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Busy Busy Busy and Merry Christmas!

Well, have not posted in a few weeks now, work has been pretty busy with some long days.  I enjoy the challenges of this job and get to make more of an impact on things then I ever thought I would but find myself more and more frustrated with the bureaucracy and more and more ready to get out.  Every morning when Terri and I go for our walk before work all I can talk about is the Homestead and things I would like to do.  I am leaning more and more towards not even putting in my packet this year for promotion, I really do not know what I would do if I was selected.

Unfortunately I have not been able to do much research over the last couple of weeks so not much to talk about this week as to what exactly I will do or what I am planning but instead will talk about some hopes and goals as well as things we are looking forward to trying.

Terri has always talked about salted hams, rather then the precooked sugar hams which is really all you can find these days.  Being in a Muslim country we have not really found any type of Hams here and I was actually thinking about buying a salt cured ham and having it shipped here (since you can do that with salt cured meats) as I have never tried one.  Of course that was before I saw prices of $90 for a 14 lbs ham!  Not to mention there is not really many places to get a salt cured ham anymore, think I only found 2 places online.  So needless to say salt curing my own hams is now a goal I would like to try, just got in the books to teach me how so that will be going on the reading list soon!

One thing I am very much looking forward to in retirement is hunting and fishing.  Minnesota is great for both activities.  Each year I get on face book at look at the deer harvest and I wish I was there!  This year the family harvested three deer and I can not wait to join them in a couple years.  This next season is probably out but 2017 is a possibility depending on how everything falls.  I have only went fishing in Minnesota once and that was probably 15 years ago!  We could have went this past year but we just got to busy and I never got my license.  We will be in Mn in time for the start of fishing season this spring when we go back on leave for the tree planting and I am really looking forward to a couple days on the lake.  Of course the fishing is also part of the reason we want to expand the pond this year as well.  Right now it is only about .1 of a acre and we plan to get it up to .25 or .3 which is large enough to support at least some fish with the help of an aerator.

It has been over 20 years since we have lived near family (except of a 6 month period in 1997-98) and I think both of us are looking forward to the opportunity to be near family again on a regular basis.  I am pretty lucky in that I like and get along with all of my in-laws and I really look forward to spending time with them over a few drinks as well.

With the homestead I am really looking forward to hopefully sharing the bounty of the homestead with them.  Granted I do put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure I do my research in order to show them all I am taking this venture seriously.  I am sure at least half of them are thinking I will only last one Minnesota winter!  Well maybe I am being generous by saying only 1/2 of them are thinking that!  Well one more thought for anyone who is reading this.

I wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.  I hope everyone remembers the spirit of the season and keeps those who are less fortunate in your prayers and thoughts.






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