Has it been a full seven days since our last segment?
How time fly’s when you’re snowed in and it’s 20 degrees outside :snowman: . Not to worry, it’s supposed to be in the upper 50′s by the middle of next week.
As they say around here if you don’t like the weather stick around for a couple of days and it will change…
Okay, lets see… I would like to thank William C and Linda S for their generous donations this week via PayPal. Thank you both your donations will be put toward paying our blog hosting fees that are due next month.
I’ve had several readers in the past tell me that they didn’t know that running a blog costs money… they thought everything on the internet was free… Folks it’s like paying rent – as long as you continue to pay the rent things go smoothly, but skip a payment and you’re closed down and kicked out…
To keep this blog running we have to pay, those hosting fees, we have to pay to register and to keep our site address, I also pay for site security, and I paid a one time fee for a premium theme (blog platform). Some sites also pay for SEO and webmaster services but I do all that myself.
Well, it looks like I got off track at about line one – no doubt the effect of “snow blindness” from going outside this morning to let my dog do her “business” (she is doing great by the way), I don’t think that I’ve ever seen her want to finish and get back in the house so quickly… She is like me – we hate the cold.
Okay let me see… what did I do to prep this week?
- Ordered four Dwarf American Hazelnut trees.
- Ordered one Dwarf Yellow Delicious Apple tree.
- Ordered one Dwarf Red Delicious Apple tree.
- Ordered one Dwarf Alberta Peach tree.
- Ordered one Dwarf Kieffer Pear tree.
- Ordered one Dwarf North Star Cherry tree.
Working out plans for another raised bed garden using old tires – I’ve done this in the past with great results. If you’re interested in this here are a couple of articles that you will find helpful – “A new use for old tires:
A garden using tires” “Making & Selling Tire Gardens“. And a book on how to do it “Tire recycling is fun“. I have the book and it’s full of interesting projects using old tires not just for gardening but other projects as well.
Well folks that’s it for me this week – now, I’m just waiting for the sun to shine and melt this snow off… :sun:
What about YOU? What did you do to prep this week? Let us know in the comments below. Just do it already!
485 comments
I was letting all this talk about Obama and his socialist brethren gathering ranks for a huge assault on the 2nd amendment,and it made me mad enough to consider what our world would be like if we were eventually completely disarmed like they want. How would we take our country back? How would we get the usurpers out of our Capitol and with what? So I went out to my shop and dug through my scrap metal bin and made two shotguns. One took about three hours and the other took about 20 minutes. I feel better knowing that as long as there is pipe and shotgun shells,then you will never be completely disarmed. That was my prep for the week,empowerment.
HUZZAH!
I second that HUZZAH! And saved your tutorial.
Bctruck, knowledge is power. Is there a link to this information anywhere on the web or a reference book you can recommend? Thanks.
I would be very interested in seeing how to do that. did you take pictures? Can you do a step by step?
Yes you did. It’s on your blog. Thank you!
Is it ok if I repost that vid on my blog? I feel more people should see this.
How do I see your blog? Sounds like a project DH would like to do. Thanks for the info. God bless, Linda lou
sure. repost. i frequent your blog by the way. very nice.
And your videos were great!
thanks! it was a very satisfying build.
Your furbabies are adorable, bc!
its getting a little crowded in the bed.
Do what we did…buy a bigger bed! Then hope they don’t crowd you out every night, as ours do…..
Bctruck and Mike, please help an ole dummy find your blogs. Thanks.
hi Oz
Click on bctrucks name, it’ll take you to his blog. Same with me..
Click on bc’s first. I don’t think I could ever do anything as cool as making a .410 shotgun from metal scrap ;)
Thanks Mike. I watched it. Nice shotgun from scrap!
click on the lovely picture to the right. youll get there.
Thank you for the video of the signaling device. My son downloaded it for us. I feel much better and empowered by it!
Here ya’ go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYYZLivT51s&list=UUTffHQaauyH58rH45n5grsw&index=4
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnaCjEXjKy0&list=UUTffHQaauyH58rH45n5grsw&index=3
great stuff, thanks!
Loved it! You sir are what being American is all about. I watched the vid and now will never forget how to make this.
thanks!thats exactly why i put it out there. knowledge is power.
B… what a fine idea for a…. ‘signaling devise’.
now that cant possibly be against the law to make a signalling device. thats what ill call them from now on.
Bctruck
We aren’t to handy but bookmarked your u-tube so when my son has time he can watch it.
Thank you
BC,
I just watched your video. I am going to send the link to my brothers. Who would have thought you could make a shotgun out of spare parts? That is awesome.
thanks. it felt good to make and it and it felt like i had taken a little of my freedom back by making it a part of the public domain.
You are a Patriot, indeed!
A zip gun! Cool.
i have a .22 caliber pistol banging around in my head right now. as soon as i find the right size pipe. im going to build one.
When I was a kid we would make .22 zip guns out of telescoping antenna’s off cars, a wooden clothes pin (spring type) a carpet tack, some electricians tape and wood for a handle.
Also made firecracker guns out of several short pieces of plumbers pipe, t joints, end caps and a plug. It’d punch a marble through a half inch redwood fence at 30 feet. Made the mistake of showing my Dad. He made me fix the fence and confiscated my “gun”. And of course I had to eat standing up…..lol. So I kept the others a secret.
It’s a wonder we made it to adulthood (ok, ok, semi-adulthood) with hands and all 10 fingers…lol
Oh BC Truck, I just remembered another homemade gun I saw made out of a staple gun. Just search Youtube for “staple gun pistol”. I also found a .22 zip gun where the barrel was a brake line. Stay legal. Read the disclaimer under the brake line one.
All these things seem to be the work of one “Rusty Shackleford”.
BC, I love the way your mind works! You are just the kind of patriot that renews my faith in Americans. God bless.
thanks Patti!
That is Awesome BC thanks for sharing with us. Wonder how much I could get for each one I turn in at a gun buy back. lol just might be my new “job”
Wow, thanks for posting that “signaling device” info on your blog. God bless you sir, and your little family as well!
Preps this week included getting an electric tiller. I can do the tilling by hand, but dont mind using an easier method for now. Picked up a bunch of compost, will till that in this week. Will pick up supplies today to make a couple more raised garden beds, I’m using redwood. Ordered some more ammo, hopefully gets here soon. Started a light exercise regimen, need to keep at it. Prayers to all who need them, keep on prepping folks.
Got really lucky this week and was able to buy a Ruger SR-22. A local gun shop received a shipment of 10 of these little pistols for becoming a Ruger dealer and my son alerted me to the opportunity. They were a little pricey at $350, but what the heck? I also added green coffee beans, a UV water purifier, 4 fire steels, waterproof matches, 100-ft of paracord, oxygen absorbers, a mini-Cree flashlight, and 20 AA rechargable batteries.
I am going to Sam’s this afternoon to replace canned goods used over the past few weeks. That’s it for me. Have a great week, everyone.
Too funny. I ordered four American hazel nut trees, too. But I ordered some berry bushes instead of fruit trees. I learned alot from this blog and that’s about it for me. Thanks everybody!!
Oh yeah, I bought another dozen canning jars, too.
My biggest purchase this week was 2 ceramic Berkey water filters. So now I have 4 of those and I feel comfortable with my water purifacation. Added 6 packs of 3-0 silk suture packs and 2 packs of absobable sutures Lidocane with Epinephrine and without. Hit up my local goodwill found a small pressure cooker brought it home tested it out on some greenbeans it works great, can’t beat that for 2.00. picked up 1 20rd box .270 1 100rd box 9mm and 1 50rd box .40 s&w. Found 5 five gallon kerosene jugs at the county dumpster, someone had set them off beside the dumpster one half full of kerosene. I thought to myself as I looked them over for cracks and holes some people will always be sheeple. Also someone set out a carpet shampooer brought it home too tried it out works great.
BP, Get Out! You did not get a canner for $2!!! you lucky duck, you!
I have 5 canners; love them all; but, bought them all for good prices then “fixed them up, as needed, but, none of them were $2! DAAAAAANG.
Can you share your source on the suture packs and medical preps?
And the free kerosene jugs with kerosene….whoa! My kinda shopper! Call me when you’re ready to go to the dump again…I’ll go shoppin’ wit’ya!!!!
+1 on the suture pack/med preps….where did you find them???
Homeinsteader,
It was one of the small pressure cookers aluminum kitchen pro 4 quart. I started off with this kit http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oasis-Survival-Surgical-Suture-Stapler-Kit-Emergency-First-Aid-SS10-w-Carry-Case-/261115320879?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccbaf9a2f
then I added sutures from Doom and Bloom http://store.doomandbloom.net/ I also recomend Doom and Bloom survival medicine handbook.
Wow! That kit looks like it should cover just about everything. And I LOVE “Doom and Bloom” – thank you!
I had two given to me on Friday… he wouldn’t let me pay him for them. His wife had passed and she did all the canning and he was trying to clean things out.
BP – did the lidocaine require a Rx? If not, where did you order it from?
I found a large animal vet that’s a prepper too.
Now that’s a great find! good on you!
Don’t suppose (s)he’d sell a Rx pad? Just kidding. That’s a huge score imo.
man do i spend a lot of time at the dump pretending to throw things away. you made a great haul!
I have gotten the kitchen table, tornado or something vaccum cleaner. A small 110 vac that used to carry in the big truck. About 50% of our dishes. craftsman skill saw, doors windows you name it.lol
Backwoods Prepper be sure and take the lid of that cooker/canner to the county extension office and have it pressure checked if it has a gage instead of weights. Mom’s old 5 quart National is a pound off to the light-side. You don’t want to make yourself or anybody else sick.
thanks Judy but I would never use it to can with (it’s too small) only to cook green beans, rabbit and such.
5 quart National? I think maybe you mean National # 5, which is a 12-quart? I have one of those, and I love it, but it’s very hard to get replacement parts for it. I don’t think a pressure canner smaller than 12-quart is made, and, if it were, you probably could not safely use it. Anything less than 12-quart will, apparently, not properly process your food, but, dadgum if I can remember exactly “why”!
LOL I don’t know! It will hold 5 quarts and I have a 7 quart one, too. This is what Mother called them. I’d give my right hind leg for the old double-decker she had, but it got willed to my niece. I did get all of her old Kerr pints and her canning recipes so I’m good. The gasket is the issue on the 5 quart. Mother learned a trick to keeping the gasket soft by soaking the gasket in vegetable oil after canning season. So I haven’t had to go looking for someone with gasket material to custom make me one. I do the same thing with my pressure sauce pans.
Just a note from my neck of the woods Judy a.o.: I have a large older All-American pressure cooker and two gauges my daughter is holding for me. I tried twice to get our local county extension office (at UVM) to pressure check it and both years they told me they no longer do that sort of thing. Disappointing. Anyone know another way to get them checked? Thank you in advance.
the hardware store is where i took mine they used a bike tire pump and pumped it up till the gauge went to 12 lbs check and see who sells replacement part this is how i found my store
That’s too bad, maybe ours still do because we are still a farming state.
GREAT NEWS, FRIENDS! DH and I were able to increase our BOL by a critically-located couple of extra acres this week! Woo-hoo!
Put up a couple dozen quarts of roasted chicken.
Bought “Atlas Shrugged” DVD and watched it; scary, when you see the correlation between the author’s writings of the 1950′s and what’s going on in our world today.
Wow, congrats on the additional acreage!
What recipe are you using for the roasted chicken?
Thanks, PP! Appreciate the kind wishes.
I just roast my chicken with my choice of herbs, mostly sea salt, garlic, freshly ground black pepper (I like to keep it simple – then I can jazz it up per recipe later). I use my big electric roaster, double-layered with a rectangular roasting/cooling rack between the two layers, and I “seal” the two holes in the top of the roaster lid by dropping a vintage aluminum potato baking skewer into each.
I also use all 3 racks of my ginormous oven to roast at the same time, sealing everything closed in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
I was able to roast 95 lbs. of chicken breast at one time using these two devices!
HI
Congrats on your acquisition. That’s super.
Thank you, TGma!
Wow that’s amazing!!!! Do you can it using the time/pressure in the Ball book?
Yes. I’m less than 2,000 ft in the air, so 10 lbs. pressure, 90minutes for quarts. I didn’t do a very good job of completing “instructions”, did I?! I use the roasting liquid; I pull the meat off the bones, stuff it in the sterile quart jars, and add the liquid. I strain the roasting liquid, “eyeball” how much I have, and divvy it up according to how many jars I need to fill from it. Each pan of chicken always has a collection of natural roasting “juice”, of course. I don’t need a lot of liquid, by the time I stuff the jars full (leaving one and one-half inch of headspace in jars). Meat will expand when pressure canned, even if already cooked. I fill the jars with as much roasting liquid as possible, and make up the difference with canned (home-canned, if I have it) chicken broth, but, I don’t always need to do this. I use a large metal icing spatula to work out any air bubbles – this is important when stuffing jars full of “solid matter”, such as meat (not so much if lots of liquid). Then I just clean the tops of the jars, sterilize my caps and rings, place the caps and rings, and process.
It takes about 2 hours to roast a single layer of large chicken breasts, packed tight, in my Nesco 18 quart roaster, and about 3 hours double-layered @ 325 deg. F
Thanks! Sounds so yummy, I’m going to have to try this to add to my home canned meats!
Wonderful! So glad for you.
Thank you, Patti!
there is no better investment than land. i hear they’ve stopped making it. it will only go up in value.
bc, you know where to find me…and some great land up in the air, cheap – still a little of it available!
Congrats, HomeINsteader. Wish I had the resources to get some land in the woods.
Atlas Shrugged is an amazing book. Ayn Rand lived through the Russian Revolution, so she knew how the Communists worked. But her ability to translate their methods to taking over a Capitalist system was incredible.
It is truly frightening how close it comes to what’s happening today.
Yes, indeed. I’d welcome you anytime, Warmongerel. I have a neighbor I’d like you to take care of while you’re there…. ; )
Congrats on the acres.
Have you READ Atlas Shrugged? The DVD is good but it’s only a small fraction of the book.
That’s good to know, Mari; I recently found a copy of the book in paperback at a 2nd Hand shop for a buck! But, the minute I got through the door, DH grabbed it and started reading! We don’t share books…we fuss at each other over “losing our places”, and, well, just any excuse to fuss at each other! But I’m anxious to read it.
Thank you for good wishes on new BOL acquisition; it will help keep the sheeple away!
Mari,
There are two DVD’s which comprise parts 1 & 2 of 3 total, so at this point you only get part way through the book if you see them both. Our MAG saw both at the theater, and in my case it’s the only movies I’ve seen at a theater in several years. Part 3 of 3 should be out later this year, but I agree that even with all three; you miss a lot of the book; although, so far they’ve done a good job on the overall meaning it conveys.
OH, so, there is a Part 2 out already? Gotta find it.
Doesn’t look like the DVD is out yet:
http://www.atlasshruggedmovie.com/
The first one is on Netflix if you have it.
I rented part one today. I asked the clerk when two was coming out and he said March.
HomeINsteader,
It was released in October & our MAG went to see it the opening night. DVD available from their website. http://store.atlasshruggedmovie.com/
Not much this week just packing and trying to stay warm. Keeping an eye on whats happening in the world. A lot of convenient and timely things happening…. All bad of course. Went to the local indoor range for a few hours this week. Have to use their ammo, which is ok by me, I’ll need mine for later :)
a little cabin fever there m.d. ? let’s see, ordered 200lbs of oats from ee. ordered an army manual on field fortifications and a trapping book. got a gortex bivy sack, 3 thermal tarps. received 500 45acp rounds and 5each 22lr conversion mags. i took apart a gazette map book and created an e&e map for my bag….spent WAY too much time on the net, but like m.d., i hate the cold. folks, i’d be alert on or about april 19th. thats the anniversary of the shot heard ’round the world, among other things. there will be rallies, meetings, and gatherings forming. if .gov shows up with the wrong attitude, there could be trouble. i’ll be at one somewhere, but with both eyes open and my bag close at hand. by all means, make plans to show your support for the constitution, just stay alert…..i’m compelled by the story of the seven years bad harvest and the stories of folks during the war of northern agression to embark on a seven year food plan. sounds like a lot, but i don’t ever want to become a slave due to lack of food. its not that much expense/trouble when using bulk staple foods, and if tdl cuts off my pension, at least we’ll eat. one last word…thermite!
NO thanks… I don’t need any termites. I have enough troubles around my house without those little buggers trying to make a snack out of it.
:)
“you’re so funny paulie, that’s why i’m going to kill you last.” lol!
LOL… gotta keep a sense of humor in times like these. :)
You remember when I said I was gonna kill you last. I lied.lol
“what happened to paulie?” ” i let him go.”
Oh goodie… do I finally get to go first for once LOL
no not termites, thermite its a very cool still legal “science project”. When mixed and lit burns very very hot and cannot be extinguished until the reaction is complete. Good stuff!!
Yeah… I was just yanking RR’s chain :)
Excelent idea, thermite!
I have watched “extreme” videos on YouTube with hubbs on thermite, and he’s explained it a bit to me, but for the life of me I can’t see what the use of storing it in our preps would be. I don’t want to scare anyone by asking directly, but if anyone could provide a link to possibilities for strictly legal uses of course, I’d be much obliged.
grumpy, legal uses include welding, cutting metal, stump burning, survival firestarting, setting fire to armored personel carriers….no, wait, scratch that last one…..
Here in MN all you have to do is kick a car and you’ll have plenty of iron oxide.
And powdered aluminum is easy, too.
Hi M.D. and Wolf Pack. Like M.D. and many others I have had to stay close to the house due to winter, etc. Because of that I’ve been reading a lot and trying to catch up with things around the place. My preps this week were cans (one each – gallon size) of non-fat instant milk, baking soda and butter powder, also a Coleman solar shower, the book Where There is No Doctor by David Werner and the 59 page report of The Shape of Things to Come (Vol. 1, Issue 1, Data Set Analysis) by Clif High. I’m concentrating more on long term food storage more than anything else right now.
A friend sent me a link to a YouTube video that I’d like to pass on. The title of the video is, “Henson Ong at Gun Violence Prevention Public Hearing – Hartford, CT – 1/28/2013.” Most everyone is more computer savvy than I so hopefully the title is enough to get you to it. Anyway, to me this fellow is brilliant. I sure wish he was my neighbor. I would have gifted him my AR instead of selling it.
I haven’t had a chance to really get into Clif High’s report on The Shape of Things to Come but just flipping through the pages it doesn’t look good. Clif High (and associates) is the creator of the Web Bot Project. Ok, I know there is a lot of controversy over Mr. High and this technology so I promise to keep my tin-foil-hat on when I read it.
Thanks M.D. for all of your work. I’m looking forward to reading this week’s posts. God bless you all.
whats amazing about the web bot is when its correct,its predictions are to the hour and minute,but when its wrong its no where near close to being correct. (adjusts tin foil hat to cover frontal lobe so the drones cant read my mind)
Tell me more about your Coleman solar shower, where to get, how it works etc. I am also interested about the Web Bot, I read somewhere that it is not showing anything right now. Please let me know if you know any news on it. Thanks for any help. God bless, Linda Lou
Clifs site is http://www.halfpasthuman.com you can find out all about the webbot project there. In the latest report they are predicting all kinds of crap to hit the fan by this june. The worse thing Im kinda afraid of would be the global coastal event. Inland seas forming and ofc the riots. He says not to get involved with the first wave of rioting thats about to happen in the next few months. That it will be to catch the leaders of any type of insurection. All kinds of scary stuff . Look around his site you can get the reports for free if you cant afford them. he also does these audio reports called woos. Some of the stuff is pretty far out there. Like reptilians and how the earth and other planets are following our sun not orbiting it, ect… I guess its a pick and choose what you believe. Kinda like how the government treats teh constitution.
keep in mind when predictions are wrong or people that predict stuff are wrong, they just move the time line out some. This keeps people coming back.
Hi Linda, I haven’t used the Coleman shower yet. You simply fill it with water and leave it out in the sun for a few hours. It’s easy and low tech, you just let the sun do the work heating the water and gravity does the rest when you take the shower. It’s not the same as a shower with water under pressure but it’s a shower. I bought it on eBay. The whole thing was about $9.00 and that included shipping! It literally came overnight. The seller’s user name is thehoneyroastedpeanut and it appears he/she still has some for sale.
Unless they are sold out, you should be able to buy these at China….er, Wal-Mart…in the camping section.
You can get the same results in the winter by placing the bag by a sunny window.
I’ve used solar showers before and they work great. You could make your own with a plastic bag, tubing and a valve, but as cheap as they are you’re better off just buying one.
I’ve got one of those. My bathroom is right over a low roof, and in the summer if I just chuck that bladder out the window onto the roof, it’ll heat up in no time, then I can hang it on a hook right in the bathtub. (still need to put the hook up). I’m also looking into diverting a downspout near that window into a bucket either on the roof or in the bathroom. (in summer, it could go thru the window, if i made a special screen with a hole in it for that). I also have plans for some planters up on that roof, but I digress.
I have been reading clif’s reports for a couple years, and I am not so sure a tin foil hat is still needed. If what he reported about food is anywhere near correct, we, indeed do not have much time left to stock up. I felt that was the most important issue he addressed.
The companion book to “When there is no Doctor” is “When there is no Dentist”, and I highly recommend both.
Thanks HomeINsteader, the store had that one too but my funds weren’t enough for both books at one time. The dentist book will be next visit when my resources have recovered. : )
ozhillbilly,
May we have the link to the Clif High report?
http://www.halfpasthuman.com/FreeCopies.html
http://www.halfpasthuman.com for the main site
Thanks George. That stuff put a crinkle in my tinfoil hat and I got a headache. Not my cup of tea.
I’m fully occupied with p—-issing in the wind at the dorks in DC and don’t have the energy to joust with off-world windmills.
Thanks George. I downloaded a second one from your links. Kinda scary stuff.
I downloaded more youtube vids on minor medical procedures and burned the best ones to DVDs. I keep an older laptop in a faraday cage and burn CD’s and DVD’s of books, articles, and vids by category. Added some basic dental instruments to the wishlist – extractors, elevator, and pick/probe. Anyone else pay attention to the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” items on amazon? People who bought dental extractors also bought field surgery kits, radiation stickers, mylar bags and oxy absorbers, and steri-strip wound closures. What an odd assortment of items to buy… :)
Pantry stocking continues, it’s great having the extra room for more depth and some added variety. Sale on baby cereals, and even though we don’t have children I stocked up on them. Never know who might show up with one of those things, and I wouldn’t feel right taking any off the grocery store shelf once the S started HTF. Keeping my eyes peeled for any sales on powdered formula, maybe it’d taste better than the dehydrated milk on Frosted Flakes. Might be good for a sick individual that was having trouble keeping food down too. Moral/ethical question, stocking baby formula/cereals for barter?
Ew, don’t count on baby formula being better than dehydrated milk! I tried it once in my coffee when my son was a baby and it was downright nasty. You may want to look at Pedialyte for somebody that is sick, though. That is what the doctors always tell you to give your little ones when they can’t hold down food.
As much as I would like to say that I could use formula and baby cereal for barter, I’m pretty sure that as soon as I saw a hungry baby, I would hand those things over without asking anything in return. I do like the idea of having some of that on hand just in case.
formula is nasty tasting and I’m with tiger lily I could not barter with baby food. If I have it I’ll give it to them.
Which is exactly why I’m careful what I buy through Amazon.
“Never know who might show up with one of those things” ROFL
“J” (Mr. Michele) has a fully loaded bug out trailer, but until he moves here, he gave me a list to work from to be sure we were ready now. To that end I bought a heavy duty 12 X 16 brown tarp and some other misc other small items to make our exile comfortable (OK, I’m a woman – bugging out should be comfortable since it’s so inconvienent).
I have a 55 gallon plastic drum that would be good for gasoline storage, so have cleaned that out, and it is drying out.
“J” and my sons have been discussing bug out locations and codes for the rest of the family to tell them where we went, in case we could not all go at the same time.
At the moment, I’m thinking “J” is a VERY GOOD addition to my preps, and we are much more likely to survive with his knowledge, skills and his additional preps.
Found and bought a chicken bug out cage at a thrift store. If for some reason we do have to leave, I did not want to leave my pets/livestock behind. I have a cage for my rabbit buck, Toby, but still need a cage for my does, Julie and Mila.
Finished filling the 4 – 1 week bug out barrels, but need to add another barrel or two, because they were planned as 1 week for 4 people, and we now have a minimum of 6.
I made another batch of laundry soap, and bought more supplies for the same. I’m reasonably sure I now have enough for an additional 40 batches or so, so laundry soap preps are done for now.
Bought misc condiments for the preps, and spices and misc items for “J’s” travel trailer, to make MY life easier while I’m up visiting him. I’m sincerely amused that ‘spices’ to him meant salt and pepper. He was amazed at the difference in taste when he made his crock pot lunch stuff, how much better it tasted because I had added some spices to it.
My grandma told me when I was a young lady “Whatever you cook, season it well” and I think about that every time I cook, which is daily. Guys, if you are single, you too should take my grandma’s advice, it will go a long way toward avoiding food fatigue. I would suggest at very minimum adding to your salt and pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cayenne, chili powder, sage or poultry seasoning (which would also be used to season sausage) and cinnamon – but with spices – the more different types you have, the better off you are.
Michele. I am glad that you have a partner in prepping and life. People were not created to be by themselves as far as I am concerned.I keep up my seasoning pretty well for a man ,my mom was a lousy cook and I did not want that to continue in my life.
I have no partner in life or prepping. Too bad. I think survival would be nicer. But, I am a great cook. At least i get many compliments.
Sounds like we are in the same boat. Now if I could just figure out how to get a paddle into this boat… I’d be ok.
I’d think twice about the plastic barrel for gas. If it’s not meant for gas then the gas may eat thru the plastic. I’ve had gas completely soften certian plastics on me to where it was unuseable.
That crossed my mind when I read that, as well.
Michelle, Very exciting. How nice to see your digital smile. I hope he is everything you need and want in a partner.
I have been picking up the wire dog cages that fold flat for my animals. They take up very little room until you need them.
Also, not sure where you are getting your small sizes, but I keep my trailer stocked with all kinds of goodies from minimus. They are good people to deal with.
http://www.minimus.biz/
Walmart has fold up pet cages in different sizes. They aren’t real big but fold down nicely. I keep one for my smaller outdoor pets so they can come in when it’s below 10*. During the summer the cages fold down so small they can fit behind my freezer.
You sound so happy, Michele; we are happy for you!
“Guys, if you are single, you too should take my grandma’s advice, it will go a long way toward avoiding food fatigue” Also single guys learning how to cook might help you become not single ;P
Not true… I love to cook and Im still single. Now if I could just figure out how to be ‘not ugly’ then maybe I can work on ‘not single’ :)
Hey SW,
Remember that beauty or handsomeness is from the inside out, not outside in – for those who count and don’t follow sin.
Hello Pack, Hope everyone had a good week. Weather has been pretty nasty in the Commonwealth over the last week. Didn’t do much prepping wise this week. Dipped into supplies and dug out some soup beans yesterday. They sure were good on a cold and snowy afternoon, along with the fried “tators” and cornbread. Yum! I continued to buy a little ammo as needed. Couldn’t do much this week with truck insurance due this month and other yearly bills. I did order a couple of mag pouches yesterday and am still debating about a couple of holsters and such.
100 rds. of .44 mag.
100 rds. of .22 mag.
25 rds. of 12 ga. 00 Buck
15 rds. of 12 ga. Slug
Plastic Ammo Can for Gun Parts
My prayers go out to all the pack! God Bless!
Well, to start off my week I headed to the Goodwill. Once there I began looking for the equipment in Bam Bam’s soap making article. I did pretty good finding most of what I needed (half off with the right color tag) and picked up the rest at Wallyworld. I found the lye to be the most difficult product to find; but find it I did.
So I made soap this week! Unlike the last attempt, it does NOT look like brownies. I’m pretty pleased with how it’s looking and can’t wait until it’s cured enough to try out. I managed to find a pot to heat my oils/lard and blend the lye/water that holds everything except the molds (two plastic trays half off at GW). I didn’t add any smell’s good to it as I didn’t want to waste essential oil if the soap didn’t work. Next time I’ll have some good smelling stuff! I see the need to stock pile on this so I can always have a batch curing…..
So, yippee and thanks Bam Bam!!!!!
This week also saw me dip my toes into silver bullion. Wasn’t much of a dip but I did dabble a bit. Couponing was not as good this week so maybe next? We did discover our old penny collections may have some worth and we could pick up more silver that way. One penny alone could get us 2 one ounce silver .999 coins. The guys at the local coin store were very nice, answered all my questions, were only $1.75 over market and even had coin made in my state.
I’ve also added to my pantry a number of replacement items. I’ve been looking at the freeze dried buckets etc. but then I look at my home canned foods and think, do I really want freeze dried? Having a hard time with it. I guess I could use some input on the subject…
I did buy 15 lbs of bananas which are drying as I type. I also have a 10 lb bag of ‘taters waiting to be sliced and dried.
MD and Aunt B do you know what hazelnuts were called long ago? Filberts! Isn’t it interesting ‘they’ changed the name, better marketing I guess. hazelnuts sounds better than filberts to me. Love them no matter the name. If/when I ever get out on to my land I’m planting them too.
Had a break for a few days from the rain, rain, rain. So for my fellow beekeepers, the girls were out and happy; nice to see them fliting around!
Well, that’s it for me this week. We have to keep pushing back against the dark lord so as not to lose our freedom. Prayers to those in need. MD glad to hear Hope is still improving!
The freeze dried foods just fill another hole in the preps. Home canned will only last so long before the quality of the food starts going down. Freeze dried properly stored will keep for several years.
The weight of the food is different also. In a situation where you have to leave home – the freeze dried food is easier to pack – more food and less space. Also glass is prone to breakage. If you live in earthquake country (I do – sometime in the next 50 years they expect a massive earthquake) home canned food located on shelves may end up on the floor in pieces. A 1 x 2 screwed to the supports on your wooden shelves about 1/3 to 1/2 up your quart jars can help prevent that lose.
Also put a couple of rubber bands around each jar. This keeps them from clanking together on the shelf.
Good thoughts, thanks. We don’t have many earthquakes here but I’m sure we could. Anyone have any ideas about drying vegies etc. and mylar bagging with O2 absorbers?
Oh my! Where to begin!
Books I use:
Mary Bell’s Complete Dehydrator Cookbook This book is a good read but I find it kind of frustrating if I’m looking for a specific food such as tomatoes because the information is spread out all over the book.
Making and Using Dried Foods by Phyllis Hobson, I like this one the best because of the way it is organized.
Just Add Water by Barbara G. Salsbury is great for taking your dried foods and making dishes with them except I refuse to eat TVP so I add dehydrated meats or open jars of canned meats.
Web Sites
http://www.dehydrate2store.com/ I think this one is the great.
http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-meat.html I’ve used several ideas from his web site
http://www.trailcooking.com/ Some excellent ideas here
https://www.youtube.com/user/MrBabelfish5/videos This guy also has a web site with the written recipes.
Backpacking web sites are great for gear and foods for bugging-out or in.
Dehydrators
I use a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator. There are some here who have used the inexpensive dehydrators with success but I was losing food to spoilage with the one I had. If I had saved the money I lost in food and the cost of the cheap dehydrator I could have just about payed for the Excalibur. So my advice is save your money until you can afford a dehydrator with a temperature control on it. Also different food dry best at different temperatures. Timer is optional in my opinion because you are drying for hours and you have to check every once in a while to see how things are going any way.
I don’t do near the canning I use to since I got the dehydrator. So if you get one, have fun!
Holy Mole! Just heading to bed and thought I’d check for in put….gads; copy and paste for later! Thanks so much Judy, another one.
Right now Im putting my dehydrated veggies in quart mason jars and then using the jar attachment on the vacume sealer to suck out the O2.
MD posted my instructions for “How to Build a Solar Food Dryer that Works”; you might want to find that, download it, and print it off – maybe even go ahead and get the materials and build. When SHTF, it may be the only way to dry foods. Just a thought.
sarahy is absolutely correct; however, home-canned foods, like commercial, are GENERALLY safe to eat long beyond the “best by” dates. They may lose color and possibly even some nutritional value, but they will still be food.
Personally, some freeze dried foods are excellent, IMHO – drooling over thoughts of freeze-dried blueberries right now.
Sw’s suggestion of rubber bands around each jar is just plain smart – gotta go dig out the rubber bands now!
The problem with rubber bands is that they get old and dried out. When that happens, the disintegrate.
True… but they are cheap and easy protection.
Right – common sense is needed. Any food should pass the look, sealed and sniff test. Look at the container the food is in – if the container is bulged, leaking or the lid is rusted thru – doesn’t matter what the date is – the food is not safe and the sniff test SHOULD NOT be performed – also don’t taste it. If the container is sealed but the food smells funny the food should be discarded without tasting it.
Knowing the signs of food spoilage can help prevent serious food borne illnesses and possibly save our lives. Also knowing the correct method of disposing of this type of food spoilage is important.
Petticoat Prepper,
You can re-batch the soap once it cures by simply grating with an old cheese grater and melt it in a double boiler like you would do for chocolate. This when you can add scents, herbs and even other oils for special uses. You can even add goats milk to help with moisture and glycerin if you want more suds. There are some really good books out to help and it is very easy. Have fun.
More free prepping/homesteading/DIY and fiction books today here: http://preputilityvehicle.blogspot.ca/ Keep checking every day too!
Did you all every hear about that Russian family that was entirely isolated in the wilderness for 40 years? Incredible story. Links to articles, film, and some comments here: http://preputilityvehicle.blogspot.ca/2013/02/free-books-available-feb-2-2013.html. At least most of them survived for that time but just barely (Mom starved to death giving the food to her family; many other wrenching bits to the story. They had two pots but after many years they rusted out, after that they couldn’t cook! The son would run after animals to catch them, there was one time when they had one last rye plant and built fences around it; it gave 18 seeds and that was what they had to built on for the next years. Honestly, I spent hours awake thinking about these people.
This week I bought more cases of canned food; cooked the pumpkins that have been stored since harvest time, and talked more and more in bits and pieces to my family about the whole thing. They know I do that blog so it’s a good stepping off point, eg. yesterday talked to DH about some people who would store a year’s worth of food; he said that would take a whole garage full (for a family our size it might) and thinks that would be crazy. Oh well, I am not devastated, LOL!
Hope you all have a great week of prepping.
Natalia, Thanks so much for your hard work on the books!
I know just what you mean about that family, so hard to get out of your head. Terribly heart-wrenching.
Keep plugging along, your family will come around. My husband and mother act like the whole thing was their idea, but when I started they thought I was going to need psychiatric care! The only hold out on the “Mom lost it” team is my teenage son and he is showing signs of switching teams. God bless.
Patti, my teen-age daughter looked at us with a jaundiced eye until my sister was over and they were watching the boob-tube. An episode of Extreme Preppers came on and she discovered her parents were pretty tame and sane. Now she is asking about target practice, self-defense courses and if there is enough of her favorite brand of chocolate in the pantry.
Our DH who, last year, told me I was “over the edge” is now learning how to make beer and wine. We don’t drink, but, he does. Says it will be “his contribution when bad stuff happens!!! It’s a start.
I meant DS. Silly me.
The DH found this free ebooks converter, if anyone is interested:
http://www.hamstersoft.com/free-ebook-converter
Wow, thanks for the Russian family information, Natalia. I can’t even imagine the one rye plant. Sure gives one a dose of gratitude for what we have now.
So I am still pretty new on this site, but it sounds like your DH isn’t totally on board – correct me if I’m wrong? I’d just like to give you a bolster by telling you that when I met my hubbs, he had two years worth of food stored, guns and ammo galore, all sorts of camping equipment and preps up the whazoo. I wasn’t aware as I am now of the true state of the nation and nagged about all the “stuff”. We pared it all down to a lot less, and now I regret it. But what’s done is done and now at least we still have a lot of the important stuff for camping, etc. Down to only three guns and their related ammo, as we needed the money for a bit to live on. Anyway, I’m blabbing. The point is, hang in there. Your DH will probably wake up soon and until then just know you’re working in the right direction. God bless!
Thanks for sharing Natalia. And let me just encourage you to keep after it. It may sound crazy to your DH, but you can always start small — have a week’s worth on hand, and then a month, and so on. Believe me, the first time you get snowed in (or whatever the local equivalent is for a disaster) for a week and can’t make the grocery store but are still eating fine, your DH will start to come around!
Natalia:
I just want to thank you again for your work on your blog. I now have a vast collection of e-books that, thanks to you, I have for free.
You don’t need a future disaster to prep. Everyday doings of “being without” can be tramatic to some people I know.
I prepped for an emergency septic failure because 3 times my septic froze up in 12 years, so last week when the weather man was predicting -25 to -30 below, I went out to get extra tub and a plunger fppr washing clothes, salt for the drains, and searched for my portapotty supplies I put away. I live in a home without a basement, a big drawback to septic and water line problems living way up north in winter.
Sure enough after the deep freeze, my septic froze up! I am prepared and my drain is now slowly opening up…
M.D., Because of your tree order, you got me outside walking in the snow this morning. I have long been thinking of how to make a natural windbreak for our small garden and when I read that you bought a hazelnut tree, the idea just clicked. I went out into about a foot of snow and measured the area to see how many hazelnut trees would fit there. I read that they can be trimmed about anytime in the year and that they need about 10 feet of space.
The sellers of the dwarf variety are out of stock, but Gurneys is having a 50% off site-wide sale so we ordered from them. Since I want to trim them to something less than 6 feet high, we will plant them a little closer than the recommended spacing. I can keep them small and get my windbreak, and most importantly have an alternate food source of nuts and squirrels. Thanks.
Since we have been through this day many times, we prefer to not celebrate, but the hazelnut trees are our gift to each other as we honor out 52nd wedding anniversary today.
Last summer we bought 3 yards of cloth to be used as a pre filter for our water purification method. Lake water will be poured through the cloth into a 5 gallon bucket, and then filtered using 2 Berkey filters in a stack of 2 five gallon buckets. FINALLY, this week the DW made me cut the cloth into 30 inch squares. She will hem the squares as soon as she finishes with her closet cleaning fetish. We are both pack rats; you would be frightened by the ‘stuff’ that she finds in those closets.
We made a stew, and I get to peel the spuds because the DW’s hands can’t do the job. I was going to put the peels in the compost pile but the snow drift in that area was so deep I couldn’t find the pile. Those of you watching your tomatoes grow, count your blessings.
Hunker-Down,
Sounds like a good plan my friend… Plant and plant some more, the good thing about those trees is that once established they produce year after year with little effort on your part…
FYI~ potato peel soup is really good. Make just like any potato soup just with the peels instead.
YUM! And aren’t you smart!
That sounds good.
HD,
Happy Anniversary! 52 years, that’s awesome! Me and Mine will have our 45th this year. Wish you many more.
Congrats on the 52 years!
Congratulations on your 52 years of wedded bliss.
52 years !! I am 52 now and when I think of being married that long it makes me feel young.
HD, you know, you don’t HAVE to peel potatoes….unless the peels are green, don’t peel potatoes – there is way too much nutrition on them to waste them. However, if the peels are green, they are “poison” ; potato skins turn green when exposed to excessive amounts of light during formation, such as were not properly buried in soil during growth, or, were not rotated while in storage or waiting to be purchased. The problem is that the skin, when exposed to excessive light, particularly flourescent, produces “solanin”, which, in large enough quantities, is toxic. If the skin is green peel the potato. Otherwise, scrub potatoes and cook them – skin and all – much healthier!
HomeINsteader, and tommy2rs,
The DW likes stew with unpeeled (new word?) potatoes BUT I think they taste like dirt. This old pig farmer does not like the taste of dirt. Pig farmer dirt taste really bad and I think potato skins taste the same.
I do like to use them to feed our fish bait worms, and the compost pile likes them also..
HD, did ya’ try washin’ ‘em, Bud?!!! (Just pickin’ on ya’!) ; )
Personally I leave the peels on even for stew but if you do peel your potatoes and don’t want to waste the peels but can’t compost them you might try one or more of these ideas.
http://www.squidoo.com/potato-peel-uses
There are some great ideas in there! Thanks!
Thanks so much for the great ideas, info on potato skins, cleaning cast iron and steel skillets, potato milk jam (sounds yummy for potato pancakes), vegetable stock, natural hair rinse, recipes. Personally my kids and I scarf up the potato peels on our potatos, but DH does not like them, so now I have great uses for his!
Hunker-Down – Congratulations to both you and your wife on 52 years. That is quite an accomplishment in this day and age.
Congratulations HD, and Mrs. HD on 52 years. That is awesome.
HD.
Congrats on 52 years. DH and I have 42 under our belt. Giving each other plants is a great way to celebrate cause everytime you look at the plant you will remember those 52 yrs.
Congratulations! 52 years is an impressive accomplishment.
Happy Anniversary!
Planting trees on your 52nd anniversary is a wonderful way to honor each other and your marriage. Heartfelt congrats!!!
52 years! How awesome! Congratulations to you, HD and Mrs HD.
One year I gave my husband rocks for our anniversary. I was driving through a small town nearby and saw a for sale sign next to some B-I-G rocks. I stopped and asked about them, was told I could have all I wanted for $50. I asked if that included delivery? He laughed and laughed and said, you just made my day so I will deliver them. One was so big our kids played king of the mountain on it for years. We have been married for over 40 years now.
Encourager, Congrats to you as well! Rare thing these days :)
Again, I didn’t get much done. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so yardsales start again and I can find some bargains! I did manage to replace several of the cans of meats that we have eaten out of the pantry over the winter though. Also added big bags of sugar and flour this week.
We got our taxes done yesterday, and the DH and I spent the rest of the night discussing what other countries we could live in. I decided I wanted to live somewhere that has a temperature range of about 50 to 80 degrees year around, decent rainfall, cheap land, lots of freedom and personal liberties, and no crazy people that kidnap Americans for ransom money. Does such a paradise even exist on this planet?
Well it’s a little out of your temp range 40-75 but it is a rain forest. and it’s beautiful. Ketchikan Alaska.
Ketchikan is beeaaaautiful. (Rainy, but beautiful). We hung out there for an amazing day on our first, last and only cruise a few years ago, and I loved it there. At least until I felt on a cracked sidewalk, and busted my elbow. I STILL have a knot there to remember Ketchikan for always.. :)
Ketchican and Sitka, both lovely places………..hate to mention them because then there will be a run on the place and finding real estate there already is difficult :) I have friends in both places, some natives some not……….and if I have family willing to go, that is where I would be full time.
Worrisome
Haven’t been there in many years but it’s too cold!
Tactical G-Ma. Try being helicoptered into White Pass and being dropped off in snow and ice up to my a.. and then waiting around for the same helicopter to drop my wild and crazy friends off up the mountain so they could ski down it and I could take amazing photos of them as the flew over my head. Then we helicoptered down to the border of Alaska and Canada where I took shots of them kite skiing on the frozen lake there…Didn’t think I would ever warm up. Didn’t feel warm until my second cognac in a bar in Skagway. :)
Worrisome,
Wow. Last time I was there they had just started building the pipeline and was rough and dangerous and cold. But I do recall flying in a small aircraft over some incredible terrain. The summers were awesome but they have ferocious mosquitoes and flies. Not to mention grizzly bears.
ButI guess if into extreme sports that’s the place to ski!
I’m partial to Haines myself and love Valdez – sitting out fishing on the Sound is incredible – actually anywhere along the Copper River is amazing. Used to live in Whitehorse, and at a couple of mining towns that no longer exist… miss it still… By the way the reason that Canada has no air force is that the misquitos do the work for free… Actually we do have one, but it used to be you would find more members of the German army on training exercises in the Yukon then Canadian military. The Germans all read Call of the Wild and White Fang in school and so are one of the largest groups of tourists in the north – they love to rent RVs and do the ALCAN.
Wild Woman! Love it!
LL, so glad you explained it! (Why Canada has no Air Force)! LOL!!!!!!
Actually I think the Canadian military does amazingly well considering that we have a population of 34.45 million people – which is less than the state of California (38 million – the whole US is 313.9 million), and about half the size of Great Britain (62 million – and we have an annual military budget of $24 billion compared to the US budget of $711 billion and the UK budge of $62 billion. Our military spending has increased by 53% since 2002, which was in line with out commitments in Afghanistan. So our fly boys have more than fulfilled their commitments, and the aid from the mosquitos is appreciated and only costs a couple tourists.
I get that (the tourists). We once lived in a high tourist area; while they were the financial backbone of the community, they brought whole new issues and problems to be dealt with! And it’s still funny! ; )
When I lived in Key West (was stationed there with the U.S. Air Force) we used to say it was a drinking town with a tourist problem!
http://www.wiggys.com
All members of my immediate family now have a
Wiggy’s Hunter Ultima Thule sleeping bag rated
to minus 20F. If the bag is wet it will keep you warm while
your body heat dries the bag. It is a bargain at $250.
Well seems that our little personal world has finally hit some hard times financially. My phone bill was outragious because my son had to call me collect. Found out now pay phones are individually owned and they can charge whatever. My electric bill skyrocketted. And being on a budget anyway made it worse for the wear.
My sisters truck the serpentine belt to the alternator went and she has to wait till her payday to get it fixed.
My son has been out of work with pneumonia and it will be two weeks before he gets paid, if they get the tractor fixed so he can haul a load. It seemed the battery was dead, he jumped it the other day and it started right up, but today he was suposed to leave out and it’s dead like road kill. He was livid for various and sundry reason to long to go into.
My very soon to be ex-son-in-law is jerking my daughter around about money so she is in a pitiful condition too.
The oven is out on my stove and it can’t be lit (I refuse to use lighted) manually. I hope I can find a stove with pilot lights so if the electric goes I can still cook.
Boy when things go to pot you don’t even get to smell what’s cooking.
Pray for us please!
————-
Finally got my foodsavered pinto’s, mylar’d and bucketed. Did 13lbs small whites.
Found out I had a hidden 12 pack of toilet paper. Well that is a blessing.
And even if the bills are killing me today, I did save enough to make an appointment to go get new glasses.
I know I have done other things but for the life of me can’t dredge them up from the depths of my mind as I am so dizzy from all the other stuff.
But I PREP so I don’t have to WORRY about starving. Now that is a plus isn’t it? I count myself very blessed.
I’ll keep you in my prayers. Seems when it rains, it pours. But the sun will come back out soon.
Man o man the good Lord is testing you. Hang in thre things will get better soon. Lets look at what the Lord has shown you to add to your preps.
A belt for the car, an extra one is good to have. I will use this advice so I thank you in advance. maybe one of those burner phones with some minutes added for emergencies would be a good addition. My wife uses one of those I think the minutes last a year or until you use them.
I will pray for your family while I’m praying for my own and our country.
Lady Hawthorne, George is Learning
I really appreciate you praying. Seems that things just hit and you feel like you have finally hit the wall.
Yes, you are right the sun will come out.
Thank you
MG
I’ve been there my friend. When it rains it pours but if you do what you need to do and keep the faith, it will turn around. A bit of advice, any family member over 18 needs to be responsible for themselves. It’s ok to help but they are younger than you and have more time to get it right. Will keep you and yours in my prayers.
Tactical G-Ma
I’m the hub in the wheel. I know that this is just a bump in the road.
But seems I have been off kilter with the preps, and then the world going to pot, makes for some nerve ends fraying.
Oooh. :( I miss your fun and light hearted sillyness this week, MG. I am so sorry that everything piled on for you at once, and will be praying for you, and your family.
Schametti
Oh if the light hearted sillyness weighs a ton, I am still there.
Definitely praying. take care.
Patti
Definitely is wonderful. Thank you
“Boy when things go to pot you don’t even get to smell what’s cooking.
Pray for us please!”
Will do on the prayer, and I loved the humor of this saying. The bills are going up, no doubt about it. It’s good you’re counting the blessings because in my experience it helps them to multiply. That attitude of gratitude you’re cultivating is a good garden to grow. God bless you, hon!
Grumpy Vermonter
Appreciate the prayers.
Praying for you, Mystery Guest!
Encourager
Thank you very much.
The bad or expensive stuff will soon pass. The good things are blessings.
Not a hugely busy week. Wrote an article which MD then posted. Many thanks MD! And thanks to everyone who posted – learned a lot of additional info from the responses.
Here in Ontario, Fresh Co has dog food on sale for $14.99 ($4 savings – every bit helps) and used the savings to buy water which they had on sale – 28 bottles for $1.97.
Since we moved last fall, I am busy planning the garden for the new place. It will be on the north/west sides of the drive shed – not ideal but it was where the original garden was and when you are at the top of a hill, there isn’t always a lot of space. I will have to fence it or the deer and rabbits will be in there. Monkey’s job will be to pick off the bunnys for the dinner pot… So with all the ground hogs calling for an early spring (and its only 1-17C today!) had best get on with it.
Take care all and remembe to keep low profiles.
Hi there! Congrats on starting your orchard! May I make a couple of suggestions for future planting s? I have a dwarf orchard that we started 7 years ago, and only a couple trees are really producing..1) you might want to save space to plant another variety of cherry, peach and pear trees. They do better if there’s another variety to pollinate with. Robinson crabapple or some other crabapple also increases pollination of apples, pears and Asian pears.the ratio is one crab to 8 of the others…2)make sure you shoot any squirrels who come to your trees looking for fruit.they will strip it clean! My orchard is 25 trees, set up in rows: 4 apples, 3 pears, 2Asian pears, 6 cherries(2 each of 3 varieties, 3 plums, 2nectarines, 3 peaches, a 4 in one(plum, apricot, peach and nectarine ) and the Robinson crabapple. They set fruit, and bt the time May is half gone, the only a couple cherries and the pears are left. We live on 5 acre lots in this ” subdivision”, and the one across the street is nothing but trees. That’s where the squirrels come from. I don’t want to get up at 5? AM to do squirrel duty, but this year I may have no choice, if I want any fruit to harvest. Netting doesn’t work, they chew right through it…all the trees but 2 are dwarf, the Bartlett and Gala are semi-dwarf. Don’t put manure in the hole when you plant, apparently it’s too hot for them. I just side dress in the spring with pasture leavings( two horses and a donkey). It takes a good 4-5years to start seeing some harvest, but it is worth it. My pear butter sold out last year! Blessings on your journey, and I read you voraciously! Keep up the good work.if anyone has suggestions about the squirrel issue, I would love to read them..thanks!
Scrappy cat keeps most of the squirrls at bay here. First ‘tree’ cat I’ve ever had. She’s fast and they run from her as soon as they see her.
Unfortunately, we don’t “do” cats here. I love them but to hubby’s, they,re target practice…oh, and finding non GMO seeds for garden has been my focus, prep-wise…I am learning to save them year by year…if you get a chance, take the Master Gardener class at your county Extension office. Great source of wisdom and contacts! MD, is it too late to turn in an article I’ve written for the current contest?
Try rat traps, they also work on squirrels. Then you can eat the squirrels. Youtube “squirrel melts” for a laugh.
When I plant fruit trees I have always put a heaping scoop of bone meal in the hole, great to grow strong roots
Shoot the squirrels! They taste good & are good target practice! Most states have liberal squirrel seasons & then if you are still having problems you can contact the game warden to issue you an extended permit for those pesky yard rats!
Bought from Amazon: 1 survival pocket chain, 2 lighting ever super bright headlamps, 12 hours light sticks, Mylar emergency thermal blankets (10), potable aqua water treatment tablets, 3 books on 1/4 acres gardening, and the BIG one: my Excalibur food dehydrator. All have arrived.
Filled one of the Cansolidator and will fill the other one as soon as we can.
On seeing my supplies my 12 year old grandson informed his mom: if anything happens he is moving with us because we have food. That boy is a healthy eating machine.
I just ordered the suture pack recommended by BP and I am in the in the process of ordering the pain killers. DH was a 22 years medical flight MSGT in the USAF and he said to get one of them. I think he is looking forward to using them on the the grandbabies boys, with five of them, someone is sure to need it.
Still looking at land, I think that my oldest grandson has seen the writing on the wall and now he wants to get some. I am in charge of research and he is the owner. Might just work for us.
MD I am so glad Faith is doing fine. Sure miss Bella.
God bless, Linda Lou
We received our Sun Oven kit yesterday. It is cooking a pot of beans for us as I type. Works great, cooking at about 325 f, right now. We are going to try banana nut bread later, 2 loaves there and 3 in the reg. oven. Time to put some pork ribs on the grill, see ya later.
Beans are done, now trying biscuits.
I’m hungry – what time is dinner?
Prep Now, where did you get this one from? I know I can build one but would prefer something a little more stable than a cardboard box one….thanks!
Ouch, just make us drool and then run off.
This week was pretty slow. Had a lot of stuff going on. I did however score several hundred canning jars and a couple of presto pressure canners. Gonna be busy for a while washing and putting away jars… but before I can do that I have to build a lot more shelves. Guess it’s a good problem to have :)
Sounds like a major score to me!
Total plan of attack for the garden thanks to the used tire links. I have been looking fofrr solution to the raised garden bed and did not want the mish mashed look of a random box here and there. my yard has all different levels, brick boxes, 4/4, 2/4, stone stacked, concrete block, and all this other junk from previous owners, and I know that tackling and unifying the space is way over my head woithout some pro help on the initial installation. with the tires, I can concievably haul out or burn what’s here by myself and dig enough put in tires level and pick those up by myself.
I am seriously looking forward to starteing this project and cant wait to see how the mini ‘greenhouse’ portion works out!
Thank you
I did a stock up at Sam’s Club this week–mostly staples and dog food. I also ordered some shotgun shells from Cabelas. They had a deal running–175 00 Buck (Federal) with ammo can for $129.99. I logged on the next day and they were sold out.
Received my Atlas 150 pasta maker this week. Very well made piece of equipment! Got it from Cutlery and More for 69.00 free shipping too. Hubby made a chicken plucker for the hand drill.
We haven’t placed our orders yet but we will be getting some nut, and fruit trees this year. I also discovered that if we plant hops in our zone they will return. So since hubby is retired, I ask him to look at building a structure they could grow on.
Lots of reading done over the past week. Everyone stay safe!
Good news! Our county sheriff has stated publicly that he will NOT take firearms away from people no matter what those in DC decide. Of course there was a statement by some state gov’t person that said the sheriff could not refuse to obey orders but this is Texas, ’nuff said. Also got a very nice email reply from one of my 3 congressmen who stated he staunchly supports the 2nd amendment, so all 3 are on the right side!
Thrift store shopping netted me a pack of coffee filters for 10¢.
Grocery shopping this morning, haven’t really been to a regular grocery store in almost a month, yikes! prices have definitely risen. I did pick up some smoked sausage that was on sale that I had coupons for, some will be canned. Everything else was fresh veggies.
Good news and totally unexpected, somehow in the last 2 months I have dropped 20 pounds, this week another 3 is gone. I don’t know what is happening because I really have not changed much of anything. But hey, I’m not complaining!
Work has been a royal pain the last couple of months because of the boss’s personal problems. Unfortunately he takes his frustrations out on those around him and I’m about at my limit of compassion. This week I felt like walking out…unfortunately I can’t afford to do that. I’d like to think I can stay there for at least 5 more years so I can get my car paid off that I bought last year. If anyone wants to add me to your prayers I would sure appreciate it.
There’s a reason why you are losing weight; you need to find out “why”. It could be stress from work. Seriously. But please do find the cause and bring it under control. If it’s stress, not only will you lose weight, but you could develop an irreversible physical problem, such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) – experience speaking. There is no cure, only “control” (if you’re lucky). Please take care of yourself.
ladyhawthorne,
You and the pack are always in my prayers. Homeinsteader is right. There is a reason for your weight loss. Get thee to a doctor.
HomeINsteader, I already have IBS along with a few other problems including weighing too much. I am thinking it probably is the stress but I’m taking St John’s Wort again and that really does help.
Check for diabetes – that is how my brother found out that he was diabetic.
Yup, that’s what I was think. But stress is no fun either.
Will keep you in my prayers, along with the rest of the pack – geez, seems like I’d better just be doing this regularly! Hope the weight loss thing is minor, but best to know for sure.
I appreciate all the prayers. Trust me, losing weight is a good thing and can only improve my joint problems. I have been overweight since the age of 4 and as arthritis set in it’s gotten worse because it hurts to do most anything. I have found a drier climate does wonders for me but for now I am stuck in this swamp we call Houston.
That’s a lot of weight to lose in a short period of time, especially if you weren’t working at it. Stress from job? If possibly not stress, any symptoms of anything else?
A prayer in your direction.
you should plant 2 of the same tree for cross pollination.
Everyone seems to be having a lot of snow and cold weather. For the second winter now we have had almost no snow and very few really cold days. Guess I’m really not complaining, but a nice snow that only stays around 2 or 3 days is nice once in a while.
Got my scope for my 30-30 last week and decided I should mount this one correctly or at least better than I’ve mounted my others. So I ordered a decent gun vise and a DELUX scope mounting kit. We’ll see if I can mount a scope any better now.
Picked up a copy of The Backyard Homesteader. Seems to have a lot of good info and things I didn’t know, imagine that.
Wanted to get some Hornady Leverevolution 30-30 ammo but could not find any. All I was able to do was get on waiting lists to be notified when they receive a shipment.
Hope you all have a blessed and safe week ahead.
This weeks preps:
I canned some of the tomatoes I got from the garden.
Read alot this week from various blogs and prepper sites.
Ordered some medicinal seeds
added all the pdf files I have to a smart phone I used to use. Its still a good little type of computer even though I dont have it active.
If you haven’t been to this site http://www.pssurvival.com/ over 4000 pdf’s for download. Have fun
I watched the video bctruck made on the pipe gun. Great vid simple, effective and easy to remember. I had a general idea but now I know for sure. Thanks bctruck! oh and I added bctrucks blog to my favs for regular viewing :-)
Oh finally made some potato chip bag clips out of some old clothes hangers that have those spring clips. I saw the idea a while back on pintrest and finally got around to doing that http://pinterest.com/pin/247064729528229417/
What a neat site.
Some other thigns here and there mainly just gathering more info.
Had to duct tape my head to keep it from exploding as I read the story where the guy was serving 60 years for murder, then gets sent to cook county from indiana for a drug charge. The judge throws out the drug charge and due to some paper work getting “lost” the guy is set free. Last I heard over 100 cops were looking for him, they found him and hes back in jail. Talk about a waste of money, I guess it started when we gave him 60 years vs the death sentence. But its almost laughable we would want to get him on a drug charge while hes serving 60 years for murder.
Have a great week pack
So i messin about on pinterest just now and came across this neat thing to make glasses heres the link http://operationstandbyyourman.weebly.com/6/post/2012/09/diy-corona-glasses.html
note:
once your at pinterist http://pinterest.com/pin/113153009359946454/ you see something you like click it, then click the image again and it takes you to the link like the link above if you didn’t know that is :-) I didn’t my wife showed me lol . I’m nothing without her
Great find and perfect timing as one of my old broken down outbuildings I’m cleaning out prior to demolition has a big pile of old coke bottles in it. Been debating on saving or just trashing them. Now I’ll box them up along with a laminated copy of the article for just in case. Thanks.
Old coke bottles can be worths $$ might want to check on that before you trash them.
George, be advised that pinterest is just as bad as facebook and google in tracking, sharing, and giving away your information.
You are tracked on the internet with everything you do, no matter where you go.
The NSA has huge warehouses that are storing every single thing you do on the net. The minute you are flagged for what ever the reason they can then go back and review your files.
Huge databases are curently accumulating all kinds of information about everyone.
Go to a prepper site and post something on a blog like what did you do this week and believe that info is stored in some NSA warehouse.
Toss out a key word and get yourself reviewed.
Welcome to the net.
GeorgeIsLearning,
Yep, but it’s pretty easy to make it so difficult (or impossible) to find out who you are that it’s not worth their time. I hate to break it to you but most of us just aren’t that important for them to spend a countless number of “man hours” digging to find out who bought a extra bag of rice.
We have posted several articles here recently to help folks become more anonymous while online all we can do is share the information but it’s up to you to act on that information.
bag of rice? no one cares about your rice. We’re talking about tracking and information storage.
GeorgeIsLearning,
Yep, the feds store everything that is said and done online – but like I said if you take a few precautions (as outlined on this blog) it will be too time consuming and costly to track that information back to you unless you’re posting threats to government officials, terroristic threats or other stupid stuff.
If you post about the bag of rice that you bought this week, then that is not a high up on the priority list. And I doubt that they are going to attempt to track you through a VPN or a network of relays, to find out who George is that just posted about the bag of rice he bought yesterday.
For example, do you do anything at all to hide your IP address when you’re online? If not then you’re leaving tracks with your name on the bottom of the shoe all over the web everywhere you go and your name on everything that you post.
If you’re worried about the feds tracking and storing your messages and comments then why aren’t use taking precautions and simple steps to make it not worth the effort for them?
Even the free services like TOR go along way to protecting your ID.
I never said I’m worried about the feds tracking me. Why do you keep posting that I’m the one thats worried. I am not.
GIL,
I was responding to your comment about being tracked while online. Perhaps, I missed the point of your comment… Are you not worried about being tracked while online?
MD,
People also need to take into account the HUGE amount of information we’re talking about. I just got a new computer for work and it now comes standard with a 2 TB hard drive. Traffic on the internet can fill more than 1000 of these drives per second, continuously, 24/7/365 and growing every day; so, the bottom line is that “they” are not recording everything we say and do, although I suspect there are keyword searches and other activities going on.
During the cold war, the East German Stasi (secret police) was rumored to be listening in on every telephone call and recording many of them. After the wall fell, it turned out that they could monitor only a few hundred at a time and record even fewer. Paranoid sheeple who didn’t want to be on the wrong side of the law spied on each other, and kept the police informed of anything suspicious.
Paranoia can be healthy, but only when tempered with knowledge and common sense.
They sound like hoarders.
I added a few more canned goods to the supply and a 1# bag of white rice. Every little bit helps. I also bought a small Food Saver vacuum sealer and am reading the instructions now. Still have to go get those jar attachments. I also bought 2 of those small fold up Sterno stoves to go with the fuel cans I bought on sale. Also bought a Collins small ax or hatchet. Lastly I bought a box of wad cutter rounds for my 38. That’s is for this week.
From experience the wide mouth jar attachment is the one to get. I could never get the regular mouth one to work. YMMV
Judy, that small mouth attachment might be defective, I have two of each size and they work fine. Food Saver is really good about replacements. They sent me new gaskets at no charge when mine got hard and wouldnt seal on my first Food Saver. I have worn out 3 units over the years!
Did some tree and berry bush planning. The bushes with thorns will be worked into the defensive plan.
Taught a friend to reload, sold him my old one as I wait for my Dillon.
Seriously concerned that all the shooting events are really coordinated attacks on the 2nd amendment. All of the shooters have been on anti depressants, possible mind control by the gov? Too many co incidences to be random in my opinion.
Been looking at this ‘recipe’ for long-term food-stuffs: http://christianviewpoint.yuku.com/reply/8636/Scotch-Broth-Recipe-and-others#reply-8636.
I am have problems with the directions and amounts, however. Logic and practical experience tells me that 6-7 Quarts of water is too much for a pound of beans-n-rice. I’m thinking she meant 6-7 Cups of water. The other is, this would not provide for more that one meal a day, if this amount is for four people for two day, unless, you are using the extra water as ‘filler’. Or is this more filling than I think it is?
Here’s something else that bothers me; you throw everything in a pot and cook it for two hours. Rice is done in 20 minutes; lentils, barley and green split peas are done in 45 to 60 minutes. Most of what you throw in that pot is going to be a gruel by the time the kidney beans and chick peas are done. How can that be appetizing to eat?
My final concern is that after doing some research the new thinking is the rice (grain) to bean (legume) ratio should now be 1:1 instead of the old 2:1 for better nutrition. The research also lead me to believe that any grain would work with any legume which opens up the possibilities.
I like the premise of a rib-sticking meal that will store for a long time, if stored properly. I also like the cost factor, 100 pounds of rice and 25 pounds of pintos cost less than $50 at the local big-box warehouse store and I found everything else on line for less than $200 including shipping. So a years worth of meals for four for less than $300 looks good to me. The cost will, of course, go up if I cut the rice/grains and up the beans/legumes.
So I’m going to play around with it and torture Hubby with several batches. Then get back to y’all, if anybody is interested.
Sound’s great, Judy. The most for the least, huh? I’ll be waiting for your recipes.
+1
Brown rice and lentils need the same cooking time.
Judy (Another One),
I make beans and rice quite frequently. The trick for me is to home can my beans, so all I have to do is open the can. I will make a Cajun version with red beans–just cook up celery, onion, green pepper and put in andouille sausage and chicken strips if you have them cooked up. Add the red beans and some cajun spices—yum. I make cuban dish with black beans and rice–I serve with homemade mango chutney. For Pinto beans, I smash them up for refried beans and make burritos and nachos.
It would be extremely useful to have the times, from boil to complete, of all the different kinds of beans and rices.
here’s a chart for pressure cooking beans
http://www.missvickie.com/howto/beans/howtobeantypes.html
scroll down about half way for a chart that has both pressure cooking and stove top
http://centralbean.com/cooking-beans/
here’s another one
http://wheatsville.coop/cooking_charts/beancookingchart.html
Here’s a place to wonder around looking at different grains and cooking times
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t-135-/grain-cooking-guide.asp
here’s a simple chart for grains
http://www.buncombecounty.org/common/health/recipes/CookingGrains.pdf
Hope this help with adding variety to your diet!
To save time and fuel grind beans, lentils etc.
Add bean meal to cornbread batter and fry
pancakes.
Hi Judy,
I made a half batch of this awhile back using 3 qts. of water. Next time, I would use 2 qts. and cook the kidney beans and chick peas a bit before adding the rest. The smaller beans did cook to mush , but the flavor was great ! I plan to prepackage some and will put the bigger beans in a separate bag to cook first.
That’s nice to know that the flavor was good even though the rest of the beans cooked to mush. Hubby and I had the same thoughts about packing different cooking times in their own bag and then putting them together in one meal bags.
Definitely interested.
MD: I like that header! Nice and clean, “earthy”, conveys basic premise well, IMHO.
Greetings Pack!! Haven’t posted in a while, been dealing with this stupid RA, finally got into see rheumatologist and looking forward to working with her. She commented on how the young people (specifically those our mutual children’s ages. 20 somethings..) all actually believe that a zombie apocalypse is really going to happen.. I jumped in with my belief that SOMETHING is going to happen, which is one of the main reasons why I want to get mobile again to get my Garden going again. No funny looks, just a nod, so I have high hopes for her cooperation on certain things.
Preps, well, Home Depot here got their Burpee seed displays up and they had loads of Heirlooms!!! Got some tomatoes, peppers, squash and more herb seeds. Picked up some Ivory soap on sale for a multipack added that in to stores, I use it with the Fel’s Naptha soap in laundry detergent.
And now to my major announcement…….. I have duplicated that very expensive stain remover with Grandma in the name…. Tada!!!
glycerine (available in many sizes at CVS, but best size vs cost is in the lotion section on the BOTTOM shelf)
A touch of Dawn liquid dish soap
And get this… Cream of tartar.
Mix a teaspoon or so into the glycerine/soap mixture, it will be cloudy.
Boric Acid also is a good substitute, and BA is also good to keep around to sprinkle about to keeps bugs at bay (I find this in the first aid section of my local grocery store, again, on the bottom shelf, next to the glycerine!!)
I use this stuff straight on stains, and also stick it in a squirt bottle, top it off with distilled water and spray away instead of using the expensive sprays. Tough stains also get a good rub with a chunk of the Fel’s if it’s going to be stubborn, especially greasy ones, and I haven’t figured the exact cost but I estimate 5-6 squirt bottles for the cost of one of store brand of stain pre-treatment. I have also discovered that most of the home prepared cleaners using vinegar, rubbing alcohol, dish liquid, baking soda, etc are working BETTER than the store bought! Only thing I am using now is the concentrated purple degreaser from Sam’s now for the stove and BBQ pit as it breaks down the grease and I can wipe it off without scrubbing (hard on my hands, stupid RA.. )
I was visiting with a friend the other day and she stared to tell me her husband wants to get into prepping and asked if I knew anything….. Yes, yes, I know OPSEC, but I have known her for almost 40 yrs, so I told her yes glad to teach you some stuff about it. First lesson was first rule of fight club is dont talk about fight club. A young man who went to HS with our kids walked up and she immediately told him what we were talking about. Geeze!! Anyway, fixing up a flash drive with some documents and links along with general lists for her, so we shall see how that works out.
Just saw the first Monarch butterfly go by heading north so maybe the groundhog was right… Reminds me.. Time to dig out the humming bird feeders. They will be next!
Back to preps, DH finally realized after Sandy Hook that he’d better go get that AR he’s been talking about and did. Then went to next gun show two weeks later and the price from the same vendor for the same gun had TRIPLED. He was going to get another, but didn’t. I had told him it does no good to have a safe full of guns without the ammo…. Picture me rolling my eyes.
I think he is starting to realize the benefit of having food stored, I showed him the prices of food via the store receipts from before the end of the year and from yesterday. He’s wanting to get a couple of Angus calves to feed and have butchered for the freezer. YAY!! We’ve done it in the past just for better meat, but now after having a large pig done, he wants to do it again. We lose the grid, I will be smoking and canning like crazy, but in the meantime, we prefer keeping meat stores frozen.
Picked up some of the Completes meals for the bob, awesome deal with get one free when you bought a can of Spam! Perfect prepper deal! Took an individual completes, seasoning packets and spork, sealed into small food saver bags. Filled an empty #10 can with a few bagged charcoal briquets, tea bags, coffee packets, sugar, creamer packets, and a tin cup. Stuffed some first aid supplies in as well, along with some water purification tabs. Then went in the koolaid individual packs, also some energy drink packets. Plastic lid, and it’s in the secondary bob. I have 4, sorta like Michele has, I will keep loading out of the house, while DH is loading the horses and the dogs. Not much is going to actually get us to leave, but if any sort of toxic event happens nearby, that would likely be the only thing that would.
Added to spices from bulk section, chili powder, bay leaves, onion granules, dried onion and garlic flakes. Took some of the mini ziplocks from Hobby lobby and made up a spice pack in a vacuum seal bag for bob. I also tossed in some salt and pepper packets, as well as creole seasoning packets. Ordered those directly from manufacturer, 1000 packets for about $13. We use Tony’s on almost everything!
Praying for our wonderful world, our wonderful military, and for all those who are not paying attention to the signs. I also lost a very dear friend this week to cancer and am waiting for her to fulfill her promise to haunt me. ;-) God bless the Pack and God bless the USA. I thank him daily that the sun rises, the wind blows and to please bring more rain!
Shai,
I am so sorry to hear about your friend. I hope your friend will be near you as you heal from your loss.
Thanks, she was like a mom to me and didn’t find out she was sick until just a few weeks ago. Taking comfort in that she is with her beloved once again.
Oh dear, so sorry to hear of your loss.
I am sorry for your loss, Shai.
This has been an interesting two weeks here in Arkansas. This “older” lady has been writing letters to the White House, Congress (both houses), and the State Legislature on my view of gun control. The Republican Senator made known he was not for the gun control, but the Democrate gave a very vague statement. This week, he said he could not accept the Feinstein plan. He felt it was an attack on the 2nd Amendment!!!! I had to suggest that the next 4 years might be the most important 4 years of his political career.
I took the class for my concealed weapon and am now working on learning to shoot. Bought my target so I can practice here at the house. (A month ago, I bought my first handgun, Taurus .22. Nice little piece that will fit in my pocket while I am working in the nursery. )
Still drying potatoes, tomatoes (given to me), mixed veggies, and apples. My neighbor throws away cherry tomatoes which he picks up at the neighborhood grocery store. They do not eat them. I dry them and then add to recipes. Taste is wonderful.
Today, I am canning my sugar free cranberry sauce with apples and oranges flavored with cinnamon.
I order 5 more clips for my handgun. As you can guess, on backorder.
Bought:
2 Moon Glow Pears
2 Arkansas Black A pples
2 Stella Cherries
2 North Star Cherries
2 Rainier Cherries
to go with the 10 appricots, 10 grapes, 6 other sweet cherries, 8 apples, 1 nectarine, 1 peach
Potted up 8 new blueberry plants to add to the 12 blueberries in the blueberry patch
Ordered 15 new Latham Raspberries and 10 new Triple Crown
Picked up another 50 pounds of winter, another 25 pounds of rolled oats, and 25 pounds of buckwheat
I keep rolled oats, soybeans, and buckwheat in the deep freeze as I have plenty of room and the cold temperatures will extend these items due to the high level of oil in them.
I bought fabric for kitchen towels, dish rags, aprons, and some personal items. The aprons are bib type with 3 pockets across the abdomin to keep supplies with me and to reduce wear and tear on my clothes.
I received my treadle sewing machine this week. Will need to set it up with some help from the family.
It has been a busy period, but I have been enjoying myself while I work. Spring is right around the corner. Time for me to start cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce for planting outside in 6 weeks.
Ooooo, I want that cranberry sauce recipe OFL!!!
The recipe is anything you want it to be. I used 6 bags of cranberries, 6 diced apples, and about a cup and a half (maybe 2 cups) of chopped up peel free oranges. I sweeten to taste so as a diabetic, I have to use stevia or splenda. Watch the stevia as it can get bitter if too much is used. I just cook everything down until cranberries have popped and look like a jam. I bottled 12 half pints with a little left over for supper.
Can you please tell me where you got the treadle sewing machine from. My daughter and I are working on our sewing skills and are interested in a non electric sewing machine. BTW your orchard sounds wonderful!
Hi, Hannah! I know you aren’t asking me, but, just want to let you know my DH found mine in “pieces parts” and put it together. The cabinet had not been very well cared for (probably stored in an old building and drew moisture, or, something like that), but we cleaned it up, “fed” it with a good furniture oil (“Natchez Solution”, or make your own: mineral oil + lemon juice + melted natural beeswax for stabilizer). It’s holding up just fine.
I did some research and found that the White Family Rotary was probably the most popular for it’s time; I have a circa 1920′s model that will sew through steel! It’s also fairly easy to find parts for it, since it was so popular. There aren’t many parts; hence, they last forever. But we did have to buy the cabinet here, the machine there, the foot pedal and flywheel there…and DH put it all together. If you have more $$$ than we had, it would surely be simpler to buy it “ready to go”, but, expect to pay dearly, especially if the cabinet is in really good shape.
Avoid the ones with shuttle bobbins – it’s nearly impossible to find what you need for them.
The White Family Rotary uses a standard bobbin, so, they aren’t hard to find – neither are needles.
The only difference between the White and other models is that you start the White by turning the flywheel backward, whereas most models, you pull the flywheel TOWARD you.
The “fancier” the decals and the better condition the decals are in, the more you will likely have to pay.
Once you learn to use a treadle, you’ll love it! It’s just a matter of getting the rhythm of the machine – and you’ll be creating anything and everything, with or without power – who cares?!
HomeINsteader,
Thank you for the info on treadle machines, I will keep looking for one with std bobbins, the White Family Rotary sounds ideal, I don’t care what the cab looks like, I just care that it functions properly. I also like what you mentioned that it will sew through steel. It will be good for leather repair too.
Hannah, I went to Amazon and typed in “treadle sewing machine”. They have a new machine designed after a tread machine. The neat part is the fact it has a variety of stitches like newer ones. I bought an extra 25 feet of belt so I can replace as needed. The company says it will fit any modern cabinet, BUT the head does not come with the wheel or the treadle. I went to ebay and found an old Singer base without a head and ordered it. It came by UPS today. Ebay also has many treadle sewing machine. Plan on spending about $300-$500 to get set up. Now some people are using Craig’s List to locate treadle sewing machines. I do not want to wait to track one down. The writing is on the wall. The sooner I am prepared the happier I will be.
Ozark Flower Lady,
Thank you for the info on the treadle sewing machines. I really do not want to spend $300 to $500 to get one. I will look at the new one offered on Amazon and try to find parts and pieces to keep it in my budget. Happy sewing.
Be careful about “new”, Hannah; it’s probably made in China, and, if so, IS NOT BUILT TO LAST. You will need something that will last when SHTF. Might want to go with an original one, instead. Just a thought.
HomeInsteader is absolutely correct about the China thing; they are crap, but no surprise there, eh? Look around for a used one on Craigslist. They are everywhere and no way should you have to pay that much for one. Or go onto Treadleon on Yahoo groups, sign up and ask for leads. The folks on there are super-nice and often have to thin their “herds” to make room for yet one more treadle. They are always available, but won’t be after SHTF!
Sorry, that was winter wheat.
Hi Pack,
Bought 4 semi dwarf fruit trees and 2 raspberry bushes. Felled 15 trees in order to make a small orchard space that the sun can reach. The felled trees become next year’s wood stove fodder. Now have 7 fruit trees to plant along with the blackberries. Found Snap Seal containers at BiMart (Oregon) so don’t have to order online. These are used to store the remainder when a #10 can is opened.
Hope everyone gets a warmer week.
Forgot, picked up an oil lamp from a thrift store which works great. Ended up getting anoth lamp plus lamp oil at Walmart for $5 each. Also received 5 and 1 gal mylar bags plus culinary herb seeds. Picked up many packages of heirloom veggie seeds fro our local Grange.
Was talking to an aquaintance only to find out she had no food. Rounded up 2 boxes of food & coffee that would be easy to prepare.
Thanks through tears is tough. I don’t know if I could turn people away who are truly in need of food. I COULD defend from someone just bent on TAKING but otherwise, I’m not sure.
Thank you for sharing this story, Mike. May God richly bless you for your kindness.
I went into this week, thinking it would be another slow(er) prepping week for me. I thought long and hard aout it, and decided to take a small amount out of my rapidly depleting savings account, to get a few more things for my prepping pantry.. I also decided that this week for WDYDTPTW, for my third official prepping week entry, I would post paragraph style, instead of the itemized list format I’ve done up until now. I don’t know if this is an improvement, or not though, you can decide for me, haha.
I thought I finally had all the proper parts for making vacuum sealed dinners in jars.. but it turns out, my Food Saver Compact System wasn’t really designed for this. Darn it!! :( I read Amazon reviews, and saw when I could jimmy it, and lick it and push real hard, and maybe get it to work, lol.. but that doesn’t really appeal to me, so I’m giving my $30 Food Saver Compact to my Cousin, and purchased the full Food Saver 2200 Series this week, and a set of 12 Quart Jars.
I bought some Dehydrated Mango at a local specialty shop this week, and immediately became addicted to the stuff.. So with prepping in mind, I bought a small dehydrator and a handful of mangos and did my very first batch of dehydrated fruit. I think I cut my slices a bit too thin, or left it on a bit too long, because it was a little crunchy/ It was delicious though, and I’m super excited about it, and can’t wait to try it again. I’m nervous about storing dehydrated fruit.. (I don’t want to open the bag a year later, and find it black and rotten). If you haven’t noticed by now, I worry too much. :)
This week I read Poverty Prepping: How to Stock Up For Tomorrow When You Can’t Afford To Eat Today. (Don’t worry, I CAN afford to eat today.. but I know that times will just get harder and harder, and I want to be able to live, and prep simultaneously, hurting as little as possible in both areas. It was a very interesting book, and I learnt a lot about foraging and baking and buying on a budget.
Other books I bought this week, but havent yet read.. were One Second After, The Backyard Homestead, The Peterson Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs, and The Backyard Liberty Report: A Guide to Aquaponics Farming, the latter which I am completely freaked out about it. Just looking at all the instructions, and details, I’m not sure I’m cut out for it, but I REALLY want to be able to, so.. I guess we’ll see, lol.
The DH and I, after THIRTEEN WEEKS waiting, FINALLY got our Lifetime Personal Protection Licenses in the mail today. I’m soooo excited to finally have that. I know so many don’t need it, or even want it, but I feel more confident that I went about it the ‘right’ way. Now here’s hoping the government doesn’t come and take it away from me soon. I bought 200 Target rounds for my Kahr .45 and 100 Personal Protection Hollow Point Rounds. The DH bought 200 Target rounds for his Beretta 9 milimeter, because that’s ALL we can find for it.. And I also picked up this sweet little 26 inch steel baton for a little non-lethal protection.
As a back up plan, or maybe our FORE-Front plan.. to cooking after ‘Doomsday’ we added an AWESOME Firepit with grill top accessory, which was one of my bigger ticket items on my “To Buy” list. It’s a really beautiful piece that won’t look out of place in my backyard, raising eyebrows before or until we need it. Along with the firepit, we got a sturdy tote and our first, probably of many, bags of charcoal to put in that tote.. a Cast Iron Dutch Oven, and a Dutch Over Cookbook, and an Emergency Essentials bucket of Fuel and Firestarter.
In other smaller preps, I picked up a giant Sams Club pack of toilet paper and paper towel, 250 1-A-Day Mens Vitamins for the DH, and 250 Womens’ formula for myself. 250 Antibiotic Bandaids because aside from their prepping benefits, I am CONSTANTLY cutting myself on.. everything.. I’m so clumsy sometimes, lol. I bought a Diva Cup, and some Diva Wash.. I won’t go into detail about this one, but I think it will be useful for my prepping future. Google it, if you’re curious.. :) I picked up a set of Motorola 2-Way radios, and popped them directly into one of our EMP bags, and a beautiful sterling silver and Tanzanite ring from 1SaleADay.Com for possible future bartering, and to enjoy until or unless I need to worry about that.
Lastly, but not leastly, and not at ALL relating to Prepping, lol… I bought myself an early Birthday Present, (2nd Week of February), a new vase, four new stalks of Bamboo, which I love, and a pretty little japanese siamese fighting fish, to keep me company while I’m reading my Mini-Preppers Library, and trying to learn how to become more self-sufficient. It was a pretty good week, all things considered. Now, if I can just leave my savings alone, and start prepping slower, and learning faster.. I’ll be good to go.
Thanks so much, as always, Wolf Pack, for being here for me, to keep me company, to keep my spirits high, and to teach me all the things I need to know, to become a worthy prepper, and make you guys proud. Much Love for another week!! ~ Amy.
On dehydrating, better to get the foods too dry that not dry enough. Most commercially dehydrated fruits also have preservatives in them so they can leave the product a little moisture than home dehydrators.
Schametti, don’t forget the batteries or a solar battery charger for the two ways in your bug out bag.
Judy! Thanks! I wish there were a more finite answer for how long is long enough, it makes me nervous learning something new here all by myself. I miss the days where my Gram would stand over my shoulder and make sure I did it right. I sure do miss her. She should still be here to teach me how to can, and dehydrate.. I’ll keep working at it, and remember that over dry is better than under dry!
Worrisome, yes Sir! We got the small solar battery charger two weeks ago, and popped it in an EMP bag as well. There are so many things I want to add to my prepping pantry, but we DO have that. I’m a little confused as to what batteries it’ll charge, and which it won’t, but hopefully my husband can take care of getting us a stash of the proper ones. Thanks for the tip!! :)
Now, girlfriend, I’m only gonna say this once..
“What are we? Chopped Liver?!!!”
You are not alone.
Yea, HI is right Schametti. You aren’t alone.
But what you said about your Grandma reminds me how I wish I had paid closer attention to mine and my mother. I was always in a hurry to use tools or go fishing and swimming, always the tomboy. It’s good to know how to build things but I never wanted to help with canning and cooking. Now I am learning the hard way.
My Gram was amazing. She’s wasn’t a prepper, but she sure was a do-er. Looking back, it was clear to me, standing in lines to get a little free cheese and butter, that she was probably just doing the best she could to help raise me. She had a massive garden, and grape and tomato vines, and I remember ‘helping’ her with the baking, and the canning, the pickeling, and the cooking. But she died when I was ten, so I was there, and I was helping, but not really.. learning. You know? I so wish I could back and really pay attention..
H-IN-S, hehe.. NOT AT ALL chopped liver. Maybe chopped bacon. (I LOVE bacon, lolol). But you’re so right. And you guys ARE all here to help me find my new way in life, but man, it sure makes it tough when NOBODY I know face to face believes in my reasons, or my cause. THANK GOODness I was shown this blog when I was. I know I would be having a LOT tougher time with it, if I didn’t have you guys.
Thanks Tigerlily!! ;) *hugs* I wish you still lived here at ‘home’ so we could do this together.
Would you tell us what firepit with grill top accessory you got, and from where? Thanks!
Absolutely!! It was from Gander Mountain, and it was $120 dollars, and it is called Landmann Big Sky Wildlife Black Fire Pit..
Key Features
Sturdy steel construction
Includes full-size porcelain cooking grate
23.5” diameter bowl
Unique wildlife cut-outs
Black finish
I’ll paste the link, hopefully that works. I hope that’s allowed. :)
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Landmann-Big-Sky-Wildlife-Black-Fire-Pit&i=439935&aID=505D1&merchID=4006
Very cool! I like it. It doesn’t show the porcelain cooking grate unless I saw it and didn’t realize what it was. Will it be easy for you to cook on? Thanks.
MD, where did you order your dwarf trees from? I’ve looked locally for dwarf nut trees and nothing to be found, so I’m going to have to order online. Any recommendations?
Nanet,
Four Seasons Nursery – http://www.4seasonsnurseries.com/
Thanks! I just ordered 2 hazelnuts, 1 carpathian walnut, and 2 chestnuts. The walnut and chestnuts will get BIG, but I’ve been looking for a windbreak for the eastern property line, so these will work well. Thanks for the tip! :)
Nanet,
Good move.
Nanet,
If you have a Grange in your area, check there.In addition to the dwarf and semi dwarf fruit trees, mine also had hazlenut and walnut trees. All were $12.88 each.
Nanet, I think hazel nut trees only get about 6′ tall. I planted some in my yard and we got hazel nuts every year until my stupid BIL cut them down (cleaning up the yard to pay for his keep). I was furious! But now we will have some more if God is willing.
Hazelnut trees are only 6-8 feet tall and can be grown on a single truck or as a bush. I prefer the bush method. Will be easier to pick when mature.
You might want to do a little more homework before you make your choices. Dwarf trees do not produce nearly as well or as long as regular trees, and some species of fruit require many others in the species in order to produce fruit, while some only need 1 or 2 of the opposite sex; some species have both male and female parts in all flowers, so, no additional plants are necessary for pollination and production. Lots to learn before deciding if you want to use it for food production in the years to come.
I have to agree with that, HIN. Dwarf trees do not live as long and for some reason, the wood is more brittle. You may get tons of small fruit but you had better be out there thinning like crazy or you may lose the entire branch, fruit and all.
I have had better luck with semi-dwarf apple trees. Sooner productivity and easier to pick. I prefer full size peach trees but in MI their life expectancy is only about 10 years before the peach canker ruins the tree. Once the tree is infected, you can struggle for years but productivity goes way down. You are better off cutting it down and burning it. So, anyhow, I have planted peach semi-dwarfs. I found some that are canker-resistant. I should have had fruit from them last year but had two late heavy frosts so no fruit on any of our fruit trees.
Encourager,
We live in growing zone 4. Do you know a peach variety that will survive there?
Last year we planted 3 apple and 2 pear compspur trees, they are experiencing their first winter. Snow is about 2 feet deep around them since mid December. The previous year we planted 3 concord grape plants.
Last week the head instigator (M.D.) caused us to order some filberts. They will help our very small vegetable garden in building our overwintering food stocks.
It’s hard finding a variety of plants that will survive northern climates.
HD, any nursery in your neck of the woods should be able and more than happy to help you with this. I’m in MS, so, I’m afraid I’m useless to you, Bro.
HD, I live in zone 5, but plant for zone 4 because some winters are really harsh.
The apple trees we planted are called Liberty and Freedom (gotta love the names!) The need little spraying.
I could not find the receipt for the peach trees (it is here somewhere!) but I do remember they were Stellar Series and one of them is Rising Star (zone 4 and up to 8). The Stellar Series are canker resistant and bacterial spot resistant.
Encourager,
Thank you, I will google them till I find them. (I use DuckDuckGo instead of google).
Whoa now, Amy. One Second After is the book that inspired me to start prepping. Very well done, and don’t forget Lights Out, I liked it even better. Busy week for sure, and congrats on the Personal Protection Licenses, even though I don’t know what they are. Sound pretty important, anyway. I’m already proud of you, it’s hard to change when everyone you know is against it.
I’m REALLY excited to read One Second After. I keep seeing it mentioned here, and heard it was ‘required reading” lol, so I figured I better get my hands on a copy. I will add Lights Out to my ‘buy’ list, thanks for the suggestion RoR!! :)
And RoR, I’m sure it’s different in every state.. Gun Laws are sooooo confusing to me.. but here in Indiana, we can apply for a lifetime gun license, and it’s called a ‘Personal Protection Permit.’ I have no idea why, lol. It took forEVER to get it processed, so I’m glad to have one more tick off my to do list.
But you’re so right.. I’m SO OVER everyone I know telling me I’m crazy, and that I’m wasting my money and time. :( We’ll see….
Hey Amy, Those people have car insurance, right? This is food insurance, the prices are going up so fast it is mind boggling. Food with a long storage life is the best investment you can make these days, IMHO.
Schametti, the rule of taking your paycheck after compliance deductions and doing the following is kind of helpful. Save 10%, gift 10% and spend the rest. In my eyes on the gift part, yes I do have a savings account for that, but I don’t necessarily use it all for gifting, charitable or otherwise. The “save” 10% doesn’t necessarily mean you have to save cash. You can save equivalences of cash… food; ammo; water; barter items; medical supplies; gold and silver…etc. When savings accounts are paying .2% and inflation is running 6%, hard goods that are shelf stable mean that you reduce your exposure to inflation somewhat. Hope this helps………….and remember, ammo is sellable; gold and silver are sellable and you can always eat your groceries…no losses in that mix. Hope this helps…
Patti! Oh yes, they all have car insurance, but I guess they think of this as a ‘required’ insurance, but not food insurance. It really troubles me that there is NO ONE around me, save for my husband.. who understands what I’m doing, and has no trouble laughing in my face, telling me that this is just a phase that I’ll be over in a week or two. I don’t think so.. lol.
Worrisome, thank you, that’s great perspective, and I will work on the math/paycheck rules.. VERY good to know, and have a guideline. Thanks!! :)
Hey Pack,
My preps have been slim this week.
DH and I started the week sickly and by the time we made it to the Drs. on Tuesday, we both have the flu (again) and DH has pneumonia as well. He got antibiotics and we both have Tamiflu and feel like crap. God bless my sister and daughter and friends who do for us. We have had all our shots and vaccines. It just never ends.
But we did finalize planting layout plan and received some more seeds and ordered others. We made and packaged 6 lbs. of venison jerky. I reread some articles and organized our plans for what comes up next.
We really hope to get back on track this coming week. Time to start the seedlings.
You all and your families are in my prayers. God bless and keep prepping.
P.S. I recommend for those of you building a library, to pick up a Physicians Desk Top Reference. It lists all the pharmaceuticals, their use, and dosage. A must in a Grid Down situation.
Hi Tactical,
We had the flu for two weeks and hubby had gotten the vaccine hoping to avoid it. I can’t have a lot of vaccines, being allergic to some of the ingredients used in their making. Sure hope you fell better soon!
About the Physicians Reference: Is it something that a layperson could use, and would pharmaceuticals be available in a grid down situation? What should I look for in the book – medicines that I could buy without an Rx, or just to know interactions, etc. Or both and more? Could you elaborate on this, thanks!
GV, I would start with some fish antibiotics. They are available online without a prescription and are exactly the same as human antibiotics. You never know when your “fish” might have a bacterial infection. The book TGma mentioned would help with dosing antibiotics among other things.
Grumpy
Mine is a PDR64 2010 edition I got at goodwill for $3. I have been asking friends and family for their old scripts plus my old ones. The Reference tells the name, use, dosage, reactions, interactions, best method of administering med. I think in a shtf situation it is imperative. Different antibiotics are for different uses, so you would know what to give to your fish. I have a fairly extensive library and this book is probably one of my most valuable.
Thanks for that clarification, Patti and Tactical. LOL, sometimes I have to read everyone’s posts more than once to get the real message. Learning :)
Those of us who have been here a while have to do that, too. When all you have is a “written word”, there are no other clues to help interpret the message, and, sometimes, these messages get misunderstood, as a result. Just wanted you to know “we all do it”!
HomeInsteader: Thanks for the heads up :)
Look at what goes into the flu shot… no way I’m putting those toxins in my body.
+1
SW,
Could you list some of the “toxins”?
I’ve taken the pneumonia vaccination and get the influenza vaccination every year for nearly 20 and so far, I’ve not gotten the flu in all of these years. We have an E.R. doc in our MAG and I’ll take the doc and good friend’s opinion over blanket assertions I too often see being thrown around without facts.
I read an article a while back that listed them. I can’t remember them all off the top of my head but for some reaons I am thinking that the same thing they use to embalm bodies is part of the mix. I seem to remember that thought going thru my mind when I read the article.
Just a quick search landed this page
http://www.flu-treatments.com/flu-shot-ingredients.html
Some of the listed ingredients is
Mercury
Formaldehyde (used in embalming)
Ethylene glycol (used in anti freeze)
On the other hand, when I take the flu vaccination, it works like a champ…I get the flu every time! Since I retired from the military and refuse to take the vaccines anymore, I have had only one bout with the flu in nine years!
Ditto! I am in the “high risk” category. I haven’t taken a flu vaccine” in more than 10 years, and don’t plan on ever having another.
If y’all want to see the latest in the war against vaccines, go here:
Vaccine Propaganda Heats Up—The Latest Scandals You Need to Be Aware of
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/12/flu-vaccine-propaganda.aspx?e_cid=20130206_DNL_artTest_C1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130206
My “boys” were both sick last week; DS brought something home from work and shared with his Dad. I nursed them both back to health. Now, keep in mind, I’m the one with very limited immune capability. So, why didn’t I get sick? I believe it’s because I wash my hands – a lot – using “infection control procedure”.
Here it is (again), y’all:
1. turn on water
2. Lather up – preferably with liquid soap, not a bar that you’re sharing with unknowns, but, “whatever”.
3. rinse thoroughly – don’t touch faucets yet!
4. dry with paper towels; no paper towels?; use as much toilet paper as it takes – water still running;
5. use this same paper towel to turn off water (DO NOT recontaminate by touching any hardware);
6. use paper towel to open bathroom door, especially in a public place; dispose of paper towel on way out door.
I use this method AT HOME and away, as my boys don’t understand the importance of proper hand washing; after last week, I doubt they’ll do it any differently. Oh, well….they did enjoy being “cared for”, perhaps?!
Also, at home, wash all door knobs and commonly-held items with a mild solution of a gallon of warm water and about 1/4 cup white vinegar to disinfect. Yes, you can use bleach, but bleach will eat finish on lots of hardware, vinegar will not, and vinegar has better antibacterial properties than bleach. Yep. You can research this for yourself.
Stay healthy, y’all!
@HomeINsteader: Yep, that’s roughly the same procedure I use in public restrooms, and we do clean surfaces fairly regularly with something called “Miracle Soap.” Thanks for the tip (and checklist), though!
Gma I am sorry to hear that your hubby has pneumonia. I never had that before though I am in no hurry to experience it also. I will pray for the both of you tonight and the future.
Thanks Axelsteve. You are a blessing. Hubby is much better and had pneumonia vaccine. He is diabetic and bad heart so he never gets a little sick. But this flu is a b…buster. It sits in your chest for weeks. I feel like I just smoked a Camel, a live one! And I don’t smoke.
I’m sorry, TG-Ma…I’m not supposed to be laughing right now, am I? ROFL
HI
I’m glad one of us can laugh!
You know I’m ONLY laughing at smoking a camel, right?!
Of course!
Hey, we smoke ham and other meats, so why not a camel. Might actually be tasty, LOL.
Of all Gods creations the camel and the eelpout have to be the most disgusting.
Not much in the preps area this week, put some beans , rice and oatmeal away and have read all 4 books in the 299 Days series. Don’t remember who reccomended it but thanks for taking up most of my free time the last 10 days!!!!! Really like the series and it is really scary how close this fiction series is to the current events in the first two books. Got a deal on the internet to upgrade my 4 year old blackberry to a Galaxy S III for just $29 so I pulle the plug on it, so glad I can now get my kindle and the 385 books I have archived on my phone now. Since I have about a year of food in place am now just looking to store the most calories per cent, so am lookin at bulk purchases of good quality food like beans and rice so I can have 2000 cal for less than $1 .. If it gets really bad in the near future you can eat beans and rice, oatmeal, and a pb samich for pretty much than less than $1 a day..
Heeeheee…. sorry about taking up your time. I’ve only read books one and two, and I loved those. Still got to get books 3 and 4. Looks like we like the books for the same reason. He weaved in some current events into the books. Everyone of the 10 books in the series is supposedly written… just waiting for them all to come out.
Early December I found a Singer treadle machine….picked it up Jan 1, and took it to a local guy whose hobby, business, etc is treadle sewing machines. He specializes in toy ones, travels all over the world to buy – and then the trip is a write off – lucky guy.
Anyway, he did a nice little tune up, cleaning, and replaced the belt. It doesn’t have any of the manuals, bobbins and such, but he has those – I’ll pick it up Friday – he said it’s in really nice shape – and he does lessons as well. Feel really good about it.
I posted yesterday on last weeks WDYDTPTW about the grocery store sign – there could be up to a 50% loss of broccoli and artichokes with the weather conditions.
I found a nice looking packable, portable stove that can use any kind of fuel. http://www.slatgrill.com – fills another niche in the preps – hope to get once soon –
To everyone – congrats on staying sane for another week – on the 52 years, and prayers for those with hard times and health issues. BCTRUCk, I like the way you take out your frustration – go build something! Yuppers.
MD I like both headers – the first with the “wooden sign” shows tools and I like that – the second has a blue sky which I’m sorely in need of myself. Work is ugly and the weather isn’t helping. They are both +1!
Granny, have you checked out the Yahoo treadle group called Treadleon? It’s massively helpful. Congrats on your purchase. I love my treadle!
Hi Grumpy – no I haven’t – It sounds like I’ll have to – probably lots of fun and very informative. Thanks for the tip! I can’t wait to get it home and start using it!
The garden is tilled and ready for planting when the time comes. We had a nice cover crop that we mowed down before tilling under. With the addition of a little high-nitrogen material it will decay nicely and enrich the area.
Bought dried fruit and dry beans. Got more canned tomatoes for when the ones we froze run out. Will try drying some in season. The addition of tomatoes and onions makes the bland foods a lot more palatable. Love rice with tomatoes, corn and onion. Likewise the dry beans.
Did some alterations for the DH so that things fit better. Also some mending (re-hemming towels that had frayed hems–last twice as long that way).
Have a lot of craft projects for upcoming charitable events. I can’t forget that there are those who have problems despite their best efforts.
Oh my goodness MD what’s it like to live in such a stable climate? Around here that saying is “20 minutes”. Literally! One sunny day last summer I left the dogs out while I went in to fix lunch. As I sat down to eat I wondered why I heard water running. It was pouring outside! I figured the dogs were already soaked so I finished my lunch, and when I brought them in and toweled them off, it was sunny again!
I did buy a 60 pound bag of wheat from a feed store for $16. Also I filled up some 5 gallon gasoline cans (using a discount from a grocery store).
Well, I’m gonna add what I did, go do chores before it gets dark and then get back here to read comments later on.
The little greenhouse came. I will put that together tonight I think. I got some aluminum pans at the dollar store and some plastic 5 oz bathroom cups to plant seeds in. Still have to get dirt and it’s a bit early to plant right now. I’ll put in in a sunny kitchen window, need to figure out how to get some lights in there and how to fix that up. But have to get it together first to see what I have. It cost $20 from TSC. The number is 1043659.
I did a lot of garden planning, looked at more seeds, trying to make more decisions. I’ve run across some nifty things that I will share as we get them built. The garden will be “big” by my standards but I think I can manage this size as I learn about things. I’ve changed my mind several times as I see ideas or have thoughts about how this can be easier/better. I am also going to work with some vertical gardening to save space and pack more in.
The three books came, the aquaponics one, the dehydrating one with recipes and the gardening one that MD recommended a week or two ago. (Thanks, MD) So much reading to do.
I got 24 extra cans of things at the store, veggies, etc. No meat this week, just the veggies. 2 of those shrink wrapped coffees. This is not my vice, it’s DH’s. I have at least another 40cans to buy to fill up the regular pantry. Might as well make use of that space now. I have to ease off of the buying of food for a bit and it’s killing me but I have to put some resources other places. One is the building of a floor to ceiling bookcase in the third bedroom. The closet is filling up with food and I plan to continue doing that. But the little room has two saddles and tack in there and about 8 bookcases. I need that room. So DH is building me a floor to ceiling bookcase this month, along the one longest wall. I can get all my books in there, sell of the other bookcases. I will gain a whole room this way, and only have a foot of floor space along one wall used up. Then I have some metal free standing shelves I can move in there, have 5 of them, I think so I can organize and have more room to store things. This is a room I can actually lock if I wanted to, it would at least slow thieves down. Since it’s cold and crummy outside, I figured this would be a great project to do inside that will further our efforts. We went to Lowe’s and got the wood this morning.
I also got some nifty food storage units at Wal Mart for $4.99, square, fit inside each other with rainbow colored lids, I think there were 7 of them. Not sure what I will use them for at the moment but they were nice and square and food safe. And cheap. I’ll find a use for them.
Lastly we went to a local gun show. We got there around lunch time and it was not quite as crowded as when we went in December, but still lots of buying going on. DH was looking for a shotgun, he found a new one from a private seller, never been shot. It cost about what he would have paid on line and to have it shipped here. He was very pleased with it. I got a soft leather holster for the pistol and also a carry bag for it (just the pistol, not the holster, it won’t fit). My class starts in 2 weeks, I’m so excited about that! We looked at ammo but still way overpriced. There was a lot of selling and trading going on. Three people approached DH and asked if his shotgun was for sale. There was a man there with GORGEOUS rifles, commemerative things, $2,500 to 3,000 were the prices I saw. I admired them all. One was an Elvis rifle. :) Really purdy. :) Lots of AKs to be had, cheapest one I saw was 1250, I think, most went for around 1500 and many were more than that. I don’t know one from the other so guess it had to do with caliber or something? Another think I noticed, there were more women there, the last one in December at this same site, there were about 1 woman for every 20 guys, I would bet this has dropped to 1:15 this time. All looking at pistols. Two vendors saw me carrying the little carry case, asked me what I had and did I want to sell? I told them it was an invisibile gun, lightweight and very easy to hide. They cracked up at that one. I’m such a comedian. Had a cone of sugar/cinnamon pecans that someone made. They didn’t make it home.
Have a good week everyone. Oh, and I have a question. Can Chocolate be mylar bagged up and how long will it last? I know it gets a “bloom” that white stuff (I learned about this in my Chemistry of Chocolate class, it was a good class and lots of fun!) if it is older but it doesn’t affect the taste. Maybe I should do some experimenting with this. I’m thinking chocolate chips but maybe the regular bar chocolate would be better for getting more air out of it. Anyone ever try to do anything with chocolate?
“Anyone ever try to do anything with chocolate?”
Ummm, eat it? Bwahahahahah!
Millie, we’re going to a gun show here in Vt on the 24th. The organizers were asked by the town they hold it in to cancel the event which has been running a long time. They said NO. At least some folks in this state have some backbone. VS our elected leaders (no I didn’t vote for them) who have just shelved a bill that would make it necessary to label all GMO food as such. Monsanto threw a fit and threatened to sue the state. Tucked their tales between their legs and backed off, grrrrrr.
Yeah… Monsanto knows that if the stuff has to be labled… we wont buy their crap anymore. It’s why I am working towards growing the majority of my food. Tired of being poisoned by the big companies.
GV,
Monsatan has strong armed Frito Lay and other big American companies. They threatened to sue the entire European continent for banning their seed and food products. Screw them.
I could tell you stories that would make you want to throw every bit of food out of your house.
I won’t do that today. But, I will say simply……Don’t by their food or seed. Going GMO free can be a challenge in itself, but can be done.
Cut off the monsters head and it will die.
Or, as I like to say the same thing, Mama J, “if you can name the dragon, you can slay it”.
+1
if you are near a grocery outlet store they have a large variety of non gmo verified foods . they are above the freezers and back corner
Thanks everyone,
One good thing about our state is that we do have lots of stores that are careful with this and there’s a lot of non-GMO stuff around to buy if you can afford it.
I recently found some non-GMO Canola oil by a better known brand of organic food so bought two. They were reduced in price as I found them at a discount food supply place we frequent (same place that sells lots of Vt cheese ends and pieces at a huge savings-yum). I ordered all our seed from the Sample Seed Shop and was pleased with their service. Now to see how the seed performs.
I had to inform Hubby about the Frito-Lay/Pepsi side of the GMO story last night. He does love his Doritos and drinks Pepsi often when he’s out (I refuse to buy it) as he claims it helps his asthma. I told him that I’ll try real hard to make some homemade Doritos out of clean cornmeal if I can find any, but he had to give up the Pepsi. Maybe drink Coca-cola if he’s desperate. He’s going to try. I can sense snarky withdrawal in my future…
Millie – I’ve put chocolate chips in canning jars then vacuum sealed them with the food saver attachment. I’ve had some done for over three years with no change to the color. Hope this helps :)
Just keep them away from heat and light, and they should stay “good” for a very long time.
I don’t know, Millie, but I’ve got plenty of it in storage. I like to FreshSaver bag it first (get the air out!), then put it down in Mylar with a 500cc OA, then seal the mylar. I DARE oxygen to get to it! And if it does, I’ll still eat it!
Never tried to can or mylar chocolate but you might be interested in this video on making your own chocolate treats with cocoa, coconut oil and sugar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gVp17YXZlE
Millie in KY,
Last Christmas we made candy from chocolate chips that were stored in canning jars and vacuumed sealed 11-2011. They, and the candy had a good taste. The recipe is in the Wolf Pack cook book.
I think using glass plus vacuuming has the same effect as Mylar bags with O2 absorbers. Has anyone else had a different experience?
I forgot the most important thing! I lost 6 lbs in January! Trying to get fitter and tougher. My muffin top is gone and the belly is definitely down. Whee!
You go, girl!
Read and re-read, really just refreshing the aging memory. Added some 554 & 223 which if anyone is interested Bass Pro in Jeffersonville IN has in stock, at least they did at 14:00 today, its at the counter not the shelves. Can purchase 10/20rnd bxs of each sku. They had 3 skus from $9.99 to $14.95, only ammo Ive seem in weeks around the Kentuckiana area.
Have a great week, keep prepp’n and praying.
Really didn’t get any prepping done, at least not new stuff. Did received stuff from Amazon, EE, and Ready Reserve. Spent the weekend at a Baptist Men’s Retreat. Also ended the weekend with an invite to “buy in” on a piece of property that would be our retreat location, if we so decide.
So the week ended on a good prepper note.
We put some miles on our vehicle this week. Still intently searching for a homestead to relocate to. We have our eyes on another now, and will likely offer on that. Small acreage in rural area outside a small town with several outbuildings. Almost a compound but also garden, chicken coup, rabbits, and pasture. I think I would like to try raising chickens and rabbits and maybe goats. Almost back to the way I was raised, especially once we get in a garden and some fruit trees. There are other mature trees on the property, and the neighborhood feels prepish as we drive around it. No CCNRs, but everyone seems to be keeping their properties up, their equipment in order, and still having livestock and gardens. The river is a block away, and it is in it’s own well. So we will try again, hoping for better luck this time.
On other preps, we reorganized our Food Storage and added another shelf. It is a most full already, and then we will need to get really creative for future storage until we move. Went out shooting this afternoon. DH had scored a
nice SKS and we went out to give it a try. That thing packs a whollop, but I
can handle it without too much trouble. He also bought a sling and some
Magazines for it, and of course, we will pick up more of those, and a ammo
over the coming weeks.
Some things we want to do are kind of on hold pending our coming move, but there are plenty of other things for me to do to get ready. In the meantime we are learning a lot about bartering, and really shoring up our hhhehem… Hardware side of things.
I hope by next week I will have better and more interesting news to cover with the pack!
We restocked what we’ve used over the past several weeks and stocked up on a few canned goods thanks to some decent sales and coupons. Not much, but more than we had.
Oh… and got in some seeds I had ordered and placed another order for all but the things I prefer to pick up as seedling.
Ordered an All American Pressure Canner and one of their pressure cookers. Sent the cooker back as it doesn’t use the metal to metal seal like their canners do. Participated in the survey this week and was encouraged to see others think like me. Doctor is working with me to see if we can get my cholesterol down to normal in the next 30 days so I can be off the meds. He put me on mega doses of fish oil and a statin and I’m working on the exercise and diet portion. Organized my bathroom and inventoried my medical department. Have some decent amount of stores in that arena.
I love my All American :)
There are a number of natural foods that MAY help lower our cholesterol, marti – I’ll leave you to do the research.
You can cook in the canner.
You know, I have never posted as to what I’ve done each week because I think I haven’t done anything worth mentioning. Then during the week I catch up on comments and think of things we did during the week that I wouldn’t have thought to post but someone else did, sheesh. So tonight I’m going to try to remember what we did this week!
First off, I ordered M.D.’s book on buying raw land from Amazon. It’s on it’s way and I’m eager to read it! I bought canned veggies and sugar for storage, made my first batch of homemade toothpaste so we can get rid of the fluoride from at least one source. Attended a 3 hour teleconference with Dr. Rima Laibow and others about Agenda 21 and it’s implications worldwide. I had sent to our state representatives a form letter about the outrageous act by the FDA in MO, where they dumped a family farm’s whole raw cheese production and put them out of business. I actually got a reply from one of them, not a form letter, but short. He’s a Democrat, and was saying Vt would not do that sort of thing, that it was the feds that did it. I took a good part of the afternoon crafting a reply to him and mentioned Agenda 21 several times in a way that I hoped didn’t sound like I was nuts. I always run my letters by hubby, who said I should take out the Agenda 21 stuff, but after being prayerfully with it for a bit, I left it in and just added a brief explanation of why I did. It’s too important, and I truly think a vast majority of the elected state officials have no freakin’ clue it even exists, much less that it is on the fast track. I count writing to my reps. as prepping, in case you’re wondering…
Hubby is weeding out ammo that we no longer have the guns for and ordered a longarm from his favorite gun shop, but they told him they’re not sure it will ever show up! He bought two boxes of 22 ammo that I’ll be using for practice, and some 9mm for my Glock. I will be beginning pistol practice shortly with an expert lady marksman who luckily is a friend hubbs’ and had offered before I was more aware of what’s going on and was still too afraid of firearms. Dang I wish I had been brought up like so many of you, being more comfortable around them! But it is what it is, so I’m a late bloomer I guess. At least I’m blooming, right?
Speaking of blooming, my seed order finally arrived and I have a few holes to fill as she sold out of beans, but once I get some potting soil with hubbs next paycheck if we have any extra after bills, I’m starting my winter sowing. We currently live in a state-run trailer park, and our garden is very small, so you can see why I am nervous about government overreach! We are averaging anywhere from 15-32 degrees F. lately, so am so very jealous of all you folks with gardens really going already. I’ll be putting my seeds on potting soil in plastic jugs outside on our porch instead :) This will be my first time trying this and I’m hoping it will be a success.
What else…. I’ve been studying small and tiny houses for years now, and with living in this single-wide, the two of us have pretty much figured out how much space we really use. I like the layout of our place, but we don’t really use the living room part of it much. I think if we didn’t have the bedroom and made a raised platform the bed could be under and the computer area on top of, with storage in the stairs, we wouldn’t need the bedroom space. So I’ve been planning a small house design we could build, as well. It really takes some doing to plan a small home that really uses all of the available space without seeming cramped, let me tell you! Especially if you need to do a lot of it using scrounged lumber and by yourself and you aren’t exactly a carpenter :)
I did manage to get my hands on a tall stainless pot that is a restaurant style soup pot or something. I am trying to get the supplies to make soap with. Started some lists of things to be on the lookout for, supply-wise.
I’m sure I’ll no sooner hit “submit” then I’ll remember more, but that’s the bulk of it. Not much, but our beloved Siamese kitty girl who is getting up there in years is now battling kidney disease, hyper-thyroid disease, asthma and herpes all at the same time needed some vet care. She’s our best bud, staying right by our side when we’re ill or down and is just a wonderful friend to us. I know our time with her is getting near it’s end, and I’ve promised her we won’t make her suffer with over-the-top medical stuff if she isn’t comfortable and happy. We couldn’t afford to anyway, lately. But this week’s visit was almost $500.00, plus medicine, yikes. I pray that God will take her before she suffers, because cats are so darn good at hiding pain. Anyway, praying for our beloved America and all of you fine patriots to come out of this shining if it’s God’s will.
See???? I told you I’d forget something: I dehydrated 5 lbs. of local carrots, 5 lbs. of local apples and 1 lb. of celery as well.
If anyone is interested, the online conference I attended is archived at Natural Solutions Foundation and can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/Agenda21Event
Have a safe week, everyone and may God bless you all in your endeavors!
Hello Pack!
This week was more about “prepping to prep” than actually prepping. :) Since my roommate (thankfully) moved out, I’ve been slowly getting that extra bedroom cleaned up. I’ve refinished the hardwood floors (that took awhile), and this week finished all the painting and cleaning up. This room will be used in a SHTF situation for one set of family members to live in (our plan is for 2 families to come stay with me). But for now, I’ll be using it to store supplies and food. Next step is to buy or build shelving.
Lots of moving parts going on in my life/house at the moment. Currently, DS and his fiancee and child live in my basement (1 bedroom, and 1 large living room). They are moving to an apartment next month. The other bedroom down there is my prep/storage room, but I can’t cram even another can of corn in there, LOL! So as soon as they move out, I’ll tackle cleaning and fixing up down there, and turn part of the living room into storage. That will leave 3 full bedrooms and a small living area downstairs as well as a larger living area upstairs for what will be 6 adults and 3 children. Being a single older woman, all this is taking a lot more time than I’d hoped, but at least it’s getting done.
Got my eBates rebate ($146) which is going towards a Berkey, my next major purchase. Won’t be able to plant anything here until at least May (except for potatoes), so not even thinking about the garden yet (except for the nut trees I just ordered from MD’s online source).
Had a weird cold/flu thing. Elements of both, but wasn’t the full-blown flu (the kind that puts you on your back for a week). Whatever it was, it kept mutating – sore throat, then head cold, then chest cold, then stomach issues – each time I’d think I was getting better, something else would hit. When it started, I decided to treat it entirely naturally (i.e., no OTC or prescription meds). I figured I’d try that for a few days and if it really was the flu, I’d go to the doctor. Interestingly, I never had to go to the doctor, and the natural stuff worked well! Essentially, I used a lot of oregano oil (a few drops in empty capsules I got from Amazon), herbal teas, steaming, tea tree oil (stroked on the outside of the throat), aspirin, peppermint oil for the stomach stuff, and doubled up on my multi-vitamin, B-complex, L-lysine, and Vitamin D3. Was actually pretty amazed that it cleared up in less than 7 days without ever feeling really “horrible.”
Hope everyone has a good week! :)
Hi Nanet,
Thanks for posting what you did to clear up the bug you got, very helpful. Glad you are feeling better as well! We had the same sort of thing – kept changing, lasted two weeks where we thought we were better, got back up to full steam for a day then Bam! knocked back the next day. Weird. So the oregano oil taken in empty capsules didn’t mess up your stomach if you limited it to just a few drops?
Grumpy, it didn’t! I was worried about that, because I used to take oregano oil drops on their own, and they burned! That’s why I started using the capsules. They don’t leave that burning aftertaste, and they don’t bother my tummy. But I only take a couple or three drops at a time. I’m glad you guys are feeling better too – weirdest illeness ever, wasn’t it?
Nanet, yes it was weird. And I’m pretty healthy overall.
I go with cinder blocks and boards for quick shelving (the old college stand-by). They are quick, cheap, require no construction, can hold a heck of a lot of weight (I used ‘em for bookshelves for years while I was in college and the military, and the only thing I had to do was flip the boards once a year or so) and when you’re done with them, you can use the bricks and boards for some other project! Makes great temporary shelving (and if you plan on moving someone into the room, temporary is the way to go). Just a thought.
Ahhhh….brings back memories of the starving student days…didn’t say they were good ones! ; )
You’re right, of course, but even the bad old days can teach us some good ideas! ;-)
Filled buckets with rice, grain and beans. Sealed same. We’re ALMOST caught up on getting stuff packed away for long term storage. Put the sealed buckets into spaces we’d prepared for them – out of the way.
Bought some more books from Paladin Press through MD’s site using their special savings code.
Bought soup and canned veggies and fruits on sale this week. Also a few cleaning supplies and some first aid supplies and a few more beans. And toilet paper.
Worked on an article for MD. Had to order a few books for it (darn!).
Found another box of railroad photos of my fathers, thus undoing all the efforts of the last few months on disposing of photos – I’m back up to the number of photos I had before I started selling. ARGH!
More bucket sealing and filling. Hubby did his first batch of jerky in the dehydrator – we’ve been using the poor thing pretty much non-stop since we got it set up in early January.
Bought some “pioneering” books at the St Louis Arch while we were there on Sunday for the stepdaughter’s birthday. (This is why I’m so late posting…)
Victoria – which railway was he on? The Lake Father collect P&O.
Went to a gun show in Pasadena, TX yesterday. Was’nt looking for anything except for magazines for my Mossburg 715. None to be found which didnt surprise me. So we didnt get a thing. Prices have doubled from a year ago but selection seemed to be pretty good. Ammo was available at twice the price as well. Alot of cans of Warsaw Pact leftover ammo..
See where gas prices are going up again.3.11 to 3.25 in a week.
The RV park manager stopped by the other evening and gave us a real nice metal fire pit that someone had left behind when they left. That might come in handy someday. He bought an AR back around Christmas and friday was showing JoJo ( my beautiful wife) the new mags he got I think I need to approach him on the likelyhood of SHTF this year. Might be the first step in organizing a community plan. Or it might not.
Ron,
I was at the Pasadena show this weekend. If you go there again look for the guy sharpening knives/making ear plugs. Would be happy to meet you.
I remember a knife booth with someguy sharpening. Maybe next time. I’d like to meet a few local Pack members.
I forgot to mention… we opened a can of coffee with a best buy date of 2010. Just as good as always.
Didn’t get too much done this week.
- Went to Gander Mountain for 7.62 ammo. None to be found this week. Picked up some 3″ rifled 12 gauge slugs instead.
- It occurred to me that I live in “The Land of 10,000 Lakes”, and I had nothing to fish with. Think I’m the only guy in the state that doesn’t fish. Remedied that.
- Added more food & water to the stocks.
- Read and learned about various things.
Love ya, pack. Good luck and God bless.
Sadly I attended a funeral service this week. I did ‘ discretely’ drop-say little topics the ‘pack’ believes in.
M.D. do you…or would you like to have a, …. business card, the “Pack” would be proud to hand out? I could connect with my contacts…..with a a little card.
Just thinking.
Also……I cleaned an filled 2 (1gal) milk an 2 (1 ltr) cola with water!
Unleashd,
I don’t have a lot of money right now to pay for a printing… I doubt many readers would want to hand them out for fear of drawing attention to themselves.
My apologies,
Wasen’t asking for a printed product.
If you would like to have a ….business card….”like” …to give out…..as I would. I can help with that…..My wife is a printing geek…..so …let me help.
Create a business card YOU like. I’ll get you 1,000…….my gift!
If fear of attention …..maybe we need to change who should fear!
I’m IN THE PACK!
Unleashd,
Email me…
Greetings Pack!
Not much this week.Added some food and supplies,placed a couple orders with Amazon and Full Belly Insurance.
Spent another day with no water,another main break? Wasn’t bad just annoying,continueing to stock up on more water.Thought I had a leak, but the bottles were just sweating from the temp changes. 10 degrees one day,65 with thunderstorms and flooding the next…2 days later 20 degrees with 2 inches of snow,I love winter.
We’ve been looking for some kerosene heaters at local fleamarkets,nothing so far may have to wait till end of season sales to get a good deal. Need to get a backup heating source for power outages but don’t have lots of money to spend right now.
Have a safe and happy week!
Hi Wolfpack:
So no sooner do I get back to posting and everything goes to heck in a handbasket. I have basically no preps for the last 2 weeks because my mom had 2 heart attacks in 3 days. 100% blockage but thanks to the marvels of modern medicine they were able to open it up and put in a stent and after another week or so they let her come home.
My biggest concern for prepping is that now after 69 years of taking no medications she is on several. The cardiologist said some will only be for 6 months to a year most likely, however, the way things are in the world I now need to concentrate on making sure we have extras of these, just in case. I am off to a good start though – Mom has good insurance which covers most of the costs and when at the cardiologist he gave us a months worth of one of the medications. Im hoping at each visit he will continue to throw freebies our way and then ill just have her taking the oldest first while continuing to refill her scripts. Thats the plan for now, at least baby aspirin is easy to come by – I probably already have a years worth stashed away.
The other issue I now have to face is that she is on a pretty strict diet. Not a huge change in how we normally eat since we eat tons of fruits and vegetables from the garden but still requires consideration. Thats the route my prepping is going to have to be taking in the next few months. It should all be interesting, no doubt.
Keep praying and prepping – Its a wild world we are living in.
DG
DG, there are lots of folks on here that have histories with heart issues. hope some of them step up and help you with ideas. Good to see you back! I was just thinking I hadn’t seen you in a while and wondered how things were going for ya. For most peop;e with cholesteral issues, lean meats and chicken in small amounts are the way to go. Soups made of dried vegies; small amounts of meats; with low sodium bases would be good for her. My aging neighbors dehydrate all the time, and she makes killer soups. And they are in their 80′s
Prayers for your mom Divergal. The Lord works in ways we can’t understand. The doctors can be an amazing asset. I’ll mention you in our dinner prayer tonight.
Keep on asking for those freebies at the doctors and they will keep giving them.
take care,
Georgeislearning or my new name of GIL (thanks to a kind pack member)
It is sad, we are prepping for the FEDS, but that is the purpose of the Constitution. I have several internet devices in home and remotely, that watch!!! I don’t really care if the FEDS, listen, watch. I watch them also….so…the internet is a diversion …as they are distracted.
Unleashed, I’ve got to say I’m with you on this one. If we all are so afraid of being taken away, then they’ve already won. I’ve already told hubby that if they come to take me or us, they will meet the very she-devil herself before I go down, and then at least my family would maybe finally know something in this government is very, very wrong. We can’t go on this way, that’s for sure. I spent a good deal of this past year getting very depressed over the state of affairs we find ourselves in. I have found that a good rebel yell clears the head, lungs and heart!
You might want to check the link I posted several posts above this one. It’s a link to the first part of a global pushback to all of this. Another online conference is happening this Wednesday evening, 7pm Eastern time, focusing on positive action. It is being called Agenda 22. I like to think of it as humanity against inhumanity. Interesting fact: during the first conference, Dr. Rima’s connection was first garbled then lost just when some very important points were being covered. When they finally got her connection back up, she said that her brand new, very powerful computer had shut down. When she restarted it, a page of code came up that she had never seen before, and the a message that the computer was temporarily unavailable! So yes, I would say “they” are watching. Good, let them. As you said, we are watching right back and they wouldn’t be watching if they didn’t fear us. As we grow in numbers, we should be less and less afraid. And besides, no matter what happens, I believe God has my back in the form of my fellow patriots world-wide. Doesn’t get much better than that. Just my 2 cents on this.
Wow Mama J you will be busy! You are brave to take that all on. One question? Is it possible that you might want to sell and resettled where ever your husband is? If so, you might want to stock up on movables and such?
Grumpy, how do you go about connecting for the seminar, is there a website?
Worrisome, yes there is, and on her site is a link to the one that happened this weekend.
Here ’tis: http://savemylifedrrima.com/international-agenda-21-conspiracy-pushback/
I tried to sign up for it this morning and had trouble with it letting me sign on. Kept saying I hadn’t input my country, but I had. Hope no one is messing with her site again. It’s happened once already and they just got it all back up.
Hi Pack,
Medical and Dental: Husband, daughter and self, dental ckups and cleaning
Optometry ckup: for Hubby and myself, both needed new eyeglass Rx’s. ordered new glasses for hubby, will get mine in couple weeks
Root canal follow-up: good news, it is fine , bad news the tooth next to it isn’and is what is causing the tooth ache, scheduled a root canal for this Tuesday
Hubbby went to our BOL planted 2 northstar dwarf cherry, 1 dwarf persimmon, and 2 dwarf pear trees.
Ordered Heirloom Seed container $35, 100 ft of paracord, 5 gal pail oat groats, 2 #10 cans black beans, and 2 split green pea from EE
Ordered the The Backyard Homestead that M.D. rec.
Teaching daughter how to knit and to crochet
In the last 2-3 weeks have ordered many books: M.D.s books 31 days to Survival, Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat, Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton, Cookin with Home Storage by Peggy Layton, 100 Day Pantry by Jan Jackson (this is utilizing canned goods to create meals, not what I would want to do every day, but it beats starving or eating grubs), Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs,
Surviving the Economic Collapse by Fernando Ferfal Aguirre ( this is a scary 1st person account of a current post monetary collapse country Argentina that happened in Dec of 2001…..they still have not recovered), Facing Violence by Rory Miller ( learned about the freeze and psychological issues regarding protecting oneself)
E-mailed my Senators regarding the 2nd Amendment
E-mailed the Boy Scouts of America regarding them even considering allowing homosexuals to be scout leaders
Have a great week, Thank you all who contribute great info and God bless
M.D.
I will stay on …whatever internet …thing I have. If the Feds feel they have interest in me….well, I guess they are ignoring others….lol. Everyone in my world…has the papers any Gestapo (or o’bobo’) would ever need, or I can give them all my firearms ……after they have my last bullet :)
M.D.
Could you please tell me where you ordered your fruit trees from?
Or did you get them from a local nursery? If it grows in your climate, zone, area it will grow well in ours too.
Thanks,
Hannah
Hannah,
Four Seasons Nursery – http://www.4seasonsnurseries.com/
The main thing I did this week was learn online how to make socks, because I scored a bunch of wool sock yarn at the thrift store. I crocheted a pair of nice socks. Knitting is stretchier, perhaps better suited to socks than crochet. For me, the idea of knitting with a bunch of double pointed needles is annoying, so for knitting socks, I’m thinking I’d do a flat one with two needles and then join it together, maybe with a crocheted afterthought heel for more strength. I dunno if making my own socks is all that efficient now, but in a situation where there are no new socks coming over from China and we’re all running on stuff we salvage, now I can turn old sweaters into wool socks. You can also make fishnet stockings of a sort by crocheting. (oo la la) which would follow one could also make a fishnet.
I got my furnace fixed but now it’s broken again. I am not sure why it keeps breaking but I’m cold. Perhaps whatever’s broken on it will now be under warranty because of the recent fixit.
Just tonight on the way home from watching the Super Bowl at a friend’s house the road was kind of slick so I went kinda slow so I wouldn’t slide around. Some jerk came off the entrance ramp right before my exit and started tailgaiting me all the way to my exit. So I got off the ramp thinking this jerk must be drunk, went to the gas station, and then I’m messing with the gas pump and suddenly some cop is there asking me if I’m OK because I was going slow. I guess maybe he was the one tailgaiting me, but I thought that car was a plain silver SUV and he was in a white SUV. Annoying, but I thanked him for worrying about me and told him I was fine. After he asked a couple questions about where I’d been etc. and acted like he didn’t believe my answers, I turned around and started messing with the gas pump again, because it was not doing what I wanted and I turned around and he was gone.
What I brought home from this was: He was trying to pull that authoritarian cop schtick on me, but I was not acting threatened or threatening. Oh, and I was sober. And then got distracted by the gas pump and turned my back on him, so it was like I gave no energy at all to that schtick and I guess it just sort of petered out? Maybe he would have hassled me more if I’d said I came from some bar or gotten all secretive or defiant about where I’d been.
I am guessing he was just looking for drunk drivers. Which might not be such a bad thing on Super Bowl night. It also tells me it’s best to have ready but suitably vague answers that approximate the truth, in case they are trying to catch someone in a lie. I think that thing where they act like they don’t believe you is just a trick. It’s probably just a habit they develop in order to put people on the defensive.
Interesting about the cop. Thanks for that insight.
Penny Pincher, knitting socks is not that hard, I’ve been told. I just got a couple of books on it. I did a hat a year ago with the four needles and it actually went all right and I’m kind of a klutz that way. It wasn’t half bad. With socks, you don’t want a seam because it will rub or be walked on and very uncomfortable.
I’m working on learning socks, too.
Millie, I started out by knitting Christmas stockings for my whole family. I used various Christmas-color combinations of stripes and made them “knee highs” (can’t have a chintzy Santa, after all!); still hang them by the fireplace with care each Christmas!
Here is a suggestion: Instead of knitting with 4 double pointed needles, try knitting with 5. With 4, you have a triangle shape, with 5 you have a square. There are less stitches per needle with 5, so no tight or pulled stitches. This is the European way of knitting socks or anything else (hats or mittens for instance or a sweater body with no side seams [although I use a circular needle for the body] and of course, the sleeves of said sweater…). This was the way I was taught as a child in 4H because the instructor was German. She taught me to knit European style and left handed, to boot.
There’s a local forest ranger (state type) around here that likes to hassle women. I keep waiting for an opportunity to confront him, get his badge number and get him fired, but believe me, while most LEA types I’ve known have always been highly professional and cool, there are always one or two that want to play the tough guy or the big man on campus because they got a little authority by getting a badge (you see this all the time in the TSA, for example). You handled it exactly right.
Jeff ~~ are you saying that the local forest ranger hassles women on state land, or does he do it anywhere? If anywhere, time to call the regular police, be it state, county or local. If he is out of his jurisdictional authority, he is WAY out of line!
Penny Pincher, If you are interested, look into knitting after-thought heel socks on circular needles. They will knit both top-down or toe-up. I’ve been using the Magic Loop so I can knit 2 socks/sleeves/mittens at the same time.
after-thought socks top-down
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/afterthought-heel-socks
after-thought socks toe-up
http://mgcdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/12/basic-toe-up-stockinette-socks.html?m=1
You tube for magic loop two at a time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqySdHjIPIc
OH, wow! Sweeet! Thanks, Jao!
I’ve made socks on circular needles, but haven’t done the magic loop ones yet. Even just going from the 4 needles to one circular makes all the difference. My nemesis is short rows, but I’m able if I concentrate.
I met a lady this summer at a farm museum who knitted socks with a ‘sock machine’. It was really cool! Once you had the yard set on the pins, you just cranked away. There were steps you had to take for the heel but it looked pretty easy. These are antiques; I keep looking, but haven’t found one yet. I have her card so if I find one I can take classes from her.
Thanks, will look into it. I just bought some bamboo skewers to turn into double ended needles. Package of 40 6″ skewers $2. Package of 4 each of 3 sizes of double ended knitting needles, where I only needed one size, $10. Skewers = WIN.
Never mind the additional $12 I got in Chinese groceries. But among the groceries was a couple cans of Sterno, so I was prepping too…
And I”m on the next pair of socks, this one will be pink green and purple stripes, but also crocheted.
Chinese groceries (from the Chinese supermarket): Skewers, sterno, ground pork, sesame balls, can of weird fruit. The sesame balls weren’t all that until I stuffed them with fried pork.
Watch out for splinters with the skewers. I wonder if there is something you can coat the skewers with that protects the wood yet does not rub off on the yarn. Maybe some polyurethane? The reason I mention this is that I found an unopened package of skewers that who knows how old they were. I used them for kabobs after soaking for 20 minutes. They splintered and split while in the meat and made for a nasty, time-consuming job of picking out splinters.
Picked up 75 pounds of wheat and another 20 lbs of beans.
Ordered ATI stock set for the new 870
My preparations have taken a turn. A big turn. My DH after 7 years of working at home has had to go work out of state. The oldest son, and the second son left also to get work in a couple states north of us. The baby boy is going to college this fall. So leaves me and the girl cub to run the farm, but more importantly to hold down the fort until all our men can make it home if we have an event. I am working my everloving butt off. Up at 5 am to write and post this.
I had to take my plans and basically scrape them
First of all, I had to divide up all our bug out supplies to outfit everyone to make it home. The girl and I can handle bugging out on our own if needed. I am trying to streamline this as much as possible after the fiasco we had in the fires. See the story “Attempting to Implement a Bug Out Scenerio” in January if you missed it.
I needed to send everyone with packs, bikes,tools, spare parts, cash, food, weapons, maps, you name it. Being a recovering control freak it is hard for me to let them go out into the world. Even when they are 30! Deep down inside I have no doubt they will be fine, even if the boys up north that have to wait until the mountian passes clear. I am OK with what we taught them. The plan is for the boys to wait for each other to meet up before heading home. I have a storage unit with the majority of supplies for them . Enough to last them all winter if need be.
It would take them one or two days if they make it unmolested on the motorcycles. The all ride motocross and can evade off rode if needed. The can read topo maps very well and have planned alternative routes. At least two weeks on foot.
The worst is leaving the farm unsecured with only me and the girl. We have been reading up on booby traps and earlier detection plans on the fences. We have some wireless video survalience and plan to put up more.
We have the dogs which are great alarm if someone doesn’t hurt or kill them. Kevlar doggie vests?
I have purchased and cut enough plywood for all the house windows and I have been collecting sheet metal to line the inside with. Peices are so heavy I have installed a rail under the windows to sit the plywood pieces on so I can screw them in place. I we have many opaque sky lights that are great for letting light in when the windows are boarded up. Booby trap those too? Razor wire? Our outer doors are rebuilt frames solid oak or metal doors with bars I need to install.
I have talked ot my “good” neighbors about how to make our combined area of 80 acres more secure with reduction in people.
I will need to bring in more people for security. I need sleep. This means buying more food, meds, and basic nessessities. Places for the extras to live. Looking a used yurt. I may look at finding permanent live on site farm help. Difficult considiering they need to NOT be criminals, no or very few family they would want to bring in. Not mind my weirdness, bossiness, and want to work as hard as me in exchange for food, housing, and a wage. Unfortunately, I have found that most folks, really do not want to work anymore. My Americore and college kid workers in the past would not want to stay.
PLUS! All the boys have long term steady girl friends and I am sure grand babies will be on the way in the next few years. I already started prepping for the girlfriends and spouses. Baby stuff. Check.
My motto: Adapt, improvise, and don’t forget your sense of humor. Prep, Prep, Prep!
Wow Mama J you will be busy! You are brave to take that all on. One question? Is it possible that you might want to sell and resettled where ever your husband is? If so, you might want to stock up on movables and such?
Worrisome,
Hubby is an oil field consultant and will be all over the place bouncing around Oklahoma and Texas. He will come home every few months for a week.
We have thought about just traveling with him in the RV, since the girl is homeschooling. We might sometimes, when he goes somewhere interesting. Most of time where he goes is barren, stinky and nasty.
I have too much to do to finish projects here. I would need to sell all the livestock or have a caretaker, which I am thinking about doing.
The last time we moved I filled up two semi trailers and four stock trailers. My friends threatened to disown me if I ever do it again. Sometimes I would like to get rid of it all, travel and relax. However, I am buried in this farm like a Texas tick and my preps seem to be consuming my whole being.
I think this is not what I do, but who I am. I am in trouble, huh?
Nawww….when the trouble hits, you’ll be one of the few not in trouble, Mama J. Just remember that when it feels “overwhelming”.
No not in trouble, living your life your way. All that you have and all that you are is all of you……..smile
Not sure if you’ve given any thought to this (disregard if you have), but have you considered replacing your existing fences with hedgerows and the like? There are a couple of fast growing, useful (in terms of fodder for your animals) and very thorny bushes that you could easily raise within three years to the point where they are formidable obstacles for anyone trying to enter your property — all without worrying too much about the legalities of booby traps! From what I remember about your January article, you are in a sort of dry area, but some of these plants are pretty hardy and able to exist with minimal care in such climates. They also provide living space for birds and spiders and other such useful critters that can keep the “bad” bug population down on your farm. To say nothing of blocking the view of what you have (something most barbed wire type fences don’t do so well). If you are in an area where you can do it, you can also plant berry brambles and such like within the overall “fence area” which provides another source of food for you (and are pretty much impenetrable unless you have a thorn-proof skin or a bulldozer when they are all grown up). Another thought, since as I recall you are in a wooded area — a few trees with lots of branches felled across selected access roads during a major situation can provide a serious road block to anyone trying to enter your property; even on foot! And if you take a little time to weave the branches together and selectively sharpen some of them pointing in strategic directions, you can force whoever is trying to get to you to use axes or chainsaws to clear them out — which provides excellent warning and bit of time to do something about it. This is referred to as an “abatis” and is a traditional Army method (goes back to the Revolutionary War at least, and probably before that) of blocking certain areas to force the enemy to go into areas where you want him to be (a killing zone, for instance). If you want a semi-permanent blockage, weave some of that barbed wire you salvaged from your previous fences into the abatis and you can even prevent quick clearing with a chainsaw! Both of these require a bit of prep time, but can be worth their weight in gold. Obviously, I’m not totally sure of your climate and water situation (lots of rain is always nice), but you might be able to give some thought to this. My mother (a very handy woman in many ways) clipped a few leaves of prickly pear and sprouted roots from them in water — much like you might with an avocado) and then planted them beneath the windows of our house when we lived in El Paso when I was a kid. It took a few years, but after a while, no burglar was going to come through those windows for anything short of a life-or-death situation, plus, we had prickly pear fruit in season! There’s almost always something you can do with the local flora that can help…. Regardless, I wish you the best on your preps!
“There are a couple of fast growing, useful (in terms of fodder for your animals) and very thorny bushes that you could easily raise within three years to the point where they are formidable obstacles for anyone trying to enter your property”
Would be nice if you’d list these fast growing critters.
They depend entirely on your climate and growing zone, so you should consult your local master gardener program for your area; however, in the spirit of cooperation, a couple I’m looking at right now are Osage Orange and Honey Locust. Traditional hedging plants (boxwoods and the like) can work well too, depending on your circumstances and climate, and my personal intent is to disperse some blackberry brambles in there in certain locations (primarily corners or areas of land that would be tough to keep “trimmed” properly because of the lay of the land) to increase the thickness and provide additional food if necessary — of course, YMMV! Really it would be difficult to suggest something to you specifically though without knowing your climate zone, growing season and available water. I’m fortunate to be living in an area that is mild in temperatures in the winter (though hot in the summer) with lots of water, and a very long growing season, that also happens to have a lot of excellent volcanic soil to work with. It really makes a difference!
Mesquite would work well for this purpose. It’s covered in long, sharp thorns. It grows 13 to 25 inches per year, reaching heights of 40 feet, and can live more than 100 years. The beans on the mesquite are edible. They can be used to make jelly, tea, or ground into flour. I’ve made the jelly. It was pretty good! They prefer warm dry climates, and can adapt to drought. Plus, the wood is awesome to cook over!
I would plant blackberry bushes. You can take a piece of the root of another blackberry bush and just stick it in the ground. Or you can plant seeds but you have to freeze them first, I think.
lol jeffin the west – maybe Mom plant that prickly pear to keep YOU in – knowing what hormonal teenage boys can get into! (spoken as a mom of two boys lol)
Smart lady onall counts – kept you IN, burglars OUT, and gave you food at the same time. I’d say your mom was one smart lady and a prepper!
You know, that actually occurred to me at the time…. It WAS during High School. Oh well, I still managed to get into my share of trouble! I miss her a lot — she grew up on a farm in Ohio during the depression and knew a lot of stuff we are all re-learning the hard way!
JeffintheWest,
I like the way you think! We have been planning and planting ike this for a long time.
I planted native wild rose 5 years ago on some of the fence rows. They leave nice rose hips for tea (VitC) but a a dirty bugger to get through. Almost impossible to cut through because alot of the branches are so whip thin. Using a chainsaw would just allow the branches to flail the skin off someone.
I planted Russian Olive in another area that is a super nasty thorned tree that when cut back every year makes a even worse nasty hedge row that will flatten tires on a tractor. It can be a terrible invasive species near a riparian area, but good wildlfe value. I keep the whips mowed within 30 ft so it doens’t spread. It is illegal to buy in Colorado, but I planted these from native cuttings.
My perimeter fences are 6 to 8 ft tall with welded wire, with electric inside and out, and barbed wire on the top. Poultry wire on the ground to keep critters from digging under. The grass and shrubs have grown through it to the point that you can’t get a shovel into it. Or get a pair of cutters into it. . A real mess (smiling).
If anyone was ever to try to remove these fences they would be cussing a blue streak. (smiling more). I would like to get some cable to run the length to tangle up vehicles trying to ram the fence, (if they could get a vehicle through). I have some great trees that will work for now.
Siberian Elm grows like mad here. They can grow 10 ft a year.
We have large timbers cut and laying in decorative positions with chains already attached so I(we) can hook up to the tractor and lay across the road. The neighbors and I have talked about blocking the road SHTF and using an out of sight access for ourselves.
I have some spots that are not easily accessible at the rear of the property, but they are not properly secured. Parallel to a deep drainage that is too erodable to drive a vehicle up. I don’t think a tank could get up it is so steep and when it is wet, it is slick as owl snot. If someone wanted in bad enough they could on foot. Those kind of people are the ones I am worryed about the most, because even though I am a bad ass in my own right (loling), they are coming for something they want real bad and it aint gonna be pretty with only me here. I need my trained family here for more eyes.
I will look into the abatis designs you are talking about. I hadn’t thought of directing the bad guys where I want them for a killing zone. Probably becasue I don’t want them to be there at all! I need to start thinking like a bad guy and not just continue to fence myself in.
I am working on tposts laid out so I can stretch barbed wire into continuous X’s about 4 ft off the ground inside the perimeter fences. I use recycled not so perfect tposts from the salvage yard that cost a dollar each. Plant thorny shrubs, and bushes to grow through it. Like rasberries. Oh there are so dang prickly!
I would love to use razor wire but my DH says I am demented and won’t let me. It will keep the deer at bay also because they can jump high, but not high and far.
If some dumbass jumps over my fence, gets stuck, their junk punctured, then gets bit by my dogs while trying to trespass or steal from me will have to suffer me laughing at them, the EMT’s and the Sheriffs Deputies. I’ll take my chances in court. I will tell the Judge the truth. I saw the fence design on the Dept of Wildlife website. Which I did. Minus the “barbed” wire. Keeping the stupid people out never crossed my mind. *clearing throat*
My daughter and I have been building long strings of rattle cans, wound up into tubs, so we can easily string them out. Trip wires with mousetraps with shotgun primer caps for noise. Plywood strips and two bys imbedded with long nails. Sometimes I worry I am warping my girl. She was driving nails into a board, “Look MOM, do you think THIS would mess up the bad guys?” I say “Oh ya baby that is AWESOME!”
I love your Mom’s prickly pear garden! Most cactus doesn’t grow well here. I wish it did. It might on the south side of a building, but I have too much shade.
Thank you for your wonderful comment!
Yeah — doing a spell in the Army made me think about some things. Really, the only reason we laid mines and barbed wire was to force the bad guys where we wanted them to be. We never expected to stop anyone from doing anything, we just wanted them to take the quickest route to where we wanted them so we could shoot them! For those areas you’re worried about, allow me to suggest something I have mentioned before — Caltrops. Basically traingular things of steel or wood that look like a kid’s toy jacks only with sharpened points instead of those balls on the end. In fact, if you can find steel kid’s jacks you can actually use them! Another suggestion a friend of mine came up with was to use porcupine quills if you could find or trap some. Basically, you’re looking for anything that would slow down a bad guy on foot (and when you step on something like that, you get slowed down real good) and cause them to shout so you know where they are. Then you shoot them. The nice thing about caltrops is you can make them before time and keep them in a nice box somewhere and only scatter them out when the need is upon you. Just make sure you remember where you scattered them! ;-) You can make larger ones to stop a horseman, and still larger ones to stop a motorcycle or vehicle. They go back to ancient Rome as a sort of minefield — again, used to direct the enemy into your killing zones….
Hmmmm……all that glass that people clog the landfills with every day……..break it now, store it for later?!!!
I went to the our local ASPCA and adopted a kitten. What does this have to do with prepping? I want to continue protect my food storage from vermin (rats, mice, cockroaches) and don’t want to use rat poisons or traps in my home. A healthy, well-fed cat is great for vermin control duty but our cat has slowed down as he has entered the senior years and can use back-up, hence the kitten. I am happy to clean out litter boxes in exchange for a roach-free, rodent-free home.
Mine also takes out fly’s and anything else that moves in the house. Including my feet from time to time :)
not much prepping this week. Lots of reading. Foodopoly & Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Both good books. My prepping is largly revolving around food…growing, preserving, saving etc.
When us northern folk need fruit trees we have to buy what is grown and raised here to be climatized. All the bare rooted trees I bought never survived the winter here. I had apple trees 75 miles south of here and I learned to bruise the branch to quicken the ripening time before hard frost came.
I picked out a wild cherry to transplant from my woods to put near the dog pen run-off. All that free fertilizer made a cherry tree growing wild I had before grow to be a monster but it was too close to my house so I had to chop it down. In five years it grew 25 feet! and produced the sweetest cherries.
Hello Pack,
This week we received a new RCBS Rock Crusher Supreme and assorted dies! It already resides in it’s home in the shop. We also got a book shipment for the library.
‘The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!’, and ‘The Complete Modern Blacksmith’ are welcome additions!
Another raised planter was constructed, filled with organic compost and planted with greens. We have also finalized plans for a grape arbor in the “lower 40″ (the back yard!). The front yard has been cleared of some of the ornimentals to make way for squash plants.
We added another set of radios to our commo stash, and I have started to look into my Ham license. DW completely emptied the large walk in pantry and rearranged everything, finding more space in the process.
Made a HUGH pot of chili yesterday for the game, with an eye toward canning a bunch of it. No such luck! the troops dove in and whats left wouldnt fill more than a quart jar!
LOL out how thoughtful the “troops” were – didn’t want you to be burdened with a canning job, no doubt!
Teenagers! I tried to tell them the story of the ant and the grasshopper (again) but they wern’t hearing any of it! At least they appreciated my cooking!
Jim:
Congrats on the reloader! I think you will find it a lot of fun.
Thanks JP! I just cant seem to find ANY primers currently. Its like there is some sort of buying frenzy going on…;-)
Maybe I can pick some up at the next gun show.
I am posting late for me this week. I was following you all on my i pad as I was traveling around, but it has been a busy week. I was in the Bay area for a bit visiting friends and relatives, had to go up to the BOL as I left a dog there last week end and she was not a bit happy about it. Also took a load of stuff up to the BOL. BIL and nephew have cleaned out the metal shop building, hung a new propane heater up in it and are now getting ready to seal the floors. The things that went up on this trip were kitchen supplies for the cabin, basic gardening items they wanted, garden hoses, a bunch of plumbing parts and fittings and the same with electrical items. And hardware items, brackets, screws and nails. As soon as the concrete in the shop is sealed, the guys are going to start building some work tables and shelving. They found a couple of spots where small wild creatures were getting in so they also wanted some supplies to fix that. I came home with another list of wants and wishes to fill to take back up next week end. I can do this small stuff with the pick up or my suv, but eventually they are going to have come out of there and rent a bigger truck to haul the bigger stuff they want up. Next up is to start construction of the fencing for the garden area, which because my BIL is doing it, will be extensive. I have started growing seedlings here at the house for both that place and my own garden here as a start. This year, the garden there will be more of a test garden to see what grows well at that elevation. I am looking into fruit and nut trees to see what we can do to add to the few that are already there. There are blackberries all over up there, that will just be a matter of clearing them where we don’t want them and trimming them up on where we do.
Ran an errand or two for the neighbors and was able to drop off the cats I have been caring for for a friend that was staying with friends pending scratching money together for a place of her own. She took on a part time job, working all day at her regular job and waiting tables at night to pull it together sooner than we thought. Great for me, I like outdoor cats and was reminded at why………cat boxes are not pleasant!
I found some material to make black out curtains for the BOL, so that will be a project for this next week. Also ordered with wooden blinds for all the windows for just regular use. BIL will be living in this cabin when all is said and done and that is what he wants.
No forward motion this week on any prep supplies. On my travels I was speaking with one of my grandsons. He is interested in archery and has bought himself an inexpensive bow. Think he and I are going to get a bit more educated about archery and if his interest sticks I will financially abet his hobby.
That is about it for the week. Keep prepping folks, who knows what the DC 1000 are going to try to do next to us.
What type of material did you find for the blackout curtains??? I need to also find some but don’t know what to get. Thanks!!
Encourager. I found some heavy weight felt. I am cutting it to fit inside each window. Then attaching both parts of the Velcro. Whenever they are needed we will just pull tape off the one side and slap them up. Don’t really want to stick the Velcro on the window side unless we must. The felt is black.
That is a great idea! You would still be able to open the windows, too. (I have casement windows).
Did you check to see if it is completely blacked out? Go outside at night and see if the inside light shines through one of them. I just bought some felt so dh could line the drawers of the toolbox he just built. There were two types of felt – one was much thinner. We bought the thicker one, it was over twice as thick.
Encourager, what I got…………I should have looked on the end of the bolt for the name, darn it. It is felt about 1/4′ thick and has a cotton kind of backing backing and yes we did check it out. Covers nicely. They let me borrow the whole bolt to check it out and then I called them and had them put the charge on my card. Enough to do the windows in the cabin plus the two rather smalls in the metal shop building. I will go back and ask them who made it soonish………I want to do the house windows when I get the cabin done. :)
Thanks, worrisome! That is NOT what I bought. What I bought was just thicker felt, thicker than craft felt. I sure would appreciate knowing what you bought. Thanks =o)
Love your idea of planting dwarf trees…definitely looking into that once the weather warms! As far as prepping goes, I cooked 5lbs of venison in the crock post (thanks for the tip, pack) and pressure canned it the next day! Only made 3 quarts, but it’s more than I had before! Need to stock up on kidney beans to add to it. Started my prep inventory (as suggested in 31 days book) and organized shelves better. Over a year ago, I started putting food and supplies aside in a big plastic storage container. That spread to two containers and now two shelves. I was surprised to see how ineffective my food preps were in original container…have learned so much from this site since then! Inventory includes expiration date for easy shuffle later. Also, met up with some ladies that are showing me how to crochet! More knowledge in the brain! Prayers for all!
Crocheting is so much fun, especially when it’s cold outside and warm in! There’s not much you can’t “crochet”! Have fun! Of course, it’s easier to crochet with a steaming cup of herbal tea or hot chocolate beside you. Just sayin’…
If you saw posts above, perhaps you’ve seen this, but, before you go crazy for dwarf trees, please do your homework. If you’re looking for long-term food source, then, this may not be your best solution. Dwarf trees do produce more quickly (in general), but do not produce as well or as long as regular trees, and, depending on variety, may require anywhere from one or two to several trees of the same species in order to mate male/female. Maybe some of each? Lots to know!
Well this week we refilled 2 of our steel gas cans with real gas and pri-g. We used these up during the snow power outage a couple of weeks ago. Sportsmans guide has these for sale for like $26 military style and wont let air in like the plastic ones, if you buy anything from them check out retail me not and you can always find a coupon to get lowered or free shipping. Bought some extra canned goods on our grocery trip. Not much to do outside all cold and snow covered here cant wait for spring.
Only prep was my psych eval on Saturday. I’d already emailed my lengthy narrative, did the MMPI-2 which was scored on Sat., produced all sorts of paperwork to prove work, had interview, etc. My dh was getting really po’d as this became an all-day affair in PA. The psychologist did the letter (which was far far far more than what the PD wanted), and I took it to the nice Lt. at the PD this noon. I talked and talked and talked with him because he didn’t want a 4 page letter because it wasn’t necessary for the file. Whew. Now I’m hearing a couple of weeks vs a week to get the actual permit. As we get closer to March, methinks arms and ammo going to be even scarcer.
The psychologist is a big-time NRA backer. He loved a couple of my ideas for ads and he asked if okay to use. Absolutely.
Mari,
Did you use the gentleman in Abington?
Hope your approval is quick!
Harry
Harry the hat — Yes, I did. And boy oh boy was he po’d when I told him that NJ psychs refused to even entertain the notion of people coming to them for evals. Even our county guidance center refused.
The local PD Lt. couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me who was doing an interview/letter short process, but he did tell me that he gets such letters. He was not happy that the letter I got was lengthy and he only wanted a short letter. I’m between a rock and a hard place. I understand why the psych did the long letter, but now it’s in a confidential file at the PD. At least nothing damaging in that letter. The Lt. even mentioned that courts so far have ruled against Opening such files.
Mari, move to Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Arkansas. It’s so much easier. I’ll be a ‘lookin for ya!
Yep, RR! I’ m currently in MS, and there is a lot I like about this state (not from here originally). But too many Obamanationites around. GO ARKANSAS! (FAR North of the River, IMHO).
FYI, MS’s Gov just shut down the only abortion clinic in the state; they couldn’t meet the recently passed state law of having a doctor on staff who is licensed to practice in a state-certified (they’re all state-certified if they’re open) hospital! It’s actually a good law, IMHO. If a doctor screws up a patient’s health in an abortion clinic, the doctors in the hospitals have to “save the patient”, and there has been not much they could do about that doctor’s actions – until now.
Love our Gov!
Yeah, I like your governor, too, HomeIN, but Mississippi has some unique problems of welfare dependance. Of course, southern Arkansas has those same problems as well, but north-central, northwest and west-central Arkansas are good areas. I’m looking for a retreat in the Talihina, Ok. area myself, or maybe west-central Arkansas around the Mena area.
Yep, RR. Did you catch my first statement? Already agreeing with ya’!!!
Mena is good, but, very close to Hot Springs. I know that area well; had a small business for a while and did o.k. (tourist related). Isn’t there a military encampment in that general area (West Central AR; south of the river)?
I’m in NW Arkansas, north of the river; finding it to be “perfect” in many ways. Email me at HTOITA2012@gmail.com if you want more info on the land in our area.
TN sure would be the closest option. I’ve been thinking on it and poking at it frequently. No doubt the dh would be 100% agin it.
I understand, it’s a culture shock for a Northerner to move to the South, no doubt about it. Southern Missouri is an option for some people, and although it’s still somewhat Southern, many people find it less of a shock. It’s really more of a rural vs. an urban setting that is most shocking, I think. I know people who get very frustrated when they can’t get to a Starbucks, Olive Garden, Chilis or other national chain without having to drive a couple of hours. On the other hand, I love it.
Just stay FAR away from St. Louis. The populace makes Jackson, MS look like a good place to be. And make it very hard for the zombies to find you, no matte where you end up – because the zombies are comin’!!!!
RR — I think you’re totally right about the urban versus rural being the bigger shock instead of the northern vs. southern. Thanks to TV, the accents aren’t such a big deal anymore (unless some a$$hole like me is putting you on), but that whole “What!? No Starbucks!!!? :-(” thing really is a big issue to some folks — even the ones who don’t think it will be. The good news is that there is usually some mom & pop coffee shop somewhere within a reasonable amount of time, and if not — well, you’ve got a business opportunity! Especially if you can bake! ;-)
And the really “good” news is…..no one will have $5 for a cup of coffee…oh, wait….that’s now $10 for a cup of a coffee….even if they can find a Starbucks open. Those who have a cup of coffee at all will know they are blessed. Yep. It’s comin’!
Oh, I wouldn’t have any problem whatsoever moving to most rural locations especially if not knee deep in rattlesnakes. Too darn hot/humid or too darn cold and too hilly/mountainous would be about the major considerations. Legs and back simply won’t tolerate much in the way of walking/climbing up and down anything more than gentle grade. Certain areas of Tennessee, Arkansas, Utah are areas that I’ve poked at.
I can live cheaply enough and I know how to garden. A job to pay for health insurance is #1 ’cause I ain’t gonna make it without it for long. The stupid knee injections are about $7K over a month and I keep breaking my feet/legs thanks to Boniva. Hmm, the insurance would be about $13K/year here in NJ; gotta remember to check a few other states.
Maybe the dh will keep getting madder at me and just throw me out. He ain’t going anywhere, especially while his mom is still living.
@HomeINsteader: Which means you need to stock up on about 100lbs of coffee beans and start growing chicory to cut it with! (I was actually thinking about that yesterday, that I needed about 20lbs of coffee per person to make it a year based on roughly a pound a week being used for three of us….) Hmm, wonder if I could grow coffee around here?
Well, I have “a little bit” (I never give details on supplies) of coffee set aside. I’m not so picky that I will care whether it is “freshly ground” when SHTF. But JintheW, Native Americans grew certain kinds of trees from which they made coffee – I’ll try to post something on that in the not-too-distant future.
Am not a fan of chicory; thankfully, there are “other choices” available.
For those in Ontario, Foodland is having a 3-day sale.
2kg bags of sugar – $1.88
975g Folgers Coffee – $6.77
And over at Sobeys:
Our Compliments soups – $3.99 for a flat of 12 cans (284mL)
Royale kleenex – $3.99/6 boxes
Allen’s juices – $3.77 for a flat of 24 bottles or boxes
Pick up coffee ever chance you as there has been a lot in the news up here about a fungus that is attacking the plants – http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coffee-fungus-outbreak-resumes
Jeffinthe West:
If you want to make your coffee go farther try this:
Get a coffee grinder and 2 empty coffee cans. Grind you regular, cheap coffee (we used and electric grinder). We found that we would end up with 2 1/2 cans of coffee. Use the same number of scoops that you originally do. You will definitely want to use filters. Since the coffee drink comes from the surface of the bean. I think that you will find that your coffee will taste the same or better, you can use a lower “quality” coffee and get better flavor.
Over the past six months, we’ve been looking for that perfect (for us) retreat to move into and start living/working. Our goal is to get at least seven acres, a big house in relatively good repair, and a couple of out-buildings. Over the weekend, we might have actually found it. 11 Acres, a 3800 sq foot house with a huge garage, a workshop, an in-ground pool (nice but not necessary, and useful for water storage if worse comes to worst), a couple of previously plowed fields (that need re-cleared — a job for a goat or two), and a working vegetable patch already in place, a pole barn and corral, a storage building and did I mention a workshop? Off the beaten track (there is a road, but not much used, and a nearby town, but this place is back up in the hills a couple of miles away and the town itself is miles from any place with no major highways around). There’s a creek and good drainage ditch for heavy rain (not much snow here at all) and it has a well and septic. There are blackberry brambles and a few other things along the property line (I like living fences for many reasons) and the town and area are at least five hours (by car) from the nearest big city (though it’s unfortunately one of the biggest in the USA) which means it would take most looters a week to get there if they were lucky enough to survive that long, and it’s far enough off the beaten path to make it difficult to find except by chance — you actually have to drive through a graveyard to get to the place, which makes it unlikely the common zombie (unless it’s a REAL zombie, of course) would consider the little road as a likely avenue of movement, especially if a couple of trees were artistically felled at key points on the road. If we can secure it, I’d say we have a major accomplishment under our belts! Yay!
Nice find Jeff! Will say a prayer that it all comes together for you.
Yes, prayers for the very best outcome for you all. Looks down, shuffles feet and pouts. Jealous!
Thanks Lili! We always can use more prayers — all of us can! We have cash to offer, so it looks like if they do get rid of the other buyers (who’ve been struggling to pull their financing together for at least three months) we have a good shot at it. I feel sorry for the other folks, but not too sorry! ;-)
That pool would make an ideal “Aquaponics Garden” – raise your own fish and veggies in the same space. You can get the book (if you don’t have it already) and it will explain everything. If it gets very cold, you’ll need a way to keep it covered and keep the fish from “freezing” – turn it into a year ’round garden center.
That’s a thought too. We’ve been talking about something like that for almost a year — though I’m guessing the SO would like to just enjoy the pool for a couple of years first! ;-) I was actually thinking about constructing a framework so it could be turned into a giant greenhouse area (with the pool able to act as a heat sink) in the event it became necessary. It doesn’t get too cold here (no snow this year except on the higher elevations, and only a few evenings of frost despite this being one of the longer and colder winters in this location for the past couple of decades. The pool has been cleaned with an ozonator instead of chemicals, so we wouldn’t have much work to do to turn it into something like what you suggest. Thanks for the tip!
Jeff
Awesome find. I have a salt water pool and two fresh water ponds. I think the pool will be fine for washing and flushing and will purify the pond water for drinking. If you have livestock then a diversionary system and cistern or water tower will be great for drinking water since a creek is so nearby. You have a lot of things to plan out. Good luck and hope you get it for the right price.
Thanks! Great idea there too — hadn’t gotten that far in my thinking yet (I’m a desert boy at heart and all this green and wet stuff confuses me sometimes…), but that’s a great tip! I’m sure there’s a law against it somewhere, but we’ll figure something out that we can do if things really do go to crap. Actually, that gets me thinking about the drop of the creek too — hmm. I’ll have to look at that — might have an extra source of electricity if we get lucky!
This past week I bought an online report on aquaponics, and I’m COMPLETELY overwhelemed with/by it, lol… looks so complex, and I’m far from a builder. Never planted anything, and only have ever raised little indoor tank fish. But I love the idea of this system. I’m hoping, some time, some how.. I will gather the necessary courage, and means, and supplies to build this thing, and learn how to make a go of it. :/
You and me both. Like I said, at heart I’m a desert boy, but I’m reading everything I can get my hands on. So far, it all just looks so much more forgiving than trying to farm in the desert!!! ;-) One mistake there and you starve or die of thirst; here, I can go out and pick fruit and berries and trap an animal if I have to!
Print it off and file it away for “future reference”, or, get the book, “Aquaponic Gardening”, by Bernstein. Pull it out when you’re ready. Baby steps….
Nice, very nice! Good for you!
A friend sent this.
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years young, who wrote for the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short enjoy it.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Some of your friends and all of your family will.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry, God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive but don’t forget.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time – time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you think you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
Precious! I love this, Papabear! Is Miss Regina still with us, or, has she gone to be with the Lord? Do we know? Blessings,
I love love love it! Thanks for sharing! Forwarding to everyone I know! xoxo
thanks for sharing. Good thoughts to remember.
Not a lot this past week, other than trudging through all of the WDYDTPTW posts. It’s been bitter cold here after a week in the 60′s a few weeks ago. We received some of the silicon tape mentioned here a few weeks back and an inexpensive 160 watt 12-120 inverter from 1saleaday. Will be ordering two more packages of bees this week. Hope everyone is holding up OK with this cold snap, but spring really is just around the corner (after all, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow last weekend, LOL).
Oh! And I quit smoking! I’m using an e-cigarette which helped my grandson’s dad quit.
THREE CHEERS FOR NANET! HIP-HIP, HOORAY! HIP-HIP, HOORAY! HIP-HIP, HOORAY!
YOU GO GIRL!
Hooray Nanet!
WOO HOO!
You did it!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DESPITE very cold temps and snow squalls we filled a dumpster with old
non reuseable junk to make room to be more organized.
Got some peat pots and soil to start some indoor veggie plants for spring.
Prayed
bought more ammo
ordered trees from the county cooperative extension soil and water
(every county has one and these trees are seedlings and transplants-cheap and good quality)
continued teaching my grand daughters how to bake .
Arlene
REALLY Appreciated the article about the Russian family of 40 years of surviving.They were an inspiration.
Injured my back awhile ago, so I have been put on lifting restrictions. Doctor knew something was wrong considering he has not actually seen me in 5 years, only the rest of the family. Doc says lungs are clear for smoking for over 25 years, just have a sinus infection and that I need to stop being stubborn and have my daughters do the lifting for awhile. Well 1 daughter finally moved out and the other daughter was needed to help watch the kids so guess it is left up to me to do the lifting..lol
No canning, just cleaning and organizing after 5 people have moved. Did find some stuff on sale. 10 Lbs of sausage patties for $10, 5 big bags of potato rounds for $1 each and those we found out for 4 people make 5 meals a bag. then I spoiled us by buying cheesecake for $2 each bought 2 of them. Did buy a huge box of paper towels for 10.00. other then that just reading and cleaning.
Also we found some pups finally, We got 2 Akitas to replace the German Shepard we lost a few months ago. Boy are they going to be big. They are learning fast for being just 6 weeks old.
Congrats onthe clean bill of health after not smoking! Grapeftuit Seed Extract works great for clearing up thos enasty sinus infections.
I had a Teddy Bear Akita for 15 years. She was fabulous dog and I miss her everyday. I now have Pryenees. I big dog girl forever.
I am REALLY late in posting this week, sorry!
First the bad news…the farm in front has been sold, according to the realtor. I called her again and finally got a hold of her (she has not been returning my calls) and she said it had been sold. Well, if they are going to try and get a mortgage that ain’t gonna happen. So we are waiting to see what happens ~ we may still be able to purchase part of it, we’ll see.
We explored the acreage we wanted to buy off the farm and found a very nice pond on the back portion near our property (about 30′ x 100′). We knew it was there because the man who sold us our property over 30 years ago told us about it. It was a narrow, deep pond with springs that he dug to train his hunting dogs to retrieve. We also found this amazing rose bush, the trunk has to be 5 inches across. It actually looks like a tree. And the thorns? Wow! It has to be some type of Rugosa rose. I am definitely going to get some cuttings come spring and hopefully won’t be caught =o/ It would make a perfect living fence. I am also going to plant some Osage Orange for the same purpose.
So in preps… on the way back from Ohio on Saturday we stopped at Cablelas. We were able to purchase a case of 20 gauge shotgun shells plus 3 boxes of 38S, and a box of 38S hollow points. All on sale. Made my week!
Speaking of going to Ohio…once over the state line it began to snow in earnest. While in a restaurant having breakfast it snowed about 4″. Thankfully, once back in MI, it slowed down and the snow wasn’t as deep. Every mile there were cars in the ditch. Sure kept the tow truck owners happy!
We have been avoiding going to the grocery stores except for bare necessities such as milk and bread. Seems that nasty norovirus is making its way through the county. So we are relying on our food buying club for most groceries and on our stock. Still trying to cook from scratch and clean out the main freezer. That is all for this week. Not much, I know…
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