Gun Show Bounty

Got back with a few nice grabs!

Pack. Complete with two side mount pouches, butt pack, and frame. $25 (I'm finally updated from Alice, and at a way decent price..)

A sweet Day Pack I picked up for the boy. $10

New in-box Goretex boots, with 2 sets of booties. $10

So, for $53 (admission $8) I was able to come home with some good deals. Made a contact with a guy who makes really nice knives.. interested in learning the process. All-in-all, a great day!

Wally-World and canned goods

I went for a long overdue stock shop two days ago, and Wally world had a hell of a deal on "Stone Mountain" brand canned goods (veggies) at .50 cents a piece! I only found corn, peas, and green beans in that brand, though.

2 for a buck is good for them, since they've raised prices (Inflation!) on canned goods 3 years in a row. Right now, wally brand canned goods (veggies) in my area are .76-.78 cents a pop... Needless to say, I doubled-down on that deal and bought twice as much as I was going to... not sure how long they'll have them, or how long it'll last, so I'm passing the word out!

Project: Chicken! -- Eggs!

We now have two layers! Waiting on that third one shouldn't take more than a week or so. I'd upload pictures, but I keep eating them.

I'll remind myself to take a few pics before scrambling ;)

Logan has been chasing off unwanted cats, as well. And squirrels. And birds.

He's becoming quite the large one.

BTW: anyone know how to powder an egg? (Dehydration, that is) Please feel free to post some ideas... I'd like to try it.

Project: Garden - 3/4 Full

 (Click all pictures to enbiggen)



My new job is at a Wholesale Landscaping business, and it happens that a cubic yard (front-end-loader bucket-full) is only 10 bucks and change. I bought some, and took it home 2/10ths at a time. A Cubic yard will cover a 10'X10' area at 3 inches deep. I still have 2 recycling buckets full of the stuff, and I guess I'll amend the other half with it.

A side note: One side of the garden is composted Cow Manure, and now the other side is composted plant matter. We'll put this experiment to the test.

The first half is a-blazin! Two weeks later we find that growth is exponential, and we have numerous baby tomatoes and bell peppers. We'll soon have heads of cabbage, I have no doubt, and broccoli is sure to follow soon after.

Planted Onions (12, unseen) Potatoes (10, see mounds/circular dirt) Romaine Lettuce, and Bee Balm (For tea, along with the mint in the other quadrant), and still have a dash of this quad left over for small herbs as yet unplanted, and unplanned (suggestions would be sweet).

A closer look at the newly planted lettuce and Bee Balm.

Fern Leaf Dill was planted in the borcolli/herb Quad today (medicinal, so I hear). The Spicy Globe Basil is going completely insane, and at this rate, I may have more than enough to give away to relatives.

Red Cabbage is doing extremely well, and I hope to see heads very soon.

This Heirloom Mr. Stripey Tomato is over 3 feet tall. I've never been able to keep tomatoes healthy for long, and this whole half quad is doing exceptionally well... exceeding my expectations exponentially.

A whole Quad unused, but I plan on making this the strawberry patch.

Compost, previously discussed.

The fact that 10 bucks can take this project so much further is awesome. Paying 2+ bucks for a bag of 40# manure was getting more expensive than I wanted it to be.

So far, so good. Veggies coming in, and hopefully we'll get those strawberries next weekend in the ground and ready to run.

Slingbow

No... not slingblade, slingbow. 


A concept I found amusing, and very versatile for many things, and much cheaper than a compound bow, if'n I do say so. Watch this video, then, if you're interested, go to youtube and look up wildernessoutfitters (or click there if you're too lazy.. they have several modification videos, like a fishing lure attachment as well as other cool stuff... and no, I do not work for them.. just thought it was awesome)

And, yes, I made one, but I'm waiting on the whisker biscuit, Wally World had none, so reports of the outcome will follow. I had everything except for the biscuit, in fact, which was upsetting....

Project: Chicken! - Redux!

So after the attack we planned on minimalizing the coop, and fortifying its integrity to the nth degree. Success has been achieved, with no trial and error, and no new materials. A rework was necessary, to ensure maximum strength without jeapordizing the lightweight portability of the structure.

Here is what we have done thus far:

I broke some pallets down to use on the perimeter of the garden, when the attack happened, so we used the wood for the stand of the coop instead.

 

We took 2/3rds off of the original coop, which was a minor task. We cannibalized parts to make a swing down door for the entire front side, so they can come and go during the day, whilst being secure at night once we strap it at the top, as seen in the above picture. Also, we use the bottom as a hay keeper, also shown.

As seen in this picture, milk crates serve as nesting areas, while the swing door serves as an entrance. The step-ladder is in the way of the door going all the way to the ground. When it goes to the ground, they use it as a ladder to their new coop, which works out well.

The wooden rod was lashed for a nice perch to the middle of the structure, and the tarp is for warmth and protection on 4 of the 6 sides.

 The entire thing stands 6 feet tall, well off of the ground, and anything that may have attacked it, or thought about it, has no chance. All sides are triple-reinforced wire, instead of the single layer we had prior to the incident.

If anything gets in there now, it must have opposable thumbs, because that's the ONLY way in.

Project: Chicken!

..I told you the chickens were coming.

Sure, it looks crooked, but it's been moved and based more permanently (much to my chagrin) along the side of the house.

The chickens are 'bout .7 months old. That's right. POINT 7 months old. They're just flailing limbs and squawking fluffballs for now, but I have it on good authority that they'll start laying eggs in about 4.3 months. Huzzah!

For cereal, though, the chickens are a hoot  to raise, and the Children think they're a blast to chase around the yard at all hours of the day.

So, on to the mobile (not so much anymore ... .. ...) coop and how much I paid for it.

Nuthin'.

That's right, I paid nuthin'. I had a Gift Certificate at Home Despot. But, if'n ye must know, it was 55 bucks.

8 10ft sections of 3/4 PVC, 10 peices each of Elbows and Tee's. 2 50ft sections of 2X50ft rolls of chicken wire (can get by with 1 and 1/2 rolls, but we went all out) and a roll of 16 guage steel wire I already had for making chainmail (previous endeavor... yes, she still loves me... and no, I do not have said chain mail shirt .. ... ...yet....)

I know it looks a little awkward because of the way it was built, but it is a strong structure, especially after it is next to a wall.

It looks a little weak, but it's very sturdy, but I'm willing to take serious suggestions about what we do next. This design is not pretty, but is lightweight, and we like that cheap lightweight nonsense around here.

BTW:  nests are made of milk crates and straw and cinder blocks. The Chicks love them.

Legislation Still Under the Radar Would Devastate U.S. Gun Ownership Rights

I'm sure all of you are aware, but I still think its worth mentioning for those who don't.



Quip:

HR 45, introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush, would make it illegal to own a gun unless you are fingerprinted and can provide a driver’s license and Social Security number.

Additionally under HR 45, a person buying a gun would have to undergo both a physical and mental evaluation before making a firearm purchase. It also would require guns be secured from access by children under age 18, and would empower law enforcement officers to come into your home to check compliance.

S 1317, introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenburg, would give the attorney general the right to block gun sales to people on terror watch lists. A third bill, HR 2647, contains a companion clause to S 1317 that gives the attorney general the authority to determine who belongs on terrorist watch lists.

Reach out and Talk to someone

It was brought to my attention lately, that we all think we're alone, and the only ones awake. We see everyone else as sheople or, as the above cartoon dictates, automatons.

Go forth, with only HINT of regard for your own feelings (none would be better), and start a conversation with a complete stranger about how you feel about the world around you. See the reaction it invokes. You might be surprised at the outcome a conversation like this takes place. Get out of your Monkeysphere .

Phys Ed, Anyone?

If you haven't yet started getting yourself fit for the end of this year's Diaspora , now's the time. Start walking, running, something, anything! You'll need strength and determination for what lies ahead, and being out of shape is not only going to hurt you, it'll hurt those around you who have to pick up your slack.

If you don't own a gun, get one, and familiarize yourself with it. Fast.
Learn how to make weapons like the sling and slingshot, the atlatl. Learn how to make a knife.
Learn bushcraft, primitive living, basic Survival from SurvivalTopics.com and its forums . Like, how to make a shelter, how to procure water for drinking and sanitation.

It is imperative that you learn these skills, even if the feces never hits the atmospheric oscillator. You'll know them, and can use them if you get lost, on purpose or accident.