tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36333190349978232532024-02-20T07:10:01.512-08:00Family FarmLife As It Is
Survival
Primitive Living
Farming
Pioneering SkillsJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-29808212856145078992012-03-16T17:09:00.000-07:002012-03-16T17:09:47.916-07:00Garden TimeThe winter here in Texas has been extremely mild, almost hot. The weeds are growing great but not the grass. Today I added homemade compost to the raised bed in the hopes that the crop will be much better. Last season we got very little from the garden. Through the winter I had one tater plant sprout up unexpectedly in the garden and three others I nursed in pots. All four are in the garden but Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-61615834951609634632012-03-15T22:49:00.002-07:002012-03-15T22:49:45.608-07:00VernicompostingVermicomposting is one of the easiest methods to acquire compost for gardens or potted plants. Of course the trick is to create enough compost to properly feed a garden so that no chemical fertilizer is needed. The basics of vermicomposting are as follows;
1. Dark container to hold worms
2. Bedding material for the worms to live in initially
3. Red Wiggler Worms
First, the container to hold the Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-6832684176485976852011-10-16T06:25:00.000-07:002011-10-16T06:25:54.715-07:00Long TimeIt's been a long time now since my last post. Things came up and this blog fell by the way side. There hasn't been a whole lot to write in it as far as the gardening plots go. Out of all that we planted, we got a few measly taters and a couple squash. The drought destroyed our plants and using city water to water twice a week did nothing but keep the plants alive.
The cantaloupe would start Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-21130045353695523272011-05-09T18:10:00.000-07:002011-05-09T18:10:25.750-07:00Wow!!The weeks have been crazy here. The plants are slowly growing and we're getting reports of others in the area about ready to harvest some items from their gardens. We water ours every 2 days to every 4 days depending on soil moisture content and weather but it seems we're missing something in the way of nutrients. When I built the raised bed I mixed manure in with topsoil in roughly a 1:1 ratio. Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-56306254993388887702011-05-01T21:05:00.000-07:002011-05-02T05:47:20.792-07:00Second Degree BurnThese are the ones that go deeper damaging more layers of skin, the skin becomes red, extremely painful with blisters.
Identify Second-Degree Burns
1 Look closely at the burn to see whether the skin has formed round blisters that are filled with clear or red-tinted fluid. Blisters, even if they are tiny, are indicative of a second-degree burn.
2 Compare the color of the burned area with the Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-80831891507583342872011-04-28T19:37:00.000-07:002011-04-28T19:37:19.337-07:00Natural Minor Burn RemediesMinor burns, although scary and painful, can be treated with natural home remedies. As long as the burn is a surface burn only, there are several alternative solutions that can prevent infection, soothe pains, stop scarring and help in healing.
Here are a few remedies….
Aloe Vera One of the most common natural burn remedies is probably Aloe. Many of us still use it today and it does workJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-1379046581641242062011-04-24T14:54:00.000-07:002011-04-24T15:11:04.234-07:00Fire On The Homestead Happy Easter to all. We're just sitting at the house today getting mentally prepared for the week ahead and enjoying the time off. This post is an important one I thought needed to be put out for people.
I've noticed very few websites, books, or magazines mention the fire hazards associated with living on the homestead including your survival retreat. Fire is an ever present danger, Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-91307034014440810932011-04-21T09:08:00.000-07:002011-04-21T09:08:53.267-07:00Mulch and CompostApplying the mulch to the top of the raised bed has helped tremendously. Water retention is much better now and we have seen more sprouts because of this. I feel like there should be better growth in the bed but I'm sure that has something to do with amendments and patience. I haven't been able to get the compost to add to it but our little compost pile is growing. I toss weeds in there when i Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-27563576864063189082011-04-18T17:43:00.000-07:002011-04-18T17:43:27.436-07:00Homemade Water FiltrationThe homemade system I'm talking about is one that is spoken about on many survivalist sites. The caveat is pollution and nuclear fallout. Homemade filtration systems use various containers to stack charcoal, sand, and gravel to clean the water as much as possible. A thin cloth is used on the bottom with a small exit hole. The cloth holds in the charcoal which then has a sand layer poured on. Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-29199635802427163442011-04-17T11:45:00.000-07:002011-04-17T11:45:01.402-07:00Dry GroundStorms have raged through the U.S. the last few days but here in central Texas we only got a few sprinkles. Not enough to quench the thirst of this dry land. I decided today that watering every two days isn't enough without a change. The raised bed is just too dry. The cardboard on the bottom isn't holding enough moisture for the bed. So today we tossed some cedar mulch on the bed to help retain Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-80871928890329365492011-04-16T17:57:00.001-07:002011-04-16T17:57:24.425-07:00Damage To The Food SupplyI'm sorry plants in the garden
Broken but not forgotten
Smashed and not repairable
Eaten and not recoverable
This weekend we are watching the dogs of a coworker and from that little attempt at a rhyme, we lost some today. One of the dogs thought it would be a good idea to trudge through the raised bed. The dirt isn't compacted any and many of the plants are not big enough to survive dogs. Looks Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-33619413731795705272011-04-10T21:21:00.000-07:002011-04-10T21:21:08.383-07:00Compost BinDay late in posting this. The wife and I decided to take a night for us and have a date. Just the movie and food thing. Nothing fancy.
Anyhow, yesterday morning I got it into my head that we should go ahead and build the compost bin. I've talked about it for a year or two but haven't bought one nor built one, til now. Before this I had just thrown scraps into the yard and weeds I'd pulled by handJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-90307411856673126702011-04-08T13:21:00.000-07:002011-04-08T13:21:29.415-07:00Just Another UpdateSo far things look pretty good. I had to add more dirt to the tire taters today, the cantaloupe have surprised me by sprouting many more seeds than I thought were viable, lettuce in a hanging basket has started, and the raised beds are starting to show life. Grass in the yard is still dead with mostly just the weeds showing life but oh well water goes to what I want to eat not what looks good. Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-44710195797981343622011-04-06T17:43:00.001-07:002011-04-06T17:43:39.154-07:00Raised Bed Update and otherJust watered the raised bed and boy was it dry. I thought for sure it would retain moisture better than it does. Guess I'll have to go ahead with my plan and lay newspaper down to keep the water where its needed. I'll try and get that going this week. I put it off hoping I wouldn't have to, at least until the plants popped up, but it looks as though I should lay it down now. Otherwise we may not Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-39548246818428875942011-04-04T21:42:00.000-07:002011-04-04T21:42:37.348-07:00RainEarly this morning when it was still dark out, we had a descent rain. Just enough to soak the raised bed without drowning everything. It did point out a problem that I hope will not be an issue here. Since the raised bed is a mix between top soil and cow manure it holds water very well. Once the plants are growing it won't be a problem but for now it looked like a mud pit.
I will definitely needJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-71078314309085409032011-04-02T17:51:00.000-07:002011-04-02T17:51:49.358-07:00Raised Bed GardeningThis year to combat the clay ground and dry weather, we decided to build a raised bed. I have here pictures of how we did it and I'll let you know what I planted. Firstly I bought 4 cedar fence planks and braces to connect them. Here is the beginning.
To keep the weeds out we put down cardboard. The cardboard will also keep the dirt in the contained area and not allow the nutrients to seepJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-50443851265379547142011-04-01T15:34:00.000-07:002011-04-01T15:34:56.806-07:00Tater UpdateI have pictures here to show how the taters are doing so far this year. The first picture is the first one I planted in a tire. My first attempt at tire taters. It looks rough but that's is due to the temperature and lack of water in the mound. It was bone dry so I added water. Its late in the day so the sun won't fry the leaves.
This second picture is the second tire tater.
Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-4051994104996323072011-03-27T20:08:00.000-07:002011-03-27T20:32:16.728-07:00Animals for Survival RetreatThere are many factors to consider when considering if raising animals for a survival situation would be worth it and which ones to raise. (This information will also be useful for homesteading.) One has to think about OPSEC, feed, nutrition, and availability. Following I will give my opinion and information I've acquired about animals in a survival situation.
When deciding on which animals youJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-3525787670297826442011-03-22T17:27:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:27:57.958-07:00Small Garden of LittleSo the garden has been started with taters and garlic. Not much really but I found that the only way to have a good garden here is with a raised bed. Problem is I don't have the cash to build a raised bed right now. Need to try and quickly find scrap wood that will at least give me one season to test it out. Without further ado;
Whole tater just as a test. Most of it had sprouted and decided to Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-17412008792616815112011-03-18T07:07:00.000-07:002011-03-18T07:07:14.010-07:00Continued Nuclear FearThe news from Japan sounds like what many in the survivalist community are trying to plan for. Natural disaster combined with man made hazards. The earthquake shook the land which caused tsunamis in the area and practically destroyed the nuclear facilities there. The Japanese don't seem to be worried but they sure are risking alot trying to stop what could happen. They've decided to send men in Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-66155882926221409832011-03-15T07:53:00.001-07:002011-03-15T07:53:43.613-07:00Nuclear Fallout The nuclear fallout from a possible Japanese Nuclear facility explosion has many people scared. Here in Texas, people are buying up all the potassium iodide because of possible meltdowns in Japan. Japan is over 5000 miles away from the coast of California. Any radiation that gets into the atmosphere will be dissipated to very low levels by the time it reaches the U.S. Some will get here just Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-52265637229763084882011-03-14T16:21:00.000-07:002011-03-14T16:21:08.162-07:00Just Another ReasonThe recent events in Japan have sparked more interest in the idea of survivalism. Although earthquakes are not as frequent or sever here in the States, they are a possibility. We all should have have some food reserves on hand along with knowledge of the area so that when disaster strikes we can be ready. The east coast has huricanes to deal with and the west coast has earthquakes and tsunamis. Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-83095607867945343512011-03-10T20:18:00.000-08:002011-03-10T20:18:04.187-08:00Garden PrepHere in south Texas its time to prepare and plant. Most of the cold weather is gone and the ground didn't get cold enough to prevent plants from growing. I've got weeds in my yard that grew all winter even. Blasted things made it to where I had to mow during the winter. Now that spring is here, unofficially, its time to break out the shovel, turn over the soil, and drop some seeds. This year I'veJust Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-79584738877232917922011-01-30T14:34:00.001-08:002011-01-30T17:32:40.525-08:00TrafficThis post deals with traffic in and around cities. Currently I reside near a city and it is not a good place to be. Those that live in or near cities know how traffic can be. Crowded streets and aggressive driving are the norm. Many people I know that grew up in cities don't mind the traffic. To them aggressive driving is the only kind of driving. The problem is that this type of driving causes Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3633319034997823253.post-3606638449250544512011-01-26T21:10:00.000-08:002011-01-30T17:31:17.960-08:00CyberEmergency?It seems big brother is trying to take another little slice of pie. The article "Renewed Push to Give Obama an Internet "Kill Switch"" from CBS news says that the bill was originally put forth the middle of 2010 but has had some changes made. As if the government wasn't big enough, it now wants to install a "switch" to control the flow of information on the internet and they included a provision Just Trying To Survivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12711916993207285635noreply@blogger.com0