What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

Been packing portions of dried foods (for two people) dehydrator is still in full flow …...packing as I go , made five jars of Ghee last week will do more this weekend, update on that small solar panel set up I re'sited some months back ….I use this for mobile phones , fire pad, I pad , and lighting for the polytunnel 50 watt panel ….its doing the job and I am satisfied with what it does …..I will set up the 300 watt array this spring ….and the building to hold all things solar including the aquaponics which will all be 12 volt dc powered , got all the gear ready and waiting .

One last item......I am reading almost everywhere of imminent food shortages due to crazy weather patterns rain , cold freezing winds , drought ...next doors cat pissing on your veg …..take your pick! like it or not as preppers we need to heed the warning and react accordingly Especially when other preppers are telling us to do so ! …..we will need More food prepps ! ………..so crack on ! best do it now ! more long term prepps .

[Straight Shooter]

Been continuing to buy more long term food preps , rice,pasta,oats,dried pulses, tea,coffee,dried milk,sugar,spices,salt,vinegar ,oils,and some canned meats, veg, fish ,I am now filling the second 67ltr tote I bought last year (on wheels) I bought three ,I will complete all three.

With all the reports of crop failures and shortages it won’t be that long before prices will go up big time, so I figure we will get a return on the investment later on down the line no matter what comes.

Our four freezers are full, wild child is insisting reducing the contents ready for fresh produce later in the year which makes perfect sense ,so I will turn the one freezer into wine and jams .

Made more Ghee and another batch of bacon last week along with some flat bread , cleaned a pile of glass jars and bottles ready for use, made four jewellery boxes solid mahogany and french polished to a glass finish for my three daughters and my granddaughter ......something to open filled with hugs and kisses ....enough to last a thousand lifetimes .

[Straight Shooter]

Made 9 jars of strawberry jam 5 jars of black currant jelly and 10 jars of strawberry and gooseberry jelly so far this week ….all out of the freezer …...all that's left (fruit wise ) raspberries 8 pounds rhubarb 4 pounds damsons 4 pounds apple 4 pounds red currants 8 pounds blackberries 3 pounds elderberries 4 pounds apricots 3 pounds so its more jams and jellies and some wine will get that done by the end of this week...…...the next attack will be on all the veg …….we will make stews soups casseroles set these into ready meals pour into cartons label date and stack back into a defrosted empty freezer …….wild thang has already sorted out the other 3 freezers over the last two days …...oh and made good on (the disaster I made cleaning the brew shed) I'm as useful as a ashtray on a motorcycle ………"I just don't understand why I love you …..old man " ……..I said well I am glad you do old girl ……….its like the fucking Waltons around here …….cue Waltons music !

[MaryN]

We're into hedging at the moment. We're in the middle of planting 45 metres of mixed fruit and nut hedging in the paddocks (hazel, crab apple, bird cherry and some nut trees). It's perfect weather for planting and I'm now praying we don't get frost/snow for a few days. Fingers crossed.

[Straight Shooter]

I have spent the past two weeks preparing the raised beds , two new bigger beds ,in total eleven beds are now ready ,all weeded and turned over.

All the fruit trees and bushes have a handful of fish blood and bone to give them a good start, tied up the raspberry row after the last storm , layed some Taram on the pathways around the beds then spread a 3” layer of clean chippings over , nice to work clean ! Just five beds left to weed (Strawberry beds) .

Bought a new arc welder, auto visor,5 Ks of electrodes and some gloves all delivered yesterday , ready for up coming projects later this year.

Storm Dennis is coming in already (midday here) steady rain right now medium fall , so confined to barracks ....but plenty for me to get done in the workshop .

[Straight Shooter]

Well we are still here and are doing alright up till now .....many are not so lucky around the South Wales valleys,some folks have lost everything and worse still could not get or afford the costs for insurance ....what a state of affairs ? Criminal is what it is ! And just because you HAVE insurance does not mean that much when the loss adjuster comes a calling ,and the main reason is to see how much they can screw out of paying you! .....and no it’s not over yet ! .

The bees seem to be doing fine up till now The two hives are good , the additional two hives are all set to go down the bottom ground all being well they will be fully rented out to some new immigrants .

Been topping off food supples / stocks just to play safe and avoid any rush that may well turn up shortly .

[Pete Grey]

Good to hear you’re ok SS, you did say water from the mountain was pouring down the drive, so no real damage then ?.

As for insurance, the companies will try to screw you down if they can, but there is an answer, google “loss assessors” these people are employed by you so are on your side and will fight your case.

They put in a fair claim for you, arrange all paperwork, work with builders and are inturn paid by the builder, so no real cost.

We too have been topping up on food stocks, mainly dry stuff, and items we anticipate may be scarce due to supply chain problems, or if the area goes into lockdown. As always, every thing just in case.

[Straight Shooter]

I have dug out six land drains since the problems of two years ago Pete .......All these run at nearly 65% when we get prolonged rain and all the run off off the mountain ,three of these drains defend the new place the others divert away from the banking and away off our ground and terminate into a safe four foot pipe into the river....but even all that does not prevent us from the worry of it all .

[Pete Grey]

We are very lucky we are on a hill, any flood water runs away from us, even so the road was flooded at the bottom and the river was all over the fields.

In B&Q this morning, for some strange reason they are short of FF2 and FF3 dust masks. Our local chemist has also sold a lot of hand sterilising gel, could it be something to do with China ?.

[Straight Shooter]

Next time you go shopping Pete....have a real close look at the shelving and the spreading / stretching of stock items....check out the DEPTH of the stock (or lack of it) on the food isles , at B&M,s they have been short / out of stock of tinned meats for the past nine days .....new lines have replaced old lines : because of supply problems: we were told ! Also check out the widths of reduced stock columns (plenty of old depth but half the standard width ) all by design not for us to notice ? The big thing we have noticed these last few days in particular .......people are definitely stocking up ! .....as you will be aware Pete it’s being blasted all over the MM ....even sheeple are digging what’s being told them picking up loud and clear ( has SS flipped his lid you well may ask ! ) do not take my word just look for yourselves .......the more news and updates the more things will deteriorate until all we may see is nothing but empty shelves ....that’s when things gets real interesting and very dangerous,looking on the bright side all it would mean for us preppers is we beat the rush and mayhem and we need not go shopping for a while....but that’s all it would really mean , we prepared for it ! .