2022 Day-To-Day Personal Preps

[Watchman]

Time to start anew. Can you believe we have been together for 15 years!

[Watchman]

Don't EVER think things are hunky-dory all the time. Even people like us who are careful pantry users sometimes get screwed. We have a closet in our pantry where we stored 32-oz cans of juice - apple, tomato and grapefruit. Today we discovered that well over half of our supply was destroyed by leaks and crappola from the cans. We have NEVER had this problem before and had just moved the cans to the closet about a year ago. Dumb shits (us) did not pay attention that our furnace room was about 6 feet away and residual heat from it caused the cans to rupture and spoil. We do NOT have heat in the pantry but the closet abuts to the outside of the cellar within touching distance of the furnace enclosure. We both are pissed off because we were so inattentive and careless. Please et this be a teaching moment for you also and be careful how you store your juices (especially acid-based juices). Altogether I am guessing that it was about a $75-dollar loss. Lord have mercy!

[Toepopper]

Ouch! That one hurt. So now you know. I have built an 8' tall x 12' long food storage locker in my attached garage to store canned goods and other supplies. It stays nice and cool in the garage. I added 2" furring strips to the 2x4 walls and installed R-21 insulation bats, then drywalled the interior to make it look nice. This made a huge difference in temperature control. No storage problems yet do to summertime heat or winter cold.

[Watchman]

https://www.treehugger.com/thredup-2022 ... rt-5271961

[Watchman]

In the high plains of Wyoming sometimes we can go for months and months without rainfall. This past month it has been non-stop. Have been unable to plant anything or till (electric tiller). Weeds are almost waist-high. Thanks be to God we are prepared in everything else.

[Watchman]

My second load of wood, almost two cords. Am stacking it one day at a time. I have a third and final load coming on 26 July. By the way, since I am not a 'wood harvester' I buy my firewood from a guy who has a contract with the Wind River Indian Reservation. The wood is already cut, split and dry, ready for use. I pay $245 for a LARGE pickup truck full up to over the cab. To me it's worth it. I just had the chimney sweep in and he said the Princess was perfect. I've been using this supplier for three years. I gave away my chain saw, sharpening machine, oils and no more mixing gas. Getting old.

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[Toepopper]

Firewood prices have gone up this year here in Oregon. Plenty of forest but summertime fire restrictions prevent cutting of wood and running of internal combustion engines during fire season. I have several large fir trees that blew down last winter that need to be cut up and split as soon as it rains again. I did a labor exchange with a wood cutter who has a stash of cut and split madrone hardwood and dragged home one and a third cords. Stacked it in the woodshed but at 74 I am not breaking any speed records. Every year it seems to take longer. I ordered 5 more cords of madrone from a wood supplier and he delivered the first load yesterday. He has a dump truck and drops it on a flat spot next to the woodshed. I can cover it with a tarp and use it as I need it. Wood heat is better than propane and less expensive but it sure is a lot of work.

[Toepopper]

So now there is a nation wide shortage of firewood and prices have soared. It still has not rained here and the woods are shut down for fire restrictions so the harvesting of firewood is at a standstill. Very unusual to not have any rain yet in the middle of October. I have managed to get 3 cords of madrone delivered here but need a total of 5 to make it through the winter. I have some hardwoods laying on the ground and drying so as soon as it rains I will have to jump on it and cut up a couple more cords.

[Watchman]

Oh what a find! My wife was shopping at our local Smith's a few days ago and came across packages of bratwurst and other smoked sausage. Each package had 10 quarter-pounder sausages for $1.00 (that's right, one dollar) - so she bought ten packages and froze them. We might cut them up and home can them to extend their storage life.