shtf « Robin Writes

Most people, in mid-December, are counting the days until Christmas. Not me. Only 97 days until SPRING!

I do not like cold weather. Period. You know that meme that says “I’m not going outside until the temperature is above my age? Yep, I could have originated that.

The problem is that once I get cold—to the bone, frozen, chilled—it takes forever to warm up again.

Whiskey helps.

Everyone has heard, of course, how to layer clothing. I start with what used to be called long underwear but is now referred to as “base layers.” Whatever. I do like the silk ones, though, and they aren’t as bulky as the old style. So I start there, and add a thermal shirt, a t-shirt, and a flannel shirt. Plus, when I go outside, I put on my amazing new Carhartt coat and snazzy deerskin (with Thinsulate) gloves.

Oh yeah, and pants. Always pants. Two layers. I’m also partial to wool moisture-wicking socks, thick ones.

My husband brought home some ski gloves for me last week. They’re a bit too big, but very warm; I can’t, however, do any chores that require gripping things, like hay bales or lead ropes. That could make for a sticky situation . . . or not, as the case may be.

And yes, I wear all but the coat and gloves (and earmuffs and scarf) inside too. I really hate to change clothes once I’m dressed.

Chant with me: 97 days! 97 days!

I’ve mentioned that we use wood heat. Mostly. We’re getting the hang of it now—last night it ran until about 2:00 a.m., I think. We also discovered a neat trick:

When the fire is going really well and is very, very hot and the blower still hasn’t kicked on, if you smack it just right, it’ll start up. Who knew?

Point is, this morning it was all the way up to 60 degrees in the bedroom when we got up!

Yes, we use some electric heat, particularly in the morning before the furnace kicks on. And I generally keep a space heater under my desk during the day because, in spite of the open floor plan, there is a large chunk of wall and some 20 feet between me and the vent.

I do, however, sit right next to a bank of windows. Chilly sometimes, but most of them are sheltered by a deep covered deck area, and when the sun is out, it’s quite toasty.

Sun is the thing I really miss during the winter. That weatherman is a liar. Or he’s too dumb to tell the difference between “cloudy” and “sunny.” Jerk.

If the sun is out, I’m good outside down in the 30s; if it’s cloudy, all I want to do is sleep.

Speaking of, on a homestead, you don’t get to do that. Good thing I never did—Dad’s rule was up and dressed and breakfast eaten by 9:00 a.m. And he was being generous. My friends all got to “sleep in” until noon or lie around in bed.

Some of them still do . . .

I don’t get it. On any given morning, we have to start the coffee, build a fire, feed two cats and one small dog who are all dancing under our feet, and then take one outside—where we watch her pick the right spot and it takes FOREVER.

Then our horsey visitor is whinnying for her breakfast.

If you’ve ever wondered how your day will go when SHTF, it will NOT involve staying in bed!

If you have a homestead, you already know all the work that happens on a daily basis. If you plan to move in with someone who has a homestead—and they’re expecting you—rest assured that you’ll be feeding livestock, working in the greenhouse or garden, making repairs, helping out the neighbors, cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood, cooking over a fire, and so forth.

If you’re planning to remain where you are and you’ve stocked up, you’re still going to have keep warm, find or grow food, and do most of the things you do now but without the conveniences currently in place. Try it sometime, say, over a weekend for a day or two. No appliance use, no electronics, no electricity or natural gas. Minimal errands. Make do with what you have on hand. Try it. I dare you.

And if you ARE prepared, eventually those preps are going to run out when it comes down to it. You have to be able to replenish and restock. Evaluate where you are, both physical location and preparedness, and set some goals now, today.

And keep warm. Only 97 days to spring!

It’s important to prep for everyone, animals included. Our outdoor/indoor cat, Arthur, has a nice, cozy, straw-filled house on the front porch with an old towel and an old thermal curtain. She does, however, come inside at night when the temps are below freezing. She’s also very fluffy.

Doesn’t need coaxing anymore, either.

Our indoor/outdoor cat, Wilson, is in his element out here. Can’t hardly keep him in, which I prefer to do between sunset and sunrise, at least. He’s a Maine Coon and twenty pounds of muscle (and fluff), so he pretty much calls the shots.

And while the almost-four-year-old puppy loves to go outside, particularly for walkies, she’s pretty picky about going outside to do her business. Weather doesn’t seem to faze her, especially since she’ll just jump in a lap or snuggle in a blankie—or bury herself under the bed pillows—to warm up.

For myself, if the wind isn’t too bad and the sun is out, or mostly out, or even a tiny bit out, I can manage. Particularly since I just got a new Carhartt coat. Holy cow, how did I manage without it? That plus gloves and earmuffs, and I’m set. For windy days, or too much time on the ATV, I have a ski mask.

Also, the greatest socks in the world . . .

The big thing you have to remember is to stay hydrated and warm up every now and then. Even if you’re not sweating, you still need fluids, and while warm drinks are great, be sure to keep up your water intake.

Right now, we’re prepping for our new horses, arriving within the week. I think. I hope. Not entirely sure yet . . .

We’re building a run-in shed, 10X16, with metal siding and roof and of course, a wooden kick panel on the inside. Contrary to the common wisdom of facing south, ours faces east. We seldom get weather from that direction, and our prevailing winds come from the south/southwest. Picked up a couple bales of straw for the flooring, and we’re about ready.

Our weekly town trip included a stop at our local MFA for feed buckets, a mineral block, and a few vet supplies. Might not need those last, but these mustangs are coming from a range in South Dakota under very harsh conditions, and eventually, at the very least, these things are good to have on hand if you have any livestock at all. Cuts and scrapes from fencing, sticks, fighting, and the odd incident—I once had a horse with a pretty deep “butt cut.” Yes, right THERE. Not even sure how that one happened, but it was a good thing Bingo was a very steady mare, because dressing that thing would have made any other horse completely psycho.

And yes, just like for people, water is important. We have inside and outside water for the aforementioned small critters, and a nice, deep tank for the horses. It’s unlikely to completely freeze, but no, we don’t use a heater—we do it the old-fashioned way, with a hammer and a few whacks!