PREPARATION FOR COLD WEATHER!!!

We have been enjoying some really gorgeous days here this fall, with a little frost some nights and t-shirt weather most afternoons, but that is set to change.  They say we have a serious cold front coming through early next week.  We will certainly see if they know what they are talking about this time.

With these things in mind, I should have spent the whole day yesterday preparing for the coming cold.  What I actually did was run some errands early, then went to cut and haul some wood.  NO, NOT FIREWOOD, that would have been immediately practical.  The wood I cut and hauled was for turning in my lathe.  It then had to be sealed and today will be stored, to dry for a year or two.  That is preparation, right?  Of course it is, just not preparation for next week.

While I was getting the turning wood, I made arrangements to trade firewood for goat hay.  That too is preparation, but for a couple of weeks later.  At least it is for this winter instead of two years down the road.

Of course, while I was running errands, I did get a sack of rye seed to plant in the garden as a cover crop.  It is later than I like to sow rye, but hopefully it will be alright.  It really needs to be planted this year, since the potato crop had nematode damage and rye helps with the nematodes.  Wish me luck.  Once again, preparation but for springtime, not next week.

In fact, the only thing I prepared for the short term was a walking cane.  Yes, a walking cane.  It is made from a beautiful piece of black locust root and may very well be needed if the weather coming in makes my knees much more stiff and painful.  Besides, I had to do something while the potatoes cooked over my little cook fire last night.  And with that bright moon and the firelight, there was plenty of light to work.

Bottom line (yes, there is always a bottom line), is that I seem to always be preparing for a distant future, at the expense of the more immediate.  I will have to work on that.  After all, springtime and years away are good to prepare for, but it does no good if you don't make it through next week. 

Wish me luck and any suggestions are more than welcome.

WHEN THE PROPANE TANK RUNS DRY!!!

Propane is one pretty good option for cooking in rural areas.  It is convenient, quick and consistent.  In a society where everything is at the flip of a switch, the turn of a knob is almost as good.  There are drawbacks, however.  If your range has electronic ignition, you don't cook when the power is down, but the pilot lights on the older models waste fuel and can go out, letting dangerous and nasty smelling gas into your home.  Then there is the cash outlay to fill the tank, which in my case is a lump sum and hard to raise at times.

Propane is only used in my home for cooking, and a hundred gallons lasts about a year.  This means that about once a year I have to come up with upwards of three hundred dollars which I never seem to budget for.

The last time propane was put in my tank was over three years ago, and due to a mistake by the delivery guy.  I was running low, and had no intention of buying more.  My plan (which was in the process of being set up), as a step toward self sufficiency, was to build a small fire ring with a grate, for grilling, frying, boiling and such, and to make a small wood fired oven for baking.  The smoker speaks for itself.  This setup was to be covered with a canopy to keep rain out of the cooking and to keep the wood dry.

Plans were going well, and I was looking forward to my new setup.  That is until my sister ordered propane for her tank and the driver actually filled mine instead.  With a full tank and no way to remove it other than using it, I put my plan on hold and continued to use gas.

Now the tank is empty again.  As you can see from the picture, my plan is back in the game.  My fire ring is not brick as originally intended.  Instead, it is made of a couple of wheels with a hole cut in the side and stacked up.  It works very well and with a small amount of wood for quick cooking (such as the pot of coffee), but still has room for larger wood for longer term cooking (like a pot of beans or deep frying).  What you can't see in the picture is that it is under a canopy which will soon have sides to block the wind.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take that much more time starting a wood fire.  A little paper and some fine twigs to start, and the fire you see in the pic was up and going in less than five minutes, and the coffee was boiling about ten minutes later.  Not exactly a flip of a switch, but not too bad.  As an added bonus, the coffee, and everything else for that matter, just has a better flavor.

I doubt that I will be filling the propane tank any time soon.  Who knows, maybe I will turn it into a big smoker.  Okay, that is a big project for much later (if ever).  For now, I need to work on an oven design, maybe one to set on top of my cook ring.  Any Ideas you would like to share?