Ticks!

Last night, I felt an itch on my back. I felt a little tiny bump and thought it might be a little seed tick like we found on Kansas the other day. But it wasn't. This morning, this is what I pulled off my back. Yuck!!! It's not one of the regular ticks I see a lot but one of the ticks I see on dogs that get huge. And it was on my back! So disgusting. I had made a plantain salve last year so put some of that on the spot. It helps with itching and healing. I need to make some more because I use it a lot. I also found a recipe for a tick repellent that I will be spraying on me and Kansas when we go outside. I hate ticks!

I do believe this is going to be a bad tick year. I have found ticks on Sandy the goat too. She gets them around her face and on her ears. And I guess the dogs are full of them and they are in the house.

Anyone else seen ticks or had them on them already? What do you do to get them off? We usually put Vasalene (?) on them to suffocate them then pull them out. The little tiny seed tick on Kansas was on her leg where the crease is at the top of the leg. And they get behind an ear or knee. Be careful and check for ticks!

 I am loving my new mower. I can get this whole place mowed in no time now. And it all looks so good. It is really helping on saving a lot of time. I even mowed the back yard where John Henry lives most of the time. I wish I could get it out back in the goat yard now. I am still afraid to mow where it's a bit steep though. I just go up and down.

My brother is here from Colorado staying with our mother. Mom's brother and his wife came up yesterday from S. Ga. but had to go back home for a funeral tomorrow. So a short stay. But so good to see them. We cleaned out Mom's garage this afternoon. It looks so good. My brother's  going to put a garage door opener in for her. She'll be able to get her car inside now. It's amazing how much there is to do after a death. Phone calls. Changes. Cleaning. And tomorrow we will go to the funeral home to get Gary's ashes. The funeral home director is so nice. Very Southern. Calls everyone Honey and Sweetie and hugs us all and says how pretty we all are. He is a very nice person.

Anyway, it's been a very busy time. And now more birthdays. My oldest daughter, Heather, will be 34 tomorrow. I remember the day she was born like it just happened. I had no idea what was going on, being my first labor. I thought it would be horrible excruciating pain and it wasn't at all. I was in labor all night, then my water broke. So I called the doctor. He said I better get to the hospital as fast as I could. The whole way there I wanted to push so bad. Got in and was taken straight back to delivery and had her in just a few minutes after getting there. I was up and walking around within minutes. It was so easy. I never did understand why people said it would be so awful. So she was born the day before my birthday. She was my best birthday present ever. Happy birthday, Heather!! I love you.

Rendering lard

I put this bag of pig fat in the fridge a few days ago. So today had some time and rendered it down. I need to make more soap because I have only 2 bars with lard left.

I had 2 pots going, then went down to the one pot. I love how the house smells while doing this. Like uncured bacon.

I don't like cracklings so the dogs will get what's left. They love it.

And I got 4 1/2 quarts. It looks good. I like to cook with it too.

Has anyone else rendered lard before? What do you use it for?