Saturday, May 24, 2014

If It Happened Today





So the premise is simple really. You're going about your daily routine this very day. Perhaps taking a break from the garden or whatever you are up to. Browsing the internet or listening to the radio, whatever. The power goes out....

Everything stops working. You hear random beeps from appliances that are now getting no power, fire alarms that sort of thing.

You look outside and there is no traffic. Perhaps some neighbors, if you have any, looking around or maybe some stopped cars with their passengers and drivers out looking around in confusion.

Now what would you do?

How long would it take you to realize this wasn't a short term blip? Would you even care to wonder if it was or not? Assuming there is no question the power is off for good what would you do?

There is no more time to prep, now is the time to start putting it all into action.

I think the first thing I would do would be to move the invalid flock of sheep down the road to rejoin the rest of sheep. The reason for this is two fold. One, the pasture down the road is much more secluded and would require someone to walk a few hundred yards either up the driveway or through brush before they could see the sheep. Two, the rams would need pasturage and water so the first day would be moving the small flock to open up the pasture they are on which would allow me to put one of the rams into it.

Just moving the stock would take most of the day I imagine without a working vehicle but it would be important. Grain would quickly run out so there would be no more keeping them on limited pasture and supplementing, best to get them on grass as soon as possible. I could haul water from the cistern and hand wells but having them in a location where they had some permanent water would save a lot of time and effort. This would be the most important first move. Also keeping as much of the livestock as possible from the view of any casual (and maybe hungry) foot traveler would be a real bonus.

If I had any day light left I would then take out a roll of barbed wire and begin fencing in the garden and a strand around what is now the yard. My electric fence wire is solar powered but since we know this is a permanent thing might as well get ready to use as much available pasture as possible. If the engines aren't working or there is no gas it isn't like I am going to be mowing anymore. Of course with the removal of vehicles from the problem live stock getting out isn't as pressing as it once was. You will just want em to stay close so you can keep an eye on them.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!




17 comments:

  1. That kind of happened this morning. I rather decadently slept in to 8:00AM ish around 8:15 the fan stopped, because the power was out. Since I hadn't had my morning coffee, I started a small fire and drew a kettle of water with the last in the pressure vessel and boiled water. I dumped the grounds in the pot and put a coffee filter into a flour sifter to strain them out as I poured it into a cup.

    I think it is the British survival manual that states the first order of businesses is to brew a cup of tea, sit fown and assess the situation. Well, I drink coffee untill noon then iced tea until midnight; but thier point is a good one. While drinking the morning coffee in the cool morning air, it occurred to me to check my cell phone to see if it had service. It did and a few minutes later I knew that there was an outage affecting 150 houses in my area. So, by the time rest of the family got up I had a cup o' joe, a calm demeanor, and useful intel.

    I also had a couple of problems to resolve on my to do list. I need to get a mechanical water pump, I need to get a non electric percolator, and probably some coffee bags for good measure.

    Best,
    Dan

    P.s. the filter in a strainer worked fine, but it is not verry convienent.

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    Replies
    1. Dan - As always you have the well thought out answer. Good advice there.

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    2. Dan - if it ever really hits the fan and you still have coffee, use an old clean t-shirt or something similar to strain your coffee. your welcome - teeheee.

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    3. Thanks Kymber. That's a really good ideal, I'll rember that.

      Best,
      Dan

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  2. Replies
    1. Sf - I wasn't necessarily implying it was an EMP strike or something. Just think all fuel magically disappeared over night :)

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  3. I think it's a sad commentary on this world that every time when the power goes out now, the first thing I do is grab the cell phone to see if it still has power.

    Matt

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    Replies
    1. Matt - I know what ya mean lol. Really though I wasn't just asking about an EMP or something just everything stops for one reason or another. However I think I should have been more specific.

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    2. we don't have cell-phone coverage out here in the boonies so it's never a worry in a power outage. we have many more traditional ways of contacting each other...i'll leave it at that.

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    3. You sending out smoke signals again Kymber?

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    4. buddy - we only give out our secrets in person. git yer butt up here, do some trout fishing with jam...and i will fill you in.

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    5. Sweet Kymber,

      We have cell coverage here but we don't rely on it. Especially if there's an EMP, or a calapse. Traditional ways of contacting each other is what we would rely on too.

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  4. Likely your electric fence, being a goodly long antenna, wouldn't be working after an EMP.

    But you'dhave a good start on things. Me? I got so sheep, but I am prepped any other way I can think of. Food, water, ammo, firearms, sup[plies of all kinds.

    Sadly, No good team members though.

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    Replies
    1. B - You are right about the fence, although I wasn't thinking EMP just everything stops for whatever reason. However if there was an EMP I guess the fence wouldn't be as important since I wouldn't have to worry about someone hitting one of the sheep. Still I would need to keep em out of things and keep the rams from visiting wouldn't I?

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  5. Diesel keeps for many years and an old tractor would still run on that or vegi oil after an EMP. So would a spare fence charger if it wasn't hooked up. Start collecting used transmission oil too, that burns well in a diesel engine. I ran my old MB on fuel oil and used engine oil for years. Of course that was because I couldn't afford diesel back then.

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    Replies
    1. MV - The only diesel I got is the Big newer Massy tractor my old 8N is gas. Old diesels are hard to come by it seems.

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  6. Water. Where we live, that would be the single biggest consideration.

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