Sweet Potatoes in Wood Stove

I cooked my first real food in the tiny wood stove on Thanksgiving. It was cold enough to get a good fire going, then I let it burn down to coals.

I always wash potatoes before wrapping them in foil even though I won't eat the skin, just to prevent any organic material (like dirt) from contaminating my meal.  Once wrapped, I placed the sweet potato in the coals and put the "eye" or lid back on the stove. After about an hour I removed the product.

The potato came out soft and tender. After scraping the delicious flesh into a serving bowl, I added a pinch of, a teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon and voila', served. There's only two of us, so one potato, with all the other vegetarian trimmings was enough.

Its nice to test ideas while you're working, sorta kill two birds with one stone.

Survive Hunting Season!

We get a lot of hunters through these woods and walking the trails daily I'm prepared.
My orange rain jacket, red hat, orange Possibles bag, all tell others in the woods I'm not game.

I continue to bring my bear spray (pepper spray) because they are on the move. Some bears have gotten pretty big, and there are also quite a few cubs.

I ties orange and red streamers onto my hiking poles. They are in constant motion so that is another safety feature.
All the hollers and ridges make sighting a little tricky. I want to give every hunter a chance to see me well ahead of time.

Pretty Silly Blairs Witch meets Rambo Project

I had this idea for a "trailer" for my End of Days Trilogy which has just been completed. My friend helped me out. I uploaded it to Youtube.




The entire trilogy is now available. It includes Measured Response, Journey North, Calendar Keeper, and bonus material. Here's the bookcover I created. Its a self portrait, sorta Women who run with the wolves, don't ya think?

Writing this end time novel has been an experience. I've become more determined than ever to learn and own lots of self defence.

Thanks for all your comments and support.

Black Friday Survival Gift List

I absolutely avoid town on Black Fridays. There's just no way I can deal with the kinds of crowds and consumerism I see on the news. My family loves it, they go and get the kids all kinds of goodies.

Now, I was thinking, IF I went to such an event, what would I hope to see on sale, at such a great price I would be willing to wait in line, camp out, hustle through the doors and rub shoulders with a million people coming down with the killer virus.

Just kidding about the virus.

My List would look something like this:

Food- dry and canned good, on sale, in bulk, and seriously reasonable. I would stand in line for a chance to buy that.

Ammunition- big boxes of stuff that fits a variety of weapons. My man would love that under the tree.

A Baby Glock- a steal of a deal, and an easy way to verify its just for my self protection, I'm just interested in home defense

Gift Cards- one where I'd pay 50 bucks, but it would be worth 100 to the receiver. Gift cards at face value, even up, aren't worth it. I'll just give cash.

I have to admit, if economists interviewed me, they'd say consumer confidence is down. Maybe that's not the real picture, maybe we just don't need a bigger flat screen, and our laptops still work fine. Maybe I have enough shoes and purses, and my closet is full.

So, how about some real deals on stuff we need?

Walking The Amazon-Discovery Channel

Ok, I loved it. In spite of all the commercials, this two hour production kept my attention and I even took notes.

Our explorer, Ed, is a british dude who undertook this enormous project on April 2, 2008. No doubt years of planning and dreaming came first, but that's not my point.

He had vision, grit, and the absolute honesty to record painstakingly accuate travelogue. After only 90 days, his original partner Luke, leaves the expedition. He has a fiance, and as they both freely admit, makes it much harder to go on such a trip. They expected it to take 18 months, it took 30 months.

Along the way, our man hires guides. The first one quits once they head into the Red Zone of Peru, dangerous drug infested country. The 10,000 foot canyons didn't drive him off, it was human predators.

Our explorers give insight into the human equation. Anyone who's share a long trail knows how a partner can get on your nerves, 24-7 of most anyone is too much to bear.

I was amazed at the great footage of foods and wild provisions, flesh eating bugs, alligators, turtle eggs, native coming of age ceremonies, plodding days in waist deep amazon river. All of it was incredible, more so because of one man's perseverance. Fortunately he met and hired his guide, Chao, a marvelous young man from Peru who saw him through to the end.

This 4,500 mile journey is well worth watching. I found the human spirit the key to all great accomplishments.

Broken Heart Syndrome a Serious Danger

We've heard about enduring a broken heart ever sence puberty. Now, there are real statistics to back this up, especially concerning women. Turns out we are 7.5 times more likely than men to experience this, and although not always fatal, it sure feels like it when you're going through it.

http://news.yahoo.com/women-more-likely-broken-heart-syndrome-184939504.html


They figure men could have more adrenalin receptors, or many women have more hormones exacerbating the situation. Even after smoking and diet were accounted for, women still have a greater risk.

I guess one preventative measure is to stay single? Not a good option. I'll take my chances. Not that I'm getting married any time soon.

Life isn't much fun without someone to live it with, love abundantly, and share secrets.

Why the Republicans Debate Adnauseum

I figured it out! By god, I did.

The vast array of republican candidates holding enumerable public debates are just choosing the first string for the upcoming battles with Obama.

A person must admit, regardless of your politics, that Obama is a gifted speaker, able to come up with catchy phrases, move people, raise millions of dollars utilizing social media.

He has put New Organizing Techniques on the map, written the manual for no drama.

So, all these republicans are using each other, running the gamut (is that spelled right) and taking the hits now while its just a preseason game.

We can chuckle at Rick Perry, or groan at Ron Paul, watch Michelle whats her name smile and come up with interesting takes, and enjoy the show. Cain's little misfortunes can be analyzed and dealt with, Mick Romney can get his stories straight. Sort of like the kids fighting in the back yard, no one really wants to hurt the family.

Come 2012, when things heat up, the preseason debaters will be honed to perfection, the skeletons will have been found, kicking and screaming hauled out of the closets.

Yeah, finally got this figured out. And, its cheaper than hiring a cast or paying a writer to produce a reality show.
go get em, repubs!

My Brother-In-Law Sorta

My life partner's brother came up for a few days and spent the weekend with us. He's quite savvy about guns and such. My man and his brother went way back to the secret firing range and had fun.

Wished I been there. They brought back several paper plates shot to hell and a story nearly incredible of an old pine, long dead yet standing, which served as the firing range post. Well, one thing led to another until the 40 foot pine came crashing down.

No damage to anything, I guess. At some point in time this dead tree would have fallen anyways, but talk about being in the right place at the right time.

I got to handle a Baby Glock. It felt pretty good in my small hand. I like the fact it takes the same as the full size Glock. Interchangeable is always good in my book.

My brother-in-law-sorta also brought me two knives as gifts. The are just right, not too big and razor sharp. Both men laughed while I tried to learn the fine art of opening them one handed. Of course they both can open a full sized knife one handed in the blink of an eye.

Having written about a grid down cannibalistic society, I feel so totally duty bound to learn some serious self defense. Bottom line, I know these woods. If I can get out of the house alive, I'll survive, I call it the Path of the Rabbit.

I'm looking at arming the rabbit, though!

Catching Up on all things Survival

I finished the third book of my trilogy: End of Days.

Whew, now I can get back to blogging and playing in the woods, surviving.

No, wait, I just found out (don't ask where I've been)I can make my books available through Barnes and Nobles Nook reader. I hear there's all sorts of mobile applications for downloading e-books.

Its a new world out there. Remember when we carted around the boom box, then a CD player and cases of CDs.
Then the Ipod came out, and digital music put minimalism on a whole new track. In the tiniest of contraptions we can have our thousands of songs. It fits in a chest pocket.

Calendar Keeper-Book Three of End of Days

So now, with the digital revolution in literature, newspapers, magazines, and books, entire volumes and bookshelves of material, can be accessed on a tiny tablet. You choose. What size would I like to take on the airplane, car trip, or into town.

I'm trying to stay in both worlds. I know for sure we need the skills from two centuries ago to survive a SHTF scenario. There is no such thing as too many skills.

I also know we must stay current with the digital capabilities. One of my favorite examples is the Arab Spring. With mobile technology we can hook up with friends regardless.
I love the raw journalism the people produce.
Up front and in your face.
One of the best out comes is Netflix and Bank of America receiving the People's Vote...try that crap on us, we vote not only with our pocket books, but with our feet.

All this to say, my last book is now available at kindle, called the Calendar Keeper.

Critics say my writing style has become more relaxed, fluid, better.

I hope you agree.
Thanks to all my supporters, and wonderful friends.

It means a lot.

Consignment Stores Up-Restaurants Gone

Restaurants are disappearing in my corner of heaven, in North East Georgia Mountains.

Seems no one goes out to eat in sit down, leave a tip please, restaurants.

We have a McDonalds which seems to be thriving, a Burger King, Dairy Queen, a couple chicken places, and oh yeah, a Wendy's.

You can grab a bite to eat at the Subway, or the local RaceTrac.
But nice steak places are having trouble.

Funny, though, there's been a proliferation of consignment shops, thrift stores and various flea markets.

I didn't think there was that much stuff in the whole county. I asked my partner. We talked about people downsizing cause maybe a relative has lost their job and is moving in. Sharing housing.

Or maybe they are selling stuff to pay the rent. Maybe selling the second vacation home and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.

At any rate, I find the whole situation interesting, another sign that people are getting by any way they can.

Read Absolved At this Link

I located the link listing all the chapters of the online book Absolved. I just finished the first chapter. Men, this is a book you'll get into. Lots of action, details of firearms and tactical stuff. 

At the end of the chapter, the author says to feel free to send out the link, to get the word out of the dire warning.


http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/07/absolved-banner-connector.html

"Note: Feel free to post this anywhere you like and distribute as far and wide as you can. After all, everybody likes a good story."Mike Vanderboegh

I Don't Put up with Shitty Comments Like These

If you're going to come over to the female survivalist and try to sell a crappy book by posting shit like this, you can forget wasting your time.

Its obvious the poster of this spam has problems, besides women.



 I am an American man, and I have decided to boycott American women. In a nutshell, American women are the most likely to cheat on you, to divorce you, to get fat, to steal half of your money in the divorce courts, don’t know how to cook or clean, don’t want to have children, etc. Therefore, what intelligent man would want to get involved with American women? American women are generally immature, selfish, extremely arrogant and self-centered, mentally unstable, irresponsible, and highly unchaste. The behavior of most American women is utterly disgusting, to say the least. show you how to no longer be subject to the fem-nazi ‘legislation’ that claims you are a slave with no rights at all.


The guy then had the nerve to attempt to direct traffic to his hateful blog, and sell some bullshit book to unsuspecting men.

So if you decide to post on this blog at the comment level, rest assured I will edit and use it any way I like.

Go cry about it.

Certificate Renewal Is Painful

I can't believe the rates on savings and certificate of deposits.

And things aren't looking any better for a long time to come. Those of us who elected to rent or share expenses living with someone instead of buying a house, thereby saving a little for the future are being punished by the housing crisis with insanely low rates.

Of course I know I'm losing money because of inflation, but where would a gal park it? Stocks or bonds?
The fluctuation is scary, too high risk for a woman like me.

Real estate? I'm told a person can get a hellva deal right now. But wait, that's what I want to avoid. Owning means dealing with things that break, roofs that leak, insurances against flood, flame and famine. Well, flood, and flame.

Ok, then, does a person invest in overseas shit. I think not. When they go under, who's gonna guarantee the investment.?

No, I'm not gonna go buy a couple sticks of gold, for one reason, I think its the next bubble to burst.

The best investment is actual food. The price is going up way faster than anything else, and a person will always need it. Just rotate it, and don't let it spoil. That would be money down the toilet.

So, I guess I'll stick with my home town bank, the FDIC insured stuff, and hope to see better days.

Geezers Behaving Badly In Georgia

I'm really glad for free speach and free press. We can get a lot of information just with a little internet surfing.

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/

I'm also so glad Fox News gave us the link to this website. I never knew it existed until the authors book, Absolved, got so much attention in the breaking story of four elderly men who started discussing it, in depth.

Check out the link. The Background to the investigation is posted there, including round the table discussions by the conspirators in question.

I'm of the opinion that the wives know more about the men than anyone else, they wouldn't hurt anyone and they are good American citizens.

I never met any of them, so I'm just going by what I've read.

Comments?

One Hellava Curb, Buddy

A friend posted this on facebook. The thief was getting his way until he crossed a Marine, then he stepped off a curb and sustained significant injuries. Everyone loved this story.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2800536/posts

Sources and another site to verify this:


http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/stabbedmarine.asp

I loved one readers review: that curb showed remarkable restraint.

Like The Treehugger Site and Stay Up on Stuff

I love this concept:
http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/eliodomestico-solar-house-still.html

An affordable, portable, no moving parts, none electric water still.

There are so many brainy people who take on these projects that I am encouraged about long term survival of the species on a basic level.

The large picture is not too bright, with Greece in collapse, Europe near disaster and the United States still crying "wolf"...well, maybe I should say, still saying The Emperor's Clothes are Awesome!

The Emperor is naked.

With the world population now over 7 billion, solutions of the future will be all about down sizing our carbon footprint. We'll need smaller houses, fewer possessions, and the ability to adapt to limited power options.

I have my facebook settings to private and like sites that I want to stay updated on, such as Treehugger. Every once in awhile something like this solar still, with the concept explained thoroughly, will be posted. A person could probably replicate something on this order if needed.