This is the birthday of famous American newsreel and radio journalist/narrator Lowell Thomas.
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JWR Observes: SurvivalBlog readers were wearing masks out in public, for weeks before it was cool.
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Today, we present another product review from the indefatigable Pat Cascio.
From the editors: “JWR Observes: SurvivalBlog readers were wearing masks out in public, for weeks before it was cool.”
It’s true! We were doing this for sure, and with confidence that we were on the right course. No matter the strange looks, we knew we were taking important steps to protect ourselves and others. We also started self-isolating early on with the exception of necessary drive-thru pharmacy trips.
In our area, we carry out our own trash to a drop site, and we do that as well only as necessary and without coming into contact with anyone else. But… We are considering a burn barrel kind of approach for safely combustible waste (paper items essentially) so that we can limit those trips even further (and even beyond the current pandemic).
In addition to working through the present, we are looking forward, and contemplating the time when “Stay at Home” and “Shelter in Place” orders (or even just strong recommendations) are ended. Under what conditions will we decide to travel about much more freely, in ways that we remember from before the pandemic?
Here’s what we’re thinking currently, and we look forward to the thoughts and ideas of other readers…
1) When we have access to readily available PPE that can be resupplied: masks, gloves, face shields, unvented goggles, etc;
2) When we have access to readily available prophylactics including, but not limited to, hydroxychloroquine. There may be others as well; and,
3) When supplies are again readily available for preventive and protective natural supplements (some of these are in short supply presently because of our reliance on China, and this must be resolved). America should bring manufacturing of key critical infrastructure and security goods and services home, and we should be far less reliant on any other nation. When trade offers a mutual advantage, this should be a source of redundancy and not dependence.
Even understanding the economic concerns (and these are very real), we are cautious about those who suggest that we must reopen the economy without making preventive and protective measures available to those who are being sent to the front lines of this viral war. Please. Be discerning, and cautious.
We are watchful regarding antibody therapy as well which may show promise, and be a strategy different from vaccination which is a source of understandable concern and protest.
We look forward to the ideas and insights, thoughts and plans of other SB readers and the editors too!
Yeah we’re totally cool! I even have a picture of me & my husband wearing our masks from the beginning of MARCH!!!
Rock on
Note that the CDC belatedly hopped on this recommendation, perhaps due to pressure from rising awareness. The CDC and WHO failed to act even when it was obviously a pandemic slowing Trump’s response. There was more indications that these agencies were at least derelict. Having worked in the bowels of a large government organization for 20 years, I know how it works, or doesn’t. And the NIH (National Institute of Health) and other prestigious institutions are not in my eyes to be fully trusted either. Grant money makes funds research institutes making them dependent and necessarily politically correct, even it means perverting their findings. Because I’ve witness so much while working for the government, I know well not to trust it, especially these days. Yes, there are plenty of good guys, but they generally will not be fount at the top. I saw so much, I regret that I stayed so long. I should have left after the first few years. Pray for the gift of wisdom and discernment.
Lily,
I just read a piece on Space Weather that the Atlas comet appears to be breaking apart ☹️
Rock on
Good Evening RKRGRL68,
🙁 Hmmm! I just went and looked at Space Weather. That’s possibly disappointing. We finally after about a week and a half have clearing skies. I might go out and check with the Binocs., tonight. 😉
Rock on!
Lily
Lily, I hope you get to see it!
Too cloudy here ☹️
Rock on
I went out at 10 PM. The skies were partly cloudy. The clouds were thick to the north, it was too cold to wait for it to clear. So, I didn’t see it. Perhaps tonight, I will try again.
Lily
Aww, total bummer! Although it is going to be warm today here (low 70’s) too cloudy to get a look ☹️☹️
I hope you have better luck tonight!
I’m going to enjoy today’s weather out in the yard! Polar Vortex will be here by end of week ☹️
Have a Rockin great day!
Is anybody else besides me having a hard time sleeping? I have always been something of an insomniac but now it’s ridiculous! I keep having vivid dreams that wake me up, and then I promptly forget the dream.
Hi ya, Grits,
Well, I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 2:30 AM on Sunday. I prayed and ate something, monitored the comments and listened to a couple of YouTube videos and the aloud reading of Exodus. Around 5:30 AM, I took a nap and got up around 7:30.
Jim got out of his quarantine “prison” 😉 on Sunday morning and came back to the house. YAY!!!!. (During the last three days out in the cabin Jim, changed his words, referring to the cabin as his “prison” instead of “being in the dog house”. He had had enough of the quarantine, and honestly, I, too had had enough of him being so close, yet, untouchable.)
I slept like a log Sunday night from 10 till 7:30. We’ll see how it goes tonight. The moon is waxing and will be full on Wednesday or Thursday night for Passover.
BUT, there is a lot going on in the spiritual realm… Ask the Lord to remind you of the dreams if they’re important. Keep a journal close by. 😉
Quick question: Have you ever grown an orange tree or lemon tree from seeds of organic oranges or lemons? Do you know how to prep the seeds in order for them to germinate? Is there anything special that the seeds go through before being woken to germinate? For example Apple seeds need to be chilled for at least three months before they will germinate. Other than freezing, is there another way of preserving citrus?
Blessings,
Lily
Awww, so happy Jim is out of “the dog house” and feeling well! 😉
As for citrus, I have never grown any citrus tree from seeds… I have only successfully grafted them. And, if I were going to try my hand at any tropical tree from seeds, it would probably be papaya. They grow like, well… like weeds.
The only way I know to preserve citrus is making lemon or lime curd (I recently found a super simple recipe that I intend to try) and making salted lemons. For salted lemons, I just slice the lemon into wedges and put those wedges into a clean mason jar, alternating with layers of salt. Then I put the lid on and stick it in the refrigerator. (I don’t know if you absolutely have to put it in the refrigerator, but I always have.) I wait a few months until the rind looks totally “clear”. (If you look at the sliced rind when you first put the lemon in the jar you can see there are “layers”, and those will gradually disappear as the rind softens in the salt.) This stuff is very potent and a little goes a long way, but I love salted lemon on salmon, and in rice or couscous dishes, and it would even be good in homemade hummus. Of course there’s orange marmalade (I have never made it though), and there’s pina colada jam (which has a bit of rum in it, and I *have* made that before!).
I will look around on the internet a bit and see if I can find some other ways to preserve citrus. I have tried to grow a Meyer lemon tree twice but both times when I brought it inside for the winter, it got eaten up with bugs. I sprayed with all sorts of natural stuff but ultimately I just couldn’t tolerate bugs in the house. 🙁
I do miss all the beautiful tropical plants I had growing in my Southern garden, but am grateful the Good Lord brought me to Montana— and perhaps one day I will have a greenhouse!
Finally, I am putting a journal by my bedside tonight! Great idea, thank you! God bless you and yours!
Hi,
I like the idea of salted lemons. That does sound good on salmon, rice and couscous. I will make a couple of jars with the some of the last of the lemons. I have about twenty lemons left to do something with. Some I will keep for fresh lemons for the next two weeks or so. Thank You for the idea!! 🙂
I was going to squeeze and freeze some oranges, but we are enjoying them fresh.
One year we bought a lemon tree, tangerine, and another type of orange in CA and brought them home. They did do fine as you said, in the summer in our greenhouse, but come winter, there just wasn’t enough light for them in the house. The two types of oranges died the first winter while in the house. The lemon lived for three more years, but, became bug and infested and looked so poorly, that I decided to destroy it. Additionally, it kept stabbing me when I would wash it’s leaves and when moving it around… It blossomed every year, but only the first year it produced fruit. It probably needed a couple of other trees for cross pollination. Hmmm…?? I think I do want to try to germinate the seeds just to see if I can.
Blessings,
Lily
Here’s a great tutorial for salted lemons. I do the “quartered” method that the author notes in step 8. I have never topped the jar off with lemon juice or really measured the salt, but otherwise this tutorial looks almost exactly like I make mine. The only other difference is that I have always placed my jars straight into the refrigerator (which may account for why it takes the rinds longer to soften) and this tutorial says to leave them on the counter for a week.
https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-make-preserved-lemons/
Well Grits,
That is easy enough. Darn, I suppose I could have saved the lemon rinds after squeezing the juice from them and just add salt and a bit of juice to the jar afterwards??? Today, I squeezed about thirty more of them and then composted the rinds. I could have salted them and added some of the juice back, since they are only using the salted rind for flavoring??? There was a prompting in me to keep them. But I didn’t.
Lily.
I have dried citrus fruit, oranges, mostly. Takes awhile. They take up very little space after drying until crisp.
Then, the simplest way I have found to use them is grind or blend the dried fruit, add warm water, let sit an hour, enjoy. YMMV
Carry on in grace
If you are going to try to journal your dreams, I suggest that, as soon as you wake from your dream, grab your pencil & paper and write as much of the dream as you can remember – and here is the important part – BEFORE you turn on any lights. It might seem silly to try writing in the dark but as soon as you turn on the lights, you will forget most, if not all, of your dream. If it is already light in the room, start writing by touch, before you open your eyes. If you absolutely must have light, use a candle or a small red LED. If I recall correctly, it had something to do with the wavelength of the light and its effect on your eye/brain. I have seen research that says that blue light, such as from a computer or cell phone screen, will make it difficult to fall asleep properly, so there might be something to it.
I was told that trick many years ago when I was quitting smoking and having extremely vivid and weird dreams. I kept a paper clip on the first blank page of my journal so I could find the correct place to start writing by touch, whether in the dark or with my eyes closed. And you might find that once you write about your dream, you will remember it without needing to go back and read your narrative. Or maybe not. Sometimes I remembered the dream the next day, other times I was surprised by what I had written in the middle of the night.
Thank you Sabel! I will try this! So far, I am awaking and only remembering little bits, but apparently I am having the same or similar dreams over and over…
Sleepless in the Redoubt! 😉
I’m sleeping better as a result of magnesium. It also helps reduce the occurrence of constipation. In larger doses of between 400 and 800 mg, most forms of magnesium can double as an effective laxative. Most are deficient. So was I. It can’t hurt to give it a try.
Thank you, TR. You stay safe and healthy. We need all the good folks we can get. 😉
GritsInMT,
“Is anybody else besides me having a hard time sleeping?”
Yes!
Recently, I just can’t fall asleep… all night long, for the last several weeks.
I wonder what it is… I hope you get some decent sleep soon, Krissy!
A must see video. This is a taste of things to come. Idaho is clamping down on travel. This is not going be widely accepted in Lincoln County, Montana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mHrefy_LN8
Because of the impressive results of Hydroxychloroquin, and that Trump has purchased 29 million doses, and because we have already ‘flattened the curve’, and raised awareness and engaged industry to produce ventilators, masks and antibiotics and other essentials, I no longer believe that an imposed quarantine that puts us in the clutches of a Police State, and risks further degradation of the economy is sensible for much longer.
Travel Restriction in Montana.
https://www.visitmt.com/travel-alerts.html
“Governor Bullock has issued a travel advisory for Montanans who have traveled internationally to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning to Montana. Beginning March 28 through April 10, Governor Bullock has issued a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of COVID-19. People in Montana may only leave their residence for health and safety, for necessary supplies, outdoor activity, essential work, or to take care of others.
As of March 30, Governor Bullock is directing that travelers arriving from another state or country to Montana for non-work-related purposes undergo a 14-day self-quarantine. For travelers arriving at any Montana airports and rail stations, temperature checks and screenings for potential exposure history may be conducted by the Montana National Guard to further protect against the spread of COVID-19. Effective through April 10, this Directive also advises vacation listing and rental sites to notify potential out-of-state renters about the quarantine requirement.”
At this time, it appears that Montana is generally speaking, more relaxed than other states. The time when travel could become increasingly restricted may be approaching, especially in the larger cities. It will be interesting to see what Gov. Bullock will do after the current directive ends on April 10, 2020. Odds are, the death toll will have risen by that date, and additional restrictions would be justified.
I was hoping to do some load development out at my favorite 500 yard range. Maybe that won’t happen. I say get it done by April 10, 2020.
https://www.krtv.com/news/coronavirus/details-of-extended-restrictions-across-montana-due-to-covid-19
Posted: 8:10 AM, Mar 25, 2020 Updated: 10:19 AM, Mar 25, 2020
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GREAT FALLS — Governor Steve Bullock hosted a news conference in Helena on Tuesday afternoon to provide an update on Montana’s response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.