Words of Wisdom...

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy
out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything
that the government does not first take from somebody else.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work
because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other
half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is
going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end
of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

~~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers , 1931 to 2005 ~~~

Global food Catastrophe

The world is heading for a drop in agricultural production of 20 to 40 percent, depending on the severity and length of the current global droughts. Food producing nations are imposing food export restrictions. Food prices will soar, and, in poor countries with food deficits, millions will starve. Read Report here..... (Long but worth the read)

Get busy and get as much food stored as possible for your family's survival. Agriculture is not looking good this year.

Mamma Bear

The Survivors Club widget

This is interesting, I took the quiz. I am a connector. In the comment section....let us know what you are.

Patriot March

PS... Due to the weather I didn't get to attend but here is a small clip from the local media. It was my understanding that over 150 more cities did this at the same time. We need a lot more!





If you are keeping up with the Bay Patriots meetings and web site, today is the day for our Patriot March.! For those of you who live in or near Bay County, we welcome you to join us. We will begin at noon today at the downtown Civic Center on the Marina and end at McKenzie Park which is only a few blocks.

Our weather is looking a little nasty so I don't know if I will be able to attend with my son (he's in a wheelchair) but Papa Bear will be there and I will be there in spirit! Hopefully the weather will clear and we will all get to attend.

Mamma Bear

Heirloom Seeds

I got my tomato seeds started a week or two ago. I ordered my heirloom seeds from Baker Creek. There was a quote on the seed package that I thought I would share.

"The federal government has sponsored research that has produced a tomato that is perfect in every respect, except that you can't eat it. We should make every effort to make sure this disease, often referred to as 'progress', doesn't spread.

-Andy Rooney

To insure your family's health and survival. Please order, plant and grow heirloom seed!

Mamma Bear

Our Flag

_Our Flag

Our Flag is a glorious ensign,
Our Nation in epitome;
Its red...our blood,
Its stars...our world,
Its blue...our loyalty!

It is the Mayflower Compact;
It is Washington at Valley Forge'
Declaration of Independence
From the rule of tyrannical scourge;
It is Lawrence aboard the Chesapeake;
Calling, "Men, don't give up the ship!"
And Macarthur's grave, "I shall return!"
Stout heart, proud mien, and firm lip.
It is Eisenhower winning a beachhead;
And doughboys longing for home;
It is Flander's Fields with white crosses spread;
And Old Glory over Capitol dome!

To the strains of the Star-Spangled Banner
Loyal hearts of all fifty states
Swell with pride as they sing of the splendor
And valor this epic relates.
But it is more than an emblazoned emblem,
Or poem of our Land's history;
It is a prayer for continued freedom,
And prophetic of what we can be!

Our Flag is our great Constitution;
It is Lincoln's Gettysburg speech;
A brilliant banner of freedom
To sing, pray, worship, and preach
Of God's Son, our Blessed Redeemer,
Who died for us on the Cross
That we might know Him as Savior
From sin and of all of its dross.

Now, with this liberty threatened,
We must keep faith with our flag;
Give our best to God and our country
And never let our interest lag.
We must pledge to it new allegiance,
The Republic too, and then stand
One Nation under God, indivisible,
With justice for all in the land.

Our Flag is far more than a bunting,
This poem, and prayer, prophecy...
Is a Nation led of Almighty God,
America, Land of the Free!

By Jessie Whiteside Finks

Have a great weekend everyone!

Garden Tillers

Our tiller is on it's last leg. I got it out today, filled it with gas, a couple of pulls and it started. uh oh.... it would not go into gear. Papa Bear said the gears were frozen. He tried putting a pipe wrench on the little shaft thingy and turn it....uh oh again....it broke. He now has a pair of channel locks on it to get into into forward motion. Anyway....while the big guy was busy breaking (I mean repairing) the tiller I decided to check Sears and Lowe's to see what they had and see if we could squeeze another one into the budget.

Now this time of year in northwest Florida, Sears and Lowes usually have tillers out of the ying yang, all lined up outside the stores and inside on display. Not today. I checked the web site of stores with-in 100 miles and all are showing sold out of the rear tine which is what I want (I don't think anyone could give me a front tine). I called Sears to see if maybe the web site wasn't updated and to see if they had one in stock. After 3 calls someone finally answered who wouldn't have known a tiller if it ran him down. A few more minutes on hold he came back and told me they didn't have a rear tine but they had an electric tiller with an edger. I have no idea what he was talking about. I went back to Sears web site and after putting one in the cart was informed that it could not be delivered to the store for pick up but for an additional $65.00 it could be delivered to my home in 2 to 7 days. What's up with that? I am ready to plant my potatoes today! Anyone else seeing items like this selling out so fast at the start of the season. Makes one wonder what else is going to be sold out that I really need.

I did not order one as I do not know if I would even get it in 2 to 7 days. I am going to use the one that is chugging along with a pair of channel locks to change the gears until it dies completely. :0)

100 Items Likely to disappear First in a Panic

Remember the Y2K scare? This is a list of 100 items that was selling out at a rapid rate. I don't know if some of these things are still available but my neighbor gave the list to me and thought I would share.

1 Generators
2 Water filters
3 Portable Toilets
4 Seasoned firewood
5 Lamp Oil
6 Coleman Fuel
7 Guns,Ammunition,cleaning kits, .22, 12 ga pump and 308's
8 Hand Can Openers
9 Honey, Syrups, white and brown sugars
10 Rice, Beans, Wheat
11 Vegetable Oil
12 Charcoal
13 Water Containers
14 Cast Iron Propane Heater
15 Grain Grinder (non-electric)
16 Propane Cylinders
17 Y2K Survival Guides
18 Mantles (Aladdin, Coleman etc)(tape these under your lanterns for storage)
19 Baby Supplies (diapers, formula, ointments, aspirin)
20 Washboards, Mop Buckets with wringers (use for laundry)
21 Cook stoves (Propane, Coleman,Kerosene or wood)
22 Vitamins
23 Oil 2-cycle and regular
24 Feminine Hygiene, haircare, skin products
25 Thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)
26 Bow saws, axes, hatchets & wedges (also, files and other sharpening tools)
27 Aluminum foil Regular & Heavy Duty (great cooking & barter item)
28 Gasoline containers
29 Garbage Bags (Impossible to have too many)
30 Toilet paper, Kleenex, Paper towels
31 Milk powdered and Condensed (shake liquid every few months)
32 Garden Seeds (Non-hybrid) (A Must)
33 Clothes Pins, lines hangers
34 Coleman's Pump repair kit (this number is included, I don't know if it's still good 1-800-835-3278)
35 Tuna Fish (in oil)
36 Fire Extinguisher or large box of baking soda in every room
37 First Aid Kits
38 Batteries (all sizes) watch expiration dates (solar charger if affordable)
39 Garlic, spices, vinegar, baking supplies
40 Big Dogs and lots of dog food
41 flour, yeast & salt
42 Matches (wooden matches will go first)
43 writing paper, pads, pencils and solar calculator
44 Insulated ice chest (good for keeping things from freezing in extreme weather)
45 Work boots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46 Flashlights, Lightsticks and torches
47 Journals, Diaries and scrapbooks
48 Garbage cans (plastic with wheels if you plan to use them for hauling water)
49 Men's Hygiene (shampoo, tooth brush, tooth paste, mouth wash, floss, nail clippers, anti-acid and diarrhea medication)
50 Cast Iron Cookware
51 Fishing Supplies and tools collapsible to fit in backpack
52 Mosquito coils, repellent sprays and creams
53 Duct Tape, rolls of Visqueen (plastic film) (Used to tape up broken windows )
54 Tarps, stakes, twine, nails, rope, spikes
55 candles
56 Liquid Laundry detergents
57 Back Packs, fanny pack, bug-out bags, duffel bags
58 Garden tools & supplies
59 Scissors, fabrics, sewing supplies
60 Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, Stews, etc
61 Bleach (plain not scented)
62 Canning Supplies (jars, lids, wax) Non electric canner
63 Knives & Sharpening Tools (files and stones)
64 Bicycles (tires, tubes, pumps, chains, etc)
65 Sleeping Bags, wool blankets, pillows and mats)
66 Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67 Board Games, Cards, Dice
68 Rat and Roach Poisons
69 Mouse Traps
70 Paper plates, Cups, Utensils
71 Baby Wipes, Oils, waterless and anti-bacterial soaps
72 Rain Gear, rubberized boots, etc
73 Shaving Supplies (razors, creams, talc, after shave (nah...grow a beard)
74 Hand Pumps and Siphons (get one for water and one for fuel)
75 Soy Sauce, vinegar, bullion, gravy and soup bases
76 Reading glasses
77 Chocolate, cocoa, Tang, Punch (water enhancers)
78 Survival-In-A-Can (I have no idea what this is but it's on the list)
79 Woolen Clothing scarves, ear muffs, mittens
80 Camping & Wilderness Survival by Paul Tawell (list says can be bought at Scout Headquarters)
81 Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (Manco)
82 Graham Crackers, Saltines, Pretzels, Trail Mix, Jerky
83 Pop Corn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84 Socks, Underwear, t-shirts, etc (buy extra)
85 Lumber (all types)
86 Wagons & Carts
87 Cots & Inflatable Mattresses
88 Gloves (Work, warming and gardening)
89 Lantern hangers
90 Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
91 Teas
92 Coffee
93 Bible
94 Compass & Radio
95 Paraffin Wax
96 Chewing Gum & Candy
97 Atomizers (for cooling and bathing)
98 hats & cotton neckerchiefs
99 goats, chickens and rabbits
100 Pitcher Pump and extra gaskets

Building Your Emergency Food Storage

Start by building a 3 month supply of foods you and your family will eat. If you are just starting out, commit to at least $5.00 a week out of your budget. $5.00 should be doable for anyone. Give up that cup of Starbucks for a day, take leftovers to work for lunch for one day. Ladies....manicure your own nails and save that money to put back food for your family. There are many small ways to save a few dollars to use for your food investment. For $5.00, this is one example of what I could buy using store brands.

1 package of dried beans
1 package of Goya (Concentrated Ham seasoning) use to season dry beans and peas and has 10 envelopes in the package
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 package of spaghetti noodles
1 large container of oatmeal

This sample would make 4 meals of lunches and dinners and many meals for breakfast for 3 to 4 people.

$5.00 could purchase both a 5 pound bag of flour and cornmeal using store brands. This will begin the stores for bread baking items to serve with your meals to make them more filling. If you save your $5.00 for 3 weeks. That $15.00 can be spent on a large box of Carnation Instant Milk to make 22 quarts of Milk which is 5 1/2 gallons. This milk is good to drink if made the night before and chilled. You can also purchase the chocolate or strawberry powder or syrup if you have children who really balk at drinking instant milk. The instant milk can be used in any recipe that calls for regular milk and I promise you will not know the difference.

Check to see if you have any grocery outlets in your area. Most of these stores sell items at cost plus a 10% surcharge. We have two and the savings are well worth the extra miles I drive to get to one of them. Also...if you shop in or near an upper class neighborhood, consider checking out prices on the other side of town. Stores sometimes charge higher prices in different areas of town.

What I am trying to show is that by starting small and adding things weekly, you will soon have a 3 months supply of emergency food storage. Make 6 copies of the following chart. This will be for a 3 month food supply. Write in your daily menus and then make a shopping list of all items it will take to prepare the food. Every time you go shopping purchase something that will go into your emergency food supply. I personally only buy items that does not have to be frozen or refrigerated just in case our emergency causes loss of electricity.

Two Week Menu

Day #	Breakfasts	Lunches	Dinners	Snacks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Dried Beans and Peas in your Preps

Dried Beans in your stored food will provide a great variety in your menu. Did you know there is even recipes to use them in pies and cakes? There are many types of dried beans and usually one recipe can be substituted for another. A simple dried bean meal is easily prepared and will give you a good warm comfort meal that is very filling especially if you make a pan of cornbread to go with your pot of beans or peas. A very simple way to prepare the beans is on every package. Here in the south we add chunks of ham in some form for seasoning. If you get to the point where you don't have meat for seasoning, plan to add Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate to your food stores. You can find this in the spice section or the Kosher food section of your grocery store. I think there is 10 packages in one box and 1 package will act as your ham seasoning to your beans or peas and a box of this seasoning is between $1.00 and $2.00.

One pound of dried beans or peas will usually equal out to 3 pounds of prepared food so you can easily see how your dollar can be stretched. In our grocery stores, most of these dried beans and peas are on the average about $1.00 a package. If you have access to a Sam's Club, a 25 pound bag of Pinto beans is under $15.00 which will give you 75 pounds of prepared food. That's a lot of bang for your buck! If you plan on growing your Patriot Garden this year, simply allow a section of the beans on your plants to dry and you can store your own.

One of the things I can't stress enough is to learn how to cook if you don't know how. Beans are an easy way to start. Follow the recipe, once the water in the beans is boiling turn your heat down and let them simmer. Keep them stirred and if the water is cooking out, add more hot water a little at a time until the beans or peas or tender.

Beans and Peas are also an excellent item for outdoor cooking on a fire or camp stove. The following are links to recipes. You are sure to find a few that you and your family will love.

Southern Cooking Pinto Beans

Dried Bean Recipes

Pinto Beans Recipes

Dutch Oven Recipe for Outdoor Cooking


Brenda
Mamma Bear

Obesity Tax

Last night I was talking to my friend who lives in New York about the obesity tax that is supposedly going to help the state of New York. I am all for trying to be healthy but I am reminded of the words of Thomas Jefferson. You know.....Our forefathers were so smart in knowing what was coming!

"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls who live under tyranny." Thomas Jefferson

Cayenne Pepper in your first aid kit

There are a lot of links for uses of Cayenne Pepper. Google it to find your favorite, here is one with a lot of info that I like. The only kind of Cayenne I have is the big container I purchased from Sam's. This article says that the ones in the grocery will be irradiated and not as useful so plan to grow your own, let it dry and then crush it to powder form. You can also get the good stuff in vitamin shops or on-line.

Although mine came from the grocery, I had the unfortunate opportunity to see how it worked. A few weeks ago I was cutting some fronds off of one of the Pindo Palm trees. They have a vicious saw tooth edge. I was cutting one above my head and before I could step out of the way, it crashed down and split the entire back of my ear open all the way down to the lobe which was split pretty bad. After the big guy cleaned it off with a clean towel, I had him to sprinkle the Cayenne powder on it. I stopped bleeding at once and the pepper only stung the first few seconds of applying. The cut healed up pretty quick with no sign of infection. I am now using it mixed with warm water to see if I can control my high blood pressure. Not exactly pleasant to swallow down but it is tolerable.

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Hope for the Best, but Plan for the Worst...

The fact that the title is not foreign to most says alot. It's everyones innate desire to have good, but you cannot let that blind you to reality. Hope for the best, but plan now for the possibilities that could happen. As Mamma Bear points out, food in the pantry, is worth alot more to you and your loved ones, than money in the bank, I mean when TSReallyHTF. We tend to have short memories, and we often choose to see the past through rose colored glasses. Noone wants to dwell on the bad times, they usually try and remember just the good. As a friend of mine told me years ago though, "If the good-ole days were as good as we choose to remember them, we never would've tried to change them", we'd be were we were 10 years ago. Planning it seems, is harder to do than it appears, for no real reason. We all sit around and 'plan', but do little about those elaborate plans. Now is the time to take action on those plans you've been making. It will be a rewarding feeling, to look in your pantry, and know... we've enough food in there to sustain ourselves for _______ you choose the amount of time you'd like to not HAVE to go to the store, if there's anything left there to buy, that you could afford. When making a plan, you should remember the acronym PACE;
Primary
Alternate
Contingent
Emergency

It's not just one plan, it's a series of plans. Our Primary plan is to keep the pantry shelves full, and rotate stock as we find stuff on special, our Alternate plan, is to have a stockpile of long shelf life stables stored up whereever, our Contingent plan is to grow and raise our own food here on the farm, and our Emergency plan is to arm ourselves properly, so that when push comes to shove, we're not the ones bringing a knife to a gun fight...

Of course, there are many other nuances embedded in there, but you get the picture. Odds are, you cannot plan for everything, all the time, so you set up a series of plans for how you and your family would survive, as I mention before, a variety of different circumstances, from a week of infrastructure degredation due to a Hurricane, to the full-blown looting and rioting mayhem in the streets because of an oppressive regime/society.

What you decide to do is not as important yet as THAT you decide, and take action. Your plan and level of comfort will become clearer and you'll attain a sense of security and satisfaction with each action step you take (after your through just thinking about it).

So, dear friends and readers, Hope for the Best, but PLAN NOW FOR THE WORST.

Ewe

Amber Alert

I couldn't make all of this copy so here is the link Missing From:		Satsuma, FL
Missing Date:		02/10/2009 12:00 AM
Issued for:		Florida: Statewide
Contact:		If you have information, please contact Putnam County Sheriff's Office, 386-329-0808, 911
Circumstances:		Update: Added child's photo The 5 year-old child was last seen in the area of Hermit's Cove in Satsuma, FL. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear.

Name: Haleigh Cummings Alias: Hair Color: Blnd Eye Color: Brn Skin Color: Whi Age: 5 Height: 3' Weight: 39lbs Gender: Female Description: Pink shirt and underwear

Unbelievable!

The idiots in Washington are not even watching what they say any longer. It is infuriating. I am one of the "chattering class", I care what you are doing to my country. The good people in NY should tar and feather this guy and run him out of town!

Revolution

Mayberry posted a link on his blog to a great article. We are feeling a little revolutionary. How about you? Here's a little paragraph to wet your whistle....... and now for my disclaimer....for entertainment purposes only......

One of these days a truly charismatic individual is going to walk out of the heartland of America and point out that the Declaration of Independence has never been repealed and that it *requires* all citizens to rise up against an oppressive government. With the current attitude toward our government and the people who populate it, a massive groundswell of support for throwing the current crop to the dogs and starting over again might not be so difficult. Read the entire article here

I was totally shocked to see it was written in 1994. If we had only known then, what we know now!

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Seed Starting

Here in NW Florida we are about 6 to 8 weeks away from our last frost. This week I will be starting some seeds to get a jump on the season and they are heirloom seed to ensure I have a continuous supply of fresh vegetables in years to come. Saving seed is very easy and we will explore that subject later but for now we will stick to starting our spring and summer gardens.

There are many methods to starting seed. If you have a successful method stick to it and consider sharing it with the rest of us in the comment section. I for one like the jiffy plugs as shown in the picture. They are available almost anywhere that sell garden supplies. If you do a search on-line you may find them cheaper even paying shipping especially if you need a large quantity.

I soak my plugs with warm water until they swell up about 3 times their height and they are then ready for my seed. I am starting Broccoli, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, cayenne pepper and eggplants in these little plugs. During the year I save plastic meat trays, butter and margarine containers, plastic deli containers and will round up any food storage containers that I have lost lids to and place my plugs in these. Most of these plugs will have a small pre-drilled hole in them. I can drop the seed in the center and it is up to you if you want to give it a little squeeze to close up the hole but most seed will sprout fine without doing so. Cover your containers with plastic wrap or slip them into a clear plastic bag. This acts as a mini greenhouse, it will help hold in the heat and prevent them from drying out so fast. Place your containers in a warm area that will receive sunlight for most of the day. If you have a florescent shop light that you can hang a few inches above your seed plugs, this works great for a form of artificial light. A timer is real helpful if you are like me and forget to turn it on and off.

Once the first little seedling sprouts, uncover the container even if the other seeds aren't up. Rotate the containers daily or at least every few days, don't let your plugs dry out. It is very easy to add water to the container and let the plugs soak up what they need. If they haven't used it all in an hour or so, you may want to drain off the excess water so your seedlings don't rot. Once my seedlings get a couple of leaves, I start giving them a very week solution of water soluble plant food like Miracle Grow or Peters when they are thirsty. If you have a fresh water aquarium and it's time to clean it, your little plants will love some of this water. If you have a compost pile you can also make compost tea and use this as well. To make the tea, add some compost to a burlap bag and tie it closed and soak it in a bucket of water for at least 5 days. You can also spray the tea on the seedling leaves to feed them or place it in the bottom of the containers. When your weather is frost free, harden off your seedlings by placing them in a protected area outside. Some people will suggest a few hours a day for a week or two but I have found if I place them under a tree for a few days I can then plant them directly in the garden with no problems. It will all depend on your area.

In the past I have also made my own seed starting pots. If you have kids, you can make it into a family project and give them their own container to be responsible for. Get them interested in gardening now. It may be a way of life for us all.

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Food Storage

Why do you ask should one store food and water? Think about this...... With all of the news reporting businesses closing and thousands loosing their jobs everyday, how safe is your job, how safe is your income? Will you be able to provide even the bare essentials for your family? How about your extended family if they have nowhere to go or no one to turn to. Would you turn them away? A fellow Blogger asked and answered the question. Why do I prepare?....Because I have children..... I like that, this is a family who is going to take care of their own. They are not going to wait or be obligated to the government for their family's livelihood. We are shown on a daily basis that we cannot trust those who govern our land to take care of anyone but themselves and whom they are obligated to and it certainly isn't "we the people."

Storing food for hard times is like money in the bank. Heaven knows if you are saving money in a savings account it is earning next to nothing so why not invest in yourself and family by storing extra food and supplies? If you listen to the economist, things are not going to get better or if they do, it is going to be a very long time. California is already reporting a severe drought now during the time they would normally be starting lettuce, melons and such for our markets. Many farmers are not even going to be able to plant this year. Farmers rely on small business loans to purchase their seed, fertilizer, etc. Many banks are not loaning money so these farmers cannot get the financing they would normally have to grow their crops. This means a shortage in our grocery stores and sky rocketing prices for the stores lucky enough to get produce. Fuel prices are starting to creep back up again. I don't know about your area but back during the summer in our area when fuel went so high, so did all of our groceries and supplies. When the fuel prices stated falling, most of the food and supplies stayed the same.

Here in Florida we know to keep a week or so of an emergency supply of food and water during hurricane season. If you are happy with those preparations, just extend it for at least 3 to 6 months if you are planning on growing and producing a lot of your own food. Remember, even a small yard can produce a lot of extra food for your family.

If you are just starting out, I know this is going to be over whelming but take a deep breath and we'll try to help you through. Many people have their own ideas for food storage and that is a good thing. We all can learn from one another. Please post your comments for any help you need and we will try our best to address each situation.

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Thoughts on Prepping...

In my daily grind of surfing the web, I revisited Wretha's Off-Grid blog, and she had some pretty insightful (read stinging) words on when and what to prep for, which essentially is any thing, at any time, but start NOW. It's like insurance, you can't buy it after the accident, and that's what prepping is all about, planning before TSHTF. There is A LOT of information about the doomsday looming out there, everything from Fire and Brimstone, to the aliens, and government oppression, and the full gamut of scenarios in between, including fire, famine, disease, and the like. There are gun-toters, passivists, alarmists, extremists, hippies, peaceniks, vegans, vegetarians. The challenge for each of us though, is to give serious thought and insight in to what prepping for ourselves and our loved ones really means. I've a vision of chaos in the streets, long(er) lines in the unemployment and welfare offices, soup kitchens, pan-handlers, etc. But I get the greatest comfort from hearing stories from the great depression for those who lived through it and didn't know that there was a depression. Not the 'So poor that we couldn't tell' things that make great lyrics, but the sincere, we lived a simple life, and for us, things never changed. I suppose it's alarming to listen to NPR's take on how to survive the second Great Depression.

I'm not sure how 'Deep In The Woods' readers here want to get about the reasons and need to prep for whatever emergencies might come up, so comments are extremely welcome, as indicators of topics to cover, from tje need to grow your own "Heirloom Vegatables" to cleaning your 9mm. Self-Sufficiency and sustainability should be a goal for everyone, but then again, not everyone is wired quite the same. What makes perfect sense to you and I, might be completely foreign to someone who seldom steps on grass.

As this Florida Prepper Network is just starting, I think it would be nice if those visiting this site gave an indication of how they came to the site, what they were looking for, and what information they'd like to see posted here.

Ewe

What's up with this?

Why do you suppose it is not going to be easy for these financial institutes to pay back the government? Do you believe nationalization is coming?

No Way out for TARP takers

Alternative Means of Communication

How many of you already have an alternative means of communication?

Other than smoke signals, during a disaster situation, do you have another means of outside communication? Even if you have cell-phone coverage at home, can you reliably count on that to communicate with the outside world during a disaster situation? Cold weather is one thing, but a national/regional disaster is an entirely different topic: even here in Florida, on 9/11/01, did you have reliable cell-phone service? I had limited and much interrupted cell phone service, from a national event localized to the Northeastern portion of the country. What happens when/if trouble loams closer? The simplest and most cost efficient method of outside communication would be a Citizens Band (CB) radio. CBs are cheap and easy to use, not to mention, most of them run on 12 Volt power. Those walky-talkies are convenient as well, for very short range communications with neighbors and such, but if you want information sent out on a broader area, you should consider purchasing a CB radio as part of your preps. Then, once you've that basic communications established, start considering becoming a licensed amateur radio operator (HAM). A Technicians license for HAM radio communications is rather simple to acquire, and the equipment, thanks to sites such as eBay, is easily attainable. Though you no longer need to know .- A, .- A, -.. B, -.. B, -.-. C, -.-. C (morse code), you do need some basic radio wave propogation theory for antennae adjustment, and familiarization with FCC regulations in order to be able to broadcast with any ummph over the airwaves. A Technicians license will give you the required knowledge, and it's also fun and informative to have a Short Wave, AM, SSB, or other alternative type of radio reception during a crisis. If you consider the ripple effects of national/regional/local emergencies, it'd be easy to consider that Television, cell-phone, or any other mediums requiring commercial power might not be available, with your own independent means of communication with the outside world, you could not only keep up with what's going on 'out there', but also transmit or retransmit information in a GLOBAL network. A CB radio will get you 'out there' several miles, and allow almost 'unlimited' re-transmittal of a message, not to mention that channel 9 is 'suppose to be' monitored by local emergency assistance personnel as well; however, a HAM station will let you communicate with Uganda, Africa with the right antennae array, and skip conditions, should you so desire. Just something to consider, when you consider preparations.

BTW, thanks again to the Florida Preppers Network moderator for allowing me to post to this forum. I also maintain a personal blog @ Ewe Remembered if you'd like to venture over and find out more about me and my experiences and current preps.

Ewe

Please welcome Jeff.....

The Scavenger from the Kentucky Preppers sent his Cuz" Jeff to assist us in our Florida Blog. Jeff has a personal blog as well on becoming self sufficient. Check it out here.

Thank you Jeff for volunteering!

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Present Weather Watches and Warnings.

Cover those veggies and bring in the animals! We have been getting hit with unusually cold weather (bring on global warming!) effecting crops as well as individual gardens and small farmers. Exposed pipes can be effected and burst. Additionally, with cold/dry weather, outside fires can get out of control. If you use space heaters or kerosene indoors be fire aware. Have extinguishes handy, and especially with kerosene heaters you must have windows cracked to avoid a build up of carbon monoxide (which will kill you while you sleep). Kerosene Heater Safety

The alert from: http://www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Freezing Temperatures and Cold Wind Chills Expected Across Much of the State This Morning...Another Freeze and Hard Freeze Possible Again Tonight Into Friday Across North Florida as well as Interior and Western Portions of Central and South Florida...All Floridians Strongly Encouraged to Use the "5 P's" of Cold Weather Safety...

The "5 P's" are: Protecting People, Protecting Plants, Protecting Pets, Protect Exposed Pipes, and Practice Fire Safety.

Updated 7:50 AM EST Thursday

After a very cold morning, with Hard Freeze, Freeze and Wind Chill Warnings in effect until 9am and 10am, strong high pressure will move east over North Florida today and tonight and keep cold and dry conditions across the state. Daytime temperatures will be warmer than Wednesday, but will still be about 10-15 degrees below normal in the upper 40s and low 50s north of I-4 and mid 50s to low 60s south of I-4. North winds of 5-10mph could again make temperatures feel a few degrees colder.

The extremely dry conditions will again elevate the risk of wildfires statewide today. Red Flag Warnings are in effect for the entire Florida mainland due to expected long durations of very low humidity values this afternoon. Humidity values will begin to moderate on Friday as winds begin to shift to the east, but dry air will remain over much of North and Central Florida and Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches are in effect for Friday afternoon. Residents and visitors to Florida are encouraged to be Firewise and practice fire safety during outdoor activities and when using indoor heating.


Sub-freezing temperatures are expected across portions of the state tonight. Unlike this morning, winds are expected to be completely or nearly calm tonight as high pressure centers over the Florida Big Bend and North Florida Peninsula. This will allow temperatures to drop quickly after sunset, with another night of temperatures dipping into the teens across interior locations of North Florida. Freezing conditions could range from 2 hours near the coast to over 14 hours across some North Florida areas. A Hard Freeze Warning is in effect for interior sections of the western Panhandle, all of the eastern Panhandle and Big Bend, Northeast Florida and Nature Coast, with Freeze Watches and Warnings in effect for much of interior East Central Florida, West Central Florida and inland Southwest Florida. With winds turning more to the east tonight along the Florida East Coast, coastal counties along the Space, Treasure and Gold Coasts are forecast to remain above freezing tonight. However, areas of frost will be possible across much of North and Central Florida, as well as western portions of South Florida tonight where lows reach into the mid 30s.

and Coming soon again!

Please welcome Tom (The Old Man) who will helping us with the Florida Preppers. We are looking forward to his help getting the Florida Preppers off the ground. The more info we can get out....the safer we are going to be!

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Fortune Cookie

After my son's doctors appointment yesterday, we stopped at a Asian restaurant for lunch. I usually find the messages in the fortune cookie amusing but wanted to share what was on the little piece of paper from my lunch. How true it is!

Where there is no vision,
the people perish

Brenda
Mamma Bear

Coming soon......

Please welcome Jackie to the Florida Prepper Network. Jackie is a freelance writer of garden articles and we are really looking forward to helpful hints as well as other articles as we start our spring gardens.

Bloggers Needed for Florida

I am looking for a few Florida people to help contribute to this site. Please, if you have time (even if it's just once a week) email me to let me know you are interested and I will send you an invite to post to this blog. You may email me at brendafloridaprepper (at) yahoo (dot) com (you know how to put it together....don't want a web crawler picking up the address)

Thanks!

Brenda
Mamma Bear

From Glenn Becks program today. Please send in your pictures so others who have not found us will know they are not alone! Gmail is getting really jammed up so if your picture is returned, please send it later.

WE Surround Them

Audio Available:

February 4, 2009 - 9:30 ET

So many of us who truly believe in this country, but think common sense is dead, feel alone these days. When one caller said he was ready to unplug because he was so frustrated, Glenn asked him to give him a few weeks to prove that he wasn't alone. Today, Glenn starts trying to make this idea into a reality. Step one---if you believe in the principles that this country was founded on---please email an individual picture of you--and each member of your family who wants to participate to wesurroundthem@gmail.com

GLENN: So I'm going to just ask you right now just to think of these things and just answer out loud. Just say to yourself yes or no. Yes or no. Is this who I am? Is this what I believe? Because I believe you and I agree on most of these.

1) Yes or no: Do you believe America is a good place, that we've lost our way over the years, that we have done bad things but generally speaking we tried hard. We try to make amends. We have tried to do the right thing. Just like everybody else, we fail from time to time and we have truly lost our way in the last 20 years. But gosh, if you look at America, she's good and our founders were good and our founding documents are good. We've just strayed too far away from them. Yes or no.

2) Yes or no: I believe in God. I may not go to the same church or synagogue or mosque as the majority of people in America, but I believe in God and he is the center of my life, and God does not tell people to behead others or to persecute others that see God in a different way. As long as that god is not telling them to persecute others.

Yes or no.

3) Yes or no: It is my responsibility to try to be better and a more honest person than I was yesterday. Sometimes I fail, I'll make mistakes, but it's my main mission to be better than I was personally than I was yesterday.

4) Yes or no: The family is sacred. I and my spouse are the ultimate authority under God when it comes to my family. I raise my family, and that comes with a grave responsibility. If I fail, I answer to God.

5) Yes or no: If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6) Yes or no: I have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that is not a guarantee of equal results.

7) Yes or no: I work hard for what I have, and I will share it with others that I choose when I choose, should I choose. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8) It is not un-American for anyone to disagree with my opinion, but my opinion or others' opinions may be anti-American. Anti-American rhetoric would be anything that is destructive to the Constitution and our country as our founders understood it.

9) And the last one is the government works for me. The government answers to me. I do not answer to the government.

How many are there? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. There are nine of them. Do you agree with seven of them?

Here's what I want you to do. Step one: No matter where you are right now, I want you to take a picture of yourself. I want you to take a picture, and I ask you and you'll understand as we go in the next couple of weeks, I ask you if you could bring these and ask your children -- can we post these please on the Internet, on the website? I want you to ask as many people as you know, do you believe in these things? Just seven out of nine. Do you believe in them? Then will you please take a picture of yourself. If you ask your family and you ask your children tonight, do you believe in these things. Take a picture of your spouse. Not as a family. Take them one at a time and send them to me, e-mail them to me at -- what is the address, Stu? Wesurroundthem@gmail.com. This is how much I believe that you are not alone.

Last night I stayed in the city and I was here late last night because we had a few things that we were working on for this project and the first thing that we did was who has the server space to take all of these pictures. GlennBeck.com which has the server space all over, we have the website under our umbrella of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, me, Ryan Seacrest. They're big servers. We didn't feel we could handle the amount that is going to be coming in. Fox News didn't feel they had big enough servers that would hold all of this volume without crashing. That's why we went to gmail, because they have unlimited amount to be able to take all of this in in big doses. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but I ask you to prove a point.

Now I'm going to ask you every day for the next two or three weeks. Please, if you agree with these things, please send me a photo. I will explain on, is it -- do we know, is it going to be February 27th? We don't know? We don't have a date yet. And I'll explain on February 27th -- I think it's going to be that date, in the next couple of weeks -- and I'm going to do a special radio show and television show. It's going to be a live show. We are going to also have you have an opportunity to attend. I will tell you about that in the coming days. I will also tell you in the coming days that you don't have to come to New York to be a part of it, either. But this is all going to be grassroots. I'm going to be asking you if you want to put together a, if you have a bar or, you know, you own a hotel and you want to do a conference center kind of thing where, you know, you can just open up the doors and anybody who wants to come and watch the TV show or you want to do it at the bar, you want to do it at your house. Don't watch this TV show and don't -- I believe it's going to be February 27th. Could be a week later. Don't be alone, and you'll understand why on that day. But I ask you today, do this one thing. Do you believe in these things?

Everybody else is going to talk about the damn stimulus package today. Do you believe in these things? If you do, then do me a favor, please, do your children a favor. Take a picture of yourself and send it to me at wesurroundthem@gmail.com.