Newsletter #309 2025 May 29 Thursday
A very productive week; it ran the gamut from work in the Oxen paddocks, to bottling Pure Maple Syrup, to a milling job, to firewood production for winter '25/'26.
Primal Woods
Sawmill Services
Timothy and I traveled to Chesterton, Indiana last weekend for a milling job with Ami and Randy; it was at least my third trip, and as enjoyable as ever. They had some trees taken down on their property, and wanted the lumber for use in their business, AmiRand Custom Woodworks.
Daughters, sons-in-law, uncles and brothers, all were in attendance. Timothy and I were treated to a fine lunch and great conversation. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again; the people I meet when milling are the best feature of the portable sawmill service we provide.
Visit their website and enjoy the gallery of their craftsmanship.
Today we are milling a log for Shane, on-site here at Primal Woods. The boards will be 5/8ths inch thick, either 6 or 4 inches wide, and used for an accent wall in Shane’s family home.
Pure Maple Syrup
Brian, a great friend I met on a milling job five years ago or so, stopped by to pickup a big order, and to chat for awhile; I wish we had more time. He’s been a loyal customer, and is our “unofficial” distributor in Indiana. Thank you, Brian! In all he took home over 11 gallons of syrup!
And Timothy bottled 90 small bottles of syrup for a wedding; he learns fast, and is allowing us to get a lot more accomplished, especiallly in the farm build-out, than we’ve been able to do ourselves.
Homestead Rebel
Oxen
A lot going on with the Oxen, and I’m confident we will have the cross-fencing for all ten paddocks complete within a week.
Pigs
The pigs are growing quickly! And they are happiest in the woods; it won’t be long now and we will have to expand the area available to them, as they have pretty much rooted-up the current space available.
Layers
This is one of the pullets taking a timeout under the nest boxes (seldom used) in the coop; notice the eggs ready for collection.
Timothy and I have had to herd chickens the last couple of nights, as we try to train the pullets to return to the coop; each night we have come up short, and had to enlist the aid of Lulu for her tracking prowess. The nose on dogs is remarkable, and Lulu knows how to use hers to maximum effect.
The Meat Birds are on order; I could not find the Cornish X chicks in stock locally, so we ordered, from Stromberg’s Chickens.
Firewood
It deserves its own heading! Ten cords is our objective for this summer, and we are off to a good start. We brush-hogged a site for firewood storage, splitting and such, atop the hill just south of the house; our first load was from the tree that fell across 46th Avenue a couple of weeks ago.
We will cut those stumps down, and this area will be home to 10 cords before you know it. To put that in perpective, the firewood stored will equal a single stack 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, and 80 feet long; that’s a lot of firewood.
Farmhouse Airbnb
I don’t believe I’ve shown the back of the Farmhouse before, so here goes.
There is a deck all the way across the back of the house, with an outdoor dining area on the northeast corner, and a screened in porch on the northwest corner. Shade trees abound of course. The Polaris is pictured as I was out preparing the water toys and and fire pit for this week’s guests.
News and Notes
Timothy has challenged me to stay busier, as if I thought that was possible. So, little consumption of the “news.” When it comes to human nature though, there is no such thing as “news;” it’s all right there between the covers of the Bible.
For a view more current than 2,000 years ago, if that matters, check out The Law, by Frederic Bastiat, circa 1850.
In further evidence of that truth, here is a clip of Thomas Sowell, my favorite living economist, from 45 years ago.
And if you need to tickle your funny bone, check these out!
Books & Such
Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World. Still in this one, and making good progress, almost done.
Don’t go! We cannot do it without you! Help us to keep the wheels on this effort, by visiting the website, and buying some of our Pure Maple Syrup!
OR! If you find value in our work, please do consider supporting Homestead Rebel for $5/month subscription.
OR! I can understand not wanting to sign up for a subscription…I get it, but if you would still like to support our efforts…
All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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