This has been a two steps backwards one step forward kind of week. Today we're installing electric fencing to keep in our newly acquired ram who insists on escaping every chance he gets. It should be an interesting experience since the installer wants us to help put it up... good thing or I would have been standing looking over his shoulder the whole time anyway!

Rotated some baking supplies while baking for a fundraiser at the local church circa 1877 and gained two pounds test tasting. 🙂

Aphreal that is a good idea. I have been thinking of enrolling in the whole family in a CPR and basic first aid course.

I really enjoyed it. To be fair, everything they teach is aimed at first aid, or how to manage an emergency situation until the professionals show up to deal with it. The assumption in most first aid situations is you're never much more than about 20 minutes from professional help. With that in mind though, it gives a very good grounding in how to keep someone alive for that first 15-20 minutes during which you can think about more self reliant solutions if the situation requires it.

Defenitely neither a waste of time or money, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who's got even a shred of the prepper mentality.

Had the use of my dad's car yesterday. Was moonlighting for 1 day, condo cleaning. Thankfully, paintergirl helped me. Aside from the hard work, it was a great day. On the way home we stopped at the Warehouse Store and we each bought 20 lbs of flour ($7.39). I also picked up another 2 bottles of lemon juice (1.99 ea) and what can only be described as a 'brick' of Fleischmann's active dry yeast, 6.49 for 2 lbs. !! wow.

Still collecting dryer lint from the laundry at work, and saving my cardboard egg cartons and tea-light wax remnants, one day to make fire starters.

Two items at Canadian tire interest me this week...a snow shovel on sale for $4.99 and oil filters for the car. I'll be getting 2 of each...lots of snow to shovel soon, and since I drive long distances to and from work, I have to change my oil about every 6 weeks.
If anyone is looking for tools, check out the flyer...lots on sale.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/home.jsp?locale=en

Picked up 5 boxes of 12 bio logs and 2 boxes of a home heating kit with 3 power logs, 6 bio blocks, and 1 night log each...all to suppliment the cordwood.

topped off the charge on 12v battery & test ran the generator...other than that, just general cleanup in the yard in preparation of snow...it's gotta come sometime!

Gathered pinecones for making firestarters, made a couple more buddy burners, did an inventory on the pantry and was really pleased to see there was 6 weeks of meals for 5 adults - there are only 2 of us here, I plan for 5 in case my 2 young adult kids and my daughter's fiance land here too. That being said, for 2 people we are at 3 months of food and still building. Water for 5 ppl has been a bigger challenge- 150 litres so far but water purification/collection methods are now at hand as well and I am about to test rainwater collection since we are full throttle into the rainy season here.

Medical notebook/research with herbs,alternatives and old-time remedies is half full, an ongoing research project as I target plants and ingredients that are native to this area or can be grown easily at home. Purchasing over-the-counter drugs is a work in progress. Go-bag is complete and our decent sized medical kit is only missing some OTC drugs and a suture kit now.

Storage has poised some minor issues for storing water but so far creativity is winning... purging excess junk and furniture before our move helped immensely.

Aphrael: The St John's course is awesome! I took it a couple of years back for work. The manual is in my go bag now!

Couple of observations this week - I spent several hours today in an unheated building that was under renovation. It was about 5C today and after an hour there I was cold ( was two thin layers under an anorak type jacket). Made me think about the reality of remaining warm if the heat went off.

Need to think that through in more detail.

Made a personal variation of an urban survival kit for my wife and myself and used it three times this week. Used the ibuprofen ( bad day at work 😉 ), usb and paperclip to fish my receipt out of the bank machine where it was stuck.

Mine is in a recycled can with a lid about the size of an altoids tin, and my wife's is in a similar sized container.
Contents
2 band aids
large paperclip
small pencil
folded paper
few inches of duct tape inside the lid
pre threaded needle
4 ibuprofen
$20
$5 calling card
small usb stick
2' of string/cord
2 antihistamines
mini multi tool in hers ( I have an all purpose multi tool on me or in my work bag)
a small led light in mine (she has one on her keychain)
4 matches
rubber band wrapped around outside
sticker with emergency contact phone numbers at bottom

Lesson to the guys - when I showed it to my wife the very first thing she noticed was that I left out a tampon in hers 😉
she also added 2 tic tacs, and an imodium tablet to hers based on her own personal experience of what she has needed in the past.
This is a small kit, fits in her bag, glove compartment, desk drawer at work etc.
Fun project and here http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomah/3317037435/ is a link to something like what I made although they have different items 😀

Dragged out and started re-reading my old Mother Earth News mags from the late 70s, early 80s, have about two dozen. Had forgotten I even had a couple of real oldies, issues 2 and 7. Plus I also have a few Harrowsmith and New Shelter from the 80s.

It was my dad's birthday the other day, so suggested we go to see the new Princess Auto store in Langford, and then go to Tim Horton's for lunch. He was as pleased as punch. We went up and down every aisle, examining everything. Lots of pretty cool stuff!

Lots of good sales on at Canadian Tire starting Friday. Generator, tarps, etc

Went to the municipal land auction this morning and won 2 out of 3 lots we bid on.
This brings our total up to about 1 acre. Both the lots we bought are within 3 minutes of the house.
We will harvest the firewood and try to get some gardening on them.
When the time comes, the lots will be given to the children for building homes on.

Went to the municipal land auction this morning and won 2 out of 3 lots we bid on.
This brings our total up to about 1 acre. Both the lots we bought are within 3 minutes of the house.
We will harvest the firewood and try to get some gardening on them.
When the time comes, the lots will be given to the children for building homes on.

WOW - that's awesome news! Congratulations! We have the same idea - to buy up property in the area but prices here are very expensive. I would love to have all my kids close by - they don't know they want to live here yet 😆

Awesome Denob, congratulations to you and I agree here it is very expensive.

AnitaPearl, too funny, they do not know they want to live here yet, nice.

AnitaPreciouspearl,
your name is so long and since you named me, wildE

I think you are now - AuntyPearl 😛

I've been called worse!

My prepping for the week was a huge shopping trip with DH - No Frills $1/$2/$3 event was helpful 🙂 I hate grocery shopping close to Christmas so I did a lot of it ahead I will only have to buy the fresh stuff...as long as I stay out of the chocolate 🙂

Yesterday was prepare for winter day - we did a lot of outdoor cleanup, started the generator and the snowblower to make sure they are in perfect running condition and ordered more hay for the animals.

A good weekend - and after 4 weeks of company I am loving the peace and quiet tonight!

Tooth Paste - $0.79 a tube
Tooth Brush - $0.79 a brush

Spent $18 or so to get 10 of each, that is a year supply of toothpaste, and a 2 year supply of tooth brushes. Who says prepping was difficult, when you see big sales, spend $20.