Cleaning up and a new project

The house is almost done being cleaned after being skunked.  Just about every room is back to normal except my bedroom.  It's getting there and I'm going to try to sleep in it tonight.  The room just smells musty but not the knock your socks off skunk like yesterday.  Anything that could go into the washer did.  All the bed linens, all the crib linens, the dog bed, even a couple of stuffed animals that were left in the room by some of the grandkids. 

After 24 hours of hanging, the comforter smells clean.  The sheets are back on the line because they still had a bit of an odor.  I washed the floors and walls again today.  This time in vinegar.  They've been washed in pinesol, sprayed with 409, dish soap, and now vinegar.  I'm so glad I don't have carpet! 

 

I did get a good recipe for getting skunk smell off dogs, although none of our animals got sprayed.  It is 32 ounces hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 cup baking soda, a good squirt of dish soap.  You mix this all together and put it on your animal.  Make sure not to get it in their eyes or it will sting.  Keep it on for five minutes and then rinse.  They should smell good.  

 

I was told about a product called Room Shocker that you can buy at Home Depot.  It's a chlorine dioxide that is supposed to work wonders.  It's supposed to get rid of any odor, smoke, pet urine, even skunk. Even if I buy this and try it out, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have cleaned everything off.  The spray was a sticky yellow spray that got droplets everywhere.  Just because there's a product that removes odor doesn't mean that the stuff doesn't need to be cleaned off.  But, if the Room Shocker works I will probably stock up on some of them just to add to my future preparedness...not that I ever expect another skunk to enter my house. 

 

Oldest daughter's husband fixed my screen door by rescreening it.  Their oldest son was in trouble so he got sent over here today to do some chores.  Six hours of hard labor by a sixteen year old!  I gave him a project and let him pretty much figure it out on his own.  I did give advice and at one point had to say tear it out and start again. 

 

It's about 60 feet from the cement pad in front of the garage to the front door.  There is no walkway as it was torn out 6 years ago and never replaced.  I had plenty of landscaping timbers that I got for my raised beds in the garden.  I figured he'd need about forty for this project.  First he laid a ground cover fabric that's four feet wide.  He laid it really crooked so I made him take it out and measure from the edge of the house to his starting point.  He had to take measurements in four places.  He told me that at the start of the walkway he was 2 1/2 feet from the house but by the time he got to the end of the 60 feet he was almost 5 feet from the house.  After he pulled it up he measured and placed some wire stakes in the ground to show him where the 2 1/2 feet mark was.  He then rolled the fabric out once again.  He tried to use the wire pins to keep it in place.  The ground was too hard so he came up with an idea to use nails.  Good thinking. 

 

He laid the fabric out and I realized that it wasn't as wide as I'd like so I had him roll out more.  The walkway is now six feet wide.  He then placed the timbers over the edges of the fabric.  He drilled holes into the timbers and pounded 1 foot rebar into the holes to keep the stacked timbers in place.  It wasn't a perfect fit so he had to get out the sawzall and cut about 10 small pieces.  He took good measurements and only messed up on one small piece.  Then he started moving rock into the walkway using the wheelbarrow. 

 

He stopped for dinner but otherwise put in a good effort all the way until it started getting dark.  The project isn't done and he probably won't get it finished before I have to bring him home in the morning.  That's ok.  Even if I have to finish spreading the rock, or I have the younger grandkids spread the rock, every time he comes over he will be able to feel a well earned sense of accomplishment for installing a 60 foot walkway.

 

 

I wasn't prepared for THAT!

I usually think that I am prepared for just about anything.  Well the just about anything happened tonight.  It was a nice night so I had the back screen door open.  The animals were all up and about, I had just gotten the grandkids to bed and sat down at the computer.  Then something started smelling really bad.  I thought maybe the computer or some other electronic was shorting out because it sort of smelled like smoke.  At least it did in my library where I was working. 

 

Army daughter came in.  Does something smell bad?  Yes, let's go check it out.  The smell was bad in the library.  When we got into the hall there were spots where it was bad and other spots where you couldn't smell it.  I stopped in each grandkids room.  Did you get into anything?  Boy loves getting into "manly" stuff.  For the holidays he asked for Axe and got 10 of them.  He always stinks the place up.  In the hall it sort of smelled like garlic.  Are you two sure you didn't get into anything?  No. 

 

I sniffed the dog.  Nothing. 

 

Down the hall I walked.  I had my weapon on me although I'm not sure what good a weapon is going to do to find a smell.  I walked into my room.  The cat and puppy were in their playpen.  There was liquid all over the floor.  My room smelled horrid.  In the corner of my room is a crib for when the little grandkids come for the night.  Between the crib and the tv cabinet.  AAAAHHHH... I quickly walked out of the room.  Army daughter came running.  What is it?  A SKUNK! 

 

Get a bit of composure.  How???  Oh no, the cat and puppy.  I went back into my room and quickly wheeled the playpen out.  I brought them into the dining room.  I went back and got the other cat out of my room.  We rounded up the dogs and rest of the puppies and put them into the mudroom.  They weren't happy but at least none of them were sprayed.  Now what?  Off to the garage and take out my hazmat suit.  Yes, I really have one.  Now seemed like the perfect time to put it on.  That and my rubber farm boots. 

 

Then I called the sheriff.  Non-emergency, of course.  They gave me the SPCA emergency number.  When they answered they asked if it was an emergency.  To me it is!  They were on their way.  The grandkids were telling me I should shoot it.  Bad idea, but we will discuss it tomorrow.  I'm closing your doors.  Go to sleep.

 

My favorite flashlight was in my room.  I'm not going to use one of the others, I want that one.  I got it.  I spied the skunk.  It wasn't very big, but it's odor was.  How much can one skunk spray?  Off to the barn I went.  I got the animal trap.  Then I got a plastic bag and surrounded the trap with it.  I baited it and shoved it near the skunk. 

 

Nothing doing.  The skunk was not coming out.  So I waited.  The SPCA person showed up.  He took out a trap.  I said there was already one set up.  He said the best lure for them is cat food.  Well that's where the cats eat; in my room.  Then he took out a huge net.  He was just wearing his uniform so I asked him if he wanted my hazmat suit.  Yes he did. 

 

I followed him into my room.  I stayed far enough away that I wasn't going to get sprayed.  I told him that the skunk was behind the crib.  It hadn't moved too far.  He saw it.  He put the net on it.  AAAAHHHH..he got sprayed.  Badly.  In my bedroom!  He took the skunk out and set the net down on the back patio.  Then it was time to ask questions.  Did anyone come in contact with it?  No.  Army daughter and son-in-law started cleaning up the drops on the floor but nobody touched the skunk.  OK, then they don't have to kill it to test for rabies. 

 

So what did I learn?  Fix the screen.  It may be convenient for the dogs to be able to come in and out on their own, it was very convenient for the skunk.  Get a large net to catch animals.  What if the SPCA was busy with a real emergency?  I am going to be prepared for this too.  What a day!

 

Cherries

I really love cherries and last year when the cherries were one day before being perfect they were all eaten by birds and ants.  I vowed this year would be different.  I didn't put netting on the trees although I do have it.  I figured with the dogs running around perhaps they'd stay away.  I did wrap duck tape around the trees.  I put the sticky side out and figured if something wanted to climb up the trees they would not have an easy time of it. 

It all worked.  I have more cherries than I've ever had.  Wait, last year I ate four or five cherries before the birds and ants got the rest.  This week we have all stood out at the three trees (a fourth has no cherries this year) and just gorged ourselves on cherries.  I also picked enough cherries to make cherry jam.  We also have enough to dry.  I'm excited because we've never had that many.  I've had friends who've let me pick their trees but this is the first real good crop from these trees. 

I've found a couple ways to dry them.  Sun drying them isn't going to work.  You need hot days and cherries are all ripe and off the trees when it's in the heat of summer.  If we were going through a hot spell I'd try it.  I'd rather dry with the sun then use electricity any day.  Instead we will dry them in the dehydrator.  I have an Excalibur that I bought in 1979!  It's still going strong, although the nylon trays are yellowing and starting the crack. 

Here's the recipe for dried cherries:  Wash the cherries.  Cut them in half and remove stem and pit.  Place the cherries, skin side down (cut side up), in single layers on the tray.  Dry at about 140° for 6-12 hours.  Figure about six hours if one tray, 7 hours for two trays, 8 hours for three trays, etc.  Don't over dry them.  They should be leathery and slightly sticky.  After they are dry I store them in Ziploc sandwich bags.  I then store a bunch of smaller bags into a gallon bag. 

You can eat them as is, like raisins or currants.  Or, if you want you can reconstitute them and make a pie.  Here's how to make cherry pie from dried cherries:  3 cups dried cherries, 3 cups boiling water, ½ cup flour, 1 cup sugar.  Cover the cherries with the boiling water.  Let soak about 30 minutes.  Simmer and add the sugar and flour to thicken.  Pour into a pie crust and add a top crust.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. 

Why am I writing about recipes?  If IT is today, then you need to be more self sufficient.  Even if you don't have cherries to put up, just knowing that storing food can really be this easy can bring don't your anxiety level a bit. 

Good eating!

Mosquitoes

I've never really been around a bunch of mosquitoes.  Where I live there are very few.  When we went to Hawaii half of our group got bit, half didn't.  I was in the half that didn't so I never really worry about mosquito protection.  For work we've been given bee/mosquito veils to wear if we need it.  I did notice when I was at the bug-out place that there are mosquitoes.  My renter friends have complained about them somewhat. 

 

With the wet weather we had this winter I have noticed more mosquitoes around here.  Now that the rains are over we are on a mission to eliminate the places where mosquitoes breed.  Toys, buckets, even a shovel lying on the ground can hold enough water.  Even a spoonful of water, if it's pooled for a week is enough water and time for eggs to hatch and the larvae to mature.  All you can do is clean up your property; you can't really deal with the stuff on the neighbor's property so you will have mosquitoes no matter how much you clean your place up. 

 

After Rourkes column today about his discovery of a mosquito repellent that seems to work well according to Rourke and Amazon's product reviewers, it got me to thinking about natural and non-natural repellents.  The one Rourke discussed needs butane and repellent pads. I don't know how long that lasts, and what the daily cost is.  I do know that it works over a 10-15 foot area so you could sit at a table in the evening and not be attacked by mosquitoes. 

 

At work, when I'm in areas that are highly infested with mosquitoes and other bugs I spray on Sawyers mosquito repellent.  It gets sprayed on clothing.  I bought the hand pump bottle and refills a couple years ago.  This way, I can keep it in my truck and not worry about an aerosol can exploding in the heat.   It works pretty well, too. I've never had to break out the netting.  We are supposed to keep it on us in case we stumble upon bees.

 

Anyway, back to mosquito repellent.  I did have a zapper light that worked pretty well.  It needed electricity.  I gave it to either the bug-out renters or my oldest daughter, I think.  All I know is that it isn't here anymore.  I was thinking about getting some more zappers and having them run off a solar panel and a battery.  I wonder how much power that would take? 

 

What about having a several year supply of mosquito repellent?  I have that for myself with the Sawyers except I don't use it all the time.  What about if I needed it daily?  How much would I need for myself, or for a dozen people?  Should I buy it or is it something that I can make?  There are many home recipes but I really don't know how effective they are. 

 

I'll list them anyway. 

1.  10-25 drops of essential oil, 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil or alcohol.  Rub onto skin or clothing (although I don't really think rubbing oil onto clothes is a good idea)

essential oil - cinnamon, lemon eucalyptus, citronella, castor, basil, cedarwood, juniper, lemon, myrrh, pine, rose geranium and/or rosemary 

carrier oil or alcohol - olive oil, sunflower oil, and other cooking oil, witch hazel, vodka

 

2.  Garlic - eating it so it permeates through your pores.

 

3.  Our animal water tanks all have goldfish in them.  One of the tanks has some other kind of fish.  I don't know how we got those but they are there.  They look like the little mosquito eating fish.

 

4.  Having a light on in the chicken coop, especially one that is low to the ground will attract swarms of bugs.  The chickens will be happy to eat them.

 

5.  Bats.  These wonderful creatures will eat up to 10,000 mosquitoes per day.  Amazing!  (Although if other bugs are around they'd prefer them)

 

6.  Citronella candles and oil.  Lighting these works well.  It's not too hard to stock up on the oil or the candles.  I did have a bunch of the candles but they somehow evaporated away.  I'm not sure what happened there!

 

7.  Rose-scented geraniums, catnip, basil, lemon grass, and lemon balm growing in your yard are all reported to help keep mosquitoes at bay. 

 

8. Using a fan while you are sitting on the patio.

 

9. 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 water.  This one would be really, really expensive!

 

I think we will plant many of the mosquito repelling plants at the bug-out place this year.  Now is the best time to figure this out.  Next year may be too late.

Dogs

Army daughter's dogs are not ever going to be trained well.  They don't care enough to do so. The dogs come when called, one is completely housebroken (and the other has accidents every couple of days), and they don't beg for food when people are eating at the table.  For them that's enough. 

Not for me.  We have a dog and two cats who are permanent fixtures around here.  Now we have another dog.  Since Army daughter's yip-yip had four puppies (Maltese usually have one or two) she decided that since they are so cute I should have one.  It's fine with me as long as I get it trained.  That dog will have a different purpose than the dog we have now.  Our big dog is a great guard dog.  She definitely has a good sense about who is good and who isn't, who should be allowed out of their vehicle and who shouldn't.  She keeps the coyotes, mountain lions, and bad guys away.  She wants to come with us  everywhere we go and gets really perturbed when I leave in the work truck because she knows she doesn't get to come.

Our newest dog is named Kelev, which means Dog.  I didn't want to start off calling her yip-yip.  She is five weeks old, eating puppy food, and is no longer hanging out with mom even though she should be with her mother for another couple of weeks (I think mom was tired of dealing with four puppies).  Her training starts now.  The first night she was really whinny because she's been used to curling up with her brother and sisters.  Now she was alone in my room in a big box.  I didn't want to listen to her all night so I did the unthinkable. 

Our cat has been cooped up in a playpen for the last month.  He still has somewhere between two weeks and a month before he can come out.  He's not supposed to walk around much while the three breaks in his pelvis are healing.  He gets really lonely.  Not anymore.

I decided the best place for the one pound dog was with the 18 pound cat.  She is now in the playpen.  He hissed at her when she bit his tail.  I wonder if the cat will teach her how to use the litter box?  I sure hope so. 
It's really important to train a dog well.  Otherwise it will just be a yip-yip.

Maltese dogs are bred for killing rats and mice (and ducklings, which I wrote about yesterday).  I'm really looking forward to having one of these dogs that are well trained and able to keep the mouse population at bay better than the cats do.  These breeds also bark when anyone comes.  It doesn't matter if it is friend or foe, they will let you know. 

I know that if TSHTF there are two sides to the dog ownership issue.  They cost a lot to own.  It's not just food but medical issues (big dog got fox tails in her ear and had a nice vet bill).  They aren't always quiet when you want them to be.  If you are trying to stay hidden a dog will give you away.  On the other hand, they make good companions, kill things, and help with perimeter control.

How much food does the dog eat?  Our 85 pound dog eats about three cups of food per day.  The little one, when full grown will eat about 1/2 cup per day.  Total that's 3 1/2 cups of food per day.  If one pound of our dog food gives us 2 1/2 cups of food, they will eat about 1 1/2 pounds a day.  If so, then a forty pound bag will last about 25 or 26 days.  This means we will go through 13 to 14 forty pound bags of food in a year.  We usually only have three or four bags on hand.  I guess we should be storing more.  Dogs can eat meat, fruit, and vegetables too but it sure is easier and cheaper to give them dog food.

Dead Ducks

Several years ago when my friend moved to Oklahoma she gave us her ducks.  I threw a little hen scratch or cob out each day for them.  They didn't know that they could fly so they didn't.  Last year one of the ducks made a nest in the corner of the barn.  She hatched several ducklings, of which three grew to adulthood.  One of them ended up disappearing.  I don't know if it flew away or if it was attacked by something.  We never found any remains or piles of feathers, so I figure it flew away.

This year two of the ducks made nests.  One made it in the same spot as last year but then abandoned that nest and built another near the hay.  The other duck made a nest under the persimmon tree, next to the far end of the chicken coop. 

The ducklings hatched in the barn Saturday.  I saw the mother outside with the cute little ducklings following along behind her.  The other duck's eggs haven't hatched yet.  Sunday evening son's family was over and I brought him out to the barn with his two little boys to see the baby ducks.  What we saw was really sad.  Spread over about a twenty foot area were five little dead ducklings.  It seems that mother duck was trying to get them back to the nest but wasn't successful.  Something attacked the babies.   They weren't eaten, just dead. 

We are assuming it was Army daughter's yip-yip dogs.  Our large dog has no interest in the ducks, chickens, chicks, cats, or such.  Now squirrels, bunnies, and moles are a different story.  She's chase them down and kill them.  But she will eat them after she kills them.  When we had the baby chicks on the patio in the cage the yip-yips tried to get into the cage to get the chicks.  They'd even stand on top of the cage.  I don't know why this would be any different.  I can't be mad at the yip-yips.  They are bred to kill mice and rats.  Not eat them, kill them.  Of course they are going to go after little ducks or chicks. 

For the next couple days the yip-yips are going to be in one of the dog kennels.  Once the ducklings are hatched we are going to take them from mom and raise them just like we do the chicks.  Mother duck won't be too happy about it but they'll be alive.  I may try to move the duck nest into the new chicken coop.  The baby chicks are in there, separated from the older hens.  There's plenty of room and plenty of green cover still.  That way mom and ducklings can stay together.  I've raised ducklings and chicks before.  It works.

What's a good mother's day gift?

For those of you who have mothers that are still with us, or wives who are mothers, or daughters who are mothers, there are many gifts to be given to celebrate the love and dedication that they've put forth in raising children.  It seems that every age is "the most difficult" time to raise children. 

I know that flowers are the most typical gift.  My brother who is usually out of the country can be counted on to give our mother flowers.  Birthdays, mothers day, any holiday.  A nice flower arrangement comes from brother.  Santa Barbara brother always goes to mom's house the day before mother's day.  That way he can spend mother's day with his wife and their children.  The week before he lets mom know that he's coming and tells her to give him a to do list.  That's one of the best gifts that can be given.  Spend the day changing out lightbulbs, repairing hoses, trimming plants, and anything else that is either too dangerous or too strenuous for an older person - in this case not only a mom but a grandmother and greatgrandmother as well.  Any mom would actually like a to do list completed. 

What if you want to give something other than  your time, especially to someone who isn't a prepper?  What can you give her?  A water filter just doesn't seem like an appropriate gift (I think it's a great idea but they wouldn't).  How about a bag for the car?  It can be a backpack with some food, blanket, a hat, hair-ties to pull hair back, a puzzle book and pencils, scissors, a little first aid kit, and a couple bottles of water.  Nothing spectacular and not a full on bug-out bag but something just in case a little emergency happens like a flat tire and they have to wait for an hour before it can be changed.  Next year ask them if they ever got into the bag for anything.  In most cases the answer will be yes: food, water, first aid kit.

Gifts that I come up with always seem odd to outsiders.  This year it was nails and screws.  An 18 drawer storage unit with clear plastic drawers that are about 4 inches wide, about 5 or 6 inches deep.  Each child or grandchild gave a box of nails or screws.  Flowers also; they went into their yards and picked flowers that their moms grew.  What a great gift for their moms!  Happy Mother's Day.