Texas

[AllenK RGV]

I have a warming plate set at an angle for the cool nights. It's about 75 in my garage now. I just had my garage rebuilt due to a fire caused by a stain rag (3 hours after I set it down) and have no desire for that to happen again.

I am off Boca Chica not far from Central and Billy Mitchell. I'm on the Resaca de la palma. It's an older neighborhood with 2 to 5 acre parcels. If you have been here a while you probably know who I bought it from...my dentist, vet, and everyone else I've met seems to have attended bbq's or parties here. LOL. The husband passed away and his wife sold the place and moved to her home on the island.

Please start working on hurricane evacuation plans now. 18650 batteries and emergency cooking supplies. I know you are from Hawaii, but we are overdue down here. For the chicken coop being built I would definately install hurricane straps there too. I need to retrofit mine as my bungling workcrew thought they made great metal origami building ours. You are so much closer to the coast than we are. Also you only have sand for footings. NM I thought you were further down Boca Chica Blvd you are about as coastal as we are.

 

[RebelChief]

Please start working on hurricane evacuation plans now. 18650 batteries and emergency cooking supplies. I know you are from Hawaii, but we are overdue down here. For the chicken coop being built I would definately install hurricane straps there too. I need to retrofit mine as my bungling workcrew thought they made great metal origami building ours. You are so much closer to the coast than we are. Also you only have sand for footings.

We are set up with a generator, gas stove and a gas fireplace. I've been through a few of them. My biggest worry here is my house is half glass...lots and lots of HUGE windows but we have a room in the center of the house that is safer. I lived in the Caribbean as well so I've been down this road a few times.

 

[RebelChief]

Anyone here using Pine straw in their coops? I have a TON of it here and plan to use it to start a "Back to Eden" approach to my garden beds and then wondered...why couldn't I use it for my chickens run too. The more I put in the coop, the less that will blow into my pool!

 

[AllenK RGV]

We are set up with a generator, gas stove and a gas fireplace. I've been through a few of them. My biggest worry here is my house is half glass...lots and lots of HUGE windows but we have a room in the center of the house that is safer. I lived in the Caribbean as well so I've been down this road a few times.

My plan is gas cannisters until they run out and then to use bricks for rocket stoves. I will not go through an emergency with a wife who can't make espresso. Plus me being able to make rice and beans for me as emergency food.

So my wife is being brave and going to drive the spider car. I just do not like it as that thing is brown but makes webs as strong as a Black Widow and is shaped like a black Widow spider regardless we need to do a bit of shopping.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Anyone here using Pine straw in their coops? I have a TON of it here and plan to use it to start a "Back to Eden" approach to my garden beds and then wondered...why couldn't I use it for my chickens run too. The more I put in the coop, the less that will blow into my pool!

If it is sourced from our local trees that stuff seems to sterilize the earth it falls on(just my observation), it is probably ok after composting for a year. I do not know the name for our native south Texan pines/firs to give better advice, just I notice that people who have those can not grow grass in their yards. Not like grass is that important to me.

I do like the pace of life down here though. Let's see the chicken scream when we run out of cat food, the green jays scream when we run out, the woodpeckers peck the side of the house or our windows and don't even get me started on curved billed thrasher shenanigans, but let the Curve Bills only find brown cat kibble and they tap out Morse code to let you know you are messing up.

 

[RebelChief]

If it is sourced from our local trees that stuff seems to sterilize the earth it falls on(just my observation), it is probably ok after composting for a year. I do not know the name for our native south Texan pines/firs to give better advice, just I notice that people who have those can not grow grass in their yards. Not like grass is that important to me.

I do like the pace of life down here though. Let's see the chicken scream when we run out of cat food, the green jays scream when we run out, the woodpeckers peck the side of the house or our windows and don't even get me started on curved billed thrasher shenanigans, but let the Curve Bills only find brown cat kibble and they tap out Morse code to let you know you are messing up.

I've been researching it and as thick as these pine needles lay, nothing can grow under them...they make great ground cover around my trees. The main reason people fear them is the misconception that they are acidic...the needles are not, the trees like to grow in acidic soil.

I love it here. After 10 years in Honolulu, this is HEAVEN!

 

[AllenK RGV]

So DW took a cute video of some of our silkie roos. The cat wasn't interested in sharing his food though....that is my little beast of a cat, obviously the dog would be more than happy to share. The golden brown silkie should be a cull but I am not allowed to do that per her orders. His name is "Bill" as his is malformed.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I've been researching it and as thick as these pine needles lay, nothing can grow under them...they make great ground cover around my trees. The main reason people fear them is the misconception that they are acidic...the needles are not, the trees like to grow in acidic soil.

I love it here. After 10 years in Honolulu, this is HEAVEN!

I can't imagine having acidic soils down here. Ours tend to run basic/saline but sure with plenty of fir needles it could happen. It might be a good idea to go to the County Extension and get a real soil test done, they do that for you at a trivial sum.

Here is a bit of wisdom and it isn't mine, BTW DW transplanted the Brussel Sprouts today and I am not looking forward to that harvest. :

 

[AllenK RGV]

So this stuff seems to have made itself a native down here. One more thing to dodge with the lawn mower in hopes of supporting our Monarch, Queen, and Soldier Butterflies.

 

[AllenK RGV]

So Rico was out in front of the Dollar General selling tamales I am happy to have them he often sells donut thingies too. He even had Salsa Verde. Regardless these are getting rolled in pepper per @RUNuts sound suggestions mine are carne asada ones tonight.

Ok I was a bit extreme with the peppering and am sweating my junk off, but that was good. Roco's family makes their tamales small, but I did get two for free.