Giving Thanks in 2016, by Sarah Latimer

I don’t know about you, but I greatly enjoy the “Quote of the Day” section of SurvivalBlog. They often put a big smile on my face and get a “wow” response. Some people really know how to put use words to put a situation into perspective. Recently Hugh posted one such quote that was quite timely. The quote seemed so relevant to our experiences of late, with our nation’s liberals literally breaking down in tears, marching, and going so far as to turn their backs on our nation by leaving and giving up their citizenship and even some who are publicly announcing murderous intention by making social media statements that they are planning assassinations (or encouraging others to do so). It is just crazy how those who claim to want “a kinder” nation are behaving this way and tearing our nation apart through hateful speech, threats, and actions! It is appalling that our Democratic National Convention is hiring people to march and disrupt life in our cities, because they cannot tolerate the political system that they are a part of. If this were the way the Republican Party had behaved when Obama was elected, I believe they’d have demanded action. I believe we would see the rioters tear gassed and imprisoned, with liberals saying that these people were disturbing their peace and threatening our way of life. It is just crazy how hypocritical this behavior is! So, when I read the quote “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen” it hit home. In the past week or two, it seems that decades have happened. What is further of interest is that this quote comes from Vladimir Ilyich Lenin– a brutal, Russian, communist revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He is one of those who would have been a part of this disruptive behavior to tear our nation’s political process apart. Folks, there are many who are pushing for our nation to head towards socialism and communism in our nation, and there are those who deny God’s existence or His role in making this nation great. Those are things to ponder and to pray about, most certainly; however, this is not the point of my letter to you today. Today, I want to encourage you to think bigger. I want you to think beyond the marches and the media’s news pieces. I want to encourage you to look back and look forward with gratitude and with confidence.

This is the week of the U.S. Thanksgiving Day. The day of this national holiday was a point of conflict through the ages, even after the Civil War, as there were states who did not follow Abraham Lincoln’s declaration of the holiday being the last Thursday in November. Just as today, there were those who resented our nation’s presidential leadership. Lincoln violated many personal and state rights and liberties and even our U.S. Constitution and interjected volatile issues, such as slavery, into an already difficult national economic conflict, for causes he thought were justified but led to further erosion of our nation’s unity and attempted to force morality such that resistance created division that has led us to much of the situation we find our nation in today. Eventually, on December 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress, changing the national Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday of November. This is the day that we have celebrated as a nation since, and it is the day that we will take time away from work and the normalcy of life to give thanks to God. While it is often associated with giving thanks for the harvest, we all know that the harvest, especially in New England, has been completed for a good while, with high daytime temperatures now in the 40s. However, it is a time that we look at our abundance of blessings and give thanks.

Our blessings of provisions are not what just came in from out of the field and are now in our storehouses. They are first and foremost relationship with the God above, who provides Truth and the Way of Life in His Word and gives us the sun, soil, air, water, and health to work the land, and good minds to do all kinds of work to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. Our blessings are those who sit around our Thanksgiving table with us as well as loved ones who we wish were able to sit with us but cannot because of service to our nation or health, duties, or financial limitations. Still, they are in our hearts and are blessings just the same.

The fact that we have loved ones with whom to share Thanksgiving is a great blessing. If you do not have someone to share Thanksgiving with, then look for those with whom you can serve. If you have health and the means, then volunteer in a soup kitchen. You have been blessed with the ability to help others and can be a blessing to others and in return be a blessing to those with less than you. These volunteer Thanksgivings have been some of our family’s best memories. They taught our children the joy of giving to others with less than us, and even when we were struggling it helped them remember that we were still “rich” in some people’s eyes because we had transportation, shelter, and family. Those are always reasons to give thanks and should not to be discounted!

Thanksgiving, by Sarah Latimer

The juice we drink and the bread we eat,

The table’s set with the fruit and meat.

Families gather at the Thanksgiving table,

Though times may seem dark and unstable

We’ll give thanks to Him who’s more than able!

——–

Let us remember, when we serve God,

His Spirit sustains us as onward we trod,

Where would we be without His hand

To provide for us and help us stand?

We’ll give thanks to the One who has eternity planned.

——–

Lift our praise, we joyfully sing

Glory to the King of kings

He alone shall be adored

Give thanks, give thanks, to our LORD

We’ll give thanks to God in one accord.

——–

We know the covenant the early colonists made

And the Constitution written by those who prayed

Though there are those denying God in this land

We, this day, recognize His hand

We give thanks to God who’s blessed our nation so grand!

——–

So we look forward to sharing our table with family and also precious friends this Thanksgiving. While our focus will be on giving thanks to God for His great provision to see us through yet another year and bless us with more friends and family, more knowledge of Him and His ways, improved preparations for the future that lies ahead, and continued molding of our character and strength, we will enjoy the bounty at our table with an abundant feast.

A Thanksgiving feast means that it is “turkey time”. All of our stores are offering turkeys at wonderful, competitive prices, and I am stocking up for the year! Large turkeys can be had for as little as $0.99/lb and sometimes $0.79/lb with minimum purchases! My freezer gets filled up with turkeys this time of year, as much as I can afford within my grocery budget. I can use a turkey to make at least four meals, and I just got a 21-lb turkey yesterday for a bit over $17. You can’t beat that!

I first use the turkey breast, sliced, for about two meals. Then the select pieces of “chunk” white meat and dark meat are used in casseroles. After that, the carcasses with bits of meat and vegetables are boiled overnight in a crockpot to make bone broth for turkey noodle soup or turkey and biscuits. If I can get three family meals out of a large roasted chicken, I can sure get four or five meals out of a large turkey, depending upon how many are joining us! Our U.S. Dollars aren’t what they used to be, but I’m stretching ours as far as they will go.

When, we think about Thanksgiving, we all think about sitting down for a great meal. Friends and family who gather to contribute to this meal typically ask me to make the Herbed Cornbread Dressing and Cranberry Salad (and sometimes pies, too). Here’s my Herbed Cornbread Dressing recipe that you can use to contribute to your Thanksgiving celebration:

Herbed Cornbread Dressing

This makes a large pan of herbed cornbread dressing; it is heavy on the herbs, but you can tone them down if you prefer. Make it the night before you want to serve it so that it has time for the flavors to blend well before baking. We like to eat it on the dry side with lots of turkey gravy; however, cook it to the point your family likes it– less for moist and more for dry dressing. It could also be used as stuffing, but I would significantly reduce the amount of chicken broth in the recipe, as the turkey will provide a good deal of moisture.

Ingredients

  • 2 skillet/pans sweet cornbread, baked
  • 1 small celery bunch, finely chopped
  • 2 cups of onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup butter
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon sage
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

Procedure

  1. Crumble corn bread into 3-quart baking dish.
  2. In medium sauce pan, melt butter; saute onion, garlic, and celery until translucent (but not browned).
  3. Add broth (I use Better Than Bouillon and water but add a little extra base paste for extra flavor); stir and add bay leaves. Simmer for one hour.
  4. Remove bay leaves; add remaining spices, taste and adjust accordingly.
  5. Pour spicy broth over crumbled corn bread.
  6. Let sit together, covered overnight in the refrigerator (or at least an hour so the cornbread can absorb the flavors).
  7. Stir in beaten eggs, if adding, before baking.
  8. Bake at 375 F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until edges and top are lightly browned.

May your Thanksgiving week be one of those weeks where decades of blessings happen, as you prepare your hearts and home, spend time with those you love, and, ultimately, give thanks to God above for all He has done and will do for those who love and honor Him! We serve a mighty God, and in God we trust!

Letter Re: Spam Can Storage

Hugh,

Attached are two pictures of Spam cans, Russian Wolf manufacturer, I buried in 2009. You can see the difference of the one I repainted and covered in grease at the time of burial and the one left as bought. All ammo was fine inside of both, even though one rust spot did make a pin size hole. I re-canned them all. The ground was moist most of the time. Ammo was steel case. Thanks for the website. – W.W.

att_1479353705495_20161116_101905att_1479353665276_20161116_114342

Odds ‘n Sods:

One of our regular content contributors (one of my consulting clients) sent this at least partial confirmation that Trump’s CIA Director designee is one of the Good Guys. I’m praying that DJT appoints a LOT of Good Guys– godly, freedom loving, Constitutionalists who all have their eyes on the big picture. Pray hard! – JWR

o o o

Internet censorship has arrived! A professor has made a list of websites she says publish ‘fake’ or ‘misleading’ news. (And this list is already being used to de-monetize sites and push their rankings down in search engines.)

o o o

There has recently been a lot of conjecture in the press about why the U.S. Navy has been flying racetrack patterns over Denver, Colorado in an E-6 Mercury TACAMO aircraft. I really doubt that it is anything nefarious. I suspect that they are doing long-range communications tests, contacting vessels in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Doing so high over the Rockies is a logical choice. The E6 Mercury (in part developed by one of my former employers, who served as the Program Manager) has a variety of missions. One of the contingency missions is for long-haul communications and data relay (all the way from VLF up to SHF) in the event that a war disrupts satellite communications. – JWR

o o o

European Union Orders British Press NOT to Report when Terrorists are Muslims – D.S.

o o o

IRS Exposed 28 Million Taxpayers To Identity Theft By Sending Unencrypted Email – PLC

Notes for Saturday – November 19, 2016

In an unprecedented move, Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat traveled to Jerusalem on November 19th, 1977, to seek a permanent peace settlement with Israel after decades of conflict. Despite heavy criticism from Egypt’s regional allies, Sadat continued, eventually reaching a peace agreement with Israel at the Camp David accords in Maryland. While Sadat and Begin were jointly awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace prize for their efforts, the peace accord was not admired by the Arabs, eventually leading to Sadat’s assassination. Despite this, the Egyptian-Israeli peace continues today.

Letter Re: What are Your Thoughts on Required AR Registration in California?

Gentlemen,

I live in California. After 12/31/2016, no California resident may purchase an “Assault Weapon” (AR-15, AK, et cetera). Those who own them on that date may keep them, but we must register them on the California Department of Justice website by 12/31/2017.

I am trying to decide whether to register or dispose of such weapons and buy something like a Mini-14, which is not considered to be an “Assault Weapon’ by the state. If I own such weapons, I will register them. Others may choose a different course, but I would not. I am planning to become a resident of one of the states in the American Redoubt, but that will not happen by 12/31/2016, and it is uncertain that it will by 12/31/2017. What are your thoughts on the wisest course of action? – RM Grey

HJL’s Comment: Given the current trend, ALL firearms will eventually hit the list in Kalifornia and registration will eventually lead to confiscation. Vote with your feet and get out of there. Failing that, your options are limited. Barring any form of civil disobedience, you might consider getting the firearms out of the state, at least. Perhaps you could leave them with a trusted person in your targeted relocation state in the American Redoubt who would hold them for you? It might be a good time to plan a trip to the area to scout for a location.

Economics and Investing:

Gold Forecast: What Now For Future Gold Price?

o o o

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

National Debt is growing Faster Than You Think

Yellen Says Interest Rate Hike Could Come ‘Relatively Soon’ – Let’s get real, the Fed said it would raise rates 4 times this year, so far it has yet to do so. They have no choice but to raise rates given the super high expectation to do so.. Do we have the same effect as last year or does the current “Trump Effect” stem that movement. I don’t yet see any fundamentals that change that but this market has almost nothing to do with fundaments.

Trump Allies Urge Fed to Cut Balance Sheet and Revive Credit – We were multiple messages or perhaps just a pie in the sky dream… Cut tax’s, massive infrastructure build out, and have the Fed cut it’s balance sheet?? These ideas don’t coexist on our planet. If we cut revenue to the gov’t, spend like crazy, someone has to finance the debt, and China is no longer a buyer of US debt. Enter the lender of last resort, the Fed.

o o o

SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Sometimes graphics say more than words: The Two Americas of 2016

JWR’s Comment: Now overlay the map of The American Redoubt. Hmmmm…

o o o

And here is a different way of looking at the same demographics: The Divide Between Red and Blue America Grew Even Deeper in 2016

o o o

Shooting enthusiasts might find this place in Kentucky of interest: Small lots in a “2nd Amendment” community alongside a complete shooting complex. This is just one of more than 250 current property listings at SurvivalRealty.com. (Which is owned and operated by my #1 Son.) – JWR

o o o

Reason #462 on why to homeschool your kids: California Teachers Offered “Anti-Hate, Trump Teaching Plan” To “Empower Students” – D.C.

o o o

Sniper Saves Toddler: Hostage Situation Ends With One Shot – DMS

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant.” – Genesis 18:1-5 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – November 18, 2016

On this day in 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. This incredibly tragic occurrence introduce the term “…drink the Kool-Aid” into our parlance, since poison-laced punch was the vehicle behind most of the deaths. This serves as a stark warning and reminder to those in the prepping/survivalist community who would join with like-minded friends under the leadership of a charismatic leader. Always know who you are following!

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. 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,
  2. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  8. 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), and
  9. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).

Round 67 ends on November 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.

Making The Move To The Michigan Wilderness As A Corrections Officer, by M.M.

My wife and I are originally from the northeastern U.S. Our particular area, which had consisted primarily of farmland and small towns while we were growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, increased in population by about 20% between the years 2000 and 2010. The region had become noticeably over-developed, with many corn fields and woods being sacrificed for housing developments and strip malls, and it had become busy to the point that driving during daytime hours involved more waiting in line than actual driving. We like to experience the serenity of the outdoors, and I have always been a bit of a survivalist; the annoyance and constriction caused by this population explosion was becoming intolerable.

In 2010, we took up an offer to go camping on a friend’s wooded lot at the east end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). The UP is almost entirely northern forest with a scattering of farms and very small towns. We camped among the pine trees in an open-sided shelter I made out of a large mosquito net covered with a brown tarp. We cooked all our meals over an open fire. We kayaked, fished, and snorkeled in crystal-clear Lake Huron. We explored rivers stained with dark tannic acid, and we visited a beach on Lake Superior covered in colorful granite pebbles. The UP has the darkest night sky east of the Mississippi River and offers excellent stargazing; the band of the Milky Way was clearly visible, and we watched a meteor shower and saw twenty shooting stars in twenty minutes. This was just the kind of place where we needed to be.

In 2012, we went on another vacation to the Upper Peninsula. This time we stayed at a motel in the small town of Munising, which is located toward the center of the UP and on Lake Superior. Munising is located over two hours from the nearest interstate highway (I-75) and three hours from the nearest major city (Green Bay), which is still relatively small and quiet compared to the next nearest major city (Milwaukee). Milwaukee is almost five hours away from Munising. We kayaked along the base of 200-foot-tall cliffs and swam through tunnels and coves that had been eroded into the sandstone. We snorkeled at an old wooden shipwreck. We visited numerous waterfalls, hiked a ten-mile loop through the National Lakeshore along the top of the cliffs, and drove through Hiawatha National Forest for miles on gravel roads and dirt two-track trails. This was exactly where we wanted to live.

I began looking for employment in the UP, and I found that there was virtually no work available there. The population of the UP had actually decreased by about 5% over the course of 20 years, due to mines and paper mills closing down. I took a class to acquire a commercial driver’s license so I could apply for a truck-driving job in Green Bay. I got the job and headed 1000 miles away to the Midwest to be an over-the-road trucker. My wife drove out to meet me in the UP to look at houses. There were many reasonably priced properties available, and after viewing about twenty different hobby farms and hunting camps, we ended up choosing a nice homestead with a fairly new single-story house on a 20-acre wooded lot. This only cost us less than $150K, whereas a similar property in our hometown would have probably cost over half a million. Our homestead adjoins public forest owned by the state, and after several miles the state land ends and Hiawatha National Forest begins. It would be difficult to find any patch of land here that is more than a mile from a pond, lake, or stream, and you can’t get much farther than 40 minutes from either Lake Michigan or Lake Superior for a day at the beach. There is lots of wildlife in the woods and in the water here. We regularly have deer walking past our house, and we even had a visit from a black bear earlier this year!

We settled into our new home and loved being here, but most of my time was being spent away from home, driving the big-rig for 11 days at a time. A friend from church informed us about a job opportunity that I had never considered before; I didn’t even know that such a job existed in this area. He said I should apply to be a correction’s officer with the State of Michigan. I applied online and was contacted a short time later for an interview, which went very well. I put in my two-week notice with the trucking company, and then I attended and completed the 8-week Michigan Corrections Officer Training Academy. I have now been working at the prison for several years and things couldn’t be much better. I get to be off the road and go home every day. We get to live in a very rural and relatively remote wilderness location, have a sizeable vegetable garden, hunt and fish within minutes of our house, cut firewood to heat our house, target practice, hike, ski and snowshoe, and do essentially whatever we want to do anytime we like. I have caught northern pike, smallmouth bass, perch, and sunfish in the inland lakes. Large salmon and lake trout are frequently caught in Lake Superior. I do a lot of shooting, and I was able to build a 200-yard rifle range and 50-yard pistol range on our property. Michigan’s Concealed Pistol License is probably the best carry permit to have in the whole country. It is recognized by every state that allows concealed carry, which is 40 out of 50 states. If you are interested in leaving behind the craziness that is plaguing much of our nation, this job just might be your ticket to relocating to the wilderness. Being a corrections officer can definitely be a career, and it has excellent benefits. After my first year, I began making more than $20/hour. There is very little manual labor involved. Most of the work consists of observing and directing prisoners, locking and unlocking doors, applying and removing restraints, keeping records, and resolving prisoners’ problems. We are trained to use a variety of lethal and less-lethal weapons, including firearms, and a department-issued weapons permit will qualify you for a law-enforcement exemption on your state-issued Concealed Pistol License (allowing you to carry almost everywhere, including school and university property). Men and women of all sizes and ages (over 18) have been hired to work here. If interested, you will need to meet the following qualifications:

  • 18+ years old with possession of a High School Diploma or G.E.D.
  • 15 semester (or 23 term) college credit hours in Corrections, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Family Relations, Guidance and Counseling, Pastoral Counseling, Social Work or Law Enforcement. These credits must be earned prior to submitting an application.
    -or-
    Possession of 30 semester (or 45 term) college credits in any academic or degree prerequisite area meets the educational requirement. These credits must be earned prior to submitting an application.
    -or-
    Any bachelor’s degree.
    -or-
    Two years of satisfactory Corrections Officer employment at the state or federal prison level.
  • Pass a physical fitness test given by the Michigan Department of Corrections:
    1. 13 sit-ups in 30 seconds
    2. 17 push-ups in 60 seconds
    3. Continuously walking up and down steps, ranging up to 11 ¾”, for 6 minutes.
  • Have acceptable vision, hearing, and general good physical health.
  • Pass a drug screen.
  • Cannot be convicted of a felony or domestic violence or drug-related charges, or on misdemeanor probation, or have outstanding warrants. Applicants who have been convicted of any other misdemeanor are not eligible for employment until one year after satisfactory completion of any sentence imposed, including payment of fines and probation.

Basically, if you are an honest individual who can’t find work with your degree and you’re in decent physical condition, then you probably meet the qualifications to become a corrections officer!

The prison where I work– Alger Maximum Correctional Facility– is 25 years old, and many employees who were hired at or near the prison’s opening are now retiring or about to retire. During either your interview or your academy, the state will ask you for your top three choices of where you would like to work. If you ask for Alger, you are virtually guaranteed to work here. Then, you will be able to purchase and live year-round at your own wilderness retreat. Please contact a State of Michigan recruiter by following the links below. Several of us have made the move with no regrets. We hope to see you here soon!

  • https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/michigan/jobs/890661/corrections-officer
  • http://www.correctionalofficeredu.org/2015/05/michigan-doc-hires-so-many-cos-it-has-its-own-training-academy/

Letter Re: Easy Fire Starting

HJL:

Once upon a time after the passing of my father, I told my wife I needed to go on a hike. Being the good woman she is, I went with her blessing. I loaded up early in March and went to a park near Silva, North Carolina, near a place known as Stone Pile Gap. I was drawn to the site because of that name and my fascination with the ancient custom of first building a cairn in the memory of a loved one and subsequently for travelers to add a stone and say a prayer. That people have been doing that in a spot for a couple millennia is just aweing to me. It is very human and attached at our most spiritual level.

On that hike in the leafless forest, I came upon a shoulder where a rather large family cemetery was located. You could see quite a distance because of the season. I offered a prayer that day. Later, after having traveled down one ridge and following back on another, it grew late, and I was nowhere near a prepared campsite. Randomly, I turned up into the woods to set up camp near a curious pile of stones. It turned out to be what was left of a chimney– a homestead location undoubtedly tied to the cemetery and the family it represented. I could not see it from a distance. I did not see the chimney ruin until I had climbed a bank.

When you strip away all the sounds and confusion of civilization, you get in touch with the spiritual side of life that many city dwellers can never find. The experience makes your faith in God unshakable. Alone, I confronted all the demons associated with my father’s death. You see, he called me half a dozen times before my office assistant got in touch. He held on until I arrived, and then he had his heart attack right then and there. It is hard not to second guess your actions. Much good passed between us. Was saying goodbye giving up? It is as if his passing made room for me to become the man I am in full measure. I know that I made him proud and continue to do so. His words of wisdom come from my mouth when I am raising my children. (They also know that beans are the musical fruit.)

Starting a fire always makes me think of that outing. There was a wind downed cherry tree there at the chimney. It was wet and cold that day and the bark on the bottom side of that trunk had sap settled into it and dried. I used that to get the fire started. It was the sweetest smelling fire you could imagine. It’s something I will never forget.

The rain turned to sleet and freezing rain the next morning. I packed it in and hauled it out of there wet, cold, and terrified as the rain froze in a slick coating over the gravel road. Every step was a risk with my gait limited to just a foot. I was shuffling and not hiking. It took forever, but I was delivered safe.

All this stuff we do is about resilience, both physically and spiritually. – RV

Economics and Investing:

A major danger of paper money: Rupees cancelled– DSV

o o o

Saudis, China Dump Treasuries; Foreign Central Banks Liquidate A Record $375 Billion In US Paper – G.G.

o o o

The US Dollar Index just hit its highest point since 2003. This might be a good time to diversify into some select foreign currencies. My current favorite is the Swiss Franc, which just hit parity with the US Dollar. – JWR

o o o

SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.