Monday, April 28, 2025

Product Review Monday

For this week's book review, how about a little fun? Most readers know I love books, and therefore I'm also a sucker for books about book collecting. Over the years I've purchased a number of coffee table-sized books with beautiful photos depicting book collections. Some of these books are great, some are not so great.

This one is my favorites: "At Home with Books," by Estelle Ellis and Caroline Seebohm.

If you drool over the home libraries of serious book collectors, this is the volume for you.

Don's recommendation this week is a power stapler. He had a project that required him to crawl under the house to install additional electrical wiring. The wires, of course, had to be secured to the underside of the house, but it was impossible to swing a hammer under those conditions. As a result, he was dreading the task.

As he put it, "If you've ever had to crawl on your back under the house or in another cramped space, stapling up electrical wiring while trying to swing a hammer with just inches of clearance, you'll understand the value of this tool." Add to this mix that, as a 67-year-old man, his interest in such physical gymnastics is just about zero.

So he purchased this tool, and wow ... just wow. It worked beautifully.

These are the crown staples the tool uses.


This stapler is a game-changer when it comes to working in tight conditions. Of course, a cramped space is only one of its many applications, but that was the original reason behind its purchase. The tool came highly rated, and Don can confirm it lives up to its promises. 10/10 would recommend.

(Obligatory disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, if you purchase through those links, we earn a small commission.)

Happy stapling!

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Frugal (sort of) computing

Don turned on his computer the other morning ... and it didn't start. Muttering, he poked and prodded and fidgeted and finally concluded that his six-year-old computer had finally bitten the dust.

Fortunately he had foreseen this very event, and had an identical model (he uses a desktop) wrapped and in storage. It took a few hours to get it set up and running, files transferred, etc., but now his new computer is working perfectly. I should specify that we both purchased backup computers (I use a laptop) a couple years ago. They were inexpensive because we purchased refurbished Windows 7 machines. (Cue the wails as techno-savvy readers point out Windows 7 is no longer supported. Yeah, we know.)

Interestingly, Older Daughter's five-year-old computer also started to go on the fritz. It didn't completely die all at once, but it was dying, so she knew she needed to get another unit before it bit the dust. Unlike us, Older Daughter is more technologically savvy. She uses Windows 10 and has gaming components. Rather than purchasing a new unit that would cost a whole lot of money, she decided to build her own, which would cost about half of what a comparable pre-built unit would cost.

What followed was a lot of research, including asking questions of computer geeks in online forums as well as watching loads of how-to YouTube videos. She ordered the various components she needed, and a couple days ago she took over the kitchen table and got to work building her new computer.

I can't even begin to express how impressed I was by this undertaking. I cannot fathom doing anything similar.

Throughout the building process, she wore a grounding bracelet clipped to the metal frame. Apparently even the tiniest spark of static electricity can short out a component, so she wasn't taking any chances.

She spent hours on this task. Apparently it's highly recommended to build the working components outside the frame (which makes sense) to make sure everything works. It if does, it's disassembled and reassembled inside the frame.

When she tested the system outside the frame, she was delighted to find it worked.

Then came the task of building the unit inside the frame.

She finished this step fairly late in the evening, so she took her newly built computer into her room and plugged it in. And ... it worked! Over the next day, she put it through its paces and it functioned perfectly. Then she was able to transfer her files, her games, her photos, and other data. (Both Don and Older Daughter routinely back up their files, by the way. My nagging in that regard has been effective.)

Here's her fully-assembled new computer:

And here's her dolled-up computer area, with her original monitor:

Frugal (sort of) computing.

Friday, April 25, 2025

Fencing the sacrifice pasture

A couple weeks ago, Don and I completed an arduous task we'd meant to do last year: Fencing a sacrifice pasture.

A sacrifice pasture, essentially, is a section of land on which livestock can be housed during times they can't or shouldn't be on the regular pastures. This includes winter months and/or months in early spring to prevent regular pastures from being overgrazed while still in the young-growth stage. In our case, since we have much less acreage than our old homestead, we have to be careful not to let the cows eat too much early grass before the pastures have a chance to grow lush and thick.

It's called a "sacrifice" pasture because, let's face it, it's going to get trashed. In our case, we have about half an acre that's too steep and wooded for any other purpose, so we wanted to fence it for a sacrifice pasture. (You can see the barn at the top of the hill.  The fenced-in corral is to the left of the barn.)

This section of land had never been properly fenced (just three raggedy strands of barbed wire by past owners), so we needed to make sure it was secure for the cows. Nor was it a convenient rectangle, but an odd shape with five uneven sides. The trouble is, the grade is so steep that it's incredibly difficult to get anything heavy up and down the slope, such as the fencing itself. Using the tractor was out of the question. In short, it promised to be a very arduous task.

We started by assembling the tools and materials we needed, including T-posts. Groan, carrying T-posts all the way down that slope wasn't something we were looking forward to.

We gathered the rest of the tools we needed and put them in a wheelbarrow. To get the wheelbarrow down that slope, we ended up going downhill switch-back style. Near the bottom, where we were starting the fencing process, we had to brace the wheelbarrow against tree trunks to keep it from tipping sideways.

The next difficulty was transporting the field fencing itself. A 330-foot roll of field fence is heavy, on the order of 190 lbs. What we did was roll it out and measure off 100 feet, which brought the weight down to a bit under 60 lbs., then re-rolled it. Still heavy, but with two of us carrying it, at least manageable.

And, of course, for the fencing we needed at the bottom of the slope, we simply carried the fencing rolls into the section and let 'em go. Whee! They bounced downward at faster and faster speed until they crashed into a tree, at which point we climbed down behind them, repositioned the rolls, and let them go again. In this manner, at least getting the fencing to the bottom was fairly easy. (For those wondering why we didn't simply drag the entire 330-ft. roll into the field and do this, it's because a 190-lb. roll could easily crash through the fragile fencing already in place at the bottom of the pasture, cross the road, go into our neighbor's field, and keep going. That would be the stuff of cartoons, wouldn't it?)

We started the fencing process by locating the boundary pins between ours and our absentee neighbor's property. Then we ran a string along the boundary.

Then we dropped T-posts at 12-foot intervals along the string.

While carrying the T-posts downhill was a hassle, actually pounding them into the ground was one of the easier tasks. The ground is beautifully soft this time of year, and it took just a few whacks to get the posts properly installed.

Then we stretched out the field fence, loosely draping it over the T-posts to hold it in place until we could tighten it.

Once the fencing was tightened, we wired it to the T-posts in three spots: top, center, and bottom.

It took a couple of days of hard work, but at least we had two sides of the pasture properly fenced. The third side was the boundary fence with one of our grazing pastures, so it was already done.

What remained was the fourth and fifth sides, over a small ridge and on an even steeper slope. We didn't need to install T-posts on this side, merely to reinforce it with field fencing, but it was a daunting task on so steep an incline.

Once again we unrolled stretches of fencing, but this time in 50-foot sections rather than 100-foot, for easier carrying. We wouldn't be able to just let the fencing roll to the bottom.

This time, however, we had one advantage: We could load the tools and equipment onto the tractor and drive it to a flat spot behind the barn at the top of the slope. While we still had to carry what we needed down the slope, at least it was a shorter distance.

Last year, Don had built a utility box for the back of the tractor, and we loaded it up with everything we needed for the project, then drove it to the flat spot.

Fencing this fairly short section took another two days of work, but we finally got it done.

At last we could move the cows from the nice lush pasture where they had been happily grazing, and into the sacrifice pasture. This pasture doesn't have much by way of grass, but of course that's the point. By allowing our two pastures (one larger, one smaller) to grow the grass tall enough to support summer grazing, we needed to remove the grazing pressure from the cows long enough to allow the grass to grow.

We got the animals into the corral...

...and opened the gate into the newly fenced sacrifice pasture.

It didn't take them long to make their way into the new territory. Filet, as the dominant animal in our little herd, was the first one through.

It didn't take long for the rest of the animals to follow suit. What happened next was hilarious: The three younger animals (Mignon, Maggie, Romeo) began racing back and forth across the slope, kicking up their heels in high spirits.

While the others capered, Filet, meanwhile, got right down to work eating.

Now, of course, we're back to feeding the cows twice a day, just as we did during the winter. They're not overly thrilled to be taken off the green grass, but that's the way it goes. We'll keep them in the sacrifice pasture a few more weeks until the grazing pastures are more mature. We'll also provide them with a bloat block when they transition to the greener grass.

Another project, done.

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Let's hear it for "polyworking"

When most people lose their jobs, they experience panic and worry. There are bills to pay, a mortgage to maintain, perhaps children to support through college or car payments to make. How will they survive without their employment? Frantically they update their résumé and commence the often-disheartening round of answering want ads or blasting out their credentials on the internet, begging someone – anyone – to employ them.

I get this. I totally get this. And for this reason, we've always endorsed having multiple income streams as protection against a job loss. We call this the "many irons in the fire" method of earning a living. The idea behind this is if one iron disappears, you have multiple other irons still sizzling. If you lose your job, you still have other income streams and won't be left destitute. You can then concentrate on honing those other streams into larger producers, either until such time as you find another "primary" job, or decide to permanently shift into having multiple part-time jobs.

This is a surprisingly common tactic with rural people, where jobs are often very low-paying. Over the years, we've met people with an astounding variety of "irons." We knew one fellow who operated heavy machinery, flew helicopters, and raised bison. We knew a woman who cleaned houses, sold crafts, and worked as a substitute teacher. Yet another woman sold produce at farmer's markets, babysat children for a working mother, and did desktop publishing projects for local businesses.

Laying multiple income irons in the fire is a matter of harvesting any and all experience, interests, potential, or opportunities, seizing any (ethical, legal) means to earn money, especially since you never know where it might lead. In our situation, we give preference to jobs we can do from home.

People have done everything from remote teaching (foreign languages? music?) to becoming an online travel agent to blog maintenance to moderating forums to operating ticket sales to freelance writing. Others have exploited skills or experience they've cultivated in the past. Waitressing, fixing computers, building crafts, driving trucks, tutoring children, carpentry, welding, painting, even home organization ... all can earn money.

Of course, these side gigs aren't likely to pay much. But income from numerous irons can get pretty darned close – $500 here, $1000 there, and pretty soon you're earning a decent collective paycheck.

Our philosophy is it's better to have ten income streams each paying $500 per month than a single income stream paying $5,000 per month. Losing one iron of the former is an annoyance. Losing the one single iron of the latter is devastating.

Anyway, all this is an introduction to an article I saw this morning entitled "'Polyworking' Is Gen-Z's Answer to Surviving a Fraught Job Market."

Ahh. The "many irons in the fire" approach we've endorsed for decades now has a snappy new name: Polyworking.

"This rising career trend, which involves juggling multiple jobs at once, has surged in popularity over the past few years, reshaping what it means to build a career in an era of instability and ambition," notes the article. "Nearly half [of Gen Zers] are working multiple jobs, with 47 percent clocking in at three or more gigs. And those numbers? They're still climbing. This isn't just about ambition; it's about adapting to survive in a world where one job is rarely enough. Unsurprisingly, the primary motivation is financial security. In a period of economic uncertainty, who wouldn't want to stockpile some extra cash each month?"

Well ... yeah. Of course. It just makes sense.

The "polyworking" people we've known over the years seldom worked multiple jobs for the joy of it, although of course some enjoyed the creative side of crafting or making cakes or whatever. Instead, people understood the importance on not relying purely on one income stream, only to be devastated when that stream disappeared.

The article does profile people doing work they love. One guy in New York City works as an indoor cycling teacher, dance choreographer, and freelance writer and author, and waxes eloquent about the joys of earning money by following his passions. He says, "The only way I'm able to handle working so many jobs at once is because I only work jobs I love."

The article mentions the need for balance to avoid burnout, which – trust me – is 100 percent true.

The article concludes with, "In the end, polyworking is less a trend than a recalibration of what modern work looks like. For some, it's about passion; for others, it's pure necessity. Either way, the message is clear: In today's economy, one job often just isn't enough – so people are making room for more."

What's old is new again. Let's hear it for "polyworking."

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

This is SO me....

I saw this yesterday. This is SO me....

Ear-ception

The 2010 movie "Inception" (a film I've never seen) involves a thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology. The term has entered the popular lexicon beyond its original definition and has come to mean a something-within-a-something.

With this in mind, let's turn to a bizarre item Don saw online in passing the other day: Ear earrings.

The result, of course, is ear-ception.

Um, no. Just ... no.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

A horse? Ho-hum

Early this morning (about 6 am), I let Mr. Darcy out on our back deck, and he exploded to the edge, barking fiercely. That's because there was a horse in our driveway.

Ho-hum. There's a horse in our driveway. It was too early to call the neighbors to whom I suspected the horse belonged, so I went back to drinking my tea.

When Don got up, he glanced out the window and said, "Huh. There's a horse in our driveway." Yeah, ho-hum. He started drinking his coffee.

Around 7:30 am, before we had a chance to call, the neighbors came by on their ATV, went up our lower driveway, and put a halter and lead rope on their escaped animal.

We chatted over the edge of the deck and the husband explained he'd forgotten to close a critical gate last night. (They had to round up their escaped cows, too, who were exploring another neighbor's property.)

That's the nice thing about escaped animals in our little valley. While it's annoying when it happens and necessitates rounding up the critters, at least they're not in any danger. They just ... hang around.

Ho-hum.

Monday, April 21, 2025

Product-Review Monday

[Addendum: A reader pointed out the links below were not working. We've repaired the links.]

Today's product review departs from some of the things we've touched on in past reviews. Instead, I'll review one of the best homestead purchases we've ever made: Our Gorilla cart.

As we've gotten older, our philosophy is to work smarter, not harder. This Gorilla cart puts that philosophy into real-life practice. It holds something on the order of 1500 lbs., turns on a dime, and has a dump feature. It also takes a tremendous amount of abuse without complaint. The larger version is also designed to pull behind an ATV (all terrain vehicle).

Look at the size difference between the gorilla cart and our biggest wheelbarrow. Now ask me which one totes heavier loads more easily.

Here is the cart's "dump truck" feature.

These carts aren't cheap, but they're sturdy, well made, and well worth the price. They come in two different sizes: A 10-cubic-foot cart (which is the one we own, with its 1500-lb. capacity), and a 7-cubit-foot version (which has a 1200-lb. capacity). If you're looking for a universal multi-use work aid, we can't recommend these carts highly enough.

Now for some book recommendations.

In 1966, a high school English teacher in Georgia came up with a brilliant idea: To capture the traditions, skills, and legacy of the original pioneers of the Appalachian Mountains before this remarkable generation (and the knowledge they possessed) died out. Accordingly, he led his students into increasingly comprehensive interviews with people all across the region. The resulting series of books, called Foxfire, was one of the most remarkable and seminal collections of first-hand pioneer knowledge ever assembled. If you've never read them, you should.

But in 1972, another very similar project was begun by a different high school class, this one located in Missouri and organized by Ellen Gray Massey. Like Foxfire, it was a collection of first-hand old-time knowledge and skills, but focusing on residents of the Ozark Mountains. This lesser-known companion project resulted in a two-book series called Bittersweet (Bittersweet Earth and Bittersweet Country).

These volumes are absolutely fascinating and chock-full of traditional ways and skills. Here are the descriptions:

Bittersweet Earth: A description of the folklore, handicrafts, and customs of the Ozarks includes discussions of cooking, camping, moonshiners, and exploring caves

Bittersweet Country: A collection of articles that were originally published in "Bittersweet" magazine, concerned with individuals, customs, folklore, and the way of life of the Ozarks

We'll never know why these books never achieved the same level of fame as the Foxfire series, because they're truly wonderful. They seem to be out of print and there are no new copies available, but Amazon has quite a number of used copies.

(Obligatory disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, if you purchase through those links, we earn a small commission.)

Happy reading! Or carting!