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’m again traveling out of state, to help an ailing elderly relative. While I’m gone, I’ve put Elk Creek Company on a shipping hiatus for the month of March, 2020.  On that same trip, I’ll be buying some inventory, mainly at estate sales and gun shows. I won’t take any credit card payments during the month of March. But if you want any of my listed antique guns and don’t want it to get away, then you can phone in your reservation, and send payment via  USPS Postal Money order. But just be advised that your order won’t be mailed to you until Monday, April 6th.

This past week I was quite busy mailing out antique guns and packing up for my trip.  I also had to get some studded snow tires swapped out, bought 480 pounds of poultry layer pellets.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,
This has been a very busy week.  We are making last minute preparations for the collapse of the world as we know it. It breaks my heart to know the freedoms we will be losing very shortly.   🙁

Being computer-less this past week was a bit trying for me.  I did go through computer withdrawal symptoms and started to get some twitches ;-).  I sometimes took over Jim and Miss Eloise’s computers, alternately, from time to time, to get my news and translation fixes.

I’m an early riser.  Miss Eloise is a late riser, so in the morning I’d sneak into her room and kidnap her computer for a couple of hours and return it to her when she awoke.  She was very patient with me and her sister who also needed her computer to do her on-line math class and math work.

It’s just plain awful to have such big world events occurring and to not to get to listen to one’s favorite analysts when they are live.  Thankfully, Jim wanted to listen to an Adapt 2030 video with me one morning. Another morning, I “beat” Jim to his computer and watched an Israeli news channel and translated the subtitles for a few minutes.  Those few minutes of translating were an incredibly satisfying “fix” for my soul!  😉

Both Jim’s and Miss Eloise’s computers have the the SurvivalBlog logins on them, so I could login to our site and moderate comments. And I used Jim’s computer to write last week’s “Editors’ Preps of the Week”.

Of course, it was also good for me to get out of the computer watching rut.  After a day or two, my brain focused on what needed to be done around here, and I was able to accomplish a lot. See below.

I now have a brand new computer and spent some hours reloading all of the apps and things I need to function with homeschooling, SurvivalBlog, translating, and the sites I follow to keep up with world events. And to stay in contact with Jim while he is caring for his mum.

As I said, prepping-wise it has been a very busy week.  Early in the week, I dragged out my large tote bin of seed packets, sacks, and jars. I sorted through them, organized them into piles of species, on our living room floor. I made lists of the order of starting them for seedlings and when to plant them — both right now inside (see below), and who, what and when to plant them outside. It was a big job, but it allowed for me to see what I have, to sort through the organic heirloom seeds and the very few hybrids that I have.  (I love the hybrid yellow zucchini and I have a few others…)  But I set aside most of the the hybrids, if I already had organic heirlooms of the same species, because I want to grow and save my own seeds from each species that I am able to.  I actually now have grown, harvested, and saved most of my own seeds of which I am now planting.

It is exciting to be seed self-sufficient.

Now I am following my list and checking off the seed species that I have planted.  I am far more organized this year.  I guess that now that I have been gardening for the past nine years, I now know what I need to do and what I want.  I now have a method and plan instead of just kinda playing with it.

The times are very serious now.

Last week I mentioned that I had started filling seedling pots with soil.  The girls and I finished filling the 1.5-inch and 4-inch pots with soil this week.

Jim and I, “evicted” Miss Violet from her bathroom for the next six to twelve weeks. (She can use the guest bathroom along with Miss Eloise for the time being.)  We turned her bathroom into our indoor seedling green house. It actually is the best room in the house, being that it is an inner room of the house, we can close the door and the powerful light from those grow lamps will not bother anyone.  The bathroom has an exhaust fan to pull out extra heat and humidity and it’s own heater, if we’d need it.  We hung our two grow LED lights. I then transferred 17,  1-inch soil-filled trays to the green house bathroom and planted them. So far, I’ve planted three types of cabbage, two types of broccoli, leeks, onion seeds, garlic seeds from my last summer’s garlic plant flowers (an experiment), celery, and numerous types of tomatoes and peppers.

These veggies are the ones that either need the most indoor growing time and or will be planted outside as soon as the soil can be worked and the temps are up above freezing at night. As soon as the onions, cabbage and broccoli are planted outside in April under hoops, I will be starting my squashes, melons, cucumbers, and Luffa in the indoor bathroom greenhouse.

We ordered 50 chicken meat bird chicks. Once they reach butcher-size, I plan on canning their meat in a few months.

We also ordered two packages of honey bees.  I want to try working with them again.  Our first round died after the second winter from mites, mold, and the ravages of yellow jackets.  I have plans to mitigate these hazards this time around.

We bought a large amount of local honey which is our main sweetener. We had been down to just one gallon.

I finally cleaned out the chicken coop, this week.  Eyew, it was bad! It hadn’t been cleaned out in about two months because of our colds and bronchitis.  I cleaned it a second time on Friday.  Jim and I, were going to butcher some more chickens before he left on his out-of-state trip, but, I gave them the chest squeeze and found that they were still too bony…  We’ll just have to wait another month.

There are three very large roosters, with some hens that I would like more of, therefore, I’m thinking of separating them and breeding them for eggs to incubate. So they will not be butchered for awhile.  Of that “mixed run” we bought late last fall, most of the birds turned out to be Banties.  I am not too happy about that.

I froze the last ripe batch of avocados in chunks.

We had eye and dental appointments this week.

On Friday, I started deep spring cleaning the house in earnest. I will be cleaning into next week.  So far, I have vacuumed and bleached the tile floors, I usually only use soap and water on them, I scrubbed our wool floor rug.  I am washing sheets, blankets, comforters. And cleaning bathrooms. It feels good to have the house beginning to feel, look and smell clean and fresh.

With Jim traveling twice this winter, I have taken up the job of loading up the wood box most mornings, and rekindling the fire in the wood stove, just to have it in my routine.  I also recently have been chopping kindling.  When Jim noticed I was doing his job which is traditionally his, he protested a bit.  But I said: I enjoy doing it.  I want to do it. It is a good habit to get into and it helps build up my strength and endurance. It’s also, another excuse to be outside in the fresh air longer. 😉  I have to do it anyway, when he is not here, so I might as well already have it/keep it as part of my routine.  🙂 I really like doing the job. It feels campy, and I like that feeling.  Also, while kindling the fire I use my ferro rod and striker to get in the practice of using something other than matches or a lighter to light a fire.

We have a few more things to do out in the world in the next week and then we will be hunkering down for the duration.

We are very concerned about this Wuhan virus.  News reached me on Friday that a friend of ours had just returned from the South Pacific and has a very bad flu. The friend said that they were surrounded by Asian people on all of the flights. We hope the friend doesn’t have IT.  The friend isn’t too concerned, in general, though… but said that muscles hurt really bad.

Miss Eloise takes care of some children that go to this person’s congregation.  When Miss Eloise came in the door after caring for those children, I “pounced” on her, told her to strip down, immediately, and get in the shower.  I took her clothes and threw them in the washer, put her shoes outside and bleached the floor she had just walked on and the door handles she had touched. I claim Psalm 91 over her, and washed my hands and arms that had handled her clothes.

Maybe, we’ll skip the next appointments we have in the next few weeks…..a vet visit, another dentist visit, picking up chicks and bees and a farrier visit…..Lord give us wisdom.

Concerning the farrier visit:  have been exercising my hands and fingers to strengthen them to do the farrier work myself.

I am also now wiping down all boxes that we are receiving from UPS and FedEx with Chlorox wipes and mail.

There is much to be done on the ranch in the coming weeks so, if we completely isolate, it’s not a real hardship to be here 24/7, especially if we still have phone and an Internet connection to communicate with the outside world.

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.




47 Comments

  1. Some Bantam breeds are great at getting “broody”. If you have any larger hens that get broody that is a plus. Save your fertile eggs as soon as you notice a broody hen. Put the eggs under her at night, usually not more than a dozen. I have done the same thing with store bought chicks. Put them under her at night and let her raise them. We have not brought chicks for many years (can’t remember the last time). Generally, we end up with a 50/50 ratio of males and females. Our birds are every color possible and are great layers. Folks ask what breed they are, I tell them they are Heinz chickens (57 varieties). My parents got me chickens when a kid about 5 years old. Been raising them for most of 70 years. Where did the time go?

  2. Wow Lily, you sure were busy this week.
    My husband finally got home Friday from traveling to Ohio for two weeks training on his new job.
    Super grateful he got to drive his new work truck home instead of flying back.
    This is such a great time for us! Him with this great new job with lots of opportunity (now we can really sock the money away to GET OUT OF ILLINOIS)!
    Lily, my week also included doing some of the jobs/chores that my husband does and I liked doing them as well!!
    Mom and Dad are doing pretty well. Mom kinda driving me kooky because she doesn’t understand why I can’t take her to all the places she wants but I brought her some items to keep her occupied so hopefully that will help (her Alzheimer’s is difficult to handle, she’s always over excited about little things so it takes a great deal of patience with her) Dad on the other hand could care less if he ever leaves the house again. He is very aware of this virus and agrees with me about keeping them isolated. He still has the best sense of humor and tells me that “Baby Mom” is driving him kooky.
    Spending this weekend organizing some of the recent additions to our preps.
    Also going to see if I can get my little indoor greenhouse going again.
    I roasted everything in it a couple weeks ago. What? Seedlings don’t like it at 80 degrees constantly?
    I will keep trying, this is all new to me

    Hope you all have a great week!
    I’ve especially loved the back and forth with each of you! It makes my day!

    1. Hi RKRGRL68,

      Concerning your green house over heating… just make sure that everything is watered well and leave door and window open for air flow through, if you can? Eighty degrees shouldn’t be a problem for seedlings. You may have to water them several times a day?

      Blessings! 🙂

      Lily

      1. Avalanche Lily is right… Proper watering can really support plants in a greenhouse during warm weather, and air flow helps tremendously.

        For those working in larger outdoor greenhouses… We would add the suggestion that you consider “evaporative cooling” (essentially misting systems), and fans if those are an option as well. Shade cloth will make a big difference too.

        Tomatoes, as an example, may start to drop their flowers at or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit to conserve water. We didn’t see flower drop last year, but it may have been the selection of our variety (cherry, grape, pear — small tomatoes), and we tried not to allow the greenhouse to exceed 90 degrees across the hottest part of the days.

        Hope this helps! We’re all gearing up for spring and summer… We’re hoping for news of many happy gardens and gardeners within the community!

  3. Good news of progress on all fronts, and happy to hear Avalanche Lily is back online with a new computer! Prayers are lifted up that the family friend who traveled to the South Pacific is already recovering, and that whatever bug it was, the bug was not IT. The story of Miss Eloise’s possible close contact really speaks to how potentially close each and every one of us is to this virus — closer than we may know. None among us is many degrees of separation from IT. People all around us travel. It’s the world in which we live. Prayers in earnest are lifted up for Miss Eloise, and for every member of the JWR ranch family. Please Lord Jesus. Watch over and protect JWR, Avalanche Lily, and the Rawles family. Watch over and protect all of us, every one.

    We will be raising chicks early this spring to add to our egg laying flock, and need to stock up on feed, and spare chips for the nesting boxes. Our birds are cage free and they forage for most of the spring and summer, but we do try to supplement their diet too. It was fun to see that GWH had been raising birds for 70 years. That’s wonderful. We really smiled reading this.

    We have also encouraged family and friends to consider their pet companions, and to have extra supplies on hand for them. But do be careful… We lost our last four legged friend to heart failure caused by contaminated pet food (a story that reached the news AFTER we lost our sweet and furry friend). We had purchased a good quality food (restricted ingredient diet due to our pet’s food allergies), and a reputable specialty brand. Just do be careful. Even though the earlier problem is said to have been resolved, new concerns can arise, and disruptions to our supply chain may cause more or new issues. People and systems under stress are more likely to suffer errors. Keeping this closely in mind may not prevent all adversities, but may help to minimize those going forward. For anyone who can make their own pet food, all the better.

      1. We read that too! After the heartbreaking loss of our last furry friend, we have only our feathered egg-laying buddies. We miss our animal companions terribly, and have been thinking about bringing a new furry friend home. But… With this news, we think it’s wise to wait. We have many neighbors with dogs, and we will let them know so they can be alert for the sake of their pets and for themselves too.

  4. Leap year! I totally lost count until this week! I am using the extra day wisely. We have worked very hard to get a full 6-month supply of animal feed so we can hunker down if needed. It has taken a lot of management skills and budget shifting plus hard physical labor by my son to get feed safely stowed away. He has moved thousands of pds of feed for our small livestock plus another thousand pds of dog and cat food/litter. We have been blessed.

    Had to go to doctor’s office to get a shot for my back (I think I had sympathy pains for my son’s back); the waiting room was a regular petrify-dish of coughs, sneezes and bronchitis with young and old not covering their nose or mouths while spewing germs on everyone. Had a simple mask and glasses on but felt like I needed to be in bio-hazard gear.

    Made a run to the city to warehouse stores to pickup additional high-use items like dish soap, coffee, non-diary creamer, baking soda, epson salts, vinegar, trash bags and more TP! Received extra battery packs for power tools and additional frequent use batteries and new rechargeables. Tool batteries were expensive but rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them. I did this because I think the manufacturing supply line will NOT be returning to normal anytime soon. Have no idea how long it will be before China gets their factories back up and shipping, but read a couple of articles that estimated a 9-month lag time.

    I canned mushrooms; juiced more limes and lemons and got them frozen. Dried 5 pds of apples and put the peels into to crock to start ACV. Received last of anti-viral herb orders and got some sour cream powder and cream cheese powder to try. Cleaned out the gravity water filter, scrubbed the filters as they have another few hundred gallons left on them.

    Son built new shelving in last few remaining available spaces in the house and on porch, then we moved items out of garage on to new shelves. Pulled HD shelves out of the barn and moved to hoop house. Moved gardening items out of the pump house to underneath shelves in the hoop house. Then moved more tools out of the garage to the pump house.

    Seeds are finally sprouting on indoor shelving; have oregano, sage, cilantro, basil and lettuce. I always have trouble with those small seeds. I have saved the tops of radishes and have put them into water to sprout. Plan on putting out green onion starts in about 10 days. We put a temperature/humidity digital thermometer in the hoop house. Over 9 days the average is 92° in the day and 48° at night when outdoor temps are 48°-50° and 34°- 40° respectively. Next cold spell we’ll check the below freezing night temps.

    I have been more worried about the lack of Chinese shipping items than I have been the actual COVid-19. I read that several big manufacturers are already running low on JIT inventory and raw materials. I think many Americans are oblivious of how much stuff ships from China and how long it will take for raw materials or items to be churned out of China or other countries. Hopefully, this crisis will bring more manufacturing back to the USA, especially medicines and national security items.

    While most house hold item prices are going up, I took advantage of the lower spot prices to purchase a little silver. I think the market will rebound and all things will level off. IMHO, this is a good lesson for those people living in “la-la land.”

    May you have a safe, healthy and productive week!

    1. On my final run to Costco Tuesday, I saw a young mom with her baby in the cart and a toddler by the hand, sneeze twice into the air without covering her mouth. Then an older man standing near the sugar sacks coughing and coughing without covering. I have seen similar in the produce area of my local market. And the check out clerk coughing on the cash register. We live in interesting times.

    2. Animal House,

      I too am praying that manufacturing returns to America. Goods will be more expensive, but our neighbors will be employed. There will be some gnashing of teeth as we readjust to a more reality based life, but better now while we can still make the adjustment. Wish I were in the position to open a manufacturing plant. I remember the buy America campaigns and tried to do so. It got so difficult that I eventually moved my family to buy secondhand or make it ourselves. Not that we never buy new, but truly with much thought.

      1. From your post: “There will be some gnashing of teeth as we readjust to a more reality based life, but better now while we can still make the adjustment.”

        We agree. 100%. We cannot allow our country to be so entirely dependent on a single country, no matter which one it is. We are, of course, very concerned that in the current reality, we’re dependent on a country that is hostile to many of our national principles and beliefs and values. This should never have been allowed to happen, but it was a Faustian bargain made decades ago, and we are now paying a terrible price for that. We hope manufacturing can be restored to the U.S.

  5. In light of the CoVid-19 threat we urged our loved ones to check their emergency supply of N95 respirators, hand sanitizer and emergency food. Of course we knew that most have zero emergency supplies and place zero value on such. We highly doubt the virus threat will change their priorities. With the window of availability closing on all three items we purchased some more to add to our preps earmarked for charity.

    Yes Avalanche Lily , “The times are very serious now.”

  6. The unleashing of the biggest “panic” news is probably being held off until Tuesday or Wednesday. Why? Because “they” need the kids to get back from Feb vacation and into the schools for a couple of days 1st. Many families have been out travelling the country this past week. Many of them probably infected by now. Back-to-school will spread it in a major way before we get the news of the severity of the problem.
    The bigger problem we face is martial law.
    Fortunately there are Revolutionaries in this landmass that understand what is going on is a foothold for the globalists, yet also a foothold for the Revolutionaries themselves. Any and all “governments” shall be declared enemies of the people. The tools that support their operations shall be destroyed.

  7. For those of you that are short on N95 mask. It has been my experience when looking for them in the big box stores, you need to look in different areas. If you go to the paint section and they are out, go to the hardware/building section. I picked up some this morning in the Home Depot. They are limiting them to 10 masks. I’ve also found them in Lowes on Grab and Go boards. You have to look around. Also, check in smaller towns.
    It is appearing where I live that Hand Sanitizers are in short supply. I think the window of opportunity is closing quickly. Now for what I experienced in the last 12 hours. I went to Costco last night one hour prior to closing. As I entered the store, a young man offered to wipe my cart. I thanked him, and then told him that I had already touched the cart and my hands were dirty to that cart. He then offered me one to wipe my hands. Walking around, I noticed that the shelves needed to be stocked. I have never seen this before. On checkout there was a young lady cashier, that was joking with the costumer ahead of me about his items. It was clear to me that he was stocking up supplies, in a panic mode. He proceeded to educate the young cashier on over the counter pain/flu meds, Lysol, etc. He proceeded to tell her she needed to go to Walgreens and get some masks, such as dust mask. She then turned to me with a deer in the headlight look. I calmly explained to her that what she had been told was correct, but what ever she did she needed N95 mask and not dust mask. My point in all of this is there are a lot of uneducated people out there. When you are dealing with surfaces that are contaminated you must think things through as to how you are going to deal with keeping yourself clean and not recontaminating the surface or yourself. Keep educating yourself. While I know a lot, there is always room for improvement. I saw something on a video the other day regarding using paper towels instead of cloth towels to dry your hands in your home. That was something I had never considered but makes a lot of sense. I also wish to thank Tunnel Rabbit for his research. It is really time consuming to track down the information and I appreciate all the post and efforts this community has made.

    1. Regarding hand sanitizer. I was in the local dollar store yesterday and noticed a well stocked shelf of it. Different brands, different sizes, etc.
      and yes, they were still a dollar.

  8. Before you mentioned avocados and how much you’d miss them if the disappeared…

    I been looking around remembering in 2008 when I first started reading the blog I thought the same thing.

    Back then there was a company putting out a tree named “little cado” it was too new for me to judge it’s efficacy. But the claim was a bushel per tree

    Now it’s been some 13 years and there is ample reviews. Most are positive.

    The little cado is an ultra dwarf avocado (Hass I believe) it is not GMO, it is a graft. Because it is grafted from mature tree it will produce after it gets past shipping shock and has fully rooted.

    It’s makers claim that you can grow it in a container (all be it a large-ish one)

    If left to grow on its own untrimmed it reaches 10 foot tall but many people have been able to keep it topped out shorter (does reduce yield though)

    Any way thought I’d pass that along as even at 10 foot tall you could green house it (or a couple) and protect from bad winter conditions.

    Last I checked price bounced between sub 100 and 150ish per plant (but that’s not a bad price given the avocado prices over a year)

  9. This week at work I was extremely busy due to the covid19. With the CDC’s capitulation? Admission? That Covid 19 will more than likely turn into a full fledged pandemic I will be putting in lots of extra time at work. Glad I’m ahead of the game unlike others in my shoes but what I am finding out is the hardest part is trying to get people to ACT NOW, other leaders where I work are like “if we get a case locally then we should do X”. I am countering with if we wait for first local case it will be too late! So far my “Big” boss says they enjoy the various points of view, and crossing my fingers so far they are leaning towards my point of view.

    Getting many friends (preppers & non-preppers) asking what they should do to prepare. I have been reminding the kids to wash their hand frequently, not just after they use the facilities. I encourage them to carry instant hand sanitizer as well. Bought every a small bottle and the I got several large bottles to re-fill them. Also reminding them to keep their hands away from their face which in my opinion is mission impossible since face touching is a very subconscious action.

    Picked up my Springfield Armory Saint AR pistol. Went to pick up a few small things at Lowe’s and walked right into a clearance section and left with a set of replacement wheelbarrow handles for $2, a set of replacement handles for a post hole digger ($2), a replacement handle for a shovel ($6), and a Craftsman D handle shovel made in the USA for $1!!

    Was planning on getting a new Kubota tractor at the end of the month but with the financial markets melting down, I am going to wait since I think I will be able to get a much better interest rate and perhaps additional incentives.

    Praying a lot- the Lord has blessed us with being very prepared and we have listened to His words of come out of her my people thus you partake in her sins and her plagues.

  10. Lily,

    Right in the middle of my 7+ months of medical isolation my iPhone died. (I call it my mini-computer with a phone app) I was very unhappy until my new refurbished one arrived. Actually, I was a bit unnerved at how much I depend on access to the internet for news and such. My family works in IT, and I feel better about their job security after that experience.

    Of all the gardening books I have, I use “The New Victory Garden” by Bob Thomson the most. It is a month-by-month journal of the PBS garden. I just adjust the months for my colder zone. Great chapter on garden structures and how to make them as well.

    We are rather well stocked for a sit-in, but continue to look for weak spots. Found that I didn’t have as many rolled oats as I thought and went to the store to buy more. They were running short in their bulk section so I left. I was uneasy at buying open food anyway. Than I had a thought and called to see if I could buy a 50 lb bag. They didn’t have one but were getting a shipment. My husband is to pick it up today on his way home from work. I used to buy all of our grains in large quantities, but have had difficulty finding a place that sells large quantities here. In just the past decade, attitudes seem to have changed to consider large quantities as hoarding rather than just having a commonsense pantry. I also noticed some photos in the news of pantry photos that show shelves of boxed and canned processed foods. IMO, it is a good thing to have some quick and tasty foods on hand, but where are the staples? I do not think people realize how quickly processed foods will be used up.

    We continued this week on our endeavors to live independently. Extracting ourselves from global dependence continues to prove very difficult and could be our downfall.

    Our number one priority now is physical fitness and recovery. Getting back into shape after illness and surgery. And that can be done here at home as we’ve collected the equipment (mostly for free) when others were getting rid of it. We have a nice little home gym.

    Blessings.

  11. Just picked up a few frozen solid bags of potting mix to start seedlings in (Vermont Compost Co Fort V); must be spring!!! It continues to be cold and snow and snow…….

    Re: Banties; I loved my Banties. Found them to be the best moms and the only hens I had that would hatch out chicks and raise them. Feel free to tuck some regular size breed fertilized eggs in with their Banty eggs; they’ll hatch and raise them too! I even had a Banty rooster that watched over “his woman” on her nest and helped care for the chicks! I’d never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself.

    1. We were once offered a little banty who was too old for egg production. She was absolutely the prettiest chicken I ever had, and she earned her keep for the next 5 years by sitting on eggs from my larger chickens and protecting “her” baby chicks. (Some of my larger chickens were the poultry equivalent of meth-head-mamas. They were awful!) Our banty had a cute little name to match her cute little personality and she was the “boss hen” of the chicken coop! If I were to have chickens again, I would definitely want another banty like her. She was a sweet creature and her usefulness far exceeded the cost of the tiny bit of grain she consumed each day. (She also got special treats because of her esteemed status, but I feel she earned those treats.) 🙂

      1. I totally get it. Banty mamas can be awesome. And “meth head mama” chickens; OMG 😉 Yes, seems like the chick rearing part has been bred out of even breeds like Rhode Island Reds…..

  12. I had a medical appointment Tuesday, so while out I stopped into Walmart to add some additional kitty litter and cat food to our cache. The cat is now prepped with a four month supply should we decide to self-quarantine.

    I saw no empty shelves at Walmart and huge amounts of dried beans and rice in both the traditional aisle and in the Hispanic foods section. I also picked up canned chicken and dumplings (which I consider comfort food) and some more canned chili. Our Walmart now carries only two brands of chili and none of it is chicken based, so when I returned home I bought an 8-pack of chicken chili online for $11.84, which I thought was quite reasonable since it included free shipping. I also added a case (12 cans) of canned turkey, which I felt would be a nice addition to the Spam, chicken, salmon, tuna, and other canned meats we have on hand.

    I consider canned chili a great addition to our dehydrated food stored in buckets and #10 cans. Simply heat and pour the chili over rice (of which we have plenty), and you have a hearty, satisfying meal for two. If you need to serve three or four, add more rice to stretch the chili. You can opt for macaroni instead of rice and have your own chili-mac at a much lower cost than Mountain House charges. Yes, we have #10 cans of dried pinto, kidney, black, lima, and great northern beans in our long term storage, and in a lengthy disaster their day will come, but I like the simplicity of opening a can. It is also another way to add some meat to the storage plan.

    On Friday, the wife and I stopped into Sam’s Club to top off fresh foods and added four different kinds of meat to the freezer, two varieties of cheese to the fridge, and a few more canned vegetables for the survival pantry. I also filled two five-gallon gas tanks, bringing us back up to full stored fuel capacity. Coincidentally, the propane truck came this week and topped off the tank. I expect it will last until next winter.

    I saw no signs of panic buying at Sam’s club. There was a bit less bottled water than usual, but nothing like we see when there are hurricane warnings.

    All the canned goods we bought had best-by dates into 2023, which is nice. Of course, we’re still eating canned chicken that expired in 2018, so we take those dates with a grain of salt.

    I think the country will see a rapid escalation in CoVid-19 cases in the next week or two. My guess is that this disease is already all around many of us, especially in urban areas, but we just aren’t testing people so we can’t see it. As long as the utilities stay on, I predict this will be a soft crisis rather than a hard, full-blown disaster. We need to be careful that the panic and overreaction does not do more harm than the disease itself.

  13. Been checking my old orders in Amazon and clicking the Buy it again button to see the increasing cost as the worry about supply chain failing is causing cost escalation for current remaining supplies. I had recently purchased power tool batteries and seen 15% increases in a couple weeks.

  14. I’ve seen numerous mentions of stocking up on antibiotic hand sanitizer. It does not kill cold, flu, corona virus, mers, and
    sars germs unless you vigorously wash your hands for an extended amount of time (in excess of a minute) according to the CDC. The flu germs are contained within mucus or sputum and hand sanitizer does not lend itself well to breaking down the thick coating of mucus containing the virus. The use of warm water with soap vigorously washing the hands for 20 seconds assures you of effectively killing the flu/corona virus.

  15. Our family discussed reducing contacts outside of our retreat acreage by limiting some activities that we otherwise would attend. I think todays trip to the grocery store for fresh groceries will be our last for a while until some cohesive information becomes available. We are well stocked on almost everything we could possibly want or need short of Peace of Mind.
    We are also considering missing Church and canceling Bible Study in an effort to isolate ourselves from crowds. Do we go and trust God to shield us or do we just stay home and avoid the possibility of contracting something are some of the thoughts, questions and prayers we are contemplating.
    This virus has potential for a horrible ending for many, but the side effects on our country and the world financial and business structures which can come tumbling down and can result in a depression the likes of which we can’t imagine. The deaths from a depression added to those of the virus are more than I want to contemplate.
    On the positive proactive side of prepping, this week I received and assembled an AR pistol kit and received parts for another M-4 and assemble that one as well, stacking them deep as recommended by JWR. Not that we need it, but we added a few bags of sugar, rice and beans to the already stuffed pantry….just in case. Freezers are full.
    I couldn’t work on a planned woodshed due to a foot injury, so decided to get it built and have a tangible rather than money in the bank that is becoming more worthless by the day. As the weather improves I’ll get to painting it and adding electrical and line it with plywood. Also have a downspout water barrel to add. After that we can get on splitting rounds and filling it. Nothing brings a feeling of peace better than enjoying watching a the flames in the fire and feeling the warmth on a cool evening.
    Blessings to all.

  16. As we face the uncertainty of what will come of the Corona Virus outbreak, I offer you there words from Clarissa Pinkola Estes: ”
    My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.

    You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet, I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement.”

    We have what it takes to meet this challenge, friends. May we each open to the strength and guidance given to us.

    Carry on

  17. I’ve heard from people that shoe horses for a living, that it’ll make a person old before their time.

    ‘Pick up a hoof, and the horse will lean-on the person, rather than just stand on three legs. … Some horses are so lazy, they’ll even try to sit on the farrier, while fixin’ on the rear hoof.’ ~Bit and kicked is NOT tack.
    A hay-fork, shovel and wheelbarrow on the tools of the trade. [Along with a embedded boot-scrape near the house.]

    A while back was a linked video on SurvivalBlog for a WranglerStar video, where he said, ‘He and his wife were having a lot of fun, wrangling electric bicycles.’

  18. First time to comment in this section. New experience.

    If we have to self quarantine I’m planning on about a 4 month hibernation. It really shouldn’t be that long but you never know.

    Spent $500 on groceries and other supplies in the last 2 days. Stocked up on Zicam products, enough to tide us over for about 4 months if needs be. Stocked up on TP and paper towels, enough for about 4 months. Found quart-sized hand sanitizer at Kroger, probably buy at least one more. Not much one for canned meat, but have bought a few cans to try out.

    Have a trip to Sam’s Club yet to do.

    Have a trip to the meat market to do.

    Have a trip to Home Depot to do. Need to check for the N95 masks and buy some other supplies.

    Keeping hand sanitizer in both vehicles as well as Clorox wipes. When I go out shopping I check for N95 masks, I find the place on the shelves where they belong, but no masks. Haven’t been to Home Depot or Lowes yet, maybe tomorrow or the next day. Surprised that I don’t see many mask wearers while I’m out, saw my first 2 today. I do have a supply already, but more would be a welcome addition.

    Hadn’t thought of wiping down the mail and packages as they come in, good suggestion.

    I’m not panicking over this Covid-19 fiasco, but I am acting instead of reacting. If you are reacting, you are probably too late. I suspect things in California and Washington state are going to get out of control. Socialists are too mind numbed to be able to handle the extreme problems that are dropped on their doorsteps. These are not leaders, they need to be taken by the hand and told what to do.

    Speaking of the Corona Virus, I found this article that proves to be very interesting. From Dr. David Brownstein:
    How to Prevent Corona Virus? Avoid the Flu Shot
    https://www.drbrownstein.com/flu-shot-will-increase-your-risk-of-coronavirus!/

    Stay safe folks!

  19. AVALANCHE LILY REPORTS:
    Dear Readers,
    This has been a very busy week. We are making last minute preparations for the collapse of the world as we know it. It breaks my heart to know the freedoms we will be losing very shortly.

    I’m rather amazed that you removed my previous comment because I disagreed with this one short but highly irresponsible paragraph. For many years, I’ve read your books, told everyone about your wonderful blog site, and even sold your books for little or no profit to myself on my gun show tables. I even started my preparedness business largely due to following your site. When someone with your stature in the community makes such a comment, surely you understand the ramifications. Now if you truly believe the world is going to completely collapse because of a Coronavirus then I suppose I can’t blame you for the post but I would recommend therapy. I don’t have any expectations of you posting this comment but it is disappointing that you resorted to censorship because someone disagrees with you and ask people to remain calm and not to do anything detrimental to their savings or livelihood. I very nearly purchased an antique firearm from you last week to help Lily acquire a new computer. Now I’m very glad I did not. It’s never been my goal to profit from fear mongering or to aid anyone else in doing so. Should the world actually “completely collapse “ from this latest event then I will tip my hat to you and pray that you are as prepared for the end as you think you are.

    1. JL,

      I deleted your post because I wasn’t ready to write a response and Jim is currently out of reach to consult with on your accusations. It takes much time, energy and brain power to respond. I am not a journalist. But I will respond now, since your post was posted automatically, today.

      I approach the Editor’s Preps of the Week as any other reader who is preparing for any scenario that would threaten our well being, and wants to share about it. I am NO expert in anything. Jim, himself will make the call if he sees it’s time, not me. I’m just expressing my thought and opinions as any other reader and contributor is doing at this time.

      So look for Jim’s word.

      But I stand on my words: “We are making last minute preparations for the collapse of the world as we currently know it. It breaks my heart to know the freedoms we will be losing very shortly…”

      My main conviction is that we are living in the Last Days and that people need to call on the Lord Jesus, repent of their sins, read the Bible so that they can see where we really are at in time and get ready for what is coming, the Tribulation.

      Our lives are in God’s hands. NO, I do not think we are as prepared as we could be, we never can be… No-one will ever be… Yes we are making last minute preparations, but we’ve been making last minute preparations, continually. As life goes on we use up what we have and see new needs…..therefore must acquire, again and again until we can’t.

      One of these days we will no longer be able to get more of something….

      I do think that life in America as we knew it is about to fundamentally change for the bad. I think the Virus is causing a clamp down on all freedoms that only Hitler, Stalin and Mao could only dream of. I do think we are in the last days. I do think we all need to stock up as much as we can.

      However, I do think our readers are smarter than maxing out their credit cards or giving up their livelihoods. We’ve never ever advocated spending all one’s money on preps. Never!

      You do not give our readers enough credit for their own discernment.

      As for your doubting to where we are in reality, I think you need to research the shipping and supply lines from China. We get most of our goods and medicines from there. They are essentially shut down. The ramifications from their shut down will not be truly felt for a few more months…..

      We are entering a Stalinist-like era, like during the time of the Soviet Union when getting food and supplies was very hard to come by, and rationing was the norm. And these governments exercised terrible control over the population, controlled how much food they ate and whether they lived or died according to their alliance to the government. Stalin, Hitler and Mao didn’t have the surveillance capabilities that we have today. The historical evils of dictatorships continually repeats.

      Have you paid attention to the crop losses during the past two years? Have you seen the locust plague eating up every green thing from southern Africa all the way to China? Did you see that Canada and the USA lost fifty percent of it’s sugar beet crop last year?? Did you see that we lost a vast amount of corn, barley, soybeans, and wheat from the flooding in the Midwest last spring and summer? Have you seen that the African swine flu in China and in other southeast Asian countries has nearly wiped out their swine herds? We are facing word-wide Famine on a grand scale within the next three to four years.

      Wise people are awake and are paying attention and are stocking up.

      It’s called knowing world history and paying attention to world events and understanding biblical prophecy.

      Frankly, I believe that we are about to enter the tribulation period spoken of in the book of Matthew chapter 24. I believe that the Virus is being used by the “Powers That Be” to crash the world economy, and institute a global digital cashless society which I believe is the “Mark of the Beast”. Revelation 13, Paraphrased: You will not be able to buy or sell without bearing the mark on your right hand or forehead. As a christian, I cannot take that mark and participate in that economic system, so therefore unless I stock up, now, I will starve to death, unless God chooses to provide for us supernaturally. I believe that He has told us to get ready to live outside of the system for as long as He sees fit, before, either bringing us home through death, or through the rapture at the sixth trump.

      Another way that they will be able to implement a cashless society is by calling paper money a virus carrier therefore causing people to not want to handle the cash. Already China has burned billions of paper Yuan in The Wuhan province.

      The COVID9 Virus very well may be nothing, but it could be one of the Biblical plagues talked about in Revelation 6. Millions could die, if not now, than perhaps next year? Only time will tell. But then maybe it will be too late….

      In my honest opinion people need to ask God when it is time for them to isolate, if they have that ability. At this time we, our family, are not ready to isolate. We have a some wonderful people that we interact with on a weekly basis who need us, and we need them. I’m not ready to say, you cannot come over any more…..yet…. But if it gets really bad, we can and will isolate. Whether we live or die is in the Hands of God.

      As far as a complete collapse of the world, that won’t happen… Jesus said that up to the time of His second coming “Men will be marrying and giving in marriage, until the day of His appearing”. That sounds to me like life will be going on as usual, but I think, under severe governmental controls, and Christians won’t be able to participate in it, because it will be under the Mark of the Beast system.

      The collapse of the World as we know it today and in the last fifty years, will change drastically and for the bad for most people in the coming months and years.

      Therefore, use discernment and wisdom and be responsible, and stock up and be as ready as you can for anything. This is my warning. If you think I’m crazy, so be it. I believe time will vindicate my beliefs and opinions. God’s words will not be mocked!

      Lily

      1. I apologize for the portions of my comment that sounded personal. I have nothing personal against you or your husband and, as I mentioned, I have, for many years now, spoken very highly of him, his books, and this blog to all that would listen. As I read that paragraph, it just sounded to me like an immediate call to action to finalize all preps before the imminent end of everything. I appreciate your Christian perspective but I’ve also been told that we are living in the end times since the early 80’s when I began attending church. We may well be but they may also last a millennia. I’ve also read about the world ending from Nostradamus in the 80’s, to Y2K, to 2012, etc. The Black Plague wasn’t the catalyst, the Spanish flu didn’t do it, the swine flu didn’t pan out and Ebola never came close, nor did SARS or MERS. Unless there is a drastic mutation of this current virus I can assure you that millions are not going to die. I completely understand supply chains and our unfortunate dependence on Chinese goods. There may well be some things that are scarce for awhile, however, I don’t believe it will be much more than an inconvenience for the average person. For some others it may be more than that. There are surely liberals and socialist running for office that would like to restrict our liberties but I don’t see us entering a “Stalinist Era” in the near future. Again, my main point is that I consider myself to be one of the least prepared on this site, but with only 30 minutes notice to fill my water barrels I could get by without leaving the house for at least 2-3 months. With the possible exception of those with serious medical issues, I expect everyone else here could do a lot better so there is no need to rush out and panic buy anything. I don’t doubt the intelligence of most of your readers but there are people out there who want to be justified in there sacrifice of prepping while others bought new cars and took vacations. There are also people who just want to belong and who hang on your every word, and unfortunately some of those people will go into debt based on your comments. You guys have more influence than you may realize and “with great power comes great responsibility “. To avoid the appearance arguing for the sake of arguing, I won’t make any more comments on this topic or probably any other topics for that matter. I pray for the best for your family and all the readers of this fine blog site.

      2. Dear, sweet Lily,

        This response was wonderful, thorough and kind. You go girl! Well done. As Gregory Mannarino likes to say:
        1. Love each other
        2. Be kind to each other
        3. And be charitable

        As for myself, I try not to judge others. When I forget, God teaches me that lesson, again. smile.

        I believe in personal responsibility for ones actions, not pointing the finger at someone else saying, “He made me do it.” With that said, it is obvious to me you are innocent of said warrantless accusations. Anyone who has read this blog knows getting and staying out of debt is something you believe in, promote and live by.

        I would hope readers can appreciate the diversity of thought shared on this blog as a good thing. It makes us think. It makes us love others who are different than us. win/win. To JL, please don’t leave. Your anger will subside and I want you to stay, and comment. A friend of mine likes to say: “And this too shall pass.” Blessings all around, Krissy

  20. I’m thinking it would be wise to own a neublizer. They have portable ones that come with an adult and a childrens mask for under 35 dollars on line including the shipping. It is my belief that putting coloidal silver with a bit of oregano oil in it could very well help fight this and any other virus. I know from personal experience that oregano oil will clear up sinus infections and greatly shortens mono to about 1/4th of the recovery time.

  21. JL,
    I understand your concern. As an addition to Avalanche Lily’s post I offer the following.
    Always through the old Testament and new Testament Israel and the Jewish people are known as the “Fig Tree”.
    Jesus explained this Matthew 24:32-41, etc.
    32 “Now learn the Parable from the Fig Tree: When it’s branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, know that summer is near;
    33 “Even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
    34 “Truly I say to you, this ‘Generation’ will not pass away until all these things take place.
    35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.”
    On May 14, 1948 the “Fig Tree” put forth its leaves and sprouted.
    The word “Generation” in the Hebrew and the Greek; by implication an age (the period or persons): age, generation, nation, time,
    Sense three in the Greek genea: the whole multitude of men living at the same time.
    From the year May 14, 1948 to year 2020 is 72 years.
    According to the United Nations World Population Prospects 2015 Revision the average World Life Expectancy is 69 years ( 67 years for males and 71.1 years for females).
    In the Psalm of Moses 90:10 “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years.
    Most scholars agree that according to this prophecy of Jesus Christ and many others that we are living in the extreme end times or last days however one wants to describe it.
    It is a little more background on Lily’s thinking and post she shared.

    1. Thank You Oly for the addition. There is so much information concerning prophecies and actual events occurring right now concerning the Last Days that it is difficult to mention all things in one post. I am on a very similar page as you concerning the years of a generation and Israel. Psalms speaks of there being 70 years to a generation and 80 years if there be strength. This means that the Tribulation could start either this coming fall or next Fall 2021. We believe that by 2028, Jesus should have returned because Israel will be 80 years old. There is of course much more to our thinking, but, I’m busy planting more seeds into my flats, just now. So another time, I will write more on this topic. It fascinates me and excites me. God’s words are TRUE and His son Jesus IS coming again!!

      Blessings,

      Lily

  22. Mostly been stocking up on masks (3M P100 half masks since all the N95 respirators are sold out) medical supplies, plastic sheeting, and food. Friends and family are not hearing the call to action so I pray for them. More home repairs planned for this week as the Midwest is gonna have a warm spell. Hoping to finish splitting wood and make a little extra money. Looking for signs of a run on banks, grocery stores, and gas stations. When school closings start, or when the state government calls for an emergency, or when airports start shutting down then it’ll be time. My goal is to have no need to leave the house other than work (I work by myself away from the public). A case of IT was reported in Chicago. Too close for comfort. The window of opportunity is closing. God bless is all.

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