Staying Warm

I'd like to thank everyone for all the cool (no pun intended) insulation ideas you guys shared.  It's much warmer in the RV now. I'm thankful that Mars put up skirting around the RV last year.  It's helped a ton.   I've pulled out blankets and throws to cover the windows with.  It's amazing the difference it's made in retaining the heat.  It does sometimes feel like a dark cave in here though So I take them down on sunny days and use the sun's heat to help too.  I am one of those "sun" people.  I just function better when the sun is shining.  Dark and cloudy days are sometimes things that have to be endured until the sun comes out again.

We've been having temps in the teens at night and so Mars has been shutting off the water and draining the lines overnight to avoid pipes bursting. He also filled a big cooler with water and put it in the greenhouse to keep it from freezing up. That's the water I've been using to water the critters with.  I've been rotating out the water we've got stored and refilling when the water's on.  For a few days last week everything froze up and I was really glad that we've got several gallon jugs of water and a 5 gallon cooler for water in the house. They take up a lot of room in this little trailer but it's the only place we can keep it without having the freeze. It beats going without though. 

Our local grocery store has begun a new "service".  They have decided that they will honor other grocery stores sales ads.  I've been taking advantage it and last week I picked up celery at 2/$1.00. So I picked up six.  I still need to chop it all up and dry it but I was really happy to find such a great deal.  There is an Aldi's in T Town but it's almost a 90 mile trip round trip.  They have some killer specials on produce most every week and now I can still stay local and take advantage of the deals from Aldi's. For instance, the  week before Thanksgiving they had cranberries for $1 a bag. I realize now I should have picked up more than 2 bags. Especially when I found out just how easy (and yummy) homemade cranberry sauce is to make.

 It's hard to believe that just a month ago I was still enjoying the down time. Now I'm starting to think about spring.  Especially since I got my first 2014 Seed Catalog!  Baker's Creek even!!  I love reading seed catalog's and Baker Creek is one of my favorites. Just think, here in a few weeks I'll be starting tomatoes in the greenhouse.  Winter is a great time to go through my seeds and see what I have and also start planning what we'll actually plant in the spring. 

I think I'm going to bake a batch of cookies this afternoon.  Snickerdoodles anyone ?

Saturday Check In

Like most everyone across the country,  we are getting our share of snow and cold cold temps. The low last night was  right at 3 *.  We've warmed up to 9* here now .  Now that's some pretty cold weather.  We got about 6"  of snow and it looks like it's not going to melt much anytime soon. 

 The trailer isn't very warm but we are managing.  The heater runs constantly though and I can only imagine how high our electric bill is going to be after all this. Layers of clothes, hats and gloves are still required though.  I'm thankful I have a pair of fingerless gloves.  They really are coming in handy.  

One of the things on "The Eternally Growing List" is to make some heavier curtains for the windows.  They really loose the heat.  I'm sure wishing I had bumped it up a bit higher on the list. Hindsight's 20/20 though!   There have just been things that were more important and I've just not had the funds for the material.

The critters are all ok.  I've been breaking ice out of the water for the chickens three times a day for the past couple of days.  The rabbits don't seem phased much by the weather.  We move them into the barn in late fall and they overwinter there. Mars had the foresight to fill a big cooler full of water and set it in the greenhouse for critter water. We've got a little heater in there for the few plants that we are trying to overwinter and it's nice and warm in there. 

  I'm sorry about no pictures lately. My camera has some sort of problem where the  batteries go in.  It's not making a "connection" for some reason. It breaks my heart because I like to take photo's of things around here for future reference.  Besides I just love taking pictures!  Mars hasn't taken a look at the camera yet.  I'm hoping he'll be able to figure something out. We've added a new critter to the mix and I wanted to show you how cute he is. 

Ya'll all take care and stay warm.  Be sure to check on your neighbors and especially  the elderly to make sure they are ok too.

Black Friday Is In The Books

Well Black Friday is over. What a spectacle. I cannot believe what some people will do for  cheap crap from China. Things that they probably don't even need and really can't afford. I watched the Black Friday crowds standing in long lines and almost all of them had their heads down playing on their iphones.  Interaction with those around them seemed to be minimal.   I watched them turn into savages as the doors opened.  Pushing and shoving. screaming and cussing and running over each other for a TV they probably don't even need.  I watched as fights nearly broke out over a set of POTS AND PANS.  Pots and pans? I suppose they need something to cook their GMO laden processed foods in.

You saw how people acted when their food stamp cards suddenly wouldn't work. It took no time at all for all hell to break out once they all jumped on their obammaphones and called all their friends and relatives to come to Wal-Mart for the free goodies. Again, no cares as to the consequences of their actions. 
You've probably heard about the Knockout Game.   Gangs   will roam the street looking for a white victim.   Innocent people just walking down the street are picked out and suddenly sucker punched squarely in the face with the intent to knock the victim out. And then they all laugh and hoot and give high fives.  I figure that one day soon they'll pick  the wrong person to mess with and someones going to get killed.

 What the hell has happened to this society?  It seems a majority of people no longer have any sort of moral compass at all.   The "me first" attitude has grown people who only care about themselves. People who will do just about anything anymore with no thought of the consequences of their actions and certainly no empathy for their fellow human beings.

Why should they though when even the POTUS is given to lying and only caring about his own personal agenda. I watch as each generation seeming to loose more and more of their inhibitions and human compassion.  There  has become a sort of a no give a shit attitude in this country. It's all about "me" with absolutely no care at all for others. If called out on it they will invariably try to put the blame on someone else's shoulders. Why not! It's what their illustrious leader does.

Can you just imagine just how bad it will be if those same people didn't have food on their table?  When there is nothing left in the stores except empty shelves?  Have you any doubt that chaos would soon follow?

 

Turkey Day is Finally Here!!!

 I'd like to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah! Do you happen to know just how often the two holidays share the same day? I had to do a bit of detective work (read web search) and found an interesting tid-bit of information.

"The last time the confluence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah happened was 1888. This year it occurs Nov. 28, which is the second night of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration.
The next time it will occur? Hold on to your dreidels: By some calculations, it won't be for another 79,043 years, thanks to disparities between the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars."

Pretty neat huh? 

Talk to you all soon, I've got things to burn kitchen duty!!!  Take a look at all the wonderful things in your life today.  There's always tomorrow to do your worrying.
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Happy Thanksgiving,
Sci

Baby It's Cold Outside

Chili Stuffed Baked Potato

I think we are as ready as we can be for the big cold front moving in.  It's supposed to be bringing us high temps in the 20's and lows in the OMG ITS FREEZING.  It looks like most all of the country is going to be affected by this front as it moves to the east.  There are already deaths associated with this storm.  So batten down the hatches, check your supplies and make sure your all your critters are taken care of as well.

   I truly hope we don't loose power as our main heat source is electric.  It's something that we need to take care of as money allows.  A secondary heat source I mean.  If worse comes to worse we can always use the oven for warmth as it runs on propane.  We sure don't have to worry about ventilation as this old RV has very little insulation.  No matter how much we try to insulate it  will never be "air tight".  If the power does go out for an extended period of time there is always the wood stove in the barn That sucker can put out some heat and we've got wood stacked for it too.

 Do you have some meals that you like to make when it's cold out?  I always think of a big pot of chili when the weather turns cold. And this is definitely chili weather.  I made a big pot yesterday along with a pot of beans.  I wasn't sure if I wanted chili or chili beans so I made some just in case! Today I think I'll make some cornbread to go with the left-overs. I made a big pot just so we could have it for a few meals.  I like left over chili on a bed of rice. Or Chili Con Huevos.  Or chili stuffed baked potatoes. There are many takes on chili around the country.  Neither of us believe that chili should have beans in it. If you want beans in your chili then its called chili beans not chili!  I'm just sayin..... 

So how do you make chili in your neck of the woods?   Beans?  No Beans?  Red Chili?  White Chili?  Hot? Mild? Big pots or Small batches?  Winter meal or year round?