This weeks preps check-in

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Called and got a final inspection on the building today! Yeah! It's amazing how friendly the inspectors are when you give them a free large bottle of wine! Yes I did have a bottle of muscadine wine sitting there since I knew he liked it, I'm not beneath stacking the odds in my favor.... Seriously though, the framing and electric were well above code. The wiring was beautiful, nice 90 deg bends with everything really neat. Not that any of that makes it work any better, but when they see the quality and effort you put in it they don't really look any further. He did a cursory glance around, then we just smoozed with pleasant small talk for twenty minutes. Any ways, now that that's done its on to bigger and better things.
 
I just lit the first fire of the season a few minutes ago. It isn't really that cold but was 66 in the house and I don't like feeling chilled. Also I was looking for an excuse to do it anyways. I had the kindling stacked and ready to light for a while now. I don't know why but a wood fire is really satisfying to me. Even more so with a glass of wine, or two.
 
Been busy, but managed to get a load of venesion jerky done yesterday. It's by far my favorite way to eat deer. I have been lighting those morning fires every morning now. Sat. night is supposed to almost reach freezing here. I'm thinking about using a space heater in the greenhouse. I have loads of green beans and potatoes in there that I'm not ready to let die off just yet. I just need another three weeks or so to have another crop of red and white potatoes that will seed the garden in spring. Everything else in there will do fine through winter, carrots, spinache, and peas.
 
Made it to 34 last night. We use a small space heater in my our greenhouse. Just keep it set on 35 degrees and that seems to do the trick.
 
Made it to 34 last night. We use a small space heater in my our greenhouse. Just keep it set on 35 degrees and that seems to do the trick.
Yeah, I'll try it out sat night. I'd really like to keep everything alive a little longer.
 
I also meant to tell you that there are a couple 55 gallon drums full of water in the greenhouse as well. It got to 33 last night, no heat on and was 50 inside this morning.
The water is a great way to regulate temp. I have two thirty gallon barrels on hand and will try to get them in there and filled today. I have two troughs about two and a half to three feet deep running the length of the greenhouse. They were for both weeding (to stand in and save your back) and with the thought that I could fill them with water. Water will also help cool in the summer some. I never got around to getting a pond liner for the troughs yet but may consider it soon, thanks.
 
I also have a kerosene heater. I got it with prepping in mind, but have never used it yet. I don't know if the carbon monoxide build up would be an issue though. I'll start with the barrels and an electric space heater tonight.
 
I also have a kerosene heater. I got it with prepping in mind, but have never used it yet. I don't know if the carbon monoxide build up would be an issue though. I'll start with the barrels and an electric space heater tonight.

I use a small paraffin (kerosene) heater in my greenhouse, there has never been an issue with any gases so you should be OK. It works very well and is so much cheaper to run than an electric heater would be over here.
 
I use a small paraffin (kerosene) heater in my greenhouse, there has never been an issue with any gases so you should be OK. It works very well and is so much cheaper to run than an electric heater would be over here.
My power bill averages above three hundred a month. Yuk. Now that does include the cabin that my son and DIL live in. We are going to have them on their own meter soon so hopefully my bill will drop by half. My wife is ill and can't take the heat so the AC runs all summer long here. That is a big part of the power usage. I'm relaxing by the wood stove right now, and will use it for heat all winter, so hopefully that will help some. I may try the kerosene heater out there, but honestly need to learn how to use it first! I bought it six or seven years ago. Btw, how long does the fuel last? I believe it's much better than gasoline at least.
 
It depends on the output. The wee jobbie I have is advertised as anti frost. It doesn't heat much it has a simple wick and lasts about 2 weeks on a single fill, the tank holds 4 pints.
I also have a couple of Aladdin Blueflame heaters for the house but I don't think I'd use them as they are a bit thirsty. The heat output is 1 3/4 - 2 3/4 kw and one (uk) gallon will last approximately 20 hours.

If you look up your style of heater I'm sure it will give it's heat output and consumption rate. HTH
 
It depends on the output. The wee jobbie I have is advertised as anti frost. It doesn't heat much it has a simple wick and lasts about 2 weeks on a single fill, the tank holds 4 pints.
I also have a couple of Aladdin Blueflame heaters for the house but I don't think I'd use them as they are a bit thirsty. The heat output is 1 3/4 - 2 3/4 kw and one (uk) gallon will last approximately 20 hours.

If you look up your style of heater I'm sure it will give it's heat output and consumption rate. HTH
Mines a pretty decent sized unit, probably three feet high and 16" across. I'll look up the consumption soon. Oh, good news on the weather. Now they are saying it will only go down to 42 tonight and there's a decent chance of rain tomorrow. I'll believe that when I see it though. We're having terrible wildfires here to where the smoke is so thick you can't see far at all. Some rain would be a great relief.
 
Mines a pretty decent sized unit, probably three feet high and 16" across. I'll look up the consumption soon. Oh, good news on the weather. Now they are saying it will only go down to 42 tonight and there's a decent chance of rain tomorrow. I'll believe that when I see it though. We're having terrible wildfires here to where the smoke is so thick you can't see far at all. Some rain would be a great relief.

You're welcome to some of ours, it's rained every day since wednesday. All day today we have had something between a heavy mist and rain, it's miserable and the temps have been in the low 40's.
 
You're welcome to some of ours, it's rained every day since wednesday. All day today we have had something between a heavy mist and rain, it's miserable and the temps have been in the low 40's.
Yuk. I hate cold dreary days. It helps if you don't have to go out in it. They are still calling for rain tomorrow, but like I said, I ain't holding my breath...
 
Bought solar lights and a manual 20 ton log splitter today for my bug out location. Im going manual for everything I possibly can if we loose electricity and the earth goes dark so hopefully I'll be ok if it does.
I didn't see a 20 ton splitter, but got a 10 ton one tonight. I just split two pieces of seasoned oak, and it was pretty easy. Really like the quick spring action on the recoil. I put this inside on the porch/sunroom I added so I can split as needed to feed the fire inside where it's dry and warm. Anything too big to bring in gets pre split with the wedges and sledge. I wanted something manual too. I guess the next thing to get is a good crosscut saw with some extra blades and sharpening files. Hopefully I'll never have to use that, but just in case. I'd really miss the chainsaw!
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Yuk. I hate cold dreary days. It helps if you don't have to go out in it. They are still calling for rain tomorrow, but like I said, I ain't holding my breath...
Not to be crude here, but I've peed more liquid than that so called rain gave us today. So much for a 50% chance. The weather casters are the only career that you can suck at and still keep your job. They say next weekend we have another chance.....
 
Let's see, yesterday was an ok day for prepping. I managed to can 7 more pints of green beans that I picked the day before. I was working on the staircase for the kids place, but the nail gun broke down. I probably could have repaired it but due to its age and years of use it was time to replace it. I drove down to pu a new one and will get back to building today. While at the hardware store I found the manual wood splitter, and got several other things that were on sale, new drill bit set, assorted nails, etc. later,I made a second heat shield for the woodburning stove. It's too close to a vinyl window and the vinyl parts were just beginning to distort. No real damage, but want to keep it that way. It's good to go for winter now. Yesterday was chilly and windy, but sunny. I opened the house up to the porch and the sun kept the house nice and warm all day long. I should have done this a long time ago.
 
I've got some more precooked Pinto beans in the dehydrator. I have the memory of an amoeba and often forget to soak beans when I need them. This little trick saves me the bother. I also want some for a little preppy type project. More to follow on that.
 
Walmart had turkeys for 88cents a pound. Not as cheap as last year, but I brought home 5 of the smallest ones I could find for the freezer. I also got the last of the white muscadine grapes out of the freezer so I have room for two more on my next trip. I like turkey a lot better than chicken, and can't wait to can some more turkey broth too.
I started the last two 5gal batches of wine from this years grapes. I'm at the point I'm producing way more than I could ever drink, so I'm filling the root cellar up. If shtf, I'm covered with recreational beverages at least!
 
Not so much a prep.but,i guess it could become one.1st my pomeranian had gone after a mole after i shot it.and did bring it to me,after a bit of coching.then today,a neighbor was training his new bird dog out back today,in which i got 2 quails out of.and of course i let my dog smell them.now herehere's the tricky part.i can't help but wonder if i can teach her to hunt quail..
 
Not so much a prep.but,i guess it could become one.1st my pomeranian had gone after a mole after i shot it.and did bring it to me,after a bit of coching.then today,a neighbor was training his new bird dog out back today,in which i got 2 quails out of.and of course i let my dog smell them.now herehere's the tricky part.i can't help but wonder if i can teach her to hunt quail..

Don't see why not, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, even little dogs have their talents. I know a chap who has a Poodle-Chihuahua cross that's a demon ratter. Keen as mustard and refuses to quit.
 
I managed to can 6 pints of green beans I picked from the greenhouse tonight, and made a big pot of bean soup with ham, which I canned 6 pints of it too. Dosent sound like much, but was a lot of work. I took it realitively easy today as I've worked hard for the last ten days or so with the business. Tomorrow I will try to accomplish a little more around here. It's going to be 31deg to it, so we will see how the greenhouse takes it. I did put in two 30 gallon barrels of water in it to help retain heat, but decided not to run the electric heater for now. I think the potatoes can handle that as long as there's no frost on them. I know the peas, spinache, carrots and onions will be fine.
 
I guess black powder season is over here as Walmart had all the supplies on clearance. I picked up two more packs of the loads and three packs of the 50cal sabots. I'm not sure why I bought the stuff as I've never even fired the thing yet. I guess I'm a sucker for a deal. Everything was less than 50%. Who knows, one day this thing may come in handy. You never know when you'll come across a wild elephant..... I'm afraid that if I shoot one of the tiny deer around here with it there may not be any meat left.
 
I managed to can 6 pints of green beans I picked from the greenhouse tonight, and made a big pot of bean soup with ham, which I canned 6 pints of it too. Dosent sound like much, but was a lot of work. I took it realitively easy today as I've worked hard for the last ten days or so with the business. Tomorrow I will try to accomplish a little more around here. It's going to be 31deg to it, so we will see how the greenhouse takes it. I did put in two 30 gallon barrels of water in it to help retain heat, but decided not to run the electric heater for now. I think the potatoes can handle that as long as there's no frost on them. I know the peas, spinache, carrots and onions will be fine.

I'm glad I turned the heater on in ours - 24 degrees this morning.....
 

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