Feed Jelly to Your Orioles

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Gas still remained in the generator so I tried the switch, only to hear “click, click, click” and then nothing.

It was at that moment that my guardian angel arrived. Our propane man, Wayne, pulled up to the back steps in his huge, hulking truck. Leaping from the barn, I ran to him with only one thought, grabbed him by the shirt with both hands (lest I fly away) and screamed, “You must help me!”

Miraculously, I remembered my dad’s old toolbox, which had come to the rescue many times before. But, of course, it was in the rapidly flooding basement. No problem, Wayne would get it; he only needed a wrench to make the generator start, he hoped.

It worked. With only a minor adjustment, the old Briggs & Stratton started to whir, and none too soon because the blackout lasted well into the night. The moral, of course, is that for those who live in remote areas, a backup generator is a necessity. It is equally important to understand how to use it and always to keep the equipment in a ready state.

Marion S. Mogielnicki
Westfield, New Jersey

For more information on generators, see “Choosing a Backup Generator,” at www.MotherEarthNews.com. — Mother

Safe, Functional Pallet Platform

I’ve been building an earthbag, cobwood (cob/earth used as mortar for cordwood) hybrid shed and have used wood pallets as a platform to work from (see photo below). The cobwood walls, top plate and reciprocal roof all were built by standing on the pallets, which put me at the perfect height for working and gave me room for tools and material storage close at hand. Pallets are easy to find, usually free and locally produced, recyclable and easy to move around as needed. Why not give them a try?

Pack McKibben
Toccoa, Georgia

Measure Your Gallons Per Shower

Start with a bucket. Measure a gallon of water into it, then mark the bucket at the gallon level and empty the bucket. Turn on your shower at the force you use when showering. Hold the bucket under the showerhead, timing how many seconds it takes to fill the bucket to the mark. Time your next shower and divide the total seconds by the seconds it took to fill to 1 gallon and you’ll know the gallons used. You can use the same method to measure other water usages.

Mary Ann Gove
Cottonwood, Arizona

Herbal Insect Repellent

Here is a formula for people who don’t want to use insect repellents containing DEET or other questionable ingredients.

Mix together:

2 tablespoons citronella essential oil
2 tablespoons rosemary essential oil
2 tablespoons geranium essential oil
2 tablespoons eucalyptus essential oil
1/2 cup olive oil

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