email I realized that the girl who has the rabbits is the daughter of the guy who reads our gas meter [you know you live in a rural area when...] And they live not too far from here. The day after I emailed then about the bunnies just happened to be the day *L* came to read the gas meter, so I asked him about the bunnies and told him we'd probably be over to look at them the next night (Thursday). That evening I got a phone call from *L* and he said someone might be coming from a couple of hours away the next day, to get rabbits, and they said that for the price they would take all of the ones they could. So *L* wanted to let me know that I'd better go that night and get the ones I wanted. We ended up getting three does. So hopefully in a few months we will be having babies. I want to give them a little time to get used to us before I stress them more with babies. I will tell you that my buck rabbits is happy to see that he has new neighbors and he is not the only rabbit left on earth.

I'm going to look at a milk goat on Wednesday. I am so excited.... I can hardly wait... I don't know why but I feel like a little kid getting a Birthday or Christmas present, last week was my Birthday so can I just consider this a late Birthday gift?
I don't think I have *T* convinced that having a milking goat is a good idea. But then he didn't think butchering the turkeys was a good idea either, but loved the taste of the meat. So maybe he will come around after a few batches of cheese and ice cream. I am currently looking for cheese recipes that are not too hard... so if any of you have any send them my way, please!

I've got to close this for now and get to bed... 5 a.m. comes real early.

What does your Birthday mean

Your Birthdate: April 29

You have the mind of an artist, even if you haven't developed the talent yet. Expressive and aware, you enjoy finding new ways to share your feelings. You often feel like you don't fit in - especially in traditional environments. You have big dreams. The problem is putting those dreams into action. Your strength: Your vivid imagination Your weakness: Fear of failure Your power color: Coral Your power symbol: Oval Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Wild Leeks

Leek Dip

8 oz. Sour Cream
8 oz. Miracle Whip
8 oz. Cream Cheese - softened
4 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Bacon bits or finely Chopped Pepperoni
1 cup Chopped Leeks

Mix sour cream, miracle whip, cream cheese and cheddar cheese together until evenly blended. Add bacon bits and leeks and mix again until evenly blended.

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I made a double batch of this yesterday, and I bet you anything it will be gone by the end of the week.
I would like to fine some more recipes for leeks, besides putting them in everything we eat for the next 6 weeks. I was talking to a guy the other day who said he had just finished canning pickled leeks... that sounds SO good but I need a recipe. Any suggestions?
I do have an awesome Meatloaf Recipe that I came up with last year but I haven't made it yet this year, I'm thinking maybe tomorrow or Wednesday evening, but, who knows... it all depends on when we get home and what is going on at that point.

Another busy day here in North Central PA

I left the house at 5:45 in the morning yesterday and never got home until almost 6:30 p.m. I worked until 2 p.m. then went over to the fire hall to see if they needed help in the kitchen with anything. Ended up staying there cleaning leeks for the join fundraiser that the legion and fire department are doing. As I walked in the house *T* handed me the phone and said "here *MK* wants to know what you are doing". *MK* was calling to see if I'd order a pizza and she'd pick it up on the way to the house. *T* had helped her change the tires on her car the other night and she had planned on taking us out to dinner last night as a "Thank You". But we decide that since I hadn't been home all day we'd just order pizza and call it good. As soon as I got off the phone *T*, the boys, and I went out to get the chores done before *MK* got here. We ate outside at the picnic table and then *T* and the boys played ball with the dogs while *MK* and I chatted. It was getting dark and a bit cool outside so we came in the house and sat here and chatted some more while *T* got the boys in the tub for a bath (from the dirt that was in the tub after thier bath, I think we could have planted the garden in the bottom of the tub). Shortly after the boys were out of the tub *MK* was ready to leave and I walked her out to the car and by the time I came back in the house two of the boys were sleeping on the couch, and the thrid was saying he was ready for bed. They had played outside all day, poor little guys were tuckered out.

The firemen in North Central Pennsylvania got a workout yesterday. Here is a link to "Potter County Fire News" that posted the news story below.


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Things started off with a report of a wildfire in Farmington Twp. in the Nelson area around 1100 hrs. Before it was all said and done (many hours later) that fire would result in the loss of several structures and an unknown number of acres of property. This fire saw the seldom seen use of an All-Call for manpower in Tioga County requesting all available manpower to the scene. We have received reports that an air tanker was also called in to the scene of that fire.

At aproximately 1130 hrs Singlehouse Dept 39 was dispatched to a reported structure fire in Oswayo. This blaze required resources from Shinglehouse Dept 39, Coudersport Dept 48, Genesee Dept 37, as well as Bolivar and Portville, NY (and possibly more). Reports indicate that two structures were lost in this blaze.

Then at aproximately 1200 hrs, while working at Station 47 in Ulysses, Dept 47 personnel noticed heavy smoke in the area of Jackson Rd. in Bingham Twp. Upon investigation it was found that a large wildfire was in progress on the hillside above Jackson Rd. aproximately 1/4 mile from the Ulysses/Hickox Rd. This resulted in units from Depts 47, 20 and 10 responding in what would become a 3+ hour effort to quell an aproximately 3-4 acre blaze. Normally Genesee Dept 37 would have also been requested but they were already committed to the structure fire call in Oswayo.


And if that wasn't enough already, as units were responding to the Ulysses incident a call went out for a reported wildfire in Westfield Twp in the Potter Brook area. This incident would ultimately burn aproximately 50 acres and endanger several homes. Dept 20 split its response between the Ulysses and Westfield fires sending P2024 to Ulysses and T2015 and E2022 to Potter Brook. Ulysses Dept 47 was requested to respond but had no units avalable to do so because of the ongoing incident in thier district. Several area departments were involved in battling this blaze including some that had been tranfered to cover at other stations as the result of the Farmington Twp incident.

If all this hadn't already made things busy enough, at some point doing all the already ongoing incidents a reported wild fire in Troupsburg caused for further mayhem. It is unknow how many (or what) area companies responded to that incident but it is reported that several structures were also lost in this blaze.

And at about 1434 hrs Austin Dept 44 was dispatched to 809 Cowley Hill Road for a Wildfire. Chief 44 (D. VanWhy) Responded in minutes to arrive on scene to establish "Austin Command" and reported fire under control by the residence themselves. Luckily this one turned out to be minor.

So, to say the least, the dispatchers in Tioga County earned their money today as they certainly had their hands full as did all of the departments that responded to the various incidents through out the area.
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I know people want to get thier lawns cleaned up but WHY do they burn on these kinds of days? There was a steady breeze ALL day long with occasional gusts that were quite high force. I don't know why anyone would think that it was a good idea to burn trash with these conditions.

Two more calves

We had two more calves born on Friday. One in the morning and one early in the afternoon. I was told by one family member that they are both boys... then that yesterday Mom told me that *HC* (the guy that owns the cows) came to check them today and said "we have three heifers now". I haven't been close enough to any of them to be able to tell what they are, and I'm not going to argue with the one who told me that they are boys... but considering he isn't used to babies of any kind and *HC* has been farmer for 50 years I think I'll go with the idea that we have 3 baby girls. ;)
Friday I was on the go all day long. As soon as I got home from work we left to pick up feed in Ulysses (30 miles away). We came home, unloaded our feed, took Mom's feed over to her, and put in away for her. Came home, let the dogs out and then left to go pick up the boys from Wellsville (20 miles in the other direction). Just got home from there, while *T* and the boys fed the animals I went shopping to get groceries for the weekend (I didn't take time to before I came home the first time), so I didn't get home to stay until 8:45 p.m. and I had left to go to work at 5:45 a.m.

We buy our feed from an Amish farmer about 30 miles from here, because it is so far away and considering the price of gas we try to get a month's supply when we do go.
I could get feed locally but I'd pay about twice what I do in Ulysses. Friday, I paid $63.78 for 431 lbs. of feed. The feed we got for Mom totalled 511 lbs. for $64.82. I don't know what feed prices are in your area but this is a smoking deal around here. Feeding our menagerie for less then $100 a month's worth of grain seems like a dream.

First calf of the year

The first calf of the year was born here at Seldom Seen Acres today. We've been waiting ... we thought that we would have had at least one about a week ago. Today was a nice day for the baby to be born, the temp. got up to 78F.
The new baby is a girl, she's black with a white face and some white on her legs as well.

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High Temp 78F
Low Temp 31F
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Two days in a row...

Sometimes the simplest things bring tears to my eyes.
Last week I was telling my friend/co-worker (*V*) about these cute pink plaid canvas shoes that I saw at Wal-Mart. I was telling her that I almost bought them, but I opted for a pair of dark blue and a pair of white ones instead. But then later wished I had gotten the plaid ones. Yesterday when *V* came to work she had a bag in her hand and said "I have something for you" (with this devilish little grin on her face)... when I looked in the bag there was a pair of those cute plaid shoes! She spoils me.
Today when I got home from work I found a bag of goat feed and a card propped up against my back door. I couldn't imagine where it had come from because I knew *T* wasn't going to pick up feed today and even if he did he would have put it in the feed bin in the barn not on the back door step. I opened the envelope to find a Thank You card inside. It said "Thanks! .... for bending over backwards for me." and signed by "Penny & Suzie". I got all teary. I never expected anything for helping, I just did it because I could help someone in need.

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One Year Ago Today
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