May 2011 Personal Preps

[Watchman]

Onward!

[Toepopper]

May first and although it is still cool I have got to get busy in the garden. Last winter I dug more terraces into the hillside and have 4 times the planting area of last years garden. With the rising food prices and the numerous articles about a global food shortage I am going all out and planting more of everything . Already planted 4 more semi dwarf fruit trees and they are starting to leaf out. Planted peas and cabbage seeds in pots and they are pushing up out of the soil, plus I planted potato's in the ground and they are also poking through the soil.
I have re-assembled an old lightweight rototiller that was given to me in a box, cleaned the crud and fuel residue out of the carbeurator and hope to get that machine humming in the garden today breaking up dirt clods and mixing in decomposed leaves and other organic material into the planting beds in preperation of planting the seeds this week.
The wild grass was knee high so I had to prep the trimmer mower and cut down the grass to be able to walk through the garden without getting my pants and shoes soaking wet. This cut material will also be rototilled into the soil.
I hope all of this work is not a waste of time. With the news blackout on the Japanese nuclear reactor catastrophy I am wondering if any fruits and vegies will be glowing by harvest time and rendered unedible. They have already discovered radioactive milk in Washington State from cows feeding on grass that was rained upon with radio active rainwater.

[Watchman]

Normally, nothing can convince us to work on Sunday, but today we took a look at our pantry which has sort of fallen into a state of clutter. We have been so busy with work and we would occasionally put a case of this or a case of that in the pantry without putting it away or rotating. Today it had to be done. A year or so ago we always reserved the 1st day of each month to strictly work in the pantry: to rotate, to inspect containers for signs of spoilage or other problems. How often we tend to forget that our provisions are our lifeline, so we decided today that we were putting the "First" back into the 1st of the month and are resuming our need to use this day to organize and correct, if necessary. Other than getting rid of clutter, shelving and rotating items, we found no other problems -------- but it doesn't hurt to check.

[acet7]

Bought two water bobs ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Vz19uhcW0 ) last night. And ordered two more for a like minded friend. Still trying to get him to join this site.

[Toepopper]

Thats pretty slick! I have never seen that before. One hundred gallons weighs about 830 pounds, hope your floor joists are up to snuff.

[acet7]

Thats pretty slick! I have never seen that before. One hundred gallons weighs about 830 pounds, hope your floor joists are up to snuff.

My house is slab on grade it will not be a problem.

[WillyPete]

Been canning a bit more and picking up a few trade goods of a sort, liquor, lots of folks will like to trade for liquor.
Did some building of a first aid kit, it's in another thread and, looking to purchase another vehicle to add to the stable. Having trouble deciding whether to get a motorcycle or a small pickup truck. If I get a truck it will be a diesel so that I can get better fuel economy than my current daily driver and I can eventually produce bio-diesel for fuel when it becomes necessary. All this and still working various plans, the fun never stops!