SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, another look at the Greater Idaho project, which is up for votes today in two Oregon counties. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

Published in February: Greater Idaho idea gaining traction.

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Josephine County will vote in May on question of leaving Oregon to join Idaho. Editor’s Note: That election will be held today: May 17, 2022.

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Greater Idaho qualifies for ballot in Klamath County; petition pending in Douglas County.

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Warmer weather means more pollen in the Inland Northwest.

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COVID case reporting changing in Inland Northwest.

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The American Redoubt region now even more solidly conservative: Most Conservative States 2022. The county-level election tally maps prove it, for eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon: An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2020 Election.

Idaho

Recently, a tally of the party registrations of voters in Bonner County (which includes the relatively liberal city of Sandpoint) listed 18,563 registered Republicans; 3,608 registered Democrats; and 8,556 unaffiliated voters. Many of the latter also lean toward conservative voting. It is gratifying to see that we are looking at a conservative “Red State” that is turning crimson red — that is, toward small government.

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Idaho angler lands largest catch-and-release smallmouth bass on record.

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Nampa School Board OKs removal of 24 ‘challenged books’.

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Idaho agrees to $119 million opioid crisis settlement.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 16, 2022

On May 16, 1997, Zaire’s president, Mobutu Sese Seko, ended 32 years of dictatorial rule, giving control of the country to rebel forces.

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Today is the birthday of clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader Woody Herman.  (Born 1913, died October 29, 1987

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Today we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus,  Pat Cascio.

Rock Island Armory GI Compact, by Pat Cascio

I’ve mentioned this before. However, if you missed that article, there are more 1911-style handguns made in the Philippines, than anyplace else in the world. Yeah, I know, there are a lot of companies in the USA that manufacture 1911s, but nothing compares to the Philippines for the sheer number of handguns produced there. And, there are three manufacturers there, so you know they produce a lot of 1911s – in just about any configuration you might want.

Some time ago, I did a review of the Rock Island Armory Compact 1911. This was one of their tricked-out versions and a very nice gun. I had a nice Cerakote finish on it – it was cream-colored, for lack of a better description. I did have a few very early feeding issues, but after only about 75-rounds through the gun, it then ran 100% with every type of ammo I fed it. If I recall, I paid $420 for it – out the door, brand-new.Continue reading“Rock Island Armory GI Compact, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Rick’s Creamed Chipped Beef

The following traditional recipe for Creamed Chipped Beef is from reader Rick G.. Note that Creamed Chipped Beef is a thick meat gravy that is familiar to folks who have served in the U.S. military. There, it is commonly and lovingly called Same Old Schumer (S.O.S.), or when served over toast, as Schumer On A Shingle (S.O.S.) or Schumer On A Raft.

Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 lb lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 cup cold milk, cream, or substitutes. (See Directions Step #4.)
  • Salt, to taste.
  • Pepper, to taste.
  • Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
Directions
  1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef on a medium flame, stirring often. Don’t drain off the grease.
  2. Continuing the flame under the pan, sprinkle the flour over the ground beef.
  3. Stir for five+ minutes. This will lightly brown the flour and soak up the grease.
  4. Pour in the cold milk, cream, or substitutes. My special take on this recipe to use 1 cup of cream, 2 cups of milk, and 1 cup of cold water.  Powdered milk can be substituted, but it is a poor substitute.  For anyone who is lactose intolerant, coconut milk can also be substituted, but it too is a poor substitute.
  5. Stir in the milk, cream, or substitutes.
  6. Add salt and/or pepper, to suit your taste.
  7. Optionally, add a bit of Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
  8. Continue cooking the gravy for a few more minutes until it thickens to the desired consistency. If it’s too thick, then add more milk. Or, If it’s too runny, then cook it more thoroughly.
SERVING

Serve it hot.  Traditionally, Creamed Chipped Beef is served over a slice of toast or biscuits cut in half. Can also be served over rice, fries, mashed potatoes, or even bagels or English Muffins. This recipe serves six adults.

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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 developing stock market panic. (See the Economy & Finance section.)  But first, a personal note from JWR:

The Paywalling of The News

I must report that I’m finding it increasingly difficult to gather the requisite news links to assemble my regular blog columns. I attribute this to the continuing trend of “Paywalling” of the news. Increasingly, the web sites of newspapers and television news outlets now require paid subscriptions, to read articles or to view news clips. The latest affront is that CNBC has now put a lot of its news pieces behind a paywall, in “CNBC Pro.” I expect this endeavor to be a reincarnation of the short-lived (and laughable) CNN+. Despite all of the big launch hoopla, the international CNN+ service only gathered about 150,000 subscribers.  For comparison, the regional Los Angeles Times has 1.4 million print edition subscribers and 100,000 digital subscribers. Just 30 days into the CNN+ “long term” programming plan, they abruptly announced they were shutting down, and firing 400 staff members.

If the news paywalling situation gets any worse, then I will probably have to scale back or even discontinue several of my regular columns. This column, for example, presently appears on Mondays and Fridays. I might have to dial that back to just once a week. Granted, I can afford to buy a few news site subscriptions. But there is no point in doing so and then posting links to articles that require subscriptions at third-party sites for my readers to read them. That would frustrate nearly everyone.

My commitment to you is that SurvivalBlog will remain free to fully access — both current posts and online archives — for as long as possible, with the blog under my ownership. Some other blogs now offer a paid “premium” service. I have no plans to emulate that. Our subscriptions will remain entirely voluntary. I greatly appreciate the 2% of readers who kindly subscribe, for 10 cents a day. – JWR

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Precious Metals:

Gold, silver punished by strong USDX that hits 20-year high. Wyckoff notes:

“July silver futures prices closed nearer the session low and hit a 22-month low today.”

JWR’s Comment: Ratio traders should take note that the hard-hit silver market pushed the silver-to-gold ratio Back up to 87.77-to-1. If you have confidence in silver in the long term, and enough vault space, then this is a good juncture to swap,

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Gold Forecast: Metals and Miners Could Decline with Broader Markets.

Economy & Finance:

Last week’s stock market selloff was substantial. The editors of the WSJ called it “a brutal trading week.” Despite a 1.47% rebound in Friday’s session, the Dow was down I hope that readers took my advice in the past year to minimize their stock holdings and shift into tangibles. The recent stock market crash has indirectly created drops in cryptos and precious metals. Apparently, some big investors are liquidating their cryptos and metals to generate cash to cover their long option positions. We can expect plenty of turmoil to continue. Buckle up!

In the long term? Plan on further declines in equities, plenty of Dollar inflation, and stronger metals prices, once folks realize that the metals are a safe harbor, in the midst of double-digit inflation. Presently, there is a rush to cash, but that won’t last long.

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Explainer: Why the U.S. stock market is tumbling in 2022.

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At Wolf Street: Signs of a Downshift in the Freight Cycle, Trucking, and Demand.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 15, 2022

I just heard that actor Fred Ward (of Tremors, The Right Stuff, and Remo Williams fame) passed away at age 79. He will be missed.

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Today is the birthday of Evelyn Ernest Owen (15 May 1915 – 1 April 1949) was an Australian who developed the Owen submachine gun which was used by the Australian Army in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

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On May 15th, 1942, gasoline rationing began in 17 Eastern states as an attempt to help the American war effort during World War II. The main concern behind the rationing scheme was conserving scarce imported rubber, rather than fuel. By the end of the year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ensured that mandatory gasoline rationing was in effect in all 48 states.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 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. 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  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 $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, 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

Surviving a Transition to Solo Prepping, by JPK

This article addresses when the end of the world as we know it hits… but for you alone.

When prepping, planning and long-term goals are done as a family it makes life so much easier.

We started in earnest pre-Y2K then my husband and I were blessed to be introduced to JWR’s writings in 2008. So our preps have been ongoing and well-thought-out. From our conversion of a grid-powered well to a solar-powered pump with cistern to the metal roof on our rock house to the multi-year tree removal plan we had the big things on track. We found a family to move in on to our property and have started a symbiotic relationship of mutual survival and self-sustaining life. They help manage the varied environment and have added animals and a large organic food farming aspect to our compound. Our food storage is deep and well rotated, though as mentioned in a previous post, the weevils and other pests have been a challenge.

So we feel we are prepared or at least continuing to be prepared…and then my husband falls ill. After a very brief illness he passed away last month. I don’t think I am saying the end of the world as I know it to be funny.

Now What?

Since I don’t fall into a fit of despair as I have faith and a great Church community, also family and friends have rallied around to keep me uplifted, I still have taken the time to look around at our compound and sigh. Now what?

While this feels like it will come across as haughty and in any other community I would never even mention this, however, upon review I find that our silver and gold collection is beyond what I thought. Even though we always discussed these purchases, now that it’s “just me” it feels impressive.Continue reading“Surviving a Transition to Solo Prepping, by JPK”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

To share this, you can find it here:

Meme Text:

The Ultimate False Flag To Salvage a Doomed Election

May Be a Major Hollywood, Network TV, and Internet Media Co-Production

News Links:

Related Quote:

“Today Americans would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order; tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told there was an outside threat from beyond whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will pledge with world leaders to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well being granted to them by their world government.” – Henry Kissinger speaking at the 1992 Bilderberg meeting

(Kissinger has been a confidant of most of the sitting U.S. Presidents, since Nixon.)

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

And they glorified God in me.” – Galatians 1 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 14, 2022

I received news that Randy Weaver has passed away. While I had no fondness for his racism, I certainly empathized with him, for what the ATF, US Marshalls, and FBI put his family through. Clearly, he was set up, for overtly political reasons. I never met Randy, but I did meet his daughter Sara, in 2019. My condolences to her and the rest of the Weaver family.

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May 14th, 1686 was the birthday of Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, who invented the thermometer.

On May 14th, 1948, in Tel Aviv, Jewish Agency Chairman David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, reestablishing the Jewish state after 2000 years. In an afternoon ceremony at the Tel Aviv Art Museum, Ben-Gurion pronounced the words “We hereby proclaim the establishment of the Jewish state in Palestine, to be called Israel,” prompting applause and tears from the crowd gathered at the museum. Ben-Gurion became Israel’s first Prime Minister.

The British Army had withdrawn the day earlier and fighting broke out almost immediately. Egypt launched an air assault later in the evening. Despite a blackout in Tel Aviv–and the expected Arab invasion–Jews joyously celebrated the birth of their new nation, especially after word was received that the United States had recognized the Jewish state. At midnight, the State of Israel officially came into being upon termination of the British mandate in Palestine.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 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. 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  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 $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, 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

Our Experience Living Out of a Car, by M.B.

Living in a 2008 Toyota Prius on the road in the United States during much of the 2020 and 2021 pandemic mandates was an unexpectedly rewarding growth experience. Here are the top five suggestions I have for living on the road out of your car during these times.

1. Be careful where you park when you sleep. The best locations to park for a night are highway rest stops, some Walmarts and at 24-hour gas stations.

2. Buy water by the gallon. Staying hydrated is top priority when living on the road. I like the Crystal Geyser brand spring water. Their quality to cost ratio is better than most brands and they put their spring sourcing on the side.

3. Avoid fast food and get a can opener. Staying healthy and saving money can go a long way when they are paired together. Top choices for road food with no cooking gear and can all be found at most Walmart locations. These include:
a.) Natural peanut butter.
b.) Gas station coffee maker for hot water with store-bought plain oatmeal and bananas.
c.) Small greens containers and avocados with a choice of canned beans and dressing.
d.) Beans by themselves as a cheap survival food. Garbanzos, black, and red kidney beans.
e.) Amy’s brand canned soups. Lentil, black bean, split pea, and many others. All ready to eat with convenient pop-up tops.

4. Buy body wipes. With no access to shower while living in your car, I recommend buying Seventh Generation brand body wipes. They are very convenient when you need to take care of full body personal hygiene.

5. Store cash in a portable safe. With what seems to be a cashless society on its way I feel it’s a smart move to store cash (while you still can) in a small lockable container to store in your car to keep your money safe with easy access.Continue reading“Our Experience Living Out of a Car, by M.B.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

Edit date and time 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:

I often listen to music when I’m writing and editing the blog.  When an article needs my full concentration, I generally avoid pieces with lyrics — I try to find instrumentals, or I subconsciously start typing lyrics!

My recently-visited Radio.Garden stations:

  • Jive Radio (KJIV), Madras, Oregon. One of the most eclectic mixes of music I’ve found in CONUS.
  • Radio Berrner Oberland (“Radio BeO”), Interlaken, Switzerland.
  • SRF 4 News, Zurich, Switzerland. We have a Swiss friend of the family who will be visiting the Rawles Ranch again, later this month. So stations like Radio BeO and SRF 4 help me brush up on my Schweizerdeutsch.
  • KVMR, Nevada City, California. I enjoy the folk music that they play on weekends.
  • Radio Garuda, Paramaribo, Suriname.

(Note: Radio.Garden has been glitchy with recent releases of Firefox, but it works well with the Opera browser.)

This week I did a few more fence repairs. I also dropped two “leaner” fir trees that might eventually threaten a spot where we plan to construct an outbuilding. Since that is green wood, I’ll probably just cut and stack those rounds (up to 21-inch diameter) in place between a couple of standing trees for a full year.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.” – Psalm 36 (KJV)