Something Old Turned New

Sometime last year we had a friend sell us an old incubator. I wasn't too sure it could be fixed or even fixed up.

Thankfully Pat is good at restoring things.

We had to order a few replacement parts in order to have a working unit; thank goodness for the Internet.

On Saturday we noticed the eggs began hatching;

Which is good since every one of our chickens have been killed over the past few months.

Between the dogs, the coyotes and I think a bobcat, our poor hens didn't have a chance!

Thankfully we were able to buy some fertile eggs and can now begin replacing our flock.

A Little Shopping

While we were in Austin Jonathan wanted us to drive to Buda so he could shop at Cabela's.

A sporting goods store is not exactly what I consider a "fun" place to go, but boy was I wrong about this place.It was like being in a zoo or a museum; it was truly amazing.

There is so much to see in this store.

They even had a large aquarium room filled with giant fish.

I'm so glad Jonathan talked me into going; while he shopped Elizabeth and I just walked around and admired all the wonderful displays.

The Oasis in Austin

Earlier this month we began the first of many summer trips; our first destination...the Austin area.

We visited The Oasis which is an exciting restaurant built on a cliff. We dined on a deck that hung over the cliff's edge.

The view was breathtaking! Our food was really good and the weather was perfect.

While at the Oasis I took this photo of my sister and Elizabeth. They have the same type of hair and in this photo my sister looks more like Elizabeth's mom than her aunt.

What a fun time we all had; the Austin area is so pretty and so exciting!

A Pretty Pink Book Bag

When Elizabeth is invited to a party my first thought is "what to make" since I like giving handmade gifts.A book bag is always a fun project; my favorite part...the over sized flower.

I so need to make one of these for Elizabeth.

A Little Here and a Little There

Elizabeth wanted to make a gift for her cousin; so as time allowed she began working a little here and a little there.First she chose two colors, pink and purple and then she began marking and cutting them into squares.

Next she slowly stitched the squares into a pleasing design.

Once the front was finished she cut a back and stitched around the outer edges.

After stuffing it was time to stitch, by hand, the opening closed.

And "presto" a pretty little pillow made by a pretty little girl. I love how Elizabeth always wants to do something special for others.

Weeds Be Gone pt. 2

The orchard is officially finished!I love the view when standing at the back looking up towards the house.
Now that all the weeds are under control I can begin focusing on the fence which needs some work.

Weeds Be Gone

The orchard has been in a very sad state this spring, but thankfully I have been able to slowly mow down the weeds.It's amazing how nice an area looks when you spend time working it.

I love how the trees really stand out when the weeds are short.

The job can be overwhelming so I like to cut out paths and small areas when I first begin.

It feels like I am accomplishing a lot when I focus on mowing just small areas.

When I finally past the half way mark the orchard once again began looking like a park.

I still lack two small areas;

But it's almost all finish; mowing dried weeds is hard work.

As I have been doing all this mowing I began thinking about the deer family we purchase sometime back; they turned out to be a disappointment.

They were cheaply made and have been steadily breaking. We only have one left from the bunch.

Oh well, next time I'll know better than to buy yard art from a man selling on the side of the road.

Ham Steaks

Each year, during Easter, the stores run ham on sale at a really good price. This year the lowest price I found was 87-cents per pound.
Compared to the regular price of $2.37 per pound; I got a great deal. The day I went to get a ham the store was sold out. But this was okay since I was able to get a rain check. My family loves to eat bacon and eggs; but with prices on the rise bacon is getting a little too high. So, this year I had my ham cut into steaks. (The meat department will do this for free).
These ham steaks freeze well.

I like to separate them with sheets of wax paper;
And place them in a gallon size zip lock bag.
The very end of the ham is also placed in the freezer for when I want to make a pot of beans.

Locally a prepackaged ham steak sells for well over 2-dollars per pound and I have seen it over 3-per pound. The cheapest bacon I can buy, when not on sale, is $2.50 for a 12-ounce package. So stocking up on ham steaks will save a lot of money over the next several months. And, fried ham steak with eggs is out of this world!