The-Atlantic-thefemalesurvivalist

I just finished this video for Youtube. Its part of my Hobo Series. I take "junk" and free stuff to create usable survival systems. This one is all about what to do with the rain water collected in buckets from off the roof. I have used bleach exclusively for all my long distance hikes, including The Pacific Crest Trail (Mexico to Canada), the Appalachian Trail, the entire 2,172 miles from Georgia to Maine, the Colorado Trail, can we say Bovine and Beavers?? I know bleach works.

Its important to get the organic material out of the water, hence the double filtration. First, the netting removes the larger debris. Its easy to clean this netting too. Then, the cotton bandanna creates a fine filtration. Its a cheap easy way to get it down to the finest particles.

The straw is inserted into a hole created by a hot soldering iron. You can use a hot nail, or match. Then insert straw, seal with glue. I prefer a 100% silicone in a caulking tube. I keep this stuff around all the time. Once open, you can double wrap it in a couple plastic walmart bags. When you need it again, apply pressure, unplug by pulling out that little solid piece, and it will flow freely again. The stuff is great for all kinds of repairs and water proofing. It will withstand direct sunlight and has survived my solar water testing procedures.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the short video.

Way back in these boonies a person is pretty cut off when the power goes out and you don't have a generator. Yet.

Used to be when the power was out, so was our Internet. Now we have wifi backed up with a battery which should last us as long as these batteries on our laptops do. The Wifi comes over the phone cabels (underground) and is the result of the router opperation.

 A propane, auto switch generator is in the works. We both hate pull cords. I never had much luck with a pull cord. Seems like I'd be pulling while it wanted to be recoiling. My worst fights with pull cords involved lawn mowers way up north when the family yard was so large we devided it into 6 sections, and each kid plus mom mowed a section. Taking turns. Sometimes a kid with money would hire an energetic sibling to mow their section. Lessons in capitalism.

If it got rainy, and the grass too long, too wet, too obstinate, the mowers would choke off. As soon as the mow-ee heard this choking and sputtering, they'd lift the front of the rig off the ground, allowing nasty green grass sludge to eject and the motor would revive.

I Know!
Get a Rider! Well, a rider is like $1,000 bucks, and the kids loved using it, racing around the ditch, nearly tipping the thing over side ways, spilling a second rider off the back until, for safety and gods sake we went back to the push.

So, pull cords be dammed, I want a switch, like on the wall for lights. Or like an ignition with a key, like a car. I know they are out there, and my guy is working on details even now.

We've got an excellent rain water collection system in place. Currently 30 gallons have been caught. I'd have way more if I had more buckets. List for Walmart: pick up some of those 5 gallon buckets now on sale for $2.57. I like a five gallon bucket cause most of the water is used in the garden, and I can just carry one over as needed.

Soon as I get some sunshine, I'm doing a Hobo Series Installment on how I get potable water from this stuff I collected off my studio roof.

Let me post this before the batteries die.

The deluge has arrived and Tropical Thing Lee (never understood difference between a Depression and Storm) is pouring its heart out. Unfortunately, looks like the season's crop of acorns are going to be pitiful.

Last fall I did a whole study on acorns: different varieties, different methods of removing the tannins, cooking a variety of dishes and putting it all on http://youtube.com/user/brawny03

which is my channel. Last years crop was significantly larger, hence, easier to process .

Last year's bountiful crop increased the wildlife around here. There are tons of squirrels, deer, hogs, bears, turkey and their offspring. Its gonna be a rough year for them.

I read this article about wild hogs up in New York State. Of course we all know about the hog situation in Texas, so bad they are allowing hunting via helicopter. Go For It, by god. We gotta do something.
http://news.yahoo.com/ny-seeks-stop-wild-hogs-may-ban-captive-163701421.html

Now, there's an idea for the food bank. Lets have a huge hog hunt and put on a massive Bar-be-Que. It can be done like a Pot Luck. Bring a hog, a Six Pack, or a bag of chips. Whatever you can.

We're getting prepared for tropical something Lee (storm, depression, hurricane). I was surfing around and found this and thought you all would get a kick out of it. See, I do this "senior rant blog" thing, just cause I'm nearing that age and got to get it out of my system somehow.

http://seniorcitizenhumor.blogspot.com/p/blog-buddies.html

This guy runs a very funny blog, take a look at his links and other older bloggers, too. Sometimes we just need a break from the doom and gloom.

I was wondering the other day, What if they called for an Apocalypse and Nobody Came?

I live in the Land of Curves and motor cycle people actually make trips to our neck of the woods to ride them. I've been told there are 39 curves in 13 miles back in these parts. I pondered that statement awhile and asked myself, "Ken ye site me jes one straight piece, I ask ye?" I'm trying to learn Appalachian. I love it here, but my yankeeness sticks out, can't seem to help it after all these years, still.

Anyways, coming around the curves back in these parts a body doesn't expect cross traffic. Doesn't happen. But, its Labor Day weekend, and the fun is in full progress. We have customers up at the best flea market. The place was packed and I found a tight little spot to park my Geo. Nobody shows you where to park, you just try to be sure they can still get around you.Then lock the doors and don't look back.

Well, the "hardware" man was very nice and I bought some pipes today, mostly the transitional pieces needed to get the thing married to the stove, through the window and headed skyward. I also found the stove "handle"  thingy you lift the lids off the stove top so you can feed it. That little lever cost  $5, well worth it.

So, traffic being what it was, even on the back roads, I'd meet cars and trucks, motorcycles and what more, just crossing the line every which way. Luckily I learn quickly and stayed well over to the edge in my lane. All is well. I take the path of the rabbit, maybe the fox, or even the wolf. But, by god I know I ain't the grizzly bear on the road, able to take on all comers and top of the food chain. I keep to my side and pay attention. Otherwise, how can I go find my stove pipes, spend money at Dairy Queen, and pick apples from a wonderful local grower?

Live, let live. If you wanna die, do it on your own time.

Whew, felt good to get that off my chest.

From what I make of it, heirloom seeds are just non hybrids.
They used to be the common brand, and the hybrid were always labeled as such. Hybrid seeds won't reproduce true to genetics, if at all. If you're looking for long term, sustainable seed self production, always go for the non hybrid garden seed. Heirloom is a fancy name for that, and many times has a price tag to prove it.

Advantages of hybrid is usually earlier maturation, resistant to some fungus or disease, and availability.

I'm working with top of the mountain soil that at one time was a parking lot. Open space, full sunlight for over 10 hours, and up next to the house, this spot has been set aside for two seasons now. Every year, I pick stones out, add lots of leaves for organic material, turn the soil, use calcium (lime) to fertilize and prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes and summer squash, and rotate crops.

This year the onions, beans, tomatoes and squash did fairly well. The winter squash, namely, butternut, are sort of puny and have ripened already. Delicious peeled, diced and sauteed in a skillet. Cover and let rest til tender.
These seeds were kept from the largest butternut squash. Once completely dry, they are stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

I'll do the same with the beans, harvesting and saving seeds. Not that I need to. Next spring we will probably be able to buy seeds again. But, who knows?
I'm just practicing my skills for when I really need them.

Watching the news we find there are still nearly a million people without power. They lost it last Sunday, so they are on day five. I watched a Mom in Vermont as she hung laundry to dry on her first floor railings, had her sons playing board games, and basically chilling waiting for the power to get turned on. She was in obvious stress, and didn't know how much longer she could take it.

I know its probably hot and they could use a fan. What if it were winter? There's a lot of daylight now and no one's wearing a ton of clothes, laundry is minimal.
This is just a dry run. We got plenty of warnings, and had everything at our disposal to get ready for it.

Is anyone thinking about how to become more self sufficient and get off the grid for next practice run?

We back in the woods don't have cell phone coverage. A person should be able to survive without that. The other nice things in life, like hot water, food, lighting and entertainment should all be things well within our control, obtainable, suppliable.

Hard to imagine folks running out of food in less than a week. Apparently it happens. With all that rain and flooding, hard to imagine anyone out of water. The real problem comes when people don't know how to purify it. Strain the debris out of it first by pouring it through a netting, then through a clean cloth.
Take that strained water and add common household bleach. Let it sit at least half an hour.
You can boil it if you don't have bleach.
No electricity? Does anyone have candles, propane burners or solar powered yard lights? A kerosene lantern should be issued with your marriage certificate.

But seriously, you hear people bitching about our "nanny state". They don't want to be told what to do or eat. But then when a well publicized storm rolls in, these people won't prepare (they should be prepared all year round, if you ask me) and wonder out loud, in public, where the hell is the National Guard?

If you got caught with your pants down this time, pull them back up and get with the program.