What Did You Do Today?

[Eric Krewson]

I planted my greens garden last Friday evening with perfect conditions for planting, I had this Monday evening; this is some kind of record for me. These are sprouting turnip plants, turnip seeds germinate quicker than the kale or collards.

[Pat B]

Today, Marcia and I took our yearly trip to the NC farmers market over near Asheville. We bought two 25# boxes of Roma tomatoes, $10 each and 6 bell peppers, $1 for all, some garlic and we had Vidalia onions at home.

 
First thing I did is bring a large pot of water to a light boil and drop tomatoes into it until their skin splits. Then I take them out of the hot water and drop in cold water to stop the cooking. Now I cut off the connection ens and remove the peel then cut into chunks.
 While prepping the tomatoes I chop onions, bell peppers, garlic and place in a large pot with olive oil, salt and pepper. After these veg saute for a few minutes I start adding the chopped tomatoes. After adding the tomatoes I add about a tablespoon of sugar, something my Mom thought me to help cut some acidity. When the pot of tomatoes cooks down by 1/3 I turn it off, cover and let it cool slowly.
Tomorrow I will bag the cooked tomatoes in freezer bags for use later this year.

[Eric Krewson]

I like to stockpile food as well; we have an Amish community 45 miles away. I can't grow some things in quantity like corn nearly as cheaply as I can buy perfect ears of very good corn from the Amish for $3 to $4 for a dozen ears.

I have grown a garden almost every year for the last 55 years. It surprises me now with food prices going out the roof that so few of the people who have a back yard they could grow a garden in don't. I have 4 1/2 acres but 4 1/4 of those acres are thick woods, I only have a strip 30' ft wide and 60' long that is level enough to grow a garden on, even that piece of ground has some slope to it but it terraced itself with repeated tilling over the years to be almost flat.

[Pat B]

I ended up  with about 30 bags of tomato sauce in the freezer. Each bag holds about 1/3 gallon. They are laid flat, stacked on a cookie sheet and put into the freezer. These will last us all winter and it is nice to have fresh tasting tomato sauce to make chili, spaghetti, red beans and rice or stewed okra and tomatoes and other good eating.     

[PaulN/KS]

We do the same thing with our sauce Pat. It stows so much easier in the bags and the wife has different amounts for various dishes. We also just just do the blanch,skin,crush and freeze fresh ones in gallon bags for the big pots of soup or stews.
It's just about the end of the tomatoes here but we had a good crop this year of them as well as the peppers. 

[Pat B]

I was cutting firewood today on the far side of our property. It was getting close to lunch time and I was about to make the last cut of the day when something hit me in the head. The tree I was cutting is one I started a few days before.This, an 18" red oak, got hung up in other trees so I studied my options. I could safely cut a few of these other smaller trees and get them out of the way and continue reducing the tree into firewood sized logs from about 2" diameter and up. Well, this thing rang my bell and once I felt stable enough I drove home. My wife saw my head and we headed to the hospital.
 This was about 1pm. During the next few hours 2 PAs, one on one side, one on the other side started cleaning the wound of bark and wood chips and after about 3 hours the two of them put about 200 stitches in the crown of my head. The cat scan showed no skull damage and no bleeding inside, the wound actually didn't bleed much on the outside considering what happened.
 Considering the damage I'm not in much pain. Definitely a headache but Ibuprofen and Tylenol are handling that pretty well. I may have a different opinion tomorrow. I go back on Friday for a follow up and get the stitches removed in about 10 days.
 Please be safe out in the woods whether you are cutting firewood or hunting or just hiking. I'll go back to the scene of the accident in a few days to see if I can figure out what happened. I was aware of the situation and thought I was being safe but obviously I must have overlooked something.

[Eric Krewson]

I had a similar thing happen out of the blue; I was going downhill to my food plot on my tractor to till some ground and passed by a big oak. My tiller scraped against the oak and caught a 4" poison ivy vine that was running up a dead tree that I didn't see behind the oak. I felt the tug of the vine and the next thing I knew the vine pulled the dead tree down on top of me. The dead tree was about 15 ft' long and weighed about 200#.

I didn't have my roll bar up; I did have a hard hat on. The half up roll bar deflected the falling tree slightly but it still glanced off my head and hit my shoulder pretty hard. The hard hat saved my head; my shoulder took it hard but nothing was broken because it was a glancing blow.

If the tree had fallen just a few inches to the right and I would have been killed, this stuff happens so quickly there is no time to react.

It sounds like a widow maker got you Pat.

I have a tree I want to put a ladder stand on. It is a large double trunk tree, one of the trunks has been dead for at least 10 years. To put the ladder stand up I would have to cut the dead trunk that is about 24" in diameter. I can see all of the widow makers hanging by a thread 30'-40' up and haven't figured out how to cut the tree safely so I have to let it go.

[JW_Halverson]

Good Lord, brother Pat, don't go making a widow of that good woman so soon. That goes for all the rest of ya'll, too!

I'm of an age that I felt I needed to buy a good dark suit for those inevitable somber gatherings, but this is one case where I hope I DON'T get my money's worth out of a purchase.

[Pat B]

Eric, the tree hung up in other smaller trees. It was last week I cut it down. Since then I've been studying all my options. I did successfully remove most of the smaller trees letting the big tree settle more. There were a few widow makers left but I thought I was clear of them. I'll go back up there in a few days to see if I can figure out what happened.
 John, good thing I have a hard head.  I do have a bit of a headache today and a few sore muscles and get a bit dizzy when first standing but I guess that will pass in a few days. I go back tomorrow for a check up and redressing the wound and get the stitches out in 10 days.

[PaulN/KS]

Glad it wasn't worse Pat. Hope everything heals up quickly.

Guys, remember, the most frequent cause of injuries to us old men is our thinking that we are still young men...
Be safe out there.

[bjrogg]

Glad you are ok Pat. It is always a good idea to have someone with you cutting wood. So many simple things can become big problems when you are working alone. I know I do it to, but I’m always more careful when I am alone. I have heard many stories where people were alone. Pinned down and if someone had been there they would still be here.

Glad you are Pat

Our woods are getting scary to walk through. Especially when it is windy. So many dead ash hung up and leaning everywhere

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

I'll be getting a hardhat and a set of walkie-talkies. I've been doing this by myself for years. I know I should have someone else with me but I have no one to do it. I learned to be very careful but stuff happens. I'll find out in a few days when I go back up there. Tomorrow I go back to the ER for an evaluation and redressing the wound. I took it very easy today. I'm doing better this evening. Last night wasn't so good. Sleep was spotty and when I changed position I got dizzy. I'll find more about that tomorrow.
Thanks for the concerns guys.

[Pappy]

Hope all turns out well for you, we are all getting older and reflex not near as fast as they used to be. I work alone a lot myself, just try to be careful, Miss Joanie tells me every day before I leave the house “ don’t do nothing stupid “ 😊😉 I hear her but don’t always follow through. 😉Pappy

[Eric Krewson]

I always get vertigo when I take a hard hit to the noggin. I know what it is because the bed feels like it drops out beneath me when I roll over at night. I get the same scary feeling if I bend over and turn my head, like I am falling through space.

I went to an ENT the first time I got a severe case of vertigo, they do a procedure called the Epley Maneuver to move the dislodged crystals in your inner ear back to where they are supposed to be and restore your balance.

I learned how to do a home version of the same maneuver and now fix myself when vertigo raises its ugly head again.

If your dizziness persists Pat, you might want to see an ENT. When I had vertigo the first time, it was so bad that I couldn't get out of recliner without falling on my face. Fortunately, the Dr I went to at the walk-in clinic knew about the Epley Maneuver and sent me to an ENT. I have seen other Drs. Since that have never heard of the Epley Maneuver for treating vertigo and wanted to prescribe pills for dizziness, the pills don't correct the problem.

[Pat B]

Thanks, Pappy but you take care of Miss Joanie. We are all on the edge of our seats just waiting to hear the good news.
 Eric, I'm going back in this morning for an evaluation and redressing the wound. I'll mention to the doctor about the dizziness. I need to get this bulky turban off and get a smaller dressing. This thing makes it hard to sleep comfortably, something I've never had to worry about.