Category: lakehouse

Thermometer battery died, so I’m not sure how chilly, but chilly. Otherwise supposed to be clear today. We’re on the edge of a planting zone here, so not quite the same as Houston.

On Friday I did my pickups. No drop off at my auctioneer, but I did drop off some stuff I fixed for another auctioneer. He had a couple of estate pipes I cleaned up that turned out real nice. He was happy. He’s a cigar smoker but is trying to switch to a pipe, mainly because it’s a lot cheaper if you like to smoke all day long. A LOT cheaper. And if one was thinking about ‘after the fall’, pipe tobacco will store a long time, much longer than cigarettes and longer than cigars without special storage (other than airtight.)

I loaded the truck and headed to the BOL. Got here long after dark but still had time to have a small fire and tune around the bands a bit. Several neighbors are up this weekend too, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to check in with them today.

I’ve got to get the truck unloaded, then do the normal site maintenance. Before I can cut the grass, I’ve got to do some mower work. I mean, before I cut the clover. Not much grass, lots of weeds.

There is always something that needs to be done. And something that needs to be done before that, and after that too. It’s worth it though.

If you can swing it, having a place outside the city is going to be pretty important. If you can’t, start thinking about where you can go if you have to go. And maybe store some stuff there, or on the way. If you are going to be a guest, be a welcome guest, not a burden.

Stack what you need, make sure you can get to it and take it with you.

nick

Cool. It was almost cold when I went to bed. Rainy and wet when I started my day at the BOL, clearing and normal wind patterns by mid afternoon when I headed home. Houston area was clear and crisp. So I figure today will be clear and crisp too. All together now… we’ll see.

Didn’t do a ton of stuff this trip to the BOL. Got the oven and stove unloaded, and loaded up a chest freezer. I was holding it for a neighbor up there, but he either changed his mind or can’t afford it. So I sold it here in Houston to one of my auction guy’s workers.

I did get a couple of small things done, one being a repair, one being to move some stuff around. The weather was getting to me so I called it an early day and drove home. I saw some evidence of powerful winds on the way, it even made the news. Giant piece of metal was on the side of the road on I-45. Looked like the whole roof from a metal building, all mangled up. In the background there were a half dozen power company trucks with crews working on power lines. Something blew that thing through the lines, either a tornado (which my wife had received a text alert was possible on her drive…) or “straight line winds.” That’s what they seem to say whenever the insurance doesn’t want to pay claims. Big bad wind, no matter what you call it if it ripped off a roof, balled it up, and threw it across the fields…

There are hazards no matter where you live.

I mentioned in the comments yesterday that I saw some motorcycle “club” activity along my route. Not thrilled about that, but better to know about it. Mutant biker zombies, oh my.

Today I’ll be running errands, shopping, doing pickups, having lunch, and who knows what sort of stuff will get done around the house. Ah, who am I kidding. I know for sure one of those things will happen. The others are on the list to pad it out so I feel like I’m getting stuff done.

Time feels pretty short for a couple of potential bad things coming this way. The political tides are turning, maybe into a whirlpool, or a tsunami. There could be another summer of rioting, or the wars could heat up. The confrontation at the border could go kinetic at any time. Or we could have a bad storm season. Take steps. Prep.

And stack.

nick

Cool here at the BOL and wet. Got some rain last night. Got some rain during the day. My part of Houston didn’t, but I did pass through some local light drizzle on my way here. Today is supposed to be rainy too.

Wonder how my Girl Scouts are making out at camp? It can either be fun, or a misery when it rains. Hope they have good councilors and attitudes.

After a fun and successful meeting of my non-prepping hobby, during which I was somehow convinced to assume some webmaster duties (and because of which I might be asking for help here…), I finished loading the truck and headed out of Dodge.

Got here without incident, put the 2 coolers of frozen meat away, unloaded some of the truck, ate, and fell asleep.

I’ve been tired lately beyond what is normal for me and my poor sleep schedule. I’m hoping it’s just poor quality sleep and too little of it, which should resolve as my chiropractic care gets my neck and back back into normal condition. If not, we’ll have to start looking for reasons.

Could just be getting old.

Today’s task list will depend on weather. Unload the truck, and reload with returning items is the only given. Other stuff will be targets of opportunity.

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The post title is both a statement about the yard here, which is green but with clover not grass; and a metaphor. I’ll leave it to the reader to decide for what.

Keep your head on a swivel, and get ready. So much is not what it seems, and people are waking up to that. Some of them will get very angry. That will cause problems. Problems are the sort of thing we are expecting. The sort of thing one could prepare for. The sort of thing that stacks will help with.

nick

Warmish, and a chance of thunderstorms. I really want it to stay dry, but ya can’t always get what ya want… It was warm all day Friday, with patches of sun, and also a bit of localized rain a bit east of my house. Drove through some, but really only a few drops.

I did a couple of pickups that were north of me and close together, then swung down and grabbed one west of me, and completed the loop by getting youngest from school. Then she was getting ready for her dance. Dang kid keeps growing.

Later I hit the chiropractor, then the grocery store. Prices in yesterday’s comments. There continue to be localized sales on stuff, which is a great way to add to the stacks. Pretty sure you have to be in the store to know about it though, so get out and look. I know walmart grocery does manager special markdowns on meat, and Commander Zero has mentioned his store doing it many times. Get it while you can.

Y’all know I’ve been pushing for you to get out and try new ways of buying and selling, and to practice in the secondary economy. Stuff like finding the markdowns is just one reason why. Dickering and making offers is another. Using cash is a good reason too. Get used to carrying and using it. It’s still king.

The auctions have lots of good stuff too, and new reseller storefronts seem to be opening up everywhere. Speaking of which, I won a meat cutting bandsaw last night. It’s not big, and it’s Vevor which is a chinese brand (but one that seems a bit better quality for tools and industrial stuff), but I have wanted one for a long time. I’ll take it to the BOL and park it with my buddy. Maybe some deer or piggy will fall my way next time, if they have a saw to make things easier. Mainly it’s a DEEP prep, and a seed for the future. Hammer price was $105, retail is almost $500 and a quality “real” one sells used at auction for $500-750. I’m hoping it will be money well spent.

Time to get busy selling some stuff too. I could use the cash for my solar project.

It’s always something.

Headed to the BOL after my meeting, I’ll be on a thin pipe the rest of today and tomorrow. Keep both eyes open, stuff could change rapidly… and change spooks people.

Stack what you can, and keep an eye out for ‘wish list’ and ‘like to have’ items, you might get it.

nick

Sunny and cool, still damp. Should be clear. It stayed clear most of yesterday with only scattered clouds. I was in shorts and shirtsleeves, so nice temps too. Hoping for more of that, rather than heavy rain. Most of the bayous I crossed were at normal or only slightly elevated levels so they are doing a good job of managing the flow.

Shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone here that I didn’t get as much done as I’d have liked. I picked up another 200w panel, and a dented in “gub safe” that is really just a heavy sheet metal cabinet. I’ll knock out the dents and add a lock, and use it for ammo or accessories. Maybe use it for the air rifles.

I was going to make a scrap run. I might have mentioned picking up a stove and oven for only $12 total. If not, I got the stove for a ‘garage kitchen’ or summer kitchen at the BOL. It’s an ordinary GE gas stove and oven. I also got a Whirlpool 24″ wide gas oven for $2. It’s black glass and kinda dated, and was only $2, so when my wife wasn’t interested, I thought I’d just scrap it. Then I looked a bit more closely and it works for either natgas or LP gas… you only have to flip an internal part and close an air shield. I’m taking it to the BOL to sell up there, or maybe putting it on Craigslist here. Propane appliances sell for good money. Even if I only get $40 or 50 to move it quickly, the ROI is pretty good, and I’m helping someone out.

I missed out on some auction stuff I’d have liked. Ate dinner and fell asleep in the chair while waiting for the lots to close. There was a nice small woodstove, and a smaller fridge, and a mechanical clothes washer. The woodstove sold for $55, the washer for about the same, and the fridge for $35. There was another fridge in the sale that sold for $7. It was an ordinary top freezer Hotpoint, a little on the small side, but looked nice and clean. WAY nicer than my current beverage fridge at the BOL. I don’t NEED another fridge but I’d probably have bid on it if I was going up to the sale to pickup anyway…

My point is that there are still some great preps out there, and there are sales with low prices. I think this one closed low because of the late Saturday time, and it’s a bit far from Houston proper, which reduced the bidder pool. Oh well, I’d have been glad to win the items, but then I’d have had to pick them up and get them to the BOL. On the plus side, the sale was about a third of the way to the BOL.

Today I’ll keep working the list, and maybe deal with a pop up issue or two. There’s always more that needs doing.

And maybe I’ll stack something. I’ll want to, and mean to, but might not get to it. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t!

nick

Ahem, cool to cold, clear for a bit. It was nice yesterday at the BOL with clear sky and sun, and a high in the mid to high 60s. Got cold quickly when the sun went down though…

I spent most of the day organizing the ‘big’ shed. I’ve been using it to store material for projects, and just dumping stuff into it. I took a bunch of stuff out, built some more of the steel shelves I got months ago at an estate sale with a bunch of circus stuff, and cleaned out wasp nests.

I made progress, is about all I can say. More to do later, but at least I have a better idea of what is in there, and there is room to move stuff from other places to the shed.

Today is ‘stuff around the house’ day, and maybe a pickup. Certainly I’ll be doing sorting and stacking for an auction drop off tomorrow, if my auctioneer agrees. I’ll be sorting in any case. Cookie time is coming and stuff needs to get out of the house to make room for cookies.

Really, all the auctions stuff should get out of the house, but that’s a task for another day.

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The stressors in the world and nation continue to increase tensions and the likelihood that it will all end in pain and bloodshed. Do as much as you can to brainstorm what that might look like in your area and for your life, then act accordingly.

Stack. Resources will help.

nick