What did you do to prep today?

[Summerthyme]

Ouch... WHY does dental work cost so much?!

My youngest son got a quote for removing his wisdom teeth... according to the dentist he saw, they were ALL "bad" and needed immediate removal. One was causing him pain, and clearly was abscessed. The dentist showed him his x-rays on a new, *expensive* digital machine, and DS said they were essentially unreadable. Being my kid, he said so! LOL!

Anyway, the quote was $1800. (the x-rays alone were $200) He didn't have insurance, and couldn't come up with that kind of money. I called our aging (and what we'll do when he retires, I have NO idea) dentist and got him an appointment. I explained the problem, and they said "if he can come up with $100 in cash, we can probably help him".

So... end result. New x-rays showed NO problem with 3 out of the four teeth- they were straight, healthy and had plenty of room. The doc pulled the abscessed tooth. And the total cost- including the x-rays- was $92.

SOMEONE is running some real scams out there...

Summerthyme (if I could afford it, I'd look into going to Costa Rica and getting implants. I have lousy teeth, thanks mostly to a moronic pediatrician experimenting with the new "wonder drug" tetracycline. According to my dentist, I have the bones of a 20 year old... but when I've had to get a tooth pulled, they come out in multiple pieces- very brittle. From what I've heard, you can get full implants, etc for about 1/4 the cost of having it done here- including plane fare and hotel costs)

[Faroe]

People around here (and they are white) talk routinely about going to Mexico for medical procedures. My own best outcome medical experience (and I don't go to a doctor unless I'm in a horrible level of pain) was in Venezuela.

[BrudderT]

Today I went and picked up my new package of bees to replace the colony that passed through the winter. Installed them about an hour ago.

Also today I bought a chicken coop. Small one for three hens. Gotta do some work to prepare the place for it. I would like to go get some chicks this weekend but need to study all the great threads about breeds first.

Suggestions for a first timer would of course be greatly appreciated!

On the thrift shop side of things. Yesterday I found two, like new, 3 D-Cell maglights for $5 ea. Cleaned the lenses, put in new batteries, working perfect!

BrudderT

[Summerthyme]

BrudderT- given that you only want a very few chicks, you're probably going to have to get whatever is available locally. And since they'll essentially be pets, you might as well get a breed that appeals to YOU, although obviously if you want eggs, it's best to get one which is bred for decent rate of lay...

You might want to consider the Aracauna (or "Americana"... as the breed sold most places has been bred for good rate of production of colored eggs and no longer has the same show type as the old fashioned Aracauna. They're neat birds for small flocks, as they come in assorted colors (easier to tell individuals apart) and, of course, they lay colored eggs- generally shades of green or greenish blue, although I do have one which lays light brown eggs (one of the "side effects" of interbreeding with brown egg laying breeds to increase production and also get a wider range of colored eggs)

The ones I've had have been quite personable and easy to tame. Despite my preference for the Slow White broiler birds for a dual purpose (meat and eggs) and my favorite Cuckoo Marans, I've got another half dozen Americana pullets coming next month. Dunno why, but there's something about those colored eggs that's just plain fun...

Summerthyme

[ChristieAcres]

Today I went and picked up my new package of bees to replace the colony that passed through the winter. Installed them about an hour ago.

Congratulations & hope this is a better year for your beekeeping! I was very pleased to see a few Honey Bees foraging from our Dandelions last week (I don't have any this year so...). There must be a hive not to far away... I opted to increase my Blue Mason Bee population, then also added another type of Mason Bee, "Osmia Californica's." These are released later to extend the harvest.

Also today I bought a chicken coop. Small one for three hens. Gotta do some work to prepare the place for it. I would like to go get some chicks this weekend but need to study all the great threads about breeds first.

My favorites were our Brown Sussex, followed by our Cuckoo Marans.

Suggestions for a first timer would of course be greatly appreciated!

On the thrift shop side of things. Yesterday I found two, like new, 3 D-Cell maglights for $5 ea. Cleaned the lenses, put in new batteries, working perfect!

BrudderT

Gotta love shopping at thrift shops! You can find the best bargains there... A local guy found $500 Downriggers in great condition at Goodwill for only $50 each!

I've been very busy, too. I am in high gear, indoor germination, and my little greenhouse is filling up. I have hundreds of seedlings, already, and I have a lot more to plant (!!!). Of course, this year, I get to plant fruits/veggies in my Orchard, still mostly dirt.

Right now, have a Rhubarb that is 4' tall, and 5' wide, and will need to harvest from this big gal, very soon! This is a large variety, just gets huge every year, big stalks, too, giant leaves... The Strawberries are blooming (all 9 varieties), harvesting Asparagus every few days, Kale is blooming, have one primary yearly garden bed fully planted (Peas, Alpines, Onion varieties, Blood Veined Sorrel, Celery, Cilantro, Swiss Chard, Lettuces, and Spinach). Of course, the perennial fruits/veggies are all growing very rapidly now. I feel like I am getting a late start, and lost a few days recoving from a fall, but in actuality, I am in better shape than last year on timing! One of my last year's Artichokes is flat HUGE compared to the other one, but both had babies, need to split them off. A number of my Comfreys are beginning to bloom!

Since DH is so busy working on multiple Welding/Machining jobs, he has no time to help me in the garden. DS to the rescue! Rob, 22, is a lot of help, enjoys weeding (not kidding, even told me he did). He is coming over on Friday and we are going to work on finishing the weeding that is left, prepping planting beds/areas, and spreading composted manure where needed.

So far, seedlings include Peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Squash, Herbs, Asparagus (4 kinds), Green Globe Artichokes, Purple Artichokes, Onions, and soon I'll be planting Beans. This year, I have over 200 seed varieties, lots more space available, and looking forward to doing some much less formal garden planning. It will be fun

[LordThor]

Brushing up on my Land Navigation skills. Never know when the grid will go down, and you have to move. Roads could be blocked... anything. You need to know how to travel across country. I had been using those cheep compasses, but I'm upgrading to a Cammenga B3H lensatic today... just as soon as UPS gets here.

[timbo]

Ordered a Lee lead smelter from Cabela's. Best price I could find. Was pennies less than 70 bucks with shipping and tax.

Right now I have a mold for .44 mag (most expensive bullets I buy) and will certainly be making up some boolits.

I have both a rifle and revolver in .44 mag.

[LordThor]

It finally got here! I can't wait to try it out!