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My Usk Story. Long post with pictures.

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KatuskiFarms
CynthiaM
KathyS
mirycreek
chickeesmom
heda gobbler
uno
samwise
nuthatch333
silkiebantam
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1My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Oct 30, 2011 9:58 am

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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As many of you know from reading my past posts, I live in a neat little place called Usk. To be honest, I don't really know were to start about Usk. So I will start with a little bit about Usk, and how I came to be here.

Usk is an small older community. At one time Usk was a thriving commuinty. It had a trainstop, Saloon, Hotel, Store, a Mill, a school, and even a tennis court. I love the history of Usk. It's really neat, sometimes when you are digging you find things. And it makes you wonder who's it was, and what happened to them. The Modern Usk was actually built on a very ancient site, I have read about in history books called Klew Nu (Where the moon hides behind the mountain.) The village of Klew Nu was wiped out when the Kitelas natives moved into the area, burnt inthe middle of the night. Interesting history, I think.

Klew Nu, Where the moon hides behind the mountain. Also, the view right out my door. How could I not fall in love with it?
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One of my favorite veiws
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There are only 23 (including all the kids) people that live here year round. Our ranks were just added to by a nice couple newly moved here from Mission, BC.

There's North and South Usk. South Usk being on the highway side of the river, and North Usk, being across the river.

To access North Usk, you will either need to take the Ferry, when the river is at a good level, neither too high or too low. The Ferry is a thing of beauty. It is powered by Mother Nature herself. The ferry is attached to heavy cables, and is pushed across the river by the current. The ferry operator turns wheel in the wheel house, and a paddle dropped into the water, depending on which direction you are heading. It holds 2 vehicles, (or 12 passengers) at a time and also can take foot passengers. While crossing you get to hear the sound of the river rushing, and when the water is a little higher, you can feel the tug of the current.

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During low or high water times, North Usk is accessed by use of the Cable car (Ariel Tram). YOu park your vehicle in the parking lot, ring the bell for them to come and get you and climb the stairs. The Cable Car is crosses the river on a heavy cable. It is run by a small motor. The same Ferry operators run the cable car, taking people back and forth across. It only takes about 6 minutes to cross on the cable car. It's really pretty neat, and you get to enjoy a pretty veiw as you cross, looking up and down river.

Cable Car, High water.
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Winter View from Cable car in the morning.
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It's really not as bad as people imagine. Usk is basically a 10 - 15 min drive out of Terrace, which is really in my oppion quite close. Then you just have a little crossing to get to our place. I find it quite funny that many friends and family feel it is far out of town. I guess I think of the distances and times people in cities drive, and feel that we don't have it so bad.

Ok, a little bit of our back history, on how I came to be in Usk. Well, my husband and MIL bought some property, out here before Rob and I were married. There were 3 lots, and my husband bought the middle one, with the house on it. My MIL and FIL, wanted to build a retirement home out here, beside Rob. Anyways, being a little bit of an old fashioned girl, I didn't want to actually move in until I was married. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would like living out here. I had been living in town since my teens and really enjoyed the acessabiliy and the socail part of being in town. So, In 2000 when we married, I moved out here.

Our house was an old home built in the 1920's. It needed a lot of work, but it was cozy and warm. Kinda cute too, I think. When I was out here for around a year or so, we got my first chickens.

Little back history on me. Up until the age of 11, our family lived on a little sort of homestead that my parents built from the ground up. We had no hydro or phone. We had the pigs, and chickens and stuff. I always really liked chickens. So, living out of town after I was married, was only natural that I got a few chickens.

Now I will admit, it was hard for me to get used to living out here. It was very quiet, and not a lot of people came to visit. There were times, I felt very alone. We learned to stock up on all the heavy things like flour, sugar, and canned during the fall so we didn't have to carry everything in the winter. So we would load all groceries onto a sled, and pull them across the field home in the snow. Having snow makes things easier, so you can pull things. We didn't have a winter vehicle then. I remember loading the back pack, carring the baby, and pulling a loaded sled behind me home.

Almost everyone one out here learns to get themselves an what we all lovingly call "The Usk Mobile" . Most times, I still like to carry, or pull things home if it's just a few things, because we live close to the cable car. We do have a quad now to use over here, but to me, it's often quicker to just walk across the little field, and over the train tracks to the cable car. However, it is nice having our Usk Mobile for heavy loads, or before the snow comes and we can sled things.

When I first moved out here, I didn't can. That was one thing, when I was married. Don't expect me to be canning everything. It's not going to happen. And then, I discovered the berries, that grew by my house. Well, the berries were just asking to be made into jam. And how do you store Jam? You can it. Ha ha ha! And our place had tons of apples, which needed to be sauced. Especailly when the baby came. So then I canned that. Then of course there were plums, and other fruit. Next I wanted to try my hand at Raspberry Juice, which of course had to be canned. Then it all just snowballed from there. This year, I canned chicken for the first time. I have come to really enjoy canning. I haven't bought a jar of jam in the last 11 years. Plus, canning your own stuff, makes less that you have to pack home and it's so good to eat.

My neighbor and I, having a chat on the steps. I'm on the right.
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Our place is fairly close to the river, and in a flood plain. The flooding leaves a lovely silt on the ground, which is great for growing things. Everything out here in Usk is so lush and green. People always comment on it.

We tended to flood every couple years. You know minor flooding, where the back of the yard would fill up, and sometimes, lowlaying area's in the front. We even had our lower floor flood every couple years. Anywhere from a few inches, to a foot or so. Not a huge deal. We can clean that. Keep an eye on the river and the weather. And you sort of know to move things upstairs, or up onto shelves, off the floor.

Anyways, off and on, for the first 7 years, I always wondered if perhaps I would like it better living in town again. Where I would get more company, and could come and go easier. There was always that question.

So, in 2007, we had a lot of snow that winter. Like lots. It came early and stayed late. So, around the middle of May we started thinking. Oh yeah, It's going to be one of those springs, when perhaps we will have some flooding. I started packing things upstairs, and putting them on high shelves, as usual. Well, June came, and we seen the river rise, and rise. Oh boy! The ferry had been out for high water for a little bit. It does that every spring. But, we watched our back yard fill with water. Our Chickes and rabbits were at the very back of the property. I moved the rabbits up near the house, but the chickens were still back there. First I was going to feed them, with my boots, a day or two later, it was the small little boat to go feed them. The water, probably waist deep or so.

The water was coming up fast. Then came the phone call. "If you are getting out of Usk, we are shutting down the cable car in about 10 minutes. The river is too high for it now." When the river is really high, it dangerous to use the cable car, because trees can come up out of the water and hit the cable car. Well, I had 2 little kids. And I couldn't stay there with them like that. So I quickly grabbed some clothing, and my pregnant doe rabbit, best buck. And released the couple rabbits we were going to eat, thinking they would run for higher ground, and I left. My husband stayed behind to move the Usk Mobile, and the remaining things in the basement. Leaving your home to the unknown is honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Anyways, I left.

The river rose much, much higher then any of us expected. It rose into the second floor of our home. I knew when it was half way up the first floor, because our phone jack was high up on that wall. I kept calling home to try and keep touch with my husband to see what was happening. When the phone quit ringing and went to busy tone, I knew it was bad.

My husband canoed to the chicken house, and literally had to throw the chickens out of their house. The water was chest deep in there, and they were running around, ontop of the floating layer of hay. He was there hero. He also saved our cat in the canoe, by boating him to high ground. The water, when it did come, came so fast he didn't have time to save anything else from the bottom of the house.

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It was almost a month before I was able to return home, because we had to wait for the water to receed and the flooding had softened the ground by the cable car tower. After a couple weeks, my Husband hiked out along the train tracks, to come to town. lol We lived in a motor home at my Mother In Laws.

I can't even describe to what I came home to. Or the smell. And the silt. It was coating everything. The mess. Most of what I had packed upstairs was wrecked anyways, because the water was almost a foot and a half into our upper level of our house, and I had most things on the floor. There was not power in Usk yet. The mildew and mold was growing. Rotten earth worms all over the floors and carpets. Yuck. It was bad. Lower level walls were bowed, and the upper level floors were all wavy up and down. I think it took almost 6 months for it to fully hit me. It just didn't seem real. I still get teary eyed when I talk about it.

After, when we were trying to empty the house.
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My Mother in Laws house that she was building next door to us was much better. She only had about 7 ft of water in her unfinished basement. Her place, still needed the electrical and plumbing finished. But she kindly offered to let us stay in it, while we were trying to figure out what to do.

We had an inspector out to look at our place and, he said in the 30 years of doing his job it was the worst he seen. He recommened taking the house down as it was in bad shape. It had been a a few major floods before this, and minor ones tons of times.

In the 30's the house actually floated up, and down stream to the lot, where it was sitting now. We seen evidence of that when we took the cedar panaling off the walls in the living room. There was still silt on the old wall paper. The house had tilted. On one side of the house, the silt was a couple feet off the floor, and on the other it was closer to the ceiling. Neat to see. We have a picture of the house floating in the 30's that someone gave us. Cool.

1936, When our house floated from one lot to the next. Instead of moving the house back, they bought the lot it settled on, and straightened out the house. They then cabled the house to large tree's so that if it flooded again, it wouldn't float away. Our's is on the right.
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So we ended up taking down our house. I still get teary eyed when I think of it. Now, THAT is a hard thing to do.

Anyways. We also got some water and plumbing done in my MIL's house so it was more livable with a couple small kids. That was the longest summer ever. There was no hydro for a long long time, and no vehicle access for months, because the ferry cable broke during the flooding, and we had to wait for the ground to firm up.

My chickens, most of them survived that summer, pretty much on there own, because it was a long time for the water to receed in the back. I was surprised at their staignth. When I could boat back there too them, They were through out the bush. I was standing there, quiet thinking, and I could hear this "Peep, peep!" I couldn't see any chickens, but goodness that sounded like a chick. I followed the peeping, and found my little bantam hen, sitting on a nest. I felt under her, and I could feel eggs just starting to hatch. I can't tell you how that uplifted my spirits. Here she was, during the flooding, laying eggs, then sitting on them, and hatching them out, creating life, when all around her the world was falling apart. The world is full of wonders.
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Anyways, I really don't like living off other peoples charities. We were planing on rebuilding here one day. But it is harder to do big things like that out here. You see getting things across, can be a challenge. So that fall, we decided to buy a small place in town. It was a small lot with a little trailer. But it was something we could call our own. And we left Usk.

So now was my chance to see if I really would be happier in civilization. Of course my family was happy, because it was so easy to come over and see me.

But everyday I was gone, I would think about Usk. And I would wonder about how the snow was. What was the mountain looking like at that moment. Wonders, of wonders I missed it. I missed it bad. Sometimes you have to lose something before you truly know how precious it was to you. This is soooo true.

After about a year and half in town, my Mother In Law decided that she wanted to sell her place out here in Usk. And since it was right beside our property, she asked us if we wanted to buy it. Well, of course. That was the best day ever. We had no problem selling our trailer, since my sister in law was in love with it, and when we bought it, she told us if we ever wanted to sell it, to let her know. So we sold our tailer to my Sister In Law, and bought my Mother In Laws out here.

Now I can truely say, when people ask me, "Wouldn't you rather live in town where things are more accessable?", I can say with all my heart "No. Been there, done that. It's not for me." I did not enjoy, eating dinner looking out my window into the neighbors looking back at me. I didn't like having drugged out, drunk people going by my house at all hours of the day and night. I didn't feel safe when my husband went out of town.

I love the quietness, and the sense of security I have out here, where it's not so acessable. You know who's going by your place for the main part. There's no night time traffic, since the ferry shuts down for the night. I would much rather face, a bear then a drugged out stranger. (Yes, we deal with bears here, often.) I love looking out my windows at the mountains. I love having my chickens, turkeys or pigs. The opportunity to raise some of my own food. I love the close knitness of my neighbors. If you need or hand, I wouldn't hesitate to call on anyone of them for help. They are like family.

This is my home and I love it. Everyday, I wake up, and am thankful for what I have and where I am. Life is good.

My house in the distance.
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Last edited by silkiebantam on Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:17 am; edited 4 times in total

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

2My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:04 am

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Soooo, The reason I posted is because a couple people expressed interest of reading about Usk. I don't blog. And so I thought I could start a post. And that way, if anyone wants to ask questions they can.

I don't want people to feel bad that we flooded. It's just part of the story of my choice to live here, and how I came to realize how much I loved it.

I don't really think it's hard to live in Usk. It's just a life style not really different I imagine from most other people who choose to live out of town.

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

3My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:26 am

nuthatch333

nuthatch333
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What a wonderful bitter sweet story, you should publish it in a homesteading magazine. The beauty of you location is breathtaking and your hardships demonstrate the indomitability of people.
I just loved that you posted this, thank you.

4My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:30 am

samwise

samwise
Active Member
Active Member

That's quite a story silkiebantam! I love the part about the house floating to its new location. Pretty cool.
And that's a BEAUTIFUL spot where you live. With that kind af advertizing methinks Usk is going to have a population explosion! If I had to choose I'd pick a remote spot over living in town 100% of the time.
I hope it goes well for you there.

5My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Oct 30, 2011 11:10 am

uno

uno
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Reading this post was a great way to start my day. You are a fortunate woman to have discoveed so soon in your life that what you already have is really what you wanted all along. Sadly, many people live thier lives thinking something better is just over the hill, instead of in the palm of their hand.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I will go out today with a new feeling on contentment for what I have.

6My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Oct 30, 2011 11:13 am

Guest


Guest

That was a fantastic story!! Thank you for writing it. I could feel your emotion in the different scenarios. Thank you!

Also, thank you for the vivid reminder of appreciating what you have, because someday it might be gone and then you'll really miss it!! I'm so happy for you that you are back where you love and belong.

I was very disappointed when the photo right in the midst of your description of the big flood came up as just a red X...you had me hanging on your words!! And smiling a big smile, with tears in my eyes at the same time, as I read about the little bantam Mama hen. Wow...

Thank you so much for sharing your story. You can be described, I think, as "a woman of substance", for sure.
Cheers.
p.s. the red X picture came up after I posted this reply. Shocked I can only imagine how the stomach of the photographer must have been in the floor of the boat, taking this shot, and how you must have felt seeing your sweet farmhouse up to her waist in water...

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Thanks for the replies. I added some pictures into the original post. I wanted them in yesterday, but ran out of time.

The way I look at is each place we live has it's challenges, and we must all choose to fight our battles. We deal with the possibility of flooding on a yearly basis. But, that's ok. The rest of the year, it's a heavenly place to live. I am truly blessed.

I think what happened that year, has given me a different outlook. I am much more thankful for what I do have. I can understand what other people are going through a little more. Ha ha ha! I no longer think that people who stay with their homes come hell or high water are crazy. The next time, I will be staying. Seriously.

Anyways, I love my new home. It means a lot to us. We helped my In Laws put it up. So it has that meaning too. My Father In Law passed away before it was finished. But in many ways, I feel that he is with us, and likes us to be here. (That's another story! Smile ) It's a bright cozy home, with lots of windows.


http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

heda gobbler

heda gobbler
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Golden Member

Fabulous. What a great story!

I know just what you mean about feeling safer than in the city. I have trouble getting my city friends to believe that I'd rather deal with bears and cougars than drunks and druggies.

Hope MIL's house is on slightly higher ground than your old house!!

http://www.tatlayokofold.com

chickeesmom

chickeesmom
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Silkie, this is the greatest story ever, I really think you should just send it into Our Canada.
And thank you so much for sharing with us. Love the pictures.

10My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:02 am

mirycreek

mirycreek
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This is even better than I imagined silkiebantam! Thank you for taking the time to do this...maybe now you can do little updates as the seasons change and the different things you do in each season, truly a beautiful story!
Love it!

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

11My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:51 am

KathyS

KathyS
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The photos are just beautiful, and what an interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!

http://www.hawthornhillpoultry.com

12My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:27 am

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Thanks, Guys! I appreciate you all taking the time to read such a long post. LOL

Phew! What a busy day, yesterday was!

We had plans to butcher the pigs, yesterday morning. So I took the kids across the river to catch the bus. But my eldest was still complaining about her finger that she had hurt during the weekend. I had splinted it up (We keep a well stocked medical kit here, just in case.) It was still swollen, and now starting to turn a little blue. So I decided that I had better bring her into the hospital to get some ex-rays. So much to my Husbands disappointment, I headed to town, to take her in. (He's the type of person who doesn't believe in going to the hospital unless your head falls off and you can't duct tape it back on.)

Anyways, it turned out, I was right to bring her in. Her finger has a small crack, but it is still aligned, and we are just to keep it taped to the one besides it. So, hubby still thinks it's a waste of time, but I'm glad I went in. Can't be too careful.

While in town, I picked up a bunch of canned things, so I don't have to carry them this winter. This time of year, every trip in means that you come home with a pile of heavy stuff. It makes life so much easier.

Well, It was after Lunch by the time I got back home. Hand pigs still had to be butchered.

Well we are still not very experienced at doing pigs. Last year was our first time doing that. And we had my Dad come out and show us what to do. He instructed us in where to shoot the pig, how to bleed it, clean it, and showed us how to singe the hair off. We are so lucky to have him to teach us things. He is just a wealth of experience.

So, this year we were on our own. Since we weren't crazy about the singed hair, we thought we would try our hand at scalding and scraping the hair off. Well, I asked around on some other web sites and was given excellent advice on wrapping burlap or a blanket around the pig and pouring the hot water on. Well, let me say again that we are not experienced at this, and it is a learning process. We put an old bathtub on bricks over a fire, and heated the water in it. The poured buckets of hot water over the pig in a blanket. The the scaping began. Well, we weren't very fast at it, using a knife and my garden weeder (it is a piece of wood like small paddle with a handle, and has a sharpened band of metal strapping in a U shape on the bottom that you would pull through the soil) It worked pretty good. Anyways, we had to wrap and douse the pig several times. And some of the hair was really stuck good. Let me tell you. These were hairy, hairy pigs. Like super thick hair. WAY more hairy then last years, where you could actually see skin through the hair. This was like a Pelt. Soooooo, We did the first one, as well as we could.

Then the kids returned from school. We just sent them into the house, because they are more of a distraction then anything. lol And they were soooo excited because it was Halloween.

When it came to the second Pig, we backed it up on a trailer to the bathtub over the fire, and rolled and lifted it into the bathtub and let it soak for a minute. The hair came out much easier. (I still can't believe how hairy these pigs were. They were very pretty pigs, actually with all their lovely little spots.)

We had to rush with the last pig, because the kids were yelling out the windows and doors, "Is it time to go trick or treating yet!! Is it time! Can we go now?!" LOL. It was just starting to get dark when we finished. Keep in mind, part of the reason, that we needed to rush, is because the Ferry closes for a break, at 6:45, and we needed to be out of Usk before then. So a quick change of cloths and a wash, and we were off to town for trick or treating.

Gosh. What a day!

So today, I have the job to fine tune the pigs, and pick of any missed hair. We are debating bringing them to get them cut up at the meat market. I would like to try to do it. But am not sure quite how to go about it. I checked out the cut chart. My husband thinks I could do it myself, but I'm not sure about wielding the meat saw and cutting though all that bone. Plus, I don't want to wreck the bacon and hams.



http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

13My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:31 am

CynthiaM

CynthiaM
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Oh Silkie, again, I have looked at the topic of the thread and knew that I would be spending alot of time, right beside you, as you took me with my mind's eye to you. What a most beautiful and interesting story, and the pictures. Yes, girl, you have talent that would spark an engine!! You have a style of writing that is powerful stuff. I loved your life story, every riveting minute of it.

I think that you are a fortunate woman to have this lifestyle that you have chosen. A clean and clear air, the children growing up loved, taken care of my Mother Nature herself and you. They will grow up to be healthy and strong, emotionally and physically and will have many wonderful memories to speak about with those that choose to listen. And many will. There will be the cousins, that when grown, will be able to recount these stories with them, remembering when.....

Your lifestyle to me is extremely appealing. I sometimes feel like I could be as you, living in remote. But then, on the other hand, perhaps I am getting a little stuck with life in the faster lane. I like my drives around this county to see and do things. I go almost every day to a town close by to me, to get a mere few things for our home, such as food stuffs, but I mostly go for the drives. I love to drive and look at things, nearly as much as I love to sit and watch my chickens Shocked . But I still think a part of me could go remote. I don't need people. I choose very carefully with whom I spend time time, and those are very few...

So, for now, I can pretend that I am you. I can live your life of wonder with you, as you take me there in my mind's eye. Thank you Silkiebantam, you are a precious soul, and you bring much happiness to my life, as I walk your road with you. Have a most beautiful and wonderful day, CynthiaM.

14My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:02 pm

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Hmmmm.... Sounds like I will be cutting and wrapping up the pork. Now, that, will be a new experience for me! I hope I don't mess it up! My husband is picking up the Paper and tape on his way home from work. He doesn't want to do it himself, and has managed to talk me into doing it by myself. It should be interesting...

I'm thinking, Bone in hams, Ribs, but boneless everything else? I don't really be wanting to be hand-sawing up bone-in-pork chops. And ground pork...

A few weeks ago, we got a moose. I helped to cut it up (Did a quarter on my own), make burger, and sausages. But we deboned the whole thing. Will a pig be a whole lot different? I had better study those cut charts a little more.

Apparently, Today is world Vegan Day. Embarassed Of all the days to be making this post.

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

15My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:12 pm

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Yay! I'm done! Two piggies cut, and wrapped and in the freezer, except for the hams and bacon, which will be heading to go get smoked. Boneless Shoulder Roasts, other roasts, neatly tied in butchers twine, ribs, pork chops, hocks, and ground pork, all double wrapped and in the freezer! I'm glad it's done.

So, we have the Meat Birds, Turkeys, Moose, Grouse, Salmon and now piggies in the freezer. Nice to have it all full and ready for winter. The only thing left to butcher is those free range roosters, who have been enjoying life for too long.

And now I can feel the pumpkin eye's burning into the back of my head as they sit on the counter waiting to be cooked, and frozen... Mmmmm Pumpkin Squares!

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

16My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Usk Story... and pumpkin eyes Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:18 pm

KatuskiFarms

KatuskiFarms
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Yes, I have pumpkins to bake as well. Good job with the pigs. How long did it take you to do them do you think?

17My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:27 am

silkiebantam

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It took me about 10 - 11 hours to do it. I had never done it before, so I went slowly. I'm hoping I didn't waste to much bacon.

The pigs weighed about 150lbs dressed (without the heads, feet and entrails) They were on the smaller side, but that probably made them easier to work with.

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

18My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:40 am

happychicks

happychicks
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Love your story of Usk! What a beautiful place to live - gorgeous view and what a peaceful place to live. I love the part about the sweet little setting hen hatching off babies in the midst of such circumstances. Thanks for telling your story!

19My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:06 pm

Ruffledfeathers

Ruffledfeathers
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That was an amazing story SB. I am curious was it in the early 90's when this happened?

I was living in Stewart in the 90's and remember when we had a really bad spring so bad you went to school with wet boots and came home soaking wet because you had to just about swim home. That was the joy of living at sea level.

In the Nass Valley the road washed out in many places because the river overflowing. New Aiyansh and Greenville just about all but disappeared? My memeory is still a little fuzzy cause its been awhile LOL

Your pictures bring me back to the days of simplicity. I loved it up there the clean air, glacier fed rivers and streams. Wildlife at its wildest and our favorite thing to do was lay out on that snow pile and watch the northern lights and drink hot chocolate.

Thanks

20My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:04 am

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Ruffledfeathers, this was back in 2007. I think what caused the flooding that year was the huge snow pack in the mountains, a week of sudden hot weather in the 30's and then a bunch of nice really warm rain to top it all off. That was a memorable summer for the Terrace area. Many places flooded, and then there was a huge mud slide at the time of flooding that cut Terrace off from the main part of the world.

I remember walking home from school in the early 90's too, and the rain pounding down so hard, it was bouncing and bubbling up off the road. Ahhh those were the days!

This summer we have had a ton of rain too. The ground is so wet that it is squishy when you walk on it. It's to the point where you slip if you step on an uneven part of the yard. The garden hardly grew.

Did you know, that I spent the first 11 years of my life living in Miocene, and going to school at 150 Mile House?

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

21My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:22 am

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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What a beautiful, beautiful morning it was! There is fresh snow on the mountains, and our first real frost of the year. I was coming home across the ferry, and the sky was getting pretty pink clouds, so I rushed home, and grabbed the camera.
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http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

22My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:33 am

mirycreek

mirycreek
Golden Member
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Beautiful Usk this morning for sure!
I love your pics with some foreground, that middle one is amazing, they just give that feeling of depth to the mountain scene so you feel like you are standing right there!
and theres nothing like train tracks with fall foliage...
How is there a train in Usk?

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

23My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:41 am

samwise

samwise
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So beautiful. I'm moving.

24My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:07 pm

silkiebantam

silkiebantam
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Oh my! Now I'm getting really excited for winter! Yesterday we had some beautiful snow. The kids had a blast playing in it, except, they weren't too impressed when they tried to roll a snow man, and they rolled over chicken poo. Hee hee! The chickens were't overly impressed with it at all. I think their little feet were cold. The Guineas spent the entire squawking, and squawking! Silly birds!

So now that rivers getting really low, so today we loaded up the trailer and headed for town. We picked up another 13 bags of food, so that brings us to over 30. I'm not sure if it will get us right through until next spring, but I'm hoping it will get us pretty close. It all depends on how the river goes.

We also headed to the grocery store to pick up some of those heavier things. So now we are stocked up with over 110kg of flour (white, whole wheat, multi-grain, and I'm going to try bread flour for the first time. Not sure what the difference is...), 60kg of sugar, I would love more for Christmas baking, also we towed home many cases of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauces, beans, kidney beans, mushrooms, corn, evaporated milk, various Campbells soups, brown sugars, icing sugar, baking stuff, ketcup, mustard, coffee, powdered milk, mayo's, spices, various pasta's, dried beans, peas, and barley, wild rice, light bulbs, dish soap, toilet paper, baking stuff, and lots of other odds and ends. I think I need a bigger pantry! Or more shelves!

Maybe I'll pick up a few more things over the next day or two. Like I say, I'm excited.

Mirycreek, the train has always passed through Usk. Usk was the bigger town, until the war, then Terrace had a population Boom.

http://klewnufarms.blogspot.com/

25My Usk Story.  Long post with pictures. Empty Re: My Usk Story. Long post with pictures. Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:33 pm

mirycreek

mirycreek
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But does it stop now in Usk? Can you get stuff brought in that way at all?

http://www.feathers-farm.webs.com

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