Weather and Diets and Frustration, Oh My!

To put it bluntly, the weather the past few days has sucked. MAJOR suckage, as the Darlin' Man would put it!
Wind, HIGH winds, sandstorms, occasionally spitting snow and colder temperatures.
I have to hand the laundry inside as if I hang it out on the line, it either gets blown off across the yard (to get tangled in the fence) or it gets so sand-filled, I have to wash it again!
Taking hay to the goats and alpacas can be problematical. If I get it to them without the wind snatching it out of my arms, it sometimes gets blown out of their pens. Animals, sometimes being smarter and more adaptable than people, have figured this out. They firmly place a foot into the middle of a flake and nibble around the edges! Smart goats and alpacas!
I have kept the chickens in their coop throughout this. I didn't think my neighbors would appreciate chickens flying through their yards!
It is still breezy today, but not as bad as it has been the last 2 or 3 days.
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 I am about to change everyone's diet here. We are all feeling a little, you know, pudgy and ucky, after all the oh-so-rich-and-fattening holiday foods. Dinner salads, here we come!
The Darlin' Man hates dinner salads. Ditto for vegetarian meals.
His favorite meals:
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered corn with sliced tomatoes on the side.
Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, and my home baked bread.
My *Greek Feast* ...marinated meat (cut in tiny pieces) served in a rich gravy, cous-cous, pita bread, yogurt w/diced cucumbers, olives, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, 3 kinds of homemade hummus and a load of other stuff too numerous to write out.
Breakfast....bacon, eggs over easy and toast with butter and jam.

You get the picture. He likes rich food. He likes fatty foods. Fried foods. Bacon. Italian sausage. Steak.
I do, too, unfortunately...as does everyone here.
But, in an effort to help ALL of us lose a little weight and feel healthier, I am going to change our diets. Gradually, though.
I cook everything from scratch, so more fresh and raw veggies and fruit should work into our diet easily.
Getting the Darlin' Man to accept more salads...not so easy!
We'll see how this goes....
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Homesteading/Prepping is a lonely, frustrating endeavor some times.
I have a hard time getting anyone to actually help when I am doing my prepping. The homesteading stuff, like taking care of the livestock; is much easier.
But, getting someone to help package rice or beans or redo the medical kits....no volunteers....sigh...
Also, I rarely have the opportunity to meet people face-to-face. I never really go anywhere. I think I have been to the movies twice the whole time I have been here and the Darlin' Man has been able to take me out to eat maybe 8 times since I have been here.
This week his unit is again on one of their *camping trips*. So, I am really missing him.
Just whining here, but sometimes we all need to whine, I guess.
I know my efforts at prepping make a difference to my family. I know my homesteading efforts also make a difference.Just gets frustrating some days.

Different Things and Random Thoughts

So, Hurricane Irene wasn't the mega-storm they were predicting, although it hit--and hit hard---in some locales. People died, some of them pure accident, some of them pure stupidity ("C'mon! Let's go surfing in a hurricane! It'll be rad!").
Flooding and lots of property damage from wind and rain and flying debris.
I think we should all breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn't at Katrina strength, though.
I hope everyone in it's path that escaped unscathed have taken this as a warning to have a 72 hour bag and supplies at home to help them survive the next storm or disaster that comes their way.
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The fella and I went to a class on Saturday about rainwater catchment. Good class!
Since we live in the desert, it is important to utilize rain water to the utmost here.
We learned about rain barrels, and more importantly, about swales, french drains and other natural ways to store and direct rain water.
I also found out that this something I really need to study up on much more.
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Last night TLC had on a program called Living for the Apocalypse. It focused on four families of preppers/survivalists.
The first family was Peggy Layton and her family in Utah. Peggy is the author of several books on food storage. They showed her food storage...I was seriously envious!
Check her out at www.peggylayton.net
The second person gives the name of "Survival Doc". He is a chiropractor living in Missouri.
Find his videos here http://thenewsurvivalist.com/
The third person was Dennis McClung and his family in Mesa, Az.
They have been seen on several survival type programs and are noted for turning a back yard built in pool into a garden. LOTS of great ideas! Check them out at www.gardenpool.org
The fourth couple was a couple of singles...a older woman and her transgendered (male to female) best friend and roommate.Their location was not disclosed.

All in all, an interesting show. Some great ideas, but some terrible OPSEC (operation security). I would be a bit nervous about giving out my full name, street address, family members names, etc. Not to mention showing off all my preps! But I guess they are doing these shows to help others prepare.
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A lot of bloggers are trying to help others get on board with prepping.
It isn't just out of the goodness of our hearts, I have to admit.
If we can get just one person to take our message seriously and really start prepping, that is one less person that will end up looting, one less person that will have to ask for handouts, one less person that may have to resort to violence to feed themselves or their family.
That's a Good Thing.
If you don't do food storage...start today.
If you don't keep emergency supplies...start today.
If you don't have a 72 Hour Bag (Bug Out Bag)...start today.

Financial Friday...a day late and a dollar short...

Okay, meant to post this yesterday, but various events got in the way. Since I am still determined to post on schedule, I'll post this now, and do my Saturday post later this evening!


Financial Friday
Investing your money when you have no money!

A lot of us of the *prepper* mindset have little money to spare. We have very little if any money to spare for investing. Yes, it is nice to talk about the stock market and commodities and gold and silver, but when you are most concerned about making sure you get the car insurance paid on time  or putting food on the table, all the *investment* talk is so much "castles in the air".
Most of us just can't afford to invest monies in anything but the *here and now*.

I think the first thing you have to do is redefine what *investment* means.
Here is the dictionaries definition:

in·vest·ment

 [in-vest-muhnt]

–noun

1.

the investing  of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

2.

a particular instance or mode of investing.

3.

a thing invested  in, as a business, a quantity of shares of stock, etc.

4.

something that is invested;  sum invested.

5.

the act or fact of investing  or state of being invested,  as with a garment.

6.

a devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy, etc., as for a purpose or to achieve something: His investment in the project included more time than he cared to remember.

7.

Biology . any covering, coating, outer layer, or integument, as of an animal or vegetable.

8.

the act of investing  with a quality, attribute, etc.

9.

investiture with an office, dignity, or right.

10.

a siege or blockade; the surrounding of a place with military forces or works, as in besieging.

11.

Also called investment compound. Metallurgy . a refractory material applied in a plastic state to a pattern to make a mold.

12.

Archaic . a garment or vestment.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/investment

 

When you break it down like that, the only two definitions we are concerned about today are No 1 and No 6.

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No 1:

The investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

The reason I emphasized  appreciation in value is because there are many ways to view this.

All those folks that bought *McMansions* viewed their homes as investments. They expected them to increase in value and to bring them a profit in later years when they sold them. People buy art, baseball cards, comic books, jewelry, etc for the same reason.

I personally know very few people that can afford to sink their money into art, jewelry and the like to hang onto to it for years in the hope of making a tidy profit.

I assume most of my readers are of the same financial situation as most of the country out there...not totally poverty stricken, but not elite wealthy, either.

So lets change that definition o make it more suitable for the of us with a *prepper* mindset.

The investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value or increased usefulness in the present/future or as tools in the present to protect and acquire current or future assets.

Now that we are in the *prepper* mindset, lets discuss *investments* with that definition in mind.

Under that definition, we can include:

Grain grinders

Cast iron cookware

Heirloom garden seeds

Canning Jars and Lids

Pressure Canner/Cooker

Quality Garden Tools

Firearms

Ammunition

First Aid Supplies

Traps and Snares

Quality Carpentry Tools

Long term Food Supplies/Storage

Sewing Machine

Sewing Needles

Fishing Poles

Hooks and Lures

I hope you get the idea.

Items that will help ensure your well-being in the future are an investment.

Let's take cast iron cookware for an example...

You need a new frying pan. You could *invest* 8 bucks in a crappy *non-stick* frying pan at the local discount store or you could invest 20 dollars in a cast iron frying pan. Now, you have to *season* the cast iron and you aren't an expert on cast iron cooking, so there will be a bit of a learning curve.

BUT...in 5 years, or 10 years or 20 years, which pan will you still be able to use?

Which is the best *investment* in your health, considering many *non-stick* compounds have been found to be carcinogenic, while cast iron adds iron to your diet in a slow & natural manner?

If you had no power, which one would you feel more comfortable and confident using on your grill or over a campfire?

Yes, you will spend more on the cast iron (look at thrift stores and at yard sales to lower the price!), but even if the cast iron is double or triple the price it is still worth more in the long term.

Cast iron is a positive investment.

Will it increase dramatically in value?

Probably not (unless that SHTF event occurs that will make further production impossible)

Will it increase in it's benefit to you? Most assuredly it will be of better benefit than that cheaply made non-stick frying pan...health benefits, longevity of use, etc. are all far superior with the cast iron option.As time goes on, not having to buy another cheap pan and then another and another will be a financial blessing when added up.The miniscule amount of iron added to your diet from cooking in cast iron is an added health benefit that also continues with time.

You have to think and choose wisely when you are investing your hard earned cash into material items.

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No 6:

a devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy etc., as for a purpose or to achieve something.

If you invest 125 dollars in, say, a cob building class, that can prove to be a worthwhile investment IF!!!

A very BIG *if*:

You actually learn techniques you didn't know before

You keep in practice

You are able to build useful things using the skills you learned in the class

You are able to sell your labor/skill in cob building to others

If you are taking the class just to take it and tell others that you took said class, but you do nothing with the skills you learned, you have wasted the money and time you invested. That makes it a negative investment.

If you buy a sewing machine and never bother to use it, that equals a negative investment.

ANYTHING that you invest time and/or money into that does not benefit you is a negative investment.

Even if you don't invest a dime into something, if you take several hours or days into learning a skill and then never use it, it is a negative investment!

What else could you have done with those hours or days? Time learning another skill or honing one you already have, time spent improving your property or time spent with your family?

I know, sometimes we all take a class just for fun or buy something completely useless just because we want it. But we should all (myself included), look around and see what investments of our time and monies is the most beneficial to us and our families.

Items to Stock Up On in the New Year

This year, I am making a list of bigger ticket items for the new year. I have loads of rice, wheat, beans, etc. I will be adding to those monthly, as usual, but there are some bigger ticket items that we need that I am going to budget for.
I have two manual grain grinders, but both are difficult to use and only work well on corn for coarse ground meal.So, I plan to get the Wonder Junior Deluxe Hand Grain/Flour Mill.
I would also like to get a decent electric grain grinder and have looked at several....I have sorta settled on this one , the Kitchen Mill by KTEC.
We have a dehydrator, but it is a very basic, inexpensive model the fella picked up at Wal-Mart a few years ago. I am looking and drooling at the Excalibur  and hope to purchase one by March. I have heard from loads of other preppers that the Excalibur is the one to have!

I have looked at solar ovens online, like this one , but look at that price! Holy cow!!! I have found some project plans online to making solar ovens, so I think I will try one of those before I sink $200+ into a solar oven!
I am looking for a treadle sewing machine...Lehmans has some, but I think I would rather find an antique one.

My big purchase this year may be a loom. Amazon has this one and it looks like it would work well for a relative novice (I haven't used a loom in AGES) .

My Darlin' Man got the Boy and himself both crossbows for Christmas. I don't like them. Takes too long to reload, etc. You need way more upper body strength than I have to effectively draw the string back and cock it, even using the *bow draw* accessory the fella also got.
I want a regular, old-fashioned-Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest kind of bow! I found this bow at Amazon, and although a bit pricey, I think I will set my sights on getting it around the end of summer. I'll set my sights for the #30 pound draw.

And, of course, books and milk & cheese processing equipment and fabric and hand sewing needs.

It seems that everytime I think I have everything I need for the homestead-to-be, I find something else that is needed or very much desired!

Trying to Understand it all...the Gulf Oil Spill

Okay...here's what I do know, between press releases from BP and the US gov't., the main stream media, various web sites I go to and forums I visit.....

BP has lied consistently about the amount of oil spilling into the Gulf.
So has the gov't.
The disaster is MUCH bigger than we are being led to believe.

Fishing and seafood harvesting of anything is done--as is D-O-N-E---from Louisiana's barrier islands to the coastlines of La., Ms. Al. and probably the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Seafood industry in the entire Gulf is either threatened, shut down or will be shortly.
The economic impact of this will be catastrophic--and NOT just in the Gulf.
Fishermen, oystermen, charter sport fishing ship captains/crews, seafood processors, tourist industry workers and employers, pleasure ship builders, restaurant owners/workers, etc and so on will all be affected. They can't make money, they can't pay their bills, mortgages, car payments, etc., which translates to more folks defaulting on mortgages, declaring bankruptcy or just walking the hell away from their debts because there is nothing else they can do. Those that have vacation homes on the Gulf Coast may well walk away from those properties as well. Who wants a view of a beach covered with blobs of oil and dead fish and marine mammals?

This will be a HUGE financial impact on the south-eastern United States.
And like the oil spill, that impact will spread..faster in some sectors of the national economy, slower in others, but it WILL spread.

Additionally, if you are not aware, the "Top Kill" solution will be attempted tomorrow morning by BP. It is estimated (by THEIR engineers) that it only has a 60 to 70 % chance of success. The back-up plans include a *debris dump and cover* and the side wells to draw off pressure (which cannot be attempted until August according to all reports).

There was a meeting in Houston, consisting of a group of men including Richard Garwin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garwin ) and four other nuclear physicists mulling over the Deep Water Horizon oil spill/leak and the possibility/advisability of using a nuclear device to stop/seal the torrential leak. They were gathered to this meeting by Stephen Chu (Obama's Energy Secretary).
That's right, they are considering a nuclear solution.
FEMA, by reports I have read, is poised to direct mass evacuations of Tampa and other populated areas of Florida's Gulf Coast in the event that a more extensive "burn off" of the oil on the surface is attempted. The cloud of toxic smoke would, (if current climate and tidal conditions continue) drift directly into the Tampa area.

We are expecting severe thunderstorms to pass through Beaumont Thursday...the storms are expected to go through the weekend and to pass across the southeast and the Gulf as well. What effect this will have on the efforts to contain the spill are unknown.

I am personally thinking that this event...the oil spill, may be the last straw on the financial camels back as far as the US economy is concerned.

This is bigger than Katrina in the financial whammy it will deal to the economy and yet, I don't hear people screaming about it.

Where will the money come from for clean up?
Where will the money come from for the tourist and fishing industries?
Where will the money come from for evacuations?

BP will not be able to cover all this...and even if the US gov't. sues for monies expended to handle this disaster, it will take YEARS for it to be negotiated and/or move through the courts.

I guess what I want to discuss, is this event *the* event that will start the domino's falling? Yes, I know, other events in the past may have actually started the domino's falling, but I guess I mean--Is this the event that is irrecoverable from...is this the event that will start the spiraling down into the SHTF?


Prepping for this scenario boggles the mind.
If you are in the Gulf Coast area (as I am) MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR BUG-OUT-BAG READY!!!
Have ample drinking water stored in case you have to "bug in".
Get ahold of some gold or silver (junk silver, i.e., old US coins are a good form) in case there is a sudden currency collapse.
Check and re-check your home security, especially if you have to "bug in".
If you have fire arms, make sure they are cleaned and ready for use. Store a little extra ammo---just in case.


Get respiratory masks for all members of your family. Even doubling up "painters masks" are better than nothing.
Watch news reports carefully. Pay attention to details around you...are you seeing FEMA vehicles in your area? Has the National Guard in your area been called in suddenly? Are you seeing more military vehicles in your area?


Am I being paranoid?
Maybe...but an ounce of paranoia is worth a few tons of cure right now!
Prepare yourself, prepare yourself, PREPARE YOURSELF!

Preps after a move...and a Scavenger Hunt!

So, I moved almost two weeks ago, and, as hurricane season starts in less than a month here, I am busting my butt trying to get prepped for it.
I have to bottle water...I figure 40 gallons drinking water and 60 gallons *other* water (but still potable) for each person , PLUS, 10 gallons water for the two dogs (each).
I am on the third floor of this building, so plastic to cover windows in case of breakage is looming large in my plans.One of my room mates works at a fast food joint and has been able to scavenge a few things...buckets, etc that will come in handy--just in case.

Speaking of scavenging, my room mate is a scavenger par excellence! Our first couple of days here, he rode his bicycle past a place that was being cleaned out and found 2 five gallon buckets full of perfectly lovely dishes! I washed them up and they are now in the kitchen cabinet. He also found a 3 gallon stew pot (or gumbo pot) and a love seat that he toted home on his back, much to the entertainment of our new neighbors!

Bit by bit, we are furnishing this place!

I have no problem snatching up someone else's discarded household goods...it saves me money and because it doesn't end up going to the local landfill, it is good for the environment.

So...this weekend, besides doing a bit of "curb-shopping", I plan to start bottling water for our prepping.
I hope all your preps for the coming season are going well!