Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone had any tricks they use to make farm living easier for them. For example:

1. I keep a ziplock baggies filled with cotton balls soaked in alcohol to clean my numberous cuts from wire, animals, whatever (up to date on tetanis shot, thank you)

2. Plyers work great to crush pills.

3. I set up special feeds the night before so I don't have to measure when I'm half asleep.

4. I tie clothes that need attention before washing in a knot so I remember to treat them before they go into the washer.

I once read that all women need is WD-40 and duct tape. If it's soppose to move and doesn't, spray it! If it moves and isn't soppose to, duck it! I can live with that.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 18, 2000

Answers

My duct tape secrets:

I have all wood floors. In the living room I duct tape the speaker wires to the floorboard everywhere you can see them. Then I paint the duct tape the trim color and where the duct tape goes across the doorways, I paint it the floor color. You can't even see it.

For the winter, on doors I don't use, I duct tape all around the door on the inside and paint it to match the trim color. I keep my doors and trim the same color. I always keep touch up paint for the spring when the tape comes off. I get my paint in colors that are standard and I know I can get again, no custom paint.

When I need hot water, I make sure I collect the cold water in an ice cream bucket untill it heats up, that way no wasted water going down the drain, and I use it for the dogs or plants or coffee. I usually always have a bucket full of cold water in the kitchen. Ice cream buckets are great for chicken scraps, I keep it under the sink with the lid snapped on.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), December 19, 2000.

Black or yellow electrical tape: no harness horseman is without it. Great for holding legwraps on, mending the driving whip, I use it to wrap wooden shovel handles so I don't get splinters. Also, my coffee cans never go in the trash. We use them for scooping out grain, collecting cooking oil, kids make projects with them, storing nails, dumping ashtrays out in so they don't stink up the house in the garbage-yuck!. Large plastic mayonaise containers store my rice and beans. Bailing twine binds paper for stove or recycling. All my milk jugs get rinsed out and filled with water for toilet when power goes out. If it's slippery out to the pasture, I don't put salt because it will kill the grass underneath, so I spread manure on it. I save old worn-out jeans, cut the good parts into squares to make a heavy denim comfortor with. That's all I have off the top of my head,

-- Epona (crystalepona2000@yahoo.com), December 19, 2000.

I save cardboard boxes - hundreds of uses. My favorite winter use is to flatten them or cut into big pieces to cover the walkway to my car at night. Then pick them up (don't walk on them frozen) as I go to the car in the morning and toss them the side. Nice clear walkway (until it rains or snows again) When I come home they are thawed and wet - just roll them up and toss them in the can. I stack or fold them as I get them - use for storage, toys, cat toys, cat boxes, soap molds, cover floors when painting, collecting trash, kittens and puppies and of course their original use - shipping.

-- Linda Al-Sangar (alsangal@brentwood-tn.org), December 19, 2000.

I wrap our flashlight handles in glow in the dark tape. Make gardening easier with raised beds and the biggest source of secrets, come to the Forum and read Countryside magazine. :)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 19, 2000.

I cut sturdy plastic jugs with handles into scoops by cutting the bottom off at an angle. They are much more comfortable in cold weather than metal ones, and if you are scooping into something that is kind of narrow, you can squeeze the opening so you don't spill. I haven't had any trouble scooping up wet COB or beet pulp or chicken mash or really anything else I've tried so far.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), December 19, 2000.

Another shortcut that we use is when cleaning our bathtub, I use a brush with a 2 foot handle like what you would use to wash a van. No more bending, kneeling or falling in the tub while cleaning it.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 21, 2000.

I forgot, if you have garbage men, it is a good idea to offer them ice tea during the summer and a Christmas gift in the winter. They will take anything you put out.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 22, 2000.