# May 2009 Prep Journal



## Guest (May 1, 2009)

You just never know what's going to come down the pike in the preparedness world. Here we all are concerned with making sure we can survive our current economic depression when all of a sudden we get a surprise flu outbreak. Too early to tell yet if it's going to be turn into something serious (outside of Mexico) so we're just going to have to keep a close eye on it. There's nothing to say that survival scenarios cannot overlap each other so it's something we have to learn to cope with. For all we know we may get still another laid down on us on top of what we're already dealing with. An ability to think on ones feet and adapt quickly to changing conditions is a critical survival skill. 

Prep wise we've been kind of slow around here for being caught up with the usual spring activities of getting things planted and wrapping up the school year for the kids. This will change soon though as we've got another cannery date coming up where we'll replenish what we've used lately and expand the long-term storage a little more. Pretty soon now we'll have our two year supply of the most storable foods.

This is going to mean getting under the beds again to push the older stuff to the front so that I can put the newest stuff in the rear. I'll take an inventory then so I can determine what else we need to replenish. I know it needs doing as I've got empty canning jars coming out of my ears again. Lots and lots of vac-sealing to be done when I fill them once more. The kids are getting bigger so we'll probably expand the jam making as well.

We all need to keep on top of the news, from as many sources as we can find, because events may break fast as circumstances begin to influence each other in ways we might not immediately forsee. As I said earlier just because we're dealing with an economic depression and a potentially serious flu outbreak there isn't any rule that says we can't get hit with still another potentially serious situation at the same time. 

Forewarned is forearmed.

How's the prep month looking for you folks?

.....Alan.


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## joyfulheart (Mar 26, 2009)

Yes, I'm worried here. Two kids I know have the swine flu nearby (CONFIRMED), yet the schools have said nothing, and it's not posted on any CDC or health department sites. They're acting like it didn't happen. 

Yesterday picked up a few groceries needed so we can stay home for a week or two and not need to go get anything. (normal gocery stockpile, not emergency foods)

Today, I need to can some chicken and ground beef, but I think that's it.

I do need to find a grain mill-- I bought wheat and have no way to grind it! (anyone know of a good cheap one???)


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I've been busy cleaning strawberries to make jam. I bought about 20 lbs from a local farmer, and my own plants are full of green ones so we'll have lots of jam. We use it in yogurt, smoothies, and on pancakes and french toast too. I've even stirred some into oatmeal. This year I'm going to dehydrate some too, although that doesn't seem as useful as jam. 

I've also used this flu threat as a warning to check my medical supplies. I'm fully stocked now on all kinds of pain and fever reducers, cough and cold items, Vicks products for shower and vaporizer, alcohol hand cleaner, and I made some little baggies of the rehydration powder someone on this board posted.


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## timfromohio (Jun 19, 2007)

We are continuing to add to our stored food inventory. Picked up extra medications, N-95 masks, and powdered Gatorade mix due to the Swine flu. Finally ordered a Big Berkey - we have a well (the water from which has been tested and is fine - we drink every day) and a well bucket to use should the power be out for an extended period, but I decided that there was risk of contaminating the water in the process of bringing it up the casing using the bucket thus the need for the Big Berkey. Busy trying to get things out in the garden and get started collecting canning supplies.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Most activities revolving around the garden right now. Planted out 80 tomato plants and more in greenhouse...we plant for 3 families and like various varieties for juice,canning and sauce. Alot of our neighbors waiting on good weather to come get plants...I planted in the rain all week! Must say nothing wilted and they seem to have grown overnite. Got 2.5 INCHES rain last nite alone. Tucking in flowers everywhere. Have around 100 various pepper plants to go out. Planted beans and our Hickory King corn...we grew the white last year and got a 5 gal. pail of seed; now want another pail of the yellow. Onions,garlic,spinach,beets,broccoli,cabbage,pak choi loving this damp weather. Strawberries drinking up the rain. Since we covered them with Remay the last two years they have tripled their production as tests at the U of MO suggested.

Did an inventory on canning jars and bought 6 doz. more qts and 2 doz. pint jars. Still have 93 qts. of food and 44 pints to empty. Mostly tomatos,beets,g.beans,grape juice and venison stew. Did a quick shopping trip and if we had to stay at home we'd be all set...got plenty of coffee! DH runs on it.

I'm wondering what kind of precautions our nursing home will be taking...son and I work the weekends out of town and if things were to actually become pandemic we'd surely not go on the road. We are very isolated in our part of the Ozarks if we want to be--nearest stores 10 and 12 miles away. Dead end road so little traffic except people we know. DEE


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## iLori (Feb 1, 2009)

You guys are so organized! I'm finishing up a refi next week. This will leave me with a little over 50% equity and no other debt!  

I'm a newbie on all the rest though. I have a years supply of salt, a canner I don't know how to use (I do have the blue book though), a few toiletry items and a VERY big wish list. I figure I'll have about $1K to spend on my prepping. (I'm a recent awakee). 

I'm thinking a Berkey, a chicken coup (got babies coming in a couple of weeks), some heirloom seeds, a few books and pantry staples until the money runs out. Then I'll try to chip away on that wish list every two weeks. 

I don't feel too worried about the flu. Don't know if that's a good thing or not. I was hit in Jan harder than I had been in decades. My youngest DS had it this week. I just don't seem to feel any looming sense of doom though. I guess I'm grateful we've got good healthcare and common sense. I lost a friend to the flu about 4 years (40 yrs old) ago so I know it can be dangerous. 

If y'all have suggestions on the best use of my little nest egg for preps, I'd love advice. I've learned a lot on this forum.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

We are not really prepping for the flu, just for whatever may lie ahead. I used rainchecks I found in my wallet to get the following today, 8 pkgs of 24 rolls of tp, 2 jars of Mott's applesauce, 2 pkgs of cotton balls, and 6 bags of 5 lbs of Domino sugar. The local grocery store also had the following on B1G1F and I added them to our preps: 4 pkgs plastic 16 oz cups, 3 cans of maxwell house coffee, 8 jars of coffee creamer, 6 bottles of canola oil, 8 bottles of ibuprophen, 7 bottles of acephetamin, and 3 pkgs of paper napkins. Earlier in the week, I was able to get 8 cans of tuna for 50 cents each and 10 boxes of female supplies on sale. The truck is coming in Monday, so I hope to add 10-20 more boxes as we have three teenage girls. The garden is up nicely. We canned the last of the mustard. The pig and steer are growing nicely. The hens are averaging 5 eggs per day, the five chicks that hatched will be ready to go into regular pens in about 6 weeks and a silkie hen is sitting on 8 more eggs now. The female rabbit is bred back and hopefully one of her babies from the last litter is a female. We need to add more females. I made the first strawberry jam this week, added kiwi to it. It is a nice blended taste. I am getting strawberries from a local pick-your-own farm and plan to put some away in the freezer. I wanted to can them, but the ball canning book does not recommend it. DH and I like them for frozen margaritas and ice cream in the summer. I will probably make at least one recipe of regular strawberry this year. I still have 6 jars left from last year, but DH loves it. I ate the first two wild dewberries this afternoon. Hopefully I will have lots to pick, enjoy eating fresh, and put some away this year along with the wild blackberries. There are lots of blooms on the blackberries. The blueberry bushes are loaded as well. They are large, but still green. We still have 3 varieties of peas to plant, but we are succession planting this year, so that they won't all get ready at the same time. DH plans to finish the root cellar this month. I was owed some temporary disability payment from work's insurance, so we plan to buy the following books: Seed to seed, meat smoking and smokehouse design, and the more with less cookbook. We also plan to buy a steam juicer and a corn grinder to use for chicken and rabbit food. DH is inheriting my dad's newly restored 1959 John Deere 430 tractor. It is a rare one with power steering. It is actually too pretty to use, but we must. He plans to put it in the local parades, but it will just have to get a bath prior to them. We hope to save and buy our own harrow, rotary mower, and scrape blade sometime this year. We use dad's now. I guess I could say our prepping plans for the year are coming along nicely.


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

Garden-Garden-Garden-Garden!!!

alan

p.s. Also found a patch of wild blackberries on our place this afternoon. Looks to be at least 5 gallons ready to pick. Sister and grandnieces are supposed to pick tomorrow while I am running yard sales/auctions looking for E-Bay merchandise. Will make beaucoup jelly.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I have been so blessed this week. DH found a job. His new boss is obviously a prepper cause park of his hire package is a $500 family preparedness package. DH has no idea what to choose from the list so he's sending the paperwork to me so I can choose. I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the list so I can find out what the choices are. 

I've been trying to get a garden planted between the raindrops. 

Happened by a man on the side of the road selling baby chicks. He was tired, fed up, and just wanted to go home. I bought 5 chicks but he gave me 35 so he could pack up and go home. He also sells peafowl and is interested in trading some guinea keets and more chicks for my old male peacock. 

I butchered a hog and turned the whole thing into sausage. It put a lot in the freezer. Now I need to add some other meats.

A prepper friend ordered a case of apples from the cannery (6 #10 cans). She doesn't like them so ask if I'd be interested in them. We've worked out a deal to trade part of my sausage for the apples, so I'll have a case of apples tomorrow and she'll have several lbs of homemade sausage. 

DS bought 2 solar motion lights and put them up for me. Now I have some outside lights to help me see to move around in the dark without carrying a flashlight, but they don't interfere with the "good" dark. 

I got a surprise present this week, a pair of those little robot floor cleaning machines, both a mop and a vac. I love them! I run the mop twice a day, my kitchen floor has never been so clean! haha I strongly suspect they were re-gifted, but I still love them. They free up a lot of time for me to do other things while the house cleans itself. 
I'm now working on finding a way to get more goat fencing so I can fence off another pasture for rotation browsing this year, and I'm planning to buy 2 bales of hay a month to get a winter supply built up. 

That bout covers everything that's gone on over the past month and delves into the future a bit.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

The flu situation has to get a lot worse, for me to change... it could get worse, or be a dud. I worry more about the regular flu that kills folks on a regular basis.

Spending at least half an hour in the garden each day... if half of my garden produces, I'll be able to fill the hundreds of fruit jars I've got stashed...

This morning, planted six more fruit trees in the orchard... didn't really 'need' anything, but did have some 'holes' in my grid pattern. Got a supersweet peach variety, a supersweet nectarine, an ayers and asian pear (I only have one Asian pear, and love it), and two persimmons. We have gobs of local persimmons, but the fruits are small, and you have to wrestle the ***** for em.

All of my pear trees are loaded. I'll have to decide whether I want to can em or dry em... hopefully I'll end up with several truckloads this summer.


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## shellycoley (Mar 6, 2003)

We got the big garden planted the other day. Then it rained yesterday so the little seeds could get started. We planted straight neck, patty pan and wennie (zuccini) squash. Two kinds of green beans, two kinds of okra and cucumbers. A couple of weeks ago we planted 18 tomatos and 12 peppers. 
The broccoli is comming along nice and we should be getting lettuce in a couple of weeks.
When money is tight(er) I like to get something usefull done around here. Hence all the time in the garden. lol
Shelly


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## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

We are going to get some more canning supplies this month, and do a bit of extra canning and freezing of the garden produce this year. It can't hurt to have extra supplies in case more bad things happen. I have to say the things I have canned and frozen have really made it a lot easier for us this past year.

My oldest daughter's best friend asked me for some lessons in canning at home, she wants to start preserving her garden produce. Aren't converts great!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I got three leghorn/heritage mixed young pullets and one rooster given to me...A real blessing as our hens were killed in the fall by *****, and these are young birds, but I dont have to pay for chick starter or the electricity for the heat lamp. I stuck them in a rabbit hutch for now, as they are still small...I need to get the hen house and run area ready. I know leghorns are a meat breed, but anyone knpw what top expect with the mix?? I was hoping for some eggs


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

I thought leghorns were the top producing white egg layers????


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## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

I picked up a small shipment of bulk grains last week and am finally getting around to sealing them up today. Since I don't have any buckets, they're going into mason jars. But my vacuum sealer quit on me. I think it over heated. With only five more jars of rye to go, I'm hoping I didn't kill the thing for good.



Other than that, just getting the garden veggies going.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Annie, I know nothing about them..I posted on the poultry forum looking for advice, id welcome any you have to give.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Just came home from a FL vacation and got home to see the garden comming in, squash, and string beans are ready to be picked in the morning, fresh potatoes are ready to be dug for some good eating. I love this time of the year in MS!


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

My garden is looking sad. My first year of starting saved seeds vs. store bought plants (tomatoe, bell pepper, cucumber and melons) has gone poorly. I have learned from the experience and know how to do better next season. Do have corn, beans, taters and onions coming up well though.

Have my DH on board just enough to accept me buying 50 lb of flour and sugar at a time. Found a bucket source so that bulk buying makes sense. He understands the full depth of my prepanoia finally. He has come to accept it since I told him "Hey, it makes me happy. It may be odd but at least it isn't smokes, alcohol or a crack addiction." He agreed to cut me slack because it makes me feel mellow and sure is more practical than prozac....or whatever.:banana02:

Have minimal flu type preps. Nothing special but did put me slightly at ease. 


Most of my preps are knowledge and experienced based at this point. even though my memory fails me constantly I have a great recall when the actual knowledge tidbit is useful. 

Newest additions to the ole brain:
*Oral electrolyte solution recipe
*How to restart lactation (THANK YOU ALAN. My baby had issues and is on formula now, something that causd great anxiety until I realized that if SHTF I could "freshen" if I had to. Formula is so expensive and hard to stock. THANK YOU ALAN, great website, I need to read more of it)
..........plus too much to think of off the top of my head.


Lots to work on still. Biggest to do is prepping to my peace of mind but doing so in a sane way that fits my lifestyle. No need to have oddities in my attic for my grandkids to marvel over.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

beaglebiz said:


> ... I was hoping for some eggs


You'll get some eggs. I think leghorns are good egg layers.

I bought some cornish that I was planning to send to freezer camp and sonofagun if they are turning out to be good egg layers! I have 5 hens & a roo, the ladies are supplying 4 eggs a day. I just might keep them and see if they can hatch a few chicks (or maybe I can stick a couple eggs under one of the banties, LOL) if the roo is doing his job.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Lots going on around here
1 garden tiller - large sized. 
1 garden fence and 2 gates built - the gates actually open too
1 chicken run
1 calf paddock
3 blueberry plants planted - 3 grapes to go
25 asparaus roots
30 lbs of potatoes planted
30 chicks - 15 almost ready to sell
1 heifer calf/ 1 bull
80 lbs of honey -purchased
2 bee hives built and ready for the bees
1 9-tree orchard planted
2 raised beds built - 4 to go....
1 case of BenGay used.


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## Guest (May 12, 2009)

Did a Sam's run on Sunday. We've been so caught up with other things we hadn't gone in nearly two months. Now I've got a counter full of stuff waiting to be repackaged and put away. Got a cannery run coming up this weekend. Should bring us pretty close to the two year supply for the most storable foods.

Got a brooder full of Delaware, Jersey Giant Black chicks, and Midget White turkey poults so getting the current tractor-in-construction finished has climbed the priority list. The garden wants fertlizing and more mulch too.

Pretty much typical spring. Lots and lots of stuff to be done outside and the weather hot enough that I'm not enthusisastic about getting it done.

.....Alan.


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## jehoshaphat (Feb 13, 2004)

we were able to do many things over the past few wks. planted blueberries, found some raspberries growing wild at mils so transplanted them to ours,built several raised beds for lasagna gardening, bagging grass from mils & our 2 acres to use in composting/mulching, purchasing as many items from list ea wk as $$ allows. have a nice selection of overall list. there are a few holes but hopefully can fill them soon. next is to build small portable henhouse to get a few chicks. have fencing for them so we can use them as a chicken tractor!! bought 9 doz canning jars @ garage sale for $3 doz. more than I wanted to pay but less than store. got word out that i will take all unwanted jars! sorting stuff to have a garage sale & then use $ for tires for truck.


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

We got some long-term preps in over the last few days, in the shape of planting a small fruit orchard (6 apple trees, 2 cherries, 2 plums) and blueberry, cranberry, and blackcurrant bushes, and asparagus & rhubarb crowns. 

Our next task is to build the chicken coop so that the 25 week-old chicks can move out of the garage as soon as they have feathers


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I did a huge Costco run this last weekend, buying 15 boxes of tortellini on clearance, and also new bags of rice, flour, sugar, coffee, spices, toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry soap. 

We've planted most of our garden and I have to say I'm disappointed in the heritage tomatoes I grew from seeds in February. We bought some potted hybrid tomatoes from Lowe's that are much larger and more vigorous than what I grew. I nursed mine along in good soil, perfect lighting, transplanting, frequent watering, fertilizer. And yet the ones from Lowe's are twice the size!

I'm planning to organize the pantry and garage again in the next few days. I noticed my peanut butter and tuna stock has gotten low without being marked on the inventory.


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## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

The month is flying by and there is still so much to do. May is always one of the busiest month around here with planting season coming up. The chicks are getting big as are the quail. Hoping to cull some of the mature quail as the next set is due to hatch next week. One of the rabbits is also due to kindle next week...DD will be thrilled. 

The raised beds are almost done. Hope to add compost, turn & plant this week. Glad I waited as we had two hard frosts this week. The cat is once again banned from the greenhouse after she destroyed some of the seedlings...seems ya just can't have anything nice...


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## yellowsprings (Feb 1, 2006)

I have been replenishing my medicine stocks as it seems that flu season is being extended this year. I usually wait until late summer to stock back up but I would rather be safe than sorry.

My buff orp chicks are 15 days old now and growing like crazy. I still need to move the smaller coop out of the dog run and closer to the larger coop. I also need to start stocking up on chicken feed again. I usually let my supply dwindle in the warmer months as they eat less when they free range. Another one of those I'd rather be safe than sorry things.

The garden is coming along nicely, despite the deer pulling up some of my lettuce plants and dumping them back on the ground uneaten. I still have one section of vining plants to plant and am waiting for the rain to stop long enough for me to get in there without sinking in mud up to my ankles.

As soon as we get the property taxes paid, I plan on buying cases of food stocks again. It has been about 6 weeks since I bought any substantial amount of preps.


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## pamintexas (Jun 15, 2002)

I got 6 baby chicks for Mother's Day so now we will have 7 layers. We are working on building a super strong chicken pen to keep out the varmints. A couple weeks ago we lost 6 chicks to a big coyote. 

I set out a fig tree and planted a tangelo tree along with several herbs. We have the soil for another raised bed and need to go through our scrap lumber for stuff to build the sides. Kids came for Mother's Day and helped with several projects including putting in fence posts so we can finish the fence around our back yard. Cleared out an old compost pile to make room for a chicken run. I am harvesting green beans, Swiss chard, green onions and radishes but so far don't have enough to start canning. I bought 12 new pint canning jars and 12 quarts.

Also for Mother's Day I got a great book that should help with the preps: "Little Heathens, Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression". I love this book - it has lots of information and good, old-fashioned recipes too. 

Today I'm driving to a nearby town to pick up catfish and minnows to restock our pond. We had a drouth this year and lost all our fish. ( Too many obstacles lately!


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## two_barking_dogs (Sep 17, 2002)

I planted most of the garden at the beginning of the month, 150'sh tomato plants, 40 squash plants, 20 eggplants, 20 watermellons, mess of cubes, peppers, misc stuff, and 2 rows of sweet corn and a quarter of the pole beans. Going to plant another half of the pole beans this coming weekend and then the remaining quarter in 2 weeks. 

Picked up 25 more boxes of canning lids from Freds last weekend bringing my total lid purchases the past couple of weeks to 75 boxes. I didn't buy all of the lids this time and actually left some lids for the next person. I figure I could get through the 2011 harvest without needing to buy lids if I have to. I figure I use 30 to 50 boxes of lids a year. Although I'll buy more later in the season if the news looks poorly or will buy more next year for sure.

Ordered another 4 cases of rice and 2 cases of wheat from the LDS website to add to my stash. Just opened up a can of the rice for use with last nights dinner which got be thinking about it. I took inventory this morning and this weekend I'll shift the remaining cases around, rotating, to make room for the new additions. Their prices have sure gone up over the last couple of years and I need to restart my search for an LDS member in my AO who will take me to the storehouse which will allow me to avoid the shipping costs.

The weathers been perfect here in no-ga this year and the blueberry plants are loaded with berries this year. Not riping yet but loaded down. I need more blackberry and raspberry plants so have them on my list to get this coming winter.

I love this time of year


.


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## Homesteadwi5 (Mar 16, 2008)

Got the gardens all tilled up(we're still getting frost though)A friends daughter is going to college so we'll be picking up all her hens and 2 roosters,to add to the flock we have.
Started to build the solar shower today to save on L.P. in the warmer months.Have been making at least three loads of firewood a week,up here firewood is like money there's no such thing as to much.


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## shellycoley (Mar 6, 2003)

We have lettuce!!! The little plants in the big garden are up and going. 
Tomatos look great. I keep mulching them with straw. I spent a couple of hours Sunday weeding the lettuce by hand.
I finally found washing soda now I'm planning on making homemade laundry soap. 


Shelly


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## rickd203 (Sep 11, 2005)

I got my compound bow and arrows this month. I was really surprised at how accurate the new model bows are. I was hitting a fist sized target at 20 yards after just a couple shots. I can't wait to getting it out someplace where I can work on longer ranges. This will be a good way to put extra meat on the table without attracting unwanted attention.

I found a good deal on a boat and trailer. $100.00 was just too good to pass on. The boat was homebuilt and about 25' long. It has a real good potential of being converted to a cabin cruiser.

Only about 12 days to bug out (moving) day! :bouncy:


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## MoGrrrl (Jan 19, 2007)

I've been working on using up what's in the freezer and canning jars, so we can have space for the summer bounty. DH is pretty much in charge of the garden, and he is doing great. We are about to run out of space in our urban garden. There will be 40 or 60 tomato plants, beans, potatoes, broccoli, peppers, tomatillos, eggplant. I've added drink powders (like Gatorade to our supplies) in case we have a bout of flu. Also got some sanitizing gel, and will add more through the summer.

Costco has some coupons on some of our regular items, so I will stock up on those.

I am also working an extra hour or two here and there, so I can bank some comp time. I'm pregnant, and will need as much paid time off as possible when the baby gets here. Right now I have 6 weeks of sick time and I'll be taking 12 weeks off. 

We are also getting rid of unnecessary stuff in the house, to make room for the new baby. I am trying to shop garage sales for things we need/want for the baby's arrival. 

And today, I worked at a marketing event, and came out with a trash bag full of bagels, open but large containers of jelly and peanut butter. That will help the grocery budget go further in other areas!

And I offered to teach friends to can. I'm not an expert but I'm passable, and would love to get them started too. Also on the friends front, I am sharing plants with a friend. Good to keep everyone fed and develop our knowledge.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Congrats on the move, Rick! And congrats on the coming baby, MoGrrrl! What a blessing. :angel:

I'm busy with the garden - the red currant is totally loaded with blooms this year and starting to set tiny fruit - should be a good harvest. The strawberries are setting fruit as well. I've been selling extra plants on the barter board, as well as extra rhubarb, raspberries and herbs, etc. (Shameless plug here.  ). Check out my thread. With the money from the sales, I'm adding to the orchard, gardens and preps. The raspberries are looking great, sending up new shoots everywhere, and the start of blossoms can be seen for the spring fruit set. I've been transplanting a lot of my extra herb plants to garden areas just for them - I have tons of catnip, for instance. Planning to harvest and dry all my herbs all summer, making them into added value items like herbed rice bags (great heated in put in your bed to warm your feet or placed on sore muscles), and catnip mice. Anything to provide a little extra income stream NOW, to pay for preps needed LATER.

I lost my from-seed tomatoes to frost, but the ones I bought from the "tomato guy" are looking good. I bought a few wall-o-waters last month, so am trying them out. I already think I'm going to end up buying or making more of them. The frugal part of me thinks I may be able to construct some from the vacuum sealer bags. May toy with that over the next few days, as I have more tomatoes to set out than I have protectors. Had a hard frost here last night, and with clear skies forecast for the next 3-5 days, I don't think we are past the last frost yet.

Am working on trading some of my plants for wild blueberry bushes and walking onions with a poster that isn't too far from me for an in person trade. I love blueberries and figure the wild ones are probably better acclimated to soil and weather conditons locally, so I'm hoping that digging and moving them while they aren't dormant won't damage them too much. I figure on preserving as large a root ball as I'm able, and putting them in 5 gallon pots for the trip. Then I'll plant out half and keep the other half in the pots until fall - hopefully one method or the other will prove successful. :shrug:

I bought a band saw, Dremel brand, for $50 at a garage sale, now to learn how to use it. Also got a Craftsman workbench for $10, and have picked up a few more tools and clamps here and there. Eventually, I'd like to have a well stocked shop and a genny to run the tools, well, and major appliances when the power is out. I've also been buying bookshelves at garage sales - spent $35 and got a large upright bookcase and a shorter, longer one. I can use them in my storage room for pantry shelves. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy them than it is to build.

I figured out a good use for the old "garage pavillions" I bought years ago. Those are the frames with tarps over them that you see being used for carports or storage everywhere. We are very wind exposed here and mine, despite being well tied down, were decimated by wind storms. With the parts that are left, I'm covering my strawberries - using just the top and some short T-posts, sticks, etc, to lift it up enough to make getting inside more comfortable, I'm covering them with remay and tulle to keep the birds out. Last year I discovered that white tulle laid right over the plants cooked the fruit and damaged the leaves. By elevating the covering, I hope to eliminate that problem. By only elevating them a couple feet, I'm hoping to stay below the wind and keep them from flying off again - they'll be sheltered from wind by the raspberry patch.

I added more wheat seeds to my winter red wheat plot and covered the seed with some straw mulch to (hopefully) confuse the crows until the wheat is up and established. I don't know if I'll get a crop from the winter wheat planted with last fall's growing wheat, but I figure if nothing else, it'll help keep the weeds out, and will make straw for next year's mulch. I also tossed out the rest of the seed potatoes (small ones saved from last year's garden) on the ground in the orchard and covered them with old, rain damaged hay. If all goes well, I'll have an extra potato harvest and the hay seeds will help to extablish a thicker stand of grass in that area. All the potatoes from last year that I planted in this year's garde are up and growing, but the experiment with the store-bought Dutch Yellows hasn't yielded any sprouts yet. I'm hoping they weren't sprayed with anything to prevent germination. Even without them, we should have a good potato harvest this fall.

We lost one of our RIR chicks - found dead outside after a big blow. The other 4 were smart enough to go in their dog house shelter and were just fine. Survival of the fittest, I guess. Still, I hate to lose even one chick. The others have adapted well to free-ranging for their food, although I do throw a handful or 2 of dry COB to them every day. Moved the last buck kid (January kid) out of the doe pens and put him in with his daddy and another buck. The 3 are getting along quite well - we breed for temperament as well as type and milk, so I'm happy to see how nice they have been to the little guy, even when he was raising a racket. He has finally cried himself hoarse and only cries now when he sees a human! It's been nice to have a little more house milk, too. I might finally get to try my hand at cheesemaking and to make some more soap. I need to place an ad at the feed store and sell off some of the goats - we really have more mouths to feed than we get production from, and should sell off at least half the herd. We've sold most all of the kids so far this year - have a couple promising doelings we are keepings, a wether to sell, and the little buckling that is likely going to be retained as a jr sire unless I can make a trade for a less closely related buck. I don't really want to sell the Obers, but am considering cutting back to only the LMs...with times being what they are, I have to be more objective and less subjective about what we keep.

Still trying to get the house more in order and prune out possessions we don't need, in favor of what we really use and should keep. Trying to help my ds, too, so I've told him to list my older Ford p/u on Craig's list and get me $600 out of it, which is what I paid, and anything over that out of the sale price, he can keep. It's worth at least $800 as is, so he could do okay on it. He's a good saleman, so I figure he'll be able to sell it. I can use the extra money, too. I bought the truck off Craig's list a few years ago when I needed a canopy - I'm keeping the canopy, and should get my money back for the truck - not too bad!

Still tightening our belts further and further here. I have a budget for garage sales, as that is a great way to find prep items, tools, etc, and I don't buy anything that is not either useful or something I can re-sell for more. I don't go into stores hardly at all, and when I do, it's to get what is on my list and check out the closeout racks. I'm planting more and more fruit producing plants in our landscaping, and using the closeout racks to add other landscaping plants. As much as 20% of the value of a home can be in the staging and landscaping, so even though I don't anticipate selling, I want to do as much to improve our equity level as possible. I do want to re-fi as soon as the rates go a little lower, so having it look better is a good thing. As far as other spending goes - other than the necessary food for us and our animals, I'm just not spending much at all. I'm still tracking every penny in and out, and it really makes it easier to see where the money goes and where we could cut back. As garden production ramps up, the food costs should go down, too.

Another reason for cutting down on the numbers of animals is to get to where I have enough transportation to get all ouf our stock out in one trip should we have an evacuation scenario come up. Should we have a wildfire or the volcano blows again, I want to be able to get all of the animals into the trailer and truck, SUV, etc for one mad dash out of here. Along the same line of reasoning, I'm pushing my dd to study the driving manual so she can take the test to get her permit. I want to have 2 licensed drivers in case of a bug-out situation. With 2 rigs to drive, having her driving one will help get us out faster.

Using our Big Berkey daily for drinking, cooking and whites washing water - I absolutely LOVE that filter. Unless you have truly ugly well water, you can't know what a joy fresh, clear water can be! I highly recommend them, and have an order in for replacement filters to have on hand.

Good grief, I didn't mean to write a novel here, just guess I have a lot of plans running through my head, and a lot of projects under way. Thanks for being patient with my nattering on!


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

This month I am going through to find little forgotten holes. Things that don't cost much but have been missed. Tomorrow I will be getting sewing supplies. We have material, patterns, buttons, zippers, snaps and sewing machines, but I just realized I am running low on thread, pins, needles, etc. The other little thing we need to resupply is bolts & screws. We had a box that has been used for almost 20 years but it is down to slim pickings.


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## theant00 (Jun 18, 2002)

I found a very weak hole in my preps, a female thing. My daughter developed the yeast infection from hell. We had a very bad "flu" go thru here in March, I really think it was a version of swine flu. An employee that return to Mexico for a funeral returned to work and then him and his whole family were very sick, then it made its way thru the whole company. Anyway me daughter had lung congestion that turned viral and she was on antibotics for 45 days, hence the mega yeast infection. She did yogart and all the preventives all that time. 
Anyway, cut to the chase, topical pain relief was not prepped. 
I went thru 5 rolling first aid stockpiles, we had many products, but all were for unbroken skin.
Major wake up call to me.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

This is just pure, unadulterated _*nosiness*_...but I am curious how much prep you have accomplished: six months, a years' worth, two, three, five?

Stef


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## Guest (May 17, 2009)

Stef said:


> This is just pure, unadulterated _*nosiness*_...but I am curious how much prep you have accomplished: six months, a years' worth, two, three, five?
> 
> Stef


I haven't inventoried recently, but I believe the family storage is now very close to a two year supply of the most storable foods that we use - wheat, corn, rice, sugar, rolled oats, dry milk, and maybe a couple of other things. Most of the rest is somewhere between six months to a year. When the Torpid Season (June through early October) rolls in I'll do a complete inventory to see exactly where I'm at. I'll correct any deficiencies then, but other than those really storable things I mentioned I won't be expanding the rest beyond simply bringing them back to where they ought to be. Mine is a small house so storage space is at a particular premium. Can't store nearly that much fuel, but I've got a two week supply at our normal consumption rate. Enough propane to last several months (20lb tanks) and I add to that whenever I can pick up a tank at a yard sale or something. After that I'd have to go to wood.

This doesn't count anything that we can produce here on the homestead from the poultry, garden, and other plantings.

As for today to the cannery we went. Had lots of help. A little too much in fact. I think five capable people to the table is ideal. Eight or more and you're in each other's way. Nevertheless we cranked it out and got it done. Wasn't as big a run as we usually do. The cannery volunteers said it's been kind of slow lately. I reckon without a clear and present danger staring folks in the face that it's pretty much the usual crowd keeping their stores replenished. More white wheat, rolled oats, rice, and sugar. They were out of milk today. The cannery folks says there will be price changes come late June, but they don't know what, in which direction, or how much yet.

Now I've got to find somewhere to put all this stuff from today and the run previous to this one. I've got enough cases of cans in the living room in my way to build a bunker with. I know where I want them, it's just taking the time to do all the moving that has to be done to get them squared away. Another week of 95 degree days will probably motivate me to stay inside to get it done.

.....Alan.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

theant00 said:


> I found a very weak hole in my preps, a female thing. My daughter developed the yeast infection from hell. We had a very bad "flu" go thru here in March, I really think it was a version of swine flu. An employee that return to Mexico for a funeral returned to work and then him and his whole family were very sick, then it made its way thru the whole company. Anyway me daughter had lung congestion that turned viral and she was on antibotics for 45 days, hence the mega yeast infection. She did yogart and all the preventives all that time.
> Anyway, cut to the chase, topical pain relief was not prepped.
> I went thru 5 rolling first aid stockpiles, we had many products, but all were for unbroken skin.
> Major wake up call to me.


Yep, been there done that. I keep a 14-day supply of the OTC yeast infection cream and the external cream too. Sorry about the TMI, but there's almost nothing worse than that awful feeling. We also eat lots of yogurt and cranberry and all that, but after a round of strong antibiotics sometimes nothing but the Gyne-Lotrimin stuff will help.

Glad you're both feeling better, and have access to the proper meds.


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

Just realized yesterday that I should not have given away all those cloth diapers. We have a zillion small babies in this family! And I know my kids are going to have more. What was I thinking? Now I have to make diapers or buy nasty paper diapers to put in preps. GRRRR!


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## theant00 (Jun 18, 2002)

Mom of 4, I had those also, but this was extreme. I know understand the cure was the cause. She chose the 1 day treatment from Monistat, then chose to use it on a Saturday expecting to be home all day and kind of relax, but her BF's mom was rushed to hospital in another town and she spent 18 hours in ICU waiting and the stuff migrated causing what was basicly a chemical burn. Sorry guys TMI, but it happens and we have to be prepared.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

We got Dh's tractor, a rotary mower, and a scrape blade this weekend. It is a 1959, but is in great working order for its age. While we were coming home, we stopped to get gas and while I was paying, I noticed a clearance box at the convenience store. I got 4 rolls of peppermint lifesavers for 29 cents, and two large pkgs of extra gum for 39 cents each. I figured I would add these to the stores for "comfort" sake. Even if I can't brush my teeth for whatever reason, I can have fresh breath. DH says I am hopeless. I never pass a bargain. I got strawberries and hope to make some jam tomorrow and I am putting some donated onions in the dehydrator. We will begin digging red potatoes this week and I will get them canned. I acquired a replacement buck rabbit and two laying hens while getting the tractor, along with 5 dozen canning jars. The doe gave birth to 5 baby rabbits and the hen has hatched 5 healthy chicks so far this weekend. Boy, the farm is growing fast. It is raining a nice slow, soaking rain tonight, so I don't have to water the fruit trees and garden for several days. Praise the Lord!


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## Guest (May 18, 2009)

Spent part of the morning and afternoon finding places to put eleven cases of #10 cans. The freezer is covered in jars of this and that which I vac-sealed last night and are now waiting to be labeled and put away. 

I still have about another twenty cases of cans waiting for me to find some place to put them. I know where about eight of those will go. The other twelve I have no idea yet...

.....Alan.


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## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

I made a few dishes in the solar oven, testing some recipes. One that came out really good was jerk chicken wings. Boy they were tasty...tender and delicious! But the best thing about testing the recipes was not in how good the food turned out. It was finding out that the pans I had gotten with the solar oven were unacceptable for long-term use.

The pans got discolored spots, from corrosion. I think finding this out now rather than later is a good thing, because I can get new pans before I actually need to have gppd, working pans that will hold up for a long time. So for now, I am using the backpacking kit and they are doing well. I just want some larger pans, as well as a few other sizes so I can prepare things like cake and breads, and larger dishes such as soups and stews, or roasting a chicken or two.

Due to the size of my solar oven, the pans can only be a certain maximum height, so it makes the search a little harder. But the oven itself is a dream.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

I shopped some Memorial Day sales and got the following: 6 bottles of ketchup (79 cents each), 4 squeeze bottles of pickle relish (80 cents each), 4 plastic cuttlery (50 cents each), 80 pkgs koolaid (10 cents each), 12 each spagetti noodles and elbow macarroni (50 cents each), and 400 coffee filters (200 for 99 cents). I had the pasta and the ketchup on the prep want list to add to our previous numbers, so it was a great time to find them on sale. Someone recently mentioned picnic supplies as a prep items in the case power is out due to storms or such. I had not thought of that, so I thank whomever mentioned it. I am adding those items as I find them on sale. Blessings, firegirl


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## Henry (Mar 1, 2006)

Garden and greenhouses are going great guns here. I noticed a few are having troubles with frost. Seeing as we deal with frost all summer [the first year our longest frost free period was 7 days] I have a few thoughts that might help. Greenhouse is the easy answer but for those outdoor plants that will be tough later on we have a method that works even if you get a foot of snow. We drink cranberry juice and buy it in the large containers. What we do is cut them in half and that gives us 2 clear covers to put over our small starter plants. It protects them,warms the soil, lets the light through and is easy to take off on those good weather days. Any large clear container will work. We have amassed around 600 even so we usually need more. Of course this is only for when the plants are small to get them through a bad spring. Works good try it.


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## insocal (May 15, 2005)

I'm headed to OSH for a small gas grill that I can use on my balcony. I got rid of the jumbo when I moved, and really should have one. I hope it's such that I could stick a pot on it to boil water if need be, otherwise I'll be wanting to get a camp stove, too.

I may just pick up some shrimp today and slap THEM on the barbie.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

a neighbor was cleaning out her freezer today and blessed me with 15 quarts of frozen blueberries from last summer, she needed the room for some shrimp she was getting, I am so excited, will be making blueberry muffins for breakfast.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

I also hit the Memorial Day sales, and stocked up on the loss leaders...

In getting out some extra alkaline batteries for my ham radios to do a public service event this weekend. I discovered where a pack had "leaked" and were discharging a chemical substance. Luckily I always put the individual packages of batteries in their own ziploc bag. So no external damage was done to the other contents of that particular 5 gallon bucket of earthquake kit of items. I try to have a dispersed set of items in every container (food, flashlight, batteries, ammunition, hygene, fire, utensils, etc.).. So if I loose 1 container, I will not loose the entire supply of one specific item.. Plus if I can salvage just a couple of those buckets/ containers after a disaster, then my odds of survival have increased dramatically.

This 8 pack of AA alkaline batteries had an expiration date of Oct 2010. So I need to go thru all of my dry cell battery stashes (AAA, AA, C, D. and 9V), and check for any other "*bad batteries*". These were a name brand that supposedly "keeps on going, an going, and going..." I called their 1-800 number, and customer service is wanting to send me coupons for new batteries.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

That's nice, Radiofish, that they are going to replace the batteries for you.


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## Guest (May 24, 2009)

Spent the afternoon at a friend's house setting up their grain mill and showing them them the ins and out of milling. Then we made a couple of loaves of bread. They've been prepping for years, but have never really gotten into actually using all of the wheat they've been putting away. Some what to my surprise both loaves came out beautifully. My style of bread making is somewhat unorthodox and doing so using a mixer I've never used before with a strange oven I was a bit trepidatious, but it came out well.

.....Alan.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

firegirl969 said:


> That's nice, Radiofish, that they are going to replace the batteries for you.


They had better replace those batteries.... The packaging had a 1-800 phone number, and I told them of the "best by date" on the packaging.. As I stated earlier: It's a good think that I zip-loc everything here, due to the high humidity/ marine environment.

Those of us old enough may remember in the late 1950's-1960's when "heavy duty - dry cell batteries" had guaranties printed on them (Ever-Ready comes to mind) to repair/ replace any item damaged from battery leakage.

This evening I pulled out all of my Ni-Cad battery packs for my many ham radio handi-talkies. Found one battery pack that needs a new Ni-Cad insert installed. It would not take a full 12 VDC charge. Luckily all of my H-T radios take, that same model of battery pack.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

I scored big yesterday. Mom, sister, and I went looking at antique stores. I found an oil lamp, not an antique, but a new one that had never been used. It was 1/2 price, so I got it for $4.98. It would not raise the wick, probably why someone got rid of it. DH turned the wick around and it works perfectly. Yipee!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

After a nice walk in the woods we came home with a branch we used to make our first figure 4 trap. The whole family was involved and enjoyed.


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## Guest (May 26, 2009)

Spent yesterday morning doing more straightening out in the food storage. Pulled all the cases of vac-sealed stuff out from under the girl's bunk beds. One of the perils of keeping stuff in a kids room is that bits and pieces of toys always end up amongst my jars. Pulled everything out, cleaned out the toys, cleaned up the dust, rotated in the newest jars, rotatated the oldest into the storage cabinets so they will be used soon.

In the afternoon we made a run to an area super Wally World mostly for toiletries, several cases of beans, and for fabric for the wife to make some dresses for the girls. The Kinder Major is nine now and mama is teaching her to sew. They'll be doing that for one of the Major's 4-H projects this coming year. Came home from that and set to milling flour and meal for the week's bread while Diana dated the stuff we'd brought home prior to it being put away tonight.

Got distracted while measuring corn into the mill, miscounted the number of cups I'd put in already, so overloaded it. Had my heart in my mouth when it plugged up and stopped, but was eventually able to get it cleared out and going again.

.....Alan.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Strawberries coming on strong so will make jam this week and freeze alot,too as DH loves them in his homemade yogurt. Bit box of garlic for $2 in the grocery mark-down bin. Got several dozen toes for son to plant and another two lbs. of good garlic that I peeled and froze. We have a whole 3'x16' box devoted to onions/garlic in our garden. 
Life pretty much revolving around the garden these days. Everything mulched and growing great. Lots of big green tomatoes and early beans blossoming. 2" beets already....was surprized to discover them. Supered up the bees; had to actually feed several colonies after 3 weeks of rain/gloom but now it is warm so they are flying again. Having some problems with skunks who love to eat bees. And armadillios which are impossible to catch. 

Hauled winter hay for our manure factory. Discovered where our Posey Bob barn cat went..whoa,did he smell. Don't know what happened to him....Pa hauled him out in a box and grandson said...oh, a Happy Meal for the buzzards! We are all silly.....DEE


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

The garden is going very well. We have had a good bit of rain, so even with the 80+ days, no watering has to be done. I thought the tomatoes would suffer, but they are beautiful. I took the teenagers and we went to where I had spotted some wild plums ripening along a road about 5 miles away. We got about 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket full. Some are not ripe, so I am putting them out on pans to finish ripening. I will make plum jelly out of them. My only cost will be some pectin, sugar and jar lids. I can't wait till it is made.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I've added walking onions and wild blueberry bushes this month, as well as comfrey roots and I have grapevines ordered from Ninn. A dear friend called to tell me his tomato overstock is waiting for me, so I'll be making a trip to pick them up. I've sold a lot of plants this past month and then replanted the extra splits from the rhubarb. I'm still tilling and planting, aiming to finish all of the initial planting by the end of the month. Haven't finished all on my to-do list for the month, but put a pretty good dent in it.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

DH and I picked blackberries this afternoon and I kept out enough for a cobbler for tonight's dessert, and we had 6 pints to can. I also canned 5 pints of peaches that DD and I picked on Friday. We picked our green beans and had enough for lunch and 2 quarts to can. I also used some peaches and had my first try at making peach preserves, which I got 2 pints and 2 1/2 pints out of them. DH is getting very excited at the amounts of food we are growing and putting up. He has not been all that thrilled about self-sufficiency as much as buying from the store, but I see a big shift in his attitude. Yesterday, I found 27 quart jars, some with rings, and 1 wide mouth pint jar inside an almost new Rubbermaid clothes basket for $10 at the thrift store's 1/2 price sale. I figure the clothes basket is worth all most that much.


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## kully (Feb 19, 2008)

Friends of mine bought a piece of lake property from the heirs of an elderly relative that died last year. Her house had termites real bad and the house was just abandoned with all her things still inside when she died. That included a pantry that I was envious of, full of her canning. My friend said I could have the jars . Well , of course I wanted them. The only jar I found that was dated was 1995, and all the jars had the rings left on them, rusted,and many of the lids had completely rusted away and contents dried up. It was a real job, but I got all those jar rings off, emptied and buried the contents(yuck)and got those jars washed and boiled to sterilize. There were 81 quarts, 29 pints and 1 half gallon. -A real good prep, considering I got a new canner for my birthday Monday.--- They were all regular mouth size though, no wide mouth , which I really need some of.


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

kully,

How did you get the rusted rings off? I have about 10 of DH's grandma's jars that are like that. He says he will get to it, but that was 3 months ago. Maybe I can do it myself. Thanks, firegirl


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## kully (Feb 19, 2008)

Hi firegirl. I had about 40 of those jars that I could not get the rings off by hand. On those I used a church key type bottle opener hooked under the top of the ring (where the ring rests on the lid) and pulled up about every quarter inch all around. This freed the top of the ring. Then on the bottom of the ring (where it rests on the threads ) I used the tip of my trusty butter knife) and raised up all the way around . This worked on every single jar. Oh , I also wore a leather palm glove to twist with, after I wore a blister on my palm. Some lessons we learn too late. Good luck with your jars. 
Kully


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## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

Thanks, Kully. I will learn from your mistake and wear a leather glove. Blessings, firegirl


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