# May 2012 Prep Journal and To - do List



## Ciffer (Sep 13, 2010)

I finally got around to ordering some more gamma lids and mylar bags so I could package the rest of the white rice that I could immediately after the Fukushima disaster (approx 450lbs of fallout-free rice). The rice had been in buckets, just not in liners or with gamma lids. 

So far I have 5 buckets packaged with o2 absorbers. I also packaged the bulk of the gereric macaroni and cheese I bought for 25 cents per box last fall. I put each box's content into a ziplock sandwich bag and sucked out as much air as I could then sealed it. I have a bunch of other dry goods in mylar bags and gamma lidded buckets that I need to package, probably will use dry ice as I am out of o2 absorbers.

I have also recently switched my labeling system to the other language I speak, which uses non-roman letters and numbers. I am not sure if this provides much of an advantage to me but at least it prevent casually observers from knowing what I have stored or how much.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Ciffer said:


> I have also recently switched my labeling system to the other language I speak, which uses non-roman letters and numbers. I am not sure if this provides much of an advantage to me but at least it prevent casually observers from knowing what I have stored or how much.


Neat idea!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I almost forgot this was a new month.

So, I pulled from the old thread to start this May 2012 thread.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/sp...paredness/437926-april-2012-prep-journal.html

So you can catch up with the last few posts before posting on this thread.


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## AmberLBowers (Nov 28, 2008)

More garden work of course. Bought supplies for DH to install my new 100' clothesline. Not just as a prep but frugality. Before we moved last year, using a clothesline at our old house save us $30 a month in electricity.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Im hoping my cothes line will save me $$$! Get to grocery shop on the 5th so checking all sale ads. We finally got rain so less watering of the garden!


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

My Mantis came....happy dance. Putting it together was a matter of an hour or so.We've had a Mantis for years so,fortunately, had a clue what went where as instructions weren't the best. A dvd to show you how to put in oil/gas and start...why not one on how to assemble??? One plus for a Mantis is how they kick out rocks and you can dig a hole easily in our rocky soil for tree planting. Expect much happier days with the Easy Start feature,too. Not big on pulling and pulling on a start cord. Will now be able to keep up with weeds plus don't have to put my rows so far apart as when we use the Troy-Bilt...another plus as I can't handle that big machine so always having to wait for Pa to do it. I hate waiting for Pa to do it!!!!

Rain all over the state and none for us. A few sprinkles and lots of thunder. Hope this isn't a glimpse of another dry summer. Got two more hoses so I can run to a soaker hose in either garden. Today will plant more tomatoes and out go the sweet potatoes. Did a flat of onions yesterday....should have waited for the tiller. A bucket of rocks a foot. Arrgh. One rock required crowbar to dig up! Still, it is good fertile soil. Greenhouse is stuffed full of plants that need to be put in yesterday. Picking strawberries now. Bluebirds have new babies. The calf is sucking his bottles straight down and nibbling grain...our last years bottle calf Big Lily comes crowding when she sees the bottle. What a piggy. Don't you just love spring in the country?

Been testing our EFoods sampler meals. Everything pretty good. Didn't like the instant potatoes. Emergency Essentials are way better. Not the complete ones but the regular flakes. Think I still much prefer cooking from scratch and having majority of my preps in basic ingredients. No plans to bug out anyhow. Only leaving feet first from my mountaintop....unless New Madrid rolls me into the vallety!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Well, we now are the proud owners of another tall size pair of crutches and bottle of pain killers. DH broke his fibula (the smaller bone in the lower leg) last night while pulling a down branch. It gave and he stepped back into a hole...snap, crackle, crunch. Waiting to hear back from the Ortho Dr. on when they can get us in, today. Won't know till then if he will need surgery. Guess DS and I will try building my tomato trellis this weekend....at least we already have the lumber.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I got 120 more potatoe plants and the remainder of my onion sets planted yesterday, which brings the total to maybe 400 onions. I also got the rest of the new garden spot raked and ready to plant.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I checked the garden last night and it was dry enough to consider planting tonight -- but we got another 2Â½ to 3" of rain overnight with more forecaste today/tonight/tomorrow/thru the rest of the week. We need the moisture so I'll try not to complain but I WANT/NEED to get my garden planted! 

I set $200 per month as my grocery allowance and I have spent less than that each month this year.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

Went to thrift stores, found some canning jars, pints, 5 for $2- that&#8217;s 40Â¢ ea, and then the small 4 oz jars 11 for $3 - about 30Â¢ ea. Also found a set of 3 food saver canisters for $7.50, so got those. Seems pretty good to me.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

I feel like a slacker with everyone else planting their gardens. 

Yesterday I went to the plant nursery and bought a few more bags of planting soil - at buy 3 and get the 4th for free. Plus they are the larger sized 2 cubic feet bags of organic soil. Well as I was at the neighbors and backing up to unload the potting mix, my vehicle was spinning in the wet soil, leaving huge ruts, and water was oozing out of the ground. So it looks like I may have to wait a while longer to get things into the garden.

I did find a few bargains at the stores, as I was out amongst the 1st of the month shoppers. It was amazing on how many younger people were paying for their carts full of groceries with a EBT/ food stamp card. I think that I threw the cashier a curve ball, when I had used cash to pay for my purchases at the grocery store - yet I had less than $20.00 dollars in items such as produce and fresh fruit in my cart.

I did not make it to the dollar store to see if they more flower or veggie seeds for sale, at 4 packages for a dollar. But I do have a good pile of flower seeds on the table ready to go into 4 inch pots this weekend.

Hopefully it will nice weather when I make my 600+ mile R/T voyage to the San Francisco Bay Area - VA Hospital soon. I may even go off of the hospital grounds and go into the "Big City" and possibly spend some money in Chinatown, or some of the other touristy areas such as Pier 39. I have a hankering for some food that I haven't had to cook for myself. Not to say that I am a 'bad cook'.... I just want something different to eat, that tastes good and is not considered fast food! There are a couple of places that have been featured on the TV show "Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives", that are sort of within walking distance of the VA/ or I could take the MUNI buses there. I might just have to go and check them out, and see if they can live up to what was on the TV show.

I will wait till I am home in order to do some Mexican food cooking for Cinco de Mayo. I saw that there are lots of sales starting today for beer (cereveza), produce (avacados/ tomatoes/ limes/ cilantro and such), and other items such as tortillas/ corn chips for the 'Holiday' on Saturday.

Ohio Dreamer - I feel for your DH.. Yet I have my own pair of tall crutches, several straight canes, and plenty of pain medications for my own leg/ knee injuries. I hope that he has a rapid recovery and has a 'hobby' while he has his leg in a cast and is mending. Otherwise he might get a case of cabin fever, from being not able to do very much. I've been there and done that in the past.


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## Guest (May 3, 2012)

Getting (10)guinea hen babies at the end of the month..plus were building a house for them that will be adjacent to the chicken coop..I'm very excited!

Went to the plant nursery a few week's ago the first day it opened and got what I wanted at a good price.

Planted a Herb garden of varigated oregano,sage,rosemary,thyme & chives

Planted a Mint garden of orange,chocolate,pineapple,sweet,peppermint,mojo sp?.

Planted a Strawberry bed.

Planted Garlic,lettuces,peas,carrots & sunflowers.

Bought & planted a HUGE Blueberry bush w/tons of berries on it.

Added a new addition to the fruit orchard...A *Mulberry Tree* that I didn't even know that any of the nurseries sold around here as I've been looking for a couple of years for one of them. I'm so happy!

My son filled the 2 remaining raised bed's with dirt from our property..I ammended it with fast acting lime,compost & some other stuff to get it ready for planting..it adds several more feet of gardening for me.

Planted some Bee balm.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Potatoes and string beans are coming in great, started canning today for winter preps. Busy garden year is starting up.


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## mommathea (May 27, 2009)

I ate the first strawberry of the season this morning!! Our neighbor gave us all the plants we wanted from his over grown patch. There should be a nice bunch ripening up soon!

Worked on thinning the radishes and lettuce this morning. Everything but the onion sees I planted have come up. I'm thinking those are a bust. I'm going to get some more spinach seeds to put in the place since it is a rather shady spot in the garden. 

I have a broody hen sitting on 6 eggs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there is a gentleman rooster in the bunch. I had to send our last roo to freezer camp because he would go out of his way to flog me. Saturday is day 10 so I'll be candling them then.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I am soooooooooooooo out of the loop, right now.

Everyone keepon prepping!!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Bought two more bottles of bleach, heavy chemical gloves, and a deck scrub brush, today. I bought the bleach to replace the one I needed to use to clean up the sewer back up (yep, use one-buy two). On the bright side, with DH home he was able to contact some sewer people for me (I don't do phones if I can help it). DH has a guy at work that has rental properties, so he called him first for a recommendation. Definitely will do that again.....the guy he suggested came out and was very nice (okay, he was dirty.....but that goes with the profession), quick, showed me exactly what caused the problem (I think the kids are guilty, here) and charged a VERY reasonable fee! SO...now the toilets will flush properly again and the air quality will improve around here....basement was getting a funk, to put it nicely. We got the water softener fixed a few weeks back.....so maybe now things can get back to normal.....well at least be clean, normal is just too big a stretch.

RF - DH doesn't have any hobbies he can use to fill his time that he can do in the living space. BUT much of what he does for work he can do from home (and everything is always a "rush" job, so him being home 3 days could put a crimp in things if he didn't). Next week we may take a chair out to the range and see if he can shoot trap with the guys from that. Picked him up a new Handloader Magazine to read, Gun Tests came in the mail today, and the really nice local owned sports/hunting store just sent him his birthday coupons. If he gets too board and wants to work on his stamina with the crutches, I could drive him the hour or so out to there (I'm always game for a road trip there). 

Psychologically I can't cook dinner tonight. Even though I wash me down with bleach followed by soap and water I just can't do it. SO, DS (13) is doing the grilling tonight (with DH supervising from a chair). It's DS's first attempt at chicken on the grill, so having DH keep an eye on him should prevent us from too much under cooked chicken.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

WHOO hoo got a great deal today!!! One of them 250 gallon water deals in a cage!!! at a GARAGE SALE!!!! ( and chance to get more!!) around here on Craigs list ( 20-40 miles away) they run around $45!!! Well I got it 3 miles from home for 45!! So it saves me gas $$  So now to rinse it REALLLLLLY good!!!


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

DH spent the afternoon earthquake proofing our food storage room shelving and got about half way done. We've been hard at work in the garden for the last few weeks, sure hope it pays off. Thus far all the new fruit trees, blueberry bushes and other berries seem to be doing great. Our new asparagus beds are really taking off too. And the new strawberry pyramid is looking lovely!

DD and SIL locally are possibly going to be selling their home and moving in with us for awhile, along with two grandkids and another grandchild due this fall, so we've really got to sit down soon and take another look at our preps if this is going to be the case. Going from two adults to four adults, two toddlers and an infant is a real game changer!


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well I survived another 600+ miles R/T down to the VA Hospital in San Francisco. 

While I was there, there has been a major concern over one of the Lab Tech Researchers that had contracted a nasty strain of Meningitis at the VA Hospital and died from it. 

CA lab revisits safety steps after researcher dies | www.ktvu.com

When it was feeding time for us last night at the VA Hospital (Ft. Miley), on the way walking over to dinner there were lots of TV satellite trucks there doing the "Live/ Breaking News" reports on the story. Myself and several of my fellow Veterans were in the background of some of the shots saying "Hi Mom", or doing some moves in the background of the reporters being filmed. Plus since it was being broadcast live, I imagine that they could not edit us out of the image.... Then it was the talk topic of the evening amongst us Vets that were staying the night there, and we wondered just how much the VA isn't discussing about the "incident"!

Plus the VA Hospital had up signs "everywhere" this morning, assuring the patients and staff that there is "NO Danger". Yet other lab workers, the deceased 5 room mates, girlfriend, and many co-workers are on a heavy regime of antibiotics in case they are or have been exposed/ infected. 

"_Richard Din, the meningitis research associate who died Saturday in a possible lab exposure, wasn't vaccinated for the illness despite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to the contrary. *Nonetheless, the VA's Harry Lampiris said a vaccine may not have protected Din, 25, because he was helping to develop a vaccine for a meningitis strain resistant to vaccine*_."

Then when I got home and had access to a computer, I see that the neighborhood Mountain Lions have been sighted down the hill in amongst the city folks..

Mountain lion seen near Fickle Hill Road in Arcata - Times-Standard Online
*Mountain lion seen near Fickle Hill Road in Arcata*

And some folks wonder why I carry a firearm when I go out my door up here. But I can only imagine that shooting a .22LR would just make that overgrown kitty really ticked off. I guess that I am gonna have to carry around one of my magnum revolvers or a .30-06 springfield rifle up here on the hill, just in case it shows up around here again. The article suggests that one should call the local Police if a Mountain Lion is sighted.. Yeah, right! It is tough enough to get the law up here, after we have caught and detained trespassers - let alone for seeing the local wildlife in this very rural heavily wooded area.

I am not gonna do as the newspaper article says to: "*If Arcata residents see a mountain lion, they shouldn't approach it. Anyone confronted by a mountain lion should make themselves seem larger by waving their arms and yelling or otherwise making loud noise*." Yeah, that is really gonna deter a hungry/ ticked off overgrown kitty.

If the weather cooperates this weekend, I will get to digging in the garden raised beds to turn them and add some chicken manure and other soil ammendments. Then time to start my flower and some more veggie seeds such as lettuce, cabbage, and pumpkins.

Otherwise I am on animal patrol for the neighbors, and have to be room service for my 2 and 4 legged fan club. They always seem soooo happy to see me, or is it that I am serving them breakfast in bed?

Jen - I can imagine your DH at the range in a wheelchair while firing a large caliber firearm. With him saying "Hey guys watch this" - and as he fires off a round or twelve he is going to be rolling backwards a few feet....

I know from my own broken leg/ injuries - that your DH will have some down time, so maybe get him a few of his favorite movies.. Or set him up with a portable AM/ FM radio. Cause when he gets dinged out from the pain meds, he may want a distraction to take him mind off of the discomfort (an understatement). Wait till his leg starts itching inside his cast, you had better hide the butter knives and old wire coat hangers so he can't jam them down inside his cast to try and scratch the itch!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Jen - It may be a chance for hubs to learn Ham Radio.....get him another hobby!!

It has turned very hot here and rain is now a thing of the past!

Due to my work and hours....have not had a chance to do much constructive prepping.
DH did his usual Cabel's ammo run.....that's about it.

I am missin all of you!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Whoops, missed the start of another month.  

What is on your to-do list for this month? What small steps can you take this month that will bring you closer to readiness for whatever you are prepping to handle? Whether it be TEOTWAWKI or a weather event, it's important to have goals. Those goals can be pretty overwhelming unless you break them down into doable steps.

I know I have a tendency to make an overly ambitious list and seldom finish it...okay, if I'm being honest, I've *NEVER* finished a to-do list, lol. But, I'm a lot further down the road than if I'd never made the list! 

Join me! Tell us what goals you're working on and the steps you're taking to get there in May. Check back in and update us on your progress. Let's cheer each other on and encourage (even nag, if asked ) "list completion". Gooooo, team prepper!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Let's see...this month I want to keep up on routine prepping, like doing enough swagbucks to earn at least another $25 in amazon gift cards, and refreshing my stored drinking water. I have sugar I'd like to get transferred into buckets, and more firewood that needs cut and stacked for next fall. I'm sure I'll think of more small jobs that need done and I'm going to say right now that I'll do them and add them to my list for the sheer fun of checking them off, lol! 

My big goal for the month is to work on the garden. It's time to weed out and mulch in the raised beds, time to plant the cooler weather crops and start more tomatoes in the house. I need to haul in more cardboard to smother weeds and make it easier to till up the ground for future raised beds, more wood chips to put down on paths, more packing crates to turn into raised bed frames. I have 4 fruit trees to plant and will probably need to take out a couple that didn't survive the winter. So, I'm challenging myself to do something at least 4 days a week in the garden, and to at least pull a few weeds on the other 3 days of the week (work days where I don't have much time for big projects).

What's on your list?


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

We miss you, too, TDD! Hope your work and any other issues are under control soonest.

I'm sitting at work for a few minutes to use the internet and catch up on some posting. Finally got the May Prep To-Do List posted...totally forgot it and it's really not easy to post on my phone anyway. I think I need to get my internet issues resolved at home.

RF - I'm glad to hear your family member is doing well and you don't have to make a cross country trip in the near future. The VA trips are long enough! I just have this incredibly funny mental picture of you and the rest of the guys acting like teen age boys, lol. "Hi, Mom", indeed!  Is it forecast to be dry at your place this coming week? It's finally looking like I might be able to get some gardening done on my days off...the sun's burning off the clouds today and after my baby rocking visit, I just might get to pull weeds and spread some mulch about. No oversized kitties in my immediate neighborhood, and that suits me juuuust fine. 

Jen, so sorry about your hubs leg. Is he interested in ham? I agree with TDD, sounds like a good way for him to pass some time. Maybe watching the entire Jericho series from NetFlix and all the Doomsday Prepper episodes? And, yes, hide the knitting needles. 

Well, better go see my grands and get home to see if any of the goats would like to go out and eat green grass. I had them out the other day and couldn't get a thing done...instead of just running out to graze and browse, they kept following me around begging for alfalfa pellets and sweet feed, lol. Beggars and bums, the lot of them!


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Got 50#of sugar pkg up! Got not much else done...but hanging out clothes inside the 90 degree heat!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Well, DH has made it to the re-loading room in the basement. As long as the weather holds and we can have the outside access doors to the basement open he can get down there (relatively safely). He should no longer be board starting tomorrow, he gets to go back to work. Of course that means I have to get up at 5:45 and take him :sob: and then go back and get him in the evening. 

DH does work over in the "shopping district", a half hour away....so I should be able to schedule a bulk buying trip or two in since we are spending the gas anyways. Plan to hit Sears tomorrow to find a new pair of tennis shoes and a top for church. I haven't seen anything at any of the closer stores or Goodwills, so since I have to go over there I will actually stop and shop for MY needs for once, lol. I hate to shop, but I've now run out of excuses - shoes are falling apart and I only have 2 tops for church, and they look almost identical so it looks like I'm wearing the same thing every week.

On the up side, DS is stepping up to the plate and helping out. He really hates to do "man work" but since he's the only one in the house that can, he's doing it without complaint!! He turned the compost pile and dug 5 wheel barrels of dirt out for me. He's cut the grass (okay, it's sloppy.....but that's why I had him do the back). He's run more loads then I want to admit to the attic of the garage and helped me move a bunch more. 

My DD is still young, but she too is jumping in and helped me more. She helped me move the shelving units full of "stuff" to allow the sewer people in to the main drain clean out and helped me weed and start planting the garden (DS was still asleep...I wore him out the day before, lol). On Tues and Wed we have scheduled "fun" events for them (park with friends and a home school rollerskating outing - something we have never done before).....it makes me feel less like an ogre in handing some of their dad's chores to them that they will get stuck with through the summer.

Today was a "goof off" day as it's is DH's birthday. My folks and his dad and girlfriend (his mom passed 8 yrs ago) came for steaks on the grill (amazing stakes my parents bought!) sitting around and just enjoying family. Was able to give Patti (GF-in-law) some rhubarb starts (they were actually going to stop and BUY some on the way home :smack....we "fixed" that, lol) always fun to be able to pass along plants to friends.

My list for tomorrow is started, and I don't even want to think about Tuesdays, lol. House may not get cleaned again till DH's cast is off. Need to work in some canning of rhubarb.....maybe Thursday.....


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Dh and I got most of our planting done today. He planted over 20 rows of Hickory King Corn to let dry and grind up for corn meal and feed this winter. It takes many rows since each stalk usually only produces one ear. We've been using it for our cornmeal needs for a few years now and it is very tasty. 

I finished planting our melons, cucumbers, and gourds today.

Tomorrow is a trip to a bigger town so I'm hoping to stop by my favorite grocery store to stock up on some things.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Convinced the goats to stay out in the field this afternoon and eat, but every time they saw me with anything resembling a feed bucket, they came running to see if I was planning to feed them. Silly critters!

I got some good work done in the garden, weeding and mulching a half dozen or so raised beds, planting some mighty sorry looking strawberry plants and a Honeycrisp apple tree, and pulling an armload of rhubarb. I taped up some cracks in a plastic sled I found at the transfer center and used it to haul flakes of wet straw to the raised beds. I have asparagus up, and several of my potato beds are showing a bit of foliage. I mulched them especially well. Cleaned out a couple raspberry beds and cleaned up a lot of the paths. I have a nasty weed with arrow shaped leaves, spreads by runners just under the surface and it's VERY invasive. Don't know what it is, but I'd sure like to get rid of it! I also laid out a load of cardboard and some clear plastic to solarize some ground for future garden expansion. When I rested up from that, I started shoveling dirt and removing sod for my future patio slash greenhouse addition aisle floor. Now I'm too pooped to party any more tonight. Time to watch a little mindless TV and fall asleep, I hope.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Off to a good start today. Weeded and mulched 2 raspberry beds, the asparagus bed, a new strawberry bed, 2 perpetual potato beds another small bed to be planted to peas, and started weeding another couple beds, as well as weeding pathways and laying out cardboard and clear plastic to smother or solarize weeds. Planted strawberries and one apple tree. Not a bad day's work.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Hmmm. Here's my Sunday..... Cut and colored my hair, cut dh hair, cleaned bath, put bleach thru jets in tub, changed sheets , cleaned bed room, helped dh in a window unit, cleaned up, cleaned more took care off all my parrots. gave them a shower. Did not get around to giving dogs a bath. They get shots next this week.
Went clothes shopping...ugh! Went to grocery came home, made dinner, collaspe.
Does not sound like much,.......but it took all day.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Trip to Aldi yesterday. Prices notibly rising there,too but still way more reasonale than our local groceries. Did like the 29cent avacado deal! They were $1.49 EA at local store. We've taken to going there twice monthly; mainly for the excellent veggies(and prices on them). Got 10 pkgs. of mushrooms and sliced for the dehydrator. 69cents/lb! Note that the store is busier than ever but such speedy checkouts you can get in/out quickly. Was too too hot and humid yesterday to be outdoors. But today a cold front is supposed to move thru and have our temps in the low 70's all week so we will be hard at it in the garden finishing up planting. 

Put in 50 more sweet potato plants. Still more to do but think I'll call my neighbor and see if she wants some.All the frosted potatoes came back strong and I'm seeing new leaves on the grapes after we gave each plant a 5 gal. pail of water. Every bit of rain has gone north of here. Supposed to be raining today but so far nothing. It is a blessing to have a good deep well for irrigating. 

I,too hate clothes shopping. Really need some summer tops that aren't baggy T's. And don't get start on shoe shopping. They discontinued my Nike clogs I loved. Bought three pr. the last time I found them but they are so worn the only place they go is the garden. Everyone says buy Crocs but I find them too wide and,frankly,ugly. Can't abide flip-flops and they look like a recipe for a broken hip to this 64 year old.....


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## wottahuzzee (Jul 7, 2006)

Mutti, you might look at Skechers. They had a clog-type shoe that my mom swore by, said it helped pain in her feet and heels. I don't know the name or item # but you might find them by doing a search.

ETA: Here is a link for a Skechers clog-type shoe. I don't know if this is exactly the one my mom was getting but, if not, it is very similar. http://www.skechers.com/style/22041/bikers-vamped/wht


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Just starting to thunder a bit here, skies are darkening (should get off the computer, probably). We got out in the garden and DS dug me a few more loads of compost. Got the last of the cucumber seeds in, beans in and transplanted the eggplants.......just in time for the rain  I so hate driving in the rain that I think I'll hold off shopping for another day.....I love a good excuse, and buckets of rain and wind is a good one.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

We've had over a week of daily rain. Now we're supposed to have a few days of dry so hopefully it will dry off enough to plant the garden. 

Next Sat. is clean up day for the town so we can put stuff on the curb for pickup. We've been sorting and boxing stuff to go either on the curb or to Goodwill which hopefully will give me more space for preps.

I picked up 15 bars of Ivory soap for $1.75 at a garage sale Sat. which went right into my preps. I can only use Ivory due to allergies so bonus for me.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Thanks Wottahuzzie...those look similar to the Nike clogs; maybe a little more "girly"! I forced myself to throw the worst pr. in the trash and took Comet to the other pr. which look better but when DH actually notices what I'm wearing and asks why I'm still wearing those ratty clogs I know things are serious!


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## wes917 (Sep 26, 2011)

My off days were rained out, yesterday and today. Looking to get the garden in the ground and out of the den. Gonna be busy here the next couple of months, I found out I have a herniated disc in my back that has been causing my leg pain the last year, and plan on having surgery at the beginning of july so lots to do before then


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Picked up some pork loin for $1.69/lb yesterday and spent this morning canning it up. I ended up with 14 pint jars and a bunch of scraps to do something with. (I already dumped a handful in with some soup beans for supper tonight.) I realized that I'm going to have to buy a different propane setup for my canning this year because of the amount I'm plannin on canning. My propane kitchen stove takes WAY too long to heat the canner and build pressure. I started my canning process at 6:00 am by trimming the loin and packing the jars but I didn't pull my jars from the canner until noon. Dh said we'd look at Harbor Freight or Northern Tool for a heavy duty 2-burner propane set up and make a canning station for our back porch I can use this summer.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Lots of thunder......but, no rain.
For all we got earlier ......it has been bone dry here for about a month.
The grasses are already starting to turn brown.You know what that means here.....wildfire.
Come on rain!


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Son was able to come to the farm this week so I'll have my best planting help. DH just isn't that in to gardening...we tease he can't even pick ripe strawberries! But he keeps up the yard, does the barn chores and can fix anything so I handle the garden happily.

Got 6 doz. assorted tomatoes in yesterday and will do a like amt of peppers today. Everything we have in looks great....amazingly .....as we've had no rain for three weeks. Rained all around us and all we've gotten is clouds and thunder. Already having to use soaker hoses which doesn't bode well for this summer. When I plant each hole is watered thoroughly, the dirt stirred into mud and plants popped in. With this method I can plant in the dead heat and nary a plant will wilt. My new Mantis is great. The 4 cycle engine means it starts easily for me. Works up deep and just kicks those rocks out. Son says he's gonna take it in the cow stall and dig up enough dirt to finish filling the new raised bed he built me last time he was here. Need to go haul straw while he is here,too. Mulching heavily and letting it rot all winter has noticably improved our soil...too bad rocks don't rot....

Gonna be short month moneywise so plan to get into the freezer and can up alot of the roasts as we really don't eat roast that often. The canned beef is so handy. Our new beef calf is bouncing around and eating grain/hay a bit now. Last years' calf Lily is enamoured with him...or is it his bottle? She sees you with a bottle and comes running!!! Our Jersey girl is getting huge. 6 weeks to go. I'm thinking strawberry ice cream....

Hillbilly Girl....would be interested in what you figure out for canning outdoors. My non-electric propane stove is also non-insultated and don't think I can face another summer in my kitchen. I'd like to put everything out under my big maple tree. Should have son look at Harbor Freight as there is one where he lives and it has become his favorite store since he started building his house here.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Saw Aldi's was having a mid-week produce sale. So I headed there this morning. Baby carrots for $.049!! I bought 12 bags to can up (so easy!) May get more, as I travel past other Aldi's through the day....not sure, yet. Picked up cucumber (2 to a pack), mushroom and grape tomatoes for $.49-$.60 each, too. Split peas were marked down to $.39 a pound....for that price I bought more - now I just need to learn to eat them, lol.

Guess tomorrow I'll be canning carrots and rhubarb...

Taking DH back to the orthopedic Dr. today for another x-ray and check-up. DH is expecting to be told he needs surgery, because after a week he still can't put a bit of weight on his ankle. Dr told him NOT to put weight on it for 6 weeks....so I think this is just normal for that severe a sprain. He's trying not to put weight on it.....but after 45 yrs of having 2 feet to help you when you lose balance, it's kind of hard not to once in a while. Poor guys hands and shoulder are killing him, too, carrying an extra 100# while on crutches is a lot harder then when healthy.....maybe I'll be able to convince him to go to the gym once he's healed....doubt it. But it is making me think I need to get my behind in there!!!!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Bought 2 blueberry bushes, some rosemary, basil, thai basil and pineapple sage, a new sprinkler and some trimmer line Monday. 

Yesterday, I weeded and mulched a raised bed of strawberries, pulled weeds in a few other beds, and worked on my future greenhouse/sunroom addition on the south end of my house. I dug out the existing flower bed, removed sod and leveled the ground where the brick patio/sunroom floor will be, made a deep planter box along the side of the house, and laid landscape fabric on the leveled, tamped down floor area. Made a run to the river for sand and sifted that sand free of rocks and pebbles. Spread a layer of sand and started placing red and gray bricks in a basket weave pattern. I've never done this before, and discovered I have a slight slope to my floor, so I'll need to pull the bricks back off and add sand before I lay the brick again. So, I'm keeping to my goal of doing something for my garden each day.

I'm also filtering more water so I can refill water jugs, added pennies to the water outside, which seems to be working to reduce algae growth in the rainwater, and I've been working with the goats to tame down some of the wild young'uns...all things that help my homestead preps, bit by bit.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Mutti, have you tried New Balance shoes? They are highly recommended by my fellow nurses. I just found 2 pair of them, look brand new, at Goodwill for 4.99 and 7.99 Monday. :sing: I figure if I'm comfortable with the fit walking around the store without socks, where I can feel every potential bump and rubby spot, they should be great for work. Now I can bump my former work shoes down to work at home shoes and weed out a couple pairs that don't fit quite right. I'm trying to keep the clutter under control by weeding out something whenever I bring in something new, not counting prep goods, of course.

It sounds like your new Mantis is a good one. I had the 2 cycle model years ago, but had trouble starting it. I ended up with an electric Mantis, and it is a workhorse. The 2 cycle model got rocks stuck constantly, so I was forever having to shut it off, dislodge the offending stone and pull start it again. What a pain! At least with the electric model, I'm able to take my finger off the trigger, get rid of the obstruction, and just pull the trigger again. Sweet! Love that, and love how quiet it is...no exhaust fumes, either. 

I took the day off Monday and went to the beach with my bff. I still got in some prepping, though. We checked out the new Goodwill in Warrenton, and we'll be going back there again! In addition to the NB shoes I mentioned, I found a pair of brand new scrub pants for 2.49, 13 assorted canning jars for .29 each, 15 brand new taper candles for 2.99, a badmitton racket that I plan to cover with panyhose to make a strainer for water troughs, a sprinkler, roll of trimmer line, tool belt/back support, can rack for the back of my pantry door, a metal trivet for the top of my wood burner, blue speckle ware roaster, a plastic bin that is perfect for holding over a dozen quart canning jars of food on the shelf, Plano tackle box, wide slat window blinds for one window in my house, more window sheers for my garden beds, and a Presto canner for 4.98. Grand total, after 5% discount? $75.91! That's not even the canner, new. I didn't really need another canner, but for that price, I wasn't leaving it at the store! I'm glad I got it, because my gff's mom saw it and asked if I'd keep an eye out for one for her as she'd like to have a 2nd canner, but didn't want to pay full price at her age! Needless to say, it's hers now. . I'd also brought them eggs and they sent me home with tomato plants.

We also stopped at Costco and I wish now I'd spent some money there. They had a sweet propane camp stove/oven combo for $129...I'm still kicking myself for passing it up. I did drop some $ at Home Depot, buying 2 new blueberry bushes that are loaded with fruit already. For 6.97 each, I figure I'll get a couple $ back in fruit this year. 

We enjoyed the wonderful weather on the beach...walked to Haystack Rock and stopped to watch a big black dog who was looking out to sea. Turns out that his master was surfing near the Rock and he was keeping an eagle eye on him. It was so interesting to see him sniff the breeze, move down the beach to line up, and when he caught sight, would wade out into the surf, only to come back to shore and do it all over again when the guy went out to catch another wave! Made me wonder if Russell The Muttley Wonder would do that for me.... It was a nice day, but I found myself itching to get back home to play in the dirt.

Yesterday, I did just that. I weeded and mulched in the garden, and worked on my patio/greenhouse/sunroom addition. I wrote about it on the Prep To-Do thread. It's time I got back out there to work on it some more, and start planning the framing for it, too. Having a greenhouse may be my best bet for ripe tomatoes, and keeping the goats out of my roses!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Pulled out the trimmer this morning and trimmed the back yard. Not something I normally do but it was in desperate need and no way it could wait 5-6 weeks for DH to be off crutches. DS is not good about getting close to things when he mows. BUT at least he's mowing without a complaint....so I'll happily trim the edges every few weeks.

Canned the first 7 qt of carrots, need to pick up 5 more bags so I can fill the caner with 20 pts next (will get them on my way to pick up DH). We use pts more then qts, so the rest I'll do in pts. 1 bag of baby carrots fills a qt jar (and they are already cleaned pealed and ready to go!) Kids are a great help with this. I'll can those pts after supper. Guess I need to start thinking about setting up the outside kitchen, I have a bunch of rhubarb that needs jarred, too.

Dug 6 bags full of strawberries out of my 12x4 bed to pass on to friends. I put 6+ plants in each bag and my bed barely looks like I took any out!! I need to build another bed - but I have no idea where I'd put it!!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Need to build a tomato trellis. We have designed one that we can move from raised bed to raised bed as we rotate each year. Now to build it.

Need to get the garden in. Mom lost all the tomato she started (she started about 50 then decided not to garden, lol)...so I need to buy one or two slicers plants to go with my 6 Amish Paste.

Working on building a good/large First Aid kit.

Want to buy 2 blueberries to replace my some of my "useless" landscaping.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Hadn't planned on yard sale-ing today but decided to hit a couple close to the house. At the first I bought 2 more pieces of cast iron cookware and a foley food mill. I love buying used cast iron and one is a deeper pot that my frying pans and I think it will make a great addition to my cooking arsenal. Spent $9 total and am very happy. Almost had a draw knife but the feller decided he didn't want to sell it when I picked it up and asked how much. Said it was his grandpa's. Hated to miss out on that one as I've been keeping an eye out for one.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I planted one of the cherry tomatoes I'd overwintered in the house out in the garden last night. Will have to wait and see the results. Also planted a purchased cherry tomato and put in a row of pinto beans. The strawberry plants I put in a couple weeks ago are looking good. I'm hoping no rain thru the weekend so I can get the garden tilled and green beans, onions, chard, cabbage and more tomatoes planted. Still too early for sweet potatoes.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

DONE! It was a group effort, but we got the trellis built today. DH took pictures of the progress. It was harder then I expected, but mostly because it's heavy and DH can't help move things (hence the "hoop skirt" picture he took). Here are pictures: Flickr: dougjimison's Photostream Finally, I think we have a trellis that can take the weight of the tomatoes.

Now, that it's built I have 3 of my climbing tomato's in. Now what to do with the other 3?? Not sure I want to build another trellis, today. I'm a bit too sore....I slipped and fell down the basement step in the middle of all this. I didn't break anything, but I sure hurt.

Yesterday mom came down and we (with DD) went to the mother-daughter brunch. Great way to spend some time with my mom. She also brought me 18 tomato plants she started but won't be planting (I knew they were coming, so I didn't start any other then my Amish Paste....which she doesn't grow). I planted 13 of them, still have 5 more to find homes for. I have no idea what kind they are....but I really don't care, we'll eat and use anything. Need to tuck one of my Amish Paste's in a corner by its self so I can save some seeds this year. Better plan to make another trellis for that one, but it will be smaller and lighter.


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## wes917 (Sep 26, 2011)

Got all the garden areas tilled today and planted 24 roma tomato plants I started from seed. Also got all 50 pickling cucumber plants in. Still have to get the broccoli, peppers, lettuce, beans, radishs, carrots, peas amd califlower in along woth all the herbs in the new herb garden section. Still lots to do but nice to start earlier than normal. The strawberries are absolutely loaded this year along with the blueberries. I cant wait.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

Finally broke down and bought a new case of 6 half gal canning jars at full price from Ace hardware. $11.99 plus tax


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

TDD - I would have happily sent you some of the thick damp fog that we have had here recently. Last week, one could have cut it with a chainsaw, and visibility was less than 50 feet at times up here..

MGM - yeah, I have recently been called "The Joker" by one of the VA shuttle Van drivers. I do try to find some humor in whatever I am doing, and try to pass it along to others around me - if it is not too much of a distraction. So you can safely assume that I was instigating the other Vets to 'mug it up' for those TV cameras that were at the VA Hospital, during my most recent visit.

Well here the weather has finally cooperated and this weekend I got the raised beds in the garden area turned with the compost/ chicken and steer manure added. All of the 1 gallon and some 2 gallon pots in our makeshift greenhouse filled for the transplants, that need to be hardened off before I get them into the ground. That and I got the majority of the flower seeds into the flats, to get them going. Now it finally feels like springtime, since my hands were covered in dirt all weekend long..

I've been busy getting most of my extra bags of gear switched out, from their loads of winter needs to summer items. Removing heavier outer layers, for more light weight/ nylon shell clothing for the summer fog/ high inland temps. That and I swapped out some of the food items more suitable for hot weather, also from less hot chocolate/ heated beverages to more of the 'gatoraide' type cold drink mixes.

Now to see if I can find some loss leaders on sale this coming week. Also, it was graduation time for the local University and College this last weekend. So tomorrow I am going scouting around the dumpsters of the local apartments near each campus. I am wondering if I should take my pickup truck instead of my small 4X4, but if I find any treasures - my problem is where am I going to put them?? My place at just under 700 square feet, is filled to the gills with what I already own up here.

Jen - we have a difficult time in growing any sort of tomatoes here in the fog belt. I was in another part of HT asking my neighbor 'where I want to', if she is able to grow any tomatoes also on the next ridge over to the South. Her reply was that she could get 'golf ball sized hard green ones', during the growing season here. Plus be careful - you don't want yourself and your DH both on the walking wounded list, at the same time!! 

Our local Sunday paper has an article in it about being 'prepared' for an Earthquake/ Tsunami. I happen to know 2 of the 3 women mentioned in the article, from my Disaster Service Worker duties in Emergency Communications.

*In case of emergency: Training to 'prepare, survive, thrive'*

In case of emergency: Training to 'prepare, survive, thrive' - Times-Standard Online


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

radiofish said:


> Plus be careful - you don't want yourself and your DH both on the walking wounded list, at the same time!!


OH, so true!! About 2 hrs after the "hoop skirt" picture I went "down hard" on the basements steps. Soon as I hit bottom I was extremely grateful not to be "broken", just a bit battered. No way we can have us both out of commission at the same time....kids are too young to drive!


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

After a short power outage last night, I realized I needed to restock our glow stick supply. I like giving the kids glow sticks rather than flashlights since they tend to drop things many, many times over. They love them and it's a low cost alternative to losing all our flashlights.
Went ahead and ordered those this morning while I still have a few on hand.

ETA: Ended up going to town and bought a pack of sewing needles and a pack of iron on denim repair patches.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Well our garden we gambled and put in on march 31st....4 weeks early....is going bazerk! I have golf ball size maters starting and no zucchinni yet...weather so crazy we have queen anne lace in bloom and raspbsrries ready to pick...uhh them are late june crops!....my tomatoe planta r growing so fast we had to build a wooden "cage" to go AROUND the metal cages... they are falling over WITHOUT FRUIT already...i feel a bad bad bad winter coming!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I managed to mess up my hip on Saturday so getting my garden in has slowed way down. I did plant out tomatoes on Sunday. After work Tues. I managed to do 2 rows of onions and 2 of green beans. Hopefully, row by row I'll get it planted by the end of the week! I hope no one is watching me crawl or scoot thru the garden as I cannot lean over without my hip catching/pinching the nerve.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Allergy season is in full swing, here....I'm running crazy hours (for me) getting DH to and from work.....with him "down" I've been working harder then I normally do on project (and keeping the floors tidy)....so today, we took it easy! So, I guess it was more a psychological prep day. 

Each of the kids and I picked a "trouble corner" in the house and cleaned it. DS cleaned and "summer-ized" the wood stove. All the wood is back outside and everything is vacuumed and clean looking. DD took a "pile up" corner. Since she's 9 I'll give her a pass on what she did.....looks tidier, but nothing "left" the area. I did the china cabinet....a big dumping zone. I even opened the 3 little junk drawers on it and sorted and cleaned. Now I have my china in the cabinet so it can be seen. I will get tired of it being out in about 6 months and will put it all away again. I seem to go in cycles. I think because it's off white and the cabinet is dark in a dark corner I like having it out in summer.....brightens the corner up.

Set up the sprinkler and watered the veggie beds for an hour and a half....only to be followed by 20 min of rain, LOL! Um...yeah....weathermen got it wrong. But in their defense, only about a 20 sq mile, of the 100's they predict for, got any rain. We were some of the lucky few.

Tomorrow we are heading to Lehman's. My Dad likes going and since he's down here at the campground while mom's in AZ he want's to go. Sure doesn't take much arm twisting to get me in the car with him, lol. I need to pick up some oil lamp globe, which reminds me I better measure as the last ones we picked up were too big. We have broken a few this past year and we are out of spares and have two "naked" lamps. Use to be able to buy them locally, now we have to go to Lehman's (Okay....that's only 45 min away, not too taxing).


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Just popping by to say "Hi".
Think about each of ya.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Got my order for 6 buckets white wheat from EE. Did mini inventory in the store room, tossed son's two giant duffle bags from Iraq out to air in sun as smelled musty. Then convinced DH to give me one wall of the new shed addition for shelves so I could get my canners, Squeezo,ice cream maker, giant canning pots and all those cases of jars out of there. Would give me lots more room for preps. He and son built it super tight. No evidence of mice; just a few spider webs. Pa agreed we should buy another 6 buckets wheat and I'll convince him on some more rice....he really doesn't like it which is why we have cases of canned potato flakes! And beans.

Discovered three boxes of foundation for the bee supers Pa forgot he'd stashed in storage room. Got three supers of honey to take off but he's been having hernia trouble and going for surgery soon so will wait on son to help lift those heavy supers off. Bought a new stainless extractor last year....before the (terrible horrible no good very bad) bear destroyed all but one of our 11 colonies. Isn't that the way it goes?

Most activity here twirls around the garden. Been up by 7 am to work in garden before it gets too hot. Corn in yesterday for canning, 1/2 # green beans this morning. Tomatoes all doing great with fair-sized green ones on the Early Girl's. Five kinds of peppers from mild to screaming hot. Okra. More beets. Leeks. Surprized to find beets ready to pull plus need to pick rest of lettuce and replant. This box is in the shade of a big oak most of day so lettuce/spinach still grow in summer if I remember to keep it watered. 

We play musical soaker hoses daily. The rain gods have forgotten lonely Arroll completely Pa put 5 gals. water on all the new fruit trees,blueberries,raspberries and new strawberry plants. Waiting on all the squash to pop up. Cabbages doing surprizingly well-saw first cabbage looper though.

Our old English setter just turned 19...trying to make a doggie record. Deaf, hard of seeing but her nose still works. Shaky on her legs,at times, but still interested in life and eats well. Really didn't expect her to make it thru the winter.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I planted a 10 sweet potatoes this evening. I have another 10 rooting that I hope to plant this week. Also put in some chard, did some weeding and watering.

Went to try out a couple handguns. Neither will work for me so will be moving downwards to a 22 caliber. I have severe arthritis in my thumb joints and cannot manage a heavy gun or one with strong recoil. Even the moderate recoil today was too much. Takes me too long to recover before getting off a second shot. A disappointment but I'm glad I had the opportunity to try the gun before I bought.

Made a Walmart (yuck) run for various stock up otc items to fill a few gaps on my storage shelves.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Finally, I got a chance to work in my home kitchen......which, included a lot of sterile cleaning, sweeping and mopping.
Did the kitchen and utility room.
Spent the morning setting back up to Vac pak. I still have bags of stuff to get put up.
Moved the canner out of the way... they had taken over.

Got the dogs all vaccinated and up to date.
Sending one for a haircut next week. She is a whirlwind on ice!
I'll beauty-shop the others.

Have not had a chance to go back to the range. Hope I don't lose my edge. I just have not had the time.

Sat. was 1 yr, since my BCancer diagnosis. So it was a good day, overall!!;P

Very little rain here and once again record setting heat......ugh!
Everyone keep up the good work!


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

I got to put up 2 pints and 5 half-pints of strawberry jam yesterday. My strawberry plants aren't putting out as many berries this year but it's more than enough for our needs. We won't be having any pears this year as the freeze killed the blossoms earlier this year. The apples are still doing okay so I'll get to put some of those up.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Ugg...it's warm here for May. DH and I did some shopping, yesterday. Bought one of those utility sinks that comes with a vanity base. We are putting it in the laundry room/half bath. The tiny bathroom style sink in there is useless. Now I will have a spot to scrub things!! Of course, DH is still on crutches, so getting it installed has been a slow process. Getting ready to make the 3rd trip to the hardware store in a few minutes. Then we should be done (all plumbing jobs take 3 trips tot he hardware store for us....glad it's only a mile away!)

Picked up 3 blueberries and 3 cu ft of peat moss, yesterday (is that the same as a cu yd??). So While DH has been working on the sink, I've been out digging in the landscaping. Pulling out some of the useless plants adding the peat and putting in the berries. The soil there hasn't been amended or worked.....it's rock hard!! It took a good 2 hours to dig 3 holes!! But then I dug them 4-5 times bigger then the pot, so I could add lots of peat. The dirt I took out I put in one of the raised beds that is badly in need of soil. I'll get DS to add some compost, if he can find any, and it will be better. We've dug most of the compost out....maybe it time to start dumping the grass clipping directly into the bed. Nothing like have to take DH to the hardware store 3 times while digging in the front yard and having the water shut off (sink valves, like most in the house, don't work.....we'll they didn't - that sink's is now fixed). At least the people here aren't too picky....walking into the hardware store dirty isn't a big deal. The person in the drive thru at Taco Bell, on the other hand, might have thought twice about the muddy hands reaching out to take food! Yes, the water was still off and I had to eat using those nasty hands....but it was just good clean dirt :indif:.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I think I have the brick laying on a sand base down. 1/4 done and it's level! I was planning to finish laying the floor today, but it's been raining all day. The forecast wasn't for rain until tomorrow. Grr.

I found some good buys garage saling w/my dd last week...I finally found the turkey fryer I've been looking for, new in the box, $40. That's a great prep for putting up the freezer contents if the power goes out. Got a small band saw for $10, and a few other things.

I've been trying to keep up with doing something for the garden each day...missed a few, especially having a migraine and rotten cold this week - something I very seldom get. Just haven't felt much like doing anything. If it was SHTF time, I'd power through, but for today, I'm resting when my body tells me to. My tomatoes froze, but the basil looks like it's coming back. I bought a few more tomato plants, and am still starting some for growing in the greenhouse when it's done.

Next up after the patio and rafters for the sun room will be building new back steps. The old ones are rotting away, and no amount of repairs will save them. It's time to rip them off and make concrete ones.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

We have been getting up early and into the garden by 8 for an hour of work.Two man actually hours and our garden looks great. If we want to work longer we do. They say 30days to a new habit and we are planning for a situation where the garden isn't a choice but a necessity. Must say the new Mantis is a giant help to our more ambitious gardening plans. May be in our mid-sixties but are managing gardens totalling 6500 sq.feet,orchard of over 30 trees, greenhouse, milk and beef cows,chickens,bees. Nursing fulltime was alot easier!!! we try to make a next days' plan at supper ...top of the list mandatory and bottom if we feel like it! Rain sure hasn't hampered our plans this year..got a measly .15" from a storm that mostly provided a lightning show yesterday....all we've had in 5 weeks now. Temps remain in the high 80's...more like July weather. So plenty of soaker hose moving going on.....

MGM...sure would like to see a picture of your brick work when done. That is what I'd like to have for greenhouse floor.


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Well, this has been a busy month for me. DH has been kind enough to let me stay home while he "works" driving the truck.

So far this month ...


Purchased chainsaw mill
Learned to use chainsaw mill
Expanded the run for the chickens (20' x 35')
Finished & sifted my first 4' x 4' pile of compost.
Put said compost (along with a few other ingredients) into three new raised bed gardens.
Created a pvc watering grid for all my garden beds (6 total).
Made a "self-waterer" for the chicken run with a 5 gallon bucket, toilet float valve, pvc & chicken nipples.
Put a fence around the garden beds because said chickens discovered the joys of "dust bathing" in them!

Still to do ...


Build a bigger chicken coop with nest boxes. (Hopefully they'll be laying by the end of next month!)
Build more garden beds and get them planted w/summer veggies.
Pick up more free horse poo for another new compost pile.
Clear the undergrowth that's growing up again (cleared out over the winter).

I'm sure there are other things to be done but I can't think that far ahead right now. :grin:


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Well, my garden is going NUTS!! My maters have grown so big that they already are toppling the cages, so my husband built a "FRAME" (looks like a 4 poster bed out there!) around the cages, and so I have 6 plants in and two out (tied to the wooden frame) and then they grew above the 24" "beam" already so Ive had to tye twine around the posts up ever few inches to keep them up ( and then make an X from one corner to other, and then weave inbetween) JUST TO KEEP them upright and they dont have FRUIT YET! (well some of them already do, im gonna end up with maters by JUNE 1st is my bet!!).. Zucchini's OMG the plants are 4' tall!! And the bees are doing their work this year (OVAY!!) and then we have a green pepper almost ready to pick( uhhh thats outta order dear mother nature!!)... I think our new "mulch" ( rabbit poo and pine shavings thats changed every 2 days, and dumped in garden on top of cardboard laid out) is helping with the whole HUGE growing stock!!

This year we planted quite a bit in a 30x30 garden... still learning what grows good here... we did 3 rows cantelope ( WHY OH WHY did I think 3 rows was good,,, lol cantelope anyone???) 4 cabbage, green onions (twice no shows...) Sunflowers (around boarder) 3 rows pickles, cukes (4 mounds) 1 row corn, 3 rows okra (twice, still not doing good!! but last year went gonzo) 9 Mater plants, 4 green pepper, 4 jalepeno, 4 mounds zucchinni, dill, garlic, and 50 onion sets ( shoulda done more growing good this year!!)
Im gonna try to get a photo and post it for ya'll to see!!

I should be "pickling " pickles here this week... got all the jars up..ran thru dishwasher and sanitized and waiting in the "newly" alloted space in kitchen ( during canning season one corner of kitchen becomes a santuary to jars and all canning essentals)... ALSO we decided to help with the cooling bill ect... by buying us a " COOKER" ( kinda like a turkey fryer) so Now I will put my stock pot on top of that and do canning OUT DOORS!!
I have 2 more days of work ( cafeteria at school) so after that its GUNG HO on some household stuff!.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

L to R Onions, Dill , garlic behind dill,zucchinni, and maters in background in frame, and FAR back is Cantelope 


2012-05-19_08-50-38_723 by giraffe_baby, on Flickr 

Front to back, L to R Jalepenos, G peppers, Maters.. Then Okra, corn(not grown yet in photo) Pickles, then far back is cukes.


2012-05-19_08-51-08_191 by giraffe_baby, on Flickr

Green pepper almost ready!!! ( Planted 3/31!)

2012-05-19_08-51-28_284 by giraffe_baby, on Flickr

Bottom to top Green onions (not growing errgg) Cabbage, tomatoes, Other side of Zucks and Cantelope 

2012-05-19_08-51-56_330 by giraffe_baby, on Flickr

DH putting final touches on tomato "frame" On may 14th, they have since grown at least 6 more inches!! And Ive done some tying of twine and extra "supports" lol


2012-05-16_05-36-33_86 by giraffe_baby, on Flickr


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Giraffe baby! That is some garden! congrats! ldc


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Thanks, just in a sorta way dreading the upcoming canning... lol ( while its here anyway) esp since its not coming in waves but ALL at once it looks like!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Mutti, I'll try...just wish I'd get a break in the rain so I can finish it. Probably happen tomorrow when I have to be in town. 

GB, your garden looks so nice! Mine isn't even planted yet (other than perennial stuff).


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

GB--wow, your garden looks great. We didn't even have our new greenhouse up until middle of march so got plants started late. This hot weather has them growing like crazy though. I must be crazy but I love canning season ...nothing more satisfying than rows of home-canned products with no artificial anything in them.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

OK first OFFICIAL Picking!!!  I got 7 zucchini!(left a few for next day or two!!)
We had saute'd and fried zucchini for supper tonight!! and still have 3 left over! WE didnt get ONE zucchini last year! So drooling!

2012-05-22_14-56-42_772 by giraffe_baby, on Flickr


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

GB, Nice!

My newest preps were born today. At first I thought one of my does had twins, then trips, and then quads!  Okay, false alarm. I actually had TWO does that both kidded while I was in town. 4 kids, all bucks. I think we're done now, with 5 bucks and 2 doelings. Now I need to sell all, but a couple of does and a buck. Or, just sell them all!


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

I'm jealous GB! I can't wait for the garden to start producing. I did go out and take my first onion out of the garden last night for supper.

I thought I was done planting but I couldn't resist going to a greenhouse and picking up some broccoli and cauliflower. I don't know why I didn't start any in my own little greenhouse. I did buy two giant marconi pepper plants as my marconis didn't germinate and I love having them to freeze and add to things all winter long. While there, I asked about eggplant and they only had one huge eggplant plant left. They let me have it for free. I planted some seed for eggplant but this will give some early ones I hope.

We won a new CVA Optima from their monthly giveaway. It is supposed to be here tomorrow. Dh had been checking out their website and saw the giveaway. He knows I love to enter giveaways so he handed the computer over and I entered. It looks very nice! Should be a nice addition to add some venison to the freezer and pantry this year.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Having an upside down day, due to weather. Got the boy up this morning and said "cut the grass". The backyard is always wet in the morning, but not today. Too hot last night for dew. So while he cut, DD and I weeded, watered and mulched with the grass DS was cutting (almost enough for a whole bed). These are all afternoon chores, we always do school in the morning. But it's going to be hot this afternoon, we can always sit in my bed turn on a/c and do school.

Since I have to drive DH to work and back I have a bunch more grocery stores available to me (different chains). Sat down with the ads and found some good deals. 4# sugar for $1.99, olives for $1, beets $.69, etc. These stores are about 3 blocks for DH's work!

Tonight we will pilfer the garden for lettuce and weeds for dinner. Salad with grilled chicken in it!!


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Found some canning jars on a CL ad. Bought over 40 dozen and now they are laying in dh's garage floor waiting for me to sort and label the boxes. While there, we also bought a vintage vitamix 3600, cherry pitter which I didn't know what it was when I bought it but it looked like something I needed to own, manual food grinder/chopper, manual hand drill, food processor, thread, bobbins, some hand tools, and a few other little odds and ends. It was a good place to stock up on things.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Ohio dreamer said:


> Well, we now are the proud owners of another tall size pair of crutches and bottle of pain killers. DH broke his fibula (the smaller bone in the lower leg) last night while pulling a down branch. It gave and he stepped back into a hole...snap, crackle, crunch. Waiting to hear back from the Ortho Dr. on when they can get us in, today. Won't know till then if he will need surgery. Guess DS and I will try building my tomato trellis this weekend....at least we already have the lumber.


Ohhh. That stinks. That is similar to how I broke my ankle a few years ago. Gotta watch those holes. They sneak up on ya.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

giraffe_baby said:


> WHOO hoo got a great deal today!!! One of them 250 gallon water deals in a cage!!! at a GARAGE SALE!!!! ( and chance to get more!!) around here on Craigs list ( 20-40 miles away) they run around $45!!! Well I got it 3 miles from home for 45!! So it saves me gas $$  So now to rinse it REALLLLLLY good!!!



We got one of those and I'd like to get another. Good buy. I paid $70 for mine and that was cheap for this area.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Well my garden is keeping me busy TODAY alone Ive picked 28 pickle cukes, 13 zucchini and 1 bell pepper!! Thats a total of 31 zucchini already!! We tried a "NEW" recipe to us...(had plenty to play with) We did zucchini chips in the dehydrator... but flavored each tray with different flavorings to find our fav!!
1. Parmasean garlic
2. Jalepeno garlic
3. Lemon Pepper
4. Fry salt ( i mix garlic pepper/seasoning salt and onion pwder for fries)
5. Bacon salt (apple wood) 

Well the winners seem to be 1 & 2.. So we will be making TONS of them im sure! Then I canned up 8 jars of pickles  first set of the year!.. For supper we had shish Kabobs with green pepper, zucchinni and onions all from our garden!

Also the food bank in town (ive had to visit a few times with husband in his 2nd year of lay off and cut off UE! * Thanks OBAMA*) KNOWS that I can/perserve... called me wed and said HEY we got TONS of veggies PLEASE come get some... Well they gave me 10 Heads of cabbage ( softball or a lil larger cuz of no rain) 5 heads lettuce, 3 grocery bags full of onions, 2 HUGE PACKED grocery bags of FRESH broccoli!! then told me to come back friday!!!
So we got one full dehydrator of onions done so far, prob one more to go... got all the broccoli and cabbage processed ( we love fried cabbage, so just chop and freeze!, also freeze the whole head for cabbage soup) Plus made some coleslaw!! lol
I did go back friday but all they had left was cabbage and onions (10 more head and 2 more bags!) SO I still have onions to process but thats a EARLY morning task (since we do that OUTSIDE) and its 99 degrees today!
WE DEFINATLY have a garden thats going gangbusters and I will be busy!! I wish I could find a deal like you did Hillbilly girl! I need more wide mouth! I have plenty reg mouth! BUT PICKLES dont do well in them!! LOL


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Wow! I have been missing alot here! 

I got a getoutofjail free card, yesterday.....DH & I had a lovely breakfast, went to the gun range, got my gun cleaned...looked at others.....nope didn't buy another....yet!

Dh invented something-or-another to pump water from the big 330 gal tanks. I have Vac packing I need to finish.

Contract work is keeping me tied in knots....oh, well...I signed up for it.

I just had my 1 yr marker of finding out I had Breast Cancer......All is still good!! My sis is groovy, too!

HOT and dry here....they are saying a duplicate of last year for us this summer.

Miss you guys! Keep up the great work!!


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

LOL Ive been on a roll!! I made 18 mini loaves of zucchini bread, 4 dzn choc chip cookies and a pan of oatmeal bars all before 730 am!!! LOL ( of course it is 94 here today!!) Doing alot of INSIDE spring/summer cleaning!


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## WV Farm girl (Nov 26, 2011)

Southern States has a sale going on. So I picked up a few herbs and strawberry plants for just .69 each. Also got another 1 gallon thornless blackberry vine for 40% off.
I planted a few more potatoes, and replanted a couple gourd seeds that the chickens helped themselves too. 
I did figure out a way to keep the chickens off new plants though. Milk crates! Turned over the plants they allow them to grow until big enough that the hens leave them alone. I just need to pick up a cpl more for nxt year.
A friend at work is giving me 3 cornish X. She didn't realize what they were when she bought 'em and can't deal with butchering them, I however have no such qualms. So they are going to freezer camp in the next cpl weeks.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Working on learning what exactly we can do with it's 94 degrees with humidity about 87% (due point somewhere 68-72 degrees). Well, if SHTF, these will be nothing done days....we can't take the heat. We are jut counting down the hours to Tuesday when the cold front comes and drops the temp 20 degrees and we have a chance for rain. While so many of you have been dealing with drought for the past year or so we haven't had any long dry spells. This year we are dry, too....glad our rain barrels were up and running when it rain this spring. But they are getting low, now.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

We were99F and 80% humidity....ugh! Here comes summer.
We managed to get about 1/2 of rain last night.....put a bit more rain in our catch systems. We are really starting to see the levels start to drop. Lost power for a short time.

Vac paked 50lbs Rice.....'bout all I had time to do.
Boiled potatos for potato salad and shred a bunch for dehydrated hashbrowns.

You guys are kicking my bootie in the prep dept this month!! Great job!


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## rhaige9 (Oct 31, 2010)

I've never posted in this section, but here goes. This month we started a pen for the pigs we're getting. It just needs a roof over the shelter, and the hog panels set up. Started the garden, seeds in the ground and plants we bought. Cross fenced the pastures with temp poles and hot wire string. This keeps the horses eating the long stuff down instead of taking the shorter stuff to the dirt, and keeps our feed bill down. More grass longer into the cold season. Got 6 chickens and 1 rooster. Got the rabbit hutch up and repaired the broken doors. Have one buck now and waiting on two does from a friends litter. Got a pressure canner off my boss, I just have to take it into the extension office and have the seals tested.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Cold front finally here and barely 60 here. It's heavenly even though we know it won't last! Time to scurry around and get caught up on chores we just couldn't do when the temp were 90 to 100 for last week. Got .70 inches of rain in past two days cloudbursts and tomorrow is supposed to be the biggie with all day rain. Fingers crossed. Got our squash,pumpkins, summer squash plants out of the greenhouse and that will be todays' job. Just that teeny bit of rain has greened things up considerably. Farmers praying for rain after most have finished lst cutting hay. Neighbor wanted to cut ours on shares but we wouldn't have anything for our cows to eat if we did and it didnt' rain.


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## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

Great job, rhaige9. You really got a lot done! We made it out to clean the chicken coops finally--i've been meaning to do it since spring. We do the deep litter method and clean out twice a year fall and spring and were wayyyy overdue. I'll have to pay off the teens for helping me (with a minimum of complaints) with homemade strawberry slushies and a movie rental when we go into town. Next on my list today is to mow the berry patches again and take the clippings to the garden to mulch. Onward and upward! Pamela


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

Well the PICKLES are very fluent this year ( and zucchini) I have 22 qts already done, and have a day break and then Im sure I will have 7 or 8 more! I did find some widemouth jars today at Walmart( hate that place) for $10.44 cheapest ive found latley so got a case... We've got 10 bags of zucchini shredded/frozen ( 2 c per bag) plus 2 dehydrator's (5 tray) full of zucchini chips, and then have one more batch of onions to do.. Ive got 7 jars of onions now! Prob do onions tomrrow am...
Have to strip and rip the boat apart this weekend when the "COLD" snap hits.. So that can be fixed up!

Been saving money on the electric/gas... so much so the gas man came back and RE READ the meter thinking it was wrong... lol Hanging out our clothes.. keeping AC set at 76 and windows ALL darkened with Table cloths ( plastic kind with the fleece on the underside!) Its rough when EVERYONE is home all day every day ( summer break) to keep things down,,, but told em if it goes up.. they loose something electrical ( right now they have to "EARN" tv time with chores/helps around house... no time... no tv... saves money!!)

ETA: also picked jalepenos, green peppers today!! and tomatoes look ready to start greening up!! OH VEY!! OH and if you look at my photos up above... the tomatoes OMG are ABOVE that TOP POST now ( 4' high!!)


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Well "the rain" was a waste, but the cool air is refreshing! Still no time of accomplish much, but I did stop at Aldi's and pick up some produce deals. Celery is $.55, so I bought 4. 3 are in the dryer and I just planted the bottoms in the garden. Never tried to re-grow celery before, so it will be fun to watch. 

I planted celery this year for the first time from seed.....so that entire corner of the garden is an experiment. I experiment with something every year, that way I can practice and play with it and see if it's worth the time and space when I have a grocery store just a few blocks away. It also gives me more practical knowledge just in case SHTF. Potatoes were that way that past two years. I now know how to grow them but they take up too much space in my little garden to keep as an every year thing (and 50# is only $12 at the farm store). But if SHTF they entire yard will become garden, so I'd have the space. I have a few kolorabi's in this year too. I know how to grow those, the experiment is what do you do with them once they are grown, lol.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well I see that everyone else has been busy this month... Besides from family issues and every day life, it seems that there aren't enough hours in the day at times! Luckily no emergencies, but lots of minor issues that required my immediate attention.

The neighbors and myself have everything for the garden placed in the raised beds and containers that are inside the 'animal proof' fence. Now if the coastal fog would go away for a while, and let the sun come out for a few days in a row! I am a bit jealous, from reading the posts of those that are harvesting out of their gardens this early in the season. I am still buying my produce at the markets (farmer's and local supermarkets). 

I've been working on finding firewood for filling the wood shed. Now I have to wait for the ground to dry out a little more, so I can get my 2 wheel drive pickup back into where I will be cutting. Today will see me spending the afternoon cutting brush and doing much needed weed whacking and trying to tame the jungle/ rain forest up here.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Today is a "tick it off the list" day. Lots of little things like iron shirts, pay bill, make yogurt, etc. 

Had a Dr appt. today, just a general 2 eyes, 2 legs, kind of check up. Mentioned my ear problem I've had since Jan when I had vertigo. She looked and thinks it's infected!? Admittedly I can't feel pain in that ear, too much scar tissue. I've had what sounds like a generator idling in my ear since Jan. I know it's full of fluid as I can "feel" it, tried everything over the counter I could think of. Even though I don't feel pain I can usually detect an infection, so I was floored. Hope it hasn't been doing more damage, I'd hate to lose any more hearing in that ear.

Put all the gas can on the deck of the Jeep. Prices are down and we have "points" expiring at midnight tonight off gas. So off to save my $1.03 and fill up the tanks and car when I pick up DH from work.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

I'm still working on that pile of jars I bought. I had some that needed to be cleaned before I box and stack them up. Should be done with all that tomorrow.

Tonight will be garden time as we were out of town for a few days and the weeds are trying to take over.

I called a woman today about some guinea keets she has for sale and dh and I have to make a decision about that. I'm not sure if we're ready to add more animals to the mix yet or not but it'd be nice to have some bug control.


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