THIS many...

A friend sent me this photo, apparently taken at Wal-Mart. (Update: A reader noted a Best Buy sign in the background, so it's not a Wal-Mart.)

Has it come to this?

Random pix

Remember when I reported that a regional grocery chain, Rosauers, was now carrying emergency food? Well, I was in Winco, another large store, and noticed it's now carrying the same line:

Then a couple days ago, I went to Walmart and saw the same thing. I'm so tickled to see this!

A shot of a robin on a fence post. Unfortunately it turned its head at the last second.

The livestock of three separate neighbors meet at the fences to say hello.

This is the last time Thor will lay down in the garlic boat. Don finished the garden fence (against cows, but not deer) today. Whoo-hoo! Now I can plant in safety.

Incoming thunderstorm. It wasn't terribly impressive...

...but for twenty minutes or so it poured.

A couple of swallows silhouetted on the garden fence.

Don built a light-weight PVC-and-chicken-wire fence for the garden, wide enough to drive the tractor through. In this case, the gate doesn't have to be sturdy; it just needs to serve as a deterrent.

Here the gate is up temporarily. The post on the left will be replaced with a railroad tie, and there will be a board and an additional bit of field fence stretched across the top to keep deer from jumping over.

Younger Daughter waits for stock tank to fill (it's one of her evening chores).

No bread

These are some photos that have been making the rounds on the internet. I saw them on SurvivalBlog last night, then today a reader sent them to me independently. These were taken on Jan 7, 2011 in the Trussville, Alabama Walmart just before the snow fell.

The bread aisle:

The miscellaneous canned goods aisle:

And oh yeah, "preppers" are still a bunch of nut jobs. But think about this: we'll never have to fight over a loaf of bread or a can of chili at Walmart before four inches of snow falls. Just a thought.

People of Walmart

The girls and I were in Walmart a few days ago, and I just happened to have the camera in my purse. No honestly, I wasn't planning on hunting for candidates for the "People of Walmart" website - I just didn't want to leave the camera in the car.


However I came across this gem and (ahem) decided to sneak a shot. I'm sorry it's so blurry, but I was sneaking around trying not to be obvious. This lady was a doozy. Her beehive hairdo probably topped a foot, and she had a bust like the prow of a ship, clearly outlined by her extremely tight shirt. I dunno, maybe she was hoping to get photographed, because I can think of no other reason why someone would venture out in public looking like this.

Chuckle du jour

Walmart announced that, sometime in 2010, it will begin offering customers a new discount item - Walmart's own brand of wine.

The world's largest retail chain is teaming up with Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery of California to produce the spirits at an affordable price, in the $2 - $5 range.

Wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to put a bottle of Walmart brand into their shopping carts, but "there is a market for inexpensive wine," said Kathy Micken, professor of marketing at the University of Arkansas. "But the right name is important."

Customer surveys were conducted to determine the most attractive name for the Walmart wine brand.

The top surveyed names in order of popularity were:

10. Chateau Traileur Parc
9. White Trashfindel
8. Big Red Gulp
7. World Championship Riesling
6. NASCARbernet
5. Chef Boyardeaux
4. Peanut Noir
3. I Can't Believe it's not Vinegar
2. Grape Expectations
1. Nasti Spumante

The beauty of Walmart wine is that it can be served with either white meat (possum) or red meat (squirrel).

P.S. Don't bother writing back that this is a hoax. I know possum is not a white meat.

People of Walmart

Okay, so I contracted a bad cold a couple days ago. I've been going through the week in a haze of coughing and aching and snorting and hacking and being unable to think clearly (you know how it goes). This morning I needed some brain candy so I started trolling the People of Walmart website.

First thing up was a photo so painful to look at that I decided I needed an aspirin:


But this one caught me by surprise. I was so shocked I immediately went into a coughing/hacking phase:


I think I'll go back to bed now.

The People of Walmart

Okay, I'll blame it squarely on my friend Debra. She's the one who got me hooked on The People of Walmart. (Thanks, Debra. Like I really have time for this....)



But honestly, the gamut of human choices in style and fashion never ceases to amaze me...

What a weird experience...

I did something today I haven't done in literally years: I bought some new clothes.

Yes, really. With the exception of socks and underwear, the last time I purchased new clothing was...um...let's see...I think three years ago. That's when I bought two tank tops at Walmart. Those tank tops are now in shreds - when I ripped a hole in an indiscreet location two days ago, I knew it was time for a couple of replacements - and I decided to go crazy and buy new ones.

To clarify, this doesn't mean I haven't bought any clothes in years. It means I haven't bought any new clothes. Everything comes from thrift stores, God bless 'em.

So off I went to Walmart. I haven't been there in, well, three years. I bought two six-packs of underwear, four tank tops, and three pairs of shorts. Total cost: $50.22.

New clothes. Not used, new. Wow. What a weird feeling.