We’ve been experiencing the opposite of Indian Summer. Maybe we should call it Eskimo Winter. In other words, it’s still cold and dreary. Over the past ten days or two weeks, we’ve experienced below-normal temperatures, frost warnings, fog and rain. We probably needed the rain, but I would have preferred it be spread out some.
In between the raindrops, I finished both the end panels for the exterior of the chicken coop. One includes the chicken door. Both include a ventilation hole at the top. I hope this is enough to promote sufficient air movement. The front will have open windows, but we’ll have to see how they do when a cold wind blows, the rain comes down in sheets, or the snow arrives.
I also cut the access hole and made a door we can use to access the nesting boxes from the outside and built the divider panels that can drop in to split the coop into two sections.
Then I picked up some more lumber to make perches and sketched out my plan. I have not yet built them, but hope to do so before I put the walls on. That may have to wait until warmer weather, which we expect next week, allows us to paint.
Another Firewood Delivery
Thanks to the cold temperatures, we finished our sixth cord of firewood and I had another delivered. That’s two cords on site being seasoned so they burn better this winter. I also scheduled our chimney sweep to come by, which I will report on next month. I’ve stacked about two-thirds of it and should finish later today.
My supplier told me he’s never sold so much firewood this time of year before. I think people are stocking up to beat the expected price increase. You can leave firewood in a stack for a couple years with no degradation. In fact, it may actually burn better in two years than it does when new. So firewood on hand can help me resist inflation.
I hope he’ll raise prices for new customers and keep them steady for existing customers as long as possible. The log splits were larger than usual, meaning they are splitting each log into fewer pieces to speed up output. I don’t mind large chunks of wood because my stove can handle them. In fact, they burn longer.
Gasoline Supply Still Questionable
I have learned that while we are not on the pipeline, the trucks that deliver gas to local stations often source it from tank farms that get supplied by the pipeline.
I ran some errands on Tuesday and while I was out I topped off my gas tank. The station was out of regular, so I got the middle-range gas. Prices around here were up between 12 and 22 cents, thanks to the pipeline shutdown. I hear they have initiated the process to re-start the pipeline. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
Prepper News Update
Reports of rising inflation sends stock market down. Inflation ticked up in April with the CPI gaining 0.8 percent over the month prior and 4.2 percent versus a year ago. I can only add the following comment: If the government says inflation is up, then you know in reality it is WAY up because their reports underestimate the true value of inflation. Higher inflation than expected and higher unemployment than expected all landing within a week of each other. Looks like the Biden plan is failing just four months into his presidency. In another setback for Biden and the socialists, Fox News reports the Army Corp of Engineers will start building the border wall again.
In yesterday’s post, I talked about how inflation and social programs will increase poverty. Today, I read this article on ZeroHedge which says Modern Monetary Theory (which is responsible for our inflation) will “result in a vastly lower standard of living, along with social strife.” That’s seeing my point and raising me one. Read the article. It makes several good points about the immorality of politicians messing with our economy to benefit themselves and their cronies while the rest of us suffer the consequences.
Here’s a funny follow up to the story we covered about a chicken shortage. The new rooster’s Tyson switched to in January are not as, er, “productive” as the old variety and a lower percentage of eggs are hatching. I am surprised that a company would make a wholesale change that affects their entire operation without adequate testing.
