Friday, December 19, 2008

Food... Submariners would be proud...

Remember yesterday where I mentioned it was snowing, but wasn't a huge accumulation. Well, nix that. lol. We got about 12 inches yesterday afternoon and last night. Currently we are at a lull and it's not falling out there, but for the next week, right through Christmas, we are to have from 60 to 80 percent chances for snow. Lovely. Monday is only a 60% chance so we'll see if we are able to get out and to town to fill up all the propane bottles and gas cans. I sincerely hope so! lol. It would be pretty great if so. If not, it'll get horribly cold here in the cabin and we'll be sleeping in shifts to be sure we can wake each other up and not freeze. I wish there were a place closer to us to cash a check. That would make it so we only have to travel about 15 miles instead of over 40 miles. Oh well. If wishes were horses and all that.

Even with the cloud cover we have today, it's very bright out there. Where we moved to is supposed to have about 100 more days of sun than Eugene did. And it shows. Even on days when it's raining, which granted haven't been a lot of days, it's usually only for part of the day then we're back to sun. Vitamin D production is in full swing.

Not sure what today has planned, although I know we must do some dishes and some work outside. And whatever else comes to hand will happen too. Probably some icicle harvesting, and probably some snow melting. Especially after we get the dishes done as our snow melt container will be pretty empty. don't want to let it go empty for long. Who knows when that extra bit of water will come in handy.

Here I sit in my warm hobbit cabin and look around at my canned goods. I thought I would do a quick check. Just in meals I can open and eat with nothing more than heating, we have 21 meals. There are another 20 meals I can see on my shelves that I would need to add something to or make to go with it (such as spaghetti sauce or cans of chicken) but it would still count as meals. Usually we eat about 2 meals a day so that is 20 days of meals. Just in cans on my shelves.

This doesn't count the three boxes of canned goods under one of the tables, or the 3 drawers of food in the small chest, or the other shelf of broth and the like under another shelf. Not to mention that it DEFINITELY doesn't count the stuff that is out in the tent in the way of dehydrated or freeze dried foods. If I were to count that I could probably add another 60 days to this list. I also have 30 gallons of potable water in the corner, and 5 gallons of snow melt for washing and such.

I feel so exeedingly blessed to have this!

Maybe this is bragging, I don't know. If it is bragging I apologize.

I plan on adding more to it when we go to town this time. We could get snowed in for up to 2 weeks or more, and I want to be sure we are amply supplied. Our biggest items for supply are: gas, propane, food and water. We can last only so long as the shortest supply of these items. Right now it's the gas and propane. We have about 8 days of each at the moment. That is, from the time we fill everything until the time that we run out is about 8 days. I want to extend that to 30 days eventually, but it will take time to build up to that. It's happening... Slowly. lol. Don't want to have more of a stock than that in these two items, storing both can be dangerous so, I'll stop at 30 days. And this summer once we get a woodstove in, then it'll be less imporant to store these things. Will just have to send hubby out with his chainsaw to replenish fuel for heat and cooking.

Maybe I'll do that tomorrow if it's nice enough weather. He wouldn't have to be out long just to take a few trees down. Dropping them now will make them ready for burning for next year. I wonder if anyone around here has a log splitter? Maybe I'll see if I provide the gas if someone has one they will let us use to split wood next year. If they want to come and run it maybe I'll even give them some of the wood as well as provide gas. Lord above knows that we have plenty of trees on the property, and we can replant with cedar and juniper. They are less suseptable to the pine beetles. Which we do have on the property too. The damage such a little bug can do is amazing. Huge swaths of Oregon pine forest from all over the state have been hit hard. Some harder than others. We are lucky that in our area they aren't hugely voratious. Just annoying. lol.

Really need to get some bamboo in too. It's very useful for making a lot of different items. From flooring to houses, and windscreen to even weaving for fabric now. Look up bamboo products on google and you'll see what I mean.

Ok, off to get dressed (and hopefully warmer!) and get my hands into something to do.

Hugs!

Blue lipped Lady of Treehaven

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