Radios for Emergency and SHTF Use – Part 1, by Rufus King

I have been interested in radios since I was about 12 years old. Long before cell phones were ubiquitous, the adult leaders in my Boy Scout Troop all had CB radios installed in their vehicles on road trips, and I witnessed them being used to good effect for communication between vehicles. I know now that the 11 meter band and the AM operating mode of those radios is a suboptimal choice for that kind of short-range voice communication, but it was the practical choice when CB was about the only unlicensed radio service available.

A couple of the scout leaders I knew also had amateur (ham) radio licenses, and I once watched one of them produce a handheld radio from his belt and make a phone call via a telephone patch system operated by the local ham club. Needless to say, he had my interest. That was long before I ever saw my first cell phone. Ham radio was out of my financial reach at the time, but I never forgot it.

When I got a little older, I had a few mobile CB radios, which I installed in various vehicles I owned. At the time I knew nothing about standing wave ratios or antenna tuning but got them to work. Later, I was briefly involved as a volunteer first responder in New York City around the time of the 9/11 attack. I bought a used Motorola Saber radio off eBay and learned how to program it with an old computer and some even older software.

My interest continued to grow, and I continued to tinker with radios. The 9/11 attacks, or more specifically the way the city government reacted to them, caused me to end my sojourn in NYC and return to Virginia. After more public safety work and more tinkering with radios, I eventually revived my interest in amateur radio. I took and passed the Technician exam (which by that point no longer required Morse code), and I bought both a 50 watt VHF (very high frequency) radio for my truck and a small VHF/UHF (very high frequency/ultra high frequency—capable of operating on both bands) handheld (called an HT for handie-talkie by amateur radio folks). I learned more by doing and by making mistakes.

I also quickly realized that through my ham endeavors, I knew more about radios and how they worked than anybody in the county emergency communications center or in the administration of the sheriff’s department I was working for. I am not an engineer by training, but I could read and tinker, and I have always been reasonably handy with computers. Over time, I upgraded my ham license to General Class and then finally to Amateur Extra—the top-level license in the US.Continue reading“Radios for Emergency and SHTF Use – Part 1, by Rufus King”

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, we highlight the death of former Colfax, Washington fire chief Jim Krouse. (See the Central & Eastern Washington section.)

Region-Wide

Forecasters see “above average fire danger for the Northern Rockies through September.

o  o  o

B.K. mentioned this essay, over at Surakblog: Please respect my borders.

o  o  o

Local Steelhead populations reaching critically low numbers.

Idaho

Idaho governor and lieutenant feud over vaccinations.

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‘Loss of hope’: Idaho hospitals crushed by COVID-19 surge.

o  o  o

Idaho lawmakers receive threatening letters over wolf law.

o  o  o

I found this video in the course of some web-wandering: Riding the Idaho BDR from North to South Part 1.

And of course, Part 2.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 6, 2021

September 6th, 1757 was the birthday of the Marquis de Lafayette (often known simply as Lafayette), a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was a close friend of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson. George Washington met him through his connections in the Free Masons and was impressed with him. After he offered to serve without pay, Congress commissioned him as a Major General and he was an integral part of the battle at Brandywine.

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An Important Reminder: There are just two days left to comment on the ATF’s proposed “pistol stabilizing braces” rule. If codified, this rule might make as many as one million American gun owners into unwitting felons. Please post your well-reasoned and polite comment, soon! The deadline is midnight on Wednesday, September 8, 2021.  In your comment, please stress:  1.) The rule is an unconstitutional uncompensated “taking” ($465 million worth!), and, 2.) The rule directly contravenes numerous long-standing rulings and hence it is is “arbitrary and capricious”.

Here is what I posted for my comment:

I am strongly opposed to this proposed rule. It is a gross violation of the Second Amendment. For the ATF to contravene their numerous and long-standing rulings that arm braces are legal is an absurd over-reach of regulatory authority. This is truly an “arbitrary and capricious” move.

Pistol arm braces serve a useful purpose for those who are crippled, deformed, injured, elderly, or infirmed.

Because of the numerous and long-standing rulings that arm braces are legal, there are now more than 3 million braces in private hands. Many of the guns equipped with these braces have changed hand numerous times, without any paper trail, as private party sales. So, even if the original owners were informed of the change in legal status via letters from the manufacturers or retailers, the subsequent owners may very well be oblivious. The end result will be that hundreds of thousands of people will become unwitting FELONS, overnight, with the stroke of the pen.

Because there is no compensation for the owners of the 3 million braces in circulation, the proposed rule is a grossly unconstitutional “taking”. Here is the math: 3 million braces valued at an average of $155 each equals $465,000,000. ($465 million dollars!)

These sorts of arbitrary and capricious moves by regulatory agencies undermine public trust in our government. If they continue, they will sow the seeds of so much discontent that they may lead to a revolution by righteously angry gun owners.

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

Zero Tolerance 0707, by Pat Cascio

I’m continually amazed at the innovations in folding knives. Just when I think there isn’t anything new that can be done to a folder, someone does it! I’ll confess, this latest innovation for Zero Tolerance Knives,is something I’d never thought of before.

Before we get into the meat of the 0707, I wanted to mention how lightweight this American-made folder is. At first, I thought that there wasn’t anything in the box. The 0707 only weighs in at 2.3-ounces, and for a full-sized folder, with a 3.5-inch blade, that’s pretty lightweight. However this folder isn’t light when it comes to the features it has to offer. The blade material is CPM20CV. This is one of the new “super” stainless steels and I really like it. This steel offers exceptional hardness, and it holds an edge a good long time, and this means less wear resistance, so the blade will hold an edge a lot longer, before you have to head to the sharpening stone.

The blade is also stonewashed, so it hides scratches a lot better – not that a scratched-up blade affects its cutting performance. That is just a cosmetic thing when you see a blade exhibiting scratches on it.

The blade is a drop point design, and this is one of the most useful designs, especially when it comes to precise cutting chores. It also affords very precise slicing on whatever material you are cutting into. Probably more folding knives have a drop point blade than any other design.

Tuned Detent System

The 0707 is a manual opening folder, but there is more to this. It has what Zero Tolerance calls their Tuned Detent System (TDS) and it allows the end-user to fine-tune the detent so it’s not too heavy nor too light when it comes to opening the blade. Even if pressure is being applied to the lock bar, the blade can still be easily opened, but not to the point, that the blade opens too easily. Opening the blade uses the KVT ball-bearing system, and this seems like it is almost friction-free – it is “that” smooth. Opening the blade is done by applying pressure to the “flipper” and it is fast, very fast. I’ve compared the KVT ball-bearing device to some automatic folders, and the race was too close to call, as to which method of opening it faster.Continue reading“Zero Tolerance 0707, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Zucchini Relish

The following recipe for Sweet Zucchini Relish is from SurvivalBlog Reader “Sis.”  (Note: This is not an inadvertent repeat. Last week, Sis sent us a recipe for her Dill Zucchini Relish. This alternate recipe has a quite different taste.)

Ingredients
  • 20 cups zucchini  (I grate it then chop it to make small pieces)
  •  5 cups onion, diced
  • 7 cups vinegar (I use half cider and half white)
  • 6 cups sugar (I use half turbino and half white)
  • 3 tsp. Celery seed.  3 tsp. Tumeric.
  • 1 tsp. Clove powder
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon.
  • 4 tsp. Allspice powder
  • 2 Tbl. Mustard seed.
Directions
  1. Blend together in kettle.
  2. Heat until warm/ hot.
  3. Put in canning jars.
  4. Water bath process for 15 minutes.

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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 adoption of Bitcoin as a currency in El Salvador. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

I checked over at Kitco, and there were some big moves in the metals markets on Friday. Most notably, silver was up 81 cents per Troy ounce (3.37%.)  And there were gains for the other key metals:

Gold 1828.80 +1.06%
Platinum 1019.00 +2.52%
Palladium 2360.00 +0.68%
Rhodium 15750.00 +0.95%

FWIW, given the instability in Afghanistan, I expect to see a rally in precious metals that will extend to November,

The cited reason for the big price moves? Price gains in gold, silver after weak U.S. jobs report.

o  o  o

Afghanistan’s Gold At The New York Fed: 1,731 Bars Held Since 1939. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

Economy & Finance:

Dr. Ron Paul: How To Survive A “Crack-Up Boom”.

o  o  o

At Investment Watch: FedRes Overnight Reverse Repo: $1,189.616B – Another Record!

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: David Stockman On The Return Of Negative Yields… And What Comes Next.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 5, 2021

On September 5, 1774, fed up with the meddling of the crown and being mostly independant-minded, our nation’s founding fathers met together in the First Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, laying the foundation of what would become the world’s greatest nation.

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I just heard that L. Neil Smith passed away on August 27th, at age 75, in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was the author of the libertarian novels Pallas and The Probability Broach. He was a great author who will be missed. Lester Neil Smith III was born May 12, 1946. His biography page on Infogalactic notes: “L. Neil Smith should not be confused with J. Neil Schulman, another Libertarian science fiction writer.”

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 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.

Fire Prevention and Preparedness, by W.Va. Underground

One of the greatest discoveries humankind ever made is fire. Through the many years, mankind has learned a great many things about this process and its benefits. Without a doubt, fire is one of man’s greatest tools. However, like most tools, when used improperly or by the untrained, it can become one of the most destructive forces imaginable. The same tool that can provide life-saving heat in the middle of a brutal winter storm can also reduce an entire forest to smoldering ash. (At this time we’ll leave out any discussion as to the State of California’s terrible forestry management practices.)

As preppers, we must be ready and able to safely and responsibly use fire to help ensure our continued survival. To do this, we need to be aware of how fire functions, how it can get out of control, and what we can do to restrain its spread until it can be controlled. A great deal of the following information will be summarized from my training as a volunteer firefighter and a transportation company safety officer.

To start, please understand that fighting a fire of any size is an extremely dangerous activity even with the proper training, equipment, and manpower. Attempting to combat anything larger than the smallest of fires without proper training and equipment is almost certainly a futile effort and is highly likely to result in injury and/or death to the person(s) attempting to do so. Proper firefighting equipment is highly expensive to purchase and maintain. An adequate house fire fighting operation requires access to hundreds of gallons of water per minute and multiple hose lines, each requiring potentially several 100 feet of hose. This level of equipment and manpower is realistically beyond what most private citizens could obtain and staff.
For the prepared citizen, the best course of action is to take as many steps to prevent a fire from occurring as possible. The next best option is to as quickly as possible determine the extent of the fire, to evacuate everyone from the structure, and to contact 911 for help.

To prevent fire from occurring, we must first understand that fire at its’ basic level is a chemical reaction that combines a fuel source, oxygen, and heat to produce fire. Additional byproducts (aka ash, smoke, etc.) will be produced depending on what the fuel source is and how complete the chemical reaction is. Most of us remember seeing the “Fire Triangle” in some safety class along the years. As long as these three elements are not present, fire will not occur.Continue reading“Fire Prevention and Preparedness, by W.Va. Underground”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” – 1 Thessalonians 3:4-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — September 4, 2021

September 4, 1862 is the fateful day that General Robert E. Lee invaded the North with 50,000 troops. Historians will banter back and forth about the real reasons for the civil war, but we will probably never fully understand. It is my personal belief that General Lee was gambling on a quick offensive because the South did not have the resources for a prolonged war. Whatever the case was, President Abraham Lincoln trampled the Constitution and created the foundation for the “Big Brother” government we have today.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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 Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  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. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

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. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 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!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 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.

Food: The Ultimate Weapon, by MacHam

Never before in the history of mankind has a generation of people been so distant from their food sources, both in geography and in knowledge of how they are created. Those who are intent on doing evil have used withholding food as a weapon of war for thousands of years. Unlike modern weapons of war that leave great environmental damage, starvation is a silent albeit slow killer. This leaves a populace malnourished and the people are hence easily led, unable to resist the commands of leaders. Depopulation follows, leaving all wealth and infrastructure in place. It truly is the perfect weapon.

Hunger: Some Illustrations

In my younger years, I was an avid backpacker. I would stay in the backwoods sometimes weeks at a time. The only thing that drove me from the deep woods was lack of food. As a guide to large groups of people on Monday through Saturday hikes through wilderness areas in the early 1980s I would ask to inspect each person’s backpack. My mantra then was: “If you can’t eat it or wear it, then leave it.”  When going through the backpacks of Newbies, I would constantly find items that had no use in the backcountry: From fold-up lawn chairs to cast iron skillets, to #10 cans of stewed tomatoes, to three pairs of boots.

I had to explain to them over and over: “The lack of food will drive you out of these woods very fast.” I tried to explain to them that deep hunger will drive you to distraction to where you can think of nothing else. With these large groups sitting around the campfire the topic of food would painfully come up over and over again. I have seen the bidding on a lowly candy bar top $50 in the deep woods, because people were hungry and there, currency had no value. There is a reason why many trails, streams, and mountains are named after food because you can think of nothing else. The old myth that food is plentiful in the woods is simply not true. I have never seen a fat coyote. Most animals in the wild all look malnourished most times of the year.

I had one group of 24  people that were especially quarrelsome mainly because it had rained two days and the group was cold, wet, and hungry. So I radioed my boss to have some food dropped off at the last campsite where we would be staying. When we got there we found a 50-pound pound sack of potatoes and nothing else. So I handed out about 2 pounds of potatoes each and proceeded to build a large campfire so they could roast their potatoes. I then showed them how to roast the potatoes in the coals provided. To my surprise, few came forward. The group looked sheepishly at me until I realized most of them had eaten their potatoes raw.

The Search for a Crashed Airplane

Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that there is little food in the woods. I the late 1970s a widow posted an advertisement that she would pay $15,000 for anyone who found a crashed airplane with her dead husband in it. Her husband was a doctor who had been flying from Spokane to Seattle and his plane was lost deep in the Cascade mountains. A young buddy of mine was fresh out of the military and was extremely fit and he too thought the $15,000 reward was well worth trying for it. We did have a credible tip from a Forest Service Ranger that he had heard a plane late at night on the night in question and then the sudden thud, then nothing. He gave us the general direction on which to head.

It was late summer so we filled our backpacks to overflowing and headed off into the deep woods. Our backpacks must have topped 80 pounds of mostly food and we were out for a two-week search. We made a high camp near a 7,000-foot mountain. We spent the first week bushwhacking up and down ravines looking for the crash site to no avail. We noticed our food supplies were dwindling faster than we thought. So we decided on the second week to offset our reserves with Brook trout and Cutthroat trout with the hooks and line we had brought. The fish were plentiful and delicious, but each night we felt like we were going to bed hungry.

Continue reading“Food: The Ultimate Weapon, by MacHam”

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:

I’m traveling for the month of September, so I’ve put Elk Creek Company on an ordering hiatus. While caring for an ailing elderly relative, I’ve been able to take a little time to hunt for more antique gun inventory. I plan to reactivate our shopping cart system on Wednesday, September 29th, and shipments will resume on Monday, October 4th, 2021.

As usual, when I travel, I do my best to keep fit. This past week, it has been calisthenics, bike riding, and some gardening chores.

Please pray for the folks who have homes in the path of the western wildfires. We have some relatives, friends,  and acquaintances that are quite near the Caldor Fire, which is licking at the edges of South Lake Tahoe, in Nevada. I don’t expect the fires to truly abate until we see a seasonal weather change.

Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”