REDUCED « Robin Writes

You’re never done prepping. You could have all the gadgets and tools, all the skills, all the food storage and everything else, but you still carry on. Why?

First, because the work is never done. Oh, sure, you can store MREs and shelf-stable food for months or years, but you probably want better than that, right? So, a garden doesn’t plant and weed and harvest itself, it doesn’t prepare its own soil for the next year, and I can certainly testify that it doesn’t build its own deer-proof fence!

Thirty rows of crops this year, plus a six-tree orchard, a couple grape vines, and some strawberries and blueberries—and, if it came down it, that would maybe, just maybe, be enough to feed us throughout the year until the next harvest.
Of course, yes, we do have stored supplies, things that aren’t easily made from scratch and a few treats, not to mention supplies to make other things. But those are supplements, not three meals a day. Providing we have a good crop, along with our storage, we could likely hold out for a year or so . . .

If we’re willing to eat ketchup sandwiches.

I jest. But food is only one thing to keep up with:
You’ll always have housework and laundry and cooking. And gardening.
Assume you have a security system, fencing and whatnot. You have to check that fencing, and probably repair it from time to time. Along with that, you have defensive skills to practice, knives, guns, your weapon of choice.
Vehicle and tool maintenance.
Clearing and cutting firewood. That’s a chore, and it takes a long time because you’ll need a ton of firewood if you have no power—it gets used up quickly, especially if you have no other heating or cooking sources.
Learning and practicing other skills, like baking or canning or small engine repair. We have a lot of those, it seems.
Plus, if you have animals—which we don’t, yet—there’s daily feeding and training and care, besides medication or first aid when needed.

Of course, if you’re like us, you’re still in the developmental stage. There were things here, yes, like a house and a barn, but we haven’t quite finished remodeling the house, and that barn, remember when it was packed full, and then empty?

Um, it’s kind of filling up again!

My point is that while you’re building, you’re also maintaining. And maintenance will be a bit easier when the building is finished.

When you’re moving onto your new homestead/farm/bug-out location, it’s really easy to get lost in the moving drama itself.

Things like unpacking, getting rid of even more “stuff,” arranging, filling cabinets, and, er, transferring data can all take precedence over survival activities.

Somewhere, you have to draw the line.

First, just like with any move, you have to know where things are—you have to be able to find them, some of them in a hurry. Our weapons are secure, for example, and close at hand. Food, clothing for whatever the weather brings, hygiene; the rest is gravy.

Unless you’re like me, and can’t stand the chaos for very long, and unless you’re working at one of those job thingies. Like me.

We’ve been here just over a week now. Completely unpacked and arranged and cleaned up and out.

I HAD to. Trust me, it’s for my sanity.

I also had to work—one more book for RHP coming out this month. But again, for my sanity, I can’t sit at my desk and work for very long at a stretch without getting up and doing something, anything!

So I planted my herbs and started some seeds. We’ve ordered the fencing for the garden and I planted some rosebushes. I’ve baked several loaves of bread to get us going and done all the rest of the cooking and cleaning and laundry.

Okay, so hanging all the laundry on the clothesline isn’t as much fun as I remembered from when I was a kid, but it’s not bad and it’s great exercise! Rain, however, can put a damper on things. Ha.

Then again, it’s an excuse to wear my new rain boots:

We hired a man to plow the garden; it was cheaper and faster than buying a plow to use a couple times a year and it’s nearly time, or even a bit late, to get some things in the ground. Remember, though, as much fun as garden catalogs are to read, don’t get carried away. Plant what you like to eat; otherwise, it’s a lot of hard work for very little return.

And yes, I did mention a fence for that garden. Depending on where you live, you may end up feeding the wildlife instead of your family. Here, we need a 7-8-foot-tall fence to keep out the damn deer. Picturesque, yes; major pests, also yes.

Don’t forget, too, all the other projects you’d planned. For us, we’re finishing the dungeon, aka lean-to, which has become the laundry room; also the furnace room. And we have a shower to put in, as well as the bathroom floor.

Sounds nice, or will be when it’s finished, but remember—you’re prepping here, and the other things won’t wait. SHTF certainly won’t.

Animals, crops, people. That’s your order of importance. The bells and whistles can come later, but if there’s ever a time to NOT put off today what you can you do tomorrow, this is it. You really never know what may come tomorrow, especially weather. Always have a backup plan for chores.

Take the time to practice shooting or using your weapon of choice; check your fence lines, or build or repair them. Keep your cash stash handy—it’s too easy to use a little here, a little there.

And take time to enjoy your new place. It’s hard, when there’s so much to be done, but do it anyway. Then you’ll know what makes it all worthwhile.