MONDAY-IT'S A BLAST

The clock was ticking and the time was flying. In regard to a slight miscue from our state government, we have daylight stealing time and it doesn't get full light too early. And since it is only a short span of time until we get to the longest day of the year it doesn't look like we will have much early morning light.

I now have 15 rows of corn in and 6 rows of shell-outs. Gotta 'nuff shell-out seed to do another 6 rows I think. My rows are not too long. Maybe 25' to 30'. That way I don't have to plant in a long row and worry about pollination. I plant them in a block. Any wind that comes along will scatter pollin over the crop. A trick to remember if you plant open pollinated crops. You are supposed to be able to plant in a swirl but I ain't got the hang of that yet. Squares and rectangles will do just fine.

I am not growing a regular garden, what I call a salad bar garden. And don't get me wrong, I love a good garden salad and the Handmaiden can sure crank out some good ones. But I am planting for bulk storage goods. I want corn and beans. If I can get 150 to 200 pounds of beans and corn for preps, plus next years seed, I will be a happy camper. I have no idea how many people I could get called upon to feed in hard times. My first customers would be my disreputable friends who live off of gaame most of the year. They like me and will keep me supplied with meat this Winter. My son will be in school and probably unable to come home for a turn at filling my freezer. But whatever the case, I will survive, unless God calls me home.

It is getting very dark outside and I think the weather prophets may have got it right this time. I just hope my seed doesn't get floated out of the ground. The rain is now falling very gently and not hammering the ground as I feared it would. I may get a break here.

I read Survival Blog today and laughed my ass off. I said some of the same words to my son about 13 years ago. It was a good feeling to see the lessons written so clearly. Rawles certainly did a good job on that one! Low kicks, punches, head butts and grappling are the way to go. That ol' boy who works in corections knew his stuff too. Get it over with, and get it done. If you haven't read Rawles' blog today I would recommend you get right to it. I only won one fight in my life using a high kick. I hit a guy with a round house right foot after I faked him with my hands. I was wearing steel toed work boots and the fight was over immediately. I saw my opponent the next day mowing a lawn. His ribs were taped extensively. The man insisted we go fight and we did.

At meeting last night a man spoke in th manner of our mentor and got on the refrain of "Have we heard the best song yet? Have we heard the best poem yet? Have we ate the best meal yet?" and on and on. Then he swtiched and aid "Do you think we have had the worst war yet? Have we seen the worst disaster yet? Has the worst famine come upon us already?" And his answer was NO. The greatest of everything still lies ahead of us, good and bad. And thus we prepare. We have the water and the soil and the availability of seed. It is time to use such things for our own good and the good of those who come among us. The hard times of war and invasion will not last forever. Things will get settled up and enemies will withdraw. And then we must go on with living, those of us still alive.

We can plan on surviving a war. We undestand that procedure and we understand the odds. But what are we doing to insure the lives of our friends and loved ones after the conflict has subsided. Don't lose sight of that objective. And don't lose sight of living with a group of people you can relate to and tolerate. It makes all the difference in the world.

Stay alive!

Michael

mboone@rtccom.net