This weeks preps check-in

[Brent S]

I'm working on house painting, too. But just in the morning hours, it's been hot.

Yeah, by 11am its brutal here. I have been breaking midday and going back out in the afternoons. I’m also dipping in the pool a couple times a day to cool down. With not being on any time schedule I’m pretty relaxed and flexible here but am still seeing way better progress on projects than when working full time too.

 

[Brianna]

Picked up more shelves for food and supply storage. My current stock has outgrown its original space.
Once the guavas ripen they'll be turned into jam. Should get enough to last until next year.

 

[Amish Heart]

Food storage tends to do that. First its a shelf, then more shelves, then a room, before you know it you're on room number 2. It happens.

 

[DrHenley]

Food storage tends to do that. First its a shelf, then more shelves, then a room, before you know it you're on room number 2. It happens.

LOL, happens with freezers too!

My "venison freezer" is so crammed with other stuff I'll need a new freezer for venison this fall.

 

[Amish Heart]

We have three. I want another one. Then I'd want them in my food storage rooms.

 

[Randolph]

Built two sets of shelves from scrap I have been collecting from work for food storage. Everyone at work was really impressed.

Bought two cases of half gallon Mason Jars. First time in over a year more than a case was stocked at the store.

 

[Amish Heart]

There are mason jars where I live, it's just the prices are higher. About $3 more a case. I like the half gallon size for storing herbs that I grow and dry. Just don't can in them.

 

[Mountain trapper]

The wife is drying herbs and other things in her dehydrator and this hanging basket thing. Last night the house smelled like cilantro.

 

[Illini Warrior]

There are mason jars where I live, it's just the prices are higher. About $3 more a case. I like the half gallon size for storing herbs that I grow and dry. Just don't can in them.

you can pickle in them also - just don't try anything with a heat requirement ....

 

[Amish Heart]

And they're great for family sized food in a jar dry recipes.

 

[Randolph]

And they're great for family sized food in a jar dry recipes.

Using them for storing rice, beans, coffee beans, dry powdered milk, etc.

Live in a small town. Where I live, growing my own food will be difficult without raised beds in one section.

The tradeoff was living in a house without the need for air conditioning or fans. Very shady.

 

[Randolph]

My place is filled with 80-year old pecan trees. No one has looked after them for years.

Looking into fertilizing to get them producing again.

Anyone with experience with this? An old timer has told me these trees at one time produced bushels of pecans.

 

[SHTFPREPPER]

Husband and grandson were pruning trees today, alot can be used for firewood. Working on the outside house painting, but it got too hot. So picked my buckets of vegetables for the day and I'll get most of the summer squash ready for the dehydrator. Been running two dehydrators every day for the last month.
How's your air there, SHTFPrepper? Was in Denver for a few days last week and what a mess. Couldn't even see the mountains. And people everywhere. And stupid dining rules. Hated it, but needed to be there for husband's medical. Glad to be back home in my little town. Guess it had been a year since I'd been in a big city.

We’re out on the extreme NE plains. Air is ok. We live very rural and only go to Denver/front range once a year for hubby’s medical check up. It’s too insane to go near any cities any more whether it’s Denver, Ft Collins, Greeley etc.

 

[DrHenley]

My place is filled with 80-year old pecan trees. No one has looked after them for years.

Looking into fertilizing to get them producing again.

Anyone with experience with this? An old timer has told me these trees at one time produced bushels of pecans.

A pecan tree can live up to 300 years, but it's most productive years are about age 15-70. So they are past their prime, but can probably still produce though your children's and grandchildren's lifetimes.

 

[Randolph]

A pecan tree can live up to 300 years, but it's most productive years are about age 15-70. So they are past their prime, but can probably still produce though your children's and grandchildren's lifetimes.

That's what I kind of figured. Still will like to get them going again.

Going to feel like 104° this afternoon. Out in the back yard enjoying the breeze in the shade. The trees will keep my house from going past 85°. Just one box fan is all I need.

The only complaint is in the fall when all the leaves come down. Stopped counting after 30 wheelbarrows. LOL!

 

[DrHenley]

The only complaint is in the fall when all the leaves come down. Stopped counting after 30 wheelbarrows. LOL!

LOL, brings back memories of raking up my grandmother's yard under her two pecan trees with my cousins. We made mountains of leaves to jump in, and invented games to play in the leaves, like "trail chase" where we made trails through the leaves and chased each other through the trails.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Our house is surrounded by pine and fir trees, no leaves to rake up. In the spring we rake up the pine needles in to piles and burn them. We could have 10 piles burning at once.

 

[Brianna]

The only complaint is in the fall when all the leaves come down. Stopped counting after 30 wheelbarrows. LOL!

Fallen leaves make great mulch. The live oaks and ficus trees here shed their leaves every spring. I get enough leaves to mulch all of my garden plots (mainly fruit trees). I don't have to water as much, and it keeps the weeds out.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I have a 6ft diameter oak that shades the house for most of the afternoon.

Wind usually takes care of the leaves for me.

 

[DrHenley]

Must be an oak with big leaves like the post oak in my front yard. The water oaks in my back yard have skinny leaves that don't blow away very well.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Actually a black oak, I get 70mph winds

 

[Amish Heart]

Hey SHTF Prepper....probably the area we drove through on our way home. Not much out there, for sure. Takes us about 7 hours from Denver to home in Kansas. I'm always sure to pack food because there's nothing out there worth stopping at. We go in once a year for medical as well. There are some pretty wide open spaces out there, though. Liked some of the farms I saw.

 

[SHTFPREPPER]

Hey SHTF Prepper....probably the area we drove through on our way home. Not much out there, for sure. Takes us about 7 hours from Denver to home in Kansas. I'm always sure to pack food because there's nothing out there worth stopping at. We go in once a year for medical as well. There are some pretty wide open spaces out there, though. Liked some of the farms I saw.

It Probably was. We’re an hour each way by car from I-76 and 3 hrs from Denver. Surrounded by cattle, corn and wheat. Hopefully when TSHTF nobody will make it out this far. I’d hate to be the person to try to walk that distance from the interstate in 104F summer heat or -39Fwindchill + snowdrifts in the winter.

 

[Brent S]

Working on my first real experience with dieting in my lifetime. I was thin and fit the vast majority of my life but started gaining a few pounds in the last several years, mostly in my midsection. So, I’m not really following any diets per say but only eat breakfast and a late lunch. I’ve found I can stick to this reasonably easily. I even still have a glass of wine each night before bed. Still no fun but have lost 15 pounds in the last three weeks at least. I figured being in shape is probably one of the biggest things we can do for prepping. I would still like to get rid of about 10 more pounds here but already feel better and my jeans are more comfortable.

 

[Brent S]

I’ve been working on my porch addition here. Still have a long way to go but it’s coming together. Is a worthwhile addition to provide shade for the house for the first half of the day and will be a good place to cook outside during the summer heat. I’m painting trim and about to install screening now. I’m not a fan of painting but it is the single best thing to make things look new and fresh or finished.

 

[Amish Heart]

The window framing, the size of the windows, and the blue grey color of the first photo looks like mine. Ha. We are slowing painting ours (granddaughter and I). But not today. I have meat chickens to butcher today.

 

[dirtdiva]

I’ve been working on my porch addition here. Still have a long way to go but it’s coming together. Is a worthwhile addition to provide shade for the house for the first half of the day and will be a good place to cook outside during the summer heat. I’m painting trim and about to install screening now. I’m not a fan of painting but it is the single best thing to make things look new and fresh or finished.

I like the color of the walls!

 

[user 7704]

My customer gave me 10 large hand sanitizers, 15 bottles of alcohol, and menthol alcohol for my aches and pains.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Final touches done on my wood rack to wood shed conversion. It will keep the wood drier in the winter.
Seemed easier than moving 2 4x8 racks that CalFire said were 3 ft too close to the house. At least I am zoned Ag, so I can build as many Ag buildings as
I want without a permit.
Now to fill it up.

 

[Brianna]

Got my new shelves built. My goal is to have them filled in the next month.
I'll be starting some fall veggies soon.