HOT days in July!

I looked back at my last post- apparently it was a cold day. Well, it's not cold anymore! It's 92 degrees right now, and it has been hot and humid for some time, hot and humid in between lots of rain. I suppose I should keep my mouth shut, but you know, I'd like that cold day back right now. It's too hot for me!

Sunset at camp

 

 

 

My summer classes are finally done! Phew! I don't think I'll do that again! To celebrate, we took a quick trip to camp. It was not quite as hot, and the lake is there, so relief was always close! We brought bikes and fished. I caught 2 nice trout for dinner. We saw a moose. It's funny, seeing a moose is just one of the things you do when you go to Eustis. In the evening, after dinner, you get in your car, drive to Stratton and head towards the dump- before you get there, you turn into the towns salt and sand lot- there are bogs on each side, and the moose are always there. It sort of feels like a drive in movie, because there can be anywhere from 5-15 other vehicles parked there watching for moose.  Hopefully we will get back up there soon and be able to spend more than one night.

Swimming buddies

 

The new chickens are settling in nicely- I should take some pictures. We had to cull one recently- she was very mean, and was sick. I treated her to the extent that I could, but it came down to making a decision about the health and safety of the entire flock. It sucked even more because we couldn't eat the meat. Both Joe and I cried...again. God. It's all part of our responsibility though. I suppose if I'm not willing to do that, I shouldn't have chickens.

sunrise on Litchfield road

welsummer pullets

The garden is growing- we have been eating lettuce, chard and beet greens. The corn is past my knees. The rain has been good for the veggies....and the weeds! It's a mess! I'm slowly taking it back though- I've been pulling weeds and finally laying down newspapers and hay. I'll take a photo when I'm done!

Moose Chili

Last night I made moose chili for dinner. This is not an uncommon meal in our house, I also make a mean deer steak- fried with onions and butter. Many people feel that eating wild animals is cruel, even gross. To this I say "are you kidding me?". To all of the people out there who eat meat, do you have any idea where it comes from? What it ate? What it's quality of life was? I commend the people who seek out free range/ grass fed etc. meats from local farms. For me, if I am eating beef or chicken or pork, this is the only way to go. To all of the people who would rather not acknowledge that that steak on their plate came from a cow, who was fed the wrong feed (cows should not live on corn) and lived in cramped quarters, and then slaughter in a very inhumane way, shame on you.
     When you start to look at quality of life though, you can not tell me that a moose, who has lived it's entire life doing just as it is supposed to do, does not have a great quality of life. When an experienced and respectful hunter shoots one, it's death should be instant. This is as free range and organic as it gets, people. I have complete respect for the animal that filled my belly last night, and that will continue to on many nights to come.
     Many hunters hunt for sport. I find this shameful. The taking of any life just for fun is just plain wrong. On the other hand, hunters who hunt for meat are a respectable bunch. They know how to kill an animal with the least amount of suffering possible, and they know how to use as much of it as they can. My Grandfather, for instance, who will be 85 this fall, got a deer and a moose this fall. I eat the meat, him and my grandmother eat the meat, and so do numerous other people. It will all be used. For people that hunt and feel they can not eat all of the meat themselves, there is a program here called Hunters for Hunger which allows you to donate part of the meat to local food pantries.
       Before you judge those of us who eat off the land, please take a good look into where your meat came from. Know that it is not just "meat". It was once a living animal with feelings like you.

a young moose near Eustis