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. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!
Jim Reports:
I’ve just returned to the Rawles Ranch after a lengthy trip out-of-state to help an ailing relative. One of my projects while on this trip was helping to transport some newly-purchased e-bikes for my nieces and nephews. I’m also bringing one home for our use at the ranch. These new e-bikes are a far cry from my first mountain bike motor unit that I purchased from Omni Instruments (aka E.R.O.S.) back in 1996. (I alluded to that in my first novel, Patriots.) That unit worked on friction drive, with the motor’s wheel in contact with the tread of the rear tire, and a simplistic momentary on-off controller. These new e-bikes have the motor built into the rear hub, and controlled by sophisticated adaptive circuitry that cleverly assist your pedaling, to reach a desired speed. You can select four different “assist” levels, and there is also a handlebar twist-throttle override.
There is no point in mentioning the brand name of the bikes, since that company went out of business. Thankfully they used all “off the shelf ” components, so I’ll be able to maintain and repair them. In all, it is a solid design, but I have doubts about the weatherproofing, particularly for main control wring junction box at the bottom of the frame. So I think that I’ll relegate this bike to Fair Weather ONLY jaunts.
It felt very good to get home. I always pine for my wife and kids, whenever I travel. I’m now looking forward to burning my slash plies, and then deer and elk hunting season!
Avalanche Lily Reports:
Dear Readers,
Yes, my manly man is home safe! I missed him very much! We’re looking forward to catching up on those hugs we missed out on during the past few weeks.
Jim is super excited about that e-bike. As soon as he got home, today, Friday, and had the SUV only partially unloaded, he called me out to try out that bike. We’re talking within the half hour of him driving into the barnyard! It is a powerful bike. I was very impressed with it. This was only the second time I’ve ever ridden an e-bike. On it’s Level 2 of the assist, I reached 11 miles per hour with three pedal strokes! I zoomed down the meadow and zoomed up the driveway, chick chock. Whoa, Nellie! I can’t wait to try it out on the National Forest roads. In the evening, I sweet talked Jim into calling the man who owns them to claim his last available e-bike, so that we both can ride them together, in the future. Jim called and the man said Jim could have it and would save it for him. Therefore, when Jim goes back to help that relative in a few months, he will pick it up.
The snowstorm last week was terrible for folks east of us on the main ridge of the Rocky Mountains and into the plains. They received three to four feet of snow! The storm killed all of the agricultural crops still standing in the fields in southern Canada and into Montana, North Dakota and further south into Wyoming. This does not bode well with such a late start of planting this past spring. We are entering Global solar minimum and that will likely intensify over the next two years. It is the beginning of the time of food scarcity in the USA and worldwide.
We, here, did get snow showers and dustings of snow in our valley that accumulated on leaves and colder objects, but then melted very quickly. Our surrounding mountains however received about 12 inches of snow. The heavy frost didn’t come to us until Tuesday night. That killed the last of the sensitive plants in the garden. I harvested about half a bushel of yellow and fingerling potatoes from the large pots after the frost killed the plants. I think it was also the end for my raspberries. Another few days will tell me the true story. I did bring all of my pepper plants into the house. As I am writing this, I sent Jim to JASBORR to get our grow lights. We’ll set them up soon, in the spare bedroom.
I finally made relish for the first time in my life from the cucumbers that I harvested from the garden last week. I used my own onions and green peppers, but used store-bought sweet peppers. I made eight pints. It is quite good tasting. Miss Eloise mentioned that it wasn’t as sweet as the store bought, but was good none-the-less.
This week someone that we know who has an apple orchard and doesn’t have the time to pick, invited us to come and pick and take as much as we wanted. I was so excited. We picked over five hundred pounds of various kinds of apples over several days. We are having a family get together with our kids and grandkids at an apple pressing place this weekend and will be pressing half of the apples into cider. The rest will be for applesauce, apple butter, pie filling, apple leather, apple butter, apple cobbler, apple crisp, and fresh eating.
The girls and I went on a foraging hike last Sunday for rose hips and found an old old apple tree with awesome apples of which we gleaned and turned into seven quarts of applesauce. I also made a batch of applesauce from some of these other apples that we gleaned–eight quarts. The rose hips will be dehydrated, soon.
I dehydrated beet greens and kale greens and blended them in our blender until they became powder. This will be added to my smoothies this winter. I wish that I had been doing this sooner…
Tomatoes are on sheets on the guest bedroom floor slowly ripening. As they ripen, I am canning them. This week I canned three quarts of tomato sauce.
I am very busy saving seeds from much of our garden produce for next year. This week I saved seeds from, cherry, a small red, and sweet yellow tomatoes, an over-ripe rotting Zuch, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, carrots, red and yellow onions, and some over-ripe rotting spaghetti squash.
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.
There are three small cattle ranches within the surrounding 10-15 miles of me and I enjoy sitting out on front porch in the early morning listening to cattle talk. It gives the illusion of a simpler time when people helped each other instead of the constant hateful ideology kill talk. I’d rather watch cotton harvesting; at least that doesn’t raise my blood pressure.
But, back to reality; loaded up the FD with chicken and beef enchilada fillings, green beans and corn. Also canned beans and corn for short-term use. Canned jalapeno cheese sauce which is a family favorite. Filled up all the various types of gas containers, prepaid contract for propane delivery this winter and finished up a new rabbit condo.
This year’s pullets have started laying…tiny eggs for now, but will be big beige eggs next spring. Rabbits are being bred now that the weather has started to cool.
Took the time to inventory hunting supplies. Can’t depend on politicians to protect the Constitution so received another order of hunting supplies. Lots of turkeys out there and the coyotes are out in force.
Received an order of animal meds and antibiotics, extra radio batteries, antennas and new surge protectors with USB outlets. Got new “No Trespassing” signs up at all gates and barn roads. Had materials for a new retaining wall delivered and sons will be building it for me as time permits; just need it completed before the spring rains.
Very busy day planned; have a great week!
If you need to waterproof electrical connections in vehicles, get some Scotchloc. You can paint it over connectors and still get them apart after it dries. It will take some work but they will come apart. You should be able to get it at any good electrical supplier.
With all the talk of the “Grand Solar Minimum” I have been re-thinking what variety of apple tree to plant next spring. Specifically I am thinking about planting a variety that is for a colder zone. I was at our local bulk food store owned and operated by a local Mennonite family and they had heirloom seeds for 50% off. I jumped on that deal and bought all the turnips they had since they have a quick growing cycle (60-90 days). Time to look at all those “Survival” seeds to see if we have enough for a very short growing season. The discussion of the grand solar minimum has pointed to the historic winter storm out west be here in the Great Lakes we are experiencing a very warm, correction, very HOT fall with records being broken for heat, not cold.
As far as what we did for prepping this week. Very little since I was out of town for work. I did stop at a great Hardware store in Philipsburg, PA near State College (Philipsburg True Value) and it is one of the nicest hardware stores I’ve been in. I took the opportunity to get a lot of small items that came up to $50. Had our first fire in the house last night. The wife is now asking for the second fire of the year so have a great week!!
From Survivalblog, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019, =
“Tim J. wrote to mention this video blog post from ~~ “Wranglerstar: We Got Electric Bikes (They are Too Fast….) Ariel Rider” ~~
[Ariel Rider is a brand of electric bikes. Survivalblog for that date has a link that works.]
My wife and I are in the mode of building cash flow. I have taken a contract in DC, which allows me to bring in much money in a short amount of time. I usually don’t work the entire year, due to most corporate jobs going to women [feminists] and men [who support families on one income] are forgotten ghosts in a women run society. [not seeing any women provide for a stay-at-home husband with their equality of income, retirement, and benefits- just saying- it ain’t equal but men suffer].
We will be back to the redoubt at about January. I bring this up because it is as important to find work and be billable in your profession, as it is installing solar panels or cleaning barns.
Yes this is my progress report and for our American Redoubt homestead.
God bless.
Maybe you´ren´t looking hard enough?
I knew of a few cases, even in the US without even Looking from europe.
One case the wife was at least the Major Provider before the Business of the husband started making enough Money.
An employer pay your wages for the work you do, not to support your Family and supporting your Family on one income has the danger of losing all income if you loose one.
All eggs in one Basket principle.
Most younger men ´ve the tendency to Forget, that they not only can lose their Job but also the ability to work/provide income OTOH men are the sole Provider was only a blink of the eye exception in some Areas of the world in the last 1.500 years of history and i=I would be surprised if not all of history and especially prehistoric times.
@ThoDan
I have to state your stats are utterly flawed. Women were never the bread winner in all of human history, nor did they earn wages in the past 1500 years… people right up to 1890 lived in poverty until the industrial revolution came along. You sound like a Liberal when you plaster false facts of the past to fit a narrative of destruction.
You might want to understand that when women were homemakers they were not a threat to national secuirty. Today working women are a threat to national security with $10-trillion sued out of corporations in the name of equality, 70,000,000 babies aborted due to the women’s right to be liberated, the divorce rate is always the same as the women working rate [in 1960 both were 10%… today both are between 60-70%], male terminations and incarcerations for relationship offenses has skyrocketed, legislation on the books to ensnare the gender of men only [marriage rape, domestic violence but nothing about domestic button pushing, stalking when men asking out girls to court for marriage, date rape, sexual harassment, et al.], men having to pay for all dating in courting.
Sometimes it’s not worth commenting to you, because your statements are without merit.
My Little Knowledge of the history of european medieval artisan guilds, farms and cities does not agree with your writing nor does the history of my Family, or of the Stone age.
Woman worked the fields of their families farms, herded the animals like Ziporah and her Sisters did
They did earn wages, as Guild craftsman they were free citicens.
Button pushing, that read nearly like a confession, it´s an justification for more than a few abusers …
Rape is Rape, marriage rape even more disgusting than other forms and a sin against the sacrament of marriage
Pope Francis AMORIS LÆTITIA
154. We also know that, within marriage itself, sex can become a source of suffering and manipulation. Hence it must be clearly reaffirmed that “a conjugal act imposed on one’s spouse without regard to his or her condition, or personal and reasonable wishes in the matter, is no true act of love, and therefore offends the moral order in its particular application to the intimate relationship of husband and wife”.156 The acts proper to the sexual union of husband and wife correspond to the nature of sexuality as
155 John pauL II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae (25 March 1995), 23: AAS 87 (1995), 427. 156 PauL VI, Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae (25 July 1968), 13: AAS 60 (1968), 489.
114
willed by God when they take place in “a manner which is truly human”.157 Saint Paul insists: “Let no one transgress and wrong his brother or sister in this matter” (1 Th 4:6). Even though Paul was writing in the context of a patriarchal culture in which women were considered completely subordinate to men, he nonetheless taught that sex must involve communication between the spouses: he brings up the possibility of postponing sexual relations for a period, but “by agreement” (1 Cor 7:5).
HUMANAE VITAE
Pope PAUL VI
Faithfulness to God’s Design
13. Men rightly observe that a conjugal act imposed on one’s partner without regard to his or her condition or personal and reasonable wishes in the matter, is no true act of love, and therefore offends the moral order in its particular application to the intimate relationship of husband and wife. If they further reflect, they must also recognize that an act of mutual love which impairs the capacity to transmit life which God the Creator, through specific laws, has built into it, frustrates His design which constitutes the norm of marriage, and contradicts the will of the Author of life. Hence to use this divine gift while depriving it, even if only partially, of its meaning and purpose, is equally repugnant to the nature of man and of woman, and is consequently in opposition to the plan of God and His holy will. But to experience the gift of married love while respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not the master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator. Just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in general, so also, and with more particular reason, he has no such dominion over his specifically sexual faculties, for these are concerned by their very nature with the generation of life, of which God is the source. “Human life is sacred—all men must recognize that fact,” Our predecessor Pope John XXIII recalled. “From its very inception it reveals the creating hand of God.” (13)
Wow! Maybe it’s just me but it seems as of late there is a lot more bitterness in the replies as well as out right attacking of one replier by another. As to X. Liberal’s comment: I have a degree and many years in the medical field. My wife is in the corporate world and definitely not a feminist. Her income exceeded mine by many times over because she is the best I’ve ever seen at her profession. So much so that she alone put us into the highest tax bracket under Obama. Therefore I resigned to take care of our home because otherwise, after the 39.6% federal tax, state tax and all other withholdings, I would have brought home less than half my pay. For all the nights, weekends, holidays, etc that I would be away it just wasn’t worth it. I have a friend who is in the exact same position.
It may be JD’s comments that are the most disturbing though. While I agree with some of his stats and even that feminist looking for lawsuits are a real problem. I tend to place a large amount of blame on lawyers. He also sounds angry that you can’t get away with hitting your wife anymore if she “pushes your button”, or that a man can’t force a female into a sexual situation without repercussion. In fact, most of his comments sound downright foreboding as to his mindset. I thought people in the redoubt were just living a self sustaining lifestyle because they enjoyed it, not that they were “hunkering” down with food, guns, and ammo waiting for the feminist to attack. I started prepping because of JWR’s books and this website many years ago and am now really reconsidering even allowing myself to be in that category solely due to the type of comments I’ve seen on here recently.
J
These are not disturbing comments by Jefferson Davis. It’s a fact if you read the book at Barnes and Nobles “fathers take custody of your children” that by and large women are taught in women’s study classes at the university – which they are all ushered into by feminist mothers – to take a three step approach. Marry, set up a domestic violence charge and then take the children in full custody in a divorce suit. A divorce attorney wrote the book and knows the overall pulse of the divorce cases.
Though your case is just one of a man being supported by a woman. That’s not the norm and probably never will be. 30-million American men support a stay at home bride who is not a wage earner and many more support women who don’t have the funds from her career to support herself. Theses are the facts of the general population and not a one off which you are.
I agree with Jefferson Davis. Girls are taught to be feminists. Feminists are taught to destroy manhood and those stats he brings up were never on the American stage when women were in the home.
God bless.
Ole Granny
Well my point was you can’t have it both ways. X. liberal was bemoaning that over half of corporate jobs have gone to women and they aren’t supporting their husbands. Even Jefferson Davis used the figure of 60-70% of women are in the workforce. So are they at home and/or underpaid being supported by men or are they taking high paying jobs? Look I agree that there are a lot of women out there just looking for a reason to file a lawsuit and also that many of our problems began when women left the home to work, but to seemingly complain that you can no longer hit your wife or that sex on a date needs to be consensual is downright medieval. I think the best advice is to teach your male children to be respectful at all times, and to seek out like minded women when considering marriage. Admittedly most of my information is from living in the real world and not from reading a book on the subject so maybe I’ve disadvantaged myself on the subject. But having gone to college in the 90’s, and having worked in a career still mostly dominated by women I believe there are tons of good solid conservative minded women out there who aren’t represented by the media and enjoy being married and helping with the family support. Even further, I believe many of them would prefer a traditional role. Perhaps they should re-evaluate their priorities and focus on a one income household but that is difficult now. Either way, I can be respectful to this community and to the community at large.
Let me chime in here. No need putting words in my mouth!
@J
I am not interested in talking about “one-offs” but statistics as a whole of society. Even the Germans during WWII were noted to hand down candy to the Americans shored up in the same house and vise versa. If that “One-off” was the presentation of the war theater the troops would have been brought home and nothing said about the carnage of European countries losing their nation’s flags to Swastikas or Jews losing their lives to gas chambers to the tune of 6,000,000. I’m talking about the latter, not your wife!
Let me clarify, I do not condone violence nor domestic violence. Please do not put words in my mouth. Since there’s a criminal defense of “heat of the passion”–in other words if you find your wife and another man in bed together and you immediately use a shotgun to “finish him” you will get off on manslaughter. All I’m saying is there needs to be brakes put on these child custody cases which has a reoccurring narrative in the act of domestic button pushing for the sole end result to force a “heat of the passion” reaction to violence and then net the children and monthly income till 18 years of age. Ole Granny pointed this out above and statistics are across the board for all of society today, not “one-offs”.
About your wife J. Yes there’s “one offs” in the bible. Deborah as a Judge… the Proverbs 31 woman who owns a field with male employees but in either case these women were not sowing destruction on this earth and the underlining theme of these womens’ testimonies where them being under the spiritual authority of their husbands. End of story… they weren’t living liberated and single and equal to men in Biblical times.
This is the first generation in world history whereby you have women in leadership roles over men. Let’s sunder the results and see if the Taliban or ISIS or the Nazis tallied these results against the United States and that feminists wouldn’t be declared a threat to national security.
60,000,000 babies removed from life (abortion)- which wasn’t there when women were in the homes.
$10,000,000,000,000 removed from corporate America (in gender equality lawsuits)-which wasn’t there when women were in the homes.
Generals, captains of naval vessels, and high ranking military officers/commanders removed from post through gender equality issue complaints- which wasn’t there when women were in the homes.
60-70% destruction of American families (divorce-which wasn’t there when women were in the homes)
Sexual harassment whereby women liberate themselves from the marriage bed until their college/career goals are accomplished (usually in their mid 30s). There was a reason for thousands of years men and women to marry young… because there was no “go-too” to seize manhood with women only legislation. When women were in the homes NONE of these laws were a go-too for women: domestic violence, marriage rape, college rape, stalking, and the entire host of female legislated laws with the word “woman” in them… all laws need to be gender neutral (not have “man” or “woman” worded in the law) or else they are in fact sexist.
The termination of men at work. Yes, I know feminists have stated that an employer pays you to do a job and not feed a family. But that’s not Biblically true…the bible says that a man who doesn’t provide for his family is worse than an unfaithful husband (1 Timothy 5:8) also a man must leave his mother and father and “cleave to his Wife” (Eph. 5)… Not cleave to feminism teachings on the college campus and embrace single liberated womenhood and all the criminal charges that come with it until the women are in their 30s/40s and ready for marriage and then five years later-divorce.
These are statistics as a whole…not “one-off” cases! A shout out to DEB below and she is a Godly/Patriotic woman who securing this nation for the next generation of families.
I agree with you “J.”, all of this carnage enforced into American culture which supersedes all carnage combined of America’s foreign and domestic enemies would be erased in one generation if women would embrace their God given role as “helpmate” inside their home/family and only to their one man-husband, under his spiritual authority. You can not break the laws of physics just like you can not break the laws of God without massive repercussions.
I believe that one act in American history (women’s rights) will bring America to its knees–feminism destroying the mother/wife of our society and in fact to answer your question… why we as a family we prep and have moved to the Redoubt under the cover food/water defense tools and self sufficientcy. We’ve opted out of that narrative long ago and are trying to salvage our American heritage and family values without constant assault from feminist teachings into our family lives, churches, workplaces, schools, universities, public spaces, and Congressional leadership.
Hope that helps clarify everything!
God bless!
The last few weeks we have done quite a lot of canning. Zucchini and corn relish. Apple sauce and apple pie filling. A few beers. Cooked up our green beans the way we like them in bacon and onions and froze reasonable size containers to be able to just reheat for use.
In the last several years we have tried to take items from the garden and process them into a final product like soup or relish or whatever, so that there is minimal time needed later to use it. We find this a more efficient way to operate rather than our old way of typically blanching things and then preparing a finished product later.
The garden over all did poorly this year although we still got a pretty good amount of food out of it. I am in the Pacific Northwest and the summer seemed cooler and wetter than usual. Much of the rest of the country baked so I am not sure whether to have this be a long term concern or not but I do wonder about the Solar Minimum as do others and will be researching how to perhaps compensate for it. One way is that today I plan to put my straight blade on my tractor in preparation for any early snow. Right now the box blade is on it.
My father had a cider mill. I do miss fall back east. Where we live in the Redoubt there is not a chance of gardening without supplementary lighting, heating and probably a greenhouse. I’m putting a plan together for hydroponics which, fortunately, I have hands-on experience with. Until that time, I’m with X. Liberal, we are building our cash flow.
I am fortunate to have already built skills and have been accumulating equipment as I am able. Growing and raising all of the family’s food from our family farm was very labor intensive. Not something I care to repeat if I can avoid it in the future.
This week I’ve kept up the exercise and dog training, am almost finished lining the hood of my daughter’s coat with fur from an old fur coat, and continue to dehydrate what excess produce we have. I will be gathering rose hips this week to be dehydrated as well.
Blessings.
I keep meaning to add a comment about clothing and abundance. The most time consuming activity for women during colonial times was not food production and preservation but the making and mending of clothing (including outerwear and footwear). With abundance that rivals the overabundance prior to the Great Depression, I’m thinking it might be prudent to stock up on second hand clothing and sewing materials. That’s what I’m doing!
Keep on drying that produce, friend. The best way, IMO, to preserve food.
Practicing what I preach here and teaching two dehydration workshops in the next ten days. I so enjoy sharing the knowledge I have gathered over the years.
Carry on
@Thodan,
I believe it is not that women in single income families don’t work or provide a value added benefit, it just doesn’t come with green paper, green papered days off, and the promise to see a doctor at a discount. We’ve been a single income family for nigh on 30 years and my beloved has provided immeasurable value schooling kids, making a home, etc. Not with evil intent, but the industrial revolution seperated people from the land that fed them. That was a world of divided labor that everyone in the family took part in too their ability. A modern single income family needs to operate on the same principles; it’s not a free ride for half the bodies on the back of the other.
I am in no way denigrating the ladies here but it is my belief that the idea of every woman being a “career woman” is one of the unraveling threads of our society. My heart breaks for the children who while tiny infants are put in daycare so both parents can go earn. Live cheaper, buy less, smaller house, no vacations, one vehicle, no cable, no gym membership, no golf, no monthly manicures, etc. Did all that and more.
Now to climb down from my soapbox.
@Delroy
That the work done without getting funny colured paper is wortless or that one take a free ride wasn´t my intended message, Nothing could be farer away from it.
My intended message was when the only member of the Family who earns funny coloured paperd doesn´t earn it any longer, let´s say the stories of my grandma raising her daughters under those circumstances wasn´t fun, not at all.
In These days, at least from the early middle ages on, Woman worked the farms with the men and alone, when their men wasn´t at home(war, viking, seasonal work, trade, dead) , the Workshop or the realm.
In older times before history started AFAIK it was the same, AFAIK the men mostly hunted and the Woman gathered Food, i wouldn´t consider those Things not only running the home but providing for the Family, part of the Family Business so to speak .
Day care was exactly what the small Children experienced in those times, when Woman worked the farms before the industrial Revolution by older Family members(grandparents most likely) who no longer could work the fields
I don´t see any difference between Career Woman and Career men in this case , a Father who put his Career or his bank account before his Family especially his Children or the Health and safety of others (especially when they boast of it) is a very poor example of an human being or a Father.
For Health reason a gym Membership is a necessity for me, if i miss gym for more than a week my reminds me.
IMHO parents who refuse their Children a good kindergarten do them a disservice
@ThoDan
Because working women are a threat to national security… that’s why! Read my post above.
Both my sister’s husbands died. They never held wage earning roles, so they remarried. Sure my father helped one sister out and me the other, due to us being the next of kin men in their lives and they need some time to “snare” the next Godly man… that’s how it rolled for thousands of years.
God created women to be a man’s helpmate. He cursed man to work by the sweat of his brow (not women).
The reason we are in the American Redoubt and hunkered down with food/water/guns and ammo is because women/feminists work in America. Tell me the stats above (in my post to you) would NOT be immediately mitigated and we’d all go back to the 1950’s if women left their self declared role of “exactly equal to men” and took upon their God given role of “helpmate to one man-my husband.”
All the best!
I am a registered nurse who quit to stay home with my children. I homeschool them and love being an at home mom and helper to my husband. I cannot imagine it any other way. I feel blessed. I believe without a doubt this is what God intended.
What would´ve happened with your Sisters if they wouldn´t ´ve that support like my Grandma?
Delroy, can I hear an ‘Amen!’ We moved to The Redoubt to be with families having values and priorities like yours.
Ah, revolutions…. Then came the technological revolution which separated the men from the boys. And the feminist revolution which separated the boys from the jobs and the children from their Mothers.
Maybe one day we will have a liberty revolution. That will separate the wheat from the chaff.
Gentlemen: First, I am not a liberal feminist, I stayed home with my children until my husband got throat cancer and died, leaving me with no money. I got two part time jobs and went to school at night to try to make ends meet. I trained three men to do their jobs and never got a raise. Eventually I got a good job because I had advanced education and more experience than other male applicants. I put my kids and my dear second husband through school. Second husband died of lymphoma cancer but at least I had a job to pay off the house. Paid off all the bills in three years, sold the house at a huge loss and retired. Life is not easy; take care of your spouse, she might save your butt one day.
@ Animal House,
Like I stated originally- never meant to denigrate women and life doesn’t come in a one size fits all package. My sister has had three divorces and has determined to go it alone here in out. I understand mitigating circumstances cause people to have to choose different paths. There’s always a danger in making generalizations but it covers most cases.
The last of gutter and down spout work for rain water collection was finished this week.Is it true that rain water collection is illegal in Oregon?Aint never heard tell of such!
Our God daughter brought us a lot of beautiful Bartlet pears.The yield was 29 canned quarts.
Granny finished knitting her leg warmers and has started the wool mitten project.
Still waiting for the metal roofing to arrive for the wood/fuel tank shed.
Just got back from an eight day backpacking sheep hunt in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness, followed immediately by a five day elk hunt in the Scapegoat Bob Marshall Wilderness with our horses. Both trips were a good reminder that your first level of shelter, is your clothing. Both trips entailed getting deluged with rain then turning into near whiteout snow conditions. All of our gear performed as expected with the true standouts being Merino Wool base layers, with wool sweater under Firstlite rain gear and Seekoutside teepee tent with titanium wood stove. Get outside and enjoy life!
Made pumpkin bread with acorn flour for the first time. Collected the acorns last year and processed then into flour this summer. Used half acorn flower and half whole wheat flour. Used pumpkin from last year’s crop. Was delicious. Only collected enough acorns last year for two cups of flour. Collecting a lot more acorns this year. Hope to have several pounds of flour for baking experiments next fall
Very admirable to make almond flour! It is a time consuming task and a great skill to have. In case all are not aware, acorns are high in tannin which must be leached out before the acorn meat can be used. The native Americans used running streams to leach their acorns.
My first attempt ended in failure. The children and I gathered a lot of acorns and stored them in large plastic containers for when we had more time to learn the process. When I went to get the acorns in late winter, they were all but gone. A squirrel and chipmunk buffet I guess. Lesson learned!
Re: Grand Solar Minimum:
Agree with that. The sudden and huge snow fall on the east side was a surprise. We got zero on this side, but lots of scary big wind. This storm was colder, and put much more snow down since the last big one in 1934. My short season cold weather garden is proving to be a good choice and is holding up. In a cold summer, the normally faster growing short season planet require the whole summer to mature. Instead of 1 to 2 months, they take 3+ months. Long term food storage is going to prove to be useful in a variety of ways. The huge crop losses will effect prices, and availability. Although open pollinated Giant Swiss chard does get boring to eat after awhile, yet it was a very productive, and provided leafy greens to eat while everything else was growing. Highly recommend it for a survival garden.
With impeachment more likely, consider that if it becomes fact, markets globally could correct hard, or worse. There are other issue that if not fixed soon could also increase the severity the potential correction. It is about a general loss in the confidence in the dollar, that would accelerate. A global crash might strengthen the dollar, but it would not necessarily improve the liquidity problem. The dollar is being ditched. BRIC’s nations have set up their own system to avoid the dollar and are transitioning.
We could be entering uncertain times, and the severest depression, sooner, rather than latter, potentially beginning perhaps, in about 2 months time. Crashing markets are what could kill Trump’s re-election. He would have to pull this rabbit out of his hat, and I ain’t going there.
Disclaimer: I am just a regular guy who has followed markets closely for over 25 years.
Lily, just a quick note on bringing peppers inside. We did that last year but found they developed quite a population of aphids once indoors. We only got one pepper after bringing them in anyway, so I doubt we’ll do the same this year. Hope you’ll share your updates on how it works for you!
Lily, thank you for the weather update from your region. I have thought of you and Jim many times over the last few days seeing all the snow up your way. We finished our first garden of corn, peas, etc. from the spring and planted a second one during the summer. The sweet corn has its silks just now turning brown. The ears are small because we had a flash drought that lasted four weeks that really stunted its growth. I noticed your comment about the solar minimum. My spouse and I have been discussing this topic a lot the last few weeks. The heat down this way is killing us figuratively speaking. It was 92 today here in the southern U.S.. Your comments about food shortages need to be taken very seriously. I think it will be upon us before we know what even happened, if we are not paying attention. As a 65 year old farmer who has gardened since I was 6 years old, we see something else happening. I and many of my like minded friend have noticed that our gardens did not do well, even with right amount of rain and abundant fertilizer. These are skilled farmer/gardeners who have done this for more than 5 decades. This is apparent over many counties of the state. We can see no logical reason for this happening. People need to realize that they need to have “deep larders” of food as Jim says because it may be possible to grow anything for a multitude of reasons and for several years.
Big Mike,
I am hearing a lot of farmers and gardeners bemoaning their lower veggie production this year. Growing up on a farm (8th generation), we always looked at least 2 years ahead. Having a deep larder was a part of life especially after the lessons of the Irish potato famine, the Great Depression, and many wars. I am disturbed by the comments about “hoarding” that I read and hear about, so am very, very careful not to mention any food storage beyond what my new modern kitchen doesn’t hold. I’ve been in homes where I am very concerned about the bare shelves (in my view) and have had to come to terms with the fact that I will not be able to feed my neighbors, but will donate to my church in stealth.
Lily, I would never have thought of drying kale or beet greens and putting into smoothies but what a great idea. I wonder if carrot tops should be done the same because I’ve heard they have an anti-nutrient in them and can be bitter.
This blog represents many viewpoints on many different subjects. Most I agree with and a few I don’t. But that’s what life is all about. Right? The difference is in the presentation. You can have opposing opinions without being rude. I’ve read over all the comments several times and come back to re-read again, and I have to agree that the comments from JD, in choice of words, presentation, punctuation and tone are rude. No other commenter dropped to his level of discourse. And it’s totally uncalled for.
What does the Sound of Music say in one of its songs? “Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could”. Well, JD, you would like to go back to the 50’s? I’m 74 and I’m telling you the 50’s brought us the 60’s and 70’s and look at the mess they caused. And of all the reasons for TEOTWAWKI, feminists over-running our bunkers was never a consideration. I confess to being totally unprepared for that happening. And like maybe 99.9% of the rest of the preparedness community.
While you are hunkered up in your bunker, bemoaning the state of the world as you perceive it, hoping for the 50’s and the way its “rolled” for thousands of years,
I suspect the rest of us are dealing with a complicated world as community even if it’s only on a blog. And 99.9% of us are doing so without being rude. Am I being rude for saying that? Possibly.
I read a book recently called “Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse” by Timothy P. Carney, a conservative writer for the Washington Examiner and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. It helped me to understand the alienation felt by many Americans brought about in the last 70 or 80 years and especially those since the 50’s.
The short answer. Change can be disruptive. No one single individual brought it about but larger forces which he makes understandable and even offers solutions at the end to mitigate the worse excesses. Easy to read and heavily researched. I can recommend it to anyone trying to understand the warring factions we witness today from one end of the political spectrum to the other. Outside families and within families. Outside blogs and within blogs.
It doesn’t have to be that way. A softer tone would help to start.
Dear Ladywest, re: “And of all the reasons for TEOTWAWKI, feminists over-running our bunkers was never a consideration. I confess to being totally unprepared for that happening.” Thank you for your comment! I laughed so hard I think it was better than a weeks worth of vitamins.
As to the interesting comments by others, I find them strange. Unsaved is unsaved. Location and vocation cannot save ones eternal soul. In the end, will it really matter if one worked or stayed at home if they die without Jesus? Pointing the finger with judgement and condemnation is not likely to spread the forgiving love of Jesus,
who btw, said, if you are without sin, you can cast the first stone. In my experience, it is loving others where they are, that makes them notice God in you.
@Lady West/Krissy,
My wife is going to kill me for commenting one more time, but I would be laughing as hard as you all if my point in this series of posts was that physically feminists were going to suit up in body-armor and throw camouflage dildos at men in bunkers in the Redoubt. Sorry, that’s where my head went with your comments.
No! I thought people could see the forest through the trees. Feminism is a tipping point! One of many but the major one. I see it as the single most destructive force on the world stage [including more than nuclear warfare] because what it’s cuing up from it down the road.
Let me digress…
“Now in those days [in the Book of Revelation],” it will be a just world, with computers doling out equality as long as you profess to be a good social justice warrior (essentually antichrist principled upholder). Everything is electronic, and dispersed fairly Revelation says, until that frightful day they cut off the system/dispursement for the Christ principled–the HATERS of an antichrist principled world.
Do you see anything like this happening today?
Think deplatforming Christians from the internet, Lois Learner in the IRS, the FBI with the Bundys/Rubby Ridge/Branch Davidians but overlooking Antifa/Occupy Wall Street/Black Lives Matters, banks shutting down your account for doing business with gun manufacturers, the SWAMP in DC colluding against a Conservative presidential election, the incarceration of Republicans (Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, …) and the overlooking of crimes from the (Clintons-misshandling of top secret information, Lisa Page-FBI, Lois Learner-IRS, James Comey-FBI, Diane Feinstein with a Chinese spy as a driver, …)…
All of these injustices will be be on FULL BLAST against the Christian and hidden for the antichrist principled… soon. They are, in my families opinion, due to inequality and the world needed to make a “fair/ethical” system.
Are you starting to see where my wife and I are coming from? It’s no difference than the collapse everyone is waiting for and prepping for. We are no different than anyone else on this site. We just believe feminism is going to push this system to the brink… and force the hand of the “world governments” to MAKE women equal to men once and for all! You ladies are women… when women want something bad enough they make it happen! In fact, your complaints made me change my tone… see?
I hope that helps!
Also, leave it to X. Liberal to make a comment which goes on for three days in replies. He needs to write a book. My two favorites on this site, and you need to look them up, are X. Liberal and the Recovering Feminist. They have the points better than me!
We are Christians awaiting our Lord’s second coming… His home coming.
I’m going to be signing off now!
Blessings!
Are you ladies not seeing the number of abortions, lawsuits, and divorces from the cause of women’s liberation? I believe that’s JD’s sentiments about a cause for national security in the above statements.
To me, the point being discussed is the beginning of “no fault” divorce that was created by the courts in this nation. Having worked in industry for over 30 years, I have seen the disastrous effects of this in the men I have worked with. To me, they were really nice fellows who were peaceful and polite. They were at work on time, did their jobs, and caused no problems. Suddenly, they changed due to their wives divorcing them. They were frazzled and nervous wrecks because of this. They would get so upset that they would start throwing up and have to go home. As I watched these several cases develop, it was as if these guys were convicted of a crime and sentence was passed. They had to pay up to half of their salaries in child support for decades, which left them hurt and bitter with family issues forever.
As far as a national security issues, the largest risk to me is that we have turned our back on God and his ways which will sooner or later cause Him to act. My family has trained our children that marriage is a sacred commitment between two people and God, that ends with death do us part. It is not something to enter into lightly. Breaking this covenant can be a tremendous threat to our family’s security and future. Some of the men who were involved in this married because they were attracted to the woman’s beauty and charm with no concern for the character of their spouse.
Long story short, this topic would take a 5,000 word essay to discuss. Our nation is in a state of decline, because we have abandoned they ways of our Creator.
Rucked 5 miles, ran 6 miles. Got severalmore Baofeng radios to people in our network. Programmed radios. Re-zeroed the 308.
Thanks for posting James. All the dissension in preceding postings makes me spiritually weary.
Every time one of us posts accomplishments, it encourages.
You inspire me to get back out with my 308s and pop caps.
God Bless
This is why we’re on a losing team. What is your WHY you prep? The other comments demonstrate the WHY!
I hope all is well with Don and Patrice Lewis who are selling their homestead inThe Redoubt. I admire them very much for all they’ve done with their lives.
We got the new, lower half of the garden leveled out, built a terrace with old fence posts that have been salvaged from some of the old pasture fences and gates, so that the drainage from the upper garden doesn’t wash out the lower garden. Then, we disassembled my (failed) “keyhole garden” experiment and spread all the lovely topsoil and compost onto the lower half of the new garden, then spread hay over it all, about a foot thick. Both gardens are ready for winter.
I planted some garlic in the upper garden but have noticed that some small critter (small enough to get through the hog panels surrounding it) is digging through the hay mulch and stealing the cloves. I don’t think the potatoes I planted are going to do anything. I was waiting for the hog panels to get installed around the garden and with all the other projects and the extreme heat, that just didn’t happen soon enough. I didn’t have much money invested in them, so I am not too upset over that. A few of the turnip and radish seeds I planted seem to be trying to grow. But we were supposed to have our first frost this week, almost 3 weeks earlier than average. I doubt they will survive long enough to actually produce anything. The hog panels still need to get installed around the lower garden and we need to buy another gate. With temperatures becoming tolerable, maybe we can get our son to come up for another weekend and help with that.
I finished cleaning up the old storm cellar at the new ranch today. Well, almost finished. I still need to scrub the shelves and possibly repaint them. There are 3 dozen quart canning jars, about the same number of pint jars and 3 half-gallon jars that were left behind, that are empty. And there are about 3 or 4 dozen jars that have contents in them. The mayonnaise jars will get tossed out and buried. The legitimate canning jars will get emptied and cleaned…. REALLY WELL! There were also 3 dozen rings and 12 dozen dome lids, still in their original packaging. One jar was labeled with a date of 1988! Yeah – those are getting emptied into a deep pit! Anyway, quite the treasure trove. I’m very happy about that.
Since our friend who was keeping an eye on the place when we were away has gotten engaged and moved out, I have access to an empty mobile home. I have some new bookshelves arriving Thursday, if all goes well. As soon as we assemble them, I can set up
my sewing room and get that particular mess out of our temporary house. That will mean I can sew over the winter. Yay! I am also going to use the south-facing living room window as a greenhouse and try growing lettuces in containers over the winter. I am determined to get a garden going.
So, each day brings progress on or completion of a project. Winter will be here soon so there are certain projects that take precedence. But for now, the temperatures are finally pleasant and we can accomplish more without risking heat stroke. One of the most difficult tasks is prioritizing based on what can be done in the cold or indoors and what needs to get completed now.
I hope everyone has a safe fall and stays warm.