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Why your cool church web site needs (the new) Google Analytics

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Why your cool church web site needs the new Google Analytics

Granny's Pantry, Grandpa's Shed and a little Grasshopper Salad

We remember, or hear stories of our grandparents and great grandparents and how they did things without the modern conviences.

Here's a small taste of how one of our members shared how things used to be done:

Then the dirty thirties hit. Depression era set in and the dust bowl days hit at the same time. She would tell stories of how nothing would grow in the gardens but grasshoppers. Which is what they ended up eating a lot of grasshoppers. It wasn't till the end of WWII that life didn't really start getting better for her.

Makes one wonder if there's any truth to the little critters tasting just like peanuts. If you know, or perhaps want to know then why not join us for this and other stories of practical self-reliance over at HomesteadingToday.com.

Blizzard, Tornado, Hurricane - Job Loss

Blizzards, Tornados, Hurricanes, Unexpected medical problems and Job Losses are only some of the events that cause a person to need to have some items prepped for hard times.

In a related thread on the Self Reliance forum there is a discussion by the members on how and why they prepare ... best reflected by one poster who states:

"For me personally, my prepping involves:

• goods-preparations, like trying to have stores of food, radios and batteries, means of heat and cooking, first-aid supplies including common antibiotics and antivirals;
  
• physical preparations, like staying in shape; and
  
• other preparations, like having a series of family meeting places in case we get separated, and keeping a general idea of large-scale geography without having to look at a map.
  

I do concentrate on goods-preparations, though. My biggest concerns are ... "

Curious? To find out what the concerns of the above poster and others, why not drop in on the Self Reliance forum at Homesteading Today?

African or European, coconut or not - how much does a new calf weigh?

For those familiar with the on-going debate over the air-speed velocity an swallow bearing a coconut by the husk, "[i]t's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut..." - source the IMDB.

Similarly, when it comes to estimating the weight of a new (and unladen) calf, it's not a question of the size of the new born's hoof, but the circumference of the cow just behind the withers.

In a discussion in the cattle forum, a newly blessed HT BBS member asks:

We had a new calf today. The second of our 4 winter calves comming. Great Calf Healthy and doing good. Very Large ...

... I was wondering has anyone used or does anyone know how to tell how much a calf weighs by measuring their foot ... ?

With thoughtful advice in mind, other members offered friendly advice best summed up by other members replied to the weight estimation question with:

"Yes they make weight tapes and they are pretty accurate or you could pick the calf up and step on the bathroom scales..."

"The hoof method of weight is not accurate ... Weight tape would be best..."

The last two comments referring to weigh tapes commonly at local feed stores, or online - tapes based on statistical relationship between a calf's heart girth and body weight of calves from 80 to 282 pounds according to a PDF file entitled "Monitoring Growth in Dairy Heifers" provided by Penn State's Dairy and Animal Science department.

Yet another example of the neighborly help and thoughtful advice like the above can be found at HomesteadingtToday.com.

Get chicks - roll your own incubator for about $10

You don't have to suit up in your old polyester leisure suit if you want to get chicks. You also don't have to spend $50 on a store-bought incubator if you want to hatch your own. Instead, you just need to follow the neighborly help and thoughtful advice recently offered in the HomesteadingToday.com poultry forum entitled "Has anyone made their own incubator?"

Here is a sampling of some of the responses to the question:

• I just made me one and am getting eggs next week to put in it. I got a thermometer/hygrometer at HD and a light for heat. I've had it set up and running since last night and the temp is holding steady and so is the humidity ... Here's the link I used to make mine:
• If I were going to make an incubator today I would make one on the lines of a Sportsman, using one or more of the little computer fans for air circulation and buying the thermostats and heater from GQF. Computer fans are a dime a dozen, the wafer thermostats are cheap and the heater is also inexpensive. I think a sheet of plywood makes the whole thing except for trays, and they are simple to build.
• I built a sourdough starter heater from a little styrofoam chest, a 25 watt bulb, and a dimmer switch. Total cost was under $10. We have a clock with an outside temperature remote, and we put that remote in the cooler. That way, we have digital readout of the temp, and can control it to a degree with the dimmer switch.
• You can make a simple thermostat using a wafer and a snap action switch. The wafers can be found at many feed stores or farm supplies ...
• I've never had an electric incubator, but here's some plans ...
• Here are a few links ...

There are also several links on the cited article to plans and pictures of home-grown incubators; and everything else you need to play chicken on the cheap.

The tale of the hydroelectric-powered homesteader

Have an underutilized creek or river in your backyard? Then perhaps there is there a small-scale submersible hydroelectric solution powering your future.

Even if it is only to power the lights in your barn, shed or outdoor lighting - an inexpensive submersible hydro generator will not only save on the eletric bill but can keep you out of the dark those times the power lines go a bit 'heywire.'

As explained by one of the many HomesteadingToday users writing in response to a question about electric water wheels:

"I meant to show you the 'Aquiar Submersible Generator' that submerges directly into a stream ...

... you need a stream at least 13 inches deep.

• water speed = Watts
• 4 mph = 36
• 6 mph = 60
• 9 mph = 96

You can add a rock wier to increase your flow."

Yeah, it may be water under the bridge, but this and other friendly advice in our Alternative Energy forum may save you a few pennies on your electric bill while keeping your backyard fixtures out of the dark.

The Internet is indeed a big place

The Internet is indeed a big place - and one big place to enjoy it is over at the largest bulletin board established for individuals interested in homesteading and self-reliance: HomesteadingToday.com.

There you'll find neighborly help and thoughtful advice on a variety of topics including:

• Homesteading Families
• Livestock, including:
  
• Goats
• Poulty
• Rabbits
• Equine
• Cattle
• Sheep
• Pigs
• Beekeeping
• Pets
• Country Living including:
• Cooking and Crafts
• Fiber Arts
  
• Food Preservation
  
• Gardening & Plant Propagation
• Market Gardens
  
• Shop Talk
• Plant and Tree Identification
• Alternative Energy
• Alternative Health
• The Great Outdoors
  
• Book Reviews
• Barter Board
• Country Singles
• Self Reliance
• Specialty Issues
  
• Computers
• Bible Fellowship
• Homesteading Veterans
• Weightloss
  

Even if you're living in the city or the 'burbs, there's something at HomesteadingToday.com for everyone.

And some of that something we plan to share on this blog from time to time just to give you a taste of the good life!