Ever wonder what a Modern civil war would look like?

     I am no psychic but here is what it looks like in Syria. We like to think these parts of the world are not modern cities with all the amenities and intrastructure  of  our cities but  that is a mistake.

     Here are some before and after shots to think about. The city is 

Aleppo Syria.

   While it would be nice to think the citizens could return our country to a constitutional democratic republic with out this happening, Do you think those corrupt bastards will leave short of this ?

H/T found at  http://www.messynessychic.com/2016/08/07/13-things-i-found-on-the-internet-today-vol-cxcxi/ 

 I got it because I visit http://extragoodshit.phlap.net/  Daily

OPSEC slip by a friend is safe with me.

   Let me preface this "it wasn't Me"! This weekend I was talking to a kid I know (ok he is 33 now and owns his own business but I knew him since 16 when he was a shithead) about hauling that trailer to the scrap yard, he has a wrecker service.  He said no problem and asked where is it I told him off so and so, down a dirt road about 1/2 mile . At that he said on the right in the curve above the creek? YEA I just bought the 2 acres on the right how the hell do you know about it. He  asked if I had been past the gate  "no" he went on that so and so and state senator ____ had a member only hunting club out in the woods he and his partner were members.

    Now this is an innocent conversation by its self BUT I have known him and his business partner for years . Both are of a prepper mindset . My friend told me last year if thing go bad he was going to hit the woods he had bunkhouse a pond , good hunting and friends to ride it out with.

    Neither statement would have compromised OPSEC but by making them to one person months/years apart it told me to much. Not that I will ever mention or give them away. I never said what I had bought the 2 acres for . I already suspected a compound was beyond that gate . Now I know members include LEOs, business owners , rednecks and former military.  It seems if I make this place my BOL I will be the  "GATEKEEPER" for a large well financed MAG . I have mixed feeling on the place now . If I proceed it will be independent of the group but I would be open to a radio link if  needed.

The Check is in the mail .

     Today I sent off the check for the 2 acre BOL parcel. Monday was a holiday and yesterday I got that wood but also went and walked the property before I sent the check off. It has been 2 months since I walked it and winter has killed a lot of the growth back. I like it even more than before it has more clearable area than I thought and the driveway isn't as bad. Plus it has been wet so I got to see where it has water problems. It has a lot of seep springs and a few runoff channels that need attention but nothing hard to fix .

   While I was their I checked the well it is a 4 inch well  with a shallow draw pump . I didn't open the top to see how deep the water is but I think its under 50 foot. I have no plans to use the well for my BOL  it is nice to have especially because its shallow and could refill the cisterns I plan on having.  I am looking forward to this place next summer after my other projects are ended.
  This is my place  and will be built and stocked how I think  is needed as a sustainable BOL. It will be solar powered with dry toilet, lots of perennial plantings, wood heat, root cellar, raincachment, and solar hot water. My wife may love it or hate it but I want to try and combine 1800 homesteading with modern green technology. In a secluded location at low cost with a minimum amount of consumable input's needed . It is not going to be where live but it will be a place I get away and spend time . I want to develop it in a way where if I had to survive all it would take is chickens, rabbits and garden . I did find out from the neighbor that wild hogs are becoming a problem. :) 

What is your comfort level ?

     Every one is different in there needs of comfort .For my wife its 72 degrees and a 55 inch T.V. and a man slave .For me its a fan a DR Pepper and internet. My youngest daughter doesn't have a clue what is her level of comfort, she bitches about everything. My son has a very modest level of comfort that he is happy with . I went and saw him today except for the rain he seemed happy in what my wife and daughter would consider hell.

     This got me thinking about my minimum level of comfort. What would I want if my life went to shit. My thoughts on this are still evolving but its close to what I envision if SHTF was to take place.

Land 1 acre
Home 16 X 24 or camper
Water source
Power 400 watt solar panels, 400 watt inverter 1500 watt inverter
Fan,19 inch TV, DVD player, radio, computer , tools, lights
Wood heat , propane stove/oven
Small truck ,bike

   These are just a few of major things that I would want to be comfortable. Now most of us have much more but have you ever looked at what your minimum levels are and do you have them if life turns on you?
   Now I have been fortunate in life to have most all this but I still need 200 watts more solar and the 1500 watt inverter. My line of thinking is "I want my minimum available if present levels fall ."

I thought i knew my neighborhood .

     I have lived in my house almost 30 years . I have walked the woods and driven all the roads around here . This afternoon the weather got cold and rainy so I quit working on clearing the pond and some how got on google earth. Now I have been on google earth in the past but never played with it . Today I zoomed in on the area around the house out to 2 miles . I thought I knew my neighborhood  boy was I wrong . I knew the roads and the drives but I found 5 houses 3 pond/lakes and 2 streams hidden in the woods that I didn't know were there. Saw dirt bike trails going deeper than I thought they did, saw where the hardwood and pine thickets separated along ridgelines. If you haven't given a close look to your area using google earth I HIGHLY Recommend you make time to study where you live and if you plan on bugging out in case of trouble . Use google earth to get a GOOD idea of what is hidden around your safe location . 

    If you live in a city it will still give you a lot of insight into obstacle's and assets in your area . The ponds and streams that I found could be a good source of fish if needed . The hardwoods should have nut trees mixed in .Some areas had a block pattern that may have been old farm sections that have over grown. Today US steel and ABC coal own most of the vacant land near here. I used a large chunk of my download for the day on google earth but I will be studying it more in the future. Even from the free view I know my daughter was visiting ,I still had my yellow truck, had just built my lean-to and had left my tractor in the middle of the back yard that day .

  

Good working weather .

     Today was clear but cold . The high was 45 but for an old fat man not bad . I decided to do some yard work around my spring and pond . I have lived here for 30 years over the years my yard has been neglected . As the brush of hedge row bushes has expanded the area I cut was less . When I worked 16 hours a day it wasn't a priority and it was mainly in front and behind my little pond ( the pond is 45 wide and 100 ft long ). Today I decided to tackle the upper side an area  40 x120 with 3 springs 2 always flowing and a 3rd that is running 8 months a year. These need to be cleaned and clear because if SHTF these are my water supply !

     I worked maybe 3 hours through the day with Lopping shears and my electric chainsaw . Was able to hack cut and  slash about a 1/3 of this area . The bushes and briers have died back so now is the best time to do this. The wisteria and honeysuckle's are still green inside and as strong as a nylon rope. Now I was able to clear a 40 x50 ft area today so I am pleased and it got me off my butt to do something productive. Now the area I did was the easiest of the front part I had cut some 4 years ago but never finished ,but it is now.

     As far as the electric chainsaw it did great even on a very long cord ( 125 ft ) . If you don't have a set of good Lopping shears I highly recommend you invest in a good set of fiskers geared loppers. Mine aren't fiskers but I will be getting a set this spring .These allow you to cut 2 to 3 inch trees ,bushes and branches quickly and easily . Plus no gas and quiet to use . In a survival situation  small firewood could be a must and loppers are perfect for making it . the geared kind can be used by kids , women and the elderly.

P.S.I will try to post pics of the spring's tomorrow.

 link     http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-32-Inch-PowerGear-Bypass-91546935J/dp/B00004SD74/ref=sr_1_8?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1420504647&sr=1-8&keywords=fiskars+shears

Never judge a book till you read the END.

     Ok the other day i said the book Bunkers seemed like a good read.It was very well thought out on points about group dynamics and human nature. I enjoyed it till the last 2 chapters.The ending to me blew chunks.Hats off to the writer for his time and effort and it is his right to end his story as he wanted but I would have choose a differant one for a book of this gerne.

What is a cache?

     A cache is a place to hide and position items of use and value for future needs.But is that all it needs to be?Can it be a shelter can it be a safe place hidden to?
      I think we have all thought about a survival retreat in the woods.Usually our mind goes to a cabin with a wood stove a well right out of a Danial Boone book.Now in today's world if we had this it would be broke into looted used as a meth lab or a dozen other things if we didn't live there.

     Now we have all read about PVC caches Bucket cache and others.I have several of these myself but due to size they are limited in what can be stored and provide little shelter.The PVC cache is usually for 3 or 4 days food some ammo and a few other items. A Bucket cache will hold a weeks food for 2,ammo other items to help for a short period.Here are a few pics of typical tube and bucket caches

   These are useful but are limited in scope.The good thing about them is they are away from our houses and hidden.As preppers most of what we have is in our homes and at risk if SHTF happens.
      Most preppers will refuse to leave their homes the idea of "bugging out" isn't an option.For some it due to age others its health.For most its "This is my castle" i have all my prep's in the basement,garage,shed.I feel the same way but if the  Feds or a zombie hoard comes you will die.At best you will flee and lose most of your supplies.Then you are down to what you hid in buckets and PVC caches.
     I want something safer with more options.I want it for the house or on other property.I don't want to have it found and robbed to crackheads or government flunkies (little difference both are parasites).I want capacity to have a chance.

Been think about a survival cache.

     Last weekend when I was doing BBQ a friend stopped and we got to talking.Tony is a little different but OK type he was telling m about his new storm shelter.Last year tornado's came real close to both of us.He had one of those round fiberglass ball shelters installed behind his mobile home.

     Tony was talking about using leds and adding some food to as he put it his doomsday bunker.I told him sounded like a good idea to me and made a few suggestions.Now me and him are not close enough that he has any idea that I preps.I kept my comments general but i did encourage him to move some thing in his bunker "just in case".His storm shelter cost over 7000$ but because he was in a stricken area( I wasn't) he got almost 5000$ back from state and federal sources.
     Now for 2000$ in out of pocket he got a great deal but for a survival cache bunker I would hate to know the state and feds had a record of it.His will seat 8 but it isn't set up for long term habitation It's ROUND.It did get me thinking and looking for cheaper self made choices. Here is an 8x12 on E how              http://www.ehow.com/how_8602300_do-yourself-underground-shelters.html     Not bad but not practical for me.I cant dig a  10x15 ft hole 10 ft deep by hand.Tomorrow i will tell you what i have been thinking about that any one can build its cheap and holds a Literal ton of supplies

Never under estimate kids screwing up plans.

      When you are making plans be it for a trip to the lake or for the end of the world assume one or more of your kids will screw it up.The way that they can do it are endless.Never under estimate them if they can find a way they will.A lot of parents try to be friends with their kids my wife fits that profile,Me I take the I AM THE KING, approach.To some this may sound unkind but it isn't its my job!No group can survive living by committee.Yes other input is important but in the end someone has to make a decision and enforces it.
      This little rant was caused by planning a 5 day trip to the lake going with our sister in law and was going to have 3 of the kids and 2 grand kids spend the weekend up there.My wife's youngest daughter is in jail on a failure to appear for 30 days everyone thinks us going to the lake should be canceled .I didn't get picked up she did the others shouldn't suffer I am going our plans or camping at the beach wont change.My job is to make these plans for everyone to have fun.I am sorry she is not going to go but as a FATHER i have to think of the rest of the family.This is just 2 trips that i have had to provide for.If this was a matter of life and death i would still side with what is best for the rest.Now to be fair if it wasn't this child it would have been my son.These two seem to do this every time we plan or are on a trip.We even plan on it and wonder what it will be.
     

A few recomendations

          First up me and the wife just watched the movie Goodbye World.It is an end of the world movie that had a lot to offer to anyone that thinks life as we know it could end.It is not a zombie blood and guts,guns blazing story.The story is about a group of friends that are visiting at ones moutain home when things fall apart .I will quit now,Just try to see it well made and good story.

   Next up if you havent read the archdruid this week it is a must.

Car kits for idiots

        By now most people have heard and read about the snow storm here in the Birmingham and Atlanta.Thousands were left stranded and away from home for one to two days in the low teens.This week Mother nature decided to sweep in and dump a couple inches of snow that was as fine as corn starch and packed into a sheet of ice in 30 minutes.A lot of people that had never given a thought to being stranded were miles from home having to relied on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter.My stepson was stranded with his boss and co worker in a truck on hwy 280
     The one thing tha struck me was no one seemed to have even the barest of a car survival kit. People made there way to home depots Hotel lobbies fast food restaurants anyplace that would welcome them in for the day and nite.Now this event was only going to last 36 to 48 hours but people didn't have a clue on what to do to make it for this short of time or have anything with them to help.
      The head of the Alabama EMA gave an interview and told the public every one needed to have a car and home emergency kit.He told everyone to go to their website or FEMA to make a kit.I have to say our head of the EMA was honest he stated 72 hours was the best a person could expect to aid arrive in an emergency.
     Now i wrote this as a draft right after the snow 2 weeks ago i never posted it.I am glad i didn't post it because in the 2 weeks since i have come to the conclusion people are scared to have to provide for themselves.All we have heard is how we pulled together moved closer as a county,We take care of each other.Now I have to admit we did OK but it was just a 2 day event no one was short of food water,gas,power.I would wager out of the whole county not a hundred people made a car survival kit or did anything.
     Last nite we got a little ice and it looks like we will have snow move in Wednesday afternoon.The news is showing stores out of milk and bread.I have been to the EMA and FEMA web sites they have standard lists for emergency kits.I have read many list and i can tell you i have never seen Milk or Bread on any of them.

      MAKE YOUR KITS one day it won't be a rainbow and unicorn event!