Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Winter Prep ~ Snow?!

Our first white mums in the flower bed.  My younger brother got married a little over a year ago, and they had white mums for table decorations.  Two came home with me, and both bloomed this year.  They really add color to a dark, rainy, dreary fall day.




Saturday was a work day.  Rain barrels were emptied, flipped over and moved (still outside but away from wind) for the winter.  This worked well last year.  I do have to replace a screen, but that can be done indoors this winter.  I'll simply buy screen and replace the old one myself.  It's a good thing I did this yesterday, the temperature dropped to the upper 30's last night. While Hubby and I were putting the rain barrels in place, it snowed for a brief moment.  It was corn snow.  In October. 

Hubby got more wood split, despite getting called in for a job at work.  Wood splitting is on the list year-round.  It was so cold he had to wear his thick winter coat and hat out there.

I wanted to weed wack, and when I pushed the battery pack into my craftsman, white smoke billowed out.  Guess Hubby is getting the gas powered one out.  It's larger and much more powerful than my itsy bitsy, now burned up one.  I liked my craftsman, because it was easier to carry around.

As for the update on the stove.  The back burner is not conducive to canning with the pressure canner due to space above it, and the steam the weight valve releases.  If I move the back one to the front, it will just short out.

The potatoes where not canned.  The remaining will go in the garage for now, until we get freezing weather.  I might put some in the fridge too, and say a prayer.  In the mean time if Hubby has time to tear the stove top apart, and take a good look-see, I'll gladly cook meals in the crockpot.  A new stove is on the wish list now.

Although Sunday's are typically a day to slow down, I do have a chicken coop to clean.  Wood needs split and stacked, yard mowed, and garden plants pulled. My porch furniture is still out, and I intend to enjoy it until this season ends.




3 comments:

Mama Pea said...

With all that you have planned for the day, it's a good thing Sunday is a "slow down" day! (Same type of things are going on here, so you have company. :o] )

I used to have a small battery powered weed whip that I loved to use, but the charge on the battery only lasted about 45 minutes . . . not long enough to be practical. Now hubby does all the weed whipping with the big gas powered one I can't handle. He said this winter we'd do some research toward getting me another smaller one . . . which will save him a lot of time!

Rain/snow forecast here for the next few days but we've had no frost yet. Down to 34° last night though so we know it's coming.

Have a good, profitable Sunday with a little "off" time thrown in for good measure!

Unknown said...

Sometimes you can find used ranges on Craigslist or at a appliance repair place (with a warranty)...

RB said...

Our Dad use to call cutting wood, "The job that warms twice." I always remember that with a smile, cause it's true.

We grew up in NW PA (Erie County) and stored lots of potatoes in old burlap feed sacks in the basement. Every couple of months, Mom would send us all down there where we'd tip them all out onto the floor, knock the growing eyes off them so they didn't go to seed. Then we'd put them all back into the sacks. I can't remember any going bad stored down there like that, and sometimes it was rather warm down there cause we had a coal furnace, and if that warmth didn't turn them bad, I don't think much would, so that's a good way to put up potatoes for the winter too if one has a basement or other dark place to keep them from going to seed and turning green, cause once they turn green, they're not good to eat (will give you flu like symptoms and are only good for planting.

And yeah, I'm with Nancy on the Craigslist suggestion for the stove. We've never bought an appliance brand new, always got 'em from Craigslist, and sometimes the people even delivered and set them up.

God bless.

RB
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