What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

As I sit here out on the deck drinking a mug of coffee and look at the other side of the valley .....and drift back in time to my grandfathers small holding.......coal was no problem and was free ...illegal yes but free ! ...if you knew where to dig ! And yes I still know where it is ! And yes it’s still there but overgrown with brambles .....the hardest be was hauling it back to the farmhouse on that trolly ....well old pram actually ! In 1963 that drift / mine kept many warm ( that knew where it was ) and some a good living that were strangers to paying tax .

[MaryN]

Nostalgia rules, eh, SS?

[Straight Shooter]

I suppose it does Mary , I do a lot of it lately harking back to those times when people had self respect and respected others around them although they had little else ........we enjoyed far much more back then without the help of a gaming console or IPhone , and would gladly work for the means to gain entry to the local baths , a steamed pie in the Italian cafe and the toss up ....a bus ride home or a soggy ( bread pudding ) ......in my case the soggy won which eased the two mile walk home ......best days of my life ! .......until seven years later , I met this Sunday school teacher at a local disco .....life got even better and remained better to this very day.............but she did make me do stuff Mary ......no I don’t want to talk about it ! .

[Pete Grey]

(25 September 2021, 08:44)bigpaul Wrote: I havent seen a coal man for about 30 years, I think its all imported from Australia these days.
not many places have open fire places , all the new houses are all electric.
I dont think many kids know what a coal fire looks like never mind knowing how to lay one, that was my job as a kid, cleaning out the ashes and relaying the fire.

Our house was built in 1960, originally with gas central heating and a gas fire, but now we have a multifuel stove.

Although we can burn wood, which we do on chilly evenings, through the winter we use smokeless coal, a bucket full of which can last all day and night with care, if we leave the living room door open the heat circulates around the house and can cut out the central heating.

I would say getting the stove is the best prep we have made, and we can also cook or boil water on top of it. If we were starting again from scratch I would get one with a back boiler for the heating.

[Straight Shooter]

Off to the open air market today to pick up some lime’s ......going to make some lime marmalade which has become a favourite of ours and some friends ! Will get that made this coming week along with some home cured bacon..........all the onions have been pickled ! .......the hydroponics is up and running, some lettuce is in there , some garlic in tubs and some turnips in tubs are on the go. Some potatoes and swede are left to harvest , three raised beds have been planted up with onion sets ready for next year .

All the immune boosters have been made ready for winter ...just two bags of elderberries left in the freezer as a backup and the same for black currants also blackberries .........bought more dried herbs and spices and dehydrated a pile of my own.

The chimney is swept , the wood burner has had a good clean to within a inch of its life .....just sat there laying in wait casping for a match to fire it up ......come on boy ! Walk on .

[Straight Shooter]

Made five jars of lime marmalade , dug over some raised beds and had a good clean up ....took me ages but done .

Winterising the deck and tarping up the table n chairs , the swing lounger has its own cover along with the barbecue ....blew all the deck and pathways ....just my trusty table left and two plastic chairs .

[Straight Shooter]

Ordered some western cedar from the mill a few weeks ago......just had a call to say it’s ready to pickup....so I will hitch up the trailer first thing tomorrow and go get it 25 mile round trip, will stack it in the drying shed and run it through the thicknesser Next year ready for hive parts as and when required .

I am adding more nails ,screws , nuts n bolts of various sizes.....stock wire along with stock fencing and some barb wire , staples , strainers ......and some steel profile sheeting , going through the preps and gear over the next few weeks (again) to avoid any unpleasant surprises .......giddy up you old bugger ! Well walk on then .

[MaryN]

Hedging and fencing for us. Get everything winterised and secure. All fruit is now picked and processed. Jams, jellies and pickles made and in the larder. Freezers topped up with everything we need. Last load of logs have been cut to size and stacked in the barn. It can now snow ink!

[bigpaul]

shut down the containers I grew this years tomatoes(first time) and spuds and other stuff, wrapped what is left in fleece, we are expecting a cold snap later, maybe next week.
did a big shop last week so larder is full up, so is the "overflow" box I use to top up the larder, meat order went in today so that will be delivered on Tuesday straight from the farm.
topped up both cars petrol tanks, yes this rural area has petrol and diesel and the corner shop is all topped up again, no empty shelves.

[Straight Shooter]

Picked up more food preps early today first one in the door wam bam thank you mam and away ! ....we have been unhappy with the fruit & veg for some time no matter where we buy it ? ....but we took a trip up to Ludlow , the street market was full of local producers , from crafts to fruit & veg ....okay not the cheapest but top quality and worth every penny , it seems that the English have kept up the tradition of home grown fruit & veg.

Then on to Shrewsbury indoor market ....rammed out ! Huge bag of pickling onions £4.99 ...could not believe it again top quality ......it was a pleasure to revisit a time that seems to have been lost ( around where I live ) at any rate ......what’s it like where you are ? .

I am off to pick up four Gerry cans two petrol two diesel .....to beat the rush in a few weeks time.....