Well, folks, here we are again. I hope that you are as excited to be here as I am… I’m loving this new site and it’s growing much quicker than my old Survivalist Blog site which took years to gain any traction. I learned from my mistakes with the other site, and also what works and what doesn’t and I’m using that knowledge to build this one much quicker.
If you want to learn what I’ve learned about blogging because you want to start a blog of your own then I have a 100% free 7-day blogging course that you can take to do that. I’ve also published several articles that you should read if you’re interested in doing this yourself including – How to Start a Profitable Blog in 2018, Step-by-Step Guide, and How To Start A WordPress Blog On Bluehost.
I’ve been actively publishing this site for around two months and the daily page view numbers are already near what they were on my old survivalist blog and the subscribers to MDCreekmore.com are getting ready to pass the 5,000 mark with my goal being 25,000 subscribers by the end of the year.
And I can do that, however, right now I’ve not even been focusing a lot on getting new subscribers or readers, no, what I’ve been focusing nearly all of my time and attention on is my new project that I call “The Bulletproof Survivor” check it out!
One more thing, I know that most of you have already bought my book “The Preppers Guide to Surviving The End of The World As We Know” however, new folks coming to the site haven’t so I put together a new page for the book that I will send those new readers to.
Please take a look at the page and let me know what you think and post any comments and ideas on improving it the comments below. Thank you!
Okay, now what… Oh yeah, I have a huge 5,000+ word article on alternative power systems including solar, wind, and water power that I’ll be publishing here next week. You’ll love it!
Now, let’s get to homesteading and preps for the week…
This week I planted tomatoes, peppers, squash, and potatoes in the garden… and then just like that the rain stopped! After raining what seemed like every day for months as soon as I plant boom, sunshine and dry as a powder house with no rain in sight.
Preps for the week include adding a Fire B.O.S.S.- Bug Out Bag Survival Fire Starting Kit and a Fishing and Hunting B.O.S.S.- Bug Out Bag Survival Kit to my emergency cache “Mono Vault” that’s hidden in the forest (buried but easily accessible and that’s all I’m saying).
Here is a photo of my Mono Vault…
Well, folks, that’s it for me this week… what about you?
Bought a 100 ft roll of 4 ft tall corn crib fencing for $99 that we’re cutting up into potato grow cages. Oddly, the same roll of fencing was $224 on sale the following week. Glad I managed to track down the remaining roll at a distant store.
Got lucky at the Sally Ann and found a model 3680 Foodsaver unit, identical to mine, for $25. Now I can get more production line work done when sealing bags. Also bought 10 more used quart mason jars, a dozen used pint dry seal jars, and 8 dozen snap lids from the Mennonites. Also canned 10 pints of sale chicken breasts for storage.
ODS was driving his 18 wheeler home during the horrific wind storm we had last Friday and he said barn roofs were ripping off, big tree limbs and metal garden sheds were bouncing across the highway, he was dodging unlucky chickens blowing across the highway, flipped trucks, and one very strong gust of wind lifted up one side of his trailer and nearly flipped him over. PTL the wind weakened and dropped him back down on the road. It scared him quite a bit. An area near us lost power to 160,000 residents for 21 hours and our area had a lot of mature trees come down. The wind wasn’t classed as a tornado but it sure had the same force. I’m glad when we build things here we take wind factor into serious consideration.
YDS and family all have the human version of foot and mouth disease that the grandkids picked up from daycare. I truly wish daycare was not a breeding ground for every disease and sickness going around. Poor son has it the worst and must still go to work.
I signed up for the Home Medicine Summit:
http://thegrownetwork.pages.ontraport.net/home-medicine-summit-2018-registration
On advice from the wolfpack last week, I went to the doctor about my persistent coughing, and the kidney stone I suffered with later that day. I’ve now got 2 kinds of puffers to clear my viral bronchitis and go for an ultra sound next week for the kidney problem. The doctor suspects my coughing might be a side effect of the BP med I’m taking so we’re doing the elimination route before any change in med.
To add to expenses, our dog has developed an abcessed tooth, the biggest, priciest one in a dog’s mouth. She’s taking antibiotics that are already helping but must get surgery extraction for permanent relief.
Good morning. Just wanted to say I feel your pain with the dogs teeth. I had to shell out big bucks for a dentist for my dogs teeth. She somehow managed to jab a stick under the gum line and kill the tooth! Big ouch to my purse!
Dog surgery fees are almost like extortion. I don’t spend that much money on a car let alone a dog’s mouth, much as I love my dog.
You got that right and on top of the tooth extraction, dentist said dog might have a heart murmur! Really? What is the fee scale to tear that! Definitely extortion!
Hate spell check. I meant to say what is fee scale for that!
Jean ,
If you think it is extortion, then perhaps you could go back to school and become a vet to do it yourself. That would be at least a 4 year bachelors in biology or a related field, then getting accepted to a Veterinary college, which is harder than med school, followed by 4 years in Vet school.
After graduation you have to lease, purchase, or build a building, furnish it with normal furnishings like chairs, plus all of the medical equipment required, hire a small staff or try to do it all yourself. Once this is all complete, you can then start charging customers if you have any, and once you make enough to cover all expenses including your school loans and the tax man, you can start to have money to live on and to save.
I have a good friend who is our small animal vet and I have other friends whose children have pursued or are pursuing this vocation, and it is very expensive and time consuming.
There is nothing the vet, can do for a heart murmmer, our cat, has one and the vet wanted to charge $400 plus, to see how bad it really is… Both hubby and I said no it won’t extend her life we are just enjoying her and letting her be a cat…
They love running tests. Our cat was hardly eating, and losing weight quite badly so we took her in to Dr. Poke ‘n Prod. He said she was running a fever and wanted to run several hundred dollars worth of tests.
We asked what was the most likely easily treatable problem. Bacterial infection. So we had him give her a shot of antibiotic, crossed fingers, and went home. She’s getting her appetite back and seems just fine. Only test required was a thermometer.
The tests may be wonderful, but if all they do is reveal an untreatable condition, what’s the real point?
Gloria,
It always pays to know the price of what you’re getting. When I was a kid I attended auctions with my parents and my dad told me to specifically pay attention to a used roll of fencing that was being auctioned at the time. When we got home he had me look up the price of that same roll of fence in the Sears catalog. That new roll cost less than the used roll at auction. It’s best to know your price and don’t get caught up in the moment and spend too much.
We take that wind factor into consideration here also. It isn’t technically a tornado unless there is rotation and it actually touches the ground and starts lifting debris into the air. Quite often the thunderstorms that can spawn tornados have what is called a gust front, when a large volume of cold air simply falls off the front of the cell and races thousands of feet toward the ground. When it hits the ground it basically ricochets in all directions producing only straight line winds; but, often very strong wind gusts that can do a lot of damage.
Any time I have persistent coughing or other unexplained problems, I’ll go see my doc, since catching things early is always the better choice.
Is one of your BP medications Lisinopril? I take it with no problems; but, know some who have had a relatively common side effect, a persistent cough. It is one of the ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitors for which there are substitutes. I had problems with one of my diuretics, and using elimination I was switched to another, so elimination will probably get you going.
Hi TOP, all the good advice on auctions includes ‘set your limit before you bid.’
As you said, know what something is worth before going after it at auction. I attend a fair number of auctions, and there are always people who bid on stuff until they get uncomfortable. They are the consignors and auction houses’ best friend.
Last week I watched part of the Christie’s auction of the art and household goods of Peggy and David Rockefeller. Lamps which were reasonably estimated at $600-800 (yes, expensive, but Rockefellers didn’t shop much at K-Mart) sold for $20,000-$24,000. Lots of home furnishings -nice stuff, but not any kind of collectors’ items- estimated reasonably at $800-2000 went for $5000, $10,000, $20,000. Some people like the names of famous people attached to their stuff, but if they had sat down before the auction and asked themselves ‘What is having this piece worth to me?’ would they have bid anything like ten times estimate on second hand high end household goods?
As you said, know what it is worth, and decide ahead of time what your limit is.
If you are taking Lisinopril for BP it could very well be the cause of your cough. It’s a pretty common side effect, sometimes for people who have taken the drug for years with no problem.
I take Coversyl which has only 3% side effects and why the doc is reluctant to replace it now with more complicated BP meds with higher risk factors (30%). We’ll do process of elimination until we’re sure it actually is the meds.
I’m first again wow
Nope, mines in moderation.
Hey…… Muller needs to do a special investigation on this……LOL
Muller couldn’t” investigate…. never mind.
Maybe he could confiscate Gloria’s computer and look at the files before she bleach washes it or smashes her I phone…….LOL
Don’t have an I phone.
Oops, he’s already too late…. LOL
Muller couldn’t investigate…… Call out the media! We need film!
Thor1,
I don’t think so, since it would take several years, many millions of dollars, and we would all end up being fined or going to jail, LOL.
TOP, have YOU been colluding with Gloria??? LOL
YOU were an E/engineer and YOU probably have a hammer…..LOL
If they bust in to your house at 3 am with guns drawn, I will LMAO……..
Took the Mrs her Mom and Dad and kids out for a steak dinner for Mothers day, it was hard as this is the first Mothers day since my Mom past.
Brought puppy a Tbone home with some meat left on it for him. He ate it in 5 minutes and it was a big bone.
Bought 20lbs of rice
Bought minute steaks,chicken, hamburger and eggs for the freeze dryer.
Bought 2 cases of water.
Bought 3 more bags of dog food.
Freeze dried meat and eggs
Added another rain catchment barrel.
Added epsom salt to tomato plants and they really took off.
Install an irrigation system for the main garden and one of the raised beds.
Watched some movies dealing with blackouts which were cyber attacks, not EMPs.
Just wondering when WW3 will start.
Hope everyone in Hawaii is safe.
Hope everyone has a good Mother’s day.
Thor1,
It was tough when I lost my mom, and it’s still tough 10 years. I still bought a mother’s day card that first year and sent it to my dad. We all were sad. It does get better. Just wish I could call her sometimes.
Hi AT, for at least the first year after my Mom died, every once in a while I’d think ‘I should call Mom….Oh….’ It does take time, and never goes away completely. It does get better, though.
I had the same issue. After my mother passed, I would actually catch myself dialing her number … and then realized I couldn’t speak to her because she wasn’t there. One day I was sorting through some house junk and found an old cassette tape. Not knowing what had been recorded played it, and what a treasure it was to hear my mother’s voice one more time. I cried a little. It does get better, but keep those wonderful memories always.
Penrod, what is your situation? Are you on the Big Island? South side of Big Island looks really bad.
Hi Docj, we are over 200 miles away on Oahu. Only effect I’ve noticed has been some vog when the wind is southerly, but that has been true for about theee decades now. People who are close downwind may have serious health issues, but Oahu should be fine.
AT – not being able to ask my mom questions is probably the hardest thing about losing her – especially with plants and gardening.
I saved my dad’s and sister and BIL’s phone messages singing happy birthday to me a couple of years ago. I play them ever so often just to bring a smile to my face. I played my BIL’s for my sister when I was down there a couple of weeks ago. We all smiled.
AT – you are lucky to have that. Mom died in 2000, so very few, if any, recordings of her voice.
Almost There ,
My dad passed in 2002 and my mom in 2011; but, we have some video tapes with both of them on them. I’m still in process of getting lots of VHS & VHS-C tapes converted to DVD. It’s a rather long and tedious task that makes you appreciate how many tapes you made, especially of the children.
My only saved voicemail came from my DD back in 2011 when she was still struggling with some math in college. She told me that our practical physics lessons had helped her understand physics in both high school & college and she was doing fine; but, then as a follow-up told me that if we have any more kids, to teach them calculus. In 2011 I was already 60 and the DW was 61, so she knew it was only a fun suggestion.
I saved the voicemails from my son when he was getting deployed to a hotspot. It was rare that I missed one of his calls, but you can hear the resignation in his voice, not knowing if it would be the last time he would be able to speak to me. I still cry when I hear it, even tho he’s been back home for 5 years, and is doing ok adjusting to civilian life. Only Jesus and the prayers of the saints kept him alive.
GA Red; I miss being able to get me mum’s chili and hash recipes. They were the best ever. Plus her cobbler aprons and sewing machine. But then…..she didn’t really have much use for me after I grew up and away.
I do have my mom’s sewing machine. As much as my mom disliked cooking, she was a good cook and I miss being able to ask her how to cook different kinds of meats. Her dad told her that the biggest part of her grocery money would be in the meat, so she’d better learn how to cook that well (not necessarily well done). I did learn how to time a roast, but not much about what cuts of meat to cook which way. Fortunately, I have a good cookbook for that now.
GA Red, So true! I wish I could discuss things with her like I used to. Especially if I’m feeling down, I would call her for advice and just to get her opinion on issues in my life, both good and bad. The closeness and friendship is what I miss the most. She was my best friend.
Almost There, I wish I could pick up the phone and talk to my Mom too. It’s been over 20 years but I do talk to her in heaven. I miss her so much. It’s also bittersweet today because I lost my son too and Mother’s Day hurts for that reason. But I have to have a good day for my other sons.
Thor1, Almost There is right. It does get better. The first few years hurt badly. God Bless you.
Terra,
I miss talking with my mom too. She had been a Detroit policewoman and later a child protective services investigator. We used to talk about the dirt bags we knew and loved.
Thor 1; I’ve been watching a few movies/documentaries on blackouts as well as civil unrest during the WWII and Vietnam eras. Having lived through the Vietnam era, I have to say…society today is a LOT worse in my opinion. I cannot recall a time when there was so much hostility and hatred in this country. WW 3 starting is anyone’s guess. The dems aren’t happy unless we have a full blown war going. As if the middle east BS isn’t bad enough.
Morning all. Got the garden planted and the rain here stopped too. Still need to mulch a lot and have most of the wood chips we need to do it. It’s been a busy week for all kinds of other stuff, so not many prepping purchases – just buy a little extra each trip.
That’s about all. Prayers for all in need.
Wow! I have never been this early to post before! Am I actually in the top five first posts this morning! Delightful!
You go girl….
Hi Jean, Sorry I didn’t get to meet you last weekend at the Great Appalachian Homesteading conference. Almost There said you were there on Saturday. We could only make it on Sunday and made a really long day of it.
Not a lot this week . Transplanted some coattails to a new site . This will give me more traveling resources in the future. Also cut 2 white willow switches and shoved them down in muck to root . That is it for me .
Now if I can just get rid of that share bar on the side of the screen that covers the first word of each line on your site.