What preps are you doing this week? Part 3.

[Wales1]

Greenhouse work, mixed a load of compost with soil ready for planting. Pruned all the dead off the strawberry plants, cleaned the glass. mixed up the compost bins (a messy but nessacary job0. Done a couple of tip runs (the sheds been filling up with packaging since before Xmas and I'll only do a tip run when theres a full load for the boot of the car) and made some space in the shed. And dropped a load of pdf files onto a memory stick.

[MissPrep]

I have 2 button tins, one tin full of complete sets of buttons from the 50s onwards, the other is from the 80s onwards as I've always saved buttons - the first tin was saved by my mother who gave them to me when downsizing as she finally realised she was never going to sew anything - but I do. I thread sets onto safety pins to keep them together, but my mother used to thread them onto a piece of cotton & tie it.
I cut decent buttons off old clothes, especially things like coats if they aren't fit for the charity shop, as it's the bigger buttons you don't get very often.

[Decaff]

Started a button tin.... Amazing just how many I had kicking around in odd jars and paper bags

Am I getting old??

when you get to the stage of cutting them off old clothes, you're oldER.

I just did that this evening for the first time ever. Another milestone passed.

It's amazing how quickly they fill a tin isn't it! Congratulations on reaching another milestone

[sniper 55]

Went through the first aid kits rotating stuff and checking dates. Had to get some new stuff, mostly plasters small dressings, the stuff that gets used most.

[PreparedKent]

Spring is very nearly here so I have started working on the garden. So far I've planted another rose Bush, potted some blueberry canes, potting basil and rocket in my conservatory and I'm planning on raspberry canes next. Got lots if seeds, so exciting!

[whenfires]

I spent a couple of hours last night adding another batch of food to my prep store, checking and sorting out the GHB in my car and finally (I've had them months) trimming and fitting the Gel insoles to the Gelert walking boots also in my car. I also added some of the missing things from my new EDC rucksack leaving just a couple of items for me to sort.

I need to look increasing the basic medicines to my supplies. I have a few but nowhere near as many as I'd like.

[SooBee]

Killing briars from the farm hedge that surrounds the garden and trying to rescue the bean patch from encroaching couch grass before I even think about spring plantings. The propagator is busy though so hope springs eternal!

[hobo]

Stocking up in bulk with long life tins/jars over the past few weeks - so far tomatoes, red beans, chick peas, peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, chillis, peanut butter and soya milk. There's more on my list!
Telling myself (and Mrs Hobo) it's convenient to have it delivered rather than the chore of bit-by-bit lugging it from the supermarket .... but in my head there are alarm bells a-ringing - call it instinct (or paranoia) rather than any defined threat.

[jansman]

I have been doing 'yard work'.I processed a load of firewood today to keep on top of it, as there is more coming next week . My friend works for our Parish Council, and has taken down a load of Ash and Oak. It has to be gotten rid of, and I have offered to take it! For twenty quid ( to cover the fuel for the truck) they will bring it.Result!

I had a pleasant hour in the workshop cleaning and servicing my chainsaw.I really must be less brutal towards this tool, as it is vital to my fuel gathering efforts.

In the morning I am building a new coal bunker.

[nickdutch]

Ordered myself a small electric folding bike that's gonna look totally stupid but will be great for my part public transport lifestyle. Its the "A Bike Electric" by Sinclair (yep, that one!) and it folds down pretty darned small.

Their website is at http://www.a-bike.co.uk and yes I got mine off ebay at half price which is one of my favourite prices

prep for what? getting about and not knackering myself and turning up to places all sweaty. My ancient mountain bike is still the best for the shopping loads and for worse conditions, but the little electric, when it arrives will be good for most other trips and going between bus and train stops.

And I have also started health plans with both simplyhealth.co.uk and benenden.co.uk so that I can actually get treatment when needed. My diet has moved to a high raw plant based diet (but still with some meat and fish occasionally) to increase general health to make calamities less likely.

What sort of range has it got?

Update on the bike.

The 12 Kg weight feels a lot heaviler wen you are carrying it about. It needs a restrainignstap to holdit together when in its collapsed state. The battery is reputed to have a range fo 12 - 16 miles, but that will depend on usage.

Problems: Its wobbily and takes getting used to. The wheels are so small it s worth while planning your route so that you can avoid rough surfaces and DEFINITELY pot holes. There are fewer riding conditions to ride it in than a mountain bike and it wont take any real load. The instructions say max load including rider of 100Kg, but the frame says 85Kg, which is just over my bodyweight. The saddle is a bit too low for my manly 6ft3 frame and would probably suit a person 5ft 6 high much better!

If you are going to get lights for an A-Bike electric, get a headlight that can be used as a car or motorcycle headlight and you can actually see the road ahead with it otherwise I can easily see you going acropper in a pot hole. In short there are more problems with it to the point whereby it cant replace the mountain bike at all, but for what its meant to be used for, namely as a kind of scooter for when you are using public transport and you need a quicker way to get to the bus / train station and from the destination station to the final destination then its fine. As it folds up so small it can be taken into the coffee shop with you when you meet friends and without having to chain it up outside.

Mine also has an issue wit the motor which means that it doesn't always fire up first time and labours instead of rolling free, so its best to only pedal in stop start type city centre conditions and to use the motor when you know the road will be clear for a good length of time