On the way over this morning I passed James The surveyor (Can't remember his last name) anyway he was on his way over there to so once he got there he told us about the Strawberry Cactus fruit and went out and found some around the cabin. Each of us tried it and it was very good. Sweet with just a little tart. Sort of reminds me of Kiwi fruit. Those cactus are all over this place and loaded with the fruit, but I haven't found any ripe ones yet. You can bet I'll be watching for them though.
So much for the Solar panels. :( Looks like I won't be retiring the gas charger any time soon. Of course if there is enough wind the wind genny will take up some slack though. At least the temps aren't supposed to be too bad.
New Discovery
Went out to the tffnguy power station this morning to show one of my neighbors the panels and right off the bat discovered an alarming sight. A fresh snake skin and looks like the snake went in the hole and hadn't come out. I may pour some gas in the hole and see if anything domes out. Can't tell what type snake it came from. As you can see this is right by the battery bank and maybe 2 feet from where I usually squat down to connect the gas charger to the batteries. Makes me a little uneasy about that now because the platform under the batteries is where a snake could hide and maybe even strike out from under it. Guess I better fix that problem!
The Fruit
More to Come
Tomorrow Maybe? Got a lot of work to do to make the transition.
Can ya get me James The surveyor #. I have no idea where the boundries are at my place. So did you eat the fruit of the cactus or the green part..Green part looks dangerous! There are many strang cati fruit worth hunting.
ReplyDeleteWow, that fruit sounds great. I wonder if there are lots of those cacti around? One more day till they let you outta solitary ( dungeon )!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info !
frann, I don't know James' number and just found out where he lives today. Don't know when I'll see him again. Yes we ate the fruit. The little brown thingies on it are what's left of the flowers. You can pull the fruit off by that fairly easily when they are ripe and the thorns can be brushed off at that stage to. You just peal the fruit after that and enjoy it. Like I said it is very good!
ReplyDeleteI, I'd imagine there should be plenty around, but the trick is to get to the fruit while its ripe and before critters and birds get to it.
Frann, James' number is on http://www.poatri.org/relocation_guide.html, along with 2 other surveyors.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if those berries can be dried like raisins. Sounds like they'd also be really good in pemmican.
Thanks Abby
ReplyDeleteHoping to see random pics of the "arrival".
ReplyDeleteAbby, I don't know about drying them, but they are considerably larger than most berries. Some are actually about the size of a quarter or maybe even a little larger.
ReplyDeleteAndy, If I'm out and see it coming then I'll snap come pictures of it arriving and the setup process. That will likely be the next thread. Mean time I added to this thread with a new photo of an alarming discovery.
Why do you think you haven't had a rodent problem lately??
ReplyDeleteDennis, believe it or not I still see rodents around here, but I'd imagine their numbers are going down. Not only from the snakes, but the owls that patrol the area late evening and early morning. I guess at night to?
ReplyDeleteI've trapped a number of rats and mice under the dungeon which was probably why the one snake was wanting under there.
maybe on your next trip into town, you should get some Snake Away? I heard it works good, and you could spray it around all the areas you want to walk.
ReplyDeleteDon't know what's worse, the snakes or the rats.Looks like you've got your power situation in hand. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteI, I doubt that that works. I've heard moth balls and any number of things will work and then here they don't work either.
ReplyDeleteDennis, I don't think I'll be making anymore late night trips out to the power station. If the batteries get to low I'll be without power until well after sun rise. ;)
Its HERE! More tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteFire up that AC, pop a cold one, and relax a while!
ReplyDeleteAbby, me and Pepper will be spending the night in the dungeon again tonight. I've got a lot to do before I can make the transition. (Get wiring from the battery bank to the RV sorted out, Get the dungeon prepped in the cool of the morning to move some stuff in here from the RV, Put up a pole for the WiFi dish to be moved to the RV and a lot more. At least its here and I have plenty of stuff to do. At least it should be a lot cooler during the day where we can hang out in the heat of the day.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Pepper's got it made now! (Oh, and her master too.) Congrats, T.
ReplyDeleteOMGoodness, that has got to look like a palace to you! I'm so happy :)
ReplyDeleteAndy, She has had the run of the place several times today and gave her OK. (especially since she had a couple of new boyfriends over) The medium sized BRAT!
ReplyDeleteHad a problem with the fridge, but I got that squared away.
MC, Its about 10,000 Lbs and probably not a lot less weight than the dungeon so even in the wind today it hasn't made a bobble. It will be a nice change and I picked up a new nephew in the process. (See a later thread.)
WOW that is a really nice camper!
ReplyDeleteThe guy who is lettin you use the trailer deserves a bunch of brownie points. GOOD PEOPLE ARE COOL!
ReplyDeleteLookin nice!
Frann, Yes it is. I can't wait to move it to it. Pepper can't either. ;)
ReplyDeleteI, there was an old song in the 60s called He ain't heavy he's my brother by the Hollies see He Ain't Heavy
That song used to have special meaning between Dale's Dad and me. Maybe it rubbed off?
Or maybe this will do better. He Ain't Heavy
ReplyDeleteHigh rolling in the desert! Now just stock up and wait for the hurricane rain!
ReplyDeleteLOL My last name is Brothers...we in my family sing a slight variation to tha song..
ReplyDeleteAbout those snakes..If you want them gone,don't use the gas,,get you a few boxes of cheap plain ole moth balls and toss a few under anything you think they may be at..It won't kill them,just run em off. or you could spend more money and get Mr T's snake away, but it's just ground up mothballs!!!
ReplyDeletemaybe hire a security mongoose?
ReplyDeletefrann, good thing your folks didnt have my sense of humor. I would have named you Sisters
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I were the Brothers Sisters! Ginnies...the bird not the Italian..will run snakes off but they are obnoxis.
ReplyDeleteBen, I've heard moth balls work and that they don't work. Who knows? I guess the only way to tell for sure would be to catch one and experiment?
ReplyDeleteI, I hear mongooses don't do near as well with rattlers as they do cobras (Mainly because rattlers strike upwards and cobras strike downwards.)
frann, I don't want any foul fowls! ;)
Hi! Just checking to see if little sis's instructions work. If so, brother, hi, to you.
ReplyDeleteMoth balls work great...I lived in a mobile home a few years ago and kept seeing mice run under it so I thew a whole box of moth balls all over under the trailer. Well, a few days later I see a 5 foot snake going under the trailer probably after those mice. Then, a few days later I see a weasel go under the trailer probably going after that snake.
ReplyDeleteI never seen any of them ever come out so I guess the moth balls took care of all them ;o)
mom? /Sis, glad you made it. Its always good to subscribe by email on each thread.
ReplyDeleteezrablu, I've heard too many times that if you put mothballs down and a snake wants past them they just crawl through them. I'd hate to bet on them working and be sorry because I did.