To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week, I had an on-site meeting with another consulting client, but this one was fairly close by, so it was just a day trip.

I shipped out five more antique guns, from Elk Creek Company.  Folks certainly seem to be getting anxious about the upcoming ATF “engaged in the business” rule change that goes into effect on May 20th!

I helped Lily, by doing some manure hauling.

Later in the week, our family traveled to deliver a couple of our yearling heifers to a buyer who lives in an adjoining state. That was 11 hours on the road.  That made for a looong day of driving, while towing our three-horse trailer.

We also had our annual visit from our sheep shearer this week.

With the recent severe solar storm, we decided to sleep in one of our tents on Friday night, to hopefully see the Northern Lights.  That was disappointing, ironically, because we were too far north.  We could see just a few glimmering bands on our southern horizon.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,
This week the weather began showery with some sun starting out in the high fifties topping out at the end of the week with sun and temperatures in the mid seventies.

I spent a lot of time with the cows this week, milking and mucking out their barn and milking parlor.

I made a Farmhouse Cheddar cheese this week.  I haven’t made cheese in over ten years.  We shall see how it ages and turns out. Currently, it is drying out on a shelf to form its rind.

A second cow birthed a bull calf this week.  He is a cutie.

The Chicken eggs that we were incubating hatched out.  It is always so much fun to see the genetic variation expressed in our chicks.

I spent time in the greenhouse, watering and harvesting greens.

I spent more time turning over soil in the Main garden to prep for planting.  I’m thinking next week will be the big planting week.

It was a fun drive to deliver our two heifers to their new home.  I always enjoy exploring new territories.

I spent time mucking out the cow stalls, cleaning the hen house and the sheep shed.

May You All Remain Safe, Blessed, and Hidden in Christ Jesus,

– Avalanche Lily, Rawles

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As always, please share and send e-mails of your own successes and hard-earned wisdom and we will post them in the “Snippets” column this coming week.  We want to hear from you.