Today I have to go out of town. It's just for the day and not even that long of a day. It's just a wasted day. I have to drive three hours to go to a meeting in another county then drive the three hours home. We are doing a project that the county is pleased we are doing. It's using grant money and it's one of those things where it costs a little up front or a lot in hindsight. It's not a huge budget project. Unfortunately a group of wackos is arguing against our project. It's not that they don't want it. They do. They just want us to do the project using a lot more manpower. Sort of a putting people to work project rather than get the job done quickly and well.
It's akin to needing to sew a wardrobe. If we hired five professional seamstresses and let them use sewing machines we'd get the project done in two weeks. Instead, this group wants us to hire 20 seamstresses who will all do the work by hand. No machines. It will take six months and cost twenty times as much. Sorry. The project has to be done in two months so even if there was a little compromise in hiring more people we'd still need to use the machines. We have a budget and a time limit.
Instead, the state has to spend about $5,000 paying for a bunch of us experts (wow, I'm an expert, I feel so special) to show up to answer questions put forth by the supervisors. Even if they vote for the project the wackos will appeal. The bottom line is the project will probably get killed due to lack of time before the grant runs out. Then when the SHTF because this project didn't get done we will get blamed for not doing anything. You just can't win sometimes.
Anyway, it will take me three hours to drive. I'll stay for however long the meeting lasts and then leave to come straight home. Sorry Beewench. I'll just waive as I drive by! If all goes as planned I'll be home around the same time the grand kids get home from school. But what if something doesn't go as planned?
There is supposed to be a storm coming in today. It's supposed to follow me home but I have a feeling I'm going to be right in the middle of it. There's really only one main road through the mountains, unless I have to go on a detour which could make it a five or six hour drive rather than a three hour drive. So, if things go bad what are my plans?
Do I have enough fuel to get home even if I have to drive for six hours rather than three? Yes. I will fill up the truck prior to heading through the pass. I have several gas containers in my truck that are full. I can get myself home with the fuel I have on hand, even if I didn't fill up.
Do I have a spare tire and know how to use it? Is the jack in the truck? Work doesn't want us changing our own tires. They'd prefer we call for assistance. But what if there isn't assistance? I work with people who have no clue how to change a tire! Of course I can change a tire. The last time I had a blow out I was driving my van on 4th of July a long time ago. My front passenger side tire blew. I got my kids out, plus the extra kid, jacked the thing up, changed the tire, and got to the fireworks at Travis before it even got dark. The road we were on didn't have any traffic on it the entire time I spent changing the tire. Good thing I didn't hang around waiting for someone to help out.
Do I have extra clothes and food and water? Always. A blanket too. And a backpack just in case I have to walk home...not that I want to do that as it will take several days. How about extra money? I'm not expecting to spend any money at all, other than for gas. But I'll have a few hundred dollars on me anyway. Protection? Knife and gun. Wonder if either will be allowed at the meeting? The knife probably will. The gun, I'm sure it won't.
What about a plan for the kids if I don't get home before dinner? Do they know what to do? Yes. They can make their own dinner if I don't show up. I have lots of canned stuff they like. Spaghetti O's. Yuck but kids like it. They know how to use the MREs if they want to do it that way. I taught them how to use the heater bags. Tear the water pouch and pour it into the bag. Then put the food container in the bag. Seal it and let it cook for about 10 minutes. They love making those when we are out working. They're probably secretly hoping that I don't show up!
What if they are at school and something happens that they are stuck at school on lockdown? It depends why they are there. They understand civil disobedience. They may bolt and run. We live five miles from their school. They can make it home in a little more than an hour! They have a couple ways they can go. The biggest problem I have is keeping them together. If one wants to go one way the other always wants to go the opposite.
They do have little kits at school with extra food and a sweatshirt if they are stuck at school. The only problem with this is they keep getting into their extra food and don't replace it. I go through their backpacks every Sunday night and more often than not the food is eaten.
I have two cell phones. One is for work, the other is our house phone. The house cell phone is left at home if the kids aren't with me. We have a system for them to call me. Right before they leave they call. As soon as they get in they call. If they don't reach me they text. When they get home they are to lock the door behind them. They are to do their regular chores then each go to their own room. I've found that if I tell them to stay separated there's much less bickering going on while I'm not there to referee. If there is a problem they are to go to the next door neighbor's house. But it better be a big problem like someone is really sick or the house is on fire...that they better not have caused...
Unfortunately neither is responsible enough for a cell phone. It would be lost or broken in less than a week. Not that I think they need one all the time but if I'm out of the area, it would be nice for them to be able to instantly reach me. Maybe soon they will mature a little. What am I wishing for? Teenagers? No, stay young and immature. Please!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Drying Lemons
Girl picked a couple of gallons of lemons. Our tree is so heavy that the branches are dragging on the ground. She told me she wants me to make lemonade. That's an awful lot of lemonade and no, we aren't setting up a lemonade stand during the winter. I have a surprise for her. She is going to dry the lemons.
I'm cut them up using my new mandolin slicer. When girl gets home from school today she is going to lay them all out on the dehydrator trays. We will dry them at about 135 for a day. They have to dry to a brittle crispy state or they will rot. Once they are dried they can be stored as is in a canning jar or they can be put into the blender and blended into a powder. You can do the same thing with limes and oranges or any other citrus you may have. Not only do I dry the nice looking center slices but I also dry the ends.
What do you do with dried lemons? Make lemonade. Eat them straight, although I like to sprinkle a little sugar on the ones I'm going to eat straight. You can put one slice into your water just to give it a little lemon flavor. It works well in tea, too. You can use it for cooking. I'll put the dried lemons on my fish as it's cooking. If I'm making muffins I can cut up the pieces and mix into the batter. It's past Christmas time but I've had friends who've hung lemons and oranges from the tree. It's really pretty.
What about the ground lemons? Mix with pepper to make your own lemon pepper. This also goes well into cake or muffin batter.
My favorite? Using the dried ends of the lemons. You get a canning jar. Put in a handful of dried ends. Fill the jar with vinegar. Let it sit for a month. You then dilute this vinegar/lemon solution with water and use it as a cleaner. Works great, smells great.
I'm cut them up using my new mandolin slicer. When girl gets home from school today she is going to lay them all out on the dehydrator trays. We will dry them at about 135 for a day. They have to dry to a brittle crispy state or they will rot. Once they are dried they can be stored as is in a canning jar or they can be put into the blender and blended into a powder. You can do the same thing with limes and oranges or any other citrus you may have. Not only do I dry the nice looking center slices but I also dry the ends.
What do you do with dried lemons? Make lemonade. Eat them straight, although I like to sprinkle a little sugar on the ones I'm going to eat straight. You can put one slice into your water just to give it a little lemon flavor. It works well in tea, too. You can use it for cooking. I'll put the dried lemons on my fish as it's cooking. If I'm making muffins I can cut up the pieces and mix into the batter. It's past Christmas time but I've had friends who've hung lemons and oranges from the tree. It's really pretty.
What about the ground lemons? Mix with pepper to make your own lemon pepper. This also goes well into cake or muffin batter.
My favorite? Using the dried ends of the lemons. You get a canning jar. Put in a handful of dried ends. Fill the jar with vinegar. Let it sit for a month. You then dilute this vinegar/lemon solution with water and use it as a cleaner. Works great, smells great.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Homemade Vanilla
Since I'm on my making gifts kick I figured I'd write about the other gift I'm going to make. Why am I placing emphasis on making food products? You have to eat and when TSHTF you have your choice: cooked wheat for breakfast or something delicious? Baked goods in the afternoon? Even Survivalblog got a clue and is including recipes and how to make certain foods. Now it's true that vanilla beans don't last forever (almost if you remove the air from the package and keep them in a dark, cool (not refrigerated) area), but put those beans into some cheap vodka and they will last almost forever!
I'll still be using the bottles I'm going to buy from the bottle company but instead of hot sauce I'll also make vanilla. I could just use bottles and canning jars from home but for gifts I'll use the new jars. It's less expensive to make your own vanilla than to buy it in a pint container from Costco. If you buy vanilla from the grocery store you will buy a little two ounce bottle for about 1/2 the price you can buy 16 ounces from Costco. But for about $40 you can make a gallon of vanilla, that's 8 pints! And it's something that you made, and easily too!
You do have to buy the beans and that's the expensive part. You can get them from a Mexican grocery store or eBay. Don't buy them at the regular grocery store...too expensive. EBay has some great prices on vanilla beans. There are many sites that explain the different grades and types of beans. From what they write, you don't have to buy the higher grade when making vanilla. Also, think about your beans by weight because different grades of beans will come in different lengths or weight. The vodka you buy should be cheap stuff. There's no reason at all to use expensive vodka. You don't have to worry about getting a hang over so use the cheap stuff.
I was reading the label from my Costco vanilla. It has water, alcohol (35%), sugar, and vanilla beans. Sugar or corn syrup is often added to help cut the alcohol smell. It is also cheaper than the alcohol and you can add up to 10% sugar water to your vanilla. If you have an alcohol that's 80 proof you can add water to it if the vanilla is stronger than what you are used to cooking with. Or you just add less in your recipe. If I'm giving it away I'll probably add some sugar water so whoever gets the vanilla will be able to use it without having to use a little less. Again, making it more like store bought is good when it's for most of my family members. Remember, these are people who think meat comes from the store on styrofoam trays. There's no correlation between animal and meat.
How do you make vanilla? It's really easy. Buy the beans. Use about 2 ounces of beans per pint of alcohol, or 1/4 pound of beans per quart, or 1 pound of beans per gallon. Vodka is the best alcohol to use because it doesn't have a flavor but you can use rum, gin, or whatever you like. Just remember that alcohol with flavor will make vanilla with flavor. Cut your beans into pieces about 1/2 inch long. You don't have to slice the beans in half except if you have nothing else to do that day, then by all means, slice the beans in half. Or, if you are going to keep some beans in the brew to look nice then slice them. Me, I'll strain the beans out using cheesecloth or a coffee filter in a funnel when I'm done.
Pour your vodka into a container (or empty out some of the vodka in your vodka bottle). Put the beans in. Or put the beans in then put in the vodka. Doesn't matter which order. Just make sure you use 2 ounces of beans per pint of alcohol. No reason to use more beans per pint. Put the lid on the container. Shake. Put it in a cabinet or somewhere that the sun isn't beating down on it. Shake it daily for a month or so. That's all there is to it. Then put it into your jars and tighten the lid. No reason to water bath. It will keep.
I'll still be using the bottles I'm going to buy from the bottle company but instead of hot sauce I'll also make vanilla. I could just use bottles and canning jars from home but for gifts I'll use the new jars. It's less expensive to make your own vanilla than to buy it in a pint container from Costco. If you buy vanilla from the grocery store you will buy a little two ounce bottle for about 1/2 the price you can buy 16 ounces from Costco. But for about $40 you can make a gallon of vanilla, that's 8 pints! And it's something that you made, and easily too!
You do have to buy the beans and that's the expensive part. You can get them from a Mexican grocery store or eBay. Don't buy them at the regular grocery store...too expensive. EBay has some great prices on vanilla beans. There are many sites that explain the different grades and types of beans. From what they write, you don't have to buy the higher grade when making vanilla. Also, think about your beans by weight because different grades of beans will come in different lengths or weight. The vodka you buy should be cheap stuff. There's no reason at all to use expensive vodka. You don't have to worry about getting a hang over so use the cheap stuff.
I was reading the label from my Costco vanilla. It has water, alcohol (35%), sugar, and vanilla beans. Sugar or corn syrup is often added to help cut the alcohol smell. It is also cheaper than the alcohol and you can add up to 10% sugar water to your vanilla. If you have an alcohol that's 80 proof you can add water to it if the vanilla is stronger than what you are used to cooking with. Or you just add less in your recipe. If I'm giving it away I'll probably add some sugar water so whoever gets the vanilla will be able to use it without having to use a little less. Again, making it more like store bought is good when it's for most of my family members. Remember, these are people who think meat comes from the store on styrofoam trays. There's no correlation between animal and meat.
How do you make vanilla? It's really easy. Buy the beans. Use about 2 ounces of beans per pint of alcohol, or 1/4 pound of beans per quart, or 1 pound of beans per gallon. Vodka is the best alcohol to use because it doesn't have a flavor but you can use rum, gin, or whatever you like. Just remember that alcohol with flavor will make vanilla with flavor. Cut your beans into pieces about 1/2 inch long. You don't have to slice the beans in half except if you have nothing else to do that day, then by all means, slice the beans in half. Or, if you are going to keep some beans in the brew to look nice then slice them. Me, I'll strain the beans out using cheesecloth or a coffee filter in a funnel when I'm done.
Pour your vodka into a container (or empty out some of the vodka in your vodka bottle). Put the beans in. Or put the beans in then put in the vodka. Doesn't matter which order. Just make sure you use 2 ounces of beans per pint of alcohol. No reason to use more beans per pint. Put the lid on the container. Shake. Put it in a cabinet or somewhere that the sun isn't beating down on it. Shake it daily for a month or so. That's all there is to it. Then put it into your jars and tighten the lid. No reason to water bath. It will keep.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Teaching others
Oldest daughter is finally making friends. They moved here almost five years ago. For the first year they lived with me. Then I bought a "rental" property and they moved into it. It took a while living there to meet people. Son-in-law doesn't socialize with the guys at work so daughter hasn't made friends with his coworkers wives. She's a stay at home mom and it wasn't until her daughter became more social that she's gotten to make friends with the girls moms.
None of her daughter's parents garden, cook, sew, or any of those types of tasks which may be needed when TSHTF. Daughter is skilled in gardening and cooking. She is semi-mechanical. Son-in-law is a mechanic so she's learned a lot watching him rebuild just about everything.
Today oldest daughter called to say that they were at the store picking out fruit trees. She named two nectarines and wanted to know which was going to suit her better. Not a cling. While those are great to eat they are a pain when canning. Same with the apricot trees. Which kind of persimmon is the type she likes? Fuyu, the kind that's hard like an apple, not soft and mushy. She bought a blood orange tree and something else. They bought five fruit trees total. That's a good start!
She said that one of her friends is planting some fruit trees as well. She got advice on which kind she should advise her friend to buy. I'm pretty pleased that she's trying to turn their home more into a self sustaining place and also influencing her friends to do the same. They'll never get fully sustainable, but anything is better than nothing!
I didn't post yesterday and am late getting something posted today. The grand kids and I spent a couple of days at a retreat of sorts. We chose not to spend the night but to make the 30 minute drive home each night. The retreat is still going on, until around 9 or 10 tonight but the kids were exhausted so we came home an hour before dinner. They got their chores done, ate a small meal, and passed out in their beds!
The lecturer was great. He told story after story after story. Of course they all either had a biblical connection or just some good values - depending on your own frame of mind. I'm going to just give you the ending to two of the stories.
You can say this one has nothing to do with prepping - but it also has everything to do with prepping. The first is about why many churches and temples are "dying". Sure there are mega churches, but the neighborhood churches are having a hard time staying alive. Our grandparents lived their lives and their religion as one. There wasn't really a separateness to it. They lived in closed groups. The next generation had their regular life and their religion - things were on equal footing but not totally intertwined. Most of their friends were the same religion. The next generation (us) often had regular life front and center. Religion is what we were, not who we were. Our friends were whoever lived in the neighborhood. Their religious background wasn't ever even considered. We did religious things but didn't feel it. Then came our kids. Our kids were too involved in extracurricular activities. They participated in religion when we had gatherings. They listened to stories of the "old" ways. Of course that's not religion. Or at least that's not living your religion. Their kids have nothing. They feel nothing. It's hard to support the church when it's just someplace that you have to go, not something that you live.
Now, this isn't how it is for many people. But I can see some of it in my kids. If a place of worship had to be supported by the donations of my kids those places would die a quick death. That's too bad as they are the ones losing out. But I get a second chance! The grand kids that I'm raising, now that's a different story. While they have some friends at school that they play with, I am focusing them so that most of their friendships and activities include religion. For them they will lives their lives and their religion as one.
Let me tell you the lecturer made that story so real and told it so well. How could we have strayed so far in only a few generations?
Why do I say that this has to do with prepping? The families and religions stuck together and supported each other. They were pretty
self sufficient. With each passing generation we became less reliant on each other or God. Now prepping groups are going back to relying on each other and supporting each other. Living life and religion as one. Just like prepping...it's best when it's completely intertwined in your life. It's not just something you do, it's part of who you are.
The next story, which I'm not going to repeat (it took him 1/2 hour to get through the story) has to do with prepping. Or at least that's a lot of what I got out of it. If you read my little blurb about myself I don't say a whole lot other than I vote for calm not crazy when the world around us is a little nuts.
The gist of the next story was that you have to differentiate between an annoyance and trouble. Real trouble. When you lose your temper. When you get frustrated. What is the cause? An annoyance or real trouble?
If you are catching a plane and it's running two hours late. You are pissed. You are going to get in late, not get enough sleep, be tired for your meeting, etc. So you are snotty to the person at the counter. You raise your voice. You just have a bad attitude. But why? Is it an annoyance or real trouble. It's an annoyance that you are delayed. It's an annoyance that you may be tired in the morning. Do you want the plane to be repaired or do you want it to break down in flight? Now that would be trouble!
What about if you keep missing the green lights. Red light after red light after red light. Your tension is rising! I can feel it as I write. But learn to differentiate between an annoyance and trouble. Think about it. You have good enough health to be able to drive a car. You have a car, and the gas it takes to get somewhere. Red lights are not trouble. They are an annoyance.
You are ready to smack me through the computer! I am an annoyance this evening. And I'm not even telling you to count to ten before you react. To me, the person who says that is an annoyance! But, what's the point of this? If you can keep your calm and not let the annoyance bother you, you will have a better life. Perhaps you will be able to also have trained yourself to keep your cool when there is trouble. You will think more clearly if you do not get annoyed. That's all.
None of her daughter's parents garden, cook, sew, or any of those types of tasks which may be needed when TSHTF. Daughter is skilled in gardening and cooking. She is semi-mechanical. Son-in-law is a mechanic so she's learned a lot watching him rebuild just about everything.
Today oldest daughter called to say that they were at the store picking out fruit trees. She named two nectarines and wanted to know which was going to suit her better. Not a cling. While those are great to eat they are a pain when canning. Same with the apricot trees. Which kind of persimmon is the type she likes? Fuyu, the kind that's hard like an apple, not soft and mushy. She bought a blood orange tree and something else. They bought five fruit trees total. That's a good start!
She said that one of her friends is planting some fruit trees as well. She got advice on which kind she should advise her friend to buy. I'm pretty pleased that she's trying to turn their home more into a self sustaining place and also influencing her friends to do the same. They'll never get fully sustainable, but anything is better than nothing!
I didn't post yesterday and am late getting something posted today. The grand kids and I spent a couple of days at a retreat of sorts. We chose not to spend the night but to make the 30 minute drive home each night. The retreat is still going on, until around 9 or 10 tonight but the kids were exhausted so we came home an hour before dinner. They got their chores done, ate a small meal, and passed out in their beds!
The lecturer was great. He told story after story after story. Of course they all either had a biblical connection or just some good values - depending on your own frame of mind. I'm going to just give you the ending to two of the stories.
You can say this one has nothing to do with prepping - but it also has everything to do with prepping. The first is about why many churches and temples are "dying". Sure there are mega churches, but the neighborhood churches are having a hard time staying alive. Our grandparents lived their lives and their religion as one. There wasn't really a separateness to it. They lived in closed groups. The next generation had their regular life and their religion - things were on equal footing but not totally intertwined. Most of their friends were the same religion. The next generation (us) often had regular life front and center. Religion is what we were, not who we were. Our friends were whoever lived in the neighborhood. Their religious background wasn't ever even considered. We did religious things but didn't feel it. Then came our kids. Our kids were too involved in extracurricular activities. They participated in religion when we had gatherings. They listened to stories of the "old" ways. Of course that's not religion. Or at least that's not living your religion. Their kids have nothing. They feel nothing. It's hard to support the church when it's just someplace that you have to go, not something that you live.
Now, this isn't how it is for many people. But I can see some of it in my kids. If a place of worship had to be supported by the donations of my kids those places would die a quick death. That's too bad as they are the ones losing out. But I get a second chance! The grand kids that I'm raising, now that's a different story. While they have some friends at school that they play with, I am focusing them so that most of their friendships and activities include religion. For them they will lives their lives and their religion as one.
Let me tell you the lecturer made that story so real and told it so well. How could we have strayed so far in only a few generations?
Why do I say that this has to do with prepping? The families and religions stuck together and supported each other. They were pretty
self sufficient. With each passing generation we became less reliant on each other or God. Now prepping groups are going back to relying on each other and supporting each other. Living life and religion as one. Just like prepping...it's best when it's completely intertwined in your life. It's not just something you do, it's part of who you are.
The next story, which I'm not going to repeat (it took him 1/2 hour to get through the story) has to do with prepping. Or at least that's a lot of what I got out of it. If you read my little blurb about myself I don't say a whole lot other than I vote for calm not crazy when the world around us is a little nuts.
The gist of the next story was that you have to differentiate between an annoyance and trouble. Real trouble. When you lose your temper. When you get frustrated. What is the cause? An annoyance or real trouble?
If you are catching a plane and it's running two hours late. You are pissed. You are going to get in late, not get enough sleep, be tired for your meeting, etc. So you are snotty to the person at the counter. You raise your voice. You just have a bad attitude. But why? Is it an annoyance or real trouble. It's an annoyance that you are delayed. It's an annoyance that you may be tired in the morning. Do you want the plane to be repaired or do you want it to break down in flight? Now that would be trouble!
What about if you keep missing the green lights. Red light after red light after red light. Your tension is rising! I can feel it as I write. But learn to differentiate between an annoyance and trouble. Think about it. You have good enough health to be able to drive a car. You have a car, and the gas it takes to get somewhere. Red lights are not trouble. They are an annoyance.
You are ready to smack me through the computer! I am an annoyance this evening. And I'm not even telling you to count to ten before you react. To me, the person who says that is an annoyance! But, what's the point of this? If you can keep your calm and not let the annoyance bother you, you will have a better life. Perhaps you will be able to also have trained yourself to keep your cool when there is trouble. You will think more clearly if you do not get annoyed. That's all.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Making Hot Sauce for Gifts and Your Pantry
For the holidays this year our family decided to have a theme for the gifts. It’s food. We can give a recipe, gift card to a restaurant, serving dish, plants, whatever we want as long as it’s related to food. Since I am going to do something home made I'm planning ahead. 10 months ahead should give me enough time to make gifts. I’ve decided to give bottles of hot sauce. I’m going to plant several different varieties of peppers this year rather than my usual of jalapeno and bell.
I make a great jalapeno hot sauce. It’s easy. Peppers and vinegar plus a pinch of salt. I have a glass jar that I fill about ½ way with vinegar. I then stuff it with peppers, making sure that the peppers are submerged. I stick the jar in the back of the cabinet. Sometime between a few months and a year later I remove it from the cabinet. I take the peppers out, cut off the stems, put the peppers into the blender with some of the vinegar and blend them smooth. They then go back into the jars. I usually add a little salt. I water bath them but you don’t have to if you just keep them in a cool place.
Compare the price of home made versus store bought. A five ounce bottle of Tabasco Tabasco
Vinegar costs about $2.50 for a gallon – less than .02 an ounce but we will just call it two cents per ounce. If I’m making a five ounce bottle of pepper sauce I’ll use about two ounces of vinegar. That’s four cents. I have to factor in the price of the bottle. I’ve always just left my sauce in canning jars. I reuse catsup bottles for catsup but never really thought about reusing the pepper bottles.
Since I’m going to be making the sauce for gifts I decided to put the sauce into brand new jars. I did a little research and came up with a great solution. Specialty Bottle is a Washington
5 oz. Round glass bottle with cap .79 each (10 oz. bottles are .97 each)
Plug Dripper Insert .09 each
Shrink Bands $5.00 for 250
Each 5 oz. bottle of hot sauce that I make will cost .94 (.79+.09+.02+.04 (bottle, plug, band, vinegar)). A 10 oz. bottle will cost $1.18 (.97+.09+.02+.10). Using bottles on hand - .04 for a 5 oz. bottle and .10 for a 10 oz. bottle. If you just make a great big batch with $4.00 worth of vinegar you'll make about 3 gallons of hot sauce. Compare that to $4.00 for a 5 oz. bottle purchased at your grocery store!!!!! Makes you want to make your own, doesn’t it?
Free advice!
G.I. Jim sent this as a comment and I thought it was worth posting.
Guest post:
Any info I can give is free. I cannot hold a candle to Mr. Rawles, but I do encourage people having questions to come in and speak with me at my store in Prather.
Buying the "High dollar Items" may make you look cool, but that money is better put into food, supplies and barter goods. I run into many so called "preppers" who have tons of ammo, firearms and "cool stuff", yet their food storage is almost non-existent. They say they will "live of the land". My reply is do you know what plants you can eat and you can't? Do you know that a steady diet of meat will cause intestinal compaction, a bad form of constipation that will KILL YOU? For that matter, do you even have a stalking skill that will allow you to sneak up on animals that are even more wary because of increased hunting pressure? Food storage is a NUMBER ONE priority. I always refer to the 5 "B" 's....Beans, Barter, Band aids, bullets and bullion. That should be the order of purchase.
I, personally have an old messenger bag/bandoleer behind my bedroom door. It has a first aid kit, magazines for my rifle and pistol, and extra ammo. This is my immediate response bag for fast defense. It cost me $14 . You absolutely do not need expensive gear, especially if it cuts into your food budget.
The door to my store is open, My advice is free. No one is EVER obligated, or should feel that way to buy anything. If you are prepared, you are one less person walking up my driveway needing help!! I would prefer you walking up prepared to barter!!
G.I. JIM
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Pet names
Before you start thinking about cute little nicknames people call each other, that's not what I'm writing about. The other day, when I gave one of my chickens away, I was asked what her name was. What do you mean what is her name? It's a chicken. One of 30!
I name my pets. My cats and dogs get names. Girl does not name her guppies. Nor do we name the goldfish in the stock tank in the front pasture. We had goldfish in the stock tank in the back pasture until the ducks discovered them.
I used to name my sheep though I don't anymore. This was when I only had a few. Their names were Olive Ewe (I love you), Olive II (I love you too), Girly Sheepy, Boyly Sheepy, Bo (Rambo), Rod (Ramrod). My favorite was Goat Goat. She was a goat. We've raised a couple of steers - Chuck and Dinner. We were always warned: Don't name the animals you are going to eat. Your kids won't eat their "pets". Sure they will because they weren't pets. We have food animals and pet animals. One of my goats was a pet but her offspring, food. They all had names.
I stopped naming the sheep when the herd got up to 24 a couple of years ago. That was before the mountain lion took away almost all of them. We don't name the ducks or the chickens. I've been given chickens several times. I think people like the name Ginger because I've been given two Gingers. When I was given this latest group of chickens...Nutmeg, Rosemary, and something that I can't remember, I swapped and gave my friend one of my hens. She wanted to know what her name was. How should I know? The chicken never told me her name so I just called her a chicken. The grand kids don't normally name the chickens. Every once in a while they will. Like the time we were given one chick. We didn't know if it was a girl or a boy. The kids named it Robin. Now I don't think they could pick out that chicken from any of the others.
We still only have the one set of twins from the sheep. They aren't named. We are waiting impatiently for the rest to be born. They won't be named either. I keep saying the weather is too nice. Just wait for rain, wind, or cold and we'll have half a dozen more lambs.
I was just wondering if it's normal to name your animals or not. If we only had one or two then maybe we'd name them. But with a farm full of critters. No.
The new chickens finally found each other. One was hanging out at the front of the pasture and the other at the back. They spent a couple of days being 200 feet apart. This morning they discovered each other! They spent the day not more than 10 feet apart scratching at the dirt and eating bugs.
I seeded the front "lawn" today. Not that the grass is going to grow without any rain to water it but I'm hoping that some grass grows to choke out the puncture vine.
Didn't get much prepping done today since I had to work all day. But working pays the bills so I guess it wasn't much of a prep day. Maybe I'll get to squeeze something good in tomorrow.
I name my pets. My cats and dogs get names. Girl does not name her guppies. Nor do we name the goldfish in the stock tank in the front pasture. We had goldfish in the stock tank in the back pasture until the ducks discovered them.
I used to name my sheep though I don't anymore. This was when I only had a few. Their names were Olive Ewe (I love you), Olive II (I love you too), Girly Sheepy, Boyly Sheepy, Bo (Rambo), Rod (Ramrod). My favorite was Goat Goat. She was a goat. We've raised a couple of steers - Chuck and Dinner. We were always warned: Don't name the animals you are going to eat. Your kids won't eat their "pets". Sure they will because they weren't pets. We have food animals and pet animals. One of my goats was a pet but her offspring, food. They all had names.
I stopped naming the sheep when the herd got up to 24 a couple of years ago. That was before the mountain lion took away almost all of them. We don't name the ducks or the chickens. I've been given chickens several times. I think people like the name Ginger because I've been given two Gingers. When I was given this latest group of chickens...Nutmeg, Rosemary, and something that I can't remember, I swapped and gave my friend one of my hens. She wanted to know what her name was. How should I know? The chicken never told me her name so I just called her a chicken. The grand kids don't normally name the chickens. Every once in a while they will. Like the time we were given one chick. We didn't know if it was a girl or a boy. The kids named it Robin. Now I don't think they could pick out that chicken from any of the others.
We still only have the one set of twins from the sheep. They aren't named. We are waiting impatiently for the rest to be born. They won't be named either. I keep saying the weather is too nice. Just wait for rain, wind, or cold and we'll have half a dozen more lambs.
I was just wondering if it's normal to name your animals or not. If we only had one or two then maybe we'd name them. But with a farm full of critters. No.
The new chickens finally found each other. One was hanging out at the front of the pasture and the other at the back. They spent a couple of days being 200 feet apart. This morning they discovered each other! They spent the day not more than 10 feet apart scratching at the dirt and eating bugs.
I seeded the front "lawn" today. Not that the grass is going to grow without any rain to water it but I'm hoping that some grass grows to choke out the puncture vine.
Didn't get much prepping done today since I had to work all day. But working pays the bills so I guess it wasn't much of a prep day. Maybe I'll get to squeeze something good in tomorrow.
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