Above is the link to Finding Other Arkansas Preppers II.
Well I forgot how easy the tiny URL is and I’ve checked both links and they work for me.
I survived my prepping trip yesterday and we were so lucky to have overcast skies most of the day so even though it was hot, my truck wasn’t as hot when we came out of the stores as it could have been. We just got about ten drops of rain here and it feels like a sauna outside now. The leaves are turning yellow on my walnut trees because it’s so dry.
In this kind of weather without electric, I know some of my elderly neighbors including my mother who is on oxygen wouldn’t make it. I’ve got to get DH more intersted in the whole solar power thing…I think funds to do it right stand in our way. I keep spending every extra penny on food.
I really was able to round out my preps yesterday and now am gonna concentrate on canning meat to go with what I’ve already got. PBQ if your hunch is right about 2007 and I hope it is, I should be in much better shape by them. Now if I just had a good storage place for everything, I would be a happy camper. My house seems so small lately.
Oh my goodness there come a real downpour…gotta run and stand on the porch and enjoy this while it lasts.
Arklatex, Yes we are all proud of your son.
Space does seem to get get smaller and smaller doesn’t it, Aunt Bee? Think of Arlatex and trying to sell her house and knowing they are moving into their fifth wheel before building a new house. Oh my gosh I just don’t think I could do that. What a woman!
One thing I just remembered was to get flannel sheets for this winter. Our old ones are just peices of cloth now. I remember thinking that late last winter and looking for them on sell but didn’t find any so now I will be on the look out for them when they come out this fall. Even if they are not on sell I will buy.
I have to get dressed now- time to stop putzin’ around the house and do something productive.
Well I found some space in a most unexpected way…I got a mouse, only the second one in 19 years in this house and I went on a cleaning and bleaching frenzy in my kitchen which involved pulling everything out of the lower cabinets and drawers and threw away a ton of stuff. After rearranging what was left and getting DH to mouse proof my cabinets, he also put in some extra shelves. I’m using this space for home canned stuff. I did get that chicken done today and now I have a nice place to store it. BTW we got the poor mouse and are pretty sure he is the only one.
I am well set on bedding and towels. My MIL sent me a huge box last year for Christmas that she got at an outlet in Memphis and I saved all the sheets and most of the towels. I kind of like my old well worn ones LOL. Those flannel sheets will feel good if you lose power.
We are leaning towards doing a prebuy on propane this year mainly so we would have it if we lost power otherwise. We do have a gas hot water heater we could reinstall and I plan to start looking for a small gas cook stove for the new utility/work/pantry room that we may get finished if I ever quit spending all available funds. Our electric goes out regularly and if I’m cooking, I’m out of luck. I have cooked on our wood heater but it’s not something I would like doing on a regular basis and if TSHTF during spring or summer, that wouldn’t really be an option. I can see now that the prepping will never end.
No, I don’t think prepping ever really ends. We always think of something else to prepare for, something that we will need. Reading these threads is always an eye opener. I don’t even understand how people lived 100 years ago- much less 1000 years ago! I do like my “modern” standard of living.
Your MIL was nice to send you bedding. I bought several shower curtains from a Dollar store that we will use on the beds if someone gets sick to keep the mattresses from getting soiled. They are easy to disinfect too. And cheap. Washing out the sheets will be a problem. Still haven’t figured out that one, other than washing by hand which will be terrible. I do have a new plunger for washing but the wringing will not be pleasant. I know about the mop buckets at Sam’s but just can’t bring myself to spend 60 dollars for one that I may never use. At least with food preps- you can always eat it. I did however get a staple gun last week. Never know when that might come in handy.
Lucky you Aunt Bee, with the propane. What kind of wood stove do you have? There is nothing as toasty as wood heat!
Arklatex, How are you holding up? Your son has left? Send him our good thoughts and prayers.
DH has still not reaserched/ gotten they things I ask him to. He started back to work (teaching) this week so now he is busy. He will be late to his own funeral. While I don’t think BF will hit us this year I did want everything (mostly) ready for this fall, just in case, as I am a just in case, kind of gal.
Stay cool.
PBQ-our son leaves the 5th of Sept going to middle east, he has returned to his base. We are going up there the weekend before he leaves.
I sure hope we don’t have to wash clothes with a plunger in a 5 gallon bucket. I purchased a wringer on ebay several months ago that is hand operated. It is not as large as the ones that are on the old wringer type washing machines, but I think it will work on most of the things that we have.
DH still is not on the band wagon about prepping, he usually just leaves me alone and I buy what I think we need. Every once in a while he makes a COMMENT about the BF. Have slowed down on purchasing food, we are fairly well stocked. My next project will be gas, diesel, kerosene, propane, and if the cost keeps going up it will be a major investment.
Hope the job is still going well. Its been to hot here to do anything outside.
Aunt Bee
Glad you got your mouse. Wish I had my cabinets cleaned out.
Mountain Lady, Aunt Bee, Arklatex, Arkie- heck, all ya’ll in Arkansas. What is your opinion of the latest cluster? Thoughts? Waiting untill the dust settles?
Stay cool.
Hello PBQ…I do not know about this one..just waiting..watching now.
GetNReady, Me too, just watching and waiting. I do think we will see more clusters and larger ones too before TSHTF (I don’t like that term but seems so sppropriate here). I’m still betting on late 2007 for us but mother nature has a way of surprising us all. I do want to get most of my preps ready in the next month or so, just so I’m not surprised. The biggest problem for me is if this happens during the summer. Just not ready to SIP with no A/C.
It’s been a long time we’ve heard from you. What’s been happening in your life? How are your preps going?
Just busy with the day to day …getting the lil one ready for school etc. I have not come close to what you guys have…but have a few weeks of food up. I would not be ready for summer no electric eiher…I really dislike the heat. Cold I can deal with..I have lived in some VERY cold climates. I need to work on meds and sickroom stuff. I really have nothing there…feel a bit overwhelmed by it.
GetNReady, how old is your little one? I have 2 children (boys- well, men now)that are grown. I even have grandchildren (12 and 4- both boys)! I wouldn’t know what to do with a girl.
My DH is from Wyoming and we would much rather be cold than hot too. The cold I have planned for- the heat I have not. That will be my goal before next summer I will have at least a couple of battery powered fans or something besides a squirt bottle and a Japanese fan. :-) Hubby is getting more serious about prepping. Yeah! At first he was OK with me doing it but I gave him a list several months ago and today he ask about it! Still not much but it lets me know he is thinking!
When you start stocking meds be careful about the expiration dates.
GetNReady, how old is your little one? I have 2 children (boys- well, men now)that are grown. I even have grandchildren (12 and 4- both boys)! I wouldn’t know what to do with a girl.
My DH is from Wyoming and we would much rather be cold than hot too. The cold I have planned for- the heat I have not. That will be my goal before next summer I will have at least a couple of battery powered fans or something besides a squirt bottle and a Japanese fan. :-) Hubby is getting more serious about prepping. Yeah! At first he was OK with me doing it but I gave him a list several months ago and today he ask about it! Still not much but it lets me know he is thinking!
When you start stocking meds be careful about the expiration dates.
All the new cases have me worried. Will be keeping close watch on Wikie for new information. Still have prepping to do. Hope we are worried about nothing.
I think we will all have time to finish preps, nothing but large and larger clusters and localized (overseas) problems in the next year or so. HOWEVER, mother nature aften has different plans than I do. DH and I have lived thru every natural disaster there is except tsunami. The kids and I have survived earthquakes, volcanos, typhoons, tornados, lightning strikes etc. Those are all fast and violent. You get out or you don’t. With BF- it is slow and tortourous (sp?). I don’t know how I will cope being together for months at a time with people I love. Right now we are looking for a battery powered DVD player to help ward off boredom. Movies are a great way to pass the time. Anyone know of any? Not movies, but DVD players? :-) We all love board games and cards but after playing with the same people for 3 months it may get a little testy.
I must admit that after reading some of the threads about worst case senerios I am feeling rather meloncholy.
On a brighter note we got 3 inches of rain last night! Yeah! Our garage flooded. Boo. Not bad just about an inch of water, and since we know that sometmes happens we tend not to put anything that would be ruined, on the floor. We did have some charcol (1 bag) that got in the way of the water. I have to go out and check more later. Now I’m thinking of cleaning the kitchen and then a nap!
I’m hoping for more prep time too and hope by next summer I have a game plan for the heat just in case. My prepping will be on hold for a while since I just prepaid for 300 gallons of propane and have vehicle insurance, home owners insurance and property tax to pay so I don’t see me adding much til November when all the good sales start. I did go ahead and plug my feezer back up and it’s now got a good stock of frozen filtered water. I had saved a bunch of the heavy 2 liter juice jugs and cleaned them and filled em up. I also plan to start filling the large freezer bags with ice from the ice maker and storing in it. I also have all my corn meal and flour in it but don’t plan to put anything perishable in it til have it in that room we are working on…can’t stand the thought of another loss.
PBQ the wood heater I cooked on is just the regular old square Ashley type but the one we are putting in if we ever get the remodel finished is a fireplace insert…no way I can cook on it. I saw a wood cookstove for sale at one of the antique malls I have stuff in…now that’s what I would love to have.
Congrats on the rain. We got some too and it was so much cooler yesterday. I loved it.
If we could just get all the guys as enthused as we are, just think how much we would get accomplished. If it ever hits the fan, they will all be trying to figure ways to make do…I can see DH now trying to find parts for the generator and trying to figure some way to get it working with what he has on hand. We have an ancient motor home with a generator that he spent the entire week of the 2000 ice storm trying to get fixed and he did manage to get it running enough each day to pump a little water from the well. We need to get it going now while we can easily get parts.
You are so right, if only our husbands were as smart as we are! Women are so much more into survival, just look at the stupid stuff teenage boys do?
Aunt Bee what is an Ashley stove? Where is it? Who makes it? Does it need a seperate flue? I remember people cooking with a wood stove. My baby sitter used one everyday when I was very small. She also had no indoor plumbing except a water pump at the kitchen sink. I just want something very small. I have seen old oil drums used for wood heaters in a house but I want something a little more sturdy I think. We are still thinking about a soapstone stove but I don’t know where to put it. Plus it will cost 3000 dollars for the small stove and instilation. DH can’t install. We were so proud when he changed the batteries in the flashlight last year and it worked the first time- we clapped! He is smart and sweet but tool impaired.
The ice cubes in your freezer is a great idea. That way you can tell if the power has gone off. I sold our big freezer 3 years ago and wish I had it back.
Congradulations on the propane and stuff in your freezer. It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.
Ashley is the brand name and I’m sure they have several styles but most I have seen around here are just the square/rectangle type that have an outside layer of tin painted brown…I’m not too good at explaining but yes it does have to have a pipe which means a hole in your roof and anything wood that I know of will require a flue/pipe. We got ours used for $75.00 our first winter here and had to buy the pipe new. The whole thing was about $200.00 and it was wonderful…so much warmer than the old propane model we had. I love wood heat and also like the infrared propane heater we got later on as supplemental heat after a nasty bout with the flu when keeping the wood heater going was painful. They sell those at a very reasonable price at most hardware stores including Lowe’s. They require no vent or flue and are fume free and extremely clean burning. I’m very sensitve to any type of fumes and it doesn’t bother me. You could get a few of the small propane bottles and have heat with no electric or wood. Since they’ve come down in price so much in the last few years, you can get a good one for around $200.
My DH can fix about anything or make it work but getting him motivated to work on something we don’t need right now when there are always so many things around here that need done may be a chore. Fall is a busy time for us.
Oops once again….it’s me. This is what happnes when several people use the same computer and I don’t notice that the cookies have been cleared.
PBQ-
You will never believe what happened. I was talking to DH about an article on flu wikie about Texarkana, and a seminar that was held in a city close by. DH works part time at a local hospital since he retired, he was talking to his boss,who went to the seminar. His boss was saying that the keynote speaker was interesting, and if it happened it would be a bad thing.
DH was telling them that they needed to have food stored so if BF did happened they would not have to leave their homes. He also told them that the last place they wanted to be was at the hospital so if it hit, they should stay at home. One of the persons there had never heard of BF, he was telling them about it. (I did remind him he should not be telling people how many preps we have)
I asked him what had gotten it to him, that he was now telling people how to prepare. He said, that there must be something to BF if they are having all these meeting telling communities what to do.
This was my opportunity to tell him that we really need to get gas, diesel, kerosine stock piled. He seemed to be agreeable.
Maybe I will be getting a little help in our prepping in the future. Keep you fingers crossed.
I’ll keep my fingers And toes crossed! Good for you and your hubby.
How are everyones preps going. I have put up 19 qts of pear perserves this past week. No more until next year, love to eat them, but it takes forever to get a batch put up.
Leaving Sunday to go see DS off on Tuesday morning. We be a wreck next week.
Anyone living in Hot Springs, are there any good prep stores in the area? We are going to be there week end after next.
It is almost the fifth isn’t it?
Pears perserves!!!! I wish I were SIP’ing at your house! Sounds wonderful. Those will taste mighty good, come this winter. :-)
Does anyone know about portable DVD players and what kind you like? That will be our next purchase after the new garage door opener. The door will not open anymore. We have to do it manually. I just can’t believe what my life will be like without electricity. I’m just too much of a city girl. Can’t even imagine.
PBQ-we just had to replace the broken spring in our garage door opener, it took several days to have it repaired, makes you appreciate it.
Are you talking about the ones that are used in vehicles??? We purchased one at Walmart (I think) for the Grandkids last year for Christmas. I’ll be happy to ask DD what brand it is. They are getting one with two screens this Christmas, three kids, two seats, they all have to be able to see it. I use my laptop to watch dvd’s.
I saw a 100Watt inverter in the camping world magazine this month, it slips into a cup holder in your car to run your laptop, charge you phone etc, thinking about purchasing it when we are in OK city this weekend. My laptop battery doesn’t last as long as it used to, this way we could play on the computer or watch DVD’s while traveling.
If your ever down our way let me know and I’ll give you a sample of the perserves.
Arklatex, I’m going to Russelville Sunday to visit my mom and grand kids that will also stop by. I do go into the low country sometimes but only a few times have I been south of there. Mostly on my way to Dallas from Little Rock or to Shreveport to visit my brother. All of our extra money has been going for preps so not a lot for trips now but thanks for mentioning it. Maybe after the flu is all done I’ll drop by for those great pear preserves! Got a shot of cortisone today at the docs. Keeping me awake. Normally I’d be sleeping like a rock at this time.
Yes please ask hubby about the DVD player. We won’t be playing it in the car but would like something we could play in the house a couple of times a week while we are stuck here. Do they work on regular batteries too?
Arklatex I’m thinking about you and your family today.
Those preserves sound wonderful. I’m the only one in my house that eats them and what a shame because I have a pear tree that produces the best pears. My mother usually makes a batch every year and gives me a jar just for me. The tree did attract a mama bear and her two babies about five years back when dry weather and starvation drove them down the mountain and to our yard.
PBQ I hope you are feeling well. I know nothing about DVD’s…makes me feel old LOL.
As I predicted, prepping has been on hold for me this month and I can’t wait to get started back. I’m reading an online book at another site and it’s really made me think about just how prepared we should be because it follows a family that has to live off their preps for a very extended period and they have to take in other family and friends in the process.
Wouldn’t it be fun if some of us preppers could get together some day.
Yes Arlatex, it is the 5th. Good luck to you and your family.
Aunt Bee, I would love to host the post pandemic party at our house! Plan on it. 3 months after the all clear is sounded. Everyone from fluwikie AR is invited. GetNReady, Arklatex, Arkie, Mountain Lady, etc. That should give everyone a chance to get gas for the trip up! Try to bring a jar of pear preserves and Arklatex, a jar of peach.
What other site has a book? Tell me more. Reading always gives me ideas about what we might need! Our next door neighbors (the youngest ones on the block) are having a hot tub installed on their back patio, right now. We can see from our porch :-(. But the first thing I thought of- a water source nearby! :-). Funny how we see things now isn’t it?
PBQ I’m not sure about posting another site here but feel free to email me for it.
aunt_bee2006@yahoo.com
About that party…sounds great! The hot tub would be a good source for water.
Maybe we should have a PRE-pandemic party? To exchange ideas and get to know each other in person? What would be our most central location?
Oh, by the way, our hospital in Stone County had its pandemic flu rehearsal about two weeks ago. It went fairly well… although there’s no real way for things to be “well.” But we do have plans in place!
I think I met a person that works in emergency management for your county at a workshop here in Washington County on Pan Flu several months back. Glad to see someone is doing something about it. A pre pandenimc party?? Count me in. Does anyone live in the Fort Smith area. I guess that would be a central location for the people that chat here. Maybe Clarksville?
I’m about an hour from either location. My only request is lets keep it casual cause I’m a blue jeans kind of girl ;). I even get away with it in the office where I work.
If my house weren’t in a constant state of construction, I would have it here but my goodness DH has the living room floor in a mess now.
Any body have any ideas? A resturant perhaps? Any one else willing to have a lunch with Arkie, Aunt Bee and PBQ? Well it will be nice to put a name with a face. A Saturday lunch at a resturant in ??? Arkie, you thought of this. What would be a good town for you? Ideas???
I don’t know where Clarksville is, but I could sure find it on mapquest. For me to make it, we would have to do it on a Sunday probably. Maybe that would work well for everyone else. Since lots of folks have other things to do Sunday mornings, we would probably make it later in the afternoon. I don’t know Clarksville, anyone have restaurant or park suggestions? We could make it a picnic.
OK Arkie, Sunday afternoon it is. Early afternoon like maybe 2. That would give people that go to church time for that and then to get to Clarksville. What is the concensus out there? Is this fine with every one? Any other ideas? I have to hand in the days I can work this week for October (and I very often work weekends) so let us know when or if you would like to meet in October. I like the idea of a resturant better than a picnic. Even a truck stop or fast food place would be fine. What a pretty drive for all of us.
October is gonna be hard for me..I’m busy the first three weekends for sure and we are waiting to find out later this week when my FIL has surgery. I’ve had the quietest summer and now it’s crazy. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific about my shedule.
The restaurant idea is a good one and I’m not particular either.
Perhaps the first Sunday in November then? Arkie, you in? The place is never a problem since there are so many resturants no matter where we go. The time is the important item. I hope lots of people want to come.
Aunt Bee, just wanted to say thanks for the book! You are right, it is good. I’ve finished both of them now. They are a page turner though I wish she/he would finish. I was left hanging with no closure. I want to see what happens next! Thanks again.
You are welcome PBQ. I agree…I’m waiting on that last chapter. He posted the next to the last just this week. Hopefully he will write a third book and expand the John and Sarah characters. I’m kind of glad there’s not another right now…I wouldn’t get any work done LOL. This weekend is dedicated to taxes…ugghhh!
I will aim for November for our get together.
Hey PBQ, I’m back. Sure, November would be fine with me. As other folks discover our plans, let’s choose the central location. It might shift depending on where everyone is. Me→ Mountain View, Stone County
Arkie, Aunt Bee lives between Russleville and Fort Smith about an hour south (is that right Aunt Bee?) How far is it from Mountain View to Clarksville or Russelville? Those towns are about 2 to 2 and a half hours for us. About the same for you?
It will be just around 3 hours. Do we have anyone from Clarksville, so that we can pick a restaurant?
PBQ that is right. I am south of Fort Smith and about an hour and a half from Clarksville depending on who is driving LOL.
DH works in Clarksville and Russellville and is more familar with restaurants in Russellville. I know of two decent hamburger places there and there is also a Cracker Barrel DH says. He says there are probably good places in Clarksville that he doesn’t know about. I can get him to ask around next time he works there.
Hi ya’ll, Been so busy the last week or so. DS is now in Quatar (sp_) Mama is a wreck. I have mailed three packages in the last two days of things he’s forgotton, they didn’t have overthere, or items that he didn’t have room to pack.
I am interested in meeting everyone in Clarkville (don’t know where that is, but I can read a map) in November. I am doing contracts with the hospital now on weekends but should have enough time to plan to be there. Hope everything works out that I can attend.
So glad you are coming Arklatex, Now we just have to pick a date, then a resturant! Anyone?
How about Sunday the 12th. When I get back from work today I will search for restaurants.
Sounds good to me Arkie. Anyone else on this forum please join us.
There are a couple of restaurants that look promising… right on the highway. When we get closer to the date, we can list them and take a poll. For now, mark your calendars for November 12th!
DH remembered that there is a B-B-Q place that is suppose to be really good in that area named Porky’s, is owned by Dizzy Dean’s son and is about 6 miles south of Clarksville. We’ve never ate there so can’t recommend it personally but thought I would mention it.
On another note, I tried a new item that will be great for quick meals in the preps. It is dehydrated potatoe soup and makes a half gallon, takes about twenty minutes to cook and is soooo good. My guys loved it and I plan to keep it all the time for those soup and sandwich nights. It was less than $4.00 for a nice sized pot of soup that only required adding water and I think I found it with the boullion cubes and such at the super center. The brand name was Bear Creek. The reason I’m so excited about it is my DH does not cook and even he could make this. Any time I get sick, I about starve…this would be perfect if you were under the weather.
Another quick cooking item I tried recently was couscous…you only have to bring your water to a boil, turn it off and 5 minutes later, it’s done. I liked it better than rice and could think of lots of ways to use it. For anyone who doesn’t know, it’s very tiny pasta like stuff. I added a little olive oil and a can of diced tomatoes to it and it was good but need to look for some recipes using it.
I’m always on the look out for anything to bring variety to our preps and is easy to cook. It also has to be something we like well enough to add to our diet now and rotate. If anybody finds anything easy and good, please don’t hesitate to post it ;).
Aunt Bee, I like couscous. Love wild rice cooked with chicken broth. Don’t really like white or brown rice but I have lots! Did you see the Martha Stewart show last week with the pasta recipe? Take one box of elbow type pasta (uncooked) and put a quater cup of olive oil on it and let it sit for 20 minutes to soften, add a large can of tomato bits and place in oven (covered) for 30 minutes, stir and top with parm and bake for another 15 minutes. I haven’t tried it but sounds good and easy. Perhpas not for your DH but for “prep gifts” or busy nights you can make up your own potato soup. Much cheaper then Bear Creek. Start with instant potaoes and add dried onions and either chicken stock or bullion with water, butter, a little thyme and parsley and heat it up. For variety add a little sour cream or grated cheddar cheese or (and this is my favorite) a half bottle of beer. The yeast gives it a earthy yeasty taste. I know it sounds terrible -I don’t even like beer but this works! Try it. You’ll want to adjust ingredients to suit your taste but I’ve done this in baggies (without the butter, cheese or beer :-) to hand out to friends or neighbors that might need food. Yummy and easy on the tummy- even if sick. If I am making it from scratch it is still not hard- (besides peeling the potaoes). Another great soup from preps I’ve made is 5 can mexican soup. Mix 1 can of corn, chicken stock, black beans (any beans), tomatoes and sm. can green chilis in a sauce pan and heat. Add some cumin and chili powder and top with corn chips or fritos. Add sour cream if you like. Can you tell I love soups. If something happens to me I have a lot that DH and DS can whip up. They may not like it all but they will live. I hope you have Nov. 12th down on your calendar! Can’t wait to meet you.
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