Okay! As we get deeper into our methods of survival after a brutal hit upon the country we come to the point where all the family members are accounted for and we go on from there. Lets hope everyone made it okay. But you have done what you could and now you adjust your life to reality conditions. What's next?
Well, how about checking on the home? Is it secure? Is it burning or smoldering? Have any explosions torn it apart or damaged it? Better have a look. A short exam should tell you quickly what the state of your state is. If it has been hurt then you know where you have to begin. A lumber stash and some extra roofing will come in handy right about now. Those extra nails you have stored away will be nice, as well as hammers and hand saws. You won't be able to count on electrical power so have some basic hand tools. In any event, have the home fixed as quickly as possible.
This will be the time to check on other people also. A quick check on the other folks will save you many headaches in the near future. Medical attention must be addressed at this time. All those books you have read about what to do when there is no doctor can come in to play at this point. And having the books will be a blessing. You probably wont be able to access the Internet and Google for a damn thing. What you brung will be what you run.
We have to immediately think about security. You can't count on a damn thing unless you can secure it. So we are involved in damage repair, medical care, and security of the group. A few folks will need to be tending to water and food, of course. I was reading some Doomer the other week and he said that the first three days of a stressed out survival existance are the hardest on the body. Stress is a killer. Watch other folks constantly for symptoms of too much stress. The Doomer also said to feed out heavy for those first three days. Get the calories a rollin'! Don't start a rationing program right from the start. Wait until the three days are up and then take a look at your food supply situation. After the three day onslaught you can do things with your food that wil be beneficial to the whole bunch of you.
All that seed you will have purchased and stored will look mighty nice about now. So will all those rice and beans and corn in bags and buckets. Some Hormel Chilli will be nice too! Don't get too bent out of shape if you store away some luxuries or treats. A good bowl of Chili or a candy bar will make you feel like a regular person instead of a refugee or a deprived person. Kids will like a treat too. Do what you can.
If it is Springtime then get busy with a garden. If you don't have a tiller then get out the shovels and get to turning that dirt over. It's hard work but it has a profitable ending. Don't forget to save some seed! That is next years garden! You did get non-hybrid seed didn't you?
If it is Summer then put in a garden of quick growing vegetables. Here in Indiana it will have to be crops that like heat and humidity. We get a lot of that for about 3 months every year. Harvest your vegetables and save what crop you can. Again, save some seed!
If it is Fall then just plant your Garlic and Potato Onions. They will Winter over just fine. Save some crop for the next planting. You almost can't grow too much Garlic. It is a fine immuno-system builder and stengthener. And you want your system to have all the goodies in it to make you healthy. All kinds of things can attack you and having a body primed to heal itself is a must thing. Medicines don't cure a damn thing!
The Fall is when you top off your firewood accumulation. It's when you put up those last few ricks to make sure you can cook and heat throughout the cold days ahead. Cutting emergency firewood in the Winter can be a huge downer. Get it done before the cold weather sets in. This is the time you will start smoking meat for the Winter months. Get it done.
Winter is the time of tending to health and safety. You eat your Garlic every day. You make sure there are no fire hazards developing. You watch other peoples health, ezpecially the aged and the very young.
But all the while you keep up your security. It can get to the point that anyone alive is considered a target by freebooters. If you are alive then you must have food and food will get you killed under the wrong circumstances. Keep your weapons clean and lubricated. Not excessive oil! It can congeal and give you fits when your action won't hardly function. Cheak on some of that graphite lube. It might be a benefit to you.
Hunt for game and fish for fish. All that you can. Learn how to smoke meat and make jerky. The refrigerator might not ever work again. I have a brand new fiberglass cane pole and I will catch all the meat I can eat with it. It is not for trophy Bass. It is for putting MEAT on the table. Good old protein. Whittail deer will feed your group for a few days with no problem. Rabbits and squirrels can fill in the gaps. Birds of all descriptions can make the beans and corn bread a lot more nourishing. Any critter you have that you can milk will be a blessing beyond belief. A glass of milk for adults and children alike will be wonderful for keeping up your bone strength. Old folks get out of the habit of drinking milk and they should not allow that habit to creep into their anatomy. Goat's milk is wonderful and is very tolerable to people who can't digest cow's milk. The butter and cream is just like wonderful times again!
Fats, or oils, are going to be precious in the future. No more going to the store and buying some perverted crap called "healthy" and frying your food in it. No more going to the store and buying crap oil to put on your salad. You will produce your own oil or you will do without. I would suggest keeping a couple brood sows in a secure pen and keeping them producing litters. You can render hog fat and get some of the best lard for cooking known to man. I now women who can make some delicious salad topping with lard. And you can cook your eggs in it. And your venison hamburger. And pieces of Tweety Bird for your cornmeal mush. Good eating! A good producing cooking oil routine will give you some valuable barter tools also. Everyone will be looking for lard and butter to cook with. Don't leave this out of your survial plans!
There is the matter of taking in new members to your little group. Get used to the idea. They can use you to stay alive and you can use them for the same purpose. The trick is to get more production than they consume. Be thinking about that. Treat your joiners with kindness and justice. But you can take your own sweet time about letting them have ownership or leadership. Don't give the ship away when it is on the waves! Keep control. You had the foresight to make a survival retreat so your thinking should count for a lot. Make sure it does. And continue to stay alive.
Michael
mboone@rtccom.net
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