ARG, yep, the darn white stuff is coming down. This is the craziest winter in the 17 years I've lived here. All this cold and snow just makes me dream of spring all that much more. This morning I have been looking at trees to replace the orchard that was wiped out by the inland hurricane. This is one of the types of apple I would like to be growing. It is head and shoulders above the species that were planted here when I bought this land. I'd like to put a Granny Smith and a red Delicious in there along with a couple new peach trees, a Bartlett pear and a cherry or 2. Then, after I get those planted, I've got a whole new section of that catalog I'd like to work out of! hehehehe Some new blackberries, the mini citrus trees, a new banana to replace the ones the kittens killed and I'd love to try growing the olives.
I did make a little progress toward growing fruits here already, I picked up some seed stock thru a trade to grow pomegranate and kiwi. Supposedly, they both do well in containers and can be pruned to any size. We'll see about that! LOL
Alex Jones has an interesting article up over at Prison Planet called 12 Economic Collapse Scenarios That We could Potentially See in 2011. Sometimes it's just nice to see the things you've been thinking about written someplace. It makes me feel a little less crazy on subjects such as this one. Well, maybe crazy is the wrong word. how about "vindicated" or "secure in my lifestyle". Maybe, maybe not but either way, it makes me feel pretty good about the choices I've made for myself and my family (even if they don't appreciate it). Even if the whole world falls apart and it's the Great Depression times 2, I'm still going to have a meal. Yes, I'm going to miss some of the things this modern world has to offer like internet and DVD rentals but life will go on.
I don't normally talk about "prepping" or emergency preparedness on this blog but if you can't grow all your own food and have a bunch of critters running around, now is definitely the time to stock up your pantry, kitchen cabinets and maybe even store some canned goods under the bed and in the closet. Food insurance for a rough spot in life or a little insurance against price inflation. Just makes sense!
Posts
We live in NC and are also getting the crazy weather!! Setting records all winter long. I totaly agree with you that people need to learn to grow some food and stock up the panrty for hard times that could be ahead. Our super stocked pantry kept our family and 2 of our childrens families in food for 6 months while husbands were out of work and both Mommies were having babies at no extra cost to any of us. I shop only on salesand match coupons with the sales, saves us a ton of money and will build up the pantry fast and ceap. That along with canning, dehydrating and freezing food over the summer was a ton of work but a blessing to us all. Thanks for your blog and keeping me on my toes along with your can do attitude!!!! You rock
ReplyDeleteYou've had more of a winter than we have here in MT.
ReplyDeleteAs for planting those trees, sounds great just a bit of advice, you need at least two cherry trees, for cross pollination( they are not self pollinating) I believe pears are the same way. If you have the room I'd plant the pears separate from the apple trees, just in case either get blight.
You are absolutely correct in sharing about being prepared. I also look forward to being vindicated, as I've been called; crazy, nutcase, radical, doomer gloomer, etc... over the last 15+ yrs. I never could figure out that by trying to help people prepare, they take such stances as calling you names.
When we had some medical troubles with our Dd, when she was younger. Anyway money was tight due to traveling to and from UT. We literally lived for 4-5 months from the pantry and freezers. I did buy perishables and basic items from time to time, but not very often. If we'd not had this storage system in the works, we would have had to resort to welfare. You I know understand keeping ones distance from the government.
Stay warm and have a blessed day,
Kelle
I found this quote in one of my seed catalogs, "The nine most terrifying words in the english language are:"I'm from the government and I am here to help."-Ronald Reagan....Before I read this page I was downstairs going through my seed stock trying to figure out what I still need to order.I keep telling others in my family and friends that things are going to get really bad but most of them just brush it off.."yeah it is a little scary but things can't get too bad" is all I hear.I found this article that gives ideas on pantry stocking http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay125.html
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for awhile now and really enjoy it. I live about 2 1/2 hours away in southern Indiana so we get about the same weather. (Those desert blogs are interesting but don't really apply much here) I planted 2 filbert several years ago. For some reason one died after a couple years and I don't know which one it was. They need a pollinator. Anyway I ordered another one for this year. Might be something for you to consider. They don't take up much space and start bearing pretty quick. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHi Debby! I hear you, good job BTW too. People are so used to just running out and getting whatever they want any time they want. That could very well come to a skreetching halt pretty darn quick! Even as much as I love to say "I told ya so" this will be one time I wish people would listen. Thanks for stopping in! "hugs"
ReplyDeleteHey Kelle! Good to see ya! Really? worse here? That's no good, no good at all. Thanks for the tips on the trees, I really hope I can swing them. I miss my peaches and apples. The pears that were planted here were those nasty asian ones, they were hard as rocks, even when ripe! I want pears like my Grandpa had in his yard. Anyway, I'd rather be the "ant" and be called names than starve like the "grasshopper". Thanks for stopping in!
Hey Coley! Good to see you! Oh yes, one of my favorite quotes there, for sure! I love backwoods home magazine, one of these days I'm gonna get my subscription renewed! I can hardly ever find it on a stand around here. Thanks for stopping in!
ReplyDeleteHello Anon from Indiana! Filbert as in hazelnut? You're right, I should look into that. Much more tasty than black walnuts ;) Thanks for stopping in!
You crazy survivalist!
ReplyDelete(just kidding) Isn't farming just EXACTLY THAT? I mean growing and putting back enough until you can grow more? Thanks to Coley for that link, I can't afford to buy magazines, but they (Backwoodshome) do share some good stuff in their online version
I guess I'm odd, but I'm not really bothered by massive amounts of snow... I'm born and raised in Scandinavia, and somehow, if it's cold out, but not below -15ºC/~5F (before the wind chill), I find it actually quite refreshing to be outdoors. Getting around on skis has been done two winters in a row in downtown Helsinki, too, because of the sheer volume of snow around. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd here's one interesting thing I read in the newspaper: Since fuel for snowmobiles is getting more expensive in Lapland (EU fuel directives, new E10 fuel, all a big bureaucratic mess), there are people who have started using reindeer like the traditional draft animals they were domesticated as, for transport. Animals that are born for the climate do well in snow. Which makes me an arctic aminal. ;)