June 26, 2008

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.

June 21, 2008

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.