Drought, A Little Rain, and more House Building

It's pretty dismal news.  According to climatologists, TEXAS will remain in drought conditions for 5-15 years!  I am so devastated, and have been praying for rain, and really speaking to God about his plans and intentions for us. 

We did receive 2 inches last week, but we need at least 15 to get out of drought status.  After checking my farm journal, I noticed that the past 3 years we received substantial rainfall, between 7 and 9.5 inches each September.  We didn't even receive 4 inches this year.  Our well has dropped over 40 feet, the grass is dead, and our garden didn't do very well at all. 

This week we've been busy preparing the cabin, barn and land for cooler temperatures.  We don't normally get too harsh a Winter, but my farm journal shows extremely cold temps around November, instead of just in February like the past 20 years.  We took the week from lessons for the girls to go through their clothing, clean their loft room, make their beds up, clean the woodstove, declutter, bring in wood, and get the place cleaned for a prolonged time inside.  It will start to get darker sooner, so that will force us inside, as living in the country means it's PITCH BLACK without lights. 

PH has been diligently working on the house, though I believe sometimes the stress is getting to him, and I know he is overwhelmed building it basically by himself.  PDs and I give him what help we can, but it's basically all on him. 

Here are a few pictures:

Went to the LDS Cannery again.  I am not an LDS member, but I appreciate their allowing me access to their Home Storage Center.  I am able to get #10 cans of a variety of foodstuffs for CHEAP.  I have been paying three times as much ordering through Shelf Reliance,  though I really like Shelf Reliance also.  But money is money, and food is food. 

I ordered sugar, oats and hot cocoa mix from them.  Came home and promptly made cocoa.  PS#2, an avid Starbucks fan at 2 1/2, loves their Hot Chocolate.  He was STOKED to find out I had a big can of it.  He drank two sippy cups FULL of HOT cocoa.  He LOVES HOT tea and cocoa.  The heat has never really bothered him, which I find odd.  A few members of my congregation also ordered through me, I packed and picked up their items, and will distribute on Sunday.

My baby chicks are growing so fast, and are doing great in the chicken tractor PH made for them.  As soon as, they are big enough to go in the big coop, I'll order my meat chickens to raise for butchering.  A friend also told me tonight about a baby piglet for sale for $20.  We plan to get it, and raise it to butcher.  PH wasn't too excited about a pet pig, until I told him I didn't want a pet pig, I wanted it for FOOD.  He okayed it then, so I contacted my friend right away.  I ams so excited!

All the canning I did early in the summer, has unfortunately not been enough.  I have been needing to eat out of my food stores, and it isn't lasting as long as I wanted.  Darn...I'll need to plant more next year, since my Fall garden isn't panning out.  The stupid goats won't stay out of the garden.  NONE of my pumpkins made it.  I was looking forward to canning the pumpkin.  Nuts!

Time to watch Jericho (again).