Sheltered in Place?

Week 2

Call it sheltering in place or self quarantine during this virus pandemic, it's business as usual here on the homestead. Will we have shortages in groceries? Admittedly, some in the coming weeks. The cupboard is almost bare. While Walmart and Ingles are doing their best on restocking the shelves, the demand is high. I am forever thankful that we are only two here to feed besides the critters. We aren't desperate by any stretch of the imagination.

Now we're in the second week of self/county government imposed isolation to try and contain the spread of the virus. This week the number of those with active viral processes (not just tested positive) has jumped to 12 and those infected with flu number 50 hospitalized. So the generally imposed quarantine isn't working or maybe it is. There's no telling how many more cases of the virus or the flu there would be if it wasn't put in place.

Many are reaching stages of boredom and feeling the isolation of it all. That's the thing about homesteading, there's always more work to do than we have time for. For a week now, Cara, our English cross satin angora has sat in her cage with a blown coat. She's waiting to be plucked clean of it. I just haven't had the two hours to spare. I've been in garden mode digging out the bunny/chicken hoop barn and moving the wet compost to the garden.

Luna and Frankie, Reynaldo's dogs.

This week, I'm trying to keep Luna, Reynaldo's German Shepherd, from killing another hen. Because Luna has started attacking chickens, her little "brother" Frankie follows suit. Frankie also isn't house trained so he's leaving puddles and piles on our carpet. Grrr! We didn't get these dogs to train. They are not our dogs, but because we have dogs, their playmates, they have the run of the place also.

Nnyus is still training both younger dogs, Kassity and Luna, about protecting the properties from predators. Nnyus has little patience for Frankie and has let him know in short order. She's an old dog and her days of raising pups is ancient history. Frankie is slowly learning to respect his elders because Nnyus is getting stronger in her reprimands with him. Luna finally learned "go home" this week. The puppy, Frankie, was dragged several times out the door and told to "go home." He still doesn't get it yet, but he will.

So sheltering in place is the same old, same old thing for us. The cockeyed critters keep us hopping. The critters have at least a month and a half's worth of food in the bins for the dogs and cats. The chickens can free range if feed runs out. There's an ample supply of worms and bugs to feed all of them with just a minimal supplement of grains. The rabbits go through a 50# sack of feed every two months and have an extra 50# bale of timothy hay in the storeroom. So they are all good for at least three months or more.

We've got enough paper goods for six months so we won't have to use our backup flannel sheet personal cloths. But, we have the luxury of choice. Choice is an oft over looked luxury when faced with shortages, but for the most part we still have it.

I might not find a chuck roast or stew meat to make
a pot of beef stew or beef and vegetable soup, but what I did find was Hormel's beef toast in au jus. I bought the limited two for the basis of my beef stew. Heck, the meat was almost cut the way I needed it so it was a bonus for my purposes and instead of  eight meals it made twenty-four. Having the know how to stretch what you got comes in handy at times like these. That and being able to make things from scratch are main advantages of surviving this quarantine.

My lettuces and radishes are big enough to cut a few leaves for salad to go with our meals. What with foraging the weed population (dandelions, plantain, assorted weeds), we can have a fresh green salad twice a week. It will only get better with time as spring progresses before the garden is fully harvestable. In the end, we'll make it through.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo