Jackie Clay

Jackie Clay is someone I care about.  My heart ached when her husband died. I rejoiced as her home neared completion. I empathize with her many roles: mother of a teenager, writer, homesteader and caregiver for her aging parents.  I admire her ability to garden, can, bake, raise goats and keep a great sense of humor.  I have never met Jackie Clay.

Ms. Clay is a writer for Backwoods Home Magazine.  She contributes a monthly article about homesteading and an “Ask Jackie” column where she answers reader’s questions from anything from processing livestock to freezing berries.  Jackie is also very frugal.

I would recommend reading Backwoods Home (BWH) to anyone interested in homesteading or even just curious about being more self sufficient.  I began my subscription about three years before we moved and continue it today. Most of the information is interesting, helpful and easy to understand.  Like many periodicals, however, there are occasions when I disagree with some of the opinions expressed and some people may be uncomfortable with the Libertarian perspective.  That being said, I give credit to BWH for much of what I have learned.

In our home “Jackie Clay” has morphed into a verb.  Two summers ago, the husband came home from town and explained, “I scored a Jackie Clay!”  Carefully, I asked him to explain.  He had gone to both Home Depot and Menards looking for supplies to rewire the old garage as he was converting it to a workshop.  While at Home Depot he came across a large collection of wood in all sizes and shapes, insulation and plywood. Because the condition of these pieces was not first quality, they were being sold at a deep discount.  The husband negotiated for the entire lot and for them to hold everything for 24 hours so he could return the next day with the trailer.  Then, he found the same situation at Menards and scored again. 

The husband returned home the next day with the truck and trailer loaded with 2x4s, 4x6s, 12 foot sheets of pressboard and plywood, Styrofoam insulation, ½ inch boards, ¾ inch boards and on and on.  Sure, some of the pieces were warped and some with huge knots but for our needs it was perfect.  A quick estimate showed we purchased this load at about 1/3 of the original cost. 

                                                           

Our second Jackie Clay came from our neighbor Gabriel.  He and his wife DeeDee were building a new home. Part of the project was getting rid of some of the older out buildings.  Gabe asked if we wanted their chicken coop. It was very run down but the husband thought he could fix it up.  It was very heavy and somewhat fragile. Gabe arranged for a local farmer to bring his tractor and drag it from his yard to ours.  Carl placed it exactly where I wanted.  Payment? A 12 pack of Old Style beer!  The coop was leaning slightly to the left but it survived the trip.

Slowly, over the next month, the husband replaced the roof with metal we found in one of our buildings, removed rotted wood and replaced it with car-siding from our first Jackie Clay and replaced the windows with a crank type purchased at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. The paint reflects the colors of the barn and work shop.  I could not believe how nice it looks.  Two fenced in yards and 20 chickens later we have a real chicken coop.  Gabe and Carl came to see the finished project and laughed.  “Ya know,” Carl said, “Chickens ain’t that smart.  They only care about scratchin’ for bugs and drinkin’ water.”  Gabe patted him on the back, “I told you they do it nice over here.”  The husband was quite proud.  I think Jackie Clay would be too.

               It appears to still be leaning to the left in this photo. When I took this picture I was standing on an embankment.