OkiePrepper5.56

Eating from the garden almost every day now.  Here its cooking in the sun oven- yum yum!

New female Shepherd!  She is a Heildberg from champion bloodlines

Mrs Okie Prepper 5.56's new CCW pistol.  The Bersa Thunder CC.  This is a copy of the Walther PPK which I used to own.  I hate to say this but this copy actually shoots better than the expensive PPK did.  Much better trigger on it.  I am very impressed so far Bersa!  I know what many are thinking- its a 380!  Before you get worked up you really should look at the Lehigh Defense Extreme Penetration rounds.  These bad boys give a solid 18 plus inches in ballistics gel and make the little 380acp a real stopper.   

Haunted Halloween Hay Ride-  my 1952 CJ3A pulls a small hay trailer for the kidos- and grown ups alike.  Nice to see the old jeep working again, even if that work is fun!

Finally finished the rear end rebuild and then we drove the old jeep around for a day.  Its a 1952 CJ3A.  The engine was lacking power and I have just ignored that for some time.  After such an enjoyable after noon puttering around town I decided to fix the power problem.  I had an intermittent miss on the #4 cylinder and a compression check showed only 20#.  Pulled the head and found the cause.  Broken piston rings.  New parts on order and I cant wait to enjoy this cool weather driving her around again!

I recently purchased a part for my 1952 Jeep.  It was a NOS (new old stock) part that had been sitting on the shelf, unopened since being sealed by the manufacturer in Feb. 1952.  The box was covered in wax and inside was found the above newspapers, used for packing around another inner box.  It was fun to see a news paper that has been sitting in a box since someone used it 63 years ago as packing.  As you can see, the big news was the anti communist movement.  The top photo was "what are they up to?"  The answer (being good Americans) they were all paying income taxes.  Besides the news paper, I was struck at how well the part was packed.  A heavy wax covered box, with another inner box padded with paper and inside that inner box was the part, wrapped in waxed paper and covered in grease.  It looked brand new.  Back then things were done right and made to last- even the packing of a small part.

My little puppy is not so little any more.  He is maturing nicely and is my constant companion while I work around our homestead.  What used to be a little ball of crazy fur is now becoming a laid back part of the family pack.  A real protector and friend.  

Good eats! Spring is bringing forth the bounty.  This is just another reason we moved away from the city to our place off grid-  blueberries right off the bush, mulberries right off the tree and soon grapes off the vine.  Our land gives us fresh, non-gmo, no pesticide laden treats that we eat right off the plants.  Its so cool to be working outside and just stop to grab some fresh sweet explosions of flavor!  Fruit that sits in the stores for days that did not fully ripen on the plant do not taste the same as when you pick them at peak ripeness and pop them right in your mouth! 

Photo how to: This is my new DIY hot tub using a 6 ft. stock tank and chimenia heater.  A small rechargeable pump pushes water through the radiator, solar rope light for night time accent.  A few days work makes the end of the work day so much more relaxing! The rough cedar fence and skirting along with the smell of pinion wood burning makes a nice end to the day.  Still a few details to finish up. Who said living off grid has to be hard!

Ours today is a hidden great depression.   When you look at those who are "no longer looking for full time employment" as well as those that are "under employed" our labor force closely resembles that of the "great depression" of the 1920's which by many experts accounts was actually under the often quoted 25%.  Today we hide the problem being electronic curtains and creative accounting.   Look around you and no doubt you can see our great depression hidden in plain sight. 

Finished Chicken coop made from a metal garden shed.  Much of the metal parts for the front corners, door frame and other bracing was made from the "floor kit" that came with the building.  I added some 2x2 and 1x3 along with a single 2x4 to complete the building outside of the intended use / build instructions.  Other than the base (and wire) there was very little additional material needed.  I filled the floor inside with about 800# of sand making a nice thick sand floor which will allow the droppings to be scooped out much like a cats sand box.  That should making cleaning the inside a breeze. 

Work day two on moms chicken coop.  The 8 x 10 steel building was way too big for 5 or six chickens, so I have re designed it some what.  By adding some new pieces in the front, (wood top member under the top front gable and a new steel track on the bottom) it allowed me to push the front wall back into what would have been inside the building.  This is a far deviation from the "assembly instructions" but that is what we do best.  I still have to build a front door and then install wire mesh on the sides as well as finish the roof.  When complete this will give the birds a 2' x 10' nesting and roosting area and a covered / enclosed 6' x 10' area outside.  I plan on putting up a small fenced yard for them off the front that they can be let out into on nice days.

Someone- I wont point any fingers- at my wife- told my mother about my new solar chicken coop design.  So, before I could even start building my own, my mother decided she wanted to have a few chickens as well.  I was lovingly given the task of building her a coop- but she "made it easy" on me.  She purchased a metal storage building for me to use.  Honestly, it would have been easier to build it from scratch- but since she had already bought it- we will make a go of it. My son and I started by building the base.  This is an 8' x 10' metal garden shed. After putting the bottom "frame" together, we laid it out and marked the ground.  Then we then built a pressure treated 2" x 6" apron on 18" long 4" x 4" corner posts.  The wood apron / frame was set in shallow trenches and corner holes and then filled with concrete. That should prevent any wind from picking up the building and also slow down any predators from digging under. The apron was capped with untreated 2" x 6".  Pressure treated wood will react with the metal base frame so it was not used for the top of the base.  Everything was glued, screwed, and cemented in.   Next weekend- the building will go up.

I put this sign up on my front gate for my Shepherd.  He just turned one.  It fits him perfectly as he has become a VERY good protector of the homestead. He has recently backed full grown men into the corner when they crossed the fence and entered the property without a family member present.  When I showed up to save them he (my dog) looks at me like "Did you just see what I did dad !!  That guy was so scared."  He seemed surprised and proud of himself all at the same time.  What would have happened if I had not been there?  The possibilities are endless.  

It looks like the snow is gone and spring is here.  I am glad for that!  Living off grid is more difficult when it snows.  On a few days I had to clear our solar panels 4 times in one day, as seen above.  The gray view out my bedroom window of the cabin is not my favorite.  I like the green of Green Country. 

SAVE SOME MONEY-  with "cull packs".  Do you know what happens when wood gets chipped, cracked or otherwise damaged at the big box lumber stores?  They package it in bundles and sell it in a "cull pack" where they cull out the slightly damaged wood that people toss aside as they look for the best pieces.  Most often the damage is not bad and these represent huge savings, especially if you intend to cut the wood up anyhow.  The local  LOWES in my area has a lot of this and I have saved hundred of dollars by picking up these packs of wood at pennies on the dollar.   Above is a photo of the pickings this week.  I grabbed the bundle of cedar pickets less than half price.  I offered them $20.00 and they took it.  I am going to cut and rip these for projects around the homestead as trim so a chip or crack really makes little difference.  If you don't see these out front like they do at my local LOWES, ask someone.  Sometimes they hide them in the back and you have to ask but almost all big box lumber yards do this- LOWES, HOME DEPOT and even our local family lumber yard here in my town.  Many people are unaware of the potential savings that these cull packs represent! 

If you have always wanted to make that move.  Don't do so with closed eyes, but don't put it off too long.  Plan and work toward that goal and you will reach the point when you too could do it.  That first step is scary but worth it.