Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: February 4 ~ 10, 2018

[ReneeT]

Home, finally, from a long weekend at work. I made one stop on the way home from work last night, for a new pair of gloves as I had left my still-decent-looking really warm pair in daughter's van on Friday. I'd purchased them originally at Wal-Mart, so that was where I went. Found all their women's and children's heavy gloves on sale for $5 pair; I can wear both, so ended up picking up 8 assorted pair; I will probably go back and pick up a few more pair later this week to put back for the grandkids and myself.

Popped in to Walgreen's on the way home this evening for 6# bags of epsom salts at $6.49/buy one get one half off, plus Russell Stover hearts @ 2/$1 for work Valentines. I had $10 worth of points so used those toward the purchase. None of my items rang up correctly so it was a major hassle to check out; this has happened the last two times I went to Walgreen's; it's going to have to an extremely fabulous deal to get me in the door again.

Then it was off to CVS where I picked up 4 cartons of Boost at $9.99 each, buy one get one half off = $30. Used a $10 Extra Care Buck, my last two $7 off 2 Boost coupons, and a $4 off $20 Boost purchase scanner coupon = $28, so $2 plus tax, and got back another $10 Extra Care Buck.

Plans for this week include hitting the pool at least twice with the neighbor lady, keeping the bird feeders filled as we'll be down into single digit wind chills, hanging out with Hubby on Monday, working in the pantry and going to the basketball game on Tuesday, avoiding my phone like it has the plague lest I weaken and agree to work extra hours on Wednesday, actually going in to work Thursday and Friday, then hiding out at home over next weekend

Sometime soon, I need to sit down with my Moon Sign book and figure out when to start my seeds, and when I can take cuttings of my houseplants for best growth; I also need to pull out my large, flip chart size sheets of graph paper to work out a garden plan for this year - most of one of the garden areas is going to be turned over to strawberries, and I plan to pull out a row of raised beds and use them to double the depth of the raised beds in row in front of them, so I'm going to have to do some plotting and planning to get everything I want in the space that I have...

Dang - I'm yawning so big I can barely keep my eyes on the screen; guess I'd better see if I can shut my brain down and get some rest. Y'all take care out there; and stay safe!

 

[ReneeT]

Well, so far this week my prepping has consisted of a little target practice (darn little - it was really cold and windy out there!), exercising at the pool, walking on the treadmill, and picking up 10 cans of Progresso soup for Hubby during a 5/$5 sale. I was feeling rather kindly toward him while I was picking out the soup, so also picked up 5 tins of the sardines in mustard and dill sauce that he likes - he just has to promise to only open them when I'm NOT home, and to carry the empty tins to the trash cans in the shed rather than putting them in the kitchen trash can since the house cat is not fond of dill and will not clean up the tins for him

The neighbor lady wanted to stop at the thrift store when we were on our way home from the pool, so I went in with her with the idea of finding either an amber glass refrigerator dish (think FireKing or Federal) or something else smallish to use to store something in the main floor bath - found a small crockery tub with lid that would fit right in with the rest of the decor for $3; then, on my way to the checkout found a brand new Real Work Wear brand blaze orange insulated hooded sweatshirt in size M.... It was on a rack with some coats, so I thought it would be $6, which is the regular price for coats, but the clerk rang it up $2; when I questioned her and told her I thought it should be $6, she told me "No, it's not a coat, it's a jacket." And then my dish rang up $2 - I guess there was a 1/3 off sale on dishware that I hadn't noticed, so instead of spending $9, I got out of the store for $4. The sweatshirt will fit me, but I may tuck it back in the kids outerwear section of the closet downstairs as older grandson is quickly catching up to me in size.... (no big feat, that!)

Dollar Tree and Dollar General both have garden seeds 4/$1 right now; can't recall the brand on the package, but the seeds are older, mostly open pollinated varieties. I have a $3 off $15 coupon good anytime and a $5 off $25 coupon good Saturday 2/10 so will stop in on one of those days and pick up a couple dozen or so assorted packets - some to direct plant in the garden this year, some to store away for NEXT spring, and enough to do a bit of wintersowing on 2/16 & 17 and again on 2/21, 22 & 25 into earlier morning of the 26th when the moon is favorable. I may pick up some smaller bags of potting soil to finish out the deal since they'll be stored inside the store - any that I find outside will be frozen solid!

Well, reckon I'd better go make sure I have a clean team sweatshirt to wear to the ballgame tonight... Take care folks; stay safe and warm out there!

 

[Deena in GA]

Sounds like some good buys, Renee! Congrats!

Other than picking up 16 cans of chicken at Publix where it was bogo, we haven't done much this week. Oh, one of our sons called and said he's having 8 trees cut down on his property and asked if we wanted the wood. Of course, we do!

 

[SAPPHIRE]

not much here..........picked up 5 4lb bags of IGA sugar for 89 cents each.........we don't have IGA here in Colorado, so I guess it was an accidental shipment!! picked up some Del Monte canned tomatoes on last buy 6 get $ off.......picked up 8 cans for about 75 cents and the other two buys were frz. pot pies for dinner.........not shopping the sales a lot just the clearances and coupon + sales mostly...

 

[ivantherussian03]

Big snow storm came through. I dug out out the steps then spent an hour splitting wood for the week. Trapping is slowing down . I have 46 lynxes, 32 fox, 55 marten. I am going to pull my traps in two three weeks and wrap it up. Prices are up so that is good. I can go back to cutting firewood. Wife will be happy that I am not camping on the line.

 

[moldy]

Rough week: Dad's funeral was Monday, back home Tuesday and tried to get back to routine. Despite all but slathering all the family with hand sanitizer, DH caught a mild case of the crud, and now I"m fighting it too. Did a bunch of homework today (made a 97% on my test), but am struggling with formatting a chart on google docs. The beef will be done soon, so I have 8 chickens cooking overnight to turn into canned chicken salad. They were old ones, so grinding then pressure canning should make them more edible. We also got the pepper plants started.

 

[summerthyme]

My condolences on your loss, Moldy. I hope that your now through the formalities (I know people say they are necessary and helpful, but I find them just overwhelming, and I hate them) , your good memories will comfort you.

Ivan, it sounds like a very good season, and you must be an incredible trapper! 46 lynx sounds like an incredible number... are they that common where you are? Common or not, they're intelligent, wily creatures, and not that easy to trap. Amazing harvest for you! Just how large is your trapping territory, or how long is your line?

We don't have lynx here, but do have bobcats... I've only actually seen one once, but we did have a housecat produce a litter of bobcat kittens. She was a tiny cat... barely weighed 5#, if that much. Having those kittens nearly killed her... a normal full blood domestic shorthair kitten weighs 3 ounces (and there was one female in the litter clearly sired by a domestic cat. The other three males weighed between 6 and 8 ounces! They were the coolest cats, but the one we neutered and kept as a house pet got wilder and wilder as the years went on. Always friendly and gentle with people, but as dudk approached, he'd get more and more restless and demand to be let out.

By the time he was 4, he was spending the entire summer and fall in the woods and fields, onlynstoppun by to visit occasionally. At 5, wev didn't see him for over 6 months, and I had resigned myself that he was gone. Then, during a December ice storm, i saw his face peeking in the kitchen door window... he had apparently remembered the world of warm rooms and down comforters, and came back.

We enjoyed the entire winter with him.., he'd go outside to hunt and go to the bathroom... he was the most fastidious cat, and hated litter boxes. At this point, he weighed 14#... I always wondered how big he would have been if his mother had been a large cat!

He went wild again as the weather warmed that spring, and we never saw him again.

I'm thinking of starting to prune the fruit trees... we've got another oddly warm week, but it will be heading down into the single digits by next weekend again. I picked up a new toy I've been looking forward to trying out for a long time... a sled for my miniature horse! My son bought me one of those black work sleds for Christmas, and i took it up to my Amish friend who does wonderful iron work. He put an entire reinforcing frame on it, as well as runners and shafts.. the runners will keep the bottom of the sled ftom wearing out as fast.

Now I need to train Ginger, my 7 year old mini mare to drive! I've had a bridle and long lines on her and have ground driven her, but haven't ever had a harness on her. She's a firecracker, but very willing and biddable. I'm hoping for enough snow to at least get her well started this year, and then hopefully we'll get a bunch of sleighing in next winter.

If a can ever afford it, a cart is on my wish list! I do have a pony sized cultivator, and I'd like to try using her for cultivating the corn and potato patch, but im not sure she'll understand the "slow and careful" gait necessary for that job, and truthfully, I'm not sure my back will handle that job.! It would be great exercise if it would, though!

It will be time to start seeds here in about a month. Any earlier and the plants just get too huge and leggy. I also need to order onion plants and seed potatoes this week. The $$$ are flying out a lot faster than they're coming in, but that is essentially most of our food budget for the year! I spend more on basic garden seeds (although I'm trying to save more and more if them every year) and animal feed than I ever do at the grocery store.

Spring will be here before we know it!

Summerthyme

 

[ivantherussian03]

It is long, 40 miles. The total sq miles is hard to figure. It depends on how you look at it. I keep a wall tent out there and camp gear. I keep wood there. It is a nice spot. It is hidden and far enough out so no one stumbles onto it. I got cut down some trees for firewood next time I break camp, to be dry enough to burn next year.


I focused on lynxes cause the prices are high, over 200 average. Prices are subject to fashion trends. I focus on the high dollar items, the other animals valuable too, but less so. Marten was the big ticket item a few years ago.The area I trap is marginal, animal populations vary from year to year. Lynx population numbers are tied to rabbit numbers. It is not good marten country at all. Lynx and fox are present, as are mink and beaver, and otter.

It is a small business . I could and have tanned my own animals, but selling tanned fur is more work and the pay off slower.

 

[summerthyme]

Very cool! Thanks for the info.

I suspect that it's much like farming... looks more romantic from the outside than it really is, although the magic moments make the 95% hard work and misery of working in bitter, nasty weather worth it.

I'm not one who romanticizes the whole "living on the last frontier" thing. I suspect it's beautiful, and has it's own rewards, but is also brutally hard work, with dangers that most people never think about as they go from their warm house yo their heated car (with heated seats!) and thence on to their comfy chair in their warm office.

Yeah, very much like farming, although the details are different.

Summerthyme

 

[ReneeT]

Moldy, we are keeping you and your family in our prayers for comfort and healing...

Ivan, thank you for giving us a glimpse into your life - it's so interesting!

Summer - ponies and bobcat kittens; you are a braver woman than I am When I was a kid, the neighbor's pony and I came to the same understanding that our ram and I came to - mean creatures, both of 'em!

 

[summerthyme]

Ah, I understand, Renee! Shetland ponies can indeed be miserable, nasty and mean little critters! BTDT, and have the scars to prove it!

But I don't know how they did it, but these miniature "horses"- while technically "ponies" by virtue of their small size- not only look much more like a full sized horse (just shrunk down to 3 feet tall and 200#), they have a MUCH more horse- like disposition. Ginger has a lovely, refined, Arabian type head, perfect fine boned legs, and a sweet, albeit mischievous disposition.

Even when so full of energy she can barely contain it, she jigs along in a high stepping trot on a loose lead, staying perfectly in pace with me as I walk slowly from the pasture to the barn. I often see her eyeing me from the corner of her eye, clearly wondering why I can't move any faster, but she's always a lady.

I've never seen her spook at anything (I could only wish Bella, my pony sized Quarter Horse mare was nearly as bomb proof!!)

I don't expect the driving lessons to be completely smooth, but I really don't expect much in the way of problems, either. I think I may set up my Canon SLR digital camera on a tripod and set it to video with a wide angle lens, though, just to record the, um... interesting parts! I'd ask hubby to film it, but he doesn't know how to run the camera and I'm going to need his help in hitching her up and keeping me from getting killed if it turns out shes NOT as bomb proof as I think!

Ah, well... life shouldn't be boring. And as long as I don't end up in a cast or surgery for my spine ftom this venture, it should be well worth it to be able to take the toddler granddaughter sleighing next winter. This would be the granddaughter of whom my son has said, adamantly, "no! She's NOT getting into horses!". LOL! Her mother and I smiled knowingly, and said "just watch. If she falls in love with horses, Daddy will be out there helping her every step of the way!"

Summerthyme