Our Normal Abnormal Life

In many ways, our life hasn't changed much. We milk goats, make cheese, plant the garden, eat at home and don't socialize. This is pretty normal for us. Now that I cannot visit my Mom in the nursing home except through the closed, glass door, which we did for the first time today, we seldom go anywhere. While we were in town today we went to the store. Frank stayed in the vehicle while I went in to get apples. I wore gloves and cleaned my hands with an alcohol soaked wash cloth when I was finished. I took note of some of the store shelves while I was in there. The produce section was fully stocked. There was very little pasta, no spaghetti sauce in jars or cans, and only a few cans of spaghetti-o kinds of foods. There were no dried beans or flour of any kind. Many of the canned vegetables were sparse. I didn't go down any other isles, so that is my report for the grocery store today. It is a smaller, local grocery, not the Wal-Mart type.

A few weeks ago we stocked up on animal feed, filling every container we have to the brim. That will last us well into summer if not beyond. We stocked up on fresh apples and cabbage, too, but that's about the only store bought items we wanted/needed. The new air lock version of making sauerkraut has taken a backseat to the fermenting crock again for now. Even though it will take us months to eat the full crock that is percolating away at the moment, that's okay. It's nice to know we have months of nutritious, probiotic kraut awaiting our dietary needs.

Most of our routines haven't changed, so here is a pictorial of some of the things we're doing during this normal/abnormal life. We're still making cheese and sourdough bread, although we have started making tortillas out of most of the bread dough, just because we like them. We eat them fresh everyday with a little butter and salt. The dough freezes and stores well in the frig, so I can take out what I need for each day, let it come to room temperature on the cabinet, then cook them when we are ready to eat. If we do happen to experience a collapse, making small, daily batches of dough for fresh tortillas will be easier than trying to bake bread or rolls. Just a thought I have had when we transitioned to making daily tortillas.

Bread dough in the bowl, cheddar cheese in the stock pots

Some of the seedlings are now in the garden. If we get a frost, we'll need to cover the tomatoes and squash. 

Seedlings hardening off from the greenhouse

Tomato seedlings

The large tomato that grew in the greenhouse over the winter.

Whey from cheese making to water in the tomato seedlings.

Tomato seedlings

Carrots

Yellow squash

It's been very wet and muddy for about a month now.

This week we had record high temperatures in the 90's. This weekend we will probably have a frost. It reminds me of the challenges farmers are having with the food supply and the issues with the solar minimum and how it affects weather extremes. The Ice Age Farmer is listed on our blog roll. He has some interesting things about the solar cycle and food supply. The pepper and beet seedlings will have to wait for the frost to pass to be planted.
 

Peppers

Beets on my planting wagon.

We thought a few more hoses were in order.

Frank used a garden hose to fill our storage tank from the water well by the greenhouse. We can use it for the garden or drinking water if necessary.

The world? Our country? Outside of the virus, the economy is on the verge of imploding. The effects of the virus don't appear to be near as devastating as the hysteria and overreach of the government indicates it was 'supposed' to be. There is some underlying sinister plot in play that hasn't raised it's ugly head into the light of day yet. When it does, I don't know if it will have the ugly head of a fire breathing dragon or the boot of the man upon our throats. It is difficult to find any clues or facts (how to know what is true or not is impossible anymore) that lead to any logical conclusions at all.

And then there are the 'essential workers' that have received their "papers" for safe travel to and from work. When I hear the term "Papers, please." it makes me think of a World War with major restrictions and controls upon the activities of societies across the globe. We know a man that received his "papers" a few weeks ago indicating he works in an essential industry, then received a comment recently with the same scenario. Is there a time coming when all travel will be restricted without official "papers"?

Phone apps are being developed to track people that have been infected, are suspected of being infected, have been vaccinated (once it becomes available) or haven't, and probably who is using all of that 'dirty' germ laden money. With many, many people staying home or drastically restricting their travel voluntarily due to fear, those that are out and about will be easier to track. Why is this really desirable? I don't really think it has anything to do with a disease.

So, we will continue to stay home, order a few things online to be delivered and continue our normal/abnormal life. There are times when the vision of what we see coming down the road is almost paralyzing. Other times, we continue our daily routine, just like any other spring, only with the feeling we need to keep an eye out over our shoulder for that sinister overshadowing that creeps ever closer. We used to say the storm is coming, get prepared. Now? The storm is here and it's too late.

We would really like to hear what you think and what is happening in your area. When it rains, it rains on all of us. We are all in this together. Speak up now while you still can. You never know when something you say may help another.

Until next time - Fern
 

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

Just in Case

Hello Everybody, Frank here.

This morning after breakfast and having a second cup of coffee, we were reading Bison Prepper. Yes, I know at times he can be a tad bit salty, but I've never had problems with salt, I actually have to add it to my diet even though I have had heart surgery.

What I'm getting at here is at the bottom of his daily rant, which I thoroughly enjoy, I think the man is brilliant, he gave us a list of other ways to stay in touch with him just in case things go dark. We all know that your computer can get a virus, just like you and I can. We all know that our government is doing the best it can to control the proliferation of viruses. I guess the key part is - the best they can, but I'm getting off track here.

What Bison Prepper did was to give out other ways to stay in touch with him and his writings. Just in case, in his case, things go dark, we're talking about midnight in the back of a cave, he took the time to say thank you for this time we've had together. 

It's kind of like Bob Hope singing Thanks For the Memories. I got to see Bob Hope. It was the winter of 1970-71 in northern South Korea. Great show. If you never had the chance to see Bob Hope, you really missed a classic. And it was free, my uncle paid for it. Did I say it was cold that day?

You may get a virus on your computer, and you may get a virus. I could walk outside today and have a tree fall on me, or the Big Guy could just say, "Frank, time's up. Time to come home." I believe that my temporal world in that case would go dark, but I'm not really sure, well, pretty sure.

Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, if that happens today or tomorrow and I don't take this opportunity, then I would be remiss in my duties and responsibilities. Now, I don't have any plans of immediately checking out, so don't read that into this. But I do want to earnestly and wholeheartedly say, "Thank you."

Fern and I have had a different form of communication with some extremely interesting people. It has been a blessing and a gift to our lives. I mean that. I really mean that.

So, from the bottom of my heart, which does have a couple of extra connections now, I want to genuinely say, "Thank you."

If today is the day, or tomorrow, somebody pulls the plug on the internet, or the Big Guy pulls the plug on you or me, "Thank you."

May God and Peace be with you.

WE'LL talk more later,  Frank 
 

Hope Springs Eternal

In this time of increasing uncertainty, stress and anxiety which brings with it a gambit of emotions, never lose sight of the fact that there is always hope. Spring is upon us. Despite storms in the weather with tornadoes that cause destruction and loss of life, storms in the biological attack upon the planet (whether coincidental or man made), impacts upon the world's ability to plant and grow enough food (whether from climactic events or lack of labor due to illness and quarantine), life does go on.

Mud and more mud

A month or two from now, life may not have continued for all of us. That is a large portion of the uncertainty. A month or two from now, the world may be under lock, key and the big boot of government with the freedoms we had a fading memory. Whatever life looks like a few short days, weeks and months down the road, one thing holds true. Hope springs eternal.

Balsam

If those of us that read and write here out in cyber world didn't have hope that our preparations, training and skills would make a difference in our ability to survive and provide for ourselves and our families, we wouldn't even try. Why would we? What difference would it make? Why not just join the eat, drink and be merry crowd, for tomorrow we die?

Why? Because that is not the cloth we were woven from. We have hope and determination in the face of impending doom. Is is easy? No. Are the times upon us scary and uncertain? Absolutely, resoundingly yes.

Clematis

Iris

HOPE springs eternal. And with that, spring with it's new life and promise of a future (of some unknown sort) is upon us. Take the time to breathe in that hope (but not the virus! You do remember that humor is the essence of survival don't you?). Look around. Notice what is happening to the earth and join in that renewal with a determination that you will continue to do all you can to insure that the hope of life is instilled deeply into those you love and care for.

Bridal wreath

Will it guarantee that you and they will make it through this time? No. If you or they don't make it, will you give up hope? It's a tough question. One we all face. Don't turn away from mentally planning for that possibility, as hard as it may be. Frank and I have long said that mental preparation is the most important. If you are not trying to be mentally prepared for whatever may come your way, including death, then you have neglected one of the most important aspects of your preparations.

Basil

Beet seed just beginning to sprout.

Hope is the basic foundation of any preparedness plan. If you didn't have hope that what you are able to learn, practice, acquire or produce wouldn't make a difference in whatever scenario plays out in your life, you wouldn't have bothered to even try.

Nasturtium

Hope springs eternal. Breathe in the new life of spring. Share it with those around you. Use it to bolster your mental preparations, for the storms of life are truly upon us. May the Lord bless and keep you.

Until next time -  Fern

What are you doing NOW?

Hopefully, the holes in your supplies and preps are filled like Frank talked about in the last post.

We have all been reading/listening/watching the data and advice on how to avoid/diminish the chances of infection from COVID-19 and taking every precaution available to us. Some are still going to work, some aren't. So now what?

During President Trump's press conference yesterday [Monday, March 16th] one of the reporters asked him to reassure the American public. She said people are scared. How true. We all are. Not only are we worried about our own personal health, the health of our families and friends, but the nation and world as a whole. One thing is certain. When we see the other side of this, we being whoever is left, things will not be the same. We will not be living in the same world we left behind just a few short days ago.

The economies of the world are and will be changing. The manner in which people physically interact with each other will have changed. So many other aspects of life will be changed in ways we can't even begin to imagine or fathom at this point.

Frank and I have been describing events as 'unbelievable' for some time now. You know, our political sphere, the anger and division among the peoples of our nation, etc. We had a brief laugh yesterday when I reminded him of this, because the situation we find ourselves in NOW is truly UNBELIEVABLE!!

Frank has long thought some type of contagion or plague would be the mechanism TPTB use to bring down the world, bring down the population numbers. So far, the death rate from this virus has not greatly diminished the global population, but in the long run, will it? At the beginning I was one of the people saying the standard, run-of-the-mill flu was killing many, many more people, what's the big deal? Obviously, something is very, very different than the average flu or the whole world wouldn't be shutting down. 

So what are we doing? For one, we are not going anywhere except for a few select places in our general area. We have to go 25 miles to make it to a town that has a big box store, a pharmacy and regular grocery stores and we are just not going. We are stocking up on more animal feed.

We have baby chicks hatching and more coming in the mail in the next day or so.

The garden is tilled and partially planted with turnips, kale and cabbage. We have a few carrots out there that have overwintered. We are in a heavy rainy period, so it's mostly mud, but it's good, healthy, fertilized mud.

 












The tomatoes, peppers, carrot and beet seedlings are planted in the greenhouse. I cut the tops off of the large tomato plant that has been growing out there all winter and put them in water to root. I also ordered more seeds. Seeds are gold, better than gold. They represent more food. Food that may become more precious than any 'thing' we can have.

 

The garden? Well, with age and aches and pains, it was going to shrink quite a bit this year. Now? I have altered that plan quite a bit. I will be adding more human and animal crops to the garden in the hope we will have enough to eat.

We have revisited our plans if we lose power and water. They have changed somewhat over the last few years. And as always, we discuss the protection of our home and each other.

My thoughts go always to keeping us fed and healthy. Frank's are of protection and safety. We naturally focus on our own strengths, talents and areas of responsibility.

The uncertainty of our times and the outcome on the other side of this event, for lack of a better description, is a daunting experience. So, tell me, what do you see for our future six months from now? A year from now? What do you think the world will look like? Do you see riots and anarchy around the corner? Food shortages? There is a lot of hype about medical supplies/services being inadequate for a pandemic. 

Please share. What are you doing now? And what do you see for our future? I agree with President Trump. We're all in this together. 

Blessings to you all. Stay safe and healthy.

Fern