Keep in mind, the batteries/ motors don’t do well in cold weather. My work life is reliant on battery powered tools, winter is a challenge, tools in the house at night and kept warm when not in use outside.
Most digital/ battery powered gear starts struggling around 10*/-12*.
Good thing: a lots of folks are at least trying to get back to gardening.
Bad thing: there’s virtually not a single seed packet left on the shelf in the Edmonton region.
Good thing: I didn’t wait for the shelves to go empty and anticipated the rush... 😉 I have a stock for this year and next (of those seeds I don’t save).
Right now, I’m picking up canning supplies every time I’ll pass by some.
The key these days is trying to anticipate the next shortage and get ahead of it. What do you think it will be? By fall, I anticipate canning supplies will be scarce.
We cut down 15 trees, cut into sections and some clean up and we went close to 2 hours and we almost used one battery, he had a back up charged battery but we never needed it.. I can ask him as he is using it to put up his winter woods supply but from what I could see, yes I think it would
He was smart waited till they went on sale, cheap enough that he got two saws, two batteries.. only thing it needs to sharpening and chain oil.. just loved it..
I would be interested in what brand/model it was.
While I absolutely adore my Stihl, the silent (or near silent) operation is interesting.
I will get that info for you Denob.. and good point about winter battery's and how the cold effect them..
As for the fall.. I am expecting a few things that need to be got ahead of time
Canning supplies are already in short supply, but also look to bulk sugar, bulk vinegar ( I do not think spices will be to much of a issue) Pectin but the main one that I would make sure to get ahead on now is new rings for your pressure canners and put up a couple extra, give time for delivery etc.
As for the gardening, the other thing to get ahead is tools, if you can afford to do so, bring in the extra's on the main things you must have and use.. look at getting extra bird netting for covering. look at getting cover crop as these things are going to get harder to find.
If you are looking at expanding a greenhouse, and can do so.. bring in the parts even if you do not get it up just have it there to start the build, work on it, and so forth.. (but only if you have room to store it properly so that the materials do not degrade)
The next thing we are looking at, winter.. Take a hard look at your winter gear, do you need new muck boots, will you need new winter boots, coats, pants, gloves and more.. I do not know where we will be in regards to the second wave but if things are locked down, factories will not be working, things will not be moving and that means things will lean down even more on "extra's"
But mainly I say it because the big stores and company's are shutting down left, right and center.. so if you normally buy X brand at this store, at the daily to weekly rate things are going even the big ones are shutting down stores and closing things up.. so if you looking at well worn gear.. replace it and if you love it! and can do so.. pick up a back up or two..
I am in that spot, I will need to head to penningtons to get "my" fit me jeans and stock up on a few things that might not be available to me once they sort out the "receivership" and we find out what is closed or all closes.
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
Bikes, bicycles. Was in the city yesterday and every where I went, no adult bikes. some kids bikes in stock but nothing for adults. The big Canadian tire store on the south of the city, as you are coming in on Calgary trail north was empty, The wall and overhead area where they hang all the bikes didn't have a single bike on the hooks.I should have taken a picture. Wallmart, same thing. I noticed the shortage 4 to 6 weeks back but now, there is just nothing for adults. Costco as well, nothing on the floor. From what I gather from the on line electric bike sellers, Everything coming in is being snapped up, everything! and ofcourse no sales anymore, prices are going up.
A interesting observation, At Costco right as you come in, there is a someone right there at the entry to give you a disposeable mask, when observing the people in the store I would guess 15% where not wearing the mask given to them?? I seen evidence of meat price increases.. a 2.7kg roast for 104.70.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Look forward to the details on that chainsaw brand. I have three solid units now of different sizes but it is tempting due to noise and blasted fumes. Most of the trees I cutdown are a solid foot and a half so unlike some smaller six inch ones, they take some churning.
With my expanded garden, I ran into a scramble to get hoses and sprinklers. China tire, TSC all sold out. Of anything worth while, so if possible, I would re commend stocking up for next year because if this rush on gardening caught on, wait till next year!!
I had mentioned winter tires before and farmgal note on boots.... is a solid! Same for any car, tractor, atv, generator batteries, spark plugs, filters ( oil, fuel and. Air) oil, any additives. I normally cycle through my gas supply with truck but now that I am going nowhere fast, it’s just sitting there. So I bought a large qty of fuel stabilizer.
We are finding Home Depot to be struggling with orders. They say it’s available and then a few days later we get an email saying ain’t happening. This has happened a few times in past two weeks. China tire says items are in store but I went fifteen minutes later and unless someone bought half the garden section in that time, they were wrong on the count. I get the feel that stores are struggling with online versus in store ordering and inventory. CT garden section looked like it would in July, stripped bare. Lots of rakes and hoes available which I thought was weird!
Look at home repair needs as well, transformers, light bulbs, pumps.... I plan on going area by area and making a list of redundant items I can afford to buy and know I may not need for one to five years from now.
We talked about the importance of making check lists for things and that should be looked at again, with our being tired and minds busy adapting to changes, we are liable toforget stuff. Case in point, I forgot to drain the water from my lawn roller last fall. Guess what needs to be welded now!
Did a shopping run today. Stores had most everything in stock. Again flour was in stock just not the variety we are used to. I scored 3 2.5 kg bags of powdered milk. This will be stored into half gallon canning jars as before. My vacuum sealer for jars came in and I have now gone back and vacuum sealed the jars of powdered milk that I had put away a couple months ago. I know from past experience that the powdered milk I kept in the kitchen in ordinary jars lasted up to 4 years just fine, don't think I ever had any longer than 4 years, so I have great hopes that by vacuum canning it and storing it out of light exposure, and at a cool temp that I can get 10 + years. Time will tell. 150 000 calories of the stuff put away in just the last 4 months (powdered skim milk). That is a lot of 1/2 gallon canning jars (50+), and that will make a lot of milk, years worth.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
While this refers to the US, I can see it occurring here as well.
Should be an absolute hoot by this fall!
I wonder if we will see any riots or “peaceful” protests up here this summer when people really start to see and feel reality?
Rationing anyone?
FYI on meds in Ontario, I read this morning that province will lift the one month limit for prescriptions on July 1 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
We cut down 15 trees, cut into sections and some clean up and we went close to 2 hours and we almost used one battery, he had a back up charged battery but we never needed it.. I can ask him as he is using it to put up his winter woods supply but from what I could see, yes I think it would
He was smart waited till they went on sale, cheap enough that he got two saws, two batteries.. only thing it needs to sharpening and chain oil.. just loved it..
farmgal, any update on what chainsaw your hubby uses and its battery life with larger one foot plus trees?
It's the Greenworks pro 60V. Lithium max.. it does come in a bigger version as well.. 🙂
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
Was at Costco this evening. Even though they offered free masks at the entrance, only about half the people wore masks, including those who had brought their own. Sigh
Fresh fruits and produces were noticeably absent, even compared to my last grocery run there a little less than 2 weeks ago. Actually, I was only going in to pick up fresh fruits and actually left with only paper products and cleaning supplies (we are stocking some more when we go out). TP was available, but only the Kirkland brand and more expensive than usual and in noticeably smaller quantity. No paper towels and tissues were also just one brand, small amount and more expensive.
Picked up canning jars at the local Canadian Tire. Well stocked but probably $1 more per pkg than last year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sell out fast, like the seed racks which still stands in the gardening section completely empty except for one or 2 packages of weird ugly flowers and catnip.
Been trying to find hand sanitizer to replace our stash as it get used (don’t worry, we’re not running out). Saw some at CT today, but none of the regular brands, consistency is super liquidy (almost plain rubbing alcohol) and probably 3 to 4 times what the cost would have been 6 months ago. Sorry, not sure if I trust “GiGi’s Germ Killer” (not joking) hand sanitizer as I did Purell or even the Walmart knockoff of same.
Was at Costco this evening. Even though they offered free masks at the entrance, only about half the people wore masks, including those who had brought their own. Sigh
That's what I don't get, the masks are offered for free, right at the door, it cant be any ones skin off their nose to wear the damn things for the 1/2 hour, hour they are in the store. I just don't get it??
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
It's the Greenworks pro 60V. Lithium max.. it does come in a bigger version as well.. 🙂
Thank you kindly madam!
Will look into it, see what bar length is etc
Was at Costco this evening. Even though they offered free masks at the entrance, only about half the people wore masks, including those who had brought their own. Sigh
That's what I don't get, the masks are offered for free, right at the door, it cant be any ones skin off their nose to wear the damn things for the 1/2 hour, hour they are in the store. I just don't get it??
It’s... wait for it. “Peoplekind”
I couldn’t resist.. same folks who were handing out tickets to parents playing ball with their child in a park, surfing alone in an ocean or cutting hair BUT, will allow tens of thousand to protest side by side. Ottawa has said they aren’t goi g to fine protesters in tomorrow’s march in ottawa. The government’s words and actions are useless dribble, have zero credibility etc so not surprising the peoplekinds are all over the map. I would have grabbed a mask, said thank you and continued with mine on my fat face.
It’s really screwy out there
