This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.
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NOAA space weather scientists now predict a fairly fast-rising and intense solar maximum, to peak in 2025: Solar Cycle Progression Updated Prediction (Experimental).
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Reader L.E. sent this snippet:
“Wine Jelly: A very delicious and not overly sweet jelly can be made from wine. I use the cheapest Wild Vines blackberry merlot and follow this simple recipe, 3 cups wine, 4 cups sugar, one box pectin, heat wine in metal pot, stir in pectin until totally dissolved, slowly add sugar stirring constantly until mix has bubbled for two full minutes, then add a dash or small squeeze of lemon juice, pour jelly into clean sterilized jars until almost completely full, hand tighten lids, boil jars 5 minutes in canner, pull them out, tighten jars completely, wait until each jar pings to verify it has sealed, and put jars in fridge for two weeks or more (wine jelly takes a long time to set up so don’t be alarmed if your batch looks syrupy or runny, just put jars in fridge and forget about them for several weeks. The wine jelly is a beautiful garnet red color and is very appropriate for holiday gift-giving. Also, a peach almond flavored white wine gives a beautiful taste and appearance.”
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One-way plane tickets: NYC offers migrants free travel anywhere to move. JWR’s Comment: It is amazing to see how New York shifted from a “Sanctuary City” into a: “We don’t want you, now please leave” city.
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New Mexico Governor Demands More Gun Control after Maine Shootings. JWR’s Comment: Hey, Michelle: Try not to get blood on the tops of your shoes and your pantyhose, while you are dancing in the blood.
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News from southwest Oregon: Rare Gold Coins and Guns Lead Detectives to Arrests for Central Point Home Burglary. JWR’s Comments: Learn from news stories like this, folks. You NEED a vault (or several) for your guns and precious metals. Hoem vaults should both be bolted to the floor, and hidden, architecturally.
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Tim J. suggested this video of interest to RV and camper conversion folks: King of Affordable Diesel Heaters — The HCALORY – SS2 8KW Air Heater. Tim adds: “Warning: Power receptacle needs to be replaced with a dedicated 12 or 24 VDC connector, to prevent 120v AC from being plugged in!”
Tim also notes that these heaters are available from WalMart.
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SaraSue sent us this snippet:
“I want to thank the people who have reached out to me through e-mails forwarded by Mr. Rawles. Your notes of encouragement and offers of assistance mean a ton to me. I sometimes think that if I had no outlet for this crazy homesteading story of mine I would go mad. It helps me so much knowing that you read it. I hope there’s something helpful in it somewhere for someone. And if not, I hope it makes you laugh your head off. Like, don’t raise pigs!! LOL.
It’s been an incredibly busy week. One of the sows appears to be ready to birth piglets many weeks before her supposed due date. It was a mad dash to get a farrowing stall set up for her and get her moved. My first steer, raised on this farm, left for the butcher. It was a bittersweet moment. Part of growing your own food, is harvesting your own food. It’s tough, emotionally.
The feeder pigs continue to push every fence line in spite of the hot wire. I have to rethink and rewire some fencing very soon. OR just accept that the feeder pigs will have free roaming privileges. Sometimes, my dogs will chase them back to where they are supposed to be.
A lot more work coming up on the farm: piglets, calves, chicken butchering day, razing the garden area to get ready for Spring, pregnancy testing a couple of cows in order to get them ready for their new homes, and the holidays are upon us. I have way overdone it this year, and need a Come to Jesus meeting with myself. Amen.”
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Fungal evolution discovered: Mycena can now invade living hosts. JWR’s Comment: It is our understanding of these processes that has evolved, not the fungi.
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Mike in Alaska wrote:
“In regard to backcountry flying as mentioned in SurvivalBlog on Tuesday, up here in Alaska anyplace outside of the radius of the runway flight path of the airport one is flying from is considered “bush” flying. Mainly because once outside the “city” or “village” … well, you’re just in the bush.
I have built 12 of the Kitfox aircraft in the past starting with the Model 1 then up through the Model IV-1200, and I rebuilt one of the Model 5 Vixen birds that had an unscheduled landing that was beyond the pilot’s skill set.
For now, I am trying to figure out how to get enough funds to build a Chinook SJ with the Dan Reynolds landing gear mod, and the Viking Aircraft 90 engine. I’d also add leading-edge slats and most likely vortex generators on the wings too. Of course, it would have in-wing fuel tanks and the outboard “drop” tanks as well for extended range since fuel stops up here can be far apart. The engine and the Duc controllable pitch prop would make for a very reliable, smooth, powerful yet economical cruise range deep into the bush.
Here’s a link to Dan Reynolds’s set up, my skill set would not make me a good competitor in the STOL competitions, but with the right aircraft and training I think I’d be a very competent bush pilot for just enjoying all the beauty Alaska has to offer. I remember that you don’t care much for video links, so maybe you could just search for Dan Reynolds and his story, what he ash done is amazing but remember, most of those competition birds are highly modified for just the competition and don’t really have much use for the day-to-day bush flying done up here where heavy loads can be the norm, and off airport operations are the norm.
Either way, that article you posted sure brought back some wonderful fond memories of my aviation past. As an A&P/IA and former DAR I do miss that work. My idea of retirement would be to go back to building airplanes for folks who have the $$$ but not the time or skills. It’s a challenge and very rewarding path … but it’s not for the poor or the faint of heart. Thank you for that trip down memory lane.”
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Over at the FEE website: Why a Student With a 1590 SAT Score Was Rejected by 16 Colleges.
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Robert E. Lee statue melted in secret, ‘symbolic’ ceremony, to be remade into ‘inclusive’ public art. Paul Joseph Watson offered some video commentary about this: Humilation ritual.
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Reader L.E. also sent this snippet:
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Melting ice reveals hidden Viking artefacts – BBC News.
Please Send Us Your Snippets!
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