Will has started a big project in the basement. It started out that he wanted to build more shelves down the center of the basement to stack my cases of canned food that are currently on the floor down there. Yep, I overflowed the “not for food” shelves already. Yes, we do eat our canned food! I just can more than we eat, and I feel that’s a good thing, given the way the economy is lately. Even the dry foods I had stocked up on a few years ago are very welcome. For instance, I needed brown sugar for my pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving. I went down and found a bucket full of bags I’d bought for 99 cents on sale. Now it’s $1.90 on sale. Think of all the savings, not just on this but other foods! We have our own little store down there!
But when he started, he discovered the pink fiberglass insulation he’d put along the 12-inch sill plate on top of the basement walls had been pretty much destroyed by mice. How the heck they got in there, I don’t know as our basement is pretty tight. And we have two cats and two dogs that hunt mice with abandon. So, he tore out all the insulation (wearing a mask, I might add), stuffed it into bags, which I took to the dump this morning, and is using spray foam on the 2×12-inch sill plate instead.
While he’s been busy down there, I hit the kitchen, washing up all the dishes that had accumulated over the last few days, including pots and pans. Then I started in shelling sweet corn to fill some bins as our new catalog should be out this week and we’ll see (hopefully!) a surge of orders. I’ve been doing squash and Olinka naked seeded pumpkins as well. The shelves are covered with trays of drying seed. It’s so much fun! Just think of all those plants, come spring.
Our high today was 7 degrees F and the low tonight will probably be -15 or so. We have both the living room wood stove and the wood kitchen range burning merrily today, to warm the house up nice and toasty. It’s such a good, comforting heat! Meanwhile, I’m doing the initial garden planning maps, trying to figure out what to plant and where would be the best place. Yes, in August, we’ll be turning the seed business over to Lynn and Jesse. But we’ll still grow some seeds for them, as they have done for us. Plus, I’ll always have a big garden to can up. Gotta keep those new “for food” shelves full, don’t we? — Jackie
We may be close to exceeding last winter’s snowfall some tomorrow morning. And if not, by this Thursday.
I need to check the attic traps. We typically have pairs. I do body removal, better half sets the traps.
Split more wood today after stocking the house and both wheelbarrows. A nice workout of wrestling the logs from storage into the skid steer bucket. Then splitting, stacking, and covering. Split wood in three close the house areas.
Isn’t it handy to be splitting wood close to the house? I go around and pick up the slivers, pieces of dry bark and debris to bring in for kindling too. Win=win. We’re really low for snowfall this year but are due for a relatively heavy snow on Mondy-Tuesday.
Will’s busy working on our snowplow as it isn’t working right. He can always plow the drive with the tractor or bulldozer, but it’s faster with the truck. I’m still seeding out squash and shelling various corn varieties.
How do I order a catalog? I love the Olinka pumpkins. I did get your catalog a few years ago and ordered Bill Bean tomatoes ( loved those too ) and the seedless pumpkins. Our garden is so small, your seed went a long way. But now I am out and would like to order more. If you could please send me one I would really appreciate it.
Pat Rizzi
1501 South Berkey Southern Road
Swanton
Ohio, 43558
Thank you so much.
I should get my boxes of new catalogs late next week and I’ll send you right away. I’m so glad you did well with our seeds!!
Thank you so much.
for those looking to deter mice I have found that strong cinnamon and peppermint scents will help keep them away. It needs to be renewed every so often. I have found Grampa Gus products to work well in and around my rural home and in our camper.
Yes, we do use Grampa Gus products. In the vehicles, it has worked, but not so far in the basement. I guess those mice are determined!!
We had a mouse superhighway for years from the garage into the basement. My late dh finally pulled out all the fiberglass and used closed cell spray foam. I’ve only had one or two mice since then. I found a spot he missed and packed it with steel wool and no mice since. I HATE MICE.
I get a lot of static from family and friends about my pantry but do not care. I keep it full of food and household supplies. Grandson calls it grandma’s grocery store. We had a snowstorm last weekend and no stress that I needed this or that. Covid lockdown did not bother me as I had everything (including toilet paper!) on-hand.
I don’t get why others are so concerned over what one has stocked up – it is really none of their business. If you were food insecure they’d be in their right to be concerned.
Yep, I get that. We didn’t have a problem with the COVID lockdown at all. Actually, it was kind of peaceful. We sure didn’t need to go out for food with 3 freezers full of beef and chicken plus an overflowing pantry, as you can see.
I have my own temp scale for winter. Down to zero to -10 is cool, down to -10 to minus -20 is brisk. -20 to -40 is invigorating, and -40 or below is cold. January 1982 we lived in a tenant farm house and the windchill was -60 to -70. Better half had to feed the cattle, who weren’t much interested in eating truth be told. The plastic we put over the windows bowed out due to the wicked west wind. The inside lock on the west door had frost on it. We put the kerosene heater in the bedroom and spent the day under the electric blanket watching playoff games. Cats were on the bed with us, our dog was by the kerosene heater.
When we bought our house a few years later, our first purchase was a wood burning stove. Which we moved to the house we’re in now and is keeping me toasty warm.
Mice – a bane whether you live in town or rural. They can get in via the smallest of cracks. We trap a few in our attic every year. Used to get them in my shed until better half spotted the teeny tiny opening from which they’d get it. Smart move by Will to wear a mask.
While only December 4th, 6 more inches of snow means we surpass last winter’s total snowfall. More snow is coming after the vortex moves out. I have my paths in good shape so now I can go out with boots and outside jeans versus boots and my almost 30 year old LL Bean snow pants both kiddos wore. They don’t make things like they used to.
No, they sure don’t! I actually don’t mind the cold if I don’t have to stay outside for lengthy times. If it’s zero I still run out in my T shirt to winnow seeds in the wind. Forty below, I’ll put on my jacket and gloves.
Here in the Copper Basin Alaska we have had a warm fall then a couple weeks of single digit above and below zero lows then the last two days in the twenties with one high of 33. According to the one map I saw you guys are getting cold because of the Arctic vortex and the back flow is bringing us warmer than normal! We lost some storage dry goods to mice last year. Partly one of the plastic chests had a gap we hadn’t noticed because of the way bags were loaded spread the sides a bit. Most of our stuff is in four gal buckets with the contents like beans and rice in gallon zip locks. This allows easy movement of what we need in the kitchen. All these stayed mouse free and a couple feral cats camped under the dry storage and eventually got most of the mice. Canned stuff is in a store room in the house where it won’t freeze.
Luckily, we’ve never lost any food to mice. It’s all in 5-gallon gasketed buckets or garbage cans. I do trap them, both in the kitchen and pantry, but always “thought” I’d gotten them all. I don’t think that’s possible!!
Yep, it’s cold here now. But last night it warmed up to -9. It’s amazing at the difference the amount of firewood we use in very cold vs just cold!
Give a self-sufficient person a canner and some jars and they will fill every last one of them! LOL
It gives me a good feeling to see all of the jars full in the canning storage room. Then I feel very satisfied to see the empties piling up because *I* did the work that filled them. Then I get a little nervous that there are empties so I have to can more! Also keeps me busy and out of trouble.
I like the idea of spray foam for the sill, but if the mice are going to chew that too… Guess I’ll have to do some reading.
On this cold night I’m looking forward to some home canned chicken soup – late night at work and no time to cook.
Boy does that canned chicken soup taste good!! Especially with some warm rolls. We sure love our stock of canned food. When I can’t think what I want to fix for dinner, I go down there and suddenly an idea pops into my head and I’ll grab a few jars. Ta Da! Dinner is served! It’s funny because every year I end up buying more cases of jars. Of course we use what I can every year. But every year I think of more things to can!!
Brrr! Too cold to be outside for sure. It is drizzling a cold rain here in southern middle Tennessee. It hovers around 33 in the day and 25 at night. We are plagued with freezing fog on the highways in early morning hours. So, I’m inside filling out Christmas cards and enjoying our fireplace. Our propane gas heater outside went out and we are using the fireplace for heat while we wait on parts for it to come in. It makes me lazy to sit by this nice fire but it sure is nice as a backup plan. The birdies have been eating like crazy when the rain slacks off. We don’t have mice, but the woodpeckers are having a field day with the logs on our old house. I put out a very life like rubber snake coiled up to strike. It looks so real, but I think the birds are using it as a secondary approach perch! O-well. Win some lose some. Stay warm everyone. I sure do admire you northern folks for enduring all that cold and snow.
I had to laugh at your snake. I put two plastic owls along our garden fence, moving them daily. I gave up when I saw blackbirds perched on the heads of both of them one morning.
I sure love our wood stove. Granddaughter, Delilah, says it’s “different heat”, and it sure is. So comforting!!
I put two plastic bobble head owls in the barn to deter the sparrows. They just laughed at me at built nests on their heads.
I guess they showed you, huh? LOL
Oh my yes its cold , even into central WI. I just can’t wait to see that catalog! All of your descriptions sound so interesting. And I love all the canned goods you have!
The catalogs should be sent out directly from the post office to return customers and I’ll get my boxes in about a week or so to send to people who have requested one. I look at the seeds and figure on how much more I’ll be canning, come fall. LOL
I just Love looking at your pictures!!Stored brown sugar! Wish I had thought of that! I did read an exchange for brown sugar: 1 cup white sugar minus 3TB add 3TB molasses. Haven’t tried-yet. With price jumps the 25#white sugar in storage will be definitely needed. Looking forward to seeing the Seed Treasures catalog!! Sending you my order shortly after. Have the feeling many more will be coming to you for their seeds. Mice how they linger even with cats n dogs. Stay warm in side while seeding the corn. Canning plum juice and jam today
i have “made” brown sugar like you saw. It works fine, just is extra work. Just a note. I found that 10# bags of sugar tend to resist turning hard during storage, when stored in my garbage cans, rather than the 25# ones do. The hard ones? I take a hand saw and cut them into smaller cubes then put them in a clean, old pillowcase and bang on the cubes with my baseball bat, breaking them into chunks. The chunks go into my Ninja blender and get whizzed. Ta Da, regular sugar again.
High today of 6 degrees. Hauling cattle to sale barn today. Lots of snow here. House toasty with wood heat. I wish I was in the house. Last feeder cattle calf sale of the year. Sale barn is one hour away. We foamed the sills of our basement-best insulation. However the mice still like to chew through the foam. Mice are a feature of country living-hah.
I hope you did well with your calves at the sale barn. Prices are sure up. I know Will was tempted but decided to keep both calves and yearlings as he had to cut the herd in half a couple of years back, because of the drought and not having enough hay. I’m sure mice will still bother the foam, but the foam board does have fiberglass in it, having been removed from commercial roofs years back. Hopefully, they won’t develop a taste for it.
I would love to see your reply to Nancy! I am new to Minnesota and zone 3 gardening and I have my list of 5 things but I would love to hear your thoughts on that!
Hello, can I ask what you use that big wheel in the picture for?
Twelve below here in Ely this morning. It takes a bit of getting used to. Thankful for the sun.
I’m looking forward to the new catalog. We are starting a ministry teaching people how to grow their own food here in the north country. If you were starting back at the beginning of your garden journey what 5 things would you grow?
PS…dang mice!
Yep, we had -20 just a couple nights ago. I’m so happy when the sun comes out, not only to pump up our batteries from the solar arrays, but to cheer us up too. The catalogs should start shipping out on Monday to return customers. Yea!!
Gee, what 5 things would I grow if I were starting out? Well, probably tomatoes, potatoes, onions, green beans and squash. They’re all pretty easy and oh so useful!
Thanks for the input everyone.
My staples are potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green peppers and squash. Then I add in a couple different items just to see how they work out. The last couple of years I’ve added onions, garlic, peas and beans.
I’m in pine county and that’s why I love to get some of my seeds from Jackie, if she can get them to grow up there I can get them to grow here.
Greens, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. Then if enough space, sweet corn, and depending on soil & climate, both sweet and regular potatoes.
Good luck with your ministry!
@Nancy – even if one can just grow enough to eat fresh during the growing season, one is ahead. Kudos for passing along this knowledge.
My grandpa used to kvetch a bit as my grandmother was a surgeon when cutting up seed potatoes. No small wonder their potato harvest was enough for them, our family, and my father’s sibling’s family. Dad and grandpa dug, my job was to pick up the taters.
We’re six inches below last year’s total snowfall (and likely to be down to 2-4 less with this next go round). I’m already thinking of spring planting.
It seems as soon as the ground is covered my mind is ready to dream of the next growing season.