# September 2011 Prep Journal



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Hi all - getting to be September.

Are your gardens winding down? I know the little one my parents have is starting to wind up. Part of it is low rain lately.

Hope this finds all your preps doing well.

Angie


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

My garden wound down long ago in the drought. In 40+ years of gardening we've never had such a horrible gardening season. But gardeners are optimists and planning for a better garden next year. Irrigation will be prime. The weather gets stranger every year and we can't count on rain...or even cool or hot weather when we used to get it. Still have rutabags,green beans, beets and a couple of reviving tomato plants. Planted beets,spinach and kale now that we got some rain. Usually can manage a patch of greens until Dec when covered with Remay. 

Pa tilled up the rest of both gardens. Time to spread manure from the barn. Then onto the wood pile. Double truck load of hollow logs from having part of our woods logged. Pa and son cut in lengths and I run the splitter. We can get a heap done working together. Supposed to be in 70's next week...that will be heaven!

Since garden was so poor we've bought cases of veggies from Aldi and now that they are carrying beets we tried some...they are the best of all their veggies. Taste as god as they ones I usually can.


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## Bluesgal (Jun 17, 2011)

Just got my seeds and working on the plans for the raised garden bed. Planning to put it in over the winter and be ready to plant in the spring. This gives me lots of time to read up on how to try to do it the right way! This year the potted tomatoes lasted until mid July and then it was just too hot.


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## melissa78 (Oct 14, 2010)

Lost my garden to Irene.


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## Bluesgal (Jun 17, 2011)

Sorry to hear that Melissa. Will anything be salvagable when it dries out?


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I have started the meat canning process for today. I cut up 6 roasts that were buy on get one free last week (our sales run Thus to Wed). SO after lunch I will be canning that up along with about 20 brats and some little stakes.

The only other thing I've done today to prep is allowed the kids to live another day (daughter specifically). I know in the long run it will be better to have "more hands on deck", but mornings like this one makes that hard to remember, lol.

ETA: Caner is full of the first load. 16 pts of cubed roast and 4 pt of skillet stakes. My eyeballs are off today, I was expecting 9 pt of cubed meat out of the bowl full.....I'm very happy with 16! That's 20 more meat meals. In SHTF that would last us 10 weeks! (my goal is real meat twice a week if SHTF, for moral sake if nothing else). Still have to do the brats and sausage, if I have the energy when this loads done....waters not even to a simmer yet.


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## melissa78 (Oct 14, 2010)

No, Bluesgal. But as I said on another thread, thanks to all of the folks I made my mentors here, we were totally prepared right down to our BOBs!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Did another dollar store $20 1 week survival bucket today. 

5 lbs rice
1 lb pasta
1 lb dry beans
4 12 oz canned meat
1 lb peanut butter
6 pack ramen
4 lbs sugar
8 oz evaporated milk
1 bottle soy sauce

My goal is one bucket per week. I get free buckets from the bakery in the grocery store (don't tell them I'm filling them with food from the dollar store  )
So far I'm on track, this is my fifth bucket. I rotate every week between sugar, cooking oil and salt, and flour. 

Always try to include a little treat like the soy sauce, hard candy, canned fruit, etc.

Also bought a milk goat last week. She is thin and not giving much, but I'm getting good grub into her and I think I can see a little weight gain and I know I can see a little more in the bucket.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

The hilltop community garden is still going strong, and it's supplying salad fixings on a daily basis now. The strawberries are finally producing, and the other crops are growing well... I still have to buy tomatoes, since they don't do well up here in the fog.

I did get 3 more jars of the peanut butter that was on sale today. Then I went looking for a loss leader. It was not out on the shelf, and I got a rain check for 12 of them. The clerk did not bat an eye or ask any questions, as to why I wanted so many of them.

Tinkal - I may have to unpack one of my buckets/ large ammo cans and post the contents of one of them. I try to have a bit of everything inside each one of the many containers. You may want to toss in a lighter/ packs of matches sealed inside some zip-loc baggies with a couple of small candles/ tea lights. Or get a cheap transistor AM/ FM radio and a dollar store flashlight with extra batteries - which does store away well. So you don't wind up playing "Quest For Fire", or have to sit there in the dark eating cold uncooked pasta.

Next week, I may go thrift store shopping for more of the el-cheapo cookware items and flatware. I only have so many of those aluminum old school 'boy scout' and GI style mess kits, and the matching canteens from the 1960's/ 1970's.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I'm finally getting a few ripe tomatoes and the pole beans are blooming, so if the weather holds, I will actually get some green beans this year. I've dug a few potatoes that were fair sized, and am eating them tonight (late dinner). I don't think the corn's going to make, though.

I cut and split a bit more wood today before my saw quit on me. It doesn't like aged gas, even when it's treated. Time to mix up a fresh can and make the chainsaw happy again. Since I had plenty more trash wood to pick up and store, I switched jobs and hauled a huge load to the storage bins. Need to nail together a few more pallets into bins to hold it all. I also spent a while cleaning the barn aisle and yard, picking up the misc that seems to multiply all by itself - bale strings, scrap wood, etc. I have several loads of hay scraps to spread over the lawn for the seeds in them. When the fall rains start, I should see a pretty nice lawn start to grow. I've added several inches of compost over the whole lawn, as well as a mounded area to plant to more edible landscaping.

Well, I think my potatoes are done - time for the last bit of steak from the other day's grilling session, and some new potatoes in butter. Heart attack on a plate, but oh, so good!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Hi all.. Checking in .. We are safe.

It got to be tooo much for DH and we had to go to the ER....he was having chest pains and suffering from heat and....STRESS.
He is resting quiet right now. We are well beyond exhausted.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I just picked up a few more cases of water...Irene and the bottled water shortage had me thinking we needed more. My sister was in NY and couldn't find bottled water anywhere right before Irene hit.

I just ordered 25 cornish cross meat birds to raise for the freezer.


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## mommathea (May 27, 2009)

Yesterday I hit the Labor Day sales and filled 3 more items on my 1yr pantry list. On those 3 items I am now on maintain, if I use, I replace. It doesn't seem like a lot, but I got it done
Also I bought a 10lb box of bacon, sepparated out the good slices and in the freezer they went, the scrap meat was cooked up, and diced (great savings on bacon bits) the fat was rendered down, and the cracklins from the rendered fat is chopped up and in the freezer to add flavor to soups and such. 
I'm half way finished with the new raised strawberry bed. 
And the chickens have almost finished clearing the ground where my new garden is going to be. Once they are done there, the coop and pen gets moved to the 2nd new plot going in.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

I managed to get my green beans canned up the night before last. I picked my apples yesterday and peaches from a friend's house today. She also has given me about 2 gallons of blackberries that I put into the freezer to make jam with when the weather cools off. I'll be very busy this weekend processing those. I had started some cabbage seeds a few weeks ago to transplant into the Fall garden this weekend, but something ate every single one of them last night. UGH!


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Well, the Excalibur Dehydrator DH purchased me for my Birthday arrived today!!! :dance:

So I hit the grocery store and picked up some sale items to dehydrate! Want to take some dehydrated items on the road with us in an attempt to eat healthier!


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I got 2 porkers going to the hog heaven this month and 3 to join them next month !!! I still dont know what I'm going to with all the meat ???????


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - I hope that your DH is doing much better!!!!! 
It must seem that your family members are being tested with medical issues, let alone the issues all of the wildfires/ drought in your area. 
Tell your DH, that I feel for him, and his having to go to the ER! Hopefully he got to go home with instructions to 'take it easier' (I know it is easier said than done - during a wildfire), after being examined!! 

MGM - I am still looking for 'new' blank VHS tapes to make your copies of the TV show Jericho, I never made it to K-Mart this last week. I set the dual VCRs up, and can walk away for the 6 hours it takes to make/ copy a single tape. But it is near the top of my 'to do list'. Besides I want to watch some of the episodes again myself.

Well after being woken up with a phone call shortly after 4 am this morning, concerning the 7.1 Earthquake in Alaska and a possible Tsunami Warning for the West Coast - It kind of wrecked my plans for the day. I climbed back into bed after 7:30 am when we got the official word to 'stand down', and rolled out of the sack again around 1 pm this afternoon. So I am feeling a bit punch drunk/ dinged out, and today's activities will be along the line of light activities requiring little to no mental thought. It was 83+ degrees here at 3 pm this afternoon, so I am hunkered down inside and I have policed up my radio room of loose papers and a pile of non-functioning dried up ink pens (I also keep more ink pens along with several mechanical and wooden pencils with my notebooks for when that happens)/ updated my radio log book - typed up the paperwork that I electronically submit to the State of California - Office of Emergency Services/ Communications Section, for when we are activated during declared and possible emergencies.

I did run up to the neighbors and watered the garden where it was over 80+ degrees this afternoon. I also grabbed a bag full of some lettuce, onions, carrots, and radishes to make up some salad. I did have to buy tomatoes and cucumbers earlier this week, so I could experience the full veggie effects! My fan club of the neighbor's 4 legged animals were happy to see me, and I get to watch them most of this upcoming Holiday weekend/ starting tomorrow morning. So I may take my laptop computer up there along with a scanner radio, a ham radio VHF/ UHF Handi-Talkie radio, and a general coverage receiver for HF (High Frequency/ shortwave) and leave them for when I am up spending a lot of time up at the neighbors. I may have to BBQ and hang out up there this weekend, much to the spoiled Queen of the Hilltop (my cat's) dismay. One of the animals has some issues, which does require me to check on/ treat them on a frequent basis.

The only down side is that they are the closest place to the county paved road, and I am not used to all of the road noises from vehicles going up and down the paved county road. That and I will not be splashing around/ swimming in their pond, while I am throwing the ball/ stick around into the water for their thundering herd of 3 black labs. I still have issues with getting into any body of water from my having to swim for my life, following the industrial boating accident and the associated injuries that ended my fisheries career.

I think that the major issue this weekend will be - will I make up a batch of potato salad (again,) or will it be macaroni salad? I have the ingredients on hand for each, and I just may have to flip a coin in order to decide what is gonna be on the menu this weekend. 

Otherwise, I plan on not going anywhere off of the hill till Tuesday of next week. Even if that means I will miss out on a 'daily' loss leader on paper goods ($5.00 packs of bulk TP or paper towels) at a local store only on Saturday.

That and with my being up here by myself this weekend, I will not be running the chainsaw or moving firewood. I kind of don't like to do activities like those, when there are no nearby neighbors in case something does go seriously wrong.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

My garden is just revving up! Getting ready for a bountiful harvest from what I planted in July/Aug. About to plant potatoes in the next couple of days.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Strolled out to the basically done-for garden and surprized to see my "third times a charm" patch of green beans blooming. We had built a temp cage of chicken wire around the bed so might actually get some fresh beans this year! Plus the rutabagas getting fat....and a sneak peak at the sweet potatoes found them getting fat so a little hope found out there. Still getting way too many hot peppers so took some bags to a neighbor who loves 'em. She worked in foreign countries, mainly S. America and Africa for UNICEF and she likes her food waaaay spicy. 

Picked two bushels of apples...unknown variety. Somehow our orchard map has become goofed up when we've had to replace a few trees...might be Braeburn. The Arkansas Blacks look good as do the Grannies. Both 15 year old trees that survived the drought better than some of the baby trees. Glad we went thru and put fertilizer and mulched them all heavily with wood chips this spring. Might have been their saving. Looks like I'll have enough to do sauce. I like to mix 4-5 different varieties. 

Held the ladder while Pa got up and nailed the barn roof back on. Really needs new but we just keep patching.....one panel had blown off and wrapped around a stock tank so had to bang it back flat. Our barn is traditional Ozarkian...think the petrified oak is all that keeps it standing. Doesn't leak though....yet. Pa going thru his hive bodies and supers planning on a new start in spring. Least the bear left us one colony up here in the orchard and it is busy working the acre of buckwheat. Sure a pretty field when it is blooming...saw deer grazing in there....wonder how long before the elk herd the conservation dept started in next door county starts drifting this way.

Chickens going beserk with two dozen eggs a day so gotta get my egg sign out. Son likes the little ones as he always has a jar of pickled eggs going.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

This week we didnt get much as far as prep done. Cant buy much due to the freezer still not delivered (27th!) So thats KILLING me when I go shopping.. BUT IF it ever is a TOO GOOD to pass deal, I will can it!!

I think our garden is about done.. except the okra.. GEEZE its going like crazy this year.. Glad i found out about dehydrating it, because I dont have freezer room.. and the KIDS LOVE it dehydrated!

We did get the OLD freezer out of the basement (chest type) and Hubby is going to turn it into a LARGE SMOKER!  :dance: so we can smoke a bunch of meats when he starts hunting!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Dug two smallish mesquite bushes out of the new garden area. That was enough work for one day!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Well, we are trying to "de-skunk" the yard. No it doesn't smell, again (well, other then from the moth balls) be we spent the day de-brushing everything and fixing the lattice under the deck (which is where the dogs were when the skunk sprayed them Monday night). We live in town, but there are parts of the yard that just "go wild" every year. DH hates yard work and I just don't have time to do that, too. Of course, we have odd Labor Day weekend weather....95 degrees!! Sunday and Monday will be cooler...but 70% and 90% chance of T-storms....so we braved the heat. We are tired, sweaty and filthy, but it's a job well done. IE - we'll sleep tonight!

Our next door neighbor's dog got sprayed Wednesday night...so I bet they were glad we were cleaning up our brush piles, too. We actually saw a young skunk (maybe 5" from shoulder to butt) out and about yesterday afternoon....just walking around like it was normal, all the cats ignored him!


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Well, DH and I went to the flea market today and we found one of those push mowers (man powered not motor powered) for $30 and it is BRAND NEW!  

We also went to Lowes and got two 4' tube lights and DH is now putting them in my "outdoor kitchen" as I type  We moved the Excalibur out there because it was just putting out too much heat to use in the house right now.

Also went to Tractor Supply to price some gates. Seems we've had "visitors" while we're on the road. Thankfully we have a very watchful neighbor who has "intercepted" people before they have a chance to get down to the house.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

It's 74F Blessed degrees this morning!!

DH has been really sick the last couple of days....I think he is doing a good deal better this a.m.

On the up side.....my treatments are over, the fire, though not completely out, has gone past us.....once again. So many other folks are not as fortunate...and for that, I am so sorry.

I promised a friend, I would help him with a promo today....but, come monday....I am taking stock of everything we used...and I have not replaced, over the last few months and getting with it.

I am reving back up. 
I think I will go out and get some of those seeds started for the Fall garden.....Since our Historic Heatwave.....may be over???

I love reading that everyone is able to get so much done ......Good job, everyone!!!

A little bit of friendly advice: You can never have enough water. Take it from someone who has learned the hard way this year.

cnichols- Always a celebration, when someone gets an Excaliber. You are sooooo gonna love it!!


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

TDD - Glad and relieved to hear that things are finally getting better for you guys over there!! 

I've been dehydrating since I got it!!! Going to do some Onions, HB rocks & hopefully get some tomatoes on for overnight. Now I just wish I had two! LOL so much that I want to get done! So far I've gotten 4 each of Green & Red Bells, 2 Cucumbers, 1# of spinach, one "bunch" of celery (which is now ittty bitty!! lol), 2 pkgs of mushrooms and 4 packages of roast beef lunchmeat (sugar free, nitrate/nitrite free).


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Kids and I wen out this morning and picked 3 grocery bags full of beans. I will be canning them up today or tomorrow, depending on our afternoon plans today. Most to all will be dilly beans - per the kids request. DH hates green beans, dilly or not, so he doesn't factor into the equation.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

You've all been so busy and I've been slacking the last few days. I had a migraine - not the total flat on my back in a dark room horrible kind,k but the dull ache and head in a fog kind where I don't feel safe working...I don't want to make a mistake that might hurt a patient just because I am not hitting on all cylinders. Thank goodness I had earned time to cover it. I'm feeling clearer now, so I'll work tonight. Then I have a few more days off and hope to use it watering the garden and collecting more firewood. Not doing much for Labor Day tomorrow, as far as I know. I still have a package of steaks to grill, and I plan to stop at the grocery store and Ace in the morning after work. Hoping for a good price on beef or brats, and I want to get some of those half price canning jars at Ace. Need to print off some coupons at work tonight, plus print a few here before I go in. I can always use more pints. Living alone, it's just the right size to can in. I have a lot of fruit and tomato sauce in #10 cans that I'd like to re-can into smaller jars. 

I'm tickled to finally be getting some ripe tomatoes. I'm impressed that the tomato plants that I started late and haven't watered )other than rain) since I planted them, are doing well and giving me ripe tomatoes off of a couple of them. Sungella cherry toms and one of the early reds - probably Siberia? - I'll have to dig for the name tag on it - are both putting out quite a bit, enough for eating fresh, but not for putting up, unfortunately. I have the hoops over them, ready to put up plastic if it rains, row cover and plastic if it looks like frost. I'm going to try growing out some seeds from the Sungella in the house this winter and see what I get. They are a hybrid, so it's an experiment. SunGold, another hybrid is one parent to it, so I should get something that tastes good, even if it's not true to the parent plant. I love to play with stuff like that. Now that I have room in my kitchen nook, I hope to be able to grow some overwintered vegies there. It has huge south and west facing windows, plus I have shoplights I can rig up over them. I'd like to have a couple tomatoes, some broccoli, head lettuce (leaf lettuce always tastes bitter to me, so I'll go with head, probably Bibb) and a tub of mixed herbs, at least. I've already clipped a few branches off my garden tomatoes to start the winter plants. I might not get lots off of them, but a homegrown tomato in winter is a gift!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Well, that last post of mine was written yesterday and I thought I'd posted it then, but evidently not. I did stop at WinCo this morning and picked up a couple bottom round roasts to grind into hamburger, as well as 3 more family packs of petite sirloin steaks. I went to Ace, too, but they were not only out of canning jars, they said the warehouse was totally out, too and they had no idea when or if they were going to get more jars. They weren't even giving rain checks. :grumble: 

On the bright side, when I mentioned to one of my friends at work that I wanted to buy canning jars, she told me if I was willing to drive to Cathlamet, I could have a whole pantry full of canning jars, complete with the food in them! Her grandma passed away recently and she is cleaning out her grandma's house now. It's a nice drive down the Columbia River and I haven't been that way for a while, so when she calls to let me know she's going to be there to clean, I'll gladly drive down there. For maybe $25 in gas, I will be able to get a LOT of canning jars and maybe some other canning supplies, too, if no one else in her family wants them. It'll be a fun trip, I'm sure. :happy:

I picked up a couple more pallets while I was in town, and stopped at the transfer station to try again to get the lid to the cooler I picked up the other day. It is totally buried under other plastics now, but I think if I go back with a step ladder, a pitchfork, and a pair of rubber gloves, I can still get it out, along with the buckets. I did get one of those double dog food bowls that is elevated for big dogs to eat from. I don't think my mutt needs it, but it's also a sturdy stepstool!

When I got home, I got changed into my grubbies, used the air nailer to knock together some bins out of pallets, and hauled several more wheelbarrows of trash wood to dump in the bins. I have a pile of wood to cut into firewood lengths, and then that whole pile of brush will be gone, all ready to be burned this winter.

When it got too hot and I was too sweaty, tired, hungry, thirsty and achy to do any more on the wood pile, I came in and worked inside the rest of the day (so far). I'm doing laundry, did dishes and scrubbed more buckets, swept and cleaned up the house, and just generally dinking around on one project or another. I've pressure cooked some cauliflower and have steaks on the grill, and after that, I'm thinking a NAP sounds really good!

eta: Another one of my friends at work brought in a whole sack of zucchini and yellow squash, so I brought 3 big ones home to grate up for zucchini bread...yum!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I didn't make it to ANY sales this weekend ( sigh).
DH is still not feeling well, so I have stayed home, quiet, and close to him.

It is 50 unbelieveable degrees this morn. If we could only get some rain.
I'd love to open the windows.....but, you can only imagine the stench in the air.
Folks are just now being allowed back into their fire ravaged lives around here.....heartbreaking....just heartbreaking.

Drifting here.....Mary/ cnichols.... try Zuchinni Chips for GREAT snacks. Slice thin, season..... however you like and dehydrate. We like a sprinkle of garlic salt and fresh ground pepper.

Talked to my Bub...he and his crew will be here in a couple of weeks to install our tanks and my metal roof. He is as freaked out,as we are with all the danger.

After I get all the feeding done.....I'm gonna go out and plow the fence rows for fire breaks...again...as soon as it's light. At least I feel like I am doing something constructive.

We had a dead battery....I will go buy a new one and get all gas tanks topped off. I hope to get some seeds started today.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Our drought is nothing compared to Texas, but after a solid 1" rain I went into the garden and didn't get muddy shoes. I was down on my knees in some ground up leaves and got up and my knees were dry. Our tomatoes and sweet potatoes are still looking good although I can't imagine why. The farmers are saying the corn did not pollinate due to high heat so although the fields look marvelous production is going to be way down. 

I'm thinking we're living in times a little more interesting than we want!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

DD had an emergency Dentist appt today. Turns out they think she is just brushing too hard, but after the problems I had with DS years ago (bleeding abscesses he didn't tell me about till very late) I wasn't taking any chances. SO, I ended up stopping a Sam's since we were on that side of the county. Pick up 4 more gallons of vinegar (we go through this stuff like water between canning, laundry and cleaning), some Little Debbie Oatmeal Pie (I know they are bad for us, but with field trips coming up they are a nice treat) and pretzels for the kids Sunday School snacks. Picked up a pack of gray socks and baby wipes to start a care package for a local soldier over in Afg. I have a dice game I tossed in, just need some jerky, drink mix (to help with their nasty water) and another "fun thing" and then it should be ready to ship. Of course, I didn't think of the jerky or drink mix when I was out :hammer:.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

between yesterday and today we have done 9 trays of Dehydrated Okra ( yes were getting a 5 gallon bucket every few days!!) and one tray half yellow and jalapeno peppers!! Plus (not Homesteading really but feels good) Opened every window, washed every curtain, bedding, pillows and even the shower curtain!! I love when the whole house smells fresh (was 90 on sat and now in 70's LOVING IT!!).


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

TDD - you take it easy for a day or 3, PLEASE! Just baby your dh and take a deep breath (but not of smokey air). I imagine 70 feels wonderfully cool after all those days in the 100's. 50 at night must be positively cold! How is your hubs feeling today? What did they say at the hospital Was it heat stroke or heat exhaustion, or something else? Congrats on finishing your radiation! My friend at work is about 2 weeks from the end of hers. She's 34 and has the breast Ca gene (her dad had breast Ca), and a very aggressive Ca, so we are all pulling for her. A sweeter girl you could not imagine.

RF - I think I have blank VHS tapes somewhere around here. How many do you need for TDD's and my Jericho tapes? LMK - I'll see if I have enough to do both sets and send them to you. 

I went back out last night and worked on cleaning up more tree limbs, sharpened the saw and cut a few more rounds before the saw quit on me again. It started right up, but just died as I was cutting a round, and wouldn't start hot. I think maybe it needs the air filter cleaned next. Since I couldn't cut more wood, I worked on snapping dry limbs, hauled another big load from the trash wood pile to the bins, etc. I've nearly filled those bins and will need to make another one! If I could get the chest freezer unloaded from my truck, I could do a better job of hauling wood out of the pasture. Need to call Jon and ask if he can weld it, then haul it to either him or my brother, and then get the replacement gasket for it. I'm thinking of just using a couple rolls of weatherstripping and lining them up so they fit snugly. It's cheaper than a door gasket, I'm sure, and being a chest freezer, I shouldn't need a magnetic gasket to keep it closed. Like any flat surface at my house, I'm sure it'll be covered with "stuff" before I know it. 

I'm taking a break from the heat, working in the house again - have a lot of buckets to clean up before the rainy season starts and I have to set up my drip line water collection system again. I've let the chickens out to free range since they can't get in the garden anymore and my flowerbeds are a bust from the goats again this year. They might as well eat all the slugs and grasshoppers they can get their little beaks on! 

I should be outside making hose repairs -nothing like a good, hot day for that - makes the hoses stretch over the repair pieces easily. I still have whole sections of my garden that I haven't watered regularly this year and didn't get mulched. The green beans, raspberries and tomatoes don't seem to mind, but the potatoes hate being dry and my Jerusalem artichokes are looking a bit wilted, even with a bit of hand watering. 

Speaking of green beans, I should get my first picking this evening. They are loaded with little beans, and the first of them looked nearly big enough last night, so they should be ready for dinner tonight. I love them fresh from the garden to the pressure cooker. 5 minutes later, they are dinner on the plate with nothing but a bit of salt to season them. They'll go well with the leftover steak from yesterday. Makes me hungry to think of them. In a few days I should have enough to start canning them for winter. I think I'll dehydrate more of them, too.

eta: I didn't get much more done outside, but I did finish organizing the kitchen nook, including the canning supplies that have been getting a bit out of hand, and finished up the laundry. It looks nicer in here every day, and I'm getting to where I can find my preps more easily. I was planning to work with the firewood this evening, but I found an ad on Craigslist for a free pool and pool ladder, so I went to pick it up this evening instead. I plan to use the pool (blow up style with that inflated ring at the top, which won't work well with my cats) to patch the liner from my 12' round pool so I can set it up to catch fall rains, and it's ALWAYS nice to get another pool ladder. They are great for getting over fences. By the time I got home it was about dark, too dark to see to pick green beans. A job for another day.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Giraffe_baby, I think getting all the bedding washed IS prepping...keeping things clean and in good order is a daily prep for a smooth running life, and isn't that what we all want, smooth running life, no matter what happens? :goodjob:

I wish I did a better job of keeping things all in good order!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I'm just putting in a plug for the Prep To-Do List here, with a question for all of you. Last year blue3duck had a great thread about doing a bit at a time to ultimately reach prep goals. He suggested writing down those goals and the steps needed to get there (paraphrased). I thought it sounded like a worthwhile monthly thread idea and Angie was kind enough to agree and make it a monthly stickie. Some months we have a lot of people posting lists and updates, some months not so much. I find it helps me to try to get things done if I post some goals for each month, and it helps even more if I have other folks to be accountable to. Feel free to drop in to the September 2011 Prep To-Do List and post what you want to accomplish this month, what goals you are working toward, etc, and update us occasionally on your progress. 

I see this as a companion thread to our monthly Prep Journal. Not everything we do to prep in the course of a month is necessarily something on our to-do list, while having the list helps keep us working toward our prep goals. So, 2 threads, related, but not duplicates. A place for each. 

Or, would you rather see them as a single thread, in which case, I'll ask Angie if it would be alright to make them a single thread for both purposes? Opinions?


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Hmm, I meant to make this a new thread, not a new post, but I guess it fits pretty well under the Monthly Prep Journal thread, too. :shrug:


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Rode the tractor for about 4 hrs ...only about 1/3 done. Back at it today. It was so dusty, I had to give it a rest.

Went and purchased the battery, still have to install.
MGM - Don't worry, I am stopping when I grow tried. ( and, I did get tired!)
DH is still feeling punky....Heat prostration. Boy, he sure has been sick.
He and I both forget.we are not 20 anymore!!...by a long shot.

MGM, I like the "to do" list....I've just been all out of wack, here lately...So, I have not had an actual list.

Oh, road side finds....Leaf rake and a garden rake, another length of PVC pipe


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

MGM, to-do lists posted anywhere are helpful. Often reading them reminds of something I really need to do. And crossing stuff off feels so righteous!!! Like finally getting those two huge black walnuts that blew down at the neighbors cleaned up. And getting my winter hay ordered. And finally getting the barn roof nailed back down before the next storm rolls in. Taking advantage of this cool weather...42 here this am! Worried about all our friends in peril d/t Mother Nature. This has been quite the year. Still not used to having no major caning going on. Should be overwhelmed with produce this time of year. Seems so odd after years of canning frenzy. Went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $31...all on produce for the week. Can't believe I'm eating store green beans.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Well, I have a big job in front of me to get done. So I procrastinated by caning up 7 more quarts of dilly beans. Didn't notice many buds on the beans....this may be the end of our beans this year. After lunch I had to give in....SO I put the metal channel DH found on clearance for about $2 on two of my storage shelves (kids emptied all the shelves this past weekend getting ready for the "retro fit". The shelves have been sagging under the weight of the full jars. The news shelving unit is a touch narrower so the channel will need shortened (DH will get that task) so that channel didn't get put on.

Now for the "hard part" sorting and putting things back in some logic format. We were so under-shelved that we began jamming things anyplace they would fit. I had an idea where most things were....but I have discovered many things I had no idea we had! My goal is to have home canned proteins just inside the door and then have the new shelves hold home canned fruits and veg. Then everything else in between (once I figure out what all that is....I can't even get to it at the moment, lol)

This is what we are starting with:
 The Choas by dougjimison, on Flickr

This is what I want it all to look like:


The goal by dougjimison, on Flickr

The dark green at the bottom of the shelves are what we added.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

You are an inspiration, Jen!!

Coyotes have me up early this morn....I have been sitting out in the dark...just awaitin.

The geese have calmed down...I think the lurkers have gone on around the bend in the lake. But, I'll hang out a while longer.

Smoke and ash/char is still so heavy in the air, it make it hard to breathe at times. The winds have kicked up again and is stirring it around.

Dh seemed to have a better day...but, is very weak. He hates every second of being sick.
I spent most of the day on the tractor. It feels so good just be be back out on the land.
Also, devoted a couple of hours to scrubbin and sanitizing the kitchen.
Haven't had a chance to do my end of the month rewards shopping.....may do that today. Feed store time, etc.

Well..LGDs have lost interest...so, I guess we will go to the house.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

We bought resterant type shelving thru target. Depending on the ones you buy they can hold up to 300 lbs on each shelf. These puppies are heavy. Well worth the cost which was very reasonable for this retired persons' budget. Surprized how fast they shipped,too.

Ordered a case of potato flakes from Emergency Essentials. We like them better than their complete type and half the price besides. Since our potato harvest was basically zip this makes me feel better. Need to be sure they get put behind the other cases though. Guess it is time for a trip to the store room we built and heavily insulated in our garage for an up-to-date inventory. Plus to haul out some cases of jars as we will be canning up alot of meat soon.

Spend yesterday outside in the glorious cool weather. Mowed, raked,pulled weeds, picked oregano,basil,lemon balm and thyme to dry. Admired my blooming green beans and dug one sweet tater plant to discovered several really big beauties. Perhaps we should just grow sweets as they got watered once and are still going to get us a good harvest. My lovelyJane rutabagas are all tops and no bagas. Drought. 

Biggest job now is to pull down the greenhouse that that last storm took out and decide what we're going to replace it with. Second time 60+ mph winds have taken our hoop houses out. This has been a year for vicious wind storms. TV weather spot showing long range predictions of drought continuing thru next spring. Sure hope not.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Ran into the next town over. They had a few things on sale that we needed. While there stopped in at the "produce store". Found 3 bags of apples for $2 in the mark down bin.....1/2 pecks or peck, maybe - about 5-6# per bag. Came home and started cooking them up to make apple-blueberry sauce. The main variety in the bags must not have been a cooking apple....took a while to get them cooked down. After supper we'll can them up in pints. I do flavored apple sauce in pints....regular in qts. For some reason the smaller jars makes the sauce feel more special, kind of a treat.

ETA: Turned into 10 pint of sauce...with enough left over in the pot for everyone to have a nice healthy serving for snack.

Got the box finished to mail off to Afg. I was surprised how much we could stuff in that little box! Hope it brings a smile to some faces. I forgot to put a note in :flame: Oh, well....he doesn't know us anyways, lol. I think I'll just write on the outside of the box a quick note.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I'm hiding my head in the sand, today. I don't want to think about floods, fires, terrorist threats, black outs or anniversaries. I am blessed that none of those events are in my face, forcing me to think about them. The news if off, the paper wasn't bought, and I'm very careful of what I'm looking at online....I know I'll cave and check out Ernie's BI later...but for now I'm playing the part of a sheeple.

We've had a good morning, here. I ran to the store to get milk, which is on sale this week, and peeked in the clearance bins. Box cake mixes and box frosting mixes were in there! We don't use them much, but for $.25 a box and $1 for the "gourmet" brand I was happy to put some in the cart. They even had sugar free ones in there, my Dad's diabetic so those are nice to have on hand, too. So now when the SHTF and can say "let them eat cake". * ETA* Went back tonight to see if I could pick up a few more. They were out of the ones I wanted, but they had a box cookie mix marked down to $2. Kids can do it quickly alone so ! grabbed 2.....they rang up $1 then $.50 more off for loyalty card!! I ran back and grabbed 2 more - for $.50 each I'm not sure I could make them myself (Oh, they were dark chocolate chocolate chunk)

Got the rest of the apples cooked into sauce this morning (12 more pts). I added cranberries and rhubarb to this batch. That will cover all our "flavored" applesauce needs. Now, to work on the regular sauce, pie filling, and then start the drying marathon. We need 4 or more gallons of dried...5 or 6 would be better, but I don't think I have that many gallon jars available. Guess I'll have to head to the orchard, tomorrow.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Pretty darn good deal, Jen, and I love your organized shelves! Yeah, when I find a deal on baking mixes like that where I know I couldn't make them any cheaper from scratch, I stock up, too. Just makes sense to me. I don't have any sensitivities to the stuff in them, other than the calories I don't need from the baked goodies, lol, so it's all good. In a SHTF event, I'll probably need the calories, too.

TDD, please take care of yourself and your dh. I hope you are wearing a mask against the smoke/char/dust.

I have a confession to make to my prep buddies here...I literally slept through work last night and slept the rest of the day away, too. I thought I had my alarm set, and hadn't been able to get to sleep yesterday after work, so I went outside and stacked wood to cut, picked up more trash wood for the bins, etc until I finally got tired enough to fall asleep. Figured I'd get about 4hrs sleep before my alarm went off at 5pm. When I woke up, the first thing I thought was, "Why is it dark?" IT WAS 3AM!!! My phone was dead, too, so I hadn't received a "why aren't you at work!" call. I plugged in the phone and called right away. Thank goodness, my friend, Michelle, was house supervisor last night - when I told her what happened, she laughed. She had actually been planning on driving out to my place to check on me after she got off, because she was worried that I might be lying out there somewhere, hurt. She said it was so unlike me to be a no-call, no-show, that she was really worried that something might of happened to me. It that not sweet? In a way, it's reassuring to know that someone would actually come out here to check if I didn't show up - if I really ever did hurt myself and couldn't reach the neighbors, there would be hope that someone would come along eventually! Oh, and BTW, the alarm went off...AT 5AM!  I must have been really tired, because I went back to sleep after that and didn't wake up until after 4pm. Sometimes I'm a real dork!

The night I DID work, I had the opportunity to talk to one of my prep buddies at work. We both think something bad may be coming down the pike - he because of Obama, me because I think it wouldn't take much to take the whole grid down for good, but the preps are the same for either. We are thinking about getting all of us at work that are prepping for one thing or another (there are at least 4 of us that are pretty serious about it) together outside of work to do some planning, maybe get an Azure Standard order put together, etc. It would be great to have a loose MAG group formed. We don't live close enough to each other to do much together if the SHTF, but we can sure work together on things while life is still normal. I'd love to have a wood splitting party, personally.

Well, since it's starting to cool off (below 85 anyway), I guess I'd better stop doing my imitation of a slug and get outside & busy.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

We found a family on Craigslist today that were moving and were having to let some of their food preps go. We picked up a couple of buckets of wheat, a case of pintos in #10 cans, some salt, and a few canned veggies. After talking with them a bit, I found out they were LDS and moving to a smaller house so their storage area was shrinking. I was drooling over all the other canned and powdered things she had but she said those were more expensive so they would find places for it, lol. Very nice lady.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Went to work this morning and a key chunk of equipment was down so got sent home. Woke up DW the proper way and then we hit the woods. Picked a bucket of sulfur shelf, and a half bucket of hen-o-the woods (first hens of the season!)

We are drying the sulfur shelf. Already dried the first batch and the rest are in the dehydrator. 

7 quart bags of hens in the freezer. Of course supper was steak and wild mushrooms. 

Went to the manure pile garden (plant and forget) and dug up about 50 pounds of spuds. Also picked 12 spaghetti squash. 5 of them are huge. If the frost holds off we will also have a pile of pumpkins, plus a few more Spaghettis. Saving all the squash seed for stealth planting next year. I know we will get a lot of funky hybrids, but I have plenty of space for "experiments".


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Hillbilly gal - what a great find! I see a lot of "outdated" food offered on Craigslist, but it's usually too far away to make it worth driving to get. I figure everything by value of the item vs gas cost (and my time) to go pick up, and only occasionally find something worth getting. When I do find something, I try to jump fast!

Craigslist is how I got the new to me swimming pool I picked up a few days ago. Now I'm brainstorming ideas to prepare my ground for the pool. I know it has to be absolutely level for it to work. I'm kind of leaning toward getting it as level as I can and then using sand from the river to finish leveling it inside a frame of 2x4's. I need to call the RFD and ask if they still fill pools and how much it would cost. I'd love to actually have a pool to swim in while it's still nearly 90 every day, and it would be nice to have the water storage now, rather than having to wait for the fall rains to start.

I also need to set up that weekend to dig my hole in the ground with my ds. I'd really like to get that done this month, especially if the weather stays nice so I can really get some work done on the concrete floor and block walls. I'm starting another thread on my root cellar plans so I can get imput from other HT members on my plans and what I might be missing.

I went out tonight and finished picking up the sticks from the old brush pile in the pasture, cut some of the longer stuff into stove length until my saw quit on me again, moved a lot more of my lumber into more organized piles, and broke some of it into kindling lengths (old cedar siding that the termites found). Did you know that wasp spray works well on termites and ants?  Die, bugs! Finished cleaning up another brush pile by the barn, where I want to put my next compost pile, too. Did some garden watering, all the outside chores, and ran out of daylight. It's nearly bright enough to keep working out there with a full moon in a clear sky, but I figure I have enough inside jobs to keep me busy tonight. I'm going to a BBQ at my bff's parents' on Sunday (her dad's BD is 9/11, and he had the day first!), so I need to boil up eggs for deviled eggs. I'm going to try that steaming method and see if it works. If I do it tonight and it doesn't work, I'll have time to try again before Sunday! Need to defrost a freezer again, too, and I have found more dishes outside that need washed. I think I'm nearly out of dishes missing, so maybe I'm down to just daily dishes to wash! I found several pots in the barn fridge - I think maybe Abby and Don had been using them to milk. Evidently, it was too much work to WASH them?  Argh. Kids! Especially BIG kids. :grumble: Should have picked beans tonight before dark, too, but ran out of time. I'll have to try to get out in the morning and pick before it gets too hot. So many jobs, so little time!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I finally got both sides of the fence rows plowed for firebreaks around our property.
DH is starting to feel better. I'm good, too!!
Yes, indeed I am wearing a mask. 
I am going to try to rake all around the house, and make sure any tinder is gone!
Have not gotten any seeds started this week, but I am going to try to get around to it this weekend.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Ran to the orchard today and picked up a bushel of "seconds" apples and a peck of peaches that were "seconds". They are sitting out warming, so I'll can them up this week. 

DH picked up angle iron on clearance at Lowe's this week to reinforce our shelves in the pantry room. We realize the other shelves need it, too. So we ran to the other Lowe's to see if they had any (DH bought the last 3 pieces at "our" Lowe's). They have 4 piece of 3/4" - which is what we wanted, 4 - 1" and 5 - 2"...we bought them all! The 3/4" x 4' was $.41, the 1" $.56 and the big stuff (only 3' long) was $1.12!!!! For that price I'm happy to store the extra till we have a project that needs them. DH has the 7 we need for this project hanging on the clothes line drying (he painted them so they wouldn't rust).


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

i got the top one fixed at the gun smith for my son, he'll get it when he is older, he's just 13 now but he knows it's his. a good start on his battery for when he's grown.


dean


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## Bluesgal (Jun 17, 2011)

well no $$ this month but think I'll use the time to do some reasearch on my next projects: expand kitchen storage, need countertops, raised garden/greenhouse for the spring, organize what I do have, make list of other preps that I need to get (i.e. back up boots, jeans etc.), source of alternate power to keep the freezer going.

Spare glasses for all that reading! lol


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

cnichols: As you break in your Excalibur dehydrating road food, don't forget leathers. Pumpkin leather with pecans and a little coconut is my favorite! I think I could go 500 miles with just pumpkin leather and cold milk/hot coffee.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

Ohhhh those sound yummy. I think I'll have to dehydrate some of my pumpkin puree. Do you add pumpkin pie spice to it?


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I worked on firewood again today - just a little more cut before the saw quit AGAIN. I need to take it in for a tuneup, I think. I did get several wheelbarrow loads either stacked or tossed in the bins. Did a little more general clean up outside, picked beans and tomatoes, and went through the older eggs in the fridge. Cooked a bunch of them up to feed to the dog and the chickens. I am still cleaning out the fridge and soaking off various sticky spots. I also made hard cooked eggs for the deviled eggs I am taking to the BBQ tomorrow. I moved 4 more amazon gift cards from my swagbucks account to my amazon account - need one more of them to post so I can move it, and I'll have over $55 in my amazon account. I'm less than 1000 sb from getting a $50 gift card, so before the end of the month, I will have over $105 in free amazon money to spend on preps (or a Kindle, which is only kind of a prep, lol). :happy: 

So, nothing particularly exciting today, just a bit more firewood prepped for winter and a little maintenance around the place to keep it clean and functional for the unexpected SHTF event.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Today, I ordered my $40 of free prepper books off amazon ( all free!!) and then went shopping with DD and we got 25 lbs flour, sugar and only 10 of rice ( they didnt have a big bag) and then got some tuna, and ramen (which went up AGAIN!!). So we came home and bagged up all the flour/sugar/rice... I need to get more buckets from work!!! And possibly today make a few more "MEAL" bags (bug out type) to store in a bucket ... Trying to buy lil meals every time I go to the store so I have a few prepped and ready to go !!! That way I will have a BUG OUT bucket full of meals that will be easier to grab!


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Well today was a tad more productive!
I got 2 trays of green peppers, 1 tray celery, 1 tray okra and 1 tray jalepenos in the dehydtrator. Helped hubby get the "OLD" chest freezer retrofitted and now it has a new home Outside as a LARGE SMOKER! :goodjob: So now we can smoke our foods/venison ect and not have a tiny lil smoker that barley would fit 1 small slab of baby backs!! NOW we can do the sausages we want and many many many other things!!!

Then we clipped chicken wings ( 5 roosters soon to be CANNED!!, again when i get my fridge so we have ROOM!!) cleaned the chicken coop and nest boxes... starting all the "fall" routines!!!

I think once hubby is up from his nap:grumble: I will put together some more "MRE" type bags


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Today is a day off from prepping for me - my bff's dad is having a BD BBQ today, and I'm taking deviled eggs, having a fun day with my favorite family (other than my own), and enjoying a day with a man who doesn't have many left. "Dad" has pulmonary fibrosis, diabetes, and has not been well for the last several years. He's my gardening buddy, so even if he can't physically garden anymore, we can still talk gardens.

Giraffe_baby, what books did you get with your swagbucks?


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Went to FIL's today. Had a nice visit with him. Changed the batteries in the game camera and put out all the apple trimmings from this weeks canning to try to entice the deer to want to hang out in the area DH will set up his blind. DH will go down again next weekend since he forgot his blind, today, and wants to set it up a few weeks before he gets down there to hunt. So I'll keep this weeks apple (and peach) trimmings for him, too.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Seems the deer really like buckwheat as we've seen large groups of them in our field...hope they stick around! Since we fenced our orchard and got our Pyrenees Maybelle we don't have them in there stripping the trees bold as can be.

We have a game camera but it is on the devasted bee site checking on any returns of the criminal bear. Know we have a monster buck in our woods(they back up on thousand of state forest). We've all seen him at one time or another. Rather get a plump doe or two myself.

Quick to town. Chicken breasts on big sale as were the only kind of hot dogs we like and ice cream. Gotta have ice cream. Cool and wanted to bake but propane almost out and waiting on them to deliver Monday. 100 bales of hay coming so had to do some clearing in the barn and move a gate there to keep the cows out of temptation. Neighbor ha power compamy cut down three hollow trees and gave us them so more to haul. Already have given us all those huge black walnut trees. Salvaged so nice pieces as son is making knifes; he likes to mix two woods in handles. We have a very large of variety in our woods so we always put some aside. Pa likes to turn small bowels and such on his lathe...dreams of a great big one. Maybe some day


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

More canning today, apple-blueberry combinations. I'm so worn out I gave in and ordered pizza for dinner!! There are days I'm SO GLAD we live in town, lol. Just saw the weather...the weather man was giving tip on how to get your tomatoes to ripen off the vine...hint hint...cool weathers coming and the end to our growing seasons may be only days away. Even if it doesn't frost, he said it's going to be cool enough that thing will stop ripening. Guess I'll be doing MORE canning this week, lol.....green tomato jam anyone??


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Groan....I'm sore and tired tonight! Worked the last couple of nights, and ran my bum off both nights. This morning I stayed in town for a bit, talked to my boss for a bit (just shootin' the breeze), dropped off some donations at Goodwill and got a 30% off coupon, but didn't find anything I needed. Filled the Sport, and found some huge pallets at the glass shop. Couldn't fit them in or on the Sport so I headed for home to swap for the pickup. Going down the freeway, it felt like I was getting buffeted by wind, but it was calm. I stopped in where my son works and asked him to check it out for me...I have a tie rod going out.  Oh, well, I have 194K miles on it and this is the first thing I've needed other than tires, batteries, belts and oil changes. He told me to bring it up to his house and leave it, and he'll fix it. We talked for a while about one thing or another before I left for home and he left for town to make a parts run for work. I drove very carefully home! 

I got the freezer unloaded from the truck - stacked up some pallets and slid the freezer off onto them - that'll make it easy to load it back up to take to Jon - he's also going to weld the hinge for me. :happy: I made a stop to move a pig out of the road down near the county park, and met the neighbors that live there when I stopped in to let them know their pig was out. They seem like my kind of folks - a million and one projects going, all homesteading related. I visited with the mom for a bit while the son rounded up the pig. She looks to be early 60s, maybe? 

Anyhoo, I also stopped at the transfer station to drop off recycling and found another cooler in the plastics dumpster. This one was in perfect condition...can't figure out why it was thrown away. Kind of made up for not being able to fish out the lid to the last one I found (using that one for a watering trough). 

I was kind of afraid that the big pallets would be gone by the time I got back, but they were still there! One of the shop guys helped me load them all up. 2 of them were 4'x8' flat pallets with the boards placed so close together that they look like building sides, and the other was built out of 2x6's and was more like a box, 4x8x1' in dimension - that was one heavy sucker - I think I pulled my back a bit getting it loaded, even with help. 

Stopped at the feed store and picked up layer pellets and sweet feed, and came home to unload. I moved pallets around and stacked a bunch of them up next to the shed I'm still trying to build. I think I can use the stacks to help me lift the plywood up to the roof so I can finally finish that dumb shed. Lightbulb moment. Did a bunch more general moving around of pallet fence sections, etc and tried to plan out how I'm going to build a new goat shelter and better fencing for them. I finally ran out of steam when I gathered eggs and accidentally broke a couple of them in the fold of my T-shirt.  Scraped off the egg into the dog bowl and threw the shirt in a bucket of filtered water to soak out the egg before it set, made myself a batch of hard boiled eggs and cleaned out the fridge. Now I'm lying down with my legs throbbing and my back and hips screaming at me...I should be sleeping! Couldn't do that without checking in to see what everyone else is up to. 

eta: Took a nap and ended up going back on swagbucks to finish up getting all the sb I needed to redeem a $50 amazon gift card! :happy: This makes a total of $150 in agc already. I spent about $45 of that on prep books, so as soon as it posts, I'll have over $100 to shop with. :happy:


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Finally got around to buying a sport berkey to take with us when we travel. I don't like traveling with no preps so I figure this will be something I can bring along and it will help provide a very important part of being prepared. Got a pretty good deal on ebay. Dh and I are discussing getting an outdoor wood furnace. Our chimney was not put up right when the original owner built the house and dh is always worried about it catching fire. We have decided though to wait until we have a large part of the cash saved up to at least put a huge down payment on it.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Today is "mix 'n stock day". 

With cooler weather coming on we will start eating winter meals (soups, stews, bread, etc). Middle of September is when I like to "top" off our pantry. We eat differently during the summer so we don't pay too much attention to the can rotators and such. I'm happy to say it only took $150 to "top us off". Now DS is complaining that the rotators are too full and there is not place to put another XYZ, LOL. Since he now out eats DH or I, I'm sure he will remedy that problem quicker then he realizes.

Like I said, with cool weather comes winter meals...so I re-filled the mix cans in the cupboard. We are now ready to make hot chocolate on cold mornings, hot roll mix is ready to go for whipping up calzones from leftovers, cookie base is done, and a few others. I think I made of 6 or 7 this morning. The mixes sure make things a bit easier when our schedules are full and time is short (IE September to May, lol).


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

TripleD said:


> I got 2 porkers going to the hog heaven this month and 3 to join them next month !!! I still dont know what I'm going to with all the meat ???????


Update i sent 4 to freezer camp or canning jarville..... Any ideas would be greatly apprieaciated ( sp) Thanks


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Triple D, I really like ground pork. It's so versatile. You can make anything out of it that you'd make from hamburger, just a little milder in taste. There is always sausage, too, of course, which you can make at home from ground pork. I love sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast. I'd can up a bunch of the meat ground so I could just open the jars and add the other ingredients to them - good in spaghetti, lasagna, etc. With frozen pork steaks, you can make my favorite meal - pork in mushroom gravy with mashed potatoes, corn and peas for vegies, with applesauce on the side to dip the pork into. I'm hungry just thinking about it.

After a productive day Tuesday, I've done next to nothing the last couple days. I slept through most of Wed, not uncommon after working 2 nights in a row and staying up the day after. Today wasn't much more productive, although I did pick some beans and flowers from the garden. It was drizzly - not really a rain, but unpleasantly wet on my t-shirt, so I came inside and played in my den sorting out books to re-home, and then on line, looking for water tanks and propane camp kitchens. I'm still just draggy-tired. I think I'm going to try to get a good night's sleep tonight so I can get out and do something tomorrow. I need to unload those huge pallets and crate out of my truck, for sure, as I'm going up to visit my bff and don't want to drive around with all that extra weight in the back, especially if there is a chance I might get some water tanks.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Hillbillygal, I have a Sport Berkey and extra filter for it - I like it except that you really have to suck on that straw to get a decent drink...it's like drinking a thick milkshake as far as the suction required. Still, knowing you are drinking safe water is worth the effort, IMHO.

Jen, do you use the Make A Mix cookbook recipes? Good for you getting the rotators stocked and things ready for winter....I just shuddered when I thought about what I wrote...I am so NOT ready for winter to come.

Where is TTD? Haven't seen her post for a few days. I hope all is well with her and the fires haven't run them out or something.

I made a big decision today and made arrangements to cash out much of my Roth (the money I've put in, so I don't have any tax penalties on it). I'll stick it in checking until my work contract is settled (contract is up in October and it sounds like negotiations are going well so far), and then, when I know I won't need it for living expenses during a strike (really don't want that), I'm going to apply it to my home equity loan. That will leave me with only a small amount left to pay on it, which I can have paid in full within 6 months or so. 

That will leave only the main mortgage, which is getting close to being paid, too, and I can snowball the money I've been paying on the equity loan into paying off that loan. The sooner I can be totally out of debt, the better. 

If it looks like the stock market is really going to head South, I will bite the bullet on taxes and penalties and take that money (whatever is left) to pay off the house completely. If things stabilize, I'll just let it ride and keep making extra large payments on the mortgage. 

I know some "experts" would tell me I'm doing it all wrong and I should never touch my retirement, but what good will retirement funds do if I'm losing the roof over my head? Right now I have a great job which is reasonably secure...but if there is no money to pay the hospital bills, where does that leave me? So, I'm looking at all sides of the issue, planning for the worst and hoping for the best...even if I'm not sure the best is realistic.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well as I posted elsewhere in S&EP, tomorrow is the opening day of deer hunting season here. That and I had a good sized coastal blacktail buck - a 10 pointer (5 on each side) right outside my window taunting me this morning, and again this evening. So I have my blaze orange hunting gear, hunting license and tags, and my gutting/ skinning knives all ready for the fool, if he shows up this weekend. But I will go outside to shoot him with a .30-06 Springfield, instead of being all comfy in my lazy-boy chair when I would squeeze the trigger.

I also got a large amount of green beans and several yellow squash from a neighbor today. So I have been canning, blanching - bagging- and freezing green beans all evening. Today is when I miss not having a dishwasher to sterilize my canning jars, but I got along using a large pot of boiling water instead. I am glad that I bought my 2 extra canning accessory kits at K-Mart earlier this year when they had the big canning supplies sale at 50% off. They come with a jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter, head space measuring / packing tool, and a new jar filler funnel. Plus I have oodles of lids/ rings/ and other canning supplies. But I could use a 2nd larger pressure canner, since my current one is a 12 quart 'Presto' older model.

Yet I did find in the wood shop building several dozen of the wide mouth pint canning jars, to use for canning meats. I will split up my venison between being wrapped in freezer paper in the chest freezer, and canned up in those pint jars. But I know not to count my wild game, till it is down and tagged! I have also been watching the mountain quail, but they are almost pets. That and I think that a 12 gauge shotgun fired at close range, may not leave a lot of meat on them.

So tomorrow I will try to finish up the processing of the green beans, while I am looking out the windows for my intended 1st victim of this year's deer hunting season. If the deer is stupid and shows up early, then I may go and do some more firewood cutting below the house. That would be where I would take and dump the gut-pile, from the half-witted deer. At least I don't have to go off to 'Deer Camp', and I get to sleep in my own bed each night during deer hunting season.

Triple-D it may be a still bit too warm where you are at in NC to suggest salt curing a ham, or smoking some of the pork (shoulders, bacon, and such) in a home made smokehouse. I may have to get out my food preservation book from the old days - it goes back to the methods used by the country's founding fathers and many other ways since then. What I have a hard time finding out here, is 'salt pork'. I like to use it in my pots of pinto beans, but I wind up using bacon most of the time.

I also hope that TDD is doing OK - between the fires in Texas, and her hubby not feeling well lately.

MGM - I am still in limbo land, as far as my appeal on my Federal Worker's Comp claim goes. I guess that my file is apparently somewhere on someone's desk in Washington, D.C. for who knows how long. It would be nice if I win my appeal and receive my disputed benefits, which at this point would be a large chunk of change. But from my research, I could have at least another 2 more years before I even hear of a decision, due to the backlog of appeals with the Federal Employee's Worker's Comp system/ Employees Comp Appeal Board with just 3 judges making the decisions for everyone (all Injured Federal Employees) that have filed an appeal across the country.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Rain, lovely rain...thundering and lightning,too but already have an inch and supposed to continue all weekend so let it rain. We need it. My young fruit trees were really stressed this year but the old ones have bravely put out a bushel or two on each so will have applesauce, at least. I like to use 4 or 5 varieties...call me Motts. Ordering a few new apple trees from Vernon Barnes in TN. VERY reasonable prices,lots of old time varieties and we've had excellent luck with them. Our Wolf Rivers are a favorite; really tasty.

Due to the burnt up garden I couldn't can much from the farm this year...really felt odd to not be processing buckets of tomatoes and cranking the Squeezo. But our grocery had frozen mixed veggies on sale this week for .99 cents/bag. Three bags= one qt. jar. Did 9 bags and 9 more to go one bag to a tray. Will make soup making easy this winter. Rounded up ingredients to make some of the meal in a jar ideas posted here,too. Had 3.5# bags chicken breasts for $3.99 so got the limit and sent DH back today to get more with my raincheck.Got three loafs oatmeal bread rising and chicken rice soup simmering on the stove...a soup kinda day.

Sent order off to Honeyville....going to try grinding rye and making some bread. Never ordered from them before. Making a list for Aldi's on Monday. Pick up two more cases of beans, carrots,corn,beets and maybe I'll feel comfortable. At least I have alot of empty jars for our cow going to freezer camp Monday. And hopes of venison in the pot but deer season doesn't start here until Nov for gun hunters. Hope that big fat doe keeps visiting the buckwheat field...five deer out there this am.

Biggest projects looming are repair of the barn roof (Danger,danger Will Robertson) and splitting/stacking up a double log truck full of hollow oak logs; the culls from our logging project. Barn is ancient and the rafters are not good plus the loft could fall in any day. We don't keep animals on that side! Dairy part with stanchions is good as is middle alley where we just stacked 100 bales of hay. Glad to have found some decent stuff for a reasonable price.

Hope others are getting some nice rain...and not snow yet! Down in the 40's here at night so time to get some things done to prepare for winter. Seemed the summer was so unproductive with the ungodly heat. Not used to being trapped in the house. Weather didn't seem to retard the goldenrod thought...my bleeding eyes can attest to that!


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well no sign of the world's dumbest deer this morning, while I was looking for him with my .30-06 rifle. 

Maybe he did understand me when I told him yesterday that today is the opening day of deer hunting season.... But I will be back out there this evening looking to see if he or one of his friends does show back up during legal hunting hours. I only heard one gunshot from far off in the distance this morning, since everything up here is private property with no public access.

While seated on a log watching and using my binoculars looking for his fuzzy hide, I did notice that one of my ham radio wire antennas was hanging funny. So I need to get out the bow, arrow, fishing pole and spinning reel - in order to shoot an arrow with a line attached over a high tree limb. That way I can put up a new 'halyard' line to haul the apex of the wire antenna way back up into the air where it belongs. My Chevy camper van is parked under where I need to work, and or course it had a dead battery. So I am runing a generator to charge the battery, so I can move the van and them start shooting an arrow up into the tall trees. Plus I went and did my usual checking of my other vehicles fluids, starting them, and moving them around - since I don't drive all of them every day. I usually drive my small 4X4 suv with a little 2.8 L/ V-6 engine most of the time.

I am almost finished with the processing (canning and freezing) of all of those green beans that I was given. 

But I do need to go out and check and see if the van battery has enough of a charge for me to get it started and moved, so I can do my ham radio wire antenna repairs.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

RF, did you have any luck this evening? I think you should have stuck to plan A: stay in the house and wait for the deer to show up. You confused him by sitting outside!

It's raining! It took me by surprise and I didn't have all my tomatoes covered. I'll probably have late blight by tomorrow. I ran out and picked all that looked like they had a chance of ripening, and I did find one that looked like it had a brown spot at the blossom end, like late blight, not like blossom end rot. GRRR. I hope I rescued the rest before it was too late. Also picked beans, so I need to sit and snap beans tonight. I'm glad to have my garden watered and the water totes filling, but I hope this doesn't mean the end to dry weather this year. We usually get another month before the rainy season starts, but this is the second year in a row that we got a mid-Sept rain. IIRC, we did get another dry spell last year, so I have hope.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Nope, no sign of any of those male deer this evening. But I did have a doe and a youngster come strolling thru just before sunset. Maybe they were checking it out, for those bucks???

But I will get up again at O-dark thirty in the morning and will be sitting outside looking for that buck to come wandering thru. The weather is supposed to be nice again tomorrow, so it would be a good day to field dress a deer!

This afternoon, I did get the one ham radio wire antenna hung back up to where it should be. It took me only one shot using the bow and arrow with a line attached, to get a support line around 70 feet up in the tree. I have a 5/16" X 4 inch long carrage bolt taped to the pointed end of the arrow to give it enough weight to pull it down to the ground, with the fishing line attached. Then I reel in the fishing line back up with the nylon seine twine (halyard line) attached. Tie off the nylon line to the antenna, and then haul it back up into the trees. All done without having to climb like a squirrel way up into a tree - I like to keep my feet on the ground at all times. Plus I also got the Chevy van started, and it was moved out of the way. Tomorrow if I find the time, I need to wrench on it a bit - it is my current 'project vehicle'.

Then I will have medical stuff to do for the next few days down the hill in town, so no deer hunting then. I'll have to wait a few days, unless that foolish deer does show up outside at around daylight. Then I may just have to cap him and I would have the time to field dress and hang his carcass up in the woodshed. I have what is needed out there, to hang him from the rafters right now. But I don't want to go to my medical appointments all covered in animal blood.

I just finished snapping and prepping all of those green beans that I was given, and tomorrow I will get the rest processed in canning jars and into the freezer. But I will enjoy eating them this coming winter in green bean casseroles, in soups, stews, and as a side dish. 

I am thinking of canning up some cases of potatoes as a long term storage method. Lets see how many more canning jars that I can rustle up, and I may do potatoes in quart jars/ instead of the pint sized jars that I do for just myself. Soon the 50 pound bags of red and yukon gold varieties of potatoes, will be available from the local farmers.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I hope you get your buck, RF. Funny how they seem to know when hunting season starts and ends. I guess he didn't get that many points on his rack without figuring out when to hide. 

I am going to have a short check this next payday. I was called off yesterday and chose to go home early tonight. I'm off until Wed now and I really want to get some work done outside, weather permitting, and if it continues to pour like the monsoon season has hit (like it has the last couple days), I'll try to get a lot of sorting and organizing inside. It's nearly cold and damp enough for me to want a fire in the stove.

I stopped and picked up more pallets on the way home tonight, and I also took some free cukes and yellow squash home from the bag in the lunch room at work, along with a stack of paperbacks to read this winter. Picked up a few groceries, too - I want a big pot of cheesy cauliflower or cheesy broccoli soup - both were a good price, so I got both. If I make a big stockpot of soup, I'll put some in freezer containers for lunches on days when I don't want to cook.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I put up 20 lbs of sausage, 8 lbs of burger, 2 nice roasts, and tenderloins this weekend. Oh a big batch of jerky too. We were completely out of sausage. Added some beans to my bean bucket too. Got another case of wide mouth jars that I will be filling with the last of the okra today too. I also got a batch of hot chocolate mix made, some cream of mushroom soup mix, and a jar of tortilla mix made up. Found pasta on sale and stocked up on that too. Next month I will start watching for turkeys to be on sale. I'd like to get at least 8 in the freezer this year. It will take some careful budgeting to do that though. I miss the days of cheap turkeys with no minimum amount to spend first.
Garden is looking good though. Cabbages are growing like weeds and the turnip greens look promising.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Took our cow to the butcher today...was really surprized at her wt....956#. I thought around 800. Very short-legged angus that we raised from bottle baby. She was one of twins and quite masculinized with wierd "plumbing". Raised on good green grass, taste of grain keeping her coming up to the barn and lots of apples. Have her sister fattening here; same situation with old cow having twins again. Neighbor doesn't like to mess with bottle babies. Plenty of canning coming up for this gal. Son and DIL want to learn how so will have some helping hands.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Had a frost warning last week so picked about 2 bu of green tomatoes & have them all over the place for ripening. Dug sweet potatoes and they were excellent -- got 2 bu off one row!! White potatoes did not even come close to being that abundant. We didn't have a hard frost and the tomatoes didn't die, then we've had a little rain so I may get more tomatoes in a week or so. They don't ripen very well with the cooler weather and shorter days so will pick them and bring them in when we get the next frost warning.

I got my new deep freeze and cleaned out and transferred everything. Found some very very old items in the bottom. I knew I had a couple turkeys but found 4. Now I need to determine which ones are too old and discard. I hate throwing out food but old turkey and chicken are not eatable. They don't spoil but they do not taste good. I found lots of odds and ends that need used asap so I'm going to use grocery $'s to buy beef for canning and use freezer stuff for current meals.

I'm going to check Walmart tonight to see if canning jars are on sale yet. I have 3 $1 coupons burning a hole in my purse! HyVee has jars on sale 10% off which is still more than Walmarts regular price.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Even icky old turkeys can save on dog chow assuming they aren't spoiled. Freezer burn doesn't matter. Figure if my dogs like anything rotten and adore poop old stuff from the freezer is right up their alley. They all have cast iron stomachs. Like to give my outdoor guard dog warm food at night....keep her happy and on the job. Bet you are enjoying that new freezer, Ann. Ours has got to be 20 years old so it is in the back of my mind that it will soon die. Surely a new one would be more energy efficient,too.

I've yet to find any canning jars on sale anywhere around here. The Ball qts. I like best are 9.79 a doz. They never reduced them at Dollar General; still on the shelf at same price all the way thru winter. Walmart had pickling spices, pectin,etc reduced so picked up a bit of that for next year.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I sure wish my body could keep up with the plans my mind makes for it, lol. Got outside and unloaded the truck - had to tie a rope onto the packing crate and the pallets, tie the rope to a fence post and drive out from under them to get them out of the truck. Those things are really heavy! I took apart the cattle panel pen in the pasture and am trying to build my pallet fence at last, so I've been pulling and pounding t-posts to get them where I need them for this project. Between that and trying to take apart the packing crate, I was about done in this morning. Came in, took some ibuprofen and laid down to rest, but my hips were hurting so badly that I couldn't get comfortable. Finally resorted to a prescription pain pill and am starting to feel better. I may just get back out there and work on it a little more.  I've found that if I use the air nailer and some scrap wood to join 2 pallets together, I can put a t-post about every 8', where the double pallets join up. If this doesn't keep the goats in, I don't know what will! I'm also planning to run a strand of electric around the top to discourage them from trying to climb the fence.

I put the horse in the fenced in orchard/garden over the last week or so...let her eat everything in the fallow areas down so I can start tilling. Unfortunately, I forgot how much she likes CORN! Oh, well, there wasn't but a tiny patch of corn and it wasn't likely to make a crop...with our cold weather early in the season, it just never really took off and grew this year. Since she ate every stalk, right down to the roots, I'll go ahead and plant winter wheat there when I go back out today. I have several raised beds of various sizes that I'm going to plant to hard red winter wheat, and a few more where I'm going to experiment with planting white wheat. I don't know if it's a hard or soft wheat, so I don't know if it's a winter or spring wheat. I'll plant some and see what happens. I have plenty of room to experiment.

While I was out in the garden today, I found ripe fall raspberries at last! I can just stand out there and eat them right off the plants...yum, yum, yum. I need to take an ice cream bucket and walk out into the clearcut to look for blackberries. They are SO late this year. We usually have ripe berries in late July, not mid-Sept. I want to make jam.

One benefit to having had a hard rain and now having the weather warming up to the 80's again - I should be able to find chantrelles growing in my mushroom patch in a few days. It's about time I got some more harvested and dehydrated. I'm very blessed with the bounty of food that nature provides here. Sometimes it's easy to take it for granted. I need to make a little more effort to harvest that natural bounty. One thing I did do this summer was to harvest some over-ripe black caps, just for the seeds. I've planted them in some pots and am hoping they will sprout and grow. If they do, I'm planning to very carefully cut away the pot and transplant them into a raised bed in the garden. They don't transplant very well, but I'm afraid that if I just try to direct seed them, I'll forget where they are and end up pulling them out as weeds.  I love black caps and would love to have a patch of them safely behind the garden fence.

Still no word from Anne/TexasDirtDigger...I'm getting worried about her. I have her address, but not a phone # or e-mail. Does anyone have a faster way to get a hold of her? It's not like her to not be posting....


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Today's project was tilling up more ground in the garden in preparation for making more raised beds out of the packing crate I've been dismantling. The rain got it wet about 2 inches down, and then it's just powder dry dirt (and rocks, lots of rocks) from there on down. I tilled with the Mantis for quite a while, but still didn't get all that far. It is really hard to get through the sod layer with a tiny tiller. 

The rest of the day I worked on the pantry, cleaned eggs - I'm back to selling eggs at work to a select few people, and did general scrubbing around the house. Have to go in early tomorrow to take a 2 hr class on new IV pumps, and then work charge the next few nights. That'll help pay down the mortgage, and will make up a bit for the day I went home early. I'd rather be puttering at home, though.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Ugg...Fall allergies have hit me hard this week. Combine that with the current weather pattern (I have arthritis in my hips) and I was barely functional on Monday and Tuesday. Today I'm still off but functional. Last night I got my sorry behind off the sofa and cut squares of flannel. This morning while the kids did school I worked on sewing them into double layer squares for "pee pads". We aren't in need of replacements...but I want to work on having a stash ready for when we do. Found some nice dark (black and gray) camo flannel scraps....those won't be needed unless the S does HTF and we are totally our of paper products and there are none to be had (we aren't giving up on paper products for everything, yet). Nice to have a dozen or so in waiting, though, as sewing up a bunch would not be a first priority item if things get bad around here.

Aldi's has a good price on onions, green peppers and mushrooms this week. We finally ran out and bought what I thought I could get processes this week (I've been wanting to go since Monday...they are only a few miles away). 3 of the 4 tubs of mushroom and 12 store bought plus 5 home grown green peppers filled the dehydrator. It should start smelling really good in here in the next hour, lol. Tomorrow I'll move the dehydrator outside and start doing the onions (I have 12# to get through).

Now to start a pile of things we need to pack for vacation.....


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

MGM - in reading of the tying off your truck load and driving out from under it had me chuckleing.. I tend to use/ do the open up the tail gate, put the truck into reverse, accelerate and then suddenly coming to a complete stop: unloading method at times.

I have not seen hide nor hair of any antelered deer (bucks) so far this week. I have been getting up before dawn, walking around before dusk, and nobody to send off to freezer camp has volunteered yet. I have put away the heavier/ longer .30-06 rifle I was using (Savage model 110E), and started carrying one of the lever action carbines chambered in .357 magnum. My Marlin model 1895 has a scope and a sling on it, so I will probably leave the Winchester model 94AE lever action carbine in .357 magnum, in the safe. I pulled out a box of 158 grain jacketed soft point ammunition in .357 magnum, just in case one of those hilltop dumb deer wander in front of me soon. 

In my shopping this week, I have been averaging about 40 to 50% or more off the full listed price. At Safeway today my receipt was 52% saved over full price even with lots of bananas at $0.47 cents per pound (according to the receipts). This was with my using the loss leaders, coupons, and marked down discontinued items. This week/ today I found 99 cent per pound chicken breasts, packages (bags) of pre made salads for a $1.00 each - which will give me 3 to 4 bowls of salads per bag, Kraft salad dressing at $1.29 per bottle, VO5 shampoo at 66 cents per bottle, peanut butter at $1.66 per 18 ounce jar (3 for $4.98), one pound bags of brown rice at $1.29, and many other bargains. 

I have re-wrapped everything inside zip-loc bags, and now the problem is where will I store this stuff? At least the chicken breasts have found a home in a freezer.
But I still refuse to buy anything at full retail prices!!!!

But the sun is out up here this afternoon and it is 73 degrees. When I was in town, it was coastal fog and chilly down there this morning. Now to wait for the neighbors to get home and then we feast. Tonight we are having a BBQ with all of the fixings, and the neighbor's wife that just got back into town gets to relax - while us guys do all of the cooking tonight. Hey I get to cook over the fire/ coals tonight, while my neighbor is chained to the stove. And the best part is that since it is at the neighbors, I don't have to do any dishes tonight and I get to bring home some leftovers (if there are any).

The only bad thing that occured today was I encountered some 'travelers' or those young "Hippy" types with heavily loaded backbacks, young dogs (puppies) on ropes, and obvious non residents out on the paved County road headed up here. I stopped and informed them that everything up here is posted property with 'No Trespassing' allowed/ we do call the Sheriff on Trespassers. But one of them started spouting off about their 'rights', and I decided to call the County Sheriff's Office on them. I came home put away my groceries, and went out looking for them. Apparently one of my neighbors had also called the Sheriff's Office on them. I ran into a Sheriff's Deputy, and he was looking for them out on the main road. I did go over to my absentee neighbor's place, and there were no signs of them having been over there at Elanore's property.

My phone just rang, so I guess that it is time to go to the front neighbor's.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

An update on those travelers.

My front neighbor likes to come home the 'back way' coming up and over the top of the hill around from Eureka. Instead of coming directly up from the university town of Arcata like I do.

On his drive home, he noticed those travelers way up at the top of our road (where it is gravel), and they had not hit the "Butler Valley Road" yet - that is at the end of our road's intersection at 14 miles up the hill. 

So there was no telling if they were trying to get over the hills and go towards Maple Creek/ Korbel and back around to Hwy 299 going to Redding - the short route out of here. Or are they gonna go for the really remote 'I hope that you make it road thru "Shower's Pass", and drop down into Bridgeville and Hwy 36. I am speculating, since I was asked by them, if the road that they were on (up here) was heading East. Both of the Ca Hwy 299 and Ca Hwy 36 that the back roads connect to out that way, are East-West State 2 lane Highways. 
Nope my road here heads South/ South-East.

Either way the territory that they are going to travel thru while on foot with huge backpacks is all 'Private Property'. And the further that you get out there, the more likely that this time of year they might not like whom they meet - if they do go off of the remote road.

I never did hear on my police scanner/ ham radios, if the Sheriff's Deputy ever caught up to those travelers. I had it turned off while up at the neighbors, and when I was doing a couple of chores outside this afternoon.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Here I am!!

We had another chapter of "OUR SHTF year", added in on us.

DH has been very ill and in the hospital. I have been running around like CRAZY.
He is on the slow mend, but.... we are doing much better.

I was able to get some power shopping done, yesterday. A store had a canned vegetable sale and I managed to bring home 12 cases. We have been eating out of our stocked groceries...since I have had Breast Cancer and Surgery, and I needed to fill in some gaps.
I also grabbed a few more items.....but nothing special. I had to get back home and check on dh.

Hope to get started on our metal roof in a couple of weeks. The catch tanks have been delivered and need to be set and plumbed. My Bub should be in town by then. DH will NOT be helping on these projects!

We are still near rainless here. A few showers around us.....but, for the most part...still high and dry. (Though, it IS cooler!!)

I gotta go out and start feeding the stocks and flocks and make sure the feed supplies are where they need to be. I have ALOT of catching up to do around here!!


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

TDD,sounds like when it rains it pours for you. Hope you are taking time to rest enough though. We are getting a new metal roof this month,too. Think last I checked the tax rebates are good thru this year on metal replacement roofs. Our brand qualifies and Pa let me pick the soft cedar green color....guess our house will be in camaflouge being as it is cedar sided!

On our Aldi trip got 10 packs of the mushrooms at .69 cents and popped in the dehydrator. Used my own dehyrated veggies for the first time in soup today...the peas plumped up so nice! Discovered neighbors selling veggies in town and they have put up a 100' greenhouse on their place. Guys' daughter and SIL have returned from Hawaii where they grew produce. State put up a bldg. in our little town for a farmers market but no one really uses it and we are hoping to get together with like-minded people and get something started. Alot of people around who raised/sell to neighbors but you don't really know how to find them them. Winter plans. 

Sure wish all this rain we are now getting arrived in time to save our garden! Planted some spinach,kale,daikon radishes. The fruit trees are looking alot better. Still need to order strawberry plants. Everyone has a big to-do list this time of year.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Mutti - Yep. The S has been pouring down on us.....but......I am stareing it down!! This too, shall pass.......so it has been said. 

Hubs had a better day today...which means...I had a better day today! 

Our house is Texas Limestone...(go figure)....my brother ordered a really heavy grade roof thru his construction biz.....so, my choice was silver...or silver. I do love the soft green!

Thanks for the reminder to order strawberry plants......It would have completely skipped my mind. I sure hope to be able to get back outside in the dirt soon!

Catch that rainwater.....if ya can!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

TDD - can you paint that metal roof you're getting?? Glad to hear you DH had a better day. You guys really need a break!

Did up the 13# of onions I got from Aldi's yesterday. I packed them tight in the dryer....fit them all in one load. SO they will have to run over night. I think my sinuses are finally getting over that assault from cutting up 13# of onions this morning (before breakfast, lol)!! My allergies have stayed away all day, too....maybe I found the magic cure - cry for an good hour or so each morning cutting onions. Works better then allergy meds, and the only side effect is plenty of dry onions for the next year.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

TDD, if you need strawberry plants, I can send you some runners from mine. Just LMK! Glad to see you feeling up to posting again. I hope your hubs continues to improve every day...he should from here on out. I know the green roofs are prettier, but at least silver will reflect some of that Texas heat for you. Looking for that, um, "silver" lining... 

I had a fantastic prep day yesterday, and it's gonna make me work my tuchus off today. I can't wait to tell y'all about my goodies! It started with getting off work yesterday morning and stopping to get a new scoop shovel at Ace. 8.99 for a poly shovel with wooden handle. Of course, they were out of stock.  I got a rain check for 2 of them. I did pick up a 5 shelf storage unit and another LED flashlight while I was there, though. 

Then it was off to Lowe's, where I bought plywood, rebar stakes and remesh for projects here. I also got refills for my striker for lighting propane torches/bbq/etc, the hardware to make a pallet into a gate in my pallet fence, a set of nail punches and a bucket to carry everything in. But, best of all - I found 2 bundles of markdown lumber, one of them treated posts and 2x's. One bundle was marked 50% off the original price and the other wasn't marked. I asked if they could do better than the 50% off, and the manager gave them both to me for 70% off the original price. I got both bundles for about $93 including tax. I have plenty of projects planned for all of the lumber!

After that was an ammo sale at Bob's, our local "prepper" store. I got a couple bricks of 22lr (limit of 2 on them - I need to go back, if I'm in town), and 7 boxes of 30.06 ammo. I also picked up 2 cases of half gallon jars, not a bargain, but needed, and a new copy of the hunting and fishing regs. 

I checked out a couple businesses with stacks of pallets out back, and got the okay to take them, along with any and all pallets I see out there in the future. Score! That pretty well filled up the rest of the truck and I headed for home. Had a little mishap on the freeway when 2 of my pallets slipped their ties and sailed out...thankfully, I was in the slow lane and going fairly slowly, so I was able to pull over and back up to them - they had landed well off the road. So glad they didn't hit anyone. I got them loaded back up, tied more securely, and as I was on top the load making sure they wouldn't go flying again, I looked down and saw one of those long load flags in the ditch. Picked it up out of the grass and threw it in the cab. My long load was only flagged with the plastic flags from Lowe's - it'll be nice to have a good flag on hand for future loads.

My last find was at the transfer station. I make it a habit to stop through and see if anyone's left anything good that isn't really recycling. I found a stack of buckets - 7 good 5 gallon buckets, including one that is pre-drilled for a planter. The holes look to be the right size for my Berkey filters, too.  There were a lot more buckets in the dumpster - from hydraulic oil. I'll need a stick with a hook to get them out. Those buckets are still sealed, with a pour spout in the lid, and usually have a bit of oil left in each one. I can drain the oil out into one container and the drained clean buckets are great for storing kerosene and gasoline. I intend to rinse the drained buckets with kerosene first, then drain that out into just one of the buckets, and then use the buckets for gasoline. I've done it before and it's worked well for me.

After having been up for most of the last few days (worked nights and couldn't sleep the day in between shifts), I was exhausted yesterday...I brought in everything I could, but left the unloading for today.

It is supposed to be nice today and then start raining again, so I have a number of projects to work on before it gets wet again. Today I need to get the roof on the shed, even if I don't add more rafters out the ends - I just need it weatherproof, not perfect, at this point. I need to cover all my tomatoes with plastic, tarp all the firewood, unload everything out of the truck, and work on my pallet fence again. I also need to finish up the week's laundry, scrub out buckets and totes to place under the drip line, and try to get a load of sand hauled home to put down where I want my swimming pool set up to catch rainwater. I don't know if I'll make it that far, but I am determined to get the shed roof on, TODAY!


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

MGM OMG you make me soooo tired to read your posts IDK how you keep up!!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

MGM - Hubs is turning the corner....I think. He piddled in his shop for the hour....I allowed him to spend out there!!! He would push it too hard, otherwise. I know....I'm one to talk!

Talked to my bro, yesterday.....they have finished their contract, and are on their way here!!! YAAAAY!!!! I should see them by Wednesday.

Jen - I'm not sure about the paint. Like MGM said....Maybe it will reflect some of this historic heat!!

The freight company called Friday, and the generators are in town. There is a lot of prep and permits before those are up and running. I want to at least get them on our property, where I can keep an eye on them....I'm afraid they will be "lost", before they make it here. I hate to say that.....but... those would be tasty temptations...if some one could offload and leave with them, while they sit unattended.

I ran across some canning lids and rings for 70% off.. I scarffed them in my basket!
I am going to reorganize and inventory my canned goods since I have quite a few to add in.

I also ran across a beef sale, so ....I need to vacuum seal and store those TODAY!

It feels soooooooo good to just be able to run errands by myself.


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## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

I have stripped the greenhouse, and hope to get the last remaining sweet peas later today. That leaves just the spuds and brussel sprouts in the ground. I've put up about 300 jars so far this season, with more to come.

Last week we helped family cut up moose (two, actually-a spike fork and a 53 inch bull) which was a huge amount of work. Got it all done except for running about 85 pounds through the cuber, in one marathon session. They gave us way too much meat for the work we did, so we are very grateful for that. 

Today I have to process the meat birds which are way too big. Would have done it last week but my husband got called to work a week early, which is okay, we need the $$. So, I found someone who will help butcher for a couple of them-I am figuring they will dress out around 7 pounds. 

The baby turkeys are a hoot, I sure love them. Growing well now, and getting some color to them. The other two-broad breasted whites-are getting huge, lol Christmas and Thanksgiving we call them-a hen and a tom. I'd process them in three weeks but I am pretty sure I don't have freezer space for the carcasses. 

Over the past month or two, I have finally felt "at ease" about my food preps. It was an unusual feeling for me, because I have had this urge for years-more and more, you know? Maybe it's burn out, not sure, but in any case....that itchy fear had pretty much gone away......with a couple moose we're good for years at this point. 

So, on Friday, one of the bosses came out. Looks like I am facing a five month lay off, even though they say it's not set in stone. Just didn't do enough sales over last winter to warrant keeping the doors open another. I've been working there 23 years, and had figured that they'd cut back hours, or ask me to take a pay cut, or something. I have verbal assurances they want me back in late March. I have about a months' worth of vacation due, so that is something anyway.

I have never been laid off, in my entire adult working life. Never applied for unemployment either, not once. The UI we get here is a pittance compared to most states, so my "income" is going to drop substantially to put it nicely. 

We won't starve by any means, but paying the bills? That's going to be really difficult.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Violent thunder/lightning storms last night with another 1.8" rain...too much too late for this summers' garden. Oh well, Kept us awake half the night. Did help all the potted plants that I plunked in winter homes yesterday. The two mint plants I got from Nichols were huge...sure should have repotted them a long time ago as roots circling the pots. Hard to kill mint though. Cleared out the hosta bed as they'll all be moved later....got cooked in the sun after we had to take down an ancient maple that shaded their bed....going to put the blueberries I ordered in there as they'll appreciate a sunny but sheltered location. Got the strawberries ordered finally. Really like the husky plants Jungs sells. Ordered Honeyeye this year. One more project.

Cleaned chicken house and put new shavings in. After all these years using straw I sure love shavings. Stay cleaner,less smelly and easier to change by far. Some of the new girls have not figured out the purpose of nest boxes. Annoying. Too easy for them to dig little nests in shavings.

Went thru rose beds pulling weeds and laying down wood chips. They have all been blooming now that we've gotten our lost summer rains. Pa got the lawn/orchard mowed. Autumn clematis blooming...such a heavenly fragrance. Usually the blister beetles defoliate it so never know if they will bloom or not. This year we got rotenone on early enough. Keep a calendar where we jot down first time we see our expected pests..blister beetles and stink bugs, mainly. With the bees we don't spray anything with flowers. Buckwheat done blooming now but deer still enjoying grazing there. Haven't seen Mr. Bear but have been sightings in the area. Won't be any rubber bullets for him if he shows up again. Someone in area shot a cougar that was attacking in their yard.... 

Sounds like everyone is hurrying up to finish those winter chores. We still have a mountain of hollow logs to cut/split but just now getting where you can work outside comfortably for long periods.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Today Hubby put in 5 trays of peppers in the dehydrator, and I made my first load of Laundry soap! :dance:


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## CountryWmn (Aug 7, 2011)

Have been canning a lot of meat. Have put up more pork loin, pork chops, and bourbon chicken. Also canned some pickled okra and pickled peppers.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - glad to hear your DH is allowed to go out to his shop under certain 'restrictions'... That and you are feeling better also, and are able to get out and about.

I would also be concerned about the whereabouts of those 'generators'. Maybe your brother can help you get them out to your place.

MGM - I am looking at getting a case or two of the 1/2 gallon canning jars for storing pasta and such from my local Ace Hardware, using some of those printed up off of the internet $1.00 off coupons. I sure don't need to buy more .30-06 Springfield ammunition - I picked up hundreds and hundreds of rounds of it a while back, when military surplus ammunition was available at a reasonable price.

Well the garden that I am sharecropping up at the neighbor's, is still producing salad makings. So while I was at the neighbor's for another BBQ yesterday afternoon, we had fresh produce on the menu. We are planning on putting in at least 2 raised beds of garlic for this winter's crops.

On the way home last evening (after dark) I saw one of the dumb deer and a doe standing in the middle of the private access road just outside my gate. I didn't want to get into trouble for shooting out of hours, or to bump into him with my 4X4. Of course today, that buck was nowhere to be seen, when I was out "hunting" for him. I did spend a lot of time up at the upper edge of the property (inside the gate/ fence line) looking for him earlier. 

I spent part of the day freezing many individual meal sized containers that were filled up with the contents of a couple of crock pots worth of beef stew that I had made. I am also feeling the need to have an even more full supply of food, firewood, and to make ready for surviving (in comfort) a long cold winter. In the next few weeks I will pull out the boxes full of candle making supplies, and start making wax candles.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

RF - Yes, I am trying to figure out how to get those generators here. They are whole house natural gas...one for our home and a little smaller one for dh shop. They are huge and will need, at least a forklift to get them off the truck.....but, stranger things have happened. I really want those things on our property, where I know where they are. I am kinda nervous about them. We have had a rash of heavy equip. thefts around here...they make it sound easy.

I was able to find more Beef and Chicken on sale, while taking my MIL shopping, so more vac packing for me today!

I talked to the store manager, he will let me come back and get more case goods, but I have to get them today, as well.

We also have a car that has to go to the Dealership for warranty repair. Full day for me...feels awsome!!


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - I well remember when I was 1st able to get out and about after my surgery and being laid up with a full leg cast. Being able to do the simple things after being down from surgery, gave me a huge sense of accomplishment.

Well while in town today, I found many 10 to $10.00 dollars sales at a few different stores. Some produce items, some canned foods, and some meat items. So I was able to save around 60% off of full retail prices, according to my receipts. I found 10 pound bags of potatoes at $1.99 each, so I can make some more potato salad for another BBQ later this week. Charcoal (Kingsford) was on sale stacked alongside some "Larry The Cable Guy" - 1 time use disposable BBQ grills for tailgate parties. The prices on those larger disposable 'el-cheapo' BBQ grills, was more than the price of the charcoal!

But before I went down the hill - I was going out the door to load my 4X4 and there were some deer in my yard. The buck was skittish and ran behind the equipment shed, but I was able to get a photo of the doe and her two fawns with my cell phone - so the photo quality is not the greatest of them on either side of the trailer project. Those antlerless deer showed no fear, and the two youngsters were quite curious and kept playing 'peek-a-boo' with me for a few minutes. That was before I left for my trip to town/ when they moseyed down the driveway to get away from the guy taking our picture/ that drives the noisy vehicle.










I did get the approval from another neighbor to get the hydraulic log splitter lined up to start chewing up the rounds of firewood that have been cut so far. Hopefully the timber company head of their Law Enforcement (another one of my neighbors) will be giving myself and my front neighbor a 'firewood permit' and a gate lock combination - in exchange for us catching the folks that have been illegally shooting up here on timber company land way to close to (within 200 feet from) the County Road. That would give up access to Tan Oak, which we do not have on our places - we have Doug Fir, Spruce, and Redwoods.

Yet tomorrow I get to go to town again, to be a human pincushion at acupuncture. I'll take my 1969 Ford 1/2 ton truck to fill up the gas tank, and to go scrounging for goodies that are posted on the local Craigslist/ Freecycle posts.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

RF - That Oak will make a good long-lasting fire..... Awsome!!

I was able to get 10 more cases of case goods.....still have to work them into rotation.
Picked up a few more meat sale items...still vac packing...but, making headway.

Need to get a Winter check list started.

My Big Bub will be here tomorrow!!! YAAAY!!!
No rain in sight.....so ...the roof demo and installation should be unthreatened.

I am going to spend the day at the gun range, tomorrow......if I am going to listen to loud noise.....I might as well enjoy it and sharpen my aim!!


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## SLD Farm (Dec 19, 2007)

If any one has a Reisbeck's grocery store near them... Weds thru Friday of this week they are having some great sales. Can Vegs 44 cts a can. SourKraut 79cts. Campbells tomato and chicken noodle soup 49cts. Eggs $1/dz. Chicken & Beef Broth 49cts. 24 bottles of water $3.
I picked up a small variety today and will be getting more on Friday. Hard to beat those prices and it is a great time for me to rebuild up my supply. My boyfriend said today that his cupboard has never been so full. I said, Baby this is only the beginning! lol


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I STILL don't have my shed roof done. I think I'm putting it off because I'm "skeered" of heights and I have to work up high on this project. Won't get done today, either...I'm making a Costco run. I anticipate spending a great deal of money and coming home with my truck bed full.

I've been continuing to pick up pallets and packing crates over the last week - yesterday I lucked into some oversized packing crates at the glass shop. I'm using one as a wall on the goat shelter I'm building in the pasture - all I have to do is add plywood sheathing or slabwood siding. I worked on the shelter and pallet fence quite a bit yesterday, muscling them into place and pounding more t-posts.

Placed another order from Matt at MyPatriotSupply this morning - great closeout prices on seeds, and I did some Christmas shopping for my grandkids - 5 in 1 survival whistles will be a big hit with them, if not for their parents, lol. Picked up a few more goodies while I was at it, a few things he carries that I've been wanting to try, and a few packs of those HotSnapZ hand warmers.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well on this last day of September, I did get some prep activities done. 

Late in the morning - I headed down the hill in the small SUV 4X4 and ran several errands, amongst all of the 1st of the month crowd that received their payday today. Hey it is easier to park it (even in a blue handicapped zone) than one of my 1/2 ton Ford F-100 long bed pickup trucks. But I could have used the big steel bumper on the 1967 Ford truck today, when someone in a WV van ran a 4-way 'STOP' as I started into the intersection. Well luckily they stopped inches away from crashing into my GMC as tires screeched with the brakes locked up before they almost hit me. Yes I do have on all of my older vehicles full coverage insurance that includes collision, comprehensive, and un-insured motorist coverage. I did have a good chuckle, when a 'city police officer' hit the lights/ siren and pulled over the van full of college kids. The local law didn't need me to stick around (I asked them), but I did listen to the police radio/ my ham mobile radio/rig - and got their names, driver's license info and birthdates, and such while I was parked with my notebook out and using the pencil taking notes.

At CVS I found chocolate 8 packs of fun sized Reese PB/ Chocolate Cups, Hershey Bars, Kit-Kat, Almond Joy and Mounds, and such at $0.88 per package of '8 fun sized' with no limits. That and some of the large beef stick/ Slim Jim type snacks for the storage at $0.88 each/ instead of the $1.49 regular price. I also had to get some 'dry mustard' and more canning salt - for my neighbors whom are canning up many quarts of "pickled beets" this weekend.

Then when I came home this afternoon, I had the dumb deer - the doe and the 2 fawns next to the house. Here is a photo of them that is better than the cell phone one posted above. I suppose that I should clean the outside of the windows, that allow me to look at the lower part of the driveway behind the house...










I wound up having dinner up at the neighbor's again, after working in the garden till it got dark getting ready before the heavy rains start this weekend. We had projects to do, and will be water bath and pressure canning this weekend, up at the neighbors place and down here, in order to get it all done. I did get a new seal for my Presto pressure canner, so I am ready to go.

When I was driving back down to the house after dark, the doe and the 2 fawns, and of course the buck that I have been looking for - were all right in front of my house near the porch! Heck I could have run into them,and got at least a couple of them. But I like my small GMC all in one piece without major collision damage on the front end, and I don't want to deal with filing a claim with my insurance after the near miss earlier today down in town!! Or I could have pulled out my pistol and plugged me a deer or two. But I don't need or want a visit from the Game Warden for my breaking the rules, say for shooting outside of official hunting hours.

At least my deer hunting license still is valid for a few more weeks, here in area (B-2). So I at least know that the buck I have had my eye on, is still alive and kicking (as of this evening). I just need to get that doe and the 2 youngsters to lure him out, during legal hunting hours.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

The noise of getting a roof torn off, re decked, and roofed in metal......IS hard on worn nerves!!! Luckily they are about thru with the extra noisy part!! It is looking great.

DH & I begged off, yesterday....left my brother and crew and we went ammo shopping.

We spent hours at Cabela's... They have a 4-day Truck load sale on assorted ammos.....VERY, VERY good prices.....if you have one in your area...the savings is worth the trip...I promise! Take the coupons... or pick up a sales flyer.
He is going back today...after taking an updated inventory. I've been spending alot of time at the gun range.

We are going to be adding more and upgrading security to our place....in various forms.

Picked up some marked down seeds at ACE.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Picked up our beef...534# sure fills a freezer! Was hoping to get a pig but wouldn't have room now. Picked up stew meat and burger early unfrozen and finally got it all processed. 12 qts. stew,5 pts. beef chunks, 19 qts. burger and 28 pts. burger. Finally got all jars washed and put away. What a job. Shelves look good though!

Came home and noted a deer hung up on a barbed wire fence dead. Button buck. Told a neighbor who processes alot of deer and he said it hadn't been there last night when he drove by so he went to retrieve it. Was in 30's here last night and nothing had been at it so probably fine. Barely 50 when we saw it. Waste not,want not if nothing more than dog food.

Strawberries came in the mail so another chore for the list. Also some daffodil bulbs. Planted the blueberry bushes from Gardens Alive...superior plants well packaged as always. Been stalking my four o'clocks for the red seeds as only had a couple plants that color. They were outstanding on our deck with no supplemental watering as were the vincas which laugh at drough. Seems the weather is changing so looking for things that don't required alot of rain. Hostas recovered with rain and per usual, you can't kill the hollyhocks with a stick!

Deer still grazing nightly in the buckwheat field but gun deer season doesn't start until Nov. 11--not that good with my bow yet. My brother gets his every year with a bow.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Made it home from Disney. Our plane had to declare an emergency landing in Chicago....we did a fly by with the landing gear down (a breaker wasn't working properly and could only be "fixed" on the ground - but they weren't sure the front tire was facing forward or twisted) and the tower and ground crew said all looked fine so we tried landing. We landed perfectly. Rest of the weekend will be sorting through pictures and catching up on HT. May get back to "prepping" by mid week.

ETA: I guess we did start prepping again today after all. How could I forget we picked up a .22LR pocket pistol this morning while still in "the big city". It's our first pistol and it was a good deal. It will make a nice little training gun. DH went out and sent 100 rounds through it this afternoon. He also put in some bow time since bow season started last weekend. I should become a "hunting widow" starting next weekend, lol.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Today, we got hubby's bow back out of the "repair" shop.. got new cables/string/peep ect... and he finally got it "sized" to him ( had the bow 5 yrs and come to find out he was doing a 30" draw and is actually a 28 1/2" draw so he got that "CORRECTLY" done.... Not that he was bad with it before!!! but now he should be AWESOME!

I went grocery shopping and got some prep items and items to fill our NEW FREEZER that FINALLY got here a month later!!! BUT wont "FILL" it completley waiting for his 5 deer!! ( thats what I told him I expect this year!!) Bow season here started Sept 1st, and now that he has his bow, he is "setting up" the cam's and "FEED" starting tomrrow! HERE deer deer deer!!!  

Also had to fix my van.. Ac went out in summer but recently the pump's bearings were going so it was making a AWFUL sound... so he had to get a bypass pully.... 250G miles... time to start looking for another vehicle (no windows roll down, no ac, and tranny slipping... )


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Dh has been working on giving the old 8n a tune up. It had some electrical issues that had to be repaired so he's taking the opportunity to fix some other things that have been needing attention.

I bought a use All American canner today from a lady on Craigslist. I'll probably go ahead and order a couple of new parts for it just to update it a bit but I'm very happy to have my first AA canner.

I put up a bunch of sausage this weekend. I called around and found a good deal of fresh sausage and brought it home to can. It will be nice to have sausage on a cold winter's morning!

Rec'd my package from MPS of some hotsnapz, seeds, and a few mre's for the car emergency supplies.


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