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Project Discussions:  Being prepared  |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 04:12:10 AM
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Marilyn brought up a great topic for farm girls. For everyone really.
Being prepared for things like power outages, storms and such.
It would be great to share here with one another things that have worked for us or ideas to make things easier during those times.
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Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 06:15:49 AM
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My sister who moved to Paris from years in Florida still keeps a hurricane box. Will have to ask her what she calls it now. It holds flashlights; batteries; matches; can opener; and whatever else she thought she would need in a power outage. In her pantry she stored bottle water; can goods that could be eaten cold; paper plates; styro-foam cups and bowls.
I have most of those things but they are scattered around the kitchen and not in one place. Besides flashlight I have flameless candles that I really like. One candle can light up my bathroom. I need to check to see if they need new batteries. If it's battery operated I'm not real good about making sure the batteries are still good. Will have to do better at that.
The other day she gave me a little clip on LTD light for emergencies. She is always thinking about what she would need if the lights did go out for days. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 06:37:54 AM
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| I need to learn to use the walkie talkie I bought. I bought a couple of head lamp devices about four or five years ago at Home Depot. I never thought about batteries...But my husband had to clean them up when I finally opened the package...lesson learned. Someone in our family got a life straw for Christmas. Bay bought it for??? I need to buy one for her, since she is the one driving to school. I have learned so much just this year, but I still need to learn a lot more. |
Texasgran |
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
6075 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
6075 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 07:28:51 AM
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I took an emergency response team course and I THAt was really very informative and I received a back pack full of useful equipment and have extra flash lights and first aid kit. The hardest thing about the course was getting to place they had the classes. . They changed the roads and put in Roundabout and that sent me off to another city. I did get my certificates though. My daughter gave me one of those straws too, I have it all in one corner so I can get to it there is still a lot I need to be prepared.
Your right Marilyn there is so much to learn.
Paper plates and things would be a good thing to have and purification tablets too.
Hugs |
Farmgirl # 4943
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
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debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2704 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2704 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 08:38:55 AM
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| Flame less candles are a great idea!!! I forgot that I had a box of them stashed under the stairs. I'm going to put some into my emergency basket. |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
1846 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
1846 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 08:53:24 AM
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| When we lived in South Carolina, we kept boxes prepared for hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and flooding... we had ones for if we were weathering out a storm, as well as ones for getting out of dodge. We also had a generator to help keep the freezers going when we were without electric. Since moving here, I haven't done as much to prepare.... I'm thinking fires and blizzards are what we would need to worry about here. We have lots and lots of wood, so we wouldn't be without heat... and we have a berkey, so we could melt and filter snow for water (unless we are dealing with a fire... but then, we wouldn't be here, so it isn't quite the same). And food we have! |
~ Shannon, Sister #5349
Farmgirl of the Month January 2016
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 09:38:47 AM
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Okay I have to ask about the straw. I have never heard of that.
I keep a supply of about a dozen jugs of purified water in the pantry. We also have a 30 day supply of packed emergency food in the basement in an airtight waterproof container. It has to be rotated occasionally. We use oil lamps for outages and keep our supply of wood up during cold months. Though we have a wood furnace it doesn't do much good without the blower which is electric. But we tend to congregate in the family room where the wood stove is and I can cook on it. Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind to stock paper products other then toilet tissue for an emergency. We have 5 gallon buckets that we fill with water for flushing and watering the chickens. We usually have a bit of time before a storm to prepare. We also have a great supply of eggs with our girls and can keep those in the basement if the refrigerators aren't running. We do have a generator but have not had reason to use it due to not having been without power for more than 3 days.
I will be looking into stocking up on some things that have been shared here. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 11:31:11 AM
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| A life straw is about 12" to 15" long. It is maybe 1 1 /2" in diameter. You can collect water from a stream or puddle then suck the water thru the straw, which has a filter inside of it. ..or lay on the ground and suck water directly from the source. |
Texasgran |
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Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
2114 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
2114 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 12:22:09 PM
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I learned some new things I can add to my Prepared Items! Our power goes out more often here than most, because we are surround by 100 year old Oak trees that line the long and winding road that I live off of. So Rain storms, Wind and Ice can cause a limb to fall on the power lines. Out here in the country, they are all overhead lines, no underground. We also live on the New Madrid Fault. The University of Memphis has an Earthquake!
I keep bottled water, rotate it every year, paper plates,cups, papertowels. Plenty of Hurricane Lamp oil as I have my Granny's lamps and I have used them many times. Plenty of firewood in Winter in case we need it. During the ice storm of 1992, I think that year is right, we had to camp out in the living room for 4 days, no power due to ice on the lines. We used the fireplace for heat and light, we hung quilts over the doorways to keep the heat in the living room.
I love the Battery Candles, I have them all over my house! They are on timers and cut on every night at 8 to midnight. We keep plenty of batteries. My husband is the Battery King! LOL! He loves to find deals on batteries. Lily june's toys use a lot these days! She knows where the battery drawer is! We also have 2 Led lanterns that are bright!! and 2 max light flashlights. I also have real wax candles just in case. I have 2 sconces on the bathroom walls that use real candles, they light up the whole bathroom well!
I have a manuel can opener also. In winter I keep plenty of cat food on hand!! also, Peanut butter, Tuna fish, Canned soup, Chili, Spam. I check my First aid kit and make sure it is filled with emergency items.
Marilyn, that life straw is awesome! My son-in -law is a big hiker-camper so he keeps the packaged foods in his emergencee box that he uses for hiking.
Connie
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 1:22:31 PM
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| These are great things to keep in mind and on hand. I don't think there is anyone who lives in an area where the weather can't be unpredictable or that doesn't get some type of storms at times. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Jan 10 2019 1:23:11 PM |
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
6075 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
6075 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 1:52:47 PM
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I have a load of the led lanterns, they are bright and I don’t have to worry about fires just lots of batteries. The light switches they have now days are bright and I can put them in all the rooms.
Our power in this area goes out a lot.
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Farmgirl # 4943
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2019 : 3:54:43 PM
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Are the LED Lanterns bright enough to read by?
What are flameless candles? How bright are they?
Great ideas girls! I wash out every milk mug with soapy water and lots of shaking, then rinse well. Then I fill them with tap water. In the event we need to use the water I can now pour it through the Alexa Pure filter we got after last Februarys ice storm. I have about 20 kitty litter jugs that I've filled with water. Some are in the garage, others are at the chicken pens and a few are in the utility room because if the power goes out Julie will come for water to flush their toilets.
I also have a bag of cedar shavings. If we cannot flush, we can still potty. We have two potty chairs, lots of Wal-Mart bags, kitty litter and the shavings. I intended to use a five gallon bucket with a toilet seat...until I thought about those potty chairs.
One guy said that hanging a light stick by your bathroom mirror will light up the whole room, because it reflects off the mirror. Our bathrooms do not have windows.
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Texasgran |
Edited by - TexasGran on Jan 10 2019 3:57:30 PM |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 04:43:02 AM
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Great ideas Marilyn. I keep rock salt in the pantry to de-ice my front steps which faces north. My plumber told me to put 1 cup of rock salt in the commode every month to help kill tree roots. I don't always remember to do it. Should do better this year.
Kitty litter is good to put on ice so it's easier to walk on it. When I was working I kept kitty litter in my car in the winter time just in case. I also kept blankets on the backseat of my car. Better on the backseat than me trying to get to the trunk if I was stuck. I've been pulled out of more ditches during a ice storm than I want to remember. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 04:52:03 AM
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I have been thinking more about this and remembering different places we've lived and what we have done. I always keep my gas tank full. When we lived in hurricane areas we did that in case of evacuation and it has become a habit now.
The salt is something I never remember until we get snow and ice. Does the kitty litter get messy? |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Jan 11 2019 04:53:51 AM |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 05:03:44 AM
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The kitty litter does have to be swept up. When I drove I never let my gas tank get below a fourth of a tank. In the wintertime I kept it topped off.
A can of de-icer and a ice scrapper are a must to keep in the car in winter. De-icer also works on frozen locks and hinges. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 09:02:25 AM
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| What do you all use as alternatives for cooking? The wood stove is fine in the winter but doesn't do much good on the days when it is to warm for a fire. We used to have a little camp stove but we didn't use it much so I think it is gone now. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
1846 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
1846 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 09:17:23 AM
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Be careful how much and where you use salt... It will cause the soil to be too salty and plants will not thrive in that area.
In the summer time, our grill is our best friend, and works great when you don't have electricity. |
~ Shannon, Sister #5349
Farmgirl of the Month January 2016
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 09:27:28 AM
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| Good point Shannon. I keep it on the concrete and sweep it up. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 10:09:48 AM
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| Cooking...Denise, I have seen devices on prepper sites, but I'm not sure of how they work. Sun ovens look like they would do a good job, but I don't have one. If you have a grill outside that might do the job. The last one we had also had one burner on the end. I cook with propane year round. My stove has electric ignition for the burners...But a match will light them when the power is off. |
Texasgran |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 10:17:16 AM
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A grill is a good idea and it's in the garage so out of any bad weather.
Salt on the ground isn't an issue here because it is right out the back door. We have a narrow slab of concrete so if swept off it would just kill the grass growing in the crushed stone drive. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Jan 11 2019 10:18:11 AM |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 10:27:23 AM
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If you use a wood stove to heat your house, how do you start your fire???
I used to save dryer lint, stuff it into paperboard egg cartons, pour melted was over that, then break them apart when cooled. Recently, I bought the cotton pads, some round and some square that are for face cleaning. I dipped them in melted wax, laid them flat on a sheet of foil to cool, then put them in Baggies for my husband to use when he starts the fire. He is almost out, but I have more.
I have a glass coffee pot, saved from an old worn out coffee maker, that is my wax pot. I put it in a dutch oven pot with a pot holder for the glass pot to sit on.add about two inches of water, turn the burner on low to medium and let the wax melt as I do other chores nearby.
If your hubby has a wood shop you could collect saw dust to mix with melted wax, and make sawdust lumps. Old crayons & old candles also work fine. If your church uses lots of candles, ask if you can have the ones they discard. Then recycle them. |
Texasgran |
Edited by - TexasGran on Jan 11 2019 10:31:25 AM |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 10:36:05 AM
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We have two woodstoves . One fuels the furnace and once it is lit and filled it doesn't go out until spring as it is filled morning and evening. .
The one in the family room, we use old papers and cardboard from the numerous boxes we receive with equipment for the business. It also stays lit most all winter. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Jan 11 2019 10:37:11 AM |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 10:49:16 AM
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Is that in your basement or outside Denise? What about ashes??? We have an old fashioned sort of wood heater. We fire it up when the temperatures are going to be in the thirties or lower for a few days. But after a week you must scoop out the ashes. That means shoveling the ashes out while holding the wood up with that poker thing(my way) or letting the fire go completely out, then shoveling the ashes out ( hubbys way). This makes me cold and irritated...and he can't tell me why he does it that way!!x!x!!
Before it got cold our Tractor Supply store had two big free standing fire boxes greatly reduced in price. They were about 5' tall and 3' square. I was curious, walked around them, opened the doors, etc. They aren't something that people in central Texas usually see or use. |
Texasgran |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9527 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9527 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 11:02:23 AM
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| It is outside and it has a grate that is shaken and the ashes fall into a big metal container underneath. That's gets dumped into the wheelbarrow and taken and dumped after the ash is cooled. Ash bucket for the small stove. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 3:59:07 PM
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| How interesting. How far from your house is the large wood burning box?? Do you have a large duct pipe that brings the best to the house? |
Texasgran |
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mbenton16
True Blue Farmgirl
190 Posts
Maryellen
Denver
North Carolina
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2019 : 05:27:50 AM
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| Wow such great information! I had never heard of a life straw either Denise! Glad you asked. Shannon that is good information about the salt, I need to be more careful when spreading. Maryellen |
Maryellen Benton |
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Project Discussions: Being prepared |
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Being prepared
