I managed to get a little stuff done around here yesterday despite the heat and high wind. I expanded the solar panel coffee table by one more panel, but still need to add the part to charge multiple AA sized batteries from just the ambient light in here during the day.(provided I don't keep it totally covered with junk) That will be the next step as far as the table goes. I only had two bad panels so don't look for it to get any bigger. ;) I plan to add a magazine and junk rack under it later on.
Yesterday for lunch I decided to try an experiment so made what I'm calling Desert Rat stew. No it didn't have any Rat meat in it. That's just what I called it. It turned out pretty good and my neighbor was here using the Internet so he tried some to. He also thought it was good. It was made from a can of finely diced Spam, a small can of chicken breast meat, a can of Rotel sauce, Minute Rice, Fajita seasoning and several other seasonings. Sorry... No recipe to it because I didn't measure anything. I just kept adding seasonings until I thought it was right. Guess I should have added some cactus, but I didn't bother.
Yeah I know. It doesn't look to good, but it was a lot better than it looked. ;) That was all that was left of it when I thought to take a picture. I'm still waiting on the Yuccas and other cactus to fruit and bloom so I can start experimenting with them.
So far no fires in this area. I sure hope our luck holds up! I got the Dungeon II cleaned out and swept out and started patching some small holes with windshield sealer instead of welding them. I don't want to take any chances on sparks from the welder starting a fire here. I may repatch them with the welder if we ever get any rain. I will have to do a little welding on the door frame, but have all the grass, creosotes and so on cleaned up on the side where the door is. Hopefully within a week I'll have pallets on the floor to store my stuff on and have everything moved from the dungeon in to there. (Provided I get the door from the dungeon added by then.) The Dungeon should take its leave from here at the end of the month.
I took the falcon to the legion for ice yesterday and when I got back my carpet driveway was blown over by the Dungeon II. I hate that because it is very heavy and hard to handle and move. Its getting windy as heck again now so it may be in the next county before I can get it put back where it belongs.
Never a dull moment, huh?
ReplyDeleteGlad the fires are staying away from your area for the time being! Hope things stay that way for you!
Have a great day, my friend!
That stew looks mighty gooood. I'll bite.
ReplyDeleteHJ, with the wind conditions around here there usually isn't any dull moments.
ReplyDeleteDD, try it at your own risk. ;)
I went to Spamarama in Austin once. There is a tent where people compete with their spam recipes..Maybe you should enter. So park the bike on the carpet too.
ReplyDeleteI like Spam fixed a lot of ways. Best part is its meat that doesn't need refrigeration until its opened. That's why I buy the small cans so I can eat it before it spoils. I love to make spaghetti with it cut in small cubes in the sauce. Makes a good bacon substitute for breakfast when fried. Good fried for a Spam and cheese sandwich and dozens of other things. Its GREAT for off grid living!
ReplyDeleteWell if I left the trike parked on it then it would be wrapped up in it when the falcon wasn't parked there to. Unfortunately staking it down ain't going to happen because of the shallow rock under it.
Go check out my answer to Bob from Athens' and your comments on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI did DD, and sorry for helping lead your thread in a different direction. ;)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I'm glad that the wildfires are away from where you are at. I feel so bad for everyone that has lost livestock and their homes.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I would like yer Desert Rat Stew because I LOVE SPAM cooked in any possible way!!! It looks mighty delicious. ~Jen
That table is fantastic. Grab all the energy you can.
ReplyDeleteGreat job with your Desert Rat Stew. It looks great and Spam is good fud as my son says.
Hawaiian food has lots of spam..you should start your own potted meat festival
ReplyDeleteJen, glad the fires haven't been here, but there is a guy across 118 that seems to think he can burn anything he wants to when he wants to. I figure its just a matter of time for us I guess. (Especially with people like that around) I sure feel for the people it has effected.
ReplyDeletejicky, the table is functional and got rid of a couple of otherwise useless panels laying around outside. Works for me.
Frann, I haven't liked potted meat for many years. It isn't even in the same league with Spam. Hope you're enjoying the HIGH wind as much as I am NOT! At least now that its changed to out of the north this trailer isn't rocking quiet as bad.
Hoping the fire gives y'all a wide berth.
ReplyDeleteSpam looks yummy - and you didn't save me a bite...
Thought of putting rocks on three edges of the carpet? Or digging the edges under the soil to prevent the wind getting underneath and blowing it away? That may entail your have to dig some, but if it helps then it'd be worth while, no? Don't know where the carpet is located, but couldn't you anchor one side under the RV - and dig the other three under the ground?
The solar powered table is cool. I have an idea (My Idea, I want credit for it) of a solar powerered beer cooler combination coffee table (based on the same design) I will give Tffnguy credit and beer for the stimulus of the idea.
ReplyDeleteYou can leave the cooler with beer outside on your porch with the panels keeping the cooler fuctioning with beer inside. Just lift up the solar panels and grab a beer. I evan think John Wells and Benita would approve!
How about pounding tent stakes into the corners of the carpet?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Cap'n.
Dani, I have tried rocks on the corners, but the wind gets under the edges in the center and acts like a sail and dumps them off. I thought about stacking rocks all along the edges, but figure I'd trip over them at night and break my neck. May have to do that anyway. Covering the edges with sand might work. Really all we need is some rain and the carpet fibers would work their way in to the sand and once it dried it would be like concrete and wouldn't go anywhere. At least that's the way it worked at my uncle and aunt's house. Problem is no rain.
ReplyDeleteCC, they have solar powered fridges and freezers that supposedly work real good, but they are out of my price range. (By at least 20 miles)
jicky, I tried that and the stakes I could get driven in the ground ripped the carpet out in high wind and the other places the stakes wouldn't go in the ground because of rock under it.
it is a nice day today! and just a comment on the carpet thing, THINK VELCROW
ReplyDeleteNick, I've got plenty of Velcrow, but unfortunately it doesn't stick to dirt too good. Looks like I'm going to be hauling a bunch of rocks.
ReplyDeleteAs for the weather? Its windy as hell again and probably going to get worse. At least its supposed to be a good bit cooler. Got the trash out and burning before the wind came up and I wound up putting a cut out 55 gallon drum lid over the mesh after the wind came up to cut down on the chance of cinders blowing out and starting a fire. I think its burned now and I don't see any fires starting around here so I guess all is good.
Your funny! Have you forgotten the burn ban! They might not have much of a sense of humor about burning right now. Then again, they are all very busy up north. There is a $500 fine..be careful!
ReplyDeleteHope you stay fire-free in North Terlingua and figure out something for your carpet.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Q-Kid
Frann, you can use a burn barrel provided you have expanded metal covering it. In my case I use 1/4 inch mesh so it would contain sparks and stuff a lot better than expanded metal. Then it has the top on it only leaving about an inch of opening around the outside of it with the mesh around the outside.
ReplyDeleteQuixote Kid, I do to. The wind has been up so I haven't messed with the carpet yet.