Urban Garden - Update #2

In the category of trying to learn something new, here is the latest installment of garden update. With drought and having to water the garden by hand since I can not run the sprinklers the harvest is not what it might be. I've still had fun trying to figure out how to grow stuff and it is weirdly satisfying to eat stuff I grew myself!!

We started this round off looking something like this in my little Urban Garden.

Then we ended up with some stuff growing!!! The broccoli never really did anything. The Hippie came by the house and said the broccoli 'went to seed'? Guess that means we ain't getting none right now. Hahahahaha. The soccer ball was not harmed during the growing of the crops!

The harvest has been going on for a few weeks now. Surprisingly all the food does not get done at the same time!! You know like the grocery store!! hehehe Have had a few issues with one of our little friends around here eating the tomatoes before I can pick them. Not a big deal, ok it was a big deal but I got over it!

Ended up with enough potatoes I did not need to buy any for a few weeks now. Also found out the red ones grow more than the white ones. Had planted less red ones but got just as much as the others.

The celery grew! Had no idea what I was doing with it!

And the most exciting thing for me was I grew some decent onions!!! I know it sounds silly but I have not been able to get the onions to grow to any size worth talking about!!

Next step is to get the dirt ready to try and plant some more stuff. It has really been fun trying to figure out how to grow food. Makes me realize how hard it is to fill those shelves at the grocery store. Also makes me realize how delicate the food supply is.

Waiting for the grapes to ripen. Not sure my second vine is going to grow that much this year, Kids decided to pull the leaves off of it. When they are ready I am going to practice making jam this year. Another skill set I am trying to gain knowledge in. Of course that means I will also get some practice in on treating burns!

Remember learn something new this month! There is always something out there to learn!

As Always,

Stay Safe!  

Planning #7.3 - Guns, hand guns, what to consider

Again we go down the hole to see what there is to see. This time we are going to get a little more detailed on what you should consider when looking to add firearms to your planning. 

As with our other planning we have to tailor the plan to our situation. The amount of money you have to put toward this, your particular situation and the amount of training you have are all factors which need to be considered. 

If you want to have something which is not very complicated, can be stored ready to use for long periods of time and will not break the bank, a revolver might fit the bill. Stored in a good pistol box, you can bolt down to somewhere, you do not have to really think about it. 

Maybe you want something small enough you can carry it on your person and have the ability to reload quickly if needed. A semi-automatic pistol might fit. Some of these can be picked up for only a few hundred dollars. These can also be stored inside of a secure box yet still accessed in a hurry if needed. 

Some pistols are not really good choices if you want to keep them loaded. The magazines have springs inside of them and if they are under pressure (loaded) for extended periods of time the springs go soft and the magazine might not work properly when you want it to. This is why a revolver is a better idea for long term storage. 

Revolvers and pistols are considered close range, 15 feet or less, tools. Some folks consider them only as backup tools. Yet in a confined space, such as your home, they might work better than some of the larger options. These tools are easier to manipulate when there is not much room. They are also easier to carry and of course they are easier to conceal if need be. 

As far as brands to buy and caliber to buy. This all depends on your experience and abilities. If you have little training or no experience a .38 revolver might be your best choice. Something to only be used during an emergency. The tool is easily concealed, range is not very good but if you are only using the tool as a last resort........ you just touch the bad guy with the barrel while you pull the trigger. Down side of this tool the round is not very large and unless you place the barrel in the right places the bad guy can keep fighting. 

  

For most people 9mm is the caliber you want to consider looking for. There are revolvers and pistols in this caliber. Of course revolvers and pistols both come in larger calibers. You can purchase what could be considered a 'hand cannon'. 

For most of us this is far more than we need or could handle. Believe it or not some people even hunt with pistols and revolvers! For most of us this is not a consideration when talking about firearms but nice to know you can utilize this tool for more than one use. Hunting bear with a .38 or anything smaller than a .357 is not such a bright idea!!!!

So let's take hunting with a pistol or revolver off the table for now. Let's focus on what most of us are considering these tools for, self defense and the defense of others. 

There are hundreds of companies which make these tools and I will not get into a 'discussion' about which one is the 'bestest'! Your personal price point will dictate what you purchase. Why wont you discuss the different brands? Because to some folks brands are like religion and no matter what they have a favorite. Remember we are looking for a tool which fits your needs. Let's focus on tools for self defense.

The Beretta M9 or 92f is a fine pistol. Thousands have been made and are in use. For the novice I think this is a good platform to start with. Most fellas out there can easily grip this tool, one drawback for the ladies is some might have trouble wrapping their hands around a full size version. They make smaller versions so this can be worked around. The pistol is reliable, easy to clean and I personally like the safety feature for those with limited experience. You literally can throw this pistol loaded, with the safety on and it will not discharge. (do not ever try this! do not ever ask me how I know this!)

You can purchase other brands and again it is a matter of what you can afford or have experience with. Look for something simple to use. Some pistols come with all sorts of extras, fancy triggers, fancy sights and all types of attachments. If you understand all of these good utilize them but keep in mind battery powered items might not work when you need them. A suggestion would be to keep your tools simple to cut down on the learning curve and chances of something not working. 

Again a revolver might be the best choice for some of us out there. You load the cylinder, close the cylinder and it is ready to go.  

TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING!  No matter what tool you add to your planning you absolutely need to be trained to use the tool! You can add a rocket to your tool box but if you do not know how to use it is useless. What kind of training?  

Here is another question were people like to get their feathers ruffled..... Whoever you go to for training their first priority needs to be safety! If they do not spend time ensuring you understand and manifest safety you need to walk away. If they tell you they can turn you into a Navy SEAL, skilled gunfighter in three easy lessons, walk away! Marksmanship should be the the focus after safety. 

You have to handle the tools safely and be able to hit what you are aiming at before you can do all the other 'high speed, low drag' stuff people want to learn how to do. What people forget is in order to do all the 'fun' stuff you have to have a solid foundation to work from.

If the person you go to does not offer some type of classes which increase your skill set over time just walk away. There really is not rules people have to follow when they decide to call themselves firearms instructors and as with other things some people might be able to do but have no idea how to teach.  

You have to have a solid foundation before you should even be shown a position like this one.

Most folks should never, never be put in this situation!!!!!!

 Most of us will never reach a level of training where this is appropriate!!! This level of confidence takes years to reach. If you find someone offering to show you how to do these types of things in a "Easy to learn, complete gunfighter system, you can master in just one weekend!" walk away!!! 

Ok, this one is getting long! Let's come back up for some air! Remember you need to tailor your planning to your situation. This carries over to what type of tools you add to your abilities. Take the time to research what fits your needs. Take the time to find a good instructor. Take the time to train! The time you spend now will be the difference if you ever need this skill set. 

As Always,

Stay Safe! 

     

Jack of Some Trades or One Trick Pony?

All of us have something we are good at or something we do for a living. You might be a carpenter, plumber or a nuclear scientist. Something we specialize in, something not everyone else does as well as we do. This is usually how we pay the bills and if we are real lucky this job allows us to make ends met at the end of the month.

For emergency planning your daily job is a good place to start. If you crunch numbers all day odds are you are going to be organized. If you work with your hands, odds are you going to have tools to work with. From this starting point we want to broaden our knowledge base and skill set.Why? During an emergency situation there is going to be a time period you are on your own. Might be anything from a few minutes, hours or days. Although you might be able to send rockets into space, if you do not have some knowledge in other areas odds are it is going to be a very long day when you are faced with some sort of emergency.

Skills go with you everywhere. Sure you can start a fire with two sticks but can you change a tire? Once you have an idea how to do something nothing can take the knowledge away from you. Tools enhance skills and allow you to do things you might not be able to do with your bare hands. Need to build a shelter to get out of the sun? Doing this with tools is easier and saves energy. The trick is you have to know how to use the tools. You can fill your home with tools or a bag you carry with you everyday. Problem is you have to have some idea how to use the tools or they are useless.

Your emergency might be a car wreck, can you get yourself off the freeway? Can you treat yourself if you are injured? Can you help others? Do you know how to use the flares and reflective panels in your trunk? Sounds kind of silly right? Being on the freeway a lot I personally have seen people with no idea how to do any of this! Your emergency might be a simple disabled car where you have to wait twenty minutes for a tow truck. Your emergency might be a natural disaster and you have to wait several days before the authorities get any help to you. In either situation you are responsable for YOU during this time period. What skills you have will make the difference during this time period.

The broader your planning and skill set the better odds you give yourself to deal with situations. first on the list of skills to try to learn... First aid! Being able to perform even the basics of first aid could be the difference between life and death for someone.

Knowing how to use some basic tools, saws, shovels and other hand tools are a vital skill. Some of you might be giggling at this idea...... Some people have no idea how to properly use a shovel let alone a chainsaw if needed. During an emergency is not the time to figure out how to use tools. Why? Because the odds of someone getting injured rises due to the stress and lack of experience.

We all should try something new! Maybe you never cook at home? Maybe you never cook on a BBQ? This is a skill set everyone should have some knowledge in. BBQ'ing means you can properly build a fire, be safe with fire hopefully and cook under "primitive" conditions. If you can BBQ try learning how to do more with an open flame.

Cooking a whole meal using a Dutch Oven is not as easy as one might think!

Knowing how to communicate is another skill folks should learn. Maybe using a HAM radio is not something you have time to learn. Knowing S.O.S. is the international symbol for distress is something we all should know! Having an understanding of how to communicate with aircraft could come in handy.

These people were able to tell a helicopter where the bad guys were without having a radio!

Maybe you need to learn a few skills involved with counseling others? Not all the skills we could work on are physical.

Maybe you need to learn how to organize events for large groups of people? Being able to organize kids is a whole skill set in it's self!!! Something which can come in handy during a situation!

Maybe you need to learn to use a new set of tools to protect your loved ones?

Maybe you need to learn to be more aware of the news and events in your area? Gathering intelligence and being able to use the information is a vital skill to everyone.

Maybe you need to learn more about the law? Understanding what you can legally do during situations is also vitally important knowledge we all need to better understand.

All of us have a skill base, something we can start from. From this skill we should work to broaden our personal base of knowledge or skill sets. Not just for emergencies but for life in general! Sit down, grab a piece of paper and make a list of what you are good at or have knowledge in. Next, write down what you have no idea how to do. The list of things you should know how to do needs to include;

First aid
Utilizing hand tools
How to BBQ
How to change a tire
Self defense
How to build a rudimentary shelter

The list can go on and on. There is really no limit to the things we can learn or new things we can try our hand at. In the end having a little knowledge of a broad range of subjects will serve you better than being a specialist in just one subject. Knowledge gives you the ability to come up with different answers to problems and allows you to be more flexible in your response to situations. Adaptability is a great ability to have and a broad base of knowledge gives you this. Besides learning new skills is kind of fun!!!

As Always,

Stay Safe.