What have done towards your prep?

[Pete Grey]

With the weather getting a little warmer we will soon be starting to go to the odd car boot sale, to look for pre digital age technology, in other words old stuff, still useful some as new that people have thrown out and replaced with flash looking plastic tat.

The first thing we want are a couple of clocks, wind up clocks that we all used to have on the mantle shelf or even wind up alarm clocks.

Then i will look for old tools, my father was a carpenter so i have a large number of wood working tools but if i can find a hand grind stone that would be good.

Axes and knives are always useful, last year i found a WW1 remington bayonet. On the bric-a-brac stalls you can occasionally find silverware for pennies, silver price low at the moment but clean it up and keep it for barter in the future.

Lots of possibilities, there could be a bargain on every stall, this is how i got a midland CB radio for £5, we just need a sunny weekend.

[Straight Shooter]

I was lucky enough to get a hand cranked sharpening wheel (clamp on a bench job) a bit back from a car boot sale , works a treat , inspired by a thread on here by S13 ....he came up with some great ideas , but you are quite right Pete , there are some great deals to be had along with some great fun ....they will kick off around here in March .....being a chippy i have loads of old hand tools....which i use all the time, the other week i used a star drill to show my grandson how we used to drill holes ...before electric drills ....not sure if he was impressed on just confused .

[MaryN]

Not sure you should be holding your breath for a sunny weekend yet, Pete! Have you seen the weather forecast?
I know what you mean about clocks - my favourite is an old American wind-up wall clock. Now that I have worked out what it needs to be happy it keeps perfect time. I also found a bargain on eBay - 2 brass spider winding keys with all the sizes (odds and evens). Thge two were about £5.99 and will probably long survive me!

[Pete Grey]

The forecast here for Sunday is dry and sunny Mary, but temperature will be down to -3C, OUCH.

[Straight Shooter]

Spent today adjusting the roof pitch on the bottom enclosed patio , to enable access for the excavator , so had to cut in a trimmer both sides , cutting one rafter short by 22" both sides then cutting out the wall plate and fascia board along with a slot 48" x 22" this will now allow access straight through to the bottom acre of ground this will just about work ...the cab is 3 ft wide ....when i re sheet the roof i will do it in such a way as to have the lower sheet slide up when i need to track through. Snow coming in Sunday and real cold spell for two or three weeks ....looks like Mary's going to get snow, how's the wood pile Mary? .......i have insulated our exposed water main supply but i can't bury it for now ...other work needs to be done first , filling 6 x 25 lt jacks and storing them in the garage just in case .

[Pete Grey]

(20 February 2018, 18:47)Pete Grey Wrote: This week i have been sorting out and repacking plastic crates, this is for ease of storage and if we ever need to evacuate our home quickly load the camper, this completes this phase of our prepping.

Canned food in the strongest crate, lighter crates can be used for dried foods, first aid and meds and extra clothing.

The last crate is for long stay, spade, bow saw, hand axe, work gloves, claw hammer, nails, bailing wire, a couple of tarps and some rope. Two litres of thin bleach, laundry detergent then i filled the last remaining space with cleaning materials.

I took the opportunity to make a list of any discrepancies so i can replace any items or buy new as soon as i can.

Now i will think about the needs for long term stay at home.

On second thoughts when i said last crate i was deluding my self, so i have started a new list.

[MaryN]

(23 February 2018, 17:18)Straight Shooter Wrote: Spent today adjusting the roof pitch on the bottom enclosed patio , to enable access for the excavator , so had to cut in a trimmer both sides , cutting one rafter short by 22" both sides then cutting out the wall plate and fascia board along with a slot 48" x 22" this will now allow access straight through to the bottom acre of ground this will just about work ...the cab is 3 ft wide ....when i re sheet the roof i will do it in such a way as to have the lower sheet slide up when i need to track through. Snow coming in Sunday and real cold spell for two or three weeks ....looks like Mary's going to get snow, how's the wood pile Mary? .......i have insulated our exposed water main supply but i can't bury it for now ...other work needs to be done first , filling 6 x 25 lt jacks and storing them in the garage just in case .

The wood pile's just fine, thanks,SS. I've had the OH hard at it logging today so we are ready for anything coming our way. I'd quite like a bit of snow - it would give me an excuse to lounge indoors for a bit.

[Pete Grey]

SS .............Now it’s my turn to lie down in a darkened room.

[Straight Shooter]

Been singing "swing low " All day Pete.....Sil....cracked about 3 pm and went indoors ...muttering something about how bad the ref was.....i did offer to hug him...but this appeared to agitate him even further ...poor little lamb ! .

Been landscaping and trenching all day ....tracked straight through the covered patio ...without any issues....its funny ....like riding a bike , you never forget the controls very happy with the excavator .....filled those water jacks........ nearly froze last night,but cleared after letting the outside tap run for ten mins .

Going to cut in a gate on the drive fence this week , by doing so this will create a short cut that will make life easy to collect the fallen trees off the trail i was telling you of .....there seems to be even more people collecting firewood so best i get moving while there's plenty to be had, there are two newbies or wood bandits...one of which i helped ....logged up a few barrow fulls ....he told me he was banking on a job due in the coming weeks....his eldest son was in tow no more than twelve ...his mission was kindling , using one of those council recycling bags ....he was dragging rather than carrying " follow me son i said " i have the very thing for you in my shed (shopping bag carrier frame and wheels ) five mins later he was on his way to rejoin dad his mobility considerably improved....i love it when a plan comes together....he must have thanked me a dozen times ...along with his dad who hailed me from the trail....my payback .....gave me a much needed lift !

[Pete Grey]

With the snow now going we are all slowly getting back to normal, except for areas with flood warnings, roads are reasonable and we can get about SAFELY.

We can now look back on the last few days and decide if we could have done things better, silly things like the snow shovel in the porch not the shed, together with extra buckets of coal and kindling, boots by the stove, we had plenty of notice of the coming snow.

We will be able to check the house to see if it needs repairs and soon we can tidy the garden, but for the moment its pen, paper and a glass of whiskey, we plan to improve our preps, the more we plan the fewer mistakes we make.