Newsletter #295 2025 Feb 10 Monday
Of course it's tax time; property tax payment and income tax prep. Perhaps my least favorite time of year. Ha! And, life goes on.
This harkens back to the good ‘ole days in Sioux City, IA; as a child I had no worries. And we kids would trek down to a pond on a nearby golf course and skate. No adult supervision. It was a beautiful thing.
Primal Woods
Pure Maple Syrup
The first couple cords of firewood are on hand; if history is my guide I’d expect to go through about four cords during the Pure Maple Syrup season.
When you do it the “old fashioned way,” as we do, there is a limit to how long the taps will stay open; the tree is trying to heal the wound. As mentioned last week, I have missed two or three days of sap flow, but in the 10-day forecast there are no temps high enough to cause sap to flow. So. We will see how the 10-day develops, but right now it looks like we won’t be tapping until sometime after the 20th of February.
Sawmill Services
A job is now scheduled for next week, which I should be able to squeeze in before syrup season. It will be an all-day job for sure, and maybe part of a Day 2. The cashflow will help fund the syrup season for sure.
I’ll only be working the pile of logs nearest the camera. The work is to mill most all of the structural timbers for a pavilion to be erected; I’m looking forward it.
Homestead Rebel Farm
Pigs
That was my last view of the pigs, a week ago today. In some sense I guess, I miss having them around.
The average hanging weight of the three was 218 lbs, versus and average of 250 lbs for the first five; and I kept these pigs three weeks longer than the first group. What I’m making this mean is that running the pigs in the woods is the way to go, and so that’s all we’ll do from now on.
Oxen
Fourth batch of round bales; the oxen are on round bale #16. We went through 25 bales last year, I’m hoping we make it with less hay this year.
Elmer and Boris still look good, and they will get some training this week; it’s imperative.
News
Same as last week, News is still coming in hot. The theme last week was Covid; if there is a theme to this week’s Notes, it is that the government, and the leaders of our government, cannot be trusted.
…in questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.
Thomas Jefferson
It should go without saying by now, the Founders knew this; they learned from the history of the Greeks and Romans, among others. We on the other hand, have forgotten, were never taught, have never learned for ourselves, or have chosen willful ignorance of the fact. I’m trying to rectify that situation, in some small way. Even the likes of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR, do not deserve monuments in their honor; monuments (and the temple erected in honor of Lincoln) are all evidence of a Civil Religion that has been established right under our noses. To supplant Christianity.
Books & Such
I still have The Mystery of John Colter: The Man Who Discovered Yellowstone on the nightstand; and, still making progress, albeit slowly.
Further to Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of Us Die; finished, and I wrote a short post on the subject.
Continuity of Government
I just finished the book, Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of Us Die; it’s true to the title and subtitle. The phrase “Continuity of Government” (CoG) always landed on me in a bad way, and as it turns out my gut instinct was correct.
I started and finished on Audible; The Nixon Conspiracy: Watergate and the Plot to Remove the President.
Where do I start…corrupt people (John Dean in particular), corrupt prosecutors, a corrupt judge (John Sirica), and a corrupt U.S District Court for the District of Columbia. And voilà!, a very popular President is forced to resign. A legal coup. It’s no coincidence that prosecutors of Trump consulted the Nixon files.
When it comes to human nature, there is indeed nothing new under the sun.
All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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I may not read all your newletters but I do peruse over some of them!! The pigs looked well fed, how much of the meat do you keep and sell the rest?
The Oxen are beautiful!!!
You guys are doing an amazing job! We are doing a family trip in May, heading to the NJ shore to hangout with my sister,brother and niece. Bringing the syrup with,we are not sure if we are driving or flying. I'm sure we will be doing pancakes and waffles.
Love you Guys!
Francine