Review: John Deere 110 Lawn and Garden Tractor, by Thomas Christianson

The gasoline-powered internal combustion engine is a wonderful invention. It takes the substantial amount of energy stored up in fossil fuels, and makes it conveniently available for the tasks of daily life. Gasoline engines have probably done more to ease the labors of rural living than any other single invention of the last 200 years.

It is possible that I may live to see the day when gasoline-powered equipment is no longer in common use. If that day comes, it will almost certainly not be due to powerful elites looking out for the best interests of the common man. Instead, it will be due to politically well-connected people sacrificing the best interests of the common man in order to advance their own purposes.

The gasoline-powered device that I use the most often and that saves me the most work is probably the automobile. I use a car pretty much every day to get to work, to get to the store, to visit family and friends, and for a host of other transportation-related needs.

The gasoline-powered device that I probably use second most often and that saves me the second most work is probably the chainsaw. If things go south, and gasoline supplies run out, it will be much, much harder to for me to harvest and process the wood that I need to keep my house warm.

The third place prize for gasoline-powered devices would probably go to my 1974 John Deere 110 lawn and garden tractor. I use it primarily to keep my driveway clear of snow throughout the winter. If things go south, and gasoline supplies run out, I guess there won’t be any need to keep my driveway clear of snow anymore. In the meantime, the old John Deere is an outstanding tool.

The Blower

The Snow Blower that I have mounted on the front of the old 110 is a John Deere Model 37A single-stage snow blower attachment. The blower struggles a bit with really wet snow, particularly if temperatures are below freezing. Under those conditions, the wet snow tends to freeze in the chute, causing it to clog. A coating of Turtle Wax paste wax inside the chute can moderate this problem somewhat, but only partially. So, for times when I find the chute clogging too much, I have a two-stage walk-behind snow blower that I use instead. The blower on the tractor is 36 inches wide and the walk-behind blower is only 24 inches wide, so it takes a bit longer to complete the job using the walk-behind. But for the vast majority of the winter, the snow I am clearing is dry and powdery, and the 37A blower on the 110 tractor clears it quite well.

One advantage of a blower in contrast to a plow is that the blower lifts the snow up and over the edge of the driveway, while the plow packs it tightly along the edge of the driveway. With the plow, the driveway has a tendency to narrow gradually over the course of the winter as the tightly packed snow freezes into a hard wall. With the blower, it is easy to keep the driveway open to its full width the entire winter.Continue reading“Review: John Deere 110 Lawn and Garden Tractor, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Killer Keeper Meatloaf

The following meatloaf recipe is from reader John M.

John says: “Most everybody loves meatloaf. This recipe gets even better the next few days.

Ingredients and Directions

Use a 9 x 12 Pyrex dish or two bread loaf pans. I layer them with aluminum foil, which makes it easy to remove and makes transfer to the fridge a breeze.

Use 2 to 2-1/2 pounds lean burger (you can also  use a combo of ground pork if you want)
6 oz of Mrs Cubbison’s stuffing mix (1/2 box) instead of stove top either will work.

In a large mixing bowl mix together with your hands, the following.
1/2 cup of ketchup
1 and 1/2 cans (14.5-ounce size) of tomato sauce
1 cup whole milk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons salt and pepper
1/ 2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of brown mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce

For the topping  mix together the following and spread over the top:

1/2 cup ketchup
2 to 3 tablespoons of your favorite bbq sauce
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon of brown mustard

The meatloaf should reach a firm texture, and after adding the topping transfer to the oven

Bake at 390 to 410 F. for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and let this sit in the open for about 20 minutes.

The aroma in your house will send the message, “chow is on!”

STORAGE

This stores well if kept refrigerated, for up to five days. It tastes even better than freshly cooked, after a few days.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the demand for Queen Elizabeth gold and silver coins. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

QTR: Gold And Silver Are Disappearing From Vaults Worldwide.

And here is another perspective:  London Silver Inventories Continue To Plummet As Metal Exits LBMA Vaults.

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Queen Elizabeth’s Death Puts Squeeze On Already Tight Bullion Coin Market. A quote”

“There was an immediate and dramatic surge in demand for gold and silver bullion coins bearing the queen’s effigy upon her passing. According to News.com.au in Australia, ‘Collectors are scrambling to get their hands on coins with Queen Elizabeth’s face as prices skyrocket after her death.’

The owner of a Melbourne coin shop called the demand for coins with the queen’s likeness ‘insane.'”

Economy & Finance:

Posted on September 13th: The biggest Fed rate hike in 40 years? It could be coming next week.

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At Zero Hedge: Nomura Is First Bank To Call For 100bps Rate Hike Next Week.

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$4,408,452,000,000: Federal Tax Collections Set Record Through August.

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Student loan forgiveness plan has a SCOTUS problem.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 18, 2022

The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain.

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Today we present a guest article by Kelsey Williams, the editor of the highly-recommended Kelsey’s Gold Facts website. The article was selected by JWR. It is reposted with permission.

We are seeking entries for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Default – Deflation – Depression, by Kelsey Williams

Inflation is the primary game plan of governments and central banks. Its effects have left their mark on societies throughout history. As the effects of inflation continue to dominate headlines, financial and economic activity is scrutinized and analyzed with the intent of planning, projecting, and predicting it.

Most people think they understand inflation – they don’t – but for now, let’s look the other way. There is a triple-decker bus coming straight at us.

DEFAULT

Default can happen three different ways:

1) Credit default

2) Bank failures

3) Asset price collapse

Universal credit default happens when individuals, corporations, and countries can no longer sustain the debt they have assumed on a scale that overwhelms ordinary financial and market activity.

This happened in 2008 with education loans, mortgages, and auto loans.  The price of all this non-performing debt sank into a deep hole, until the government and Federal Reserve embarked on a new experiment of making more and cheaper credit available and buying up the non-performing debt.

Bank failures happen when banks violate the reserve requirements set by the Federal Reserve and are unable to meet the ongoing demand for money from their customers.

Bank failures were a common occurrence during the early 1930s and are evidence of the ongoing risks associated with fractional-reserve banking. (see Fractional-Reserve Banking – Elephant In The Room)Continue reading“Default – Deflation – Depression, by Kelsey Williams”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

To share this, you can find it here:

Meme Text:

Why Was Prince Andrew Given The Care Of His Late Mother’s Corgi Dogs?

Because He Had So Much Experience With Grooming

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4: 1-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 17, 2022

Today, September 17th, we celebrate Constitution Day in these United States.

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I noticed a nice retreat-worthy property listing, over at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty.com site: Montana Homestead on the Creek.

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Today’s feature article was written by James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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Just two weeks left!  We are seeking entries for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Preparing For The ATF’s Planned Arm Brace Amnesty

I recently had a consulting client ask me about the recent inadvertent “pre-announcement” of an ATF amnesty registration of arm-brace-equipped pistols. The following is a more detailed and updated version of the information that I provided that client:

There are somewhere between 3 and 5 million arm-braced pistols in circulation in the United States. Compare that to the just 300,000 to 400,000 bumpfire stocks that were ordered to be turned in or destroyed, during the Trump administration. (Without compensation.) Arm braces were formerly blessed by the ATF as perfectly legal, but they later changed their minds, and they are soon to be declared felonious contraband. (Can you spell “arbitrary and capricious” boys and girls?)

 

From all that I’ve read, and based on a conversation with a knowledgeable firearms attorney, I can fairly safely surmise:

  • The ATF is planning this registration period without a $200 tax stamp payment, as a legal CYA measure, so that they cannot be accused of making an uncompensated “taking.”
  • In addition to the usual fingerprinting nonsense, they now want a photo of the gun attached to the registration forms, for their future reference.  This is requiring the creation of a new version of the ATF Form 1.
  • The amnesty will apparently only cover arm-brace-equipped pistols that you already have in your possession when the amnesty begins — no other SBRs. Nor will it cover pistols to which you attach a traditional buttstock — hence the requirement to attach a photo of the arm-brace-equipped pistol to your ATF Form 1. This, I assume, would tie your hands, meaning you can’t later retrofit this quasi-SBR with a traditional stock, unless you re-register it with a $200 tax stamp. The ATF wants to redefine arm braces as “stocks”, yet they won’t let you retrofit a braced pistol-SBR with the stock of your choice? What silliness. So, it seems that they will be creating a new sub-category of configuration-frozen braced SBRs.
  • If registered during the amnesty period, they will waive the $200 transfer tax stamp for the first time each arm-brace-equipped pistol SBR is registered. If you later gift it or sell it, then the new owner would have to pay a $200 transfer tax. One key question is: Would that SBR then no longer be considered configuration-frozen? We’ll have to wait and see what they make up as their fickle ruling du jour.
  • Don’t expect the amnesty period to run for more than a month or two.

I should also mention five ways to avoid the planned registration requirement:Continue reading“Preparing For The ATF’s Planned Arm Brace Amnesty”

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.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

A bit later than usual this year, I finished my anuual firewood gathering and storage, on Tuesday. In most years, I have that done by early August.

I caught up on a lot of projects around the ranch, including replacing a corral fence rail that our bull had destroyed.  I replaced it with a Red Fir tree trunk that was 8′” in diameter. That shoud dissuade Mr. Bull.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,

Not a lot was accomplished this week, due to recovering from the colds that we caught last week.

This week, though, I harvested and dehydrated a large amount of broccoli from the Annex Garden.

I harvested various Zuchinni squashes from the giant pots, diced them, and froze them.

I washed and bleached yet more pots.  Now I just have the trays and small seedling pots to wash and we shall be done for the season.

We did some stock-up shopping at the end of the week, once we were feeling much better and past the contagious phase.

I have lived in the northern Redoubt region for over a dozen years.  Each year I have wanted to see the Kokanee salmon run and to participate in snagging them but something always interfered with this activity such as weather, schooling, harvesting, preserving, etc., or when I checked certain streams creeks, or rivers, with the intent to snag them, nary of one was seen.  Kokanee are a land-locked sub-species of the Sockeye salmon.  They live in lakes and rivers of the northwest of North America. Every three to four years, they run up into local creeks and streams to spawn in the fall.  These three to four year-old salmon will die after spawning, therefore the government allows for the snagging of them in the fall in certain streams and rivers.  One is also allowed to conventionally fish for them in the lakes and rivers during the other seasons of the year.  The snagging season is now open in the northern Redoubt States.

While shopping in town, mid-week, word was relayed to me that the Kokanee were running in Trestle Creek.  So I took a special little side trip over there just to see if this was so.  Yep sure enough, for the first time, ever, I saw those bright red males making their way up the creek to do their spawning.  I found it very exciting to see God’s creation doing it’s thing.  Trestle Creek is closed to fishing, so I just observed them.

The next day, Jim, Miss Violet, and I tried fishing for Kokanee in a large river.  We saw some Kokanee and a lot of trout in the river, but were not able to catch anything.  I think that they were not running strongly, yet in that river.  There were some other folks around us, fishing, and they too weren’t catching anything. However, it was a beautiful spot and a beautiful afternoon to be outside.

We intend to try yet another local river early next week to try our luck at snagging.

May you all have a very blessed and safe week.

– Avalanche Lily, Rawles

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As always,  please share and send e-mails of your own successes and hard-earned wisdom and we will post them in the “Snippets” column this coming week.  We want to hear from you.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.

I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.” – Psalm 101 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — September 16, 2022

Today is the prepper’s holiday, Paratus. It was originated by my buddy, Commander Zero. He is the Editor of the great Notes From The Bunker blog. Happy Paratus, Y’all!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 102 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 102 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

A Vehicle to Help Adjust Your Thinking, by R.V.

We bought a travel trailer. Our first trip took us from Georgia to North Dakota and back. The unit is built to handle changing sources of energy and limited sources of energy. It is designed to leave no trace other than tire prints. My primary motivation was to be able to join our family together on outings and make camping easier on my wife. I encourage camping and hiking. God will find you and/or you will find God in the wilderness.

Our trailer was built by Grand Design. It is a 30-foot model, without slide-out extensions. (I am disclosing the name only because I am impressed with the thoughtfulness of the design. I have no financial link.) We did not buy a version with the slides because we do not want to spend more than the minimum time inside the camper and the implied additional maintenance.

Minimalist Thinking

Operation of a camping trailer forces you and your family to face and reckon with limited resources.
Water: We must flush, wash, cook, and drink. At home, our unlimited household supply has made it easy to let it run while doing these things. Habits are hard to break. But the holding tank appropriately called the “black tank” only holds 32 gallons. Gray water tanks are the same size. Dumping the holding tanks is nasty disagreeable work but it makes you think. The fixtures in a camper make it possible to limit use. A lot of the lessons learned in operating a camping trailer have applicability in increasing the efficiency of how you live at home.

Maybe the house you live in should have those fixture options. The most significant is the wand type shower head with a button to shut it off. Second would be to get rid of the 5 gallon a flush water closet. Personally, I resented the mandate of lower-use toilets. But in the context of hauling water up from a lake or creek it is pretty darn sensible. How much you run your water pump on the well is also a resource issue. And, you can flood out your house’s septic system and make it back up. I know that some of you are astonished at that.Continue reading“A Vehicle to Help Adjust Your Thinking, by R.V.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the overhang of European energy derivatives. (See the Derivatives section.)

Precious Metals:

Silver prices see short squeeze, testing resistance near $20, up 6% on weak dollar.

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As expected, the silver-to-gold ratio is reversing. When I last checked (on Thursday, September 15, 2022) the ratio was down to 86-to-1. The long-term trend will put it south of 30-to-1, so it certainly isn’t too late to do some ratio trading, if you can find an agreeable coin dealer.

o  o  o

Silver sharks circle the COMEX Whale.

Economy & Finance:

Two recent headlines:

JWR’s Comments: Railroads crisscross America, and they are the lifeblood of agriculture, industry, and commerce. Any disruption of rail traffic for more than just a few days would surely devastate already shaky supply chains for both raw materials and finished goods. Take a minute to ponder this map. Livestock feed, crude oil, refined fuel, and bulk chemicals are quite dependent on reliable rail transport.

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Video interview: Fed will raise interest rates to 4% ‘hell or high water,’ says former Fed Vice Chair Clarida.

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Americans Spent More on Taxes in 2021 Than on Food, Clothing and Health Care Combined.

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Pat Cascio suggested this news item: US Army Recommends Struggling Soldiers Apply For Food Stamps.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”