casualties

Last week before the pig slaughter, we frantically finished the milking shed. It came out quite well considering all the obstacles. There are some things left to do, like paint the doors, put proper latches on them, put molding around the window, etc.

This shed cost more than just the materials. Several of my tools were damaged or just plain burned out from use in the process. Most of these were pretty old.

For instance, my tablesaw was a gift from Mrs. Curley on our first Christmas married. A 8" blade Craftsman she got on sale combined with a coupon, for $79. (Craftsman and Delta tablesaws are the only tablesaws I have seen with deep throats, allowing crosscuts of wide boards.) The motor burned out cutting pallet wood. I ended up having to accurately ripping 1/4" off an 8-foot 2x4 with a handsaw-quite a feat if I do say so myself.

Then the circular saw went-its motor burnt out too. This saw was the cheapest one I could find when I got it, and it lasted some 14 or so years, so I guess I got my worth out of it.

These tools have seen more and more action these past two years-probably more action than their quality could take. They're not buried yet-I still might find some time to resurrect them

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Four of our Rhode Island Red chicks were dead last evening. I don't know if the heat got to them or whether it was something else. We hadn't lost a single chick and they were a week old yesterday. None dead this morning, so we'll have to keep a watch on it.

Sunday after church a friend handed me a book: 1915 edition of The American Standard of Perfection by the American Poultry Association. Its pretty cool, with illustrations of every kind of poultry imaginable. Here's what a perfect Rhode Island Red hen should look like.

I have more books to report on and wrap-up, but it will have to wait. We are bringing one of the remaining hogs to the butcher to compare it with our slaughter and butcher efforts, and I have to work today on getting a transport cage finished for the truck. I picked up more pallet wood yesterday to aid in the job.

We are having some of our pig tonight. We can't wait.

Oremus pro invicem!