Wen Model 6550 Benchtop Thickness Planer Product Review

Wen Model 6550 Benchtop Thickness Planer Product Review





See Also Our Wen 16″ Scroll Saw Review

Florida’s Everglades National Park






Courtesy of 58National Parks
Check Out “The Origin and Beauty Of Yosemite National Park”

Quick & Simple Homemade Vanilla Extract





Quick & Simple Homemade Vanilla Extract
Nothing brings our family closer than spending the morning or afternoon stirring up an old favorite recipe in the kitchen. We really value our time spent together, therefore, our oven/stovetop is quite busy! From pancakes and waffles to cakes and cookies, we do it all and nearly on a daily basis at times. As a mother with an old-fashioned outlook on life, I find it crucial that my toddler understands the fundamentals when it comes to the importance of each ingredient as well as the science behind cooking.
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When Your Spouse Doesn’t Like Deer Meat

When Your Spouse Doesn’t Like Deer Meat






It’s that time of year again. Your husband has donned his camo, spent countless hours scouting, following trails and looking for “scrapes” and “rubs” on trees. He’s painstakingly searched for just the right tree to hang his stand, doused himself in every sort of synthetic deer excrement on the market, and loaded his shotgun with the best shells money can buy. All to accomplish what he’s waited all year to do. Yes, you guessed it, to bring home his prized buck or doe and fill the freezer with delicious, nutritious, and healthy venison! Continue reading

Preventing Livestock Water Containers From Freezing

Preventing Livestock Water Containers From Freezing





Tips For “Chicken Winter”

Airstone Product Review


Airstone Product Review



See Our Wen 3920 Scroll Saw Review


Mt Lemmon, Tuscon, Arizona

Mt Lemmon, just north of Tuscon, Arizona with a summit elevation of 9,159 feet (2,792 m),is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States.The summit of the mountain is approximately twenty degrees cooler than the base. Therefore, large amounts of snow falls during the winter months, making it a cool escape and popular tourist attraction for Tucson and Phoenix habitants.

The Catalina Highway, also called the Mount Lemmon Highway, as well as the Hitchcock Highway (after Frank Harris Hitchcock) runs up the Santa Catalina Mountains from the east side of Tucson up to Summerhaven, at the top of Mt. Lemmon. The beautiful, curving road is a favorite drive for tourists, for locals escaping summer’s heat and cyclists, and has been recently designated as the Sky Island Parkway, part of the US National Scenic Byway system. At the peak is the Mount Lemmon Observatory, which was formerly the site of a USAF radar base of the Air Defense Command, and the building that formerly housed a military emergency radar tracking station for landing the Space Shuttle at White Sands Missile Range. Although the United States military had a presence on the mountain for several decades all their facilities have been abandoned and were given to the United States Forest Service. The area and buildings that makes up the Mount Lemmon Station Observatory are leased from the Forest Service by the University of Arizona. The telescopes on the mountain are still used for astronomical research today by organizations such as the Catalina Sky Survey, and The Mount Lemmon Sky Center, The University of Arizona Astronomy Camp program, the University of Arizona, and the University of Minnesota. The educational resources at the top of the mountain make it a unique research and teaching destination.
Also Visit Multnomah Falls, Oregon

 

DIY Kitchen Knife Rust Remover

DIY Kitchen Knife Rust Remover 
rusty knife

At some point or another, it happens. The kitchen knives end up in the dishwasher, despite conflicting “yes, you can” or “no you can’t” arguments about whether or not they are dishwasher safe. We haven’t had the greatest luck with avoiding food/contamination poisoning this year and I am determined to keep it from striking down another family member. Any knife that is used to cut raw meat goes straight into the dishwasher like a quarantined specimen and we don’t even think twice about it. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that our water isn’t fantastic either. We get quite a bit of build-up on our appliances from hard water residue, even with a water softener in place (Although, our water source isn’t from a well so really I shouldn’t say much!). All of these factors ultimately lead to build-up and rust our kitchen knife set. We cook A LOT, and we cannot prep our food knowing that we aren’t living up to our own code of standards. As you can see in the picture, we get little spots every now and again that can be “spot treated” in no time. Continue reading

9 Tips To Make Hiking More Enjoyable

9 Tips To Make Hiking More Enjoyable

9 Tips To Make Hiking More Enjoyable
1. Use your feet/ankles/toes. When hiking uphill, think of the way you get “up” the mountain as coming from your ankles, feet and toes propelling you, rather than your thighs/quads doing all the work. Another way to think of this is: Imagine your back foot pushing you forward rather than your front leg standing you up.
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Why You Should Be Raising Ducks Opposed to Chickens

Why You Should Be Raising Ducks Opposed to Chickens

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chicken-vs-ducksIt isn’t uncommon for people to have a flock of chickens in their backyard or on their homestead. Chickens are super easy to raise and produce eggs that can be eaten or sold. Raising chickens for meat is quick and inexpensive as well, which makes them a favorite for those who are living the self-sustainable lifestyle. Chickens are so common, you don’t think twice about seeing a few running around a homestead. They are as natural as weeds. A rooster crowing is synonymous with country life. You are probably accustomed to seeing chickens milling about your place and have never really considered anything else.

With that said, are chickens the best small livestock to raise? Is there another option?

You may want to consider raising ducks instead of chickens. Why ducks you ask? Well, we are going to discuss some of the reasons others have opted to go with ducks for their small livestock of choice on their own farm or homestead. The animals are similar in size and both produce eggs and can be eaten as a protein source, but ducks are better for several reasons.

Egg Quality

Many people have never actually tasted a duck egg. They are not very common and when most people think of eggs, they automatically assume they must come from a chicken. Ducks produce eggs on a regular basis as well and for those who have given duck eggs a try, they say they are superior to chicken eggs. Duck eggs have more protein then their chicken counterparts. They are also rich in vitamins A, B-6 and B-12. The eggs are slightly higher in cholesterol and fat, but not so much as to really change the way you would eat duck eggs compared to chicken eggs.

Duck eggs are also better for baking. You will discover many of the fancy bakeries will use duck eggs in place of chicken eggs in their recipes. Duck eggs have a bit of a thicker consistency, almost custard-like, which makes them beautiful additions to cakes, cookies and other fluffy batters. Duck eggs are also bigger than chicken eggs, which means you need less for certain recipes and to serve for breakfast in the morning.

Ducks are Kinder to Your Yard and Garden
Many new chicken owners are not fully aware of the animal’s ability to make mincemeat of a garden or yard. They may be small, but they are mighty diggers. You would be amazed at the size of holes chickens can dig. They can put a small dog to shame. They are excellent mini-tillers and can help get your garden patch ready for planting in the spring, but you need to build tall fences to keep them out of your garden throughout the growing season. Chickens are destructive. They will shred healthy plants and eat your fruits and vegetables within a matter of minutes. Their sharp beaks can break through plastic and get at potted plants and flowers.

Ducks on the other hand, with their flat bills and webbed feet are much gentler on the yard and garden. They can eat a healthy plant, but are less inclined to do so within minutes of you allowing them into the space. They will not dig holes in your yard or garden.

Many people use chickens to help reduce bugs in the yard and garden, but have to worry about them doing more damage than the bugs would have. Ducks are excellent foragers and will be more effective at reducing things like caterpillars and slugs without being quite as destructive. Ducks are mighty foragers and will work harder to get bugs than their lazy chicken counterparts. Ducks take their bug-hunting extremely serious. That is their focus. Chickens tend to scratch more than they actually forage.

Ducks are Hardier in the Cold

Backyard chickens can be problematic for those who live in colder climates. Chickens are not able to withstand the cold and will require a lot of care. Some breeds of chickens will stop laying when it is cold outside. Ducks are not quite so sensitive to the cold. They lay eggs year round. You won’t have to put in quite as much effort to keep the ducks warm as you do the chickens. And most chicken owners will tell you it is tough to keep up with the demands and needs of the chickens during the winter to keep them laying eggs.

Chickens are also more susceptible to disease. Many flock owners expect to lose a chicken or two during the winter because of some disease or an intolerance to the cold. Ducks love the cold water so a little cold weather is not a big deal to them. They can still go out in the cold and snow and thrive. Chickens risk suffering from frostbite and ultimately death if they are exposed to the weather for too long. Ducks seem to have a better knack and instinct for staying warm. They are smart enough to know to tuck their heads under their wing when it is cold out. Chickens will roost with their heads exposed. This can lead to frostbite or death in extreme cases.

Ducks are Friendlier

Lastly, ducks simply make better pets. A duck isn’t going to attack you with a sharp beak or try and scratch you with it’s scary spurs. You don’t have to worry about your little ones getting pecked by an overly aggressive chicken. Ducks tend to be much more mellow and nicer. Watching ducks waddle about your yard is entertaining. They are a sight to see when they take their bath in the pond and baby ducks are absolutely adorable. Is there anything cuter?!

Ducks are certainly not quite as popular as chickens to raise in the backyard, but more and more people are discovering the joys to raising ducks. You don’t have to abandon chickens altogether. You can certainly have both. Ducks and chickens can live side by side in harmony. This means you get the best of both worlds. This spring, check into adding a few ducks to your flock. You won’t be disappointed!

courtesy of homestead & prepper

See also “Care For Chickens During The Winter”

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14 Day Pickle Recipe and Garden Tips

14 day pickle recipe and garden tips with a brief preview video for the best practices of growing, maintaining, picking and storing cucumbers.

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courtesy of foodfarmerearth

14 Day Pickles – Full Recipe

Here is the full recipe for Grandma Ida’s 14 Day Pickles. I hope you enjoy these as much as our family does.

Ingredients

75 (3-3.5” in length) cucumbers (1 peck)

2 cups Coarse Pickling Salt

Boiling Water

10 cups Sugar

5 cups vinegar

3 tablespoons Alum

18 drops Oil of Cloves

18 drops Oil of Cinnamon

2 tablespoons celery seeds

For sweet/hot pickles: add 20 – 30 jalapeno peppers

Directions

Day 1:

Place clean cucumbers in a stone jar, glass or enameled container. Combine salt and 1 gallon water. Bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers. If you want to add some heat to the pickles, add the jalapenos at this point. Cover with a plate and weight down. Brine must cover cucumbers. Let stand 7 days, but stir the cucumbers every day to discourage formation of film.

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Salting Curing And Smoking Hog Meat

Salting Curing Cold Smoking Hog Meat 
We add a little flavor today and show you how the old timers cured meat. Tim Farmer heads back to Bill Dixon’s smokehouse in Harlan County. With pork on the butcher block, see tricks to salt-curing, sugar-curing and a technique using cold smoke.





courtesy KYAfield
See Also Cooking Deer Backstrap

Back Roads Kentucky Knife Maker

A Kentucky knife maker from Jessamine County who takes us through the steps of crafting a knife. Nick Peel is a real craftsman doing tremendous work in Kentucky!





Courtesy of KYAfield
See also “Tapering A Table Leg Using a Joiner”

Was Jesus Really Born At Christmas?

Was Jesus really born at Christmas? Tune in for some humorous and fun factual anecdotes that you might not have been aware of.





courtesy oflaughing historically
See also “Hot Chocolate In The 19th Century”

Interesting Facts And Trivia About Reindeer

Interesting facts and trivia about reindeer. Stay tuned for a surprise ending.

Video courtesy of animal facts encylopedia
Cooking Deer Backstrap

On Frozen Pond

On Frozen Pond

fish-pond-c
Years ago, when I had more strength than common sense, I’d come out to our pond during the deep winter months carrying a chainsaw and a sledgehammer. Several times each week, you could see me pounding away during the low light of dawn, attempting to create holes in the ice in order to save the fish from their desperate plight below. Then one morning I threw my back out and the fish didn’t seem so important to me. I wasn’t able to come outside for several weeks, and you know what? I didn’t seem to be so important to the fish either.  Continue reading

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Multnomah Falls Oregon
Beautiful Multnomah, Latourell and Horsetail Falls along the Columbia River Parkway in Guy Talbot W. State Park, near Troutdale Oregon.





More Scenic Road Trips