- Joined
- Mar 20, 1999
- Messages
- 1,163
When I lived in Indiana, we were on a 300+ acre spread that had game, water and fish, fertile soil, fruit trees, berries, grapes, and a home and land layout that was easily defensible. I had about 15 firearms consisting of about 6 different calibers with around 1000 rounds of ammo per caliber.
Flash forward to today
I live in on corner lot in a semi-urban setting. Smaller town, but a town nonetheless. If my neighbor's house caught fire it would pose a threat to my home. I have no property in the country to escape to, no sprawling acreage on which to hunker down, and no well for water. The closest family spread is about 5 hours away without the traffic that would be generated during an emergency scenario.
I have enough food at the house for the family to survive about month without having to forage, hunt, or restock. We have seeds and enough lawn to turn into a garden nearly year-round as our winters are typically short and mild. I can even rotate and rest a piece of lawn for at least a 2 year stretch. There is a pecan tree on the property that would help augment the food source.
As I clear some brush and trees from the back of the yard the growing area will increase, but I'll use up close and easy to obtain firewood. I would cut down the Magnolia first; I hate it anyway. I would save the Mimosa to extract DMT for barter. (Im Libertarian enough to believe you have the right to put whatever you want into your own body provided you dont encroach on anyone elses right and capitalist enough to profit on the deal.)
Squirrels, raccoon, and the occasional 'possum visit, but hunting pressure from neighbors would quickly take its toll on the critter populace. I have a few rabbits, but I believe Joel Salatin stated that when his son decided to raise rabbits on pasture, converting their diets to lawn salad resulted in a 50% attrition rate for a few years until their offspring adapted.
I live less than half a mile from publically accessible land that includes a creek, pecan, hickory, and pawpaw trees. Again, Im sure neighbors would realize the same thing and put pressure on the water and food provided. Most other open area around is privately held.
I have bladed implements galore, know how to set up snares and traps, and have a handful or firearms. I do have enough ammo to hunt game of any size here in Texas for a few years should I manage to find a place to go do so. Im adept enough with science to do more than just make soap or brew / distill alcohol.
Im afraid of the whole neighbor issue. Individually, people are pretty decent; place them in a familial or group setting and they go nuts. I believe I would need 24/7 sentry duty on my garden / rabbits / pecans, but lack the staff to do so.
Possible scenarios I see:
1) Dig in: Adopt a me and mine mentality and attack anyone who encroaches on our territory or threatens our food or water sources. Be neighborly, aid those in need who are willing to help themselves, barter, swap seeds, but definitely adopt the dont tread on me mentality.
2) Rebuilding: Form a co-op / compound / mini-community of like-minded neighbors and watch each others backs to ensure water quality, safe passage through the area, crop diversity and rotation, and barter of goods and services.
3) Go rogue: Become the apex predator. Everyone and everything is fair game. I am the thing that goes bump in the night.
My heart and head tell me 1 is my scenario. I would visit, barter, support, and most likely even defend 2, but I wouldnt deal well with a good of the community mentality type attitude that 2 would require. 3 just isnt me. I could justify killing in self-defense and looting abandoned property, but outright stealing and murder just arent my things.
Where am I going with this? I dont know. Ive been thinking more about things again lately and perhaps I just needed to vent and whine a bit.
Flash forward to today
I live in on corner lot in a semi-urban setting. Smaller town, but a town nonetheless. If my neighbor's house caught fire it would pose a threat to my home. I have no property in the country to escape to, no sprawling acreage on which to hunker down, and no well for water. The closest family spread is about 5 hours away without the traffic that would be generated during an emergency scenario.
I have enough food at the house for the family to survive about month without having to forage, hunt, or restock. We have seeds and enough lawn to turn into a garden nearly year-round as our winters are typically short and mild. I can even rotate and rest a piece of lawn for at least a 2 year stretch. There is a pecan tree on the property that would help augment the food source.
As I clear some brush and trees from the back of the yard the growing area will increase, but I'll use up close and easy to obtain firewood. I would cut down the Magnolia first; I hate it anyway. I would save the Mimosa to extract DMT for barter. (Im Libertarian enough to believe you have the right to put whatever you want into your own body provided you dont encroach on anyone elses right and capitalist enough to profit on the deal.)
Squirrels, raccoon, and the occasional 'possum visit, but hunting pressure from neighbors would quickly take its toll on the critter populace. I have a few rabbits, but I believe Joel Salatin stated that when his son decided to raise rabbits on pasture, converting their diets to lawn salad resulted in a 50% attrition rate for a few years until their offspring adapted.
I live less than half a mile from publically accessible land that includes a creek, pecan, hickory, and pawpaw trees. Again, Im sure neighbors would realize the same thing and put pressure on the water and food provided. Most other open area around is privately held.
I have bladed implements galore, know how to set up snares and traps, and have a handful or firearms. I do have enough ammo to hunt game of any size here in Texas for a few years should I manage to find a place to go do so. Im adept enough with science to do more than just make soap or brew / distill alcohol.
Im afraid of the whole neighbor issue. Individually, people are pretty decent; place them in a familial or group setting and they go nuts. I believe I would need 24/7 sentry duty on my garden / rabbits / pecans, but lack the staff to do so.
Possible scenarios I see:
1) Dig in: Adopt a me and mine mentality and attack anyone who encroaches on our territory or threatens our food or water sources. Be neighborly, aid those in need who are willing to help themselves, barter, swap seeds, but definitely adopt the dont tread on me mentality.
2) Rebuilding: Form a co-op / compound / mini-community of like-minded neighbors and watch each others backs to ensure water quality, safe passage through the area, crop diversity and rotation, and barter of goods and services.
3) Go rogue: Become the apex predator. Everyone and everything is fair game. I am the thing that goes bump in the night.
My heart and head tell me 1 is my scenario. I would visit, barter, support, and most likely even defend 2, but I wouldnt deal well with a good of the community mentality type attitude that 2 would require. 3 just isnt me. I could justify killing in self-defense and looting abandoned property, but outright stealing and murder just arent my things.
Where am I going with this? I dont know. Ive been thinking more about things again lately and perhaps I just needed to vent and whine a bit.
Knowing local farmers and being willing to trade work for a share of a slaughtered cow could help to feed you.