Our “Camphouse,” and Prepping For the Greenhouse:

Good morning guys! How’s everybody today? It sure is a beautiful morning down here in Central Florida! We hope this finds you all well, and in good spirits. Thank you once more for stopping in to visit with us again. You guys are great!

We put up a few videos and I believe I’ve talked with you all before about our camphouse. We did a video of it and I thought I’d share this with you guys today.

We built it at the suggestion of our oldest son, Josh. Deb and I had put up a gazebo about 100 yards out behind our house. We built it 14’x14’. We did this as a little “break place,” to get out of the summer heat, and it’s under such a large canopy of trees, it stays about 20 degrees cooler than it is out in the sun. Ole Dub’s “all about that!”

Anyway, Josh asked if we’d mind letting him close it in and make a camphouse for him and his boys to use? We told him that it would be fine, and that we’re glad to do it. The reasoning…get them boys outdoors!!

Too many kids today get wrapped up indoors, and just don’t seem to understand what they’re missing. I for one, can’t understand this for the life of me, but as people point out to me…times are changing!

Humph…I swear, I don’t see a whole lot of good in many of the changes we are undergoing….maybe I’ve become…GASP… “an old fogey???” Hmmmmmm…. Naw, of course I ain’t!! LOL! I may have “Winter on my head, BUT…I still got “Spring in my rear-end!!” LOL!!

But seriously people, too many of our children today stay “cooped up,” no fresh air to speak of, very little exercise, and many not eating good, healthy meals. This is very sad to me.

Shoot, when we were kids you had to call us at black dark to get us to come inside. We wanted little or none to do with “inside.” When it rained outside…we were just heart broke. Actually our Mama’s were too.

Rain outside meant simply that tents were being erected with old blankets and strung across different pieces of furniture. These tents, inside our “new compound,” only meant that our “base of operations” had moved…though at times for only an hour or two!! Yep, “back in the day,” we were pretty flexible in regards to our activity’s! LOL!!

So, from our perspective, we were extremely glad to have Josh and the boys involved in this undertaking of…building a camphouse.

We added a small room at the back, and this allowed them a little more room in the camphouse…a bedroom! Kinda…

We built the add-on, 14’x8’. We built a set of bunk beds for the boys, then built a large bed for Josh and Shelley to sleep in. This bed we “hinged,” so we can fold it up and chain it during the day. This allows more walking around room for them.

We cutout widow openings, and hinged these too. We then put up hardware cloth to keep the squirrels and coons from tearing in, and then screened behind this. This was a “must do,” or the dern skeeters will tote you off.

So, although we have a little “finishing up” to do, they’ve got themselves a nice little camphouse. They love coming, and we love them doing so. So, here’s the video of the camphouse…

Our little project we’re just getting cranked up on is putting up our little greenhouse. Because of the cows, it has to be in a fenced in area. So we took up one side of the existing fence in our yard and extended this about 90 feet wider.

This will keep it close to the house, and the cows fenced out too. We can’t wait to get started on the greenhouse in earnest. We looked, and looked around, found one very reasonably priced, and it will serve our purpose well.

I thought it was a 16’x60’, but it actually ended up being an 18’x60’. We’ll probably end up using a double drum wood heater for warmth, and in reality down where we’re at although it does get cold, it usually doesn’t last too long. So basically, our biggest problem here will be the heat, not the cold.

Next Friday, Deb, the boys and their families are headed up to live Oak for their early Christmas. I tell you, our family, much like many of your I’m sure, have gotten so big, and are so scattered, we have a couple Christmases on account of it.

So, they’ll be up there for a couple days, and be back the following Monday. With this being said, we’ve got a good friend of ours going to haul in a few loads of dirt for the pad, and get it built for us. Once he builds the pad, we’ll compact the dirt, then water it in with a sprinkler for 3-4 days to finish tightening the pad up.

Then the week after Deb and they get back, we’ll start the actual construction. We’re hoping in a week or so we’re about to wrap it up.

Our biggest reason for the greenhouse is keeping Deb and I in good fresh vegetables year round…off our own place. We know what we put on the vegetables as far as fertilize and insect sprays, whereas when buying them at the grocery store today, you really have no idea what has been put on them. This is one reason.

Another is simply freshness. Once you start growing your own vegetables, it becomes harder and harder to go back and pick them up from a grocer. The taste between home grown and store bought are worlds apart.

By the time they’re picked, washed, packed, and shipped could be up to a week, so in regards to freshness, store bought can’t compete! PLUS, many times the store bought varieties have been picked green. This means they ripen AFTER they’ve been picked. The result? NO TASTE!

So, Deb and I made the decision to grow as much as we can of our vegetables, and leave the store bought ones…in the store!

One other BIG reason is today’s food costs. We’ve been preaching since day one of this website to try and buy a little each week…to put some up in storage. Even $20 bucks a week can but a considerable amount.

20 bucks, you say? Yep, and it will get you quite a bit for later use. 20 bucks worth of dried beans, or rice, or corn meal, or flour, or even grits will go a long way. Plus, they all keep well, AND, they’re fillers!

As a matter of fact, I went into a Winn-Dixie last week. Well, we produce so many of our vegetables anymore, plus we’d put up a decent amount of food storage, that we don’t go very often to the grocery store.

I gotta tell you though, I was AMAZED at how food has gone up in price!! Honestly…I had “sticker shock!” So, Deb and I both feel very good about our food storage! Once more…we couldn’t buy it today, for anywhere near the price we bought it for a couple years back!

I’m going to say it once more this morning. Please people, if you can purchase a few extra essentials each week, do so. It’ll save you money in the near future, AND if our economy were to tank out, you’re sitting in a position to insure your family continues to eat. This one reason is why Deb and I decided on living a little more self-sufficiently…our family and friends!

Well, here’s our video of our beginning to prep the area for our greenhouse! I was give out when I videoed this. Those dern boys bout worked me to death yesterday! I’d never tell them that though, plus I don’t worry about them seeing where I’d said this in today’s article. The reasoning? I really don’t think they…can read!! LOL!!

You guys have a great day, and God Bless you and yours! As always, we’ll close out today with Deb’s favorite saying… “NO, DUB…STOP IT!!”

No, actually, that’s her SECOND favorite saying! Her first… “Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!”

Dub and Deb

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