The Yellow Rose of Texas

Bouncing Books! Today's the Book Bounce!

2011-04-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

So. Today was the book bounce. It would make my Dad's evening, make his night, if we sold ten more books before the sun went down in Central Texas. Twenty more might even spill his happiness over into the morning. SO, go, now! Buy it! You won't regret it, I promise. And if you do regret it, well, you just may be a few sandwiches short of a picnic. So, go type in "Grid" in the searchbox on Amazon.com and buy it. Watch this first....

Until Next Time,
Tracy Bunker

My story for a Farmhouse I saw today.....

2011-04-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

As I was riding back from Brownwood today, I saw an old, broken-down farmhouse. I thought of how beautiful it must have been, and wondered why such a house was so close to such a busy highway. Then I realized that the house was older than the highway, and that the highway must have ruined the effect the house once held. I felt sad that such a house much endure the disgrace of a busy highway being so close. So when I got home, I wrote this. It is a little disjointed, but I wrote it fast, so maybe I can trim it up later.

This story may start anywhere, really.
A young couple stretches their wings.
They find ranching land,
They make a plan,
And they build on a hill in the trees.

They work all day in the hot Texas sun,
They build according to dream.
They laugh as they work
And sometimes they don't
But they know that they're quite a team.

A house takes form slowly but surely,
They saw it in their mind's eye.
The Good Lord has blessed
They're hard work and efforts
They did it, they didn't just try.

Summer comes quickly in this part of Texas,
And so did the bugs and the heat
But another blessing
Is on it's way soon
A blessing with small hands and feet

A small Texan family farms on a hillside.
They work and they play in the sun.
The family grows,
Slowly but surely
And everywhere small children run.

The children grow up and times, they change.
The children begin to yearn.
They wonder just what
Is outside the farm
And they leave, wanting to learn.

One day they come home with new ideas,
They startle the tender old couple
Progress is coming
Coming to Texas!
To the parents, it just sounds like trouble

Now a farmhouse once run by a loving young couple
Is now run by humming machines
They purr and clank
And they all seem so loud
The "Good Life" breaks all old routines

The old country road that runs by the house
Was once a place to wave to good friends.
Now it is blacktopped
And cars scream by
And frankly it now just offends

The couple is told they were poor, but not anymore
They don't really understand how they are richer
And they slowly grow older
Among the new gadgets
And don't really believe their life is better

The couple that once was so very happy
Pass away in the farmhouse they built
The children soon sell
The dream of their parents
And it sits and degrades and it wilts,

People speed by on the highway and see a young couple's dream
Slowly fall down with time and with age
It is the brand of the era
And people scoff
And they are glad that times have changed.

I have imagined this story for a house on the hill
It may be close to the truth, it may not
But now the house falls
And is in disrepair
Imagine your own story, if you want to give it a shot.

Hope you enjoyed it, Tracy Bunker

Meet Spunk, our very own Wilbur, of sorts.

2011-04-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have a story to share..... Last Friday, while doing a evening watering of our small herd of Duroc pigs, we found a piglet running around the pen aimlessly. We watched him for awhile, and he seemed hopelessly confused and out of sorts. I expected the mama pig, whoever she was, to call to him or come get him when he squealed for her, but it appeared he didn't belong to anybody in particular. I started scanning the potential mamas for sagging teats or other signs of recent birth, but wasn't able to find any obvious signs that any of them had had a piglet recently. I knew one of them had, but I didn't know who. I had been up at the pigpens just that morning and had not spotted this little newcomer. So, cautiously, I walked in and scooped up the little guy, expecting him to scream bloody murder and for his Mama to come running. He just grunted a bit, and none of the females even paid any attention. Well, night was fast approaching and I didn't like the idea of just leaving him out there to sort it out himself, so I decided to take him in and see what I could do. The Siffords were kind enough to let me have some of their goat milk, and I offered it to him in a bottle leftover from previous piglet experiences. He was very hungry, and after eating a hefty meal, settled down and went to sleep. We puzzled about who the mother might have been and why she didn't seem to care or even know about him. After closer examination, I found he had the same faint stripes down his back as had had an earlier set of piggies born here. I did the math and found that those piggies were approaching the age of being able to reproduce, and after much thought, decided it must have been an early pregnancy between brother and sister litter mates. The faint stripes were signs of a mating with a feral hog, and the little pig now asleep on my porch must be a grandchild of that union. So without further ado, may I introduce the little confused half-breed, Spunk. He is now something like a pet, drinks goat milk from a bottle whenever he so much as makes a peep, and sleeps in a box of straw by Sugar's crate on the porch. He is quite the spoiled brat.

Anyways, spring has sprung here on the Ranch, and as usual, the children are planting seeds everywhere, and we have containers of little sprouts in every windowsill. It is really nice to see the children succeed and to see their faces when the plants give forth produce in the summer.

I took some pictures of the seedlings that are scattered about the kitchen:

(On a bucket of Snap Pea sprouts. Hahaha, get it? ;) )

The first tomato of the season.

Well, Until Next Time,

Tracy Bunker

Pictures of the Young'uns

2011-03-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Jen, 13

Robert, 12

Sarah, 7

The 'crew'

They are cute, but don't tell them I said so.

Treadle pump pictures....

2011-03-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have a lot of pictures to post and I will have to do them in several different posts. You can comment on any one of them.

Enjoy,

Tracy Bunker

Spin it!

2011-03-26T08:28:00.001-07:00

When Dad and Mom went on their trip to Waco, they stopped by Brazos De Dios to talk to some friends there and to check out their new General Store that recently opened up. I have been looking into processing the wool from our Dorper sheep, and did some washing/carding experiments. So Dad picked me up a "Drop Spindle Kit" there, which included and handmade wooden drop spindle, some washed and carded wool for practice, and this book.....

I really enjoyed this book, it had really easy to follow instructions on carding, washing, dying, preparing for spinning and spinning. It had info on how to hand spin, spin on a drop spindle, and so much more.

*side note* I thought the editor had a pretty cool name, too. Traci Bunkers, of Bonkers Handmade Originals. Funny.

Anyways, I worked on it for awhile and am finally getting the hang of it. I did one skein of their yarn, that was included washed and prepared, and now am looking for some new cards so I can get some wool from our sheep to work with.

With the skein I made, I ended up doing some crochet testing, so to speak. It was pretty cool. I will have to post pictures if I remember.

Alrighty, y'all have a blessed day.

Tracy Bunker

And the Winner is....

2011-03-04T09:30:00.001-08:00

I did the raffle thingy this morning and the winner is....

LadyWhy

Okay, Ladywhy, I have your book packed up and ready to be shipped. Just please email me at lil_bunks@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I will ship it off.

Thank you all for your entries and participation.

Now a little rant:

Today is the book bomb. I would expect a large part of you readers know this and have already gone and bought the book. Thank you, if you have done that.

For those of you who have not, go do it. Here is some quick figuring I did:

I figure my readers are split into two main groups:

1. People who know my father and found my site through his blog or facebook.

2. Close family and distant family who read this blog to keep tabs on their strange granddaughter\niece\cousin just to find out just how nuts she really is. (Hi, Grandma!)

To the latter group,

Go buy the book. Do it because I asked you to, and because you take pity on a poor, crazy teenage girl who you are sadly related to.

And I digress.

March Forth!

Tracy Bunker

Closing Time

2011-03-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

The givaway is now closed. Thank you all for your participation.

I will announce the winner either later today or early tomorrow.

Blessings,

Tracy

A Book Giveaway....

2011-02-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've never done this before, so bear with me here.

I am giving away a "Pre-Book Bomb" copy of my Dad's new, totally awesome book. (Believe me, I know, because I already read it .... Well, most of it anyways.)

So here are the ways to enter.

To enter once, just leave a comment on this post.

To enter more times, you can,

1. Post about the book on your blog. Leave a seperate comment here telling me you did with a link to your blog.

2. Email 3 friends about this book who you think may be interested. Leave a seperate comment here telling me you did. I'll believe you.....

3. Follow the Surviving Off Off Grid book on Facebook here. Come back here and tell me if you do.

The limit is four entries per person.

Deadline for entries is March 3rd.

I will announce the winner next weekend, Lord Willing.

Mrs. Stonger over at Nourishing Days is doing a another, bigger giveaway so go check it out.

The book bomb is March 4th. Click here to go to the new book website.

Until Next Time,

Tracy Bunker

A Revolution....

2011-02-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

* super deep movie preview guy's voice*

In a Land where covetousness rules the mind,

Money rules the heart,

And the Television keeps man's mind sufficiently numbed to reality..

One man stands up to say,

So, I am asking you,

Will you...

Join the revolution?

March 4th

Click here to learn more

Back from the Project with something to say.....

2011-02-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well it was the longest December Project yet, and we made it. Well, we more than made it, we enjoyed it very much. In fact, other than writing this blog, I didn't miss much of anything. Things at the Ranch have been a bit icy over the last week, and that extended the DP an extra week. Always the klutz, I ended up slipping on the ice and injuring my shoulder in the first few days. I was calmly walking up to check on the pigs, and I lost my footing, and landed right smack dab on my right shoulder. It did bring tears to my eyes. But only momentarily. The pigs ended up being warm and cosy in a pile in some straw in their house. I trudged very carefully back up to the cabin and complained of an achy shoulder the rest of the week.

I did get a bit of writing and reading done, and I thought I might share a thingy I wrote over the long cold days. Hope it is okay. Enjoy, y'all.

American Woman;
Weakened by Power

I have a good friend. This friend asked me to come over and help her butcher a troublesome rooster. She had never butchered anything or watched an animal be butchered. She is very squeamish about these things, and was unable to watch some portions of the butchering. She helped me when I needed an extra hand, but seemed a bit distressed about the whole affair.

I was pondering all this awhile later and decided I was angry. Not at my friend, no, I like her very much. I had decided I was angry at the society for stealing from women. For while the feminist movement portrayed women as a fragile creature and called for us to gain the courage to stand up, be strong, and do things that we couldn't before, all it did was weaken us. Now we can sit at Congress and be governors and maybe even be President, but we can no longer butcher a chicken. We cannot gut a pig because we think that is gross. We cannot ( or will not ) clean a chicken house or muck out a horse stall. We can't make cheese or bread or candles, weave fullcloth, braid baskets, grow gardens or even educate our children. We rely on a faulty system to feed our families and shape our children's minds while we are away running companies, fighting wars and leading countries.

But if you ask us, our chests swell with pride and we say we are free, strong, and powerful. But it is still not enough. Say, why can't we play football? We have fooled ourselves into thinking the feminist movement has done so much for us, made us strong and independent. In all truth, it has made us slaves. We have sold and lost all that was admirable about the classic American June Cleaver. We disdainfully think of how our mothers and grandmothers slaved away and they couldn't even vote! What these women don't realize is that the very things they despise about the pioneer woman were her virtues. And, really, if any early nineteenth century woman saw us today, she would have to laugh at how very soft and helpless we are.

So why are we surprised when we find out the food we feed our children contains so many body destroying substances such as corn syrup, MSG, aspartame, aluminum, and so many others? Could we expect much more?

Of course it should make sense when we look at the current teenage generation and a shudder runs down or spine. What will happen to us when these kids run everything? If the pregnant, drinking, smoking, foul mouthed, depressed, brain dead young woman we see every time we go to Walmart had had the womanly influence she needed that her mother could have provided, maybe she would be a very different, happier person. If her mother had not just raised her and actually trained her, maybe things would be a bit different. Maybe. We should not be startled when a small child asks us where milk comes from or if eggs come from trees. It's not cute, it is disturbing. Women are largely responsible for our new generation of confused youth.

If we talk to our grandmothers they may tell us of a time when we knew exactly what went into our children's minds and mouths because we were there, raising them in the honor and admonition of the Lord. We fed them from the wholesome bounties of our home grown gardens. We taught our daughters and passed on skills and wisdom. We raised our sons to be men. We loved our husbands and worked to make our houses homes. We fought a more important war on the home front. We fought a war in our children's minds, in our youth's hearts. We barred the way of Satan's inevitable tries to corrupt our children, the next generation. We were strong, and we did our God-given duties. What could be more admirable?

But we nervously laugh and say we are glad that age is over.

" Just think of doing all that work from dawn till dusk. All that slaving and sweating? And for what?"

Titus 2: 4 & 5 " That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children; To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed."

We should do it because it is our duty. We should do it for the Honor and Glory of the Lord.

A worthy cause to say the very least.

Blessings to you and yours.

Tracy Bunker

Blessed News

2010-11-11T16:48:00.001-08:00

Hello there.

So I have returned to what has become a "sometimes monthly" blog.
But this time I have blessed, exciting news to share.

I have become betrothed to Mr. Mark Contra during my long hiatus. How's that for an excuse? I wasn't thinking about my blog, I was too busy walking on cloud nine, thankyouverymuch.

The above picture was taken at our Betrothment Celebration/Dinner. That was the night I received a beautiful Rosewood Hope Chest. I teared right up like a baby when I saw it. It was exactly what I wanted, and he had picked the perfect one. I tried to take pictures of it today, but got frustrated because I couldn't get a good one, and then I got an at least acceptable one, and now my computer won't transfer it. So, I will keep trying to post that picture and some of all the pretty things that were inside the Chest.

The whole "Betrothed" concept is very new and exciting for me. There are so may side roads and traps the World has laid to distract young people such as myself from the Way, and I am ever grateful to my parents for keeping my feet straight and searching out the Biblical Paths for me. I thought there wasn't any other way besides courtship, which seemed a lot like dating to me anyways. I was interested, but not surprised to find that the Lord had created a perfect way. There is an article on this topic linked on Dad's Blog under the "Update: Cistern, Garlic, Stuff, Betrothal and More Stuff " Post.

This week seems to have just flown by. We have been working on keeping the smokehouse going to continue curing the sausage and cheese. The sausage is absolutely delicious, but I have yet to try he cheese. Hopefully it will come out just as good.We bottled the wine from the root cellar all day today, and that was an interesting procedure. We ended up with a pretty good bottle count, and the wine came out very nicely. We made Agarito and Blackberry wine this year, and hope to try out making grape wine next year.

Well, that's all I will write tonight. Some time next week I will try to do a big update blog with the pictures I spoke of. Stupid Daylight Savings Time has messed me all up, as it does every time, and I am sleepy even though the clock tells me it's earlier then it feels.

-Tracy Bunker

Late Night Update

2010-09-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hello there.

Just a quick update, it is really late here and I need to get to bed.

Well, things are going well. We are in the last days of summer, but it is still pretty hot. And humid. We got a bit of rain last night, and I am very greatful to the Lord for that because the garden and trees were really in need of it. Hand watering never is as good as rain for the plants.

Milking is going well, and the calf, Essie is really growing fast. She is such a whiner though. I seperate Katie away from the calves in the mid morning and let her go out and graze, and Essie just sits there and lows until she comes back. It's not like she is lonely. Anna is there and so is Pita. Pita takes care of her and Anna plays with her, but she just wants her Mommy back. If I go in the pen with her during her "whining hours" she comes up and nudges me in the leg and lows and pushes on the gates. I tell her to go play, because I know she is not hungry. But she still insists on waiting until Mom gets back. I don't know what I am going to do with her at weaning time.

My mom has been canning, canning, canning. She has been canning Wilbur, our big old boar pig we sent to the butcher in Santa Anna. ( We do not butcher in the summer for fear of the meat spoiling in the summer heat.) This is the first time we have used the new butcher in Santa Anna, and boy howdy did they do well seasoning the breakfast sausage and curing the bacon. They did an excellent job. We had the Sustaires over for pork chops on Tuesday night and they were so good. Wilbur was a good pig in more ways than one. Only, our poor Wilbur didn't have a spider to save him from becoming supper.

Ranchfest is soon, and we have so much to do in preperation. It looks like there will be alot of visitors this time, and the more the merrier! If you think you might like to join us, you can either email my Dad at editor@lazarusunbound.com or keep an eye on his blog for the regular Ranchfest post, which includes all the info and if you have questions you can comment there.

Well, even though I am a teen and should be able to be up all hours, I am also an Agrarian, so I am supposed to get up early. Katie the milk cow makes sure I do.

Tracy Bunker

A Milkmaid's Morning

2010-08-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love Vermeer?!

Well, well, well.

Maybe I have some 'splainin to do. But first I'll do an update on goin's on here at the Ranch.

Summer is in full swing here, and I won't go into what that means in Central Texas. I'm sure you are fully capable of imagining what it's like without hearing me bellyache about it. The big old crop of Blackeyed peas is loving the heat. And we are in the midst of hand picking, hand snapping and canning them like green beans. That's stage one. Stage two is hand picking and shelling them, then canning them. That's coming soon. The children get up at around 6:00 or 6:20 to get out and pick a bushel before it gets hot. I usually can them after my morning chores.

MY chores start at 5:30 A.M.... and, YES, I am going to bellyache about it, so get ready. I get up and make a bottle for Anna, our "foster" longhorn heifer calf who we took off of Luciana, her mother, because Anna wasn't thriving on the amount of milk that Luciana was making. So I make a 2 quart bottle of milk for her, then I start heating the water that I use to wash the udder. I sterilize the seamless stainless steel bucket and get the gallon jar and milk funnel into bleach water before I set out for the milking stall. The calves, Essie and Anna, are separated from Katie, the Jersey milk cow and waiting for breakfast in the milking stall. I feed Anna her bottle, then put them in the sheep barn. I walk out into the sheep yard to find Katie, and she usually lows softly and I say, " Good morning, Katie, my lady." She follows me into the milking stall and I fill her feed bucket and clip her to a post. Then I milk her, which is a breeze compared to milking Pita, the holy terror of a milk cow. But I digress. After milking, I open up the sheep yard and let Essie, Katie's Jersey heifer calf, take whatever is left for her breakfast, and Anna usually steals a snack. After they have nursed, I put Katie out into the pasture and put the calves into the sheep pen. Then I go filter the milk and date it and put it into the icebox. I usually grab something like toast or a piece of fruit before heading out to the garden. The sun is just coming up around this time, and it is beautiful and quiet. I pull weeds, check for produce, plant, cultivate, and/or do anything else that needs to be done before I destroy the daybreak peace with the sound of my water pump going. I water the garden, top off the cattle and sheep tanks, and haul water down to the automatic waterers at the pigs. After the pump shuts off, breakfast is usually ready and after eating, I help with dishes ( sometimes ) and then I go on to whatever needs to be done that day, be it canning, laundry, cleaning, or really anything. But I do love what I do everyday, and wouldn't trade this lifestyle for anything.

I have not been reading as much as I did this winter, but I am slowly going through a biography on Robert the Bruce. I am really enjoying it. I just finished a "quick-read" book called Unwise Passions.

It is about Nancy Randolph, one of the people involved in the first great scandal of 18th century America. Nancy Randolph was one of the Randolphs of Virginia and a descendant of Thomas Randolph who was a nephew of Robert the Bruce. So, it was interesting, but a one-time-only read.

Anyways, I'd better run.

Y'all have a good week.

Tracy

Ranchfest Cometh....

2010-04-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello there. We have been very busy here lately, with Ranchfest prep and garden work. A lot of garden work. Rachfest is only about eight or so days away, so everything here is in high gear. Although they did slow down a bit today on account of rain, which is such a blessing, since we just put cowpeas in our pasture. Thank you, Lord!

The children have been very busy mowing. They have to mow down all the cockleburrs, which are large, annoying sticker plants which produce large, annoying burrs that stick to socks, skirts, pants, animals, and just about everything else. So we are battling them now for all we are worth, so as to cut down the popualtion at least half way.

Our pigs are doing well. The piglets are big now, and eating feed, so that is a little hard to keep up with. We have dried up Kate, our milk cow, and she is on medication to help with any mastitis problems that might develop.

Day before yesterday we went to Coleman to pick up 2 wild pigs that were trapped on a ranch outside of Coleman by a man who works at the hardware store. He gave them to us, (the community) and we butchered them yesterday morning, one being ours, and the other the Peck's. It went well and fast, which is good because the cold weather has pretty much faded away into Spring's 50's and 60's. So we had to get them done in the cool hours of the morning.

I may not write again until after Ranchefest, but hopefully some of y'all will be there.

Until Then,
Tracy Bunker

A note from Mr. William Shakespeare

2010-03-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

I am not a big fan of copy and paste blogging, but I was reading Shakespeare the other night, and came across this speech in the last part that I found interesting. I love Shakespeare.

Enjoy.

KATHERINA:

Fie, fie! unknit that threatening unkind brow,

And dart not scornful glances from those eyes

To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor:

It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,

Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,

And in no sense is meet or amiable.

A woman mov'd is like a fountain troubled,

Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty;

And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty

Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,

Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee,

And for thy maintenance commits his body

To painful labour both by sea and land,

To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,

Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe;

And craves no other tribute at thy hands

But love, fair looks, and true obedience;

Too little payment for so great a debt.

Such duty as the subject owes the prince,

Even such a woman oweth to her husband;

And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,

And not obedient to his honest will,

What is she but a foul contending rebel

And graceless traitor to her loving lord?—

I am asham'd that women are so simple

To offer war where they should kneel for peace,

Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway,

When they are bound to serve, love, and obey.

Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,

Unapt to toll and trouble in the world,

But that our soft conditions and our hearts

Should well agree with our external parts?

Come, come, you froward and unable worms!

My mind hath been as big as one of yours,

My heart as great, my reason haply more,

To bandy word for word and frown for frown;

But now I see our lances are but straws,

Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,

That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,

And place your hands below your husband's foot.

I took this from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, the last act.

Yall have a good week,

Tracy

Buckley's Cough Syrup. Why you should never cough in front of a Canadian.

2010-03-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello there.
Tonight the clouds are gathering in the distance for yet another spring shower. Thank you, Lord, for the rain. Today was a sunny, productive Preperation of the Sabbath. I got a bunch of laundry done, spread a bunch of mulch, washed dishes, and did some general cleanup around the homestead. Tonight I am going to put up laundry and hit the hay as early as possible

I have had a pretty intense head cold for about three days. I don't know what it is, it started with a sore throat, then went to my eyes and nose. Like I said, we unloaded and spread a BUNCH of mulch early this morning, and about halfway through I wasn't feeling great so I said, "I don't feel to well, I am going to lay down." Mrs. Peck was helping us, and she started talking about some old Canadian remedy as I dragged myself to bed. About thirty minutes later, she comes knocking on my door with a spoonful of ugly looking black syrup. You know, like in the cartoons. All of the children were gathered behind her snickering, and she just said, "Plug your nose." I laughed and started to say someting about feeling lots better and no I wasn't going to touch that sludge, thankyouverymuch. She just said, "Plug your nose, Tracy." and down it went. Okay, if you want to know how this stuff tastes, go eat a spoonful of Vicks Vapo Rub and come back. Now you know what Buckley's cough syrup tastes like. The children were laughing, and Mrs. Peck thought it was pretty funny too. I just made a face, sighed, and closed the door and let them have their fun while I fell back into bed. It ended up working on my congestion pretty well, but they could at least put it in a capsule or something. That is just ridiculous.

The piglet count has gone down a bit, due to Momma Pig weighing something like 700 pounds and stepping on some of the little guys. But we still have a LOT of pigs, and look forward to a busy butchering season.

On Thursday we went on a family trip to Brownwood, and headed over to the recycling center to pick up some free mulch. A small tornado went through Brownwood a few months ago, and they just chip up all the branches and trees that get tossed around. Mulch has proven to be very useful around the Ranch for paths to walk on when it's muddy, weed stopper in the garden, and it looks nice around the trees and larger plants. On our way home from the recycling center, We stopped by Home Depot to get some hardware and plants. They have a pretty nice nursery, and I bought some Lavender and got a six pack each of Begonias and Snapdragons. I don't really "like" flowers, like I don't plant them in pots and water them and admire them, but these were on sale 2 for 1 and I couldn't resist. I gave some to the Pecks and some to the Irbys, and plan to plant the rest in the garden, just because I thought they might be neat to see this summer. Dad bought more tomatoes, squash and two Concord grape vines. I expect a few years from now we will have a large berry crop, as we have planted a lot of strawberries, 2 blackberry vines, 2 raspberry vines and now more grape vines. (We planted 2 last year.)

Well, I better get to bed and try to beat off this stinking cold.

Y'all have a nice Sabbath,

Tracy

Piglets and Signs of Spring

2010-03-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hello there,
Sorry for my hiatus, I kind of got a bit of writers block. And I had to talk Dad into letting me use his computer, since the laptop I was using is kind of really retarted, which gets a bit frustrating after awhile.

Anyway, enough of the excuses.

Well, we have been getting alot of "Spring-like" weather, which has been very nice, and has also made the peach trees bud, and the apricot tree blossom. Bad news is, we are supposed to get some freezing temperatures on Saturday night, so I hope that maybe that changes over the week, because that would kill our fruit blossoms. We also got some tomatoes in the ground yesterday, which don't stand up well to freezing weather, either.

We have been blessed with 2 litters of piglets recently! Sow #1, Bitty, had 13 piglets last weekend, and I was there with her when she delivered them, which was an exciting experience. And sow #2, Peggy, had seven piglets, with only 2 surviving males left. They are fat and sassy little boys, too, with all the surplus nursing time. Peggy has turned out to be not such a great Mama Pig, because she is super aggressive towards us and a bit careless toward the piglets. Bitty is Super Mom, though, she is friendly and gentle, and is a lot more careful around her little piggies. She also has a history of very large litters. I will be a bit sad when she gets to old to reproduce, because we have never had a breeding sow quite like her before. She really is a blessing.

I am down to one Californian rabbit. I sold the others to a lady in Brownwood. I am still looking for a Cinnamon breeder close by, but have only been able to find young 4H student who has them only sporadically throughout the showing season, and is a bit too far away for the trip to be worthwhile, especially if I can only get one or two at a time. So, still looking around and seeing if I can find a good deal somewhere.

Today is Orange Day, a day that all the community wears orange instead of Catholic green. We wear orange in support of our Protestant brothers in Ireland. Tonight we will have a little get together, and there will be orange cookies, carrots, oranges, and all other manner of orange snacks. We also call our own little holiday "Ain't Catholics Day". Because it is not Saint Patrick's Day. Of course, I got up this morning and just put on my work dress, and realized at the breakfast table that it was green! Oops! The children all laughed at me, something they love to do.

Kate, our milk cow, is getting closer to her calving time, and is following her instinct, and trying to kick me off her milk. She doesn't really understand why I am so persistent, and she steps around, and moos, and gives me this look that says "Go away!". But we still have a few more weeks before we have to dry her up. So until then I will continue to go out there and chase her down and tie her up and milk her. I hope she will calm down about it, because she doesn't have much choice.

I have learned to make sour cream, yougurt, and cream cheese, which have all passed Dad's taste testing. Next on the agenda is ice cream, per the children's request. Any tried and true recipes would be much appreciated!

Well, I must go and start on some laundry. Happy Orange Day,

Tracy

Garlic and Computer Woes.

2010-02-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

Hello again.

I hope you enjoyed my last blog post, however short and brief. Sorry I couldn't get any pictures up today, but my computer doesn't recognize the new camera I'm using, and I didn't get any software with the camera to help it understand what I need it to do, and I really hate to get that personal with my computer. If I could just plug it in, and it could say to me, "Oh! That's a camera, and I assume you want me to take the pictures off and put them into just the right folders. Am I right?" and I would say, "Yes, dear computer, that is just what I was hoping you would do!" and he would hum a happy song and do just that! But, that is just to much to expect of my machine, I guess.

The pictures were really great, though! Just try to imagine how wonderful they are until I can get my computer to do as I ask it to.

The weather has been sunny, but windy and cold. The mud is finally dry, though, and for that I'm greatful. I got to get a lot of laundry done today, and am thankful the sun is out to dry it before nightfall. The wind will help, too.

I got a bunch of the hardier plants planted in the garden. I planted lettuce, cabbage, arugula, and some other things that can put up with frost. I was so glad to get out into the garden again after this long, cold winter. It made me look forward to spring. The garlic is getting really big, and it poking up about six inches above it's hay bedding. We have about 800 to 1000 bulbs planted, all planted by me last fall. I sure hope we get a good harvest.

Well, over and out.

Milk and cookies

2010-02-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Howdy. I figure I'd write about yesterday, the Sabbath, then maybe later post the many pictures I took with another update. Enjoy, y'all.

Yesterday was nice, warm sunny and only minimally muddy. I got up around 7:30 to milk Kate. She was a good cow and didn't move or get nervous while I milked her. Sawyer always watches me milk. I tried to squirt him in the mouth with a stream of milk, but he got angry about my poor aim and began licking it off his chest. After I had finished up, I took it inside and did my routine of straining it, labeling it, taking the cream of the day before's milk, filling up the cream dish for coffee, feeding the cat, dogs, rabbits and pigs a bowl of it, and getting the rest into the fridge to begin cooling and separating. Jennifer and Sawyer were my shadow this morning, and it was pretty quiet. We were alone, because Dad took Mom out to breakfast. Jen and I read for awhile until the younger children got up, and then I made toast spread with homemade butter and Texas wildflower honey for breakfast. All the other children had a glass of milk with their breakfast. After we cleaned up we began churning cream for butter and having a silly singing contest, and we all took turns churning. After Mom and Dad arrived home, we cleaned up, washed the butter, salted it, and put it in the fridge. I bottled up the buttermilk, took some of it and some milk and butter to our neighbors, the Pecks. Robert took Sarah on a walk, to destination unknown, and Jennifer and I began making chocolate chip cookies. Lots of chocolate chip cookies. 7 or 8 dozen chocolate chip cookies. Then I came down to the office and brought Dad some milk and cookies. Such a classic treat. Tonight when all the community gets together for our Saturday night meeting, I will bring more milk and cookies for everybody to enjoy.

Well, I'd better get back to work.

Tracy

Wherin I become a Milkmaid...

2010-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hello there,
A few days ago we received our full blooded Jersey milk cow! I was excited about it, and she is a very nice looking cow. She is very pregnant, and has a bull calf that she will suckle for awhile until she calves around June. She is a bit skittish, but she doesn't kick or head butt, so that's a good thing. I milked her for the first time (in her life) the evening of her arrival. Well, first we had to get a halter on her. That was a bit challenging. She wasn't really very keen on letting us get within about five feet of her. We worked on trying to soothe her into letting us get close to her for about two hours, then Dad come in and we got a lasso around her neck, an option I was saving for very last. But finally I was able to tiptoe up, talking very softly to her, and buckle the halter on her. She wasn't to happy about being clipped up to a post at first, but then we put some feed in for her, and she calmed down. I got up under her and milked her, and was amazed at the amount of milk I got. I got about 1 gallon the first evening, and the 1 full gallon and a half quart the next morning, and the pattern has stayed about the same since then. I went out to milk her this morning, (in the cold and the snow and the sleet) and she had somehow managed to get her halter off, and so I had to lasso her again, since she's still not so sure about us walking up to her, and slip the derned thing on again. But, eventually I got her milked out and got back inside, cold and wet, to warm by the woodstove.

Jennifer and I set about making butter this afternoon with the amazing amounts of cream we have been getting off of the milk. It took a while of churning with our hand crank churner, but it finally turned into about 2 cups of butter and one full quart of buttermilk. The buttermilk I set aside for baking, and the I washed the butter and served it with my potato soup ( also made with milk!) and rye bread for lunch.

Sawyer and Sugar had a bowl of milk for breakfast, and I heated up some mik and crumbled some old bread into it for the rabbits, and then sent a bucket down to the pigs. They all loved it, and I look forward to them becoming plump and happy milk fed barn animals. Goodness knows we have enough milk.

Right now as I write it is snowing, and there is a wet brown slush on the ground that freezes your toes right through your shoes. The wood stove is doing it's best to pump out heat against the creeping cold, and it is still a bit chilly in the kitchen. I am so glad I finally got a sunny day so that my clothes dried and I could get them in before the weather turned sour again. I am keeping occupied by finishing a Wuthering Heights on audiobook. It is about the most miserable, depressing, cold, dreary book I have ever read (listened to). I understand that it is a classic, and that they all can't be "sunshine and baby ducks", but sheesh, I doubt if Emily Bronte got any pleasure out of writing the dreadful thing. The people are miserable and evil, the weather is bad, the houses might as well be haunted, and the drama chokes me. I can't wait to get back to the Empress Josephine biography, although she wasn't such a angel either. It will be better, though.

Well, I'll get back to my reading, and y'all keep warm.

Tracy

Muddy and Wet....

2010-02-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hello Y'all

Just a quick update, before I hit the hay. Today was a long, wet, cold, muddy day. London weather. Ick. I did get some laundry done and hung up on Friday evening. And it was sunny on Saturday morning, but it clouded up later in the day, and misted all day Sunday, and rained this morning, so they have stayed cold and damp. If they don't start drying tomorrow, I might try putting them on hangers above the woodstove, but I really don't want to. Just a bit of sunshine in the morning will dry them, and I pray we do get to see the sun sometime this week.

I have been reading and studying up for my SATs though. Today I took a diagnostic GRE test. Yeah, that wasn't exactly an encouraging thing for me to do, since it let me know how far I have to go. I did O.K. But not as well as I had hoped. It was just a diagnostic, but I am feeling just a bit buried in with all the studying ahead of me. Oh, well.

We are in the process of getting a Jersey milk cow to take over for Pita in the dairy department. Wow. Jersey usually average a few gallons a day, mostly heavy cream. When I was milking Pita, I was getting maybe a quart a day. So I am going to be working out a lot more "milkin'" muscles, needless to say. I'm not looking forward to the cramps, but the extra milk and cream and cheese and butter will be well worth it.

I am down to two female Californian rabbits, and am trying my best to sell them to make room for a new breed I've been reading up on. They're called Cinnamons, and they are pretty much like the Californian, but they stand up better to heat and seem to be a bit more trustworthy in the breeding department. I'm not completely sure what I'm going to do yet, and I'm thinking it more of a Spring project, so more on that later.

Well, I am restless to get into my warm bed to try to shut out all this miserable weather, so I'll sign off.

Tracy

Back Again 2010

2010-02-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

Okay so hello again. I am sorry about the painfully long delay. I think I am ready to start blogging again, and hope there might be someone who hung on through the long silence.

Well, it cold and rainy here at the Ranch, but the rain is much appreciated. The cold... not so much. But it is good for the peach trees, I guess. The mud and clouds are getting pretty tiresome, especially since we hand wash all of our laundry, and no laundry can happen on a wet and cloudy day. The weather has been very "Englandish" for a few weeks now, so I am running out of clean laundry. Yet another lesson in agrarian living.

Well, right now I am studying for my SATs and my GED so that, Lord Willing, I can start studying at Texas Tech by correspondence courses. I hoping to go for World History. I am having a bit of trouble now finding a good bookstore here in the Brownwood area, but, thankfully, there is a very cheap and well stocked bookstore in Austin that I had a hayday in a few weeks ago. So I am set for a few months, but hopefully can go back again after that.

Mom and Dad are now planning a trip to Missouri this month for their 18th anniversary. Guess who's on babysitting duty? Me. But, hopefully it will be "quick and painless". No problem with the children, but the animals and Ranchwork are a bit of pressure. Nothing I haven't handled before, but it is always a bit daunting to look forward to.

Well, hope to post again soon, and am glad to be back.

Tracy Bunker

Hello Again

2009-10-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends, I am back, if only for awhile. The December Project is not very far ahead, so I thought that maybe I would annoy you people a bit more before I disappear again. Deal?

The biggest news in our neck o' the woods is the many new additions to our farm animal population. Mama Pig popped out a few piggies while back, and ate all but two of them, so, I guess that's an improvement. We have one boar piglet and one sow piglet now, named Porgy and Bess. ( I wanted Rodgers and Hammerstein, but was overruled. C'mon, now, those names were cool!). We have also hatched two chicks, named Lightning and Thunder. I was not at all responsible for those names. Jennifer is fully guilty. I wash my hands of all such cheesiness. We have also obtained two goldfish, because of my giving in to Sarah's puppy dog eyes at the WalMart fish tanks. Sheesh, I need to work on that if I am going to be any sort of firm mother. But she is surprisingly still interested in them. Their names I can't remember, and since Jennifer named them, maybe that's all the better.

It was 39 degrees this morning. Remember when I was going on about how I couldn't wait for the cold, to snuggle up with a blanket and yaddah, yaddah, yaddah? I was thinking 50. Just cold enough to need a blanket. Not five blankets and a pair of itchy wool socks. Yes. I am a wimp. So?

Thankfully the stove was, as Dad puts it, “clickin'” hot. And I was sticking logs in it like wood was going out of style, so we had to open a window. But I did get up and make a very good hot breakfast. (iffn' I do say so myself!) Complete with a cup of my famous coffee that you can float a spoon in. Dad didn't say anything about it, so I figured he didn't mind. Oh yeah, Mom, Jennifer, and Sarah are gone for the week, so I am in charge of all the cooking, cleaning and such. So pray for my Dad, maybe he can put up with my cooking until Mom gets home. I made beans and sour cream cornmeal biscuits for supper, and didn't get any grumbles, so that was good. Robert doused his biscuits in the Miller's honey that we received from Renee' over at Reforming Renee' a few days ago.

The cold weather has kept me huddled inside, so I have read a lot. I read a book called One Second After, by William R. Forstchen, about an EMP going off above the USA. It was interesting, and it made me realize how many people are on so much medication that they would be dangerous without it. People that should be in mental institutions, but instead are doped up, walking the streets. A few days without a pharmacy would really make a dent in our population, and that is a frightening thought. It says something like a quarter of our population is on some king of anti depressants or anti anxiety meds. It also brought to my attention the thousands of elderly patients in assisted living homes that might be abandoned. The staff generally has no real care for a person that they don't know, and the family is sometimes far away. I was saddened by the thought of a large percentage of these elderly that should be being cared for by their children or close kin, who are being cared for by total strangers in a place and around people they are not familiar with. I have now started into the Love Comes Softly book, and am almost through with it. Also, The Mayor Of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. I am doing more reading these days than normal, but I am glad I have been supplied with good reads.

Well, need to start the fire, as the evening has brought a bit of a chill.

Thanks for reading,

Tracy

To Be Continued....

2009-09-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I am taking a break. With Ranch Fest and the December project coming on, I need to step back and take a breath. I am going offline for possibly quite awhile. Priorities need to be rearranged, and I need to concentrate on that.

If you want to place an order for a fleece blanket or other item, and you can't snail mail it, email it to editor@lazarusunbound.com. I will still be able to fill orders for the blankets, or aprons, until the 16th of November, and then starting again on the 5th of January, Lord Willing.

I appreciate all of my followers, and thank you for all of your attention and comments. Stay tuned for Part Two.

Tracy

Autumn Chill and Fall Showers

2009-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hello there.

It has been raining here for over three days now. Thank you, Lord! Our catch water system is at nine hundred gallons, plus the 135 gallon cattle tank out front, plus the multiple buckets and containers full. This water will last us a loooooong time. Thank you, Lord. It has also been a bit cool, which I am enjoying thoroughly. I am so glad to light candles and make tea in the evenings again. I am a winter person, and it may sound weird, but I love to wear cozy clothing. I just love wearing fuzzy sweaters and shawls and warm mittens and scarves. I love the glow of candlelight, and I love cooking on the wood stove. I know I may be getting ahead of myself with the tiny chill that always comes with rain, but it reminded me that I am really looking forward to winter.

With the rain has come mud, and lots of it. So, we have been staying inside a lot and playing games and reading books. I did get some chicken canned. I have been changing sheets and sweeping things out and going through clothes, to keep busy. I have also been trying out new recipes. I have really fallen in love with a cookbook called Backwoods Home Cooking, which was put together by the people who put out the the great magazine called BackWoods Home, which we have had a subscription to on and off through the years. Anyways, the cookbook has been my go to many times for hard to find recipes. Today, I made egg noodles for chicken noodle soup, and the most scrumptious blueberry muffins today. I had some leftover blueberries that were going to go bad within a day or two, so I made a quickie batch of these muffins. Yum! I also made potato soup, which was VERY good, also a recipe from the Backwoods Home cookbook. After we ate the potato soup, I added longhorn beef and multiple home canned veggies, and it became a hearty beef stew. If you are interested in the cookbook, I looked real quick an found a few copies on Amazon.

Well, I have to go and get to bed, because I have a cow to milk in the morning.

Peace,
Tracy

An Apron and other things.

2009-09-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hello. Sorry I have not written in awhile, I have been busy canning and orgnizing stuff for winter management. I have canned 7 pints of chicken, 5 pints of mesquite jelly, and 8 quarts of prickly pear juice in the last five or six days. It may not sound like a lot, but it gets tiring. I also have been making an apron out of a tablecloth that belonged to my great grandmother, which was inspired by an apron that my great-great grandmother made, which was given to me by my grandmother. Whew. So there. It's a inter-generational apron. ( I don't think inter-generational is a word, but you get what I'm sayin, right?) I was really going for a Pilgrim/Amish look. I love the length. It's so practical.

I have also started making fleece blankets again, and am going to begin selling them. I made one today just to figure costs and time. I really enjoyed it. These blankets are two layers of coordinating or contrasting fleece. I made the other side of this blanket light pastel purple. I can make them in almost any theme. I can get prints or solids. Just specify the style and size you want, and I will do my best to find the perfect patterns and colors. You can also go to Walmart, and pick out what you want, and email me the details, and I will see if my Walmart has it, or if they can order it. But, with the December project, starting on the sixteenth I will not be able to make them. So, either put in a order now, or I can start making them again starting on New Year's Day.

Okay, this is a 1 yard blanket. I can make up to 4 yards. Here are the prices:

1 yard: $20
2 yards: $30
3 yards: $37
4 yards: $45

I can also make scarves, pillows, triangle shawls, and dog toys and beds in the same style. Just let me know if you are interested.

Braided dog toy: $6 or two for $10
Dog bed: $10
Triangle shawl: $15
Throw pillow: $10 or two for $15
Scarf: $10 or two for $15

My email address is:

editor@lazarusunbound.com

And you can send a old-fashioned letter and a money order or check made out to Danielle Bunker to:

Tracy Bunker
1251 CR 132
Santa Anna, Tx
76878

Well, I have to go put sleepy chillins to bed. Y'all have a good night and a blessed Sabbath.

Tracy

An Award

2009-09-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, my good "BloggerLand" friend, Victoria Rebecca, has awarded me with an Amazing Blog award. Thanks, Victoria!

Five Interesting things about Victoria:

1. She wears head coverings.

2. She dresses modestly.

3. She works hard on her education.

4. She has a totally awesome blog.

5. She strives to serve her Lord with all her heart.

Okay, ten things about me,

1. Victoria and I were born on the same day.

2. I raise Californian rabbits.

3. I don't like sewing.

4. I love to write poems.

5. I have a big ol' pig that's going to have piglets any day now.

6. I have the goofiest cat on the planet.

7. I am studying to become a midwife.

8. I like to decorate home spaces.

9. I have a rabbit with only three legs.

10. My favorite subject is medical science.

Very random, I know. It's the best I could do.

I'm awarding:

Renee'

Jordan

Debbie

Judy

The Siffords

The Sustaires

Mia

Jennifer

Dad

That's only nine, but that's all I can do. Sorry.

Thanks again, Victoria.

Tracy

P.S. If you received an award, here are the rules if you want to play along.

1. Write five (5) interesting facts about the person who gave you this award.
2. Jot down ten (10) interesting facts about yourself or your hobbies.
3. Pick your ten (10) most deserving recipients and describe them.
4. Leave a comment on the recipients' blog to tell them they've been tagged.
5. Paste the award badge in your side bar.

Yellow Black Mouth Cur Dogs

2009-08-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Before I go into today's topic, I want to write a bit about the Mesquite Jelly I made yesterday. I thought it wasn't going to 'Jell', which means solidify into a jelly consistency, but it did, so that's why I called it syrup in the last post. I will have to change the recipe pretty drastically, because I don't like the way the flavors turned out. So once I fix it I will post the recipe I have altered to make a better jelly that's pleasing to the palate. And Mom made Challah bread with Mesquite flour. It was awesome. She made a lot of it, and it tasted amazing.

On to the topic. We have two dogs, as you might have seen in the pictures I posted with my siblings cuddling them. Sugar is a female, and she is about knee high. She is the most intelligent dog I have ever seen. It was like nothing to teach her obedience and she catches on to basic sentences accompanied with hand gestures pretty fast. She can sit, stay, lay down, shake, crawl, and jump. She knows what "Go into your crate" "Go under the couch" "What did I tell you?" which is usually said when she disobeys a direct order on purpose. If you ask her if she wants to go outside, she puts her ears up and lets out a hefty bark. She is learning to control her excitement when we round up pigs or cattle, and to pay attention to commands at that time. She has incredible muscle definition, and she has a great stance. She is fast, fast here meaning amazingly fast. When she runs flat out, the speed she gets will astonish you. We never have to smack her to get her attention, because she pays very close attention to voice tone. She knows your emotions just by hearing you speak. She will be sad and downcast whenever you are angry, even if you aren't angry at her. She is by far the best and most amazing dog I have ever been around.

Then there's Pepper, our male. He's still a puppy, and acts like one. I am sure, one day, by some amazing transformation, he will lose his puppy rebellion streak and get some coordination. Maybe. He know how to speak, sit, lay down and stay. He will go in his crate if you ask him to, but you have to really get his attention if you want him to stay still for any amount of time. He also likes to constantly remind us where he is by barking randomly without any rhyme or reason. He has very much of a hound dog bark, more of an 'ooooof' than a 'woof'. He is so clumsy. It's hysterical sometimes. He just doesn't watch where he's going. He's like a cartoon. He will trip on the slightest obstacle, and literally run smack dab into trees. No kidding. He will be running along behind Sugar, and she will run around the tree, rock, board, etc. He will just keep running. Smack! Faceplant! He will yelp like someone is ripping his arm off, and run over to me, begging for sympathy. I am crying with laughter by this time, knowing exactly what was going to happen..... Silly Dog.

The Yellow Back Mouth Cur (YBMC) is a dog that is acclimated and indigenous to the central Texas area. The Old Yeller that was written about in the book was a YBMC. Of course they used a fat old Yellow Retriever in the movie. These dogs are used mainly for hog hunting. Here is a site of a breeder near Dallas, I think. And if I'm correct, the dog on the front page is Sugar's Pa. I think I am right, but that doesn't always work well for me. Here is a clipping from the home page which I found interesting:

This Site is dedicated to the Texas Hog/Cow Dog, (Yellow Black Mouth Cur), one and oldest of only two breed of dogs indigenous to Texas. Meaning, the only dogs that originated here in the good ole Lone Star State. The Dog depicted in the novel by Fred Gibson, (Old Yeller), was a Yellow Black Mouth Cur. The difficulties of life in frontier Texas in the 1800’s were difficult at best. The Yellow Black Mouth did not only help in the daily "goin on's" of Frontier Texas, (finding/working hogs, finding/penning cattle, hunting to feed the family, etc.), but the Frontier men also depended on Old Yeller for protecting the family in there absence. Needless to say, without the presence of this ole yeller dog, life in Frontier Texas would have been even more difficult and possibly impossible. Thanks to old Ranch families and dedicated Hunters, the Yellow Black Mouth Cur dog has survived to present day. These dogs have been line bred, for the most part, for nearly two Centuries. Being, for the most part, kept in the family for generations. These Yeller dogs are probably the best kept secret in the dog world! In my experience, of more than 40 years, of hunting North American game from Squirrels to Bear, there is not a better all-around dog!

Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed meeting my dogs, and have a wonderful evening.

Tracy

The Medicinal Mesquite

2009-08-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a amazing article I found online. I will write later about the mesquite bread and syrup we made today. Enjoy and Happy Friday.

Mesquite, The Rediscovered Food Phenomenon

Growing up in South Texas meant that chewing on mesquite pods was a part of childhood, like kids from Iowa sucked on honeysuckle. The sweet taste of the bright yellow beans was a favorite treat of the young cow pokes and Native Americans. Little did these children know that for 2,000 years mesquite was a source of nutrition for Native Americans and indigenous peoples in the arid regions of the Earth.

Ask most Americans about mesquite and they will know it as a source of flavoring on the grill. They talk of restaurants that promote their mesquite grilled meats. They report using this extraordinary hard wood to add a distinct smoky, sweetness to grilled foods. Some have used wood for fuel, furniture or flooring. Unfortunately, few have experienced the delectable flavor of the ground pods.

The mesquite tree grows in the desert regions throughout the world, areas not suitable for most agriculture. These trees can be found in the US from central Texas to southeastern California and up in the Utah. On 25% of the planet spices of mesquite, prosopis, can be found growing without any assistance from fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation or capitalization. These trees take little cultivation. The amount of nutrition supplied by mesquite trees is quite astounding. In the Southwest of the US the tree is considered a weed by many ranchers who attempt to eradicate it in order to grow grass. In other parts of the world the pods are still harvested and ground into meal or flour. This is sustainable agriculture at its most basic level, people supporting life naturally off the plants that grow around them.

For Native Americans in the Southwest and Mexico mesquite meal was an integral part of their daily diet. As these communities have moved away from the native desert foods and became more sedentary, obesity and diabetes has grown at an astounding rate. It is reported that 50% of the Pima and Tohono O’odham peoples have diabetes that is one in every two adults over 35 years of age suffer from diabetes. The removal of mesquite from their diets is believed to be one of the key reasons for these figures.

Diabetes is growing in the general US population too. Pediatricians are reporting it in children as young as 5 and researchers have seen a 70% increase in ages 18 – 22. Why are all these figures significant to an article about mesquite? Mesquite is a food that works to balance blood sugar. For 2,000 years the Native Americans in arid regions relied on mesquite as food staple. For 2,000 years a major part of their diets helped to regulate blood sugar. Diabetes did not exist in these communities when there diet consisted of native plants with mesquite being consumed in great quantities.

Researchers report that mesquite is highly effective in balancing blood sugar. The natural sweetness in the pods comes from fructose. Fructose does not require insulin to be metabolized making it safe for diabetics. The high rate of dietary fiber, pads are 25% fiber, causes the nutrients in mesquite to be absorbed slowly preventing the spikes and valleys in blood sugar. With a glycemic index of 25, mesquite requires a longer time to digest then many grains. The digestive time for mesquite is to 4 to 6 hours unlike wheat that digests in 1 to 2 hours. These factors result in a food that maintains a constant blood sugar for a sustained time and as a result prevents hunger. Here is a food that supports the diabetic’s diet and helps maintain a healthy insulin system in those not affected with blood sugar problem.

Mesquite flour not only stabilizes blood sugar but it tastes great with a sweet, slightly nutty with a hint of molasses flavor. Further this food delivers a big hit of nutritional value. It is high in dietary fiber and protein including lysine. The ground pods are between 11% and 17% protein. Mesquite is a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Mesquite is low carbohydrate, low glycemic and low in fat.

This fragrant flour can be used in baking or as a seasoning on food and in drinks. In baking it the taste becomes quite strong if over 25% mesquite is used. It’s hard to beat the taste of pancakes, muffins, cakes, corn bread or cookies baked with the addition of mesquite. It can be sprinkled generously on food as a seasoning and used in breading for meat and fish. One mesquite specialist adds it to morning smoothies and finds he doesn’t get hungry mid morning. Mixes are now available that combine mesquite with other gluten free flours make experimenting with this amazing flour easy.

How can you lose trying a native food that:
* Has sustained desert dwellers for centuries
* Has a low glycemic index
* Is a source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc
* Adds vegetable protein including lysine to the diet
* Supports sustainable agriculture world wide
* Can be used as a tasty condiment or in baking

Found At: http://www.foodreference.com/html/artmesquite.html

Until Next Time,
Tracy

Praying for rain..

2009-08-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

The beautiful stone smokehouse.

Those clouds look promising!

Scrumptious Prickly Pear punch.

Tracy

Sarah's Farm Life

2009-08-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Looking out at the freshly disked cow pasture.

Going to find Pita.

Until Next Time,
Tracy

Ma and Pa Doll

2009-08-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Log Cabin Couple

I love this picture. I think 'Pa's' face needs a good scrub on the ol' washboard, no?

Peace,
Tracy

Siblings and other things....

2009-08-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Jennifer, and Pepper, the male Black Mouthed Cur Puppy.

Robert and Sugar with their sad faces on.

Sarah Grace with a goofy smile.

Tracy

Bull Pictures

2009-08-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our current herd bull, sire to next year's calves. Isn't he breathtaking?

Still More coming,
Tracy

Just a few pictures....

2009-08-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hello there. I finally got the pictures up with the help of Mrs. Peck's computer.

Here is Sawyer, the troublemaker #2. (troublemaker #1 being Sugar, our Black mouthed Cur dog)
Here is Pita, our milk cow, and Sarah, unintimidated by those horns.... You go, Sarah Grace!

More coming,
Tracy

My new cat, Sawyer.

2009-08-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Howdy.

Tonight is so nice and cool. I am so thankful for such mild Sabbath weather.

I took a lot of really nice pictures to share with you all, but my computer won't recognize Dad's camera as a external hard drive without a software disk. So, maybe tomorrow I will go upload them to Dad's computer and email them to myself. So. There you go. Probably more than anybody wanted to know, but, oh well.

I will go ahead and write about my new cat Sawyer. He's gray with brown eyes. Solid gray. Smoky, almost blue gray. His color is so beautiful. He is amazingly laid back and more lovable than any cat I've ever known. He will jump up in your lap, and he walked across my computer keyboard as I was writing last night's blog, trying to get my attention. He looked at our other male cat, Samuel, with a look that said "There's a new sheriff in town. You best get used to it." Needless to say, Sam didn't take to well to him, and the feeling is mutual. Hopefully if I can the stupid camera into doing something, I will post a picture of him.

Like I said, today was the Sabbath. I woke up late. Late meaning, very late. But I needed the sleep, because the ants decided to invade my tent at three thirty in the morning on Friday, so I had to evacuate and go to my bed inside. I didn't sleep very well after that, because of the stinging bites. Sheesh. Anyways, I did have a restful Sabbath, and got a bit more read in my book.

Also, Super Ranchfest is coming up, Oct. 2nd - 9th. Please check it out on BA. And if you are interested in coming, contact Dad. Thanks!

Well, thank you for hanging on through the recent confusion, and I am still planning on the picture post.

Good Night.
Tracy

I have some 'splaining to do!!

2009-08-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, first I should apologize for the long silence and messed up posts. I was trying to post via text message, but it didn't go as planned. Also, to the Irwins, thank you for your comment, but I messed up at the controls and accidentally deleted it. So, feel free to comment again. And thanks so much for commenting.

I am, as I write this, trying to upload pictures, so they may be posted tonight, they might not. I took some of my new cat, Sawyer and other such exciting things. Stay tuned.

Big post coming up with pictures, DV.

Tracy

Prickly Pear Jam

2009-08-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The pears on the cactus have turned a pretty shade of magenta.
I sent the young'uns out this morning to get me a few pails full. They picked the darkest, biggest ones, perfect for making jelly. I browsed around looking for a better recipe than the one I used last year, that just made syrup. I found this:

What you need: 2 ½ cups of prickly pear juice, 3 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, 1 package powdered pectin, 3 ½ cups sugar.

What you do: You’ll need about a full quart of the berries to make the 2 ½ cups of juice. Pluck them from the cactus plants using tongs. Torch the small clusters of spines off of them using a pencil torch, then scrub them underwater with a old toothbrush. Steam in a pan until fruit is tender and soft, then run through a manually operated food mill. For extra clear jelly, run the liquid through a cheese cloth, jelly bag or fine sieve to remove all sediment. In a saucepan, add juice and pectin. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add lemon or lime juice and sugar. Bring to a hard boil that cannot be stirred down, and continue to boil for another three minutes. Remove from heat, skim and pour into half-pint jars leaving a quarter inch of head space in each jar. Wipe jar rims and seal lids. Process for ten minutes in a boiling water bath. You should have six of the half-pint jars of jelly.

It worked amazingly well, and the jelly came out the right consistency. I think the lemon juice works and tastes a lot better than using lime juice. Duct tape works well for ripping out the microscopic spines that seem to make their way to that tender spot between your fingers.

Well, I have to run and wash the many sticky dishes.

Good evening,

Tracy

In Memory Of Misty and Milo Harvest

2009-08-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I had planned to just write every other day, but I have time and a few topics, so I decided to just do it. I wanted to write a quick post on my cat, Misty. She has died. She was a beautiful, loving cat. But we believe she was born with leukemia, which overtook her near her second year of life. I am going to miss you, Misty.

Anyways, on to brighter subjects. I have found out the name of our new bull calf, it is Manolete'. I believe he is named after a legendary bullfighter. Google it, people.

I have put up links in my sidebars to blogs that I read. Please check it out, and if you like it, leave a comment. And, if you haven't been keeping up with Dad's book, go through his archives and find the intro and parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. And please be sure and let him know what you think by leaving a comment.

Today after the fellowship, Mr. Wood's took us, meaning Mr. Sustaire, Mr. Peck, Mr. Sifford and Dad and I, out to a friend's Milo field. Here is a picture of Milo, a grain that's cheap and easy to grow. This friend, Richard, had combined most of his milo, but there were patches he had left undone because the weeds would have busted his combine machine. Weeds here meaning small trees covered with sticky residue that I am apparently allergic too. Well, we took our scythes out there, and began cutting the heads off of the plants. The heads were large with grain, and fairly easy to find, once you cut through a jungle of Johnson Grass and "Tall Sticky Allergen Tree" to find them. Also, you had to keep one eye out for hogs, who had been spotted and had left a noticeable scent in the patch of tall grasses. I asked what the code word was for " There's a rather large pig lunging at my face". We agreed on the code word, ' AAAAAHHHH'. Anyways, we found a pretty good amount of Milo. About 70 pounds worth. Dad and Mr. Woods and Mr. Peck and I used a machete, but the others used hand sickles:

I also saw a tremendous amount of these ' dinosaur bugs ', properly termed Giant Wheel Bugs or Assassin Bugs :

We had a wonderful time of laughter and fellowship. Thank the Lord for the harvest.

Well, I have to go turn out the lights in the Summer Tent. Seems like the little ones are having a party out there.

Good Night, and Don't let the Giant Wheel Bugs Bite,
Tracy

Saturday Night

2009-08-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Saturday night. Everyone else has retired to their beds. I would bet sleep will come quickly on account of the cool temperatures tonight. It is a blessing to have a break from the heat. I like to write at times like this, because of the lack of hustle and bustle of farm life.

Today was the Sabbath. A day of rest and reflection. A day most modern men like to take a cooler out to the lake and make a lot of noise for no particular reason. Probably because that's what all the songs they listen to on the radio and all the movies they watch on television say is normal. But I disagree that this is the definition of keeping the Sabbath Holy, as the Lord commands us to do. The Sabbath was given to man as a type of the eternal rest that is with Him. A day to take a step back from the plow and look at God's creation. To see things as they are. To thank and praise our Lord for one more week of fruitful living. And, strangely enough, when Monday comes, it is not a drudgery or burden to take up the reins once again. We have refreshed ourselves with Fellowship and prayer, and take the plow again with renewed spirits. Unlike modern men, who sigh and clock in to another tiresome workweek that will most likely involve angry bosses and miserable coworkers.

This week has been a good one. I have mated all of my rabbits and hope to have litters by the beginning of next month. I have cleaned out my closet, and thrown things out that have been begging to be thrown out for awhile. I have canned 18 pints of peach preserves and 13 pints of peach jam. I opened up a jar of jam tonight, and it got a A+ from the family jam lovers, Jennifer, Robert and Sarah. It was eaten on homemade tortillas from our neighbor and Sister, Ms. Irby.
I have begun reading a book called The Plain Reader. It is a conglomeration of essays written by Plain living people. I will write more on it as I get deeper into the book . Thank you to the Sustaires for purchasing a copy for us.

I had a run-in with Pita, my milk cow. She decided she wasn't going to come in from the pasture to the corral, where I milk. So, after calling her and trying to entice her with goodies and sweet words, I hiked up to the top of the pasture, through waist high weeds to go get her. Angry as a wet hen, I stormed up to her, and she usually just stands there and lets you take her halter. Not today. She just turned around and walked away. Ha. Obviously this cow is under the impression I will just give up and walk away. She does not know me very well. I told her what a bad milk cow she was being, and if she will just come with me, I will give her all kinds of petting and treats. She started trotting further up the pasture. I sigh, plagued by mosquitoes and all matter of flying insects, and with legs stinging from whatever disagreeable plant I stepped in. But I must not be defeated. I called to Sugar, my black mouthed Cur dog, and we made our way up the pasture. Sugar circled around to get ahead of the stubborn cow, and Pita took the action as a threat to her calf. She put up her tail and charged my cattle dog. But Sugar is too quick for her. I called to Pita once more, begging her to come home. She gave me a snide look and continued on her rebellious way. I took it as a sign to forget plan A and move on to plan B. I found a good stick, and started running as fast as I could alongside her. As soon as I was a bit ahead, I cut in front of her, making a wide stroke with my stick close to her nose. She, as I hoped, stopped in her tracks. She turns to go around me, but Sugar is way ahead of her thinking, lunging at her if she dares take a step in the wrong direction. I swung my stick, trying to persuade her to turn around. She took the hint and started running full speed down the pasture towards the corral. Meanwhile, Sugar has gotten confused and is barking at our Bull, Chico. Chico was not very impressed and takes a running swoop at her with his horns. She darted out of the way, just in time. Pita has almost made it to the corral when she remembers her calf, Petra, who was having a bad time of it in the tall weeds. Sugar tries to 'help' by biting Petra on the nose. Bad idea on Sugar's part. Pita takes Sugar by surprise, and pins her to the ground. I took full swing at Pita's nose, landing the strike this time, dead on target. Pita decided it was all a losing battle. She ended up quietly chewing her cud in the corral, while I occupy myself in the house treating some nasty mosquito bites. Stupid cow.

Well, I should probably hit the hay, lest I be groggy and grumpy come breakfast. I will post again on Monday, Lord Willing.

Good Night,
Tracy Bunker

Pure Longhorn Bull Calf

2009-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of othe newest bull calf. He doesn't have a name yet, but he looks almost exactly like his Sire, Trullo. Trullo was here as our herd bull for awhile, but now lives with the Texas State Herd in San Angelo. The new bull calf's mother is named Bonita, which means "pretty" in Spanish.

Tracy

Hey Y'all

2009-08-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Okay,

Here I am, at my new blog. Jennifer, my eleven year old sister, will Lord Willing be taking over Growing Up Agrarian. For those of you who don't know me, I will go ahead and introduce myself.

My name is Tracy. I am sixteen, my birthday is in May, and I was born in Fort Worth, Texas. I grew up in Lubbock, Texas, and moved to Santa Anna, Texas when I was twelve. I hope to never leave this great state. I have lived on a farm since I was nine, when we got our first chickens. We have always had chickens since then. We raise Rhode Island Reds, and have dabbled in other breeds, but stayed true to this multi-tasking breed all the way. When I was eleven, I had Brangus heifer and a Limousine calf I bottle fed. We raised pygmy goats for quite awhile, but I hate goats. I have nothing against them except that they drive me crazy. I now raise Californian rabbits and Dorper sheep. We also raise Texas Longhorn Cattle. I am training to become a CTLR [Cattleman's Texas Longhorn Registry] Inspector. More on that in later posts. I milk a Watusi Longhorn cow every morning at five thirty. Her name is LouPita, which means Little Wolf. Her mother is the cow in the side picture. She looks a lot like her mother. Well, that's my ranching experience overview.

Like I said, I'm a Christian, a Sovereign Grace Baptist. I wear dresses and keep my head covered at all times, according to the Biblical Doctrines that are the foundation of my Faith.

My Family:

For those of you who know my Father, well, you know. I strive to be more like him every day. I admire him, and he seems to understand me more than I understand myself. For those of you who don't know my Father, well, Here's His Blog.

My Mother is a farm woman who is my comfort and joy. She is always there for me, and I love her to death. She is a amazing woman who never stops. She seems to work enough for my whole family. She teaches me a lot, too.

My sister, Jennifer,(11) is a bona-fide tomboy with a big heart. She loves climbing trees, sleeping under the big Texas sky. ( Can't blame her, what with the stars n' all. ) She catches frogs, fishes better than all of us, and loves animals.

My brother, Robert (10), well, ha, he's a boy. He's 110% boy. He is a adventurer, a builder, a troublemaker and a smart young man. He has a big heart, too, and loves taking care of Mom. He can build almost anything, and likes to fix things. Like the stupid ol' latch on the outhouse door.

Then there's Sarah (5). She is a remarkable little girl. She is too smart for her own good, and has a vocabulary the size of Texas. She can outsmart me, sometimes. She follows Robert and Jennifer everywhere, and is not afraid of jumping across a creek, climbing a tree, sleeping in a tent, picking up a bug, or petting a big ol' Longhorn on the nose.

Well, I am so glad you have made it to my blog and hope you stay tuned.

Tracy