Nothing like the 31st...

...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...

...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...

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

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

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

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!

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!