My question is, is anyone doing anything around their homestead or with their life any differently now since the terrorist attacks and since we have started our retaliation on Afghanistan? I know of all the preparedness we did for the anticipated Y2K and I was wondering if anyone is thinking that these activities will disrupt our life as we know it?

-- Toni in Idaho (fourseasonsfarm@earthlink.net), October 09, 2001

Answers

Not a thing different.

We maintain a certain level of preps and keep them year in and year out so when the latest outbreak of the war happened on 9/11/2001 we didn't need to do anything different than what we were already doing.

Our major changes to our homesteading activity are because we've finally *bought* our homestead (instead of renting) so we're frantically busy getting it ready for us to move in. I'd probably be a bit more excited about the latest war news were I not so tired from working full time and then spending every evening and weeknight painting, caulking, patching, cleaning, etc. etc.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

We're always prepared for the worst here. Our 5 day power outage this summer was a good time to test our preparedness, plenty of food, water and alternate means of doing everyday things. The only things I'm doing differently are locking the doors all the time. I don't know what this will do other than give me a few more minutes if someone's killed my dogs and is really intent on getting in here and a big inconvenience if I happen to go out and close a locked door behind me when I didn't meant to. We will also be doing some more family firearm training this fall. I'm also considering not taking my South of the border winter trip, my husband doesn't want me anywhere I can't walk home from. And, after a recent conversation with certain family members living close by that won't even keep an extra bottle of cooking oil on hand, I think we should be ready for them to come knocking at our door if things really get bad. And, if possible (my husband already does this a LOT) doing more reading, listening to NPR and other news programs about what's going on in the world. We're also taking an extra day or two off just to enjoy things a little more, because in the words of Sam Bush: Take a little time for sunshine, take a whole lotta time for love, take your life as it may come, cuz boy it'll be gone soon, take a little time for howling at the moon!

-- Rose Marie Wild (Wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

I had a 13 day power outage last Christmas Day (day l of it) due to an ice storm, so the stores, gas stations, the entire city which is 30 minutes away was closed. No lights working and the hotels had no water or electricity. So...I really got to see how prepared we are and I was not impress with myself. One, water needed the well working which is electicity. We had stored tons of water for drinking but I needed a pump at the well. Two I had to get water for the animals out of dirty streams which bother me and I had alot of abortions with my ewes this year which I now blame on the water they were not use to drinking. Next - a fireplace is not too good unless you sit in the fire. There were morning that the house was way under freezing inside. Good side was I had a lot of canned food I had prepared for Y2K, so we were able to open soups and stews. I also had taken a class on Dutch Oven Cooking for fun and used these talents in the pit dug out for it. That help, we had whole hams, potatoes, even cherry pie one night prepared in the dutch ovens. Anyway, I am long from being prepared again, and my husband I need to get out act together. He is taking of Thursday & Friday so we can get all the wood stack. The one thing I would do if money wasn't a factor here is buy a woodcook stove. I have the space just haven't felt like spending the money and I have to get one of the airtight ones because of daughter who get asthma with smoke.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), October 09, 2001.

I'm trying to get my entire garden under a deep mulch before winter, I'm still putting up a few things, everyone in this house needs mittens for winter time, I'm caretaking for two elderly people who are pretty independent but still need looking in on and errends run for, my mother in law has a terrable illness, my husband works and is in grad school full time. My children have food allergies so everything has to be cooked from scratch, plus mold/mildew/dust allergies which means the whole house needs to be mopped down once a week (I'm not saying that actually happens, but it needs to) and I just found out that my son has a learning Disability and needs some modifications at school and home plus I'm training a silly Border Collie Pup-in addition to working part time and all the other stuff that goes on around here. I don't have time to worry about no stinkin' terrorists.

Yes, I think we should all be as self reliant as possable. Twice in the last nine years we have been with out power for a week or longer- we survived. As we can, we continually make more modification to decrease our relince on the grid/outside world-our next project is a solar water pump. But these are things we are doing slowly and thoughtfully, not in a panic. I am definatly prepping for winter- putting extra food away, etc. I like to be ready in case of winter storms. We moved out in the country to get away from cities. I'm just trying hard not to think about terrorism and to go about my daily life-which is pretty challanging on its own right now.

-- Kelly in KY. (ksaderholm@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

The good news is, the recent events are doing a great job of weaning me off television, so I'm getting a LOT more done around the 'stead in the evenings after work. Growing up in the '50's, I am a bonified "child of television" and it's been the hardest thing to get me to turn the damn thing off. But now that we have a real live televised war, I think I can do that. I check in with the news and PBS, but that's it. More time to read, more time to do all the projects I've been putting off, no procrastinating with barn cleaning, shearing goats, moving stacks of hay, building a new corral for my boys. I haven't quit traveling or done much different with my life. However, I can't help but buy an extra bag of rice, beans and canned goods when I go to the store. I've geared down the pace a bit; don't seem to be in a hurry any more to do anything. Been catching up on some Buddhist writings, which keeps me focused. Biz as usual, just slower. Take care; bless this world we live in. dh in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), October 09, 2001.

I find myself more aware of the mood in town, and am paying more attention to the dogs and guinea hens. Life is pretty much the same otherwise, and I still slowly march towards being as independent as I can be.

Water is a big issue here too. The pipe on the old well has collapsed a few years ago, and short of some bottled water I need to still do something to get me off of the town water.

-- Eric in TN (eric_m_stone@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

Now that the video war game has started again and everyone has their tokens and at the end who ever has the most points gets the Afgan oil. I can honestly say I have done nothing out of the ordinary,except I have been thinking of stocking up on gasoline since the price has fallen about 35 cents a gallon. I do believe that if we get hit again it will be another big city and not the countryside. To do anything in the rural areas would not amount to much,thats why during war the players always go for the cities,airports,etc.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), October 09, 2001.

I feel inside like I need to be doing something, but what? I live in a rural area and we are fairly prepared with food, our own well, generator etc. to survive winter storms, and power outages but this whole terriorism thing has me upset. I don't know what to do and would appreciate some feedback from others. Toni, I know exactly what you are feeling and I totally sympathize. Kirstin in NM

-- Kirstin L. Peterson (kpet111058@aol.com), October 09, 2001.

I too feel that I should be doing something yes I have the food and water problem undercontrol but all the but if's keep coming into my mind. a few are: what if people run from the cities and come into the countryside and start breaking in and looting how far can you push self-preservation and use whatever weapon you choose. what if they turn to germ warfare how far in the bush do you have to be to avoid it or maybe survive would be a better word. what if your in dire need of medical help would a hospital be safe. i'm at a loss of what to think about some questions, like most of you i have turned to public radio and tv because at least you get most of the news without out all the bias frills. I guess only time will tell. sally

-- sally stanton (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), October 10, 2001.

Thanks Kirstin for your sympathy. The only thing that I have done differently is more stocking up than usual. I'm also working a little harder on my animal projects, (milk goats and hog breeding) part of this is because of the terrorist activity and partly because my husband might need wrist surgery and be off for 6-8weeks. I keep telling him this will be a could test for our frugal/survival methods. I just read in our paper that our local Dam has beefed up their security because Dams are prime targets for terrorists because of their power generation. So even in our remote corner of the world we aren't so remote!

-- Toni in Idaho (fourseasonsfarm@earthlink.net), October 11, 2001.