What did you do to prep today?

[BrudderT]

My turn again, chuckle... Today, I weeded, prepped, and mulched two smaller garden beds, did my T-Tapp, Elliptical, and set up one of my propagation areas. I checked my bees, and was disappointed I lost them this Winter. From the dwindled populace, a die off, no Queen. Too bad, just one Hive. I am debating getting bees again this year.

Aw bummer CA! Sorry to hear that.
I've been wondering about my bees. I've not seen them since around Oct. when it got cold. I don't know if they're balled up in there keeping warm or if they've gone on to bee heaven. I've been waiting for a 55 degree day to open the hive and take a look.

Your news is not encouraging. Sigh.

If they did'nt make it I'm definately going to get another package and try again.

BrudderT

[ChristieAcres]

Aw bummer CA! Sorry to hear that.
I've been wondering about my bees. I've not seen them since around Oct. when it got cold. I don't know if they're balled up in there keeping warm or if they've gone on to bee heaven. I've been waiting for a 55 degree day to open the hive and take a look.

Your news is not encouraging. Sigh.

If they did'nt make it I'm definately going to get another package and try again.

BrudderT

Thanks, if you want to check yours... Press your ear against the side of your bottom hive box, and you should hear buzzing, even if a bit faint. I was frustrated as I had done everything to prepare my bees, but if you lose a Queen during the Winter, the hive is done for. If I can afford bees, I will get them. Finances have been very tight.

Oh, today I worked out, raked leaves, spread coffee grounds on a narrow strip flower bed (herbs/flowers), walked through our raised garden area, checking everything, taking mental note of priority tasks, happily found my two Artichoke plants have made it (yayyy for that)! Daily, I will be out there, and should have plenty to post here :)

[burtw276]

My wife Frannie and I went to the self reliance expo in Mesquite, TX last weekend. I have been prepping for about 3 yr but have never been able to get Fran interested. After the expo she is on board big time! She got home and started her own BOB! Yesterday she canned 8 jars of venison stew. Today she is canning potatos and carrots! I love it! I am helping her can as she has never done it, but she is catching on fast. She is sending me for more jars! I love having my best friend on board!

[ChristieAcres]

Great to hear, Burtw276! "Way to go, Frannie!!!" (pass that on) I am still canning "Pork Lard," soon to be done with the rest of the rendering. I had 58#s of Pork Fat to render total, so froze half, which is what I am finishing now.

Yesterday stretched into today, rendered around 25#s of Pork Fat into Lard, a batch of Leaf Fat rendering right now, planted just under 200 German Purple Striped Hardneck Garlic, weeded a 10 X 20 ft garden bed, and took a bunch of hardwood cuttings:

At least a dozen seedless Grapevines, Virginia Creeper, Golden Willow Tree, Red Currants, Hardy Fuzzy Kiwi (Male), and HF Kiwi (Female). Also now propagating Mint varieties in the 100s (Spearmint, Choc Mint, French Peppermint, Moroccan Mint, Chewing Gum Mint, Black Stemmed Peppermint, Apple Mint, Orange Mint, and Variegated Pineapple Mint), and at least 100 Comfrey (Bocking14) plants. Most will be sold, but I'll be planting at least 40 of the Comfrey's, not sure about the rest of the hardwood cuttings, as I'd more of some than others. Yes, regular exercise is a very important prep and I get some every day!

[ChristieAcres]

Today, began propagating Alpine "Pineapple Crush" Strawberries, also Cascade Raspberries. DH installed another grow light, with one last one planned for tomorrow. Since it was now or never for cutting Scions, I cut them from our Liberty Apple, King Apple, Asian "Apple" Pear (round ones), and Bartlett Pear. I'll be grafting within a week or so, based on the Biodynamic Calendar. Time for daily task assignments for existing garden beds, areas, and our orchard "Permaculture" conversion. I am hoping to do my Seed Inventory tomorrow, so I can do my garden planning. With two garden cabins, my indoor large propagation shelf w/lights, and my little greenhouse, should be in business earlier this year by far! Now, that I have had time to plan more, the garden cabin out back will be used more for potting purposes, some for indoor growing, too. The one out front, will be used for Orchard purposes, and likely I'll be drying herbs in there, too. Later, when I need to put up fruits/veggies, I'll be setting up the garden cabin out front for that. Since DH will have it wired, I can run the dehydrator in there, too.

[grower]

Not today, but about 5 days ago.....took receipt of a new Anatolian Shepherd puppy, who is now living with our dairy goats. About the 2nd night we had him, the coyotes came through -- pretty close to the pasture and house. It's the first time I've heard them in quite a while, and they were close! That little boy started yapping his head off, and my big Anatolian that sleeps on the porch took note and joined in the warning. I lay in bed, listening to the coyotes singing, and the dogs barking, for maybe 10 minutes....and then they were gone. I sleep comfortably at night, knowing my dogs are on watch.

[microcarl]

Yesterday, I purchased two Case (model 485) fixed blade knives for the G.O.O.D. bags - one for the wife's bag and one for my bag.


This led the wife and I to go through our G.O.O.D. bags and review what we had in them.


My, my… how concepts of survival needs change over time. What we thought would be adequate three years ago, seems to fall far short of what we think would be important in a bug-out situation today. I mean, we realized we didn’t even have a first aid kit in our bags! How could we have missed that three years ago? And yet, we have been purchasing medical supplies for three years!!! I even took a refresher basic first aid course several months ago, and never realized that we overlooked the first aid kits in our G.O.O.D bags!

Additionally, the wife and I both have different memories of what we bought three years ago and now we will need to review our entire G.O.O.D. bag
philosophy.

Originally, we thought that we would each carry complementary items like, I would carry the tent & my sleeping bag and she would carry the cook stove and cooking utensils and her sleeping bag. Now we are thinking that we each need to be fully self-contained with everything we need to sustain ourselves individually.


Of course, the go-bags in our cars (different from the G.O.O.D bags) are exact duplicates of each other.


If you are confused, for us, the Go-bags are located in the vehicles and are there if we get stuck in a situation while out in the car, like going to and from work and, the G.O.O.D. bags are located at the main egress of the house, to be grabbed in the vent we have to Get Out Of Dodge in a hurry!


Reviews are good because mindsets change and so, plans of action must also change.


Next, we have to review the back roads to my daughters new house and trial drives on those back roads.

[just living]

Bought a hand pump for our well and will install it this week. Just in time for tornato season or anything else that comes our way.

[oklahomaprepper]

Installing a large section of wire fencing to keep the chickens out of the now much enlarged raised garden bed area. Also going to try and get some small engine maintenance done on a couple of the tillers.

[BabaOreally]

Celox for the med kit.