No particular reason for the bird shot except I took that last year and won some awards for it.    The bird is the Lesser Yellowlegs.

   So I got my potatoes and strawberries finished but not the oatmeal.   Instead of making up bags today we went to one of our local breweries.  On Sunday a bunch of brewers get together and share their latest drinks and critique them.  I brought one of my 3 year old meads called a methleglin.  I had cinnamon, clove and madagasgar bourbon vanilla beans in it.   Now I tried it when it was a year old and although it was pretty good when I tried some Sunday it had aged to perfection so I decided it was time to get the experts opinion on it since it was the 2nd mead I made.   Everyone loved it.  One guy whose opinion I really respect said it was the best thing he had tasted that day.  So I feel pretty good about that.  When you put a lot of thought and work into a product it is great when it turns out.  

   Then I went to another brewery in town to talk to the brewer about the mustard I am making for the bock fest.  I am going to make a beer mustard and wanted to see if he had any beer he wanted me to use but I would like a porter so I guess I will just buy one.   I am going to make a hot mustard, a herb mustard and horseradish mustard.

   Today so far I have only made another Echinacea tincture since I am low.  Echinacea is good for colds and also just to boost the immune system.   I am going to start another purple cone flower bed this year since my old one got choked out by the wild orange lilies and my catnip.  Word of warning.  Plant your catnip somewhere where you can contain it.  It is hard to get rid of.   I also made a Calendula tincture.   Here is good video on the benefits of it and it is a great plant to put in your garden for pest control https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALeT9mLuJ7o

   We are expected rain for most of the week.  I really wanted some warmer weather for my composter.  I have duel barrel composter and one side is close to being ready to add to my planting soil but some warm weather would help finish it off.   Can't hurry mother nature though.   It is now officially Spring.   Soon I be hitting the woods in search of moral mushrooms and hope no one has found my favorite spots to gather them. Today I really need the old guy to clean out on of our gutters is blocked.  So that is my plan today except getting our pork loin ready to be cooked for supper.

     Remember, being prepared is the smartest thing you can do.

Filling up big Bertha

     It's a cool frosty day so I am spending it inside doing some food prep.   As soon as I finish my coffee.  I bought 5 pounds of apples and some strawberries since I am running low and am going to slice them up and put them in the dehydrator.   We use them a lot in oatmeal and I am making up several bags of instant oatmeal with cinnamon, apple and strawberry pieces in them.  It is so much cheaper to make your own individual bags then buy the boughten ones and that way you don't have all the chemicals and unnecessary sugars.  I just take instant oats, my fruit and cinnamon and some powdered organic whole milk and mix in a large bowl and then divide into bags with a desiccant and then store them in a mylar bag for when we want them.  A little bit of prep time but so worth it.

    Yesterday we went shopping.  I got some great deals on pasta so bought up a bunch to store in my long term storage.   My kids save me their liter pop bottles since I don't drink pop.   Watch the video to see how to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcFwFOB5t58 

   When you prep on a fixed income it doesn't have to be expensive.  Just look for sales and tips like this.  We recycle as much as we can.  All jars get washed and can be used for storing stable things.  The bottles work great for pasta and rice and beans.  To prevent bugs which are naturally in most foods I used to freeze my flour, rice and beans first but using this method with the bottles and starving it of oxygen it saves me a step.   

    In Sweden prepping is encouraged and the government expects you to.  I wish it was encouraged here in the states.  Sure fema and the red cross tell you you should have 2 months of food and water but they don't really put their heart in it and you have to search their sites to find information.   I think a lot of people in Texas have now found out the value of being prepared.   I bet they are doing it now.  In flooding situations where you may be trapped in your top floor for awhile until help comes being prepared can make a difference.  In a big blizzard or ice storm like we get it is important to have what you need already so you don't have to try and travel.

    After I get my apples and strawberries loaded I am off in search of quart canning jars.   I have plenty of pint but want some qallon jars.   They hold so much more.  I also bought some cans of soup that we had used and rotated my old ones up front.  Don't prep things you don't like to eat and always replace what you use.

Always test your prepping supplies

    Last year the ole guy bought a new firestarter.  It looked good and they are cheap but it never worked.  The metal was so hard it wasn't magnesium and wouldn't flake off.  China makes a lot of fake ones which is really terrible.  How would you like to be in an emergency situation and think you had something to start a fire with and it wouldn't work.   In an emergency being able to start a fire and stay warm is of top priority because most people die from hypothermia.  Especially day hikers who don't carry anything with them not intending to get lost, but do.

    So I did some research and bought a good one. And we tested it out.  I don't want to just think it works, I want to know it works, and it did, well.   I also wouldn't depend on just one method of starting a fire.  Bic lighters are cheap and even when out of fuel you can start a fire with the spark, waterproof matches dyer lint.    I keep all that for my fires. 

   These are the 2 side by side.   The junk was bought in our local Fleet farm store.  The other I bought from the manufacturer.   The China junk ones are really shiny.   Now the thing about the junk one is I really like the saw type blade on it so put that with the good fire stick.

 No matter what type of things you buy for your emergency prep bag please make sure you test them out before you ever need them.   It would just suck to find out they don't work as promised.  Try your little solar battery charger, your little camp rocket stove, try them all out first before you pack them away and periodically get them out and make sure they still work.   

    Most of the places we hike in our neck of the woods it would be impossible to be lost for long.   Still I do carry a little pack that has a reflective mirror type surface, a whistle, something to light a fire and a rain poncho.  You could fall and injure a leg and be unable to hike out, it could rain and getting wet and cold would be a bad thing.  We tend not to hike when it is really hot so if we had to be out overnight we would be cold.  Dress in layers.  

   I always told my kids to think about the worse case thing that could happen and prepare for it, but also prepare to have a great time, if the risks outweight the benefits don't do it.

  So that is my prep tip of the day.  I plan on getting groceries today and as usual getting a couple cans of things to add to my prep pantry as we rotated some out this week.  The new cans go in the back and the old cans move forward.   Have a great day if anyone is reading this.

Darn snow

      This time of year my thoughts turn to gardening and I have been busy this week getting my beds and soil ready.  I do a lot of container gardening and I use my old soil by mixing it in my wheelbarrow and adding some of my compost and other things to it to replace nutrients lost last year.  The weather has been warm, really nice for march.   My windowsills have basil plants growing in little pots as does my grow lights and I got my seeds from  Bakers Creek Heirloom seeds for some plants I don't have seeds for.  https://www.rareseeds.com/   Then Iowa decided to turn to winter again.  We are expecting anything from 1 to 6" of snow and the temps have dropped down again.  Sigh.  Now I know it won't last long but finally 2 days ago all the ice and snow had finally melted from the areas that don't get much sun.   I have put away my winter coats and boots.  I knew it was too soon but wanted to believe winter was behind us.  Not.

    So I will be doing things in the house today.  I am going to make up some instant oatmeal baggies.   I have a lot of dehydrated fruit so I am going to make some with apple and cinnamon, some with mango, some with blueberries etc.  I might make up a big batch of apple cinnamon and store in my gallon jars so I can just scoop up a serving also.  These are so much cheaper, and healthier then store bought instant oatmeals because you add only the oats and fruit you have dried yourself, no added chemicals and I think taste better.  Here is a site for more information, https://www.theyummylife.com/Instant_Oatmeal_Packets and here is the basic recipe for making a bigger batch.  

 The basic recipe is as follows:
8 cups quick oats
1 cup dry milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix, optional
Whirl 6 of the 8 cups of oats in a blender to make them a little finer.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, dry milk, sugar, and pudding mix.

   You can then add whatever flavoring you like and put them in baggies and store or mix one flavor and store in a jar.   I am making up 2 batches today, one with powered organic whole milk and real sugar and one with organic low fat milk and a natural sugar substitute for me.   Always watching the weight ya know.

  

   Since I had more honey I decide to make another half batch of coffee mead.   This time I used 2.5 pounds of honey, a half package of Lalvin EC 1118B yeast, one bottle of Stok extra bold cold brew coffee and a half of  bottle of Bizzy bold dark unsweetened coffee.   It will be interesting to see which of these I like best.   Being able to make your own alcohol is also a skill that will come in handy if things get bad because it makes great bartering tools.

   What other kind of prep things have I done this week.  I got another couple of 7 gallon water storage containers.   I now have enough so we will have water to last us a month but no water stored up extra for cooking, washing dishes and washing clothes and water for the pets.   But just slowly adding things on as I can afford.  Most power won't be down for longer then a month I would think but it has happened.  A town us had a water main break and it contaminated their water so bad they can't even boil it to make it safe.  https://ktiv.com/2021/02/26/water-main-break-in-castana-makes-water-unsafe-to-drink-or-cook-with/

   Our water pipes in this town are old old old.  All winter long we have broken pipes around town due to freezing.   So far ours have held up but I really think until they all get replaced it is a matter of time.  See, there are all kinds of reasons for being prepared instead of the zombie apocalypse, lots of real natural disasters which are much more likely.  

    Yesterday I saw the robins happily hopping around the yard, tonight they will be looking pathetic in the snow.   They will come to the feeders though so the ole guy will put up mealworms for them.  Hopefully the snow will be gone in a week or less.  

   Well that's all for today.  A prep a day keeps starvation away is my motto.  

   

Coffee Mead

 

 coffee mead or Coffeemel
 

3.8 pounds honey.
lauvin 71 b yeast half packet
Cold brew coffee. 2 quarts

Spring water to top off.

Ok, I made my coffee mead today.   I think I may top it off tomorrow with some more water but it was so foamy.   It will take about 4 weeks depending on the specific gravity and then I will bottle it and let it sit longer.  I like to age mine, the longer the better.   

   I don't drink much of the things I brew but if things get bad vices make great bartering tools.  I think when I bottle I will bottle in smaller bottles then I usually use.  Plus you don't drink much of this at a time.

Another good video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSrORPXzlhQ

The scoop about poop in a disaster.

     When the power goes down eventually your running water will stop.   You basic bodily functions won't though.    Have you thought about how to safely get rid of your waste?   Well I have and I found a great video to guide you through it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AEqBgd7VZo

     These are important to know before you need to know.   It is easy to get the items together and store them in the bucket in case the worse happens.  Being prepared in a disaster is what helps people survive.   It may only be for a few days or weeks like in a hurricane or earthquake.  

    One thing I do is I buy at least one thing I put in my preparation when I go to the store.  Whether it is extra toothbrushes and toothpaste, a can of meat, Keystone meats are good.  The ground beef works well in casseroles or for tacos.   Some peanut butter, some candles or flashlights, I like the headlamps you wear on your head, a small 2 person tent, you name it, try to pick something up.  Check clearance racks, hit the dollar store.  Don't go in debt doing it and many things you already have.

    Another thing that is really important is having one place where you keep all your supplies.  If forced to evacuate your home grabbing a tote or a backpack is much quicker then running  all the house gathering supplies put here and there.   In the fires in California sometimes they had minutes.  All your important papers should be stored in on place you can easily grab.   If you have ammo it should all be in a carry bag because you don't want them exploding on the very people trying to save your house.   Think about what things you would absolutely have to have.  Deeds, insurance policies, birth certificates.  I have mine in a safety deposit box which may not be the best thing if I can't get to them but I have all my contact information and photos backed up and handy in a grab bag.

   Living where I do tornadoes would be the thing that could take my house down or fire.  But we have had flooding even here up in the hills when we had a hard freeze in the ground and then a massive rainstorm, the rain had no where to go, of course we didn't have flood insurance up here so they were as usually zero help.   

    I also have made hardtack and pemmican and here is a recipe for some really tasty DIY survival bars which I carry in each of my vehicles.  Stored correctly they will last a few years even in your car.

https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2019/02/diy-survival-bars.html 

   One other thing I did was order my seeds.   My compost barrel is doing well.

    It has been 2 weeks tomorrow since my shoulder surgery.  I started back to the gym today which was great.  I am on a 2 pound lifting limit so only walked on the treadmill and did some leg exercises but I think being fit will also help you in a disaster.  The ole guy and I are lucky as we are not on any medications but I do keep basic medical supplies on hand.  Stuff for fevers, burns, cuts and sprains bug repellent.  

    

    Spring is coming.  Enjoy the days.  Hard times are coming, gas is going up daily, food is going up and the future is unsure right now, but one thing is sure, enjoy every single day.  When you're prepared you can enjoy it because some of the uncertainty you have taken care of..