Newsletter #320 2025 Aug 13 Wednesday
The perimeter fencing of the Sheep Pasture is Done. Finished. Finito! The Oxen are looking well. Blueberry Pure Maple Syrup is back on the shelf, and, some much needed rain came.
Primal Woods
Sawmill Services
After moving it to a kiln, Shane’s 5/8ths inch lumber was kiln dried within a week. We will deliver this lumber to Shane on August 22.
Below is a picture of Shane’s lumber from last week’s Newsletter.
If you or someone you know are interested in our Sawmill Services, check out our Primal Woods page on the subject.
Pure Maple Syrup
Blueberry Pure Maple Syrup is back on the shelf! We still have plenty of the Tart Cherry, Vanilla, and the regular of course.
Homestead Rebel
Sheep
This week we tackled the west end of the North fence-line, and the West fence-line; this is a “before”
And as of later yesterday, it was “done and dusted” as Timothy is fond of saying. This is a major accomplishment, and one of the key projects I was hoping to accomplish this summer with Timothy’s help. Since the Oxen have been grazing the future Sheep Pasture in recent days, you will get a look at Boris and Elmer, too.
The gates still need to be addressed, but that is a relatively small chore. There are four gates in to/out of the Sheep Pasture, two ~12 foot gateways, and two ~8 foot gateways; we will be rounding up some gates we have on the property later today, and then close the gaps. relativelyAnd, lest I forget, and electric wire across the top all the way around, and a strand of barb wire across the bottom all the way around. Again, relative to the posts and woven wire installation, a relatively small job.
You will see a new rectangle at the top left (northwest corner) of the Sheep Pasture in the aerial view below; that is the “Sorting System” for the sheep as detailed immediately below.
I rotated the diagram 90 degrees counter-clockwise above, because that is how it fits into the aerial view. Here it is again, easier to read …
The principal resource used in the development of this design, was Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep, Fifth Edition, by Paula Simmons & Carol Ekarius.
Oxen
The Oxen are in Sheep Pasture, having been moved in rapid succession from Paddock #10 to 8, and to 6, maybe even to 4, I forget! It has been very dry until yesterday and the night before.
The Oxen’s coats are simply beautiful, and they are in physically great shape, aside perhaps from a lack of regular exercise.
From last week, “The grass is a little lite, which is to say, we need rain!”
And prayers answered, we got some rain!
Pigs
The Pigs are in Hog Heaven with the rain yesterday and cooler temperatures.
Chickens
The Meat Birds after three weeks … they are now in the chicken tractor! This video of the move is about 4 minutes.
Farmhouse Airbnb
I don’t think the Airbnb has been empty for 24 hrs since I last wrote; guests have been filling in the weekdays lately, which speaks volumes of Geri’s hostessing.
A question for you …
Books & Such
I completed Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World, in hardcover. I think I’ve said it before, I no longer have any heroes from the realm of politics, and Eisenhower, while a good president, maybe even a great president, is no exception. He was the first POTUS to have to deal with a nuclear-armed foe, the Soviet Union, and he did not get us into a war. And he didn’t let the military-industrial-congressional complex off the chain. That’s all good; the downside is that he super-empowered the CIA under Allen Dulles to conduct covert wars, and we’ve been dealing with that monster ever since.
And again from last week, another re-read, or re-listen, One Second After, by William Forstchen.
Another book regarding what the aftermath of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse event might look like is Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath, by Ted Koppel. I find One Second After more realistic. Preppers typically prepare with some particular event in mind; maybe it’s a hurricane, or a tornado, tsunami, financial collapse … you get the idea. The worst case scenario in my opinion, is the EMP attack.
All the best to you and yours, and may God bless you all.
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All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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Very encouraging update. C'mon RAIN!