Saturday, August 10, 2013

Some Signs are Returning

A few weeks ago I began to notice the return of what I used to call quiet periods. These were days when I could be outside working and go for extremely long periods with no motor sounds at all. Traffic has once again decreased to 2009 levels around here. This week however a few other familiar signs began making themselves noticed once again.

Street beggars and panhandlers have become noticeable along roadways once again. I hadn't seen them on the roadways over the last year or so. They used to be quite common but had faded away in 2012 only to begin making an appearance again this week. This time however I also noticed a couple of women in the mix and I had never seen that before.

Mostly dead department stores. Another thing I noticed a few years ago were stores would be almost devoid of shoppers at times. Certainly not during the main flows but some stores were almost impossible to find a slow period at, at least when looked at from another shopper's perspective. Even early mornings required fairly long waits to get through the check out lines and constant other shoppers being in your way.  Something that once again seems to be lessening. I was able to get in and out of a couple of different stores in under 30 minutes the last few weeks and the aisles were almost deserted. I am sure the stores were not happy but it sure did help my blood pressure levels.

Once again I am seeing a number of trucks loaded down with personal belongings who are obviously moving. Something that had reached epic proportions back in 2010 but I haven't noticed much since. I have seen several of them again this week including one today.

Farmer's Market. Another trend I had noticed a few years ago were a large number of farmer's market stalls from people attempting to move their wares and garden produce. There were many of them back in 2009 and 2010 but by 2011 it had went back to almost completely the three die hard auction type resellers. This year however there seems to be another increase in organic growers hitting the market again.

The underground economy is growing once again I think.

Stray animals. As I have written about before the number of strays attempting to move into out barns and outbuildings has never actually died out from 2009 but this year it took a huge leap forward once again. I am also seeing far more dogs wandering around out on the gravel roads when I go check my hives. A sure sign dumping has once again picked up. There were several signs of obvious pet abandonments in town this week as well. A sure sign of economic problems.

The tell tale signs are picking up once again I think. Perhaps another big step down is in the making.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!



 



20 comments:

  1. I read in our local rag, just yesterday, this mini-depression ended four years ago...so says the government. And yet, last evening I asked my wife if she'd please put together small assistance packets consisting of toothpaste, soap, shampoo, a razor and whatever she felt necessary for those that panhandle at my shop's front door. I do not, often, give over cash. Someone is lying about our economy and it isn't the people.

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    1. Stephen - No kidding. I get so tired of the lies and ones that obviously are not true. Even local communities are guilty of this. The near little city to me was boasting about revenue being up and then two weeks later the 4th largest employer closes it's doors.

      In many ways I blame the old business idea that you should always be up beat and calling attention to possible problems labeled you as negative. It removed a sense of realism from things.

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  2. PioneerP - our first summer here, there were tons of people coming up every weekend to their cottages. and on the weekend we would never go to the beach as people would come up and spend the day at the beach. i used to hate the weekend with all of the cars going by - not on our road - on the main road. but when you get used to the peace and quiet, hearing cars going by on the main road is as bad as them driving up our road. anyway, last year, fewer vehicles over the summer. this year, almost none. and a whole pile of cottages around here are for sale. it's the cost of the gas to get here that's keeping the cottagers at home.

    anyway, you have a great eye for observing trends. i enjoy these kinds of posts!

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. kymber - ya gas is a killer when it gets so expensive.

      I wonder how bad it's going to get this time.

      Thank you for your kind words :)

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    2. not kind words buddy, just the truth.

      Delete
  3. I get very aggravated when I watch the smiling talking heads singing the praises of the government and telling us all how the economy has improved. They lie. Worse, they know they are telling lies.

    In our county we have a Hooverville with homeless people living in shacks made of cardboard and scrap. It's worse than the third world.

    We don't have people begging too often, but we have lots of young people sitting by the road trying to sell their meager personal possessions.

    As for anyone would abandon their animals, they'd do the same to their kids. Most of the dogs I've had for the last 30 years were dumped off in the national forest and just showed up here.

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    1. HF - I used to think that perhaps it was more of a kindness that someone wanted to give them a chance rather than put them in a kill shelter. Anymore I see it as someone again thinking of only themselves and not allowing for future bad times and not giving the animals the love they deserve nor following through with the commitment they made.

      Bottom line selfishness I guess.

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  4. I noticed more u-hauls going south when we came back north in May. We had the homeless beggars in Kissimmee, I was shocked to see some here in MN never saw 6 years ago when we went south. In the small town we live in now there is apartments for rent. 2 soon 3 in our complex alone.

    Rents are sill too high for the market. I have cousins in the Metro area who are paying $1,300 a month, for a town home.

    All the new jobs out there now are P.T. at min. wage. I think more business hire P.T. because of Obuttheadcare.

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    1. Rob - About the only construction I been seeing around here have been rental units and rent in general has been going up as well.

      Temporary housing for temporary circumstances I guess is the thought? I don't know.

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  5. Yes, these types of signs are out once again. There are some ridiculously low priced homes being repossessed in the paper again. There are panhandlers in Richmond again, and they are taking a risk because a law was recently passed making panhandling illegal in most places there. (It was determined to be a road hazard for drivers at intersections.) The number of horses being given away are up once again. The interstate has a lot of people moving with everything they own in a pick up truck, poorly secured, packed in haste with things flying off as they drive.
    I think your observations are absolutely correct.

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    1. Jane - Yep I have seen a number of trucks stopped as the people re-tie their loads. A sure sign as you pointed out.

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  6. The homeless are all down here at our interstate crossroads. I see people out there on average of once or twice a week. Or, they are hanging out under a shade tree outside of China-mart. We see folks all the time at the gas stations down at the crossroads, its terrible, looks like they are all living out of their cars...
    Yes I agree , the under ground economy is making a resergence. Gas prices are so high, cost of shipping is high..no one wants to pay the outragous store prices..

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    1. JuGM - Yes everything is outrageous now. The panhandlers did diminish here for a bit but are back now. People are trying everything they can now.

      Oh I mailed your honey so be on the look out for it.

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  7. We can't cross a parking lot now without a young "mother" or "father" approaching us. The tale is always the same: "Out of gas/on my way to see mom/ granny (or baby) is hot in the car" But since it's Florida, this particular scam is the "drug money" ploy. Abandoned animals. HOW can a person not share their crust of bread with their loyal buddy who does not "know" how to bring down a squirrel for its supper.

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    1. Lotta Joy - Ya I cannot imagine doing it myself. I do wonder sometimes though how much of it might be a parent dumping a pet they really cared nothing for but got for the kids or something or how much maybe people re-locating a stray that showed up at their place and they didn't know what else to do with it.

      No excuse either way of course it still shows bad character.

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  8. Going with Lotta Joy on this one. Abandoning a loyal pet out on the road somewhere is in my book almost as bad as tossing a child out like that.

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    1. Matt - As I mentioned above I do know of some people that will relocate a stray that shows up on their property rather than throw rocks at it or worse. That in itself is just putting a problem off on others though and not a worthy excuse but I find it more conceivable than as you say abandoning a loyal friend.

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  9. I used to go to town and find coins laying all over the place where people would drop them and not bother to pick them up. I haven't seen a coin in months, people pick the worthless things up now, that is a bad sign, picking up a cent. It is actually cheaper to bore a hole in a nickel instead of buying a chinese washer at Lowes, pick up those washers as well!

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    1. Sunnybrook - Ya know that is a good sign. I used to see quarters and such all over in parking lots. Not so anymore. Good observation!!!

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  10. I see mixed signals. The competition for skilled workers is heating up. I get unsolicited offers of employment (real ones) because the skilled tradesmen are retiring, and we never did much to train a new batch of them.

    In general I think the economy may be picking up some, but it is very very spotty. Probably another uptick within the smaller cycles that go into the longer business cycles.

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