Newsletter #266 2024 July 12 Friday
Finally back to advancing the farm this week, in between major rain dumps. Tuesday was pig fence-line trimming and new perimeter fencing for the Oxen.
Primal Woods
There is of course a “list” of to-do’s for the Farmhouse, but I only have so much time in the summer and fall to accomplish the necessary farm build-out projects. At this point, in that regard, I’ve not gotten anything done for at least six weeks. Now I really, really need to get a move on.
Sawmill Services
Thursday’s milling job didn’t come off this week; I made the trip, but the large logs and wet ground made the work inadvisable. We’ve rescheduled the work, and the property owner is having the logs moved to a more accessible location.
It has been so wet. As you can see below the RH in Kiln 1 has been increasing since mid-June; it is supposed to be going in the opposite direction. In the next 5 days we have another inch of rain in the forecast.
As a result of the higher RH in the Kiln, and lower temperatures since late June, the Equilibrium Moisture Content has also increased. Who knows when we’re going to dry out.
It’s a similar story in Kiln 2:
The question is, yet unanswered, should I pull the lumber from the Solar Kilns and take it to a fired kiln?
Homestead Rebel Farm
Broilers
This first picture is from last week.
It is truly amazing how fast these chickens grow; how fast they convert feed to protein, compared to heritage breeds. Earlier today I moved them to the Chicken Tractor (aka Broiler Shelter). I counted 20, which means in the first days after shipment we lost a total of 16. It will be enough to fill an upright freezer, and I can always run a second batch in Sep/Oct if necessary.
That’s a beauty of food animals, they can convert what we cannot eat into high quality protein and fat that we can eat. Here is a video of the move to the mobile shelter.
Pigs & Oxen
The pigs, too, continue to grow at an astounding rate; they are going through about 200 lbs of feed per week now, which means collectively they are putting on about 34 pounds per week, or just over 6 lbs/pig*week.
I made some limited progress on the pasture fencing…it’s so wet that I hesitate to take the tractor into the pasture, so I’m having to haul all of the materials by hand. I was able to brush-hog along maybe half of the unfenced perimeter, but the rest of it I will also have to cut using a hand operated brush-cutter. The fencing work is on the calendar for tomorrow, Saturday.
Men’s Retreat
As a reminder, our next Men’s Retreat is on the calendar for 12-15 September. And we have now added 2025 dates; 20-23 Feb, 5-8 Jun, and 4-7 Sep. If you or someone you know might be interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Farmhouse
Some minor improvements to the Farmhouse this week, including laying floor tile in the new laundry room, and on the steps leading to the laundry. We have a full house this weekend, 12 guests. I also split a little firewood for the guests, and I’m on call for a farm tour, which should be fun.
News
The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia, but to keep the very structure of society intact.
Orwell has been a darling of the Left and the Right, depending on the circumstances I suppose. The truth is that he was a socialist, but had well-founded fears that a totalitarian would hi-jack the utopian socialist world of his dreams.
Fallout from the debate continues, with George Clooney being the latest to pile on, at least according to sources I read. Regardless of the outcome, this will be an election season for the history books, of that much I’m sure.
The Covid “plandemic” charade is also falling apart, as is more than I could have hoped for. What that will lead to is anyone’s guess, but if I had to guess, I’d say it will lead to nothing significant. Maybe some more “vaccine hesitancy” as I think it’s called, which would be a good thing.
Books
I didn’t drop the books over the holiday weekend, but I did watch a few videos you might find of interest.
Breach (2007) A dramatization of the Richard Hansen story. Great movie, great story.
Robert Hanssen was an American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services against the United States from 1979 to 2001. He is considered one of the most damaging spies in FBI history, compromising the identities of undercover spies and providing top-secret information to the Russians.
The Pilot - A Battle for Survival
Another great movie, based on one or more stories of Russian pilots during WW II. Dubbed in English, but that is almost totally unnoticeable once you get into the story, which will happen quickly.
Waiting for Superman (2010) - documentary
As I did more research on government schools, and as I talked with Roger, a former neighbor and a guest at the Farmhouse last week, this movie came up in conversation about the state of the school system in the United States. It’s worth a watch, and revolves around attempts at school reform, and barriers to school reform.
The Monopoly on Violence (2020) - documentary
This is a story of the violence and coercion that underlies our modern societies. Most of the time, our interactions are peaceful and consensual, but there is a large notable exception. The state maintains its power and ability to create law by the constant threat of force. It prohibits competition to its authority, and in this sense, represents a monopoly.
Those should keep you glued to screens for awhile.
All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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