www.ADifferentLegacy.com is temporarily "ADifferentLegacy.wordpress.com"

Since I am unable to renew my domain name as of yet, the address for this blog will be:

http://ADifferentLegacy.wordpress.com/

You can also find us at:

http://thecalvihomestead.blogspot.com/ 

...at least until further notice.  (Yes, I know that ours is not a "homestead" in the most literal sense of the word.  Literal is so boring... don't let it trip you up. :-)

Be sure to "bookmark" either of those pages.  Have a great day!

Skill of the day -- Squirrel Pole

Right up front, let me just say a few things:

1. I prefer eating the conventional meats (beef/chicken/pork) as much as the next guy.
2. When given the path of least resistance, I'll probably take it, same as anyone.
3. I did not grow up on a farm, in the backwoods or in a third-world country.  I'm a Southern California native, who has taken up residence in NW Montana for the past 2 years.
4. I have never eaten squirrel meat, so I don't know how it tastes -- but I'm curious.
5. I have eaten wild rabbit, which I have hunted, dressed and cooked myself, on more than one occasion.
6. If you are offended by people harming furry little forest creatures, please stop reading now.
7. Always practice safe trapping and hunting habits.
8. I believe there's room enough for all of God's creatures... right next to the mashed potatoes.

OK, now that that's out of the way...

Today, I decided to try my hand at making a "Squirrel Pole" trap. Of course, I used "found" materials: a ratty old 2x4 and some old electrical wire.  The wire sheathing was a nice shade of "forest brown", which I figure will serve to camouflage the snares.  Apparently these type of traps are supposed to use several of these "nooses" down the length of the pole, but I was feeling lazy, so I only used 2 -- top and bottom.

Why in the world would I want to trap -- let alone eat -- a squirrel or two?  Well, there are a number of reasons:

1. Squirrels are plentiful, and generally very healthy.  They're everywhere!  They're also "cage-free" and "free-range", fed on natural fruits and nuts.  From what I understand, most states (at least mine) don't require any licensing or "tags" to hunt or trap squirrels.
2. Trapping is silent, productive and (mostly) free.  Nothing attracts unwanted attention like even a single gunshot, even from the humble .22 rifle.  If we ever find ourselves in a situation (like during the Great Depression) where many, many families only had food on the table if they could hunt/trap/gather/grow it themselves, I want to be prepared to feed my family without having to rely on whether or not the grocery stores' "cellophane-wrapped meat packs" were available.  While hunting can be effective (if one is skilled at it), it requires constant maintenance for the duration of the hunt.  Trapping is more efficient in that (a) you can re-use your "ammunition" (traps);  (b) you can effectively harvest from several places all-at-once, thereby increasing your take; and (c) you "need not be present to win", so to speak.  Set the trap now, check on it later -- even 24 hours later, if the weather is cold.
3. Squirrels are very easy to "process".  They are much, much easier to handle (field-to-freezer-to-table) than are deer, elk or any other larger game.  Heck, my 7-year-old daughter could skin & gut a squirrel... and probably will, at least once, if I have anything to do with it.  (Yes, that is one of the requirements of growing up in my household: getting exposed to dressing wild-caught game, large and small, on land and in water.) 

There are probably many more reasons to familiarize yourself with the hunting/trapping of wild food sources... what do you think?  Leave a comment below, and let me know about your experiences.  I'll let you know what ever came of my modest attempt at squirrel trapping, ASAP.

Have a productive day!
Psalm 24:1

Wordpress

 
Today, "A Different Legacy" is making its debut on Wordpress...

Our new (additional) URL is http://ADifferent:Legacy.wordpress.com/

Of course, we'll still be found at www.ADifferentLegacy.com, which will show identical content on Blogger, but with a slightly different layout.

Let me know your thoughts... which do you prefer?

Thanks for reading.

Guest Post

Greetings, dear friends!

I'm very excited to present, for the very first time posting on ADifferentLegacy.com -- [drumroll, please]:

Our lovely nearly-17-year-old daughter, whom I refer to as "SweetPea".  Please keep her in your prayers, as she has been studying to take her G.E.D. (high-school-diploma-equivalent) test soon. 

Now, without further ado...

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TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013

What does "dying to self" mean?

I think I am learning. Well, a very small portion of it, anyway.

Lately I've been noticing how selfish many of my habitual, every-day motives are. I think of myself more than I ought. More often than not, I value my own will and (self-determined) well-being more than I value those of others around me. The other day, God opened my heart to how ridiculous some of my actions and reactions are. For example... Why do I scoff when my mom asks me not to add a certain ingredient that I prefer to the meal I am making for my family? Why do I grumble when my parents advise me not to purchase a certain thing, or when they tell me that it's not the best time for me to get driving hours? Do I realize the irony of inwardly complaining when I've been told to watch my younger siblings outside when instead, I want to read a book on relationship with God and building faith and character? Well, now I do.

Why do I let such small matters cause me to sin and fall subject to my own selfish desires? The answer is simple: my flesh is alive and well, and by not living my life as unto the Lord inevery minuscule aspect of it, I am giving my flesh the power to rule over me. But God is faithful to bring to completion the good work in me that He began, and He isn't done with me yet! I suppose He won't be until the minute in which I take my last breath in this world, and move on to be with Him in His heaven. And I hope, with all of my being, that He will be able to say, "Welcome, daughter; and well done, my good and faithful servant."

On a related note, I've seen the parallels between selflessness and joy. To expound on this briefly, I've discovered that when you are not focused on your own desires, there is more ease and joy in serving and obliging others. A certain heaviness and constant discontentment leaves your soul, because you are not seeking your happiness in the obtaining of your own wants, which are impossible to always satisfy. Instead, your goal is to please others, and that always seems to be easier than pleasing yourself. Also, when you are truly denying yourself, your whole outlook on life and general every-day attitude is transformed. It's more positive, more apt to seeing the good and pure in people, in situations, and in circumstances, than if you were constantly seeking the gratification of your own will.

So, I am being taught a lesson in selflessness. And I am learning it much more deeply now than I ever thought I may have learned it before. I do not want to lose sight of this thing happening in me, and my constant prayer is that I do not become complacent or apathetic in my walk with Jesus. Whoever may be reading this, I hope you will pray for me as well.

~It is He who works in me~

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