Animal Tracks in the Snow ~ Freezing Temps Prep

 

Coyote maybe.

Dog vs. Coyote (photo from Google)

Cat on the left, and possible coyote on the right.

Cat.

Birds. 

                                          Raccoon again.

Although the snow is melting today (the thaw before the freeze), yesterday I was able to get some photos of more animal tracks in the snow.  I was most curious if my thoughts were correct, and that the coyote has made it's way to our property.  I have not seen it on our property yet, but I have seen a very fat raccoon.  To note about that, we have not seen a raccoon here in several years.  I'm guessing they are sensing that there is an extreme cold front coming, and the wild animals are all trying to fatten up.

There is a stray cat we have tried to feed, and have seen it many times since the day after Christmas.  The tracks lead all over the place.  I have a food shelter set up for it, but I do have to remember to bring the food bowl in at night.

Last night I forgot to bring the food bowl inside and low and behold, the big (and very fat) raccoon came up to he house to enjoy some of that cat food, ha ha!  A knock on the door did not even persuade that bugger to bug off. It was sort of funny if you ask me.  I remember when one of the kids used to name raccoons that kept stealing the cat food years ago.

Weekend preparations are being made for the upcoming surge of freezing temperatures.  

The list includes, making sure laundry is done, dishes are done, floors are swept and mopped, chargeable light bulbs charged, batteries charged, wood cut for the wood stove if needed, water in jugs (if needed to flush toilets, water the chickens or water for us - if the power goes out, the water pump to the well does not work), oil lamp oil in stock, and extra wicking, and so forth.  Oh, and extra straw in the coop for the chickens.   Bread and PB and J are always the back up meal plan for a power outage.  Out here we have to prepare for just about anything when the temperatures go to the extreme cold.

Animal Tracks in the Snow ~ Freezing Temps Prep © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Goat Coats ~ Helping Others

 

I'm not sure how these survived in a tote this long, but these goat coats were taken to an area animal sanctuary yesterday.  I actually found one more after I took the photo to send to them.  Anyway, the zebra coats were made and sewn by myself.  I know, I am shocked myself.  I can still see the baby goats (kids) running around looking like baby zebras, ha ha!

I dug out my Mom's sewing machine and got to it one day.  The pink one (store bought) was for our very first female Lamancha goat.  The zebra ones were cut from old pajamas from the kids (recycled I should say).  I sewed velcro straps on,  and wah-la, goat coats for the kid goats when it was cold out.

The temperatures here are to dip into a brutal cold spell starting Monday, and the sanctuary has many goats, and kid goats.  They asked the public for help, and we decided to give them all 4 goat coats. 

We have no plans to raise dairy goats again, but we do have the means  (and  know how)  to do it, if we decide to do it again.  I can always sew new coats, so we are not sad to donate them.  We are glad we can help them.

Goat Coats ~ Helping Others © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

The Wonders of Nature

I purposely get up early enough to recharge with coffee, and watch the sunrise.  I also go outside to take in a breath of fresh winter air.  Even if it's just a minute.  Some days, I catch a beautiful sunrise, some days I see animal tracks, some days I see the beauty of mother nature in wild animals.

I took these photos, not realizing I what I would see.  It was quite a sight to watch, as it appeared the largest buck was standing guard, while the rest of the herd got into the woods nearby.

What I didn't expect to see in the photos.  A stalking coyote.

Keeping an eye on the coyote.

I hope you enjoyed the photos. They are not the best, as I am using an older camera, but still pretty good.  My husband gifted me a new camera for Christmas, but due to a problem with it, it had to be returned.  A new camera (we are going with something else this time) is being sought out, and hopefully soon.

We are getting more snow, and they are still predicting a big dip in cold temperatures.

The Wonders of Nature  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Tidbits . . . from the Handiwork Journal {Jan 15 , 2025}

It's been cold here lately.

Tuesday (1-14-25) we woke up to -3°F.   It snowed the entire day, making all of the roadways slick. Accidents, multiple car pile up's, and my husband stuck in traffic on his way home (due to another pile up).  I'm not kidding, it was that bad on the roads. I was out on them.  The doctor found no fractures, but I have an injured hamstring.  No wonder I have been in pain.  My husband missed his own doctor appt due to the accidents delaying him.

Today we woke up to a brisk -7°F, and we are in for a really cold snap next week.  Like below -20 or something.  I had the delight to watch a herd of deer this morning, and will post those photos in another post. 

We had a front porch visitor.  A raccoon. 

 It's been fun with the snow on the ground lately. I can track the animals so easily.  There are rabbit prints and deer prints all around the chicken coop, and all over the property.  I see the fat squirrel often, and now we also have kitty cat tracks that lead to every door of the house. I actually saw the cat again Monday morning.  It has been bedding down in one of our barns, according to the tracks in the snow.

On the handiwork front . . .

It may look like a lot, but it is winter, and the weather is too cold to do much of anything outside.

. . . finished three jar openers, using up some red thread, but I now have just small bits left from two.  I'll do some research on what I can use it up with. 

 

Any suggestions?  Size 3 crochet thread. Not much left on them.  I looked at 32 pages of patterns on Ravelry.  It is not a thread that would work for scrap dishcloths either.  Mini hearts, but for what?  Earrings are not well accepted as gifts. I made my Mom a pair for Christmas one year, and she never wore them.  Maybe donate it?  I may try and come up with a small Christmas ornament to donate to nursing homes etc.

. . . made a few "sunshine" Christmas tree ornaments to use up some yellow cotton I had in my stash.  These will be donated.  Would you stiffen these?  They are #4 worsted weight cotton.  If you would, what would you use to stiffen them?

. . .blocking more crocheted baby washcloths, and using up some discontinued 2 ply cotton thread.  When the thread is gone, these will be the last of the last of these.  

. . .first granny square for my 2025 creative project (watch for a post on this soon!)  I shared this granny square earlier.

. . . started another lap afghan.  The colors were inspired by the latest granny square, and uses up some more stash yarn.  

. . .started another baby blanket in blue and white.  We have someone expecting, so I'm making sure I have a variety of color options to gift.  Note:  After I starting drafting this post, I found out she is having a girl now, so there is no rush on this one.

. . . started a knitted dishcloth.  These are great gifts, host/hostess gifts, house warming gifts, and to use myself.

On the new purchase front . . .

I wanted crochet stitch minders, to help remind me what hook size I was using on projects like the granny square project.  I went online and found exactly what I wanted, but it was over $30 with shipping.  

I settled for these "knitting" markers, but will be writing the crochet letter hook size on the opposite side.  Cost?  $4.98 total cost.  I could make my own, but this will do the job.  The numbers are small and hard to read, so I'll use a marker to go over them.  It will work for now anyway.  

I could have also used letter beads slipped onto a safety pin, but guess what??  I donated those letter beads a few years ago, ha ha!  Anyway, I wanted the letter of the hook and the size on the markers, because for some reason some newer hooks have not been the same coordinates.  For example, I found an "I" hook to have other size numbers on them vs. the size 5.50mm.

By the way, I went to our nearest JoAnn Fabrics store, and they did not have any type of "hook" minders for projects.  I was surprised.  Also, I only had the time to check at Meijer, but to buy new "letter" beads it would cost $4.99 plus tax.  If you make your own hook size minders to remind you of your hook size on patterns, let me know.

Tidbits ~ . . . from the Handiwork Journal  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday {Jan 13, 2025}

There a many possibilities for January yet. It keeps me focused, and joyful.  I'm a bit behind on home repairs/projects, but moving forward.

Winter gives me more time to browse our local library, and read up on new teas, recipes, tinctures, garden plants and more. Has anyone had experience with bay leaf tea?  I'm just now learning about it, but have not made the tea.  I'm wondering if all bay leaves are the same or different?  I buy mine bulk, so I'll have to check the package label.

Another question.  Ha.  Sigh.  When we emptied our moveable cupboard that holds extra canned garden goods, we discovered cowboy candy from 2020.  Toss?  I mean it's now 2025.  My husband is insisting anything canned is good (not the same for tomato based goods), but I'm against him on this one.  Garden season is around the corner, so I can toss and be safe.  What would my fellow canning blog friends do?

Gardening folks - do you plan on planting anything new this coming garden season?

Photo courtesy of my cousin in the LA area.  This was their sunset a few nights ago.  Prayers continued.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, although I am currently now a "stay at home housewife."

I know these posts can be a bit long, so I'll try and keep things short and to the point.

The weather in my neck of the woods . . .

We had another snow storm that blew in last Friday.  We got another 2-3 inches of snow or so.  It's about 12°F windchill this morning.  Today will be 11 degrees colder than yesterday.

Things that make me happy . . .

-waking up to a clean and tidy kitchen

-battery operated thin twinkle lights in a few areas of the house during winter.  They add a bit of sparkle during dark, cold winter days.

-our few mantle photos, that I turn on in winter.  They have little lights that come on with a built in timer.  I plan to add a few more.  We keep these until winter is over with.

Book I am reading . . .

-See last Happy Homemaker for the three daily readings (Here)

I unburied this book, which I started back in May of 2024.  Totally forgot about, as it was underneath something else.  It is somewhat boring, so it's dragging along.

I started this one too, but it's my downstairs book. Yes, I am reading two books at once, ha ha!  The top book is light weight, so I can read it on the treadmill (or will continue on the treadmill if doctor clears me).

What's on my TV . . .

Recent movies:  Crazy, Stupid, Love,  Morning Glory, recent football game, 80 for Brady

On my breakfast plate . . .

Apple/Cinnamon/Walnut Steel Cut oats, Canadian Bacon or Chicken breakfast "sausage" patties

Fun fact:  I learned the steel cut oats at as a prebiotic in our body.  Interesting for sure.

On my lunch plate . . .

Egg Salad on avocado bread, fresh fruit

On my dinner plate . . .

Leftovers.

On the menu . . .

-Sheet Pan Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables

-crockpot herbed flounder, roasted veggies or green beans

-Mexican chicken or tacos

-Leftovers

On the to-do list . . .

In recent lists, I have overloaded my list with dedicated ambition, but to no avail, left almost all to-do's half done.  In light of that...the list will be me picking 3 off my notebook.  I went around the house and wrote what needs done.

Not sure what I'll pick yet, but the goal is only 3 now. In addition....

-make cream of celery soup

New recipe I tried or want to try . . .

Crockpot herbed flounder.  It's on the menu.

Recipe we tried - Homemade Avocado bread.  Delicious.  I baked it the exact time the recipe called for, but the photos looked crispier on the edges (or more done) than ours turned out.  It is very good however.  We can just cook it a bit more in the air fryer before using.  We plan to make more of this "bread" and put it in the freezer to use as needed.

To try:  Crockpot herbed flounder.

What I am creating . . . 

Crochet lap afghan, baby blanket, and jar openers.  Updates on it all soon in another blog post. It will take up too much space to post it all here.  Working on our Christmas binder (recipes, gift ideas, games etc). Oh, and a crochet combined new project I hope to be sharing soon (pretty fun so far).

No words needed (favorite photo or picture) . . .

Sunday Joy - met up with a couple for breakfast at a local restaurant that has a "country" store inside.  All of the Christmas items were on sale 50% off and ended the same day.  Love this store, and the food.  The food is the closest to homemade you can find.  Good company made the morning wonderful.

Devotional, Prayers or Bible Verses . . .

Good thoughts, good vibes, good life!  Not a Bible verse, but a good reminder.

Happy Homemaker Monday {Jan 13, 2025} © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

49 Weeks Until Christmas 2025

I'm joining Anne in the Kitchen (blogspot - Cooking and All that Jazz ) with her Christmas countdown preparations and fun planning posts.

Preparing for the next Christmas season.  January is the best time to work on crochet Christmas gifts and/or ornaments.  My family has been overwhelmed with my gracious and over abundance of ornament making over the years.  I need to find another outlet for them now.  Maybe nursing homes?  Adult assisted living facilities?  

 We have located a non-gmo Christmas cookie sugar sprinkle for next year's cookies.  I had no idea they even made them, and our Menard's sells Watkins brands.  They make this in "green" too with no artificial dyes.

Current library book for Christmas possibilities:

Delicious Foods to Make and Give Homemade, by Judith Choate.  A good library find for holiday planning if you are doing so during these slower winter days.

It has many recipes and ideas.  However, what in the world would you use parsley jelly for ?

The book suggestion is for a glaze on poultry, fish, veal or lamb.  Honestly, I would rather dehydrate my herb garden parsley and use it that way.  Would you use the jelly?  Just wondering.  It is an odd recipe, and with sugar too.

I have printed and saved one adult game for our binder.

I have not yet tried any new recipes for the next holiday.

49 Weeks Until Christmas 2025  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Gizmo/Gadget

 

I am not an affiliate with Amazon (or other stores), but here is what we decided on for the night light in one of the bathrooms.  It is chargeable, has 4 light settings, and can be taken off the included stand, and can be used as a "flash light" if needed.

It has an on, off and auto setting, so it can be left on, turned off, or set to auto to motion detect.  When set on auto, it only turns on, when motion is detected, and only in the dark.  We love it.  I may buy one for the camper too.  I found it on Amazon, but it very well may be in stores.   We wanted something that did all these things, but was solar chargeable, and we could not find a solar chargeable one, so we settled on this gadget.

And because I wanted one, and the only place I think I would find one is a store within a flea market 3 hours away, I bought a teabag squeezer.  Some of our teabags, including home sealed bags, have no string.  These work like tongs.  Again, found it on Amazon.  Just sharing.  My husband laughed at my gizmo.  He said he's Dad just pinched his teabag with his fingers.  Ouch!

Prayer request update:

Thank you for your prayers for my cousin, her husband and cats out in the LA area.  We last heard they were boxing up anything they deemed valuable, as the city was "burning down around them" and they described it as "Armageddon."  Her last message stated a friend was at her home too, sobbing as their house burned down.  It is so unreal, scary, and devastating.  They have more friends that also lost their homes.  I cannot even imagine.  

Gizmo/Gadget  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart