TOUGH TIMES - HOW TO "GIT 'ER DONE", 1870'S STYLE

ANYONE THAT KNOWS ME WELL KNOWS THAT I JUST CONVERTED AROUND $40K OF MY "FOUR OH-OH NONE" OKAY.... INTO SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED TO GET BY ON.

SHAWNA AND COMPANY WAS QUITE ASTOUNDED AT HOW QUICKLY I COULD BLOW THAT MUCH CASH ON "THE GOOD STUFF" - THE STUFF I ALWAYS WANTED TO GET BUT NEVER HAD THE IMPETUS TO STEP UP AND INVEST IN. LIKE I HAVE ALWAYS SAID, "THE ONLY GOOD THING A GREENBACK WILL BE WORTH ONE DAY IS TO WIPE YOUR POSTERIOR OR AS A FIRE STARTER." I THINK THAT DAY IS EITHER HERE OR FAST APPROACHING.....

SO I CONVERTED GREENBACKS TO USEFUL ASSETS. THIS SURVIVAL SITE PUTS TOGETHER A NICE LIST OF THE USEFUL TANGIBLES. THINGS THAT CAN BE USED TO GROW A GARDEN, HEAT A LIVING SPACE, GET FUEL, STAY WARM, KEEP FROM GETTING SICK, STAY WARM WHEN OUTDOORS IN ADVERSE WEATHER, AND PICK OFF A VARMINT OR TWO (OR 12,000) TO GET SOMETHING FOR THE POT '0 STEW....

MY MORE TREASURED ITEMS INCLUDES A PORTABLE (80LB) CAMP STOVE WITH A 3 GALLON STAINLESS STEEL WATER JACKET, TWO SOLAR OVENS, TWO PORTABLE CAMP OVENS THAT I CAN USE TO BAKE FOUR LOAVES OF BREAD ON THE TOP OF THE PORTABLE CAMP STOVE, TWO GERMAN CROSS-CUT TWO MAN SAWS FOR BUCKING LOGS INTO FIRE WOOD AND ALL OF THE TOOLS USED IN "ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS" TO MAKE A MORE PERMANENT SHELTER. THE GOAL IS TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY ENOUGH FOOD FOR UP TO SEVEN YEARS (STARTING SMALL IF YOU ARE NOT THERE YET MAY BE TOO LATE - BUT PRAY ABOUT IT AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELVES FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES). IT MAY BE TIME TO THINK QUITE BIG AND ACT QUICKLY....

SILVER/GOLD ALSO COMES IN HANDY AS A BARTER ITEM UNTIL FOOD BECOMES SO SCARCE THAT 'YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO TRADE A CAT FOR A PILE OF GOLD' TO LOOSELY QUOTE BRIGHAM YOUNG.

DOES IT SOUND LIKE I HAVE TOTALLY FLIPPED OUT?? I WOULD SAY YES. BUT THEN, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A VERY CONSERVATIVE GAMBLER (READ - NONE) AND I WILL LEAVE THE RISK TO OTHERS WITH MORE NERVES OR STUPIDITY. JUST TO ILLUSTRATE, I LOST A WHOPPING 1% IN THE LAST 2 YEARS OF "DOWN JONES" NIGHTMARE (MOSTLY ON SOME BOEING STOCK...), WHILE MOST OF MY COMPADRES LOST ON THE ORDER OF 40%. THIS IS PRECISELY WHY I STILL HAD SOMETHING LEFT TO INVEST IN A FEW TANGIBLES....

LIKE I HAVE BEEN ASKING PEOPLE LATELY, "HOW IS YOUR FOOD STORAGE?". I HAVE FINALLY PUT MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS AND MADE BETTER THAN MY USUAL RESPONSE OF "YEAH, I PROBABLY HAVE AROUND 3 MONTHS WORTH...".

MY GREATEST MOTIVATION IS HAVING SEEN SUFFERING CHILDREN IN BRAZIL. I DO NOT WANT TO PUT MY OWN IN THAT SITUATION DUE TO MY OWN LACK OF CONCERN. I CANNOT THINK OF A GREATER PERSONAL HELL THAN WATCHING MY OWN PROGENY SUFFER - WHEN I COULD HAVE HEEDED THE SIMPLE WHISPERINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND JUST GOOD OLD FASHIONED COMMON SENSE.

AT SOME POINT I WILL GET TOGETHER SOME DIGI PICS AND DO SOME NICE YOUTUBES OF THE WHOLE ASSEMBLED PILE OF STUFF TO GIVE A FLAVOR OF WHAT I HAVE DONE. IT WILL GO ON A SEPARATE "SURVIVALIST BLOG" CALLED "SURVIVIN' IN THE WOOD" - FOR ALL YOU WILD-EYED END TIMERS LIKE ME....