Red Flags

I have my own feelings about “global warming” (cycles people, cycles are normal – no need to flame if you feel otherwise, My wall – My opinion) That being said, I do believe that we need to pay attention to red flags like this article. Eventually, this WILL affect us. Be it weather or food we need to be prepared.

stranded pups
So often, articles like this are reported only in fringe media and are completely ignored by mainstream news reports. It isn’t until we’re getting smacked with high hurricane numbers or droughts and monsoons that kill our crops that some anchor “person” says “Gee, this strange weather came out of NOWHERE”. Your neighbor is wondering why you feel the need to stock up on corn and water? Maybe because you took the time to pay attention while they were spending $999 on that spiffy new pool from the local Wally World.
I admit, my prepping isn’t close to what I would like. I’ve been too easily side tracked by family illness, death, and unemployment. But, at least when I do have a windfall (tax return) I put it into preparedness, improving rabbit hutches and buying animals that will help us through these lean times.
Am I foretelling food shortages and strange weather patterns? Honey, we already have those. If you’re reading this you probably already know that. I’m just highlighting that so much flies under the radar for our friends and neighbors because mainstream media doesn’t think it’s important enough to report. Beyonce’s newest hairdo is more newsworthy. I don’t believe they are doing any favors for their watchers when they focus on “reactive” reporting instead of giving warning, being “proactive”, which could be the saving grace for a family that might otherwise fail.

What to do with loved ones?

I love this idea sure, the t-shirt is a joke, but honestly I have been wondering what to do with my sister after the zombie apocalypse. She refuses to keep a back stock of anything – much less a couple months worth of food. I figure she’ll be one of the first to have to leave cover and try to find supplies.
It can be a bit frustrating when financially it’s hard enough on our minimal income to store for our own immediate family. My sister has always been interested in learning a variety of skills (from candle making to soap crafts). For long term survival her skills will be a great addition. However, how does that help if we run out of food because she doesn’t see a need to store for her family. They have a family of six, and although she is a wiz at shopping on a tight budget, a delay of even 2-3 days for her “big” grocery trip leaves the cupboard bare and everyone scrounging by on crackers and peanut butter.

Political Koolaid

On Sunday, at church, a CD showed up from nowhere (or at least no one owned up to it – It had a medley of patriotic songs like America the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner. It became our entrance music and our starting point for the day. It was amazing how moved we all were. It came to my mind that we are entering one of the most heated political elections that has taken place in our country. A time when we probably need a bit more guidance from above rather than blindly trusting what we’ve convinced ourselves to be true.
In some ways this is bad. Normally sane people find themselves slinging mud and even blindly parroting political spin simply because it is put out by their “party”. Fights, or at least strong words, are coming between friends and families where BOTH people have most of the SAME values. You can’t help but think someone slipped a Micky in their Koolaid, or maybe it’s just an invasion of Pod people.
All parties (for even Independents have weighed in with some ugly statements) are putting the strongest spin they can on each and every point of fact – real or imagined. Looked at from a distance it is stunning how someone can attack a leader with an accusation that can be applied to their own candidate, yet still whip their followers into a frenzy. Once someone has chosen a camp they dutifully put on their blinders and parrot the party line.
That being said, there may be some good to come out of this hoopla. I remember a comic that had a pollster asking “How do you feel about ignorance and apathy in America?” the response : “I don’t know and I don’t care”.
I have been blessed to have spent some time in other countries. How does America rate on turnout at elections? We’re number 55 on the list when you compare us to the world. Democracy is based on finding the opinion of the majority of the people effected. How can that be found when barely more than half of the voters take the time to show up? So on the good hand, maybe this season we will see stronger turnouts and get a more accurate idea of what people want – in a perfect world.
However, this brings us full circle to the question of spin and truth. So many people are following (and “share-ing/pin-ing”) their media of choice. So few are researching facts on their own.

No matter who you support, I ask you to take a step back today. Look at the arguments with fresh eyes. Research a bit to try and dig for some truth. It’s not easy to find right now. Otherwise, Our voting may show less of what voters want and more of who has the strongest Kool-aid.

Diaper bag first aid kit

Today I was refilling the first aid kit I carry in my purse (or diaper bag) and realized that although many of us carry first aid kits in our car and go bag, few people keep one at hand at all times.
Oftentimes we don’t carry one because it’s inconvenient and the prepackaged options just never seem to have what we need.
What I did was take a small (3″X4″) hard sided box I found in a Johnson & Johnson baby pack. In truth, an Altoids case would probably carry most of what you need. If you have any other suggestions, I’d love to see them in the comments so we could all benefit.

Inside the box I have:
3 Butterfly Cosures (Steri-Strips)
10 full size band aids
1 2X2 gauze
2 diabetes lancets
2 Triaminic cough and cold dissolving strips (nicely packaged in individual servings)
2 cough drops
1 small tube of triple antibiotic cream

If you are using something small, like an Altoids or Sucrets tin, the triple antibiotic will be the hardest thing to include. I suggest checking for individually packaged “packs”.
Since I have two toddlers that spend an entire season with sinus problems, the cold medicines are a necessity. We also need the full size triple antibiotic cream for all the resulting scrapes and bug bites. No matter how much bug spray I use, Mosquitos will find my kids in the dead of winter.
I use the lancets for all kinds of things like splinters and blisters (they make a hole large enough to release pressure, but heals quickly enough to leave the spot protected).
Although you can get a snack size ziplock, I really suggest something hard sided to make sure everything stays in good packaging.
Thinking about it I should keep one set of all of my normal daily medications and I’ll look around the house for something to separate them in the box.
Keep in mind, I have a backpack in the car with a “full size” first aid kid. That one has a weeks worth of my meds, stretchy wrap, pain killers, and even up to stitching materials. There’s a few other good ideas in that one, so I may share that later.
Hope this helps you come up with a few other good ideas.

A worried Prepper

As I’ve said before, I’ve been prepping to prep for most of my life. I’ve seen the soundness of preparing for unforeseen situations. I’ve usually kept an emergency bag in the car. I try to keep all important papers in one spot (I really need to get all of those scanned to a jump drive for my go bag). I’ve always felt uncomfortable, if not down right twitchy, if I don’t have bulging pantries. I’ve even gathered an eclectic skill set and am always looking for more things to learn or familiarize myself with the basics. My parents tend to the same mindset. And then, there’s my sister.
I’ve always known she and I have been different in many ways. We joke we’re opposite sides of the same penny. We take different paths, but usually to the same destination. Since she is also a skill gatherer, and a master penny pincher, I’ve thought she would also jump on the “consciously prepping” bandwagon along with me. She already lives on the same 20 acre homestead with my parents and me. Boy, was I wrong.
She doesn’t berate me for my preps, and she acknowledges the uncertainty of our economy and possibility of natural disasters (we live on the Texas Gulf Coast). However, she refuses to “stock up”. We’ve discussed it in the past, and she says she doesn’t want all that “clutter”.
I’ve worried she wouldn’t be prepared if something does go wrong. She, and her family, are people I could never turn away in an emergency situation. It has never been more obvious to me how inadequate her panty is until our conversation this morning.
She has her three daughters and her husband living in her home. Last night they had to girls spending the night at their house. Having planned breakfast burritos for dinner, they discovered they only had 9 eggs to feed seven people. My sister ended up only getting two small breakfast sausages as her meal. There was not enough to around. Since today is grocery shopping day they were at the point where the pantry was empty.
As an older sister, it was hard not to slip into the ” I told you so” attitude. I know from prior experience that she is as stubborn as a boulder if you point out her failings. So all I can do is sit back, try to increase our back stock, and worry.

Woefully Absent

Yes, I admit, I have been derelict in my duty. I can make excuses that health, weird family drama that overflowed from a friend, and other things which seemed important at the time have kept me away. But, in truth, after our disastrous goat birthing it was easy to fall out of the sharing habit.
Not that I didn’t have good responses to the article – I appreciated the feedback and shares! No, it just was still a bit raw – and my other thoughts seemed so minor after that article. I have continued to read up on those of you I follow, and basically I finally decided to pull my head out.
Enough about that.
As for the garden, it has also died a terrible death. I was very sick in the early days of summer and after the goats got in I just wasn’t able to set things to rights. I’m frustrated because it doesn’t promise well in an EOTWAWKI scenario. There will be plenty of distractions at that time and the garden should be an essential priority. So we have located some farmer’s markets in the area and I am trying to take advantage of what I call “Bounty Sales”.
I’ve continued to use my Dutch oven, and I’ve located some great recipes (although pot roast is still my favorite). And, I’ve slacked a bit on canning (any questions why, re-read the first paragraph). However, I’ve also continued to search out great recipes and acquire more jars so that I have the tools I need as I get back into the swing of things.
I even had the opportunity to teach my niece to make homemade bread, and watch with delight as she and a few others tried their very first slice of fresh warm bread slathered in butter.
For the most part, our rabbits are doing well. My husband finished the second hutch so we were FINALLY able to move the baby (hmm, more teenage) rabbits OUT of our breakfast nook. Unfortunately, having been raised mostly indoors, the Texas heat has taken it’s toll on a couple of the yunguns and one adult female. We’ve since set up better waterers (more on that in a later post) and we are trying to work out a way to position the hutches for better airflow, yet still provide adequate shelter in any of our nasty storms.
As for the goats, we’re down to two. A female and a young male (not wether). We learned that the stud we used to impregnate our females has been the sire of quite a few miscarried, and I am willing to try again. However, we are waiting until our male comes of age to give us an emotional break (I can not tell you how hard that night was for me. You’ll just have to read “watching a goats butt” if you’re curious).
I finished paying off my horse, and my husband got a great cutrate deal on a gelding – $50 and a bunch of ribs. Man-o-man did that poor horse need food! Here’s a pic of what he looked like when we bought him …

His feet were in bad shape, and he was sooooo in need of attention. The good, and the bad, is he is now much healthier and has turned into a ball of fireworks. My husband will not let any of the rest of us ride him without a LOT of groundwork. For an idea of my husbands size, check out this great picture. He is the guy on the side tossing the huge bale UP to the trailer!

as you can see, he’s a good sized fellow, and with his bull riding background it’s unlikely much will buck him off. But it looks like Quigley will not fit the bill as a horse for our kids like we had hoped. We plan to make sure he’s healthy and work with him a bit more. Then make a decision if he needs to to someone skilled with the time to work with him.
We have also acquired an additional 38 chickens. They ended up costing more per chicken than I hoped – I was expecting 50 – but there are some good layers, so we can “retire” a few that we believe have slacked off. We also gained about 6 roosters (by my count we only need one) that will soon find their way to the freezer. One of our ladies is great at setting, so we separated her out with our favored rooster + a few harem hens. We now have two baby chicks that seem to be doing well.
Finally, I’ve decided to expand my skills by learning to quilt. I have some experience sewing, but have yet to test my fortitude against the awesome power of the quilt. Yes, I do plan to piece the front using a sewing machine, but I plan to quilt it by hand. At the very least I am hoping to repurpose those items like outgrown clothing that isn’t suitable to donate. My first experiment are a set of nap pads for my kiddoes.
Oh! Those kiddoes (now 3 and 4) ran to their safe spot when our fire alarm went off yesterday. Once they got there they yelled for their stunned cousins to follow. I love that my kids are learning to be prepared.
So, I guess all in all we’re just moving along with our endeavors. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your own preparations, remember there are many of us striving to build our preparations and repertoire of skills towards the goal of self sufficiency.

My thoughts on Colorado

“To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”
Richard Henry Lee
American Statesman, 1788
I firmly believe that if people in the theatre had been exercising their right to bear arms the perpetrator in CO would have been stopped before so many lives were lost (2 of those injured were friends of my cousin’s son)

Watching a goats butt

So here I kneel on the couch, pressing my face to the window while watching a goat’s butt. It has been an hour and eighteen minutes since i first noticed tiny hooves peeking out of her rear end We have only had one other baby goat born here, and we lost it. A beautiful rust and black male that died because we didn’t know enough. We had been told by friends who have goats that labor can take up to two days and DON’T TOUCH. We weren’t told to watch the time after the water breaks.
Man ‘o man did I read everything I could get my hands on after that heartbreak! So as Buttercup has neared her time I’ve felt more confident. Until today – at one hour and twenty three minutes after I noticed those hooves. She’s hunching again! Push, girl! Push! …… Nope. All the websites say don’t wait more than half an hour after the water breaks before you help. Our goat farming friend with experience says 1-2 hours is ok. Me, I’m wondering how long I can hold my breath … How long can that baby hold it’s breath? My cousins daughter (a 4H marvel) texted her best friend who lives on a goat farm. The teenager’s Dad also says 1-2 hours. Buttercup has laid down again.
My Mom, a NICU nurse of 30 years has brought over another goat book while my husband tries to feed the rest of the animals without stressing our laboring little momma.
My Mom and I nervously joke about pacing the floor, boiling water, and ripping up every sheet in the house. Her books says “After the water breaks they push a few times and the baby comes.” yeah, right.
We are at an hour and 45 minutes.
Shoot. Why can’t this be easy?
Coming up on two hours. My hands are scrubbed. My jewelry is off. I have a bucket of soapy water and towels. I’m ready…. Nope, gotta pee first.
Ok. Now I’m ready. Please Dear , Lord … Steady my hands and steady my head….
Well…2 hrs and forty seven minutes since I first saw a hoof….
Still no baby.
We’ve finally found the other hoof…and the mouth. We touched teeth. We only pull downward. We only pull when she is contracting.
We fear at this stage we are just waiting on another lost baby. But, I don’t want to risk loosing the momma, as well.
Right now, we are letting her rest. She tried hunching again and passed some fluid. What to do? What to do?
Another half hour since my last post. The head keeps slipping down and around to the side. If I could just get that head up in position maybe she could deliver on her own. We are all taking a rest. Poor little mamma. She cries and bawls. We pray. It’s an hour past my toddlers bedtime and no one’s had supper.
My little girl says the baby doesn’t want to come out. It’s taking a nap.
We’ve come in to eat. Us adults are head to toe goat hair except elbows to hands where we keeping washing up.
Did we make things worse? I honestly don’t know. Frustrations, and dare I say accusations, are high. We are all so very tired.
You probably are thinking I should have called a vet by now. Yeah, that would be nice. The nearest one that will deal with goats is three hours away.
A phone call from a friend who raises goats. He’s home now. He’s on his way over now. We’re just shy of four hours. I try to think of what to say and all that comes out is a heavy sigh.
No matter how this turns out I’m afraid I’m not cut out to raise goats. Our rabbits are doing good. I wonder how many meat rabbits someone would take in exchange for a young weathered goat.
Harvesting grown animals for their meat is one thing. But, I can’t stand the thought if we were the cause of losing babies.
How do you type tears?

I keep hoping we’ll get a call or a message from someone with some practical experience who will show us the magic “release” button on this poor mamma. The friend that called and said he was on his way still hasn’t shown up here. There isn’t much we can, or I guess should do until he does.
He’s here!
Well, the verdict is in. She is fevered. Not only has the baby already passed, it apparently has been gone a while. We can take some relief that we were not the cause.
The baby is not coming out on it’s own.
The decision point came. Do we put her out of her misery. We still don’t know if there is a second living baby. Do we risk killing her in the process of pulling the body? We make arrangements to quickly put her down if she is injured to badly, but want to at least give her the chance.
The details are heinous, and I won’t subject you to them. At one point my husband decided to send me away to protect me from all that must be done.
I went. Not because I couldn’t stand it. Not because I was offended or disgusted. I went because it is how he shows he loves me.
So I go in the house and kneel on the couch, pressing my face against the window to stare at a goats butt.
She is still alive. Now it’s my turn again.
I make up an injection of penicillin. She doesn’t move when I give it to her. But, she is still breathing. Next I mix molasses in warm water and take it out to her. She has moved her head, but doesn’t respond when I pour some on her mouth.
It’s after midnight. It’s my husbands birthday. It’s been six hours – it seems like it’s been days. I keep kneeling on the couch. I’m no longer looking at the goats butt.
I’m counting her breaths. Come on, girl. You can do it. I want her to pull through. But, I have to watch for more than just our poor little mamma. We still don’t know if there is a second baby. If she stops breathing we have to find out.
If you are heading off to bed, sleep a bit for me. It’s going to be a long night. I’ll be kneeling on the couch…

It’s one thirty. There wasn’t another baby.

I’ve missed you

To those who follow along, sorry I’ve been absent. My mother had surgery, and just about every one of us within the three homes have been sick in some form or another. I’ve actually started three separate posts (medical preparedness, canning experiments, animal husbandry) and just couldn’t keep it all together long enough to complete and post.
Personally, I have an infected tooth (dental appt tomorrow) that has sent me to the Dr twice. It is also been the root of fevers, extreme pain, and nausea.
All of that said, I’d say my biggest concern after any kind of civil collapse is medical and dental.
We have medical personnel in the family, as well as a decent stock of medical supplies and knowledge of how to use them. My concern is that there are a lot of infections that are resistant to Amoxicillin or other common antibiotics.
All I can do to combat my concerns is continue to educate myself, and those in my family, of alternative medicines and continue to acquire supplies to meet a variety of medical needs.

“Well, I like to be prepared.” Twist

I often see people asking the question of whether or not children should be involved with prepping. As a parent of two toddlers it amazes me that the question is even asked. After all, do you ask at what age they should be introduced to church or allowed to meet your family? If prepping is truly a part of your life then you must believe it is a positive thing. Therefore, why would you hide it from your children?
I guess I should also qualify, at this point, that prepping should not be done in a spirit of fear. It is not necessary to dwell on the negative things that could happen in order to prepare for them. I’d say about 80%, if not more, of the things “we” do are completely kid friendly. Even gun usage is something that can/should be shared with children. No! I am not recommending you set your two year old to shooting a shotgun. However, gun safety can be taught to any age. Personally, when I was being raised we were not allowed to even play “bang! Bang!” with a finger gun.

We were taught that every gun should be treated as real and loaded. My parents had guns, and used them for hunting and potential personal protection. (say THAT three times fast) as a military family we moved often and usually lived in areas with a lot of neighbors with children. As such, I think my parents felt it was better to teach a healthy respect of TOTAL hands off.
My husband was raised in a country environment and was shooting BB guns at 5. He was also taught how to carry a gun – and respect of the damage a gun can do. Honestly, I can’t tell you which way is better.
When it comes to the basic concepts of prepping I believe that children are already surrounded by examples and opportunities to talk with them about preparedness. If you’ve had young children within the last few years you are probably familiar with The Fresh Beat Band. A show watched, and loved, by my two kiddoes. On an episode shown today, one of the characters said “Well, I like to be prepared.” at least 4 times. How much more of an example do you need?
Yesterday, our family was watching “Twister”. My almost 4 year old was fascinated by the “bad storms” and we talked about the “safe places” the families stayed in during the storms. We are still doing fire drills and both children (2 and 3) know exactly where to go if anyone yells “Fire!”. In truth, there are many, many, opportunities to discuss why and how to prepare for emergencies.