Wood Heat

It's a thing I love to talk about and learn about--heating with wood. Some might call it pyromania, but it's always been my dream to have a hearth and heat with it. It's a most natural inclination, perhaps, and I believe it's the most satisfying.

I just got back after seeing "The Road," so this blog-post is partly an attempt to focus my mind on something other than the movie's disturbing portrayal of TEOTWAWKI. If you are seeking a movie that's depressing but very well done, check it out. After watching it, I think I need to purchase more shotgun shells.

Anyway, woodheat. This is my second season of heating our house entirely with wood heat. This year, we've turned on the furnace mostly for convenience's sake, and at that only a handful of times. Our propane furnace is efficient, but propane is wicked expensive. Hence we try to avoid it whenever possible, using it only as a back up.

Wood: In some ways, a wood heater is only as good as the wood you feed it. I am presently burning our seasoned reserves, and the differences between seasoned wood and unseasoned wood are stark. With seasoned wood, you increase your burn times immensely, in addition to your heat output. There is also less ceocrete (soot) to worry about forming in your chimeny. Seasoned wood costs more, but you'll get more from it.

I've been heating entirely from scavenged wood. In the fall I began taking a chunk a day from work, splitting and stacking it in the present pile area. Works well, but it takes a while when all you have is Mustang trunk. Ideally, I would have split and stacked all the wood I needed for winter back in the early days of Spring. Nine months or longer is the ideal seasoning time, and the longer the better. Anyway, I was not able to make it happen back in the spring, but this year, now that life seems a little more normal, I'll be making it happen.

Stove: I have a used Jotul F3 woodstove. It's sweet except that it's made for a combustor, which I don't use. The combustors burn up excess emissions on these models and were known, supposedly, for clogging quickly. I have followed the previous owner's recommendation of not using it and the stove works fine.

That being said, while it is a pretty stove, I wish it had a larger fire box. I would like to load it up at night and not have to worry about waking up to feed it. So the bigger the box the better in terms of loading frequency and heat output. If our stove was any larger in our current space, it would take up the whole room and make it a suana. When we add on, God-willing, in the years ahead, we will move the present stove into our living room and purchase a larger version of the one we have for the addition. I will purchasing one to be set up without a catalytic combustor.

Chimney, Flue, & Draft: Sounds like the name of a 70s band, or an English law firm. Anyway, it's critical to make sure your chimney is installed correctly. I don't know much about the process, except that your chimney, like the exhaust system of the car, directly impacts your stove's efficiency and the amount of draft and/or pull you get from it.

This year we have been far more successful, I think, about working the woodstove. That is to say, adjusting the flue and level of draft coming in. Slow burning coals is the goal. Wood selection certainly helps in that regard, but basically it's something for which you acquire the feel for one's particular setup.

Chainsaw and Axe: When I purchase a saw, it will be a STIHL MS390 Farm Boss with a 20" bar. I have one on loan from work, so I am not in dire need. While any saw will do, chainsaws are touchy beasts and have to be loved and used frequently so the engine does not develop issues. Chainsaws are easily the most dangerous hand tool out there, with some 50,000 accidents occuring every year. I follow these main rules when sawing:

1.) Do not cut when I am tired (most chainsaw accidents occur at the end of the day);
2.) Do not cut with my body directly behind the saw;
3.) If I feel uncomfortable for any reason about cutting, I calmly stop and reassess the situation. Sometimes I just walk away.

I have heard wood splitting be called everything from a "pain in the ass" to "soul-building." For me it's mostly the latter. I love splitting wood. It's great exercise and gets your mind off stupid crap. My personal axe is a light, flanged head True Temper with fiberglass handle. Thing works great for my style of splitting and is an essential tool out here on the homestead.

Peace Out,

--Nick-Dog

Snow Preps

(The view from our yard after the 2009 Blizzard.)

Well, we were plastered with 22 inches of snow this past weekend. It was gorgeous and amazing to behold, and fun to go play in. My play consisted in shoveling out my walkway, deck, and top of the driveway. Below are my wintry thoughts and reflections on being prepared for serious snow.

1.) Shovel. I purchased a new industrial grade shovel at Lowes before the storm hit. It's not a snow shovel at all, but a fiberglass square shovel made for shoveling loose debris. This makes a whole lot more sense to me for my situation and is a lot more functional year round for tasks other than snow shoveling. Because of it's smaller size, it's also much more versatile, as in handling the 3 foot snow drifts in front of my driveway.

2.) Tractor. Wish I had one. My neighbor came over with his Kubota with front-end loader, to push the drifts back from the corners of my driveway so the snow plows wouldn't plow me in. What took him 10 minutes would have taken me 10 hours. It's on the list of nice to haves down the road, along with that diesel Ford truck.

3.) Snow vehicle. I have a Jeep Wrangler 4x4 equiped with new 31 inch mud tires. This thing kicks astroids in all kinds of inclement weather. Storms, snow, whatever. Though it's not very spacious inside, it gives us an edge if we need to bug out. God-willing, after tax time, she'll be paid for and be my permenant BOV.

4.) Heat Source. That is, other than electric based. Even my propane furnace has electric controls, so we'd be screwed if we lost power and didn't have a wood stove. It happened last year for a couple of hours, during an ice storm and temps in the single digits. Luckily, I was able to get a fire started.

5.) Wood, that is, if you heat with it. It is critical to protect your wood and make it accessible before a big snow. I spent the first hour of the blizzard hauling 3-4 days of wood into our enclosed porch. Walking for 80 ft. through 2ft snow drifts to gather wood sucks and should be avoided at all possible.

6.) Generator with fuel. Damn, I wish I had one. Had we lost power, having a generator would allow me to run my furnace (that is, if it was a hardwired genny back up). I am considering investing in a propane back-up for that very reason. It would also give the ability to run the well (for which I would like a bison hand pump).

7.) Chainsaw with treated fuel, bar oil, and extra chain. Again, I wish I had one. I use the one at work for all my wood cutting, but in an emergency, a chainsaw is an unbeatable tool to have to deal with fallen trees or emergency demolition. And, of course, cut your woodstove wood.

8.) Food and water. This should probably be at the top of the list, but this applies for all emergencies, not just snow.

9.) Ice pellets. I bought a bag of this stuff for the walkway to our vehicles. Hopefully it will work well and last for the duration of the snow melt.

10.) Plenty of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. There's nothing like a warm beverage to boost morale and warm up your spirits after time out in the cold. Before and after shoveling, a hot beverage makes your labors seem less cumbersome than they were and helps you relax and warm up quickly. When you are warm you are able to work better and less prone to injury.

In closing, I would like to say that the ability to keep up with a storm as it's falling is critical to making it a fun event instead of a crisis event.

Peace Out. Merry Christmas.

--Nick-Dog

157th Post

Can't believe I've put up that many, but I am glad that I have.

I skipped a week since I've been busting a move on an editing project I'm tackling. I am about 10 yards away from the goal line at this point, in the final minute of the game, but you know how long that takes. I am looking forward to finishing this behemoth because it will free me up for all the stuff in life that has been on the backburner.

Yesterday, we spotted a red fox bound through the yard as the snow continued to fall. It was awesome. Right outside our kitchen window and then *shoom*, off into the forest behind our shed. I'm sure he had lots of tricks up his sleeve. He was freakin beautiful. Not the kind of animal I'd want to shoot or hunt, just the kind I want to admire. I'll save the guns for the bobcats.

I've been obtaining a greater appreciation of the versatility of the shotgun lately. I think this comes from my reading at www.wethearmed.com, www.madogre.com, and Martin's Blog. (I know I should be working, but sometimes you need a break). You can just set them up in so many different ways to do a variety of things, including handle SHTF. Two Remington 870s and 2 Glocks and you have plenty of firepower and reliability to take care of most situations.

That's going to be my standard advice for SHTF gun questions and discussions from now on. Two and two. If you can't defend yourself with this stuff, you probably need to reevaluate your plan. I recall watching a video of an Arizona home-owner repelling 4-5 armed thugs, one of whom had an AR, with a shotgun. If you need more than that, you are probably defending the castle wall against an onslaught of zombies, or taking the castle.

Right now I am running a Maverick 88, which was given to me as a wedding present. It's a great gun, especially with the 18.5 in HD barrel. I have it set up with 2 3/4 00BK. It's not very tacticool, but I have 100% confidence in it's reliability. I'm considering purchasing another one for redundancy before buying some 870s. Having two of the exact same setup is a powerful way to go, IMO, and makes for a good armory.

Ok, over and out. I have work to do.

--Nick-Dog

More on Staying Prepared

Staying prepared. Just a couple of comments today because I am under a deadline.

Two things I have done to increase my overall preparedness, that have made my life better/easier overall:

1.) I put together a preparedness journal stating my own personal goals, it charts my progress on projects that I have a round the house. I call it a preparedness journal, but really it's more like a Captain's Log. If I have a brilliant idea, or question about something meaningful that I don't want to forget, or simply a goal I want to achieve, like cleaning the shed, I write it down. There's just so much stuff to keep track of these days, I now have to write things down if I want to accomplish anything, or I forget or feel overwhelmed by it all.

More on that: As I've mentioned previously, life flies by so quick, before you know it another day as passed. If one hasn't been diligent about his or her projects, suddenly you ask yourself where the week has gone and what have I really accomplished.

Looking back over your journal, where you've crossed out things that need to be done, projects that you've planned for or that have come up, it's a lot easier to note your progress and chart your trajectory. There's just a sense of much reduced anxiety and aimlessness. You see where you're going and where you've been. Much like a ship at sea, if you have no focal point on the horizon, but land behind you, you look back every so often to a point you've picked out and line it up with your stern. You keep your eye on that point every so often to make sure you are on course.

2.) Making sure I have a knife, multitool, and flashlight on my at all times. (When I am not at work, I add a sidearm to this list) Everywhere I go, I keep these essential tools with me, not in a 72-hour bag I rarely use. I purchased a Maxpedition M-2 (shown above) belt pouch, which Clare jokes with me is a fanny pack, though it's not. It's about the size of a mid-level digital camera case, and it has been invaluable. I keep all my daily carry gear in here and there's lots of room to spare, as in for an extra magazine, matches, a bit of medication or first aid items. This little buddy seams to be built to last and has been an awesome purchase.

I just want to emphasize how life gets easier when you have the tools you need on you or close by. Now that it's daylight savings time, I can't tell you how helpful it is to have an LED flashlight on hand, or at work to have a coouple of knives and a flashlight with me at all times. Life become easier, and what used to be a pain in the arse, becomes easily manageable.

Having appropriate tools also makes you less likely to skip a step in looking out for your safety. I am especially thinking of a flashlight. Having a flashlight at night as you are walking to the wood pile, or to your car, gives you an advantage, psychologically as well as physically. The last thing you want is a critter sneaking up on you nearby, especially if it's a vagrant or your own cat who's trying to stalk you. :)

Peace out yos.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Inspiration vs. Perspiration

"Just do it."

I often spend oodles of time looking for the inside scoop. Too much time. Speaking for myself, there comes a point when you should just be aware of the main points, make an informed decision, and move forward.

That can be hard to do, with so many distractions pounding it's way into our daily lives. Whether it be through entertainment or work, it is easy to become sidetracked, distracted, and even uninspired to take command and do the stuff that should and needs to be done. Even when at home, family life has a way of taking priority--as it should--over the best laid plans.

Sooner or later, however, a moment of opportunity presents itself. You have the time to do "it," whatever "it" may be. After days of rain and cold, the sun begins to shine once again. One has the time, but does one have the will?

Doing what needs to be done when it's uncomfortable or not-entertaining in some way, determines how much we can truly accomplish. If we remain complacent until the angle of the moon and the sun meets our perfect standards, chances are we will be waiting for a long time.

So let me finish this rambling post with a thought: sometimes it's simply time to get off our ass and get to work.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Back on the Mat

(Me training outside in Reno in October 2004)

After more than a year hiatus, I returned to the dojo to train in earnest and watch a nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt) test. I also was able to see the new dojo for the first time, and it is truly awesome.

It felt good to launch some people and scream while swinging a heavy stick at people for an hour. My nerves are still tingling from feeling totally alive out on the mat. As I have taken my place in my new life in Front Royal, I felt I duly took my place in the new dojo, which had been inaugurated by the visit of Saito Hitohiro Sensei from Iwama Japan two weeks ago. It was really just amazing to be a part of this place and be standing in the fulfillment of many, many long hours of planning and hard work.

For those of you who don't know, back in May 2002 I joined Aikido in Fredericksburg as an enthusiastic and devoted young martial artist, aspiring to be the embodiment of martial grace and strength gleaned from long hours of hard training. My sensei had only recently moved from Reno, where he was sensei of many years, to Fredericksburg, VA, with the intention of building a world-class dojo on his own property with quarters for uchi-deshi (live-in students) and plenty of space besides for training. An East Coast Iwama headquarters, if you will.

I followed the group from the time it rented a dusty corner dojo as part of a quasi-martial arts co-op in a deserted mini-mall, training once in the parking lot at night because someone had locked the door. To training in a moldy big box gymanistics stadium/roller rink, which had the most irritating boom box music playing for the pom-pom group.

To retrofitting an industrial complex into a serious albeit temporary training space, which is where I took my black belt test. Indeed, I had always wanted to be a part of the core group of a dojo start up, and this dream of mine, like so many others, was realized.

My life then moved away from active Aikido training for awhile, but today I know my training and presence in the new dojo was my re-initiation to the serious study of the martial ways. I won't be down there often enough to sign up for a monthly membership, but often enough that I can begin to hone my own skills and take the journey to nidan myself in a couple of years and to places beyond.

I am looking forward to it and some better health in the process.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Accomplishments de Weekend

I expanded my pantry by 50% or so with the addition of new homemade shelves. It took forever because it just always does around here. But now I can breathe easier, as our mud room/furnace room/craft room/pantry is more organized with items no longer living haplessly on the floor.

I also replaced an outlet in the process, organized the entire pantry, and took stock of our stores. In the process, I found several items that were at large and others about which I had totally forgotten, such as preserves from some place up in Niagra that was given to us over the summer. Cool.

Lastly, I purchased the special 20th Anniversary Issue of Backwoods Home Magazine, whose website is now in the links section here at the Update, along with The Survival Podcast. Both are excellent resources for everything you need to know on prepping for SHTF or homesteading. Well worth the look.

I just wanted to vent here that I feel so much better now that the new shelf has been built and in play. It's been on my mind for a long time. The place just feels better with most of the crap of the floor in it's own proper place, and that's what were going for here. Organization.

So that's it from me for now. 2 posts in 2 days. Peace out, yos.

--Nick-Dog

Creating a Good "End Game"

Ok, I know it's a been nearly 3 weeks since you got an Update. I just haven't been inspired to write a post. I've been mostly in absorption mode, focusing on my own trajectory out here in the back country. Well, it's not that back, being within an hour and 10 from D.C., but far enough. Another hour and 10 and you are on the fringe of civilization, Walden style.

In chess, you have various stages of the game: the opening, the middle game, and the end game. Masters and advanced players orient their entire strategy from the first move to a successful end game. If they win in the middle, excellent. That's good too. But generally speaking, getting up a pawn and obtaining a superior tactical position, one way or the other, is where victory is found.

This has had me thinking about my own "end game," in life that is. When all is said and done, what does that "end game" look like? What factors are it contingent on? What am I gaming for? Is the result I am dreaming of obtainable now? And so on.

I've got a lot to say on this topic, but if I lived the way I've seen others do, by age 65 I would own jack shit, be up to my ears in debt, and need to work until I was 75+ just to continue keeping up with my lifestyle. That's not retirement, that's slavery.

I plan on owning my own house, being mortage free, and relatively self-sufficient by age 45, if not much sooner. I don't want to wait until I am 65 to retire. Hell no. WTF is that? Seriously. Are any of you juiced about working yourself into a grave? I think it's important to give of yourself throughout your life. That's different. Hopefully, well before 65 you are only working to be a contributor and because you enjoy it, not because you need to to avoid collections.

But becoming free of this mindset doesn't just happen, however. One must live differently and make savvy financial choices and sacrifices now. An early retirment is built now. An excellent quality of life is built now. It's not a free trip to cloud 9 just because one has turned 65. Do the things you love now, before you are too damn old to care about doing them, if God forbid, you are destined to be that crochety. Give a shit today about your future, before it's too late.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Finding an Edge

(Photo from Toolmonger.com; planes by Steve Knight)

I've been spending a significant amount of time this week learning the finer points of carpentry and joinery at the level of creating wood furniture, such as tables, cutting boards, case etc. It has given me a deeper appreciation for the amount of effort, time, and skill that goes into making a custom piece of furniture. Of course, you can bang some 2x4s and plywood together and have something functional, but it would be crude.

What got me started on this path is a combination of things. As a maintenance guy I have to fix or replace stuff all the time, and what I discover is that such and such a thing is meant to break because it was made like junk to begin with--essentially some kind of saw dust and glue (MDF) with a veneer on top attached by a few screws. Mass produced garbage.

Even a lot of high end furniture, if it wasn't built entirely by hand, is a kind of MDF with veneer, albeit of a higher grade than the wal-mart variety. Most of your modern cabinetry, same thing. I've seen "custom" shops at home shows sell cabinetry that is just MDF with venneer but market their product as hand-made. Huh? If it's not wood, it's not wood. Fake wood is not wood. Sawdust and glue is wannabe wood and doesn't count.

Anyway, seeing the lack of quality out there and the attached price, I'd rather spend the money and the time at this point to make my own custom furniture, than pay somebody else for most things to buy a piece of crap. I want my furniture to last generations, to feel permeneant, not fake.

So quality and affordability are definitely motivating factors for me, notwithstanding the cost of tools, which gets expensive once you start purchasing things like jointers and planers. That said, once I make some stuff and am confident in my own products, I will begin to sell them and pay for those tools. Besides I need to find an edge as a maintenance guy.

Right now, I am still somewhat at the level of learn on the fly, jack of all trades . I can do a lot of the basics confidently at work, and even at higher levels of proficiency in some areas, but I need a more thorough grounding in a trade on which to build. Fine woodworking is it for me. I want to get to log cabin building, honestly, but I do not have the capital let alone the time and equipment to do more than study how cabins are built. I am not sure which I'd like better, fine wood working or log cabin building, but what I do know is that I'd like to put my wood furniture in my log cabin.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Driven

This morning, I drove to work under the cover of a bright full moon. I was focused and on my way to work early to handle an electrical problem, and thank heavens, or the creator of Heaven rather, that it was solved with the flick of a breaker.

That said, I began to reflect on my thoughts over the weekend regarding the future and even present demise of the dollar. I am not an economist, but I know enough about liberals and failed states to understand that you cannot create money out of thin air, bury yourself in debts that you cannot repay, and expect to become or remain fiscally solvent.

What happens to an individual in America when they borrow what they cannot or will not pay back? Their credit rating tanks and banks will no longer lend to them. They are destroyed financially from the perspective of the lender and it usually takes years to repair the damage.

Well, guess the hell what? The federal government does not have a credit score per se, but has over $53 TRILLION DOLLARS in unfunded obligations, a.k.a., social security, medicare and medicaid. Does the federal government ever intend to honor this debt. NFW. It just won't. Perhaps they are trying to tank the currency intentionally so that they can pay the debt off in worthless dollars, but it would destroy the country in the process.

Obama Breadline America is not something I am looking forward to, but is inevitable to my mind on our current economic trajectory. China has done more than saber-rattling with other countries to discuss moving away from the dollar as a reserve currency for the world. Now they, our biggest enemy, are plotting with the arabs to trade oil in a currency other than the dollar, which is bad for the U.S. in terms of its financial and political dominance.

My point: we are screwing ourselves royally. Most Americans do not realize that we are sitting on a powder keg that is about to blow our asses into the sky in 53 trillion different ways. We need to claim back our individual liberty and the spirit of rugged individualism. Not just in the political arena, but the way we live our lives every day.

I am not a shill for the tin-foil hat crowd. Empires have risen and fallen since the dawn of history. We simply cannot take America's greatness for granted. The time is long past for complacence. The "shining city on a hill" will only remain glorious for as long as we are willing to preserve it and stay driven in our vigilance to keep it bright.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Morning Production

Well, it's been a darn fast week. I woke up extra early yesterday and beat the Koreans to the spring and the sun to the horizon. Out in the middle of nowhere, between VA and WV, I was glad I was packing heat. It can be eerie when you are out there alone. Last time, I was with companions and nearly accosted by a baying dog. Luckily for him he was more bark than bite.

Still, the spring itself is a naturally peaceful place and still flowing well, given the lack of rain in recent weeks. I finished quickly and just sat down to roll out as the next patron rolled in. The early bird gets the spring water, or something like that.

The parts counter at Chrysler opened at 8, and I had all the water delivered and put away at home by about that time. I had to order a small contact terminal for the center high-mounted brake light over the tire on the jeep and install it to pass Virginia's draconian inspection procedure. It came, but without the rubber grommet I needed to mount it in the hole. Fortunately, for me it was early. My red tag was about to expire and the inspection shop I went to stops taking vehicles at 11:15. I had 3 hours--plenty of time for some coffee and mechanical work.

I went across the street from Chysler to Napa Auto Parts and came away with a 10-pack or so of small rubber grommets that I thought would work. After I came home and had a cup of coffee with my lovely wife, I started my second and went to the shed where I parked the Jeep.

The challenge? Getting the wires that had falled into the fenderwell somewhere back into their respective holes. Having worked with electricians, fishing wire is not foriegn to me. So I fished the pilot wire through their holes, checked the other terminals to see which was black and which was white, and go to work connecting the pilot wire to the lost wires and fished them back through.

I used two rubber grommets to achieve the right space, actually, closed the gate, tested it and shizam, the light worked. And with plenty of time to spare. Victory!

The mechanic even asked me how I did this, so I figured I saved myself some significant coin. It's stuff like this I enjoy doing on my Jeep, where I actually have a clue, the time, can break the rules a bit, and achieve the desired result. It was even more fun with the caffiene and being so near all of my tools. (I usually have to drag them across my property because I am working on the upper driveway, where it's flat).

I got all this done by noon and spent the rest of the rainy day inside, watching Robin Hood (the version for T.V. from 1991--I've always wanted to watch it) and doing some serious study of chess with Jeremy Silman's book, How to Reassess Your Chess. So far it's excellent and I am really enjoying it. Playing online or general is great, but at some point you need to take the time to study the game if you really want to improve. It's just amazing that I was able to do this today, considering the mayhem that generally ensues around here.

In general, I just like it not to be under the gun so much these days by projects around the house. There's still plenty to do, but the urgency is less because things are getting done and ungodly apple pies, made from our trees' apples, are being consumed.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Twi-lite Musings

This evening, we had clear skies and a rosy sunset, my absolute favorite. It was just fabulous to be outside, tinkering around, watching the sunset, the cat, my daughter run around with her balloon, and the transplantation of our zebra tomatoe plants. Wow, life is truly sweet today.

So much to talk about. This morning, I woke early, did some bokken work and stretched before my children came to join me in the living room. Once I was able to escape outside, I tackled the relatively simple project of stapling two new screens up on our porch where the other screens had been ripped. My main concern is my adventurous daughter climbing and then spilling off the porch, scathed or unscathed. It had been on my mind for months to do this, but I never seemed to be able to get around to it. Now that it's done, it frees up energy for other things and I can breathe easier.

We hit the farmers market, which had been picked pretty clean. That's what happens when you go late in the day, I suppose, but I was really just tagging along. When it comes to the pantry, my lovely wife has all of our bases covered, pretty much.

We then ventured over to the Front Royal flea market, one of the better all-around flea markets out there. I mean, you can still find sweet deals there. Over the years I have found all sorts of wonderful, neat items, such as Spanish swords and block prints of the surrender of Granada.

Today, I came across a scoped Marlin 336W lever-action in 30-30. As mentioned previously, this gun in the SC version is one that I want, I'm just not paying $375 for it. There's lots of these guns out there, so supply is not an issue. I will bide my time and save, as much as I would just love to have one "today."

From there, we soon ended up at the Ole Time Festival of Edinburg, VA. We visited some llamas, toured the old mill/musuem, and checked out crafts and shops. I also discovered Murray's Fly Shop!

Earlier this year, I experienced what could only be called the "call of the fish." Without even knowing "why" exactly, I wanted to be fly-fishing for trout on rivers and creeks. It was like waking up one day, and boom, you just know you need to be fishing. No rhyme or reason. Just boom. That said, I actually want to have a clue about what the hell I'm doing, so I have been wanting to take fly fishing classes locally at a reasonable price. Well, now it seems like I have found the right place to begin!

I have also discovered another amazing place, this one online, called the Wood Whisperer. Notwithstanding the cheezy-ass name, this is an awesome resource for serious wood work for both the advanced and beginners. I want to take my knowledge of carpentry to the next level, and this seems like a great location to do that. It's what got me back outside today in the shed, making it a more organized space where my tools are actually accessible. They used to be, but you know how it is....

Over & Out,

--Nick-Dog

Bug-Out Chic

Weekend Accomplishments

So we went down to Charlottesville this weekend to check out the Heritage Harvest Festival. As noted in the video, with the exception of the view, the event was a serious bust. There was one or two decent booths, but the emaciated liberal eco-scum that inhabit environments like this appalls me. They say they believe in sustainable farming, but are the same drones who support Obama and his draconian energy policies, which will drive farmers out of business.

Notwithstanding the above, the view was breathtaking; the weather, superb. A great day for a tea party.

On Sunday, I spent a leisurely afternoon building shelves in our utility room to accommodate and showcase our canned goods. It turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I seriously enjoyed my time with the jigsaw, getting into the rhythm of notching the shelves. I got lucky with my template on the first shot, obtaining a mostly tight fit between the supporting beams on the wall. Frankly, it was just kick ass to be outside in the shed, cutting wood on a cool, sunny afternoon.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Hero

I just wanted to make a quick post to salute representative Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for giving the Obama the proverbial middle finger during his Castro-esk health care pep talk. "You lie!" was his actual comment, but it definitely had the effect of the bird.

Representative Wilson later called to apologize, saying "his emotions got the best of him" and that his comment was "inappropriate." You know what, it was perfectly appropriate. Screw propriety. The country's future is on the line and we are supposed to be concerned about ettiquette and offending Obama? Ettiquette be damned. The representative represents the people, and that's how the people feel.

Welcome to the tea party Comrade Obama. You are a damn liar and have sounded this country's death knell with your reckless policies.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Amish Driveby

Doesn't happen often, but when it does, it looks cool. :)

I am enjoying the long weekend, with today being sort of "Labor at home" day. I am in between putting up pieces of drywall in the eternal bathroom renovation/rebuild project. I have already succeeded in giving myself a haircut, and we are prepparing to can a slew of seckle pears from our tree, which has produced wonderfully this year.

We are trying to get our stock in order and trying harder to make use of the produce from our fruit trees. We are also planning in earnest to do some serious planting in the Spring for our garden. Actually we have two, an herb/vegetable garden and a purely vegetable garden, the latter being a large one. Because the deer and groundhog sacked the plants away from the house, I will be building a fence in the future in addition to clearning our raspberry patch.

There's lots to do, and complicate that with renovating a house at the same time, it makes it difficult to prioritize, let alone find the cash. So many projects too little time.

I wanted to get this off my chest: I recently had a run in with one of the county inspectors for my work. He was damn rude to me, and so I filed a respectfully written complaint with his HR department. Within 24 hours I not only had a response from the county's HR dept, but also I had his boss calling me on the phone to apologize, explain the situation, and beg to give the guy another chance. I think this will be the last time the haughty inspector screws up like this. Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword. That's why I train with both. :)

Anyway, one point I drew from this experience is how some bureaucrats take themselves so seriously, are so into their codes and so forth, that they cannot be plainly spoken with about a point of concern. No, you have to go to the supreme boss at HR, file a complaint, make the guy scared of losing his job (if you are lucky enough to have them take you seriously) and so forth, to get his attention. Imagine if this was a faceless bureaucrat for government run health care, making the decision about whether or not your son or daughter dies. This would be a nightmare scenario to say the least.

Pres. Obama, you are not my doctor, comrade.

Finally, I just wanted to include in this update that I have been listening to www.thesurvivalpodcast.com. I really enjoy listening in and have been especially getting into his recommendations for year round gardening. I just can't read a book on gardening--to damn boring for me right now--but I can listen to someone passionate talk about it, especially while I wash the dishes.

Alright, over and out. Enjoy your Labor Day, yo's.

--Nick-Dog

Update to Sidebar

Hey folks, it's Sunday morning, bright and sunny. This week zipped by, but for me that's been a good thing. School is starting, and the teachers and administration were in all out panic mode to get prepped. We got 'em where they needed to be, but as always there is plenty of work waiting for me when I get back tomorrow.

You'll notice a few more goodies on the sidebar in the links section. For the survival-minded, I put in a link to Ferfal, aka "Surviving in Argentina," which will fan the flames of urgency to be prepared. While we are not Argentina, the rapid decline of a once prosperous country is eye-opening and shocking. Ferfal has posted religiously and is something of an icon for modern survivalists. I've read his blog from start-to-finish, and it's well-worth your time. Lots of shit that you probably never knew happened, happened. It's enlightening and somewhat scary.

Also in the mix, as promised, is a link to WetheArmed.com. Started by Madogre and a couple of other guys, there's tons of good technical info on there for the firearms enthusiast-connossueir. It's also the only gun forum I can view while at work (as in during lunch). The rest have been blocked by the new firewall for "weapons."

I tout around a Phantom Light Holster everyday from Raven Concealment Systems, and now they are in the sidebar. Their store is over at The Malabar Front, a reference to the line of resistance of the Orwellian state. Considering where things are going right now in this country, the title is appropo.

Finally, I added Jethro Tull to the side bar. As most of you know, I am a Tull fanatic and have been for a long time. Ian Anderson is the musical genius behind the band, not to mention Martin Barre. While their music is modern rock with influences from various times and cultures, the band is perhaps best known for Ian's sometimes classy, sometimes crazy minstrel persona that comes out in their music.

That's it for now. Enjoy your week.

--Nick-Dog

24, 1984, preps

Well, we just finished Season 4 of 24 a few days ago. As I mentioned earlier, this has been the best season by far. Non-stop domination. There were so many great scenes in this installment, it's tough to pick out the best. One of my favorites is the staged robbery scene from which the above pic has been taken. This shows Jack at his best--on the edge!

I recently finished reading 1984 by George Orwell. Not the most edifying work, but I am glad I've read it. Now I know what all the hype is about. You can basically read the first 50 or 60 pages and get the gist of the world. The rest of the story is just the author's sick and twisted sense of humor being perpetrated on his hapless audience.

At present, I'm reading the Aeneid for leisure and A.G Sertillanges The Intellectual Life for study. At about this time every year, I start feeling the back to school ju-ju in the air, feeling that I should be studying, even though study is not presently a requirement for anything in particular in my vocation. I find myself fancying grad school and embarking on some great work of scholarship, but this never materializes. In about a month or so this present desire will give way to my desire for the smell of burning leaves, chopping wood, and hanging out by the wood stove.

I have more than half a cord of wood or so. It's split, stacked, and dried. I will likely purchase a couple cords in the coming months for the heating season and forgo the incessant foraging. I love cutting and chopping wood, but I want to spend my time in the garden patch this winter, clearing brush and debris. I am sure I will get some wood splitting in somewhere along the way, though. Propane is just ungodly expensive when you are getting filled up every two months. We will see how heating with wood goes.

I watched a documentary called Urban Dangertoday, available online. Actually, I skimmed through the last half of it. An interesting albeit cheesy documentary on homesteading/prepping. There's some good points about self-sufficiency and living off the land made in it, but unless you are a devoted or beginning prepper, it's probably just really lame. Myself, I picked up a few good tips from U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a depression survivor who built a neat little cabin in the hills. If you decide to watch any of it, his cabin walk-through is the best part. The rest you can skip.

Ok, that's it for now. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Forest Walk, Creek Swim...

Today, Clare and I went with some of the Hatkes down to a secluded spot, pictured above, in Passage Creek. The creek, about 5-8 minutes from our house, winds through Fort Valley and a narrow gorge, terminating at the Shenandoah river. The creek, possibly the cleanest creek in the state, is stocked with Trout several times a year, and though it gets fished hard, has many neat spots for fishing.

The spot pictured above is actually the swimming hole we visited, although only half of it is shown and the water was a bit lower today. One really nifty thing about this location is that there is a bit of a sandy shoal on which to hang out and launch your swimming expedition. It is actually quite deep in the middle of the creek, with enough space to do laps if that's your fancy, or jump off the rope swing.

Me, I was just happy to get in the water. The setting is almost western, with plenty of yellow pine lining the canyon. The relaxing sound of water splashing into the basin creates a splendid backdrop on which to relax and enjoy yourself, provided there are no yocals.

Actually we passed some yocals today as we slowly meandered toward our spot. Unfortunately, "Ginger," what looked to be a pit-bill mix, was not taking too kindly to our passage and starting to get out of hand. Its owners took control of the situation and further secured the leash, but it was certainly not the way I was hoping to start off our time at the creek.

As I watched this scenario unfold before me, I was going into the "zone," wherein the mind and body become broadly focused on the totality of a situation in preparation for a martial response. In this case, that was response was to draw my sidearm and put a 124 gr. hollow point bullet in the animal's rib cage. I am certainly glad it did not come to that, but it was one of those moments in which I was glad I was carrying. I would have not wanted to look on in horror, helpless, while watching someone get mauled.

For the record, I love dogs, but if you are out in public with an unsecured and potentially hostile animal, I will ask questions later--after I save my own ass.

In any event, it did not come to that and no sooner had we arrived then we had the place to ourselves. Swimming in the creek was uber-relaxing, the kind of thing you see in a tourist advertisement for a particular state or park. It was a real blessing to be able to spend a good chunk of our day there, and I look forward to returning.

Peace Out,

--Nick-Dog

Antietam

So I finally made the pilgrimage out to Antietam. All I can say is, "Wow. This is a civil war enthusiast's dream."

We made the drive up via Harpers Ferry and Boonsboro, Md. Scenic and beautiful, we overshot our left turn to Sharpsburg by several miles. As it turns out, our turn wasn't marked by a sign, or at least well-marked, from the direction we came. But as we double-backed, we were dutifully guided by a hallowed brown sign. Thank goodness.

We crossed over the "middle bridge" of the battlefield continuing through Sharpsburg to get a feel for the town. Civil war historians do not lie when they call this town "small but quaint." The architecture is indeed quite pretty and pleasant to behold, especially when considering that the town, because of the war, is a historic landmark.

To the town's east is the National Battlefield. I do not think I can do it justice but I will try. The visitor's center is small but exciting. There were more live presentations at the center scheduled in one day than some battlefields get in an entire year. (Or so it seemed to me.)

On top is a glass enclosed observation deck that commands a stunning view of 2/3 of the terrain.
From that vantage point outside, we had the privilege of sitting in on a "battlefield orientation" in which the essential details of the battle were explained flawlessly and dramatically by the park ranger. I loved it. We are talking no-holds-barred pure and utter domination here. It was like being in a classroom, but instead of a chalk board behind the teacher, there stood, in it's full array of glory, mile upon glorious mile of exquisitely preserved battlefield.

Yes, it is clear that this is a civil war buff's true bastion. After the orientation, inside the observation deck, there was a presentation on the rifles of the battle and war about to begin, but with 2 fussy children, we needed to move on to snag ice cream and take the driving tour.

This brought us to the "lower" bridge, aka "Burnside's Bridge," the third theatre or front of the battle. Despite the fact that thousands of people died nearby, this edifice is one of the most romantic places I have ever been. It is the stuff of poetry and legend, something that you might find in a collection of writings by Wordsworth or Tennyson. I initially didn't want to stop because we had just got the girls situated, but all of them protested a mere driveby. And I am glad they did.

After jetting out of Sharpsburg, we crossed the Potomac into Shepardstown, Wv. and were delighted to discover a cool town. Home to a university, Shepardstown, founded in 1720, while small, boasts a street that is like a "Diagon Alley" for Nick and Clare. Cafes, book nooks, boutiques, and other interesting establishments line the street from end to end, begging further exploration. We'll return, but I'll be sure to avoid the cafe with the usual liberal propaganda hung all over the place.

In sum, Antietam is a fantastic place to visit. Perfect for a romantic weekend getaway with plenty of stuff nearby to visit and see. We will definitely be back.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog