Day 73- Christmas and New Year's

The last few, short, dark days before Christmas were spent making presents for everyone.  We spent Christmas day together, exchanging gifts, eating and drinking.  Everyone imbibed a bit, and all were merry. 

The Littles, Sally and the kids played with all of their new homemade toys, and several commented on how busy Santa must have been in his workshop this year.

The adults all seemed pleased with their new rocket stove outhouse heaters and 2013 calendars.  Sil knitted new scarves for everyone.  Nira sewed everyone new longjohns.  Diego made a bow for each of the men, and the boys got the bows that we had traded them.  Mom knitted dishclothes and Dad made knives.  It was truly a wonderful Christmas, with more gifts than I had imagined possible.  We played cards late into the night.

Boxing Day we went for a sleigh ride, stopping to check on Sanya and Roam, and meeting the neighbours around the other bend in the road for the first time- the ones who remain in their homes.  We took along a few jars of pickles and some of the bear to trade.  Most of the people that way have a bit of livestock- chickens, goats, cows and horses.  I'd like to find someone close by that might have some piglets for to barter in the spring.

The rest of the week was spent doing the normal daily chores, fires and water and cooking.  We got another foot of fresh snow before the temperatures took a nose dive, holding pretty steady at -30°C now.  We reminisced about that first winter, when it was -45°C for three weeks in a row, warming up just enough to snow, then plummeting again. 

It's too cold to do much of anything outside, quick trips to the barn, then back in the house to thaw out.  I've been stitching up coats and clothes, repairing rips and tears.  I even figured out how to sew a button hole with the treadle machine, replacing broken zippers with buttons.


#2 got bored and cleaned the basement, without anyone telling him to.  It was a nice surprise. 

New year's Eve was another night of everyone gathered together to eat, drink and be merry.

Husband finally sat down to read over my notes on how to build a windmill with a car alternator.  He's concerned that the wind won't blow fast enough to make it worthwhile.  I miss the internet.  It would be nice to be able to google other designs and ideas. 

For the time being though, he and the Bigs brought in all of the car and truck batteries and wired them together in the basement.  It's only an 8 battery bank, but it's more than we had before.  They're going to check abandoned cars for batteries now too.  He wired a cord to the generator, so it can be charged a bit when the generator's running, but that's only on rare occasions.  They fastened the two little 'battery charger' solar panels onto the old internet satellite dish, and ran the wires down to the basement to the battery bank.  On sunny days it gives us just enough power to run the furnace fan for about half an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon.  It really helps to take the chill off.

Brother and Sil have a heat powered woodstove fan, and Husband and Dad have been making plans to copy it.  It would be an enormous help in circulating the air in both our houses, not to mention a great trade item.

Otherwise, things have been fairly dull.  Laundry in the bathtub, after using the water for baths.  Pancakes for breakfast.  Stew for lunch.  Usually beef for supper, although we did have turkey for Christmas.  Lots of pumpkin treats this week- I baked a pumpkin just before Christmas- pies, cookies, breads. 

I went through a bit more than a bag of flour this month.  I'll have to watch it more closely.  One of the neighbours said the feed mill should be able to mill wheat and other grains still, if they can find a power source.  He used to work there, and although a lot of renovations have been done through the years, a lot of the older equipment is still set up and functional.  Not that I have enough wheat seed to grow a real crop next summer anyway, but maybe someone will grow enough to sell or barter.

The days are getting longer again, thank goodness.  We went through a lot of candles the past few weeks.  It's hard to conserve when we were barely getting nine hours of daylight.

It's a brand new year now, who knows what the future will hold.  Maybe we'll get hydro back at some point.  Maybe we'll stop missing it.  It's hard to say.

Day 60

Two months without power.  Without cars.  Without t.v.  Without 'government'.  Without even a radio.  If it wasn't for the meal planner I made a while ago, I probably wouldn't even know what day it is.  One day blends into the next.  Monday is just the same as Friday.  We do what needs to be done- fires and water and cooking.  Then we look for ways to keep ourselves occupied.  Some project to do that might use up a day or two.

Everyone is feeling better now, it seems.  Maybe a little dragged out, and I guess a few sniffles yet, but the headaches, sore throats, and chest congestions all seem to have subsided.  I am so sick of washing hankies.  That could possibly be the downfall of civilization- mama goes postal for lack of kleenex.  Ok, ok, it's not that bad.  Still, there are certainly more pleasant jobs.  I'll be on the lookout for more sheets at the flea market.  I started storing the hankies in old coffee cans, but they may still need a new home.  We use coffee cans for feed scoops, clothespin buckets, and other assorted odds and ends.  It's strange that I now worry about where we're going to get more of something that most people consider to be garbage.

Husband and the Bigs built miniature rocket heaters for everyone's outhouses.  Ours isn't installed yet, because if someone comes over and sees it, it'll ruin the surprise for Christmas, so we're still freezing our butts off, but thankfully only for a few more days.

The weather's been holding steady at about -10°C overnight, and just below freezing through the day.  We've had some light flurries but no real big snow storms.  The snow on the ground is holding at just about a foot deep- perfect for the sleigh.  Husband and the Bigs have had it out a couple of times, just practicing, down our road.  Husband thinks we're ready to try the trip to the Hutterite village.

Today we check in with Mom and Dad, Brother and Sil, and Diego and Nira, and let them all know our plans.  The sleigh is only big enough for two people, and Husband figures it should be safe enough for me to go.  Everyone else will have to stay home.  If they have things they want to trade though, we'll take them along and do our best.  The Bigs wanted to ride along on the trip, but Husband says they'll have to stay at the house with the Littles.

Everyone has empty jerry cans and hopes for fuel.  We can only take 1 jerry can for each of them.  Sil has knitted mittens and slippers, and Brother has the fox skins.  He's gotten a few more since the last time we were there.  They have a box of books to trade in as well.

Mom has some meat to part with.  Dad got a moose.  Dad's made some knives for trading.  They're crude, but sharp.  They have some books.

Diego has 12 bows, but only one arrow for each.  If we can get him some more pipe, thinner pipe, and dowel he can keep making more.  Nira has some clothes that are too small for their youngest, and extra mittens that she sewed.  Nira's hoping for more children's books, and maybe some toys for Christmas.

I have candles to trade, books, a couple of roasts, a dozen eggs, and Husband has been cleaning and fixing things in the garage.  He adds a box of assorted odds and ends to the sleigh.  It's hard to know what to trade, when we don't know how long we'll be in this predicament, or when we'll be able to get more supplies.  What seems unnecessary now might become valuable in the future.

Everyone's priorities seem to have shifted.  Veggies are still high on the want list, but mostly everyone wants something to combat the boredom.  I have a bunch of board games for the kids, and several decks of cards.  We can lend them out amongst our group, but I think I could make copies to trade as well.  They won't be ready for this trip, but maybe next time.  I look through the cupboard and decide to take along an extra chessboard and a nature trivia game that the kids have gotten bored with.  They might be worth something.

After loading the sleigh with everything but the food, we decide to go and see the people we got our chickens from.  The roads are quiet on the way there.  We find a car with enough fuel to fill one jerry can.

They're happy to visit with us- it's been some time since they've seen anyone.  They still have a few more chickens than they'll be able to feed through the winter.  We show them what we have available to trade, and they take some metal thing from Husband's box, a pair of mittens, and the chess board for eight hens and a five gallon pail of goat's milk.

We talk for awhile about different wants and needs.  They figure they've still got enough of everything they need, except vegetables- mostly it's just boring out there all alone.  They miss their car.  They thought about trying to trade a cow for a horse, but neither one of them knows how to ride.  They joke that they'd be happy for a bicycle at this point.  We have a number of bicycles at our house.  I buy them at yard sales, because it seems one of the boys is always needing a new tire, or a different seat, or a gear.  The Bigs rip pieces off of one and put them on another all the time.  I wonder if they could put a few of them together to trade in the spring.

We have a nice, but short visit.  The days are so short now that we can't really risk being out much past two.  On the way home we stop at Diego and Nira's and drop off four hens.  We didn't give them any from the first batch, and I'm really bad about delivering eggs.  Neighbour's had a hen house on the side of their barn that's still solid and secure, so they don't really need to build anything for them, just find them feed.

Diego looks the sleigh over for a bit.  He wants to try putting skis on their little cart for the ponies.

Nira gets a pitcher and I give her some of the goat's milk.  She sees the nature trivia game in the wagon and wants it for the kids for Christmas.  I tell her I had planned to loan her some games, that I wanted to trade this one that the boys don't care for.  She is adamant that she wants it.  I ask her what she'd be willing to trade for it.  She starts getting mad because I won't let her take it for the kids.  I tell her my kids won't have presents this year either.  Husband and Diego come over to see what the fuss is about.

Husband asks Diego, "Do you want to trade the game for a couple of the bows?"

Diego asks, "Do you want them for the boys for Christmas?"

Husband says "Yes".

"Then take four.  You could have just asked".

Husband explains that we didn't feel comfortable taking their trade items just for presents.  We figured we'd find something they wanted to trade for before we asked.  Diego doesn't seem to care.  Nira's happy to have a present to wrap.  It doesn't seem like a fair trade to me, but I guess having something under the tree is more important to them than it is to me.

During supper I ask the boys if we still have that wood toy building set in the garage somewhere.  The wood pieces that came with it were really hard to work with, but the plans are in it to build cars, trucks, planes and boats.  I ask them if they think they could build some toys for the kids and Sally.  They decide to try and find it in the morning.

I look at the calendar again.  I'll have to make my own for next year.  Calendars would make good presents for the grown ups. I guess the whole present thing is easier than I thought it would be.

Day 31- Village and Rivertown

We're going to town today.  First our village, then Rivertown.  We're hoping we can make some kind of deal with our old hay man.  It's a bit of a jaunt, but we can use the horses to haul the hay back to the house.

Pancakes for breakfast, stew on the stove for lunch.

We stop at Mom and Dad's and drop off bread.  We take their empty jerry cans, along with our own. 

We stop at Diego and Nira's to see how they're doing.  The injured pony is all healed up, so they decide to join us.  The boys stay there with the kids.

In our village we go to the library to exchange books.  I pick through the selection and fill a box with books I've already read.  I look up at the wall and see someone has added to my weed list.  More than one person, there's three different sets of handwriting.  I read over it quickly.  I'll have to bring a pencil and paper with me next time so I can copy these new finds.

We go to the store, mostly just to chat.  There isn't much news.  Someone made the trip to Southern City and back.  Supplies are running low everywhere.  More people have left and headed south.  They think there will be some kind of government relief closer to the cities.  Someone brought back potatoes from the potato man.  Most of the fields have been dug now.  Others brought a load of wheat and a load of turnips from another farmer.  There are more pumpkins lined on the shelves as well.

The community center has been opened up and left open.  There's a collection of library books there, some board games and cards, and toys for the kids.  They're using the community kitchen to feed the townsfolk who can't feed themselves.  Everyone has to bring in something to add to the pot, but everyone gets fed and boredom gets alleviated.  Some of the parents are teaching classes there as well.

We go to check out the community center.  There are kids of all ages playing, reading, doing school work.  A lady greets us and gives us a tour.  Nira would like to send the kids to school, but she's not sure how she'd get them there everyday.  The lady says to just bring them whenever they can.  It's all very informal.

We find a few cars with fuel on the way to Rivertown.  We go into the library, where the librarian is actually working.  She says she doesn't have much else to do anyway.  I trade the box of books for a new selection.  She gets me a second box full as well.  Rivertown used to run our village library, but it was closed due to budget cuts.  They still have boxes of books in the basement that were never sorted or put away. 

We go downtown, and see people milling about everywhere.  The grocery store and hardware store are both open, running bartering type business.  The grocery store shelves are nearly empty of non-perishables, though there is one shelf filled with mostly home canned goods and the meat cooler is filled with assorted home butchered meats.  Like the store in our village, the shelves have filled with pots, utensils, clothing, furnishings and such.

At the hardware store we see more of the same.  That's the real reason everyone should shop local.  I doubt Walmart's store managers are even showing up, let alone running a barter business to help people survive.

The school is open in town, all ages, all religions, bilingual.  There are parents teaching classes, as well as two of the actual teachers who live in town. 

The hospital is open, though the doctors are gone.  The nurses who live in town are taking turns treating patients. 

The community center is open.  A community kitchen is set up, with the same rules of everyone contributing getting fed.  Tables set up with board games, puzzles and cards.  There's a sign on the door advertising a dance for Saturday night.  That would be fun, but it's a long way to travel in the night.

We go to see the hay man.  He would be willing to trade hay for diesel.  Right now he has no way to load the hay and has had to fence his cattle in around it to feed them.  We'll have to look for transports that still have diesel in them.

On the way back we stop at a house that used to have refurbished horse pulled equipment for sale.  The man there already has enough orders for hay cutters to keep him busy until spring.  He doesn't have enough parts to build everything people are asking for, but if we can take the side cutter off the tractor, the seat, find some decent wheels and lumber, he might be able to make it work- for half a cow.

When we leave there we decide we'll take a trip to see the Hutterites before we make a decision on that.

Back in our village we unload the books at the library, then go back to the community center.  I tell the lady who gave us the tour about the dance in Rivertown.  She writes up a sign and puts it on the door.  I ask her to put up another sign, asking local musicians if they'd be interested in playing at a dance here.  She thinks that's a great idea.

We leave Diego and Nira at their place, pick up the boys and leave.  We drop fuel off to Mom and Dad.  Brother, Sil, and the girls are there.  We share the news from town with them. 

The girls are interested in going to school- not as students, but as teachers.  We'd need to build another horse cart and teach them how to drive, but they could pick up the Littles and all the kids and take them all to school everyday.

Everyone is interested in the dance.  It would give us all a chance to get out and do something.  I hope people volunteer to play in our village.  It would be so much easier!

Back at home the boys put Samson and the cart away and do chores.  It's well past lunch already, so we decide to eat the stew for supper and call it a day.  We play monopoly until bedtime.

Day 30- A Month Without Power

The weather has been beautifully mild for this time of year.  It's rather unexpected.  We've been spending a fair amount of time each day gathering firewood.  While it may look like a mild winter ahead right now, it could turn into a late spring, and we don't want to be caught unprepared.

I finally finished with the bear lard, for a total of 13 quarts, not counting the ones I gave to Sil and Nira.  The dogs and birds ate cracklings for several days, mixed in with their feed.  I've started feeding the birds a scoop of doggy stew along with their grains and weeds.  I don't know how much longer the grains will last, but I do know I can't buy any more right now.

The banana bread is gone, so we're back to pancakes for breakfast for now.  We could have had eggs one day, the new chickens are really pulling their weight, but I decided to bake instead.  Cookies are a pain on the woodstove, with only room for one tray at a time in the oven.  I made a double batch of dough and was cursing them by the time I finished.  I hope the boys appreciate the effort.  I baked a cake and two pumpkin pies.  The pies were surprisingly the easiest, requiring the least amount of flour and dirty dishes.  I guess the boys will be spoiled this winter.

Husband and the Bigs are still working the horses for a couple of hours every morning.  Knightmare is an old hat at the stone boat now.  Husband doesn't trust her enough to try the cart yet though.  They're going to try to fix up the sleigh today.  I bought it at the auction a couple of years ago.  The wood was rotten, but the frame was solid.  The plan is to reinforce the sides and make a bench with thin trees, and use some 1X3s for the floor.  The lumber pile isn't in too bad of shape yet, but the more we conserve the longer it will last.

They built a lean-to on the cabin by the creek for the horses to get out of the weather.  We moved them back there semi-permanently, in part because we don't want anyone trying to steal them, but mostly because there just isn't enough grass in the pasture.  We can't waste hay.

Everyone is over their colds, and we did ok with cloth hankies.  Washing them isn't even all that bad.  I put them in a bucket, rather than the bathtub, and pounded them with the plunger.  We sure went through a pile of them though.  I took an old sheet and cut it into hanky size squares, and still had to wash them everyday.

We've been picking more weeds, digging more cattails, I even found another patch of rosehips that were in ok shape.


We're on our last roll of toilet paper.  I had really hoped it wouldn't come to this.  I've given everyone their own cloth to wipe with, and their own hook in the outhouse.  They're all responsible for cleaning it themselves. 

There hasn't been any rain, so Husband and the boys got water from Sanya and Roam again.  No baths, for the time being.  Everyone is getting kind of stinky too.  Oh well.  Snow will come eventually.

Lunches have been mostly soups and stews, with bread.  Suppers are mostly beef.   I'm trying to make room in the freezer for Mindy.  On the one hand, she may be bred and it would make sense to keep her.  On the other hand, we just don't have the hay to last the winter. 

We play board games almost every night, and read.  #4's reading has really improved.  The Littles do their school work in the mornings without even being told now.  Without the distraction of the tv and computers, they're much more agreeable. 

We keep busy, and try not to think too much about what might happen in the coming months.

Day 27-

My cold is somewhat better this morning, but I enjoy my tea with goat's milk and rosehip syrop anyway.  I give the boys theirs the same way.

When I got dressed this morning I realized I forgot about the laundry.  Oops.  Need to get some underthings washed.  The boys probably have a ton of stuff that needs wahing in their rooms as well.

Last night in bed I decided to skip the menu for today, and make balogna rolls for supper tonight.  I wasn't thinking about milk when I made the menu plan, so I had best take advantage of the opportunity.  I get the balogna, cheese and yellow beans out of the freezer.

I clean the bear fat out of the bowl and put it in the coffee pot to melt.  I drain the fat from the pot into the bowl and take it back to the fridge.  I've got 10 quarts of 'lard' from the two bears so far.  The doggy stew gets more cracklings added.

Banana bread for breakfast, bear stew for lunch, no need to make bread.  I only need to worry about getting supper on today.

Husband wants to go and see how Diego and Nira are doing today, and go into town to the library.  I want to stop at the flea market and see if they have any little glasses I can use to make candles.  We decide to give the horses the day off, and take them all back to the creek to graze while we do laundry.

Husband and the Bigs get Samson hitched and everyone loads their laundry onto the cart.  The boys walk with the other horses and let them all loose in the pen.

The water is frigid in the creek and we're all half drenched by the time the laundry is washed.  We hitch Samson back to the cart and take the laundry to the clothesline at the house.  We get it all hung up and then settle in by the fire to warm up.  We change into dry clothes and eat lunch.

The boys help me roll balogna rolls.  I put them in a roasting pan on the stove, rather than the usual glass pans.

We all go to Diego and Nira's together.  The boys can stay and visit with them while we go to town.  We take them a loaf of bread, a jar of bear lard, a dozen eggs, a bag of potatoes, and their sharpened knives.

Diego and Nira are happy to see us.  One of the ponies has injured his leg, so they haven't been able to go anywhere or do much the past few days.  He should be better in another day or two.  They have been working hard on firewood, and probably have enough cut for winter now, but it's all along the edge of the woods.

Nira's weed collection is doing well, and they're learning to like the variety of pickles.  She's not baking as often now, rationing some of the boxed mixes and supplies.  She never believed the blackout would last this long, but she's working on surviving the winter now.

Diego got really lucky and shot a deer a few days ago.  They butchered it and froze it, and even kept the bones and scraps for Tank.  He hung the hide on the side of the shed.  They saved the fat in a bucket outside, but aren't sure what to do with it.  Nira wants to try rendering it this time.

We take it in the house and she gets a big pot out to put it in.  I explain it's not hard, it just takes some time.  I explain the process to her.  I tell her to look for some cotton string to make candle wicks, and small jars or glasses to make them in.

We tell them about the people with the chickens and goat's milk.  They want to go with us next time.

Diego gets really quiet and serious.  He tells us he shot someone.  There was someone trying to steal the ponies in the night a few days ago, and even with Tank barking and Diego yelling, they wouldn't leave.  Diego took his cross bow out to scare the man off, but the man had a gun.  Diego shot him straight through the heart before the man had a chance to fire.  The pony spooked and that's when it hurt it's leg.  They buried the man by the woods.

Everything has been so peaceful and civilized up to this point, it's hard to believe people are getting desperate now, especially with all of the meat available at the flea market.  I think they must have wanted the ponies for travel, not food.

We take their library books, a few jars of pickles, and head to town.  They'd like a different veggie if there's anything available.

Town is pretty quiet, except at the store where a few people are chatting outside.  We go to the library first.  I hang one of my weed lists on the wall, so everyone can see it.  I exchange all of our books.  There's a much better selection today.  Either people are done with them, or are feeling more generous.  Either way, the library is growing with books filling several shelves.

At the store we learn that some people have gotten boxes of books from the bigger library in Rivertown.  They've started their own book exchange, and anyone who plans to travel to any of the other towns is being asked to take a box of books to exchange with them.  We have no plans to travel that far right now, but we'll keep it in mind in the future.

There are a couple of pumpkins available, some potatoes, and a jar of mustard.  That strikes me as funny for some reason, but I'm not sure why.  There's lots of meet available, hanging in the old beer cooler.  That also strikes me as funny.  I trade two jars of pickles for a pumpkin.  It seems a little steep, but I can only imagine things are likely to get more expensive.

We go to the flea market and I trade one candle and one jar of pickles for a box of small glasses.  I know Marsha gave me a deal, but she can see future candles in the works. 

We drop the pumpkin, a few glasses, and some books off at Diego and Nira's and pick up the boys. 

Back at home it's time for chores, supper, and some reading before bed.

Day 24- Another Butcher Day

Everyone is up early this morning.  It's cold in the house.  The temperature must have really dropped last night.  #2 makes pancakes, coffee and tea.  #1 lights a fire in the basement.

I get the bowl of fat from the fridge outside.  After lifting it from the bowl and dusting off the crumbs, it goes in the old coffee pot on the stove to melt.  I wipe the bowl out and drain more fat from the rendering pot.  A lot of the cracklings are dry and crispy, ready to be taken out.  I offer some to the boys to try, but don't find any fans.  I put them in an ice cream bucket to go in the doggy stew pot later. 

I take the bowl of rendered fat back outside and grab the pan of baked beans.  I scoop some into a stock pot and start adding onions, peppers, chili powder, garlic, and tomato sauce.  A nice pot of chili for supper tonight.  I was going to reheat and can the rest of the beans, but I think it'll be just as simple to make it all into chili, and then can the excess.   I pour the rest of the beans into the pot, add more onions, peppers and spices, and put the whole thing on the stove.  I get a baggy of squash from the freezer and put it in as well.  It won't be noticeable once cooked in.

I clean out the cast iron pan and start cooking two packages of ground beef- about 4 pounds.  #1 already has his nose in the chili pot, sampling and adding more spices.  I shoo him away before he makes it burn your face off hot. 

Husband and the Bigs go out to do chores and work the horses.  The Littles get started on their work books.

I boil water, wash dishes, tidy the kitchen, and start a batch of bread.  The cooked ground beef is strained and added to the chili pot.  I add water to the soup pot, more weeds, and a handful of noodles.  It goes back on the stove for lunch.  I clean the cast iron pan, bowl and utensils for breakfast tomorrow and put them in their place on the counter.  I go out and pick more weeds, add a bunch to the doggy stew pot, along with the cracklings, rice and flour.


It's too late in the season to leave the bear hanging for long, the outer edges are nearly frozen already.  I start trimming off all of the visible fat.  Dad arrives and sees what's left of his bear.  He's not too happy with me giving half of it away yesterday without asking.  Not that he hadn't planned to share it with Brother and Sil, but still, I should have asked.  I ask Mom if she wants to render the fat, and she says no, I can have it.  Dad and I get busy butchering while Mom puts the Littles to work tidying the yard and putting things away.

Dad takes all of the steaks, the tenderloins, some stew meat and a few roasts.  He tells me to split the rest with Brother and Sil.  I tuck it away in the freezer for now.  I take the fat in the house and add it to the rendering pot.

Mom and Dad join us for a late lunch, soup and turkey salad sandwiches, then head back to their place.

The chili has been simmering on the stove all morning, so it's ready to can.  I sterilize 6 quart jars and put the canner on to boil. 

The boys and Husband are not too ambitious this afternoon, so we set up a game of Risk.

When the canner's ready, I fill 6 jars of chili and pop them in to process.  I roll out the bread when it's not my turn. 

We enjoy a quiet afternoon at home, break for supper and chores, then play another round while the bread bakes.  We go to bed late, after I take over the world, mwahahaha!!!