This weeks preps check-in

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Thought I would share one of three shelves that my husband made...and I LOVE...
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I respect the amount of work it takes to make this happen.
 
About all I got done this weekend was work on the piping for the new well. I have a line buried up to my sons house from the well, but still need to make the final connections for it. I’m still clearing the path for digging the line to my house now. I had some building materials stacked in the path and had to clear some brush and trees out of the way. I got all of that cleared and will start the trenching soon now. This was a multi day project..... I’m looking forwards to finishing it up though. Can’t wait to tell the county to disconnect their meter. I’m just not very happy with having to depend on their system.
 
Took the AR and 1000 rounds to the BOL to add to the community stores.
Helped clean up some trees, and do some fencing. I cleaned the kitchen ( what can I say? It needed a good cleaning) and sorted some canning supplies.
Brought an old wringer washer to the shed for repair.
Should be down to barter some work on roofing the second farm house, in exchange for unlimited water and electric while I redo the Airstream.
One of the community members found me a 460 motor for the Ranchero. It was built up by a friend of his as a truck pull motor, so I will need to change the cam. He traded the guy a different motor he wasn't going to use, and sort of gave me the motor he got. I'm going to help build an apartment over one of the sheds, so it's kind of barter, but I would obviously have done the work for nothing. Still, 2k or more worth of motor for free, I'll take it.

There are now 7 of us working, all life long friends ( and one of our kids) working toward intentionally building a prepping community. We normally don't talk about it, but it came up, and everyone agreed it's the way to think of it.
Great to have a team, I can't even get family members involved I just keep nudging. But I do have two HS buddies that are interested and working on some things,
 
Ordered my Berkey. Reminded a family member to be well stocked.
Did you get ceramic or charcoal filters? I haven’t used the charcoal ones yet, but read they do a good job too, but need to be primed before use. The ceramic just get the dust rinsed off and start filtering.
 
Ordered my Berkey. Reminded a family member to be well stocked.
It’s a good thing to use daily just for healthier water. I can’t stand the taste of the county water now. Even my coffee tastes so much better with filtered water. The only thing I had to get used to was the 5ime it takes for a gravity filter to work. You need to refill it every time as you use some so it’s there when your ready for more.
 
It’s a good thing to use daily just for healthier water. I can’t stand the taste of the county water now. Even my coffee tastes so much better with filtered water. The only thing I had to get used to was the 5ime it takes for a gravity filter to work. You need to refill it every time as you use some so it’s there when your ready for more.
My current water supply comes from another town, if things turn out bad they will shut the water down for me and save it for their own town, not where it trickles down to me. I suppose I am just used to it, I don't remember the difference when we switched from the well when I was younger. I think the only reason we did so was to not run out and the maintenance of the pump was no longer an issue.
 
Did you get ceramic or charcoal filters? I haven’t used the charcoal ones yet, but read they do a good job too, but need to be primed before use. The ceramic just get the dust rinsed off and start filtering.
It is to come with the white Earth filters which are ceramic, I checked the Berkey site and they don't even have them anymore. I suppose at some point I will order carbon ones to have on hand.
 
It is to come with the white Earth filters which are ceramic, I checked the Berkey site and they don't even have them anymore. I suppose at some point I will order carbon ones to have on hand.
I use the carbon filters for both Berkey units I have. One for work and one for home. I have never tried the ceramic filters, but I am very pleased with the Berkey in general. I upgraded the spigot for the one at home, the plastic started leaking and I got the much nicer metal one they sell.


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It is to come with the white Earth filters which are ceramic, I checked the Berkey site and they don't even have them anymore. I suppose at some point I will order carbon ones to have on hand.
Odd, I bought some not long ago, believe it was from amazon.
 
Got the footers poured for the house and solar panel mount today. Also poured a pad for the new gasoline and diesel fuel tanks. The inside of the shop was painted and the cabin was caulked and stained today too. I added all the mounting hardware for the solar panels on the mounting pipe. They're pretty heavy parts and I thought it'd be eaiser to put on as much as I can while the pipe is on the ground.
They should be able to pour the concrete for the solar panel mounting pipe and the house stem walls by next Wednesday. I figure it will take 8 yards of concrete just to hold the pipe. Got a crane on standby to set and hold the pipe during the pour.
Probably tomorrow I'll start on a temporary fence around the hay stack to keep the cattle out.
 
We moved Ellie this evening out front with my milk cow. Ellie is a heifer who will be calving soon but she needed to get away from the boys. They would end up killing the new calf. Not intentionally but momma will give off a scent and the boys don't watch where they step. Always fun when you have to play with the big boys. .
 
Got my Berkey and what a mess! One of the ceramic filters was broken and had charcoal all over creation. Will be trying to remedy the situation. Spoke with an auction house to gather info on selling unnecessary items to raise some cash.
Where you got your Berkey from will remedy that, won’t they?


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Well Ellie is back in with the big boys now. . . Hunny went to work this morning & I was tilling and planting three rows I pulled yesterday when I looked over and Ellie had jumped over to the goat pasture next door. So I went over corral her back to my cows side. Found a couple t post and the driver and started rehanging the fence she laid down along with rehanging barb wire she knocked down. Went back to the garden. Not 5 minutes later she had jumped over to the goats again. I grabbed a stick and headed for that fence but she jumped that one too which brings her in to the front yard. I let her make her way back to the big pasture and let her back in there. She's not calving today at least. . . Seems like every time we have to move one of the beef cows, hunny goes back to work and I am the one who has to deal with his "kids" by myself. His cows need an electric fence whereas my milk cows are perfectly content being where they are. Guess we'll try it again later. Maybe I can talk him into stringing hot wire. Something I can do while he is at work tomorrow. At least this time I wouldn't have to be looking over my shoulder like I was when in with the bulls. Nothing creepier than concentrating on what you are doing and have a big rough cow tongue licking your neck.
 
Well Ellie is back in with the big boys now. . . Hunny went to work this morning & I was tilling and planting three rows I pulled yesterday when I looked over and Ellie had jumped over to the goat pasture next door. So I went over corral her back to my cows side. Found a couple t post and the driver and started rehanging the fence she laid down along with rehanging barb wire she knocked down. Went back to the garden. Not 5 minutes later she had jumped over to the goats again. I grabbed a stick and headed for that fence but she jumped that one too which brings her in to the front yard. I let her make her way back to the big pasture and let her back in there. She's not calving today at least. . . Seems like every time we have to move one of the beef cows, hunny goes back to work and I am the one who has to deal with his "kids" by myself. His cows need an electric fence whereas my milk cows are perfectly content being where they are. Guess we'll try it again later. Maybe I can talk him into stringing hot wire. Something I can do while he is at work tomorrow. At least this time I wouldn't have to be looking over my shoulder like I was when in with the bulls. Nothing creepier than concentrating on what you are doing and have a big rough cow tongue licking your neck.
I don't suppose you can get her in a big stall for now, at least til after calving.
 
I don't suppose you can get her in a big stall for now, at least til after calving.
There is a pole barn out in that pasture but it is just so they can get in out of the rains, not that they ever use it. It could be modified but the boys would just tear up whatever you put up. The best thing for her and her calfs safety is to get her out of there at least till the calf is up and running around.
 
I finished my food prep inventory. 4855 servings of various freeze dried food. 512 cans of food also. I stopped stocking this a few years ago, its just so damn exspensive. I have since stocked over 900lbs. of white rice, beans, oats, pasta, grains. Plus a ton of salt, flour, baking soda, suger, etc. I had everything devided up into 3 different ares, now its in 4. I also have a 1 week supply of food and a water filter, fire starter and a few other vital tools for a cache, I just need to decide the best way to bury it. Im making me a big drink of bourbon and sprite zero.
 
My wife has been out of town for a month, so I've been eating my stocks of canned food that are near their use-by date (some a bit past). I'll be restocking soon, and now I know which ones NOT to get next time :D

Like Beanie Weenies...OMG those are gross!
Have to be starving for those!


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My wife has been out of town for a month, so I've been eating my stocks of canned food that are near their use-by date (some a bit past). I'll be restocking soon, and now I know which ones NOT to get next time :D

Like Beanie Weenies...OMG those are gross!
I crave the Vienna sausages about once a year. Halfway through a can I remember why I only crave them once a year!
 
I crave the Vienna sausages about once a year. Halfway through a can I remember why I only crave them once a year!

Or, potted meat....

There’s a guy fairly near here that smokes meat for sale, ribs, chicken, brisket, etc and so on. He also smoke bologna that he makes and cures. It’s awesome. Maybe I need to get some of that.... hmmmm. Might force me to get the gallbladder removed, but may be worth it.
 
If I make my own Beanie Weenies using Vienna Sausage and Bush's Beans, it's pretty good. Vienna Sausages by themselves I can barely choke down, but there are plenty of ways to cook them in other things that take away the nastiness.

But the Beanie Weenie brand itself? YUK!
 
If I make my own Beanie Weenies using Vienna Sausage and Bush's Beans, it's pretty good. Vienna Sausages by themselves I can barely eat, but there are plenty of ways to cook them in other things that take away the nastiness.

But the Beanie Weenie brand itself? YUK!

Kinda like Spam. Straight out of the can, hell no. Fried, sure.
 

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