This weeks preps check-in

[Doreena]

On Friday we drove up to visit the kids and gbabies. They live about 400 miles north of here. Several places along the way the temps were up to 107 degs and we drove by several fires. Most fires looked like they were pretty much out but on the way home there was a new fire in a wheat field.
Here at home we've had about 6 days of 90+ degs this summer, with most days around 10-13% humidity. I'll be glad to see some rain again, maybe in October.

That is very scary! I hope you have a good fire break. (The excavator made me think of that)


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[Brent S]

Yeah, I've been thinking about buying a mini excavator. And a small dozer too. But two years of major construction projects any large equipment purchases will have to wait until next year. This fall I need to buy a new snow plow for the tractor, a snow blower, a wood splitter and a welder.

Even though the tractor isn’t as strong as an excavator, with the backhoe on it I can do just about anything. It’s more versatile than a bobcat for me.

 

[Dani]

I would love to have some big equipment. The lot across the road from where I work has a used John Deere Gator, though not considered heavy equipment it sure would be great to have. Cost is over 7 grand. I paid less for both of my vehicles combined. The only thing I have for digging is a spade.

This is a thought of maybe one day for you if you like a gator. They do make those two seated golf carts where the back seat folds down into a dump bed. Granted it won't haul a lot of weight but it is a big help. Son 2 has one for his small place. Around here I use a golf cart to check on critters and haul in the produce from the garden. Sons was roughly $1600 and my used one was only $200 but also had to get new batteries for it so I think total in was around $800. We did recover the seat cushions and did a small paint job but going to do more as time permits.

 

[brandx]

View attachment 8938
This is a thought of may become day for you if you like a gator. They do make those two seated golf carts where the back seat folds down into a dump bed. Granted it won't haul a lot of weight but it is a big help. Son 2 has one for his small place. Around here I use a good cart to check on critters and haul in the produce from the garden. Sons was roughly $1600 and my used one was only $200 but also had to get new batteries for it so I think total in was around $800. We did recover the seat cushions and did a small paint job but going to do more as time permits.

Nice! I use an old Wheelhorse riding mower, it's probably 30 years old but it has the original wagon with it, a few pin holes but it works. I have to wear ear protection because it's so loud, doesn't mow well , but cuts. I think the deck has a few pin holes too. I just keep putting oil in, changing oil, adding fuel and keep it lubed up. Hoping it lasts a long time yet. I use it to haul wood, apples, garbage, brick, etc. I have changed the ignition once and the belt once in the last 18 years. But something larger and more sturdy sure would be nice.

 

[brandx]

That is very scary! I hope you have a good fire break. (The excavator made we think of that)


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I always thought Alabama was hot and muggy. Our humidity here runs about 80-90 all the time. Stuff rusts inside!

 

[brandx]

Some rain this week, hopefully the g round will soften up enough to get some posts in the ground for the blackberries, they will like the rain and my patch is spreading out and needs more support. Next year looks like a good crop.

 

[brandx]

On Friday we drove up to visit the kids and gbabies. They live about 400 miles north of here. Several places along the way the temps were up to 107 degs and we drove by several fires. Most fires looked like they were pretty much out but on the way home there was a new fire in a wheat field.
Here at home we've had about 6 days of 90+ degs this summer, with most days around 10-13% humidity. I'll be glad to see some rain again, maybe in October.

Wow, our humidity today is 78%, usually runs 80-90.

 

[Doreena]

Some rain this week, hopefully the g round will soften up enough to get some posts in the ground for the blackberries, they will like the rain and my patch is spreading out and needs more support. Next year looks like a good crop.

I am envious! Blackberries are one of my favorites and on my list of things I want to plant when I get my land.


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[DrPrepper1]

I replaced a light bulb in the garage.

I checked the batteries in the smoke detectors. We had a bad thunderstorm here. 4 houses in the city got struck by lightening. We thought ours might have been one. We had one smoke detector go off twice. The battery was good. We went outside and smelled smoke (from another house that had caught fire that we didn't know about) but we didn't smell smoke inside. We called the fire department. They came out and said that they smelled smoke as well, but our house was fine.

I changed the air filter. Replaced batteries in the lights in the pantry.

I visited my adult kids and checked to make sure their flashlights had batteries in them. ...does that count?

 

[Mountain trapper]

We got the sub floor on the house done today. Got the French drain put in around the foundation and backfilled. The water and electric will be put in tomorrow.
Since the house is being built on a slope we ended up with a 5-1/2 foot "crawl" space under the house. Once the final inspection is done I'll go under and dig down another foot and make a root cellar that will cover about 1/2 of the house. This will save us the expense of excavating and building a root cellar outside.
The new bull was delivered today and was introduced to the girls.

 

[Dani]

Intro

We got the sub floor on the house done today. Got the French drain put in around the foundation and backfilled. The water and electric will be put in tomorrow.
Since the house is being built on a slope we ended up with a 5-1/2 foot "crawl" space under the house. Once the final inspection is done I'll go under and dig down another foot and make a root cellar that will cover about 1/2 of the house. This will save us the expense of excavating and building a root cellar outside.
The new bull was delivered today and was introduced to the girls.

introductions are always fun

 

[Maverick]

Cleared out 4 beaver dams to get the creak water flowing again, Things sure ain't getting easier and I know all that smoke that's been hovering around us is affecting me. After Wednesday we are heading into a cooling period and about 4 days of rain coming Lord knows it's needed. Be going into the low 70s for the high and the upper 40s for the low.

 

[Brent S]

Cleared out 4 beaver dams to get the creak water flowing again, Things sure ain't getting easier and I know all that smoke that's been hovering around us is affecting me. After Wednesday we are heading into a cooling period and about 4 days of rain coming Lord knows it's needed. Be going into the low 70s for the high and the upper 40s for the low.

I hope you and everyone there actually do get a good rain to help with the fires and air quality. It’s been a rough year all over the West.

 

[brandx]

I replaced a light bulb in the garage.

I checked the batteries in the smoke detectors. We had a bad thunderstorm here. 4 houses in the city got struck by lightening. We thought ours might have been one. We had one smoke detector go off twice. The battery was good. We went outside and smelled smoke (from another house that had caught fire that we didn't know about) but we didn't smell smoke inside. We called the fire department. They came out and said that they smelled smoke as well, but our house was fine.

I changed the air filter. Replaced batteries in the lights in the pantry.

I visited my adult kids and checked to make sure their flashlights had batteries in them. ...does that count?

That is scary stuff. Glad your house didn't catch on fire. That would have been devastating. I always feed bad for people who lose their houses like that. We have a tornado once a year, that is about all, some strong winds and thunderstorms. but little damage. Matter of fact there was a funnel last week in the far end of the county but it didn't touch down.

 

[brandx]

Cleared out 4 beaver dams to get the creak water flowing again, Things sure ain't getting easier and I know all that smoke that's been hovering around us is affecting me. After Wednesday we are heading into a cooling period and about 4 days of rain coming Lord knows it's needed. Be going into the low 70s for the high and the upper 40s for the low.

That certainly is a cool down, we are also having about 2-3 days cooler, but highs 78 and lows 56. That is good for this time of year, then back with the 90's and terrible humidity. Thing about the humidity you can't get cooled off because the air is so wet, your perspiration doesn't evaporate well and you just steep in your own heat. Awful, can't hardly do much outdoors when it is like that. Have to keep hosing off and keep ice cubes in a hankerchief around your neck to keep going. Drink so much water you stomach sloshes. LOL

 

[brandx]

We got the sub floor on the house done today. Got the French drain put in around the foundation and backfilled. The water and electric will be put in tomorrow.
Since the house is being built on a slope we ended up with a 5-1/2 foot "crawl" space under the house. Once the final inspection is done I'll go under and dig down another foot and make a root cellar that will cover about 1/2 of the house. This will save us the expense of excavating and building a root cellar outside.
The new bull was delivered today and was introduced to the girls.

That is a great idea about deepening the crawl space, how are you going to get into it. Floor of house or outside?

 

[Mountain trapper]

That is a great idea about deepening the crawl space, how are you going to get into it. Floor of house or outside?

Access will be hidden in a closet under the stairway. There won't be any access from outside.

 

[jontte]

3days awaits me, fri-sun, some reserve training,it's gonna be combat medic & mortar jockey for me and they promised some live fire shooting too.

 

[Brent S]

The weather sucked today, spotty on and off rain. We decided to call it since all the work we have right now is outside, and worked on the carport we are expanding for our equipment. We are tearing down the old one, 1/2 at a time, and rebuilding it taller and deeper. Several of our trucks were too tall to go under the old one, so this one is 11’6” high now. We got two bays built, 12 by 20’, and got most of the back and one side wall up and covered with tin. I’m recycling the old metal roof panels for the sides and back and used new panels for the roof. I’ve been doing most of this by myself, ut was really appreciative to have two more sets of hands today. Things go so much faster with help. One more day of buttoning up the walls and I will move everything out from under the 2nd half and tear it down. At least it was cooler with the rain today, and we were able to work under the roof when needed.

 

[Dani]

We are gathering supplies to make either a new like barn or adding on to an existing one for all of our equipment around here to get it out of the rain. We are thinking (I hope) to just build on to the bone out in the goat pasture. It's where they can get out of the rain but broken up in stalls to house hay and the excavator. We have a road running by it already to go to the pig pens so making the addition on the backside just makes sense and takes less materials. Hunny already has the 2 till up doors to use for the sides and garage panels for the roofing. We also have some of the lumber but will need to take an inventory of what else needs bought. I sure do hope hunny decided to wait till fall starts coming on. It was 99 degrees with a heat index that easily out us up into the 113.
New little calf was panting when I came home from work. Found her in the pole barn out front. Got her out cause it was hot as hell in therethere. Cooled her off with a 5 gallon bucket of cool well water along with 3 quarts fluid. She started acting normal after about 30 minutes but scared me.

 

[Brent S]

We are gathering supplies to make either a new like barn or adding on to an existing one for all of our equipment around here to get it out of the rain. We are thinking (I hope) to just build on to the bone out in the goat pasture. It's where they can get out of the rain but broken up in stalls to house hay and the excavator. We have a road running by it already to go to the pig pens so making the addition on the backside just makes sense and takes less materials. Hunny already has the 2 till up doors to use for the sides and garage panels for the roofing. We also have some of the lumber but will need to take an inventory of what else needs bought. I sure do hope hunny decided to wait till fall starts coming on. It was 99 degrees with a heat index that easily out us up into the 113.
New little calf was panting when I came home from work. Found her in the pole barn out front. Got her out cause it was hot as hell in therethere. Cooled her off with a 5 gallon bucket of cool well water along with 3 quarts fluid. She started acting normal after about 30 minutes but scared me.

Yeah, I used to work year round. I’m starting to need to work with the seasons more and more

 

[Mountain trapper]

Got the shop painted yesterday and dug the trenches for the electric, water and sewer to the house. The house walls are starting to go up today. The wife made a few changes of course.
Our son is coming out this weekend to help with putting the solar panels up. I'll get the crane out with a man basket to help with the installation.
It's still extremely dusty and smokey here. When the sun goes down it's blood red, the moon is too. There's still no rain expected until at least mid September. The temps are in the mid 70's now and the nights are cooling down too so that's nice.
Still have a lot of grass for the cattle but it's pretty much all dried out now. The pond level has dropped about 8'. We need some rain. Since early June we've had .01". Not worth measuring.

 

[brandx]

Access will be hidden in a closet under the stairway. There won't be any access from outside.

Splendid idea.

 

[brandx]

We are gathering supplies to make either a new like barn or adding on to an existing one for all of our equipment around here to get it out of the rain. We are thinking (I hope) to just build on to the bone out in the goat pasture. It's where they can get out of the rain but broken up in stalls to house hay and the excavator. We have a road running by it already to go to the pig pens so making the addition on the backside just makes sense and takes less materials. Hunny already has the 2 till up doors to use for the sides and garage panels for the roofing. We also have some of the lumber but will need to take an inventory of what else needs bought. I sure do hope hunny decided to wait till fall starts coming on. It was 99 degrees with a heat index that easily out us up into the 113.
New little calf was panting when I came home from work. Found her in the pole barn out front. Got her out cause it was hot as hell in therethere. Cooled her off with a 5 gallon bucket of cool well water along with 3 quarts fluid. She started acting normal after about 30 minutes but scared me.

I noticed that a neighbors cows get in the pond when it gets hot. It probably feels pretty good to get their hooves down in the cool mud.

 

[Brent S]

I’ve been working part time on enlarging our equipment shed. I’ve got two of the four bays up now, and just got the materials for the rest of it. The box van is getting a quick front end paint job as the factory paint peeled off. I’m putting it up for sale as soon as I’m done since we just got a new van to replace it. I also started on some shelving inside to make use of the extra dry storage in the shed.

 

[Psalm7]

Im in the woods today . Iv spotted Squirrel activity .

 

[DrPrepper1]

I bought my first few junk silver coins.

 

[DrHenley]

I bought my first few junk silver coins.

It's a good time to do that. I don't think these prices will last much longer.

 

[brandx]

I bought my first few junk silver coins.

Did you go to a coin shop? I have no clue about coins and would not know where to start.

 

[DrPrepper1]

Did you go to a coin shop? I have no clue about coins and would not know where to start.

I have gone to a coin shop, but I actually found them cheaper on eBay from a seller jessicascoins
I bought Washington quarters for $3.21 apiece.
She charges a flat shipping rate of $2.99 not bad if you order enough at one time. I don’t know where to get them cheaper... although their must be somewhere to buy it cheaper because she has large quantities for sale.