Off the grid

[Senkyoshi]

People in Utah moving to the West Desert to "live off the grid".

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fo ... &FORM=VIRE

[Gadianton Slayer]

I don’t necessarily care to be “off grid”, but I would like to be 100% self-sufficient.

We may all be off grid in not too long...

[TrueFaith]

My wife has been begging me for the past month for us to sell our home and buy a cabin in the middle of nowhere here in the midwest. We already live in a pretty rural area (about a mile outside of a small town). We are surrounded by a small neighborhood with lots of open spaces, but I still think that total isolation will make things worse.

Problem is if we experience hyperinflation, it may be better to get out now while our money is worth anything at all. I would probably make the leap if I still didn't have small children. I really do want them to experience friendships and some sort an illusion of a normal childhood as long as possible.

I don't have the answers. I wish I did. Everything has gone nuts and it's impossible to put your finger in the air and judge which way the wind is blowing.

[Luke]

Come to Mexico everyone...

[Fred]

People in Utah moving to the West Desert to "live off the grid".

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fo ... &FORM=VIRE

Well $25k for 2 acre of desert is a bit much. For $25k in Duchesne County, you get 10 acres, 100 pine nut trees, abundant deer, elk, and rabbits, and an underground stream. Oh, did I mention they finance and take anything for a down payment including nothing sometimes? https://mwranches.com/available-properties/

[JK4Woods]

My wife has been begging me for the past month for us to sell our home and buy a cabin in the middle of nowhere here in the midwest. We already live in a pretty rural area (about a mile outside of a small town). We are surrounded by a small neighborhood with lots of open spaces, but I still think that total isolation will make things worse.

Problem is if we experience hyperinflation, it may be better to get out now while our money is worth anything at all. I would probably make the leap if I still didn't have small children. I really do want them to experience friendships and some sort an illusion of a normal childhood as long as possible.

I don't have the answers. I wish I did. Everything has gone nuts and it's impossible to put your finger in the air and judge which way the wind is blowing.

Well, we aren’t there yet, but the winding up days in the scriptures paint a pretty bleak picture. Caused I think by the leavening of righteous people removing themselves from the general population.

Else Zion as a place could not become so.

Great migration is in the future.

Wouldn’t it be something if the open borders were letting in millions of Saints, seeking Zion, and using the priesthood to open pathways to Jackson County?

Of course, as righteousness leaves the medium to very wicked, so goes the light and influence of the spirit.

Still, for the righteous to become leaven of all corners of the earth, we need to add about 150 million members to get to the 1% minority mark.

From my research, it takes between 1.5 and 2% of yeast to make bread rise.

So, I’d say, we are still a long way off from actual tipping point into horrific last days scenarios.

All we are going thru is practice, as satanists grow and gain power. The current urgency comes from the old octogenarians of the deep state, who know their days are numbered, and they still haven’t quite gotten there yet...

[TrueFaith]

My wife has been begging me for the past month for us to sell our home and buy a cabin in the middle of nowhere here in the midwest. We already live in a pretty rural area (about a mile outside of a small town). We are surrounded by a small neighborhood with lots of open spaces, but I still think that total isolation will make things worse.

Problem is if we experience hyperinflation, it may be better to get out now while our money is worth anything at all. I would probably make the leap if I still didn't have small children. I really do want them to experience friendships and some sort an illusion of a normal childhood as long as possible.

I don't have the answers. I wish I did. Everything has gone nuts and it's impossible to put your finger in the air and judge which way the wind is blowing.

Well, we aren’t there yet, but the winding up days in the scriptures paint a pretty bleak picture. Caused I think by the leavening of righteous people removing themselves from the general population.

Else Zion as a place could not become so.

Great migration is in the future.

Wouldn’t it be something if the open borders were letting in millions of Saints, seeking Zion, and using the priesthood to open pathways to Jackson County?

Of course, as righteousness leaves the medium to very wicked, so goes the light and influence of the spirit.

Still, for the righteous to become leaven of all corners of the earth, we need to add about 150 million members to get to the 1% minority mark.

From my research, it takes between 1.5 and 2% of yeast to make bread rise.

So, I’d say, we are still a long way off from actual tipping point into horrific last days scenarios.

All we are going thru is practice, as satanists grow and gain power. The current urgency comes from the old octogenarians of the deep state, who know their days are numbered, and they still haven’t quite gotten there yet...

Well first of all, you can't be a "saint" while breaking the law by crossing a border.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
John 10:1

And I think we might be closer than you think. Inflation, supply, and employment shortages are getting pretty bad where I live. I currently have a problem with my electricity operating my heater. I called 3 electricians in my area and they are backed up till January. I tried calling multiple companies to install a wood furnace. They won't even pick up the phone they are so backed up.

My family may be sleeping indoors with a tent this winter for lack of heating. Everything is stretched thin right now. We're not far from snapping if this continues much longer.

And who is most responsible? Not Biden.

[Fred]

Well first of all, you can't be a "saint" while breaking the law by crossing a border.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
John 10:1

And I think we might be closer than you think. Inflation, supply, and employment shortages are getting pretty bad where I live. I currently have a problem with my electricity operating my heater. I called 3 electricians in my area and they are backed up till January. I tried calling multiple companies to install a wood furnace. They won't even pick up the phone they are so backed up.

My family may be sleeping indoors with a tent this winter for lack of heating. Everything is stretched thin right now. We're not far from snapping if this continues much longer.

And who is most responsible? Not Biden.

If you own your place, get a 300 gallon propane tank. They lease the tank for like ten bucks a year and sell you the propane. It's far cheaper than electricity. In a pinch you can use a space heater.

[Vision]

Well first of all, you can't be a "saint" while breaking the law by crossing a border.

So God is a respecter of person's after all and honors laws of men. I'm glad that's cleared up.

[lundbaek]

Many Latter-day Saints welcome those breaking the law by crossing a border.

[Fred]

Many Latter-day Saints welcome those breaking the law by crossing a border.

The church welcomes the tithe payers. The government welcomes the illegal votes for the democratic party. The drug cartels welcome the extra sales force. Some people think God sent them. Whether or not they will do us any favors remains to be seen.

They tend to congregate in the cities so they aren't likely to go where there is no demand. Farmers hire them, but extremely rural areas tend to be white only. At least around Utah. There is nothing for them where I live. No speakie, doesn't cut it.

But they are not the main threat anyway. Our own government is the threat. They plan to kill the old, then the sick, and then the unproductive. Once they pull the welfare and food stamp plug, they have to kill in order to eat. Some will likely eat each other.

We can watch it on TV. Until the news people die. Then it is out of sight and out of mind.

[Thinker]

…Wouldn’t it be something if the open borders were letting in millions of Saints, seeking Zion, and using the priesthood to open pathways to Jackson County?

Was that “the place” or is this the place?

[mudflap]

what'll happen first: total chaos, or mudflap moving into his cabin?


The yellow is highlighting the areas I have left to chink...(sorry, couldn't resist...). I'm sure I'll finish the chinking Wednesday - or maybe tomorrow. Then the inside framing begins - electrical, plumbing, flooring. Still need to insulate the floor under the house, but it's pretty efficient already.

but seriously - the knowledge needed to build a "log cabin" is not much compared to other types of homes. I have no background in construction. I know how to use a 3-4-5 triangle, a water level, simple tools like a hammer, a drill, a chainsaw (just don't grab it by the chain ever). Mostly, it's a series of simple steps that you follow until you finish. I ask a lot of questions, then make decisions on how to proceed. Then I move onto the next task.

I think if you lined up your materials, you could build a 25x25 log cabin with a loft in about a year - less if you work on it full time. Mine's taking too long because I started off too big, only work on it after my regular job, and I'm also the head mechanic for my family (always fixing everyone's cars).

They are one of the cheapest homes you can build - pretty sure I'm going to finish mine for $20 / sq ft, which is cheaper than most framed homes. If built correctly, they are one of the most efficient types of homes you can build - probably only a straw-bale home is more insulative.

You can learn how to build one in a series of videos you watch online at www.lhba.com - take you 2 days of 12 hours each to watch the videos and cost you less than $500.

I talked to a Veteran who says he's finally ready to build (took the class in 2008, been bouncing around with the Army since then) - "first thing to do is find a piece of land with your house already growing on it (trees)". It might be too late the way the economy is going, but if you focus your efforts, and use a lot of prayer, you might be able to finish before things go totally sideways.

I know God has blessed my efforts to date. I just found a $300 brand new kitchen sink - for $35. I just picked up a shipment of solar panels - 4800W - for $310. This whole project has been one tiny miracle after another - from not falling out of trees or sliding off the roof, to all the great deals I've found on supplies - I think I've saved over $100k on this home so far. He'll bless your efforts to prepare as well.

[mudflap]

just wanted to add - you folks out there "wishing" - don't wish, start planning. Make do-able plans, of course, but make some. some ideas:

1. I worked at a doctor's office when I first moved here (I moved here without a job after leaving a top tier tech job at the phone company - moved here on faith) - went from making $65k to making $10/hr. That job sucked, but it was the Obama economy (funny - looks like we're headed for "round two"...), so I was glad to have anything. Lived in a rented trailer - it was a 3 bedroom single wide - and all 7 of us lived there (there's now 8, but only 3 of us live together). Anyway, there was this really efficient doctor there - out of 5 doctors - he saw twice, sometimes 3 times as many patients. He had a waiting list of patients who wanted to see him. Anyway, I made it my mission to figure out what made him so successful. I finally figured out how to frame my question (don't know why it was hard, but I figured I got one shot at it...) - I said, "how do you get so much done in a day?" His answer: "I only touch the charts one time." That was it. He read the chart one time, and made his notes at the same time. He didn't shuffle back through the stacks at the end of the day, listening to his tape recording of the event. He said he did that with his bills, and anything else that came in the mail.

2. My friend who died of cancer - I worked with him on restoring an old "mill house" he owned that I was going to buy. I asked him one time "how do you keep all the stuff you have to do on this house organized? It's a lot to think about - buying electrical, ripping out carpet, installing drywall, keeping up with new saw blades and drill bits - I think it would drive me crazy." He beamed - and then showed me his yellow notepad - "I write all the stuff I need to do on here as I think of it. Then I check it off as I get to it. When I run out of things to check off, I know I'm done." Best simple advice I've ever heard.

3. I hate "Franklin Planners". I've tried all the apps, too. I thought computers were going to make life easier. That train hasn't arrived yet (for me). So I found this tiny little notebook - about 3"x5". It's a little bit bigger than my wallet - I can stick it in my back pocket. Anything I think of, I can note it in there. Moleskin makes them, too. Anyway, I buy the ones with dots instead of writing lines because I do a lot of drawing for the cabin - tossing ideas around on paper is easier for me. I make a table of contents on the first page - then every page gets marked with a category that matches the TOC - I can easily flip to all my cabin ideas. I also keep a list of "ongoing supplies" - you could list exact ammo sizes for all your 2A stuff. I put the AC filter size, oil filter types for all the cars, lightbulbs, etc. It's also a journal, a cut sheet (for when I'm cutting lumber), a doodle pad for my knitting pattern ideas, gardening notes, mileage journal for my car (you should do this - if your mileage ever starts to drop on your car, it's a good indicator something needs attention- air filter, low air in tires, spark plugs going out).

4. And finally, I'm collecting info right now on stuff I know nothing about (the only thing good about computers is looking stuff up on the internet, lol) - instead of mindlessly scrolling through fb(although I still do that), I have a list of things I'm trying to figure out - what size wiring I need for the cabin - entrance cable vs outlet cable vs lighting cable (yes, they are all different sizes), what are the requirements for wood stove pipe, etc.. As I research all the fire codes, I'm taking notes. Once I condense the notes down to "soundbites" (in the brown picture), I add the soundbites to my notebook - then when I'm at home depot, I can check prices and supplies and know exactly what I need to buy.

Anyway, food for thought on "being organized"...

[Enlightenment]

I think we have another 10-12 years before anything major of economic type collapse. Having said that there will be many ups and downs along the way. It's a good time as any to get started on your off grid. I got started last year on my project. Got some land in southern Utah. Have solar a well basic shelter and working on a home.

[Fred]

I think we have another 10-12 years before anything major of economic type collapse. Having said that there will be many ups and downs along the way. It's a good time as any to get started on your off grid. I got started last year on my project. Got some land in southern Utah. Have solar a well basic shelter and working on a home.

You are rather optimistic about the near future. Our money has lost 97% of it's value since Nixon. Some calculate the tribulations to be over in 2024. More than $3 trillion has been created in 2020 alone, which means that almost 20 percent of all existing USD created before 2021, according to Andreas Steno Larsen, chief global FX/FI strategist for the Helsinki-based financial services firm Nordea.

As of February 10, 2021, currency in circulation amounted to US$2.10 trillion, $2.05 trillion of which is in Federal Reserve Notes (the remaining $50 billion is in the form of coins and older-style United States Notes).

As of August 31, 2020, federal debt held by the public was $20.83 trillion and intragovernmental holdings were $5.88 trillion, for a total national debt of $26.70 trillion. This does not count unfunded liabilities.

But, if you are right, there is still no time to waste.

My crystal ball is broken. But I expect it to get continually worse until spring. An event could make a recovery impossible.

[Enlightenment]

I know things are nutty but there is a cycle to all things. They always find a way to kick the can down the road a little bit longer.

I really like Martin Armstrongs Economic Confidence Model. It's been right for the past 30 years and is back tested for thousands of years through all the ups and downs of economic cycles. We are definitely heading into choppy territory. The next many years.

Either way I would rather be prepared. I think that's the best mindset.

[tmac]

The Armstrong economic confidence cycle theory is interesting, and I give it some credence, but I think the projections in the above graph are running a few years behind the curve of what will ultimately end up happening.

For some time (10+ years) I have been even more persuaded by the generational cycle theory advanced in a book called The Fourth Turning, written by Neil Howe and William Straus in 1997. Straus and Howe are historians and statisticians. According to their theory, based on their studies and research, etc., there is a multi-generational cycle that runs its full course every 80-100 years, with four distinct phases/stages, and four corresponding generations, each of which react to, and are shaped by, the generations and events they interact with. But the long and the short of it is this: For the cycle to come full circle, in the end it must go through a full-fledged crisis phase, which normally includes everything from serious economic collapse and social upheaval, to war, that ends up generating a major societal reset every 80-100 years, that then starts the whole cycle over again.

One of the important things to understand, especially at a time like this, is the significance of timing. It has been said that timing is everything. Malcom Gladwell has written some interesting books, including Outliers, which thoroughly discuss the issue of timing. And in terms of the current generational cycle, where we are right now in the cycle is particularly critical – because we are just heading into the final 10 years or so of the current cycle, which, if history is any indication (and it usually is), this period characteristically develops into the deepest, darkest and most calamitous phase of the whole thing, before turning the corner to start a new cycle with a Spring-like reawakening. This doesn't mean that this will all happen 10 years from now. What it means is that over the course of the next 10 years or so, (and probably beginning in earnest in the next 2-4 years) it will have all happened so that the cycle can come full circle. So, on top of everything else, that – the deepest, darkest part of winter -- is what we will be dealing with and have to look forward to over the course of the next 10 years or so, before the cycle can come full circle and start over.

And, frankly, it all seems to be right on course and schedule. At this point, the world seems to be running amok in so many different ways and at such an accelerating rate that it is truly alarming. On that score, what needs to be clearly understood is that in the midst of everything else, some of the most wealthy and influential people in the world (people like Bill Gates, George Soros, and Klaus Schwab) have a very clear vision and agenda for the future, including the future of agriculture. And one of the things to bear in mind is that in the world view of Bill Gates and his associates, there is a high-tech solution to everything. Gates, who is already one of the world’s most wealthy and influential people, has written several books. One is called The Road Ahead. Another is called Business @ the Speed of Thought. And his most recent book, just recently out, is called How to Avoid a Climate Disaster – the Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.

That is one of the reasons why Bill Gates (and his corporations) now own more farmland than anyone else in the United States -- yes, even more than the LDS Church. But according to their mutual stated vision and agenda, the fact that there are fewer and fewer agricultural operators, for example, won’t matter, because with more technology and automation, there will be less physical work, and fewer people will be needed, and ownership will become much, much more centralized and consolidated.

To help paint the picture of what their vision and agenda look like, most farmers of the future will simply sit in climate-controlled offices, running computers that control machines, including computerized and robotic tractors that can do all the work on thousands, even tens of thousands of acres that are almost completely devoid of human presence or activity. Actually, I should correct myself. Cell phones these days can do virtually anything computers can do – and especially anything a farmer might need done. So, the evolving vision is that most days such “farmers” won’t even need to get out of bed. They can just lie in bed all day, and manage and control the “farm” with their cell phone. And with the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, pretty soon they won’t even need to run their cell phone – it will run itself, and the farm. And the future farms they are envisioning won’t even use much land. They will grow produce automatically and hydroponically in multi-storied, high-rise greenhouses and climate controlled environments, and they will make fake, vegetarian meat in test tubes.

In fact, in the growing assault on animal agriculture, one of Bill Gates’ most adamant proposals is to transition 100% to synthetic meat and synthetic milk, in order to do away with all the cows, that he and his associates claim are destroying the world. In the vegetarian world of this vision, there will likewise be little use for livestock, so most land, that isn’t used for housing, commercial use or entertainment, can just sit idle, doing nothing, in a chemically induced coma that requires little maintenance. And at that point, all so-called “farmers,” like most people, will have to do is lay in bed all day, and all night, with essentially nothing to do, and with little purpose. And since there will be so much less productive use for human beings, there will likewise be little need for human reproduction, and a growing effort to control human population. At that point, instead of having productive jobs or businesses, most people will be completely consumptive, and receive compensation from the government to maintain their sloth-like existence.

It may sound far-fetched, but that is indeed the vision/agenda of some of the most powerful influencers in modern culture and society, for the future of agriculture and its role in society. Because they envision a world in which technology and automation will essentially replace the need for most human beings, their corresponding agenda is to vastly reduce the world population. While children are a genuine asset in an Agrarian society, they are often viewed as a liability in modern technological society.

If you struggle to believe this, consider proposed legislation that has recently been introduced in Pennsylvania, of all places, by a legislator from Philadelphia. This legislation would limit how many children a family can have, dictate what age families can have children, and impose a $10,000 fine for refusal to submit to forced sterilization after having three children. Another legislator then announced that he would be introducing corresponding legislation that would require all inseminators (males) to undergo vasectomies within six weeks of the birth of their third child, or 40th birthday, whichever comes first. This legislation would also empower the state to enforce the new law by offering a $10,000 reward for “reports to the proper authorities any scofflaws who have not complied with the law within the allotted timeframe.” I know this sounds like a joke, and it should be. But it’s not. Fortunately, such legislation is not ripe for passage – yet. But it should be pretty clear where things are headed at this point.

In the world of this vision/agenda, people will be living increasingly synthetic, “vegetarian” lifestyles, completely disconnected from the earth and its realities, seeking to avoid consumption of any animal products, choosing, among other things, fake, test-tube meat, instead. According to this vision, there will ultimately be a huge disconnection between people and the land. And, because it is their vision/agenda to essentially replace most people with computers and machines, their corresponding vision is not only to remove people from the land, but also to vastly reduce the overall number of people who may be competing for the food and resources that are being produced.

The bottom line is, the world is a serious mess right now. And, according to the Fourth Turning generational cycle theory, it’s not going to get any better for a while. In fact, it’s only going to get worse – probably a lot worse. Consequently, we’re on a bigger, faster, roller-coaster collision course than ever before. And given the accelerating course it’s on, at this point it is not even a matter of “if”, but only a matter of “when”, the epic wreck is going to happen, to bring everything full circle.

If history is any reliable guide (which it tends to be), that should all happen within the next 10 years or so, during which conditions will deteriorate to the point that, ultimately, things will probably get so messed up that many people won’t even know where their next meal is going to come from. And at that point, that old Chinese Proverb – Lots of food, lots of problems; No food, one problem – will come fully into play.

But this time around, there is no good reason to believe that our political “leaders” will be able to borrow and spend their way out of all this. At this point, in the latter part of 2021, still wrestling with the ongoing, intentional mini-crisis of the COVID scamdemic, the United States finds itself in the most precarious position it has ever been in since its founding as a nation, about 230 years ago. First of all, at 129% of total GDP, the US federal government already now has the highest debt to GDP ratio in history. The previous high, following the Great Recession and WWII, was 121%. Our current national (federal) debt level is $28 Trillion and counting. With last year’s “COVID Relief” hand-outs, the federal government increased its debt by $4.2 Trillion in 2020 alone. And now the current administration is pushing hard to secure approval for about $4.5 Trillion in additional “infrastructure” spending. At this point, and for the past year or so, the Federal Reserve is and has been printing money hand over fist, and seems to be prepared to continue that trend until the money presses run completely dry. But, the bottom line is, simply printing money can’t go on forever.

The important point to understand is that at this point the federal government is already more than tapped-out, and if history is any guide (and, again, it tends to be), the real crisis – that we will experience over the course of the next 5-10 years – hasn’t even really begun yet. At this point we’re still just building to it, and it is fair to say that we don’t even know yet for sure exactly what it is going to be and/or look like, but we do know that current conditions are in a rapidly “accelerating” phase. But if history is any reliable guide, just as Spring can’t actually arrive until Winter completely comes and goes, so too must this cycle run its complete course and come full circle before it repeats itself. So we will inevitably be entering this most critical, most serious crisis/winter phase of the entire cycle in the worst shape we have ever been as a nation. Although our political leaders have acted with total disregard for what is inevitably still around the corner, it is fair to say that there may be a limit to the extent the federal government will have the capacity to ride to the rescue. So, where does that leave us?

I have a good friend who is a psychologist and works as a therapist and life coach, who says the biggest thing most people want is just to be stroked have their existing paradigms validated. And most people actually hate to have their paradigms challenged.

When the inevitable epic wreck finally does happen, perhaps the biggest question will be “Who” is going to be capable of helping to pick up the pieces? Among other relevant questions is, “Who is going to produce the food needed to help feed what is left of this once great nation?” Who is going to produce basic food, fiber and shelter – the necessities of life?

Who are we going to turn to rescue and take care of us?

[Vision]

At that point, instead of having productive jobs or businesses, most people will be completely consumptive, and receive compensation from the government to maintain their sloth-like existence.


It may sound far-fetched, but that is indeed the vision/agenda of some of the most powerful influencers in modern culture and society, for the future of agriculture and its role in society. Because they envision a world in which technology and automation will essentially replace the need for most human beings, their corresponding agenda is to vastly reduce the world population. While children are a genuine asset in an Agrarian society, they are often viewed as a liability in modern technological society.

Warm Jelly for all in their sloth like existence.

[Blackmamba2442]

My wife has been begging me for the past month for us to sell our home and buy a cabin in the middle of nowhere here in the midwest. We already live in a pretty rural area (about a mile outside of a small town). We are surrounded by a small neighborhood with lots of open spaces, but I still think that total isolation will make things worse.

Problem is if we experience hyperinflation, it may be better to get out now while our money is worth anything at all. I would probably make the leap if I still didn't have small children. I really do want them to experience friendships and some sort an illusion of a normal childhood as long as possible.

I don't have the answers. I wish I did. Everything has gone nuts and it's impossible to put your finger in the air and judge which way the wind is blowing.

Well, we aren’t there yet, but the winding up days in the scriptures paint a pretty bleak picture. Caused I think by the leavening of righteous people removing themselves from the general population.

Else Zion as a place could not become so.

Great migration is in the future.

Wouldn’t it be something if the open borders were letting in millions of Saints, seeking Zion, and using the priesthood to open pathways to Jackson County?

Of course, as righteousness leaves the medium to very wicked, so goes the light and influence of the spirit.

Still, for the righteous to become leaven of all corners of the earth, we need to add about 150 million members to get to the 1% minority mark.

From my research, it takes between 1.5 and 2% of yeast to make bread rise.

So, I’d say, we are still a long way off from actual tipping point into horrific last days scenarios.

All we are going thru is practice, as satanists grow and gain power. The current urgency comes from the old octogenarians of the deep state, who know their days are numbered, and they still haven’t quite gotten there yet...

Well first of all, you can't be a "saint" while breaking the law by crossing a border.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
John 10:1

And I think we might be closer than you think. Inflation, supply, and employment shortages are getting pretty bad where I live. I currently have a problem with my electricity operating my heater. I called 3 electricians in my area and they are backed up till January. I tried calling multiple companies to install a wood furnace. They won't even pick up the phone they are so backed up.

My family may be sleeping indoors with a tent this winter for lack of heating. Everything is stretched thin right now. We're not far from snapping if this continues much longer.

And who is most responsible? Not Biden.

Why haven’t you done it?

[farmerchick]

just wanted to add - you folks out there "wishing" - don't wish, start planning. Make do-able plans, of course, but make some. some ideas:

1. I worked at a doctor's office when I first moved here (I moved here without a job after leaving a top tier tech job at the phone company - moved here on faith) - went from making $65k to making $10/hr. That job sucked, but it was the Obama economy (funny - looks like we're headed for "round two"...), so I was glad to have anything. Lived in a rented trailer - it was a 3 bedroom single wide - and all 7 of us lived there (there's now 8, but only 3 of us live together). Anyway, there was this really efficient doctor there - out of 5 doctors - he saw twice, sometimes 3 times as many patients. He had a waiting list of patients who wanted to see him. Anyway, I made it my mission to figure out what made him so successful. I finally figured out how to frame my question (don't know why it was hard, but I figured I got one shot at it...) - I said, "how do you get so much done in a day?" His answer: "I only touch the charts one time." That was it. He read the chart one time, and made his notes at the same time. He didn't shuffle back through the stacks at the end of the day, listening to his tape recording of the event. He said he did that with his bills, and anything else that came in the mail.

2. My friend who died of cancer - I worked with him on restoring an old "mill house" he owned that I was going to buy. I asked him one time "how do you keep all the stuff you have to do on this house organized? It's a lot to think about - buying electrical, ripping out carpet, installing drywall, keeping up with new saw blades and drill bits - I think it would drive me crazy." He beamed - and then showed me his yellow notepad - "I write all the stuff I need to do on here as I think of it. Then I check it off as I get to it. When I run out of things to check off, I know I'm done." Best simple advice I've ever heard.

3. I hate "Franklin Planners". I've tried all the apps, too. I thought computers were going to make life easier. That train hasn't arrived yet (for me). So I found this tiny little notebook - about 3"x5". It's a little bit bigger than my wallet - I can stick it in my back pocket. Anything I think of, I can note it in there. Moleskin makes them, too. Anyway, I buy the ones with dots instead of writing lines because I do a lot of drawing for the cabin - tossing ideas around on paper is easier for me. I make a table of contents on the first page - then every page gets marked with a category that matches the TOC - I can easily flip to all my cabin ideas. I also keep a list of "ongoing supplies" - you could list exact ammo sizes for all your 2A stuff. I put the AC filter size, oil filter types for all the cars, lightbulbs, etc. It's also a journal, a cut sheet (for when I'm cutting lumber), a doodle pad for my knitting pattern ideas, gardening notes, mileage journal for my car (you should do this - if your mileage ever starts to drop on your car, it's a good indicator something needs attention- air filter, low air in tires, spark plugs going out).

4. And finally, I'm collecting info right now on stuff I know nothing about (the only thing good about computers is looking stuff up on the internet, lol) - instead of mindlessly scrolling through fb(although I still do that), I have a list of things I'm trying to figure out - what size wiring I need for the cabin - entrance cable vs outlet cable vs lighting cable (yes, they are all different sizes), what are the requirements for wood stove pipe, etc.. As I research all the fire codes, I'm taking notes. Once I condense the notes down to "soundbites" (in the brown picture), I add the soundbites to my notebook - then when I'm at home depot, I can check prices and supplies and know exactly what I need to buy.

Anyway, food for thought on "being organized"...

A hot sheet works every time it's tried...thats what we do...make a list of what's to do...check it off....voila done.....i don't know who invented that but it works...lol....i have a white board in my farm office that everyone writes on.....daily to do's.....weekly to do's.....monthly to do's.....bi-monthly to do's and suggestions?.......I only work two months out....lol....and sometimes the suggestions are genius....good leaders ask questions and great leaders allow answers....lol...not my quote....one of my WWII veteran bosses at my first job said this all the time...i've never forgotten it.....toughest bosses I ever had...lol...and I never spoke to either of them without being spoken to first....lol....I didn't have any answers so I kept my mouth shut....lol....

[Vision]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... l%7D%22%7D

[tmac]

Among other issues, this place advertised above has the same fundamental challenge as River Bed Ranch -- no realistic, productive means of ever being self-sufficient.

And that is the same issue RBR will ultimately run up against. Despite having the advantage of "community" and a like-minded cooperative, they have naively chosen a spot that has almost zero realistic chance of actual productive self-sufficiency, following their intended model.

Even with water, some soil has serious productive limitations. And they have chosen such a location. It has been said that "you get what you pay for," and knowing quite a bit about the history of that place, it was relatively cheap for several reasons.

[mudflap]

Among other issues, this place advertised above has the same fundamental challenge as River Bed Ranch -- no realistic, productive means of ever being self-sufficient.

And that is the same issue RBR will ultimately run up against. Despite having the advantage of "community" and a like-minded cooperative, they have naively chosen a spot that has almost zero realistic chance of actual productive self-sufficiency, following their intended model.

Even with water, some soil has serious productive limitations. And they have chosen such a location. It has been said that "you get what you pay for," and knowing quite a bit about the history of that place, it was relatively cheap for several reasons.

What's RBR? I don't see the link, but if it's out in the desert....

Still there are advantages to desert living:
- no one is going to fight you over water rights - well... maybe. That's what they do in Arabia.
- small population means diseases won't spread as quickly
- your land isn't very productive, so nobody is going to try to take if from you.

can't believe those prices on the ranches website - 5 desert acres for $150K seems pretty steep. OTOH, the South is losing population:



This is why land is cheap here, and expensive out west (psst, Utah - you don't need to "irrigate" in the south). And even though tornadoes are a spring and fall thing - drought is generational. But cheap land could also be a sign of bad policies - it hasn't hit California on this map (2018), but I bet the next one will show it. But look at Illinois - almost the whole state is showing losses. With the new "work from home" economy, it might be worth looking into buying up land in some of these areas.

[Fred]

I would never join a community like this, but you might get some ideas about what can be done with the place you already have. Taos, New Mexico has been open to this sort of thing for decades. But these types of homes can be built anywhere.

Tire shops have to pay a disposal fee so if you want tires, you can get hundreds of thousands of them delivered for free.

Most of the homes in this video are made out of garbage.