Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: October 29 ~ November 4, 2023

[ReneeT]

Good Morning, All! It's reasonably warm this morning for late October - 42*F at the current time, with rain to start in soon and continue throughout the day and in to the wee hours of Monday morning. The temp is supposed to stay level in the mid 40's today, but will start dropping - or I should say yo-yoing as it's going to be moving up and down - tomorrow morning, with our first frost of the season predicted for tomorrow evening. So I'll be digging my sweet potatoes and picking a few green tomatoes in the rain. I'll be snipping sweet potato leaves before I dig the sweet potatoes - they are good to cook like spinach. The porch plants will be carried to the basement stairwell along with the sweet potatoes and tomatoes. I should have done those chores yesterday, but was a bit under the weather and spent most of the day in bed, curled up under my heated blanket. I spent last Friday with the small human vectors - aka: grandkids - who had gone to a fall festival at school so who knows what sort of germs they were carrying I'd also gone to a school band concert the day before that, so that was another source of germs.

I say 'small human vectors' but the 12 yo grandson had a sudden growth spurt and tops me by at least 3 inches if not more, and the 11 yo can darn near look me straight in the eyes. It'll be nice to have someone other than Hubby around to get things off the top shelves for me They are limber enough to hop up on the counter top and reach things in the top cabinets - saves me from dragging out the step stool to get on the counter top. At least I'm smart enough to put rarely used items on those top shelves

I feel a lot better this morning, so I'm hoping I'm over whatever bug it was as I'm going to be handing out candy at 27*F tomorrow evening - it's the downtown merchants candy run. I just hope I don't have to make a mad dash to DG or WM in the middle for more candy... I'll be wearing a deer costume; might get shot

Other plans for the week are to try to finish organizing the upstairs pantry, carry things up from the basement pantry to the main floor one to fill in holes in the stock, and then do an inventory of what I need to restock both up and downstairs. I also want to air the winter blankets - if the rain stops, and if those darn Asian ladybugs don't show up in force - it's about that time of year again.

Well, I've stopped typing this post a half dozen times to do this or that, so I reckon I'd better get this posted before y'all think I've gone AWOL again.

Take care all - stay safe out there!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Waiting on winter to arrive tomorrow. Temps will start out in the morning in the 50's and dropping into the 40's by afternoon. 30's overnight. A small chance of a few rain showers, tonight.

No home fellowship, today. DS had to go on a trip to Denver. Job related. This was our Sunday off, anyway.

Nothing going on. I've got a chocolate cake in the oven right now, and that's about it, until time to make supper. It will be pork chops of some kind or another.

We had another incident with sheriff's deputies flying down the road in front of the house last night with their sirens blaring. Still don't have a clue what's going on, but something in our little community is going on. Twice within days of each other. We don't get out and ask around. We like to stay gray.

Have a safe and blessed week, Everyone! Keep your heads on a swivel.

 

[summerthyme]

Waiting on winter to arrive tomorrow. Temps will start out in the morning in the 50's and dropping into the 40's by afternoon. 30's overnight. A small chance of a few rain showers, tonight.

No home fellowship, today. DS had to go on a trip to Denver. Job related. This was our Sunday off, anyway.

Nothing going on. I've got a chocolate cake in the oven right now, and that's about it, until time to make supper. It will be pork chops of some kind or another.

We had another incident with sheriff's deputies flying down the road in front of the house last night with their sirens blaring. Still don't have a clue what's going on, but something in our little community is going on. Twice within days of each other. We don't get out and ask around. We like to stay gray.

Have a safe and blessed week, Everyone! Keep your heads on a swivel.

In communities I've known of that size, NOT going to the coffee shop or feed store to ask about the activity is less gray than getting the latest scoop!

Besides, that way people will know they're not coming to your place!

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

In communities I've known of that size, NOT going to the coffee shop or feed store to ask about the activity is less gray than getting the latest scoop!

Besides, that way people will know they're not coming to your place!

Summerthyme

Cary was thinking about going down to the little country store we have in the community to ask about all the goings on. He might do that later. We had a neighbor just a little ways down the road from us that kept up with everything going on around here. Cary and he spoke quite often. He and his wife moved, so that left us in the dark for the most part.

Right now, Cary is setting up more targets in the backyard, so we can do a bit more target practice.

 

[Raggedyman]

been waiting for a propane delivery to top off our two 1000 lb tanks - it arrived Friday past and now both are sitting at 85% the upper max in winter time. an answered prayer given all that's going on around us. split stacked and covered about 90% of that last big ash we took down several weeks ago well over 3 years of firewood in the dry - either well seasoned or in the process of getting there. need to make a run to Greenville SC on 11.2 - on tyhe wqay back through I'll stop at the farmers market in ASSville and pick up another 50lbs of kennybecks and a 40lb case of sweets - I didn't plant either of them this year and that together with what I've already put back will suffice to get us (and some others) through anything that might come up through spring time.

only thing I'm a bit concerned with - there's a hydraulic leak in the massey and its scheduled in the shop in a few days. I'd hate to have that tractor gone and something pop where I couldn't get it back here.

keep telling myself that the bible is replete with examples of FATHER taking absolute catastrophes and turning them into wondrous accomplishments for HIS glory - hope and pray that HE sees fit to do that with humanities current effort to destroy itself . . .

 

[nomifyle]

I looked at the dates on this thread and oh my goodness, can it really be November this week. Time flies.

SB we are waiting for winter tonight too, supposed to be 49 over night and the high tomorrow is 51. Today's high it 83. Last day of summer. But later in the week it will be back to the low 70's a day or two.

Funny story about the spelling of the number two. My day was very tight with his money and he needed to write a check for two dollars and change. He could not remember how to spell the number two so he wrote the check for three dollars. Anyway I've always thought that was funny. My dad is probably rolling over in his grave about the things going on in this country today.

We are going to do a grocery pick up at wm today and get pedicures after.

 

[Raggedyman]

we are waiting for winter tonight too,

expecting lows in the mid - low 20's here through the week end beginning 10.31 . . . finish planting garlic and packing up the cook house today - but before I put it totally away dinner tonight is going to be a pork loin turned on the rotisserie over apple and oak with a tiny bit of hickory tossed in just for good measure

 

[briches]

It is supposed to be over 80 here again today with cooler weather arriving Tuesday.

One prep hubby worked on this morning was checking our oyster floats. All looking great! (See pic). I hope I am including a pic the correct way. (We are guessing we have 1000+). I am reaching out to buy more spat (baby oysters). Easy, cheap and yummy protein source!

We have identified a couple of weakness in our preps and will be addressing those this week.

Wishing everyone here a beautiful day.

 

[connie]

33 with North winds bringing wind chill to 22. We will have several nights below freezing. But back to daytime 70s in a week. Our summer was so long and brutally hot that I think everyone is ready for change.
Trees all still had green leaves but they will fall with freezing nighttime temps and wind.
May have to turn on heat this week to take morning chill off the house.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

33 with North winds bringing wind chill to 22. We will have several nights below freezing. But back to daytime 70s in a week. Our summer was so long and brutally hot that I think everyone is ready for change.
Trees all still had green leaves but they will fall with freezing nighttime temps and wind.
May have to turn on heat this week to take morning chill off the house.

Because of the drought, our leaves started turning and falling a month ago. Everything here looks dead or dying. Cary will probably crank up our wood heater for the first time tomorrow, once the temps start falling. He's already had one in the wood stove to knock the chill out in the morning 2 weeks ago, then it turned off hot again.

 

[moldy]

Snow on the ground, but the sun in shining, and temps are supposed to be back in the 60s by Thursday (IIRC). I need to go sweep off the solar panels and work more on organizing today. I am pitching a lot of older canned food with rusted lids. On one hand, it makes me sick to think of all the work that went to waste. On the other, I am feeding it to the chickens - so it's not a complete waste.

Speaking of chickens, I have 2 dozen and I am getting like 1-2 eggs a day. it has been like that most of the summer and fall, I just didn't have time or brain space to deal with it. Any thoughts? They get fed daily chicken feed (homemade that we have always done, so I don't think it's that). They have supplemental light, the boys aren't bothering them too much. Most are about 2-3 years old. No critters in the hen house that shouldn't be.

Hard to believe that it's been a year since my last surgery as of Thursday. I have a follow up with the head and neck surgeon on Tuesday and the dentist on Wednesday, but every thing seems to be going well. With those appointments (the dentist is local, but the surgeon is 2 hours away each way), I'd better get busy cleaning and doing my thing for today. Glad to see you all so busy!

 

[summerthyme]

Make sure your homemade feed contains adequate protein. A quick way to tell if a bit more protein would help is buy a bag of cheap cat kibble (30-33% protein) and add a pound or two a day. If they are protein short, you'll see an improvement in laying before the bag runs out.

Then you'll have to figure out a more economical way to boost your total protein!

To tell which hens are laying, go in after they're roosting for the night and quietly take them off the roost one by one (using a red light headlamp really helps, as does having another helper)

Tip each hen upside down (or hold them upright,) and find the pubic bones right in front of and under the tail.
See how many fingers you can lay flat between the bones. Hens that are laying will have enough room for 2-3 fingers. Non layers are usually tight enough you can't get a single finger width between them.

If more than 2-3 test as layers, you might need to look for hidden nests, a predator or egg eaters!

Summerthyme

 

[kyrsyan]

My day started way too early and in a way that I hope is not a hint for the rest of the week. The toilet was replaced this morning. That hadn't been the plan but I was done with this messing around.

Old toilet out, new toilet in. Problem fixed. Only issue was son getting upset over the toilet being out. Oh, and at some point in the next few weeks, we'll have to do a patch piece of linoleum around the toilet. The new one has a smaller footprint. Much smaller. But I'm going to wait to get the container of Redgard from Dad. Then that can go down under the patch.

Friend was a little surprised. My energy and strength have been very erratic lately. But today, they were there for a bit. So before he even got here I had been prepping things to make it all go faster. I think we are both glad that this issue has been resolved.

 

[John Deere Girl]

Cary was thinking about going down to the little country store we have in the community to ask about all the goings on. He might do that later. We had a neighbor just a little ways down the road from us that kept up with everything going on around here. Cary and he spoke quite often. He and his wife moved, so that left us in the dark for the most part.

Right now, Cary is setting up more targets in the backyard, so we can do a bit more target practice.

This is where having Facebook comes in handy. We are very rural but if I need to know what's going on, I can check the local community pages. A lot of times locals tell things that never make the official news. There's also a site called Nextdoor if you're uncomfortable with Facebook.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

This is where having Facebook comes in handy. We are very rural but if I need to know what's going on, I can check the local community pages. A lot of times locals tell things that never make the official news. There's also a site called Nextdoor if you're uncomfortable with Facebook.

Instead of doing that, there is another neighbor that Cary is pretty close with. They also talk a lot, mostly about cutting firewood. The neighbor mows yards for people in the community and cuts and sells firewood. Cary can call him to find out what's going on. He lives much farther down the road from us more in the vicinity where the deputies went.

Whatever happened didn't make our local news either time, so it must not be too bad. There are a lot of burglaries and drugs going on in the community year around.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I got my chocolate cake finished and the boneless pork chops dipped in melted butter, dredged in breadcrumbs with a mixture of bourbon and brown sugar blend of spices in the baking dish. Drizzled the chops with the rest of the butter. Oven fried chops for the oven later tonight. Baked beans and steamed and buttered potatoes with biscuits will finish off the menu.

We got some good practice in the backyard. Cary is putting everything away now. Targets, eyewear, and ear plugs.

Running the floor fan right now, after Cary got it back out. Tomorrow we'll be building a fire. Typical Mississippi weather this time of year.

 

[paxsim2]

Cold, rainy and windy here. I got peppers and tomatoes picked on Friday. Yesterday dh moved some tomatoes into the greenhouse and garage. Then we picked the corn, some will go to dsis' chickens and the rest in the freezer. Next I'll freeze peppers and pickle some, then make red pepper jelly.

I've been laid up with severe pain that started last Sunday while dh was on a business trip. It would come and go. I saw the doctor on Thursday, had blood work and I have a CT scan on Tuesday. They want to rule out a kidney stone. We'll see.
Last week was a bust prep wise but this week I should get more done.
Have a good week everyone!

 

[nomifyle]

I've got the ac running right now, it was 83 in the house, and tomorrow we will have the wood stove going, go figure.

Got my grocery pick up done and we got our pedicures. I opted for no polish this time, I wear compression stockings all the time so what's the point of polish.

We stopped at a family dollar/dollar tree on the way home. Their stuff is crap and too expensive, but I was looking for something I'd gotten at a regular DT, they didn't have it. I did pick up a couple of other things though.

The grocery pick up was out of a couple of things, but I went in the store and found them anyway, they were very low on those things.

I opted for another grocery pick up instead of putting money in savings.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I've got the ac running right now, it was 83 in the house, and tomorrow we will have the wood stove going, go figure.

Got my grocery pick up done and we got our pedicures. I opted for no polish this time, I wear compression stockings all the time so what's the point of polish.

We stopped at a family dollar/dollar tree on the way home. Their stuff is crap and too expensive, but I was looking for something I'd gotten at a regular DT, they didn't have it. I did pick up a couple of other things though.

The grocery pick up was out of a couple of things, but I went in the store and found them anyway, they were very low on those things.

I opted for another grocery pick up instead of putting money in savings.

I've been spending a bit more on extra preps and ammo, too. Not much going into savings right now. It's a balancing act.

 

[nomifyle]

I've been spending a bit more on extra preps and ammo, too. Not much going into savings right now. It's a balancing act.

That's my thinking too.

 

[Toosh]

Raking leaves before the rain comes. I like to shred them all and top off the growing areas. Doing this every year means I use very little fertilizer and have very little pest pressure. - - but Lordy it's a big yard and seems to get bigger every year. Oh yeah - and I've finally made a loaf of sourdough bread that is edible!! (Previous tries have been bricks.) Practice, practice, practice.

 

[aviax2]

@paxsim2 Prayers up for you.

I skipped going to the basement Friday, I was just so tired and needed to get some chores taken care of upstairs. I spent some time down there yesterday and I’m finally seeing a huge difference. I started the home canned items inventory but didn’t get around to everything and even though I counted out the canned potatoes, I then promptly forgot to write it down LOL. We do have quite a bit of tomato juice and green beans!

We have some metal shelving down there that we want to replace with more wooden shelving so I’m trying to keep in mind that most of the things on two of the units are going to have to be moved out before that work can get done. But at least for now, it’s organized and I’m making room on the wooden shelving for as much as I can. So far I’ve only broke one 1/2 pint canning jar, and thankfully it was empty.

I hope to start checking on the storage buckets and long term storage cans soon. I went ahead and ordered some more gamma lids to better store some things that I need to get in and out of regularly.

I also shredded up more zucchini for the freezer yesterday and I figure that will be the last of it since the big chill is on its way. We have a few more cucumbers that I plan on enjoying this week and we still need to pick the peppers tomorrow and get them in the freezer soon.

This morning was spent cooking Sunday lunch and eating and spending time with the family. Then pretty much taking it easy the rest of the day and evening trying to rest up. My body has been feeling this weather front coming for the past few days and the fibro is flaring up.

 

[feralferret]

Had to pick remaining peppers and tomatoes due to hard freeze this morning and the next several nights. First hard freeze of the season for Kansas City area. My tabasco peppers were still going gangbusters. Had a few cayenne and jalapeno also. I have to wrap green tomatoes in paper and put in a tray in the basement today to ripen. All are small but one, so not suitable for fried green tomatoes, doggone it.

 

[nomifyle]

The cold has gotten here but not the rain, still some predicted today but that could go away. I dug out some long johns last night as it can get cold in my chair if my legs are bare. slept snug and warm but had to get up to go pee and can't go back to sleep.

And speaking of ammo, I can't find but one box of 38 special, which is my main hand gun. I thought I had some under the sink in the camper. That cabinet is still standing but the only ammo I could find in there is for DH's 30-06. I have more in the camper bedroom but with the roof partially gone its hard to get in there. I opened the bedroom door and what is in there seems to be in decent shape, just have to get to the other side of the room to check the ammo I have in there. I do have a cousin that works in a pawn and gun shop and I called him last night and he said he would see what they have and call me today. I'll have to go into emergency savings to pay for the ammo.

Need to finish putting away the remainder of my grocery pick up from yesterday. And I have a sizable subscribe and save order coming from amazon.

I'm still watching a few prepper videos and everything they talk about getting I'm good on or I can't afford.

Usually when I get a wm pick up order I start a new list but I didn't do that yet. By now I'd have sizable list going, mainly things I've just gotten and I just don't feel inclined to buy more just yet.

 

[Illini Warrior]

Raking leaves before the rain comes. I like to shred them all and top off the growing areas. Doing this every year means I use very little fertilizer and have very little pest pressure. - - but Lordy it's a big yard and seems to get bigger every year. Oh yeah - and I've finally made a loaf of sourdough bread that is edible!! (Previous tries have been bricks.) Practice, practice, practice.

good to get a base of hand spread lime pellets - chewed leaves on top of that - if you can bury some of those leaves you'll have rich worm garden next spring .....

 

[IRoberge]

2 yo granddaughter came on Thursday and is staying until Tomorrow afternoon. Not getting much done other than preparing meals and playing. By the time she goes to bed I’m too worn out to think of getting any housework done! Yesterday was cold and rainy so it was an indoor day.

Today we have errands to run, and will be stopping the bank branch i retired from and will see if I can get any news from the financial side of things.

This afternoon we are having a very small wedding here. The couple wants to be married before the baby comes and he/she is due on Thursday! I asked them to wait until Wednesday so I could put the living room back to rights after the 2yo tornado but she wanted an October date, so they get what they get, and it’s only going to be 5 min long. They decided so quickly to do this, they don’t even have rings yet. If little one is amenable, I’ll try to stop at dollar general and see if I can get a toy ring so at least she will have something for the ceremony today. I’ve officiated a few “different” weddings before but I think this one takes the cake!!!

 

[Digger]

The cold weather has arrived. It was 36* here this morning. We spent yesterday getting ready for it. I bought my green house shelf in and put it in front of the patio door that does not open. All my flowers and a couple of herbs are there. Hopefully I can keep them alive in the house. I need to prune the rosemary back and dry the prunings. I picked the green tomatoes and the rest of the hot peppers. I have a lot of cayenne peppers drying.

We have gotten about 4 1/2 inches of rain since Friday. We were needing it badly.

We went to Ft. Smith last week for hubby's check up with the Urologist. He still has one kidney stone. It hasn't moved so we are just watching it. I finally got him drinking water with lemon. Hopefully it will help dissolve the stone. He would never drink just plain water before.

I made the mullein salve with root and leaves. I have been putting it on his lower spine the last 3-4 nights. He is sleeping hard over half the night. So that is a good change. I am using it and Summertyme's Ouch Oil on his hip where his sciatica pain is. Time will tell how well it does over the long haul.

Have a blessed week everyone.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We got a nice surprise this morning. It was raining. Forecast is for only 1/10th of an inch, but we'll take what we can get at this point. At least it's washing all the dust out of the air. 48 degrees right now, and that's our forecast high for today. Freeze warnings for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. 35 for tonight.

I had to throw out an 8 can case of evaporated milk last night. It was 3 years old, and the cans were sort of leaking. I could tell the outside paper on the cans had been wet. So, I need to add another case of that to my next shopping list. All the rest were still ok, but some of the cases need to be used sooner rather than later. We use fresh milk for drinking and canned milk for all my cooking and baking. I empty one can of milk into a quart canning jar and fill with water up to the lower rim. It works great, and I have shelf stable milk year around. It's not good for drinking, though.

Not much going on, today with the weather outside being all rainy and cold. I'll just be doing inside chores. Cary will be reloading.

He checked down at the country store about what's been going on. They didn't know anything, either. I checked with Mom this morning. She has a police scanner. She hadn't picked up anything, but she keeps it turned off half the time.

 

[nomifyle]

I read that mullein salve is good for pain so I ordered some. Its by Dr. christopher so it may be an okay product.

 

[babysteps]

Local pumpkin patch posted this morning that the rest of their pumpkins are $25/truckload for livestock, and they also have straw bales for free.

Hubby says "let's go!" So we will be getting at least a truckload of each. Pumpkins for the cows, sheep, chickens... straw for the garden. Score!

 

[moldy]

Free is my favorite price!

 

[kyrsyan]

When I went walking this morning, I got a pleasant surprise. Garlic is popping up. As far as I know, tonight won't phase it at all. But I'm happy. I have garlic growing. Yummy, yummy garlic.

This year was the first time I'd heard that garlic needed chill hours as well as daylight hours of certain lengths. So I fell back on Summerthyme's tip from strawberry roots. When the package came in, I dropped them in the fridge for two weeks while I prepped the bed.

It's the simple things.

Chili is on for dinner tonight. I know that if I was normal, I'd be craving it. So onions and peppers are cooking away for the moment. Then I'll start adding the rest.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Our power has been out most of the afternoon. It came on just in time for me to make supper. I was thinking that I was going to have to cook it on the wood stove.

 

[nomifyle]

We got cold and finally got rain. And we ventured out so I could get some ammo. 74 dollars for 100 rounds of 38 special.

Made a quick stop at a regular tree. I was looking for a small trash can, they were $5, I didn't get one. They are cheaper at wm or are they? They do have round containers with lids that are tall enough for spaghetti pasta though, I got two.

Looks like most of the stuff from amazon that was supposed to be delivered today won't get here today.

Some how I can never find my box cutter so I ordered a pink one, if I find that in DH's workshop I'll know where all the other ones have gone.

Still putting things away.

 

[feralferret]

"We got cold and finally got rain. And we ventured out so I could get some ammo. 74 dollars for 100 rounds of 38 special."

Nomifyle, that is a fairly typical price for low end .38 special, so you did OK.

 

[nomifyle]

"We got cold and finally got rain. And we ventured out so I could get some ammo. 74 dollars for 100 rounds of 38 special."

Nomifyle, that is a fairly typical price for low end .38 special, so you did OK.

Thanks, I thought it was a decent price too and they only had two boxes but said they could order more. And maybe in the meantime I'm hoping to locate my stash. I know its in my camper, but with the hole in the roof its a night mare to get in there. Maybe I'll look tomorrow. Now if I could just remember to carry my 38 on my person.

 

[wvstuck]

The cold is moving into the mountains tonight, lows in the 20’s highs in the 30s to 40s… not winter yet, but it starting to show its face.

Running our freeze dryer non-stop to fill in holes of things we can’t can, don’t want to trust the freezers. Cheese, eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more ground beef will be the next in line.

We are sitting here this evening watching the fire in the wood stove and enjoying the happiest dogs on earth laying in front of it. Dinner was pinto beans with ham chunks, fried potatoes and cornbread. Life is good.

 

[JasmineAndLace]

Digger, if you don't mind sharing, how do you make your mullein salve? I was blessed with a big patch of mullein this year and also have some already dried that I bought online. I have so many aches and pains I may have to make the salve by the bucket full.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Dinner was pinto beans with ham chunks, fried potatoes and cornbread.

I don't know what it is about that combination, but that's a fine meal that's made often down here in the South, too. You just can't have pinto beans with ham without those fried potatoes to go with it, LOL.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I woke up this morning with a bad nosebleed. I finally got it stopped, but it's still running clear water, and I feel really bad. I have no idea what caused my nose to bleed so bad. I haven't had a nosebleed, since right before Cary and I got married 47 years ago. Strange.

Unless I start feeling better, nothing will get done, today. It's cold and windy outside at 36 degrees, and we have a good warm fire going in the wood heater. Freeze warnings, tonight. Supper will probably be whatever I can find to throw together.