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St. Louis has just hit another record low in the pretty damn cold weather. Fahrenheit windchill still makes for an eight degrees wind chill with the temperature around 40 degrees. So if you want to stay warm this winter, make sure that you are well-ventilated. It should be noted that your home will be much more comfortable when there is more airflow and the humidity is low. Your windows should be open and you should be wearing as many layers as you can to help boost your body’s ability to regulate temperature. Thicker socks will help keep you dry. If you have kids or pets, make sure they are extra warm as well. Below are some quick tips to help you stay safe and also consider a fire extinguisher service and maintenance.
Since there are many people in the city, even in apartments, it is common to find another guest or two at a party (or as you’d call it, gathering) just due to people simply unable to travel to events in person. Make sure that you and everyone around you is wearing their masks, sitting in a safe, enclosed area, and refrain from consuming any alcohol beyond the extent of a sip or two. Also, don’t wear overly tight clothing, or too short a thong. If you’re planning on attending a party or event, make sure to work in a larger space as this will help to keep everyone talking and avoid the need for everyone to have their back to the group. It is also worth mentioning that wearing your mask, even when everyone else is, will not keep everyone else safe, so make sure to wear yours when the situation calls for a fire alarm systems service.
A lot of adults are still going to work from home in the winter, and that means they need to bring extra underwear and a change of clothes for when they come back from work. They can buy pants and their usual sweatpants, but nor should they go out in St. Louis or anywhere outside of the city in shorts and t-shirt. Also, if they have to shower, make sure nothing could be harmful inside their shower. Before working from home, it is a good idea to shower well, both for the shenanigans that you have planned (including drinking a good night’s sleep), but also to remove any potential pathogens that could be around your work area or on your clothes until you are ready to go to work next.
You do not need to whip out the lawnmower or the chain saw in order to keep your home and surrounding areas safe. In the fall, you need to be more proactive. Follow the directions of your local fire/ rescue department if you have them. Additionally, get an industrial-sized bucket and fill it up with water. The point of this is to keep any water that is generated outside that is not used within a few minutes.
When it is safe, salt the ground. This should not be a winter pastime. Instead of using chemicals or mowing the lawn in the fall, consider utilizing the natural process of salt-tilling your lawn. Prior to last winter, I would usually mow my lawn in the spring if it was green enough that fall. This year, due to the lack of green, I have decided to tinker with my lawn the old fashioned way.
If you bought a garden tiller add a bit of salt to your spray. When you are ready to water, be sure to add at least 2-lbs of salt (starting with your longest sprocket).
Between poultry, horses and dairy cows there are a multitude of alternate sources of drinking water. This is especially important for bicyclists and runners that may end up sharing water sources. Provide temporary water bottles worthy of larger than a gallon-sized bottle. Put the drinking water in these.
It is also important to note that if you are breathing the cooking air MRET air purifying bags can help in many instances.
Root vegetables are great for veggie consumption. Additionally, carrots, turnips, potatoes, parsnips, celery, summer squashes and many other root vegetables can remain dormant if placed in a sunny spot. This means that when choosing if you want to harvest a root vegetable for your food storage, remember to plant them in the ground.
In the summer months, a baby hair mulch or compost is invaluable when growing things like lettuce. Baby hair mulch, in case you hadn’t noticed is #8 on the recycling pile. It is preferable to compost with organic materials however, depending on your local ordinance of course.
In all honesty, I have experimented with both techniques. When growing food that is food for a dinner, compost will work great for slowing decomposition and requiring less care. However, the food you are growing for your family or yourself should be either spoiled or fresh for consumption, in order to have the best chance of being eaten.
Switching to cold compost can help to slow decomposition for long enough to approach that of composted organic waste.
