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Woke up aching, probably a weather pressure change, there’s a hurricane coming from the Baja. Cleaned house today anyway. Tired ? 

 

Gotta mention. I cooked some pinto beans yesterday. I got the water boiling then put the lid on the pressure cooker and noticed it was venting through the lid lock. I tipped the weight vent and made the mistake of twisting the lid. Boiling water rushed out all over the stove. Good thing I was wearing my hot pad mits. Cleaned it up and inspected the locks. I will need to get a new one. I’ve replaced the spring a couple of times because it rusted away. Last time I had to unscrew the handles to release the lid. It’s a smaller Presto, pretty cheap at WM. I don’t really want to use my All American just to do a small pressure cooked meal. Lesson learned, let the pressure completely dissipate before turning the lid. :shakinghead:

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Hooray!  Another person in the world who still uses their old timey pressure cooker.  I just laugh at all the folks who thing the electric one is the original pressure cooker.  Been using mine ever since Mom gave it to me as a wedding present over 40 years ago, and the concept was old even then!  Beans are a favorite thing to cook in it; also cross cut beef shanks, old laying hens, and squirrel.  I have a regular pot lid that fits on the bottom, which also is the heaviest pot in the house for making popcorn the old way - over heat.  That is the first thing I learned to cook as a child - I was in charge of the Sunday evening popcorn and koolade feast.  

 

Stacked more wood today, but knocked off once the temp got over 90 degrees.  I don't mind slow progress, as long as it IS progress.  We have a cord on our first stack, starting another one in another part of the yard.  Had to find reasonably flat places to put woodpiles and most of the yard is on a grade.  Even the dogs were crabby from being kept inside due to heat.  I excused M. from grilling our ribs tonight, made them inside; parboiled them low & slow heat to keep them tender, then sauced them at the end.  Turned out good, with baked beans & mac salad on the side.  Retired folks can eat picnic food everyday if they want!  Tomatoes are starting to ripen (finally) so we will be eating them darn near every day as long as the vines survive.  We planted indeterminate varieties, but this is a new gardening area, I am not sure how things will handle the heat & humidity levels here.  

 

I'm keeping notes though, in my diary, of garden 'events' and dates, as well as what wild plants of interest appear and when they bloom, so I can update our garden planning info and foraging calendar.  I think tomorrow I will pick and dry more of the herbs I planted - lemon balm, peppermint, rosemary and sage, and look for a spot to put my elderberry bush that I brought along from Wisconsin.  I think I've spotted a couple elderberry patches from the car, but not certain.  Climbing through hedgerows for forage plants is not as easy as it used to be....that's why I'm trying to plant my own 'wild' stuff.  Found a patch of Jerusalem artichokes I did NOT plant, duly noted in my forage notes.  If I am very lucky I might find a muscadine grape gone wild...if not I plan on putting some in during spring on the steep hill down to the creek.  This year I am basically trying to identify key plants & features of our new place.  The list of 'things I want to keep' is getting longer & longer.  THAT is one reason I insisted on buying two lots, so I could have a 'wild' area for my forageables.  

 

 

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Lol, Kappydell, yup, it’s old fashioned. I cook my ribs in it too.  I put a riser in the bottom, to keep the meat from soaking in grease, rub the ribs down with the spices I want, add liquid smoke to the water and cook for 15-30 min. Depends on how soft I want them to be. Then, put them on the ‘cool’ side of the BBQ to firm the outside a little. Much too hot here to have the oven going or grilling them for hours.  I left them in a little too long, one time, and our company loved them, except they freaked out when they realized they had eaten some of the bones accidentally. :whistling:

 

DH used to get the microwave popcorn, until I pointed out the price difference. He fell in love with it all over again after I made a pot full. No additives or preservatives, quick & easy to make, less burnt kernels also. 

 

It’s been over 100 for quite a while now. Pushing 110*F. Summer is here, frying everything. 

 

My Uncle from MD came to visit last week. He goes gold hunting out here. He SHOULD do it in the winter, not in the heat of summer. Anyway, he brought a couple of friends he picked up in AK. They did guy things with our inventory while I prepared dinner, turned on the misting system and dug out extra chairs and tray tables from the shed. I wasn’t expecting them until Thursday night, but the guys were excited to see what we have, so they showed up early-and stayed late into the night. Uncle mentioned how they enclosed the garage and built the shed, interesting bit of homestead history. 

 

The mint and oregano plants I got from WM, were infested with gnats.  When I brought them inside, because of the heat, we had an issue. I’d take the pots out in the morning, into the sun and most would leave the pots. Until I noticed the larvae in the soil. Itsy bitsy tiny shiny worms ate every...single...thyme seedling.   :gaah:  I got so frustrated with the gnats in the house, I planted them in the spice garden. Good luck dealing with the heat.  I’m really hoping the plants will survive, if they don’t, it isn’t unexpected. 

 

The gnats are bad this year. I don’t think it’s white flies because there is no sign of them on any of the plants or trees. Early in the morning, I can see swarms flying around like snow. The hummingbirds are loving them. 

 

This year, we have about 5-7 different types of hummingbirds visiting the feeders. The broadbilled hummers are gorgeous. In the sunshine their red bill contrasts their neon blue bodies. 

 

DH has been updating our kayaks for night fishing. The sun & heat are a little too hot for us now. He upgraded our life vests, got marine grade lights and is going to use red & green glow sticks for the required boat lighting. IDK exactly how I feel about it yet. Maybe if we catch fish, that’ll make it worthwhile. I’m usually sleeping at night, while he’s a true night owl. He’ll go to bed about the time I’m getting up. Interesting venture on the horizon. :ph34r:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Long, busy, tiring day yesterday so I thought I would sleep well. Not! Two nights in a row of less than 4 hours of sleep! Went to Church this morning and started Red beans in the crockpot when I got home. Also roasted in the oven a mix of sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squash, carrots, onions, and garlic cloves. A little olive oil on the bottom of pan and Italian dressing sprinkled over. Boy, is that good! Then had apple slices spread with peanut butter, pecan pieces and blueberries. Trying to get more veggies in us.

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I've found some good canning recipes at various County Extension services. I remember that we had one of the Illinois extension service experts here at MrsSurvival. She kept us on the straight and narrow when it came to ingredients and amounts to use.   :whistling:

 

DH's doctor told him to slow down on woodcutting and let his new knee heal. He has it in his head that the whole year's supply of wood must by done by June 1.  :0327: We missed the date due to his major thyroid surgery last month. Now he has tendinitis on the outside of his leg from lifting logs too heavy for him.  B)

 

I now have great-looking ice tongs to grab the big logs and take them over to the woodsplitter. I got tired of being the other half of the log-lifting team in the woods. It's a great way to lose weight, though.   :grinning-smiley-044:

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Nice Stihl, Homesteader.

 

DH got one last year.  The guy he got it from, (work discount) asked if he has used it yet or if he is just waxing it.  I've been teasing him ever since about waxing it.  :008Laughing:

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Pressure cooker lamb with couscous and onions last night.  So good.

 

Son came through the back porch and made a double take.  "Wait, you have three pressure cookers?"  "No, four.  Two big ones for canning and two little ones for cooking."

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Mmmmmmm.....lamb.  Around here it’s over $15. /lb.  And blackberries?  Haven’t had them fresh in over 50 years. (No green eyed smilies, lol)

 

I love Homesteaders toys. Our property isn’t big enough for toys like that, suburbs ya know. :happy0203:  

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Hey folks! I am off for the summer. All I can say is hallelujah. As each year passes I look forward to summer more and more. I like what I do...but I’m going to be 58 next month and while the spirit is willing this body of mine is seriously having a hard time keeping up. 

 It’s nice reading what everyone has been doing. Mt Rider,  I also get my readers at the dollar store and at Michael’s of all places. Fingers crossed, I haven’t fallen in a long time, lol. Speedy recovery to everyone that can’t seem to stay vertical. This is the first summer that no one has a broken bone, getting a kidney transplant or eye surgery, or moving.  I just want to relax and hang out my garden.  Most of my garden is containers this year. I am already harvesting zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. I planted a grape vine when we first moved in here and it’s really doing well but we probably won’t see anything to harvest until next year.  I have raspberries but we probably won’t be seeing anything from them until next year as well. Cucumbers should be happening soon and some squash as well. Now that summers here and I have more time I may be trying for a few more things. we’ll see. 

 I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with bobcat or bears or any major creature like that. Only issue I have is squirrels and possums....and relatively annoying neighbors. Oh well, can’t all be good.

Momo, so sorry to hear about your  hubby. :pray:

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Darn near overslept and missed church.  So glad I bathed last night, I still made it in time.  The church I go to is downtown, originally built prior to the Civil War, and had beautiful hardwood floors & pews (no cushions).  It is also relatively small, but that's OK - my denomination is one of the few non-Babtist ones, so there is room enough (except at Christmas & Easter).  They are a little old fashioned, I kinda like that.  But parking is a bear (all on-street parking in the University of GA area).  It would be a wonderful area to stroll around and explore all the quaint little shops, if strolling was a thing I could just go do at the drop of a hat.  But now 'strolling' takes more preparation than it used to - I'd have to get out the walker for example.  

 

One thing I am still looking into is the option of tuition-free college courses.  The Univ. of Georgia (by state law) gives free tuition to folks over 65, but the nearby 'branch' of the college specializes in medical and computer classes.  I reeeeealy do NOT want to go into IT (much to M's disgust) I like working with people, not machinery.  My speed is more like the hog butchering classes a couple of counties over....for a fee you can help butcher, and take home  cooler full of pork that YOU put up.  I always wanted to help someone do a hog, but could not find anyone to show me....this place teaches it as a living history thing.  M of course, says she has no interest in that stuff; she had enough as a child (her father was a butcher and did custom slaughtering). 

 

She watered the garden just after sunset today, the 90 degree plus days tend to be hard on the garden.  Our new lawn is nearly kaput; good thing we bought LOTS of grass seed, we can re-seed.   The wood stacking is almost done, but is going much more slowly with the higher temps.  We try to do the yard stuff before noon, and after 5 PM, and siesta during the warmest part of the day (so we can watch late night TV) or fish all night (yes, we have the light-up bobbers).

 

My latest personal 'project' in the planning stage is weaving 'survival paracord bracelets' .  The paracord itself contains fishing line, fire tinder, and sturdy cotton thread as well as the 7 inner nylon cores; the buckles incorporate a compass, fire-steel and striker, and a whistle; and in a clear plastic tube (stoppered on both ends useable as a drinking straw) woven into the center I am planning on putting fish hooks, sinkers, swivels, zip ties, safety pins, magnetized needles, and a plastic straw (sealed at  both ends, remember those) of triple antibiotic ointment.  Then along the sides, 12 inches of soft black vinyl tubing, and a couple of small 'ranger bands' on the outside .  (That is about all I can pack into one bracelet so far.)  Still waiting on a slightly larger (big enough to hold teensy fish hooks) center tubing.  It is supposed to arrive this Friday.  They should make nice Christmas presents (especially if I make them up in the local football team colors, I'm told).  

Its also the kind of semi-ditsy-semi-complicated project I like for doing in front of the TV and not overly expensive (about $5 to make).  I'm finishing up my compilation of canning recipes, and I already re-did my ultra-cheap cookbook, so I will need a new project.   (How strongly my childhood training took, when my mother taught me to always have something to do in front of the TV, otherwise it was 'wasted time'!)

Edited by kappydell
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Kappy, those bracelets sound fantastic. I'm sure they would sell.

 

Another slow day here. I went to the Dollar Tree to pick up some more corn nuts and other snacks. It's the only place I can find ranch flavored ones (other than my bed after Ambien). My bill came to $18.14. I asked the cashier if that wasn't a song. She didn't know. Youngin'. So the lady behind me said she knew that song. Well, of course we started singing it. I think we made it through most of the song! At least what we could remember. Everyone was laughing so hard when I left.  Yet I couldn't remember the word Gamma Seal and Reflexology last week or the correct name of a country earlier. But a song that came out in 1959...I got it.   :sigh:

 

The Battle Of New Orleans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iRIcxsz0

 

Mt. Rider, my Dollar Tree is really small but they had a very nice selection of reader glasses. Holla for a dolla!

 

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I'm battling an infection in my finger.....and I never have trouble with infections.....and it's only a scratch!!!  Hmph.  Put some drawing salve on it and wowza!  That hurt!  Hope it was doing the job.  It slacked off after a while but left me rather ...worn.  :0327:

 

MtRider  :pc_coffee:

 

 

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Good Morning,

 

The sun is just breaking the horizon, birds are singing and it’s only 72* out, so far. It’s supposed to be another warm day. Yesterday we got up to 108*, officially, still felt hotter and it’s supposed to become more humid later in the week.  Monsoons season is almost here. 

 

DH wants to take the Dee-oh-geez to lake today to give them a day out. 

 

Time to gather our day packs. 

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2 hours ago, Annarchy said:

Time to gather our day packs

 

I bet the dogs know what that means when you pick the packs up!

 

Yesterday, had to go to TSC. Back home, I made 24 vanilla cupcakes with blueberries and 12 corn muffins with blueberries. Also cream cheese frosting. 

Today, making Italian roll ups and little cucumber ham sandwiches and peanut butter apples to take to game day along with a few cupcakes. Will try to remember to take a photo later. Today is also laundry day and I'm halfway through! Need to take some eBay photos for DH later.

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Hope your finger heals quickly! I've used that coal tar drawing salve (ich - thee something) before but it never hurt. Maybe it was different stuff. Last time I tried to buy it the pharmacist said it was taken off the market. I took that to mean it actually worked. My grandmother used to use it.  :rolleyes:

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The pups had a good time, until a few people came down our area and the kid said, “... look mom, let’s go get the stuff on the picnic table...”. I said, “ Really?!?”  Mom looked at me and repeated, “Really... what?”  OMG!  I was ready to whoop some a**. DH kept me back, but I took the pups back to the picnic table we were using.  :gaah:  Rude, greedy people. Sheesh!  

 

Grrrr was a brat. DH let him off his leash and he ran to get another dog. I caught him, but, when I got him back to our area, he clothes lined me and made me fall on the rocks. Ouch!  Got my ankle and arm shin. We kept him on the leash the rest of the time, shaming him.  Hopefully he won’t do it again, but I doubt it, he’s old and set in his ways 

 

We left as the people got thick, dozens of groups crowding the lake side. 

 

Here’s Gunny being a “Rock Hound”. 

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6 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Hope your finger heals quickly! I've used that coal tar drawing salve (ich - thee something) before but it never hurt. Maybe it was different stuff. Last time I tried to buy it the pharmacist said it was taken off the market. I took that to mean it actually worked. My grandmother used to use it.  :rolleyes:

Ichthammol. 

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Dh came home a few days ago.  He is still recovering but it is slow going.  He had a bad spell last night.  We think he slept without oxygen for a while and when he finally awoke his heart was beating like crazy and his blood pressure was really high.  We probably should have gone to the ER but I gave him some bp meds we had, and it gradually over 2 hours got down to a normal range. I actually got it down faster here at home than the ER did last time.

 

I had to do laundry..I dreaded it since my washing drain line is blocked and we had to go the laundromat in the heat.  I made DH wear his oxygen the whole time and didn't let him carry stuff. I am so glad to have that done.

 

We got our first real harvest of blueberries  So yummy.  I also got some cherry tomatoes and cabbage.  We kept the garden real small this year since DH has been getting less and less able to work it.

 

I love the way the "rock hound" is posing.  What a macho ham!

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He is a ham, Momo. Sorry your DH is having issues with his heart. My DH takes Flecainide to slow his heart during his episodes. It always works quicker than calling 911 or driving to the ER. Scary either way. :pray:

 

The boys definitely know the day pack means they get to go somewhere and their collars with their tags. They wear rolled up bandannas the rest of the time, getting a clean one every week on house cleaning day. They know the routine and love it when they get their new one, because they also get extra brushing too. Gotta have clean puppies too, ya know. 

 

I’ve got a long ToDo list today, laundry and such. 

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Glad you got your laundry done Momo. I have a bunch waiting for me.

Ugh...basement stairs here.   :STAIRS: 

 

The nerve of some people! A lot of them need a fresh can of whoop a$$ turned loose on them. Rock hound Gunny keeping guard of that pick-a-nick table. Good boy!  :008Laughing:

 

Crimony Ambergris, thanks for coming to my rescue again. My forgetter is about the only thing that still works on me any more. I'm surprised I even got that close. :grinning-smiley-044:

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I’m grateful for no stairs here. IDK how well I would do. 

 

Excessive heat warnings, already. Supposed to get above 110*F today with possibly monsoon clouds building. Meaning,  humility too. :knary:

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18 minutes ago, Annarchy said:

Excessive heat warnings, already. Supposed to get above 110*F today with possibly monsoon clouds building. Meaning,  humility too. :knary:

 

"humility"  .... :lol:  Auto-correct spelling again?  I'm thinking that auto-correct isn't as brilliant as it thinks it is... ;)  

 

We're fortunately having cloud cover every day.....cuts down the heat somewhat.  THANKFUL for swamp cooler.  UNfortunately, we're not geting rain.  All the plant life looks like it should in mid August.  The tiny lamb's quarters plants are crispy when you step on them.  NOT good.  Have some CO fires raging...over Durango way is the worst, I think.  Currently not near us.  Praying for rain and no fires  :pray: 

 

Also praying this infected finger will heal.....so I don't have to visit those nasty people with sharp pokey things....  Hmph!  Give it a couple more days......  :tapfoot: 

 

Heard from Koa's best friend [the FedEx lady with doggie treats...and Koa is SUCH a ham for her!]  that someone near here just lost 3 goats to a bear.  That's...a leeetle more aggressive than we usually hear about.  :unsure:   Already keeping my goat close cuz of Bobby...who we haven't seen since I went BangBang at him/her.  I'm still hauling the bigger devices around cuz smaller doesn't deal with bear.  As I'm getting older...this is getting tedious!  :pout:  

 

MtRider  ....tired....just tired and klutzy  **** But my back strain is all but healed  :amen:   :amen: 

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