Good morning!!!!

[sodamo]

Drew, I’m with you on the cost of food, just makes me shudder at times. Not getting any better.
But I’ve also had something of a shift. Guess it probably started during the lockdown, but at times I will look at something and almost immediately put it down, then Sophie might say, “but what would it cost if we went out to eat it?” Sometimes that results in reconsideration, sometimes not.

at Safeway, we get 10% off coupons when we get a vac shot. I try to save them for larger shopping trips.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening ,

Have you considered removing some of the dirt under the joists for no ground contact?

Ponytug, I’m not too concerned about the dirt touching the joists because it’s a covered porch and that dirt for the most part doesn’t get very wet. I put that porch on about 22 years ago and the joists still
Look pretty good Also I have had issues with critters getting under there and trying to burrow under the house slab. So if I leave the dirt level higher there’s less chance they can burrow.

Thomas, I haven’t heard anyone complaining, but I haven’t talked to any neighbors lately. We don’t use that much water here, but when it gets really dry I tend to conserve as best I can. But after working hard the last couple of days I’m not scrimping on a hot shower

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Dennis,
I pretty much gave up on trying to unscrew those planks and just started using my 3 ft wrecking bar and prying every board up. Then I take the hook end of the wrecking bar and pop the screws out that way. I only have 4 or 5 courses to remove still. I also layed 7 courses of Trex out from the house, just enough to get out 2 person glider back on that deck so I could have a glass of wine with Kathleen.

Hoping to get a lot done tomorrow, it was a bit of a slower start today making all the cuts around the rear posts but the Trex will go down fairly quick now.

Have a good evening Dennis

 

[WinterDeere]

Ponytug, I’m not too concerned about the dirt touching the joists because it’s a covered porch and that dirt for the most part doesn’t get very wet. I put that porch on about 22 years ago and the joists still
Look pretty good Also I have had issues with critters getting under there and trying to burrow under the house slab. So if I leave the dirt level higher there’s less chance they can burrow.

I have a covered porch wrapping around two sides of our 1775 addition, with mahogany T&G decking installed in the 1990's. Despite being covered and on a dry hill, the decking is still rotting from the back side.

 

[newbury]

Good Morning Again,
This is turning into a bit of a project
When I put the original porch and deck on we drove the square headed acres in a bit too deep. Which is making the removal of the old decking a bear. And the square headed screws have some dirt in there to make it worse. This could take awhile

When I built my deck (circa 1985) I used ring shank nails, when I had to replace the boards ~20+ years later I used a sawzall to cut the nail shanks between the joist and deck boards. IIRC I occasionally had to use a pry bar to get a gap for the blade but overall it was easy.
That was about 20 years ago and I am still reusing the boards I tore off for other projects that don't require "pretty".

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I just finished baking a 7x11 apple pie, which meant preheating the oven and baking the pie for an hour. Other than the electricity, I paid for 2.5 cups of flour, 1/2 lb. of unsalted butter, a cup of sugar, a little lemon juice, and apple pie spice. I figure the pie weighs about 3 lbs, which is cheap food in anybody's pantry. After paying $5 for a mediocre pie crust, I learned to make my own. I have filling for 6 more pies in the freezer, all Gravenstein. You can't buy flavor like that in a store. It's a dessert dish for a potluck. I have to admit I am showing off a bit.

I have learned to save big bucks on groceries by processing foods as they are available, and by avoiding anything that comes in a package, as much as possible. Dried fruits and fruit sauces make a great flavoring for cooked cereals. 1/4 cup of steel cut oats, and few dried apple slices, a little sugar and cinnamon with a cup and a half of water makes a hearty breakfast for pennies. We use the tougher cuts of meat with some garden vegetables for soups, then can or freeze 12 ounce portions. Staples like beans, split peas, or lentils provide body. Sloppy Joe topping on a baked potato makes a filling meal. Jams and jellies are home made. I don't eat much bread, but will make a loaf from time to time when I am doing a batch of cinnamon rolls. My wife is ramping up to do a batch of rhubarb bread.

It may sound like I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but I don't. We batch cook large quantities and store portions for later. I canned 11 quarts of dill pickles yesterday, on top of a previous 12 pints of sweet pickles and 6 pints of bread and butter pickles. I U-picked 30 lbs. for $1/lb. The dills were seasoned with fresh from the ground dill and fermented with a couple of pounds of Anaheim peppers, fresh garlic, and fresh bay laurel leaves from the back yard. I like a pickle with pop. I will probably do 3 or 4 gallons of sauerkraut this fall, and that will be it for fermented vegetables. I

We have a kitchen herb garden and I have frozen several small jars of tarragon-basil pesto, just enough to flavor a batch of home made mayonnaise. You can't buy flavor like that in the store. I love putting together a meal for a few bucks that would be over $100/plate in a 4-star restaurant.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

We may not have walked the trail but we can surely say we were on it today

View attachment 4068702View attachment 4068703

Have hiked both ways starting there, went 10 miles south to rt77 in the snow. Backpacked north to south mt with an overnight camp out at old forge where it was below freezing.

I have hiked 99.99% of the MD AT

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Today is anniversary of my oldest sister passing.

 

[Wagtail]

Good (Saturday) morning. Overnight Low of 3.4C and it's presently 17.3C, cloudy & calm.

I did get off my arse yesterday and performed maintenance on the 4105, mostly greased all of the nipples (even the 'secret' ones) followed by washing. I can't remember when I'd last washed the tractor but it's been years. Mind you, it lives inside a shed so it was really just an accumulation or layers of dust. I then sprayed (lanoline) all of the things that move but don't have a nipple.

I am glad that Charlie Kirk's assassinator has been taken into custody... I just watched his widow, Erika Kirk, give a stirring address.

Nothing really planned for today but there are a few little projects that I could 'get at'.

That's about it, take care all.

 

[mostly_gas]

Good evening all. 69ºF for the start, clear sky, light breeze. Light wind, morning clear sky, afternoon buildups, and high temp was 93ºF, HI 98ºF. Made coffee to start day, office work, Malt-o-meal for breakfast, bike ride, started trimming more bushes ran out of room in trash and energy, town trip for lunch and groceries, nap, phone calls.
Resuming Wednesday 9/10 8:38 AM CDT post 211,202:
Billy glad you could go on hike with son and his dog. Hope all enjoyed the chicken. Hope you got some good rest.
Ted Sorry not more rain, plenty rain here for June and July, August and September less than 1 inch total. Hope weed whacking and tractor work went well. Sorry to hear about Dona's pain meds less effective. prayers sent.
Scott(vt) but look how much stuff off floor and easier to find!
Jim(Bin) welcome to GM thread.
David glad you got some rain. Hope you happy with new flail, and Sophie with new phone. Hope good dinner at newer friends house.
Bill glad bark out of basement and grass cut. Hope tart holds up.
Drew glad nice visit with sister. Nice plants, glad they are planted already. Sorry back complaining.
RS interesting carcass not groundhog. Hope cleaned up soon. Hope you get some rain, there is a lot of hand watering to do when it doesn't rain. Hope your Wednesday agenda went well.
Thomas glad good puttering day Hope BBQ was good.
David surprised people don't start repairing boards for the appliances. I know that is a brisk business for old Fanuc boards for N/C machines.
Drew hope no heart attack from eating there and food and company good.
Randy(wag) glad good town run. Sorry about the horses getting out, glad you got them secure until Mad Horse Woman could get them.
Buppies sorry Holly glad no serious injury. Prayers sent.
More catch up later.
prayer for all, especially Jay/Peg, Kyle /Daughter, /mom's breathing, /son's migraines, Mike /BIL in FL, Ron /heart, David(moss) /remodel, /divorce, Buppies /cancer, parathyroid, blood sugar /wife, Thomas /gout, Phil /reflux, Frits /veteran son with mental issues, /granddaughter with Evans Syndrome, Ken /chronic fatigue, Diet not working, Randy(wag) /sister stoke, Scott(vt) /wife's back pain, Steppenwolfe /son-auto immune disorder, Grev /wife's eye, Ted /knee recovery, /retirement & disability red tape, /family issues, /wife back issues and cancer, Lou /eye issues, /heart issues, /wife hip replacement, Doug and wife/health issues, / hand nerve and surgery, /fall and recovery, / wife headaches and heart eval, / David(sadamo)/Sophie's hip or leg pain, Eye recovery, /back issue, Scaredy/shoulder dislocation, /marriage dissolving, / friend stop drinking, Dennis /retirement, /neighbor issues, /brother's lymphoma, /dad surgery recovery, Drew /back operation issues, /friend's wife cancer diagnosis and recovery, Scotty /back pain, Helogabals /wife's friend situation, Fatjay /father broken hip, Ukraine war, Middle East War, and Country.