Odd Rants and Raves

Things of beauty can be found growing in strange places if we just look!


How about the news? Most of all you hear is bad news. And I can not believe how the American couple killed in China has been played down. Now I hear on the world news that Russia is in full blown invasion of Georgia. And the US is determined to get involved. The report says the tension has not been this high since the cold war. Why can't our country take care of it's own before sticking its nose everywhere else? And on local bad news, a double murder in rural-ville by two suspects from the big city of Atlanta. But authorities don't think drugs were involved. lol


And on the more local bad news, a hawk or owl caught one of our chickens sometime today. I found the feather remains while feeding. So has anyone got any good news to share, I would sure like to hear it. Glad Jim over at Bison Survival Blog is still writing but I noticed he has taken his link list and real estate blog down. Hope he is not leaving our few number of survival bloggers completely.

If anyone knows of anybody wanting to relocate to rural-ville let me know. My uncle and aunt have a home that would make an excellent bug out location or a great off grid residence. Shoot me an e-mail for more details. tws_org@yahoo.com

Animal Pic's

One of the bloggers I really enjoy reading had a request so here you are.

Animals

The animal additions that were added to the farm a couple weeks ago are settling in fine. The chickens have developed their pecking orders and stopped trying to bully each other. One of them needs a new Timex though, he crows day and night trying to wake up the entire farm. The baby goat has started eating from the wife's hand the last couple of days. She was the timid one and we were afraid she wasn't getting enough to eat because of the larger goats. One of the nannies is starting to show. I suppose we will have a new baby in about three months. I want to take some advice of one of the other blogger I read daily, and purchase a couple of work horses and a cart and other horse drawn implements. We have a few on the farm that belonged to my grandfather. I even found an egg when I was feeding the chickens. This is going to be a fun experience for my ex-city wife.

Medical Kits

I have been reading some old and new works on survival kits and storage supplies for short and long term emergencies. As I was looking at one of the most complete lists on medical/first-aid supplies I have ever seen, I thought of an item I have never seen on a list. While the wife and I were picking up prescriptions at the drug store last week I was browsing the aisles for sale items to add to our kits. A lady walked over to the RID and picked up a couple bottles of shampoo and the spray for furniture and bedding. She acted embarrassed as a husband buying tampons for the wife, to be carrying these items. She even commented to another lady that one of her daughters friends had spent the night and infected her daughter and house with lice. I guess most people consider this parasite to be associated with being dirty or nasty. Well, that made me think, after SHTF sanitary measures will be made difficult enough with limited resources. How much would having a few cans of spray and some shampoo on hand be worth to you. You could use it as a barter item in dosages or you might even need it for yourself or loved ones. Who knows, just a thought.

Reality of the Economy Hitting Home

I went to a local mall with the family this weekend. I walked around in awe at the empty stores and the lack of shoppers. And it was not the small stores, it was the larger chains. I can see that people are holding on to their hard earned money or just not able to afford to spend what little they do have. As everyone can see I finally got around to listing my favorite blogs to read and learn from. I hope you all do the same. Good luck to all and keep prepping.

Happy 4th Everyone

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day. I don't know how much longer the way of life most of us are used to will last. But at least we can keep struggling by until TEOTWAWKI.

The Animals Have Arrived

Things are getting more and more settled on the farm. We added a few animals to it this week. We bought three nanny goats and one billy goat. They can help keep the weed control in check. We also purchased three Indian runner ducks for the pond. Two females and a male to make babies and keep any insect problems under control. The wife also wanted two Bantam roosters because they were cute. I also picked up two baby rabbits for the daughter and grandson. The animals are happy at their new home. And the wife and daughter are even helping with their care, not bad for city girls.

I was talking with the auctioneer at the animal sale. He told me how the animal sale prices were bottoming out. He said the only animals that are selling well are laying hens, milk cows and milk goats. Animals that can help feed a family. Just another bit of information on how the economy is doing.

Our 2nd Amendment Rights - Upheld

I saw on the news today that the supreme court decided to support the Constitution of our Country. We do have the right to keep and bear arms. My god, even the history of caveman depicts them carrying spears and clubs to protect themselves. The native Americans carried weapons when we arrived in this country. I personally don't care if the Constitution was written hundreds of years ago. We still use it as a guideline for our rights and the sheeple don't seem to complain about that. Just look at the freedom of speech the complainers use when someone don't agree with them. I just want to say I am proud of the justices for their decision on this matter, but I don't agree with the death sentence being removed for punishment for child rapists or the oil company getting a financial break for the Valdez spill. The oil companies sure are not giving us any breaks. I guess it is like everything else. Nobody can agree on everything.

A Moment Of Silence For a Fallen Hero

Our community lost one of its public servants last week. A local young man who grew up to become a state trooper was shot and killed during a traffic stop. He was a very outstanding officer and an asset to the community. He had been married for a little over a year and had a 3 week old baby who was born premature and has been in the neo-natal unit. The baby was still in the hospital upstairs when his father passed away in the same hospital ER. The person he stopped had a long history of fighting with police and drug charges. He was from FL and had stolen a vehicle and driven to NC pulling a U-Haul trailer. According to the troopers dash camera the suspect got into a scuffle with him and then pulled a handgun and shot the trooper in the wrist and shoulder. According to non-released information, the young trooper was begging for the suspect not to kill him. The suspect supposedly bent over the young man, pulled his vest down at the top, and shot him again. He then took the troopers handgun and left the scene. He was still alive when help arrived. A deputy who chased the suspect was also shot at later. The suspect was arrested later.

The visitation for the young trooper was the largest in county history. And people came all the way from other states to pay their respects. There have been different memorials set up to help the wife and baby who is going to have huge medical bills. I just wanted to pass this to everyone and let us all keep this family in our thoughts and prayers. Just shows me how things can always get worse.

Banking and Mortgage Companies

I have been watching and reading all the crap about the banks working with people risking foreclosure on their homes. I can guarantee you that this is the biggest load of crap the media is trying to pass off. I suppose it is to try to reassure the public or it may be that the banks have as much control over the press as the government. I called a mortgage company to see if the could work out a resolution to loosing a house. The very rude lady bluntly told me to either pay up an inflated price or just sell the house. She then hung up with no further advice. I just don't know what our people are going to do to survive these times. Average people having to choose whether to pay their mortgages, utilities or eat. I have to at least give some of the corporations a pat on the back, like Wal-Mart and some of the drug store chains selling thousands of prescriptions for $4.00 for a months supply.

We who have pulled our heads out of the sand know we have to take care of ourselves. We have seen the government can not be there for everybody during a disaster. I think a multitude of disasters are heading our way and will stretch all our resources very thin. Wait, is that not what is happening now! If anyone has any ideas or input on dealing with mortgage companies let me know as we need all the advice we can get. Sorry I did not get to write more. Still tired from sitting with the daughter at the ER all night. Slowest place I have ever seen.

Recipes From Storage Food

I have learned two new recipes that are simple and can use ingredients from your food storage. They would create a change from the same old daily routine before or after TSHTF.

The first is Fried Rice:

First cook about 4 cups of rice
Then take about half a cup of fresh or dehydrated onions, carrots, celery etc. and saute them in about two tablespoons olive oil
Add about 2 cups of the meat of your choice and add them to the vegetables unless raw, then cook with soy sauce first and then add the veggies to it.
When finished put aside and break 2 eggs or same amount of powdered eggs in the skillet and lightly scramble them.
Add rice to pan and fry until browned, stirring constantly, add rice, eggs, meat, and vegetables
and heat all thoroughly.
Season with soy sauce and pepper to taste and enjoy.

The second is Simple Egg Drop Soup:

Place 8 chicken bouillon cubes in 4 cups of water and dissolve.
Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
Add 2 raw eggs and stir with a fork gently to break up the eggs. ( The boiling bouillon will cook the eggs)
Serve while hot with dried or fresh chives.

I just had to pass these along as cooking is another passion of mine.

The Move Is Over

Well the move is finally winding down. I have some free time to get caught up on the blog. The girls are adjusting very well to country life. I do not miss the city at all.

We have been getting everything organized, my wife thought I was a pack rat before but now that she is discovering different stashes she had not seen before, she just shakes her head and smiles. The more bad news we see on TV and read about daily is making believers out of a lot of people who I never considered more than sheeple.

It has sure been busy around here. The small garden at my parents is doing well using the French intensive method. We have been eating lettuce for a couple weeks and asparagus too. I was weeding it last week and noticed the first tomatoes and squash were appearing. I finished reclaiming the garden at the farm from the weeds on Friday. Now this week we can get the big garden in the ground. I am looking forward to the corn and potatoes.

I have spent most of this week cutting weeds from the pastures and getting the barn and chicken coop ready for occupants. I am thinking about 12-15 laying hens. My favorite breed is the Dominique which is a proven old breed that lays brown eggs. A couple of milk goats to help keep weeds down and for milk. At least two steers for beef this fall. And a milk cow for you know what she provides. I have also applied to buy a couple of wild mustangs from the B.L.M. in July. With gas prices still on the rise alternate forms of transportation might be useful. And last but not least I have the rabbit coops ready. They are the fastest producer of meat available. And my favorite are ducks for the pond and to help keep insects in the garden in check.

I also taught my wife how to make fresh apple sauce from our Early Transparent tree located in the back yard and the grape vine is going to have a good harvest in the fall. We have also been having an extra amount of snakes at the farm. They are the most aggressive black snakes I have ever seen. An old timer told me he had heard that black snakes were cross-breeding with copperheads and becoming poisonous and more aggressive. I don't know how true this is but if anyone has any more insight please let me know.

Well it feels good to be writing again and don't forgot my mentor at bison blog. I hope I can keep this up on regular basis now.

Inventory

As I work getting the farm ready for the move, I start with a rough inventory. And not just material good such as food, water, firearms, ammunition, down to the smallest items. But not only the material items, we need to inventory the skills we all posses to survive the coming hard times. In one day I seen I can do electrical, plumbing, painting etc. One cyclone wiped out many in Burma, what is stopping that from happening elsewhere. Short post tonight, I am whipped. But think on it and take your own inventory and improve it.

Back To The Basics

I am getting ready to get back to my basics and was planning the outline for my farm today. We will be relocating back to my childhood farm in June. I will be taking my wife and step-daughter who are city girls totally out of their environment. I remember when I was growing up we had one of the only working farms that even used horses instead of tractors. We grew our own vegetables and raised our own meat. My grandfather raised tobacco for a cash crop and corn and hay to feed our numerous animals. My grandmother took care of the household and sewed, crocheted, and knitted a lot of the things we wore and used in our home. The house was heated with wood and did not even have hot running water until I was 12 years old. I am looking forward to getting back to my roots and hope the family can survive the culture shock. My step-daughter can't wait to get a goat and a horse of her very own.
I want to get the farm back to its former self and make it as self-sufficient as possible. The garden seeds have been bought and the chickens have been ordered. As I was moving some things in last week I found the old butter churn and cream separator. The barn still has hay and feed storage boxes in it. The pig feeder is in the hog lot where I remember it. All that is missing is the animals themselves. I remember butchering our hogs in the fall and canning our vegetables from the garden. I noticed an ad online for a lady in the same town who had moved from California who was teaching back to the basics type classes. I believe I will take them myself to see what I have forgotten or if I need to start up some classes myself. Before my wife and I were married she told me after the first visit to my family that she though she was a country girl, being from the suburbs instead of downtown, but she admitted she was so wrong. At least she is pushing for the move and really looking forward to the move and an early retirement.
The most important thing I remember about growing up is that we always had a roof over our head, were never cold or hungry, not worried about bills to support a yuppie lifestyle, and never did without anything. Those were my good old days that I want to repeat. If I can help my family and others be able to sustain this type of lifestyle, I believe my work here is on earth will be satisfied. I have spent many years learning other skills and practices to enhance a self-reliant lifestyle and would love to share that knowledge.

Homesteading, Survival Groups, Etc.

Well I finally made it back from visiting the new grand-daughter. During the long drive and the visit to the farm I started thinking about how many people do not have a clue how to grow a garden or take care of livestock. I have been communicating with some different communes and groups in the past. It just reemphasized something I had read from bison survival blog about making a deal with the tree hugger, vegetable growing, peace loving groups. The idea is to use your survival skills that they probably have no interest in such as security and defending oneself and trading them for a mutual benefit such as home grown food and barter items. You might be be able to set up a nice co-existence for all parties involved. They could go to different post tshtf trade and barter areas safely by having protection provided by you. Check around, do a little research in your area, and see what you can discover.

I saw a few ads for classes, usually offered in rural areas, teaching some of the old skills our ancestors used to survive. And not because they wanted to learn something new but because they had to do it to survive. I think we need to see more of these classes available. But more importantly we need to use them. I have never learned anything bad. I feel the more knowledge anyone has only helps them. I remember reading the Foxfire books long ago. They were a great learning tool then and can still be used today. The problem with most is they either do not have the time or desire to get back to their roots. I noticed on a recent visit to an Indian reservation they were teaching the old ways to their young people even in public school. I found a location that teaches some of the mentioned advise on homesteading and even outdoor expeditions and survival classes. The problem with most of these is people not showing enough interest. Get your head out of the sand people, just because yk2 never materialized does not mean we are home free. Look at the natural disasters and man made that have affected us since then. Now we have a recession starting to rear its ugly head. Well as my hero Jim would say, You have been warned.

P.S. Don't know how to spend your free time this summer, check out www.anadventurebegins.com

New Grandaughter

Well, I will not be able to do much ranting today. I am going to be on my way to see my new granddaughter. My one and only son called me this morning and gave me the good news. And they named her the neatest,Nevaeh, heaven spelled backwards. And a middle name of Faith. That type of thing from our young people puts a smile on my face. Anyway, I am going to get on the road. By the way, thanks Jim @ bison survival blog for the encouragement.

Getting Started at Together We Stand

Well I suppose most of the blogs I read everyday are taking some time off. All except my favorite, Jim at bison blog. So I thought I would give writing one a shot. I try to gather all the information I can on different topics so I am glad Jim is hanging in there. It seems times are getting harder on the American people every day. With rising gas and food prices only scratching the surface. I still can not understand how a country as great as ours can let itself get into the shape it is. I find it amazing that even the government is advising people to prepare for emergencies and most of the public just lets their advise fall on deaf ears. I mean when you can even buy a BOB at Wal-Mart with pamphlets from homeland security you need to take heed. Don't be a fool and stick your head in the sand. I saw this after hurricane's Katrina and Rita. Most of the people did not know what to do for themselves and the government sure did not pull off any miracles either. You don't need to depend on the government for any help or handouts, depend on yourself.

I recently saw a listing on E-Bay for a membership for a survival group. The person listing it had some good ideas, but when I asked him after his listing was up how had his response been, he said only some lookers and curiosity seekers. Most of the pro's I have spoken to told me that forming groups just does not work. I would love to be the one to prove that point wrong. As things in the world get worse I believe groups will come together. If things get bad enough I guess the strong will have their opportunity to rise up.

I guess I have rambled enough for now, I would like some readers input on contents for bug out bags and barter items. All comments welcome, even comments from evil trolls.