The-Atlantic-thefemalesurvivalist

This is the rug I'm crocheting using old clothing. Each item is cut into long strips with a scissor, and rolled into a ball. Sort of like thick yarn.

After using up the ball of "fabric-yarn", I tie it off until I have another batch of fabric- yarn to add to it. This way I can use it yet continue to add to it whenever I can.

I use the rug in my studio. Right now it measures 3 feet wide by 54 inches long. It really insulates the floor from the cold, and is soft. I can shake it out to clean it.

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Experts say it actually improves your immune system. It lowers stress. Now, who couldn't use that at tax time?

I love this website:

because you can read the joke of the day right off the bat. I get tired of so many clicks just to get some actual material, the kind of sites that just lead you in circles.

When I find a good joke, I write it in my little notebook. Sorta like keeping a stash of chocolate.

We're all busy here!

Heading out on a normal walk the other morning, I made a spontaneous decision that led to a crazy bushwhacking experience.
After I got home, I drew the map.

I don't want to establish a beaten path to one of my favorite hide outs, so I cut off the trail just a little bit (labeled A) before my normal turn off, labeled B.
The purple line marks my usual route. The blue is the creek which can be heard from halfway down.

I knew I'd have to head south cross country to compensate, and so I did. Yet, I should have passed some of my familiar landmarks, like the huge bolder with small logs leaning against it, labeled 1 on the map below. That's one of the ways I create memorable land marks: by laying natural woodland materials in certain ways.

I did not see any other marks, or trees of note, that I normally pass. In my head I was following the Yellow line marked on this map, trying to get back on the purple route. So, I continued to compensate, and still did not see any land marks. I've been down this 700 foot descending slope so many times, this made me wonder. The green depressions marked on the map were irregular. Something was wrong. I headed straight to the creek which is easily heard once the MP3 player is turned off.

I continued to walk along the creek, first one direction, then another. I knew I should be looking across to the old cave, but the landscape was growing more level and the creek much calmer than the waterfall by my campsite (marked 3) and crossing point . Even in winter, the foliage is thick with rhododendron leaves, pine needles, and dead falls.

I stopped, and knew I must throw out all preconceived notions. In my head I was above the cave, north of where I should be. Yet, the landscape and landmarks disagreed.

It occurred to me that I must not head up the hill which I'd just descended. In these parts, the terrain is like a crumpled tissue, with hallars and hills taking all sorts of directions. Being my morning walk, I didn't bring anything. Spending the night didn't worry me. I would not leave the creek. It was my certain landmark, and an abundance of water. The plentiful ground cover would provide a shelter.
The one thing I wished I had was a way to make fire.

Sure, I'd survive without a fire, but I'd miss the signal, the companionship, the added warmth.

After I threw out my previous notions of where I was, I looked around and realized I must head upstream. By watching for the over hang, marked 2 on the map, I finally found my bearings. The red line indicates my actual route of travel on my "lost" adventure.



From now on,even on innocent morning walks, I always carry a Bic lighter in my pocket. A fire starter has been added, all in this tiny plastic bag.

I read Not Everyone Should Own a House

Its an article on USA Today, with links to weird wonderful houses .

These houses caught my attention. Houses built of soil, a $55,000 house with 200 square feet built of recyclables, castles, a house inside a sand dune near the beach, a connection of various Domes in Colorado. Some , the buried domes, are apocalypse-ready with solar and wind energy.

An architect in Minnesota, Winslow Wedin, constructed a house in 1969 from polyurethane spray foam, chicken wire and 2 x 2s. It was cheap, solid, and incredibly energy efficient.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41371897?slide=1 has the entire grouping on one webpage.

Brings to mind the adage, if you can dream it, you can do it.

Or my new mantra, Freedom is just another word for nothing left to prove.

Just going through the photos and reading the history is inspiring.

This nonfiction gem was written and published in 1976. No doubt things have changed up in those New York Mountains. Some for the good, some for the bad.

Anne LaBastille's honest and heart warming account of her initial struggles in locating her 22 acres on the Big Bear Lake, then building her cabin will inspire women. Doing most of the work and planning herself, when she needed muscle, she hired local men to give a hand. Full dimensions, details and sketches tell how and why she designed and built the cabin this way. The self sufficiency and low carbon footprint are amazing.

Setbacks included finding out she'd built too close to the shore, loosing a pet fox, a stormy short term relationship , and minor injuries.

She parked her old truck at the end of the lake, then boated or snowmobiled the last 1.5 miles to her home site.

Many black and white full page photos help us get acquainted with this ecologist who traveled to South America, finished her masters degree, and spent eight months in Washington D.C. on a special assignment.

Without electricity and using only propane, she still entertained over night guests in a sophisticated charm.

This is a good read for men and women alike. Women will find a special link when Anne overcomes the loneliness and challenges that are specific to our gender.

The last chapter I found particularly revealing. After her eight months in Washington D.C. she writes" Yet to be completely honest, my sojourn in the city had been profitable. I came home flushed with success, having done a good job, earned a handsome salary, and made excellent contacts. Although I knew that I could never stand to live in a city again, I also realized that a small connection with it had become necessary to bring a balance into my life...."

Her city experience was full of drama, including breaking up a dog fight and house sitting while friends went on vacation. She got a ticket for parking her truck on the street, although it was her personal vehicle. She was amazed at the danger that lurked in the neighborhood.

Sometimes we have to go through rough times to love what we have always. After here city adventure, she says" The cabin never had seemed so beautiful. I found my energy returning.....I slept well."

Not everyone is cut out for such rugged living. If you are one of them, you know. If you aren't, and only favor a visit occasionally, that's good too.

Anne LaBastille's descriptive writing of her wilderness surroundings are complete and detailed. We find a wide range of abilities in this remarkable story.

I took a couple days off from blogging to get my taxes done, get a check up at the dentist, complete my job application for this summer, and just finish up some domestic tasks.

I've been writing a lot about thru hiking at my other blog, Brawnyview.

We watched a movie called South bounders. This was a very accurate portrayal of trail life, heading south on the Appalachian Trail. A person starts out fairly awkwardly, then by trails end, it is home. Hard to readjust to "real life". At least that's been my experience.

After five months on the trail, Rainmaker and I crossed into Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Hardened and joyful, the trip home is a sobering event adjusting to all the noise and confusion of civilization.


One of the many photos of me on the trail, sitting in my sleeping bag while cooking supper.


I met Lightingbolt after not seeing him for awhile. It was a sad hike in this section of burnt over trail on the PCT. A person didn't want to set anything down on the ground because it would get full of soot. The only solution was to keep hiking until you passed through it.

A lesson to all hikers to watch their stoves, especially in a desert or high mountain environment.

I miss the long distance hiking experience. This summer, I'll be working in the Grand Teton National Park. I'm a cook who loves the outdoors. On my days off, I'll explore, take photos and share on my blogs.