Late grilling, chores on hold, processing chickens

With my bowels still in turmoil yesterday evening, I fixed a broth soup out of leftovers. Victoria and Mama re not much on such soups so they fixed breakfast meals. But when Victoria was done eating her bacon and eggs, she said, “I’m hungry for some meat.” Since I still have the borrowed pellet grill, I offered to fire it up if she and Mama could come up with some meant to grill. Victoria went straight to the freezer and got out hamburger, ground lamb and ground turkey. About five pounds worth of meat. Once sufficiently thawed, she and Mama made patties out of the meats and I put them on the hot grill. That is the nice thing about the pellet grill. I can start it up and be at temperature in about fifteen minutes. The grill will maintain the set temperature setpoint throughout the cooking process. Even though it was 45° last night, I was able to cook the burgers in about twenty minutes. Nice. I did not eat any of the meats I cooked, but Victoria and Mama assured me they were good.

Victoria was so excited about the success of the impromptu grilling that she is going shopping today for more things to grill. Jalapenos, pineapple, chicken breasts and whatever else she can come up with. IT will be later in the evening before I can get started, but that does not really matter with this type of grill. I will be returning the grill to Zach tomorrow. He has not asked for it to be returned, but I feel bad about keeping it. Besides, Mama, Victoria and I need one of our own. At least, I suppose it is a need. One thing is certain, if I have one, I will use it. Especially since it can be done even on a whim. I suppose a gas grill would be just as convenient, but the smokey, grilled flavor this grill adds to meats is outstanding. While we have had the grill, I have smoked two turkeys, a rack of ribs, sausages and hot dogs, and dozens of burgers. Everything came out perfectly. It has been fun to have the grill. It has been fun to use it.

I am off tomorrow. The first day of 2020. I can still remember the angst at Y2K. This time twenty years ago. I was on the startup team at the refinery in New Jersey. Computer nerds around the world were concerned that the year 2000, with its triple zeros, would confuse computers and all computing technologies would be interrupted indefinitely. That, of course, did not happen. And here we are twenty years later. Reliant on computerized devices more than ever. Anyway, we have a lot of little chores waiting on me this weekend. Coop cleaning – a must. Goat barn cleaning not overly urgent. Pig building cleaning – a must. Installing a new small goat paddock to separate the boy and girl weanlings – a bright hope. To name a few. All of these will not get completed tomorrow, but several will. Last weekend, between the rain showers, I moved the grapevine to the bed with the blueberries and asparagus. I also dug up the asparagus in the garden and split the dozen or so crowns between the bed with the asparagus and the raised bed in the garden. We will see where it does the best. I am hopeful the grapevine will thrive in the bed I planted it in. I know the blackberries did. Time will tell if the move works as well for the grapevine.

Between all those chores I have to process the four remaining chickens. Brittany Wycoff is supposed to come over in the early afternoon to help, but I am not sure that will work out. Regardless, I have to get the birds done. They are getting too big to walk. They waddle like ducks they are so huge. Once the chickens are out of the birthing center, Mama and I will clean that up and set it up for the next time we need it. I am tempted to move it out of the yard but am not sure where I would put it if we did move it. No urgency there, I just would like to take away a potential skunk refuge from our yard.

Mama and I do not have any plans for New Year’s Eve. The new Year will ring in without our involvement.