National Preparedness Month Daily Challenge: Day 26

I’m Loving all the challenges. They make you think.
Hopefully many are learning something about themselves and what it takes to survive.
If my sons are here they would be better able to help defend this place. If it’s just me defence wouldn’t be impossible but could be hard. I do have perimeter motion detectors that give alarm in my home. Of course a dog could set them off. Better safe than sorry.
I’ve passed all my first aid courses 100% and studied books. I’ve set my own broken arm with help as I directed. My youngest child (age 42) was born at home. She came breach with the cord wrapped three times around her neck. I stayed calm and directed my husband to do the necessary steps figuring out as we went. What could have easily been a tragedy was a joy with some unusual memories.
Some medical knowledge is necessary but staying calm in unexpected situations is important as well. You have to be able to think.
I’ve canned both pressure and water bath and sun dried fruits and vegetables and of course herbs in the shade, since early childhood. Most years my garden bears enough for both seasonal eating and to carry us to harvest again. Not this year but we are getting enough to eat but not much more than herbs to put back for the rest of a year. Season started too late and it time for frost any day now.
I forrage every year for fresh green stuff and wild grains for us and for the critters-chickens, ducks and rabbits.
I butcher mostly rabbits and and extra roosters from my three or four broody hens every year.
I live on three acres with a stand of young wild cherries and three areas of wild plums. I’ve just added peaches, plum, apples, cherries, pears, and a mulberry tree. I have grapes I planted from cuttings and an apple I planted 38 years ago. There is an ancient Spanish seedling apricot tree. The university agricultural extension service estimated its age in 1981 at 181 years from a core sample they took. Weather permitting, it still bears a heavy crop of apricots for us.
We have many edible green and grain bearing plants. When I find a rare tiny patch of wild wheat I go back in late summer to get a little seed. I’m saving seed here as well. Trying to increase the wild grains in patches on the property. I have a stand of very type bearded rye, the short native wheat, a beardless rye, and some heavy seeded grasses. Lots of wild amaranth and lambsquarters. For greens and seeds. Amaranth used as a grain and Lambsquarters For sprouts in winter. I always let the last few radishes go to seed. Those seeds are saved. Some for next years planting and some for sprouts. The same with most garden plants. I save seed. The herbs I cut and use and dry all season then let them go to seed. The amaranth that comes up in the garden I usually leave. Tomatoes grow up on them. As do beans. It saves me making cages or trelleses. We eat a lot one of our native Amaranth leaves. It stays tender and mild flavored even when its going to seed. We have two native amaranth here. One with a red stalk and big green leaves. The other is a green stem, smaller leaves that have a white pattern on them. The red stalk one is by far the best eating. It also cans nicely I steam it It big batches so it’s wilted before filling pints to the shoulder and adding and juices from the pot plus a lighty salted brine water to the shoulder of the pints. Close with new boiled canning jar lids and pressure as directions with the canner call for timing and pressure for spinach at my altitude(6,283 ft).
I have both heirloom and new hand cranked meat grinders and grain mills. Old egg beaters and flour sifters. And many more hand powered tools for food prep. I use a whisk rather than an electric mixer even though I have a $200 one that was a gift. The only time I’ve used it was to make Christmas cakes for all my neighbors (40 homes).
I still sew and have electric and a treadle sewing machine.
My home is 100% solar. By next year my second well that’s currently capped will be running on solar power. I have 3, 55 gallon food grade plastic drums, 1, 230 gallon steel caged non food grade water tote, 6, 330 gallong food grade steel enclosed water totes, and in home several 5 gallon and 2 1/2 gallon water storage containers. Most of a years food in home. Some in sight and some not.
A big workshop with both power and older hand tools. A woodshop with both power and older hand tools. A 12×24 shed I plan to insulate and run on solar for sewing and crafts. I have the wall insulation. Need to decide how to insulate the roof. Gathering materials for this project. Smaller 10×12 shed next to the big one will also be solar and needs the inside finished. They may share power sources. It will be for sales. I have jewellery cases and nice oak bookcases for display.
I’ve taught my grandson and some native boys here wild edibles. They are still beginners but now know amaranth, 2 mallows, purslane, wild cota tea, wild plums, cat tails, and a small 1″-1 1/2″ wild native shrimp in our area mountain streams. Next will be crawdads. Not so plentiful right here but lots where they go fishing in lakes and biggers streams of water away from here. They are also learning to build shelters from weather and for longer term living. Good kids. Love learning. Parents know a lot and have Bob’s but aren’t teaching the kids. About all the boys have done outdoors with their parents was fishing and tent camping. They do know how to start a fire. I think a lesson on alternative fire starting would be good.
I’m over 50 miles from a large city and 15 miles from a small town. I live in an unincorporated village scattered within 5 square miles with around 200 people. Most on several acre parcels. I have three acres. Working on turning it into unnoticed wild foods and medicines native to this area. My hidden garden. Hidden in plain sight. From spring greens and roots to fall grains and greens. Fruits as the weather permits. Medicines from roots, leaves, and flowers. Teas from roots, flowers, leaves, and whole plants. Edible cacti. Plants for cleaning and even hair rinse.
Cacti for defense along my side of the fence along a dirt road. Its rooting and beginning to grow. As it grows I’ll fill in spots that didn’t take. It’s as simple as laying a pad where you want it to grow. I have some with wicked thorns and smaller pads. Not particularly edible but the fruits and flowers at good. The other one makes larger pads with more stickers parts than I’d want to land in. Its very good eating and the fruit is good for eating, jelly and syrup, candy, and juice to drink or make wine with just a bit of sugar added to help it ferment better. The chickens will eat the skin and seeds after I get the juice from the fruits.
The flowers of that cacti are medicinal. Strongest use is for prostate cancer. Crushed and mixed with the juice of the fruit they add vitamins and minerals to the diet.
I love learning but the doing is getting harder. I’m 72 with fibromyalgia and idiopathic periferal neuropathy. I work hard till I can’t stand on the feet any longer. Rest the feet a while then work some more.
My husband has Alzheimer’s. My work is now a spectator sport. He stays close to me as he’s afraid of getting lost and gets anxious if I’m out of sight. He’s good company but zero help these days. He’s on his second pacemaker because of a leaky heart valve. He is now totally dependant on the pacemaker. New leads had to be added this year. I’m blessed that he’s become more easygoing. I’ve seen some that became violent. Either way its a sad disease. To buggot with him would be doable in a vehicle but on do it impossible. He’s eating less, loosing weight, and tires very quickly. That is making bugging out, for us, less of an option.
My middle son and his wife and daughter plan to. Move into the tiny home I built for my parents. A couple of years ago he came and repaired everything except the floor covering in the kitchen. Then borded it up. They should be coming back in a few months. He’s a hard worker. Was a contract employee in Iraq doing oilfield maintainance for a while. He’ll be good help here. His wife loves to garden so that’s a plus. He and one neighbor are my group. If the city got too bad my younger son and his wife may come. He has a mobile home here that needs lots of repair but it would be shelter while it’s repaired. We’d all help if needed. He’s ex military plus a gardener. Again good help.
Most years I can, dry and buy enough to feed 6-8 people for a year. But not this year. Too short a season.
Again thanks, I’m enjoying the challenges. It’s good to think about what could be and how to face it