As we rapidly approach Spring I am attempting to re-focus on more serious prepping/sustainable/collapse issues once again and trying to get away from the daily happening type posts. I plan on just randomly interspersing some updates throughout the week on projects and the like. We will see how that works out as I have noticed over and over again things begin to shift back to the "what's for dinner posts" during slow news times and I have to force myself into a hard reset. Not that there is anything wrong with "whats for dinner" posts but that was not what I set out to do overall.
We keep flip flopping on the weather and temps here. The snow is melting fast but then yesterday the cold came back and brought a bit of freezing rain and snow with it while the temps plunged back into the single digits over night. We now have the oh so lovely frozen mud thing going on where the top layer is solid and under that is chocolate pudding down to your calves. Needless to say I been running on firewood reserves all week and it's looking like I will need to split out of the reserve again today or tomorrow. A common February experience so even with all this cold I am prepared for it. On the plus side firewood use has returned to normal levels and one truck load lasted almost all week which is way up from the 2 to 3 days it had been going.
It did warm up enough on Thursday that I saw a couple of bees hanging out in the entrances of the two Garden Hives but I haven't traveled down to the other apiaries to check on the outter hives yet. The long term forecast is still showing 60 degree temps coming in a few days but they keep pushing those days back. Now they are saying Tuesday.
The next project coming up one day next week is lamb tagging and culling the flock. Time to make room for the new babies that should start arriving soon. Lambing season is such a pain as I will lose the use of the main barn area for a few months. We haven't lost a lamb in years but we did have one almost die last Spring which my mother bottle fed and cared for. It's now only about the size of a miniature collie and acts like one too. Just as I predicted my Mother named it and gave it a collar and now we have yet another useless life form to add to the old Ewe retirement flock. I think she is up to six ewes now plus two wethers but I am not sure. Guess I will find out when I start separating them out as they are all mixed together with the yearlings right now.
Other than that today is Valentine Observed day and the wife is all happy about dragging me to furniture stores.
Just shoot me now. Please.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
Seems we're thinking in concert as we too will be out an about this weekend restocking the larder. First stop is one or two local flea markets for fresh vegetables and any other odd finds I think will help with my preps. My dried bean stockpile took quite a big hit this winter, so I'll probably stash away a few more pounds. My honey supply is laughable...it too needs attention, and I must address a secondary heat source, with fuel. Hate furniture stores....using the word, 'hate' here. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteStephen - Dried beans are the ultimate storage food I think. I should send you some of my next crop and see what ya think!!!
DeleteAnother benefit to living in Florida I see is year round open air markets.
Stay can't do much here outside the bunker. Too cold and more snow on the way.
ReplyDeleteRob - I feel ya. The warmer temps we were forecast for today never turned up and instead we actually got more snow and sleet. Not much but still kinda depressing.
DeleteWe, too, will be hitting the stores early & hard today. Some of what we buy will be for me, so I can't complain too much.
ReplyDeleteRP - I did insist we run by the hardware store and got some boards for a small barn project I am working on that I need to get finished before lambs start showing up.
DeleteIf your mom enjoys her pets, they aren't useless. If they help her relax and give her some entertainment maybe they are more useful than if you ate them.
ReplyDeleteHarry - Your such a good natured guy. Of course you are correct when looking at it from one way but the whole idea of pets is kinda a luxury if you think about it. In a grid down situation they would be a very expensive luxury too and one we wouldn't be able to afford. I don't disagree with your assessment at all I am just looking at them from a different direction. A direction I think we may all be in before long.
DeleteWe are halfway through the month and closing in on the one month to spring milestone so I guess spring is rapidly approaching. I think you are right about long term projects as it feels like we are headed toward the final stretch of the unfolding events.
ReplyDeleteSF - Yes Sir. In fact I am going to try and keep all my long term projects in areas that will work well as short term if for some reason I cannot finish them. I think second quarter is gonna be bad this year but will it be bad enough to start the fall in earnest? Who knows? These guys are good at kicking the can and putting out fires.
DeleteI'm glad to hear that you've seen a few bees. Maybe all will be well after all. Good luck with this year's lambing :-)
ReplyDeleteGM - Thank you. The garden hives are the most exposed of all my hives so if they survived I fell a bit better about the others.
DeleteLambing season is always fun isn;t it?