# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > General Homesteading >  Summer is gone....Quick trip to "The Place"

## hunter63

Have been trying to get back to "The Place".....our cabin since first of October...Too may appointments to keep.

Watching the weather....nights are supposed to be  gettin down below freezing......so getting concerned about pipes and canned goods....

Left this morning...4 hours over....all was still OK
Drained down the lines and the electric water heater..lot of people leave them on so as to not mess with it.....but water starts getting the "rotten egg smell"....so I drain mine down .......

Also looked at fire extinguishers...4 on the recall list. for sure...PITA 

Had a couple of "Coke Zero's freeze in the on the porch refrigerator....
Had them on the top   ends all bulged ......as they warme up...one blew up...sounded like a gunshot.

Talked to the neighbor....he is building his permanent house close to his cabin....but has had a problem find a contractor.

Packed up every and headed home ....mission accomplished.....

Maybe end the month hunting season. we can get back....   .

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## randyt

the weather is starting to change, can't hardly wait to go snowshoeing.  We've been closing up cottages right and left and then there is always the panic no heats. I really don't think anyone is going to die at 55 degrees outside. Can't find a contractor, that's kinda good news in a way, means things are busy.

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## hunter63

> the weather is starting to change, can't hardly wait to go snowshoeing.  We've been closing up cottages right and left and then there is always the panic no heats. I really don't think anyone is going to die at 55 degrees outside. Can't find a contractor, that's kinda good news in a way, means things are busy.


That is a good thing....in a way....
BUT....fact is in a smaller community there are not a of of options..if you want to hire local..always the best move as memories are long.

Most guys work for other bigger contractors toward the big cities...don't have resources, nor responsibility.

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## hunter63

Had the first hard freeze here at the city house.....last night....3/4 or the leaves are down out of my big popule tree and windshield frosted over
Has been below freezing out at "The Place"  since Sunday.......Just got everything shut down just in time......
Now raking leaves.....gonna shoot for next week to head back out ....deer season.

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## crashdive123

Still waiting for cooler weather.  We had a short spell of it, but then it warmed back up.  Been in the mid 80's.  It is rather funny down here when the temps drop a bit though.  If it gets in the upper 50's people break out their winter parkas.

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## JohnLeePettimore

> Still waiting for cooler weather.  We had a short spell of it, but then it warmed back up.  Been in the mid 80's.  It is rather funny down here when the temps drop a bit though.  If it gets in the upper 50's people break out their winter parkas.


Sounds like SoCal.

I was always surprised by guys wearing long-sleeved shirts with a crew-neck sweater when it was in the 70s.  Parkas came out when temps dove into the 60s.

My daughters would say, "It's freezing out here!" when it was in the low 60s.  We moved to Arkansas in January of 2005 (they were 10 and 12 at the time).  I was outside and noticed the dog's water bowl frozen - solid, not just over.  I called them outside.  They were in their pajamas, and wanted to get their coats.  I said no.  When they had come out on the porch, and closed the door, I let them stand there for about 5 seconds.  Then I said, "THIS is freezing!"

They never called it freezing again unless it literally was.

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## hunter63

When the tree starts to drop....I get a LOT of leaves.
Used to get out there and... go,go,go. gotta get'ed done....of course I was working at the time so time was limited.....and this was before health problems.

Now my goal is "2 bags a duy minimum."...buys you a nap.....as in "did something today" so deserve the nap.....anything more that that is getting ahead of the game....LOL
Eventually they will all get mowed, picked up, or blown away....

Mowed up that leaf fall.......blew that into a wind row........The started scooping a bagging........

Across the street neighbor...my snowblower helper guy, comes over and starts to ...go,go go...
That guy can't stand it......spend all day mowing, bagging, blowing, and raking.......many are my leaves from my tree....LOL
He does like "Jamisons" whisky....so we get along fine. 

So loaded up 6-55gal bags on mowed up leaves to head out to recycling center.....
Now sure if I want to pick up fee buckets of mulch or compost...or not.....

Back in the gardening hay day.....this stuff is like gold for composting.....but I really don't mess with it any more.
I actually went around picking up bags pf leaves form curbs...back when....as I was so poor I couldn't afford a tree....Thos days have been over for a while.

So "FREE composting KIT" ....all the leaves you can haul off....at my place.

Weather guy was predicting snow flurries this morning....so far nothing.

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## kyratshooter

The temps hit freezing here a week into November and the weather forecasters nearly went insane!  It was as if winter was never expected to return!  Same every year.  In fact for our area the first freeze was a bit late this year.

They are already tracking snow, as if they had never seen that stuff here either!  When will it come, what will we do, how ever will we get through it, how will anyone manage to get to work?  OMG how did we manage to live through this last year?

The weather forecasts around here remind me of a Cheech and Chong routine.  Can we snort this white stuff?  Somebody get me a straw.

I can understand how "climate change" has such a rabid following, they have no short term memory.

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## Rick

Yeah, when that blue stuff shows up on the radar out around Casper and Billings you'd think we were being invaded. You weather guys do know it happened last year. And the year before. And the year before that. And.....

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## hunter63

Wahooooo...street cleaner just went by and suck up all the leaves in the street, that sorta _got_...ah... fell out there.....Pray for wind.

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## kyratshooter

I have a philosophy concerning leaves.

God put them there and God will take them away.

I do not even own a rake.

I did run the mower over the front yard yesterday.  It really did not need it but I do not want to look at a yard that is ragged all winter.  

I mowed and then wrapped the tractors for the winter.  Pulled the boats into line, pulled the plugs from the boats and drained the motors and put them in the shed.  I will run the weed eater tomorrow or the next day and call yard work and boat fishing done until April.

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## Rick

Yeah, me three. I dumped the bird baths and flipped the tops over. Pulled the last of the weeds that needed pulled and brought the flowers in that overwinter in the house. Hose reels are in the garage. Suck it up, winter. This bad boy can turn the thermostat up so bring it on.

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## crashdive123

I cut the grass today.  Will probably have to do it again soon.

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## hunter63

DW Doc'in done for a couple of week...gonna head out tor The Place"..maybe Wednesday....Hunting on Saturday, ....maybe.

Need to go thru my hunting clothes and see if I still fit....
Last fall, after my "episode"....I had to change meds.....put on 10 pounds in a month (still there at 10) But...many things may not fit....LOL

Buy all new?....Maybe won't need them much more......and all my old coats, bibs, vests, hoodies are "lucky,... wore for 40 years stuff".
I can't stand to leave them home ...every blood stain on the cuff and knees, patches and pull tears,....feathers coming out of a hole in the down vest, patched with duck tape...

Would be sad to leave them at the house......LOL

Real cold front coming....glad the cabin is secure.

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## Rick

I have never figured out how clothes shrink like that. It must have something to do with wash cycles. They all shrink at the same rate. Weird.

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## hunter63

> I have never figured out how clothes shrink like that. It must have something to do with wash cycles. They all shrink at the same rate. Weird.


The new ones of the same size are smaller....?

Good news....
Tried everything on last night....only think that is getting retired is the old down vest.......

I bought large sizes back when to be able to go over more layers.
Haven't found or tried the Malone wool pants....gotta hunt them up....to see it they still fit.

Bad news is ...most likely no "new" orange camo patterns...added to the mix.

Was snow flurrying this AM....

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## kyratshooter

I regret to inform you that your clothing issues must be some other mysterious quantum effect.  

Mine are doing the opposite!

It seems to go along with the 25 pounds I have lost since July and my waist size shrinking about 2 inches with each 10 pounds.

If it were not for the fact that I started wearing braces several years ago I would have embarrassed myself by now.

It also allows me to get back into the down parka I found too tight last year, and a couple of my own down vests I retired when the buttons failed to meet.

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## hunter63

Found my Malone wool pants......Bhohahahaha.....NFWIH
Shopping for new.....

Anyone need a 32w, 30 L wool pants?

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## Rick

I think I wore that when I was 10.

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## kyratshooter

I still wear a 32" waist.

But a 34" feels so good I just go ahead and buy a 40"!

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## hunter63

> I still wear a 32" waist.
> 
> But a 34" feels so good I just go ahead and buy a 40"!


LOL......Found a pair of 38's......the only size they had.....$50 buck less other places, plus free shipping.
Was looking for a 36".....Mentioned it to DW.....she says...."Well you know what happened last winter....."
Ordered them.

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## Rick

Yeah, I still wear the same size I did in the 8th grade. I just wear them a lot lower.

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## crashdive123

> Anyone need a 32w, 30 L wool pants?


Not since grade school.

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## hunter63

Hummmm...seems like some big bu.....ah, yeah well.... you know what I mean.

Neighbors thought I was nuts...again...
We got a total of .5 of an inch.
.
But before the snow..... the wind had blown 2 windrows of leaves....one in front of the garage....and one in front of the gate.....
Deep enough that if covered with snow....would really give the snowblower fits.....

So, raked up the leaves AND the snow that was on them...bagged 4 bags up for a trip to the recycling center.

The only one in the neighborhood that "raked the snow' rather than blowing or sweeping it....

Watching the weather station....I sure the pipes at "The Place" would have been frozen by now....
All is good.

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## crashdive123

After all of that I do believe a nap was in order.

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## hunter63

> After all of that I do believe a nap was in order.


Yup......me and the little dog....seem to snooze well together......LOL

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