Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I had a very busy week, following my return from a month-long trip out of state to help an elderly relative.  I returned home to find a small mountain of mail and packages to open. Immediately after that, I started packing orders from our recent rifle sale at Elk Creek Company. Later in the week, I had a half-day at the ranch of a consulting client in an adjoining county. Then I made a five-hour drive to pick up some antique guns and ammo cans that were waiting for me. And most recently I’ve been cataloging those guns and editing the photos to go with them. (I should mention that I pay my #2 Daughter to do the photography, but the photos still need cropping, color correcting, and file renaming to match my inventory numbers.) Hopefully, I’ll be caught up with the photo work in about a week.  The packages also included some ammunition that I’d bought at auction — mostly the various Mauser calibers, some 7.5×55 Swiss, some 7.62mm NATO M118 match grade ammo, some very scarce 6.5x52mm Carcano, and a bit of 7.62x54r.  So I’ve been busy getting all of that sorted and tucked away in labeled ammo cans.  My goal is to have at least 200 rounds of ammunition for each of the guns that I have in inventory. That way, I’ll be able to give or sell them to folks, if and when the Schumer hits the fan. Ironically, I’ve found that is the formerly “scarce” obsolete calibers that are still available at gun shops. It is all the  “standard” calibers that are now chronically sold out. So owning an old Mauser now makes more sense than ever.

Now that I’m back at the Rawles Ranch, I’m resuming some of the chores that I normally handle, such as splitting kindling wood, feeding the woodstove, and keeping the woodbox full.  Especially during winter, I appreciate having an excuse to get away from my desk and get some exercise. Lily did a great job of “holding down the fort”, but we both felt a sense of relief when I got back to the ranch.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,

Yes, yes, I have felt major relief since Jim has returned home.  My stress and anxiety level has dropped significantly. I am relaxing once again. I feel like I can eat again in peace and my blood pressure is returning back to normal. It is wonderful and very comforting to have him safely back home.

I spent a couple of days going with Jim to run errands, to an on-site consulting call, and to visit some young friends of ours.  We very much enjoyed talking politics, guns, and survival stuff with them as well as playing with their very young children. I read to them “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”, helped them put two puzzles together, and we built a couple of snowmen during a brief break of glorious warm sunshine in the forever dark cloudy winter weather. I enjoyed being “Grandma” to them. It was super nice to get off the ranch and visit all of these people. We were away from our computers and the blog during these times. Hence the lag time some of you may have noticed in the posting of some of your comments this past week.  There were thirty-three comments awaiting to be posted when we returned home after one visit.  :-0

For all you pro-vaxxers, you must listen to this Dr. Sherri Tenpenny 

After you listen to her, you won’t want this vaccine. She says that this vaccine is fundamentally different in three different ways than any other vaccine that has been created.  It is not a “normal” vaccine.

Furthermore, your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  You are not to defile your body in any way shape or form.  That includes putting foreign substances into it, such as an mRNA vaccine.  It will change you and God may say: “I never knew you.” (You are no longer my creation.) Those will be very devastating words to hear the Creator God say to a person.

The main prepping thing that I did this week was repacking my bugout bag into a new Mystery Ranch backpack that Jim bought for me recently.  With the gear that I want in it, it is a third of my weight.   It’s too heavy to carry more than a mile… I’ll have to work on it.  But for our region in the wintertime, I would need that which is in there to keep us warm and dry.  I’m running out of time typing my column, so I will have to tell you what is in my pack at another time.

I listened to the book Daniel, twice, and Hosea.  I really think the time that we are currently living through is described in Daniel 11.  Please read it.

Well, it looks as though we have lost the Republic. Those coming into leadership follow the Anti-Christ spirit and hate all that which God stands for.

Seriously, dear readers, you need to prepare your heart for persecution.  Christian Persecution is just about here.  Where do you stand in your faith?  Are you ready to meet your creator?  Perilous times are ahead for all of us.  This is the time of the separation of the wheat from the tares.  Where do you stand? Repent, beg God to create in us a pure heart and to renew a right spirit within us. Get right with all people in your lives that you have a breach with, if possible.  Confess your sins one to another.  Read God’s word and put it into your memory. Pray!

There isn’t much time left.  Survivalism in my humble opinion also includes to where you will spend eternity.   Will you spend eternity with God the Father and His son Jesus, or will you see the second death?  Therefore I beg all of you who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, Call upon His name,  Confess your sins, repent of them, turn away from them. Get a Bible and read His Word, and He will save you from His wrath to come.  Pray that you would escape all things, but be ready to give your life for a testimony of Him!

Despite everything happening, may you look up and keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus. May He fill you with His peace that passes all understanding. May you all have a very blessed and safe week.

– Avalanche Lily, Rawles

o o o

As always, please share your own successes and hard-earned wisdom in the Comments.




83 Comments

  1. Thank you Lily for the link to the vaccine article. I build custom homes for a living. I am currently building a home for a husband and wife who both happen to be in the medical profession(s). I always keep a neutral political stance to start with until I get a feel for the people. I found out pretty quick that I was working for God fearing, gun owning patriots. I was curious as to what they thought of the vaccine, and the entire Covid situation. Both the husband and wife were adamantly against the vaccine, and called the whole Covid situation “a giant hoax and a lie”. I didn’t know this but according to them, 3,300 people have already been partially (just facial, bell palsy) parylyzed by the vaccine, amongst numerous other side effects. The woman also informed me that their is a very high chance of the vaccine causing a woman to become sterile. The man, who also happened to be very gifted in math and statistical analysis, informed me of the insanity of even calling Covid a pandemic when it had such a high survival rate. I was also informed that the vaccine was killing more people than it was saving in the elderly population. Both husband and wife told me that they thought around 60% of the medical professionals would refuse the vaccine. This conversation gave me great hope that all is not lost. I was happy to hear that people in the health care world know that we are being lied to on an epic scale.

    1. “That includes putting foreign substances into it, such as an mRNA vaccine. It will change you and God may say: “I never knew you.” (You are no longer my creation.) Those will be very devastating words to hear the Creator God say to a person.”

      Good thing I didn’t die of COVID since the doctor gave me a steroid shot, because all this time I thought I am His and nothing could pluck me from His hands except, you know, a shot.

  2. Hi Lily

    In Australia, the current PM claims to be a Christian ( he also follows NAR ), this man also pushes the vaccine trope and talks about no jab, no work, no play, and wants to push compulsory vaccine for all, vilification and public shaming, is rife in Australia, if one objects to the mandated Govt line ( which ALL state Govts follow), I see persecution coming as well, 90-year-old mother is claiming the second coming will take out all the believers and leave the no good ones to go through the tribulation, ( I somehow doubt Christians will escape scot-free of bad times).

    Peace

    1. G’day A.S,

      Wee early hours AM here, and I be wide awake. Grr…

      NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) is totally partnering with the Beast System. Many Trump supporters attend(ed) NAR churches, knowingly or unkowingly. Focus on the Family came out and said, during the past few days that, paraphrased “Taking the vaccine is “Loving your neighbor” Talk about pressure and deception on so many levels! Literal/Traditional Bible following Christians will be betrayed by these nominal believers. “There is coming a time when “they” will think they are doing God a favor by killing you.” Many Christians will have to give their lives for the testimony of Jesus in the very soon coming days. Only a few will live to see Jesus return in the clouds and be raptured up to Him. May His Will be done in our lives.

      1. lily

        thanks for your reply, I know your view on NAR, or have read your feelings on it, ( here its 11.30pm ) , I used to be in a NAR Church , had dreams visions , phrophetc words of knowledge about people events, what sickness they had , without them telling me, I was very puffed up as it were on my growing power so to speak, but something never sat right with me, a niggling feeling, if I was a feted prophet , who people looked up to, how come people were healed of the small things in their life, but not the big things ? cancer?, asthma ? lung disease ?, didn’t God say of the young Samuel, that none of his words would fall to the ground void ?, doesn’t God say, a prophet from him is 100% correct ?, I would see the bill johnsons of this movement proclaim, this or that, and no one ever questioned why so many of these super prophets got things so wrong, So what did I do ?, about three years ago, I sat down, prayed to the Lord and asked if my spiritual abilities are from him, thanks, if not please take them away ! , guess what? ALL my gifting, dreams, visions, etc, instantly disappeared, being a very logical practical person, my simple deduction is they were all from a devilish realm. How deceived I was. One last thought, which is also a question to you, my wife is a NAR devout follower, I am of course no longer, this causes great friction, I suspect we will not see eye to eye in the days ahead, many couples will break up. I am troubled by this, but I cannot follow what she believes. Oh one other thing, I cannot find a Church that is evangelical, let alone teaches about Revelation !.

        Peace and God bless !

        1. Dear AS,

          The only thing, I can think of to say, is to ask your wife to sincerely ask God for His discernment of all that is happening, to ask him for all truth, to ask him to reveal the areas of deception that she is under. She has to want to know all truth and to be willing to lay it ALL down and to walk away from everything she has known, even friends.

          I will tell you the areas I was deceived in, when God showed me, were terribly painful. But since I didn’t want to be caught up with the anti-Christ, I begged God to show me all things that He needed to. It shocked me and hurt, but He was faithful to lead me a little at a time, so when it all came out, I had already seen what I needed to see, to agree that I had been deceived and had held up as an idol and to walk away from it. I had to say good-bye to friends and had to stand alone for a few years. But it’s worth it for eternity’s sake. I will pray for you both. May the Lord give you wisdom and the right words to speak to your wife to help her come out of the deception.

        2. Concerning Churches,

          Most of the mainstream major denominations are compromised at this late hour. They have embraced the Religious Whore of Babylon. That which God says to ‘Come out of Her”. You are better off, staying home and studying the Bible on your own and listening to it aloud. If you can find someone of like mind, invite them over for a home Bible study. For now, there are still some excellent teachings on the Internet. Be strengthened. Do not fear. You are on the right path. You are not alone. Many others are also coming out of churches with bad doctrine.

          1. Lily- +1
            I listen to the Bible with my “Bible Bus” from Through the Bible. The entire Bible (King James or New King James versions) plus a 5 year Bible study available from ttb.org .

  3. I refuse to call the events of 2020 an ‘epidemic’.

    And I refuse to call the anti-CoViD19 injection(s) a ‘vaccine’.
    The injection material appears to contain no killed or weakened CoViD19 virus.
    Instead, it appears to contain a mRNA substance intended to fuss with DNA in the recipient.

    And furthermore… harris/pelosi is not my president.

    *****

    My prep this week included meeting with two potential additions to our group… but the two don’t know they are undergoing quals.
    Sneaky?

  4. Hello Everyone. It is a sad time to see what is happening to our country. The patriots and pods are saying that it ain’t over yet; that ALL the traitors had to be exposed before the DS can be taken down, so we will see what happens in the next 10 days. Personally, I put my trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I do pray He finds this country worth saving; but there is so much evil now…

    With all that is going on, we decided to build a small emergency shed at the far end of the property, which is about 1 mile from the house. This would give us an additional shelter besides the barn, if the house got damaged. We are blessed to have several water sources on the property and a couple of water filters we can put in different locations.

    Made a city run to the warehouse for bulk pantry items and I’m still repackaging everything into bags and buckets. Put up 7 pds of brussel sprouts this week. I am out of space so cleared an area in the dining room and to put up new shelving. Need to make something to keep curious eyes off the contents.

    We have 4 does due (two are 1st time moms that need watching) this weekend and it is just our luck the weather forecast is for below freezing for 6 nights. This would be deadly on newly born kits so we moved all 4 does inside to the sun porch. So now I have the 4 does and a cage full of 4 week old bunnies, plus 2 very old incontinent dogs all on the sun porch. It’s a bit crowded but we got everyone in.

    The seed catalogs are coming in every day now. Got the new Baker Creek catalog and it is full of interesting heirlooms I want to try out. Received an order of cover crop and meadow grass seeds but need to order more. We are planning to expand the small livestock so we will need 4 or 5 new paddocks for rotation.

    Made two women’s hats from alpaca wool, plus a hat and scarf set out of beautiful mohair wool, but need to line it with a soft fuzzy material as the yarn is very light; these will go in the ‘for sale’ box. Made 6 winter hats/caps this week to give to the Salvation Army Recovery Center. I found some beautiful wool and silk yarn and two other bags full of wool yarn at a thrift store which can be used for socks or more high value ‘for sale’ items.

    We are in observation mode for a while until we see what’s going to happen in D.C. The dems have gone full insanity now and satan is raging in their bodies.

    “The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government.” Thomas Paine.

    May your week be safe and productive.

  5. I’ve had many names in my life….son, dad, husband, etc., and now one of my favorites-Dadog to my grandchildren, (have no idea where that came from). Now I’m a Christian Nationalist and Domestic Terrorist (Trump Supporter). Strange times we live in. Buckle up boys and girls it’s getting interesting. And by the way, her name was Ashli Babbitt .

  6. I haven’t blown myself up yet with the propane project, and there’s not much exciting about the tree I cut up for firewood this week, and I don’t have a waterboard handy, so I thought I’d torture everybody with my New Year’s poem instead.

    For those newcomers who’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get more organized for the uncertain future which is before us, for long-time SurvivalBlog readers who perhaps need to quicken their pace, and for anyone else who’s just plain weary of the state of the world today, I hope this poem brings a smile to your face, or maybe a groan or two, and spurs you onward in the quest we all share here in the SurvivalBlog community: that of being prepared for whatever is headed our way.

    Lamentations of a Non-Prepper

    It’s been one year since the Schumer hit the fan,
    I’m assessing my life as a broken-down man.
    The grid is gone, so’s most of the population,
    There’s very little left of this once-great nation.
    In tiny little hamlets we’re all on our own,
    No cars, no stores, and no stinkin’ phones.
    Many died for lack of medication,
    Others died from total starvation.
    Many were killed by the roving hordes,
    Others went crazy, right out of their gourds.
    The commies and liberals all died in the cities,
    While waiting for this or that subcommittee,
    To keep them from harm with more regulations,
    Rioting and protesting for gun confiscations.

    I’ve many regrets, too many to list,
    Things overlooked, or just plain missed.
    I wish I’d’ve bought some solar panels,
    Instead of that cable with 99 channels.
    I should’ve bought a tank to store some rain,
    Hiking to the creek is such a huge pain.
    Then building a fire to purify my haul,
    ‘Cause I didn’t buy a Berkey, dad-gum-it all!
    I burned all my propane by the end of month three,
    Heating hot water, how dumb could I be?
    I should’ve conserved it for cooking and such,
    But I wasn’t a prepper, and so out of touch.
    I didn’t know how to prioritize,
    I was too busy sweating the hows and the whys.

    When the fecal matter hit the rotating airfoil,
    I didn’t know squat about gardens or soil.
    I should’ve bought a tiller, a rake, and a hoe,
    Instead of wasting time watching TV shows.
    I should’ve bought a canner and some mason jars,
    Instead of motorcycles and red sports cars.
    I really look cool decked out in my camo,
    But I should’ve spent my money on guns and ammo!
    It costs a silver dime for a .22 bullet,
    And a Franklin half dollar for a Barred Rock pullet.
    All I’ve got are these nickel-clad quarters,
    Which no one will accept to fulfill my orders.
    I should have bought a grinder to make my own bread,
    Now I’m gonna starve and soon I’ll be dead.
    Wifey told me, “Hon, we gotta store wheat,
    So when the SHTF we’ll have something to eat!”
    But I laughed in her face, “You worry too much!
    That SurvivalBlog bunch has got you in their clutch!”

    So that’s why I’m feeling as dumb as a tree,
    I should’ve listened to my dear wifey.
    I should’ve listened and not been a meanie,
    I’d be eating fresh beef instead of canned weenies.
    Now my food’s all gone and I’ve nothing to barter,
    All I’ve got left is 8 beans in the larder.
    My wife finally left me for Ebenezer Rawles,
    Whose famous 7th cousin made all the right calls.
    I’m sorry now but it’s much too late,
    I’ve got to suck it up and accept my fate.
    I’d kill myself but I don’t know how,
    I traded my Ruger for a week’s worth of chow!

    So I’m sittin’ here as lonely as can be,
    Looking at the walls and my dead TV.
    I wish I’d’ve prepped and not been afraid,
    Of all the mean things the neighbors would’ve said.
    But I had to fit in, be part of the crowd,
    So I’ll say it now, and I’ll yell it out loud:
    “Don’t worry what family and friends might think,
    If you’re unprepared it’s really gonna stink!
    When the SHTF and it all goes south,
    Without a morsel of food in your mouth!”

    The next thing I knew I was lying on the floor,
    Listening to my wonderful, dear wifey’s snore!
    The cat was purring and sitting on my chest,
    The dog was barking, “Woof, better get dressed!”
    “Holy cow!” I uttered with a very loud scream,
    “TEOTWAWKI’s not here, it was just a bad dream!”
    When I finally got up I cancelled the cable,
    Then grabbed some paper and sat at the table.
    I made a long list of what we should buy,
    To survive TEOTWAWKI instead of to die.
    I’ll sell my Maserati to pay for it all,
    Man, oh man! What a close call!

    All the commotion woke my dear wife up,
    So she made her great coffee and poured us a cup.
    I told my wife I was sorry as could be,
    “But I’m a changed man, which soon you’ll see!
    Let’s buy some food to stock up the larder,
    Then another ton more to use for barter.
    Tell me which pressure canner tickles your heart,
    Then we’ll buy TWO, and that’s just a start!
    ‘Cause two is one and one is none,
    Oh man, Honey, we’re gonna have fun!
    Let’s plant the garden that you’ve always desired,
    And figure out how to get some solar panels wired.
    With heirloom seeds we won’t have to worry,
    We’ll grow all the spices to make our own curry.
    We’ll move to the country, get out of this city,
    So when TEOTWAWKI hits, we’ll be sittin’ pretty.
    We’ll get some bees and put ’em in a hive,
    I promise you Honey, this ain’t no jive!
    We’ll get some arms and plenty of ammo,
    Some body armor and just the right camo.
    We’ll buy some bullets and stack ‘em deep,
    And extra magazines while the world’s still asleep.
    We’ll read Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,”
    Buy some radios and a whole lot more.
    We’ll buy something called a “Punk Pinger®,”
    So the bad guys’ll know we got a trigger finger.
    Invented by a man called Tunnel Rabbit,
    A survival genius with very frugal habits.
    We’ll hang it on the gate to scare the hordes off,
    “Stay away from our freeze-dried stroganoff!”
    We’ll get us a chainsaw, and tons of grain,
    And a mega-giant tank to store propane,
    We’ll get some bovines and chickens to boot,
    They’re so fun to watch, it’s a total hoot!
    We’ll get some goats and learn to make soap,
    And cheese and yogurt, and ice cream I hope!
    We’ll buy junk silver and mason jars,
    And gold and platinum in shiny little bars.”

    All this time Wifey’s looking at me,
    She thinks I’m on crack, or maybe LSD.
    She thinks perhaps I oughta be committed,
    Or maybe for a strait jacket, I need to be fitted.
    The wrinkle in her brow says, “What the heck?
    Where’s my hubby gone? I better double check!”
    But I finally convinced her it wasn’t for show,
    “That dream changed my life, I’m a prepper gung-ho!
    And now I see the error of my ways,
    You were SO right, we’re in the last days.
    I’m gonna start reading that SurvivalBlog,
    And learn how to raise and butcher a hog!”

    I know this writing’s as corny as a cob,
    So I guess I’m gonna hafta keep my day job.
    And this poem won’t win no Pulitzer Prize,
    But I hope it helped you to open your eyes,
    So listen to me, I’m talking to YOU!
    Get prepping NOW, there’s so much to do!

    1. The tears streaming down my face are only partially from the batch of onions we just put in the dehydrator — the rest are cause I’m laughing my butt off!! The kids are laughing cause I am, and husband is just looking at me like I’ve gone nuts. (Newsflash – that happened ages ago.)

      Thanks for sharing this. It’s brilliant. 😀

      P.S. we’re all really glad the propane project didn’t have a bad end.

    2. Very well done, sir! Surely, one of the regulars here at Survival Blog is an illustrator in the vein of the late, great Dr. Suess. Collaboration between the two of you – what a book that would be!

  7. Hello everyone. The first part of our week was totally spent getting the house and children ready for the grandparents, and us ready for the trip. Then we drove 1,561 miles in 48.5 hours to check out a potential property, and once home I have been catching up on laundry and re-acclimating the children to their normal schedules. The drive was grueling in some places (I have never driven in snow before, and there was a narrow road, NO guardrails on one side and steep mountainside with “beware falling rocks” signs on the other…but it was so beautiful!) but it was nice to get away with just the two of us for once. We got a hotel room after the first day, and did what any couple outnumbered by young children who hasn’t had a night away in years would do: bolted the door, kicked off our boots, beelined for that comfy kingsized bed, snuggled up together…and slept, really, REALLY hard. 😀

    We are cautiously proceeding with the property – praying for direction and wisdom from God. We already know it is going to need some work, and we are trying to get the water turned on for an inspection (and then have it re-winterized). I think I am going to re-read through Retreats and Relocations, or at least the checklist pages which I have already printed off, and make further notes now that I have been boots-on-the-ground there.

    I don’t even know what to say about the events of this past week. I’ll admit to initially grinning like an idiot when my husband read me the first headlines about events at the Capitol, before we stopped at the next rest stop and I could process fully while not dodging semis … and the picture became clear. I need to keep my eyes on God and my mind in the Word, and read the news less. I’m worried because a close friend and a family member have already taken the vaccine. My children and I will not be. My husband seems undecided still! This is concerning to me, but he has deleted one more game from off his phone, and has accomplished a few small tasks around the house without being asked, and seems generally more present with us. Perhaps the trip was motivating…

    Peace be with you, friends!

    1. Bear,
      Your househunting trip sounded like a blessing in disguise. Nice to have couple time on those long trips even if you just make small talk and catch up on rest.

      Your post reminded me of our yearlong search for a house near our parents. By the end of the hunt, we were driving from Houston to Northern Arkansas every month. We wanted to pay cash for our forever home and wait to sell our Texas home until we had an offer underway. After three failed offers and numerous discoveries, we had given up. But on the way back home from viewing multiple properties , our realtor took us to check on a listing and we fell in love with it. Got the house half price and all our terms were met. Our realtor had asked his entire church to pray for us, and they had quite the praise event when he reported our success. Even our relatives saw Gods hand in the entire process.

      Praying for you and your husband as you keep the faith and enjoy the journey. Its out there…we are living proof of Gods timing and provision!

      Oh, one more thing…my non prepping husband commented to me during the home tour that it was perfect for me since it had two of everything(two kitchens, two master bedrooms, two hvac systems, two hot water tanks, and two sheds). And we all know that 2 is 1 and 1 is none, of course!

    2. Hey Bear, best of luck in making your change as soon as expedient. It took me a while to find my property but when I did, it was as steal so worth the wait. “Needing some work” is a good real estate plan for some of us, sweat equity being easier to come by than $$

      Good luck! 🙂

  8. I am currently viewing Band of Brothers on my DVD player. I yanked cable a few years ago, and I usually eschew movies made in Hollywood. However, this movie is wonderful. I couldn’t help wondering what these brave young men (including my father who fought in three wars) would think of our country’s leadership( I use that term loosely) today. I seriously doubt that our country will ever be the same. 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 tells me what I need to be doing,

    My backyard has too many trees, so some will need to come down to let the sun shine on my planned garden. I have some adopted grandkids who want to plant and cultivate a garden. We’ve been studying on what varieties of seed will work best, and hopefully we will have food to can and dehydrate this fall.

  9. This week I inventoried all multi-tools, pocket type saws, compasses and some optics, and “tactical” clothing.

    I tried to find and order a few more of the Schrade SCH221BK knives I like for EDC. I found a few places that still carried them but more than I was willing to pay. Then I found out they made the same knife with an orange handle and they were in my price range so I bought 3. Figured with the orange if I dropped it I could see it and besides I wore off most of the black finish on my others. Ordered and received a pound of potassium permanganate it is a very versatile chemical. At the Salvation Army I found 4 pairs of woodland BDU pants, one BDU top and a nice pair of woodland camo Gortex rain pants. I purchased several boxes of carriage bolts (over 125 bolts and most were stainless) that I found on clearance and some galvanized nails. I have a few projects on the list where those bolts will be needed.

    My son’s girlfriend’s dad gave me about 1K once fired 223 cases. He said he didn’t think he would ever get into reloading and didn’t know what to do with them. I decapped and sized them all. After sizing I checked the case length and put aside those that need a little case trimming. I started decapping and sizing some 45 ACP cases.

    Here is an article I found with the various firms manufacturing Covid vaccine and how they are made. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/coronavirus-vaccine-pipeline-types/579122/ I am not interested,at all, in any RNA vaccine. Will watch the others.

  10. I believe things are going to become terminal in a very short time span I am not so concerned for myself I’ve had a good life but I do fear for my grand children.

  11. People need to make sure, their preps are in order, and also to stock everyday items incase of the expected shortages. A quality water filtration system is a necessity. The Federal Government requires drinking water suppliers, for the water faucets in an area, to list all the hazards things in the water.

    In my area, the government supplied water has a lot of farm chemicals, and such things as naturally occurring ~asbestos in it. [The asbestos is washed down from the hills, when it rains.] … I have a Gravity Water Filtration like the ones sold by SurvivalBlog advertisers. …. [When the government tells me, the hazardous items are within ‘safe’ limits, I think the government employees are lying.]
    ……. There are a lot of good items available at the SurvivalBlog advertisers.

    Sleepy Joe and his cronies want war. They want wars overseas, and they talk like they want a war with the Trump voters too. … There is a lot of evidence, that our election was stolen. … +Sleepy Joe is a senile old man. An old person with dementia is apt to wander around in public, while just wearing his birthday suit. They have to wear ‘Depends’ for old people; they can go #1 or #2 in their pants at anytime.

    If creepy Joe, resigns we may have Kamala Harris as President. Breitbart on August 12, 2020, had this to say about Kamala: =

    “Harris debuted her campaign in February 2019 with 12 percent support in national polls of Democrat voters after a campaign rollout that earned some healthy media buzz. After ~~>attacking Joe Biden at the debates, she jumped to 15 percent in July in national polls of Democrat voters but sank back to single digits by August. She was at 3 percent support in December.”
    [The take-away: Kamala is NOT popular, even with Democrats. Why did she get to be anointed VP from the ‘elites’ ~ unless she can be blackmailed.]

    There are numerous stories about a possible Presidential scramble ending up with a Nancy Pelosi or a Hillary Clinton as President. I don’t scoff at such ideas, voter fraud, crooked voting machines, bribery, blackmail, and complete betrayal is an accurate description of our political process now days.

    The professional politicians and the ‘elites’ seem to have an attitude, that working Americans are just Milk Cows; they just allowed us, to exist for provided tax dollars to the government, and the needed services to the ‘elites’ in our country.
    The ‘elites’ continually express contempt for many Americans and their values.

    All of us Americans, might be in for a Long Row to Hoe in the future. I’m talking about a possible needed ~food garden, and NOT about a very possible President Kamala.
    [What’s the point of that unseemly comment about Kamala? = Politicians seem to be willing to do anything for money.] …. Many Politicians are willing to sell out America to the highest bidder. = Modern day Benedict Arnolds.
    Plus, be worried, the ‘elites’ tell everybody ALL the time: ‘There are too many people in the World.’

  12. Learn, love, and live ANTITRUST ECONOMICS and LAW.

    The authoritarians who are attempting to silence free speech may soon discover that they have brought together classical liberals alongside Trump conservatives — and that these forces will fight side-by-side to restore, protect and preserve free speech.

    The actions of the collusive oligarchs are likely to come back to bite them in the proverbial posterior.

    Dr. Peter Navarro offered a lot of excellent insightful thoughts about this on Bannon’s program at America’s Voice this morning.

    Readers might also appreciate Rudy Giuliani’s site: https://rudygiulianics.com/

    Daren Beattie from Revolver News talked a lot today about America’s power structure including the nature of media run states: https://www.revolver.news/

    Jack Posobiec from OAN is also reporting detailed analysis: https://www.oann.com/tag/jack-posobiec/

  13. Got my last paycheck from my holiday work at the Post Office this week, so I added to our emergency fund. I started reading the Federalist Papers again after the events of this week, and I also ordered two books by David Kilcullen on guerilla warfare. Ordered the wife a Ruger PC9 9mm rifle that she’s been wanting for a while now. Today will be for loading up more ammo for her so she can give it a good workout when it gets here.

      1. If you all really want to get inside the minds of the founding fathers read this book- https://www.abebooks.com/Anti-Federalist-Papers-Constitutional-Convention-Debates-Mentor/30734928415/bd?cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade-_-naa-_-naa&gclid=CjwKCAiAxeX_BRASEiwAc1QdkQNcDrY08_8Vwd8HkpILEuAiKdMfa8Rf-az0wDq5lD2_nAcyNpRLgRoCa28QAvD_BwE

        You will hear many a fool say “ we don’t know what the founding fathers were thinking.” Well we do since James Madison kept meticulous notes during the constitutional convention debates. What you read in notes will sadly show you how far we have drifted away from the original intent.

        1. Hey Scout, wow, what a trip! I’ve been offline all day since this morning and you just barely beat me to suggesting this book. I read it in the late 90’s and just started re-reading it two days ago when I finished my last book. The anti-Federalists were much more freedom oriented than the Federalists, who as their name suggests, wanted more of a large central government.

          I too highly recommend this book.

  14. I haven’t accomplished much in preparing because we’ve had the 2 youngest grandchildren here for 10 days. The house is pretty quiet since they’ve left.
    I watched the protest on tv, then listened to all the following nonsense until I decided I don’t need to listen to the news. It’s basically gossip for ratings.
    Started thinking about what I need to can, buy, organize.
    Unlike my husband, I think there might come a time when gasoline won’t be available so I’ve decided to up our inventory of axes and look for a source for two man saws.

  15. Well, I was outbid on the property I wanted. All cash, out of state buyers, as per my and the realtor’s concerns. That’s okay. I prayed the Lord would open and close doors for me. I am back to all the house projects I started at a bit slower pace rather than racing 90mph. I just ordered a Berkey. This will be the 4th or 5th Berkey – I gave the others to my adult children as gifts and now I need one for myself. I wasn’t too worried since I live in the Idaho mountains and the water is clean. However, I am relying on my small community’s water system and I do not have my own well. It was on the To Do list.

    The experience + the insanity going on in our country has convinced me to just stay put for the time being and be grateful I’m here. I might change my mind again, LOL, but for now sitting tight. I will say this about the insanity, my adult children are all in full prep mode and that makes me happy.

    Remember to breathe y’all, trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul. Continue prepping. Be wise in your conversations with others. It was confirmed to me again this past week, there are a couple of family members who are not to be trusted. I give them my prayers, but I will keep them at arm’s length. Very sad, but in these times, we must be wise – traitors everywhere.

    Godspeed.

    1. Sara Sue,
      You are in my prayers during your home search. Sounds like a healthy attitude to keep on preppin’ in the meantime.
      Keep us updated on your journey.

    2. Lily

      Appreciate your reply, hope you got your extra sleep !, my wife insists, on relying on words of ( extra ? ) knowledge and being a touchy feely woman, relies exclusively on her feelings, she insists that God gives her dreams etc outside of the written word, and ” not everything is written in the bible “, this mantra is a conerstone of the NAR movement, why it’s so appealing, most consider the Bible ” dry ” so they look for wonderful, stimulating experiences outside of it, very, very dangerous, I fell for that also, till my eyes were opened, Lily, of course, ANY experience or supposed word, etc, MUST be measured against what is clearly written down in the word, I liken it, like a pilots flight manual, follow the instructions written, in an emergency !, my problem is she says the Bible is ” flawed “, your prayers I am grateful for, I pray also, I am also realistic enough, to know, she may leave, certainly not easy, we have no children, so I am grateful for that, we are disagreeing more as time goes on, 2021, will push many, many Christians to give in, bow down before vaccine taking, follow strange ” experiences ” signs, wonders?, the Apostle Paul describes many ( most ) falling away in the last days, sad.

      Not only the USA is in deep deep trouble, all outside of the US are as well, Christians that rely upon God and his word are few, the rest are asleep, like the herd of sheep that blindly follow the Satanists that lead us. I also prep as I can.

    3. Hey SaraSue, I hope your property search works out for the best whenever that decides to happen.

      “Be wise in your conversations with others.” Amen. It wasn’t until tonight, standing in the driveway talking to a close friend that I was finally able to tell someone how I REALLY feel about all of this week’s goings on. What a shame to be at such a low point of our country and a high point for the NSA, the left, and all the others bent on the destruction of what we all held so dear once upon a time. The most amazing thing is how rapidly things are digressing. It’s clearer than ever that 2021 will make 2020 look like a cake walk.

    4. Never drink the water on the streams or lakes, In any of the 50 states..until AFTER filtering as thoroughly as possible.
      Protozoa and amoebas, flourish in the streams, and once they reside in your body…challenging to rid of..and can actually eat holes in your stomach and intestines.

  16. I was at the protest in DC on Wednesday and am absolutely appalled at how the media and politicians, including RINO’s, are mis-portraying the incident. I was THERE, I saw police open up the barricades and let protesters up onto the central front steps. I’ve seen live footage from the back (where we were NOT … or didn’t stay) of several police officers opening one of the doors and inviting a large group of protesters into the building. While I don’t condone any destruction which was done (especially by what appeared to be AntiFa smashing a couple of windows), or trashing Nancy Pelosi’s office, it appears those people were in the minority … most of the people who went into the building followed the silk-roped tour route and took selfies, nothing more.

    As for the woman who was shot, I have mixed feelings about that incident. Trying to climb through a smashed window into a room with barricades against the glass door is a pretty big “don’t go here” sign. She was unarmed. She didn’t need to die. But I have to also consider what WE would do if somebody had smashed a window to our house and was attempting to crawl through the broken glass. Anyways … I’m sure people will be debating this in perpetuity. Her name was Ashley Babbitt, a 14-year Air Force veteran. She was unarmed. It’s tragic that she died.

    After a few days decompressing from the rally and trying to process how our entire nation has now gone full-blown Soviet/CCP style censorship and purges, I’m back to prepping. I had a bunch of 5-gallon buckets filled with various preps which needed oxygen absorbers and sealing, so now that is done. I had the kids help me so they understand WHY we prep. It’s helpful that they’re nice strong teenagers now, so I made them help me lug all the buckets down into the basement. I need to buy a few more wire racks as I don’t like stacking the buckets … makes it easier to rotate by sealed-on date if I can easily see and shift them around.

    Now, its time to clean up, reorganize, and make room in the basement for those aforementioned shelves, as well as MORE since I think this will be a multi-year collapse and I’d at least like to have a second years-worth of beans-and-rice.

    1. Anna, thank you for the first hand report of the event on Wednesday. I am at the point where nothing is as it seems and 90% of what hear or see, I don’t believe until I can triangulate it with separate info.

      Reading about the purges, shut downs and the extreme communist actions by the dems has me very concerned.

      1. The fairest, most complete video report that I have seen is by Sarah Corriher (Crusader Girl). She moves from the start of the rally, to the moment people realized Pence had betrayed us, to people arriving at the Capitol building, to the cops letting people in behind the barricades, and then into the building, to when somebody (AntiFa? Overzealous patriots?) began to smash some of the windows, to more people going in, to when people got tear gassed. She was at the BACK of the capitol building (I was at the front). Nothing she reports contradicts what we witnessed.

        LINK: https://tv.gab.com/channel/sarahcorriher/view/they-did-it-for-america-5ff87e0e492d3a6b28a92621

        FOLLOW-UP: https://tv.gab.com/channel/sarahcorriher/view/the-save-america-rally-truth-5ff9c7be83c1d68123b5aa53

    2. Anna… Thank you so much for sharing the news of your experience at the rally, and your insights. Hearing from someone who was actually there offers invaluable insight.

      As I prepare to post this message, I read two news posts that are difficult to reconcile. I wonder if any other readers have thoughts about these?

      The first comes from the Nye County (Nevada) GOP site, and suggests that President Trump will remain President Trump for four more years. The date posted is January 8th.

      https://nyegop.org/2021/01/08/a-letter-from-the-chairman/?v=7516fd43adaa

      The second comes from The National Pulse, and if you read past the summary headline, it appears that President Trump will not be attending the inauguration on January 20th. The date posted is also January 8th. Now… Since someone will be inaugurated on January 20th, this seems to imply that Joe Biden will be inaugurated and will become the 46th POTUS.

      Thoughts anyone? What does it all mean?

      1. As of this moment, Beijing Biden will become your president on January 20th. And yet, for some reason, Congress and the Democrats (including some RINO’s), as well as Big Tech and the mainstream media are frantically trying to ALSO “impeach” him and ALSO invoke the 25th Amendment to have him removed for incompetence and ALSO have his automatic post-presidential Secret Service protection detail stripped from him.

        So they are afraid of something….

        Whether or not it makes a difference remains to be seen.

        Whatever is happening, this is DEFINITELY a coup d’etat.

      2. I deleted all the news and blog buttons off my phone the day after the riots. All I have left are some financial ones and SB of course. I’m done reading the “news” altogether for a while.

        At any rate, it seems certain Biden will be inaugurated o the 20th. I’ve seen reports that Trump conceded but I haven’t seen any confirmation of that. I hope he didn’t. I also hope he sticks to his word and doesn’t attend the inauguration. I don’t know if anyone will ever prove decisively that the election was stolen but the crimes was when the courts, including the Supreme Court, refused to give the other side their day in court. Trump not conceding and not attending the inauguration will underscore his belief, and many of our belief, that the election was stolen. Trump needs to resist until the last second of his presidency. I bet several people $5 Trump wouldn’t allowed to remain in office all the way to the end of his term. I thought I had lost for sure but I may still win those $5 bets yet if the knuckleheads follow through on the insanity to impeach him 11 days before his term ends.

        I only wish Trump would get on the ball and really tick off the majority of them by pardoning Snowden, Assange, and Manning.

        1. …and I would add to your wish list this item from my own: President Donald J. Trump declassifies as many documents as can be declassified, and exposes those who are involved in criminal enterprise, or who are so strongly suspected that they should be investigated.

          Meanwhile. Gab’s report made me smile:
          https://twitter.com/getongab/status/1348140708285222913

          Take note of the flow of resumes! …and below it is a post from Dr. Ben Carson in support of free speech which was a very nice addition. I never knew Dr. Carson, but his reputation as a pediatric neurosurgeon included a willingness to take on some of the most difficult and dire patient cases. Thank you, Dr. Carson, for all you have done and all you continue to do.

  17. Not much to report here. Topped off the pantry. Just waiting for winter to blow through, what can be done has been done. Trusting in the Lord! Praying and getting into God’s word. Seeking(and doing, to the best of my abilities) His Will for me. Persecution will definitely be coming the true Christian believers. Interesting fact, the worse the persecution, the more the church grows and thrives. I fear not the persecution or even death. I fear my flesh will fail when out to the test. Nevertheless, I trust the Lord to finish the work He has started in me. Also Mark 13:11 and Matthew 10:19. Share the Gospel with the lost.
    Grace to you from the God of all grace!

      1. PJGT, I have, “dry eye syndrome,” and literally do not open my eyes in the morning until I have the uncapped lubricant eye dropper hovering above my eyelid, ready with drops of relief.

        So, with that said, when I tell you, you were prayed for this morning before I even opened my eyes, you will really believe me.

        Isn’t it wonderful how much the Lord loves you, that He has the Holy Spirit prompt His children to pray for you. Often!

        Blessings, dear one. One week down, six to go. We are with you. Krissy

    1. BWL! We haven’t seen Ani posting on the discussion board, and have also been concerned for her. We pray she’s okay, and look forward to news and updates when she can rejoin the conversation.

      1. Ani and I had a Biblical Interpretation disagreement essentially based on Deuteronomy 18:9-14. She took offense and apparently is no longer commenting.

        Pray for Ani that she would come to know the salvation of Jesus Christ.

          1. Reconciliation is possible only through Christ Jesus and His Biblical World View! Otherwise a denial of Christ will occur! We cannot compromise. There is no other path to heaven. We must pray for non-believers.

        1. Many of us have different views, and I know you meant no offense, Lily. I have yet to read anything from you where you tried to offend someone.

          It is the Word of God that usually does the of offending. I know many of us here appreciated Ani’s comments, experience and articles. I pray our Lord’s biggest and best blessing upon her and her son.

  18. I went to our local outdoor/gun store to look at getting some mags for the AR a friend is selling me. Got there 15 minutes prior to the doors opening and the parking lot was FULL. They had us g e t into two lines, one for general merchandise and one for gun purchases. At least 15 were there for gun purchases. No mags for me but I did pick up some 556. A BUCK A BULLET!

    As far as prepping goes, I have been a bit lax but did manage to can 15 pints of kidney beans and 8 quarts of Turkey. Also bought some infant Pedialyte for the first grandchild due in May.

    This week I will be doing research for prepping with an infant, since we are blessed to have them living on our property!

    Prayers for all your readers!

    1. We have Pedialyte stored in the individual packets you add to water. Similar to crystal light or koolaid packets for a 16oz bottle of water. The expiration date is triple at minimum. They are also great for those who have overheated working in a garden. (Experience is a great teacher!)

  19. Sara Sue,
    You are in my prayers during your home search. Sounds like a healthy attitude to keep on preppin’ in the meantime.
    Keep us updated on your journey.

  20. ” The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion. ”

    ” Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman[ or man ] who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. “

  21. I went to our local outdoor/gun store this past Friday and arrived 15 minutes prior to the doors opening. The parking lot was FULL. As they got ready to open, they had gun buyers on the right and those buying general merchandise on the left. More than 12 people were in the gun line and about 15 in the other line. Shelves were mostly bare and 556 were listed at a buck a bullet!!!

    As far as prepping I did some more canning-15 pints of kidney beans and 11 quarts of turkey. Also I picked up some infant Pedialyte for our first grandchild due in May. Thankfully they are living on our property! Guess next week I will need to do some research on prepping with an infant. SurvivalBlog archive here I come.

    Been praying for our country.

  22. Just a FYI about the article from the Washington Post that seems to tell it’s arm of the Democratic Party on what to do and blame Trump Supporters.
    Another false flag.

    I see it as a pretext to immediate confiscation on the 21st of Jan. I wish I could do the link but I am not tech savvy. I am topping off things before the 17th

    Anyway here is the article;
    Washington Post

    “Citing the potential for Trump’s words to incite others — even in the absence of clear references to violence — took Twitter’s enforcement actions to a restrictive new level, as commentators noted Friday night.

    But the fear that Trump’s social media postings were fueling violent action appears to be well founded by what researchers have detailed in their monitoring of far-right conversation online.

    A detailed new analysis of such posts by Alethea Group, an organization combating disinformation that draws its name from the Greek word for “truth,” found abundant evidence of threatening plans on a range of platforms large and small. The aggressive and often hateful chatter has appeared on both mainstream sites such as Twitter and Facebook and niche, conservative sites such as TheDonald.win and Parler

    “REFUSE TO BE SILENCED,” said one online post cited by Alethea Group, calling for an “ARMED MARCH ON CAPITOL HILL & ALL STATE CAPITOLS” for Jan. 17, the last Sunday of Trump’s polarizing presidency. Another post calling for action at “DC & All State Capitols” and signed by “common folk who are tired of being tread upon” declares: “We were warned!”
    “So much of the conversation right now is the general making of threats,” said Cindy Otis, vice president of analysis at Alethea. “There’s a risk of these particular dates leading to violence because that’s the kind of amped-up conversation we’re already seeing from people”

    The Alethea report lists events planned for Jan. 17, as well as the day before the inauguration and on Inauguration Day itself.
    The specified locations include the U.S. Capitol and the Mall in Washington, the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City, and locations in Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

    Some events, including an “Armed March on All State Capitals,” include localized events in all 50 states.

    A post about the event in Pittsburgh included pictures of stockpiles of ammunition, the Alethea report said. An online militia forum called for recruits in Kentucky because “diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.”
    “A popular guerilla onslaught is a nightmare for them,” said the anonymous writer of one post on the encrypted messaging service Telegram about the scattered militia events. “Is the military going to deploy in mass everywhere? They can’t.”

    The report, while culled from public posts, also notes a shift toward communicating in closed, private groups on encrypted platforms such as Signal, suggesting there is significantly more organizing happening beyond the view of independent researchers and, likely, to authorities as well

  23. It’s been a few weeks…over Christmas I was able to take the family to see relatives in another state (took reasonable precautions, got negative CV19 tests before leaving, etc). We were able to help an elderly relative clean up her property from lingering hurricane damage, and enjoy Jesus’s birthday among family. Good times.

    We moved to a more southern climate last year, and we’re debating if we actually need to build a greenhouse or if we can just cover our plants when needed. We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the plants that are producing in winter. Tomatoes, strawberries, and cauliflower going strong! My wife got me a 3D printer for Christmas, and I’ve been figuring that out in my spare time. Already saved a bunch of money by printing childproofing devices instead of buying. We’re also getting concerned about emerging technofascism, and looking at ways to minimize our use of google, facebook, et al. I hope you all have a good week!

  24. Technofascism, I think that will probably be my new favorite word, right up there with Wuhan red death.

    I’ve NEVER Been on any of those “social media” sites and I am glad!

    Have a Rockin great day

  25. This week I worked on revitalizing and redirecting our county GOP group towards our local and district government. We need to expand our networks and influence for Christian and conservative values.

    I canned more beef, and for the first time raw chicken. DW gave baking lessons to our 5YO grand daughter this week.

    I bought Jerusalem artichoke and potato starts from a local organic farmer. We have great stockpiles of seed and tubers now, despite the rodent depredation of most of our crops in 2020.

    I made more progress on insulating and drywalling our shop, and got the outlet wiring extensions operational. I noted Home Depot product pricing reflects a 15% devaluation of FRNs in the past year.

    Fuel prices went up 4% last week.

    The cool and wet weather this year caused us to use 3.5 cords of wood since October.

    God Bless

  26. I will try to keep this limited to prepping progress because the political situation has me upset, depressed, concerned, so many emotions at the same time.

    I found a recipe for 2-ingredient biscuits on YT a few weeks ago and tried it. Keep in mind that I am a cook, not a baker. The baking is usually DH’s bailiwick. Anyway, I was in shock! The biscuits turned out great! DH grew up in Central Florida so he is a discerning taste tester when it comes to biscuits and they got his nod of approval. I made another batch a week later for a houseguest and repeated my success! I am really impressed! Check out The Hillbilly Kitchen on YouTube and try her 2-ingredient biscuits. I baked them in a cast iron skillet at 415 degrees rather than 450 for 10 mins, then turned them 180 degrees in the oven and baked them for an additional 8-10 minutes and they came out perfect. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, buttery tasting all the way through. I was careful to use the timer which is usually my biggest problem with baking. But I am very impressed with myself.

    We lost another Guinea hen a few weeks ago so we are down to 4 of them now but are planning on getting 15 or 18 keets in the spring when our local breeder has them available. We continue to be entertained by them every day. We had a snowfall on Saturday so they seemed to be satisfied to stay inside their birdhouse for the day and yesterday, they were still inside when I stopped by to check on them in the early part of the afternoon so I closed their automatic door and fed them early, just so I wouldn’t have to worry about bobcats or coyotes taking advantage of slower reaction times in the cold temperatures. Today, the weather cleared up and warmed up and they were back to their usual rambunctious selves. The bugs that they eat are all gone until springtime but they still spend their days free ranging and looking for seeds and weeds. We keep water and “crumble” inside their house for them to access at will and we toss out “scratch feed” every evening so they have something to keep them occupied in the morning when their “pop” door opens and they go out into their pen. With the local wild bird population looking for food every day, I am not sure how much of the scratch is left for the Guineas in the morning.

    Seed catalogs have started to arrive and I am enjoying looking through them and planning what to plant in the spring. I still need to put the last section of the “corn garden” to bed for the winter which entails covering it with some cardboard and hay for the rest of the winter. I would have done it sooner but the winds were pretty strong and not conducive to maneuvering large pieces of cardboard. We went to a ranch auction at the end of October and I picked up 25 55-gallon steel drums for $1 a piece. The plan is to clean them out, cut them in half lengthwise, build wooden stands for them and use them for raised beds. I will need to clean them several times and paint the inside really well but it should solve any rabbit and mole problems. And I am hoping I can make PVC frames and net covers to protect them from grasshoppers. Of course, if we are lucky and get more snow this winter, that might help to solve that issue.

    DH harvested a deer so we managed to get a second upright freezer the day the local hardware & appliance store got a few in. I told him that was his Christmas present. (I got the box it came in so I have a huge piece of cardboard for the garden. Yay!) Meanwhile, my present from him was an airsoft pistol that matches my EDC that I carry when going out in public (as opposed to wearing around the ranch.) That way, I can get in more practice time without using up valuable ammo since airsoft pellets are fairly cheap, widely available at Walmart, untraceable and bio-degradable. My birthday present from him (a week earlier) was a new Leatherman multi-tool. Very cool! Also for EDC.

    Other than that, things here are quiet, the weather is getting cooler and a bit more wintery, my indoor vegetable plants and herbs are still growing and we keep working on getting projects done around the ranch and looking after the critters. And we are trying to come up with a more effective way to keep the deer away from the fruit and nut trees. The wire fencing is not strong enough to keep them away so we are thinking of using the cattle panels, cut into 5′ sections, supported by T-posts and wired together at the corners to form squares 4’3″ on a side, 5’4″ tall. That way, we can still get to them to water them in the spring and summer and to prune them as needed but, hopefully, the deer won’t be able to reach over the tops to munch on the branches. Oh yes, and I need to remember to pick up some Irish Spring soap on my next trip to town so I can try hanging it in the trees to keep the deer away. I saw that done up in Colorado to discourage both the deer and the elk. Let’s see if it works on the deer down here.

    Best wishes for the New Year to the entire SB community. We are hoping things don’t get any crazier than they are right now.

    One of my favorite memes last month… If you thought 2020 was bad, just wait until 2021 when it’s old enough to drink!

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