“Let them truckers roll, 10-4.”

That from the country song “Convoy” by C. W. McCall, many moons ago. But it seems that the events of the song are now a reality all across Canada, but for different reasons.

The Prime Minister of Canada mandated restrictions involving the jab on truck drivers crossing the border. The occupant of the White House here in the States followed suit.

So now, smack dab in the middle of a supply chain crisis, these two numbskulls decide to make it worse.

The Convoy of truckers started out as a protest against the virus mandates. But it has morphed into much more than that.

It is now the “Freedom Convoy.” There are 18-wheelers, some hauling trailers and some bob tailing. There are gravel trucks and cement trucks and pickup trucks, many sporting the Canadian flag and protest signs. I even saw a video where farm tractors had joined in.

These drivers are on their way to Ottawa to tell their government officials precisely what they think of their tyrannical mandates. And from what I have seen, it looks like these drivers are willing to stay there until things change.  Last I heard, there were 50,000 trucks involved.  I expect that number to grow between now and Saturday.

They are done. Done with the masks. Done with the lockdowns. Done with the mandates. Done with the tyranny.

And so are the Canadian citizens who are standing in the snow and cold – along the roads – on the overpasses – waving flags and carrying signs and cheering the passing truckers.

And so are the folks who have donated millions to help the drivers pay for food and fuel. And the ones who are delivering sandwiches and coffee to the drivers. And the folks who are opening their homes to those drivers who would like a shower and a bed for the night.

Americans – take a note. This is what happens when we stop believing what government tells us. When we refuse to accept their idea that we are all racist. When we ignore the fear mongering and get on with living our lives.

When we begin to act like Americans again, we can accomplish wonderful things.

The Food Shortages Are Real

I have been trying to put into words my observations on the continuing food shortages. And then this morning I saw the following video. Alaska Granny says it much better than I could.

Food Shortages Getting Worse Get Food While You Can - YouTube

Much of my food storage consists of home canned foods. Canning supplies in my area are nearly nonexistent. A couple of weeks ago I was able to score two cases of quart jars. I haven't seen regular sized canning lids for nearly a year. Thankfully, a dear friend sent me a dozen boxes. I will be filling jars with meat from my freezer and canning it over the weekend. Meat doesn't get freezer burned while in jars.

So far, the store where my grocery delivery service shops is reasonably well stocked, although I have noticed more substitutions for what I order than were previously common. And packaging sizes seem to be shrinking but the prices don't.

My crystal ball is in the shop, so I have no idea where all of this is leading. I just know that now is not the time to slow down with the preps.

I don't do what I do out of boredom or as a hobby or for any other reason than to make sure my family is taken care of no matter what happens.

Keep stacking it to the rafters. We do not want to be one of those who wonders where the next meal is coming from.

Oopsie...

When I do something preparedness related and it actually works out, I usually tell you all about it. So it is only fair that I tell you when I mess up.

A couple of months ago I had extra onions that needed to be used up. So I peeled and chopped them and filled six dehydrator trays. When the onions were completely dry, I shut the dehydrator off to let them cool before removing them from the trays.

And then I promptly forgot about them.

Until yesterday.

When I took the lid off the dehydrator in order to fill trays with orange slices, only to find myself staring at chopped onions!

The onions sat in the dehydrator for two whole months!

I checked the onions. They were still crisp. There was no mold. There were no creepy crawlers. I rehydrated some to see if they tasted OK. They did. So I packaged them up and put them away.

There are many websites and videos about dehydrating and storing dried foods. Some say mylar bags with oxygen absorbers is the best storage method. Others swear by vacuum sealing and still others use canning jars.

All of the above are good methods but are somewhat beyond my price range. So for the past 10 years or so, I have been putting my dried fruit and veggies into Ziploc freezer bags and storing the bags in cardboard banker's boxes.  And there have been no quality issues at all.

If I had a rodent problem in my apartment or if creepy crawlers were a problem, I would have to use a more robust storage method. But in the 25 years I have lived in this building, I have seen no signs of either. And if the dried onions had sat in the dehydrator during the more humid summer months, there may have been a problem.

I am in no way suggesting that others use my storage methods. I am saying that in my opinion, possibly some of the newer ways of doing things aren't totally necessary. After all, the Native Americans of a century or more past, sun dried much of their food. They stored it mostly in clay pots or tightly woven baskets.

So I don't think I will obsess about the method of storage. I think I am just very thankful that I have dehydrated food to store for future use.

Whack-A-Mole

That's how a friend described the prepping lifestyle. She said we think we have it under control and then something pops up that we have to deal with. For her, it was a nip from a new puppy who isn't old enough yet to have any manners, and her collection of butterfly bandages was quickly depleted

My latest 'whack-a-mole' moment was in the baking ingredients department. Each of my kids and grands got a quart jar full of hot chocolate mix and a bag of caramel corn. I didn't need to buy any of the ingredients, but making those items sure did trim down my supply. And showed me that I didn't have nearly enough of any of it to begin with

This prepping thing isn't just a one-time shot. It is a lifestyle. And I am convinced that I will never be as prepared as I would like to be. There will always be a 'whack-a-mole' moment where I find I need something else.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed. It would be easy to just give up. But this preparedness thing is not a contest. We don't need to have everything perfect all of the time. We don't need to have as many jars of peanut butter or bags of rice as someone else has.

We do need to work at having what our families need in an emergency situation. And after a while, there will be fewer moles to whack.

Rainbows and Unicorns

I am a bit late in getting back to posting here.  I have been pondering which direction to take this blog.  Should I stay strictly a preparedness blog?  Should I stay within the realm of rainbows and unicorns and happy thoughts?

Sorry folks.  I find I am just not wired to keep my opinions to myself.  And with that in mind, I give you a Chad Prather video that expresses pretty much how I feel about this whole virus thing.  Thanks to my friend Red who sent me the link.  The language may get a bit salty, but the message is spot on.

Chad Prather's Powerful Reality Check: "Covid Is A Joke And You Are The Punchline" (bitchute.com)

If we do not stand up for what we believe is right, then we deserve everything the government tosses at us.