What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

Picked most of the remaining apples , I have wrapped them individually in newspaper and laid them in crates in a single layer 40 to a crate I have two crates.....stored in the garage . Racked off the damson wine , I will bottle it off mid November should get 12 bottles .

The cherry,damson and sloe gin will be ready to bottle up end of this month. Going to cure more bacon next couple of weeks …….REMEMBER that pancetta I made up and hung in the brew shed...…...its been hanging there for 18 months (what's it like SS ) don't know ….but I will unveil it tomorrow...…...looks ok .

Put all that western cedar through the thicknesser and cut all the components ready for the new hives just some end milling and router work to do , then assemble them all together ……...I refurbed the sheet metal folder bed some time back so fabricating the roofs should be a doddle .

Going to re'site the emergency generator in the coming weeks (type of steel cage with a roof ) to make better and easy access , so if I kick the bucket …..wild thang can operate it if and when required , although charging points are all set up for various applications WC will have to know what's what …...its just something I have always done , but a fair bit to go through so I will get that done also .

[Straight Shooter]

Three hives are completed ready for next spring …….that will complete our set up of four hives , including the one full replacement on its return to its owner .

Some home maintenance ready for winter , the leaf blower makes easy work of the composting into the temp pallet bin , every for days , Still not tasted the pancetta but looks GOOD tbh been to busy...….on with the wine and the gin...… will be all sorted this week.

Wild Child been baking mince beef & onion pies today and some cheese straws from the offcut pastry ….been driving me nuts ….wonderful smells wafting into my workshop ….and she brought one pie out for testing along with a cuppa …...just imagine some nasty dog when you were a kid ….and you gesture with your hand that you intend to take that there pie.....and the quick but not so quick response not to get bit …..I WAS THAT DOG today …….the slow cooker is on, in the base some leeks,celery ,carrots and fresh crushed pepper corns and nesting on top a ham joint...….cooked ham tomorrow boys n girls and some pickled onions on the side …….bloody YUM YUM !

[Pete Grey]

The garden is finished, all flower tubs, shrubs and fruit bushes and are either in one of the sheds or covered with agricultural fleece, beds are tidied, the pond has been netted. The pond is our last water reserve and i don’t want it full of rotting leaves.

Have stocked up on first aid sterile dressings 200 each 5x5cm & 10x10cm melolin, also sterisrips, wound wash, bandages and 4 boxes of latex gloves, detol disinfectant and methylated spirits, all added to previous stocks.

She who must be obeyed has also been busy, Christmas puddings maturing for next year and Christmas cakes for this year, the trouble is most are for friends. Our slow cooker has also been in action, a pork joint with onions, carrots, peas, potatoes and a bottle of cider. There should be more meals in the freezer but i can’t resist having seconds ?.

[Straight Shooter]

Bottled up All the Gin today six cherry gin six damson gin three sloe gin ……….adding those vanilla pods (though expensive) makes all the difference (added at the fermentation cycle) .

The ten kilo's of red lentils and ten kilo's of green lentils arrived yesterday …...I split them into 2 kilo lots and vac packed (with o a's) and used a iron to seal the Mylar bag then packed five to a plastic tub and popped the top lid seal tight (two tubes) .

Been waiting on some upgrade parts for the security system now its eight channel system plus another four channel for some covert sneaky stuff !

Bought more cast iron cooking stuff …..we are now sorted ! well and truly sorted .

[Straight Shooter]

Made two Nuc boxes this week (used to split a colony of bees to form another colony/new hive) all done and dusted …….I will make another two later on and that will complete our bee keeping setup …...only thing left to get is a separator to extract the honey , will get one electric and one manual .

[Tartar Horde]

Made Gooseberry Jam & Bramble Jam. Planted a Bramble bush. Making lots of arrows as usual.

[MaryN]

Made redcurrant jelly for Christmas (yummy with cold meats). Started to prune the apple and pear trees in the orchard. OH has cleaned out the gutters. Checked all the paddock fencing in readiness for any bad weather. General maintenance in hand.

[Straight Shooter]

Out on the ground today processed two trees that have come down within the last two days , all logged up and split n stacked in the drying shed, had a wander in the woods and found another three trees are down so I will sort them out shortly , bought one of those wood burner fans that sit on top of the stove and push the air about …..on offer in Lidles for £19.99 Bargain ! whizzing around right now ! is it up to the job ? Yes they really do work ! its 26 C right now ! and I am down to my yfronts ….lookin goooood Hey ! I said Hey girls ...no touchy touchy oh yeah! have mercy mama !

[Straight Shooter]

I ordered 50 small 50 medium and 50 large mylar bags and oxygen absorbers …….they arrived today …..ordered seeds (veg ) they will come in the next day or so . So I will be busy prepping up packed quantities of mostly dried long term foods along with dehydrated veg of all types ……..the plan is the pack quantities will reflect meals for two people portions , I will put these into 30 ltr screw top kegs and 10 ltr bins , beans,peas and rice would be one combo but I will make it up as I go ……that is whats good about dehydratimg your own stuff you can mix things up …….even shop bought dried foods .

[Straight Shooter]

should have said 150 small bags not 50