Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Results Are In

Just one more comment about the heat and I will stop kicking and leave this horse to die.
Did you see the weather last night saying the part of Texas where I lived was the HOTTEST place in the Nation and it will stay like that all week? I'm just saying.

I thought it would be fun to put up a little poll here on the blog (on the right) to find out how everyone was doing with the whole prepping for the "IT" factor. It ran for about a month and now the results are in.
28% Of us said to Bring "IT" on.
48% Said "IT" needed to hold off a while longer.
15% Just got started getting ready for "IT".
6% Are in trouble if "IT" happened right now.

So this is what I get from the results.
6% of us will only survive for the first couple of months. Grim but true. (I think it is a lot higher than that as a whole nation. More like 90%)
15% Might make it to six months or just a little longer.
48% of us all will have a good chance of making it for a while, but half that number would not be here two years from now.
And only 28% of the population would be able to keep moving right along as if "IT" didn't happen. For how long, I don't know. 

Even if some of us think we are ready for what ever might happen, it will be hard. We might think we are self sustainable but if we really look at all we do, have and need in our daily lives, our percentage of being 100% self reliant, sufficient or sustainable goes way down.  The truth is, with everything I do I am at only 3 to 5 percent self sustainable. Now that's sad.

I was in a conversation yesterday with a guy who said his dream later in life is to be off somewhere and be 100% self sustainable. I told him it is impossible and of course he disagreed so I broke it down for him.
  • I asked him what he was going to do for food. He answered by raising animals and growing his own.
  • I then asked him how he was going to work his fields to raise the food. He answered by his tractor. 
  • I asked him where he was going to get the replacement parts for his tractor. He answered from the tractor shop.
  • I then asked him what he was going to store his food in. He answered glass jars and wood bins. 
  • I asked if he was going to make the jars and the wood. He said no, he was going to buy them at the store. 
Then it was like a light bulb that went off in is head. He lowered his head and said in a defeated voice, oh I see what you mean.  

It was not my intent to degrade his hopes and dreams but I did want him to realize it is not as easy as he was making it out to be.
Before we parted ways I made sure to give the guy several words of encouragement to help him refocus his dreams and to start living like that now as best he could and not wait for later. I told him there might not be a "Later" and asked what is he doing for his family's well being right now.
I also reminded the young man (20's) that it was his responsibility to provide for his family and if that took storing up a years worth of food or learning how to put by what he grew in his little gardens behind his house then that's what is was.
I could tell his confidence returned and he willingly wrote down some good websites I gave him for places to start off with and learn. One of those being Modern Day Redneck of course.

I lied, one more comment. It will hit 112 today and we have started having losses with the animals. One of my male geese was walking to the shaded goose pond yesterday and fell over dead. Some of the others are not looking so good. We are doing what we can but it is not enough.      

10 comments:

  1. Good article. I've been making preps for many years now and still find myself working hard for that day. I even have a support group and we're nervous. Your friend has a long way to go.
    Our heat index today will be 105. I feel for you.

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  2. MDR,
    I to am loosing livestock, 5 chickens, 2 ducks an old barn cat I could not catch and my oldest horse is not looking good. When I looked at my outdoor thermometer it said gone north for the summer. It may just be giving me a sign? Im 30 miles from you and we know what your going through. We tried singing frosty the snowman and other winter songs but that did not work. You know it's hot when you walk inside and the daughter is standing in front of the open freezer door and both dogs are right beside her. The Tigerman.

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  3. I'm so sorry you lost the goose. Don't know if this will help but frozen bottles of water in the shade where they can sit may help. They will also eat watermelon and that helps. I'm am so grateful I don't have that problem. The only thing you can do with birds since you can't shave them or pluck them is to try and cool them from the inside out. Lots of small water pans spread around will help so they don't have to walk far to the water.

    As far as prepping for IT, as you know I am not at all satisfied where we are on that. We are mostly debt free with no mortgage but the man doesn't want to put the money into this place for things like solar power and such because we don't intend to stay here for more than a few more years. I would like to be completely off the grid or at least be able to sell back to the grid. I don't like having to have a job so that we can pay other people to sell us power or groceries. That is my ultimate goal and I will keep working for that.

    Go work on your animals. I am thinking about you and yours.

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  4. That's sad about the goose, MDR, but don't take it to heart. I know you're doing all you can. Wildlife are suffering too.

    It was 107 here today, heat index of 112. There was a 4 alarm fire at a townhouse complex early this afternoon that (not sure why) knocked out the power to our whole office complex. We sat around in the dark for 45 minutes and then mgmt sent us home. I think they said seven buildings were involved, apartments and townhomes ...no one injured and no pets lost, as far as I know. But fires are devastating just in material damage. I feel bad for the families affected.

    Good for you enlightening and then encouraging that young man. That's all we can do, we can't make people listen.

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  5. MDR,

    I liked your article. Sorry about the geese, and your heat.

    I met a woman yesterday from Equador, who immigrated here as a child. She was actually standing in line purchasing a digital TV antena. She explained, that she moved here for the American dream of jobs, quality of life and now that's being exported. Specifically Direct TV and ATT on her part. She cancelled both subscriptions, and told them "until you bring those jobs back here where people are starving and losing their homes, she won't be using their services any longer". It was nice to run into someone with actual principals. - Izzy

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  6. Thank all yall for the comments.
    Stephen - I think we all are getting a little nervous about today's doings. I wished we had a support group like that.

    Tigerman - Why have we not met up? I lost one more yesterday as well. I can tell ya right now this is stupid. I don't know how much longer I can last.

    sista - We try everything. The goose pond is in the shade and we fill it once a day. Any more and we will stress the well. I try and keep misters and a fan going but the sun burst my garden hoses. The ice bottles melt in a matter of minutes and they are scared of them anyway. I have one shade tree and we keep it wet under there all day just to try and help.
    Thank you for your thoughts.

    HossBoss - I hope your horses get through this. I am glad I don't have any right now. It is hard enough on the goats.

    lzzy - They are getting harder and harder to find these days. The youth think it is normal to press one for English, how sad.

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  7. It's been hot here as well, though not so bad as there. I'm lucky in that we have a nice lake nearby where we can swim in the evenings to cool off.

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  8. MDR, if you don't mind me asking, what flavor of engineer are you? I'm a civil, and is always glad to see another engineer with a similar train of thought.

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  9. ATH - We have a lake right down the road but it is way to crowded to find your own spot. Me and crowds do not get along very well.

    Mudbug - Thanks for becoming a new family member here at MDR. I just came from your blog and look foward in reading what you have to say.
    To kinda answer your question, I work for a Heavy Civil Engineering firm but I am not a PE.

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  10. Thanks for setting that young feller straight and then putting him back on the path and into the fold. You're a good man...

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