Getting prepared for these earth changes that seem to be like a light at the end of the tunnel – a train coming the other way – is a bit of a trip.

But if I break it down into daily steps, it’s not so bad.

So here’s a bit of a diary on what Judith and I do.

Let’s start with the week beginning August 19 2007.

Sunday 19: My gelding Strider needs some attention. Cleaned his hooves and poured some chlorox on them to get rid of a slight infection in one of his frogs. It was raining so I’ll deal with Veronica later. She’s due to drop a foal in March – hopefully a Paint. Plan is to train them to harness as well as under saddle.

Monday 20:Blessed, killed cleaned and hung one of our ram lambs. Will cut and wrap on Tuesday or Wednesday once he’s set. Randy had him and three others penned and on alfalfa and grain for two months – and he weighed out at 130 pounds (70 pounds after skinning and gutting). That’s an amazing weight gain in four months compared to grass-fed lambs.

This is the coolest August I’ve ever experienced in Washington (since 1990). Usually it’s around 100 Fahrenheit at this time of year, but we’re down in the 70s with unusual rain spells.

The 20 day-old chicks Judith bought for our two broody hens seem to be doubling their weight every day. We’ve started them on medicated grain. Sometimes additives – like antibiotics – have their place. Live medicated chicks are better than dead organic ones. They love the fallen apples.

Judith water bathed organic tomatoes she got for $1.25/lb (17lbs/14 pints). Saved plenty of seed. Will put some in the dehydrator (fan job from the thrift shop for free because it had no lid). Hope they’ll grow and mature in this climate next year. She also picked a bucket of blackberries (plenty round here) and froze pie filling. It’ll be a good winter

Tuesday 21: Started the day with a 6-rasher bacon egg potato chili omelet. Yellow banana chilies I grew for the first time. Nice and mild. Seeds inadvertently went down the drain. Oh well.

A four point buck appeared outside the yard as we were having breakfast. Tried to get a pic instead of a shot….he left real quick. But he’ll be back. Apples are great bait. Must get a crossbow or sharpen up with the long bow. (Darned compound bow is too hard for me to draw back!!! Must be something wrong with the pulleys. Couldn’t be my muscles, right?).

Came across a site ( www.buildeazy.com ) with lots of free (or$5) woodworking plans. For example: chicken coop plans, concrete floor, how to build a gate, doghouse, picnic table etc. Both metric and US (used to be Imperial) measurements .

Cut and wrapped the lamb. Came down to 35 pounds of chops and roasts for the freezer, and 4 pounds of hamburger for the chickens.

No wonder this stuff sells for $10 lb in the supermarket. It takes the best part of a full day for the whole kill/butcher/cut and wrap process too. Judith’s Kitchen Aid with the grinder attachment is real handy for the hamburger part. The Sears grinder I got for a buck at the local “Blessings” thrift shop also works good. But one day we just might have to start using those hand grinders I’ve picked up.

Wednesday 22: Should be heading out to do a painting job today. Need the cash flow as usual.

Wonder what we’ll do when the economy tanks which it looks like it will do in the next few months. Am off to San Jose California tomorrow to a Bay Area UFO conference where James Gilliland is a featured speaker. He’s been given extra time to show the documentary. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of reception it gets.

Speaking of James and California – he did say he’d had visions of tsunamis hitting the West Coast. Sure hope it’s not this weekend. I’d better take my backpack and hiking boots just in case though. I’ve had them in the trunk for years “just in case.”

…..

I won’t be here the rest of the week, but here are some interesting links for my newsletter subscribers.

The Norwegians and some others are starting to let us know that the whole “gradual” climate change scenario is a crock. The UN report that came out earlier this year is…they say…grossly understating the situation. Surprise! Diplomats with no experience in science find a way to water down what science has to say. How new is that?

But there are a couple of breaths of fresh air out there… especially in Norway where new islands are appearing as the ice continues to melt faster than a politician can think up a new reason to deny global warming.

One thing about living in the United States and using the Internet here, is that you quickly realize that to most Americans the rest of the world does not exist. All the news all the time has a decidedly US-centered slant to it.

Fortunately, the Internet is a truly global communication device. Which means you can do a search and discover just how bad the weather has been around the globe in the past eight months.

I like that, because this newsletter takes a world view – and has subscribers throughout the world who also have a desire to get information about what’s really happening to the weather. Here is a story quoting the UN’s World Meteorological Organization about just how bad the weather has been this year alone. The Headline is World hit by record extreme weather events in 2007: WMO

Be Aware

Prepare

Best Wishes