We Were Born For Times Such as These

We had a very interesting comment the other day that said, "We were born for times such as these." That struck us at the time and has stuck with us.

You, all of you that read here, were born for times such as these. That's why we're here. That's why we write, that's why you write and share your thoughts and experiences, and try to get those around you to wake up and smell the collapse that is pounding them in the head. Where does that headache come from? The pounding of reality slamming into your head, you idiot. But then, it's too late for you to wake up and smell the collapse, notice all the shortages everywhere? Too late. The train has left the station and you missed it.

Just some observations from our neck of the woods and our personal analysis of all of the information.

Frank and I keep saying - there is something sinister going on that we're not able to see, read about or discern yet. Unfortunately, we may not be able to do so until it's out in the wide open staring us in the face.

Yesterday Frank looked around online to see if there were any rifles available that shoot 223 ammo. Most major sites were sold out of almost everything, even the Ruger 10/22 that shoots 22LR were sold out. 223 ammo? Forget it. Not available. There are some places that have the ammo, just no longer in bulk.

Some of the young family men we have talked to recently, both 30 somethings, are scared. They see the world falling apart, collapsing. They both have young children and wonder if they will be able to provide for them and protect them - from the virus and the violence of the world they see coming down the road. And did we mention shortages? You know, food.

The virus? There is so much conflicting information out there, who knows what is real and accurate. Are the numbers actually reflecting the number of people that died from the virus or from their underlying conditions? We don't have the statistics of people that die of the flu with underlying conditions because they died from the flu. We don't have the number of people that were tested for the flu, or strep throat, or any number of conditions and how many died or recovered. Those statistics are not kept and correlated. So what is real? 

The government is lying to us. We understand that there are times when the government needs to keep things from the public, that is understandable. But don't tell us that because a company that once in the past made ventilators, is going to retool in a number of days to manufacture complicated medical equipment. This is impossible. They're just blowing smoke up our skirts. Listen carefully, it is impossible.

Let's try on another lie for size. We need to get back to work as soon as we can. But, we're also told that the peak of this virus may not be for six more months. It's the government that shut down the work place and we're hearing stories of we'll be back to work by.......maybe Easter? Somebody, ladies and gentlemen doesn't know what the left hand is saying because the right hand didn't tell them. Somebody is lying. We've talked about it before here, lying has become the norm. We are being told things on a daily basis that we know is just not going to happen. They, the government, are the one that shut down business for our protection. Every day that we are shut down, will make it much, much more difficult to restart. It has taken our country a couple of hundred years to grow and develop the economic system we have. We have effectively crippled supply and demand. You can't restart this in a day or two. It is impossible. 

Who is going to pick the food? Who is going to can the food? Who is going to label the food? Who is going to drive the truck that carries the food? Who is going to maintain the truck? Where is that truck going to buy diesel? How is that truck driver going to eat on the open road? Who is going to stock the shelves, operate the cash register? And on, and on, and on. They are lying to us. There is something much more sinister going on here.

Why are the governments of the world shutting down the world?? What is really coming that needs to have the world population shut down, at home, contained? What is coming? Why do we all need to be so controlled? What is going to happen that would cause people everywhere to be out of control?

Food shortages?
Total economic collapse worldwide?
Anarchy?
Mass rioting?

How else could governments across the globe convince mass numbers of people to peacefully give up and sit at home awaiting the coming storm? Scare them to death with the threat of death, that's how. Not violent government take over kinds of death, but death by the invisible enemy. It's got everyone quaking in their boots. Literally. Yes, people are getting sick and dying and I mourn their loss. I mourn that I cannot go see my mother in the nursing home and I worry about her. 

We have voluntarily contained ourselves, curtailed our activities and in some cases our livelihoods. For what? Why do they need us locked down, in fear. Something truly evil roams the land.

Prepare accordingly, for the unprepared are going to take from the prepared. They will do it in an official manner, after all we are in a national emergency. Those of us that have prepared by the sweat of our brow, will now have it taken by the brown shirt thugs. They will take what is ours, mine, yours and give it to the fat, lazy and stupid.
 

Years ago we read about the golden hordes pouring out of the cities in search of food and trying to escape the violence erupting there. Is that what is going to happen? I don't know.





We're going to reopen the economy? When? How? What kinds of work can be deemed essential? Everything accept entertainment? 

Why do we have to wait for the FDA to approve a drug that's been on the market for decades? What kind of insanity is that?

Please chime in and and add your thoughts.

You were born for times such as these. Stand up to the plate and swing away. This is our time. This is why we have lived this life, prepared, trained and learned for decades.

This is your time. Make it count. Follow what your mind and heart gives you to do. Fight the good fight. It's what you were born to do. Prepare to do the unthinkable. It's here boys and girls.

Now we're going to go work in the garden. We have food to grow, for it's going to be a very, very hot summer and you can't print food.

We'll talk more later. Until next time - 

Frank & Fern

Merry Christmas!

Hello Everybody, Frank here.

Fern and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. 

May the Lord be with you and yours.

If you are out shopping, please be vigilant, pay attention, and avoid crowds if you can. This might be a good year to get people things that they actually need and can use. Kitchen tools are always handy. They may be hard to find right now, but garden tools, shovels, rakes, hand spades. Back in grandma's day, these were standard gifts. If you've got a little extra jingle in your pocket, the means to protect oneself is always an excellent gift.

Yes, I know this is Christmas eve and most people have already bought for their loved ones, but in a couple of days you can take all the things you don't want back to the store and get things you need. Sporting goods stores are good places to shop. I like hardware stores, too. While you're there, get a couple of dust masks and put them on. That guy two aisles over that has the cough that's coming from his belly button may just be sharing the latest version of our government released plague. 

But this is not the day for that, the plague, that is. I was in a store yesterday, grocery store, went to get some apples while Fern was visiting her mother in the nursing home. There were a lot of sick people in there. I don't mean the transgender type, these people were really sick - coughing, hacking.

I hear the gun shops are having brisk sales this time of year. Did you know they make brand name rifles and pistols with pink grips? I guess if your neighbor has a whole closet full of those pink hats, you don't want to clash with your neighbors, now do you? No, you can't shoot that pink flamingo in their front yard, or for that matter, you can't shoot that fake deer in their yard either. Because if you live in a state that has red flag laws, somebody will turn you in for having a bumper sticker on your car that says 'vote for Trump'. Probably your neighbor with the pink hat, though they won't tell you who it is, but they will take your pink gun.

I keep reading about Virginia, no that's not a TV character, that's a state on the east coast. You know, one of those states that the left is trying to take from the right. That government out there just appears to be just a bunch of fools. But then the government just north of there, well not really north, but you know what I mean. The people in our Congress are not supporting what I believe in. I don't know about our national government anymore. Is it a game they're playing? No one seems to be serious. It reminds me of a bunch of kids on a playground. I'm serious. 

Is this the big show we're seeing out there or is this the diversion trying to cover up what's really happening? 

We're being told that the economy is going great guns. Do you see it? I sure don't. There are trucking companies shutting down, steel mills laying people off. Yes, I know the fast food places are hiring, but people need real jobs. This repo thing has nothing to do with cars and houses, you know. If our economy is so good, why is the federal reserve pumping billions of dollars on a regular basis into big banks and industry?

And where's the wall?

When we thought the Japanese were going to attack mainland Alaska, our government in conjunction with the Canadian government, built a highway. Yes is was crude by today's standards, actually most of it is still crude by today's standards. There were numerous bridges across big rivers that most folks have never heard of, never will hear of and will never see. But they did it, they built that road in some of the most inhospitable land on the planet, most of it during the winter. It took right around six months.

Where is that wall? Give me break. Somebody is lying to us. We all know that the "free" press doesn't lie. You know our government doesn't lie. The economy is teetering on collapse. Look up there a paragraph or two and find all the information you can on the Federal Reserve and repo. Do the math. Our fiasco in Washington? Who knows what is going on.

This thing in Virginia, it's the next big show in town. Pay very close attention. While you're paying attention, watch this Brexit thing also. And pay attention to the immigration problems in Europe, too. The European Union is in dismal financial shape and their immigration problem is past the point of no return. Are you ready for another Irish invasion? I don't see another Crusade coming. Looks to me like they're going to just build one large dome across most of Europe.

Going around to the other side of the world. How are things looking in China? I'm going to take a break here for just a second and let's do a quick tour of rioting in countries all around the world. It's going to be easier just to say we're not rioting here in the United States and Canada. Yet, that is, it's going to be a hot summer. You are aware our southern border is lined with a well organized, highly lethal and well trained military. Except it's not a government military, it's called drug cartels. Yes, there is rioting going on in countries all around the planet, including China. China is rapidly developing a sophisticated military. Why?

Ever read history about how China was able to enter the world financial markets? Most of us don't. If we read history at all, we refer to it as Western history, you know, England, France, Italy, those types of places. Read about Mao. When it comes to mass executions he made Hitler look like an amateur. We know about Hitler, or we think we do. But look at this old boy Mao Zedong. While you're at it check out Chiang Kai-shek. I know people will say there was a famine or something like that, you read it and do the research. I wonder if there is any possibility that our government would do this to the American people? 

Well, it's Christmas eve and here in our part of the country the weather is beautiful. Today will be sunny, light winds with 65* to 70*F. For you folks living in the frozen north? Better you than me, I've been there and done that. The only way I'll do that again is if they put me in a boxcar and ship me up there. We've done that in this country, too. Read about what good old Andrew Jackson did to the Indian population, then tell yourself you're sure glad you live in America where we don't do that kind of thing like the Chinese, the Germans, the Russians and the Italians. The list goes on and on. Ask some of the Indian folks what they think about relocation and Andrew Jackson. Remember, Andrew Jackson is President Trump's favorite past president. Don't think it can't happen here? It has happened here before. Ask the Japanese people in California.

Here at Frank and Fern, we have a saying. Don't get on the truck and sometimes it says don't get on the bus. Just a modern day version of a boxcar or a trail of tears. 

A little side note here. All the groups mentioned above had their weapons taken away. There are lots of places where this same thing that's going on in Virginia has happened before. We've got red flag laws creeping across the nation, Gestapo type tactics. The economy is teetering on collapse. This is not a game. This is not cutesy. Get your ass off the couch, turn off the TV and prepare for war. Don't get on the bus. 

Don't forget to tell your loved ones Merry Christmas. Shake their hands, pat them on the head, give them a hug and TEACH them. It is going to be a hot summer.

Let's finish up here, boys and girls.

Pray for peace. 

Prepare for war.

We'll talk more later,  Frank

Government's Uncivil War

What in the world is happening to our government? I don't think anyone can adequately wrap their heads around it and explain. I know I can't. Just to name a few things that come to mind.

Cover ups?

 Coup d' etat?

Treason?

Obstruction?

Espionage?

New Green Deal?

Medicare for all?

Invasion at the border?

The example our government is setting can lead to nothing but chaos. If the populace continues to emulate the behavior of those we have elected to govern us, there will be no peace, there will be no sense of community, of belonging to one of the greatest countries on earth. If every workplace, family, church and organization dealt with their differences the way our government officials do, there would be anarchy in a week.

As educators we had a saying. 'Want to know what the parents are like? Watch their children.' If we want to know how this will all turn out, just watch our country's leaders. 

And then there is the media. It doesn't matter what you watch or read, everyone is biased. Everyone. Wherever you turn there is disagreement, censorship, and bias. What is true? There is literally no way to tell anymore. Truth means nothing in this society. Absolutely nothing.

Folks, I don't see any way for people to come together. They are only going to continue to become more and more polarized, and in the process the division between races, cultures, cities, states, neighborhoods and political ideologies are going to spread farther and farther apart until there is no solution, no common ground, no tolerance, only judgement, condemnation and hatred.

There are a number of sites we read and watch that are warning of a coming 'event'. They base this on the success of President Trump and the never ending attacks by his political opponents. The warning is that the Left, the Deep State, whatever you want to call them, need a serious event, a false flag, a black swan, a major catastrophe to use against the president. Something that may collapse the economy, or somehow present the notion that the President is responsible and thus unfit for office, or give them the support they need to win the 2020 election and take the country back. They need to win to reinstate their agenda.

There is also the issue of the coming reports from the Inspector General, the investigations by the Attorney General's office and others that have been appointed to investigate those government employees that were involved in the investigation into President Trump's activities during the election, while he was President Elect and after he took office. Some suppose that the almost hysterical behavior of the Democrats are in response to the current investigations and fear of what they may expose. 

Regardless of the reasons or actions behind the scenes that we are not privy to, the government, the Washington D.C. apparatus, is at war. Plain and simple. Their behavior, accusations and actions, or inaction from some viewpoints, are escalating to a level of viciousness I never would have imagined possible. Where will this lead? We have yet to see, but it doesn't take much to feel the angst that is building all over the country, from the largest city to the smallest burg.

Add in what's happening in France with the Yellow Vests, the UK with Brexit, the EU, Iran, North Korea, China and the tariffs, Israel and their neighbors, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the list goes on and on. 

Is it just our turn? Is it time for another world wide change? I know some people think it is the end times as predicted in the Bible. But there have been many generations before that thought the events of their time matched up with biblical prophecies. There have been groups of people that went up and sat on a mountain waiting for the rapture because they just knew the time was at hand. I think it is the same now. We just don't know.

What we do know is that history is playing out before our very eyes, every day, on television, on the internet, an in our neighborhoods. Resentment and anger are growing to the point that people who never would have said anything to anybody before are arguing and fighting in public with strangers for the most trivial of matters. And sometimes it's deadly. Has the value for human life and care for our fellow man fallen to such a level that it just doesn't matter anymore? Some would say yes. Look at the new laws that applaud a woman's rights over the life of another, the life of a helpless baby. Look at the backlash of the new anti-abortion law in Alabama and the other states that are following suit.

Our government is leading this uncivil war in our country. The people appear to be following that lead, for we are at war. A war that cannot end with a continuation of life as we currently know it.

Are you ready for TEOTWAWKI? The end of the world as we know it? There is absolutely no way to know what it will look like on the other side of this conflict. Prepare for it as best you can. Ignore it at your own peril.

What do you think? We're all in this together.

Until next time - Fern

Plan Three Times, Measure Twice, Cut Once

Hello Everybody, Frank here

I received an interesting email from the Frank & Fern site and I wanted to share it with you. This man is giving thought to relocating and has some good questions. I hope you will enjoy reading his questions and I hope you enjoy reading the response that I gave to his good questions. This is just the way that I saw it and the way that I still see it. You see, I love watching the movies Jeremiah Johnson and Never Cry Wolf. Yes, I have read both of the books associated with them, and they are very good books, which I would also recommend. Both of those stories influenced my wanting to go to Alaska, and explore and live that type of life style.

Well, Fern and I have been lucky. You see, I got to live a dream and I am still living a dream. Now, I'm not what you call a dreamer. These dreams have come from lots of study, research and hard work. I hope you get to live your dreams, too.

I use a saying which I'll share with you now, "Plan three times, measure twice, cut once." So for your dreams, Plan. Then plan again. Have a back up. Do what you need to do to be successful, but always plan for failure. Then live your dream. Someday I will tell you my whole story, but not today. 

If you don't believe in God, that is your choice. But I do and that's my choice. God has been good to me and I thank Him for it everyday.

I hope you enjoy the email I received and I hope you enjoy the response. Please tell me and this gentleman what you think. We're all in this ballgame together. So get off your hands and tell me what you think. Good or bad. Remember, we are ladies and gentlemen. Plan three time, measure twice, cut once.

We'll talk more later, Frank

Email received

Hello, My name is [omitted]. My wife of 40 yrs. and I have lived in Alaska 39 years. I see you also have lived here, so I thought you might have some insight for us.

We are 60 and done raising our children, and are entertaining ideas about moving south. We are Christians for 40 years too. We had a 40 ac. farm [omitted] [between Valdez and Glenn Allen] yrs. ago, and have learned the harsh realities of self-sufficient living here, and feel it is not really possible due to climate. We cannot grow grains for feed, nor fruits for ourselves, vegetables are limited, winters are so long and harsh our goats, pigs, chickens and rabbits all had difficulty. 8 mo. winter is simply too hard with firewood, water hauling, long, dark and cold, etc.

So I have a few questions.

In Okla. are summers too hot? We don’t mind 4 seasons, but 3 months to each would be fine. We have looked in west Montana, mid-Idaho, and east Washington. prices seem higher due to higher demand and scarcity, but 20 ac. is approx. what we’d like, ½ pasture for grazing & hay, ½ woodlot for ongoing firewood harvesting. Must have water of sorts, i.e. pond, creek, lake, etc. Definitely a rural forested area is our goal. A house is not necessary as I do construction, but cost is always a factor, so $50k or less is our price range for land as we need to develop the farm. Does this seem like a reasonable amount?

Also with all the instability in the country, dollar devalue etc. do you feel you are in a ‘safe’ place should civil unrest, depression etc. cause roving gangs from the city to seek nearby rural food sources? Or do you wish you had moved to  “the Redoubt” area? 

Thank you for an time or info you can provide. Also, I thoroughly enjoy your blog as I recognize experiential farming and all the added trials shared realistically.

Thanks again, and God bless.

[omitted]

Frank's response

Hello [omitted],

Congratulations on 40 years of marriage. 

Up front. Our time in Alaska was temporary every place we were, so we never gardened or raised any form of livestock, period. Here is a list of the places we lived, starting at the top and coming around and down. Barrow, the Kotzebue area, Nome, mouth of the Yukon River and Dillingham. We had a condominium in Anchorage for a few years, but it was only used a few days out of the year. So, again, we had no experience in gardening or livestock while in Alaska. We did have a church garden in one location, but it was really not very successful. That was in Dillingham, the lowest latitude that we lived.

Somewhere over the tundra about 500 miles from Anchorage

The reason we left Alaska, which was about 11 years ago, was my fear of the economy collapsing, which I still believe will happen. I did not want to be in remote, bush Alaska when the planes quit flying. We were there during 9/11 when the planes did quit flying, for 3 days I believe. That scared me then. Most people didn't have a clue what it meant, because all supplies there came in either by plane or barge during the warm months.

Nunam Iqua, Alaska 2006

We looked in the Redoubt area, western Montana, Idaho, eastern Washington, just like you mentioned. At the time we left, I was about 57 or 58. At that time I had had several surgeries and after leaving Alaska, I had lower back surgery and open heart surgery. But one day it dawned on us that we were not getting younger, not trying to sound funny here, but I was really tired of shoveling snow. The places where we could have a car, I was tired of shoveling out the car. I was tired of ice, and dark, and cold, and I mean really cold. -50 is chilly. -20 was a good day. When it broke 0*, we celebrated. You should know what I'm talking about. And dark? I never realized how much I missed sunlight until it wasn't there. And light? I never realized how much I missed dark until the sun went in a circle for 24 hours in the sky. I take it you put foil paper or something on your windows in the summer.

Right now, I am 69. Two plus years back I had open heart surgery and about six years ago I had lower back surgery. I am as active now as I was then, if not more, but I don't think I could shovel snow if I really needed to. So, therefore, the Redoubt is out of the question.

 

The non-sunset, Barrow, Alaska, September 2000

Why Oklahoma? Lots of reasons. Fern's mother lived in southeastern Oklahoma. We went to school in Stillwater, Oklahoma which is where we met and were married 36 years ago. Fern is ten years younger than I am. For various reasons we bought a house and piece of property that joined her family's property. About 40 years ago, back in my Mother Earth News days, I researched property all over the country for survivability. Southeast Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas and north a couple hundred miles, and south a couple hundred miles is a survivable area. Lots of hills, some small mountains, creeks, rivers, forested areas, and not many people to speak of. Country folks for the most part, a higher unemployment rate, lots of churches, not many bars, and the issues of positive and negative that come with this type of area. 

A small example. The closest westerly nuclear power plant to us is Glen Rose, Texas. The closest easterly nuclear power plant is just west of Little Rock, Arkansas. Our prevailing winds are from the west. I am not concerned about a melt down at the Little Rock facility. Glen Rose, Texas, a melt down would not reach us here. Tinker Air Force Base, just southeast of Oklahoma City, if something nuclear were to occur there, it would not reach us.

Next topic. Neighbors are neighbors, and Bubba is Bubba. This is the same everywhere. 

The rolling hills of southeastern Oklahoma.

Summer heat. Well, it gets pretty hot in interior Alaska during the summer. I don't know where you live right now. We have mosquitos, but nothing like the ones we had in Alaska. We have no no-see-ums or white socks. Heat is relative. We get the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico that provides us with our thick forests, which allows us to grow just about any plant we want to. Fruit trees can be grown, but they struggle because they just don't have the same conditions they do in the southeastern Washington area. Because of the gulf stream, in the summer time there is high humidity and high heat and sharply fewer bugs than Alaska. Yes, the heat and humidity can be an issue. We never had air conditioning in Alaska. We had a pretty nice condo in Anchorage, but it didn't have air conditioning. In the summer here, we start much earlier in the day and much later in the evening. That's the way we do it, and we do have air conditioning. In the winter, if need be, we can use wood heat. And I truly pray to God, that if the electricity ever goes off, it's during the winter so we will have at least a little time to acclimate.

Land price and costs. It's this way everywhere, you get what you pay for. If you were to look around with various real estate agents, I think you could find what you're looking for, for around $50,000. Now there are places here that are covered with rocks. That's part of being in a mountainous, hilly area. Some places have good well water, some places have poor water. $50,000 depending on the quality of land, could get you a lot more than 20 acres, or a lot less. In Oklahoma, building codes in the rural areas are just about non-existent. I cannot speak for Texas, Arkansas or Missouri. We don't have silly laws taxing rain catchment, but there are laws about damming up creeks and streams and affecting your neighbor down stream. A competent real estate agent should be able to answer most of this type of related questions.

You addressed roving gangs. Civil unrest. The farther away you are from towns, I believe the less this will happen. As far as the instability of our country and the devaluation of the dollar, the dollar has been devalued before. And instability? Just look at Washington, D.C. Look at that circus. As Ol' Remus says, Avoid crowds.

Buckland, Alaska 1990

I'm about to wrap this thing up. You ask, do I wish I had moved to the Redoubt area? Outside of the romance of a few novels and films? No. It's not survivable unless you are very young, in excellent condition and have skills that very few people have. It has a lot of the same features Alaska does. People struggle with gardens there, they have hard water issues. You know, ice. It gets as cold in Montana as it does in most of Alaska. We have ice here for a few hours, or a few days a winter. I am more than happy with where I live. If I were to ever move again it would be 30-40 miles farther east, therefore, I am extremely happy with where I am.

If you would like a recommendation, and I do not live in that immediate area, but I am about 60 miles away from Mena, Arkansas. Or come right across the border into Oklahoma. I do hope this helps.

You know bad times are coming and we are going to have to do the unthinkable. I hope that you and yours have your heads screwed on right. I would gather food storage and a realistic way to protect myself. Some day this thing is going to break. Most people will move to the cities and the vast majority will succumb within a few months. This is a horrible thing to think. You will need to protect yourself. This is the part where it's important to have your head screwed on right. I don't believe that God wants us to put our hands up in the air and just give up. God made us fighters and He expects us to do so.

Peace be with you,

Frank Feral

Homestead News, Volume 14

Well, let's see, what have we been up to lately? Bunches. Last week we got a comment that accused us of putting the youngsters to shame with all of the work we've been doing. It struck me as kind of funny at the time, and I've thought about it a couple of times since then. Because of that comment, I thought I'd let you know that the two men that are doing most of the hard work around here, Frank and Henry, are 65 and 60 years old, respectively. This little tid bit of information may motivate someone out there, so I thought I would share. As for the woman here? I'm 56.

The ditch we showed you last week looks exactly the same as it did then, except we ran a soaker hose across the yard where the rest of the ditch is to be dug. Emmet has been back since this ditch was

started, but during that visit he dug a different ditch, the one between these two buildings, and about half of it was done in the dark by lantern light. The one picture I tried to take showed too much of Emmet's face, so I didn't keep it. After the ditch was dug, Frank and Emmet ran 12/2 in conduit connecting the two buildings. And then there was light. Inside that is. Frank did his first night time tractor driving and covered up

the ditch with the bucket. He didn't like it much, he prefers the visibility daylight provides instead. So now we have temporary power to these two buildings. Temporary because the solar panel installation will provide the power to these buildings in the long run.

 

Today Frank and Henry finished installing the braces and brackets for the new antenna towers. There is one on the garage, one on the garden shed and one on the house by the current antenna pole. Frank has been determining the angle of attachment because these towers will fold over at the bottom so they can be laid down to install or work on antennas. This has taken a lot of planning, plus acquiring some needed equipment and accessories. We will continue to give you updates on how this project is progressing.

 

 







As you can tell from the picture on the header, the concrete for the outdoor kitchen was installed last week. I have to tell you, watching Henry mix the concrete bag after bag made me tired. That was a lot of work, but it went quickly and smoothly. Frank brought the bags of concrete over in the bucket of the tractor so no one had to lift them. We kept water in a five gallon bucket for Henry to pour into the wheelbarrow, which saved time and effort as well.

Here is the first appliance for the outdoor kitchen. Neat, huh? It is neat and exciting to think about completing this project and having a functional, no-grid, rather primitive kitchen right off the back porch. But when I really stop and think about using it out of necessity in a survival scenario, the neat factor drops like a rock. This kitchen has not been conceived, nor created to invite friends over to enjoy tea and crumpets. I picture processing vegetables and meat out here, washing clothes and fixing breakfast before a hard days work. It's rather daunting, actually.

 







Last week our friend Grace let me know there were some local pears ripe and available. There are folks that have pear trees, but aren't using the pears. One gentleman's tree is loaded and they are falling by the dozens to the ground. Yesterday instead of butchering and canning chickens, I went and got pears, five 5 gallon buckets full of pears. Guess what I

Washed pears in the sunrise that's peeking in the backdoor.

did today? Yep, but I only got started. So far we have 21 quarts of canned pears. We did it a little different this time, no sugar (just like the peaches), and no peeling. When we had finished canning peaches a month or so ago, one person commented that they don't peel their fruit before they can it. I thought that sounded great and read about other folks doing the same thing, so that's what I did. Aren't they beautiful? And there are lots left to put way. I hope to have them finished by the weekend.

 

We have had some cold nights this week, into the 40's. This was the first 'cold' test for the greenhouse and the water barrels we are using for the thermal mass. The first night it got down to 47*, the greenhouse against the wall was 59*. Yea! That is where the tomatoes, peppers, ginger, potatoes and turmeric are living. The temperature on the thermometers along the outside wall read 54*. Another yea! That's when I discovered that I hadn't thought to close the screen at the top of the storm door on the greenhouse. That may have kept it even warmer in there. The plants are happy, even when it gets over 100* most afternoons. It is supposed to cool off, even for the highs later in the week. Today it got up to 97*, it was a hot day.

Beets

Carrots

Cabbage

Brocolli

Brussel sprouts

Muskmelon

Squash

Onions!

Spinach

Since I have been watering the plants in the greenhouse almost everyday, I thought it would be good to use the water well that is right next door. This water well has a Simple Pump installed that works very well, it's just that we haven't been using it at all. When I pumped some water out of it the other day it smelled awful, so today I put about half a gallon of bleach in it. We'll let it sit for a couple of days then pump water out of it until the bleach smell is gone. It will be an easy walk with my watering can back and forth to the well. I figure it is a good time to get the well into good working condition since we may be using it regularly before long. I wiped down the main rod to remove any dust and grime. Before I use it again I will clean and lubricate the rod again with olive oil.

 

For now, I am filling the watering can with the hose and rural water supply. I have also been 'watering' the clothesline poles for several days. It is really dry here and it hasn't rained since we put the poles in the ground with the dry concrete. I have watered each pole a number of times, several days apart. I'm ready to use it, it just isn't ready to be used yet.

 






 

 










I almost forgot to tell you. Monday when Frank and Henry were finishing up shelving and braces in preparation for working on the antenna towers, I tore the carpet out of the bedroom. This

house has old, old, about 35 year old shag carpet in the bedroom, hallway and living room. Did I tell you it's old? Well, last weekend Frank took up a small piece of the bedroom carpet, just to see what was underneath. That showed me what to do. I thought it would take quite a while and be difficult. It took less than an hour and was a breeze. The hardest part was moving the mattress out into the

hallway and back, and that wasn't difficult. Now we have a somewhat uneven, paint splotched and stained in some places, plywood bedroom floor. It's great! We haven't decided what we're going to do with it next, but there's no hurry. We're just glad to have the carpet and everything that was living in it out of our bedroom.

After I finished with the carpet, I snapped a few green beans I had picked over the weekend and thawed out the gallon bag of cowpeas I had put in the freezer over the summer. Out came the canner and they all went in together even though the green beans only require 25 minutes to can and the cowpeas require 40 minutes. I ended up with three pints of green beans and 10 pints of cowpeas. It sure is nice to have a few more jars of food on the shelf.

There is an interesting article on The Economic Collapse today that Frank ran across, The Numbers Say That a Major Global Recession Has Already Begun. We know that not everybody follows the markets, but we're all invested heavily, one way or another. Please pay attention. And if you can or would, please pray for the Middle East. Things are not looking good there. Do you think the world economy and the Middle East problems might be connected? Certainly food for thought. A couple of extra cans of green beans might come in handy some day. You just never know when the stores might not be there.

Life continues to rush by at break neck speed. It's amazing how much we are getting done and how much is yet to be completed. We have never worked this hard and accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. Ever. It's quite fascinating. This afternoon after Frank and Henry had quit for the day and we were waiting for the last batch of pears to be finished, Frank and I talked about how hard we have been working. I told him we are practicing for what is to come, when there won't be a choice of working hard all day or not. It's hard work, it's good practice and it's providing us with many things that will make life a little easier. There is nothing like experience for learning. It's your turn, do, learn, and experience. It will get you one step closer to being as ready as you can.

Until next time - Fern