Weekly Prep Thread, July 02-08, 2006

[A.T.Hagan]

New week folks, new opportunities to improve your preps!

How's it coming?

It's going to be mostly aesthetic improvements for me today as I need to mow the property. If I have time I'll get some fertilizing done as well, if not, I'll do it tomorrow.

We're getting deeper into the season. You folks in hurricane country got your storm preps ready?

.....Alan.

 

[idelphic]

Alan - DOn't know how much of a prep item this is.. but..

I am working on a community website for my HOA.. I am planning to add as much of the information I have gleamed from here. Esp what type of things that can be done in HOA environment.

Additionally, things that should be stored. While I have full admin control of the website,.. I am sure that the board may ban some information,.. but I hope to list it in a manner that they don't.

Pulling things out to have a yard sale next month. We missed the first last month, and with the holiday this month didn't feel right about it. Plan to use the funds for other preps.

DW had put two pressure cookers on rain check at Kohl's some weeks ago. They never called us,.. She stopped by this week, and got the 6qt and a 8qt upgrade since they didn't have another of the 6qt. I now have another componet to get some canning done. Now I just have to figure out how to do it, and use some of the recycled jars I have.

It's a start..

 

[A.T.Hagan]

I like your website idea. Let us know how it goes.

.....Alan.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Made a supply run to replenish the family cold and allergy meds that we've used up lately. Being Sunday evening the pharmacy was closed so we weren't able to get anything with pseudoephedrine in it thanks to our ever nannying government.

Also picked up another 6k BBs and twenty five count box of CO2 cartridges. I count them as preps since they enable me to maintain pistol proficiency without having to go to the range. I can get between 40-50 shots in before needing to change the cartridge.

.....Alan.

 

[yellowsprings]

This week I added two collapsable hammocks. They work just like those folding chairs that everyone uses. Just fold up and put back in the pack/backpack.

I bought the Kelsyus hammock on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond (of all places!) and brought it home. As soon as DH saw it, I knew that I would need another one!

They were originally $69.99 with 25% off. I also used my Bed Bath and Beyond coupon for an additional 20% off. After discount, $41.99.

 

[PilotFighter]

The local Food Worlds have been running some big sales each week. Buy 1 get 2 free. So we have been loading up on the sale items. This week loaded up on tea bags, steak sauces, and canned vegies. Also loaded up on an item we discovered a few weeks ago. The new Koolaid Singles. 1 little pouch mixes with 8 ounces of water for a little drink. Bought them first for the girls to drink, but got to thinking that these would work great in a BOB. Also spent about $100 on nothing but canned meats. Was getting a little low on them.

 

[Nuthatch]

An elderly friend wanted a cheap radio for when the electtric is out with dials her hands could work and simple.

Save-A-Lot had one that fit the bill:

Sentry brand crank or 2 AA battery operated AM/FM and small light option.
$8

For under $10 I got her batteries (16) and the radio. I tried it out and could pull in the local stations ok. This will never replace a shortwave or really good radio, but for the purpose it is expedient.

Later, I will report on the Sangean DT 210V AM/FM/TV Radio I picked up this week.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Rotated out two cans of gas and replaced them today. In the summer it's hot and very humid which makes for a shorter storage life for gasoline. It's also when the grass grows the best which means more lawn mowing so that I can more easily rotate the gas storage. Funny how things work out like that sometimes.

Now if they'd only come up with a remote controlled lawn mower so that I didn't have to be out in all that heat and humidity burning up all that gas...

.....Alan.

 

[Burbsteader]

Good deals at a neighbor's yard sale.

Klein Tools heavy duty canvas lineman's bucket
LaCrosse boots-new
Rolling cart w/drawers. Now in kitchen holding spuds, onions and cutting boards
Toys
Small suitcase
Goose feather-seriously! DS#1 is using it to make his own quill pen and is now researching how to make his own ink
Nice folding saw-bit rusty, can't remember brand off hand
Tie downs
Leather/canvas work gloves for me
2 camping/hiking books-good for learning about obscure camping/bug out spots and backroads
Folding wood dishrack-perfect for camper
Nice recorder for DS#2. (that definitely gets boiled!)

All for $5

Also lucked out on Friday and got a really nice compost bin with lid for free. Now have 3.
Bumblebees finally moved out of Bin #2 so we can use it again. They paid rent by pollinating our plants

 

[Nuthatch]

Sangean report on original thread over on the main board under COMM.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Busy day today. Planted the five replacement blueberries then pruned and fertilized all nineteen bushes. Planted the new blackberry then fertilized and watered the entire orchard.

Also repotted the remaining five container citrus into larger pots with longer lasting media. They've all got a nice fruit load on.

.....Alan.

 

[Wiscontessa]

Bought solar lights for the backyard . I can use them inside whenever necessary. Also bought some more canned goods. Filled six gallon-size containers and a number of soft drink bottles with water. Still practicing with the mask (any tips on how to keep it from fogging up my glasses?).

One brother just got divorced and has been giving me a lot of stuff he no longer needs/wants: two metal shelving units; wheelbarrow and some wood; three small rolling carts each with three shelves; patio table and four chairs and several cans of touch-up paint. His ex also left behind some bicycles he may be willing to part with.

This same brother said he would help me with some other solar "stuff". He works for a small company providing wind and solar energy. They were at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Stevens Point, WI recently and I went for a day to see what it was all about. Since I rent, a lot of what they had was not for me, but brother said there are other things I can do that I can take with me when I move.

M

 

[Landrover]

Strawberry Jam and things.

I always leave jamming up to the better half, but last spring the kids finished off my favorite, and hence I had none.
So just at the end of the berry season we went picking. The result 21 containers 750ml of fresh jam. I asked me boss (the one which doesn't pay me) what they did before going to the store for Certo/pectin etc. She answered it's made from apples. Then I read on TB2000 how to make Pectin. My boss is sure smart. (although she did marry me....but I'm now wandering into dangerous territory.) She also went picking again the next day a made a big batch of Raspberry jam.
I also purchased 2 LED lanterns for $8.99. They run off 3 D batteries. I'm going to test one to see how long it will run for. I also got a desk 12 LED lamp for reading for the same price.
The repair manuel for the vehicle arrived, ordered it off E Bay, a factory service manuel. I believe the ability to repair things will make a difference when the time comes.
Lastly I'm working on cleaning up the filing system for bills etc.

 

[wasabell]

Dried my weekly harvest of Jalepenos. I have a glass pint jar with multicolored "rounds" of them. Its a start. Started cutting back the tomato plants as their production is down. A few more on the vine, then I'll pull them and put in fresh plants. Got seeds in starter pots for Melon, cuke, summer squash and more peppers for the fall garden.

Convinced DH that this weekend would be a good time to purchase plywood for the windows. While we're inland enough where wind damage isn't a "hot" issue, DH likes to board up for hurricanes, due to the tornado threat.

We boarded up last year for Rita, and since then, have used the plywood for other projects.

I mentioned that we could pre-cut it in case he was out-of-town and I had to do the boarding up.

 

[Deena in GA]

Last week we bought 30 more gallons of distilled water for drinking. This week I'd like to clean out and fill up one of the barrels we got for water storage pre-y2k but never did anything with. I think the time has come.

Been canning more pears. There's apples to do today. Also need to pick and start canning the butter peas. More blueberries will be picked today and put in the freezer. It's so wonderful to see the food we've been able to grow and put up ourselves! I hope to make it up to the peach orchards this week to buy some peaches to can.

Main thing coming up is hubby finding a job. So far, the only jobs that have been offered want him to work 50+ hours a week at not-so-good pay. Of course, if he can't find something better he'll take one of those but we're still praying for something better.

 

[Freeholder]

I think I've already mentioned it on another thread, but we found chicken (grill packs) on sale for $.57/lb., bought a whole bunch of it (making several stops at the store, since there was a limit of three per purchase), and canned 39 quarts of chicken.

Then I was in another store Monday after work, and found hamburger for $1.09/lb., and got about thirty pounds of that. It's in the freezer in small packages. If we lost electricity, I have a solar cooker, and could use that to can the meat before it spoiled, or just cook it and store it in a crock full of grease. With care (keeping it cool during the day, then setting it outside at night to cool more -- it gets quite cool here at night even in summer) it should keep that way until we used it.

I butchered a four-month-old wether yesterday, and roasted the meat. It will be deboned and frozen. I have two more wethers to butcher, and was thinking about doing them today, but may just hold them as 'meat on the hoof'. Ditto for the five Ameraucana hens who are penned up again (they started visiting the neighbor's yard) and eating all their eggs. I have young hens growing up, don't need these trouble-makers, but may save them a little longer and see how things go. They'll make great chicken soup, though!

We are, at this point, stocked up enough to eat well for several months. Now I just need to get a year's supply of hay in . . .

Kathleen

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Deena,

are you pears ripe already? I'd better check mine then.

Freeholder,

39 quarts is a lot of canning at one sitting unless you have one of those monster All-Americans.

.....Alan.

 

[blueberry]

A friend came over early this morning, and we did a lot of canning. She does not have a pressure canner, so we get together a few times a year to do a mega canning day. (I think if she did get a pressure canner, we would still get together - many hands make light work )

We put up squash, black-eyed peas, mixed vegetables, carrots, pickled peppers and relish. All the jars are now lined up on the counters, as I listen for the 'pings'.

 

[Gizmo]

Burb - don't boil the recorder! The fipple will come apart and the wood will crack. Rub some alcohol on the mouth piece a few times the put some pure vegetable oil on it. One that will not turn rancid.
What brand is it. Some are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Pearwood? Teak? Rosewood? Many are professional and not made for kids. However, if it is plastic, just dip it in some bleach water then rinse well.

If you are talking about a TAPE recorder, I wouldn't boil that either.

 

[theoutlands]

Scored some sale/clearance 9mm at WalMart - CCI (made in the USA!!!) for $5/50rnd box. I took all six.

Sold a Fla White baby rabbit to a local breeder. Once rabbit had babies (2) over the weekend (dwarf) and one had several (3-4) babies y'day morning (Fla White). Another Fla White has lined her nest-box tonight, so I expect babies in the next day or three.

Killed chicken-snake in the chicken-house over the weekend. A .22lr isn't much of an anti-snake gun, imo. The brushblade worked FAR more effectively.

Have been adding things to my game-stash.

Will buy an extra bag of rabbit feed tomorrow. Hope to get a small load of hay in, as well - maybe a month's worth.