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April 12, 2008 Newsletter
"Backbreaking Labor?" Yep! And Thank God for It! PLus: "yuppie survivalism," and random acts of civil disobedience
This is what I wrote in my last post: "get your rural remote land, do the back breaking labor it takes to plant your garden, spend your rapidly depreciating dollars on chickens and other livestock (just a few animals that you can afford to feed or grow feed for), build your animal enclosures and fences, grow your fruits and veggies, and grow enough so you can trade your extras for what you need, such as cow's milk, goat cheese, eggs, whatever." And I stand by it. Now, we started the "back breaking labor" part when we were still young enough (late 20s, early 30s) to do it without actually breaking our backs (and, I admit, my husband did most of the actual "back breaking" stuff with some assistance from me--I was either in college or teaching at the time). If you are in your 20s, 30s, and even early-mid 40s, now is definitely the time to "break" your back. But if you are already in your 50s or 60s, it will take more than adjusting your "physical limits" or endurance (I've known folks in their late 60s and 70s who have "cement-rocked in" their trailer, dug gravel out of riverbeds and loaded into pickups in order to fix their driveways, chopped wood, herded goats, built buildings, chased mountains lions...you get the idea). Don't let being 72 scare you into not moving out of the city/suburbs. Besides, at that age you just might be able to afford to buy a place already worked for gardens, livestock, and some of the rest. (You will, however, still have to chop your own wood unless you have the money to hire someone to chop it for you...or have one of those wood splitting machines. And you will still have to plant your own garden and water it). And if you are in such bad shape that you can't move away from your doctor/pharmacy/HMO, then you don't need to be moving out, period. Further, you will learn to thank God that He is putting you through this: after all, planet Earth and your life is just a "proving ground." But what am I saying! You already know that! You don't need inspiration from me! If you are reading this website, you are already doing it or you are planning to or you really want to do this but have an issue to two to resolve before you do, such as money or sick-nearby-relative or money or job issues or money or hayfever or money or physical handicap or money or you-do-but-your-spouse-doesn't or money...
Now, what inspired me to do this post: I recently read in the NY Times online about the "new wave" trend of "survivalists" that just might be sweeping the rural remote near you: "yuppie survivalists," where "survivalism" doesn't mean a lone camo-clad wackjob laden with cans of survival food and ammo "waiting out Armeggeddon" in a rustic cabin anymore. And what further inspired me was that one of the yuppies interviewed had a "simple cabin" in the remote desert of West Texas! In other words, this guy is out here in my neck of the woods! (Which is fine as long as he doesn't show up in my neck of the mountains!) Yuppie alert! Yuppie alert! (In case you didn't notice, I don't like yuppies--except for my brother, who, I hate to say it, was raised to be a yuppie. I, on the other hand, became a non-conformist despite the best wishes of my parents. My mother had hoped I'd become a secretary! HA! Here is why I don't like yuppies: one, they are mostly tools of the establishment whether they know it or not [you know, THEM]; two, they are too materialistic for their own good; three, they think they know it all; four, they lack any kind of humility except the phony kind; five, and most of all, they make it difficult for the rest of us to live our non-conformist lives the way we see fit and have a streak of "clean-green fascism" (to use a term I've seen over at Cryptogon.com many times) or have no clue about why the Nature Conservancy, for one, is buying up all that land around them. It's no fun explaining 'eminent domain' to a yuppie, that's for sure! Okay, okay, much of this is stereotype, but all the yuppies I have known except my brother and his family fit any or all of these categories.). And, of course, true remnant survivalists aren't very likely to take a clue from this Times piece: it was in the "Fashion and Style" section! Now here is the clue statement in the article that whoever wrote this piece has never spent a day out in the rural remote, is totally clueless (or at least as clueless as his readers), and is doing it solely because some editor told him to (being the "new trend" and all):
"At times" (the article states) "a degree of paranoia is officially sanctioned. In the 1950s, civil defense authorities encouraged people to build personal bomb shelters because of the nuclear threat. In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security encouraged Americans to stock up on plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal windows in case of biological or chemical attacks.Now, however, the government, while still conducting business under a yellow terrorism alert, is no longer taking a lead role in encouraging preparedness. For some, this leaves a vacuum of reassurance, and plenty to worry about."
Naturally, this writer won't explain why "the goverment" is not "taking a lead role in encouraging preparedness." Perhaps because the government really doesn't want a remnant out there who will (I hope) be capable of surviving THEIR attempts to round us all up, and/or resist? You do remember what Bush said after 9-11: "Go shopping!" Bush didn't say, "Prepare for a terrorist attack!" and he didn't say, "Prepare for economic crash." God forbid, says "the government," that any Americans will think of themselves first and THEM last and do what anyone free of mindless propaganda would do when terror strikes or the government does what governments always do: take away power from the people and give it to themselves. Heaven help the people should there be those of us who "worry" about this before it becomes "trendy" and everyone is "doing it." And, of course, the article does its PC part in assuring that this is the right thing to do because of "global warming." And what are the yups gonna do when they realize that wood burning stoves release quite a "carbon footprint"? Have a hissy fit? Maybe that's why that Morgan Stanley guy who opens the piece recommends stockpiling wine! What I want to know is, reading "survival" books aside where the book can teach you how to hunt or fish, is this: heck, the book might even teach you how to clean your fish, skin your deer, and gut it. But are you yuppies willing to get your hands all dirty and smelly and yucky? NOW THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD!!! If any of you yuppies succeed in this, let me know, and I will publish (with permission, of course) some of your story. Prove me wrong about yuppies!
Some random acts of civil disobedience...and there will be more, rest assured...
First, the independent semi-truck haulers "strikes" in various parts of this big huge country that, should this be sustained, could bring nearly all commerce to a halt. I have seen this on several sites but read it here first. Then there is the west coast longshoremen's "8 hour" work stoppage to stop the war, here. (Of course if they stopped work for a couple of days it would be better, but remember we are dealing with a longshoremen's union here. Knowing what I know about longshoremen [the movie "On the Waterfront" is not that far off the mark; I've known longshoremen who were so in hock to the mafia that they committed suicide], I am surprised that these folks are even thinking about it, though.) Then there are going to be various protest marches in DC this coming weekend and on the 15th (tax day). I won't be to any of them, because I'm not into wasting my time trying to get the government to do stuff I know they won't do, like end the war in Iraq. Why should they? Congress critters have a $196 million dollar stake in the military-industrial complex, led by "antiwar" Senator Kerry! I have better ideas that one has control over, can actually affect an outcome, and can, little by little, bring down an unjust system. First, don't vote except for local offices (as I keep saying, do you really want to vote for McCain or Obama [or Clinton]?). Second, stop buying "stuff" except for stuff like food, gasoline, energy, building materials for your garden/livestock pens/storage buildings or the house you are building, or any other necessities. Third, learn how to make your own clothing, can food, slaughter livestock humanely, use permaculture techniques (we had a class out here in our mountain community in 1994 taught by none other than Bill Mollison!). Fourth, learn first aid, and get at least ECA (Emergency Care Attendant) Certified--every family setup should have at least one ECA. Every community should have several, with at least one EMT-Basic, and at least two EMT-Intermediates and/or Paramedics. Fifth, get involved with your local volunteer Fire Department and learn how to deal with fires. Sixth, if you don't have a "country store," build one or set up a community store (CC&R covenants permitting) and have it stock up on staples like milk, toilet paper, etc. Seventh, have at least one person in your community that knows extreme survival techniques, such as starting a fire without matches using a stick to create a spark or collecting water in a dry season or fending off the likes of cougars or bears. Watch Discovery Channel's "Survivorman" or "Man versus Wild." Believe it or not TV can actually teach you something. "Bizarre Foods" on the Food Network can also be instructive. Have your children take martial arts classes if these are available (especially your daughters!). All family members in the remote need to learn firearms use, for self-defense and hunting, and for pity sake, learn how to catch fish! Eighth, learn how to repair your vehicles. You women need to learn how to change tires (try doing it when 7 months pregnant like I had to!), change out filters, change your oil/transmission/brake fluids (don't try this when pregnant, however, because these involve bending over the hood or getting under your vehicle's carriage!), and other simple maintenance techniques. Nine, learn how to "use the facilities" in the wild: how to dig holes for feces, and dealing with wiping yourself and covering it up...what do you think Natives did out on the prairies 200 years ago without toilet paper? Rocks, for one thing! Women need to learn the fullproof way to squat to "pee" (as men have no such problems)...and know how to make make-shift "pads" when the need arises. Or you women can buy a ten year's supply or something. Ten, learn what availble herbs in the wild can do. One can find hyssop (respiratory), horehound (sore throat cold), and aloe vera (native or not) almost anywhere, even if you have to buy a plant. (WARNING: Consult your doctor!) Also: know which native plants not to mess with (a neighbor of ours almost died on dutara plants he thought were edible and asked his wife to cook). Eleven, if at all possible, learn how to live off the grid for, say, a week, because in a crisis the first areas that will lose electric power will be rural and remote areas. When you build your house, make sure you have an alternative to electric cooking (either propane or wood stove. A propane stovetop with electric ignition is also good, because if the electric goes out you can light these with a match. If you run out of propane, however, you might have problems unless you have a wood burning cooking set up). Twelve, become as self-sufficient as is feasilbe, and this can be done even if you don't want to leave the city/suburbs: make sure you have a gun or two and PLENTY of ammo, however, and just pray you don't have to shoot your neighbors when they run out of food. Thirteen, and most vitally, MAKE SURE YOU CAN SUPPLY ALL THE WATER YOU NEED! If you live near water holes or have them on your property, learn what you have to do to make this water potable and even drinkable. The Katadyne water filtration system (Google it) can supply you with most if not all your water drinking needs (WARNING: this is not a recommendation to buy or use or an endorsement, but I know some folks who wouldn't do without one!).
Like what you read? Then subscribe to the Something Happening Here Newsletter! I do not have a set time for it to come out, but I try to make a newsletter once a week or as much as possible with hints and tips on how to live better and more naturally on your rural remote land. From handling garden insects to collecting valuable resources like water and firewood to raising your children to dealing with neighbors, I believe my 25 years experience living on the land can help you make the most of your rural remote life.
