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1. My grape cuttings are showing the first signs of forming roots after 3 weeks in water on our sunny window sill. I used garden safe TakeRoot rooting hormone from Walmart-@ 5 bucks for volume of 2/3 cup in the container.

   I’ve started grapes without the Indole-3-butyric acid before, but found certain varieties made roots easily and others did not. If these are successful, I’ll be up to a total of 8 varieties now. When the roots are a few inches long, transplanting will be pretty successful.

   Grape cuttings can be started directly in the garden, but I really enjoy having some on our window sill, and we now live in a northern coastal climate with temperatures still getting into the 40’s at night. Pollinators are just starting to get active.

   Hundreds of homesteaders in our area have plastic-over-frame greenhouses, and just yesterday we saw one with the sides rolled up and fully bushed out raspberry plants 5 feet high. Raspberry plants outside of structures are about a month behind them. if you have everbearing raspberries like our favorite Caroline variety, it means you could get 2-3 times the production from greenhouse-reared plants.

   I just read the new prepper novel, A Great State- The Divide, by Shelby Gallagher, and am reading a book by a member of the Black Robe Regiment titled Hijacking the Historic Jesus, by Dr Phil Fernandes and Kyle Larson. Also reading God’s Mighty Warriors in the Last Days by Dr. Don Bell (MAJ, USMC, Ret.).

   Just got my wife the new telescoping flagpole she’s been wanting.

   We leave an evergreen wreath on the wall be our door. Last month a Junco nested on it. Wife banned use of that entry. Now we have four baby Juncos peeping just 2 feet from our observation window.

   And I am reading the depressing Lucifer’s Hammer book. Glad I waited for a sunny season to do so. It’s so real and so depressing that I have been visiting two gun shops for feel-good purchases. So added two estate-sold .22 rifles to the stockpile from one shop for a total of $175- a Speedmaster 522 and a High Standard with scope, and a bag of Black Rifle Coffee from the other shop.

   God Bless you all.

   1. WF,
      Thanks for the reminder. “Lucifer’s Hammer” is a great sci-fi classic. I need to get another copy for my library.

2. Got peas, kale and lettuce planted out here in the People’s republic of Cambridge. Also dug up blueberry bushes to make room for the coop, run and two chickens which are coming today from Rent the Chicken (we need to learn how to do this without a big time investment). Blueberries will go to our new house in redoubt northeast. Second coop and run will be there and chickens will go back and forth with us.
   Planted peas and set out kale and lettuce. Potted up the tomatoes and marigolds.
   Sawed more bed slats, got box springs and mattresses delivered, bought some mattress pads. We are mostly set up for furniture now.
   Stacked more wood.

3. FINISHED PLANTING BIG GARDEN. STILL HAVE A LITTLE ROOM IN THE RAISED BEDS. WORKED ON FIREWOOD. CAUGHT MEAT SALE, BOUGHT QUITE A BIT, REPACKAGED AND VACU SEALED. GOT MATERIAL FOR SHED ROOF EXTENSION OFF OF ANOTHER BUILDING.

4. There are posts in the ground at ranches Around here that have been here for at least 40 years. I understand they were soaked in motor oil first as a preservative. It might save you future work.

   1. Not sure which is more available in this day and age, might want to look for creosote to soak those future fence posts.

5. Hit a local plant sale for grape vines and herbs, also some new potting soil. Will be tilling garden plot this week. Asparagus and strawberries are already bearing. We are buying several of anything we use when it’s on sale. It is astonishing how much you can save on one trip to the store. Our goal is 30% so it’s become like a favorite game. Scouring thrift shops for extas like pants, shirts etc., is also constant. Lol, I only wear designer clothes. At that price they could be worn out and thrown away. Would like 6 pairs of practical shoes for each of us. Learning more and more about essential oils. No access to medical care is quite sobering.
   Prayers for all daily.

6. Or if you could get black locust fence posts, they won’t rot..

7. Rototilled garden,tested soil and added fertilizer. Will test seeds I grew last year. Also did a little bargain shopping(cheap but quality motor oil)

8. Not much happening here this past week as we are attending our daughter’s graduation. 1645 young men and women are graduating from a Christian University in (mostly) useful disciplines. Doing our part to help our country!

   Glad to see the weather back to some semblance of normal. Lots of work ahead.

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