Building Or Purchasing Your New Country Property – Part 2, by S.T.

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After our move across the country and decision to purchase rather than build our new country property, we had some work ahead of us. Our home was more than 30 years old and needed considerable work. In this section of the article, we continue to review the improvements made and plans for the future.

Year 3 Property Improvements (cont.)

New Flooring and Wall Storage

The floor was updated and unused space appropriated. The original lino floors were replaced with new tile floors. The back wall of the kitchen had not been used. I installed four open shelves with the bottom shelf just above the height of my bulk food storage buckets. These shelves now hold all of the food that had once been stored in the linen closet and a basement storage room.

Remodel Efficiency On A Budget

All of the kitchen remodel was completed in just eight days. (The footprint of the kitchen did not change. No plumbing or electrical was changed with the exception of un-interable plugs.) The custom S/S kitchen unit was ordered 1 1/2 weeks prior to the day of the removal of the old kitchen cabinets and flooring. It was picked up two days after demo started. The total cost of our kitchen remodel was just $7,200.

Continue reading“Building Or Purchasing Your New Country Property – Part 2, by S.T.”

Letter: Hybrid or Electric UTV?

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HJL and JWR,

After conducting Internet research with mixed results, I’m reaching out to the Survival Blog community. Does anyone have experience with electric UTVs, either hybrid gas/electric or all electric? For obvious reasons, the ability to quietly and quickly access remote areas of the homestead has definite advantages. There seem to be multiple choices in all-electric UTVs and hybrids.

I should mention that I currently do not have an ATV or UTV at this time. My partially wooded homestead of 50 acres has elevation differences of over 200 feet. Many areas are easily accessible with a conventional 4×4.

Continue reading“Letter: Hybrid or Electric UTV?”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog 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 “HJL”.

Israel

Jerusalem Day is a national holiday in Israel that celebrates the country’s reunification of Jerusalem following the Six Day War of 1967. This year, it is celebrated on Tuesday May 23, and President Trump will be in the city for it. One of President Trump’s campaign promises was that he would move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. All other U.S. Embassies are in each nation’s capitals, and this needs to happen. Reader D.S. sent this link in along with the scripture: “For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever.” 1 Chronicles 23:25

Families

Does the state think you’re qualified to be a parent? In a dangerous precedent, Oregon has labeled a couple as “Incapable” of being parents. Gone are the days when states removed children from homes because of abuse. Now it’s about controlling the family.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 (KJV)

Building Or Purchasing Your New Country Property – Part 1, by S.T.

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Our Journey

We left the Peoples Republic of Kommiefornia in 2013 for the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains with a list of the minimum requirements for our new county property. After making this journey of more than 2,300 miles to start the second half of our lives, we opted to purchase a home rather than build one. Our decision was mainly due to time issues and the discovery of a house within one mile and on the same country road that my aging father and step-mother lived on.

What we left:

  • 3 bedrooms
  • 2 baths
  • 1400 sq. ft.
  • California city lot
  • over $4,000.00 per year in property taxes
  • 3 car garage
  • over $500.00 per year car registration on a 2010 car
  • over $200.00 per year car registration on a 2001 truck
  • no mineral rights
  • Town population of 130,000
  • County population of 360,000

What we wanted:

  • 3 bedrooms
  • 2 baths
  • 2 acres minimum
  • water well
  • septic system
  • stick built house (no modular or trailer)
  • wood stove
  • basement
  • mineral rights

Continue reading“Building Or Purchasing Your New Country Property – Part 1, by S.T.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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Prepping Progress

As preppers work to make progress to achieve prepping goals, we took some actions this week too. The SurvivalBlog editors made some plans earlier in the week and now reflect upon these. Below, the editors share what we each accomplished. Please write to us in the comments and tell us what you did this week to get your preps in place and to be ready.

JWR

Hello SurvivalBlog Readers. This week the weather at the Rawles Ranch was cold and rainy. We even broke down and built a fire in the wood stove to take the edge off the cold in the house. Thankfully, though, we didn’t have any freezing night-time temperatures.

Family obligations took us away from home at the beginning of the week and again at the end of the week. We didn’t get as much done as we planned.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog 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 “HJL”.

Government

In typical bureaucratic fashion, the U.S. government agencies have a miserable track record on security. According to BetaNews, 34 percent of US government agencies have had data breaches in the last year. Sixty-five percent of them have had a data breach sometime in the past. These are the same agencies that hold all of your sensitive and private data. Sent in by G.G.

o o o

Also sent in by G.G. is this article from the Washington Post: Inside the U.S. government’s plans to survive a nuclear war. Used to, your government had emergency plans to evacuate cities and at least give the populace a running start. Now, they don’t care. Their “secret” plans are how to sequester and save a few “important” people and just let the rest of you die in your ignorance.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 26:1-2 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – May 19, 2017

Writing Contest

We are coming up on the end of Round 70 of the SurvivalBlog Non-Fiction Writing Contest. There is still time to get your article finished and submitted for these fantastic prizes! With over $11,000 worth of prizes, it could be well worth your time. If you’ve been putting it off, get it finished and sent it!

Blog Tips

Several readers wrote in about having to jump back and forth between the main page of SurvivalBlog and each individual article. An easy way to avoid this is to enter the first article and then use the article navigation links at both the top and the bottom of each article to move to the next article. Thanks to S.J. for that tip.

Another tip for those who print articles: If you want to print the article without the comments, bring up the print page through the printing icon, then look for the “open” and “close” links on the right hand side of the page between the article and the comments section. They open and close the comments. When you close the comments, the links included in them also dissapear from the printed article making it clean. However, on some articles, the discussion is very good so you may want to include those comments.

We Must Rightly Discern 21st Century America

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It is now fully apparent that American society is slowly sliding into oblivion. The signs are all around us, in a quiet chorus muttering the same word: “Decay, decay, decay.” We also live in a nation that is increasingly polarized. As evidence of the latter, simply study a map of the polling results from the November 2016 election.

“And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” – Matthew 16:3 (KJV)

The Bygone Era

If you read nearly any 19th Century or early 20th Century book, you will get a glimpse of a bygone society that in the middle and upper classes was substantially more literate, courteous, reserved, and considerate than we see in the early 21st Century. It was a culture that had a rich vocabulary. They were often schooled in music and well-versed in scripture. Families that aspired to send their children to a college or university insured that they studied Latin and usually at least one modern foreign language—usually German or French. (Or perhaps, it was Spanish for those living in the southwest.)

It was standard practice in many schools to memorize not just Bible verses but also poems of moderate length. Parenthetically, I should mention that my paternal grandfather could rattle off the full text of Longfellow’s Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie in dactylic hexameter, with nary a pause, 60 years after he left high school. I’m pleased to report that my homeschooled children seem to have better recall and a wider base of general knowledge than I gained in public schools. So, perhaps there is hope for us!

The Public Fool System

Take a few minutes to read Harvard University’s entrance examination, for the year 1869. That would be considered almost graduate school level work today.  And, again, that was considered entrance level, in 1869. How far we have fallen, America!

Continue reading“We Must Rightly Discern 21st Century America”

Letter: JIT Amazon/Walmart Food Delivery

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Hugh,

Just a thought, many in media are not mentioning the trend of Amazon food delivery. Just in time ( JIT ) to retail is risky. The next evolution opens the door for tyranny and chaos. Centralized distribution centers are easier to control. If retail stores are collapsing, we have to consider that grocery stores are retail stores too. It appears that food vendors are moving to JIT direct delivery. Folks need to expect civil disorder in suburban neighborhoods to happen way earlier into a serious event. – GP

Economics & Investing for Preppers

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Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the quirky “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor):

Precious Metals:

Worries about continuity of the Trump Administration threw a scare into to the gold market this week. After a jumpy day of trading on Wednesday, the gold futures and spot markets saw some profit taking on Thursday, with gold closing below $1,247. Ditto for silver, with a 2.02% drop to $16.56.

o o o

Sarah Benali over at KITCO reports: Is Silver a ‘Strong Buy’ Right Now? This Analyst Thinks So…

Continue reading“Economics & Investing for Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day

“To the grumbler who complains about the unfairness of the market system only one piece of advice can be given: If you want to acquire wealth, then try to satisfy the public by offer- ing them something that is cheaper or which they like better. Try to supersede Pinkapinka by mixing another beverage. Equality under the law gives you the power to challenge every million- aire. It is—in a market not sabotaged by government-imposed restrictions—exclusively your fault if you do not outstrip the chocolate king, the movie star and the boxing champion.” – Luwig von Mises, The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality 

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – May 18, 2017

Want to live in Idaho? Your knowledge of tax is your ticket! Today’s Preparedness Notes has a job opportunity for someone to move to the Redoubt or for someone in the Redoubt to obtain gainful employment. If you live in Illinois, you need to be watching the Gun Dealer Licensing Bill and talking to your representatives about it.

Job opportunity:

Boutique public accounting firm with high-end clientele is seeking CPA with 3+ years of heavy tax experience. While our primary need is tax, candidates with interest in obtaining ABV credential may fit well with our thriving valuation and litigation support practice.

Outstanding opportunity for professional seeking to practice their craft while living an active, outdoor, Idaho lifestyle.

Excellent pay and benefits. Responsible CCW encouraged. Top-notch “Redoubt” properties nearby.

Email your resumes.

Continue reading“Preparedness Notes for Thursday – May 18, 2017”