It works great. I am still using this exact system. I have found that if you have to remove the flags in a hurry for bad weather or something, the foam for the bottom flag keeps the halyard from lopping back up enough when it is at the bottom and prevents you from being able to easily reach and remove Old Glory until you remove the bottom foam first. I have found that I have been lazy and only using the foam with Old Glory to prevent this.

They sure do. They have provided us well the last few summers. I probably sell about 48 food grade barrels per summer as a side hustle for people in this area to make their own projects. No one sells used food grade here fro reasonable price, so I make a 3 hour round trip including load and tie-down for a couple loads through the spring/summer and bump the price up to cover my gas and time and people get their food grade barrels here. I might try to see if a "garden kit" would be a good sale this spring.

Thanks Shawn. It's funny how a garden will do well one year, and then not do well at all the next by doing the exact same things. I'd like to at least double so we can actually get enough out of it at one time to preserve it, but Mama EMT says no, lol! When we preserve, we support our local farm markets/stands.

Now if I could get her in the deer blind with me...

We had a blast. I would definitely recommend this experience at least once. Especially if you're a knife person like most of us are.

Thanks Bobby! How are you liking the new homestead?

My neighbor's chickens come over. I get eggs. Not sure what I could raise on my little half acre total, lol! Per ordinance, I can raise anything. We don't have a "no farm animal" law in my town. The animals just have to stay on your own property as well as their stink, and they have to follow the general noise ordinance like barking dogs ordinance. Would love to move to a small acreage homestead and do more.

Thanks Rex. I sell the barrels too as a side hustle too. Over the last 2 summers, I profited enough to pay for my trailer that I haul them on. Thinking about seeing how a 4 pack garden "kit" might sell next year. 2 barrels cut in half, and the "tables" that I have for our garden. We'll see.

Thanks for the visit

Thank you! You too!

I still ate it. I don't waste food unless it is spoiled. Just because it tastes bad doesn't get it a ticket to the trash, lol!

@@EMTRailfan I heard sugar helps

@@SimplyJanHomestead What's the old Mary Poppins song say? LOL!!! A good whisky does the same thing.

Thanks James.

Awesome! Thanks! I'd love to double next year, but Mama EMT says that we won't have a backyard left. Especially for Little Helper to play catch and what-not. I'm thinking about moving the lettuce buckets around the corner of the house in the mostly shade and putting another 4 pack barrels where the buckets are now. Will also be planting some garlic in a few weeks up near where I want to move the lettuce to. We shall see.

@@EMTRailfan oh! That sounds like a great plan!

Eric sent money for one of my VFD's annual wireless hole punch raffle, and I didn't want to sit on opening the box so he could pick his number if he wanted to. Thanks for watching. It was quite the box of loot.

Thanks James. It was quite the haul.

I go through spurts on filming, but I watch everyone religiously and comment sometimes, lol! I just don't feel the getting behind the camera so much like I used to.

@@EMTRailfan I under stand brother.

I would have picked that Bowie given the same opportunity, lol!

Eric is awesome. Great to hear from you. Where have you been? Haven't seen you for a while.

Thanks for the MULTIPLE opportunities. You can't blame her for taking the Bowie, lol! I would have done the same.

Ring Ring Ring!!!

Yessir!

She made me happy that she mustered up the courage to squeeze the trigger again on her hunting riffle after she scared herself a few years ago. If you listen closely after her first shot, you can hear her exhale quickly like a "Hmmm. I did it!" Now it's off to the deer blind in a few months... If she gets behind the riffle with one in her sights and freezes, I'll still take it as a Dad win...baby steps. She's been out with me as an "unlicensed observer" in PA. I got one the first day that she went back to school a few years ago, and she said "I wish I would have been there." She wanted to pray for the deer for giving his life for us when I brought him home, so we did. I do for every one when they fall anyway, but she wanted to pray for him so we did. She has known where the meat on her plate comes from since she was old enough to understand. Gen 9:3

No kidding!!! I feel like I just brought them home from the hospital last week. It won't be too long that I am sitting in the passenger seat teaching her how to drive. It may be before she's legal though ;-)

They're all fun, lol!

This footage is her just getting comfortable behind it again. She squeezed her true first shot a few years ago, but the bigger bark than her 22 scared her until this day. It isn't even truly sighted in yet, but that's a good reason to go back to the range, lol!

MERICA

Thank you. She likes shooting, but her 243 scared her a few years ago when she squeezed off her true first shot out of it. Now she wants to go hunting. Gen 9:3

Miss Peggy!!! So good so hear from you. How are things with you?

@EMTRailfan good good. Learning to live life differently. Back to work full time for now. I've been spying here n there on your channel 😊

Ker POW!!!

She wants me to take her hunting now so SHE can be the one behind the rifle. There may be more range footage first though...

@@EMTRailfan That's great to hear

Thanks Jeff. Happy 5th of July to you too. I worked yesterday, and couldn't keep up in between trips, lol!

It was a fun time. This is a re-upload for #LetFreedomRing, but the footage is from her first time shooting her 243 since her actual first shot a few years ago that scared her. Now she wants me to take her hunting so SHE can be the one behind the rifle. With her being a mentor hunter, I can't carry my own rifle too here in PA. She's been out with me a few seasons just as an observer, but I never got to harvest one on a day that she was with me.

@@EMTRailfan hopefully this will be the year!

Thank you. You can take most pallets that have the U-shaped side pockets cut out for forklifts to hold the barrels too, but I have a small yard and didn't want 2 barrel clusters scattered about, taking up more real estate and wanted to keep it as compact as I could.

Thanks for the visit. I watch and comment frequently, but I go through stints of not feeling uploading, so content may disappear frequently. I just do it for fun and to share. Returned the sub back to you too.

@@EMTRailfan same here! I think most of us go through that!

Yes I am. Been so since 1995 starting as a volunteer, and then jumping in career FT+. I'm still on our VFD's roster, but I don't do much with them anymore other than help work our gun raffle every year. Had a higher priority born going on 12 years ago now that needed my time. I may get back into it again, but now my age is telling me that there are younger guys that are more gungho than me, lol!

@@EMTRailfan I here ya. I would be glad to have you over on my channel. Stay safe

@@OutdoorswithVance Subscribed Brother.

Thank you! You too!

As I grow older, I am finding gratitude in grow/hunting and preserving our own food, knowing that our hands are the only hands to have touched it from "field to fork".

We'll see how much the garden expands next year, lol! These barrels all had soy sauce in them, so no concerns of poison. I love a freshly picked tomato sandwich.

Thank ya Sir!!!

Thanks Boss!

I love them!

Thank you. We have a decent growing season here.

Oh ya. I think my ears are getting long and pointy with as much salad as I have eaten this summer, lol!!!

Thanks Michael. There is so much gratification in knowing that your hands are the only hands to have touched your food from "field" to plate whether herb or meat. Gen 9:3