What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

Concreted the shutter forming ....only another two sections to to fill and its finished , today i run in the blocks and pointed up ...i am about half way down ...i cover all the work with a fleece to protect it from the frost. i have planted more Garlic gloves and Onion sets and mulched up with straw, planted about half of the fruit bushes into the bank..in the polytunnel ....Radish is coming on strong Carrots have popped their heads up ....lettuce is slow....savoy Cabbage and Kale doing okay.....picked up some firewood and filled the wood store (about two thirds full ) not brewed more beer yet ....i will when i cannot get out and about i have some Blackberries,Gooseberries,Elderberries,and some plumbs in the chest freezer so i will turn them into wine shortly, off to market Sunday ....getting some more Shallots to pickle .....later alligators !

[Straight Shooter]

All the concreting finished and all the blocks are laid....so next up ...get the (Beast) out and go get some compost ....i will need about twenty loads....plus top soil , the dwarf wall stands 18" high ....just right to save my back , total run ended up at dead 60 ft ......should get some great veg next season ...really looking forward to putting in but mostly taking out.

So that completes ALL the raised beds..... just netting hoops /cloches to make ...and i will be ready way ahead of time...everything is fleeced up and under cover Greenhouse and bottom poly tunnel are full , the remainder of the fruit bushes will be set into the bank within the next few days.

Projects for this winter

Going to build a kiln for drying firewood/logs and a charcoal maker combination....maybe a wood gas generator thrown in there somewhere........should keep me out the way of the traffic for a while, looking for some 45 gal drums....i have asked Santa for a plasma cutter and a Mig welder.....or Rudy gets it !

[Straight Shooter]

Took delivery today ....1 leisure deep cycle battery....three Led strip lights ,fifty mtrs two core auto cable,auto switches and another box of connectors of different types and sizes ...although i already hold these in stock ...the intention is to complete the emergency lighting for my new place ....i have already preped the piped trunking and the draw strings to pull the cables through (did that last Christmas).

Snow is on the way starting around 3am tomorrow ...although we are WELL covered with food, Lpg gas .....wild child said best if i get some more milk and eggs ...so while she was having her hair done ...off to Aldi's i go..............standing outside the door ...there she stood sucking on a siggy and finishing off a big mac n fries ....i stick the £ coin in the trolley and hang back to study this huge lump with an obvious eating disorder ....well i assume an eating disorder owing to the state of her blouse ..decorated with tomato ketchup and regurgitated chips and a hint of hamburger with a smattering of cheese....standing along side of her was a small guy shivering like fuck in a tee shirt ..a tattoo on his arm read (I LOVE TINA ...FOREVER )....i decide to let them go in first (fucking great move by me) they made their way up the isle .....Tina's arse was huge ...in fact both cheeks were doing the Rumba ..but not in sinc...as she ...well... sort of walked... tony the tattoo asked...where the fuck is the booze ?....Tina knew exactly and answered "over fucking there" by now i pass the milk section ....i am aroused like some sort of pervo ...."grab some fucking twigglets"tina demands ...TT picks up two bags ....i sail on by the eggs.....i am now Hooked...hanging back just enough , they are now standing by the booze TT and tina are now stashing beers and some wine into the hand held basket,and TT is now holding a pack of beer under his armpit ...they head for the checkout and disappear out the door..........i do the shop.....out the door i go and head for my truck ...i put the shop in the back ....take the trolley back ...in i jump ....and there they are sitting on the wall ....obviously deeply in love....feeding each other twigglets and dropping a bottle of wine each.........so what has this got to do with prepping ? .....well ...wtshtf one of my security counter measures for the Big Tina and tattoo tony should they come calling......a bottle of wine and a bag of twigglets hanging on some paracord from a tree and me with my loaded crossbow .....btw .....the bottle would be filled with antifreeze just in case in the unlikely event i miss.....

[Pete Grey]

Hi SS I think you would need a harpoon for big Tina.

[Straight Shooter]

Not much to report this week, been confined to barracks until yesterday ...been in the workshop most of the week ...made two more bird tables/feeders just to kill some time...split some logs and stacked out.....pulled the cables through the trunking ready to connect Led strip lights (emergency) ....yet to get the leaf mould but will have a look tomorrow ..see if i can get a few loads done.....time to check on the stored food again ....and take a look at things i said i would get done ....and have not....i always come up with a plausible excuse , not that its deliberate ...more a question of priority at a given point in time or even worse what i want to really do at any given time.

Its a funny feeling ....not seeing little Gwen in the window waving on me as i drive past ...as i have for the past 34 years she passed a few weeks back ....big show of many folks at the funeral ....makes you reflect on your own mortality ...she was a truly wonderful person ...always thinking of others and always helping out in anyway she could ....i will miss her and our little chats....as i look around i notice people i once knew have gone....moved on to the next stage of their souls development....chatting to God the other day asking if he could help out with the lotto numbers (mine in particular ) he called me a false bastard (yep he swears too ) ...."you have much to learn SS...in fact i may have to send you back another 100 times " ....slow developer i think he said....i took a large bite out of my ham,tomato and cucumber roll and ended the conversation right there...he's hard work sometimes !

[Straight Shooter]

Finished planting All the fruit bushes ....and more turned up (sil) forgot to tell me about, we will not want for fresh berries ,jams,tarts,jellies,or wine.......checking on the tinned preps ....will be throwing a fair bit out AGAIN starting a major assault this coming Friday AGAIN its the fruit and tomatoes i think its condensation so cutting in some more vents .....i noticed a leak in the corner of the roof (fibreglass) looks like the fuck up fairy caught the edge removing some ladders.

Done a few more jars of pickled shallots, had a reorganise of the brew shed will start another beer batch, and more Blackberry wine and elderberry wine (from the freezer).

John the farm turned up Yesterday with some timber (he is making a new kitchen table) ..."Alright butty.....can you do me a kindness" before i could answer he had strapped off and walking towards my workshop.....no problem son ...what's the contract....can you rip this lot down and thickness it for me ? piece of piss John boy!.....is that coffee i can smell ......oh aye it sure is !....i'll be mother he says....do you want another? as he poured two cups .....he pulled up a chair next to the heater........well i must say you got it nice in here pal....aye its coming good finally John ....i finish measuring up and set the saw fence and connect the planer up ....we sit a while and natter away "should have those 45 gal drums by this Saturday" that's great John ...but there is no rush.....i rip the three lengths down ...set up the thicknesser and run the Now six pieces to equal square size .....do you want the shavings pal ? No john do you? yes please....i will give them to Joyce as i go past (she has some hens) i bag the shavings as John ties off on the roof rack.....think i'll have another coffee how bout you ....John swills the cups(we are clean fuckers here in Wales)and pours two cups .....i take the shavings to his truck and place in the back ....i return and sit.....WTF......John laughs....he has emptied his hip flask into my cup ...."its Christmas pal"....sorry i can't join you...but i have to drive.....i would have done it on the first cup....but i was worried about how attached you are to your fingers, very considerate is our John.

[Pete Grey]

Not done much last couple of weeks, gone through food checking expiratry dates, will repack in plastic crates for ease of movement ( should we have move quickly) and for stacking. Next things to check will be first aid and meds. All crates are labelled and have list inside and one stuck on outside. Need to get a couple more water jerry cans, will get 10 litre in case wife needs to move them, also need to get more AA and AAA batteries, down to last but one pair of work gloves must remember next time we shop, will also get goggles and ff3 dust masks.

[Straight Shooter]

A wise consideration Pete 10 litre jacks.....i did have two jacks given me a few weeks back with taps one 20 ltr and one 10 ltr off a mate of mine (out of the blue) from a mere every day conversation ........its good to talk !

[Pete Grey]

I try to keep all crates and boxes around 30 lbs if possible, if we have to move quickly it makes things easier, if just sorting things out less strain on the back.

[Lightspeed]

PG:

As you're looking at purchasing dust masks, I found these to be an amazingly good solution:

http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/...-6000.html

Expensive, gimpy, but highly effective.