What We Have Done So Far- Part 2, by N.F.

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In part 1, I provided the foundation of our move to Northern Arizona, where we have lived for five years. I defined the seven most important elements I would like to see in the property, and these seven items form the building blocks for a sustainable life that we are trying to live. I’ve already covered our water plan, which is the first, and began discussing our food plan. Now, let’s continue with the food plan as we wrap this article up today.

Chickens

When we first arrived here, we were befriended by many people, one of which was really insistent that we must have some chickens. I kept telling him I wasn’t ready for animals. He persisted and one day told me of someone he knew who was selling six-month old pullets for $5 each. We bought 20, built a coop and a 50 x 50 foot yard, and as of today we have 40 or so laying hens. The wife has a couple of local restaurants that buy as many eggs from us as we can provide. I have learned how to butcher chickens, and although I am by no means very good at it I get better every time I do this.

Rabbits and Other Meat

We also ended up raising and harvesting rabbits. This is something I plan to expand next year. Also, our goal next year is to do either perma culture fish farming or to get a few sheep. That will probably be the extent of the meat we raise here, as we don’t really have the space for cows. I have, however, left the back part of our place undeveloped. It borders a swamp and a neighbor’s mature orchard. It is also an ansectoral home for a dozen or so deer that spend most of the year at or within a short distance of our property. I am by no means a deer hunter and I have never killed anything larger than a wild turkey. I have, however, come into possession of a recurve bow and am becoming proficient in its use, so there is always that.

Continue reading“What We Have Done So Far- Part 2, by N.F.”

The Editors’ Preps for the Week

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers,
Whew! It’s been a very busy week getting ready for the first snow of the year. It arrived on Wednesday afternoon. According to the forecast, with this snowstorm by midnight Saturday the possible amount of snow that we could receive could be nearly 2 feet (54 cm). The minimum amount could be about 12 inches (30cm). We’ll just have to wait and see what God gives us.

We’ve mostly have been ready for it. But we did a “final” walk-through of the ranch, on Monday. We found several last-minute projects to do. For instance there were still a few extra hoses out around the stock tanks. The wheelbarrows needed to be put in the barn. (We seasonally exchange them for our work sleds.) We pulled the snow shovels out of storage and made them readily accessible. We found a few unused pet dishes, buckets ,and salt block trays that needed to be consolidated into one place in the barn. All the four-wheelers, trailers, the weedwhacker, and rototiller had long since been brought in under cover.

Lily chopped some more wood for kindling. (It’s usually Jim’s job but, she enjoys doing that chore once in a while). We cleared an open porch of all objects to make shoveling snow easier. I cleaned up manure around the the ranch from free ranging beasties. Jim drained and rolled up the hose from the greenhouse and the one still in the garden and stowed those in the greenhouse.

Winter Preps

As usual for each November, Jim rigged heavy gauge extension cords and stock tank heaters for our stock tanks. These will keep the stock water from freezing this winter. Together, we mounted the snow plow onto our pickup truck. (We had the snow tires put on our vehicles a couple of weeks ago). Jim also placed markers around the property for protection from the plow such as a concrete pad, an RV septic dump station, and the locations where the meadow irrigating hoses and lumber piles are stored for the winter. Those markers prevent damage to them from plowing the snow. We also discussed snow pile placement for this year to maximize accessibility to things, come spring. Last year we had so much snow and such large snow piles blocking the garden and barn that we couldn’t bring out some equipment and go into the garden as soon as I would have liked. Therefore, this year we hope to mitigate that problem. We already have by planning ahead and preparing everything and placing it where we want it ahead of time.

Continue reading“The Editors’ Preps for the Week”

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”. Pay particular attention to the Bad Survival Strategies today. You really don’t want to be depending on any of these when things go south.

Car Jackings

Reader P.S. sent in this link showing a rise in car jackings in Chicago – even in the more trendy neighborhoods. Last year Chicago recorded 663 carjackings (almost double the previous year). We are only in October of this year and 661 carjackings have already been recorded. Reasons for the increase are unclear, but some feel that the shooting of Laquan McDonald and subsequent public furor has led officers to have less aggressiveness on the street resulting in emboldened criminals.

The Plague

Reader G.P. points out that the airborne plague in Madagascar is now at a crisis point and is being listed as the worst outbreak in 50 years. Cases are up by 40% and are expected to hit 20,000 in just a few weeks. Apparently, one of the causes of the spread of the plague is a ritual where residents exhume the bodies of their loved ones and dance with them. Additionally, forest fires have driven rats into the rual communities. The plague season still has another six months to run.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 (KJV)

What We Have Done So Far- Part 1, by N.F.

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This is the story of a city boy and girl who decided to make the long journey to become country man and woman. This unlikely story has roots stretching back to childhood. Hopefully, my hindsight can offer some foresight to others on this blog who have not started down this formidable path. For any who have embarked on this journey, I hope my individual experience will give you new ideas and insights. Going from a high density human existence, to a life of constant challenges out in the wide open spaces, changes one’s perspectives on many different levels. This is what we have learned so far.

The Idea

In the winter of 2012, we began to toy with the idea of becoming self sufficient, moving from the big city to the wide open spaces of the country. Neither the wife nor I had any experience living outside the rat maze of the big city. This was about to change, as a tiny seed once planted in my mind grew wild and unchecked into a tangled mess somewhat resembling the wild blackberry vines found in the south. Our kids had left the nest, and in our late forties we decided it was now or never if we were to make such a major lifestyle change.

Continue reading“What We Have Done So Far- Part 1, by N.F.”

Letter: Relationships and Survival

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Dear Hugh,

About two years ago I came to a conscience awareness, that I had been living my life wrong. At that time, I had a son and a spouse. I came to realize that I was raised and was always a Christian. I should start actively following that faith, including daily prayer. At the same time, I also consciously realized that the world is going to change radically, perhaps very soon.

A simple man at heart, I believe that everyone should give thanks for their life and be respectful to the teachings of the Christian Bible. I also believe that when you stop paying your bills that eventually you will run out of credit and you will not be able to buy heat and food. This statement is relevant to the peoples of the economies of most Western Countries. Perhaps it most importantly applies to the USA and Canada, who have rung up enormous debt that is now nearly impossible to pay back without some major upheaval in the current system. In fact the only possibility of getting out of this situation now relies in the power of prayer only, in my belief.

Continue reading“Letter: Relationships and Survival”

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 “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on the upcoming closure of Paladin Press. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Fake Gold Bar Did Not Come From RCM

o o o

Harry Dent Defends His Grim Forecast for Gold

Stocks:

“You Get Nothing” – World’s Largest Insurer Warns US Stocks Offer “No Returns” For The Next Decade

Commodities:

Saudis Need $70 Oil To Break Even

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” – Robert Heinlein

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – November 02, 2017

On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a declaration of intent to establish a Jewish homeland known as the Balfour Declaration. While Arab hostilities and the outbreak of World War II delayed the desired outcome, the Nation of Israel was eventually re-established in 1948.

o o o

Many SurvivalBlog readers have noticed that our Amazon Store is no longer working. Sadly, Amazon retired this feature at the end of October, 2017. However, if you would like to continue your support of SurvivalBlog as you do your shopping on Amazon, you can click the small button at the very top of the blog with the Amazon logo. This will take you directly to Amazon through our affiliate link and we will receive a small percentage of each sale. We would also like to thank each of you who do this as your support helps keep the lights on around here.

Continue reading“Preparedness Notes for Thursday – November 02, 2017”

Preps and Practice- Part 2, by ArmedSafety

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In A Disaster, Remember To Listen To Your Body

If you ever find yourself in a disaster recovery situation, keep in mind to “listen to your body”. Whether you ride out a storm or evacuate and come back later, guess what? The mess will be there. August and September in south Texas aren’t fun for anyone that must work outside. Those that do work daily in the heat and oppressive humidity get somewhat acclimated to it. Others may have an inside job and spend very little time in the heat. The clean-up seems daunting at first, but always be sure you listen to what your body says. Take it easy. The debris isn’t going anywhere; trust me. Take breaks when needed, work at a steady slower pace, cool down when it’s necessary, and wear the proper clothing and sunscreen. It’s no fun having a sunburn on top of everything else.

Electrolyte Replacement Drinks and Pickle Juice

Electrolyte replacement drinks are invaluable in an austere environment when physical labor is required. Drinks like Gatorade or Powerade work well, but care must be taken not to drink too many in a day. There is a lot of sugar in those drinks, and when you have too many, diarrhea will ensue. This completely goes against everything you are trying to accomplish by drinking those drinks. A good rule of thumb is to use the 4:1 ratio. For every four waters (say 20 oz bottles) have one of those sports drinks. (I like the 12 oz versions). Don’t shy away from those drinks with sugar in them either, but use them in moderation. Most of the sports drinks are making a “lighter” version using artificial sweeteners.

Continue reading“Preps and Practice- Part 2, by ArmedSafety”

Letter: Follow Up on Debt

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Dear Hugh,

I read your comment on debt and I agree. Having been cautious of lawyers and government, my focus has been on privacy since about 1970. I had an excellent relationship with my CPA and we became partners in some real estate investments and some operating businesses. He also had privacy concerns, so we explored many things, offshore trusts, Turks and Cacaos, corporations in Hong Kong along with bank accounts in HK, Switzerland and Mexico. We formed all of the above at some time in my lifetime. The HK corp. and bank accounts survived an IRS hard look.

Your concern about not being able to pay a debt and having it come back at an inflated judgment is very valid.

There are some legal ways today to help with sheltering paid for assets. I have had several telephone conversations with management of this company.. They offer a Nevada LLC with directors that are offshore, so any kind of search for your assets will never show. New Mexico’s LLC rules are very loose, It is my understanding that once set up, no reporting requirements. More information needs to be collected on this subject.

My point is that a person still can have some level of privacy with hard assets without a lot of effort and minimal annual expense, of course the asset will have to be worth the effort. – B.F.

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”. Today features natural and man-made disasters. 500k without power in the north east due to weather and disaster in North Korea at their nuclear test site.

500k Without Power

While most eyes in the nation are focused on the terror attack in New York, A freak wind storm took down hundreds of trees in Maine leaving almost 474,000 people without power. Central Maine Power reported that almost 60% of it’s customers were without power and it had employed over three hundred two man crews but said it will still be days before power is fully restored. This outage is worse than the ice storm of ’98 that so many remember.

Fishy Story

The story of the two women lost as sea is beginning to unravel as inconsistencies in their story appear. They reported a three day, two night storm that battered their ship soon after leaving, but The National Weather Service in Honolulu said that no such storm was within 1200 miles of their ship on the reported dates. NASA satellite imagery confirms the NWS story as well. They also reported being attacked by tiger sharks, but the University of Hawaii said they’ve never heard of sharks attacking in the described manner. It would also appear that their satellite transponder was in working order, but they never activated. Still, five months at sea is nothing to sneeze at. Thanks to S.R. for the link.

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – November 01, 2017

November 1st, 1923, was the birthday of science fiction writer Gordon R. Dickson (born 1923, died January 31, 2001). Many of his novels and short stories, such as Wolf and Iron, have survivalist themes.

November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history, Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a sham. He was convicted on securities fraud charges based upon some marginal testimony and given a five year sentence. He was released from prison in September of 2011. Notably, Armstrong continued to write his economics newsletter while in prison, producing most of the issues on a prison library typewriter.

Continue reading“Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – November 01, 2017”