Mt. Katahdin
Mt. Katahdin

No matter what you call it you cannot live without it.

We have a well and therefore an electric well pump that gets the water from the well to the pressure tank, which is also electric.  When there is no electricity the biggest thing for us is that we have no water.  That, to me, is even worse than being a little cold.  Now if you know there is a storm coming you can get ready for the possibility of the electricity going out.  I do fill the bathtub that we have in the second bathroom.  They even make bathtub water storage containers. These are large bladders that will hold 65-100 gallons of water and fit right in the bathtub.  Some even come with a pump to easily move the water into smaller containers for use.  So far I haven't invested in one although they run around $20-$40.  I like the idea because it keeps the water clean and drinkable.  The water that I fill my tub with when we are expecting a storm is only used to flush the toilets with because no matter how clean your bathtub is I still don't want to drink that.

Berkey Water Filters
Berkey Water Filters

That brings me to water filters.  Some folks who are on municipal water systems have filters on their faucets or use something like a Brita to filter your water on a daily basis.  Fortunately we don't need to do that with our well water.  I have had it tested several times and it is more than safe to drink right from the tap.  My son lives in the Dallas, TX area and is on municipal water. He has a Brita type pitcher in his refrigerator that he keeps his drinking water in.  These are fine for filtering out things like chlorine and other bad tastes but they really won't take out the things that make you sick like bacteria, viruses and heavy metals.  For that you would need a filter system with more than just charcoal filters.  Although we have not invested in one of these yet either, I'm looking at a Berkey Water Filter.  It is a significant investment running between $200 and $300 depending on the size you get and if you buy additional filters.  I would recommend always having at least one set of back up filters on hand.  The Berkey uses two filters with room to expand to 4.  Water is filtered at a faster pace if you have 4 filters in your Berkey.

So, there is no storm but the power suddenly goes out.  It is always a good idea to keep a few bottles of drinking water stored for just such events.  I have a few gallon Poland Springs water jugs that I keep water in.  I try to change it out every six months or so.  These are not the milk jug type bottles but stronger plastic.  Milk jugs actually are not good to store water in.  They are made to eventually break down and will leak.  Not good if you have them stored in the bottom of your closet when this happens.  Soda bottles are actually good for water storage.  They are made to hold the pressure of carbonation so they are pretty strong.  If you drink soda wash the bottles out after use and fill with water.  If you don't drink soda, I bet you know someone who does, just ask if they will save some bottle for you.  Right now I don't have a good place to put filled soda bottles so I have just been saving them.  We drink very little soda so I save all that I get.  I'm working on some ideas and hope to have a spot to fill and store about 20 two liter bottles of water very soon.  It is helpful if you can store your bottles in a dark place such as the bottom of your closet.  Stored water can sometimes taste a little flat.  To rejuvenate it just take two glasses and pour the water between them a couple of times.  This puts a little air into it and helps with the taste.

We also have a pond and a couple of 3 season streams on our property but surface water is never safe to drink without filtering it.  There are many kinds of portable water filters made for camping and hiking and these are effective.  Each of my family members carry a LifeStraw with them at all times in case of emergencies.  You never know where you might be when there is a water emergency.

Although not hooked up yet we have the supplies, including the hand pump, to insert into the well if it looks like it would be a very long term power outage.  Barring any strange thing happening that would contaminate our well we know that the water is safe to drink.  You might want to consider getting something like this.  The pump we have was not very expensive and the pipe is just several lengths of PVC pipe and joints.  Don't forget the joint cleaner and sealant.  Eventually we will put this on the top of the well and build a small house around it so it will not be exposed to the weather.  We will replace the inexpensive hand pump with a Bison Hand Water Pump which are made right here in Maine and are very high quality stainless steel.

Take some time to review what you would do if you were unable to use your tap water.  It is okay to start small but please do something.

Blessings,

Merrie

 

 

The barn through the snow
The barn through the snow

I know some of you around the country have been experiencing winter already but here in the northeast we had a very mild December.  It was a little disappointing to not have any snow on the ground for Christmas but it has finally arrived.  In the last couple of weeks we have had probably a foot and a half between a couple of storms and it is snowing again today.  Part of why my husband and I live in Maine is we love the change of the seasons, even winter.  I admit that fall is my favorite but I do look forward to the first snow of winter.  There are some years, like last, that winter seems like it will never end but it always does.

So, are you ready for winter?  Around here there is always a chance that the power will go out during a storm, well actually, anytime.  In the summer it is not such a big deal because it is not cold but it is still an inconvenience.  However during the cold months keeping warm during a power outage can be a challenge.

We use wood as our primary heat source anyway so that is simple for us, just keep feeding the wood stove.  Some homes have fireplaces that can be used for heat in an emergency.  It is important that maintenance be done regularly on a fireplace. The chimney, flue and damper need to be clean and in good working order for use.  If that is not a option for you I encourage you to look into alternate sources that do not require electricity.  There are kerosene and propane heaters available but make sure that you follow the instructions to the letter.  It is important that there is sufficient ventilation when using an alternate heat source.  I would also recommend that you have a carbon monoxide detector in the space.

Our wood box
Our wood box

Any heat source is only as good as the fuel it uses.  No matter if you are using a wood stove, fireplace, kerosene heater or a candle heater without fuel they all are useless.   We have a wood shed that is filled each summer for the following winter but if you don't use wood regularly but have a wood burning back up obviously you need to have some wood stored.  Likewise for a propane or kerosene heater.   Propane will store pretty much indefinitely.  You can store the small camping size propane fuel all the way up to 100 pound tanks.  It depends on what you are trying to run with the propane.  We have propane plumbed to the house but that is not accessible to hook to something else.  I have a couple of 100# tanks and the hook up hardware that we could connect them to either a grill or a heating device if needed.  We also have several of the grill sized tanks that we keep filled and rotate on a regular basis through the grill mostly.

Kerosene needs to be stored in containers just like those that gasoline are stored in.  They make ones that are blue to indicate that they contain kerosene.  If you go to the section where gas cans can be found at the store there would be blue ones for kerosene and yellow ones that are meant for diesel.  As we have talked about before on fuel storage be sure to rotate your storage regularly so that it will not get old.  How much you store is up to you.  Our third source of heat for our home is a heater that runs on kerosene that came with the house so we have a fairly large tank with kerosene in it.  We also have back up lighting in the form of Aladdin kerosene lamps.

Now on to the candle heaters.  I am intrigued by the idea of using a few clay pots, some bolts, washers, nuts and candles to make a room heater.  The link above takes you to several pictures of different versions of this idea.  I have not yet made or tested one of these but it looks like fun.  My son actually has a fireplace in his apartment but no source for wood so putting one of these on the hearth might work well for him.  So if you are going to go with something like this you of course would have needed to put together one or two of these and have the candles needed to produce the heat.  I buy jar candles at AC Moore.  They have good sales if you keep an eye out.  I usually just get vanilla since other scents seem to be a little overwhelming.  These burn for a long time as opposed so some of these designs that call for tea lights that burn out in a few hours.  It is always a good idea to have some candles on hand anyway.  Not only do they provide light and a bit of heat when the power is out it adds a bit of romance and fun to the situation.  Just make sure that you have safe places to put them so that children and pets can't disturb them and get hurt or cause a fire.

Speaking of fire.  Everyone should have a fire extinguisher and smoke dectors in their home too.  Hopefully you will never need it but if you do, you do.  However with that said, never try to fight a fire alone.  It is much better to get your family and pets out of the house and call the professionals.

Happy fire in our wood stove
Happy fire in our wood stove

Have flashlights and know where they are.  Store them in a easy to reach place and check their batteries on a regular basis.

Keep extra sweaters, blankets and warm socks on hand too.  I helps to layer up.  If you have a way to heat water drinking warm beverages also helps you to keep warm.  I keep a full kettle on my wood stove all the time.  Get out the board games and sit by the fire and play games by the light of the kerosene lamp.  It can be rather fun.

Let's talk about water next time.

Blessings,

Merrie

 

DSC_0032 (2)Well, apparently they are pretty much right on the money for the prediction of weather this winter in New England. We have had three major snow storms in 10 days for a total of around 30 inches here at the homestead. Many places closer to the Maine coast have gotten double that in the same 10 days. Not only have we had a lot of snow but it has been cold and windy. Our high temperatures have been in the teens during this time.  And, here we go again with another big one predicted to start this evening and go through Monday morning with another 1 to 2 FEET of snow.  The National Weather Service has already issued a blizzard warning.

The chickens seem to be doing okay with the cold. We give them some extra cracked corn to eat which helps them stay warmer. I’m more worried about the bees. Their hive has been battered by the cold winds. The good thing is that the snow has now covered half of the hive which will help to insulate it. When it gets a little warmer we will give the hive a little lift just to see how heavy it still is. This will help to determine how their winter stores of honey are holding out. The hive was packed full in the fall so hopefully there is enough food for them if they can survive the cold.

Our wood supply is doing well. It is so nice to be able to sit in front of a roaring fire while it howls outside. I like to put my soups and stews on a trivet on the stove when it just needs to simmer for a few hours to get all happy and flavorful. I also have a popcorn popper that can be used on the woodstove as well as the regular stove. It is nice to know that if needed I could cook on the woodstove.

Well, I need to top off the wood box and I think I'll fill the bathtub with water (to flush with) just in case.  Even though we have a generator we don't run it all the time if the power is out so having the water on hand is a help.  I also fill a few jugs for drinking and cooking and just leave them on the kitchen counter.  We have extra fuel for the generator so I think we are all set for what is to come.  The big task will be where to put it all once it stops snowing.

Happy Valentines Day everyone, hope that you are spending it with loved ones.