Well, here’s how things are going here: there’s frost on the pumpkin, but who cares because I’m inside under a blanket, knee deep in the Empress on Netflix. I digress, there’s many more important things going on around here than that. For starters, do you love this colder weather? I do! For one, its football season. We’ve been hitting as much high school football as we can, since Levi plays JV. He even got to play varsity the other night. Pretty cool! He had a 30-yard carry for a first down. See, there’s always a benefit to having mean cows chase you down in the feedlot. We try to tell the kids this all the time. You want your sprint practice to be more effective? Have a four-year old disgruntled west river cow on your heels. Who’s in their prime? Even a late 40-year-old chunky momma like myself finds a rare speed on such occasions. Wait…could I sell this place as a sports camp! Let’s think on this for a minute. Ha, I joke. Or do I? In other news, who’s ready for deer hunting? I remember when the kids were little and I was like a single mom because Ron would be gone for the first weekend for sure. 6 kids running to elementary school basketball etc. Now, Ron takes them all and it’s just little ole me to sit home and enjoy a good cup of coffee and a book or binge on the tube. But if you can, take a kid hunting. Explain what it means. Why are you taking an animal, and why it’s important not only for consuming the meat, but it keeps the population at a healthy limit. Also, if you have a kid in 4H, you can do a lot with your deer for static exhibits. Or hey, even if you and your family want to do something fun. Tan the hide. There’s so many You Tube videos on it. If you take a buck, you can make a knife, earrings, rings, so many things out of the antlers. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Someone in your family might find that they love to do this! Then my favorite part: cooking it. I love to make chili, steak bites, loin medallions, so much more. I have to say, making a person like venison always makes me happy. These deer around here are about as corn fed as a cow, and it makes venison a really a great, tasty meat. Ron’s extended family as well as our family are picking apples and making apple cider too this fall. Ron’s dad is thinking we should have about 100 gallons when done. I think making an apple chutney for venison sounds amazing and I may give that a whirl. Also show season is here and I am all over the place now until Christmas. This is my favorite time of year and were already thinking of what we can make for gifts. If you can, shop handmade this year as well. Especially in your area, it helps stimulate the local economy. Well, I’m off, Episode 3 of the Empress is waiting for me…I mean, I have to make more dryer balls. Yeah, that’s it.
Until next time,
Fairchild “hey, steak bites for supper?” Farmgirl