Idaho Preppers Network

Answering a question, and people can trump a GPS

2012-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

I was asked in an e-mail for help in contacting other preppers. The best way I can think of to contact other people is to go to this site and when you go to this page on that site, send an e-mail to American Prepper with your questions. Did you know that the founder of the American Preppers Network is from Idaho? Yeah, he's the one to ask....

Happy 2012! We headed south for a few days on a road trip right after Christmas, and someone was generous enough to loan us a GPS (global positioning system) to take with us so that we would hopefully never get lost. (As a side note, my husband has about the best sense of direction I have ever seen, and really doesn't get lost, but the GPS is still an interesting piece of technology to work with, so there it is.) It can be amusing to listen to a mechanical voice give you directions, even (or perhaps especially) if "her" directions to "make a legal u-turn" when possible sound suspiciously like "make illegal u-turn" when possible...

So anyway, we headed on our merry way. The borrowed GPS we used is handy because you can feed in an address, and it will then give you directions to the desired location. It worked really well most of the time. It was the two times it, shall we say, "got confused" that showed that common sense plus previous research on a location is priceless regardless of how much technology you are working with.

Example one:

Ah, this was kind of a biggy... the GPS was programmed to take us to a particular address in a given city--and asked us to exit at a non-existent exit many miles in advance of the city we were actually traveling to. Fortunately, my husband knew enough about the area that he didn't even entertain the idea of taking the route offered, and reset the GPS. There's no shame in asking for directions if you can find someone to give them to you, but it might be a tad bit embarrassing if you are in the wrong area altogether and the people you stop to ask don't know what you are talking about. (Or they do know what you are talking about, and realize that you are about 30 or so miles off-course...)

Example two:

We were in the aimed-for city already, so we were looking for help from the GPS with the more detailed directions. Thing is, the location we were looking for was a pretty large building from what we understood, and the GPS was leading us out in the middle of nowhere....so of course we turned around, and just looked for it with our eyes. When I think back on that experience, I think the GPS was "turned around" somehow, because we passed what could have been the other end of a street we had seen when we were following its directions--if it was, it was a looonnngg street. In any case, the only way we got there was to look around, use common sense, and ignore the GPS...

So, what's my point? I guess in this case, one point that can be made is that it is best to think of technology as being the back-up plan in an emergency. If we have technology (electricity, and all that comes with it, as an example) woo-hooo, (seriously) our lives will be that much easier. We just have to know what to do when the technology isn't working, electricity or no. What could we do if the things we do with technology were no longer available?

For example, what about lighting? If you read my most recent post on my other blog, you will remember that one of the things that showed up as Christmas gifts were a couple of flashlights, to replace flashlights that had somehow disappeared from where they should have been. Those new (and older, truant flashlights) have a place to be so that they can be found when the lights go out. If the older truant flashlights had been unavailable during a blackout, we would have had to fumble our way to our candles and matches. And hopefully there would be daylight before we had to devise a plan C, if necessary.

Technology is great, but sometimes fails, and common sense and ingenuity can come to the rescue if necessary. Having somewhat recently reread The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I am intrigued by the "button light", I believe it was called, that Ma made when they ran out of other means of lighting. It involved a button, a piece of cloth, and some oil...if anyone already knows how to make this, please share. In any case, I will most likely look up how one is made, because I loved the ingenuity of it. When the family ran out of fuel, they made sticks of hay to burn, the method for which is also described in the book. The sticks burned quickly, but they kept the family alive.

So, yeah, I pretty much figure that people can think of new ways to do things when they have to, and can figure things out when technology just isn't working right. I just figure it's best to have as many back-up plans as possible to deal with such events before any back-up plans are needed....

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hoping everyone will have a wonderful Christmas, and wishing you and yours all the best now and always--Merry Christmas!

Hot chocolate is good for storage...

2011-12-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

...and getting it for free is even better. Found this giveaway over at The Daybook, and if you are on Facebook, follow the directions at the giveaway link above, and you will have a chance to win 12 (!) cans of hot chocolate. I personally really like Stephen's hot chocolate, but it is my husband who introduced me to it, so I would say he is the biggest fan in our house. Anyway, just a heads-up if you want a chance to win... hope all is well with everyone!

Have you heard about this?

2011-12-09T18:04:00.001-08:00

Seems that I'm kind of stuck on questions for titles lately... :)

First off, snow was not long in coming after my last post on my tires--if memory serves, it snowed the very next day. Not much stayed except a few icy patches on the road in inconvenient places. But then, I suppose no matter where they were, they would be inconvenient... :) Anyway, we are in the process of getting any and all issues concerning tires take care of, and I hope no one else has had any problems with theirs. Here's hoping that our street doesn't turn into the (seemingly) perpetual ice rink that it was last year.

Just wanted to include this link for those who have not yet seen it. It concerns recent U.S. legislation, and storing food is one of the particular things mentioned. I did just mention this link today on my other blog, so it is a repeat, but just trying to spread information as much as possible. The information in this link is the "this" referred to in the post title, and might interest those who haven't heard about it yet...

Those readers who prefer incandescent light bulbs may be interested in this article, which includes information on when they will no longer be available. Yes, the article is a little old (gotta hate procrastination on posting about it--sorry) but the deadlines are coming up, especially on the 100 watt variety. You might want to pick up a couple of them while you still can, if they are your light bulb of choice.

Hope all is well with everyone, and that everyone is enjoying the Christmas season!

Have you checked your tires lately?

2011-11-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well, the long and short of it is I hadn't about two weeks ago, and so one of my tires decided to "check out" on its own.

At the time, I had a child in the car with me, and we had just recently entered a really busy highway. Suddenly, I heard a strange noise, (although I have had a flat tire before, I always discovered that I had a flat while the car was stationary, so this was a new experience for me) and thought/did the following:

1. Turned off the radio, and thought, "Is that my car?"

2. Thought (very) briefly that it might be the wind, since I had increased speed, but even though it does get windy in Idaho, it doesn't get that windy.

3. Checked the dashboard, thinking that something was wrong with the innards of the car, since the sound was coming from that direction. There was nothing wrong.

4. Started to smell burning rubber, and immediately started to look for a place to pull off the road. Unfortunately, at that point of the highway in question, there really is no place to pull off the road, and it was right before an exit ramp. There is a white line that indicates the edge of the road, but after that there is very little concrete, and a lot of hill sloping immediately downward. So not a lot of options, considering the above-mentioned exit ramp coming up.

5. Pulled off the road, as close to the edge as possible, put on the hazard lights, and called my husband, who was, fortunately, not very far away. Then I, and the child accompanying me, exited on the hill side of the car, and waited. I figured if one of the many cars passing by bumped into the car, we wouldn't want to be anywhere in or around it.

Ok, I am the first to admit that I should definitely know how to change my own tire, but I don't, even though I have been shown how before. Thing is, in this particular situation, I wouldn't have changed the tire even if I had known how--I was unwilling to even go around the side of the car and see the extent of the damage done, due to the location I was in and the amount of traffic going by.

Then, YAY, an Idaho state trooper stopped behind me. I was impressed by how much this state trooper helped us, though I never knew his name.

He came up and I told him what had happened, and that my husband was on the way. He asked if my husband was in town, and then said, "Is that him?" and yes. Yes, it was. He was backing up to my car.

My husband proceeded to work on the tire, and the state trooper moved his car out so that anyone coming toward our car would have to go around him. Then he got out and helped my husband, and they were done in like, no time flat. No pun intended.

The state trooper then asked how long I had been waiting before he showed up, and I said, "Oh, five to seven minutes." He then said that they try to patrol the roads so that no one has to wait long for help, but sometimes in the more isolated areas it takes a lot longer. He was very nice, and didn't have to help my husband, but I am so grateful that he did. It was a dangerous spot, and he made it a lot safer. He also went above and beyond the call of duty. He deserves more than a YAY!, but perhaps and maybe he will see this post and know how much we appreciate his help.

Soooo, turns out that it was the tread on the tires that was bad that caused this unfortunate situation. Now we have a good tire in place, but I feel that I was blessed in many ways when this happened to me:

1. There was no snow on the ground at the time, just as there is no snow on the ground in this area as I write this. When I think about how slick the roads can get around here, and try to imagine what slick roads + flat blown out tire + no place to turn off to speak of when there is good (but windy) weather, well, it doesn't add up to anything good.

2. I had someone to call that could help me, and if my husband had been farther away, the state trooper was there quickly, and as mentioned, he made it a lot safer by locating his car to minimize the chances of an accident as the tire was changed.

3. We had a good tire, (not a donut) as the spare, so I didn't have to worry about the spare blowing up on my way home. Which is where I went immediately, and was not late for something I had to be home for. (Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about "donuts" so the likelihood of one blowing out on my way home is not something I know a lot about. However, I did feel better that I had a regular tire as a replacement.)

So, I reiterate, have you checked your tires lately? I am surprised that we haven't had more snow yet, at least in this part of Idaho, but it does give us more of a chance to check (and if necessary) improve our situation before the roads get slick...

Happy Veteran's Day!

2011-11-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

Wanted to express my gratitude to those who have served and sacrificed for our country in the armed forces-- I could never say it enough, and will never forget it. Thank you for your service.

Nothing like the 31st...

2011-10-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

...to make you realize that you have once again procrastinated, and it is past time to post those things you have been thinking about writing about...

First, a huge thank you to those who have contributed information on Idaho on the last post. If you read the comments, you will find varying opinions about Idaho and a lot of info. There is also a comment from my friend Carl, who asks a very specific question about a particular region. You can go to the comments section under the last post for the comment in its entirety, but the following excerpt is where I come to my readers for help:

"We are looking at Idaho again, but I am concerned about hospitals in the Northern Idaho area near Spokane. I am wondering if any of your readers can comment?"

I will ask around here to see if I can get some info, but thank you in advance for any information you may be able to offer on this specific area!

On another subject, at an emergency preparedness presentation I attended recently, there were a couple of things that stuck out that I don't remember seeing mentioned anywhere else on the internet, or at other presentations:

--The presenter asked if we kept a permanent marker in our 72-hour kits. Turns out that when Hurricane Katrina and all the accompanying problems happened, that families would sometimes need to be separated, and some parents had the brilliant idea to write vital information on their childrens' arms in permanent marker--things like contact information with important phone numbers, etc., so it would be easier for the families to be reunited again. I can't remember what was specifically said, (and that is what is wrong with procrastination) but it seems that things like medication information for children and/or others who might need help with such issues might also benefit from having it written down where others can see what is needed and render aid.

--When a sample 72-hour kit was presented, there was an empty gallon jug attached to the backpack, so that when this person and their family were headed out the door, they could quickly fill it up, and have the "extra" water with them. No doubt it would be a little heavy, but like I always tell my children, even if you have to lighten your pack, you keep the water...I wouldn't expect my children to carry an extra gallon, but I can imagine that there would be great benefits from the adults to carry one each, and if you are able to fill it up before there are water issues and are able to stay home or evacuate by vehicle, all the better....

And, you have probably heard about the prices on peanut butter going up--this article has more information, and in the video in the article, has the percentages for some brand names for how much, as well as when, the prices are expected to rise. This to me is one of those examples of how it's good to have a couple jars/bags/containers of products you use regularly put aside, so that you have a little leeway on when you have to stock up again, and can hopefully hold out until you have coupons and/or a sale...Unfortunately, the massive price increase on some brands of peanut butter have already started, if I have understood correctly, and the others will not be far behind--stock up on what you can, while you can, if peanut butter is one of your preferred preparedness items....

Thanks again to those who commented on Idaho, and thanks for coming back to read despite my procrastination--hope all is well with everyone!

Need information on different areas of Idaho...

2011-09-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

...to answer questions from someone interested in possibly relocating to Idaho. Readers of this blog may remember and/or been affected by the fact that I sometimes am slow in checking the e-mail account connected to this blog, (sorry!) but recently I did check it and found an e-mail from D.S., who sent, in part, the following:

" I live in Chicago and I need to get out of here before things get ugly and I have been thinking about moving to Idaho somewhere. The problem I'm having, and the reason for this email, is that I have no idea where a good place would be to buy a home for someone with a "prepper" mentality. It seems like Idaho is completely off the grid, in the mountains, and wooded which is great but makes it difficult to know where a good spot would be for someone like me who lives in a big city and has never lived in any kind of rural area."

Readers may remember me talking about things that go on in my neighborhood, so may have guessed that my neighborhood wouldn't really fit the description of an area that D.S. is looking for. So I replied, in part:

"I personally don't live in the kind of area that you are looking for, (hey, but Idaho is great everywhere that I have seen :) but I know that at least some of my readers have more info on different areas from where I am located. Even if I did, I have often found that my readers give out a lot more information than I do, and I learn a lot from them..."

So, I am requesting info from anyone who does have more information on areas that are more along the lines of what D.S. is interested in. Many thanks in advance for input that you are willing to share!

A little on the late side...

2011-09-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

As in it's the last day of a sale at Albertson's, but they're pretty good deals. You have to buy 10 items that are included in the deal (General Mills products) to get the $5.00 off, but many of the items are pretty good:

--Progresso soups end up being $1.29/can when you buy 10, and put any of those soups with mashed potatoes or rice, and you would have a pretty filling meal.

--Handily enough, if you buy packages of Betty Crocker specialty potatoes, they are $.50/package if you buy 10.

-- Also $.50 are select varieties of Green Giant vegetables (11-15.25 oz.).

Those are my favorites this week, although I must say that in my opinion, Albertson's has got a lot of great deals this week. No, no one I am related to works at Albertson's, that I know of. And yes, as usual, if you are not sure that your particular Albertson's is participating in the festivities, please call ahead and ask if they are having these deals. Thanks, Albertson's!!

Sorry for the late notice--hopefully many of you have already found these deals and saved lots of money...

And for those who may not be located near an Albertson's (much as I am not located near an Albi's store, although I hear they have great deals), perhaps you are located near a Sam's Club, and would like the chance to win a $40 gift card. Regardless of your proximity to an Albertson's, you can enter for a chance to win by commenting on this post over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. That giveaway ends tomorrow at 10 pm Eastern Time. So a little more notice than the end of the Albertson's sale (tonight), but not much. Thanks, Harried Homemaker!

In any case, hope you get a chance to get to Albertson's if those deals interest you, and good luck on the giveaway, if you decide to enter!

On the question of sanitation

2011-08-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

I have read various ways of dealing with the sanitation issue, something that is of concern when dealing with situations where there is little to no water, or even in the case of running out of (hopefully massively stockpiles of) toilet paper. I recently received a link in an e-mail from a preparedness expert that I know in Utah that deals with this issue, and thought I would share. There's a video and everything!

Seems like an appropriate time to thank everyone who continues to read even though I don't have exciting things like videos on this blog...thanks!

Anyway, also on the linked site are info for storing a 3-month supply, and info for turning off your water at the street. Thanks to the creator(s) of the site for sharing such useful information!

Preparedness Expo July 31--in Spokane

2011-07-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to idahobob for sending the information link about the Sustainable Preparedness Expo this coming weekend in Spokane. From that page, when you "click here for more info", you will find that there is a lot more info. It may not work for everyone in Idaho, but for those who would be interested, the information is there.

Sounds like a lot of valuable information in one place...thanks, idahobob!

Really, it's not that we're unfriendly--it's the Snake

2011-07-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

As in the Snake River. Allow me to explain.

The Snake River is a dangerous river at any given time, due to water speed and/or temperature, but things don't improve when there is flooding. So, while there has been some flooding this year where the Snake is concerned, the following conversation (related according to memory) would probably have been about the same on our side, regardless of the year. My husband and I were with our children at a park not far from the Snake, when we were approached by a young guy who was obviously not from the area. ( Note: FV stands for Friendly Visitor, and SUIs stands for Seemingly Unfriendly Idahoans)

FV: Hi, are you guys from around here?
SUIs: Yup.
FV: I was just wondering if there was a beach somewhere around here where we could just go down by the water, go swimming. (Not sure if swimming was actually mentioned, but that was how I took it...)
SUIs: Nope, not really. Well....there are places that are by the water, and supposedly you could go into swim, but there are signs everywhere saying you do it at your own risk.
FV (probably wondering why we were showing no enthusiasm whatsoever on this hot, hot, hot afternoon about so much water and a beach) Oh.
SUIs: Well there is a dock you can walk on and put your feet in the water over the other side...
FV: Oh. But not really a beach anywhere around here?
SUIs: No. There are places further away, but I wouldn't go swimming in the water.
FV: Oh. Thanks.
SUIs: We wouldn't let our kids go in the water.
FV: Ok. Thanks.
SUIs: Sorry.

Sorry because it's inconvenient to find out that there is no beach-ish joy to be found around the Snake River when it comes to swimming, but oh-so-not-sorry to warn someone about the dangers of the Snake. Just sayin'. That river is dangerous--so dangerous that my husband's parents told him and his siblings: "If you go in the Snake, don't bother to come home."

Please be careful around the water--including the canals, which are all over Idaho. Oh, and the water in the one that we were sitting next to on the 4th of July had the water of the Snake running through it. We were watching a wonderful small town parade when it came to my attention that there was a woman trying to retrieve a ball out of the (swiftly-moving) water in the canal behind us. The gentleman next to us, and perhaps others, were being nice about it, and offering to help her get the ball, but it seemed obvious to me that they were just wishing that she were farther away from the water. She got the ball without falling in--but would the ball have been worth it if she had fallen in?

Seems timely to once again link the article, "Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning". It's important information that I linked to last year, but you never know who it might help. And of course, the dangers of rivers are not limited to the Snake River. Over at Utah Preppers there is the article, Parents--Keep your kids AWAY from the rivers!, which reminds readers, among other things, that we should never think that a particular problem won't happen to us...

Just be safe out there, and avoid any and every emergency you can!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Land of the free and home of the brave! And, as my husband pointed out this morning--land of the free because of the brave--thanks to all who defend and uphold our freedom!

Unfortunately, it's not just the wheat....

2011-06-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

Let's hope conditions improve soon--according to this article, the weather we have been having in Idaho has also negatively affected the barley, lentil, green pea, oat, and hay crops.

Wish it was better news, and hoping for the best for the crops and farmers.

Preparedness Expo...in Montana

2011-06-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to idahobob for bringing the information in this link (and the link itself) to my attention--some parts of Idaho are closer to the location than others, and for those who would like to attend, the information is all in the linked announcement...

The more we know, the better prepared we become...Thanks idahobob!

Bad news for the wheat crop here, in Idaho...

2011-06-13T09:34:00.001-07:00

Well, wish the news was better, but if you go to this link, you will find that wheat crops in Idaho are not thriving in the cool weather we've been having. I didn't know that so much wheat was grown in Idaho, (according to the article linked, 42 of our 44 counties grow wheat) but the way things are going, it may turn out that we all wish that even more had been planted and/or was growing regularly right now...

So, it looks like prices will be rising even higher--if you don't have any pasta or other wheat-based products (pancake mixes, waffle mixes, flour, etc.)that store easily, please consider getting some in your pantry so you won't have to pay (even) more for them at a later date. Those would be great if you are looking for a couple of easy quick fixes for the 3-day supply of food recommended here, although you would probably want to figure in storage of additional water for cooking them.

If you just get a couple of buckets of wheat, they will store even longer, and you can make whatever you want out of the wheat, if you have it. If you want to make bread, you might want to include yeast and oil, and maybe some sugar or honey in your storage--yeah, the list gets longer when you figure in how to use wheat, but it looks like the prices will only get higher regardless, when it comes to the wheat....

Scarcity is at the very least annoying....

2011-05-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Scarcity in good times is annoying. Scarcity in an emergency situation is worse, worse, worse--at best, best, best...

I have run into various levels of scarcity lately, and the first I will mention here involves ground turkey, which I generally buy in a 3 lb. package, brown, and store in the freezer. It held steady for a long time at either $5.58 or $5.38 (I think it was $5.58, but I am striving for accuarcy here :). Then one day, I went to get some, and was surprised (probably shouldn't have been, considering how long the price held steady, but I was..) to find that it was now $6.22. Still very reasonable price per pound, considering the prices of other meats, (and in comparison with prices at other stores, from what I've seen) but still. Who doesn't want it for less? So the price had gone up.

Thing is, I went back for some more, and the display case was empty. I was in the position that at that point I didn't need to buy turkey, so I decided to wait. If memory serves the following then happened: I went back two more times, and each time the display was empty. So I decided to ask an employee when there would be more ground turkey. Very kindly, she went in the back to see if there was any ground turkey back there, but to no avail. I asked her when the turkey would be replenished, and was told that she didn't know exactly, that I should probably try in the mornings, and that it generally disappeared pretty much as soon as it was put out. As a result, because by the third time, I did need the turkey, I asked my husband to pick up a 3 lb. package on his way home from a different grocery store. The price on that package was $7-something, although it had a different fat content, but the real difference was this: The $7-something package was in my hands. Sounds like something that they would put on a TV commercial, and then say "priceless".

If you are still reading, :) my point is this: I could have used something else for dinner, so at this point, scarcity was an annoyance. What happens when you have no other options? That's when scarcity becomes much, much, more than an annoyance and turns into an emergency....

One other example: when it comes to macaroni and cheese, there is one brand that I buy that (a) my children like, and (b) is cheaper than the (seems like ever-upward-spiraling prices of) other brands. Soooo, every time I go to the particular store that sells this macaroni and cheese (it's a store brand) I pick up a couple of extra boxes usually at 2/$1.00, and on good days, or with coupon, 3/$1.00. Last time I looked, that brand was gone. There were other brands, but the space for this particular macaroni and cheese was eeemmmmppppttty. So there wasn't a scarcity of macaroni and cheese, per se, but the kind I wanted, and I knew that my children would eat was unavailable. My point? Serving my children something that they don't really like during an emergency situation is so much less than ideal that I'm trying to avoid it. I still have some boxes of said macaroni here, so again, scarcity of it right now is more a matter of annoyance and inconvenience. But in a case where there might be less fuel available to cook (pasta's pretty much a quick-cook meal) scarcity could turn into so much more...

Hope everyone is doing well, and stocking up at prices where they are now (read: steadily rising) even if it's only one box of macaroni and cheese at a time--or even better, at 3/$1.00. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up, and it will be priceless if there should come a time when you can't get whatever item you are looking for at any price....

Gas prices go up...as do other costs

2011-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah, not newsbreaking, or anything, to say that when gas prices go up food costs and other costs go up along with them, because of transportation and production costs, etc.--but thought you might be interested in the details in this article, which talks about what's going on with the prices now.

Also, found this article on the shelf life of spices interesting. If you are going to try to make limited resources taste good, spices are a good addition to the food storage list. They, as mentioned here, can be expensive, but might help when one of your children or other member of the group you'll be responsible for is really craving something with a different flavor...

Hope all is well with everyone--weather here in Idaho can't seem to make up its mind. At some points, it has seemed like spring has arrived...only to find that it's raining/snowing/sleeting (? It has looked like possible hail recently, but I wasn't curious enough to go out and actually get hit with it to find out :) soon after. Anyway, got to get to the gardening soon, even if it's only inside.... :)

Oh, and on the third try I did get the deal on the flour mentioned in an earlier post. Am wondering at what time the price of the gas surpasses the money saved on the food deal, though....

This is a rush deal...

2011-04-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

I have tried repeatedly to get my earlier post of today to space correctly, but it's not working. Since the deals mentioned are over tomorrow, I will leave it as is, however much it bothers me that the spacing won't work out and makes it looked garbled. If you end up getting the deals, however, hopefully it will be worth the aggravation of reading stuff all mushed together. Thanks!

Today or tomorrow....

2011-04-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

You might want to visit your local Albertson's, with the usual assumption that the deals that I'm about to mention won't be available unless you have an Albertson's card. Also, never hurts to call your local Albertson's to make sure the deals are available where you are.... ---5 lb. bags of Albertson's sugar for $1.99/each Limit 6 ---5 lb. bags of Albertson's flour for $.99/each Limit 6 ---Green Giant canned vegetables 3/$1.00 Limit 24 ---Hunt's ketchup 24 oz. 10/$10.00 The above deals are the ones I was hoping to get, although I visited two different Albertson's, one Friday, and one today, and neither of them had the flour on the shelves. The cashier today said that she thought that they would have more flour coming in on a truck tonight, so I may have to head back at that price. For price comparison, the 5 lb. bag of sugar usually costs $4.49, if memory serves. Prices everywhere are going up.... It's my understanding that these prices are good through tomorrow night. I mention these deals because there is no coupon attached, though there is a limit. Speaking of limits, gotta love how the limits on (most if not all) the coupons I have seen lately in the Walgreens ads don't apply in Idaho.... :) You may also be interested in the deal on milk and cereal highlighted (which is also at Albertson's) over at The Grocery Girls. Thanks for the info on that, Grocery Girls! Sorry I didn't get this up earlier. Hope that everyone who wants these deals gets them, and maybe the third time will be the charm for me in terms of the deal on flour.... :)

Helpful info re: radiation

2011-03-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

My heart and prayers go out to the people of Japan. I hope all improves there quickly, and that they're able to get access to help--all the help that they need.
If you've been following the news, you've heard the news about the nuclear situation there. I recently got the following e-mail from a preparedness expert on some of the things you might like/need to know about for dealing with radiation, among other things. With permission from the author, here is the almost the entire e-mail, with few modifications on my part:

"Here I am again, hoping that all of you are calm and prepared for every emergency, and that all are safe and sound in your own homes. I am, however, especially concerned for those on the west coast in case of an earthquake like that in Japan. We live right on a fault and I know that not all of my neighbors are prepared even though we are constantly being warned by the government and the churches to be ready to take of ourselves. I hope each of you is completely prepared and ready to take care of your family and yourself. Have you set up a plan to contact one another if a disaster occurs in your area and the phones are all out? Do the kids all have a printout of the phone numbers of extended family in their 72/120 hour kits? Do you have an out of town contact for everyone to report to? Do you have a meeting place for everyone to head to if possible?

The following is my weekly emergency prep letter for our area. I hope it will help you in some way with a bit of info you may not have thought of.

As our neighborhood emergency prep person, I have gotten a couple of calls from people who are concerned, not panicked, about the air currents and the radiation from Japan. The following is general information that probably should be reviewed by most of us to help us be in control of our own situation, no matter what that may be now, or later.

Potassium Iodide (KI) should be used only when needed, and then very carefully. According to those calling and asking me for info on what to do if the radiation from Japan is blown all the way here, the stores in our area are sold out of KI. The health food stores are apparently also out of kelp, which is high in iodine. I hope that it has all been purchased by persons preparing for a “just in case” situation and not by anyone taking it as a preventative. It does not work that way. When you go to this site http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp you will learn that it is to be used only when there is immediate expectation of radiation exposure. There is a listing of doses for different age groups and health conditions if you are interested.

If you are anxious, please study out precautions that should be taken should there actually be radiation in our area. Read about the half life of radiation and the surprising lack of long term harm to those in Japan after the bombs and those near Chernobyl. Things certainly were bad for many, but if they survived the immediate blast and fallout, the majority did not suffer nearly as many cancers, etc. as I had believed they had. You will find that things are probably not as dire as you have imagined either. All that being said, when the stores get some KI and/or kelp back in stock you and I will each probably get a bottle for everyone in the family…. to have on hand “just in case” a CA quake could cause damage to the reactors there, similar to what has happened in Japan.

We are much more likely to have need for food, water and shelter for after “our own earthquake / tornado/ hurricane/ blizzard / flood”, than KI at this point. In Japan many millions need those so much more than they need KI right now. If they don’t get those things soon they won’t need KI no matter what happens.

Do YOU have enough food, water and shelter for your family??? Do you have an alternate heat source and a way to cook your food? If we have to stay in our homes for a few days or a week or more, is your 12 week supply ready to be used? Do you have an extensive first aid kit? Are there extra blankets and cold weather sleeping bags for everyone in the family? Could you take in extra people in an emergency and provide both for them and your own family for an extended period of time? Do you have an inventory of your food supply so that you would know how to ration it out to cover an expected long term dire situation? While the economy is relatively decent, and there are still supplies to be had, please finish your family’s storage and then consider storing just a little more to share with those who cannot, for what ever reason, provide for themselves.

If you really feel compelled to do something more, right now, to prepare then go buy a roll of heavy duty plastic and some rolls of duct tape at the hardware store for sealing off a safe room…you need to have it on hand anyway for after our own disaster to cover broken windows.

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” "

End of e-mail.

One of my modifications was to make the link to the website mentioned link from here. It looks very useful and provides a lot of information if you want to know more about potassium iodide.

Thanks, emergency expert, for the e-mail, and for allowing me to post it here! I'm not an expert, but I like to share what I learn--and learning what you can is definitely a way to prepare...

Interesting things from the e-mail box...

2011-03-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

If you are in Northern Idaho, you may be interested in this website to get acquainted with others who are interested in being prepared. This group is in the Sandpoint area, and it would be great to see it go well.

Also learned about this blog, a new addition for the list of Idaho links. Whether through meetup groups, or blogs, we can really help each other when we share information...thanks for the e-mails!

Missing man--please keep an eye out

2011-03-06T09:06:00.001-08:00

Have heard about Mr. Grant Moedl, who is currently missing. He's from Rexburg, apparently, and went missing around Mountain Home. More information is here, with video and details. He has been missing since Wednesday--am hoping he is found soon.

You never know who might end up helping in a case like this...

Thanks, APN, for the new masthead!

2011-02-14T07:40:00.001-08:00

Yeah, computer ingenuity is not my forte, but I appreciate others' talents in this area--in this case, thanks to APN, for the new and improved masthead for the Idaho Preppers Network! I think this is a great example of the beauty of Idaho....

It's that supply thing again...

2011-02-10T10:47:00.001-08:00

And it looks like a lack in the supply is coming, and staying for awhile according to the links in this post over at Coffee with the Hermit. The supply-demand balance, especially for things like wheat, is at a scary point. Can't hurt to have some food storage set aside, because even if there is still supply, looks like the prices won't go anywhere but up, at least for a while.
Thanks, Hermit Jim, for the info!

Humor can be relative...

2011-02-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Received the following e-mail message recently in my inbox recently (sorry that I don't know the original source, but thanks, whoever you are) :

The Government has issued a travel warning due to the cold weather.

They suggest that anyone travelling in the current icy conditions should make sure they have the following:

Shovel
Blankets or sleeping bag
Extra clothing including hat and gloves
24 hours worth of food
De-Icer
Rock Salt
Flashlight with spare batteries
Road Flares or Reflective Triangles
Empty gas Can
First Aid Kit
Booster cables

I looked like an idiot on the bus this morning!

End of e-mail

Ok, I thought this was pretty clever when I saw it. Here's the thing--with the weather in Illinois, many people had problems (whether they were in a bus or in their cars) last night and this morning, and I bet they wouldn't find the thought of having extra supplies with them in their situation very amusing. You can read about it here. Just something to think about--during cold, wintry weather (or any weather, really) you might want to think about packing a little something along with you if there's any possibility you might find yourself stranded--in a car, bus, or wherever you may be...

Gotta love info from other blogs....

2011-01-25T13:02:00.000-08:00

Not that much from me in this post--just links to a couple of posts that you might be interested in:

1.) On my other blog yesterday I mentioned the cost of tortillas (and will ask the same question here: Has anyone else noticed the price going up? I didn't buy tortillas last time I was shopping because the cost of a large package was closer to $5.00 than $4.00, which to me was not worth it...) and linked to the tortilla recipe that I use, which is here. Then, imagine my surprise when I headed over to Preparedness Pro, and there were not only many uses for tortillas in this post, but also many that you might want to check out the comments there as well, since there are more great ideas there too--gotta love variety and options.

2.) Over at My Adventures in Self-Reliance, there is a great list of some sales that you might be interested in. The more money you can save, the more you have with which to prepare for emergency situations... :)

Well, thanks to My Adventures in Self-Reliance and Preparedness Pro for sharing their info--sometimes one of the best ways to prepare is to gather as much information as you can...

Gotta love snowbibs for $3.50

2011-01-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Wal-Mart, and they are having a great deal on snowbibs and coats. We're talking $3.50 or $3.75 for the snowsuits (the cashier thought it was weird that they were ringing up different prices, but I'm not going to complain when the original price was $15.00.) There were a variety of coats for $13.00 each. So if you want to put some clothes away for the future, or just replace something now, you might want to check out your local Wal-Mart and see if it is having the same deals. The one near us has this sale for today, tomorrow, and Sunday, but at these prices, don't know how long they'll last, or how long you will be able to find the sizes you want/need. I know, that sounds like a commercial, but hey, like I've said before, if someone gives me a good deal, I don't mind giving them a little free advertising... :)

Thing is, I might not have noticed this had it not been for a cashier who mentioned to me earlier this week that the snowbibs that we could see against the wall in the distance were going on sale today for $3.50. They were closer to the exit that I don't frequently use, so I may have missed out entirely. Then, this morning, I thought, "Wow, it's Friday already!" Then later I thought, "Wow, I should have already blogged about this!" So now I have, and it's only Friday morning, so hopefully that will be enough time for everyone. Thanks, friendly cashier, for the great customer service! If you want to take advantage of the sale, I hope it's happening near you--never hurts to call if you're not sure.....

But what about medication?

2011-01-13T14:33:00.001-08:00

I recently learned about a situation where someone went in for a spinal tap in order to get symptoms diagnosed. After waiting the designated time period for the results, an appointment was made so that there could be an analysis made about the findings from the spinal tap. The person received a call the day before the appointment and was told that the appointment was cancelled, due to the fact that there could be no analysis made on the spinal tap because there were no test kits available.

Well, one might reasonably say, send elsewhere for the test kit. Another lab, perhaps. This person was told there were no kits available at another lab. In fact, there were no other kits available throughout the person's state.

In fact, there were no kits available in the entire country.

This hits me as wrong on many levels, not the least of which is that the person in question had to undergo a spinal tap when there was no way that it was going to be analyzed. (Which begs the question as to why it had to be done at all, if there was no benefit to be had...) But the person relating the particulars of the situation to me said that in many cases, the U.S. as a nation is dependent on other countries for many of our medications, and that many people who need such medications would find themselves in trouble if we were to be cut off from our sources for any reason. It was pointed out during the course of our conversation that in terms of emergency preparedness, people who need medications would be wise to stock up as much as possible to avoid problems in emergency situations.

I was thinking also that it would be at the very least inconvenient if something like Tylenol (or insert your preferred pain reliever here) were unavailable for minor pain issues before, during, and/or after an emergency situation. When you are preparing, you might want to take medical supplies into consideration, whether it be what would be needed if the emergency involved injuries, or whether it is regular medication that might not be immediately available when a crisis occurs. For example, if you have a regular prescription, you may want to refill it as soon as allowed so that you have as much on hand as possible. If you are allowed to fill it a week before it is due to run out, it would be wise to do so. To find out what is allowed you could talk to your pharmacist. It can't hurt to ask your doctor if you can keep a supply on hand...

About those gardening classes...

2011-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I have a flyer about the gardening classes that I mentioned in my last post. Thing is, when I went to the website that I linked to, the class list was different, so I called the number on the flyer and asked about that. I was informed that the class for this year is going up this afternoon, so make sure if you are interested and look at the schedule that the year's date is 2011. Yeah, didn't notice that the first time around, and when I just now checked it again, the 2010 dates are still up, so it will not be until later this afternoon, apparently.

Whew. Ok, I'm done now.... :)

Thinking about gardening yet?

2011-01-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it doesn't exactly feel like the season for gardening (although it has gotten warmer since I last wrote). Looks like they are thinking ahead already in Idaho Falls, though.

If you are interested in classes about gardening, starting on January 8-- according to the information that I've seen--there will be some held at the Idaho Falls Recreation Annex in the South Room. According to said information, the address is 1575 N. Skyline, out near the airport. For more information, you can go here to the Idaho Falls Community Garden Association website. Among the many classes listed are "Container Gardening: Growing in Small Spaces", and "Growing and Using Herbs". Classes are varied and offered on different days, so I strongly suggest heading over to the website--wouldn't want to mistype something. (Hope I haven't already.

Glad that people are willing to share their expertise--it's appreciated! And did I mention that the classes are free? (Actually, I didn't the first time I wrote this, but it was good enough to come back and edit the post for... :)

It's cold outside. (Understatement)

2011-01-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know about where you live, but in our region lately, we've been in the midst of a very, very, very cold snap. We're talking O to the teens in terms of actual temperature, and then somewhere way down below zero when it comes to the windchill. This morning it was 20 below with the windchill factor, and it probably won't get all that much warmer today, but one can hope.... :)

What if you got stuck out in the cold? Are you prepared for an emergency of this nature? What's in your car? In this video, there is a report about some scouts who survived being stranded in the cold, and some tips from someone with experience about what you should have in your car. One of the interesting points he makes is that it doesn't have to be extreme temperatures to create an emergency in terms of the cold. It can be a problem at temperatures way above what we are currently experiencing. In fact, I think his words are, "You can freeze to death at any temperature."

Emergencies happen unexpectedly--but being ready all the time can make all the difference....

Wanna vote on where a million dollars goes for food aid?

2010-12-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

If you or someone you know is on facebook, there is a campaign from Wal-Mart in which they are donating $1 million dollars to fight hunger to the community who gets the most "like" votes on Facebook. It's not just any community--they have identified the communities with the most food hardship, and there are 100 to choose from. In Idaho, they have identified Boise City-Nampa as being one of those communities. At the time that I looked at it, Boise City-Nampa is #44 in the running.

You can vote here.

Right now, Boise City-Nampa has 698 supporters, and Salt Lake City, which is currently ranked #1, has 46,213 supporters. Whoever you vote for, you can only vote until December 31, so at this point, you have 4 days plus in which to vote.

And if you get the chance and have the means, don't forget to put aside some cans/boxes of food into your pantry for storage so that you can have some "food aid" of your own on hand for future situations and emergencies....

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Snow, snow, and oh, more snow....

2010-11-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

...at least if you are in the areas mentioned here, which is actually kind of a large section of Idaho. While the linked article is specific to Idaho, the tips from the National Weather Service mentioned here could be useful to everyone who could find themselves dealing with winter weather.

Wherever you are, stay safe out there....

Good deals, but today's the last day

2010-11-09T00:34:00.000-08:00

I don't usually mention stores by name, but yes I will if they are going to give me a good bargain. I should have posted about this earlier, because my understanding is that today (Tuesday) is the last day for these deals, but you do still have today if you are interested... :)

You will need an Albertson's card, but if I can explain it correctly, right now they are doing a mix-and-match sale with a number of different things where if you buy 10 of the particpating items, you get $5.00/off. This is especially financially pleasing, if like me, you are interested in stocking up on Albertson's Cream of Mushroom soup, when it turns out that you can get cans for $.29 when you buy 10, or Dole Pineapple for $.75/can when you buy 10. There are other items involved, but I give the regular disclaimers: 1) Please call your local Albertsons to make sure they are participating before embarking on any such endeavor (particularly if it has snowed where you are like it has snowed where we are), 2)I don't work for Albertsons and/or Dole, and 3)sorry I'm late in getting this information out if it does end up being useful to you... :)

It appears that food prices are going nowhere but up, according to articles like this one. I have posted about another alarming article on my other blog, if you are interested. I hope, as always, that everyone who is able is doing what they can to get some food storage and emergency supplies in stock. I still have a lot of work to do myself, but the more people that are prepared, the better off we all will be...

(More) reasons that Idaho isn't boring...

2010-10-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, aren't things hopping in Idaho Falls! Well, clucking, to be more precise. Now, if you're an Idaho Falls resident, you can have six hens in your backyard, according to this article. If you're interested in starting to raise chickens, you might want to read the ideas found in this article. And of course, there's always a lot of information available on the internet... :)

And while we're still talking about Idaho Falls, maybe the local wildlife heard about the new rules about chicken-raising and jumped the gun. Can't think of a better reason for this mountain lion sighting... hopefully it goes home/is taken care of without anyone getting injured or worse.

Also of interest is a new blog out of Idaho, My Adventures in Self Reliance. I also recently found out about the blog, Food Storage. The more information we have, the better prepared we'll be--and I need all the information I can get about getting better prepared.... :)

Is third time the charm? or Got chickens?

2010-09-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been neglecting the blog (and the e-mail box), but thanks so much for taking the time to come back to read---time for the neglect to end.... :)

Anyway, for those who don't already know, because I've been so slow to mention this--they are considering allowing people to keep chickens in Idaho Falls! You can read about it here. They say in the article that the proposal needs to be read three times, and it's been read twice, so if you want to make your voice heard in Idaho Falls, now might be an opportune time. Also, if you can't have chickens in your city/town/place of residence, and you want chickens, you might want to bring it up so that you can....nothing like a food source that keeps on giving!

I had a question posed by S. about Idaho Preppers meeting up. The best place to find out about this would most likely be over at the Idaho Preppers Network section of the American Preppers Network Forum. I have not looked at this extensively, but it is probably the first place I'd look for information on prepper meetings. I welcome comments about any meetings so that those who may want to can attend, if those organizing it would like it posted here as well. I will check my e-mail box linked to the blog more often as well, so I can get the info out if any comes in.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Food bank donations, retail-style

2010-08-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this is happening everywhere, but I have seen in our area that there are at least two stores that are collecting donations for the food bank on a regular basis--at least I saw nothing that indicated a start date and/or end date for the collection. One place is the local national chainstore, where they have a basket of food for $1.00 or under or something to that effect right at the register. They also have a barrel in the entryway (where you pick up your cart if you so desire) where I suppose you could just bring in something to donate before you enter the store if you wanted. (I bet they wouldn't mind if you dropped something in that you bought in the store on the way out, either.... :)

The other place is a dollar store, where the price of the items is pretty much what you would expect. (Just don't forget the sales tax...) The cashier asks you if you want to donate at the register, (as they do at the national chainstore as well) and if the answer is yes, grabs an item from the basket, rings it up, and puts it away to be taken to the food bank.

To me, this indicates the great need that there is when it comes to food bank donations. Specifically in Idaho, you can read about what's happening when it comes to food banks in a couple of articles-- if you are in need of assistance in Coeur d' Alene you can look here, or if you can offer assistance in Pocatello by donating to the food bank, look here. The food drive in Pocatello is in connection with an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project that will take place there, which I think is a great idea, since they want to help more than just the family that's getting the house.

So, I don't know if this retail-style food donation practice is everywhere, or just around here. In any case, from what I understand, the need for donations is growing, and apparently so are the businesses that are trying to meet the demand...

How does your garden grow?

2010-08-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, as in alas and alack, it doesn't look like we are going to get much edible produce from our garden this year. Our raspberries have come through admirably, however, and that is some consolation. Even our pumpkin(s)--yes, even plurality is in question at this point--are not prospering as they usually do. We will have to see...

I saw some information on the life expectancy of seeds, so went searching on the internet and found this site. The article not only provides a chart for the life expectancy of a list of seeds, but also outlines a way to determine if your seeds are still viable. If your garden doesn't meet expectations this year, (I feel your pain) then hopefully there's always next year, if you take good care of your seeds. I will go looking (again) for non-hybrid seeds, because they seem to be getting harder and harder to find, and put them in storage. Seeds in the hand, and all that...

Hope your garden is doing/has done better than ours this year. Who knows? Maybe our garden will surprise us. One can but hope.... :)

Water safety article

2010-07-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

In our area of Idaho, there are a lot of canals that are full of water this time of year. I was at an outdoor activity not long ago where there were a lot of children running around in the vicinity of one of these canals, not to mention the fact that one of them found and handled a garter snake. That child knew what kind of snake it was, (I wouldn't have) and the other children enjoyed seeing it. The water is what made me more nervous--the water is fast-moving, and it wouldn't take much for a child sliding down the canal sides to accidentally end up in it. Watching for potential accidents is essential.

This experience reminds me of the water safety article, "Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning", that I received in an e-mail at the beginning of this month. It was written in May, so if you may have seen it before I did, but it has a lot of great information.

When linking to the article above earlier today, I noticed that there are other articles mentioned on the same page that might be useful to read, so I will probably check it out again. I hope everyone is having a great summer--stay safe!

Remembering with gratitude

2010-05-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day we take the family out to see family gravesites. This year we also asked our children to locate at least two graves of veterans. This wasn't difficult, as it is a tradition here (and I imagine many other places) to put flags on the graves of veterans. In the past few years we have made it a tradition to place a plant or flowers on the grave of a veteran near one of our family member's gravesites. We never met him, but we are grateful for his service nevertheless.

And if you are serving or have served in the military, or are the family of someone who has, we are grateful for your service as well.

Thank you.

From the emergency notebook....

2010-05-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is about the fourth or fifth or umpteenth time I have started this post--when I first started, some part of the program was automatically putting the English into another script. Never know what will happen when technology meets up with little fingers, (I don't know for sure what happened, but that's my guess, and I'm sticking with it) so I hope the final product turns out normal when I publish it. Ah, technology.

Anyway, I have been thinking about the garden, and have also been thinking it's just too early to send those seeds out on their own. So in place of a gardening post, I thought that I would include a couple of recipes that I have commented on on my other blog, but haven't mentioned here. One is for cornbread, found on Friday's Food Fancy, which is just a really good resource for all sorts of food storage recipes. Another is this recipe for tortillas, over at The Happy Housewife. I have gotten better and better at making these, but alas, they are still not really round.... :) They taste good, as does the cornbread--I highly recommend both recipes, and they are the way I like my recipes--really, really, easy.

As for the title, I really do have these recipes and others in what I call my emergency notebook, because I never know when the power will go out, and I want to have those recipes and lists of substitutions and etc. in one place in my hot and sweaty little hand in times of emergency. If you don't have an emergency notebook, please consider starting one. And for those who have not seen other recipes I have already listed, you may want to look here for bean recipes and here for another list of bread recipes--- just in case you would rather not jump all over this blog trying to collect them one by one. :) Gotta love having recipes where you can use those food storage staples or at least do simple things from scratch--hope you like them like we like them around here!

Unusual emergencies

2010-05-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of unusual emergencies have occurred in our country recently:

--I first heard about the water pipe break in Boston yesterday, and found this article on it today. From what I understand, the break has had far-reaching consequences, and while water is available, it must be boiled. I found it interesting that one person quoted remarked that it is "inconvenient"--I'm just glad that they have water to work with, even though it must be boiled. Perhaps more disturbing are some of the comments in the comment section (though I read only the first few) about fights over the bottled water in the stores...

--The oil spill disaster is affecting the Louisiana fishing industry, which you can read about here. In the linked article, mention is made of the fact that the fishermen are now unable to go out and harvest, when they have spent a great deal of money to get ready for the fishing season, which usually begins about this time. This means less (or perhaps, unfortunately, no) revenue for them, and less available food for any/everyone who relies on the seafood they usually provide. In this less recent article, there is a man quoted who indicates that this disaster will have an impact on the sea life in the area that could last many years.

My thoughts and prayers are with the fishermen and their families, and to those (some of whom are the same fishermen) who have to work in dangerous conditions to clean up the effects of the oil spill. I hope that those affected have enough provisions set aside to weather this emergency, and I hope that everyone in the affected area in Boston has the means to either boil their water or purchase clean water. And I hope everyone everywhere prepares for emergencies, unusual or no....

J.S. from Nampa: 1st aid preparedness

2010-04-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

I prefer to make my own first aid kits because I can tailor them to my specific needs. I use 2 references mostly the SAS Survival Guide and FM 21-11 Army first aid. The SAS book you can get at Amazon or almost any book store. FM 21-11 is available at http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/OperationalMedicine/DATA/operationalmed/Manuals/1stAidforSoldiers/fm2111.html for free; all you have to do is bookmark it or print it out.

My favorite store for items is the Dollar store. You can get some great buys and you might be surprised at all they offer. Just remember products tend to rotate in and out rather quickly so if you have a product you like buy as much as you can afford when it’s in stock.

1. Small 1st aid kits: Usually a few bandages, some alcohol pads and a pain killer of some sort.

These are great for the car, boat or RV. A lot of injuries will be small ones but you will need to treat them right away to prevent infections.

2. Splints: Popsicle sticks are great splints for fingers and toes. Newspapers can be used to immobilize a limb.

3. Tape and Ace bandages: Great for sprains, broken bones and pressure bandages.

4.Chemical heat and cold packs: These items are great at relieving pain, reducing swelling and don’t need electricity. The heat packs are good for warming in case of a chill, and cold packs for a fever.

5. Hydrogen Peroxide, Rubbing Alcohol, and Iodine/Betadine, great for cleaning the areas around the wound. Don’t put in the wound!!

6. Epson salts great for soothing sore muscles and assists with pain of muscle or soft tissue injuries.

7.Medications: Benadryl or a generic equivalent a must can help with allergies, Anaphylactic shock and a sleep aid. Also works for dogs. Pain killers Aspirin for adults a blood thinner, good for heart attack and stroke if taken immediately. Good pain killer for dogs as well. I use the 81 mg version for my dogs. I have small dogs so about 81 mg per 15-20 pounds is the dosage. Ibuprophen (Advil) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for humans. Watch the dosage especially on Acetaminophen. Liver damage from high dosage.

8. Caring for someone sick or injured: Masks you can get cheap masks at the dollar store or go to a Home store and get the N95 type mask, Doggie training pads, can be place on the beds to protect against body fluids. Bleach, diluted bleach kills just about every bug out there, have a small wash basin to clean hands. Soap a 30 second wash with plain ole soap is great to prevent the spread of infection. Sing the ABC song while you wash and you are at 30 seconds.

9. Odds and ends: Calamine lotions or a Hydrocortisone cream for skin irritations, I like the arthritis creams for local pain relief. A Neosporin type cream for small wounds. Some cough medicine and Pepto-Bismol for stomach upset. What ever you need for yourself.

10. Gauze bandages great for most any wound. When you think you have enough buy about 10% more. They don’t spoil and when you need them few items will do as well in there place.

Remedies from the Kitchen

1. Dried Rosemary is great for a persistent cough. Just boil some water, place the rosemary in it and then breathe in the steam. Works for dogs as well.

2. Honey Anti- bacterial and great as a cough syrup ingredient. Place honey on a scratch or around the wound. Real honey not corn syrup with a honey flavor added. Also Honey seems to help folks with allergies. Just get local honey where folks have an allergy.

3. Lemon juice is a natural expectorant, Place a teaspoon of honey and 1 oz. of lemon juice and 1 oz. of whiskey in an 8 oz. cup top off with hot water. One of the best cough suppressants I have tried. Plus it makes being sick a hell of a lot more fun. If you don’t drink, use a calming tea instead of hot water.

4. Real Chicken Soup. I prefer using baked chicken as my stock starter. I place it in a crock pot and mix in carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Let it slow cook for 6-12 hours and then strain. Save broth in an Ice cube trays or in freezer bags. Home made stock is a great starter for any meal and real chicken stock is proven to help with colds. Also if you have seafood shells from shrimp or crab makes a great starter liquid for chowders or boil or bake off bones from fish.

5. Baking soda and salts, I prefer a Kosher or Redmond’s Sea salt, you can mix up an electrolyte fluid for sick folks and works great for low blood pressure. Also baking soda can be used for acid indigestion.

6. Agave Syrups can help stabilize diabetics and lasts nearly forever. Plus it has got a great flavor for Latino recipes that require a sweet.

7. If you have roses save the rose hips and you can make rose hip tea. A great source of Vitamin C.

8. I like the SAS book because it has many natural remedies in it and they are easily made into medicines.

9.Ciders and vinegars are great source of vitamin C and are great multi-taskers. You can clean windows, pickle, can and brine plus add flavor with them. Make sure you get real vinegars and not the imitations with flavors added. Costs a bit more but the benefits outweigh the costs.

10. http://www.vintagerecipes.net/recipes/nonfood_recipes/ Great site for old cookbooks and stuff you need to make your way in a non-tech world.

As you can see I love multi-taskers. I prefer to get as many uses out of any product I have planted, bought or fixed in place. I’m looking a raspberry and blackberries as a defense for my windows and entry ways. Growing Concertina wire and I get the berries as well, what’s not to love?

You have to make it difficult for folks to attack you, sorry to say the criminals will go look for an easier mark than you if you are ready and prepped. Don’t advertise what you have as far as goods. Advertise you got weapons and defenses in place. My pets are part of my plan, the need prep as we do an extra bag of food, a cat box, doggie pads blankets treat and pillows for them is important.

Life is complicated enough no need to suffer if you have an alternative. That’s why I prep; I have suffered from MRE’s and not having real home-made comfort food. So bring on the beans and ham hocks, dirty rice, fried chicken and gravy. Gosh I love those comfort foods and those right now are the cheapest to buy. May not be the best for the body but they are good for the soul.

Another reason to "bee" prepared

2010-04-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

According to this article, "about one-third of the human diet is from plants that require pollination from honeybees, which means everything from apples to zucchini", so the news given in the same article that bees are not doing well is not good, (an understatement) for many reasons. If fewer food products and less honey are being produced, the more of each category that you have on hand, the better off you will be. You may notice that Idaho's claim to fame in this article is that the beehive owner featured keeps his hives in Idaho Falls for part of the year.....

Speaking of pictures, the one in the heading is from Craters of the Moon, a spot in Idaho where there are remnants of the activity of a once-active volcano. Thanks to T.D., who suggested in an e-mail that I put a picture of scenic Idaho. It took me awhile, but there it is. I actually had planned to put up a picture from a totally different location, but technology wasn't cooperating this morning. This picture was actually taken awhile ago when we went there on a family outing. Now that I know how to add pictures in the heading, there will probably be changes periodically, because Idaho is a truly beautiful place....

Idaho's Governor Otter takes a stand

2010-03-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Idaho is first in the nation to have a governor sign legislation indicating that our state doesn't want to be included in the federal healthcare bill should it pass, at least in part because of the section in the healthcare bill that requires people to purchase health insurance.

Whether you are for or against the healthcare bill, if it passes it will add another mandatory expense to cover--all the more reason to have the basic necessities on hand so that you don't have to choose between them and what would become a required "necessity". I personally am against the current legislation being discussed, (though I think that there are some types of healthcare changes that would benefit the country) but the one of the great things about the United States of America is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

You might want to make your opinion known on the healthcare bill soon if you are interested--things seem to be moving pretty fast right now. Idaho's Representatives are Congressman Minnick and Congressman Simpson, since they are trying to pass it in the House of Representatives right now.

Not a good list to be on...

2010-03-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

Heard a little bit about this previously, but just found this article about states that are having problems with supplying refunds that are owed to taxpayers. It's not very long, but supplies information about other states in addition to Idaho.

This kind of situation could cause an emergency for people who were depending on their tax refund for food and/or other necessities. Emergencies can come in all shapes and sizes, so I truly hope that everyone will put food and/or other necessities aside for potential emergencies. What you have in your closet/storage room/pantry is a sure thing, while apparently what was a "sure thing" in the past in terms of a tax refund may be a long time coming--sometimes an emergency can be caused by a delay rather than an actual event...

Some other ideas

2010-03-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to Aloha2U from Hawaii Preppers Network, who left a comment about using noodles and spam in your 3-month supply. We are so glad that Hawaii dodged a bullet and the tsunami warnings remained warnings! There were so many good ideas in the comment that it deserves its own post:

For starters local people love to add spam to saimin, cup-o-noodles is like saimin. What you do is dice the spam and throw it in your cup-o-noodles with some chopped green onions it makes the meal heartier. You could also add other types of meat to your noodles as well like chicken or pork and beef, you'll have a different tasty noodle meal every time you eat cup-o-noodles.

People here also love to add different types of vegetables to their saimin too, such as chopped watercress or slivers of scrambled egg, bean sprouts, bok choy, thin slivers of carrots anything really you can add.

Honey Baked Spam with Cloves, is another delish meal. You make it just like the ham recipe except it's with spam but instead of adding orange juice to the recipe you add pineapple juice with the chunks of pineapple using the entire can of pineapples and it's juice this is REALLY good. You just need to modify the recipe mixture size wise because the spam is much smaller than a ham.

Hawaii people love spam, a lot of the restaurants here serve spam to some degree or another and the local folks create all kinds of dishes using spam. For now I think these recipes should keep you busy and your tummy happy. But I will keep you posted on other recipes as well. Enjoy!

End of comment.

We have some Ramen noodles in our storage, and we have had our children prepare some with canned vegetables as a meal so that in a pinch they would be able to cook something for themselves that doesn't take long and doesn't take that much energy. You never know when the people who usually make the meals will be unable to do so due to illness, etc., so teaching children how to deal with emergencies is one more way to prepare.

More ideas are always welcome, and thanks again, Aloha2U!

Recipes from others

2010-02-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have been planning this post for awhile, and it contains wonderful recipes from Aloha2U, who posts on the Hawaii Preppers Network. If you haven't heard, there are tsunami warnings out for Hawaii, and Aloha2U has a lot of helpful information on that posted now. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected already by the earthquake in Chile and emergencies that have followed. I hope that the warnings remain warnings, and that if tsunamis and other problems result, that as few are affected as possible.

You may recall this post, where I put down some of my ideas for using a 3 month supply. Many, many thanks to those who added recipes in the comments, some of which I am going to post today:

Tuxgirl kindly shared this recipe:

1 jar apricot preserves
1 small bottle french salad dressing (or catalina... and recently i havent seen the small bottles, so i use part of a normal bottlle)
1 package onion soup mix (or a handful of cannery onion)
some amount of chicken...

mix first 3 ingredients together. bake chicken til almost done (optional). drain chicken (a good idea if you do the previous step). pour mixture over chicken. cook until chicken us done.

Aloha2U kindly shared the following recipes:

Paprika chicken:
lemon juice
paprika spice
garlic salt
garlic cloves
4 chicken breasts w/ bone

Mix first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.
mash a couple garlic cloves and toss that in to the mix.
Then add the chicken and mix everything together. When chicken looks nice and saturated with all the ingredients place everything in a pan and into the oven at about 375-400 degrees, should be ready in about 30-40 minutes.

I really don't have an exact amount for each ingredient due to the recipe being a hand-me-down family recipe, but the lemon juice you might want to make sure you have a good amount so that the paprika and spices are well blended to the point of a paste yet more on the liquid side. The garlic cloves I eventually end up tucking them under or between the skin and meat of the chicken to get that added extra flavor.

Also, you can more or less taste the amount of the mixture you want as well as having additional chicken to the recipe and just adjusting the amount of ingredients to match the amount of chicken. All you're really doing is drenching the chicken in this mixture, this goes real well with rice!

Personally I love packing on the paprika but the hubby wants it to be toned down a bit when it comes to paprika.

And:

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

ingredients:
12 chicken thighs
2 cups water
2 cups soy sauce
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 slices or grated ginger
1 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a large pot and heat until sugar dissolves. Add more sugar if you like it sweeter, more water to lessen the saltiness. Bring contents of the pot to a medium boil ( and the taste of the sauce to your liking). Add the chicken and simmer 45 minutes (until the meat begins to fall or seperate from the bones). Serve with sticky rice and corn.

This recipe is the bomb, my mouth is watering right now as I write this. If you like you can always substitute honey in place of the sugar, I do that sometimes which gives it a honey flavor and oh so yumlish! I'm not sure if you folks have soy sauce out there but if you have an oriental or asian store they will more than likely carry soy sauce.

Thank you very much, Tuxgirl and Aloha2U! These are the chicken recipes, but Aloha2U added more ideas that I plan to put in another post. If you don't want to wait, check out the comments in the linked post---and add some of your own if you'd like. The more recipes we share, the more everyone benefits....

More food is being donated, but....

2010-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, there are more people who need it, so the problem remains. That seems to be one of the main messages of this article about hunger in Idaho. Thought you might like to see what they are saying about our fair state--it's not very good news, but I'm glad that people are giving more to help others out.

We are not much for peppers around here, so we rarely if ever buy them, but I saw in a local grocery chain's ad that they are selling different varieties of peppers for 2 for $3.00. That seemed really high to me--am I way off or is that just extraordinarily expensive? At any rate, it would be cheaper to grow your own, even if the seed packets are also expensive. Hope everyone is planning on some kind of garden this year--maybe I'll grow some peppers.....

Always nice to know your options...

2010-02-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

Especially if you think them out ahead of time. Thanks to all/any who were involved in the e-mail chain that led to the arrival of the message that ended up in my e-mail box. The message contained this link about two different ways to deal with an earthquake. I don't know the best way for you to deal with an earthquake situation, and you will have to decide for yourselves which course of action is best for you and/or your loved ones to follow, but more knowledge is always a good way to start.

Hope we never experience an earthquake, but the thing about emergencies is that they are usually somewhat unexpected, either in their arrival or intensity, and having an idea of what to do beforehand is always a plus...

How's your 3-month supply going?

2010-01-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

I still have work to do on my 3-month supply--where ideally you have 3 months worth of meals that you eat on a regular basis anyway. I tend to use up my 3 month supply supplies, which tends to be really good on the rotation side but not-so-good on the storage side....

But, if there were an immediate quarantine or something that required using what I have on hand, I have some supplies, and other recipes that probably wouldn't be quite as good, but edible if I had to use only what I had for awhile. (Notice, I didn't say 3 months...)

--One meal that I have worked into my rotation is shepherd's pie, which I describe in a post on my food storage blog here. Talk about eaaasssssyyyyyy. Yeah, that's the way I like it. Thing is, my family is partial to it as well, and the Dinty Moore stew seems to disappear more often than I'd like. If you try this, make sure that your family likes the brands you are using--we tried a variation on the theme years ago with stew on potatoes with a brand my husband didn't like, and we didn't try anything like it again for years.

--Ok, yay, when I went to link the post above, I realized that in that same post I just linked to, there are links about rice and beans, and bread recipes, and the Spam-fried rice recipe, all of which I would also incorporate in my 3 month plan. So if you go over there and stay awhile I understand. For this post, I just wanted to name a few easy recipes that probably wouldn't be quite as good in an emergency situation, but that would be really good for variety if resources were limited:

--Curry and rice. First, I have to say that curry is probably my favorite flavor eveeerrr. (As in, I think I like it better than chocolate. Yeah, pretty much.)

Usually it would consist of browned ground turkey or beef, can(s) of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, and curry powder. That's it. Just brown the meat, breaking it up as you go. After it's fully cooked, add the cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, water to your desired consistency, and curry powder to your taste, and you are done once it is heated through. Put it over rice.

However, curry still tastes like curry without the meat, and in a pinch you could eat the sauce meatless. We tend to buy the bulk ground turkey meat, brown it, and freeze it in one-pound portions to add to meals. I really like to see little bags of meat ready to use in my freezer. Now, normally I wouldn't say to trust in something that requires refrigeration, but as I say, it can be done in a meatless fashion. And if you live somewhere like Idaho, and you need your 3 month supply during one of the many months of winter, you can stick your meat outside in your garage or other predator-free location, and it will keep. It was 4 degrees outside this morning, with a -5 windchill. Frosty....

--Meatless spaghetti and sauce. Really, I probably needn't have mentioned this one, but it makes me feel good to see more ideas on the list. If you have enough meat in your freezer (and/or garage) to add, all the better....

--Pasta + cream of (insert flavor here) soup + canned meat +vegetable. I'm purposely being vague here because I don't really do this right now, but I totally would if I was looking for something different to eat and all I had was what was on my shelves. I'm not really a tuna person, but I have a couple of cans hanging around. What I lack is a knowledge of any kind of spices would go well with this combination, but pretty much if you have a can of cream of whatever and some pasta, you will end up with something filling. Please don't hesitate to leave comments that would make this combination more appetizing...

--Chili on baked potatoes is a favorite around here. If you have olives and cheese to add, all the better, but chili on potatoes is pretty filling all by itself. I try to keep my potatoes cold enough that the eyes don't get all scary, but I am not always successful with their storage. Makes me wonder how people make them last all winter....

So how about you? I find that when I plan for the 3 month rotation (as I said, still very much a work in progress) I tend to concentrate on the dinner-type meals. However, due to the fact that there is a wonderful sale on oatmeal at Albertsons this week (see details here) I have recently acquired more supplies to go towards breakfasts.

I mention the above because I was thinking about what I would have in the way of "regular meals" if there were a quarantine or something today. When I think about 12 weeks, with 7 different meals, each used once a week, I try to think of the least expensive, fewest ingredient meals I can, because 3 months of food can be expensive to acquire. I have incorporated some meals that use longer term supplies into my rotation as well, but really, I have a lot of work to do. What about you? If you have easy 3-month meals to share, please feel free to leave a comment. You never know how many people you'll be helping.... :)

Just one example...

2010-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's evident that things are not going well economically. There are the obvious occurrences, like the huge unfortunate situation of home foreclosures across the nation. There is the bailout of a major car company. But sometimes, you have to be on the inside to see that sales are down even in the local national chainstore....

No, I'm not on the inside at the local national chainstore, but leading up to the holidays in December, I was talking to someone who is. According to memory, and from what I understand, the procedure at the store is to keep track of daily sales and then to compare those sales to the sales made on the same date of the previous year. The day that we were discussing, a day that you would expect to be full of sales because of its proximity to the holidays, sales were down 13% from the previous year. And employees' hours were being cut during the same time period. Granted, it is my understanding that the hours would go back up after the holiday season, but it seemed a little backwards to me if everything is going well--wouldn't it be expected that hours would go up in what would normally be considered a peak buying period? And however they calculate their areas, the person that I was talking to indicated that the store we were discussing was actually doing better than other stores to which they are compared.

Personally, I found this information alarming. If you can't afford to shop at the local national chainstore, then you don't have many choices left, and my concern is that if this chain is struggling, then the next step I would think is coming is that its prices will (continue to) go up to make up for lost revenue in sales.

Please do what you can according to what you can afford to get some emergency supplies in storage. Perhaps it will not be unemployment/underemployment that will be the reason that you find that you are glad that you put some food away--it may be a natural disaster, a quarantine, a truckers' strike, higher food prices, a terrorist incident that disrupts the food supply chain, or someone else's food emergency that will either leave you glad that you put away supplies, or unhappy that you have not prepared enough. I am not trying to be an alarmist, or trying to predict anything. I am just pointing out that there are so many things that could happen to make emergency supplies necessary, that it just makes sense to put aside extra of what you would eat/use anyway just in case you find yourself in one of these, or any other emergency situation. Emergencies don't always happen to someone else. Just ask someone who has experienced one.

If you are fortunate to have enough to share, I would ask you to do what you can for those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. I have lived in Haiti, and it hurts to see and hear what is happening there.

Gotta love perpetuation when it comes to food....

2010-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about my food storage the other day, and wondering how long what I have will last, and what I really know how to make with the basic staples, and just how much variety I really have planned out when it comes to meals, among other things. Then I had a discussion with a preparedness expert I know, and when I mentioned that none of it would last forever (ok, I was really thinking about convenient things like, oh, canned meat) was reminded that I'll be able to grow things in the garden with seeds we've put aside. And that really does give me hope.

Then today, I got my hands on some literature that gives information about gardening classes and a community garden that was headed, "Want to grow your own backyard garden but don't have a backyard?", immediately followed by "Come to the Idaho Falls Community Gardens". So I called the number listed to see if there would be any objection to advertising their info on this blog (as I figured, there was no problem) and found out that there are actually 3 community gardens in Idaho Falls. Gardeners' registration is not until April 10, 2010, but between now and then there are numerous free classes, like "Basics of Vegetable Gardening in Southeastern Idaho", and "Get Growing: Starting and Growing Seedlings Indoors". The full list can be found here. You can access the main menu here.

I realize that many people already have room for gardening, but they may be interested in the classes offered. Others may have the expertise in gardening, but no room to put that expertise to use. And there may be others who are interested in the whole package of information and garden plot. Whatever the case, the information is there if you are interested in learning to garden, or simply in improving your gardening skills.

If there are other community gardens that you know of in other areas of Idaho, please let me know, and I will post the information. If you are in another state, I would venture to guess that the moderators of your state site would love to receive any information on gardening and community gardens that you are willing to share.

Well, back to my discussion on meat and food storage. Unfortunately, chickens are still not legal where I live. But in a weird twist, when I got the mail today I found an advertisement for a free trial issue for "Backyard Poultry", addressed to me personally. I could wonder how my interest in raising chickens got past this blog and on to someone's mailing list--or I could just wonder if people really hug their chickens, as it asks, "Have you hugged your chicken today?" above my name and address. I would have a hard time getting attached to my chickens, unless I was only raising them for the eggs...

Idaho Preppers Network turns one!

2009-12-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who has contributed and/or commented and/or read Idaho Preppers Network this year --hard to believe it has been a year today. I hope the next year goes as well, and that we all get as prepared as possible! I've certainly learned a lot, and hope to keep learning more and more....thanks again!

Kindness makes a difference

2009-12-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

The economy doesn't seem to be kind to anyone these days, but a few experiences in the past couple of weeks remind me that people still are...

--I was debating on a purchase in a store that shall remain unnamed, but the price was somewhat steeper than I was wanting to pay. I kept coming back to look at the item that I was considering, and one of the store clerks said to the effect, "I'll let you know something--that will be 50% off tomorrow." I asked if it was just the following day (knowing I wouldn't be back the next day) and was told that it would be discounted for at least a week. There were not many of the item on the shelves, and the clerk even offered to put my name on it and put it under the counter. I declined, but said I would be back. I was grateful to the clerk for sharing that information.

I was back two days later, and the item was nowhere to be seen on the shelf I had visited previously. I need to mention that the store in question is not one that I would ordinarily frequent because (at least in my perception) the prices there tend to be higher. But because I had come back another day, and had not purchased the original item immediately, I had more time to look around. I came across something that was a perfect purchase at a reasonable price for someone else on my list, and was going up to purchase it, when I asked the clerk who was there (not the same one) if the fact that I couldn't find it on the shelf meant that they didn't have it. The clerk checked on the computer, and directed me to the promotional table, where, yes indeed, the original item was there, discounted price and all.

I don't mention the name of the store because I wouldn't want the store clerk who was so kind to get in trouble over it. But, I will point out that as a result of this employee's kindness, there were two purchases made, not one, and that now I will most likely return for further purchases sooner because I discovered, only because of my return visit, that there are more items that I may like to purchase eventually. The kindness of the employee does nothing but improve my overall impression of the store as well...

--I've been using coupons more, and there are times that I will go out of my way because the coupons enclosed in the newspaper make it worth my while to visit a particular shopping establishment. I can sometimes get sticker shock visiting the dairy section of just about any grocery store, especially when it comes to cheese prices. So recently, when there was a good coupon price on bricks of cheese, I made my way to the store in question so that I could take advantage of it.

When I got there, the advertised price on the dairy case was a dollar more than the coupon price. Thing is, on top of the bricks of cheese in question, someone had left one of the coupons so that someone else could take advantage of the better price. I left it there, since I had my coupon (and cheese limit) in hand, but I was really glad to see that someone was that considerate of others. It is that store's policy to have a coupon-sharing bin at the entrance to the store, but to go through the extra effort to help ensure that the coupon was used by placing it where someone who didn't have time to go through the bin/didn't know about the coupon price was just an example of extra kindness to me....

The preceding examples of kindness were personal experiences, but there are evidently many more experiences happening across our state where people are being kind to each other, if you look at this article from the Idaho Statesman. Despite the rough economy, many people in Idaho have made huge efforts to help those less fortunate.

Way to go, Idaho. Kindness does make a difference, whether it's materially with goods that are needed, or whether it's the smile that comes because you know someone is going to save a dollar because there was an individual nice enough to leave a coupon for someone else...

Christmas Greetings

2009-12-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful day--Merry Christmas!

Gotta love basic breads...

2009-12-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long--computer issues and general busy-ness and whatnot have made for far and in-between posts. Thanks for coming back to read!

You may remember when I listed some rice and bean recipes, because it's always good to know some recipes for the staple foods. Thought it might help someone out there somewhere to list the bread recipes I've found to be easy and successful in my house, some of which are more basic than others..... In no particular order:

1. Beginner's bread over at Hillbilly Housewife, which was my first loaf-type bread, and which has served me well. There has been occasion where I was too impatient to let it rise as much and baked it anyway, and it was still good. We all know whose fault the not-as-high-loaf was.... :)

2. Angel biscuits, the recipe for which is found in this post on my other blog.

3. This recipe for fry bread. This recipe was mentioned in the post already mentioned on my other blog as well.

4. This roll recipe, which was my first successful foray into the world of yeast. Takes eggs and butter, so not as basic, but there are sales on butter around just now. Just put some butter in my freezer after I was able to get it at a good price.

5. Buttermilk biscuit recipe, found here, at Safely Gathered In. I just add 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk to get the buttermilk, so pretty food storage friendly.

That's just five, and I may add more later. I have one that I wrote down, but which no longer links to the same location, so I will have to go in search of the link and see if I can find it. Just underlines the importance of printing out/writing out recipes that you find work for you so that you can continue to make them without the help of links/the computer....

Hope these help someone, and hope that everyone is enjoying the Christmas season! The recipes linked are easy--it's what I look for, so wishing you all the best if you try them!

J.S. from Nampa: Prep Multi-Taskers

2009-11-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of Alton Brown on the food network. There is only one uni-tasker in his kitchen and that’s a fire extinguisher. That is how I approach preparing. Honey for example: anti-bacterial, medicinal, sweetener or can be used in sauces, or curing. Best of all it lasts forever or at least 3000 years. Salt: Seasoning, preservative, cleaner, weed killer and cuts down on shoveling snow.

Animals: Cats and dogs great multi-taskers. Dogs are great security alarms, great stress reducers, and entertaining. Cats are great hunters, very little of my garden has gone to squirrels or birds this year. Stress reducers as well. Chickens, rabbits, live stock, they provide you with a renewable resource and should be treated with respect.

Check your city codes; I can have only 3 chickens and no roosters. But Rabbits are not covered at all in the code so I can have as many as I can maintain. Also rabbit manure is not “HOT”. It can be placed on garden and planting beds immediately. If anyone needs some manure let me know. I have about 2 trash cans full I am giving away. Bring a container with you and you can get some free fertilizer. I also have 9 bunnies that are being weaned; colors are black, whites and sables. They are cross breeds I like that because they tend to be hardier than pure breeds.

Time for the sales:

Cash and Carry Expires 5 Dec. 09
Flour 50 pounds $11.00
Coffee Large can 34.5 Oz. $4.99
Bacon $ 9.95 10 Pounds
Rolled oats 25 pounds $ 11.78

From Marie: Thanks, J.S., for another great post! And blame me if you have to hurry to get the deals listed here--there was a delay in my posting it. You still have five days, though, if there is a Cash and Carry near you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful day--and weekend!

Thank you

2009-11-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all the brave men and women who serve/have served in the armed forces and their families.

Happy Veteran's Day!

J.S. from Nampa: Prepping Starting Small

2009-11-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

Preparing can be a little overwhelming to a lot of folks, but, you can start small.
For example:

3 day supply of all your needs. All you need is container to store the following items, and can be easily transported

Food: 3 meals a day for 3 days for each person. Something easy to prepare, cup o’soup, instant oatmeal, granola bars ect.

Water: 1 gallon per day per person. Now is great time to get water jugs because all that camping and hunting sales. If you drink soda buy it in the 2 or 3 litter bottles. Wash the bottles and fill with water, 4 liters equal just over a gallon. Don’t use plastic milk jugs, the plastic in them breaks down rather quickly. Remember this for food and sanitation.

Sanitation and health: all purpose Bleach can be used purify water, kills viruses, germs and bacteria on surfaces. Hand sanitizer, wet wipes, toilet paper, Comb, brush, toothbrush, bar of soap, toothpaste, feminine hygiene and/or diapers, garbage bags.

First aid Kit Disposable gloves and masks

Entertainment: Books, games, cards, dice, Radio with extra batteries.

Heat and light: Flashlight with extra batteries, Sterno has a little emergency kit for around $8.00 that includes a little stove, fuel for the stove and 7 candles. You will need small pan or mess kit for cooking.

Keep fuel tanks half full or more at all times.

Medications: Allergy, prescriptions, Pain killers, cough drops, indigestion, diarrhea…

Copies of insurance papers, driver’s license, Pictures of pets and family member in case of separation. Have an out of state contact number if possible. They will be a check in spot to let folks know you are ok.

Don’t forget your pet’s needs, leash, collars, food and water, dishes. Sanitation doggie training pads, a cat box and litter, most shelters will not allow pets, only service animals.

Warm clothing, emergency blankets, Extra undies and socks. T-shirts and sweats.

At least $20.00 in bills and change. Assume your ATM card and checks will be no good.

Remember the best survival kit is no use to you if it’s at home and you are in your car. You will have to duplicate your effort somewhat. But if you have the same things in your car as you do at home you have just doubled everything if caught at home.

Now you probably have a lot of these items already on hand. Once you have everything together in backpacks or a carry all, you will be ready for 3-6 days at home or you can put it in your vehicle in case you have to evacuate.

The thing is don’t get overwhelmed, start with 3 days, then a week, then a month, then 3 months.

This is just a basic setup to start with. Okay say to yourself I have 3 days worth. You may have a large initial investment if you have no camping type gear. But these are multi-taskers, they don’t spoil. You can always use them for other things such as camping, tailgate parties, and travel that sort of thing.

From Marie: Many thanks to J.S. for another great post on emergency preparedness!

Soup's on--sale!

2009-10-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Went to Wal-Mart last night to purchase, among other things, some soup. The shelves were about bare of any type of soup that we would usually eat, and the reason is:

Progresso soups are on sale for 2/$3
Campbell's Chunky soups are on sale 2/$3

I figured I would just have to ask when they were going to stock up again, but managed to get a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup (Chunky) because they were on display in the front of the store by the checkout. Then this morning, having forgotten something needed for this afternoon, I found myself in the vicinity of a different checkout line, and found 4 packs of Campbell's chicken noodle soup, at 2 packs/$4. I got several, because if I find that I can get soup for $.50/can I try to take advantage of it.

It may go beyond the price of the soup when it comes down to actually using it, as was recently pointed out in this post over at iPrepared. Also, canned soup is a lot less effort and requires a lot less energy in terms of heat to prepare, so it's good to have on hand if you have a shortage of either fuel or personal energy due to illness or other circumstances. But hey, if you can get it at a better price, you win in more ways than one....

In other food advertising news, thought I'd mention that at Albertson's this week they have Rice-A-Roni for 10/$10. I mention this one because of the Spam Fried Rice recipe over at Preparedness Pro that makes an oh-so-handy meal in terms of a 3 month supply option. I've already mentioned it on my other blog, but if you're looking for another easy meal for your rotation, you might want to check this one out.

Let's hope that everyone is preparing enough so that they'll always be able to say soup's on when we'd like to---emergency or not.

Yet another way that we're all in this together...

2009-10-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Found this article on Idaho government a little while ago--it shows how dependent the financial system of the state is on personal income tax. People who have no jobs don't pay income tax, and the state, in turn, receives less money. Programs still have to be paid for, or cut. So for everyone that loses their job, everyone feels the effect somehow.

If we end up paying more-- for example, for school activities or the like--then that money has to come from somewhere. The more supplies we already have on hand in terms of food and/or other supplies could help by allowing us to put the money at our disposal towards these new expenses while eating our food storage, instead of our having to choose between the two.

That's just one example, and while I am certain other people could give better explanations/examples, I do know that anything we put aside today in terms of emergency preparedness supplies will help us later. Those fortunate enough to remain employed may be able to put available cash towards other expenses and even be able to help out others, while those who find themselves unemployed will be in a much better to position to feed themselves and/or their loved ones.

We're all in this together--please do what you can to increase your emergency preparedness supplies. One can at a time, one bottle of water at a time, one piece of knowledge at a time, it all matters. The key is to start. Or to keep going. And above all, to never give up. If you are in a hard situation right now, I hope your circumstances improve quickly. What affects one of us truly does affect us all.

J.S. from Nampa: Prepping is a Mindset, Not About What You Have or Don't Have

2009-10-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Prepping is kind of like eating an elephant.
How do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time.

Everything needs a start point. I am not sure what drives you. Now maybe it’s I want to prep for whatever comes. Or it might be I’m not sure what I can afford power or food this winter. It maybe you live in Earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood country. FEMA has been less than stellar in response. Winter is coming up, are you ready? Trust me guys all you have to depend on is yourselves, friends, family and neighbors.
FEMA and DHS have stated they will not be around to help, anywhere for 3 days to 2 weeks. Go to the FEMA or DHS websites, and check out what they are saying about their own “emergency response”.
So if you are depending on the US Government to help you. You will get mighty thirsty and hungry.

Go to the Google or ask how much help folks got in the Dakotas during flooding, or during the ice storm that cut across mid-Appalachia last winter. Power was not out for a day, but for weeks. Do you have water/food for 2 weeks? Trust me all stores will run out of everything in 3 days.

Now this is about preparing. Take care of yourself 1st then you can help others. You can’t get into a “Bunker Mentality” you have to be ready to help and be help by folks. Get to know them before any emergency.

You will save on your food budget. You will have peace of mind. You are ready.

Get ready boys and girls it will be a bumpy ride. But it can be fun as well.
Rethink your lifestyle:
1. I love nothing better than sending back those credit card offers I get in the mail and stuffing as much paper and weight as I can back in their pre-paid envelopes. Funny I don’t seem to receive very many offers from them anymore.
2. Do you know what is going on in the world? Its global economy, what happens in Russia or China or Saudi Arabia, Australia, Brazil or the US or any country will have an effect on the whole world. This isn’t about politics, it’s about the power of information.
3. Prioritize: Remember the rule of 3’s. 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food.

I believe Food is a great investment. You will need it no matter what. Once you have your basics covered you may want to look at other options.

And courtesy of Kellene Bishop at Preparedness Pro:

HINT: Do you have meat that is freezer burned? Use a pressure cooker to cook it, will re-hydrate the meat and you won’t waste it.

From Marie: Thanks, J.S., for another great post!

Guest Post: J.S. from Nampa

2009-09-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

From Marie: Reason I don't know how many that I really, really, really should check my e-mail more often--thanks to J.S. from Nampa, who wrote me an e-mail and graciously agreed to let me use it as this post:

I am not an LDS member but I also believe in being prepared. I am on a fixed income and make just enough not to qualify for any “assistance” from the government. I have 1 years worth of food already and did it in less than 6 months on a $100.00 a month budget for food. Now I’m working on not only surviving but thriving. Some things that worked for me:

Use the internet prior to shopping. Most stores have their sales flyers up on their websites every week. Fred Meyers on Sundays, Paul’s and Albertsons on Wed. Cash & Carry’s ads are once a month for dry good goods/freezer items.

Rethink priorities

100 pounds of rice will feed 1 adult for a year. You can get that at Cash and carry in Sep 09 for $35.00. Same for Beans but pintos are running about $25.00 for 50 pounds at Cash and carry. A person needs less than a pound a week of meat to be healthy. Get your basics 1st then add too them. Shop the ethnic food Isles in stores. In Paul’s I have found beans and rice up to 25% cheaper in the “Hispanic” Isles compared to the regular ones, because you buy in bulk.

Spices and more spices, Rice is so flexible you can make Indian Curries, Thai, Mexican, South American, Creole or Cajun meals just by using different spices.

Flour is critical for me since I bake all my own breads. It will store for 2 years in proper containers. I bought flour 1st and now working towards whole grains. I like Masa, better than corn meal. My body handles in better, it’s cheap and all you add is water.

My Basic List for Prep Start

50# bag of rice $17.00
50# bag of Pinto’s $25.00
50 # White Flour $15.00
10# bag Sugar $5.00 More if you have a sweet tooth/baking coffee,teas or make your own candies
Powder milk Lg Box $18.00
Honey, Real 5# $12-17.00 Great multi-tasker
Yeast 1# $2-5.00 Starter for sourdoughs and gets you going for baking breads, donuts and more.
Salt 4# $5.00 Kosher,iodized, and Pickling Salt

Now for about $100.00 you have a good start. No, it’s not perfect but it will give you a basis to build on without breaking the bank.

Thanks again to J.S. for the great info!

It's a National Day to Remember

2009-09-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

No matter where you were in America on September 11, 2001, your hearts were with the people who died that day.
With those who were injured that day.
With those who were risking their lives that day.
With those who were trapped that day.
With those who were awaiting news about their loved ones that day.
With those who gave and heeded the cry, "let's roll", and in so doing spared the lives of others as their plane went down.
With our leaders, who had to deal with an attack on our country.
With every American who hung a flag and prayed for our country.

To those mentioned above, as well as those who are fighting and have fought for our country, and their families, our hearts are still with you, no matter where we are.

We will never forget.

Good only today....but it's really good

2009-09-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

The part that is only good today are the deals I mentioned in the previous post that end today at Albertson's. You may want to head over to the The Grocery Girls to see a good example of what you can walk away with if you have coupons on top of the good deals. Also, thanks to Brenda from that site, who left detailed comments on my last post about info that will be particularly helpful if you live in the Meridian area, and other areas that these deals are probably in effect. That's right....

The part that is good every day is that The Grocery Girls is an Idaho blog, and is now under the Idaho blogs section on the sidebar.

I know, I just gave a lot of free advertising to Albertson's this week, but hey, if they're going to have good deals on ready-to-eat with far-in-the-future expiration date foods, among other necessities, I think they deserve it. But if you want to take advantage of these particular deals, they end tonight, so time is of the essence.....

In the short-term category...

2009-08-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Albertson's deals that end tomorrow had a couple of deals that I thought would be good for my short-term storage. To be honest, when it comes to my three-month supply (that I keep working on) my main concern is the dinner meal, so I haven't concentrated as much as I could on the other two meals.

However, and I am sure as I can be without relocating the flyer from last Wednesday's paper, that one of the deals that is week-long is 18 oz. jars of peanut butter 2/$4.00. I was so excited about that that I went that day and bought some peanut butter, which I figure is really good for lunches, and pretty filling any time of the day. They also had some pretty good buys on cold cereal, which as a rule gives me sticker shock, so got some of that too. 2 Tramps, from over at Tramp's Camp left a comment on my other blog about The Grocery Girls blog, whose Aug. 27th post goes in to more detail on some of these deals, and gives ideas on how to save even more on your purchases. I mention these details on this blog because I don't know how widespread Albertson's stores/Albertson's deals are, but I would imagine they are similar across our state, and as mentioned on the Grocery Girls blog, are likely to be similar in Utah as well. In any case, if you have an Albertson's near you, it may be worthwhile to give them a call and find out...

So, yeah, still working/should be concentrating more on my short-term storage, but at least now I have more peanut butter in the storage room.... :)

If you are interested in a wolf tag...

2009-08-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

You won't have to wait long to buy one. Thanks to IdahoBob, who informed me in a comment on my last post, that they go on sale August 24th. More information is always helpful...

A new policy on wolves. What does that have to do with food storage?

2009-08-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Was interested to learn that there will now be a hunting season on wolves in Idaho--as this article points out. One of my first thoughts was, if I were able to hunt down a wolf, would it have any edible value for my family? Is wolf meat edible for anybody? If we hit hard times, it might be useful to know...

One of my second thoughts was to wonder where I put a cookbook that I bought a couple of years ago---it's a collection of recipes, many of which are older, and if memory serves, there is a recipe for preparing muskrat in there somewhere. Ah, good times---not that I personally have ever even been in really close proximity to a muskrat, but it is good times when people know how to use anything and everything to provide food, etc. for their families.

I ordered that county recipe book from e-bay, and was hoping to find some really basic recipes so that I could use my really basic long-term storage supplies. I didn't start in earnest using my long-term supplies until considerably later, so the cookbook (once located) will probably be a lot more useful for me now.

After I thought about that cookbook, I remembered that you don't always have to go to all that much extra effort to get a recipe for something. This was evidenced by the fact that I was looking for something to do with my pumpkin puree last year, and should have looked to my grandmother first, who has a pumpkin bread recipe that I posted about here on my other blog. Having supplies is a necessity, as is knowing how to use them once you have purchased them and/or have managed to get your hands on them. (I'm thinking getting a hold of wolf meat is no walk in the park, for example. :)

Well, seeing as how this post seems a little disjointed, here are the points I was trying to make...

--The policy on hunting wolves has changed in Idaho. If you're interested, I believe the season starts in September, according to the linked article.

--Really basic recipes that work with food storage items can be found in older cookbooks if you are willing to look for them.

--Sometimes the best recipes you can find are within your own family, if you think about it and are willing to ask. (Unless you have relatives who have some famous, classified, top-secret recipe that nobody gets, even if they ask.... :)

So, the question remains: is wolf meat edible? And hey, if you're willing to share, food storage recipes are always welcome.... :)

Of gardens, a food bank, and school supplies

2009-08-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Had a question about Idaho locations on my previous post, and my husband answered it in the comment column. His mention of Malad reminded me of how fun it is to live in Idaho....

Saw this article and thought that there might be other people who would be interested in reading about how some cities are planting gardens any and everywhere they can. I'm kind of jealous of those people who are now allowed to have hens (but no roosters) out back, as the linked article mentions....

In Boise, the Hawks are helping out the food bank-- details here. If you can stock up so that you won't need help from the food bank, or so that you can have enough for yourselves in an emergency, as well as enough to help others, you will be in a pretty good situation. If you already need help, I hope that things improve for you soon.

Don't forget to stock up on school supplies--they're awfully inexpensive at the moment, and would come in handy for communication and entertainment in case of emergency situations. Going out soon to shop for school supplies--hope that there will be some left....

Well, that's about it at the moment. Raspberries are ready and I'm glad they're producing so well this year. Corn's getting taller, but lacking that height that I always hope for....hope everyone continues to have a great summer!

Thought the H1N1 virus was old news?

2009-08-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

I hadn't thought about H1N1 all that much once summer started, but it did affect our family's travel plans recently. We had family come out from the Southeast for vacation, and got to visit with them one weekend down in Utah. We were going to go down the following weekend as well, until the Wednesday of that week we found out that one of the cousins had the swine flu, and another appeared to be developing similar symptoms. We didn't end up seeing the relatives from back east again before they left. It was a big disappointment, but we figured what was in Utah shouldn't be brought back to Idaho, if at all possible. Fortunately, the cousin who had it has gotten over it, and the second cousin had something, but it doesn't look like it was the same thing. Just a reminder-- in this case one close to home--that the swine flu (aka H1N1) is still something that brings to mind the saying, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst...

This article indicates that it is still a problem. Hopefully everyone is/is getting ready for a possible quarantine--even if a quarantine doesn't end up being declared, the emergency supplies you have on hand for a possible quarantine will come in handy for any other emergency as well.

One of my favorite sources for recommendations/information on the swine flu is Preparedness Pro, and here is a link to her swine flu archives. Haven't been to visit the sites I usually visit as regularly lately, (summer can do that to you :) and upon looking for another subject concerning the H1N1 virus on the Preparedness Pro site, I found out that there was a thought provoking post on the swine flu vaccinations posted only yesterday. Went searching, and found the archives. Amazing what you can find when you follow the links....

I also like this list over at Survival Lady. I wouldn't purchase everything on this list, and would add to it (as she suggests) according to my own family's particular needs, but it supplies a lot of food for thought about what might be needed in a pandemic situation. I think it was probably this list that prompted me to buy a second humidifier at a garage sale lately. Again, always hope that pandemic supplies won't be needed for an actual pandemic, but better to have it and not need it, than the other way around...

My condolences go out to the loved ones of Robert Manwill. There is a brief update on his case here.

Take a listen, and Are you up for a challenge?

2009-08-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Had family activities going on when the actual broadcast took place, but wanted to point out that some members of the American Preppers Network were on the Family Preparedness Guide Program Saturday with James Talmage Stevens. Fortunately, if you go to the link, you can listen to the program there, as I have done. They did a really good job--and got the first international call as well, apparently, from Canada. (Gotta love Ontario!) And a call from Kymber over at Canadian Preppers Network. Very impressive, and I highly recommend taking a listen.

Over at Preparedness Pro, there is a challenge to live on what you have (no shopping!) for a two-week period in the month of August. I am strongly considering doing it, not starting on the 1st, obviously. Yeah, not proud of it, but one of my first thoughts was how inconvenient it would be in some aspects. However, better to have inconvenience now, than a survival crisis later--and I would rather find out now what I'm missing. Unfortunately, emergencies aren't known for being convenient, and in this case, you aren't prohibited from using electricity, etc., so it will be a lot easier than some emergencies would ever be...

So much good information out there, and so many good ideas (hope we're up for a challenge :)--thanks everyone!

Have you seen Robert Manwill?

2009-07-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Just heard about the fact that Robert Manwill, an eight-year-old, went missing in Boise on Friday. Details and picture here.

There is currently no Amber Alert out for him. Please keep an eye out for him.

Not a typical emergency subject...

2009-07-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

But it is an emergency situation nonetheless. What do you do if you are a child and are separated from your group at an amusement park? What do you do if you are the responsible adult in such a situation?

I spoke with a family member recently who has worked security at an amusement park in the past. This is the gist of what was said, and recommended:

--If you are the parent, speak to any employee. Anyone dishing out icees or refreshments or walking by in official amusement park gear. If they can't contact security for you, they can tell you who can.

--The first impulse, this relative said, is to go looking for the child, because you want that child back right now. Again, speak immediately to a park employee so that security will be notified and they also will be looking for your child.

--Inform your child what to do if they find themselves in such a situation. They should do the same thing that is recommended that you do. Contact an employee--anyone who works for the park. The person thus contacted will call security, and the child will be taken to the lost child station, and a responsible adult will be found to reclaim the child.

This may seem like common sense, but at the moment that a child goes missing, common sense may go out the window when anxiety over the situation occurs. If you have thought it out ahead of time and prepared yourself and your children with the knowledge they need to get out of a situation, there is a better chance of a quicker reunion.

This may seem a little off-topic, but I was interested to learn how the amusement park system works, at least as I understand it. Knowledge is a powerful thing, and if you teach your children before an emergency happens how to deal with said emergency, everyone is the better for it. This also applies to the more typical emergency preparedness topics that get discussed on this blog, and a few examples may be:

--teaching your children how to cook emergency meals in case the adults usually responsible are ill or otherwise unable to do so.

--teaching your children what to do when the power goes out.

--teaching your children how to garden so that they know how to/are able to assist in growing their own food in case of food shortages.

Those are only a few situations, but I would love to hear more ideas about how to get children involved in emergency preparedness. How are you involving children in emergency preparation?

Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst can start at a very young age indeed...

5 questions

2009-07-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

The jury is still out on Twitter. I will let you know if I decide to use it--been busy around here, and haven't researched it enough yet...

Have seen around on other blogs that sometimes they send around lists of questions and sometimes everyone reprints the questions and answers them and/or sends them to specified people telling those people to answer them..... Well, having established that this whole idea is not new to me, I present the following questions (or non-questions) with my answers, but with absolutely no pressure on anyone else to do the same thing. (You are welcome to use these wherever you like, however.) It might be interesting for anyone reading to see how they're doing in terms of these questions, though, just in their head. And then do a little dance o' joy in their head when they see how successful they actually are.... :)

1. Name a non-food storage emergency item that you have bought in the last week.

I will say, for the record, that I bought aluminum foil. It was part of one of those mix and match 10 for $10 deals so I got a couple of small rolls. Haven't bought that brand before, so hope that they aren't normally like $.79/roll or something. Anyway, needed more in storage, so it looked good to me....

2. What are you still putting off in terms of your food storage?

Sprouting. Sprouting. Sprouting. (Can I say more sprouting when I have done no sprouting?) Um, yeah, and it won't happen this week so it will be next week at the earliest. Seeing as how I have now been in possession of sprouting equipment and seeds for a pretty long time, this is not one of my bright and shining moments. Gotta learn to sprout. Gotta just do it...

3. Name something you have added to your food storage in the last week.

I added some canned fruit to my food storage, because canned fruit is one of my weakest areas in terms of food storage. Ah, fruit cocktail.....

4. Have you tried something new in terms of food storage recipes this month?

Notice I said month and not week because I don't try new recipes as often as I should--but I did try to make frybread last night, the outcome of which can be found on today's post at my other blog. I did make this recipe (Thanks Harried Homemaker!) last week due to a special request by one of my children. I need to not only make successful recipes more than once, but incorporate them into "regular" meals or the meal schedule...

5. Have you helped anyone with their food storage in the last month?

This one is a little harder to answer, because there is always the maybe of people finding recipes on my blog or using a link I've put up to increase their food storage or food storage usage. The things I put out on food storage are usually in the form of how to find information from other people, but I hope it helps someone somewhere somehow. The short answer is I hope so. We did donate some canned food to a canned food drive this past week, so some of our food storage was rotated. Don't think that counts though...

Thought this was worth posting about because I hear/read things here and there about the pandemic, and hope that people are concentrating on getting as many supplies in as they can within their means, because it looks like it won't be long before it may be needed. 90 days quarantine is a long time. 90 days of supplies is a lot of supplies. Having a variety of recipes that will help ease stress for 90 days would be a definite advantage. But every little bit counts, every person who becomes more prepared is a definite plus, and any help you/I /we can give each other will leave us all better off when/if emergency supplies are needed.....

Got an answer

2009-07-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

A great big thank you to MatthiasJ over at Kentucky Preppers Network for sending a link about Twitter in response to my last post. If you haven't had a chance to check out Kentucky Preppers Network, I highly recommend it--full of great emergency preparation information.

I'm going to pretend that I'm not the only one who needs to know more about Twitter, and who needs to look at this website :) :

http://tweeternet.com

More information is a good thing.....

I have a question...

2009-07-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing about Twitter, and tweets, but I don't know how to use them. I got the impression somehow that you needed to use Twitter on phones, but come to find out it can be used on the computer. If someone is willing to explain how to use Twitter on the computer, I would appreciate it-- I want to know if it is something that could better this blog, and hey, any kind of communication that can help you in an emergency is definitely worth looking into.

So, if someone could send me information on Twitter, with as many details as you can fit in on how much it costs, how it works, (phone and computer is fine, I just don't think I would be using it as phone technology, but someone else may be able to) if you think it could better communication about things important to this network, etc. it would be greatly appreciated.

In a nutshell (I figure you know I'm long-winded by now :) How does Twitter work, and would it be beneficial as emergency communication?

From what I heard, it certainly seemed to help with communication that wasn't getting out in any other way during recent unrest overseas....

Thanks for any help in advance.

Cap and Trade can still be stopped

2009-07-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the checks and balances. Especially in this case, since the Cap and Trade Bill passed in the House of Representatives.

For any and all Senators, look here. For Idaho:

Senator Crapo

Senator Risch

I called Senator Crapo's office this morning, and was informed that he has not yet decided on which way he will be voting. Please call and let him know what you think.

I was informed that Senator Risch is voting against it. I asked his staff to thank him. Please call and let him know that you are supporting him in his decision.

If you are wondering why I find this applicable to prepping, you are probably not alone, and may want to check out this post from last week. I really feel that this could have a negative effect on our abilities to prepare for emergencies, as well as hasten the need to use the supplies we (hopefully) already have on hand.

Your opinion does matter, and it can make a difference. Please contact as many Senators as you can to make your thoughts known. Our vote may not affect them, but there are only 100 of them, and their vote definitely affects us. Cap and Trade needs to end in the Senate.

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in any of the Idaho tea party activities, you can find more information here.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July! Happy Birthday, America!

You can learn a lot from a name

2009-06-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Went to the Malad Welsh Festival on Saturday. It was a lot of fun.

There was a "Taste of Wales" booth,Welsh singing, other performances, and games for the kids to play. One of the highlights was a horse-drawn wagon tour around Malad. The picture above was taken of the wagon behind ours--it was nice that the weather was great there on Saturday.

About now you may be thinking (if you are still reading) that this is just a fun activity post, but oh, even on this trip I found something that applies to prepping...and it has to do with how Malad got its name.

According to those on the tour, Malad reportedly got its name in one of two ways:

--When some Frenchmen arrived in Malad, they got terribly ill after drinking the water. Malad is short for maladie, which means sickness in French.

--When some Frenchmen arrived in Malad, they ate the tails of some beavers that had apparently not had that great of a diet. Beaver tail was considered a delicacy at that point--and you guessed it, they got sick. So they named the town Maladie, which eventually became Malad City.

So what did I learn from this trip?

--The Welsh Festival in Malad is great.
--Was reminded that clean water in all circumstances, including emergency preparation, is a necessity. Make sure you have good water to drink, or you may be marked forever. Malad's been called Malad for a long, long, time.
--Know the source of any beaver tail you decide to eat. You know, just in case... :)

A good time was had by all. (This time. Not the time the Frenchmen visited. :)

Thank you, Congressman Minnick! Thank you, Congressman Simpson!

2009-06-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just called Congressman Minnick's office (again) and was informed by his staff that he is voting against the Cap and Trade Bill.

Just called Congressman Simpson's office (again) and was informed by his staff that he is voting against the Cap and Trade Bill.

That's Idaho. Thanks to all who called and e-mailed. And thank you, thank you, thank you, to Congressman Simpson and Congressman Minnick for voting against the cap and trade bill.

Speak out on "Cap and Trade"

2009-06-25T09:46:00.001-07:00

You might be asking yourself why I would want to make a post about the cap and trade bill coming up for a vote tomorrow in the House of Representatives, or link to an article like this one. What does that have to do with prepping?

Well, according to the linked article, this bill:

--has the potential to really, really, really negatively affect our energy bills.

--could cause food prices to go the wrong way---up, up, up.

I don't want to have to resort to using what could be considered emergency supplies before I have to in either the energy or food arenas. These problems are only two of the problems I see with this bill, but aren't they reason enough?

I hope that you are against this legislation as well, but whether you agree with me or not, I ask you to contact your Representatives about this matter as soon as you can--it's scheduled to go to a vote tomorrow. If you are in Idaho, our Representatives are:

Congressman Walt Minnick

Congressman Michael Simpson

If you are not in Idaho, you can find your Representative's contact information here. You will need your zipcode to access information.

The bill is H.R. 2454, but asking them to vote against the cap and trade bill will help everyone. Food and energy prices are at sticker shock levels for many already. The good news is that the previously linked article also indicates that the result of the vote is not set in stone.

I just got off the phone with Congressman Minnick's office. His staff indicated that he has not yet made a decision on this legislation. This may be true with other Representatives as well. Your voice can make a difference.

Guest Post: A Fathers Day Lament

2009-06-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Note from Marie: This is late only because I don't check the e-mail account connected to this site often enough. I first saw this today, and my gratitude goes out to IdahoBob for graciously allowing me to post this wonderful tribute to his father. As I told him, I think it is a message that resonates all year round.

A Fathers Day Lament

Today is Fathers Day, and it is the first time that I have not been able to talk to my father on this day. You see, he passed last July.

I was out of town for a month, working on a job in another state, and my wife called me one morning, on my boss's cell phone, to give me the news. It was not un-expected, 'cause he had recently had quadruple bypass surgery, and had developed pneumonia. He was a very sick man for next four months.

When we found out that he had developed pneumonia, we made the decision to travel to where he was hospitalized, (in that horrible Socialist State of Kalifornication) and spent two weeks with him. No hesitation or argument with each other, we packed and went.

Ya have to understand, my father was my hero. He was the most important man in my life. I loved him, deeply. And I told him so, often.

So today, especially, I miss him. there is a great big empty hole in my heart.

On this day, Fathers Day, hug your fathers hard, kiss 'em, tell 'em that you love 'em, and that they are the most important man in your life.

Make 'em your hero.

BobIII

Guest Post: CQ CQ CQ APN CQ CQ W4DMH CALLING CQ QRZ

2009-06-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Note from Marie: I am sadly, sadly, sadly lacking in knowledge when it comes to HAM radios, but wouldn't want those in Idaho who would like to be involved in a nation-wide network be denied the opportunity due to lack of knowledge. I do plan on getting licensed sometime, and would appreciate input from anyone from Idaho about local HAM activities. That said, I have no idea what the title to this post is....but thanks to WV Santa for this information and the permission to post it: (Hope I got the spacing right after the cut and paste--I tried. :)

CQ CQ CQ APN CQ CQ W4DMH CALLING CQ QRZ

OK now I have done it in true DX fashion for all you HAM'S out there.I know others that read this will be real confused now but I would really like to hear from you HAM'S out there so I figured I would write in a language you would understand. We need to get HAM'S involved here so we can try to get a net going to help with off the grid communication among the prepper networks. I know there are many Ham's already involved in the prepper network and many more that read so please come forward and help us with getting this going. Now that all the people that read this (that are not HAM'S) are confused let me add one more slang that only the HAM'S will understand.

73 de W4DMHPS

Please email me so we can get to work on this.
wvsantaclaus@aol.com_________________

God Bless all from the Wild and Wonderful West Virginia Santa

*****UPDATE******

From W4DMH

Dave aka Santa

To everyone that has showed an interest in the HAM radio netJust to let everyone know Bob KI4HEE from South Carolina and myself Dave W4DMH held a test run Thursday night on 40 meters at 9:00 PM Eastern Time or 0100 UTC time.

I am sorry that I did not get this info out but this all came about by email at the spur of the moment. It was a success even though I do not have the proper antenna in the air for 40 meter. I will cure that this weekend however. Bob will be posting the results on the South Carolina Page on Saturday June 20 2009. I invite you all to read that to see how the impromptu net turned out. For a spur of the moment thing, I think it was great. This little test run proved to me that if we try we can make this work.

I will let you know when this all gets worked out for sure but for now I believe we will try this on Thursday Nights from 9 pm to 10 pm Eastern time or 0100 to 0200 UTC on the frequency of 7.245 or there about for any that wish to come join in or just to listen.

Thank you all for your interest in the American Preppers Network Ham Radio Net. Hope to hear you soon.

73 All

W4DMH

Dave aka Santa

Meridian Dairy Days

2009-06-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

A lot late posting on this, but there is one day left for Meridian Dairy Days. If you live in or are going to be in the Meridian area tomorrow, you may want to check out the last of the Meridian Dairy Days, which apparently have been going on since Tuesday. You can find out about the details here.

Sounds like a good community event. I don't know the details, but if there are people there who could become your local source for produce or dairy or name your needed item here, everyone wins. Don't forget the list of local suppliers on the sidebar, and if you are not from Idaho, you may want to check out the food co-op directory , which is a fantastic directory that includes co-ops both in the U.S. and Canada. Making sure you have a local produce supplier can be priceless in an emergency, and already being a customer before an emergency can only benefit all involved...

Attitude, attitude, attitude

2009-06-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I watched the final episode of "Out of the Wild" last week. Out of the nine who started, there were five when this episode started. There were only four who made it (yes, some made it!) "out of the wild" and back to civilization. (I blogged about this show here, in case you have not yet heard about it. )

One of the things that was striking to me about this episode is what the woman who left the experience said when she was leaving. The people in this experience were to get no reward (other than personal satisfaction) for completing it, so that was not a factor. And they didn't know when the experience would end. What this woman said (paraphrasing, sorry that I don't have it verbatim) was along these lines:

"People say what if it ends tomorrow? For me it doesn't matter. For me it ends today."

I have to say that I admire everyone who stuck with this experience, and the woman who left (I think there were only like two or three days left in the experience at this point) was an extremely valuable member of the team. She knew how to do things cooking with what they were able to hunt down and eat that I thought were amazing. She stuck it out for about four weeks if memory serves, and then she decided she was done. She didn't know it was almost over. But it was.

For the four remaining people, it would appear to get worse before it got better, and they could easily have just decided to just push their little rescue buttons. Some of the things that happened just previous to their boarding a train that would take them to civilization (My apologies for any inaccuracies--it's not on purpose, and hopefully there are none):

--They hadn't eaten anything substantial for three days when they got their final map, which, by the way, indicated that they had something like 14 miles to hike before they reached their next shelter. For some reason, it seems to me that one of the things they were worried about was the fact that they would have to make a temporary shelter at a high altitude on this particular trek, and hadn't been that successful in that kind of endeavor in the past. They found this out the night before the actual trip, giving them plenty of time to decide to just go home.

--They finally saw some cabins, but there was no one there. If they hadn't been paying attention, they may have missed the fact that railroad tracks were close by. When they saw the tracks, they had another dilemma: would the train come by once a week? Would the train come by once a month? They looked at the tracks and found that they were clean, indicating that a train had come through since the last snowfall. Since this is Alaska we're talking about, it was snowing regularly by this point. I think about that moment a lot--if trains only come by once a week or once a month, would I have stayed with the experience at that point? Or would I have figured that since the tracks were clean, that I had already missed the train, and there wouldn't be another train for at least days, and maybe weeks? I like to think that even if I thought that temporarily, that I would have then decided to perhaps follow the tracks... So there was another point that they could have said they were done, but they didn't. They made a makeshift flag out of a white shirt (which indicated distress) and waited for a train.

A train did come. I don't know how long it took, but it was the same day. The four who remained were transported to a town where their family members were waiting for them. Their attitudes, again, in my recollection, were different, and the one that sticks out to me the most was what one of the men said, along these lines:

"I was never going to quit. That button (that would have immediately summoned a helicopter to take him back to civilization) on my belt may as well have been nothing more than a piece of jewelry."

The other people who made it also gave their reasons, and though I don't remember their words exactly, they all stuck with it, even though it was an incredibly difficult ordeal. It seems that one of them said that there were times when she was so cold she just wanted to go home. And another said something like he was never going to quit as well.

I guess what it comes down to for me in terms of attitude was that they made a decision not to quit, and they stuck with it. This didn't mean that they didn't want to go home. It didn't mean that they wouldn't rather have had nice things, and at the very least would have preferred having the basic comfort of being able to get warm. It meant that they wanted to go home the way that they chose, and they did have the choice. It did matter, to the ones who made it through to the end, that the whole experience "could end tomorrow." They had hope, even though at times they had very little else. It looked very, very bleak before it got better. But it did get better. They won. And the only competition they had was the competition within themselves.

How does this apply to surviving tough situations and preparing for emergencies? I'm sure it varies from situation to situation when it comes to specifics, but having a good attitude, and not giving up, is much more likely to lead you to a positive outcome whether you are dealing with emergency preparedness or actual emergencies. Even preparing for emergencies can seem overwhelming at times, because there are so many things that could happen, and sometimes there are things that we would like to get, but have to wait and save up for. The people on the program would rather have been warm "today", but had to wait as well...

Continuing to go forward is a triumph, even when progress seems slow. You never know what will happen tomorrow, and tomorrow does matter, whether for preparation, or in the midst of emergencies. In the case of the people in the program, attitude appears to have been a major factor. It is a major factor for us as well. My proverbial hat is off to all of the people who participated in that experience.

Something fishy

2009-06-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, perhaps I should have said some things fishy. A couple of fishing relating items specific to Idaho:

---Idaho's having a free fishing day this Saturday--June 13. Find the details here.

---There's a request for public comment on fishing rules until June 26th. Find the details here.

Thought you might be interested--it's good to acquire and develop fishing skills. It's also good to make your voices heard....

Gratitude for the Armed Forces

2009-06-08T18:55:00.001-07:00

We heard there was a B-17 at the Idaho Falls Airport this past weekend, so we loaded up the children and managed to get there. As you can see from the weather, it was not exactly an ideal time for planting the garden. As it was, we were outside in the rain, except when we took a self-guided tour of the aircraft. No matter what the weather, we wouldn't have wanted to miss this--not very often you see a WWII plane up close and personal...

There was also a gentleman there that was a tailgunner on a B-17. Amazing. We took our children through and talked about history and hopefully they will remember the men who fought in WWII, both those who did and those who did not come back.

What does this have to do with being prepared? Well, we each need to do our part and if we are prepared for emergencies of whatever nature, we will be stronger individually and stronger as a nation. We can learn from the resourcefulness and courage of those who have gone before us so that we too can meet whatever is coming our way. WWII was a tough time--victory gardens, rations, and in the end, success.

It is always hard for me to know what to say to Veterans of whatever war they have served in, because words always seem so inadequate. Having acknowledged that, I will say this:

To those who have served and returned: Thank you for putting your lives on the line to protect our freedom and to serve our country.

To those who have had family members serve and not return: I am grateful and I will never forget.

Please get your grains in...

2009-06-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Not such good news on the wheat front. Kellene Bishop, over at Preparedness Pro, put this post up recently about the wheat shortage. I hope that you will read the entire post, including the comments, but this portion will hopefully catch the attention of some of those who may be sitting on the fence when it comes to purchasing some wheat for their storage:

"I have just received inside information from two chains that formal letters are being disseminated among grocery stores across the U.S. informing employees that wheat and affected prices will be doubling by the end of the summer. Food prices in general have experienced the highest inflation rate of the past 18 years. "

"Not such good news" is not strong enough. Bad, bad, unfortunate news is closer. There is also this post, over at North Dakota Preppers Network posted a while ago. More recent articles on the wheat situation can be found here and here.

If you don't have wheat, or enough wheat, in storage, please consider increasing your supply if you have the means. In Idaho, the news may be a little better, according to this article, but it's always good to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

It's all about the numbers

2009-05-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

--Or, maybe 90% about the numbers, and 10% about bragging rights--when it comes to the whole issue of which state has the safest drivers. Or the "least worst" if you can say that.... The article, Where the Worst Drivers Live, indicates that Idaho (with a nod to my internet friend Carl out in Wisconsin, the state which duplicated the highest test score) tied for the highest test average (80.6%) on a test which "measures basic knowledge of driving laws", according to the article. Hey, I'll take all the good news I can get...and avoiding an automobile emergency because you know what you're doing is really good news....

--Numbers, of course, are the heart of polls, and when it comes to having a garden in your front yard, here's how the numbers played out according to those who responded: (Thanks everyone!)

Do you have a garden in your front yard?

Yes 25%
No, but I would if I had to 50%
No, and I would never choose to 16%
Not applicable--I don't have a yard 8%

I just think that it's good to think about all our options, however many options we may happen to have....

--Five is the number of people still left in the experience in "Out of the Wild", which I posted about on May 14th. Some of them are understandably getting pretty discouraged, seeing as how winter has settled in, and one day there was game to be had, and the next day there was nothing. They don't know the number of days they have left if they continue to make it out of the wild, but they do each have their own emergency button to press that they can use any time that they want to get them out of their situation. That one button is what I see as the biggest difference in what they're doing and an actual emergency--in an actual emergency you can't push any number of buttons and have things go back to normal, or go back to your old life immediately. I do have to say I admire their fortitude and willingness to stick with the task at hand, perhaps especially because it would be so easy (and I imagine really tempting) to simply push a button and get out of the obvious misery they're going through...

Well, that's some numbers, anyway...I'm still pretty excited that Idaho came out number one, in a good way, on the driver list. Didn't expect it, with so many in the running, but it's nice to see.... :)

Have you heard about the Fisherman's Breakfast?

2009-05-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry, all out of clever titles at the moment, but thought that if you weren't already aware of it, you might like to know that there will be a fisherman's breakfast tomorrow, 6 am-1pm in St. Anthony, and the details about it can be found here. Also included, according to the article:

"Breakfast visitors also will get to hear a presentation by the Idaho Fish and Game about prospects for fishing as Idaho's general fishing season starts Saturday. And Smokey Bear will be at the event to shake hands with kids and promote fire safety."

Thought you might want to go and support it---being able to fish would be an awfully useful skill to have in the case of an emergency. Knowing how to avoid a fire emergency is vitally important as well. And to have breakfast thrown in? Kind of hard to turn down....

If you go, I hope you enjoy--it's a long-standing tradition.

You might want to consider storing more...

2009-05-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Seeds, that is. I was thinking about just having enough to plant one year's garden/crops until I found out what a person who is basically an expert on emergency preparedness in our area thought about it:

"If purchasing seeds, consider only those plants that can mature in our local zone (high altitude and ~90 day growing season). Purchase enough organically grown, open-pollinated garden seeds for 2 years of planting in the event the 1st planting is ruined by frost/hail, or seeds become scarce or unavailable the following year."

Basically, I see this as preparing for an emergency that could happen during an emergency. And situations unfortunately do occur where emergencies don't happen one at a time and few and far between. For example, there is what is going on in Uganda, which you can read about in this article. If I have my facts straight, in 2007 the regions written about had damage by floods. The floods were followed by drought. There have been delays in planting. In 2008 disease hit an important crop. Available food has become more and more expensive. And there is more--low crop yield, stolen food--it's a dire situation. I recommend reading the article in its entirety, because it is sobering, thought-provoking, and may give you more ideas on how you should prepare. It's certainly given me some.

Some may think such conditions would never happen here, wherever here may be when you are talking about a worldwide web. I think that it wouldn't matter where you were sitting, standing, working, or living if you didn't have food to eat. It's something that we all have in common--the need to eat-- and while our climates, viewpoints, material wealth, etc., may differ, we also all have the personal responsibility to do the best we can to prepare for difficult situations that may come. You/I/we all need to do what we can within our means to prepare, and sometimes there may be multiple emergencies that hit at once or one after the other--hopefully you/I/we will think as far ahead as we may need to in order to make it through such situations in the best way possible.

Oh, and about the seeds---if you end up not needing them, it's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them... Just think, you may be providing yourself a second chance at a garden ahead of time if you get enough seeds in storage before there's a problem. And in addition to that, it gives you options. I love options.... :)

Got land?

2009-05-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

If your answer is no, you might be interested in the article, "Urban farmers make the most of tiny Boise plots". In Boise, people who don't have land work other people's land-- in return, for the most part, for labor or part of the produce. It sounds like a good plan if it works well for all parties involved, although there are a couple of downsides also included in the article.

I was interested to find this after a recent conversation I had with someone who is basically an expert in emergency preparedness. During that conversation, this person pointed out that the people who are "stuck" in the city with no way to garden will be in real trouble in the case of a food emergency because they don't have land to grow food. Perhaps if there were more programs like this around, there would be fewer problems if there were a disruption in transportation of food goods, less produce available from bigger farms, etc.

The thing is, it doesn't seem like this is a "program" per se--one of the people mentioned actually put fliers around just to find the landowners when he was first starting and wanted to use the land for food production. These people are just going out and finding a way to have land they can use, and perhaps make a profit as well. And how much land do you have at your disposal, really? Some of the people in the article use a front yard as a garden.

I recommend reading the entire article. It's amazing what people come up with when they try to come up with a solution, and are willing to help each other...

It takes more than food (water, and shelter) to survive well...

2009-05-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

TV can be educational, or at the very least, it can make you think. Has anyone else been following the show "Out of the Wild" on the Discovery Channel? Nine people volunteered to go out into the Alaskan wilderness, with no idea as to how long they would be there, with directions to go from shelter to shelter to shelter until they make it "out of the wild." They have to endure the cold, hunt, endure the cold, manage the conditions while ill, endure the cold, get along with each other, endure the cold, go hungry, endure the cold....well, you get the idea. As of this writing, four people have used the GPS locator each one of them has been given, which when activated immediately results in a helicopter ride back to civilization. That leaves 5 who have already endured more than two weeks in harsh conditions, and who, at the end of the last episode, were setting off on yet another trek, not knowing that they had farther to go than they thought, seeing as how they had misread their map... There is no prize for anyone, unless you count the satisfaction of knowing that they can survive the experience, so it's not a matter of money or luxury items as motivation.

What have I been thinking? Some of the reasons that people went home were really a surprise to me. Let me preface my thoughts with the statement that I really admire everyone who was willing to undergo this experience, and anything I say here is not meant as a criticism or negative judgment. It just made me rethink what may be necessary in an emergency situation, and with the acknowledgement that I may remember some things wrong, here's what I've been learning (I apologize that I don't remember everyone's name--I will just use no one's name instead):

--The person who decided to "push the button" on the GPS locator first was actually the person with the best hunting skills. At first I thought this person was the oldest in the group (I don't think I saw the first episode in its entirety) but as far as I can figure, she was the second oldest. I was really rooting for her, because in an emergency situation you hope everyone will make it, and her attitude at first was that she was going to stick with it. She then decided that she didn't want to do it anymore, and if memory serves, said that she was "too old" to finish the experience. She pushed the button pretty early on. (Easy for me to say, I wasn't there...)

The thing that saddens me about this, especially as I have seen further episodes, is what an asset she would have been to the team with her hunting skills. There have been many days where the remaining individuals have gone with little to no food in part due to their limited hunting skills. She was and would have continued to be a valuable contributor to the team if she would have been able to continue. My point? Age is something you can't change--everyone gets older, and it certainly beats the alternative. Many times with age comes greater knowledge and experience--knowledge and experience that would be gravely missed were it not there to benefit the group going through difficult circumstances.

--The second and third people to leave left together, but for different reasons. One was the actual oldest person in the group, again, as far as I could gather, and he had great difficulty keeping up with the strenuous requirements of traveling and enduring the conditions. He tried, but he was slowing down the group, and he finally decided to go home. I don't know that anyone would be ready for hiking the Alaskan wilderness, but being in the best possible physical condition that we can be will help us in any type of emergency situation. Hey, it can't hurt....

The other person that left that day was the other member of the team that was experienced in outdoor activities and skills. He didn't leave because of physical duress (although I'm sure there was physical duress for everyone involved)--he left because he didn't like being part of a group in this type of situation. From what I could gather, he was used to making decisions on his own, and he didn't like the group dynamic, and having to consult with/wait for/depend on/ others in a situation that he recognized was dangerous, such as when there was a slower member of the group, and he was anxious to get to shelter for survival purposes. He elected to go home because he was used to doing things by himself, and he no longer wanted to participate in the experience.

What did I learn from this? We need to prepare for situations in such a way that we can have minimum stress--and respect other people's differences. Not everyone will want to be part of a big group, but their knowledge and skills can be a benefit to everyone if they are allowed to contribute in ways that they are comfortable with. Because this person didn't like the constant interaction, the group as a whole lost the valuable skills he had in dealing with the outdoor conditions....

--I would have to say that the last person to date that decided to "push the button" was the biggest surprise to me. He was the strongest of the group, and one of, if not the, youngest member. He was also probably the largest, and when there was little to no food to sustain the group, he suffered greatly, to the point where he passed out in one of the shelters. Too many calories used, with too few calories consumed, is not a good combination for anyone, and it resulted in his decision to leave the experience. It makes sense that a bigger person would need more calories to maintain the strength needed in any kind of emergency situation--it just didn't occur to me that in the kind of situation where there are fewer calories available per person that the smaller individuals might last longer because they need fewer calories...but that's what happened here, and the person I thought would be among the last to get a helicopter ride has already boarded and gone...

So it takes a lot more than just food, water and shelter (although some of the shelters featured on this show looked pretty insubstantial) to survive in emergency conditions. There is attitude, physical fitness level, and a number of other factors that will affect the outcome when you/I /we find ourselves in harsh conditions. Watching them skin and prepare and eat the wild animals they were able to hunt successfully shows me how much I have to learn in that area--and it also shows me that you do what you have to do. Having the knowledge ahead of time so that you can get every last bit of nourishment out of whatever you are lucky enough to get your hands on will help a great deal if it's all you have to eat. It may also be good for nourishment and morale if you have food stashed in different places (as they find in the various shelters) that you can pull out as a last resort when you are truly in difficult straits...

Well, my thanks goes out to Discovery Channel for airing Out of the Wild The Alaska Experiment. I just went to find the website for it to link it here, so I will probably check that out some more, but the program times are there. (I don't know anyone who works for this channel, I just like what I'm learning on this program.) If they air repeats, I would recommend watching them.

How would you/I/we do if we found ourselves in harsh circumstances working with a group of people who had the same goals to survive? What are our attitudes? What can we contribute towards the group's survival? Hopefully we are/are getting prepared enough so that we can supplement our diet/supplies with some meat from local wildlife, rather than depending solely on their occasional appearance to have anything to eat at all. After all, wildlife wants to survive as well. Just watching the beavers on this show was evidence of that.

If you give a person a carrot...

2009-05-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, first, the mail carriers' food collection (which I am under the impression is a national collection) was on Saturday. I don't know about anyone else, but it was a little harder this year to part with my Spam, since I use it so much more often now. :) I did send some away, though, because it's my understanding that protein items are always in demand. For those who don't read my other blog, and tend to like Spam as well, you might look at this recipe, which I found over at Preparedness Pro, and which I already posted about on my other blog. Can't have too many good Spam recipes on hand....

Just looking at the news around Idaho, the good news is that as a state we are getting better at making sure children don't go hungry, according to this article. Going up from sixth worse in the nation up to 27th worse is definitely a good thing, but still leaves a lot of room for improvement. I hope that the food collection by the mail carriers will help those with or without children who already find themselves in an emergency situation...

And in other Idaho news, from Post Falls comes this article, which contains this opening line: " A community garden will teach students about growing vegetables while helping them cultivate better lives, school officials in this north Idaho town believe." While the students won't get the immediate benefit of the food grown, (according to the article, "Food produced at the garden will be donated to area seniors who are no longer able to garden for themselves") they will be learning valuable skills--a fact that is summed up nicely in the article's last line: ""I think this is absolutely the most wonderful thing," said Barb Tilton, a local gardener. "This is so good for the kids. This is something they can take with them for the rest of their lives."

So good things are happening here in Idaho. Mail carriers collecting food for people already in need of assistance. Improving on how well we are dealing with children who are hungry. And another generation being given the chance to learn how to grow their own food. What's that saying about giving a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime? Something like that. Well, giving a person a carrot is good, but teaching him how to garden is even better....

Case in point: Comments can make a blog better

2009-05-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

*Note*: If you have not yet read my last post, you may want to do so before reading this one so that you can compare and contrast. Or, just read this one. It's better.... :)

I maintain that useful, helpful comments left on blogs benefit everyone, and in my case often end up leaving more information in the comment section than I originally put out in a post. Let me show you what my previous post, "If Monday is washing day..." could roughly have looked like (minus some of what I would have also still included if this was the original post) if I had had the comments people left before I wrote it:

(As Gen-IL Homesteader's reminds me) In the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ma's daily chores were:

Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday.

I read and read and did I mention read these books when I was younger, so what better excuse do I have to wait until at least next Monday to use this:

Yeah, it's a plunger, but it's a plunger for washing clothes. My dad came up on Friday from out of state and brought a bunch of emergency preparedness stuff (thanks Dad!!) which will probably be mentioned here and elsewhere, but today the plunger gets the place of honor.

And this is no ordinary black rubber plunger. Not only is it blue, :) but is made of what appears to me to be hard plastic, and has a slightly different shape and a really different bottom which you can see in (you can thank Sondra from over at Clean Frugal Living for prompting me to be a better blogger by including) these pictures:

(Thanks to Kymber over at Canadian Preppers Network, I have learned about) This post over at Yukon Territory Preppers Network is a great source if you are thinking about the importance of clean clothes in an emergency situation. Written by Jennifer of New Mexico Preppers Network , it details her methods on washing clothes without electricity. I highly recommend reading it--lots of wonderful ideas, and she has more (and better) pictures... :)

And finally, you might even be able to get even more convenient accessories for washing without electricity as most of us know it if you keep your eyes open for a deal, and it will definitely be easier to keep clothes clean in an emergency if you have thought things out ahead of time. A good example of this (thanks to Carl, who leaves great and informative comments) can be found here:

"I bought a gavanized metal version of the Laundry Plunger over Lehmans for somrthing like $12.00. I had my Better half test it and she says it works fine for small loads.

I also bought a couple of metal bushel and a Half buckets to heat wash and rince water in over an open fire if required.

In the middle between our 25 speed automatic washer and dryer, I bought a 50's style Hotpoint wringer washer at a garage sale for $50.00

The advantage of this thing is that it has two speeds, fast and slow, the motor draws about 300 watts, which my solar system can handle. The wringer is a bit to learn to use, but I am sure the average 3rd grader can figure it out."

So, you could just hand wash, which was my original plan until I got my new little blue plunger "washing machine". You could use some of the ideas in Jennifer's post that I linked, and/or look around before there's a problem and find some really good options for reasonable prices or think about ways to heat water like Carl did. Whatever the case, it is going to ease stress if you know what you will do with dirty clothes before you find out that you have run out of clean ones, and the methods you employ now are no longer an option....

Ok, wasn't that better in terms of just plain old wonderful and useful information? Just an example of how much you miss if you don't read the comments. And how much others miss if you don't leave yours.... Thanks to Gen, Sondra, Kymber, Jennifer, and Carl--your comments and sharing of knowledge are much appreciated!

If Monday is washing day...

2009-05-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Isn't there a poem, or saying or something, where the chores are all assigned a day of the week so we can all have harmony in housework completion? Seems to me that there is, and that washing the clothes was on Monday...if anyone knows how it goes, I'd love to be reminded. If it's just something that I made up in my head, work with me anyway, because if there is a world where Monday is washing day, I have less than a week until I hypothetically, and in sync with everyone else who lives according to aforementioned poem/saying, get to use this:

Wasn't really expecting the plunger--but that's what happens when your parents are also into emergency preparedness and are really good at it and have thought about things that are needed ahead of time and are generous and are willing to take the time to drive all the way here to deliver things that you hadn't thought of only to drive all the way back home almost immediately. The original plan was to just have my dad bring up some water containers that fit into his vehicle and don't fit into ours, but when my dad's trip coincided with things that my mom found that would make life easier in an emergency, their teamwork resulted in more goodies for us....

I am very glad to have the plunger, and the plan at the moment is to use it in a food storage bucket when the power goes out. You could use it in a tin tub, I suppose, but seeing as how we don't currently have one of those in our possession, a food storage bucket will have to do. One of the things I like about the plunger is that it will spare our hands at least a little by reducing the time we have to have them immersed in soap and water. And if the power was out, and it was cold outside, (isn't there also a saying about winter being nine months long in Idaho ? :) being able to have clean clothes and dry hands would be a big plus...

I don't really plan to use the plunger next Monday, but since one never knows when an emergency will occur, it's good to have it in the supplies. Hope I don't need it before next Monday...