You Can't Go Back

Things are changing in the world. Quickly, with a complexity that cannot be fathomed. There are too many variables, too many players, too many possible outcomes to be considered, combined and deciphered. We have many daily conversations about a myriad of topics all of which leave us wondering what in the world will happen next.

Here are some topics we have been thinking about. We would really like to know what you think. There is much afoot in the world and it's difficult to see through the haze, and listen through the cacophony of blaring noise that surrounds the world of information everyday.

The Queen's speech indicates the UK will have Brexit and leave the European Union on October 31st. Now Boris Johnson has made a deal with the EU. It still has to go through a vote of the Parliament. I don't know how the governmental system of the UK works, I have not studied it. But we see similar disagreements and attacks on Boris Johnson that we see here with President Trump. The UK voted years ago to split from the EU and become their own country again. From what I can gather they were tired of unelected bureaucrats in Brussels deciding things for them. They want their country back. There are other countries across the globe that seem to be on the same path.

Turkey, Syria, the Kurds and the USA. Very interesting situation. Almost the entire Congress disagreed with President Trump. What happened? A cease fire. The events of the 120 hours or five day "pause" may usher in a new era of peace in a region that has known war for decades. The resultant relationship between the USA and Russia may be an added benefit from the events taking place in the region. I read recently that President Putin said the relationships between our countries could be much better if it weren't for the political upheaval in our country. He understands why President Trump can't meet and work with him at this time.

Then there is this underlying hum of information from groups across the globe. Groups supporting their own countries instead of globalism. Imagine that. I applaud any country/culture/peoples that have a national, patriotic pride for their own country. We are not all the same. We are not. And we shouldn't be. There is nothing wrong with being different. Unless, of course, you don't like anyone that's not like you. Please read this tweet.

I think President Trump put it quite well. They are coming after us. Just like the EU is going after the UK. I have no problem with a country running their own affairs the way they see fit. I am forever grateful for being born in the United States of America. I don't want to wear a burka or be banned from driving a car. But you know what? If other countries have different laws and customs than we do, that's okay. We don't have any more right to impose our customs and beliefs on another country than they have the right to impose upon ours. We have enough trouble within our own borders, we don't need more coming in to muddy the waters even further. We don't have to abide by Sharia law, we have to abide by US and local laws. If you want to come here, learn to speak English and abide by our laws. Otherwise, go back where you came from.

There are many issues that aren't being addressed here. The border wall. ILLEGAL aliens, they aren't immigrants. The constant attempts to impeach President Trump. Endless wars all over the world. The unbelievable fake news stories coming from the mainstream media. Attacks on religion. Always attacks on the 2nd Amendment. These are just a few.

The header for our last article said, "I miss the America I grew up in." And we do. The civility of yesteryear is not to be seen except in the rearview mirror of time. But you know what? We can't go back. Why would we want to? That would be like the movie Ground Hog Day, reliving these same mistakes over and over and over. Why would we want to return to a system that could lead us right back to the same problems we face today? We may return here even faster the next time since we already know the way. Besides, why would we keep trying the same thing again expecting different results? Some say that is the definition of insanity.

What we need is a new system. There are a number of groups that support a variety of changes to the current system. John Mark and Curt Doolittle support a system they have devised called Propertarianism. There are a number of people that see a financial reset to a sound money system that does away with fiat currency and the debt cycle we have created with the world wide central bank systems. There are others that see no way out of the cycle of hatred and division in our country outside of an all out civil war. Regardless of how this all plays out, it is abundantly clear that things will continue to change. There is no way our country, and therefore the world since we are all so intimately interconnected in this day and time, can continue on the current course without massive, destabilizing change occurring. The question is where do we go from here? What will it look like?

Add one more dimension to the mix. The food supply. The climate of our planet has gone through many changes over many centuries of time. Sometimes warmer, sometimes colder, but always changing. Until the last hundred years or so, there wasn't enough man made activity to impact any of these climactic changes and they happened anyway. The problem is not man, the problem is man's ability and willingness to observe the changes and take steps accordingly. Running around crying the sky is falling, the world will end in 12 years, we have to become cannibals and start eating babies (which was an actress sent to disrupt a presentation), does not address the issue of the food supply.

There are those that insist we have too many people on the planet to feed. There are those that think the growth in population is due to the overproduction, through chemical means, of franken-foods. Either way, the current solar output from the sun is affecting the weather which in turn affects the food supply. Over the last few years, weather has impacted food production across the globe, some areas are flooded, some are too cold, some are too hot and some have droughts. Is this normal? Maybe a little more extreme than at other times? I tend to believe the solar minimum we are experiencing is bringing on one of the times of climactic change that may have a drastic impact upon mankind. Others see it as a challenging time that will pass just like it always has in the past.

When you add these things all together, what do you see? Are countries pulling back, trying to increase their independence from the interconnectedness of the world because the food supply is going to be impacted in such a way that there will be shortages? Will there be starvation? Just from the impact of weather, diseases like the swine fever that is decimating the hog population in China? Crop failures like corn, hay and soybeans in the US this year? How does that impact the meat and milk supply when farmers can't feed their animals? 

Are we going to stop participating in the endless wars as President Trump calls them because we need to draw inward? Bring our troops home to deal with whatever problems are going to arise here from food shortages, to hatred, and division? Peace where there has been war for generations is a good thing. I am all for it. I think there is more going on behind the curtain than the good will of some of the leaders of the nations of the world. If we could really see behind the curtain would it cause panic in the streets all across the globe?

The events unfolding all across the globe will take us to a new point in time. A different way of life. We can't go back, it's impossible. I'm not sure where we are going or how bumpy the ride will be before we arrive at our new 'home'. What I do know is that things are changing. As for Frank and I, we will continue to prepare. Some things can't be fixed. Some cancers can't be cured. Sometimes things die. 

Your thoughts, wishes, desires and insight would be appreciated. If need be, we'll see you on the other side. Until that time, keep your powder dry and watch your back. And never, ever get on the bus.

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

What Seeds Have Taught Me

Seeds. I love seeds and the potential nourishment they represent. If the truth were to be told, I have too many seeds, so some of them age past their prime and lose viability before they have the opportunity to grow. A waste? Yes, could be, but like our preparations, I would rather have too many, than wish I had something grow because we were hungry. Frank has heard me say many times that seeds are worth more than gold. The food that seeds provide can keep us alive. If there are no seeds to be had, all the gold in the world is worthless.

I am grateful that we have had the last seven years here to learn the climate, soil conditions, pests and temperature variations. No two years have had the same weather conditions, which has offered even more to learn. Our first two gardens were grown under extreme drought conditions. This past year we lost some of our hard earned topsoil to flooding, and it was so wet that seeds rotted in the ground.

During the first few years we tried growing the same varieties of vegetables we had grown else where, some did well and some did not. We experimented one year with about six or eight types of peppers, tomatoes and winter squashes. That gave us a very good idea of which ones would produce well here. Some of our favorites made the cut and some did not, fortunately we found better producing varieties that have now become our new favorites.

It took me three years to figure out how to grow lima beans only to discover we really didn't like them. Until two years ago, I didn't like fresh tomatoes. We started growing two old heirloom varieties, and surprisingly, I liked them. Frank has always liked tomatoes and he describes them as more acidic than many of the newer varieties. I have also discovered that my back cannot pick a row of bush beans. I just can't do it. This has led to experiments with several types of pole beans until we found one that we really enjoy, that produces well into the fall.

I wish I could figure out how to grow a head of cabbage. I even wrote an article about it. And onions. Those are things I will continue to work on because we eat a lot of both. I also need to be more diligent at saving our seeds. It has always been easier for me to order seeds instead of planning ahead for seed saving. There will come a time when the only seeds we have will be the ones we save, so this is not a skill for me to continue avoiding or neglecting. 

The greenhouse has given us a whole new learning experience in growing food. As would be expected, the cool weather crops are happier than those that like the heat of summer. We have picked one yellow squash and the tomatoes are blooming, but with 38* lows at night, I don't expect much from them. I will soon be planting seedlings in the greenhouse. The window I've used for the past few years has now been replaced by the greenhouse entrance and I find that to be very comforting. I'm excited about the greatly expanded room to grow many more seedlings that won't be leggy and leaning over sideways in an attempt to reach the sunlight. I'll be learning much more about the timing for growing, hardening off and planting these seedlings.

There are many beautiful seed catalogs arriving in the mail now days. They all have something to offer that is new, different or interesting, but I have found a company that has a very wide variety of quality products for a fraction of the cost. With few exceptions, we order our seeds from R.H. Shumway's, which I have no affiliation with, except as a very satisfied customer. Their catalog is not shiny and showy, but it is packed full of seeds and information.  I would highly recommend them.

So, what have the seeds taught me? Patience, diligence, responsibility, the power of observation and learning, conditions for success, hard work usually pays off, and that hope springs eternal in the miracle of germination and growth. In a recent article I said, "Our future will be one of incredibly hard work, grubbing in the dirt for our survival." That's what seeds mean to me. Life. Survival. I am continually fascinated that one tiny little seed can produce so much food. In the coming days if you have a few seeds and a shovel to spare, a man could help feed his family. Do you have enough seeds for this year, and the next, and the next?

If you are new to your area, or plan to go somewhere else when the SHTF, do you know someone that can help you with invaluable information about local growing conditions and varieties that produce? When is the average first and last frost date? What insect pests cause the most destruction? Do you know how to deal with them without running down to the local garden center for a fix? Has the soil been turned and worked? Is it fertile enough to support the production you need? There are so many things to learn and know before those seeds will turn into food. I have read many places that people feel prepared to replenish their food supply because they have a can of survival seeds. Unless these people have figured out, and made accommodations for many of the things I have mentioned, they will starve. Not that these cans of seeds are a bad idea or contain inferior products, but the conditions necessary for adequate food production are dependent upon so many factors that the odds are stacked against them. 
 

Grace's garden

We have a friend, Grace, that gardens just a few miles down the road. She can grow things we cannot. We have pests she doesn't, and she has some we don't. Conditions can change quickly, from location to location, as well as year to year..

What have you learned from your seeds? Please share with us because we are all in this together. Any knowledge we can glean now, before it is a vital means of survival will be of great benefit. As soon as I get back the use of these two hands I will be rolling up a new batch of pot makers and planting them in the greenhouse. I can't wait.

Until next time - Fern
 

The Goat Stork Flies Again

Here is an update on how our pregnant does are doing. I thought I would give you a pictorial that covers the past few months. We have three does that will be having kids somewhere between February 23rd and March 7th.

The first doe that is due is Velvet, on or about February 23rd. This will be her second year to kid. Last year she had a large single doe.

January 1, 2014

January 1, 2014

February 5, 2014

February 5, 2014

February 5, 2014

The next doe that will kid is Ivory, on or about March 2nd. Last year she had her first kids which were twins, a doe and a buck.

January 1, 2014

February 5, 2014

February 5, 2014

And the last doe to kid will be Copper. This will be her first time to kid.

January 1, 2014

January 1, 2014

February 5, 2014

February 5, 2014

This really cold weather we are having is keeping the goats in the barn more than they would like. Today the high has been about 18 degrees which is really cold for this part of the country. Nubians are warm weather goats and we are concerned how this weather may be affecting these pregnant does. Time will tell.

We pray everyone is able to stay warm and safe through the rest of this harsh winter. It's hard to really try and think about a collapse situation when the weather is so very cold. If things were to collapse during this dangerously cold weather, it would be devastating for many, many people. But it's kind of like have goat kids, we don't always get to choose when they come.

Until next time - Fern

When You're Sick & Down

What are you going to do when you're sick and down and out? Who is going to do your work for you if you're so sick you can't? My first thought is, well, I just can't be that sick. But I don't think we will always have control over that, will we? Or the weather, or the economy, or the actions of others, or bugs in the garden, or...or....or....

We were amazed by the pictures and stories of everyone trapped out on the highways and in stores and schools during the severe weather in the south. It really warmed my heart to see businesses open their doors to these stranded folks. It reminds us how important it is to have some things prepared and with us all the time. Mom With a Prep just did a post about her husband's emergency pack that he keeps in his vehicle, so that if something happens, he can get home. I keep my vehicle emergency pack with me wherever I go. I work 25 miles from home and want to be able to get home if some type of disaster or collapse happens, or if my car breaks down. I wonder how many stranded people had

emergency supplies with them. I also wonder how many people will

now start carrying emergency supplies with them because of this weather event. Maybe God is sending out a few more messages trying to get a few more people to see how important it is to be ready, to be even a little prepared. The people in the south had a few days to prepare for this storm. They knew it was coming. We all know a storm is coming. Are we going to be prepared when it comes? We all have storms in our lives of one type or another. Sometimes it's a tornado, sometimes it's a hurricane, sometimes it's the flu or, heaven forbid, the death of the family bread winner. We all have storms.

And speaking of weather. We have all been the recipients of wave after wave of unusually cold weather this winter. There are many people, businesses and organizations that can't get the propane or heating fuel they need. There is a major drought in the west affecting the farmers ability to grow the crops we have all come to depend upon for part of our daily bread. Frank and I were talking about it the other day and also wondered how this severe cold will affect the 'bread basket' states and the winter wheat crops. There are many things occurring now that may have a devastating impact upon our food supply in the near future. 

You know what else I noticed yesterday? The 'brick' of tissue we buy at the warehouse market that holds about 10 boxes now gives us about 160 less pieces of tissue. Just another way of buying smaller packages of things for the same amount of money. It really bugs me that we are being tricked into thinking things aren't so bad, when we are getting less and less product for the same amount of money. But we are told, there is no inflation and things are getting better everyday. Just wait and see.

Frank has been sick for a week and will be for a while yet. I have been down for a few days. It really makes us stop and think about how we might manage if we were on our own. Do we have what we need for daily sustenance? Yes. Can we do our chores and take care of the animals? Yes. We're not that sick. But what if we were? We have been able to get the medical attention we need, for now. What if we couldn't? Then what? It really gives us food for thought.

So, now we challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of the folks that were caught in this recent storm. How would you do in that situation? Now put yourself in the shoes of the folks that can't get enough propane to heat their house or cook. How would you manage? Or even if the propane was available, what if the prices had doubled or tripled and you just couldn't afford it, then what? What if you or your family member was really sick and you couldn't get any medical attention? Then what?

Don't be fooled by what you are fed by the mainstream media. Really take a good look at what is happening around you. Did you know that more and more big banks, you know, too big to fail, are limiting how much money you can withdraw from your bank account? Some of them are even requiring a reason for the withdrawal, and if it doesn't seem like a good enough reason to them, they are denying access to the account. I find this to be unbelievable. But it is just one example of many. Don't be fooled into thinking, "All is well." It is not.

Sometimes when you are sick things look a little more gloomy than they really are, and Frank and I have been sick. But this is one instance that our illnesses are not the reason for our outlook on what is happening in our country. It has just given us more time to ponder. We hope that you will do the same. What can you do for yourself or your family today, not tomorrow or the next day, that will prepare them for the challenges of the near future? Think about it. Then get to work. Time is short.


Until next time - Fern


P.S. A family asked if we would provide this link for you to view.