The Journal: Cracked Earth Read Free Page A

plus a dental kit. I certainly
didn’t need to worry about shampoo and conditioner now that my hair
was so much shorter. A few weeks ago there was a 10 for $10 sale on
popcorn so I loaded up and stored it in the front pantry. That’s
where Tuft’s litter box is, so checking the stock reminded me to
check in the barn for how much spare litter I have for the winter.
I need to stock up on dish soap, since there are only four bottles
under the sink. I have a couple of tubs of powdered washing soap
out in the barn that should last a while, but not indefinitely.
Then there was the back room pantry. I’ve outdone myself with the
canning this year and am really pleased. I sure won’t go hungry.
All in all, I’m happy with my supplies and food stores. I’ve worked
hard at it and it shows.
    I do need to make a run to the artesian well
soon; I’m almost out of drinking water.
     
    * * *
     
    I dug up some horseradish roots a few days
ago. The plants did great this summer and the leaves were four feet
tall. Earlier in the summer I dried some of the leaves for
seasoning on the other hand actually making horseradish from real
roots is a new thing for me, so I asked the online prepper groups
how to do it. Someone gave me a warning to wear my gasmask. I
thought that was silly, but at least that warning got me to get out
the N95 mask and the face-sealed goggles and surgical gloves. I set
up a table on the deck with the food processor outside and set
about making the horseradish.
    I scrubbed the roots with no problem. I
peeled the roots with no problem. It was a pleasant scent. I love
horseradish. I took all outside and shredded the roots. When I took
the lid off of the processor, my eyes burned through the goggles
and my nose immediately started to run. OMG... the fumes! YIKES! I
dumped the pulp into a glass bowl without going blind and reset it
with a chopping blade instead of the shredder and pulsed it several
times. Finally it got to the consistency that I wanted. I held the
bowl away when I lifted the lid and even still, my eyes watered
again. I dumped the chopped root back into the bowl and put a cover
on it, then I lifted the goggles and wiped my eyes after I rinsed
my gloved hands. I added half cup of my own Apple Cider Vinegar,
and stirred it all in. I covered the bowl with a plastic cap and
then washed everything. I wasn’t about to bring that stuff inside,
so I took the prepared jars out to the deck and filled them with my
fresh horseradish.
    Next time I just might use the gas mask. It
was quite an experience, and the end product is incredible. It was
a good thing the weather was nice. It made me want an outdoor
summer kitchen. Maybe next year.
     
    * * *
     
    Now that the resort has had closed, it was
past time I attacked my fall prep list. There was so much to
do, and I still lament I must do it on my own. Looking over the
list, I was pleased that I had tackled many of the really important
items early.
    The winter wood was delivered in May. I was
thankful that Keith let me pay for it when work picked up. This is
the first year I managed to stock a full eighteen months’ worth of
wood. Every now and then I get the feeling that we’ll have a bad
winter and I’m going to need all of that wood. It hasn’t happened
yet, still, one of these years it will.
    I use propane for cooking, even though the
cook-stove let me do everything I need. Even though I haven’t used
much of it, I still called for a winter top off for November first.
One more thing off the winter prep list.
    I hadn’t rototilled the garden yet, but I had
shut it down and let the chickens run free. This was a really great
garden season. I was able to can more tomatoes than ever before,
plus greens and squash and beans.
    Back in late August sometime I ran into Mike
T., a local farmer, and arranged to barter my tomatoes for some of
his corn. Unfortunately, before I could collect, his corn was gone
and I had to buy some. Oh well, at least I have two cases,