An interesting development with this new Greek election isn't it? I been watching and reading and I am wondering if this isn't a sign that the next step in our long slow stairway of collapse isn't coming soon.
After the lies, brutal taxes, falling jobs and velocity of money, crumbling infrastructure and other steps down eventually we run into the the default stage. The default stage is simply once the people and the elected leaders figure out that they don't care about the debt and they don't have to repay it. Once they begin to default things become interesting and there is simply no telling where that merry go round will stop or who will ultimately get burned.
I also came across this article over at the Dailysheeple today.
This is what a Real-Life Economic collapse looks like
I find this article very interesting because, well, simply put it pretty much says the same thing I been preaching for a few years now.
If you ain't homesteading and producing, you ain't really prepping to survive. You are simply a hoarder and deluding yourself.
I can only suggest you read the article. It is well worth your time even if you don't agree with me.
Besides normal routine chores I spent today banging in 50 some new T-posts for the temporary fence. I am way short on electric fence clips though not that it matters much as after getting all those posts pounded in I didn't have time to do much else anyway besides put up the panel for the charger and get the ground rod sunk. I will need to go pick upa few bags of new clips tomorrow I guess.
Looks like our beautiful weather is going to come to an end tonight and be back down into the 30's and below starting tomorrow for a good while. One reason I had to get the posts put in today as I wanted to get it done before the ground freezes again. Once I get some more clips and string up the temporary wire I can begin ripping out the old fence and the cold won't matter then.
I then had a guy come by to look at some of last years lambs because he said he wanted some breeding ewes. The guy was from some Middle Eastern country of which I didn't ask but he immediately kinda put me off when he said the new lamb/ewes (what do you call a ewe too young to breed but not a lamb anymore?) should have been bred this Winter. We never breed a ewe before she is at least 16 months old that's just wrong and it really hurts them in getting their full growth potential in.
Anyway so this guy is looking at all my ewes and rams plus the few slaughter whethers I have left and then turns around and offers me 20K for the lot. All of them... Needless to say I declined his offer. As a lot purchase it wasn't so low as to be insulting but well I would have to start over and all that....ya know...ya.... that's my story and I am sticking with it.
I think I will wait and just take some to market next week.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!
“What can you store?” is not the answer to this conundrum.
“What can you make?” – that’s the answer.
Your focus has to be on long-term sustainability, frugality, and self-reliance. Don’t get me wrong – a stockpile is sensible and an important course of action. It should definitely be part of your preparedness plan.
- See more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/this-is-what-a-real-life-economic-collapse-looks-like_012015#sthash.LhjzK8Hg.dpuf
“What can you make?” – that’s the answer.
Your focus has to be on long-term sustainability, frugality, and self-reliance. Don’t get me wrong – a stockpile is sensible and an important course of action. It should definitely be part of your preparedness plan.
- See more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/this-is-what-a-real-life-economic-collapse-looks-like_012015#sthash.LhjzK8Hg.dpuf
“What can you store?” is not the answer to this conundrum.
“What can you make?” – that’s the answer.
Your focus has to be on long-term sustainability, frugality, and self-reliance. Don’t get me wrong – a stockpile is sensible and an important course of action. It should definitely be part of your preparedness plan.
- See more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/this-is-what-a-real-life-economic-collapse-looks-like_012015#sthash.LhjzK8Hg.dpuf
“What can you make?” – that’s the answer.
Your focus has to be on long-term sustainability, frugality, and self-reliance. Don’t get me wrong – a stockpile is sensible and an important course of action. It should definitely be part of your preparedness plan.
- See more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/this-is-what-a-real-life-economic-collapse-looks-like_012015#sthash.LhjzK8Hg.dpuf
I think you made the right decision in not taking 20K. I would have done the same thing for the same " reason". I'm proud of you. Peg in Florida
ReplyDeletePeg - Well the average came out above market price for the lambs but considering the weight of my older ewes not to mention I got about 20 that I am about 100% certain are bred now plus another 10 probably are anyway and the cost of that Blue Faced Ram alone 20K was prolly fair as a lump sum. But I would have declined even if he had said 30 for the same "reason". It costs us some extra money to coddle our flock and I have no illusions about the fact that when I do have to market some each year where they end up but some things are worth more than money.
Deletethink how some of that persuasion treat human little girls.. so they obviously will have no mercy on sheep.
Deletedeborah - Very valid point indeed.
DeleteI'll be blunt PP. I absolutely will not do business with Muslims and will pay extra if necessary to avoid it. I will not sell any livestock if I have even a suspicion that it will be processed as Halal. My brothers wife is from Gaza, her parents are one of the rapidly diminishing Christian families remaining. I have over the last 30 years visited there and othe parts of the Middle East. No newspaper article or PC commentator will ever dissuade me from calling the religion of peace a bunch of savages. They are all smiles and sunshine when it suits but never to be trusted.
DeleteOur financial adviser says the collapse will be spring 2016 but others say it will be 3rd quarter this year which is kind of when financial crashes seem to happen. Nobody knows but I find few people who say that it won't happen as opposed to being laughed at and called names a couple years ago. So if that many people think something will happen, it usually does. I really am starting to blame the republicans for standing by and doing nothing, kind of like a fox stealing chickens, well you can't hate the fox as that is it's nature but when the dog watches the fox do it then my anger goes to the dog as it's nature should be to chase foxes and is not doing it's job. Anyway be prepared.
ReplyDeleteSf - I am not a republican cheerleader, they are just as bad as the Femocrats at spending our money. That being said at least they leave my gun rights alone and that's enough for me to give em support over the Fems. That and they do tend to spend the money in areas I can stomach a bit better even though it doesn't benefit us.
DeleteI think you maybe right though. A lot of "pros" are calling 2015 the year...
My experience with timing is that it will take longer to get here than you expect. Experienced folks knew that housing was going to collapse as early as 2003. Housing peaked in August 2005 but didn't completely collapse until 2008.
DeleteThe really big problem now is the Chinese bubble collapse (which is why oil and all the other commodities have collapsed - not Saudi scheming). That is going to be a really complex unwinding.
However! That is what is odd. The immediate effect is to have all of these collapsing countries kill their currency. People flee to the dollar, and start lending us lots of money. So we may actually wind up being one of the last countries still dancing when the music stops. Presuming, of course, that someone doesn't start throwing around some nukes.
Russ - Certainly the ability to kick the can and hide the problem of the guys in charge has always amazed me over the last few years. By and large though I think it comes down to the masses. When they are ready it will happen until then their faith is about all that keeps it afloat.
DeleteThe Financial Times has an article " Bonds: caught in a debt trap " that in a round about way agrees with your skepticism. The negative interest rates of many Government bonds (but not U.S. yet) is causing a lot of head scratching as to which way the bad news will fall. Pushing money into the economy (the Feds buying back T-bills does this) hasn't jump started anyone's economy, and yet we don't yet have the stagflation of the 70s/80s yet either. At the same time the threat of bubbles bursting, means you have huge deflationary risks.
DeleteYou are getting close to an economy where the big players have free money to invest, but nothing to invest it in. That may not be a collapse (yet), but it sure is stagnant.
Russ - Ya the various QE's are not working anywhere. I personally think the wealth disparity has reached a point that QE cannot work any more but the only option to fix it would mean a financial collapse in the other sectors anyway. Just another side effect of the various government forms of engineering and controls. By default they favor some sectors too well until things tip and there is no way to right them.
DeleteI would call the older lambs yearlings, & I wouldn't have bred them yet either.- Marivene
ReplyDeleteMarivene - Oh we never breed a ewe her first year. We have purchased a couple of breeding ewes who were bred their first season and it literally almost killed them and took us a year or more to get em healed up enough to be bred. Like I said it costs and hurts the bottom line a bit but when you nurse a ewe up and she breeds true with twins a couple of years in a row you get those losses back quick.
DeleteWith the Muslims looking for gun ranges and food (lamb & sheep etc), it is very concerning. I bet he was surprised that you turned down his money.
ReplyDeleteRob - Well apparently this type of thing isn't all that uncommon. I talked to another sheep couple and they have been approached as well by some Muslims out of Chicago, which is where this guy said he was from.
DeleteNot my cup of tea...
Just catching up with your blog....
ReplyDeleteGreetings from a very cold and windybwales
JG - Glad to have ya come by and thanks for the comment!!!
DeleteI think that there's little point worrying about what could happen. At the end of the day you've put yourself in the best position possible for you and your family and if nothing comes of it its a good life to lead! That said no harm in ramping it up as well!
ReplyDeleteI hate offers like you received always makes me suspect the worse and think it's a scam.
Kev - The only thing that really worries me is what the government is going to do as things continue to slide. They are the real enemy as far as seizures and the like go. Our government has learned the best way to achieve it's goals is to attack small groups one at a time and I am pretty sure we are at the top of the list.
DeleteYa the guys way just made me uneasy. He started off saying he wasn't interested at all because the yearlings weren't bred then switched into a big offering when I didn't seem to care. I got the feeling he was just trying to bait me and was then going to start back peddling anyway.
Somewhere else I asked the question what would happen if the Greek Government said "Let's renegotiate or we will not pay" and the debt holders did not agree. No-one had an answer at that time. I suppose that you can state you will not repay but the chances you will get money in the future is very limited - something that would be an issue if you did not have money in the first place.
ReplyDeleteAs to the rest, doing what we can with where we are right now. I have pretty much decided to double down on what garden area I have even if it is to increase the fertility of the soil this year (thought I would try planting some alfalfa in some reclaimed areas).
TB - I think with Greece it comes down to how much the EU leaders want to continue the illusion that it all one big happy family. The question is how much will they pay to keep that going. Other than that my only guess would be the only option after default is war.
DeleteAlfalfa is good but it will choke out everything else and then need replanting in a few years. I have been looking at Millet as good cover crop in a few places but haven't made up my mind yet.
Yeah, I think for this year I am just looking to get something in. The good news is that if I actually get something I can cut it and feed it to the rabbits.
DeleteTB - I don't know about rabbits but I know you cannot let sheep, horses and cattle eat alfalfa green or it will give em bloat and might kill em. It has to be turned into hay first.
Delete