Issue #90 November/December, 2004

This issue is Sold Out.

Articles listed in red are available to read online. Just click on the listing

DEPARTMENTS

6  Publisher’s Note 7  Editorial:       Getting what we deserve 24  Ask Jackie:       Redoing jam, is my steer really a steer?, “Bolos” Texas beef jerky, keeping boiled eggs, survival foods, homemade cereals, wild grape jelly, wannabe gardener, canning fruit juices, home canning sausage, canning problems, canning with noodles, and more 56  Country Moments 70  Think of it this way:       A republic vs. a democracy 68  Irreverent joke page 19  Ayoob on Firearms:       Armed civilians can help fight terrorism 81  Letters 90  Classified ads (pdf) 90  Classified advertising form 93   Advertiser Index 95   BHM anthologies, CD-ROMs, & books 96-97  Order form/Subscription Info 98  The last word:       Something for nothing For a subscription Call Toll Free 1-800--835-2418

ABOUT THE COVER     This month’s cover comes to us from Dorothy Ainsworth. It’s a photograph of her water pumping windmill along with her water tank and its bright red water tank flag that tells her where the water level is. Her article describing the whole setup begins on page 8.     Dorothy is a longtime Oregon writer who previously wrote and told us how she almost single-handedly built a log studio and afterwards put up her own palatial log home which, because a fire burned it to the ground, she had to build all over again.

FEATURES

Building and tools 46  Better wood heating   By David Lee       Everything from what you burn to how you burn it will determine how much wood you use in a season and how much heat you’ll get. In this article David Lee takes a look at some ways to improve the performance of your heating system. Self-reliance 31  Are you sure you want to live the simple life?   By Steven Gregersen       Before moving to the country to enjoy the “simple” life you’d better examine your motives, your resources, and your resolve. Steven Gregersen discusses seven issues that can make or break you when you make the move. 58  Starting over — again   By Jackie Clay       Jackie Clay has moved from a mountain in Montana to an even more remote spot in the northwoods of Minnesota to start life anew. She tells us how the move was made, the living arrangement she had to start out with, and her plans for the future. This is the first installment in a series of one of our writers and her family building a new life. 67  Peanut butter pest control   By Rick Brannan 73  Space heater safety tips   By Tom R. Kovach Country living 34  Neighbors   By Brent Todd Food and recipes 53  Turkey the old-fashioned way   By Linda Gabris 67  Turkey/rice casserole...for one   By Tom R. Kovach Alternative energy 8  Water pumping windmills   By Dorothy Ainsworth       The wind is free and Dorothy Ainsworth takes advantage of it. In this article she describes her Oregon water system, from the windmill that pumps it, to the storage tank she built, to the novel water tank flag she installed 35  Solar power 101: Solar arrays   By Jeff Yago       In this fourth installment of Jeff Yago’s beginner’s course in solar electricity he discusses basic array sizing, expected system performance, and solar module types Remembering the old days 75  Ridge Rhythm   By Danny Fulks Small Town America 40  Live Oak, Florida   By Massad Ayoob