The Semi-Prepper – Part 1, by Francis

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I’m a semi-prepper. I’d like to give you my background and where we are today.  I’ll discuss water, food, firearms, family, and other issues.

We came to the United States when I was 6-1/2 years old in 1952. We came from Great Britain, but we’re ethnically Southern Irish. My mother was bombed out of her apartment in London and my father was with the RAF in WWII. Both of them made the distinction between the German people and the Nazis. My father said more than once that with different leaders, Great Britain and the United States could have easily been like Nazi Germany and/or Stalinist Russia (sound familiar today?). After WWII, Great Britain was rationing some items up to sometime in 1954 (Britain was not in the Marshal Plan so did not receive any of its benefits, though it bothered my mother that we were still on rationing while Germany and Italy were no longer because of the food the US sent to Europe after WWII.) My father came to the US a year earlier than we and worked to afford the passage for us by boat. He was a journeyman tool and die maker. He had to prove he could support his family before we could enter the US.

My parents were very religious and passed that onto us. I believe with proper preparation, critical thinking and trust in the Lord we will be as well prepared as we can for the coming financial collapse and other eventualities. I honestly believe a financial collapse is coming, the Federal Reserve and Treasury are “printing” too much money. With this pandemic and the questionable government procedures, I’ve been forced to change our plans several times over the last several months.Continue reading“The Semi-Prepper – Part 1, by Francis”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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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 focus on Wyoming.

Idaho

Over at the Good Simple Living family’s vlog: Our DIY Tiny Home Build Is COMING TOGETHER!  JWR’s Comment:  I highly recommend subscribing to their vlog and clicking the “Bell” icon.  These folks are truly living the life, off-grid, debt-free on a beautiful piece of land in North Idaho. (They take their mail in Bonners Ferry.)  They already have 79,000 subscribers. Please help them reach their goal of 100,000 subscribers.

o  o  o

Over at the SurvivalRealty.com spin-off site, owned by my #1 Son: Idaho Retreats with James Wesley, Rawles – Part 2

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General Carlin’s lasting mark

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Lewiston: Trial date set for man accused of damaging home

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 25, 2020

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Today marks Memorial Day, 2020. Never forget the lives that have been lost, in the defense of our nation.

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On May 25th, 1787, The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding. The task of the peaceful overthrow of the new American government as it had been defined by the Article of Confederation eventually led to the United States Constitution that is so abused today.

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Reader Matt X. wrote with this sad news: Dave Canterbury’s house burned down! Dave Canterbury runs a wilderness school that teaches bushcraft called the Pathfinder School, located in the Midwest.

On May 15th his house burned down and his family got out with just the clothes on their backs. There’s a Gofundme set up to help them recover, here.

You can see the husk of Dave’s home here.

Please pray for the Canterbury family, and help them out, if you can.

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I’ve been getting a lot queries about my upcoming nonfiction book release. The title is: The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide. The book’s Foreword was written by Michael Z. Williamson.  It is 240 pages, and profusely illustrated with color photos. The binding is wire-o style (so it lays flat, when open), and it measures 10.5 x 11.25 inches. The publisher is Welbeck Publishing, in London. The printing for the American Edition has just begun in Hong Kong, and meanwhile the UK Edition is being printed in Dubai. To allow time for traditional oceanic shipping of tens of thousands copies in the initial print run, it will not be released in the U.S. until October 20th, 2020. Please WAIT to order your copies until the official release day. The goal is to generate publicity from the spike in sales, to push it to the top of the sales rankings. I call this a “Book Bomb Day.” That is what catapulted three of my previous books to Amazon’s Top Ten, and into the New York Times  Bestsellers List. Note that I won’t be selling any copies directly. But The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide should be available at major book stores and from all major online book sellers. Also note that a special edition just for Costco stores that includes a 16-page bonus chapter with my Lists of Lists will be available on August 26th, 2020. Many Thanks, – JWR

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Are you by chance looking for a modestly-priced retreat in North Idaho with two houses and room for two families, space to establish multiple gardens, and sufficient room to park several vehicles–or to build garages, barns, poultry houses, or shops?  Then check out this new listing at SurvivalRealty.com: North Idaho Homes in the Redoubt.

CRKT Helical, by Pat Cascio

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If you’ve been around knives for any length of time, you know the name Ken Onion. He is one of the best custom knife makers of all time, and he was the youngest knife maker to be inducted in the Hall of Fame for knife makers. I’ve never met Ken, but we had several conversations some years back, when I was doing an article on one of his collaborations with a major knife company.  Ken lives in Hawaii – and I used to – and he is an absolute wild man to talk to on the phone. He is also a wealth of knowledge when it comes to making custom knives. I used to collect custom knives, and designed more than a few. But I could never afford one of Ken’s custom knives. So, we have the likes of CRKT to thank, for bringing a number of Ken’s custom designs, to the marketplace, and at very affordable prices.

Columbia River Knife & Tool, is a company known for their many collaborations with custom knifemakers, and I’ve been writing about their knives almost from the git-go. I’ve probably written more articles about their knives than any other writer out there. The owner of CRKT and I have been friends for a lot of years, just don’t tell him I ever claimed we were friends – it would drive him mad, I’m sure…LOL! Rod Bremer, who owns CRKT is one of the nicest and most laid-back guys in the industry, and we really go at each other all the time – be it in e-mails, or on the phone – how he puts up with me, is another story, but the same can be said about me putting up with him…if you ever read our e-mail exchanges or heard our phone calls, or our all to infrequent face-to-face meetings, you’d think we were bitter enemies.

I really like that CRKT explores the outer universe when it comes to some “different” knife designs, they aren’t afraid to reach out there, and market knives and other tools that you really need to take a second look at – many times – you might dismiss one of their collaborations as “ho-hum” at first glance. But you really need to read about some of the designs, and then hold one in your hand, and you come to appreciate what CRKT saw in the design in the first place. More than once, I’ve looked at a design on their web site and said “what the heck is that all about, I don’t get it…” but I’m not closed-minded, and I’ll request that sample, only to be pleasantly surprise at how much I liked the knife, once I held it in my hand.

Enter the new Onion-designed “Helical” folder, and this one really is more than a little different in many ways. First of all, it is a very slim design, the blade is only half an inch wide, we’re talking slim, for a knife with a tanto blade that is 3.524 inches long. The first thing that you’ll notice is how long the blade appears. When I read about this neat folder, I just wasn’t all that impressed, but like I said, I’m not closed-minded – just because I didn’t like what I saw, doesn’t mean others would. More on this later.Continue reading“CRKT Helical, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Potatoes Persillade (Parsley)

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The following recipe is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book will be one of the bonus items in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021.

Ingredients
  • 1 dozen small new potatoes or 6 medium-sized old potatoes
  • Butter or butter substitute
  • Juice of one-half lemon
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions

These are dependent upon finely chopped parsley, not only for their name but for their attractive appearance. Scrape new potatoes or pare old potatoes and cut the size of a small egg.

Boil until tender: Add salt just before cooking is completed.

Drain, place in a saucepan with sufficient butter or butter substitute to coat all the potatoes

Add the lemon-juice and sprinkle with minced parsley.

The potatoes should be well coated with parsley when served.

SERVING

These are excellent served with boiled fish.

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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

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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 imminent return of Necco candy wafers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Alasdair Macleod: The Path To Monetary Collapse

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Another great video by Mike Maloney: This Is The End: How & When Deflation Turns To Hyperinflation

Economy & Finance:

H.L. mentioned this piece at Zero Hedge: US Banks On Hook For $150 Billion In “Frozen Loans” As Millions Of Americans Skip Credit Card And Car Payments

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At Wolf Street: Week 9 of the Collapse of the U.S. Labor Market: Still Getting Worse at a Gut-Wrenching Pace

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Another: Canadian Home Sales See Worst April Since 1984, Montreal And Toronto Lead Lower

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Third Mega-Crisis in 12 Years: Eurozone Economy Plunges at Fastest Rate on Record

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Like all predatory or parasitic institutions, the state’s first instinct is that of self-preservation. All its enterprises are directed first towards preserving its own life, and, second, towards increasing its own power and enlarging the scope of its own activity. For the sake of this it will, and regularly does, commit any crime which circumstances make expedient.” – Albert Jay Nock

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 24, 2020

1

On May 24th, 1775, John Hancock was elected president of the Second Continental Congress. He is best known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, which he jested the British king could read “without his spectacles.”

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 88 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. 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.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $100 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!

Round 88 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.

Advance Your Shooting Ability, by Steve Mc

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It has been well documented that concerns related to the COVID19 pandemic have been the impetus for many people to become first-time gun owners. For those new to firearms, as well as those that have owned and used firearms for many years, I want to challenge you to take some specific steps to advance your firearm capability. Because our society and legal system affirms the use of firearms to protect and defend ourselves, our loved ones, and those that need protection, it is incumbent upon us to maximize our capability to effectively use the firearms if, God-forbid, it becomes necessary. What I am proposing is intended to address the needs of the overwhelming majority of firearm owners/users, but it is acknowledged that there will always be appropriate exceptions to address particular circumstances. Full disclosure: the author has no financial interest in any of the products or services mentioned in this piece.

My first challenge is for you to evolve your carry weapon. But let’s first narrow the discussion to handguns, since they are the most applicable class of firearms to non-military people. So, you have a handgun, perhaps several. That is a start. But if maximizing effectiveness is your goal, the handguns you have may not be optimal. Quite frankly, the majority of handguns being sold are not up to the task of reliably protecting the lives of your loved ones. They may be impossible to shoot accurately, slow to deploy, of low capacity, too large or small, too heavy to wear, have inconsistent trigger pulls, have poor sights or have any number of other deficiencies. My telling you this is a bit of “tough-love”, because you probably think the gun you have will rise to the occasion when called upon. When you bought it, you felt like it was a good choice, or your buddy or the guy behind the counter of the local gun store told you it was. Maybe it was on sale or lower priced than others. You may be a brand fan-boy, or are heavily invested in the image or emotions that a particular gun evokes. But I am here to “call your baby ugly”.

If you really are committed to being most capable of defending those most precious to you with a firearm, it really should be “duty-grade”. How do I define “duty-grade”? It is that small number of pistol brands and models that are most frequently selected and used by military and police and for which there is exhaustive demonstrated performance. Yes, we all know that military and police choices can be biased by politics and finances, but the choices made are nearly always amongst the few that are duty-grade. The most consistently selected pistols for military or law enforcement (LE) duty, and what I am adamantly recommending, are the Glock 17 and SIG P320 (M17) platforms, or variants of these. What these have in common are polymer frames, striker-fired, high capacity, proven durability, broad support and 9 mm. There are other competent striker fired 9 mm pistols that may be of similar quality, but not as commonly owned or adopted, and with less support, such as Smith & Wesson M&P, HK VP9, and the FN 509.Continue reading“Advance Your Shooting Ability, by Steve Mc”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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fkongSurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the invasion of Argentine Black and White Tegu lizards.

Coronavirus: More Evidence of Long-Term Lung Damage

Over at Chris Martenson’s Peak Prosperity: Coronavirus: More Evidence Of Long-Term Lung Damage. (That part of the discussion begins at the 13:15 mark.)

Large Invasive Lizard Gaining Foothold in Georgia

Reader Tim J. sent this: Large invasive lizard gaining foothold in Georgia, officials warn. A snippet:

“The Argentine black and white tegus, which are not native to the U.S., were first spotted in Florida — but now, officials believe the lizards have established themselves in Toombs and Tattnall counties in Georgia…”

Free Speech Is COVID’s Latest Casualty

At CBN News: Free Speech Is COVID’s Latest Casualty: Doctors Silenced, Protests Censored, Americans Treated Like ‘Children’. A pericope:

“Also, the censoring can often feel one-sided since it’s conservative viewpoints that are routinely shut down.

‘Many of these social media organizations are frankly acting as if the American people are children – they are our parents who know better and they should censor what we see and write. I have a lot more faith in the American people, Spakovsky says.”

A Free Big Berkey Raffle

Over at the SurvivalRealty.com web site, they are raffling off a Big Berkey water filter.  There is no cost to enter the drawing, and there are ways to place multiple entries.

Hillary Clinton Panics, Seeing Armed Michigan Protestors

Hillary Clinton calls armed Michigan lockdown protests ‘domestic terrorism’. JWR’s Comment:  Just because someone is exercising their First Amendment rights, it doesn’t mean that they need to leave their Second Amendment tools locked up at home. Much like a muscle that atrophies with disuse, any right that goes unexercised for many years devolves into a privilege, and eventually can even be redefined as a crime. Open Carry is an important reminder, at public events. Just be careful about “brandishing” laws in many states, and therefore do not point a gun directly at anyone. Pistols should be holstered, and long guns should be carried slung and either muzzle up or muzzle down. But definitely carry your guns loaded. Don’t be disarmed by political correctness. Even some concealed carry advocates now complain about open carry. They should get over it. We must all respect each other’s rights, and the way that we do so is properly left up to the choice of each individual. Open carry and concealed are both Constitutionally protected antecedent rights For the record, I’m Pro-Choice: You can choose either concealed carry or open carry.
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:1-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 23, 2020

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On this day in 1934 the outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by a pair of deputized former Texas Rangers and assorted local police, near Gibbsland, Louisiana.

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And May 23rd  is the birthday of George Lars Kellgren (born 1943 in Borås, Sweden), the founder and chief engineer of Kel-Tec. According to LeftistAgendaPedia: He designed many firearms earlier for Husqvarna and Swedish Interdynamics AB in Sweden. He moved to the US in 1979 and his original US designs were for Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. He founded Kel-Tec in 1991.

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Over at the SurvivalRealty.com web site, they are raffling off a Big Berkey water filter.  There is no cost to enter the drawing.

—

Stack them deep!  Palmetto State Armory (one of our affiliate advertisers), is running their big Memorial Day Weekend Sale. They presently have their PSA AR15 Complete Classic Stealth Lowers on sale for $139. At their web site, put the SKU  “5165457978” in their search box. They also have the complete Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport II 5.56 NATO Rifle w/ Gun Case and Vertical Grip/Light on sale for $699. At their web site, put the SKU  “5165490834” in their search box. Note that if you use our text or ad link to PSA, then SurvivalBlog will get a little piece of the action. Thanks.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 88 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

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. 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.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $100 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!

Round 88 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.

 

The Protein All Around Us, by Oregon Bill

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It was the fifth raccoon that I had permanently discouraged from killing our chickens. “If we ever had to eat these in an emergency, our family would put on weight” I said to my wife. I was joking of course. She surprised me with her reply: “Well, why don’t we give them a try so we know if it would ever be worth it?” She had grown up eating wild meat, and our family commonly ate what we raised or hunted, so it sounded kind of like a new adventure. Here is some of what we learned that might be of benefit in tough times.

On our small farm we often have troubles with skunks, opossum, squirrels, and raccoons. Effective ways to deal with all of these are important, and it helped me realize the sheer volume of protein around us. I’m going to focus on the opportunities of squirrels and raccoons in difficult times and leave the skunks and opossum to someone else for exploration.

Raccoons seem to be everywhere, and if you have poultry you know how much trouble they can cause. One year I trapped eight out of our back woods trying to keep them under control and protect my chickens, and there were plenty more around to take up the slack. I’ve helped many of my friends in town trap nuisance animals. In the town and in the country, they are plentiful and reproduce quickly.

Squirrels are the same – they are everywhere. During the months of May and November, they are all over the roadways in their pursuit of new space. They cause problems on our place trying to nest in buildings and harassing the chickens in their theft of feed.Continue reading“The Protein All Around Us, by Oregon Bill”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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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:

Our young bull (now two years old) was throwing his weight around again. Although he is from what is considered a “small” breed, he is still a very powerful critter. Recently, he has been using our utility box trailer as a play toy, pushing it around, for distances up to 20 feet. That 30 year old trailer–which we mainly used for hay and firewood hauling–weighs around 1,200 pounds. The bull isn’t being intentionally destructive–just playful. He will push at it from all directions until it comes free of its wheel chocks. Then he will push it around, in semicircles.

This past week our bull also badly bent one of our garden gates. This is the large channel steel tractor gate (12 feet wide) at one end of our Annex Garden. He had been bending into a “V” shape. Not only did I have to upgrade it to a more stout chain-and-eye bolt closure, but I had to reinforce the bottom of the gate itself with a 10-foot length of scrap 1.5″ Schedule 40 galvanized steel pipe. This piece straightened and stoutened (is that a word?) the gate, nicely. Without that, our Bovine Delinquent would probably have continued to bend that gate, to the point of failure.

Such is life with a bull. You can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them. If we sent him to the chest freezer, it would of course mean: no calves. Yes, we’ve tried using AI for a couple of years, with a less than 50% success rate. And that pitiful rate was with the optional week-in-advance ovulation inducing shot. In contrast, keeping a bull pastured for three months each year with our open cows has had a 100% success rate. Therefore, we are keeping him, but he was just moved in to our extra-stout Bull Pen, for the summer. That pen is constructed of heavy duty tubular steel livestock panels. The corners of the pen are attached to 12″ diameter cedar posts that are sunk 2 feet deep in the ground–so that bulls cannot push the pen out of shape.

This week I also cut two more cords of firewood.  Our teen daughters are becoming more accomplished firewood stackers. This past year they’ve progressed from merely “utilitarian” stackers, to downright decorous stackers. Their firewood stacks are now very pleasing to the eye. And they are sturdy enough to be almost invulner-a-Bull. (Thankfully, our bull doesn’t like to play with firewood.)

Next week, it will be time to slaughter and butcher a whole mess of young roosters. I never look forward to that task. But the end result–either in our chest freezer, or canned up in jars–is always gratifying. We are thankful to God, for His providence!

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”