I’m so glad I wasn’t driving our big dually Dodge pickup! As diesel is well over $6 a gallon, that would be pricey. Expect everything in the stores to increase in price and decrease in size, or “shrinkflation.” To combat that, I’m doubling down on canning and food storage. We’re going to butcher a big steer and our bull — ground into hamburger. The steer is sold already but a bunch of that hamburger is going to be canned up, for sure!
Yesterday I made a batch of Cowgirl Candy — sweet peppers in Cowboy Candy syrup. The day before, I did Gaucho relish or ground up, seeded Striped Sugar Rush Peach peppers in the same syrup.
Today, I’m working on cleaning off the enclosed back porch. Our friend, Sherri, came and she and I went through and organized all of my seeds. Then we moved them to racks on the other side of the room so I can have the big, heavy rack to store dry foods. Getting up and down the basement stairs is hard for me, with my failed knee replacements. My kitchen cabinets are full. Now I’ll be able to transfer some of the food in the cabinets into rodent-proof containers and store it out there. I’m excited!
My oldest son, Bill and his family, went down to Texas to Lackland Airforce Base to see grandson, Mason’s, graduation from boot camp. We are so proud of him and his desire to serve, both in the Air National Guard, but also, eventually, as a LifeFlight helicopter pilot. Way to go, Mason!
I’ve been stocking up on bulk spices, which I was running low of. Yes, I went on Amazon as I could buy a pound or two for the same price as those little jars in the stores! Spices always make good bartering material too. It seems nobody thinks to stock up on those, and boy, would we miss having them.
It’s been raining for two days now, starting with snow yesterday morning. Ish! But they say it’s supposed to warm up quite a bit and I’ll sure take that. We have the gardens 100 percent cleared up of harvest, except for pumpkins in the North Garden, which Will is feeding to the cows, a tractor bucket full at a time. They sure love them; it’s free food and (perhaps) it will help keep them worm free. Will had an empty mineral tub from the cow yard, which I’m putting on the back porch to hold kindling this winter. We’ll put all the kindling in the old goat barn, where I go to feed the chickens every morning, so I can bring in some kindling at the same time, all snow-free and dry. That’ll be very nice. The wood stove sure feels good these damp, cold days. — Jackie
