South Fentress County Schools-RUN!!!

UPDATE:  My child has been in the forth grade for a while now, and has made excellent grades.  His last report card contained 3 A's 1 B and a C.  Take that Ramona, Tracy, Randy, and Mike AND SHOVE IT!

We moved from Knoxville, as most of you know, where my child was public schooled.  We homeschooled him when we moved.  It just made it all easier.  The time came to put him back into public.  I contacted Randy Clark and was told it would be better all around to place him in school at the end of the year rather than at the beginning of next year.  I assumed I could trust them, after all I trusted the Fountain City staff, and my mother was a teacher for 20 years or more.  I was told by several parents who homeschooled around here not to put him back in, and especially not South Fentress.  I didn't want to believe their stories.  It couldn't happen to me.

But it did.

I will make this as brief as possible.  If you want more detailed information, please ask.

He was tested where he was scored at a 5.3 grade level.  They put him in the 3rd grade due to his age.  They REALLY fought on this and would NOT put him in the 4th grade.  I went along with it.  I was going to give them a try.  They failed.

A few weeks later we are in a conference where he is failing because, and I quote, "Well, he's silly."  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  I didn't take the meeting too seriously b/c of my past experience I knew they couldn't possibly get away with something this ridiculous.  I was not given a single piece of work to back anything up other than a list of present grade averages for the subjects.  The only other thing I ever saw was homework, which didn't even count towards his score.  He was also enrolled in speech in this meeting, which I had no problem with, and agreed with enrollment.

I didn't worry about it.  I had to go back to work and we were having our own problems.  I really didn't want to "take on City Hall" as my friend put it...not again.  (I won the last time too).  He was unable to pick up his report card from the school because we were given the wrong information about the last week of his school's schedule and such.

We, his parents who have been homeschooling him for over 2 years, thought long and hard with prayer as to what to do about retaining him or not and how we felt about it.  We decided to let him go on to the fourth grade.  And we said as such when the school sent home a paper asking our opinion. 

I had to call and call and call to get the stupid Board of Education to do their blasted job of mailing me his report card.  His teacher-Ramona Hall-hadn't even turned it in.  So I waited about 2 weeks.  I get the report card and it shows him as retained.  It also showed him as testing at a 3.7 grade level just 6 weeks after his initial exam.  I am now mad.  I call, and then I wait for FOUR WEEKS to get called back.  When Mike Jones did call back to tell me that they were waiting for his records because his teacher still had not given said records to them, it was NOT to apologize for taking so long.  This man doesn't know what an apology is.

When they did get the records, and finally called me, the first words out of his mouth were, "I've been trying to get a hold of you.  You've been on the phone for 15 minutes!"  What a jerk!  We then have a "conversation" where I am largely ignored and finally personally insulted with him saying, "I'm glad you're putting him in public school."  "Why is that?"  "Because I don't think you can sufficiently educate your child doing what you're doing."  Remember how I called him a jerk?  To top it all off, he hadn't even looked at my child's record, only the note attached to the front.

So, we have a meeting where I learned he had the handshake of a turnip and he thought himself to be wonderful.  Before this meeting, I had a chat with legal services at the Department of Education for Tennessee.  I was told I could record the whole meeting on tape without their knowledge.  So I did.  Here is what happened:

Every time I said something logical that proved my point beyond the shadow of a doubt, one of them would say the same thing in their own words in order to make it look like their idea, and then the other would agree with them as though it was their idea (these two were Randy and Tracy).  I played along.  I wasn't there to win an argument.  I was there to get my child placed in the correct grade.

Mike Jones played every trick of making us wait (I over heard the conversation he had with someone about making us wait), trying to find a common ground with my husband "So, you're a cattle man!"  My husband saw through it all.  Like I said, this isn't the first time I've taken on City Hall and won, nor is it the first time my husband has been along for the ride.  Tracy-the principal at the school, whose husband is also the county judge, and Randy Clark were both there. 

Randy Clark criticized my placement of him in the latter part of the school year.  I reminded him it was his recommendation.  He then said, well yes, it was preferable to him wasting three months.  I then argued that it was not three months, it was 6 weeks, and it was not wasted thank you very much.

Tracy wanted him retained because of his age, at which point I informed her how I felt about that stupidity.  She then argued that he gave the wrong year of his birth when tested for placement and how that was a great concern for her.  I rolled my eyes, and presently laugh at the ludicrousy of it.  (that's the best you can come up with?!?  Wow-that is sad!)

Not really, because what was even sadder is when they tried to figure out his final grades prior to the inclusion of the TCAP scores.  For one, the TCAPS were not taken into account.  I was able to prove that to them with simple algebra.  They, on the other hand, couldn't figure any of this out on their own because the scores weren't sitting in front of them.  THAT was REAL sad!!!  (and they're in charge of teaching my child?)

So...THEN I had had enough of their stupidity and informed them how I felt about it all at which point Tracy informed me that she had indeed already passed him into the fourth grade.  You have GOT to be kidding me!  (remember what I said earlier about it all being their idea?)  If that were true, than you would not have argued this over the past hour, nor would his report card have said otherwise.  Of course given the barrel of monkeys I had to deal with, I wouldn't doubt that being the case.  Idiots.

I had my opinions as to why they so desperately wanted to retain my child.  Many think it's because he was homeschooled and they either need to unhomeschool him or make an example of him like they do all the other children that are homeschooled and enter into public later.  Others think it's because they're lazy and want a kid that will get easy A's.  At this point I don't care what their reason was, it was wrong.


We will give Fentress County schools one more try.  NOT the other way around (they actually said they would give my child a chance), and the next year the local private school may just gain a new applicant.  I am NOT alone in this.  MANY Fentress county parents have pulled their children to homeschool them because of the retention policies.  This needs to stop-NOW!!!

The trip for more bulls

I was NOT comfortable with the new truck.  My dad insisted on buying one because he didn't like the one we had.  I play along...biding my time....for the I told you so's.

He bought a red diesel.  I have driven many things, Mac trucks, school buses, tricycles, auto, stick, but never a diesel pickup with power anything.  Suffice it to say the first time I drive it, I literally squeal through 2 red lights in Crossville, running both and almost hitting people.  Apparently you do not push power brakes, you blow on them.  They took it apart, not realizing I was being Herman Munster this time, and did find where some hoses were missing or something, therefore causing less vacuum on the brakes and for them not to work as well (could you imagine if they were working well?).  They also discovered the shoes were misaligned as well or the pads were worn.  I didn't know nor did I care because as far as I was concerned it was a demon possessed vehicle that needed to be drug out to the junk yard and shot.

They drive it again telling me there's nothing wrong with it.  I almost squeal through another red light and that is when I realize my braking problem is my over used hamstring, not the truck.  Imagine my chagrin (I know, it's the latest fad in vocab, but you know I had to use it at some point).

But, they do eventually show how my little bag of I told you so's would not stay shut for too much longer.  We've run out of bulls.  We'll have more customers next spring than we'll have bull calves, and the list is growing.  We've had to quit advertising and ask for downpayments from new customers.  I'm not complaining, just shocked.  So Arlis finds some from across the state we can buy to ease the masses.  I decide it is not in my best interest to drive said truck across the state until we can work out a better understanding of each other, especially pulling bulls in a trailer.  Dad and Arlis take off.  They pick up the bulls and jabber a bit with the breeder who we have a pretty good relationship with already.  Then they head back.

Now dad likes spontaneous adventure.  So do I, and I have been known to pull off for no reason and do something for no reason other than because it's there and I want something different.  I mainly like to eat places I've never heard of before.  (I guess that could be dangerous come to think of it).  But I would not choose to do this with a load of bulls.  My dad does.  Now, bear in mind, he has many more years of experience at driving and hauling trailers than I, and was an OTR driver for some time before I was born I believe, so it's not completely stupid for him to do this, just mostly.  (are you ready for this?)  He pulls off into the WRONG part of town in Nashville and winds up where there are bars on all the windows and a bunch of loitering and they are getting the LOOK.  You know the look.  You're white-go home!  With bulls in the trailer....picturing this is too funny!  Thanks be to God they do not break down there, because they DO break down on the interstate just a bit later this side of Nashville.  They're driving along when they notice oil all over the side of the truck and trailer.  Something BIG has blown up, and they are now quite concerned.  I save my little bag of I told you so's for a more intimate time.

I get the call, on my day off, trying to spend time with Marcus, to come pick them up.  I have to drive the other truck because these bulls can't be left in this weather in a trailer.  And this is where my little blue truck gets to come to the rescue.

My dad has a riding mower he calls Old Blue because as beat up as it is, and as slow as it is, it will always eventually get the job done without costing a bunch to fix.  Perhaps I shall adopt said title for said truck.  So we pack up and stop to fill up and get some drinks at THE red light in town.  It doesn't start.  I call because this has happened before and something is going out on it we think.  They say to let it cool down and try again.  So here I am, sitting at a pump for half an hour waiting for it to cool off in 100 degree weather, and it still doesn't start.

Meanwhile, on the interstate, they add a gallon of oil to the truck and get it started and actually make it home going 40 mph.  We, on the other hand, get to walk the 7 miles home hoping someone will take pity upon us and give us a lift.  Our neighbor cop does, while on duty, and then oogles over Fargo again like he always does.  (Just buy some cows already).  But Fargo enjoys it as always, and it does make me proud that he's as good looking as he is.  (yes, it's an ugly pic-it's supposed to be funny)

Look at me-I'm beautiful!

They get home, and just before sunset, we get all the animals taken care of and head off to the blue truck to find....a broken wire connecting to the battery.  $5 or less later, we're driving the truck home.  They have to rebuild the engine on their truck.  THIS is when the I told you so's were not said, but many bouts of laughter were hidden behind a huge smirk!  And they knew EXACTLY why!!

A neighbor gave us a heifer today....I think

I was at work doing the morning shift of 5am-2pm.  At first break, I called Arlis and he started getting worried b/c Fargo was really acting up.  Next thing I know he sees a black/white heifer in the neighbor's field.  (The one you see down there)

 This field doesn't have cattle, or at least hadn't in the past, so he was concerned about it.  And then I hear unpolite words from my husband's mouth, as he watches said heifer break through our fence and start grazing in the garden.  We hang up and I call back later.
She broke through here

Then she made her way over to the garden.  Arlis got her into cattle alley...where she broke out again.  He finally got her back into cattle alley, and into the upper field, and into the barn.  I have no idea how.  I was at work, and he's much better with cows than I am.

After my tour of the repaired damage, I went to see yon heifer.  On my way over to see her, I found Boy's latest toy.  It's a mole...good Boy!

And I notice the ducks could really care less about it all.

And then I see the big girl.  She's actually very sweet.
After a day in the barn to calm her down a bit, we shut the gate to the drive, and decided to let her loose in the upper field.  The other cows were already brought up there.

And Fargo was having a chat with Horns over who's boss around here.  Horns has to be kept separated until all girls are known to be bred, or he goes to beef-whichever comes first.

We let her go, where she immediately found what she wanted.

And so did Fargo.  That's his...come hither moo.

Why hello there!

Is that...Ode de heifer?

What?

Well, you can guess what happens next...

Oh look a mimosa tree to be!

That has a flower beyond cool with neon colors.

All the other girls are getting along.

Can I go back in the barn?  Nope-we have to keep her for 90 days.  After that, if no one claims her, we're selling her.  I named her Baldy.

UPDATE!!  A neighbor that was out of town when the cops asked around came by a few days later and claimed her.  He described everything perfectly, and even gave us some hay for keeping her safe.  She's back home now, at least until she breaks out again :)

The saving of calves

A quick and easy way to get started in cattle is to buy a bunch of bottle calves.  (many) Dairy farms strip the bulls from their mothers the second they see it's a boy without even letting it nurse once.  They sell it for next to nothing (we got ours for $40 each) and milk the mother.  This means you get colostrum in the milk you buy at the store, but the calf that will die without it does not.  The bulls wind up getting scours every time where they are shot up with antibiotics, anti-diarrhetics, and about half survive.  Why they don't leave them with their mothers and sell them later for meat for over 10X the price is beyond my understanding.  Especially considering how little milk they consume.  That's another topic.

We did buy a few of these.  I refuse to buy them now b/c we don't have to anymore.  We are established.  I won't even let Marcus get another one b/c I refuse to support such a horrible industry if possible.  But b/c we did, we now have experience in nursing calves back to health.

We recently had a problem with one.  Little Paprika, our first heifer to actually be born here, wouldn't get up. Pepper, her mother, had her in the woods and she wasn't nursing.  We carried her to the barn and kept her and Pepper separate from the others.  We started antibiotics once a day injections for five days, per the vet's advice, and tried to tube feed her.

Tube feeding a calf is hard.  One reason is you know it hurts, but you don't have a choice if you're going to save them.  But Paprika is a Dexter calf.  They're little, I mean LITTLE.  She's about the size of a goat now.  A regular Holstein calf is quite a bit bigger, but it's still hard to get that tube down their throat.  They don't sell smaller sizes, and that tube is NOT going down!  (If you do decide to tube feed, be sure to do great research, and lube the end with cooking oil.  If they're strong enough to fight you off to where you can't do it, they don't need it.)  So we pray her life into God's hands and try to get as much in her as possible.  She will not take a bottle or teet, and can barely stand with support, let alone without.

I was racing late for work b/c I spent time trying to do the afore mentioned, but was able to learn during break that Arlis found her standing in the watering bucket with a full belly.  That night we tried again, but she fought back more-YES!  Then the unthinkable happened.  She mooed for Pepper, and Pepper mooed for her, and she nursed.  We all stood there still and silent for fear of scaring her away or making her stop.  When she went and laid back down, we gave the fake milk to one of the lambs and went to bed hopeful.

(You can see how bad she looks)

The next morning, we gave her her second shot of antibiotics.  We brought a bottle.  One look at it, and she bawled for momma.  Here came Pepper, and she nursed.

Day three brought more hope as we gave her a shot, and by evening, she was up running around and nursing on her own.   Keep in mind, drought hits here around August for about two weeks.  We planned for it with long hoses and a sprinkler to water our half acre garden that feeds us for the next year in staple crops, and for temporary joys as well.  We do NOT plan for the drought to hit NOW and last for four weeks, and do NOT plan for 100 degree weather when we have snow storms that keep us home for a week or more at a time, especially in JUNE.  But Paprika is holding on.

Day four, we give her a shot, and work outside a bit.  We pour water on her, and a bit later, put a box fan that blows over, but not on her.  Even Pepper likes this, and returns to the barn enjoying the "wind".

Several days later, Paprika has put on weight, nurses normally, and has energy.  (I love this age b/c they run around with their tails straight up in the air-too cute).  At near one month old, we put her back into the lower field with all the others.  Fargo was thrilled to death and immediately began sweet talking Pepper.  The calves played together with fair fun, no bullying.

Whew!  One more calf nursed back to health.

Water bath canning, with times

I have the absolute awfullest times trying to find water bath canning times for canning things.  Every time I try to find a time chart, all I get is some fight about how it's going to kill me.  I will say this.  I have gotten food poisoning from Ruby Tuesdays.  It almost killed me, and several thousand dollars later, the local hospital tried to finish the job.  I finally got better with a $45 visit to a walk in clinic the next town over.  I have never once gotten even an upset tummy from anything I have grown here.  Raw eggs never refrigerated, raw milk, water bath canned, home fermented items, veggies stored in a "root cellar" for over 6 months, everything included.

I will also say that this site from the university of Florida states that botulism TOXIN is indeed destroyed at 176F for 10 minutes.  Therefore, logic dictates to boil your food for 10 minutes to prevent botulism poisoning.  This site, and most others on the topic, command (and I mean command) you to boil all home canned products, even pressure canned, for 10 minutes before using.  In fact, my aunt said she was always taught to do the same with store bought, and given the high incidence of poisoning from the stores nowadays, that sounds good to me.

Now, this site is from the CDC, and indicates that "Heating to an internal temperature of 85°C [185F] for at least 5 minutes will decontaminate affected food or drink."

(Botulism can apparently occur even with pressure cookers.  You have to boil your food after using a pressure cooker anyway.  Boiling destroys the toxin.  The spores are harmless....logic dictates....)

  So, I found a water bath time table in a cookbook from 1940.  This book has been a literal God-send and I wish I could get a newer copy as this one is falling apart.  It was my grandmother's.  It says the following: 
(For all those like me who have searched in vain, I'm posting it for you.)

1-Obviously, if it looks or smells funny, throw it out without tasting.
2-Boil all canned items for (this book says 5, newer sources say 10, and now they're trying to raise it to 20) minutes before consuming.
3-No mold, food should be firm, lid should not be bulging (bulging lids indicated gas formation which is a sign of spoilage).  Throw it out immediately without tasting if any of this occurs.

I am only including rare hot water times.  If you want a specific time for something, please ask and I will post it if I have it.

No acid added, water bath method, time in minutes, increase 10% for every 500 feet of elevation:

Asparagus, beans (string and lima), squash, vegetable combinations, peas, and greens, corn-180
Beets, carrots, cauliflower, okra-120
pumpkin-240
meat-300


Now how to do it.

This is how I did beets

Pick a beet...that's a big beet

 Boil all your jars, lids, and rings for 15 minutes

 Cut the greens off your beets and boil them for a good 30-40 minutes, depending on their size.

After they get soft, the peels just slip right off.  Then you can cut them into bites and fill the jars.  Leave a good inch and pour boiled/boiling water over them to the inch mark.  I use the water I boiled the jars in.  Now, seal them up and SLIGHTLY turn the rings back to allow escape of air if needed during the canning process so your jars don't explode.  I have found the kit with the jar lifter thingies and magnetic wand and such is wonderfully practical.  Be SURE the water covers the jars completely and boil the appropriate time with the lid on.  Due to our elevation, we had to for three hours.  Add water if needed.  Pull out and let cool on own.  Completely loosen rings to keep from rusting shut and label the jars with the date they were canned.  If any of the lids didn't pop down, they did not process correctly and should not be stored in that condition.

Storm Shelter

Growing up where we did, and now living where we do and in what we live in, we bought a storm shelter.
Arlis dug a hole, by hand, until it was quite deep.  But then he hit rock and we had to call in the big guns.

 The jackhammer of the backhoe scared the chickens, and made one guinea fly off (he came back).

 And many hours later...He finally dug through the last of the feet needed...

 And the shelter was brought in...hmmm...it looks awfully small...

 Overtarred so as to prevent moisture leakage.

 Just outside our front door.

 Cover it up a bit

 It looks good, but it's still not done.  We have dirt to mound on top and sides that's coming the next day.

 Inside.

 I'll just blow away, thank you because you are NOT getting me in there!

We were hoping to double it as a root cellar, but it really is too hot.  The top and door have to be left uncovered so we have a vent on top, and can get in.  This allows the sun to heat it up too much.  I hope it's not too hot when we have to use it!

Now, the really cool thing is this.  We advertise with cookouts.  So, we offered Dexter burgers to the crew.  The crew have friends/relatives that raise Angus.  They said our meat (with NOTHING added) was the best they ever had.  Now, Angus used to be that way, hence it's popularity in the day (now it's just a fad name).  But then the commercial breeders got involved and went stupid, and now they're all grain fed just like all the other meat on the market.  (Even a Holstein is the best meat you've ever had if pasture fed-and that's from buyers and their cookout guests' mouths!!)  Soooo....they're calling up their Angus friends to tell them to switch.  We gave them a long speech about grain/pasture and that if you grain feed Dexter, it'll kill the point of it all and will be awful.  They said they would pass it along.  One guy runs 80 cows of his own.  He wants one of our bulls for first time heifers.  Cool.  But the really cool part was that the fill dirt was free.  Now, I'm not saying it was the Dexter beef for sure, but Southern hospitality did seem to help us out for about....$350 that day.


Here's the owner smoothing out the top...it was my day off

 It looks real nice now.  And hopefully, we won't really need it. We've sprinkled grass seed, and we'll sprinkle some clover seed as soon as I get more from the store.  Then it'll look real nice.  I'm also thinking of pretty little flowers around it...hmmm.

How to Dry Herbs

It's time for a new "how to" blog.  Well, my oregano is waaaaay overgrown, so I decided to go ahead and dry some herbs for the winter.

See the green bush on the bottom right...no, over a bit more, no left, up....oh never mind.   That's oregano.  (this has been a difficult year)

 Mint

 Oregano

 And the little tiny pine tree is rosemary.  Now, rosemary lasts forever, and I even had fresh rosemary last winter, so I'm leaving it along for now at least.

 Cut young fronds.  Some of mine were going to seed.  Do NOT eat those.  You can tell when they are too old as they will be taller, bigger, and the leaves more spread out.  They stand out from the other fronds.  (oregano)

 Rinse them off real well.  Do this NOW as it's impossible once it's dried.  Line the cut ends up together.

 Lay whatever type of string you will use underneath.  Do not put too many together.  Just a small bunch so they can dry completely.

 Tye a square knot.  You want it tight, but don't break the stems.  Be sure to leave leaves on top of the knot to catch the string so the herbs don't slip and fall.

 Hang in an everyday room.  The basement is too cold and damp.  You want a place you will be normally.

That's it!  Now, bear in mind, USING dried herbs of this fashion is different than you're used to if you use "canned" or even fresh herbs.  Take a leaf or too CAREFULLY off so as not to lose other leaves, and crush in your hand over the food.  The crushing releases oils that will make it taste like you're using fresh.  If you chop the herbs or crush them before hand, you'll lose all flavor and you might as well go buy them from the store.  (I've bought plenty, as you can plainly see, so I'm not bashing that)  If you've only ever used store bought, test this in a well known recipe, and go gently, as you are probably not used to the flavor.  ENJOY!!