Yup, hot. Real hot. Sunny and humid too.
Friday was a bit of a bust. I got done the stuff outside the house that I needed to do. Did some organization at my secondary space. Picked up some stuff.
Today I need to do some catching up here at the house. I’ve been slack.
I don’t think I mentioned it on Wednesday, but I broke down and vac sealed a bunch of meat for the freezer. 9 pounds of pig roast, into 3 smaller roasts and 4 chops, 6 pounds of hamburger into 1 1/3 pound blocks, 6 pounds of bacon into 1 pound bags, and we ate the steaks I’d bought in the last order. It’s great having <s>some</s> lots of freezer space. I also vac sealed a couple pounds of coffee that I got from my auction guy, $1 / pound. I’d have bought more if he had more in roasts that I like. You get what you see, when you see it if you want it. The vac seal and freezer let you keep it a long time.
Speaking of which, I can’t really imagine prepping without a vac sealer. It lets you keep stuff fresh for a LOT longer than any other packaging technique I know of for the freezer. I’m still using the same one I bought on sale at Costco 5 or six years ago (or maybe 10 years ago). I do have a backup that I picked up at a yard sale (same model), and a couple of backups to that that are simpler and more in the original Seal-a-meal style. I like backups. They were all super cheap at yard sales or thrift stores. Even new in the store, the vac sealer will earn it’s cost back when you can buy cheap bulk food and break it down or when you can buy lots of food when it’s on sale and keep it in good condition for years.
Of course, with a freezer full of food, you’ll want a gennie, or solar setup. Or battery backup and inverters, or hamsters on a wheel…. but that’s prepping too, it’s fractal. And some people have opted for pallets of freeze dried food, or shelves full of canning to avoid worrying about the freezer. If you do that, you need canning supplies, ways to clean them, heat source, storage, etc, and if you go for freeze drieds, you’ll need deep pockets 🙂
Whichever way you go, get busy. You will feel better with food in the pantry. So keep stacking!
nick
Heat wave in central California contimes. 107F for the next 3 days then 108F on Tuesday. Much lower humidty than south Tejas however. Drove up the valley yesterday morning. Large dust clouds due to almond harvest in many areas. Large wildland fire to the south. Essential workday yesterday. Get out early and mow my back yard – very small grass areas. Spend the rest of the day inside or in pool.
Vacuum sealers rule. We have not lost a single thing to freezer burn since I began using one. Worth every penny.
A friend called the other day: one of their freezers went out, and they were busy canning all the meat that was in it. It was still frozen when they discovered it, so they were able to parcel it out into neighbors’ freezers until they could get it canned. They have a big All-American canner and a propane burner they use outdoors for it. They were out of quart jars, and all the stores are sold out. She will get them back to me over the next year or two as they have empties. I am done with my meat canning for the next couple of months, so was able to lend them 4 dozen quarts and lids to go with. By the time I can roast turkey in November or December, we will have emptied enough quarts to handle that.
My husband’s old boss has COVID. She posted the other day that she is starting to recover, having finally gotten started on the Trump Cocktail. She’s managed to stay home, but said she really thought she would die from it, she felt so bad. One of our daughter’s in love thought she had been exposed but praise God the person tested negative twice so she is not in jeopardy – not from that person anyway.
Lynn, that’s an awful shame about communion in the nursing home. Our doctor
(FNP), who is also pastor of the little Methodist church down the street from us (which we used to attend but don’t any longer because we are not Methodists), told me yesterday that he is going to start bringing communion to us here at the house. I’m grateful, I’ve been missing it. We’ve used our own elements for it while streaming virtual services once or twice, and I know that is effectual, but still is not the same. Our own church has reopened twice (had to shut down again after a bunch of members got COVID), but it is too risky for us to attend.
My written appeal to the Alabama Traffic Court in Mobile, a certified letter sent from Austin two weeks ago, still has not arrived at the courthouse according to USPS. So how exactly is mail-in voting supposed to work outside the four states which use the method every election?
Seems it’s would work just as intended.
Not to worry, Greg. A mail-in ballot with your name and address on it, with the correct boxes checked, will make its way to election headquarters.
Sarcasm detectors running high. Tags not so much.
Viva El Sarcasmo!
Not to worry, Greg. A mail-in ballot with your name and address on it, with the correct boxes checked, will make its way to election headquarters.
I can’t decide if Perkins Coie in Dallas or Austin are running the “vote counting” operation here in Texas. Probably Austin.
The Attorney General in Texas is still fighting vote-by-mail on demand. Early voting will start in less than two months, on Oct. 13 IIRC. Maybe it won’t get done this time around, but the push will start for 2022.
My wife couldn’t remember voting in WA State in 2012. I’m sure someone voted in her name even if she didn’t.
Four years, sleepy and oblivious. I regret not giving in to my initial impulse to break our lease and haul my son back to FL the first week in WA State, before my wife showed up and we were stuck.
I just serviced my VacMaster VP215. During it’s move to Tejas, the handle that holds down the chamber cover came loose and got lost. I’m using a bent coat hanger until I fabricate something. The sticker for the control buttons came off in the heat, so I printed a copy and taped it below the buttons. It will take some work to print a proper label that fits, but it can be done.
The VM is pricey, but you make it up in bags over the years. Sealing *waterY* stuff is a dream in a chamber vac. I watched some YT vids on preppers using Mylar bags in it instead of O2 absorbers. They seem to work fine with standard settings, so I ordered some Mylar to experiment with. They came with vac sealed O2 absorbers. LOL. I also have a FoodSaver I’ve had for years as a backup.
You can vacuum canning jars in the VM. Pint jars and smaller can stand upright under the lid. Quart jars lay on the side, so no liquids or powders (you can get powder to vac, though). Great for spices and leftovers in the fridge.
Leftovers? What are those? /sarc.
Actually, my wife makes batches of meals that will be finish prepared and enjoyed later. Should I call thise leftaheads?
We have enjoyed the convenience of absentee voting for decades, because our careers required travel. I used to mail them: the postmark has to be on or before election day, but now I make a special trip to our small polling place and drop them in a special box for that purpose. An added assurance is that the election worker inspects the signatures and other entries on the outside of the envelope to be sure everything is correctly entered. I have wondered how many ballots have been rejected because the written stuff is not exactly as required. My wife has to sign a special place authorizing me to turn in her ballot.
After a day or so, I can look up my vote in the county web site, using the serial number on my tear-off receipt. Sure, fraud is possible, but it seems a pretty good system, probably better than those machines I have never used.
I think election “day” should be just that, with absentee ballots allowed for those who request them, no reason needed. Election fraud goes hundreds of years back, and will never be eliminated. Accurate counts require honest people.
100F outside, and 60%RH by my station… pretty freaking miserable.
There’s a store owner in Chicago who won’t be rebuilding his store. Where oh where will the bangers go for their ‘blunts’ now? And he’s about to learn a lesson- that the cops have no legal obligation to protect anyone. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8629519/Chicago-business-owner-plans-sue-city-looted-twice-May.html As an aside, where did his money come from? That’s a lot of do-re-mi…
Trigger warning on Blazing Saddles – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8629157/HBO-Max-puts-trigger-warning-Western-spoof-Blazing-Saddles-racist-language-attitudes.html Own copies of anything you like and want to keep. Who knows when it will disappear. There’s a nice boxed set of Mel Brooks movies and it’s pretty reasonable on ebay.
Whole lotta fail here, and a lesson or two.
–generally speaking you can’t ‘lie in wait’ for someone
–generally speaking you can’t shoot someone in the back or as they are fleeing (TX has more exceptions to this than probably any other state, and it’s still not a good idea)
–yeah the guy has a nazi flag, and is an @sshole. NOT ILLEGAL. Free speech, free assembly…. has to work for the extreme cases or it doesn’t work for you.
–going onto people’s property to commit a crime has CONSEQUENCES, no matter how righteous you feel
He’ll be lucky to avoid prison, she’s lucky he’s a poor shot.
n
(if you’re rooting for her, how would your feelings change if the flag was a hammer and sickle? BLM fist? Old glory? Blue line? Trump 2020? Marine Corps?)
–generally speaking you can’t shoot someone in the back or as they are fleeing (TX has more exceptions to this than probably any other state, and it’s still not a good idea)
IIRC, Texas grants significant leeway in cases of marital infidelity while caught in progress.
OTOH, jury trial divorce assigning blame is still an option and much less messy.
I think election “day” should be just that, with absentee ballots allowed for those who request them, no reason needed. Election fraud goes hundreds of years back, and will never be eliminated. Accurate counts require honest people.
Trump Derangement Syndrome has short circuited the portion of the brain responsible for honesty in a lot of Progs’ heads. At this point, however, I don’t believe that a Plugs (or whoever is really going to end up the nominee) victory on Election Day will suffice.
We are turning our spare bedroom into a billiards room. Last week we cleared the room and cleaned and painted. The new light arrived yesterday and I got that installed. Today, I rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned the carpet. The pool table arrives Wednesday. I’m still pondering tv and/or music options for the room. We’ll also consider furniture after the table is installed.
Since I have the carpet cleaner for a day, it’s clean all the carpets time. Billiards room, master closet, and the boy’s bedroom are done. Now to do the stairs and bonus room. Also may pull the area rug out of the family room and put it in the garage to clean.
If you have the attachments, clean the car and the furniture too.
I was grossed out when I had to clean the soft surfaces in my truck after getting poison ivy all over it…
n
David Warren on the election:
Then again, he’s Canadian…kind of…more of a monarchist.
@SteveF
I think I recall you stating your family was refinishing the kitchen cabinets. You mentioned a product you purchased to aid in grease removal and I believe stripping the cabinets as prep to refinishing the wood. Assuming the project started…
Was the product you purchased effective (reasonable effort, grease removed, surface adequately prepped for new finish)?
What was the name of the product?
I have purchased the products ‘elbow grease’, ‘time’ and ‘turning the air blue’, but have not started our cabinet refinishing project. Making a list of DIY stuff that’ll make our home more attractive to buyers, if the outcome of AO 2020-66 causes us to sell.
A cheat for fast tile cleaning of soap scum is oven cleaner spray. Used to use it for back to back apartment turnover. High ventilation recommended .
We used Murphy Oil Soap on porous surfaces like wood…. Dawn dish soap, scotch Brite sponge and elbow grease for tough cases. Have seen sponge pads for cordless drills that look interesting.
I look forward to StevenF’s method. 😛
I always liked Liquid Sandpaper. Typical acetone/keytone mix that degreases and deglosses. Old spaint must not be peeling. Lots of ventilation and all pilot lights off. Pretty volitale. Probably can’t even get it in California any longer but your area is not like here.
Mary, the Everyday Cheapskate and “The Spruce” are 2 web places for latter-day Hints from Heloise.
Trigger warning on Blazing Saddles – Own copies of anything you like and want to keep. Who knows when it will disappear. There’s a nice boxed set of Mel Brooks movies and it’s pretty reasonable on ebay.
I wasn’t kidding when I said that I believed that “Casablanca” would be next when my former employers temporarily pulled “Gone With The Wind” a while back. Stash a copy while all of the dialogue is intact. Sooner or later I know they will quietly fix the line Ingrid Bergman drops about “the boy playing the piano”.
I’m not surprised about “Blazing Saddles”, but that one has been obvious for decades. What keeps the Death Star from going on a big censorship push right now is the $140 in debt they’re carrying from acquiring DirecTV and Time Warner.
Fire. Live in the house until it’s dirty, then torch it and move to another.
Jenny, I’ll get back to you after my wife has finished the degreasing. The first several things she tried didn’t work well. The current one seems to be working, but we’ll have to wait until the doors have dried to see if they’re still sticky.
No, it’s not sexist garbage which has my wife cleaning the cupboard doors. They were trashed because she and her mother stir-fry every day with no screen over the skillet, so my wife gets to clean up the mess they made. Yes, she thought that was unfair. My sole contribution was to take the doors down and to buy a selection of degreasing products.
Someone very wise once told me the best cleaning method is to not get it dirty.
Sorry Jenny.
Sarc off, kitchen grease on wood is beyond me. I am pretty good with metals, but not wood. I can attest to SteveF’s method, but not for resale.
“Legislators: Texas should allow nursing home visits to resume”
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Legislators-Texas-should-allow-nursing-home-15432885.php
“A group of state legislators is asking that Texas ease its restrictions to allow family members to visit loved ones in long-term care facilities, even as the number of coronavirus cases here swells.”
“Visitors have been barred since mid-March from nursing homes and assisted living facilities — part of an effort to keep vulnerable residents safe from COVID-19. Still, residents continued to die at an outsize rate, while the isolation also took a toll on some.”
“We could relay multiple heart-wrenching stories from our constituents, but we assume that you have heard many of these types of realities,” the 55 legislators wrote in a letter to the state Health and Human Services Interim Executive Commissioner Thursday.”
“Family members have worried so much over the welfare of loved ones, both isolated and at risk, that some have considered moving them out.”
My father-in-law is being moved back to his nursing home from the hospital today. We would move him elsewhere if we could so he was being taken care of and that we could visit him. My sister-in-law would love to go see him once or twice a week.
Much lower humidty than south Tejas however.
The only area that has more humidity than south Texas is Florida. I still want to drive down through the Keys some day.
The heavy stir fryer tenants would aluminum foil the back slash, wall, and stove top. Replace when nasty. : )
I’m not surprised about “Blazing Saddles”, but that one has been obvious for decades. What keeps the Death Star from going on a big censorship push right now is the $140 in debt they’re carrying from acquiring DirecTV and Time Warner.
Should have been “$140 Billion in debt”.
Does not seem to be an insurmountable amount. My electric bill was higher than that.
Trump Derangement Syndrome has short circuited the portion of the brain responsible for honesty in a lot of Progs’ heads.
That is a terrible truth.
At this point, however, I don’t believe that a Plugs (or whoever is really going to end up the nominee) victory on Election Day will suffice.
Just look at Cuba and Venezuela, that is what they want with them in charge.
They don’t realize that as soon as they take over, somebody else meaner and with better long term plans will kill them all off.
https://www.history.com/news/lenin-stalin-differences-soviet-union
Also if you’re looking to repaint the cabinets take the doors off and take them to a pro for stripping. Their dunk tanks can remove anything. Of course you still have to do the frames. Just degreaser for kitchens? I like Krud Kutter. Maybe a better hood and exhaust over the stove too.
“Much lower humidty than south Tejas however.”
The only area that has more humidity than south Texas is Florida. I still want to drive down through the Keys some day.
Don’t forget a stop Little Havana if you’re going that far south.
If you have the time, add in a couple of days on Sanibel/Captiva driving back. It is the anti-Key West in many ways.
Wow, Texas is at 72,005 MW demand on a Saturday. The all time peak is 74,531 MW on Monday, August 12, 2019.
http://www.ercot.com/
They don’t realize that as soon as they take over, somebody else meaner and with better long term plans will kill them all off.
The pendulum will swing back in 2022 when the suburban Dem women living the good life outside DC and the tech hubs realize the Progs mean business about things like wealth taxes.
The Republicans need leadership in place with better political instincts than Bishop Mittens and Paul Ryan in place next time around. The Governor bench is deep; they need to take advantage of it.
“At least 846 Dead People Tried to Vote in Michigan’s August Primary — 10,694 Votes Rejected — This Is Why Democrats Want Mail-in Voting”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/least-846-dead-people-tried-vote-michigans-august-primary-10694-votes-rejected-democrats-want-mail-voting/
I am shocked, shocked I tell you !
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
I installed the new water softener July 3rd. I had two bags of salt. The system works great.
Ok, the salt is looking a little low, about half a bag left, time to add. Let’s see a gallon of gas to Walmart and a gallon home. Plus time. So I went to Hoover’s, the local hardware and lumber yard place. I bought five bags, that’s what fit in the cart.
Ok, saved the gas and time, but I think that at $7.99 a bag, I can do better by going to Walmart. Or even the HEB across the street from Hoover’s.
So much for “buying local”.
Such as who? Just curious.
Spicy time is kicking up a notch…
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/shots-fired-portland-protest-counter-protest-sides-blame/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/happening-now-violence-breaks-patriots-rally-oppose-antifa-black-lives-matter-portland/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/right-starting-fight-back-proud-boys-clash-antifa-blm-michigan-video/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/violence-erupts-stone-mountain-confederate-memorial-georgia-clash-right-wing-activists-vs-antifa-terrorists-video/
and consequences….
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/macys-looking-leave-chicago-second-round-mass-lootings-protests-weekend-video/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/larry-c-johnson-unprecedented-gun-ammo-shortage-america-today/ [stopped by my buddy’s gun store today, had a line out the door waiting for transfers…]
n
Better still, use alternative products to wood+paint. I am very surprised to read that painted/stained cabinets seem to be the norm or at least very common in the US. I have not seen that in Oz in a very long time.
@steveF, It’s been my experience that no matter what you use, there will still be grease in the pores of the wood. They will come thru just about any prime EXCEPT Kilz original. Plan on priming with that, or you will not have good results.
n
I think Nick is right. This house was a dump and the wall next to the range was, ah, a mess. I painted. Nope, the stuff bled through. Looks like spaghetti sauce…. and how is that on the wall over the fridge on the other side of the room?
Latex Kilz helped a lot. Along with several more coats of paint. But still looking tacky. Oh well.
Marcelo, what are kitchen cabinets made of in Oz? Formica covered?
” I am very surprised to read that painted/stained cabinets seem to be the norm or at least very common in the US”
Painting stained wood cabinets is a quick and cheap update for kitchens that have nice countertops but what now looks dated, like oak stained arch top cabinet doors. Everyone wants dark stain or white paint at the moment.
Another choice is to have all the face frames re-covered with laminate or new wood, and order new doors to match. That lets you change the style as well as the color/material.
——————————-
raked up over 12 grocery bags of destroyed pecans today. Danm squirrels are a wrecking crew. That is in addition to the 4-6 I did last week, and what’s still to come. If I could harvest those pecans I’d be a happy boy.
n
The kitchen in the old house in Austin had cabinets stained in “pecan”. Satin varnish. Very pretty wood grain. Painting over that would be a sin.
But not my house anymore.
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/rei-selling-its-brand-new-massive-custom-made-hq-building-was-slated-open-summer
–huh, I don’t recall being asked if I thought mgmt should build themselves a palace with co-op money…
n
Yep, Formica is standard. Melamine is the cheapo option but still much better than dealing with wood in the kitchen.
Shot Girl:
NYPD union endorsed Trump. I’m sure this is part of their neighborhood outreach plan.
Also, does anyone else see a potential problem with police unions – enforcement arms of the state with lethal weapons – promoting “preferred” candidates for office or is that just me?
Is it just me, or does she get dumber as the year goes by. Please vote her out, people!
–huh, I don’t recall being asked if I thought mgmt should build themselves a palace with co-op money…
Ever been to the big flagship store complex in Seattle?
The pandemic provides yet another company with a convenient excuse. Bellevue wasn’t the best real estate choice 3-4 years ago, and it is less desirable now. I’ll bet some decent office space opened up near their Seattle flagship and the execs needed an out.
The big REI near our house closed after Christmas. My guess is that they’ve been in trouble for a while. Whenever we went in there after something specific, the store either didn’t have the item or the one on the shelf looked like a return.
Formica is standard.
I think I read that metal faces and doors are popular in Europe. I like all metal.
Is it just me, or does she get dumber as the year goes by. Please vote her out, people!
Men still want to have sex with the Cocktail Waitress.
She faces redistricting next year. NY stands to lose three seats instead of two.
@SteveF
Fire. Live in the house until it’s dirty, then torch it and move to another.
Fire is our plan for when my (actually pretty terrific humans) in-laws die. They are pack rats.
Jenny, I’ll get back to you after my wife has finished the de-greasing.
Much appreciated. Our kitchen cabinets are not too bad. We don’t fry much. After 15+ years in the house the cabinets need some attention (I do annual deep cleaning but kitchen dirt is pretty special).
Fire. Hmm. I used a heat gun to great effect when I was prepping my 1968 Aladdin trailer for painting and redoing the seams. And I recall I’ve used a heat gun in the past to remove substances from wood. I wonder how a -not- blistering hot blast from a heat gun would do, in combination with a liquid de-greaser (what a hoot an aerosol would be in those conditions), at shifting the more stubborn muck.
Hmm. Could be entertaining.
@dkreck
I’ll look for Krud Kutter and give it a try. Thanks for the idea.
@marcelo
In my area, if it’s not wood + stain, people assume you’ve cheaped out and it’s considered less desirable. Forget the difficulty of making it look good over time.
@nick
Pardon my ignorance. I’ve used Killz frequently on walls, but never on wood. If I use Killz, then re-staining is no longer an option, right? Unless I’m going for the ‘pickled oak’ look (white wash then stain, I think it looks weird but some people like it).
also @nick
have all the face frames re-covered with laminate or new wood, and order new doors
Brilliant idea.
I’ve finished mucking out our daughter’s bedroom. 4 bags of precious treasures gone forever. I was merciless and she wasn’t here to defend her space -bwa ha ha haaahhhh-
Rabbits need to be mucked out. The first batch of meat bunnies are looking mighty tasty. Their younger brethren are looking cutie patootie and have found their legs. I’ve got all the bits and pieces I need to assemble the winter watering system. I need to muck out the rabbits, and lift down four of my six cages to access the areas I want to run the water. Regrettably, the sizing of the cages and placement of the doors eliminates the possibility of routing the pvc across the front of the cages. There are ways I could do it, but all of those solutions introduce many many more bends in the pipe, or stubs that other folks report will freeze and burst under our conditions. So the water will run at the back of the cages meaning a bit of extra work to install, and a bit more work if there are failures. That’s ok. It’s sure to be less effort than manually watering two and three times a day for months. Better to do the up front effort and expense. I’ve got six winter quality crocks in case of failure. Crossing my fingers I won’t need that redundancy.
I need to vacuum the pool, pick raspberries, mow the front and back lawn. Muck out rabbit cages, finish laundry and tidying kitchen. Dinner is chicken soup from last night (broth from one of our chickens, veg and meat store bought). Husband is recovering from Wednesdays excitement, energy is low and he still feels pretty lousy.
Daughter is due home in the next few hours. Our friends departed Maclaren River Lodge sometime before 11 am, figure six to eight hour drive depending on number of stops. It will be good to see her. I’m grateful they kept her so she could get some time with people her own age, enjoy the glory that is Alaska in the fall, and not be stressed by the medical junk.
On the local political front – mostly in a waiting pattern while the city clerk reviews the various petitions for ballot measures that have been submitted. If the ballot measure to remove one of the assembly people is approved, there will be six or eight more submitted the following day for all but two or three of the assembly, plus the Mayor. The mayor is out come April regardless, but as he has aspirations to higher office we want the scar of facing a recall on his record.
Listened to a couple of radio interviews and some of the justifications our elected representatives made – they really seem to believe we are a group of heartless jerks. They are pretty removed from reality and I do not believe they heard a single word of opposition in the tone or with the intent the speakers were trying to convey.
Alaska is so screwed.
Alaska is so screwed.We’re all so screwed…
n
vintage KFC wet-nap is worth ~$7
Jimminy Christmas.
n
@ Jenny:
Forgive my lack of technical knowledge, what does it mean, what does it entail?
@ Jenny:
… muck out the rabbits …
Forgive my lack of technical knowledge, what does it mean, what does it entail?
I’m not Jenny but I will answer for her if she does not mind.
Muck out is USA slang for cleaning an animal enclosure after they have peed and pooped in it.
And there goes Turkey…
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/turkey-hit-bank-runs-currency-panic-locals-sell-their-cars-and-houses-buy-gold-while-lira
Had their purchasing power cut in half in one year. If that doesn’t say “GET OUT!!” then what would?
n
Thanks Lynn.
English is cumbersome and contradictory at times.
Why muck about it. 🙂
Scanner has local PD doing street racing interdiction tonight. Out on the west and NW side we have a big problem with illegal street racing. Seems that tonight they are looking for someone, or someones in particular.
I hear them moving back and forth in the area the guys race…
n
@marcelo / @lynn
Usually you hear ‘muck out’ in reference to cleaning out a horse stall, especially if someone’s ancestry goes back to England. Not sure if I agree with Lynn that it’s slang, unless we want to consider it slang when it gets bastardized for poop from animals other than horses. There’s probably a better term for cleaning out the poop under the rabbits, but ‘muck out’ is brief and captures the idea well enough. Having cleaned up the poop of a wide variety of animals, ‘muck out’ sure seems like an apt descriptor when we consider the other meanings of ‘muck’.
Thanks Jenny and Lynn. Always good to learn something new.