Bit’s and Pieces

So far it has been a mostly cold and wet Pacific Northwest spring. My poor little garden of plants is not doing well with the wet and cold. With climate change happening as we speak, it becomes all to clear that we might not be able to grow all our own food, even with greenhouses and coldframes.

Be mindful to stock lots of non-hybrid seed to be able to deal with crop failure, be it weather, insect, or mammal related. Stock up on your basic grains and legumes to provide for these lean times between crops.

When it comes to producing meat protein, the rabbit can not be beat for cost per pound. They are able to flourish on just a vegetation diet, which you can provide from nature. Of course it helps to feed them a more balanced food from a feed store, but that will increase the cost of your meat.

Another plus is the manure which is great for your compost/worm bed. You can also add it directly to your garden as it will not burn it like chicken manure will. Another option is to make a “Tea” to water your garden with.

Evidence of Collapse

From the little bit of driving that I do, I am observing the economic collapse of America in it’s slow slide. All manner of Gas Guzzler’s line the highway with for sale signs blossoming from their windows. Trucks, motorhomes, cars; you name it, it’s there. As far as the motorhomes, there are no cheap ones. That is because they are quietly being bought up by those who are on the edge, so they have somewhere to live when the hammer falls.

I am seeing people doubling up. Campers that are obviously being lived in, 5th wheel trailers that are setup in yards. This will happen more and more and it will bring septic problems to those who are providing the land. Septic systems are designed around how many bedrooms you have, with a max occupancy of 2 persons per bedroom. When you exceed this amount you are asking for problems.

Mental Outlets

Under the stress of normal everyday life, we find we need to unload and get away from it all. In a SHTF situation, the stress will be multitudes greater than now. How will you deal with it then? Collect books, magazines, board games, dice for Yatzee, Hoyles Book of Rules and decks of cards. Maybe even stash some hard liquor for a really bad time. Like when you have just buried a loved one. Make it pints, as you just need a little, not a lot. Put it under joint control, so that both party’s must agree before it can be consumed.

Perhaps the best outlet for many will be their belief in God, and they will turn to the comfort of the bible. Another great way to deal with stress is to have pets. I have heard that petting your cat will lower your blood pressure. And a dog will love you way more than you will love your dog. Your dog will die defending you, will you die to defend your dog? Thought so.

Laughter is a great stress reliever so a printed book of jokes from which to read will serve well during SHTF living. There are ton’s of jokes online so get to work making and printing your own joke book.