# July 2011 Prep Journal



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Do you realize we are now starting the 2nd half of 2011?

I hope this is a good month for you, one of restocking or stocking and not needing to use your Prepped supplies except for rotation.


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well I had to make an unscheduled trip down to town today to open the local Veteran's Hall, to allow folks to get supplies for a 4th of July celebration (US Flags - red white and blue bunting, etc.). So while in town I did some errands - no sign of the small solar panel for my camper van project, that I bought off of Ebay yet, maybe by Tuesday it might be at my PO Box..

Then in reading of others finds at the thrift stores I went to a few. 
I found for $3.00 dollars an older style 'food saver' vacuum sealer, and huge piece of paraffin candle wax for free, several cookbooks with 'dutch oven' recipes and a 'cowboy cooking' over open fire cookbook @ a dollar each. I may have to try out some of these recipes down at the firepit soon..

I went to the local market, and found meats marked lower than the advertised sales prices. So I need to figure out how am I gonna store these steaks, and chicken that were priced so low I though it was a mistake.

Otherwise everywhere I went, it seemed to be I spent $5.00 dollars or less for items that would be useful for my prep gear and food stocks. Good thing that I am not going out to the yard/ garage sales tomorrow, since I am running out of any storage space.

Oh TDD - Yes I got a couple of the $2.00 dollar each - 12 ounce cans of 'Chase & Sanborn' coffee at CVS. They are now sitting on a chair in the living room at the moment, until I can seal them in plastic with the food saver I got today, and put them away for a rainy day..

If you can get out and about in the next day or two, it seems that every store is running specials to get folks in their doors. No better way to build up those prep supplies, at less than full retail prices.. Get the sales papers or check out the web sites of your local stores to see who has the best prices, make a list, and go stimulate the local economy - while saving money at the same time. No sense in paying full price for something, after the 4th of July Holiday sales end!


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

RF - I was out yesterday... Like you, I found coffee $2 and WAAAAY cheap meat. And like you, where am I going to put it? I have 4 freezers and they are to the brim..but, I was NOT leaving those bargains. I saw lot's of 4th of July candles...I'll bet they will be pennies, Tuesday.
Going to Ace Hardware to cash in my rewards on my usual canning jars, Fels naptha soap, matches, lantern fuel and the like.
DH - wants to go to Cabela's They have a sale and he ALWAYS spends or CCrd Rewards on ammo Lot's of camping stuff on sale.....

We are still doing ok on the wildfire front...... we are soaking the buildings everyday and the grounds every other day. It is so hot here... the trees are "sweating" their leaves, so we are having to keep them up and mulched. Good garden stuff, but Bad JuJu, in a wildfire situation. I have noticed, all the animals as sticking closer and closer to us.
I could hear fireworks last night.....Really, are they CRAZY??? We will have to be extra vigilant this weekend.


----------



## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

I haven't done much in the way of preps lately, except get in on large order of Tattler lids...I have ten dozen large mouth coming, and hopefully I will be able to get more later on this year. 

I am getting rather nauseated at the prices in the grocery stores, and am very thankful that I have stores at home to soften the blow. Cheapest coffee I have seen on sale is around $9 a can, never mind the brand. My own preference is up $7 each in three months. I was thinking about this a while back, and wondered if a person could find any coffee in those large Folger's metal cans-anyone remember those? It'd be nice to snag onto a few of those if they are still made.

All purpose flour just rolled to $24 for 50 pounds. Yikes!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Did a bunch of canning yesterday of the carrots and blueberries I found a great deal on the day before. Too bad they are sitting in the kitchen till we can find a place to put them....not the worst problem to have, lol.

Today we finished clearing out one of the basement rooms and sorted through the junk, trash, and treasures. Treasure are back in on the shelves and the junk will get donated. We now have a large area in the back of the room to build our re-loading room. DH is sitting and finalizing the water storage racks that will also be in there as they need built before the wall goes up. It's feels good to finally have this project under way!


----------



## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

Just ordered some buckets, mylar, and O2 absorbers from http://www.discountmylarbags.com

They should be here by Wednesday or Thursday so I can store some more food.


----------



## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Took road trip to our favorite Mennonite surplus store and the shelves were really bare....never saw it like that before. Did get two replacement tires for our ancient JD lawn mower...took off deck and use for ATV! The loggers finished up in the back woods and did a very neat job. Going thru the state forester meant they had to sign a contract and many of the terms dealt with the way they woods were left. All tops pile, very few barked trees. We had 8 different bids and ended up having the neighbor who logged for us 20 years ago do it....last time he used mules! Had our black walnut harvested this spring,too. Lots of new healthy growth in our 80 acres of woods. Plus loggers opened some nice hiking trails.

Too hot to do much outside even early in the day. All the flats I started for fall are gonna need transplanting soon. Put up 10 pints tomato soup yesterday but too hot for the tomatoes to set more fruit when in the 90's. If I don't pick fruit when first pink it will end up cooking on the vine. Corn and green beans loving the heat as it the okra and cukes. Found my first tomato hornworm...ick...my "chicken" chickens didn't want to eat it.

Got lst egg from the 25 pullets I got in Feb. Hope they are good layers; want to try the dehydrating of eggs mentioned here. Have a safe 4th of July

Still having computer problems since lightning strike. Spend too much time online anyhow.


----------



## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

I hope it's ok to put this here. I found large cans of coffee at the Grocery outlet here for 5.99. And in metal cans. I think it's S&W. The other brands were as high as it is at the local Wal-Mart.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Definitely okay to post it here - we all love tips on bargains to be had on preps. 

Spent the last 3 nights working my $$ job. As long as I was in town, I hit the local WinCo and stocked up on elbow macaroni and egg noodles, checked out the BBQ meats, but didn't find bargains - they usually mark the meats way down after the holiday weekends, so I'll have to check back after the 4th. I also snagged another load of cardboard for the garden.

Found the rest of my MIA tie-out ropes...had to apologize to the Muttley Wonder for thinking evil thoughts about him taking them, as they were found in a bucket in the utility room.  I had to make some repairs to them, which is probably why they were in the bucket to start, and I threw out a few that were really beyond fixing. The nice thing about making ropes out of braided bale twine is there is always a ready supply for replacements.

The weather is finally acting like summer and the farmers are cutting hay, finally. My hay supplier called, and I'll be filling the barn in the next few weeks, ready for winter.

I redeemed my swagbucks points for 5 $5 Amazon gift cards over the last few days. They take about 10 days to post, and then I'll have $50 worth of free gift cards in my Amazon account - time for a prep shopping spree.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

This may not sound like much.. but , I was excited to find this size... I ordered 6 - 60 quart (50lb) AIRTIGHT, Pet food bins on casters.....not gonna use them for petfood, but Flour, Sugar, etc. They were $25. Commercial prices for similar $200 plus ea.

Going to a friends today, going to help her with Wedding Cake designs....and eat Bar-b-Q!! 

Dh is going to spend most of the day mowing..... The guy across the road from us, seldom mows. I saw him out yesterday, I asked hom of he would consider mowing...he has the equip. He scoffed and pretty much told me to not worry about what he did. Hey, I'm cool with that, I'm a live and let live kinda gal.....But, don't endanger MY homestead because you are lazy and stubborn.

I asked him, if he had any concerns about the fires being close...he just shrugged.......OK then. The lake is on my property... and he ain't gettin any water!! Old krumudgeon.:badmood:


----------



## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

Yesterday I got my first cuke and pepper from the garden. I've been trying to follow the sage advice I got here to weed 15 minutes and plant something everyday. It's working. Today I bought some end of season blueberry bushes to put out. It was a great year for blueberries and maybe in a couple of years I can pick my own instead of paying $3.99/lb for someone elses. We had a summer slushie with fresh blackberries, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries. That made be want to work harder on my own berry patch. Today, the teens and dh are in town doing local missionary work with Kentucky Changers, so I'm headed back out to the garden. There's a lot that needs doing and I'm really enjoying it much more than I thought I ever would. I'm also working on building my compost piles. I told dh I want 4 piles as big as the house for next year's garden area. He just grunted.


----------



## insocal (May 15, 2005)

Got some canning lids last weekend. Yesterday I picked up 10 lb flour and 10 lb brown rice. Need to add to the canned salmon if I can find it on sale again. And shelf stable soy milk might be a good idea now that I need the phytoestrogens, lol.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

We got our water storage racks done! DD emptied the barrels (she was so cute doing it - we use a siphon), we planned this project to happen when it was time to rotate the water. Now we need to re-fill them.

We bought ourselves a wood workbench for Harbor Freight today. We are amazed at the quality of it (in a good way). It's good and study and well designed. Should give us many years of use as a re-loading bench. OH, I dropped the bomb shell on DH, too, that we need another re-loader. Currently we do 12 ga....we need to do 20 ga, too. DS and I like the 20 ga we picked up a few months back......I think it will be my primary hunting gun (I was NOT happy shooting slugs through my 12 ga - I'm sure those slugs were hot - but I LIKE the way that 20 ga shoots slugs)


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

My lives waaay behind me neighbor, stopped by last night... He ask if we needed any firewood. He took down 4 huge oaks and a big pecan that that not made it. And, he has too much wood.( his words), already split and corded. 

HECK YEAH!! We had a trailer back there so fast, it would make you dizzy. I can't do that stuff right now, but we are going to "borrow" my friends son, to help. Ahhhhh Manna from heaven! WOO HOO!!!!


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Woohoo, Anne! Free firewood, already split and everything? That is SO cool. :clap: Manna, indeed!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Man I wish I had a friend/neighbor like that! We have to buy loads of firewood. $300 in wood saves us $800+ in gas bills, but I sure would love to cut down on the $300 bill!

Today is "homeschool clean up". It's time to put away last years books, papers, etc and bring up next years. We take off the month of July from school, so it's a good time to get things organized. 

We had a very productive weekend...so I think we will take today slow and keep our eye open for the escaped mountian lion. I doubt we will see him walking down Main St, lol. He's over on the other side of town in the wooded region, but it's a great excuse for a day off.


----------



## Honduras Trish (Nov 30, 2007)

This month we're working on getting a new field fenced and planted with corn. We've also planted three new fruit trees - mangoes. The garden is still unpredictable, but we're getting nice crops of green beans, onions, lettuce, and garlic. Oh, and we discovered edible mushrooms on our property. That was a fun find!


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

MGM - Already split and everything!!! I know....WHAT?? You are giving it to me??....All I have to do is come get it??? 

We brought 8 cords home so far.....it's 103F out....so, that's enough for today. There is MUCH more....( giggle) Our new wood shed runneth over!!!

He is my new hero!! 

He did ask if he could borrow our tractor and mower.....I told my dh to tell him no....we will cut his pasture for him. It is the least we can do. Hey, at least I didn't have a mowing fight with that neighbor!LOL

I found some BIG cardboard today.....maybe from mattresses? I couldn't tell.....But they are here now!!

The way we see it.....we will save cash in heating costs.....but, our Hay bill is gonna be sickening!


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - great score on the 8 cords so far of firewood.. I have to cut and split my own, but the gas engine powered hydraulic log splitter makes it a bit easier.

Plus my front neighbor feels about his across the county road neighbor - like you do with the non-mowing one.. 

My front neighbor has a pond and told me this weekend, that if water gets scarce the other person has no access to the pond. Before I moved up here, they would bring their friends over onto private property to swim in the pond without asking first (big no-no). Well since the front neighbor's now have a thundering herd of dogs that are contained by the radio signal wire fence/ collar system we installed, and access to the pond is limited/ restricted. Yet I stopped in up there on my way home from town to put something in their house (with permission), the dogs were happy to see me. It could be due to when we cooked out on Sunday, I was the grillmeister and with permission gave the herd some hotdogs. That and I think I have a 4 legged fan-club now, as if they weren't that way already from my watching/ feeding them for years when the neighbor's go out of town. I have seen those same dogs growling, barking, and trying to bite the tires of other 'strange' people's vehicles when they drive in. 

My solar panel charger with a small suction cup in each of the 4 corners, for my project van was at the post office today. So I need to wander down the drive and install it after it cools off - it is *82 degrees* up here at 2 pm today!! No wonder the dogs were wanting me to follow them to the pond and were happy for me - to throw sticks into the water for them to fetch earlier..

Oh, we did get in a couple of new rows of carrot and green onion seeds, in the raised beds up at the neighbor's. Apparently the tall fencing and the dogs are keeping the world's dumbest deer out of the garden up there. Down here, it is a futile gesture to try and have a garden. Those deer will get up on their hind-legs to get at the apples up in the trees, during the fall..

It seems that I have enough left-over food from this weekend's BBQ's - that I don't have to cook for a couple of days. The front neighbor's and myself, never got around to eating a small seedless watermelon, which is now back residing in my fridge..

On the way to my sweetie's BBQ, I did stop at a couple of yard/ garage sales. I found a heavy duty aluminum turkey roaster for a dollar, an older VHS camcorder in the hard sided carry case for a dollar - it does work off of the power supply/ charger, but it needs a new battery. Then I found a couple of smaller wooden cutting boards for a dollar. Those I will need to sand down the cut marks, and re-oil/ put a new finish on them using mineral oil.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

TDD - Eight cords so far? That's wonderful. Just think, you could have been paying for hay AND heat - now you "only" have to pay for hay. 

FR- - Nice garage sale finds. With my upcoming work schedule and the fair right after that, I doubt I'll be getting to many garage sales any time soon...not much time for more than sleeping and animal care in between trips to town. Luckily the neighbors keep a good eye on things when I'm not able to be home.

Got 100 bales of really beautiful grass hay delivered this morning. I'm happy to pay a small amount to have it delivered and stacked in the barn for me these days. Now I need to clear out the other side of the barn and get another 100 bales or more delivered. Normally, I just buy my hay and have my hay guy store it for me, but this year, I'm feeling more of an urgency to actually have more of it on site, for some reason. I guess I'll just feel more secure with it being HERE.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

We have another 8 cords!!:nanner: We are going back tomorrow 
He has wood out the wazoo down there.....He took the 5 trees out he told us about recently.....but there was already a ton more felled, sawn and stacked back there. 
My job today was on snake watch duty.....Annie Oakley style!

I am just tickled to pieces to gain this much fire wood!! I just wish the weather wasn't sooooooo hot and oppressive. 103F again:grumble: 

I told the neighbor, that is giving us the wood, we will mow his pastures....he was blown away. He said " He wouldn't mind getting paid in my Pineapple Upside Down Cake." No problem,my friend, you shall have it tomorrow!!

Yes MGM, you are right.....I could be paying for firewood and hay this winter. No joke....Hay is gonna be like gold!!

Dh is talking about erecting another wood shed right away.

I am still doing research for my commercial kitchen:bouncy: My Bub is still working away from home....so I'm not sure when we can get started. For the price he is charging me to build it..... ( nothing):kiss:.....I'll wait till he is avaliable.

I roasted a Turkey and made dressing today.....trying to clean out the feezers and those 10 turkeys are in the way. It will only be about 3-4 months, before they will be available again. I have to get the ones I have processed, before I am going to allow myself to buy more of those!!


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

MGM - I hardly ever go to town on the weekends, so going to yard/ garage sales are not a common thing for me..

TDD - Lucky you!! Heck, nobody ever offers to pay me in 'pineapple upside down cake'!!
Or with German Chocolate cake either.. I have to bake my own, when I have a hankering for goodies.

Today - first I got the front drum brakes finished on the 1969 Ford pickup. Then with the use of a set of torches and large hammers/ pry bars that I had borrowed from my front neighbor, and a few choice words of profanity (which is very unusual for me) - I was finally able to get the rusted on rear brake drums off the rear axle! I almost let out a 'Tarzan' type yell, when they finally came off. So I stopped for the day at that point and then proceeded to get myself de-greased. Tomorrow I will put on the new rear brake shoes and drums, remove my safety blocks and tighten up all of the lug nuts on the tires. At least I did not have to replace any wheel cylinders or brake lines, only just the brake shoes needed replacing..

Then I can start hauling firewood, to fill my woodshed to the brim/ then more firewood outside under tarps. I also feel a sense of urgency to have more than enough firewood for the winter, stored in a dry place near the house. Even if was 82 degrees here yesterday, and 79 degrees F here at 2 pm this afternoon when I took a break.

On a lark, I had bid on and won another Radio Shack DX-390 digital tuning shortwave + AM/ FM receiver for a whopping $24.71 dollars and $10.00 for shipping out of California off of Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=300571554499&view=all&tid=0

Let's wait and see what kind of condition it is in, when it arrives. Or at the very least, I could always use a spare 'parts radio' for my other 4 DX-390 receivers. One of them works, but has a case that is very rough shape with paint splatters all over it. So in one way or another, it will serve a purpose in the future.

Tonight I am very sore from doing my mechanical work, and saving myself hundreds of dollars instead of having someone else doing the grunt work/ getting greasy in a shop/ garage. So for supper it will be microwave re-heating of beans and rice from previous meals, and I will making burritos using that along with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and salsa.

One of these days, I need to cook up some of the 4 frozen turkeys that are residing in my chest freezer!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Last 2 night my kids have slept out in our tent in the back yard. That tent hasn't been out of the bag in 6 yrs, so it was great for the kids to see how to put it up (and to test me to see if I still can, lol). They have been having summer fun in the tent (IE staying up way too late and getting up at regular time)...so today I'm taking them to the park with some friends to PLAY hard. I hope they drop off early tonight, in their beds not the tent, so DH and I can have some time to sit and talk (without interruption). Need to work out the "next goals" as we are about caught up on the current ones.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

8 more cords!! He told us to take all we could stand!
I gave him his special requested cake.....He sat down and ate one half of that cake without blinking!! That musta been one heck of a hankering for Pineapple Upside Down cake! I also gave him some left over Turkey and Dressing, he was very happy!
I did get 1 fridge cleaned out.... that means 3 more and 4 freezers...but that is a start.
Standing with your head in a fridge, sure beats being out in triple digit temps stacking firewood!! That is FOR SURE!
Meeting with Oncologist tomorrow to decide treatment, wish me luck!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Was supposed to go over to a friends to pick raspberries this morning. Storm rolled through so we had to skip it. I did go out and switch buckets under the down spout to capture the water pouring off for the garden later. 4 gal buckets were filling up in 20 seconds. Of course I got soaked to the skin, and I HATE being wet. But I'm too cheap to let go of all that free water. 

We really need to get our rain water collection system for that downspout finished. Do to the configuration of our house we can't have a rain barrel there, we have a plan...just need to get it done. I'm sure we could have gotten 100+ gallons off the short storm.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Jen- Yes, it is amazing how much water collects on a roof. We catch all we can....we pump from multi rain barrels to large storage tanks.....It is a great savings!! The garden always responds better to rain water than city-fied water. And, It makes me feel good!!

DH ONLY brought 4 cords home today.... It was 108F!! Now, that is just ridiculous!! This is Texas, not hades!! It is 102F and it 9p.m. Absurd!!

Went to Oncologist to map out treatment....comfortable with what we decided.

Worked a while putting down grain sacks, cardboard and newspaper in garden..... soaked it throughly. Thank goodness for that lake!!

Also worked in garage and freezer a while.... but, mostly Dr. stuff.

Have another humongous wedding cake order.....GF coming over tomorrow and we are gonna tackle it.... It will take us a week to make, construct and decorate it.

Picked up a few things on the scratch and dent aisle at the grocery....nothing big....just stuff!


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well the 1969 Ford pickup truck without the camper shell now has excellent brakes, and is ready to haul wood. I may put the sideboard racks back on it to increase the carrying capacity, since it has the over load springs between the frame and axle. That and I did oil changes and lube job on the truck, and my 1986 GMC 4X4. So I feel like I have been a midget pygmy contortionist by working on those vehicles for the last few days. I did loose some hide (skin) and bodily circulatory fluids (blood), but I saved several hundreds of dollars by doing the work myself.

Yesterday, I did battle with the local vegetation again, and got the fire clear zone around the house and structures cleared back. It is drying out, and fire season it is upon us once again. 

Today I got out some of the larger grey military surplus grey ammo cans that have had patches of surface rust on them. I put a wire brush into a cordless drill, and removed the surface rust. Then I primered those areas, and have applied grey paint to them. They may not be color coordinated, but will be serviceable for at least another 10 to 20 more years. I like to store some of my MRE's, canned goods, and such in them. They should be crush proof in the event of an Earthquake, if the house or an outbuilding collapses on top of them.

I am invited up to the front neighbor's later today for another BBQ. That and to see where to place more additional raised beds for when then new fencing gets put up.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Great job RF!!

Been baking all day!!
DH took a well deserved day off!
It only made it to 106F today!!
If you listen real carefuly, you can hear me sizzling


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Kids are with their grandparents for the weekend - it's their Anniversary gift to us. So DH and I went on a handgun touchy-feely trip. I still seem to favor the SR9/SR9c (DH is fine with that choice, too). I now need to get some instruction on how to shoot and work a handgun IE deal with re-coil, etc. I have only shot a handgun once and it was a 9mm.....I was not comfortable at all.

Some great guys at one of the non-box stores helped me work out how to use the slide. Took about 20 min but they had me try different ways till we found one that worked for me (I'm a long gun, gal, so this handgun stuff is not natural feeling, yet). I have a lot of trouble with the slide release as they are all set up for right handed shooters, but in a "fire fight" that won't be an issue I'm guessing. The clerk pulled out his 1911 CCW and showed me how the release works easier with a full magazine and round in the chamber. So, dealing with the slide in an empty gun shouldn't ever need to be a "rush job" so I have time to work that out.

DH and I sat down and booked our vacation flights!! Later this evening we will sit down and book the rest of it. We are going to Disney World, DH is the only one that has ever been there. So far the kids have no idea what we are doing or even IF we are doing a vacation. I think we will hold off telling them till the trip is on top of us. We need the "break", it's been a busy year.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I found another canner at Goodwill Friday...an old National with the original wood handles. It was missing the weight, but since I have several sets of the 3 way weights, I was good with that. Had a 30% off coupon, too.  I passed on the canning jars, though...they wanted as much as for brand new jars, but with brand new jars, you get lids and rings! No bargain, that.

I actually bought the canner looking to re-sell it...one of the aides at work is interested in learning to garden and can. I told her I'd look for a canner for her and make her a decent deal on it. I got a super deal, I can make her a good bargain and still make a small profit to spend on other preps, like lids! I'm hoping to have another prepper in the fold soon...geez, I sound like I'm trying to convert her to a cult, lol. Quite a few of us at work live a prepper lifestyle to some extent or other.

On the home front, though, preps are not going well. The goat kids found a way to squeeze past the gates into my garden...no more peas, no more corn, they ate all the leaves and some of the fruit off the strawberries, etc, etc, etc. I'm so NOT a happy camper. I'm seeing goat kabobs in my near future. :grump:


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Got the water barrels re-filled.

Pulled the bolted lettuce and some of the spinach. Asked the kids what to put in it's place and the both yelled beans. SO we have another corner of beans in....they love those dilly beans, lol. Left some of the spinach to harvest seeds from. Need to start harvest seeds from last years kale, soon.

Moved some shelving in the basement (boy am liking that DS is getting of size to help with the "big stuff"!). It opened up the area were want to build a wall. Should leave me room to add one or two more shelving units once the walls up. That will help me get more of the "non food" items out of the food storage room. Will also get l the fishing and hunting stuff closer to our BOB's, which seems like a more logical location (and it's taking up a big chunk of space in the food storage room). This will also get the stuff DH uses out of the storage room with 5'8" ceilings....his 6'1" body doesn't do too well in there. Which is one reason why it's being converted to a food storage room - I'm only 5'6".


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

OH NO, Mary!! Don't tell me you are having a garden disaster, too!! What a year!! What I have left I am fighting hard for....It is a battle in these soaring unrelenting temps.
105F again today. 
Not much on the prep front today, lots of Dr.appts this week.
I am still baking the Gi-normus cake.
I got to get it out of the way, I am going to need to do some canning, as soon as the Dr.s say I can lift the heavy stuff.
Still piddeling in the freezers


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - you are gonna hate me, cause I am sitting here shivering in the fog with it being 53 degrees outside at almost 8 pm.. Where is my sweatshirt at??? That and my lap warming kitty! I may have to light a wood fire in the wood stove, on July 11th??

It was almost clear down in town along the coast, with very interesting views going down the hill this morning overlooking the bay. Then when I was at the VA Clinic near the waterfront in Eureka (2nd stop) and on the way home as I was climbing the hill, it kept getting foggier. Till when I got home, then visibility was down to less than 100 feet here at the house, and it is almost like an old 1950's B&W grade "B" Horror Movie with bad special effects, and thick fog drifting past the camera!! 

But yesterday the neighbor and myself got some more veggie seeds planted/ squeezed into the raised beds up at their place. We are currently harvesting lettuce and some other salad makings, out of the fenced in/ dog patrolled/ with some stock 'hot fence' garden area up there.

I did find some 'Jif' peanut butter on sale with a coupon today. Then tomorrow after Acupuncture, I will go back with my 'other' store loyalty card to get myself another 4 jars - at $1.50 per 18 ounce jar. Then Wednesday, there is another whole different set of items on sale. I need to look at the sales papers tomorrow, in order to plan my shopping strategy. 

Hopefully I will get a truckload or two of mill ends or firewood moved up to the woodshed this week. I have a feeling, it is going to be a long cold, wet winter this year!!

Oh, before I could post this I received a phone call that there was a daytime burglary today down the road about a mile from here. So I may be installing a video surveillance system for a neighbor, after they get an estimate from the local Alarm Company. We have a partial description of the vehicle and occupant, and it happened around 1 pm today. The 'jungle drums' of the restless natives, are spreading the news of unwanted/ unwelcomed flatlanders (they were headed downhill when confronted by the elderly Matriarch of the family with her .38 special revolver in her hand) quickly across the hilltop. I bet many locals up here are sleeping with handguns under their pillows tonight - since it is difficult to sleep with a .30-30 under one's pillow!!


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

:Bawling: RF 53F.....shivering????.......sniff....sniff

I got this morn up to 85F.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

TDD, you don't want to hear that it was 38 degrees overnight here Friday night, do you? It's 55 out right now.

I'm going to replant the corn with Golden Bantam - it should have a chance to get ripe before it frosts. The strawberries are already putting out fresh leaves and are still loaded with berries, so all is not lost there. I think I'll have to go with bush beans to replace the nibbled pole beans. I think I managed to close the loopholes for the kids, so they'll just have to look through the bars and drool from here on out. Fingers crossed, anyway. I'll just have to depend on hoophouses to get some of my stuff to ripen - I live in a frost pocket and often get my first killing frost in Sept, but if I can get through a few nights, usually around the full moon, I can get another month or so of good weather. I do have to cover the tomatoes before I get rain in fall or they get blight and die a nasty death. If nothing else, though, I'll have potatoes. Lots and lots of potatoes.


----------



## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

I haven't done a lot, but today I am picking up ten dozen Tattler lids (a combined order from a local FB group). Also, on Thursday I am getting a dozen meat chicks. I already picked up the starter for them, and small feeder/waterer. On Saturday I am going to the local swap, and taking some extra Chinese cabbage I have coming on pretty well in the greenhouse. There, I hope to meet up with someone who may have some colored Orp chicks for sale. Also, getting an Orp rooster as well. In about three weeks I hope to get my five turkey chicks-if they survive the shipping, of course. My hub thinks I am nuts to get more birds (aside from the turkeys) but it was a very good deal on the meat birds for our location. They are more than 60 cents cheaper than the last ones we did, four years ago. I won't complain  Garden is perking along okay, but the pumpkins are a complete bust. No ones fault but my own, because I did not get them hooped. Also, looks like I have another person to help out with.....


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

RF and MGM - You guys are ganging up and just being flat mean to me now! Whoever heard of 38F in mid July?? That's KRAZZZY talk!
104F today.....everywhere you look there are cars/trucks with blown tires, overheated engines, animals panting.
Hubs is repairing his workshop...tired of waiting for the insurance folk and he want the windows in, so he can turn on the a.c.!! 
My entire day was spent at one Dr. or the other.
I cook tomorrow......Then Dr.s on Thurs & Fri. Another 2 mo. and I think I will be back to my usual routine. ( I hope!)
YOU GUYS STAY WARM, You hear now!:yawn:


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Yeah, and it poured rain most of the day today (well, technically it was yesterday, since it's after midnight  ) - ugh. It was good for filling some of the water totes that I just dumped out - saw skeeter wigglers in them and they were getting green again. I don't need to water the garden. But I'm ready for some summer weather...not YOUR summer weather, though. I think I'd flat out melt. It's been so cool, so long, that the rare 80*+ days are hard to get used to. When is your first radiation appointment, Anne? I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

Fair time is here. I need to be at the fairgrounds by 8am to give my sister my canning (forgot it sitting on the table today -doh) for the domestic arts dept, finish decorating my department and setting out the trays of wheat to put the garden entries on, and finishing up a few other odds and ends. I need to take my very few floral and garden entries in with me, too, so my own entries will be in place by judging time. I'll take along a couple buckets to throw any tossed fruit and veg discards into - a lot of folks bring extra along while they are deciding which ones make the best entries. If they want to throw the trimmings and extras into the compost bucket or the "I'll use it at home" bucket, great! I do the same thing at end of fair for discards. It looks like I 'll have some tomato, dill, and other misc plants to take home after fair, too. 

I had fun shopping at Amazon tonight. My gift cards from swagbucks all posted, so I had $50 to play with, all free to me. Of course, I LOVE books, so I ended up getting Lights Out for my kindle (on PC), and paper copies of One Second After, Bug Out: The Complete Plan For Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It's Too Late, and Gardening When It Really Counts. I still have a little over $5 left in my gift card balance, too. I already have the points to get 4 more $5 gift cards as soon as August hits, and only need about 400 points to get my 5th card for August. You can only get 5 of any one kind of card per month, and it takes about 10-14 days from the time you redeem them to when they post and are ready for use. So, next month about this time, I'll have $30 to shop with, if I choose to...I might save a few months first and then see what else from my wish list I'd like to buy. I love free stuff! :happy:


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

MGM - I have had the mapping......complete with..... permanent Tattoo marks....that everyone failed to mention!!! (((((( shock))))). I go for a "dry run". Fri. and I think Monday is my day to begin. 6 1/2 weeks. I am not complaining....but, I am ready to get thru it and have it behind me. Tamoxifen for at least 5 yrs.

Ya know, this has been a bit of a rough year here..... with the Knee problem,Wildfires X 2,my sister's diagnosis...and of, course......mine. But, all I have to do is look around the Cancer center, and profoundly know, just how fortunate I am. Such saddness and dispair in so many faces. 

I went to a different Dr. for my knee, yesterday. He is already talking knee replacement.....YIKES!! Slow down, Doc!!!........ I have a lot of pondering to do on that one!!!!

I got up at midnight to start baking....it is 89F. I can't catch a break with this inferno, aka known as,...... the Summer of 2011.....Texas style!

Talked to my Bub, he says we need to wait 'till the weather cools, before we pour the foundation to my commercial kitchen. Texas clay soil, massive heat...won't set up correctly, etc. So, I will have to wait until the time is right and keep on a plannin and shoppin!!


----------



## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Happy days....we got almost an inch of rain thru the night....everything looks so fresh and green. Could rain off and on all day, hope hope. Temps only in 80's though predicted to be back at 100 by the weekend. Pa all excited 'cause he can plant his buckwheat. Now he is happy I pushed him to get the land worked up ahead in the screaming heat. I will plant my late 'taters plus more green beans and do some weeding while it is "cool", relativedly speaking! 

Most activities involve gardening/canning/food production. Our Febuary chicks started laying...got a turquoise-blue from one of the new Aracunas. Fun. We ordered white eggers for first time...look odd to me. But they layed first. Sil-Go-Links we got are old reliables for us. Our old girls lay every other day or so but eggs getting stranger and stanger. Usually end up in the dogs' food.

Tomatoes aren't huge with no rain so have been putting most thru the Squeezo for juice. Only seen a couple of hornworms,ugh. Son making pickles and taking up my frig. First it was peppers and okra but now the cukes are coming on strong. Don't recall him really liking pickles as a kid!!

Fabric came for the back of the quilt I finished so have my next hot weather project lined up. New knitting shop opened up and had to check it out so now working on some new socks. Makes me feel less slothful if I knit while watching the tube. Our public library needs some new books; hard to find anything new to read. I'm grumpy without a new book on hand.


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - Well if I could ship you a huge container full of some coastal fog and cooler temps, I happily would do so!!!

I also know on how you feel with all that you have been thru, and seeing that others have it more difficult than your own present circumstances. I get that way when I go down to the VA Hospital, for my treatments/ testing. Plus I mention it to the VA Clinic doctors, when they ask 'what makes me get thru each day in lots of pain?" (besides the pain meds?) 

The VA Orthopedic Surgeon wanted to do a knee replacement on me, but was hesitant to do so! That is due to possibly making my neurological condition even worse in my injured leg/ knee, from the additional surgery.

At least I can get some of the other Veterans laughing, and I can take being the brunt of the jokes (Hey, I may be a 'dumb as dirt' Marine as I tell them to laughter..) - in order to put a smile on someone else's face, that is having a very bad day at the VA Hospital...

On the neighborhood burglary that happened up here on Monday afternoon, where the neighbor confronted the poor lost misguided confused person. It appears that the low life has now been caught as of Monday night. Here is a link to the story in this morning's local paper, and where the local bad guy got caught after his day long mini-crime spree. Shucks, and I never had a chance to try and catch him after I had heard about it.. He was caught around 7:30 pm/ and I got a phone call after 8 pm Monday night.

http://www.times-standard.com/ci_18467450?source=most_viewed

<<----------------------------------->>

*Sheriff's office deputies make burglary arrest*
The Times-Standard
Posted: 07/13/2011 12:30:22 AM PDT

A Weitchpec resident was arrested Monday on suspicion of three separate residential burglaries and one vehicle burglary committed earlier in the day, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office reported.

According to a release, deputies received information at approximately 7:30 p.m. that an individual driving a white Dodge Durango may have been involved in a burglary at a residence on the 1700 block of Lost Avenue in McKinleyville. Neighbors of the residence told deputies that the driver of the vehicle had discarded a small bag containing jewelry in the driveway of the home before leaving the scene, the release said.

At about the same time, officers with the California Highway Patrol notified deputies that they had stopped a white Dodge Durango at a gas station on Giuntoli Lane in Arcata. According to the release, deputies arrested Sean Edward Simpson, 24, following a search of the vehicle that revealed stolen property from multiple burglaries.

Deputies reported discovering two flat-screen TVs, jewelry, a wallet, stereo equipment, and a laptop computer as well as bolt cutters, a crowbar and concentrated cannabis in Simpson's vehicle.

In addition to the Lost Avenue burglary, *the stolen property was reportedly traced to two other residential burglaries -- one on the 6300 block of Fickle Hill Road in Arcata and one on Maple Creek Road in Maple Creek* -- as well as a vehicle burglary that occurred at the Mad River Beach parking lot in Arcata.

Simpson was taken to the Humboldt County jail, where he was booked on four counts of burglary, four counts of possession of stolen property, one count of possession of burglary tools and one count of possession of concentrated cannabis, the release said.

Simpson's bail has been set at $200,000.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I handed my DS (12) the weather radio this morning and said "make this work". I was tired of wait for DH to do it (we've had it 6 mos). DS was delighted to be asked and had it working in no time. 

DD(8) and I weeded the raspberry/melon bed next to the house. It's been in need for a while now and since it's out front...it looks really bad, full of thistles. I used the hoe and she sat on the ground and pulled "anything green and loose". Now DS is mowing and we are using all the grass clippings to mulch hoping to keep the weeds from returning (and to hold in the water as the soil was bone dry and it rained 2 days ago). Used 3 bucket of water to spot water each plant once the weeds were out.

Have a full load of zucchini in the Excalibur. I was going to make pickles....but I had to much on today's to do list so we just dried them. Plenty of zucchini to come, yet, that I can pickle.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Jen - Do you make Zucchini Chips??? They are fantastic!! Easy!

We are still swealtering, with no end in sight. 104F ugh!!

As of today, roads and sidewalks have started buckleing, leaves are falling like it is late Nov. , everything is just parched.

RF - So glad they caught those culprits!!! They are lucky you didn't find them first!!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Texasdirtdigger said:


> Jen - Do you make Zucchini Chips??? They are fantastic!! Easy!


yep :thumb: I make chips from the smaller zucchini's. They ones that we "missed" and got a bit big get cubed for soups and stews.


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - My neighbor down the road (mother of the burglary victim), the Matriarch of her family - had her revolver at hand and let a couple fly into the air last Monday afternoon on their land.. That bad person was last seen by her, heading downhill and away from my place. 

At least today was another cloudy overcast chilly day (high of 53 degrees F), and I got a huge truckload of firewood moved into the woodshed (all by myself). While wearing a long sleeved shirt, but not a flannel shirt. It wasn't that cold out today......

This evening I can say, "Ouch!" 
And - "Where is the ice pack", and "where are my pain meds at?"
I am either asking my cat, or talking to myself again...

Yet I will most likely be moving more firewood from the lower logging road tomorrow. It all depends on how bad I will be hobbling, in the morning.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Dh said he is going to get some more firewood, from our generous neighbor. He just wants to get the windows in his shop fixed first.....then he will haul again. Besides, that is awful hard work in this oppressive heat.

My knee is painin me this morn... all the tweaking the medical staff members have done to me this week. I hope it is not going to get all fired up again.....that is some kinda pain!!

I have x-rays and labs this a.m., so, I cannot have my usual cup of coffee Caffiene headache already is setting in. I know. That's pathetic. I only drink one cup and I want it NOW!!

Still baking. Need to get back on my jellies soon, if they will allow me. Tamale season is coming up....so, I need to get busy on those,too! 
***** Come on Winter!!!*****


----------



## Honduras Trish (Nov 30, 2007)

We planted about half an acre of a crop to feed the cows during the dry season. I don't actually know what it is - we're just copying the local farmers here - but they call it "cane grass." Anyway, I'm pleased that we're growing food for our cows.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Trish, do the locals cut and dry the cane grass or is it used as standing fodder during the dry season? I'm curious to know more about your life there. 

TDD, "Come on, Winter? COME ON WINTER? BITE your tongue, missy!" We haven't had summer yet here! It's back to clouds and cloudbursts, with intermittent drizzly patches in between.  Fair time is supposed to be sunny....

RF, I'm glad to hear they caught the perp in the burglaries. I love the road name...Fickle Hill Rd. Do you know if it was named after someone named Fickle, or if there si a story behind the name? How are you feeling after hauling all that wood?

Found out I won best in show in domestic arts for a trio of my dehydrated foods - chicken, hamburger rocks and green beans. :happy: I also entered dehydrated peas and canned meats, broth and green beans. Mostly blues, and a couple reds, which I expected as the head space wasn't quite perfect on those jars. Still, they'll taste good when I open them, and red ribbons pay premium money, too, just not as much as a blue. My herbs all won blues in my garden dept (and no, the judge doesn't know whose entries are whose). I didn't have a lot of entries this year, but did pretty well on everything. It MIGHT pay for the computer ink I use getting my dept in order, maybe. Still, it's fun. After fair ends Sat night, I'll have more tomatoes, some dill, coriander, and peppers to bring home and plant. We had 8 flats of various plants donated to fill the display area in front of the department, and we'll be dividing up the goodies after fair.


----------



## Honduras Trish (Nov 30, 2007)

manygoatsnmore said:


> Trish, do the locals cut and dry the cane grass or is it used as standing fodder during the dry season? I'm curious to know more about your life there.


This grass grows very thick and tall, with large "blades" which might really be leaves, I'm not sure enough of my botony to say. It resembles the sugar cane plant, and I'm told they're related. It is sweet tasting (though not sweet enough to use for making sugar), and the cows really like it. 

The plant is cut (and chopped up some, because some of it is thick and hard to chew) and fed green. It regrows quickly when cut, and is hard to eradicate when you don't want it growing in that location anymore. People plant it along riverbanks and in swampy spots, so that it stays watered as long as possible during the dry season. Usually it stays viable until the very last couple of weeks of dry season (which are also the hottest couple of weeks of the year). During those last couple of weeks of dry season the cows are fed concentrate, or they just suffer on what little dried up grass and such they can find. 

That's about all I know . . . this is really my 22 yr old son's project, and so I tried to pick his brain a bit this morning, to share this info with you.


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

MGM - In doing some research in asking my long-time neighbors, and by going on line. I found out that 'Fickle Hill Road' was named for a Doctor 'Fickle' from Ohio, that had started up a small shingle mill here on the hill. Hey, I even learned the origin of the local road name, that the 3rd generation family member did not know when they were asked!

From the book on local history - "Arcata", on page 54 - next to the photo of: the Donahue and DeZordo children pose briefly on the porch of the Mill's Cookhouse. The local timber company bought the old Donahue place, which is to the South (uphill) of my place.

http://books.google.com/books?id=On...esnum=6&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBTge#v=onepage&q&f=false

Well it was once again foggy and damp out today, to the point that everything is wet and the metal pins in my leg are howling at me. So it was a good day to say inside, and contemplate building a wood fire. I may do so tonight, if it gets any colder and damper out/ under 50 degrees F, before the sun goes down..

I did get some mending/ sewing by hand of a couple of flannel shirts, and a couple of pairs of jeans today.

I am just hoping that the sun comes out this weekend! I am wanting to go haul some more firewood, out off of a narrow twisty not well maintained half grown over old logging road. And I really don't want to do it, when the visibility is down to less than 20 feet at times while driving a 2WD truck.


----------



## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Radiofish...how many degrees of heat do you need? I can spare 30 easily. No charge.

This heat supposed to continue thru next week....100+ all week predicted. I'm not a morning person but that is the only time you can bear working in the garden...sunup to about 8 am and then must retreat to the house. Got a bushel of peaches which look like they'll be just the right ripeness tomorrow so will wash up a bunch of jars. Tomatoes cover every surface as they won't ripen outdoors past they start to turn yellow...just cook on the vines. Not that the chickens mind! Blister beetles seem to have retreated from my rotenone spray. Haven't managed to kill the squash yet. Rarely get much of a squash crop--only dreams remain of the huge Hubbards I used to grow in MI.

what is all the rave about zucchini chips? New to dehydrating.


----------



## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Blessed today, a friend called and said he had 8 cases of cut up chicken to get rid of so I said YES. Now I have a freezer full of cut up chicken. I have 6 cut up birds boiling now to freeze for casseroles and dumplins. My hubby is going to BBQ 2 or 3 birds up for lunch tomorrow and supper tonight. We shared some with my parents, inlaws and grandmother and the rest filled up the freezer till I can process them into meals. I feel so blessed today now to head to the garden and gather okra.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

RF/ MGM - I will match Mutti's 30degrees and Bump another 10!
Just hearing the word Flannel, make me sweat!!
107F right now, and we are not even to the "hottest" part of our day!! ENOUGH already!!
And, she is right. By 8 a.m., you are definately hearding for the house, or at least a big ole shade tree! Holy heatwave!! This is miserable!!
Jamala - Great score on the birds..all cut up and everthing!! WooHoo!

Mutti - slice zuchinni wisper thin. I sprinkle a bit of salt, black pepper and garlic powder on them. Place in the dehydrator. That's it! 
Word of warning....They never last the day around here!! They are so good!!


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I'd offer Radiofish another 30Âº but that would make it way too warm. If the humidity weren't 75% or higher the 100Âº would be more bearable. Fortunately we've had quite a bit of rain lately so the gardens are looking good. I swear the peppers grew inches overnight.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I'll take about 20Âº here!  It rained all weekend and I'm really getting tired of cold and wet. I hope the morning will bring some dry weather so I can get my new plants in the ground, play in my garden, and tie the goats out to browse. I finished taking down my decorations and counted ribbons for the fair today, got my premium money and my canning back, so now I can turn my attention to things at home again. I'm way behind on my to-do list for the month and need to make a trip to Costco before much longer.

I've been writing down what I'm eating and seeing if I can eat on less than $20 for the week with a healthy diet. I am amazed at how little it is costing me so far. I am using what I already have at home, but will check the grocery store when I go in next time to get current prices. Cutting out the junk food can't hurt, either, lol!

eta: Great score on the chicken meat, jamala! That's so cool.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

You know it too hot when........One of your dogs brings you a toy, drops it in your lap,......and it's SANTA!!! We had a huge laugh. She dug to the bottom of her extensive toy basket for that one!!!! 107F....again!!

I finally managed to get all that Flour, I bought a few months ago, repackaged and secured. Finally!

I had lunch yesterday with a bunch of friends and their spouses, etc., ( all of us have B-days within hours of one another), so it's an annual ritual.

We had gathered at my Bff's sisters house. ( Most people I knew, some, I did not.) We were all laughing at sillly cards and old age jokes, when one of the DH's said " So, Anne, you have guns, right?", I thought I would choke on my iced tea!!
Well, all eyes were on me then......."Yes, I own a firearm."( Minor exaggeration.).. I excused myself...I didn't want to answer the specifics. I really felt uncomfortable, he brought that up in large group of people. 

He brought it up again at lunch.....again, I dodged. I did not know this guy.....Did I overreact??? It has bugged me ever since it happended. And, I don't want to be around him anytime soon. I REALLY did not like the attention!!!! 

Starting my Radiation treatments today......33 and counting! Little bit anxious....can't deny that; ready to get it behind me.

Finishing the big cake this week... this heatwave is a HUGE factor with THIS Wedding Cake...little nervous with the setup. It's as tall as I am...major heavy( 400-450lbs) ( not me, the cake. lol), and I have already been working on it, more than a week. At least, I have all the hot ovenwork done. Transporting it, will be a bear!

DH is finishing up his shop today. He said he was gonna re-plow the firebreaks....they keep getting wider and wider. Our lake has dropped about 4 ft., we are backing off on pumping water out....unless needed for another emergency. Where is that Tropical rain, when you need it?

Bought 8 round bales of pretty good looking hay the other day. I don't even want to think about the cost! There is gonna be a vast amount of livestock ridded, before this summer is over. Just because there is little natural pasture and folks can't afford to keep them...Shame.

MGM - Congrats on your fair earnings and awards!! Awsome work, girlie!!
BTW - You can HAVE that 20 for sure!!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I gave in. I pulled out the hose and am watering the garden. Did half last night and finishing up the rest this morning. It's crazy dry here after that nasty wet spring.

I gave in on another chore. Saw the weather forecast for this week. I cleaned off the desk and moved it so we could get to the window. We put in the 220V A/C unit for the 1st floor. I was really hoping to go all summer without using it...so much for that thought. I've all ready been sick twice due to the heat. But those were "one day events" on the heat...all weeks going to be mid-90's and high humidity -I can't do that. Even the basement wasn't cool yesterday


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Jen, it sounds like you're nearly as hot as TDD, now. It's a little warmer here today, up to 77Âº right now at 12N. Overcast, with a few sunbreaks, nice weather, actually. I have to go to the fairgrounds tonight and then on to work, though, so I need to take a nap this afternoon.

TDD, I was thinking of you today, wondering if you'd had your first treatment yet and how it went. That wedding cake sounds like a monster. How on earth do you keep a 400+# cake from falling and squashing the layers underneath!  I'd love to see a pic of the finished product. About the guy that kept asking you about your gun(s)...could you get a feel for why he was asking? Did he seem like he wanted info on buying a weapon, or amazed that a "girl" shoots a big ol' bad gun, or just a duffus who doesn't have a clue that you might not want the whole world to know your biz? Ann Landers used to say that when someone asked you a Nosy Nelly question, you should look at them and ask them, "Why on earth would you ASK such a thing?" Wonder if it would have worked on him? 

RF - thank you for posting the history behind Fickle Hill and the other info in your link. I really loved that area when Abby and I visited down there some years ago, and I love to learn the history of an area I've been.  Are you warming up any? I think we might get through the day here without getting wet!

I ended up bringing home about 4 dill plants, the same of coriander, and a whole lot of tomatoes...passed on the peppers. I'm not a big pepper fan so I left those for someone else. I did get some herb starts from some of the exhibitors and a cabbage head from the Grange display. Every little bit helps, right?


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

MGM - Treatment went fine... just a bit of ragged nerves...the unknown factor.
32 and counting.
I build an armature ( usually pvc, etc) and use alot of dowels and off set plates to distribute the weight. Quite an engineering feat!! ha! If you ever watch one of those cake shows...that is pretty much how it goes...there are step ladders, hammers, pipes, pvc, wire, pliers, hot glue.... you know, the usual cake stuff! LOL!!

Mary, the thing is...I couldn't get a feel for him.....I just can't explain how unsettled he made me...it was weird. He creeped me out. I found myself watching the rearview mirror a lot on my way home and also today when I was out. Don't like the feeling I've got.....not sure why.....but, I don't like it.

My gf and I went to Costco today, and I tried to find out if she knew any info about him.....apparently, he is new to the group and no one really knows him. I don't like it.
It has been a long time since someone heightened my guard like this guy has.

Anywho..... We have a Beaver chewing a big tree, that is not close to the water, and is too close to the house.....other than with a gun....how do we make the dingbat stop???

Measley 106F today...ugh!


----------



## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

TDD - glad to hear your radiation appts are going well. My DB is taking chemo, but the hospital has been having problems getting the actual chemo drug. I know I need to leave that up to God, but boy, that's hard.

As far as your creepy dude, I learned a long time ago to listen to my gut. You can always take back being rude, but once you've been harmed - well, that's a lot harder to fix than just with an apology.

Here in CO, we've had quite a bit of rain and are now starting to get the heat. DS in KS says the crops in some places are so bad the farmers are just plowing them under. Food prices are going to get worse, I think. I have been working a lot of OT, but am re-thinking that as well. The Fed takes so much in taxes, and I really worry that if we have a refund come April 15, that the IRS may pay it as an IOU - if at all.

Trying to can and prep as quick as I can.

Moldy


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

TDD - that guy seems "off". If he's new to the group then how does he know you have firearms?? I agree with MGM, if he brings it up again point blank ask him why he's being so nosy.

Well the A/C unit we put in Sunday night died Monday afternoon. It came with the house and we've been here 14 yrs, so who knows how old it is. So last night we had to go find one to replace it. On the up side we found one that runs on 110, so we can have it in the living room instead of in the computer room next to the kitchen. The kitchen doesn't get too cooled off, now, but since that's where cooking happens I'm happy not to have it effecting the a/c turning on and off. We no longer have to have the computer room cool enough to hang meat to keep the living room tolerable (2 rooms away) so I hope it cuts back on our power bill.


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well it still has been cold, damp, wet, and foggy here. So any and all offers of sending us temperatures up to 50+ degrees are appreciated. 

It was 51 degrees here at 9:45 am this morning. So I have pulled out the flannel shirt, for my trip down to town today to keep warm. I had to run the windshield defroster, when I was warming up my cold blooded 1969 Ford pickup this morning. Today I have Acupuncture, and then I'm getting another truck load of mill ends dumped into my truck bed. I may wait until tomorrow to unload them!

TDD - what you posted about the nosey fella inquiring about your owning 'guns', kind of raised one of my eyebrows also.. If he persists on asking in a group conversation, I would ignore him if possible. Maybe he is wondering if you are able to load and fire it? Or if you are like my sister, and can outshoot most folks at the range - hey my sister even gives her big brother the Marine a run for the money when we shoot at targets.

As far as the beaver chewing on the trees, if you were to live trap it and then relocate, they will return to the scene of the crime. If the overgrown rodent starts chewing up everything in sight due to the dry conditions, then S.S.S. or the use of a leg hold trap and a drowning set would remove the problem.

Well I need to get ready for my trip down the hill to where there are things like traffic lights, stop signs, and actual vehicle traffic. Then I always look forward to coming back up the hill and being able to close the gate once again! I may stop and see what I missed that is on sale, from when I was out grocery shopping yesterday.


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Got 98Âº today which was bad enough but humidity was 95%. You can see the air!

Pay attention to your gut feeling. I had a repair man that came into the office that always creeped me out. One day he cornered me at my desk, came up behind my chair and was rubbing himself against my shoulder. I moved away, stood up and got the desk between us. Since I was alone in the office I didn't want to make an issue/fight but I told my boss I didn't want to do business with him again. He came into the office again last year and boldly walked thru reception right into my office--what he didn't know was this time I wasn't alone. The look on his face was priceless when the receptionist asked him if she could help him. I'd warned her about him so she was clued in. The jerks wife now works in our building so I'm keeping a close eye on where he's at. He touches me again and I'm filing charges.

Hope your treatments go well. How is your sister doing?


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Ann - My sis is doing well....still fighting fluid under her arm...but ok.
I am starting to feel a bit of "discomfort", I guess is the word;......But, hey...It could be worse...I am not gonna complain. 31 more and counting 

I managed to fry pork steak outside, last night, in the electric skillet. I just can't bring myself to keep heating up the house in the evenings....too miserable.

I am at the commercial kitchen today, then for treatment. Will see the Radiologist today, also. Will bring home major cardboard for what's left of my garden.

Still looking over my shoulder for creepy guy....He is one of my friends, friend, boyfriend....of the people I have asked, no one admits talking about any firearms or, ownership. I suspect, someone told him, of a group of us, meeting at the gun range, for our "girls night out".

I just hope I don't have to cross paths with him again. ((((shiver)))).

RF - My Big Bub.....That, I have said, you and he are so much alike...IQ and all...taught his baby sister to activly hunt at the age of 8. I have handled a gun more than a lot of macho guys.....That creepy guy REALLY does not want to get toooo close. Especially, if I am with THAT group of gals!

Dang Beaver is still chewing away....I have shooed him away with the dogs a couple of times.... I am trying to discourage him, rather than trapping, or worse. .... I know the dry conditions, etc.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Wow, not knowing how he found out you had guns would creep me out, too. Listen to your gut, Anne.

It was finally sunny yesterday! Of course, I had to sleep through it... Haven't seen the forecast for today (Tuesday) yet, but I'm hoping for a decent day, as in one without RAIN!

I stopped at WinCo yesterday on the way home from work to price items to make up a $20 shopping list (eat for a week on $20, starting with absolutely nothing). I also found Nestle's hot chocolate mix on sale for 3.98 for the 36 serving can. :happy: I bought 16 cans, so I'm back up to over a 1 year supply of cocoa for my mocha coffee.  That's one pantry prep re-stocked since Abby and Donavan moved out. I still need to get to Costco, and I want to stop in at Dollar Tree and Grocery Outlet on the way home this morning. Needless to say, there's buying for the $20 challenge, and then there is buying for the way I REALLY eat, lol.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Not a huge amount on the prepping front today....delivered the big cake to the blast chiller at the event center. I will go up tomorrow and decorate on site. Oh, did I mention..... I am also the Chef for the Wedding. 350 for lunch anyone?? I'll cook Lunch for them, and then a class runion Sat nite. I will be a total zombette on Sunday.
This is the first big full day event, I have taken on since my surgery.....hope I can hold up! DH thinks I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Hope not, 'cause there is no turning back at this point.
I worked ALL day at the commercial kitchen yesterday on a retail order, went to treatment, saw Dr. came home and about collasped!! I was in bed by.....don't laugh....5:40, in the EVENING!! Hey NOW! All ya'll know I am a VERY early riser!!! 
Feel better today.....thank goodness! Lordy, I was zonked!

Good thing about catering at the Buffalo Ranch, I get to bring home all the Kitchen scraps/ egg shells,5 gal food grade buckets, stuff for the compost and lots of card board for the garden. I always feel like I hit the lotto for garden goodness!! They think I'm the crazy trash lady! I don't care!

Sister called this morn...their neighbors have a BIG BIG garden, she said the old guy came by and said go get what ya want, he was tired of messing with it and was going to plow it under.:shocked:

She grabbed the bushel baskets, garden cart and riding mower , a wagon and a wheel barrow 5 gal buckets and who knows what else, to haul.
She will be canning all weekend. She was just thrilled. Remember how disappointed she was, when she got her Cancer diagnosis, about not being able to garden? The Lord will provide! Yep, she was tickled!! She said she was shouting orders..... wash those jars, don't bang 'em around, get the canner down, where's the lids? I would have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall!! LOL!! Actually, what I would have loved more, would be to help her can it all up! Not possible this time.........

We still intend to go get more firewood from our Kindly nighbor. It is just so hot, we can only work on it early a.m. right now. 
DH is starting another new wood shed, they( he and his cuz) are digging the foundation this weekend. He has steel and metal roofing left over from his workshop, so it won't cost any$$ at all!!:bouncy:

Had another round of treatment 29 and counting!!


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

You should probably cut back on work to conserve energy for recovery. Radiation is no walk in the park so take care of yourself. 

I forced myself to pick green beans last night since temps were down to 96Âº. By the time I'm home from work that area is in the shade and there was a breeze (think convection oven instead of just oven!). I got 3/4 bushel although probably 1/3 will not be any good due to the heat. I was going to pull the vines today but we had a nice shower overnight and off and on light showers today so I'm going to leave them and see what happens. I'll be canning beans tomorrow night after work. The rest of the garden is looking just fair except for the sweet potatoes that absolutely love love love the hot hot hot weather. I've planted beets twice and both times they've come up and then died due to excess heat. I guess I'll plant beets again and some turnips and maybe a short row of green beans. Its getting late to plant here but with the excess heat perhaps we'll have a later frost. We've had frost as early as Sept. 1 although usually not before Sept. 15 and sometimes not until October.

I went to Walmart tonight to buy frozen lemonade -- it was $1.18 a can which is 40Â¢ more per can than it was on June 22. I really need to get my head together and inventory my pantry and stock up NOW before prices go up more. I bought 3 boxes of regular canning lids at Walmart for $1.63 (Ball) a box then went to Dollar General and bought 4 more at $1.25 (Golden Harvest). I think I'll go back to Dollar General next week and buy 10 more boxes. The young gal at the checkout asked me what there were. I told her but don't think she understood a word!


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Ann - It's early in my treatment schedule - That is the ONLY reason, I am doing this. I bid the job months ago, so I am going to work it. Spoke with my Dr., she said OK, but only if I really felt up to it. Still no heavy lifting, reaching , straining, etc. I won't book too much in the next month, or so. I hired my young college guy to help me.

I know what ya mean with those prices. I reached for a 5lb block of cheese, the other day, same thing, up 40 cents!

We are going to try to stock up on winter feed. It is climbing daily. Hay is stupid expensive due to our drought.

DH promised he would get the propane ordered and filled this week.....I'm worried it be go price crazy, soon. Trying to keep the cars, trucks, tractors, etc. topped off. Gas went up another dime yesterday.


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I canned another 18 pints of green beans yesterday. Pulled a few weeds but its still too hot to do much outside. Much better today with temps in upper 80's instead of 90's.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I think (maybe), I found a source for hay......so... the guy says. Met him thru the owner of the Ranch, where I catered this weekend. We are hoping we can join for a better price, if we make a large enough purchase. ( He is out of State.... we will check it out sometime this week.
New wood shed is coming along. One thing for sure, we don't have to worry about the wood getting wet in the mean time.
30+ days at 100 degrees or over...and counting. 
I slept almost the entire day yesterday, like I predicted, I was zonked out!! Long weekend!! I'll really have to pace myself, it was a bit taxing...much to my dismay. 28 treatments and counting.)

I have a big load of cardboard to lay in the garden, as soon as it's light outside. There's a few tomatoes and peppers, I'll pick, but too hot for plants to even bloom right now.

Making the trek to the Feed Store this afternoon ( ugh!)


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Stopped at Menards on the way home from taking DS to church camp (he was at BSA camp last week....he's having a blast this summer, lol). Found a 50 gal Rain Barrel on sale for $50. It is "nicer" looking then the ones we make from a 55 gal drum. Since the price is the same the cost of a drum and the "kit" to tap into the downspout we bought it. This one we want on the front side of the house....so "looks" have a value, too.

DD and I went out this morning and picked up our cherry order. I LOVE 30# of pitted un-sugar cherries for much less then I can buy fresh cherries from the store, farm stands or farmers markets. Quarts 8-14 just went into the caner. We still have a pot of cherries on the stove, more juice then berries, that will finish off in pints if the rain storms hold off long enough (we can outside).


----------



## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Treked to Aldi today. Bought 2 cases each of green beans,carrots,beets,corn,tomato sauce. Since I've planted green beans 3x and have yet to get a crop off something that is usually super reliable for us. Something ate my beets but haven't touched my rutabagas yet...then it will be war! How will I be able to make pasties without them? I figured it was time to get ahead on veggies before Uncle Sam took my SS. Plus their fresh produce at our store is way way way cheaper than locally....needed coffee beans, butter and a few other essentials. 90 mile round trip but bet we saved $50 minumum over local prices. Last time I compared register receipts saved over $60 in one trip....even sneaking in some delicious chocolate, wild caught salmon and peanuts for Pa! Usually have a pretty strict list. Plan another trip in Aug 

Sure hope we can finish the tin on son's shed roof tomorrow and he can move stuff out of the garage as we need to see up the honey line soon. Get up at 5 and can work to about 9 before temps start to soar back into the high 90's.

Trying to figure out whether to sell our Jersey heifer. Her buddy will go in the freezer in the fall and I wouldn't have to buy much hay for the one calf left. Pasture still keeping them fat. Could get a milk goat and not need so much hay. I like goats but Pa loves his cows. 

Farmers around here mowing their fields down to bloody stubbs. Brown everywhere. Don't mind not having to mow the yard though....Keep cool everyone.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Y'all have been BUSY! 

TDD, I hope the hay works out for you - saving some $$ and just knowing you have enough hay, period, is a big deal with the drought. Take care of yourself and rest up!

Mutti, I know what you mean about making the big shopping trip to save $$. Before we got a local Winco, My bff and I used to drive to Portland to shop Costco, Winco, and the Goodwill by Winco. I bought enough each trip to overload the shocks on the rig, and figured I saved enough on cheese alone to pay for the gas (of course, gas was a lot cheaper then  ). I still go to Costco a couple times a year and do a major stock up on the things that are real bargains, but I'm sure happy to have the Winco right down the street from work. I love the bulk foods section there. I was pleasantly surprised today to go into the garden and find the pole beans taking over the raised bed - I thought the goat kids had eaten them to the point where they wouldn't come back, and have been ignoring them (the beans, not the kids). Guess I'd better get the stock panels up so the beans have something to grow up!

Ann and Jen, congrats on the canning. I love taking those jars out of the canner and hearing them start to ping! :happy:

I think I have a couple folks to go in on an order from Azure Standard with me - was talking to one of my friends from work, who is also seeing the writing on the wall and stocking her pantry, and she asked if I wanted to go in with her and her daughter on a buy. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while, so I jumped at the chance. I ordered a catalog so I can look over all the goodies.

I stopped at Goodwill after work this morning - found a queen size goose down comforter for a decent price, in excellent condition - label said Costco, and I know they sell good quality linens and bedding. Used one of my 30% off coupons on it, as it wasn't a sale color tag and my coupons are expiring the end of the month. Got it for about $18 including tax. I also found more sheers for the garden, a copy of the Reader's Digest "New Fix-it-yourself Manual" (it shows how to repair small appliances and much more), and I splurged on a book called Witnessing America - has diaries and letters from pioneers and folks living through historical events from 1600-1900 - looks really good. I also bought 8 paperbacks by some of my favorite authors, just plain good stories to escape into. 

I finally stopped at the post office on the way home and picked up my Amazon package with my *free* books in it. I leafed through Gardening When It Counts -Growing Food in Hard Times and the Bug Out book- both look very good. Oh, decisions, decisions - what to read first! Do I re-read One Second After, read the one of the other 2 new from Amazon, or start one of the Goodwill books? I feel rich with 2 days off and a whole pile of good books to dive into! 

Got home, took care of the critters and went to work weeding the garden. The mulched beds were really easy, but the ones with bare ground were a little more work. I have quack grass and some kind of broadleaf weed that spreads RAPIDLY by runners and takes over. Don't know what it is, but I could do without it! The currants are ripening, the strawberries are still bearing heavily, and the garlic has laid over, ready to pull. I pulled a bunch of it and laid it out to dry a bit. It made lots of bulbs that were not divided into cloves, so I'll replant much of it and let it make nice big cloved bulbs by next year. I'll have plenty to use this year, even with planting a lot of it back.

I ran a lot of errands this morning, including getting a haircut (it was time to let a pro cut it this time), but I forgot to check out Wal-mart and see what kind of prep supplies they are stocking. Invalid ID had posted about it, and it's the same Wal-Mart, so I wanted to see what they had. Oh, well, next time!

I'm getting tired (worked the last couple nights), so I think it's time for a nap and a good book.


----------



## lynnabyrd (Oct 15, 2007)

This past week was county fair time for us, and I have children who show sheep in 4-H, so I didn't get a whole lot done. I had mentioned to a neighbor who works at a cannery that I was on the lookout for 5 gallon buckets... well, he stopped by the other evening with about 50 of them for me! Still had to be washed out, but wasn't I delighted! :dance: So I've been washing them when I have time... I'm about half done at this point. 

Manygoats, have you ever talked to the folks in the bulk section at WinCo? Our WinCo carries hard red wheat in bulk, and I've been wondering if getting it there (in full sized bags, of course!) would be cheaper than Azure. And I wonder if I could get hard white, I've never seen them carry it...

I picked up One Second After a few months ago and read it, and then gave it to hubby to read. Up till then he was *kind of* on board with the prepping thing... not active himself but had no problem with me doing it... well. That book turned him around in a HURRY. Now *he* is the one looking up grain mills and water tanks online... best prep I've ever done!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

MGM - just reading your post makes me want to take a nap! I admit, shopping is NOT on my "friendly to do" list....more of an evil that must be indulged in order to live.

Got all the cherries done and then went on to make up 2 qt and 2 pt (I'm out of pts in the house) of sweet pickle relish. Harvested the onions, they are small this year. I don't think they liked the wet cool spring followed by the hot dry summer....need to "watch" them better next year. Humidity is dropping outside and it's getting right down nice out. So DD and I ventured out and re-planted the onion patch with beets. Will have to climb up in the attic of the garage tomorrow and see if I can find more pints.

Now DD is with DH at the range running the clay thrower. DH invited the neighbor out to shoot clays a week ago. The neighbor hadn't shot a gun in 40 yrs (he was 10-12 last time). He had a blast! He mentioned to his dad what fun it was and his dad said he still had his old guns and he was welcome to them. So DH took him back out tonight with his "new" guns and his 2 boys to "play". We are thrilled with the though of more gun in the neighborhood. These are dear friends that are not preppers, but we'd be willing to "take them in" at any time (they are hard workers and can't stand to sit still.....they out work us in a heartbeat)


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Your Goodwill sounds so-o-o much better than ours. I stopped in after work today and bought 3 short sleeved shirts for dh -- two new with tags still on. I also bought a blue pottery tea pot just because I loved it and a heavy glass candleholder shaped like a kitten for dd's birthday Saturday. She loves cats. Three shirts were $11.25, tea pot $2.25 and kitten $1 so not exactly cheap. 

I'm going to my favorite thrift shop tomorrow after work to see what they have. I hope to find dh at least 3 more short sleeved shirts and I'm looking for a knit top in yellow print to match the new slacks I got at that shop earlier this month. I may leave work a bit early so I have more time to check things out as they close at 5:00. I want to get back to Dollar General and buy more canning lids @$1.25 a box. They are Golden Harvest which are the same as Ball and/or Kerr.

I've planted beets twice and they came up and then croaked in the excessive heat. About half my carrots died too. Kolhrabi isn't heading up and chard is crispy around the edges. I'm thinking I'll cut the chard back and see if will come back. Beans are done which is okay because I have plenty canned -- we're eating 2008 right now. I think I will plant turnips again as last planting croaked in the heat.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

lynnabyrd, I haven't talked to the bulk foods manager yet, but it's on my to-do list, lol! I actually have a minor addiction to those white mints with chocolate filling and would like to get a few bags of them (they now sell a lot of the pick-a-mix candies in pre-packed bags) to put in the pantry, since they come and go in the bulk foods dept. They are offering rolled oats, quick oats, and rice in 25# bags now and have buckets, lids, gamma lids and smaller buckets, along with things like grind your own peanut butter. Have I mentioned I LOVE their bulk foods dept? My ddil actually works at WinCo and if I would remember to ask her, she could probably find out for me if they could get me other bags of bulk foods. Seems like we end up talking about everything else, like how she's doing with her pregnancy! :sing: I'm really looking forward to being a gramma again in February, hopefully on Groundhog's Day (my daddy was a groundhog, as is my cousin, so we are hoping to carry on the family tradition). But, I digress. She works in the bakery dept, and can bring home the icing buckets, which they are not allowed to give to the public at the store...so she can give me all I need later, just not AT the store. My kids have very useful (to me, lol) jobs - she works in the WinCo bakery and he makes organic potting soil, so I get to go down and have him fill my truck with the potting soil discard pile whenever I get the urge. 

Jen, reading my post makes me want to take a nap, too, lol - and I DID...slept from about 8pm to after 10am this morning! Feel pretty good now, and ready to hit my chores and garden, I think.... Did you find more pint jars? Try asking for more at the local senior's center, if you have one. A lot of the ladies that used to can have all the equipment, but buy their canned goods at the store now. Or they have passed and their widowers have all that stuff and don't have a clue what to do with it. (I know, sexist thinking, but for that generation, it really was usually the wife that did the canning.) They are often happy to give canning stuff to someone who will use it, and you might be able to hit the motherlode of canning jars! Freecycle and Craig's List may work for you, too. Your friends sound like wonderful people...I bet that a bit more nudging and they'll be stockpiling shotgun shells, and then....fellow preppers of the world, unite! 

Ann, our Goodwill is like many...hit or miss depending on the day and the item. Linens are usually a good deal, but comforters are often $20 for a plain old polyfill, ugly as sin twin size...finding the one I did for $24.99 was a pretty rare deal, and having a 30% off coupon for making a donation brought it down to where I was willing to part with my hard-earned dollars.  It's a beautiful cream color with a texture to the fabric, 6" cross stitching to hold the down in place, satin binding all around, and still has that "crisp" feel to the fabric. It was marked dry clean only, but I know from experience that down is easily machine washed and dried. I'm looking forward to trying it out this winter (but not looking forward to winter yet). Did you manage to get more lids? That's a good price and I've used Golden Harvest jars and lids with excellent results. I think Altrista has a monopoly on the canning lid and jar market, other than Tattler lids. Your garden is burning up and I'm having trouble getting mine to take off because it's been so cold and wet here this year. I was tickled to see healthy pole beans! I'm taking out some bush bean seed to plant in the rest of that bed today. 

Need to replant my peas, too - the goat kids really DID take THEM out completely. Carrots aren't growing either - I don't know why, but they are always difficult for me to get growing...I cover them now until they sprout, but even with that, I don't get the kind of crops that I used to when I gardened in clay. They are supposed to _like sandy soils! I'm hoping that direct sowing the cole-type seeds today will give me a decent fall crop of cabbage, broccoli, etc.

I need to set more buckets of water to filter through the Berkeys today so I can finish my whites...this weather has the rainwater totes growing algae as fast as I get rain to fill them. NOT good for laundry. My well water actually filters better through the Berkeys than does the rain water - I think the algae, even when you can't really see it yet, clogs the surface of the filter.

I have in mind to scrub and bleach the garbage cans (used for rainwater collection) today, then filter the rainwater through a couple layers of toweling and pour it into the cans, get them filled and covered so they are dark and the green stuff can't grow in them. The toweling should take out both algae (at least down to microscopic size), and any skeeter wrigglers, and then I'll have some good water stored for the goats - they don't do well on the iron-filled well water as it binds the copper they need. Then I'll need to scrub and bleach all the totes and buckets so that the next rainfall will not trigger immediate algae growth Some of the sheers I've been collecting need to be used to cover them so that skeeters can't reach the water to lay eggs and so the rainfall will be strained before it hits the totes. I still haven't made time to take a trip to the Portland/Vancouver area to pick up rain barrels, so I'm still making do with my buckets and totes. I'm waaaayyyy too good at procrastinating, especially when it involves a long drive and spending a fortune on both barrels and gas to get them.

Well, I'd better get busy...need a cup of coffee to finish waking me up and some fresh air outside to make me appreciate my life here. _


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Here I sit, Tropical Storm forming on the Gulf, and it isn't expected to come anywhere near us!!!! Dang the Luck!!

Everyone around us is starting to have pressure problems with their water wells.....uh oh!
We have really cut back on any irrigation and general water use. Lake has fallen 5.5ft. Our water catch system is starting to get low, low.

The stupid guy with the hay...tried to price gouge, when we got there. Shoulda known. 
The good part, we passed a field on the way up...stopped back by and the gentleman made us a fair price. He was tickled we were there with trucks and trailers, ready for business. Said he could afford to take the Missus to dinner that night. DH slipped him a $50, and said take her out on us! He saved us from a wasted trip. 
We are gonna go back and get another load before it rains....just kidding...it's not gonna rain!

Got all the cardboard cut and laid in the garden, and all the compost goodness mixed in the piles. Trying to get my head around getting a Fall garden started.

EOM - We will do our usual hardware store/ ammo stock up. Cabela's has a sale. If we have any cash left over from buying feed and hay!! Aye!!

Looking for some new ( better) flashlights, that is on the list this month.
DH said we needed to start bring in ice melters...I looked at him like he was KRAAAZZY. He meant for Winter's ice storms! LOL!! He is expecting it to be a lulu, this year. At least, he is thinking ahead. He is also looking for a bigger generator. He never bought the one he "Really" wanted, last year.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

With all this talk of people thinking it's going to be a hard winter I'm starting to make my "winter to buy" list. Nothing earth shattering on the list, as of yet, other then ice melt....we never seem to buy it and just slip and slide along. Maybe this year we should "plan" better.

Took DD out yesterday for a "girls day". Went to one of the "girly" stores that DS can't stand going into (me neither....but DD is cut from a different cloth). She picked out plastic stick-on nails that smell "fruity", I found a cute bracelet for her and a necklace. The necklace we'll hold for Christmas. I had more fun taking her to JoAnn Fabrics and letting her pick out a sewing box. She'll be 9 next month and this year we are going to start some Home Ec training in school. Picked her up some scissors and a thimble. Needles and such we'll get from a less expensive store. Got myself a needle threader while we were there, my eyes are feeling every one of their 41 years. She's very excited! We will go back in a few weeks for Teacher Appreciation Day (homeschoolers qualify). You get 20% off your order, verses the 15% we can get the rest of the year (I just signed up for the first time). We'll pick out the fabric for our aprons then, I hope then have something nice on sale that weekend.


----------



## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

OhioDreamer...good age to start your daughter sewing. I was about that age when my folks start my sis and I on a treadle machine...guess they figured we couldn't go too fast and sew our fingers! Served us well making our clothes but, unfortunately you don't save much sewing your wardrobe these days. But lots of cute crafty things to make. My daughter and 3 sons all learned to sew by hand and machine. Also,knit. Good homesteading skills to have.

No winter list...just bought more chlorine for the pool! Our 15,000 gal water storage tank! Loggers are gone so have a massive pile cull logs to cut/split/stack but too hot for that job. Planted more green beans, hooked up the soaker hose and optimistic is hoping for a crop after 3x drying up or eaten by something hungry. Pa build a chicken wire cage over the box so take that you rascally rabbits! Groundhogs,possums,racoons....somebody neatly nipped off the beets,too. A smart person would throw in the towel on the gardening season but still getting tomatoes,peppers,cukes, and they haven't finished off the squash yet. Corn knee high by the fourth of July and staying there. ....hence the big trip to Aldi for cases of veggies.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Dh gone to get more hay....3 truck and trailer convoy for us... then hooking up with Buffalo guy's crew on the interstate....should be a sight!

Still no chance of rain for us this weekend, so he should be able to get back.... and ..then sheltered tomorrow.

#10 treatment today....23 more to go!! WOOHOO!!!

I am BEYOND ready to get back to my usual routine, I could just scream. I am soo bored with all the medical stuff!! Dirt...I need to dig in the dirt!!


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I agree, Mutti, no $ savings by making your own clothes. But I'm a cheap person so I pick up sheets and fabric at garage sales, thrift stores, etc. Enough that we can make up items we need, if we have to. Found a nice heavy "work fabric" at one of the Mennonite thrift stores....they sell fabric of $1 a yard. I have no idea what I'll use it for, but there are 4 yds sitting in the closet waiting, along with other "finds"....amazing what you can make out of a flannel sheet you buy for $.50 at a garage sale, lol.

Did the monthly shopping, today. Looked at fabric at Wal-Mart for DD's first sewing project - pillow case. Didn't find anything we liked for the prices. Walked around a bit and found some sewing "kits" on clearance for $3! One has a cute print that makes a cute girly pillowcase (pink and purple and says I Love Sleepovers). This kit also has a nightgown you make for your doll, pillow case for a doll bed, and something else. DD was thrilled with it and I was thrilled with the price.

Spent about $5 and filled our can rotators. We are now "re-stocked", lol. I'm amazed how little we have used and not automatically replenished. Now, if I could just cut down on my running out for this and that we'd be even better off. I went back to making menu's and building my shopping list from those. If I stay faithful to the menu and resist running out to add this extra or that, we should be good.

Cleared a spot in the garden....darn caterpillars got my zucchini's again this year. At least I got 8-10 before they died....last year I got none. Now to sit and decide what to do with the vacant dirt - beets, bean, greens, radishes... decisions-decisions, lol. Saved some seed from the kale that wintered over last year. This will be my first attempt at seed saving...can't see how it can go too wrong, at least for kale.


----------



## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - I wish that I had the ambition that you are showing, even with your medical treatments... When I saw all of my doctors recently, I asked them if I could dial back the dosages on some of my prescribed pain medications, since I don't like feeling like a 'drooling idiot' all of the times. So I feel for you, on how many more of those treatments that you have yet to go thru!! 

I myself am looking at another trip to the VA Hospital in SF next month, and then again in September or October. Oh goodie, I get to experience more of the VA's industrial strength delicious nutritious hospital food, and the joy of sleeping on an iron framed military style rack. With the 600 mile R/T there and back thrown in - it is almost like a survival training, if one goes wandering around downtown San Francisco after the sun sets! I do not leave the installation while using public transportation at night, since I have been to SF many times over the years and have no need to go and play tourist.

But the sun has finally been out up here for a couple of days, and I have been doing more of my outside chores. I need to get over to the far side of the property, and start hauling more firewood. I also think it is going to be a rough time this coming winter. Even if it is 81 degrees here this afternoon at 2 pm, and I taking a siesta till it cools off outside/ or when my pain meds kick in - whichever happens 1st!

I did my trips down to town earlier this week, and found a few bargains (loss leaders) at the stores. I did get a few items, and shoehorned them into the cabinets/ rubbermaid totes. I also scored a couplle more large blocks of paraffin based candle wax, off of Freecycle and Craigslist this week. So I will be making more candles sometime in the future, using metal molds and recycled glass containers. 

I did bring out all 4 of the generators out into the sunshine and ran all of them for a hour, so that I am sure that they will fire up when I actually need them. I would only run those generators to keep my fridge and freezer contents cold/ frozen. Otherwise I have alternate means of light, charging my deep cycle batteries, and my laptop computer will run off of 12 VDC. I do have all of my many 5 gallon gas cans full, along with 3 vehicles that are full of fuel - I do need to fill up my small 4X4 when I go to town next week. I didn't do that on my way home from the South end of the county on Wednesday, since I had a vehicle full of stuff.

The garden is starting to produce salad fixings (lettuce/ carrots/ cucumbers/ radishes), since it got a late start due to the wet weather. Yet I am hoping to get to the farmer's market soon for some tomatoes - I can't grow them here in the fog.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Dh & guys are out stowing hay while it is cool. I fixed them a hearty breakfast, so they are trying to get it done before sunrise.
I am so thankful to get that off of our list. DH & I was really starting to worry. It wasn't the best price...but, at least we have it on hand. It's just gonna be that kind of year. That's one of the reason's we activly prep, right?

Don, the Tropical Storm, died an instant death, as it met up with the High Pressure cap that is frying all of Texas. POOF!!! It was gone.
We were not on the path, but I am sure sorry virtually no one got ANY rain. Too bad.

The Cotton Farmers, should have no trouble getting the crops in with good market weight.

The heat is expected to build to beyond record highs next week 107-108F forecast. Now our humidity is up......so, we have "air you can wear."

Gonna make hubby rest for the remainder of the day....he has been in the heat and is worn to a frazzle.


----------



## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

Sure wish you would all box up and send some heat and sun up here, the garden could use the boost. I've been taking broccoli and putting that up in the freezer, and I have some cauliflower to pull this weekend too. 

The meat chicks are now up at the barn and today I am moving my turkey chicks up also. Picking up a round bale, from a different source later on, I hope it's good. 

My sis dropped off a bunch of salsa fixings, so I did up a couple cases of rather spicy pints, with more to process over this weekend too. I think I will also take some cranberries out of the freezer to make cranberry ketchup. Need to make whatever space I can about now, as the garden starts to come in.

And I am definitely going to try those zucchini chips. I can't afford an Excalibur, I have an older American Harvest dehydrator and it works pretty well for me.


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

My dehydrator is a plywood box ds made in high school shop -- ds is now 50 so you know its a good dehydrator. The shelves are screen stapled to wood frames and the heat is from 40 watt light bulbs in the bottom. It gets too hot with more than 2 or 3 screwed in. I have to switch trays around since there is no fan but the price is right. I can remember the day he brought it home and was feeling bad he hadn't had enough money to buy a handle. I had him glue a wooden spool to the door as a handle and its still there! We've replaced the screens once or twice but otherwise it as original.

I pulled my onions today. Very disappointed in the size. I have them spread out to dry before storing. I'll sort then to see if I need to dehydrate any. I prefer to keep them in storage. However, sometime they don't keep so they get dehydrated.

I think tomorrow I will plant turnips, beets and ?? where the onions came out. I've planted beets three times and each time they came up and were promptly cooked by the excessive heat we've been having. Its 1:00 a.m. and the a/c is still running. Dread what the electric bill is going to be but thankful we have a/c. Dh can't breathe when its so hot and humid.

I went to thrift stores last week and found 7 like new (2 were new!) shirts for dh so I'm cutting buttons off his old raggy ones for the button jar. The old ones will go into the trash as they are too thin for the rag bag.


----------



## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Ann,we've not been able to keep beets going either. Glad to find Aldi is now carrying cans of them! Bought two cases. Have replanted them 3x....got enough for one meal. Last batch getting big and went out to find them totally nipped off. Rutubagas doing good; guess nothing likes to munch on them 'cept us! Third time to plant green beans,too. The onions I pulled weren't as big as I'd like but they certainly were well dried! Should keep ok. Two more patches with tops starting to dry up. Most years we get over 50#. Will be glad to get 10 this year.45 years of gardening and this is the worst year ever. Kinda sad for all those first timers who decided to try gardening. Hope they don't give up!


----------



## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Mutti - I've been gardening since I got married 50 years ago. It amuses me the number of preppers who think they can use their stored seeds and eat well when they've never gardened before. I know, as you do, that some years you will not get a crop of some things and some years nothing grows well. Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold and weird combinations of all! We usually have nice potatoes even tho some years they are quite small but one year we did not harvest a single potato and neither did out neighbor. It was so wet they rotted away. 

When I have a successful crop I can, dry, freeze, store every bit so hopefully we'll have enough on hand until we can get a new harvest. We're currently using up the last of 2008 green beans. I was only able to can 29 pints this year because of the heat/bugs ruining the plants. Last years I had very nice beans but due to mosquitoes was unable to pick so only canned about 30 pints. However, in 2009 I canned around 90 pints. We usually eat at least 2 pints a week as its one of the very very few veggies that dh will eat.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Spent the afternoon at the range. It was closed as it was a work day. Kids and I worked on the paint crew for the club house. We and the 4-5 other guys were able to get a fresh coat on it (someone else power washed it during the week). DH worked on the "extension" crew. We are adding another 50 yds to the rifle range, making it 100 yards. They have all the posts in and are staring the sides and roof (yep, we have to have sides and a roof on our outdoor range....there was a lawsuit 15 yrs ago and this was the decisions. Some city guy moved in behind the range....claimed his house was getting hit.....400+yds away!? He thought the 50 year old range should move, because he moved in....none of the previous people in that house had a problem.) DH will go back a few times in the evening over the next few week to help finish up and epoxy paint the floors in the clubhouse. I did. finally, get to meet the local cop that does the CCW class and is willing to teach me to shoot handguns. So once we get the SR9 (we'll buy it from the cop....he sell firearms, too, and has great prices) I'll get him to teach me to use it....then take the CCW class just so my butt is covered.


----------



## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Today, My family and I "tackled" the veggies in the kitchen... We put up 2 trays of onions , 1 tray of green peppers, some okra (trial test) and some carrots all in the dehydrator... Then we shucked/decobbed 4 dzn corn and froze them, did 3 qts tomatoes and cut up a gallon size bag of okra!! I love the days I can add to our stash ( even though it tires me out!!)


----------

