What Preps are you doing this week? Part 10

[Yorkshire Andy]

Hurray for Lil's tech report! A woman after my own heart

Does it work...

Yes


Good

[diamond lil]

Hurray for Lil's tech report! A woman after my own heart

ty ty

[Frnc]

Went to post office, sold my walking trousers from when I was 3 stone heavier. Never worn.

Checked dates on laxatives. Somhow missed them from spreadsheets. Not had them long but expire in June. Not even used any of these, only bought them last April. They are called Senna, Care brand.

Swapped around some of my Summer preps/bugout gear. A bit premature as my prep Summer officially starts at the end of May, but I was checking the laxative dates anyway. I keep a seasonal bag of base layers on my wardrobe door for emergencies (bug out). I left the thin longjohns in for now, as there are still some cold nights. In the summer they'll go in the BOB. Swapped winter hiking socks for summer, ditto base layer top. Sun block and sun hat -> bugout bag. Winter trousers -> winter drawer. All changes noted on a ticklist in Summer To Do in Notes. Winter hiking socks and top -> long term BOB (yes I know it's a bit unlikely/far fetched but I like doing it). The logic is, in the summer I'd be wearing summer gear, and have spare in my BOB, but if it was a true INCH situation, I'd need some winter gear.

Went for a bike ride, only short, but pushed it pretty hard. Sun had gone in and was a bit cold, had to stop and put a wind top on. Using Komoot voice nav for testing. Komoot only showed as on screen for 1 minute out of 46 this time, way better than 2.5 hours out of 6 last time. I did click the side button. No data on. Come to think of it, not sure how it worked as I hadn't saved the route for offline use. Had music, Komoot dips it when announcing turns. It works, but it's not very savvy if you deviate. It usually says "consult the map" which is a bit lame.

[Kiwififer]

I don’t think there’s a specific thread and apologies if there is one but I see this is the day the government is testing its alarm system.

I’m leaving my alerts on, I know folk that are switching them to silent on their phones. I honestly can’t remember a time when something like this has happened, I’ve never even heard a siren other than to say a shift was over at a place that used to build oil rigs down the road from me.

[jansman]

I don’t think there’s a specific thread and apologies if there is one but I see this is the day the government is testing its alarm system.

I’m leaving my alerts on, I know folk that are switching them to silent on their phones. I honestly can’t remember a time when something like this has happened, I’ve never even heard a siren other than to say a shift was over at a place that used to build oil rigs down the road from me.

They’ve been planning this alarm system for a decade. Also it will only go to smart phones. If I get alarmed that we are going to be flooded for example, then that’ll be nice. I’ll bet I get no help to deal with it after the alarm tells me to run away though!

[jennyjj01]

I don’t think there’s a specific thread and apologies if there is one but I see this is the day the government is testing its alarm system.

I’m leaving my alerts on, I know folk that are switching them to silent on their phones. I honestly can’t remember a time when something like this has happened, I’ve never even heard a siren other than to say a shift was over at a place that used to build oil rigs down the road from me.

It's an event, to be sure. rarer than a solar eclipse!
The village 'air raid' siren has been sounded a couple of times this year, which was disconcerting for a moment. I had thought those things had been decommissioned. https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/02/24/d ... id-sirens/

I’ll bet I get no help to deal with it after the alarm tells me to run away though!

"The Earth will explode tomorrow. You are advised to stay at home and listen to the radio until the crisis has passed."

Preps this week.
Didn't quite manage the Sabbatical

Sowed just a few more seeds. Now have some Roma marters germinated. Dug and weeded and sowed a few more metres on the lotment. Read a bit on site inspections and cultivation targets. I wonder if I'll get a snotagram for not getting near the 'use it or lose it' targets.

Got the petrol mower serviced. It was a bu66er to start, would not keep running and after two stripes, the start rope snapped. Cost £75 to fix but now runs perfectly. I was told the biggest issue was that the air filter was gunged and squashed: Could have been A £3 DIY fix!!

Other than that, Preparing for a funeral

[Kiwififer]

I don’t think there’s a specific thread and apologies if there is one but I see this is the day the government is testing its alarm system.

I’m leaving my alerts on, I know folk that are switching them to silent on their phones. I honestly can’t remember a time when something like this has happened, I’ve never even heard a siren other than to say a shift was over at a place that used to build oil rigs down the road from me.

They’ve been planning this alarm system for a decade. Also it will only go to smart phones. If I get alarmed that we are going to be flooded for example, then that’ll be nice. I’ll bet I get no help to deal with it after the alarm tells me to run away though!

A decade? Jeezy peeps!

I wonder if it will work then…

[Arzosah]

Got the petrol mower serviced. It was a bu66er to start, would not keep running and after two stripes, the start rope snapped. Cost £75 to fix but now runs perfectly. I was told the biggest issue was that the air filter was gunged and squashed: Could have been A £3 DIY fix!!

Other than that, Preparing for a funeral

I've just got back Jenny, hope you're okay, or as okay as you can be.

[jennyjj01]

Other than that, Preparing for a funeral

I've just got back Jenny, hope you're okay, or as okay as you can be.

Thanks,
As OK as we can be. There are other serious stresses which won't get aired here.

Anyways....
Today I needed a rest, so I did some 'lotment stuff. rather roughly weeded another bed and popped in some 15 spuds and 5 courgettes, kindly donated from another plot.
Started trying to sort out my strawberry bed, which is/was an eclectic mix of strawberries, dandelions, marestail, and half a dozen other weed species as yet unknown. What I TRIED to do was to lift out a few of the healthier looking strawbs, along with root ball, then, for each one, clear a circle about 2 feet diameter, then replant a strawb in the middle. That saw me rather feebly clear about 2 sq metres in which I now have an array of 3 x 4 neatly spaced strawb plants. I'm hopeful they recover enough to bear fruit this year. I can now see some gaps to hoe! How about if I lay some cardboard over with suitable holes in, just till they start sending out side shoots? Or is that a step too far?
As I glance over my plot, if I generously count my raggle taggle raspberry patch as 'cultivated' and treat my untended rhubarb and my tarped over bed as being 'under cultivation' then with a squint, I could argue that I've now got 50% of my plot 'under cultivation' and broadly in line with the association's 'use it or lose it' inspection regime. Roughly 1/4 of my plot is still weedy and obviously untended, so I've re-tumbleweeded that. Add in my designer composter and growing frame, and I should suitably impress the committee. I'll let you guys know if I get a non-compliance notice.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Other than that, Preparing for a funeral

I've just got back Jenny, hope you're okay, or as okay as you can be.

Thanks,
As OK as we can be. There are other serious stresses which won't get aired here.

Anyways....
Today I needed a rest, so I did some 'lotment stuff. rather roughly weeded another bed and popped in some 15 spuds and 5 courgettes, kindly donated from another plot.
Started trying to sort out my strawberry bed, which is/was an eclectic mix of strawberries, dandelions, marestail, and half a dozen other weed species as yet unknown. What I TRIED to do was to lift out a few of the healthier looking strawbs, along with root ball, then, for each one, clear a circle about 2 feet diameter, then replant a strawb in the middle. That saw me rather feebly clear about 2 sq metres in which I now have an array of 3 x 4 neatly spaced strawb plants. I'm hopeful they recover enough to bear fruit this year. I can now see some gaps to hoe! How about if I lay some cardboard over with suitable holes in, just till they start sending out side shoots? Or is that a step too far?
As I glance over my plot, if I generously count my raggle taggle raspberry patch as 'cultivated' and treat my untended rhubarb and my tarped over bed as being 'under cultivation' then with a squint, I could argue that I've now got 50% of my plot 'under cultivation' and broadly in line with the association's 'use it or lose it' inspection regime. Roughly 1/4 of my plot is still weedy and obviously untended, so I've re-tumbleweeded that. Add in my designer composter and growing frame, and I should suitably impress the committee. I'll let you guys know if I get a non-compliance notice.

I replanted mine a few weeks ago using weed membrane and a hot tin can to cut the holes...