!! SEPP to Boot: Stephen's Experience (BEL)

I have vague recollections of dehydrating apples in the rocket assist solar dehydrator.  How did Suzanne's experiment with the cinnamon turn out for y'all?

Derek Thille wrote:I have vague recollections of dehydrating apples in the rocket assist solar dehydrator.  How did Suzanne's experiment with the cinnamon turn out for y'all?

I think they were a tasty success.

I try my hardest to keep the preserved stuff for "later," but since they were conveniently stowed on the table next to the kitchen island, every time I made morning oatmeal I ended up shaking a few into the mix until the jar had emptied...! Hopefully these apples can be used later on, in the colder part of the season. The temptation is sometimes too immense to resist.

Thanks for the chuckle HC!

BEL #706

Chipping away at the improvements on the window quilt, but the light at the end of the tunnel has emerged...! Bumper 2 was finished today. I like the "diamond" pattern instead of a basic zig-zag. It seems to hold the wool inside more firmly, and I the additional time spent will make it more effective a quilt-y thing.



I also attached one of the bumpers to the window quilt. One more, then it's ready for re-mounting at Allerton Abbey.



Speaking of the Abbey, I attached this wood-burned sign to a post today and it will also be installed up there the next time I visit.



Snow tires were also installed today...! Roy was first. This season will mark the snow tires' maiden voyage.



The Prius was next in line, though for whatever reason its road tires were a bit more stubborn to remove. For sticking tires, I did the following:
- Use some kind of rust remover at the rusted locations. We had a can of "blaster" handy, and it appeared the center hub was where the rust had collected. I sprayed a bit in there and let it sit for a minute or so.
- Line up a piece of wood on the rim of the tire a few times, then whack the board with a hammer at each spot. This will gradually knock the tire loose.
- Clean the rust-affected spots with a wire brush, then wipe away any excess rust-remover chemicals.



By this time in the afternoon it was steadily raining and I didn't feel like using a chainsaw in such lovely weather. So I ensured the apples continued their drying in the dehydrator (after a taste test, strictly for texture assessment).





That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BEL #707

Road signs are now installed. Now there's less of a chance people will unknowingly pass by the entrance to Dogstar, for good or ill.



Allerton Abbey has a proper sign at the main entrance to the fence now.



While collecting temperature data at the Truly Passive Greenhouse, I had to take a moment to check in on the plants there. Things are looking good. We can likely harvest those daikon in a little bit. The sweet potato vines are likely just that, but I hear they're not unpalatable. We'll see in a week or two if some harvesting can be done.



Inside the Abbey, I hung the fourth and final window quilt today. Bumpers were attached, and after it was hung up I strung it with cordage to raise and lower it. It could use a bit more TLC, and I hope to tackle some of that next week. But for now, it'll do good enough when trying to keep out the cold.





Also: SEPPer Nick enlightened me on using pennies as washers when he visited. They happen to work great in terms of holding the window quilts in place. I kinda feel sorry for those "lucky" pennies, though. Take a look at this one: it seems like it's luck has run out, nyuk, nyuk nyuk!!!



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!