# Is anyone preparing for the future?



## dixie_belle (Jun 8, 2012)

I don't want to be thought of as one of those "weird survival people" but I am a tad concerned. Nothing in particular, just maybe inflation or odd weather patterns that would disrupt food distribution. Is anyone else doing anything to prepare? If so, do you want to share what you are doing?

I've started a few things: got a garden going, have some laying hens, been stocking up on food. I've even started making all our bread and have ordered a grain mill to make all my flour. Flour only has a shelf life of one year after it's been ground, but wheat lasts forever if you keep it cool and dry. If my bread tastes yummy now, think what it will taste like once I am making all my own flour from hard white wheat.

I've also been doing lots of research on shelf life of different foods. Amazing what I've discovered. It wasn't that long ago that I could get veggies on sale like four cans for a dollar. Now they are over a dollar a piece. That's nuts. So I'm spending today's dollars and buying food with a 25 year shelf life. OK, so if nothing happens, I won't have to buy food when I'm old and grey. But if we have super inflation or once hubby stops working and we are on social security, we'll have our food insurance.

Used to be I never worried about the "what if's" of life. But lately, I don't know, I worry. And I'll readily admit I am very fortunate. Hubby and I are officially retired but he works part time from the house and we live off this income so we haven't had to touch our nest egg. And hubby is probably the most intuitive person I've ever met. He can build anything, fix anything, it's amazing. Our bills are minimal : house is paid off, cars are paid off, no utility bills thanks to our solar panels. And yet, there is always that little voice saying: what if......

And so I continue to research and prepare for the future.


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## Hosscrazy (Jun 8, 2012)

You know what - it never hurts to be prepared! We've been stocking up on water and food - it's for an emergency, such as earthquakes or something like that, but it's always good to keep on top of things!






Liz N.


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## susanne (Jun 8, 2012)

We're lefty survivalists (that is said with tongue planted firmly in cheek -- in truth, we barely register as either).

I don't believe in any impending doomsday, but I don't want to depend upon or give our money to big business, petroleum, banks, etc., any more than is absolutely necessary, so we are slowly working our way to self sufficiency (which is pretty humorous, considering that Keith and I are wildly impractical and only marginally handy). We have the veggie garden, apple trees, berries and enough chickens to supply eggs for us, our family, our neighbors and possibility still enough to trade (we will not be eating our yardbirds, however). Next up are milk goats. We compost all manure, along with kitchen scraps and coffee grounds, to build great garden soil without outsourcing, and we use vinegar in lieu of herbicides. I'd love to have a root cellar for food storage (potatoes, onions, canned foods, etc.) but to get one, I'd better start digging... And since we are, after all, _lefty_ survivalists, we plant a row in our garden for the hungry.

I'd love to put up solar panels when we build, but our house will face the wrong direction and will be too shaded by tall fir trees. We are too sheltered for windmills/turbines, so producing our own electricity is unlikely, but we do minimize our power usage. We use sweaters and comforters to limit heater usage and keep our house very cool in winter. We use daylight as much as possible.

We already have a well and septic, so no need for municipal water or sewer. We need to get a generator or some sort of manual system for our well for power outages.

We have a start for rainwater collection, but need more. That's a no brainer in Oregon!

We are a bit more dependent upon our motorized vehicles than we'd like, but that's the price of living where we can have all of the above. We minimize our gas consumption by combining trips and incorporating grocery shopping and other errands into Keith's commute (lucky boy).

At this point, we talk more than we walk, but we're working on it all of the time.


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## Sonya (Jun 8, 2012)

Many people are preparing these days....we have a stockpile of food and ammunition and a hand pump for our well...we grow a graden and we hunt. It's not odd for a meal for us to include wild turkey, deer, rabbit, fish, etc...we also gather veggies from the woods...morrel mushrooms, wild asparagus, fiddleheads (yummy). Of course none of this is necessary (right now) but we enjoy doing it....feels good to know that you can 'survive'...and it tastes better.


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## Riverrose28 (Jun 8, 2012)

For too many years then I can recall we have been getting prepared for whatever! We grow our own veggies, I spend alot of time canning and probably have over two hundred canning jars. We also have laying hens, just got six more yesterday, plus our woods are full of deer and wild turkey. WE have stocked up on rifles, ammo and do have a room on the North to store root veggies like potaoes and onions, I can the rest or feeze. We have a generator. Problem I'm having right now is hoarding gas, seems like as soon as I get a good supply one of the kids needs it. Maybe I SHOULD HIDE IT. We don't use oil we use wood stoves for heat in the winter, but I do love my airconditioning, but if I had to I guess I would find away to live without. We also have a rain barrel for things like flushing, washing, etc. don't use it now, but its there if I need it. WE currently buy groceries only once a month and buy in bulk and break down, but in all seriousness I could servive without the grocery store if it came to it. We also store seeds from year to year in bags in the freezer. Believe me as a senior citizen this life is not at all easy, but works! Hope the day never comes when I need to find out how bad it is. All My kids that live in their fancy houses know they are welcome here with our smelly woodstoves and no carpet, but food, warmth and love.


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## Jill (Jun 8, 2012)

We have been stock piling food with long shelf lives, ammo, etc. I don't think "something big" will happen, but like you say -- doesn't hurt to be prepared. And I love the prepper shows!!! So much fun and I tell you, it's really interesting to me how many other people I talk to are also loving that show and taking actions either as a result of watching, or are watching because they'd already been taking action.

I joke that between Doomsday Preppers, FOX News, and The Walking Dead, man, I'm ready for anything


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## susanne (Jun 8, 2012)

One of the most important things they tell diabetics (esp. type I) is that what may be a minor inconvenience to most, such as a traffic jam, can be life threatening to a diabetic without emergency food. Then there are cases like Katrina, ice storms, even the recent Colorado hailstorm and other natural disasters that can isolate people and wreak havoc upon the unprepared. Whatever the reason, everyone should be prepared for at least a week of isolation, and that includes food and water for pets and livestock. We were hit by a freak 3 foot snowfall just as we needed to buy hay. We could not get out of our driveway, let alone down our mountain road. Fortunately one of our neighbors had a barn full of hay and a tractor, so we were okay, but we learned our lesson -- we always buy hay before we run low.


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## ozymandias (Jun 8, 2012)

I'm so jealous of you folks.



I really admire anyone who can live self sustained.

If I'm not able to sit in front of my 70" LED flat screen while playing on my ipad3 I feel deprived lol !!!!!

I can't have chickens because my dog eats them



Guess we're lucky we don't live in an area prone to bad weather conditions.


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## susanne (Jun 8, 2012)

Too funny, Ozymandias! Note that I didn't say we do (or ever intend to do) without computers, internet, or electric and electronic musical instruments or digital music studio!

Compared to those over on the Homesteading Today forum who truly live off-grid, we're mere posers, but I figure every step in the right direction counts.


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## ozymandias (Jun 8, 2012)

lol !

Thanks for making me feel a little better Susanne





By the way - I LOVE your "lefty" row for those who are in need. If more of us did that - there wouldn't be people in need. Bless you xoxo.


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## Miniv (Jun 9, 2012)

We are SOMEWHAT "prepared" for whatever......... We have the garden, have chickens and ducks that provide eggs, and in a pinch for water we can boil our irrigation water. We also have a wood stove with plenty of our own wood supply from the Juniper trees. I also buy certain canned goods in bulk. For power, we have a generator that's just big enough to power the important things in the house, such as the fridge and a few lights.


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## Matt73 (Jun 14, 2012)

Not to make you freak...but the whole world is heading towards a major depression (much worse than the 20s). Glad I'm not living in a major city anymore. And, no, it's not because of Barack Obama's legislation lol.


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## dixie_belle (Jun 16, 2012)

We've been busy doing various things to prepare for just about anything. I've got food that will outlive me (sorta weird to think about) and two pantries; one for food for now and one for food for much later. If nothing happens, when i'm old and gray (like next week) we could quite literally go without a grocery store for months. I sorta hint to my grown children that they might want to stop spending on fancy cars and furniture and start saving but it falls on deaf ears. And the very last thing I want is all of them coming back here to live and bring all their significant or non-significant others with them. I shudder at the thought.


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## HGFarm (Jun 17, 2012)

It's great to be self sustained, unless the government decides to come in and take what you have...... They are once again trying to pass here having every animal microchipped- supposedly for 'food safey' with livestock- so then why are they pushing it for horses, dogs, cats, etc... too? I guess I am getting a bit off topic here, but I think we will see the day when 'our stuff' doesnt necessarily belong to us.

I wish I had a place here for a garden but I live on a 'rock pile'. Have thought about raised beds but that is a lot of work for an old lady who also works full time. I hope when I retire I can have another garden because I really enjoyed the ones I had before and Mmmmmmmm, it's delicious.


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## circlesinthesand (Jun 17, 2012)

Having lived through several major disasters, I'm often thinking about preparation for the future, we're constantly in a state of preparation for the future, I always stock pile non perishables, and I believe in economic savings all around. I'm also working toward self sufficiency, mostly for food sources. We're also in a constant state of recovery as well, I still am working on things the last Hurricane destroyed.

I have ducks that started off as a test to see if I could raise poultry, my grandfather used to raise all sorts, and when I bought the bebe ducks, my dad said Pawpaw would be proud  He used to incubate and sell the bebe chicks. I can remember playing with the chicks as a kid and helping him feed the older ones. He had everything from peacocks to guinea, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens, I think he even had swan. His back yard was full of HUGE Fig trees with poultry all around it, he'd send us kids under the low lying bushes of the fig trees to get the waterer and feeders so he could fill them  It's one of my fondest memories, being under those fig trees, like a fairy hiding under a mushroom 

But sadly my females were killed by the neighbors dogs who ripped through their cage



I was just starting to get eggs too! I still have the males and they're on fly larva, mosquito & flea and tick patrol  I will be getting chickens soon as I get the coop built. We're going to do our own meat birds as well as layers. I'm studying how to make a whizbang chicken plucker at the moment 

We will be putting in a garden each year starting this fall. I have had them in the past but have had too much going on this spring. We have the start of a fruit orchard, citrus mostly but we have figs and blueberries started too, along with our wild blackberries in the pasture. I've canned figs but I usually freeze the berries instead of canning and I've frozen the citrus juice too. It's a nice way to keep it going all year long. I have been composting, and we're looking into irrigation options as well since we're in a drought at the moment. REALLY trying to go mostly green with everything, going back to the roots of my childhood where our livestock was grass fed. I also remember my grandparents making their own smoked sausages and hams  One set of grandparents were farmers, the others were ranchers. I know how to take care of plants and animals, mostly... My dad is helping but we've both been away from it for too long. I'm also going to start raising lamb along with my goats for various reasons, including the fact that I have working Aussies and would love to trial them in addition to their agility trials. I'm going to use the extra lamb, goat and duck for my dogs as well, and put them on a raw diet which from my research is best for them anyway. We're building our farm up little by little. There is just so much to do. I want to work up to a HUGE garden, probably more than I can really handle but I'm trying to plan for effective management techniques and employ the animals for their natural uses. My goats and poultry are going to clear out old plots for the garden  I plan to use a rotational system for both the livestock and my plants. I already do so to a certain extent, with the horses ducks and goats, but as I add more livestock it will get more and more intensive.

ah, the plans, the plans....one day we'll get there...one day...


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## Miniv (Jun 17, 2012)

Laurie.... Instead of a raised garden, have you considered planting a few favorite vegies in pots? We have our tomatoes in pots and I know other people do other things that way too....


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## susanne (Jun 17, 2012)

Ditto container gardening!

I've planted my tomatoes in huge pots a number of times, and they did great, even surviving one summer when everyone else's rotted. I also do potatoes in pots (actually, I use our old, leaky, muck tub troughs), continuously filling to cover emerging leaflets to get more tubers.

Can you turn your rocks into an asset? Many herbs relish dry, rocky soil and thrive under those conditions.

As for raised beds -- they're only hard work the first year, assuming you make the sides permanent. Besides, you have mini magic manure for the best soil available.


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## Miniv (Jun 18, 2012)

Forgot to mention using straw bales. We have a row of straw bales along a fenceline for planting. Last year we dug into them a bit and added some soil. We planted pumpkin plants and it worked out great. This year we've planted pumkin and a couple other types of squash.


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## HGFarm (Jun 19, 2012)

Actually no I have not tried that and how interesting that I have a couple of big half barrels that are empty and a couple of other big pots as well- that's a thought!


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## vickie gee (Jun 30, 2012)

As in get bills paid, get retired, hope and pray the nation rebounds, yep!


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## Riverrose28 (Jun 30, 2012)

well I thought I was prepared, guess what, I'm not. Last night we had a sever storm move through with several tornados. I had already gone to bed, nearly jumped out of my skin when the storm hit, I swear the house was moving. The first problem was I had bottled water and coffee, but was out of charcoal, so no coffee, bad enough no air conditioning, so dogs and I slept on the deck after the storm, skeeters tore me up, so now I need to buy netting! I was so pround of myself last night as dinner was all we provided, potatoes from the garden, peas from the garden, and eggs from the chickens, well, I didn't fill all the water bottles, so my poor chickens had to wait for water after the power came back on. I guess I'm learning as I go.


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## Boss Mare (Jun 30, 2012)

I am not prepared and don't plan to be....what happens, happens. However, there were some awful storms last night in MD! I was prepared enough with a generator, candles and water.. Always have some sort of canned food or food worthy of grilling. Fortunately lost power for only minutes thankfully we are usually in a good location and don't lose power long term. Even last year with hurricane Irene it was 1.5 days.


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## susanne (Jul 1, 2012)

Michelle, If it were just a matter of SHTF paranoia, I'd be with you, but as you mentioned, there are many reasons for and many degrees of preparedness and self-sustainable living. Many would reject my reasons (not wanting to depend on big agri, petroleum interests and banks), yet have their own. Storms can isolate to a frightening extent and are an excellent reason to be prepared for at least a week.

Riverrose, Yours is an excellent heads up.


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## Boss Mare (Jul 1, 2012)

I think those prepared and are striving to be or are self sustained or mostly are quite admirable.

Just won't work for me, considered.. Wavered.

I don't even have a desire to go camping without common luxuries.. Nonetheless be without power for any fair amount of time. Last year during hurricane Irene - lost power at approximately 6pm by the next night I was in a hotel room only to have power come back on at 9pm. Numerous others in and around my location went a week or more. Thankful for our location.


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## chandab (Jul 1, 2012)

Boss Mare said:


> I don't even have a desire to go camping without common luxuries..


Me, too!



> Nonetheless be without power for any fair amount of time. Last year during hurricane Irene - lost power at approximately 6pm by the next night I was in a hotel room only to have power come back on at 9pm. Numerous others in and around my location went a week or more. Thankful for our location.


We had a bad winter storm knock out our power, we were without for 10 days, we got by with a generator and a propane heater. With livestock, you gotta just stick it out. It sucked, but so glad it was a relatively mild winter.


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## circlesinthesand (Jul 1, 2012)

I don't think any of us really WANT to go without the comforts, but I think sometimes we will need to regardless of what we want. I was like you, I always evacuated to hotels, until the dang hotels were the ones getting hit. For Hurricane Lily we lost power at the hotel before we lost power at home (I know I had left my cat at home and was calling to talk to him during the Hurricanes, praying I still had a home to go home to) so I went home. Home was ok, but the surrounding area ended up being severely damaged, we were out of power for 3 weeks and I spent that time at my MIL's who at least had a generator.

Then Hurricane Rita hit and we had just watched the heck that was Katrina so we evacuated to Arkansas...only to have the same thing happen (hotel lost power and tornadoes were dropping down all around us) and we were farther away from home. Again, weeks til we were restored. Each time my home was fine, it was the surrounding areas that caused the power loss.

Then in the middle of a clear and pretty week, I was working from home, lost power when the rain started, decided to take a nap then woke up to water coming in my front door. I lost my home to a freak flood that dropped 18 inches of rain in about a 5-6 hour period in what the news people called a Train of Storms. I called my husband to tell him that water was coming into the house. I needed him to come pick me up on the highway because my car was underwater and if I backed out onto the street I'd surely flood the engine.









(BTW, the water went up from there after I packed what I could and left, it ruined the engine and interior and was a total loss)

So calmly called my husband, explained the situation and politely asked if he could please come get me and the dogs the heck out of there, I'd appreciate it. He thought I was joking. Took me 3 phone calls, the last of which was a hysterical rant as the water was really pouring in by that point, and making him call his sister (who is with the state department of health and safety) for him to realize I meant what I said. When he had left that morning the drainage ditches were dry and where he was working about 45mins away there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Heck when I decided to take my nap it was still pretty dry, certainly nothing to worry about, then I walked down the hall and splash. Dang, did a pipe bust? nope...just a little rainstorm. When all was said and done and they let us back into the evacuated area, I ended up with over 2 feet in my house, ruined appliances, ruined furniture, ruined walls, ruined boxes of papers and photos in the bottom of my closet. Just Lots of ruined.

THEN hubby got a job with the sheriff's office and is required to stay in the parish even during evacuations. So we have stayed at my dad's new house (that is what I'm modeling my house after.) We lost power for Ike and the other one that hit about the same time...sorry it was Gustav then Ike. We had the generator running in an hour's time after the power went, didn't loose a single frozen food, kept everything going and were cool and comfortable. I figure if it's gonna get ya it's gonna get ya no matter the time, place or preparation but I figure you might as well be home and as comfortable as possible so I try being prepared and ready to be as self sufficient as much as possible so we can just ride it out.

The rest is a push for sustainable living but also a push for HEALTHY living.


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## MajorClementine (Jul 2, 2012)

We have about a 3 month supply of food (canned goods etc) at all times. Stuff that can take a beating or be underwater for a bit and still be okay. We also have mega huge first aid kits (duffel bag size) in each vehicle and one in the house. Hubby is an EMT so this is a must for us. We are putting together a 72 hour kit for our family this summer. I grow a lot of the produce we eat and we have chickens for eggs and meat. They are hardy breeds that go without supplemental heat or light all winter. We also consider owning our horses and guns as part of our preparedness. You never know durning an evacuation if the roads will be too congested to get out. There are also a lot of old hunting and mine shacks in the mountains around here and if we have to we can head up into the mountains and live for quite a while. We've got heavy bedrolls and tents in a place we can grab them quickly. It may sound extreme but we've enjoyed gathering up what we need and making a plan for the "what-ifs" in life. It's nice for us to know that should something happen we can be self sustaining and not have to wait for the red cross or someone to bail us out.


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## Bess Kelly (Jul 3, 2012)

I -- like many on this forum -- live on retirement income, some part-time work and have a "larger than most" herd of minis (38). Many are elders (ten 24-29) and having served me well when my farm was young, showing regularly, breeding, etc., etc., so they have earned and are receiving comfortable retirements, I LOVE that I can still provide for and enjoy them.

Preparedness in part of life. Living 50 miles from East Coast of VA means we have a need to prepare for the annual hurricane and Nor'Easters that frequent us. Our winters are "mild" but, limbs on power lines are a threat as are ice/snow on roads. While my preparations are often of a seasonal nature, I also have to consider I have no partner to help me and mom lives here with the big "A".

For ME it is necessary to have a least a week of readiness......animal feeds, personal needs, etc. A new generator comes in next week.

Economy plays a role in my forward thinking.	"Set" income needs to cover the ever increasing increases in costs. One way to do this is to grow some veggies, have eggs, chickens, pastures, etc., all available. So that is my personal way of being prepared. Old age and owning minis is not for the faint of heart





I vividly remember my grandmother making soap, vinegar, canning, butchering, etc. Have always loved to be able to do this (she had NO electric, wood stove, drop a bucket well, outhouse, etc.). I can butcher, can and do most of my own repair work. Hey, you can't run to a motel with 38 minis in tow...



Can you?


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## dixie_belle (Jul 3, 2012)

I remember a time when canned veggies were on sale 10 for $1.00 If you would have told me that these same canned veggies would be over $1 a piece, I would not have believed you. I am not stocking up on freeze dried foods. They have a 25 year shelf life. Can you imagine that????? So if something happens, I can eat well now. And if nothing happens I have a huge stockpile of foods that I can eat up to 25 years from now. AND I paid for it in today's dollars. If a can of green beans is over $1 now, just imagine what it will be 25 years from now. Heck, I may not eat these cans, I may sell them and make money. But it pays to be safe.

This year, as an experiment, I started a veggie garden. I'll get a pressure canner next year so I can can my veggies rather than freeze them like I did this year. We're doing as much as we can to be as self sufficient as possible.

And my best asset is my husband who is sorta like McGyver. He can build anything, fix anything, do anything. Our "storm shelter" will be awesome when it is finished. It'll hold 1000 gallons of water, a 10 x 10 pantry, full kitchen and run on our solar panels if need be. And it'll be underground so heating and cooling will not be a concern no matter what the outside temperature is.

I absolutely hate this feeling of "what if". I feel like there is a black cloud hovering over us. I hate to admit it, but I'm sorta scared of the future.

Does anyone else feel this way?


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## Bess Kelly (Jul 3, 2012)

I love being able to have some control over the chemicals in food and the cans they are often put into. The next thing of any monetary size that I'd like to have at my farm are some solar panels. Well, a set-up of solar power for use. That would be awesome. I'm not nuts over all this but, I do have a frugal outlook. I've had a life blessed with much.

Currently have some solar lights in a couple sheds, and two very reliable solar fence chargers. I'm putting in a small greenhouse at this time from mostly recycled materials. Not hyper about things but I personally would like an amount of self sufficiency that makes me comfortable for future support. It has enabled me to stay comfortable. Used to love to sit in the cellars of grandparents and marvel at the jars and jars of canned food.


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## Riverrose28 (Jul 3, 2012)

I've been canning my own veggies for decades! That way I know how much salt and no preservatives, I also can jams and jellies, and have even won a few prizes at the county fair. Problem sometimes is Mother Nature, we lost all our corn and green beans already, so I went a got more seed this morning for a late crop, our lettece also burnt up. The heat is oppressive. The storm that came through here last Fri. night did teach me a lesson, we need to be set up all the time, not just in the winter, and things need to be more accessable, not tucked away in a closet. So now the air mattress is on a table in my bedroom, all water is done everyday, nothing is put off till tomorrow! WE had decided after the storm that if the power was still off that evening we would gas up the generator and do water, then hook it to the horse trailer, (we have living quarters with air) and take the dogs in there with us. I'm an old woman with OA and just getting up and down on the deck was a job, but I can't leave my fur babies they are used to sleeping with Mom!


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## Jill (Nov 2, 2012)

Just saw this and boy does it tie in so well with this topic and current events.

_"Will anyone call out Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and other leftists on TV who mocked me for advocating emergency preparedness? How are they feeling today as local New York reporters say people are literally dumpster diving for food and supplies?" _ -- Glenn Beck

http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/11/02/flashback-stephen-colbert-mocks-food-insurance-preppers/


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## JennyB (Nov 2, 2012)

There is nothing wrong with being prepared for disasters...gardens, your own food, guns, ammo, etc. We have those things, but I would like to be MUCH more self-sufficent than we are now...I just hope we are Raptured before the Tribulation days come, then we won't have to worry about any worries





Hard for people in big cities who rely on city water. If there was anyway possible for you to collect rain water...water in my opinion is the #ONE thing you can't have enough of.

Blessings, especially for the folks who have been harmed by Hurricane Sandy

Jenny


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## dixie_belle (Nov 3, 2012)

Funny how this topic is so relevant today, after the terrible storm up north. And when I hear the people moaning about they are hungry because they have no food, it reminds me how glad I am that I have prepared. We can go a long, long time without going to the grocery store. My food stores will surely outlive me! My kids are going to wonder what I was thinking when they find all this. Hopefully I'll never need any of it. But if I do, I will sure be happy it's here. And not only do I have food that has an expiration date of 25 years, but we've got two 500 gallon water barrels.


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## 2minis4us (Nov 3, 2012)

No, not preparing, but we do own a grocery store.


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## Sue_C. (Nov 3, 2012)

I have to wonder though...how having a fully stocked cellar is going to help one when it too, is under several feet of water? That is the problem I see...how CAN one be "prepared" when something so out of the ordinary happens?


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## susanne (Nov 3, 2012)

.

I suppose it's bad form to quote oneself, but I will anyway...While I tend to scoff at the doomsday prophesies, being prepared to weather at least a week or two on your own is simply common sense. Even fairly ordinary events (power outages, ice storms, floods, etc.) can be disastrous if we don't prepare. I agree with Sue regarding the possible negative of huge food stores, but that's no reason not to have at least a reasonable backup. A supply of canned foods can withstand most disasters and could save your lives.



susanne said:


> One of the most important things they tell diabetics (esp. type I) is that what may be a minor inconvenience to most, such as a traffic jam, can be life threatening to a diabetic without emergency food. Then there are cases like Katrina, ice storms, even the recent Colorado hailstorm and other natural disasters that can isolate people and wreak havoc upon the unprepared. Whatever the reason, everyone should be prepared for at least a week of isolation, and that includes food and water for pets and livestock. We were hit by a freak 3 foot snowfall just as we needed to buy hay. We could not get out of our driveway, let alone down our mountain road. Fortunately one of our neighbors had a barn full of hay and a tractor, so we were okay, but we learned our lesson -- we always buy hay before we run low.


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