The sky IS falling...

[wy0mn]

Yahoo front page article today.

http://green.yahoo.com/news/ap/20080524/ap_on_re_us/environmental_survivalists.html

[jen_in_southtexas]

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing with us wyOmn.

-j

[walls0stone]

the first chapters could be read by one person with terror, and another would say...it's about time you cought on.

Most people here in Tioga County have a wood stove and a garden.

[wy0mn]

I like to mess with people and jokingly say that Wyoming is full. The truth of the matter is that, at least in these smaller towns, is that the elderly population is in a process of decline. They are relocating closer to metro areas & the access to medical facilities. Lots of good deals can be found.
If a person has a true self sufficient goal they would be hard pressed to find a better area suited to this lifestyle.
My wife & I tracked average wind velocities & the number of useable solar days per year, nationwide for over a year, loaded all the data into a spreadsheet and had it regurgitate all those nifty graphs & charts prior to making our choice. We researched taxes, the water table, and many other variable before deciding.
This is a very harsh environment (I saw flurries last Friday), rough on equipment, housing and people.
I'm against communes, communism, and the para-military quasi-religious fanatics; but I'd not mind a few more knowledgeable neighbors of the proper mindset. Wildlife is plentiful, gardening is rough but could be accomplished with greenhouses. Trees are scarce & firewood must be hauled quite a distance, water wells are an iffy proposition with alkali issues in many areas. The growing season is very short, so is the construction season. However, none of these obstacles are insurmountable.

My younger brother almost bought into some cheap land in LaPorte TX, until I googled it and discovered it is a waste dump for northern cities with many health concerns.
People planning a retreat really have to have their ducks in a row.

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Yes, the sky is falling *:( . Get yourself in gear.

edit: Lex. The research that you did sounds incredible! If I may inquire, what was your opinion of north-central Arkansas? I'm pretty well-rooted here but I'm open to criticism of things that I may be missing. Folks tend to be too loyal to thier current situation... you know what I mean.

[walls0stone]

Our small town is seeing a growth. people who moved away after graduation are coming back to start a family. They have taken major pay cuts to do it. Here it's just plain and flat. Good econemy or bad..we just stay steady.

[wy0mn]

Rob:
I no longer have the data that I used. It was collected in 2000 and left with a pc crash a few years later, but thats OK since I had the info I needed for my specific plans. I don't recall Arkansas being in my top eight choices. That doesn't mean its a bad place, just didn't meet the parameters I required.
We came up here in 2001 and met with a realtor, looked around; then 9/11 happened & set our plans back.
4/06 we were able to sell the farm & relocate.
No work this weekend on the Ranch. Design change on my part means I'm leaving for Casper for more material after posting this.
Lex

[gardenfay]

I believe in being prepared; but sure hate to see people in a panic like the lady in the article.
I pray that people, including myself, will trust more in God as things get worse. There is only so much that people can do; then it is in His hands (and I am thankful that His hands are almighty).

[Cutter]

A place in the lower mountains, as much storeable food as possible and good guns(as good as you can afford), enough land for a garden. It may be Kalifornia but I'm getting as prepaired as I can.

[walls0stone]

what did they say back in the fule scare of the 70's?

[bookwormom]

very interesting. so what would one do in Wyoming? no firewood, I guess an earth ship woud be the right kind of house, burrow in, catch the sun. I take it used tires are an unnatural resource. Invest in loads of cattle panels and hoop them over the garden, but what when there is no more plastic?
water wells iffy, not much rain? what do you do for water? How much snow in the winter? I heard there are 300 000 some thousand people living in the whole state and I figured there must be a reason. Not that I am saying you made a bad choice, how could I, never been there, I am just very curious. The lack of population sounds like a good asset. Desperate city slickers won't come traipsing in on you. what does grow well there? you can't eat rocks.

[Drawbar]

I spent a lot of time in Wyoming. Its desolate which has its appeal, but I am very wary of anyone touting one place over another...just to many variables when it comes to homesteading.

My sleepy little town has been on a roller-coaster. The out of staters move in for awhile, realize life is hard here and then move out. Its on 8 year cycles as far as I can tell.

The dynamics started to change a little bit. Last month the Amish discovered my town and started to buy farms up, and grabbed one before we got together and put a moratorium on large land sales. If you are going to having neighbors these are probably the kind to have, but the sudden increase in farm values made existing contracts for feed, hay and crop ground too expensive for the long established farmers. The town had to put a halt to the sudden land grab or our way of life would be destroyed.

They stopped by my place twice and offered me 5 times what it was worth per acre. I was nice, but I quickly declined. Too many fond memories here to sell out at any price.

So yeah even though Wyoming would be the last place I would live, please head there. I like how my town just as it is.

[wy0mn]

Totally fair assessments from all.
The population is the lowest per sq/mi, and most folks only make it here for a couple of years before leaving. Even my bride decided she had to have a house in town after seeing two winters!
There is firewood in the mountains/foothills, ya just gotta go get it. Until the world does actually go blooey you can even have it delivered. We build small, just what you need, no pretentions; easier to heat.
I was fortunate in findiing my property, there is water 1/4mi downslope from my place. Its nasty but can be sterilized/filtered. Lots of snow.
I've seen very few houses that are dug in. I wanted to do that myself but encountered so many rocks that I'm fortunate to simply have a building site leveled off!
Greenhouses here are solid. Flexible plastic wouldn't last overnight. Root & cole crops do well.
Its not Utopia, I never said it was. But if you wanted a solar/wind hybrid system its about as perfect as you can get! Wyoming is a dominatrix, beautiful & demanding; nurturing if she gets what she wants. WY is self filtering; even Draw wouldn't have it! lol.
The Amish do make great neighbors Draw, I had 'em in TN.

[kawalekm]

Everybody complains about how crowded/expensive/regulated it is here in California, but I still managed to find a beautiful 50 acre homestead in the Oak woodlands. We can't see the nearest neighbors from anywhere on the property, can fire my gun anytime/anywhere I want, and could walk naked from one end of the property to the other if I ever felt like it.

Fantastic rock-free BLACK silty-loam topsoil three feet deep, about 20 inches of rain per year, and about a 200 day frost-free growing season between frosts, and deer/rabbits/squirrels/turkeys/quail/doves to hunt. There's a well, which we use to water our growing orchard, and eventually a full scale garden. I also want to collect rainwater to reduce well pumping.

A dirt road and lack of electricity are what keeps the yuppies out, but as long as you have 4X4 with a stick-shift you can make it up here. With alternative energy we can have all the comforts we want. We get almost 300 days of sun a year, have a big propane tank, and we have both cooking and heating woodstoves. All the oak can feed the stoves as fast as we can cut it, and propane will run the frig and cook dinner on summer nights.

Doesn't sound like California, does it?

[Drawbar]

Wyoming is a dominatrix, beautiful & demanding; nurturing if she gets what she wants. WY is self filtering; even Draw wouldn't have it! lol.

I'm glad you weren't offended. I was there for a few years railroading on the famed Powder River Subdivision. I spent A LOT of time in tiny towns like Wright, WY, Douglas, WY, Gillette, WY, Sheridan,WY...and that famous place that every one knows so much about, Arvada, WY.

Okay so you might not know where that town is, I think its like 30 miles from Spotted Horse, WY which has a whopping population of 10!!

Yep spent a lot of time there, and in a way it was neat. It was so different from Maine...opposites in every way really.I remember spending a few hours at the motel in Wright, WY explaining to the hotel receptionist what life was like on an island. What is miles and miles of open land out there, is what our endless miles of open water. I never realized the contrast until I had to explain it.

I got a lot of pictures from out there, but only this one is readily available on my website. It was taken near Black Thunder Mine in Wright, WY. The date this picture was taken they ran the record number of trains on that line...125 trains in 12 hours.

http://www.railroadmachinist.com/images/Side_By_Side.JPG

[LeatherneckPA]

I noticed an interesting thought, by the guy in VT. and it's one that I have been pursuig myself. I am studying to become an EMT. I may follow that even further and become a paramedic as well.

For one thing, it follows my life of service (military and law enforcement). And for another, it seems it would be a valuable trade to have in harder times.

[walls0stone]

If your in billytown, you should get lots of work as an EMT. Only town in Pa were you can see a turkey in the city limets, and hear a gunshot, and the two are not connected at all.

[LeatherneckPA]

LOL, ain't that the truth. Back in January somebody made the observation that Williamsport was actually ahead of Iraq for casualties.

Which brings me to the subject of my next post. Look for it under the title "How far is far enough?"

[wy0mn]

Michael, that surely doesn't sound like Cali to me, and I should know better! I spent some time at the Vandy airbase near Lompoc. That was some pretty country too. Snared my first deer there.
Draw, wife & I used to vacation in ME. Bar Harbor usually, grazing our way up the lobster coast, as I believe I've said before. And kayaking M.I.T.A. We play the 'what if you won the lottery' game. Everyone has thought about it at some time or another. Addison Island would be ours!
Pa: Wife (Quakertown) & I have planned for lots of stuff, yet we're still weak in the medical dept.

[Drawbar]

Draw, wife & I used to vacation in ME. Bar Harbor usually, grazing our way up the lobster coast, as I believe I've said before. And kayaking M.I.T.A. We play the 'what if you won the lottery' game. Everyone has thought about it at some time or another. Addison Island would be ours!

Criehaven Island...27 miles from the mainland. No electricity, phones, cell service or ferry service. 20 houses, one hand dug well on on one 350 acre island. Its about as peaceful as it gets. (with no ferry service, there aren't any tourists)

http://www.railroadmachinist.com/Coastal-Criehaven-One.html

http://www.railroadmachinist.com/Coastal-Criehaven-Two.html

[wy0mn]

Now thats cool too! Is that island for sale as well?

I love the garish paint jobs on the houses up there. Is there a name for that style of archatectural painting, or was there just a heck of a sale on paint?
Wife would love these pics but she already suffers from balsamitis, (smelling the balsam of fir trees even while away from Maine) which can only be cured by a roadtrip to Maine and an infusion of lobster & microbrewed beer.

[logansackett]

That is a good looking/sounding place. However in my ho It is missing one thing---Mountains!!! I couldnt live anywhere w/o them. I do have to admit that I have never seen the ocean---yet. signed, landlubber.

[Drawbar]

Now thats cool too! Is that island for sale as well?

No, its pretty much all owned now. My ex-father-in-law has a place out there. Pretty cool, but also expensive. Only 9 lobstermen can fish out there so you have to buy into the fishing rights. Very lucrative once you are in, but very expensive for the buy in.

I love the garish paint jobs on the houses up there. Is there a name for that style of archatectural painting, or was there just a heck of a sale on paint?

Yes actually, its called a Painted Lady. Its a New England thing. Its a style of architecture that relies heavily on the shingle style, plenty of elaborate trim, and fretwork...then brightly painted homes. You can goggle it up and find plenty on this style.

Wife would love these pics but she already suffers from balsamitis, (smelling the balsam of fir trees even while away from Maine) which can only be cured by a roadtrip to Maine and an infusion of lobster & microbrewed beer.

Well don't show her this picture then. And yes that is me back in 2003 holding up a 15 pound lobster we caught off Criehaven island, the farthest inhabited island on the east coast.

http://www.railroadmachinist.com/sitebuilder/images/12_Pound_Lobster2-344x527.jpg

[logansackett]

Goodnight! that thing is huge! was he tasty?

[walls0stone]

Big crawdad you got there

[Cowgirl]

It is sorta fun to finally be trendy. :)

I was a prepper when prepping wasn't cool. Sorta like that country song ....

As to my ideal place, I guess it is here, where I'm planted. I love Illinois for its soil, its growing climate, its four seasons - it is easy to be pretty self-sufficient here. An affordable homestead can produce much of your needs. The forest around me is diverse, predominately mixed hardwoods (plentiful firewood), and I am familiar with where the wild edibles are, whether flora or fauna. Our native black maple produces sap that will make some of the finest maple syrup you've ever tasted! Our well water is clean, coming from a replenishing aquifer (not like those out west). Rain here is generally plentiful and rainwater harvesting is also a good option - I have previously set up barns with rainwater collection systems so that I rarely had to pump well water for watering livestock.

But, that said, Illinois is FULL. And it isn't ideal. It has its imperfections. We have tornadoes here. And crooked politicians (our favored political path seems to be to get to be governor and then take up residency in a federal prison). And our "concealed carry" law is ... not acceptable, the weapon has to be in some sort of case! *growl* But we are working on that. So I'm all for folks heading west! PLEASE! ;D

I'm sure that I could homestead in another state. I'm sure I could homestead in another climate. But then significant portions of my knowledge base would be useless and the learning curve for being self-sufficient in a new-to-me environment would be steep.

So, I bloom where I'm planted.

But isn't it fun to be trendy? Just so long as the countryside doesn't fill up? ::)

[walls0stone]

I find this very funny, for years our area was indepent. ate cows from the farm, grew a garden, had birds.. hunted for food and lived with in the means. *Did things as much out of tradion as anything..and worked hard. We once called it poverty...now they call it homesteding.

In Pa, if you keep your gun out in the open, it's ok...and a permit to hide it is 14 bucks and the permit looks like it was made in a home office. *What's even more funny is the cycle of people who come here and then sissy out becouse the snow plow can't have the road cut clear before 8am...or the purchased a house up on a mountain for the view, and after a few ice storms drop a tree across the drive and they can't figure out how to get the chain saw going... HA, they move

[logansackett]

did'nt they call that seperating the wheat from the chaff?

[walls0stone]

yep
Flatlander's from the Ridge runners...

[logansackett]

what kin I say yeeee hawww!!!!

[Drawbar]

Goodnight! that thing is huge! was he tasty?

Can't eat him here in Maine, he is too big and over the upper limit (its governed by inches but roughly is 3/4 to 6 pounds.) This one is about 15 pounds. I never weighed him, just took the picture and then tossed him overboard. He'll (and yes it is a male) live out his life on this cycle.

Crawl into a trap and eat bait
Go up for a fast elevator ride to the deck of the boat
Be tossed overboard
Crawl into a trap.....

[walls0stone]

still, very cool that you got it. you say it's a male...how do you know? I thought that was a tail?? ;)

[logansackett]

good one, cracked me up!