The weather here continues to be excessively hot. Â The heat has taken a tole on the animals here. Â We have been doing everything we can to keep the animals cooled, shaded and well watered. Â Unfortunately our efforts haven’t been enough. Â Two steers have died and two of my chickens. Â I am hoping as we check the pens today there will be no more dead animals.
I decided to clear my brain a bit I would iron by triangles and finish tearing the paper off my string blocks for my Jamestown Landing quilt.
That’s all 840 half square triangles and all the string blocks. Â I am eager to get on to the next step.
Being it was so hot I didn’t want to heat up the house and make the air conditioner work harder so I found a new to me recipe for refrigerator dill pickles. Â They aren’t what people call “refrigerator pickles”…they’re actually dill pickles.
They aren’t heat sealed by water bath or pressure cooker…just hot liquid over the top and put in the refrigerator. Â I’m letting them cure for a few days before we try them. Â If the pickles are good, I’ll pass along the recipe.
I had lots of extra eggs and green peppers in the garden so I tried a new to me recipe for Freezer Quiche in a Bag. Â It’s a freezer cooking recipe. Â I made up four batches and put them in the freezer to save for this winter when the chickens aren’t laying many eggs. Â Here’s the link to the recipe. Â Try it at your own risk though….I haven’t ate the finished product yet.
Today I’m packing up and loading the vehicle to go see Bonnie Hunter. Â I am SO excited but nervous at the same time. Â I hate being gone with the weather like this. Â Hubby has assured me that he will watch the chickens and that yes…I do need to go. Â As sad as I am about our animals, it was MUCH worse for other farmers. Â On the news we heard one farmer lost 40 steers yesterday…another 100 steers. Â I can’t image how many were lost all together in farms across the Midwest….sad…so sad.
To answer a few questions that have been asked…No, the meat from the steers is not good.  There is no way to save the meat from a dead animal.  Even if it were salvageable, the meat would not be tasty.  It would be tough and stringy.  Anytime an animal is stressed, the meat becomes tough.
Thanks for all the well wishes for Gracie. Â She’s doing much better. Â I can tell her eyes aren’t completely normal but I am not worried about her anymore. Â Keep your fingers crossed for a good Thursday….
My thoughts are with you and all the farmers who are struggling. Enjoy your time with Bonnie and ‘let your hair down’! ~karen
Have fun with Bonnie – praying for better days for you and the other farmers. This heat has been rough this year.
Bonnie Hunter was at our Mi. Guild last winter and I so enjoyed seeing her as well as her many scrappy quilts. inspiration abounds with Bonnie……you will so enjoy it……
Have a wonderful time with Bonnie Hunter!! I would love to see her creations in person!! I sure hope you get some relief from the heat and soon!! Your poor animals!!
Take care and stay cool!!
P
I just finished reading Bonnie’s blog and I so wish I could go to her class with you. Enjoy yourself! I hope the heat cools down soon.
I’m sorry to hear about your animals. Since June 12th we’ve had three days under 100 here in North Texas…and they were barely under.
I hope this hot weather breaks soon…fingers crossed.
I am praying for relief from the heat. I wish that I could send you our cool summer we have been having. But in the same token I don’t want your excessive heat in return.
Im so sorry, I hope the hot weather breaks soon and you dont lose any more animals. Have a great time with Bonnie.
Sorry about the poop incident yesterday, and the extreme heat. Hope it turns around soon.
Your new quilt looks great! Can you post your pickle recipe? Thanks!
Jo Anna
I can’t imagine having a farm and caring for the animals in that heat. I hope the heatwave will end soon before any more animals are lost.
You will be so glad you went to see Bonnie and her fabulous quilts. I took a couple workshops from her at a nearby guild recently. I learned lots of time saving scrap techniques and was thrilled to be able to see and handle her quilts.
Enjoy your time with Bonnie. It’s bound to be fun.
Don’t know about IA but it’s a lot cooler here in NE Nebr. today with some cloud cover…might even get some rain before the day is done.
Safe travels.
Jo, I am so sorry about your animal losses. This has been a really tough summer. First all the flooding along the Missouri River, now this excessive heat. We still have 2 1/2 days on our excessive heat warning. Have fun seeing Bonnie.
Do enjoy Bonnie! I am so jealous of that. I will put my prayer up for some Midwest rain too…so sorry that the animals are having such a hard time!
We’ve been on vacation, so I just read this. So sorry to hear about your animals. Hope things are going better now. Here in FL, it starts getting HOT in March, no joke. July and August are unbearable. But at least we are used to it. We have to have our fairs in the EARLY spring. There’s no way the animals could make it through the stress of a summer fair.