Building an Igloo

So, this past saturday, we all headed out to Grandma and Grandpa's, so the kids could in the snow.  We figured Joseph could handle all of the kids, and the girls could stay inside, and work on projects, relatively uninterrupted.

This worked out well for an hour or so.. then most of the kids cam back... because Uncle Joseph and Aunt Patti were more focused on building the igloo than sledding.  The kids helped out with the igloo in the beginning, but soon lost interest.  Patti and Joseph made good headway, the plan being, that it will be done when Michael gets home, and the grownups will have a wienie roast and smores out in it as a group date.

Everyone says it sounds like fun.  Me?  I have some reservations about a fire out on the ice.  Everyone tells me it's fine... but really??  The logic just doesn't add up.

 

The New Year

I was talking to Rachael this morning.... and even though it is January, we should start in on the garden planning....(I'm a little spring crazy at the moment... and yeah... I know it is a long way off)  Dad had some good ideas as far as the green house....that should work much better this year.

So.... Here is what I am thinking... respond to this post... with what items you think we should do.....and the method of preserving you prefer for it (dehydrated..shredded...canned...etc..) and list up anything else we need to consider restocking.

On a side note.... here is some chicken research....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpington_%28chicken%29
these are the ones our cousins raise... they have 4 of them.... and average 6 eggs per day-roughly.  the info on the site is helpful... especially that these continue to lay thru the winter.
the coop that they built... really isn't that big... and they just heat it with a light bulb.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/cgi-bin/faq/mojofaq.cgi?cat=2
this website was recommended to me by a good friend... who helped write the "Raising Chickens for Dummy's book"...... it has some interesting info... but I found more useful stuff elsewhere

I'm still researching feed.... to see if we can make it... from the stuff we grow.