Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Real estate took such a hit that I don’t think I could afford to sell here and Az. got way too expensive right after I left. I’ve got some great neighbors now and I’ve learned to appreciate how important great neighbors are. So different than the walled neighborhoods in Phx.<<<
Kingman is much cheaper than Phoenix and less crime, but it is coming and of course the dope making goes on, there are meth labs all over and they keep arresting them and more come in.
Prescott and Flagstaff are college towns and expensive.
In 1990, I spent a week in Cedar City, Utah and wanted to move there, but the time was not right.
It is also a college town, but I think different from what we have here, they had classes and stage productions going on for the town to join in.
I was looking at a small home and managed to lock my keys in the car, so asked the man across the street what to do and he said call the cops first, if they can, they will open the door.
It was a Lincoln and you couldn’t pick /jimmy the lock, so the beautiful young man called for a locksmith and stayed with me until he came.
I found out that since the house was 3 or 4 miles from the college, none of the students lived there and that he had never had a call to this block before.
And how much he loved Cedar City.
Cedar City has desert to the west of town and to the east it is fancy ski resorts.
The street was a 100’ wide and huge trees shaded it.
Just plain beautiful.
If I had not found Cedar City, I was thinking of the tree country, areas of Texas, LOL, not the flat land where I was born in the Panhandle.
Now, it is impossible and I won’t make any more moves in this lifetime.
I really think that listening to the police scanners will decide on the area you move to, for some area’s have so many gangs that the bullets will come through your walls and kill you.
Las Vegas is out, that is a real hellhole now, the gangs shoot up the areas on an hourly basis.
Bullhead City and Laughlin, Nv. have all the problems Las Vegas does and they are only 35 miles from Kingman.
Phoenix and Tucson are both bad areas, for if there is a big nuclear blast in San Diego, the air currents are said to be such that they will dump the fallout on them.
Next time you come this way, take a few days and check out southern Utah, I like what I have seen of it.
Good luck with making it happen, you could put the house on the market and wait until someone buys it, a long wait no doubt, but it sure will not sell, if it isn’t listed.
For canning food, you only need to read through the posts of Dela Where, he is doing it right and has posted several reports and links to canning, following the latest guides for safe canning.
LOL, I am out of date and would need to start all over again.
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/09/pantry-paragon-or-how-to-make-your-own.html
A Pantry Paragon; or, How to make your own can storage bins
We visited my husband’s grandparents for the weekend. I’ve mentioned them in the blog before. Grandpa is an engineer, and this is evident by the way their house is planned and organized. Visitors love to look through their house at all of the good ideas in each room. The pantry is no exception.
Here is a picture of their pantry. As you can see, Grandpa has made his own can rotating storage bins out of painted cardboard. He likes this version because they are small and versatile, and can fit into a variety of pantry situations. Of course his version is also much cheaper than the commercial systems.
I asked if he could explain how these are made. To my surprise, he pulled out an engineering drawing with exact instructions. He gave permission for me to share the plans with the readers of this blog. These plans are for non-commercial home use only.
Added 1/6/09: Because I couldn’t put a pdf file on Blogger, and because I got sick of emailing these out, the nice gals at Food Storage Made Easy have posted the plans on their site here.
Added 2/16/09: Jodi at Food Storage Made Easy made a cardboard can storage bin from Grandpa’s instructions. They took pictures of how they did it! Check out their advice here.
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/16/build-your-own-can-rotating-rack/
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
He saved good quality cardboard and cut it to the dimensions indicated on the paper. It’s important to cut the cardboard with a razor blade, he says, so the edge of the cardboard is square, so it will glue together correctly. He says that you need to stick close to those measurements in order for it to work. He glued it together with white glue. After it was assembled, he painted it. Any paint will do, he says. The paint significantly increases the strength of the cardboard. He has been using the bins pictured here for about 13 years, and they are still in good condition. Each bin is labeled, which makes it easy to find exactly what they want when they need it.
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/10/if-you-are-freaking-out-about-economy.html
In case you are freaking out about the economy: How to be frugal
Lately I’ve talked to more people who are freaking out about the economy. I became concerned last winter and spring, and I’m still following economic news closely. I’m assuming some amount of freaking out accounts for the newfound popularity of food storage information. The values of assets are disappearing, but the debt remains (unless it gets bailed out, but if I understand this right, a bailout of that size would eventually lead to huge inflation). This, plus the uncertainty of some jobs and the decreased access to credit, means we are feeling less prosperous than we used to.
I think the best first step to take after freaking out, and taking a deep breath to calm down, is to practice frugality. A lot of this preparedness stuff requires money, and getting the money requires cutting back on non-essentials. So, how can you make the transition to living frugally?
* Write down where you spend your money. Look at the non-essentials, and start to make cuts.
* Get ideas for where you can creatively cut costs. The best place to start getting ideas is from Amy Dacyczyn’s Complete Tightwad Gazette. You could also see about checking it out at the library, but in my opinion this is a book worth owning. Some of it is out of date, and some of the ideas are, um, extreme, but the bulk of the information is very helpful. I especially like her philosophy articles, which help you see things from a frugal perspective so you can start to solve your own frugal problems. The book is entertaining to read in little snippets of time. Trent at the Simple Dollar arranged an interview with her last May. If you’re a fan, check it out!
* Start going to yard sales. Craigslist or the local newspaper website usually have lists of yard sales near you. Think ahead about things you will need in the future, and start looking for them now. Especially good items to look for are clothes in sizes your kids will wear in the next 5 or so years, according to your available storage space and moving plans. Kids yard sale clothes are a bargain at 25 cents to $1 each. Look for canning jars and other preparedness items. Granted, these were more easily found a few years after Y2K, but I was able to find a hand wheat grinder for $3 this spring, so apparently not everyone is freaking out. Breadmakers are still relatively easy to find cheaply. You might also look for gifts. Depending on your family and changing economic circumstances, you might be able to get away with buying extraordinarily thoughtful used gifts in good condition. I also like to look for books that would be good for self education, such as classics, children’s books and old textbooks. These are usually 25 cents to $1 each.
* Speaking of yard sales, if you have a lot of extra junk, sell it! Usually most items fetch better prices on Craigslist or eBay. Yard sales depend on a cheap buyer happening across the thing you want to sell on that particular morning, but on Craigslist you can find a buyer who specifically wants the thing you are selling.
* Cook more; go to restaurants less. If you are used to restaurant food and don’t like your cooking, keep practicing. Get a good cookbook or get acquainted with online recipe sites, and keep trying!
* Start thinking about how changing economic circumstances will affect your kids. Your family may need to cut back on activities, cutting back to only the most important to your family or your child. Look into inexpensive activities, such as scouts. Substitute with more involvement at home, like playing catch in the yard or reading chapter books in the evenings. Also, children and adults may need to adjust their eating habits to avoid wasting food. Amy D. has an article about this, called “War and Peas,” in her book. After you are calm, talk to your kids about what changes are going to happen at home, and why those changes are smart and will prepare you for the future.
* Use time to save money. Many money-saving things require more time. If your hours have been cut back at work, perhaps you already have more time. Or perhaps you can carve out more time by working together as a family, and limiting unproductive time (like surfing the internet, she said sheepishly). Wealth is increased by cutting expenses and increasing productivity.
* Learn new skills. You can count on making mistakes at first, but don’t let that discourage you. Eventually, after you make the required number of mistakes, you figure it out.
* Think about how people used to do things. Last week, a caller to the Dave Ramsey show really wanted to go on a cruise to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary, but she didn’t have sufficient money saved. She became upset when Dave said that she shouldn’t go. That call got me to thinking: how did people celebrate anniversaries 40 years ago, before cruises became popular for everyone? Were people’s marriages less worthy of celebration back then? No, most people had happy marriages, but they celebrated more simply. This idea extends to other topics, such as houses. My grandparents raised 8 kids in a 1200 square foot house. My parents raised 4 kids in a 2000 square foot house. Now the average new home size is 2500 square feet, and most families have 1 or 2 kids.
* That leads to a sad topic. Can you afford your house? Based on the stats, a lot of people who bought during the boom years in boom markets cannot afford their homes over the long term. Carefully look at your own numbers. If you don’t have a fixed rate mortgage and you want to keep the house, now is the time to look into refinancing, because short of more bailouts, financing isn’t getting any easier to get.
Compare the fixed rate payment to the cost of renting acceptable housing. Consider selling your home and renting if it would be much easier on your budget. If you need to sell, in my controversial opinion now is better than later. House prices need to go down until prices are affordable to buyers without “creative” loans, and there’s no sense in throwing good money after bad in order to try to keep an unaffordable house.
* If you can see a necessary change looming in the future, start the process of changing now. Our family believe that oil will be more difficult to come by in the coming years, so we have gotten bikes for all family members and are using those for local transportation in good weather. It’s easier to make a change before you are forced to, and it will help you save money in the long run.
* Cooperate with your neighbors. Not every family needs every kind of tool and piece of equipment, if you can share with those around you. My neighbor and I are trading carpool trips in exchange for use of my wheat grinder.
* Look on the bright side. Going down to a lower standard of living doesn’t mean unhappiness. We’re usually about as happy as we are in the habit of being. People weren’t any less happy 30, 50, 80 years ago. The transition may be painful, but once you are used to the changes it won’t be painful. Some changes can even be good. Decreased spending in restaurants can lead to better health. Smaller homes and fewer children’s activities can lead to more family togetherness.
At this blog, we are committed to helping you find frugal ways to prepare. Smart frugal decisions will help your family make the most of your money as we prepare for whatever may be to come.
If you want to learn how to save money on your grocery bill, stock up your food storage and pantry and to have your families weekly meals planned for you based around items on sale each week, check out our blog and website. I would LOVE to hear your feedback and see what you think about it! Email me at Shandra@myfoodstoragedeals.com and I will set up an account for you.
Shandra
www.myfoodstoragedeals.com
www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
Guest Post: Let’s Talk About Wheat!
Posted on March 13th, 2009 by Admin
Last week “Andrea’s Corner” over at The Obsessive Shopper featured some great places to buy grains online. One of the recommendations was HiStakes-Spelt.com which happens to be owned by a friend of ours on Twitter. Jamie is an expert at all things wheat and spelt so we asked her to give you a quick run-down of some of the nutritional benefits of whole wheat and talk about her company a little more in depth.
Let’s Talk About Wheat!
Hi. We are farmers and grow hard white wheat so you can enjoy wholesome wheat straight from the farm. You can find us at HiStakes-Spelt.com. We would like to show you why you would want to use more whole wheat in your food storage and in your everyday diet.
Differences to Consider When Choosing Whole Wheat: If you need advice and are wondering what kind of wheat to choose to make your bread and other pastries, I’ll tell you my preferences. If I had to choose only one type of wheat to store and eat regularly, I would choose hard white wheat. (For those who can tolerate the gluten.) It makes a lighter texture, lighter colored, sweeter bread that other wheats make. Mostly, it is just really good. (How do you like that description?) Breads made with hard red wheat produce a fuller, heartier, almost-heavier flavor, and the bread will have a slightly darker color. However, both make good bread - it is just a matter of taste which you prefer. Actually, my favorite bread uses a combination of hard white wheat, hard red wheat, and spelt (more to come in another post on spelt).
Hard White Wheat (spring and winter varieties) are most often used for breads as well as specialty noodles. Our hard white wheat protein levels are at about 13 (which is standard) and will make a light, sweet, wonderful whole wheat bread. (Especially if you make your own fresh flour from your own grain mill, like the WonderMill.)
Remember, don’t confuse “whole grain white wheat” with store-bought “white flour”! Whole “white” wheat is slightly lighter in color than “red” wheat, both have good nutritional value and are very close in actual color. Store-bought “white flour” has had all the nutrients removed from it adding no nutritional value to the products you use it in. Whole grain white flour and store-bought white flour are not even close to the same thing!
Do you know about Oxidation? In whole-grain foods, the plant’s cellular walls protect their nutrients from oxidation. As soon as grain is ground, the process of oxidation begins to occur thus exposing the cell’s contents to oxygen in the air. Whole grain flour that is several days (or more) old, has been exposed to oxygen that significantly reduces its nutritional value. You get full nutrition from whole grain foods if you mill them when you need them, right in your kitchen. Modern high-speed grain mills make it fast and easy to enjoy the freshest, best tasting and most nutritious food imaginable!
Our grain is thoroughly cleaned and tested by baking bread with it - which is really the ultimate test. Our natural whole grain wheat makes bread and other baked goods that taste wonderful and are packed with natural nutrition! (And we use our own product. That says something!)
Our wheat and spelt are thoroughly cleaned to ensure you receive a pure product and also to protect your grain mill from any foreign objects. (Grain that isn’t sufficiently cleaned may contain small stones that will damage or destroy a grain mill… not to mention that you don’t want such things in your food!)
You should store your grain in air tight containers in a dark, dry and cool place. It is recommended to use an oxygen absorber in your airtight container to keep your grain fresher until ready for use. (Rumor has it that oxygen absorber packets can damage the possibility of sprouting grain, not true. In fact, the grain stored with oxygen packets sprouted faster and better than the grain that was stored naturally.)
At HiStakes-Spelt we don’t just offer wheat and spelt, we also offer many quality bread baking ingredients so you can make successful, delicious bread that your family will love. We are also happy to answer any bread baking questions you may have. We also blog about our food storage adventures at Food Storage Plus and would love to have you come by and say hello!
Follow Jamie on Twitter
Follow Food Storage Made Easy on Twitter
Thanks Jamie for being such a great resource for us to learn more from. We hope everyone will get to know you better :)
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/03/09/long-term-food-storage-calculator/
Long Term Food Storage Calculator
Posted on March 9th, 2009 by Admin
We’re so excited to be giving you, your very own Long Term Food Storage Calculator. By simply inputting the number of adults (including children over 7) and children under 7 into the spreadsheet, you will automatically have a printout that tells you the quantities of Long Term Food Storage you will need to store. From there you can also put in prices and use it as an inventory tracker of what you have versus and what you still need … all in one place!
This is a very simple yet handy food storage calculator to help you easily determine how much food you need to store, and keep track of how your Long Term Food Storage is coming along. Download it today and enjoy! Remember to read our post from last week on Long Term Food Storage Lies Debunked to help you avoid getting overwhelmed as you start on your Long Term Food Storage!
So here it is (the food storage calculator is based on a ONE YEAR supply):
Food Storage Calculator
Please note for the Cost/Unit column (column H) you need to put the cost/unit, meaning cost per pound, or cost per qt whatever that may be - in that cell. Everyone will have different prices so that is a user entered cell. If you want to do the math right in excel, the special formula is =cost/unit. So if you paid $11 for 50 lbs of wheat, you put =11/50.
If you don’t have excel you can print out our pdf worksheet (instructions included) and fill it out by hand.
Hope you enjoy :)
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
LIES about LONG TERM Food Storage Debunked!!!
Posted on March 2nd, 2009 by Admin
As we began to think about building our LONG TERM food storage we started to come across some ideas that kept holding us back from really becoming serious about it. As we’ve been researching for our blog, and actually building our own storage, we discovered that a lot of things were not true for US. We’ve summarized them here into seven food storage lies that we have debunked.
Don’t be afraid to replace certain foods with foods you use more often. For example, the typical calculator may tell you to store way more, or less, of a certain ingredient then you would ever use. For example, Jodi likes to use her grain mill to grind corn for cornbread, so she’s not taking the cornmeal recommendation literally and is storing corn kernels instead.
We often hear people think they must cook meals with only shelf-stable ingredients. While these recipes can be useful and are good to know about in case of a severe emergency situation, they are NOT the be all/end all of food storage. The idea is that you will be learning to cook with your food storage and constantly rotating it. It’s okay to mix and match “food storage” items with “non-food storage” items.
TOTAL LIE! See our small spaces storage solutions post for ideas on how to start no matter how tiny you think your house might be.
NOT! Let’s be honest, unless you have tons of cash lying around, this isn’t going to happen. Start small. Commit yourself to buying food, little by little. Decide you will gather small amounts of a variety of long term food storage items. Once you discover which items you use most often, re-adjust and keep on buying when you can.
FALSE. Crystal at Everydayfoodstorage.NET shows you how you can use your food storage in EVERYDAY ways. She is great at teaching you to take the meals your family typically eats and incorporating food storage into them.
This is a lie that Julie thought was true until she really got into using food storage. She has always tried to cook with really “healthy” types of ingredients, and didn’t know how to incorporate long term food storage items into her typical meals. She learned that everyday food storage, means using your food storage in meals YOU would typically make. It’s surprising how you can adapt and start using your food storage even if you don’t cook the standard meals “everyone” else seems to be making. Stay tuned for some of Julie’s “health-conscious” discoveries that have had her dreaming about legumes.
While this is the reason a lot of people think you should get into food storage, it is one of the very last reasons why we LOVE having food storage. We have found that we use food storage for health reasons, self-reliance reasons, to weather against economic storms, and so much more. While it’s good to eventually make plans for how to survive without things like gas and electricity, there is no need to let that get in the way of you starting to use and rotate through your food storage TODAY!
We wanted to get you started thinking about your long term food storage because this week have a BIG surprise for you which we’ll be announcing at the end of our Fun With Food Storage March TV Show airing on March 4 at 7 pm MST. Believe us, you don’t want to miss this!
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/21/recipe-ultimate-meatloaf-with-a-twist/
Ultimate Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 c. crushed Ritz crackers
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix
1/2 qt. of lentil sprouts, pureed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ground beef, crushed Ritz, cheddar cheese, and onion soup mix in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Puree the lentil sprouts (I put them in my food processor with the eggs to try to get them extra smooth). Whisk the pureed sprouts, eggs, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a separate bowl until smooth. Add to the meat mixture and mix until evenly combined. Put in a 9×9 pan, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. When top/edges look nice and crispy check the middle to make sure it’s cooked all the way.
jodisays
My husband couldn’t even taste a difference in this recipe. He was surprised and impressed with it. My kids ate it just fine and I can guarantee you they would not eat plain sprouts. I really enjoyed it and I didn’t like the plain sprouts either (as I mentioned in my confession at the bottom of the sprouting post) So overall I’d have to say this recipe was a SUCCESS!
Looks like a good recipe :)
>>>I think they’re carpenter bees.<<<
That is good... They are very good pollinators - Many greenhouses use them to pollinate their indoor crops.
I would suggest giving them an easy alternative to using your house for their holes... I must say though, aside from the aggressive females, they are harmless. Everyone worries about their home being severely damaged by them and plug the holes... Once the damage is done, there is not really any harm in letting them use the hole... the part you plug is just the entry... About an inch into the hole is a 90 degree turn and then the actual egg chamber is sometimes a foot long.
An easy way to control them is to give them an easy home... They reuse the holes year after year. In greenhouses, they build them nests. If you take a 2X6 and a 1X6, lay the one inch board on top of the 2 inch one, and drill a 1/2 inch hole 1 1/4” deep. Stagger the holes, making 4 across the board kind of stair stepped and a foot apart in each line... Then remove the 1” board and you will see the mark on the 2” board use a router and round bit, and make 1’ long channels beginning at each marked drill mark. Then put the two boards back together and fasten (nail, screw, peg or whatever method you choose) Hang the two boards with the holes down, under an eave.
While they do not produce any honey for you, they are very good pollinators - They just look scary... The males are very curious and will try to get a closer look at anything that moves - actually they have no stinger and are just looking for a receptive female. The females are too busy gathering pollen and laying eggs to worry about you unless they catch you messing with their nest... then they do use their stinger to protect their offspring.
Oh, they prefer aged weathered wood if you are building a nest. This could be an easy introduction for your grandson in beekeeping. Remember honey is only half the benefit of bees... Your fruit, vegetable and flowers will all benefit.
Thank you... it’s always hard when family passes...
LOL! At your age your still that tall? Geez, I used to be 6'2" in my prime... I just clear 6'0" nowadaze! Could be I lost some height when the hydraulic hose burst on the bucket truck, with 2 large linemen and tools (about 500 lbs) inside snapped down when I was underneath and crunched my hard hat! (True story)!
LOL well, just think how tall I would be if I didn't have so much tucked under...... (Size 15 shoes)
>>>Could be I lost some height when the hydraulic hose burst on the bucket truck, with 2 large linemen and tools (about 500 lbs) inside snapped down when I was underneath and crunched my hard hat! (True story)!<<<
OUCH - I'm surprised you still manage to get up to 6' - That would be enough to knock an average person down to where they would be one of the 7 dwarfs in Snow White... LOL
Oh, I don't know if you saw it or not, but on the AA921 Canner, I posted my one modification I made - (kind of like a lineman's tool tether. After misplacing the weight once (for about 10 minutes), I decided that a solution was called for...
I took a split key ring and put it around the top handle, a 3" piece of lightweight chain and a cotter pin and put it on as you see in the picture...
I checked the gauge on a batch before and after the modification and can see no discernible difference in pressure. Now, I always know exactly where that weight is!
Expect a few questions from this old pole walker when I finally get out there and USE the 921~! Guess I better get something from the food merchants to test it out with... as harvesting from a garden that at this point is but a dream is a few months out!
Restraining surges of envy about those fruit trees you scored! I need to score some fruit trees that will survive the zone 4 winters... lots, and lots, of research to do on this move... and I'm enjoying every second of it!
WORRY
Is there a magic cutoff period when
Offspring become accountable for their own
Actions? Is there a wonderful moment when
Parents can be come detached spectators in
The lives of their children and shrug, “It’s
Their life,” and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital
Corridor waiting for doctors to put a few
Stitches in my daughter’s head. I asked,
“When do
You stop worrying?” The nurse said,
“When they get out of the accident stage.”
My
Dad just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little
Chair in a classroom and heard how one of my
Children talked incessantly, disrupted the class,
And was headed for a career making
License
plates. As if to read my mind, a tea c h er
Said, “Don’t worry, they all go through
This stage and then you c an sit back, relax and
Enjoy them.” My dad just smiled
Faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime
Waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come
Home, the front door to open. A friend said,
“They’re trying to find themselves..
Don’t worry,
In a few years, you can stop worrying. They’ll be
Adults.” My dad just smiled faintly
And said nothing.
By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being
Vulnerable. I was still worrying over my
Children, but there was a new wrinkle. There
Was nothing I could do about it. My
Dad just smiled faintly and said nothing. I
Continued to anguish over their failures, be
Tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in
Their disappointments.
My friends
said that when m y k ids got married I
Could stop worrying and lead my own
Life. I wanted to believe that, but I was
Haunted by my dad’s warm smile and his
Occasional, “You look pale. Are you all right?
Call me the minute you get home. Are
You depressed about something?”
Can it be that parents are sentenced to a
Lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another
Handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of
Human frailties and the fears of the
Unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue
That elevates us to the highest form of life?
One of my children be came quite irritable
Recently, saying to me, “Where were you? I’ve
been
Calling for 3 days, and no one answered I was
worried.”
I smiled a warm smile.
The torch has been passed.
PASS IT ON TO OTHER WONDERFUL PARENTS
(And also to your children. That’s the fun part)
May your
troubles be less,
your blessings be more,
and nothing but happiness
come through your door
unknown author
WOW!!!
A friend just told me about this. I c an’t believe it! You c annot hide anywhere, anymore! Che c k it out!
I have seen them use this on CSI, but didn’t know we had a c c ess to it! It is getting so that you c an’t be or do anything in the world, SCARY.
Don’t put any dashes or spa c es between your area c ode & numbers. (0000000000)
This is interesting... Just click on the link, enter someone’s cell phone number, and the satellite map will show you where they are. It’s called ‘mobile phone tracker’ and was first put to use to aid 911 responders.
Using a satellite map, tra c k any c onne c ted mobile phone with c overage anywhere in the world. Try it.....it works!!! After
you’ve viewed it, pass it on to everyone you like.
To give it a try, log on to : http://WWW.satellite-gps-locator.Com
_______________________________________________
Freemanlist2 mailing list
Freemanlist2@mailman.io.com
We’re about 190 miles from Dixon. Your articles look interesting. I’ve been wanting to go up to the Delta, to see Sacramento, visit Stockton again, go to the cemetery there to put flowers on my grandma’s grave, see relatives, etc. I’ll read more, I’m sure it’s worth the trip.
Most varieties of Apples
Cherries
Hazelnuts
Pembina and Black Plums (Prunus nigra does best, and is a good pollinator for other plums)
There is an Apricot variety hardy to Zone 3a
Saskatoon berries
Josta berries
Black and Red Currents
Gooseberries
Concord Grapes
Raspberries
Blackberries
High-bush Cranberries
High-bush Blueberries
All those are good for Zone 4
Brrrrr -20º F to -30º F I gave that up when I left managing freezer storage..... Frostbite to fingertips to where now cold weather and they turn white in no time... Wood Stove sittin time.....LOL
How to start ea c h day with a positive outlook:
1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it ‘Barack Obama’.
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: “Do you really want to get rid of ‘Barack Obama?”
6. Firmly Click ‘Yes.’
7. Feel better?
GOOD! - Tomorrow we’ll do Nancy Pelosi
Recycling For The Birds
Posted: 15 Mar 2009 06:01 AM PDT
How cool is this? Even though these particular cases might be hard to find, this idea should be enough to spark an idea to use other items for birds.
I have an old computer case and I think would work fine with a few modifications. Think about it and check out the source article.
Very cool stuff. Here’s a snip from the original post
Macadamia farmer Rex Harris turns old Macintosh computers into birdhouses. The Australian environmentalist owns Piccadilly Park where he’s launched on an intensive wetland restoration project encouraging rainforest trees on the land. The trees attract birds. The birds act as predators to keep undesirable insects in check. This, in turn, reduces the need for pesticides.
All those birds need homes, so Harris decided to take Apple’s eco-commitment to new heights. He guts old Mac Plus and Mac Classic cases and modifies them to use as birdhouses on his farm. . .
Here’s the finished product. Isn’t this cool? What do you recycle for the birds? Share your ideas with us. It’s almost Spring and if we can help out our feathered friends, we should.
Make sure to click here to see the source post and more pictures.
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recycling-old-computers-eco-friendly-macbirdhouses
Avian Apartments Edit
‘Super Kingdom’ Birdhouse Exhibit
Avian Apartments - ‘Super Kingdom’ Birdhouse Exhibit
(GALLERY)
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Avian Apartments - ‘Super Kingdom’ Birdhouse Exhibit (GALLERY) 2,075 Views - Click for Larger Image
The ‘Super Kingdom’ birdhouse exhibit is sort of an ultra high-density condo community for the aviary set. Duo Bruce Gilchrest and Jo Jelson of London Fieldworks created this commissioned work as a comment on the overpopulated suburban area that surrounds the King’s Wood Forest in England.
The functional display was created after researching bird hibernation patterns and will also be the subject of a video piece the pair is producing over the winter. I think the home with the slot-shaped holes could actually be a butterfly apartment.
All images are courtesy of Stour Valley Arts, Kent.
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/high-density-living-for-birds-super-kingdom-by-london-fieldworks
Billbirdhouse Edit
Billboards Recycled into Birdhouses
Billbirdhouse - Billboards Recycled into Birdhouses 2,780 Views - Click for Larger Image
The Billbird house is, as you may have guessed, a birdhouse made from a billboard. Stylish and eco-friendly, even the hardware is green - it’s reclaimed (previously used.) The Billbird retails for approximately 90 euros.
References
1. inhabitat
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recycled-billboards-billbirdhouse
Bullet-Proof Bird Houses Edit
The Architect’s Bird Feeder
Bullet-Proof Bird Houses - The Architect’s Bird Feeder (GALLERY)
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Bullet-Proof Bird Houses - The Architect’s Bird Feeder (GALLERY) 1,382 Views - Click for Larger Image
Those with a modern sense of style and a dwelling to match will appreciate the ‘Architect’s Bird Feeder’ .
Architect Doug Patt designed the contemporary feeder out of bullet-proof polycarbonate. Why bullet-proof? I can only assume that the material’s clearness and durability was his rationale, and not a need to protect the bird seed from misguided buckshot. The 8 piece bird feeder comes flat packed and is an easy, DIY project. Simply fit the pieces together (no tools are needed) and fill with seed before sliding the roof closed.
I think the design’s clean, architectural lines reflect the openness of the outdoors, and the clear view of the seed a natural attractant for the birds.
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References
1. architectsbirdfeeder
2. coolhunting
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/birding-for-the-ultra-hip-architects-bird-feeder
Designer Living for Birds Edit
The Eva Solo Bird Box
Designer Living for Birds - The Eva Solo Bird Box 2,052 Views - Click for Larger Image
The beauty of design is that it could apply to just about anything. Even to birdhouses! Danish company Eva Solo introduced this sheik birdhouse that not only well designed but also able to handle the outdoor environment. It protects birds from cold, rain and heat. If you are a bird enthusiast that appreciates good design then this is for you!
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References
1. evasolo
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/designer-living-for-birds
Fantasy Fairy Houses Edit
Attract a Garden Sprite with Fairy Woodland Homes
Fantasy Fairy Houses - Attract a Garden Sprite with Fairy Woodland Homes (GALLERY)
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Fantasy Fairy Houses - Attract a Garden Sprite with Fairy Woodland Homes (GALLERY) 910 Views - Click for Larger Image Buzz up!
With spring around the corner, it’s time to get the garden ready for visiting fairies. These astonishing tiny homes are handmade from Fairy Woodland in Newport, Oregon.
In case you are new to fairy culture, if you place an appropriate home (and perhaps a gift of a crystal or chocolate) for the wee pixies in your woods or gardens, they will know you believe in them and feel welcome. According to Fairy Woodland, “When we believe, the Fairies hear us and are drawn to us. Our act of belief opens the door between their realm and ours and allows communication.”
These small structures are some of the most incredible fairy houses ever and would surely attract a faerie or two into your yard. Make sure you check for them during a full moon, when they like to dance and celebrate.
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References
1. fairywoodland
2. greenfaerysfairyland.wordpress
[LOL, one could keep clicking away on this site and find fun and weird and idea’s to start the brain to working, art? re-use it all for something, lots of good ideas.......The Fairy houses are really wild.....granny]
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