Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Neighbors
Monday, September 24, 2007
Squirreling
So here is the new seasoned wood in front of the old seasoned wood waiting for the Kevbear to get to stacking. There used to be a nice woodshed to put it in but the bitch neighbor from hell filed a complaint that it was a fire hazard to her vacant lot and the county made us move it, it was too close to the property line... it is now a wonderful garden shed!
So as part of my squirrel activity I went to the big city and bought some extra food. On Saturday I put 20 pounds of cheese in the freezer and another 6 meatloafs (12 total so far). I get this way... This year I did some research (thanks LDS) and bought some books and came up with a plan! A meal plan. I looked at what we eat and how often, as I am the cook in the house this was easy. I then looked at 2 weeks worth of meals, I then broke it down into what each meal took to make. I then figured these meals (with variations) for 8 months. Just until next years garden starts producing. And then inventoried what I already had stored away, and thought "oh shit I need more stuff!". So I shopped... Mr. G does have a point (ignored by me) that we do not have the room for my squirrel list. I am determined... I am also very worried...
We have some class A idiots running things these days. We are in a war over oil (#2 so far) and will be in more soon and very few leaders say we are in a war over oil... yet. We have an economy that is running on borrowed time that could pull many things down world-wide... soon. We have a government that is not addressing the fact that we are in a war over a dwindling resource and should really be putting the $'s into some new energy avenues. So I am worried...
I spent Sunday canning. Now I have not canned for 20+ years, so I thought that it might be a good time to get in practice again, what with having a garden and all. So I put up a dozen quarts of dill pickles and a dozen pints of relish. It was cool out so it helped warm the house up, and it helped get rid of most of the veggies on the dining room table. The zucs will become zuc/carrot breads for the winter hoard. Next weekend will maybe be applesauce... There is also that wood -pile waiting...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
First Frost
This morning went down to the garden, sure enough... it hit 29 last night and when I get home tonight I think it is time to pick the last of the baby peppers, zucs, & cucs. It is due to be 29 again tonight and then warming to give me false hope on the hundreds of tomatoes ready to ripen. I will be canning this weekend... the dining room table is loaded with vegies.
After a bad start to the first ever garden at this house (2 freezes in mid-June & neighbors from hell deciding to have free range bunnies (bunnies dig)) I thought I might get a break on a September frost. So I would say we had 80 frost free days. We did get to eat our first corn two nights ago and it was as sweet as honey. And Mom & JR who helped with the watering while we were gone did get a huge bounty from the garden. New rule... do not take a September trip when you have planted a big garden.
The big, giant, bloated Super Walmart opened yesterday in town and everyone wanted to go, Mr. G stopped after work to see it. Mom wanted to go but no one wanted to go with her so she will go today. It was on the news, it was an event, there was no parking... it is 5 acres under 1 roof for crying out loud. And twice that in pavement. There is a Home Depot going in next door, there is a Lowes going in down the road... and our economy is going where? To China? To Saudi Arabia? I am sure we will see these giant boxes be empty shells in the not too distant future. Both those countries could pull the plug on the US dollar and send this SUV, buy more and more, heads in the sand economy of ours into a depression that would make the 20's and 80's look like cake walks. So I will get better at canning, plant the last of the fruit trees this coming spring, and plant a much bigger garden next spring!