Taking advantage of some Black Friday deals...
ordered a tool bag set from Home Depot
picking up an Acurite weather station from Home Hardware tomorrow...this will likely be under the tree from "Santa" this year.
I have an order to place with Salt Spring Seeds next week when some funds get transfered from my bank account to my Paypal account.
Speaking of Black Friday, our sponsor, Good2Go Co has some deals on lots of cool stuff...please be sure to check them out.

We had a water pipe freeze up this weekend and we were using our storage water for the better part of a day. We learned that no matter how much we have, it's not enough. We will be increasing our water storage with as many 2 liter pop bottles as we can find!
On top of that...
rotated out 100 liters of gas for fresh
completed my emergency communications training (similar to ARES, just the Quebec version)
rotated out some store bought canned food. Anything expiring in the next 6 months is being donated to the local food bank.
more winter outerwear for the entire family
topped up supplies of most common used food items in the pantry

Got the call to come and pick up some firewood...this has been a good source for wood, I haven't had to swing a chain saw in 4 or 5 years. Almost every time I have found a good supply it dries up either because to many people find out, or the seller raises the price too much. Been lucky so far though the price has gone up 5 dollars a pallet. I do have a line on another supplier though, so if this one ever dries up or prices go too high, I can still source wood. I am really getting spoilt using this wood...kiln dried, no sawdust, no slivers, no cutting, no bugs. Living at the pinnacle of industrial society is good..

Its been a strangely mild winter, burnt about 1.25-1.5 cord so far and winter is nearly half way gone. It roughly takes me 9 of those pallets. It of course depends on the winter, last year it would have been a little more, this year it may be a little less. 2.5 pallets is 1 cord by volume, though because this is stacked without voids, voids that would be in a log stack of wood, I questimate 2 pallets roughly effectively equals a cord made up of logs.

At 40 a pallet x 9 = 360.00 dollars... When I can buy it for that price, the chain saw stays on the shelf

Exciting week for me. I just purchased a new wood stove so that fills up my biggest resiliency gap: independent source of heat. I also lucked out on finding a wood splitter on sale at Princess Auto. Amazing how tools can save work and time! A few days ago, I spent the afternoon splitting wood the old fashion way with the kiddo; lots of hard work for splitting about 1/8 of a cord. In about 15 mins spent “trying it” I’ve split about half of what I took an afternoon to do effortlessly. Best $275 I’ve spent in a long time.

Now, I need to find myself a good source of wood like Peppercorn got....

Cant say I have added it yet, but over the next weeks I will be hauling over 20 pallets of that wood (above) home. By the end of 2020 I plan to have over 10 years of wood in storage.I got to plan ahead for my old age.

Cant say I have added it yet, but over the next weeks I will be hauling over 20 pallets of that wood (above) home. By the end of 2020 I plan to have over 10 years of wood in storage.I got to plan ahead for my old age.

That is awesome. Hell of a good idea when one can pull it off.

Picked up another ham radio, this one for the truck.
Also, a galvanized bucket for melting snow.
Got my carburator for the generator, just have to find time to put it on and properly clean the old one.
Rotated out the last of the storage gas...now I have 180 liters fresh and stabilized.
Was going to harvest a couple dead standing trees, but decided to leave them until spring. No danger if they fall.

After the move from being in Northern Ontario and now in the southern part. I could only bring so much with me. Brought the important things.

I have been relocated for a year and so far so good, who knew the convenience of being so close to a walmart actually does come in handy. I like to do the ad match and have begun canned goods again. I spent the summer working and dehydrating and canning fruits for future use..today is oranges...

This time as I prepare it is just me and my dog remington(yes after the gun)...so not as much is needed as I did when raising the 4 kids on my own

This weeks purchases were heinz canned spaghetti..about 20 of them, and a few bbq sauces, evaporated milk and canning jars

Days off work I am off to can up tangerines..

Oh and for my birthday that just passed a week ago, I purchased a new seal a meal and a box of the sealers for myself

below....stacking a chord vertical

it takes 4 stacks like that to get me through the winter(worst case heating two levels)...though this winter has been so mild I am on target for 3.

hmmm, how do I fit this in my BOB?

When I said my goal is to hit 10 years of wood in storage, I am already about 4 years ahead so I have a good start, though most of that is Birch and Tamarack which has a much higher heat value. If I can keep getting this dimensional wood waste, I will fill out 6 years with it, it stacks up so well, takes up little space since I can stack it upwards, and I can bring it into the house for storage! I havnt had to go outside all winter to bring in wood as I already have a years worth in a down stairs bedroom.

This is very much like money in the bank for me...and no carbon tax when I buy it!!

I finally got it! Wood stove is installed in the house. I don’t quite have enough seasoned wood for the year, but this will be an ongoing project.

Meanwhile, I’m happy I’ve finally addressed my preparedness gap to ensure heat should the power / gas ever goes out.

I finally got it! Wood stove is installed in the house. I don’t quite have enough seasoned wood for the year, but this will be an ongoing project.

Meanwhile, I’m happy I’ve finally addressed my preparedness gap to ensure heat should the power / gas ever goes out.

Congratulations! Whether for emergencies or not...something to be said about a wood stove. A nice heat, great to sit around, add ambiance to a room...enjoy!

I've just gotten my latest "tree." for firewood. I responded to a local add in kijiji for "free firewood" starting earlier in 2018. And every month or two a local tree cutting contractor calls me to come pick up a downed tree. They cut it up into 18-24" lengths and help me load it up and be on my way. All i do it cut it and split it at home. Huge windfall as purchasing cords of wood is getting expensive. Very happy with the arrangement!

I've just gotten my latest "tree." for firewood. I responded to a local add in kijiji for "free firewood" starting earlier in 2018. And every month or two a local tree cutting contractor calls me to come pick up a downed tree. They cut it up into 18-24" lengths and help me load it up and be on my way. All i do it cut it and split it at home. Huge windfall as purchasing cords of wood is getting expensive. Very happy with the arrangement!

I’ve lost quite a few good opportunities to getting wood like that. I tend to work by far Mon-Fri and I guess so do arborists. I get the call, but can’t leave work to get the firewood and the owners want their yard cleaned up by the time the arborists leave...

I’ve had a couple of them graciously dropping tree trunks on my property (not bucked) while I was looking for wood chips for the garden. In my area, the eco centres accept wood mulch for free from arborists during the warms seasons, but in the winter, they have to pay dump fees, so they’ll more eagerly come my way to drop it off.

I added a Phillips HeartSaver Defibrilllator to my medical kit. Thanks to the crownsown (I picked it up at the post office this morning). Thanks for a smooth transaction, it's appreciated!

412 rolls of toilet paper. Keeping this stockpile up with regular sales means my family literally has their a$$es covered for a year. 😉 🙂 😀 😮