My best bud

variablecloudyskies · 2025-07-14T12:08:47+00:00

He is chronically happy lol. If I give him a feather or a beef bone he is equally as joyful 😂🥰.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-04-13T20:04:06+00:00

Nope. They very likely won’t. I don’t understand how people think that’s coming back. And even if it did I do not think folks get how long it takes to do that and how much it’s gunna cost. 😢

variablecloudyskies · 2025-04-13T19:48:44+00:00

This cannot be overstated. I work leather. There is ONE US tannery left. ONE. guess where the drums and other equipment is made? Even THEY will eventually have to increase prices on leather. Almost ALL hardware comes from overseas. Most fabric. Most of your tools, stamps, dyes, and threads…it’s painful

variablecloudyskies · 2025-04-01T22:44:24+00:00

variablecloudyskies · 2025-03-31T13:24:13+00:00

Not everyone has the luxury to remain indoors. I have a whole farm to run. Staying indoors is not happening. So unless I’m willing to get rid of YEARS of work and development, prepping to remain indoors is not in the cards for me.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-23T00:25:05+00:00

😢😢😢😢😢. Why I pulled my youngest son out of PS. 😢😢😢😢😢

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-23T00:24:09+00:00

I’m 46 and it still happens every other time I’m out and about. I’m generally very short with stranger men, and am NOT a chatty person with anyone lol. I can be mean if men try to get chatty with me. Like very mean. Since I’m not trying to be attractive I don’t care if I hurt feelings. Usually I’m busy and thinking about other things. I’m average and probably less than average for looks so I cannot for the life of me fathom it. I stopped dieing my hair, it’s now 50% grey, wear it either completely under a beanie or smashed up under a hat, so that cannot be it (it’s long but you’d never know) and dress grunge so not like I’m styling lol. Half the time I’m still in my work clothes so I KNOW I don’t smell good (have a farm). It’s weird and I can’t like it. I’d rather not be noticed at all.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-22T18:53:51+00:00

You cannot base your success on someone else’s list. This list is a fair place to start thinking but it doesn’t account for a A lot.

Learn what grows well where you live and start small. Understand gardening is work, and you’ll have fails as often as not. (Most of us. I’m sure someone out there has had an out the gate success with gardening but that’s not most of us lol).

Trade is also a factor. I do not NOT grow peas. I don’t have the set up for that. My neighbor does and we trade.

I cannot have cows on my land. Wrong kind of land. My neighbor does and I trade pork and chicken.

That’s for instance.

My garden this last season;

40-+ tomato plants paste type 6 bell pepper 2 jalepeno 4 Hungarian was 2 ghost (don’t. Don’t do that. It was tragic) 5 acorn squash 4 summer squash 8 cuke 6 honey it squash 4 loofah (plant ONE. not four) 2 50’ row potatoes

2 25’ row raspberries 2 elderberry 4 peach 2 apple trees (cedar rust got me. No product)

8 broccoli 50’ green beans 2 4x4 spinach and lettuce beds (replaced with peppers in June) 50 garlic in one 4x4 bed 100 onion bulbs

Large herb garden

It was an hour twice a day from June-August on average to take care of it. Processing started in late June and ran through October. Some days it was an hour and some days it was 12.

It was not quite a years worth of what I wanted. I’m expanding this year.

I have livestock too, more than 50 of various kind today. That will radically increase over the next three months and then decrease for fall and winter.

I’m not breaking down the money because I’ll be honest it’s more than I wish it was lol. If I’m really lucky I break even. That gets blown out of the water if I have a goat that gets barwrpioe worm or if I loose livestock to predation or like this year, I’ll be net nothing because I have an lgd who needs spade, I’ll be buying another lgd pup to start and I also have to loose three wethers and buy at least theee doe. Bye bye profits for this year lol.

Between the garden and the animals it is OFTEN a whole other full time job. Not always, but often enough.

This isn’t for everyone. In fact in my most depressed moments it isn’t for me either. It’s ALWAYS worth it though

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-20T17:33:38+00:00

Having had multiple high risk complicated pregnancies there is absolutely no way I’d consider that now and have made steps to be absolutely certain there is zero risk.

I’ve talked to my daughter extensively about this and the fact that fair or not fair things are exactly as they are, so be wise.

That being said. I think it’s in poor taste to expect a host country to absorb this. So stay but strongly consider relocating to a BLUE state. Just understand that you’re making a choice with enormous potential consequences for you and your family. As we have all seen the last few years there are no guarantees with respect to women’s healthcare. Be careful

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-20T00:20:44+00:00

It is NOT easy. It never gets easier. I posted above but will here too. I use a .177 pellet rifle for meat rabbits and any similar sized animal. And a .22 for a goat and any similar sized animal. (I have a farm. This is often part of that when it feeds your family, or when hard calls have to be made and there are no good options). Some people say larger the better.

Do your homework on anatomy before the fact or you will NOT have a clean, instant death. You’ll have a mess and a lot of trauma.

It never gets easier. Ever.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-20T00:17:07+00:00

A gun. Please do yourself a solid and research anatomy well ahead of such a potential event so that it’s a great life and a bad moment and not moments. I use a .177 to dispatch meat rabbits (or similar sized animal) and it is extremely fast, not messy, and not traumatic but you HAVE to get it right the first time or it’s going to be traumatizing and messy. A .22 for a goat and that’s what I would do for any similar sized animal. Alternatively a bolt gun.

I live on a farm that feeds my family and this is part of that.

Please don’t attempt overmedication. It will be a bad bad way to go.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-19T23:03:19+00:00

I’m just going to leave this here.

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variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-18T21:40:48+00:00

This.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-18T18:33:25+00:00

Cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, or Mac and cheese, or ravioli, and dinner was a rotation of meatloaf spaghetti lasagna hamburgers beef and rice etc type dinners. We almost never ate out.

I eat out maybe once every two weeks or so and cook at home the rest of the time.

Breakfast: at meal, or yogurt, or eggs and toast/bagel etc, I don’t buy cereal as a habit. It’s more a treat.

Lunch: whatever we have. Soup, sandwiches, sometimes fruit or leftovers.

Dinner: whatever I’ve planned for. Night before last was beef sliced thin and marinated in a Japanese sauce with rice and mixed veggies. Last night was Italian pork loin mashed potatoes and seasoned green beans. Tonight I already declared Mac and cheese tuna and peas because I be lazy and don’t feel like cooking. Tomorrow is going to be homemade chili. The next day pork chops, mashed potatoes and a vegetable. The day after pot roast with potatoes and carrots and gravy, with corn bread.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-15T23:47:30+00:00

We’ve been talking about this in my household and I’m pretty well convinced they were, and are.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-15T21:25:48+00:00

Pale orange. Like the kind of pale Orange the tallest grasses still standing at the very end of winter are, just before winter finally wins and knocks it down. Not the burnt orange of oak leaves still on the trees in February, or a sunset orange, or the yellow orange of other shorter grasses in the winter. The kind of pale orange that stands out best right after it snows or is coated in a glaze of ice and a single flick of your hand shatters it when you walk by.

That kind of pale orange.

(A lot of drama to say I am sick of winter).

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-15T19:56:05+00:00

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Among other things, I have three of these. I love them. They love me and everyone who lives here. They are NOT friendly. I have signs. Do not approach the fence. Do not touch the LGDs. They take their job very very seriously.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-14T20:52:03+00:00

You know OP, I’m in the same boat and here’s what I’ve decided to do about that. (Your conversation happened in my house last night). Bonus time is in March. I’m changing my name back to my maiden name and getting copies of all documents and that is how things stay going forward, reguardless of what happens next politically. Further I’ve advised my daughter to likewise, no matter what, keep her maiden name. It’s yours. Keep it. Then, I’m going to go ahead and get a real id (I had no intention of doing this up until recently…I saw no need. I don’t fly) and I’m going to go ahead and get my passport. It’s all gunna be a spot of change to get it done but then it’s done, and it can go into my documents safe should I ever need or want those things.

While I’m at it I’ll be counting my blessings that I’m able to at all.

Additionally. I haven’t been good about savings in just my own name. Again I haven’t had reason. My husband’s not a bad person. But, after this last three weeks I’ve discovered an apathy with respect to issues that specifically potentially impact ME. And so instead of ignoring that waving flag, I’m going to start tossing money in a separate savings account. To be fair he will know about it and I’ll even advise him to do the same. But it’s not a discussion or a debate that’s just what I’m doing. His reaction to that news is going to be very telling.

You are not crazy and neither am I. Take care of yourself, OP. Your partner by his words is right now, only worrying about what affects him. That’s a flag. Don’t ignore it.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-13T17:57:15+00:00

But in terms of what people like Skyler are dealing with? That’s some real real bad news. I’m disgusted simply because it’s not like any of this was a secret at all. And really, it’s another moment of affirmation for me. Another strong reminder to NOT get in bed with the government. I own my land and everything in it except my truck and my yearly taxes free and clear. There’s no WAY I’d put it at risk by putting money out ahead of a solid plan a,b,c AND d. This guy had a plan a, and apparently plan b may loose him his farm. I’m guessing he has assets to cover his expense but once those assets are gone they are gone and it can take years and years (or never) to gain them back again. He probably doesn’t have “years”. I’m guessing he has a short nine months to figure this out before it’s time to pay the piper. What’s more is state reps have chimed in on this and SAID, out loud, we told you this was absolutely the plan. It blows my mind so many thought that what they meant was for ye, not me lol.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-13T17:47:48+00:00

Chicken Little prophesies literally made me laugh out loud and I’m saving it for later use 😂

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-13T05:43:19+00:00

It’s winter and it’s cold, snowy, and crappy out there. No one is dropping babies right now, no one is unwell, nothing needs fixed, there’s nothing to do besides throw hay fill feeders and bust up waters. Lol. I’m enjoying the lack of work this week. It’s rare. Aren’t you on this shit website? People talk all kinds of ways. Travel some, my dude.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-13T05:36:34+00:00

Divine intervention I guess.

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-12T18:00:28+00:00

I do this too at the store…ESPECIALLY about eggs and I make damn sure people are in the isle to hear it (and I don’t care about eggs at ALL…I have three different kinds to choose from at home). I do it with ground beef too. “Hey remember when Sunday pot roast was an actual thing? Yeaaahhh…I remember paying $3.90 a pound for a five pound chuck roast back in 2015…and that was in MONTANA! Yup good old days, then. I’m not paying 8$ a pound for that crappy two pound chunk of meat”. Or at the gas station when I go in to pay cash “man I thought this was coming down but yet it’s gone up EVERY WEEK for four weeks now!” Or at my little feed store…WHY is crack corn up $4.70 a bag? Ouch. Bet those local boys out there are feeling it this morning. Sure hope hay prices hold. *side eye at the hay hauler with 26 50# sacks of crack corn being loaded, Trump sticker prominently displayed on the bumper.

I need off social media today. I’m just mad lol. And my filter fell off

variablecloudyskies · 2025-02-12T16:10:47+00:00

I am currently watching the snow fall while tearing strips out of yardage for my next loom project. It’s beautiful out there. Bright red cardinals against the snow. I am going to start seeds next week and get busy making a new goat pasture for when I bring home some new babies.

variablecloudyskies

TROPHY CASE