A Change of Pace

Things have still been quiet. Quiet in the sense of still plenty of warmongers ready to bring their enemies "justice", but also quiet in the sense of spending time working on small projects.

Of significant interest have been the rumours that the rail problems were not a malicious act of terror, but one of agents provocateur. Allegations from officials have come without any proof, and now are accompanied with back-pedalling and spin. Faces that disappeared have reappeared, albeit while trying to keep a low profile.

So, projects continue being worked on, although rapidly reaching a point where only significant investment will continue them on. Of course, with a government willing to rebate for certain items, there are some ways to alleviate this problem; combined with the chance to get some electronics at employee prices, it makes a little easier to get.

Water tanks have to be looked at, too. Of course, when you have to be judicious in your choice of location, you have to do some serious thinking. Thin tanks are certainly a good idea, although having them masked from the main road is worth considering. I have found a company selling underground tanks - definitely worth the effort and price, as a way to have hidden supplies. Worth the price, if you can afford in the first place, when it's not an immediate (in terms of life without considering survival needs) necessity.

And, of course, a decent composting toilet. Aside from the fact that the small creek at the bottom of the property is supplemented with waste products from livestock... There's no need to add human waste into the cycle. Cholera isn't exactly fun. Urine, to the Chemistry minded, has its uses - and is relatively clean of bacteria or other nasties if there's no blood in it. There are a number of pre-modern industrial processes that can use it, plus it can make a decent fertiliser for tomatos, when mixed with wood ashes. Humanure, on the other hand, could be considered more trouble than it's worth. Maybe with some processing, nitrates might be available ... or, just incinerate it...

It's academic at the moment, until further funds are available. I have, however, been talking with a few friends, thinking of ways to obtain said funds. I have a healthy respect for law and order, so ruled out a few options... The idea of hiring out expertise for preparation for survival post-cataclysm was received well... It's as good an idea as any, it's just a matter of finding people willing to pay for such expertise.

Luxury of Luxuries

Driving down the road the other day, I noticed something I think few people have considered in a long time - certainly it is not something that many people would think about, nowadays.

Living in a semi-rural area, growing vegetables, trying to get food trees going, having neighbours with cows, horses, or sheep... All these things make you realise that a large, well-kept lawn (free of trees, vegetable patches, or livestock) is quite a luxury...

It wasn't that long ago that a lawn was a luxury that people literally couldn't afford.

You live in a city, you maybe have a small block - if you're lucky. I've known plenty of people who live in suburbs where the only soil you see is around the few trees, tokens of the environment far away.

In suburbia, which really is a comparatively modern invention, you have a small amount of garden available to you.

Out in the countryside, lawn isn't there to be decorative - it is a resource. You either dig it up and grow some of your food there, or you run livestock.

Having a large lawn means that you were not only rich enough to buy all of your food (which is plentiful and available) nor need to have any livestock, but that you have the time to tend to it - or can pay someone to tend it for you. Hence, the English Gentry, particularly the Landed type - plenty of other people to do the hard work for you.

Of course, PSHTF (Post Shit Hits The Fan), a well kept lawn would probably demonstrate a significant mental illness... at least until a post-apocalyptic gentry developed. This, of course, goes double for an underground shelter - if you have plenty of elbow room through out when you move in, you either don't appreciate how much work you will need to do, nor have enough of the resources you need. Or you have plenty of other people there who you believe will do your part of the work for you...

In other words, you are indulging in a luxury you might not afford... Sort of like spending big on the credit card now, and having problems later because you have so much debt to pay off.