Yesterday was a busy, busy day for us. I got up and after writing the blog for the day, I made pancakes. Yummy! we ate and ate and there were still 4 pancakes left over so they went to the dogs, and they loved them too. Since we don't have refridgeration, when I make pancakes, the entire mix has to be cooked up and used, or tossed. lol. I guess I could just stick it outside and the snow would keep it, but I don't want to be calling that many wild animals to the homesite.
Then Mr. Mad Mountain Geek got busy and started bringing in boxes from the garage. hehe. Since it has turned cold we knew that we needed to bring in the canned goods and whatever could be damaged by freezing. Because I hadn't thought about it, I didn't really seperate these items from the ones that wouldn't be damaged when we packed. So I had canned goods packed with dehydrated stuff and the like. This meant that he had to bring in all food boxes so I could go through them. Bless his heart he did it! He brought them in and we sorted and repacked and all that. Now all the canned goods are in the house, and all the dehydrated, freeze dried, powdered stuff is back in the garage. Even if the snow collapses the garage, it's just a tent after all, it'll still be ok since it'll still act as a tarp above and below the stuff.
That pretty much took all day. lol. I was feeling a little punkish about how much meat we don't have here in our stores, but after unpacking all those boxes I feel a bit better. We found a canned ham, 3 more cans of treet, 8 cans of chicken and a lot of veggies, beans, milk, and spaghetti sauce in these cans. The pictures you see here are just of the shelves really. But there are three huge boxes of canned goods under my cooking table too. None of these pictures include pics of the freeze dried chicken, beef, cheese, milk, fruit, wheat and such that are out in the garage.
Whatever else may happen while we are here, at least we won't starve. :D
Dinner was a jar of marinated artichoke hearts split between us and bread with balsalmic vinegar and oil for dipping. Simple, but filling and good. Trying to decide what I am going to make for breakfast, but since it's only 6am I guess I don't have to hurry.
Plans for today is pretty much nothing. ;) Boil some water, wash some dishes, wash my hair and then sit around reading... Or maybe it's sit around reading then boil some water, wash some dishes, wash my hair... not sure yet.
Yesterday while we were doing the job of moving around the food my sister called. They, my sister and neices and nephew, were making gingerbread houses. Fun! While we are chatting and I am doing the unpack and move thing, I am looking out my kitchen window. And lo and behold I see movement on the back ridge. After looking for a second it dawns on me.. DEER! About 4 of them or so, a mixed herd does and bucks, moving up the hill behind the house (well, in front of the house because our door faces the back of our property). they were so close I could see the rings around their eyes. Thankfully all the dogs were in the house with us or the deer and the dogs would have been in the next county.
Speaking of dogs, my beloved dog-dog was a pill last night. Around 8 or so maybe 9, Thor got up and wanted out. So hubby, who's training is going well, dutifully got up from the table where he was playing a computer game and let Thor out the door. I was chatting away on the phone with my Aunt, whom was calling to answer some questions on the blog and chat about our lives. A little bit later, it hits me, I'm missing a dog. !!! Hubby jumps up and says "oh! I forgot Thor." (the kids still need to work on Dad's training some more I see.) Or something like that, but I am sure it needed to be something censored, so I'll just say that's what he said... And he opens the door and calls Thor. Now mind you. Thor is 12 years old, and doesn't EVER wander. Usually when he has to go out, he goes out, does his business with single minded efficiency and then comes back to the door and scratches. Dog-dog then comes back in, wags, gets a drink or not, then goes back to bed. Where he lays until some other bit of need hits him and he comes back to us to let us know he has that need. Not so last night. He went outside, Dad forgot him, I didn't pay attention, think Dad had it... And Thor decided to go on walk about. Hubby opens the door up, and calls, no Thor. He calls again, no Thor. Dad then puts on his shoes, knowing this isn't like Thor and goes around the cabin calling for him. Thor in the mean time still isn't around. So by this time I am telling my aunt I have to go, Dad is back in putting on his coat, and grabbing his headlamp and hat and I am putting on my shoes so we can go find him. Just as Dad heads back out the door, here's the Big Dog, wagging like mad, and grinning from doggy ear to doggy ear. He comes in the house, still with this big smile and wagging like he's wag powered. Snow is up to his belly on his legs, and he is so happy. Still don't know where he went or what he did, but he was pretty pleased with himself. lol. Will go out once it's daylight and see if I can see where he was. Just out of curiosity. Maybe it'll be easy to see since there is still a lot of snow on the ground. Or maybe it'll be impossible to see because it snowed more last night.
Ah the joys of being a mom.
Jobs for the day also included gathering snow. No, not the yellow snow, but the pristine, white, fluffy snow. We gathered it in tubs, put it in the turkey fryer and set that on our propane stove top where the heat that heats the room can melt it. Need to harvest this free water source. So long as we have snow we'll do this. So what if it's water we have to boil or treat with bleach. At least it's water. And it'll work for dishes or for washing or whatever. And since the dogs have been eating the snow, I am sure they can drink the water. :D One full turkey fryer of snow, yeilds 1/4 of a turkey fryer of water...
My aunt had a good idea of making a sink for my dishes. Take two largish water containers with spigots on them, turn them on their side, cut the sides out and make a bench to fit them into. Now they can be filled with water, dishes washed, and then drained easily. That would definitely give me more room for dishwashing than I have with my two little dishpans. It would also mean that I wouldn't have to take down the table and all that between dishwashing. Of course once it gets REALLY cold up here, I would still probably be doing dishes in the house. I don't know if I want to be standing outside to do dishes in -10 degree F weather. hehe.. But it would certainly work when it wasn't in the negatives for temperature.
Ok, gotta get moving for the day. Not really, it just sounded good to say. :D
Lazy Lady of Treehaven
1 comment:
I am reading your blog and was wondering. do you have any trees near your abode? A good sturdy tree, with a branch that sticks out? kinds like one you would like to put a swing on. To store your "Keep it cool" (in this time of year, frozen) Food out of the reach of animals. Use that branch a rope and a box. Just be sure that your box is well up, out of the reach of the tallest of wild animals and you have your storage set up.
Oh and I never worry about left over pancakes sitting on the table for any lenght of time. Once cooked, they are safe to use as late a dinner for a quick pb&j roll up.
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