Make sure your tetanus booster is up-to-date

I was climbing over a stack of wood yesterday when I brought my full weight down on a board with three nails on it.

It's a sick sensation to feel nails punch through the sneaker and into one's foot. Three of them made me feel queasy for a moment and I had to sit down, even though there wasn't much actual pain from the punctures because the nails were so thin and sharp.

Here's my (dirty) sock, showing the small blood marks from the puncture. Not much to see, is there? There wasn't much to clean on my foot, either.

I limped for a few hours, but except for a bit of soreness today, my foot feels fine.

However the first thing I did was to call our local medical clinic and speak to their Records Department to see when my last tetanus shot was. My last shot was in 2008, so I'm good for another five years. (Tetanus boosters should be given every ten years.)

Tetanus, as you doubtless all know, is a neurotoxin that incubates under anaerobic conditions, such as deep puncture wounds. The common term is lockjaw, because muscular spams of the jaw are some of the first symptoms. The condition causes prolonged and agonizing muscle spams. For unvaccinated people, the mortality rate can be very high (50 to 70%).

Painting by Sir Charles Bell, 1809 - Patient Suffering from Tetanus

In short, tetanus is no joke. And on a farm, there are endless opportunities for puncture wounds -- wire, nails, tools, horns, you name it. The fact that we can get a shot once a decade to protect us from such horrors is nothing short of a modern miracle.

I urge everyone to make sure your tetanus booster is up to date. You never know when you'll step on a board with three nails.

How do you find like-minded people?

In response to my post Signs of the Times in which I showed a Nickel's Worth ad for preppers -- and the understandable suspicion most of you expressed -- a reader asked a very good question.

Here's her comment:

There is an article in the current Atlantic Monthly concerning an eerily similar ad. The article is titled Murder by Craigslist.

I know there are legitimate employers out there looking for reliable people but the world we live in is so scary.

One thing I have struggled with is building a community of like minded people. I am in suburbia adjacent to a large metro area. We will not move. My husband is not a prepper and I have a disabled child that can only receive benefits if we stay in the county we currently reside in. Also, I am responsible for aging parents. Obviously, we are never going to survive a grid down type of situation. However, with a gradual decline I think we have a chance if we are plugged into a close knit group of like minded people. The question is -- how do we find them without opening ourselves to a potentially dangerous situation? Would love some input from other readers.

This is a legitimate concern, so I thought I would seek everyone's thoughts. How DO you find like-minded people without opening yourself up to potentially dangerous situations? Let's hear your ideas.

Treasure hunt

If there's one thing chickens love to do, it's to find a dark and quiet little hidey-hole to lay their eggs.

Some people get around this tendency by keeping chickens locked in their coop until noon or so, to force the hens to lay in their laying boxes. Not us. We release the birds at dawn and let the chips (eggs?) fall where they may.

So it's always a treasure hunt to find the eggs, especially in a barn full of hay bales. And let me tell you, chickens love hay bales.

Hay bales are like chicken condos.

So it's no surprise that a lot of eggs end up hidden in the barn. The other day, for example, I noticed suspicious activity in this surprisingly narrow (four inches or so) crack.

I mean, we're talking narrow. Getting in would be a breeze, but backing out? It must ruffle their feathers backwards the whole way.

Regardless, this was clearly a favored laying spot.

I didn't realize just how favored until I started pulling out the eggs. Twenty-three. Impressive.

To the annoyance of this hen, I collected them all except for one, which I left behind as a "nest egg" to encourage the hens to keep using that spot.

It didn't work. Now they're laying somewhere else. Another treasure hunt in the making, tally ho!

Signs of the times?

My husband came home with a Nickel's Worth newspaper a couple weeks ago (in some places it's called the Penny Saver or some other variation -- y'know, the free weekly newspapers of advertisements).

He glanced through the usual spots of interest (generally livestock-related) but then came upon a couple of ads that surprised him.

One ad called for preppers.

The other ad wanted a caretaker for what sounds like a remote bug-out property.

I dunno... signs of the times?

This house is proudly gun-free

The silliness, it seems, never ends.

A reader provided a link to an article about how Seattle leaders plan to launch a "gun free zone" program. Local business can invite armed robbery by putting decals in their windows declaring that guns are not permitted.

I say "invite armed robbery" because, let's face it, if you're blatantly advertising the fact that you have no effective means to stop theft, what do you think will happen?

To quote the article: “We’re making a statement as a community,” Washington CeaseFire Board President Ralph Fascitelli said in the press release. “We know this won’t stop someone determined to cause violence, but we hope that standing together and giving businesses a tool to say no to guns will change the conversation around gun violence.

So even Mr. Fascitelli admits that criminals pay no attention to laws. What he isn't willing to admit is putting these decals in store windows will instruct criminals on which businesses to target. Duh.

As I noted in an earlier WND column, "Progressives who think private gun ownership is unnecessary have no idea how much their safety is subsidized by their gun-owning neighbors. It’s always a risk when a bad guy decides to try a home invasion. In most cases, it’s not a home security system that stops a robbery; it’s the possibility that he could be met by a blaze of buckshot. It’s that element of uncertainty – does this homeowner have a gun or not? – that keeps you safe in your bed at night."

The same philosophy applies to retail businesses. Law enforcement officers, no matter how dedicated, cannot stop crime. Only personal defense can. When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

So would proponents of this gun-free program be willing to post such decals in their own personal home windows? Apparently not. In this article, a group called Project Veritas posed as members of a gun-control group asking journalists with the paper that published the names and addresses of gun-permit holders in the New York City area if they'd be willing to put signs on their front lawns that say, "Citizens Against Senseless Violence. THIS HOME IS PROUDLY GUN FREE!"

They were uniformly turned down. To quote the article: Four times doors were closed in the faces of the Project Veritas investigators, three times the signs were rejected, twice law enforcement was called to remove them from the property and three times they found armed guards already on site.

(Armed guards already on site?)

"It’s amazing to see members of our media equivocate and contradict their spoken and written words when faced with the dilemma to declare their own homes as gun free," said Project Veritas founder O’Keefe. "Surprisingly, we found that the homes of the very New York paper that was willing to put the lives and fortunes of gun owners at risk by publishing their names and addresses, were also the most heavily armed and protected. The hypocrisy of New York’s Journal News is beyond words."

So I would love to ask these Seattle leaders whether they'd be willing to put their money where their mouth is; to wit, post "This house is proudly gun-free" on their lawns.

My guess is the answer would be NO. Even in Seattle.

Busy busy busy

Man oh man it's been a busy day.

As usual, my morning started around 5:30 am. By 7:30 I was out feeding Samson and two cows (the cows belong to a neighbor, they're getting bred by our bull) who are in the bull pen.

Washed and hung four loads of laundry on the indoor clothes racks.

I also canned thirteen pints of pinto beans (for making refried beans).

I canned these 18 pints of chicken stock yesterday.

Don was in the shop most of the late morning and afternoon, cutting tankard sides for a production run of 150 pieces or so. He brought them in in batches of 50, and the girls taped them up, ready for gluing.

Trust me, these are intimidating piles.

It was also my turn to bring snacks for church tomorrow, so I made a quadruple batch of shortbread cookies.

We're also hosting our neighborhood potluck tomorrow, and I decided to make chicken strips. Here Younger Daughter is crushing saltine crackers into crumbs.

Three cookie sheets of chicken strips, ready to go into the freezer until tomorrow's dinner.

Meanwhile Older Daughter made pizza dough since we were planning pizza for dinner.

She also made a hearty batch of steeped iced tea.

Don glued up one of the piles of tankards.

Later I glued up another pile. We got a bit less than half the tankards glued.

The girls split watering the garden (a two-hour process) since I was so busy in the house).

Here's the risen pizza dough.

From this, we made three pizzas -- two tomato...

...and one pesto. This will provide us with breakfasts and lunches for a couple of days.

Can't forget evening chores: feeding livestock, feeding and watering chickens, topping off all water tanks.

I don't know about you, but I'm pooped. Once this glass is empty, I'm off to bed.

G'night.

Sale on Jar Boxes

Have you ever heard of Jar Boxes?

In May 2012 when I attended the Self Reliance Expo in Colorado Springs, I met a lovely woman named Jeri McFarlane who invented something called a Jar Box.

Jar Boxes are designed for holding full canning jars. As an avid canner, I was immediately captivated by these gizmos and thought they were a wonderful concept.

The reason behind this invention, Jeri told me at the Expo, was a moment of intense frustration when she was carrying a full box of jars in a tight space... and tripped. The jars fell, the glass exploded into shrapnel, and the contents (mixed with glass shards) oozed everywhere. Arrrrggghh! So she invented Jar Boxes so this wouldn't happen again. The best revenge is success!

I've seen these things demonstrated, and let me tell you they're impressive. A Jar Box will hold a dozen jars, and you can flip them around, shake them from side to side, stack them practically to the ceiling, and the contents remain undamaged and in perfect condition. You can even trip, fall, and drop the whole thing... no problem.

Apparently people are discovering they're handy for endless other uses as well, such as for storing commercial jars or even for separating craft supplies. A nice bonus is that they're totally American-made.

The first Jar Boxes were for quart jars, but Jeri emailed to let me know there are now boxes for pint jars available. There was a two-day sale for these pint boxes, but unfortunately I didn't get to the email on time, so there's only one day left.

So... if you're interested in giving these Jar Boxes a try, the sale may be an excellent opportunity. The website is here, and it's got all sorts of info (FAQs, ordering info, etc.).

Guest Post: Food Insurance

The following is a guest post from Chett Wright with FoodInsurance.com
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Easy to Carry Foods for 72 Hour Kits
As we continue on our preparedness journey, we decided to do a piece on emergency food preparedness. Like most families, we understand how important it is to feed your family only healthy, quality foods. Even after man-made and natural disasters, families are still concerned about the foods they consume. Just because you’re going through a crisis, that doesn’t mean your family has to suffer, eating foods they wouldn’t normally. So as part of general preparednesss, we’re going to help you prepare for emergencies with 72 hour kits.

Most rural survivalists enjoy farming and gardening in order to eat natural, fresh products. However not everyone has this luxury. Yet after a disaster strikes, road conditions may make it impossible to travel. And stores won’t have what you need in stock, due to early shoppers who acted quickly for their own emergency preparedness. Therefore it will be up to you to provide your family with the foods needed to continue eating healthy, good tasting food until things return to normal.

A 72 hour kit is an emergency preparedness kit intended to help you remain self-sufficient for three entire days. These 3-day survival kits are very efficient tools for short-term survival after a catastrophe has struck. Being prepared for any disaster will help to keep things from getting chaotic and hectic around you. You’ll be able to grab your kit in a hurry, and run out the door if needed.

Convenient Foods to Put in Your 72 Hour Kit
Many rural areas are located far away from big city areas. That means that it could take emergency crews and personnel even longer to reach you after a crisis. Not only will they have to deal with bad road conditions, there may be extreme weather conditions involved. Not to mention, they must tend to the hardest hit areas first.

So what does this mean for you? Basically you need to be prepared to be self-sufficient, even if only for a few days. A 72 hour kit is a great tool for this purpose. It must contain products you can eat after an evacuation or without the use of electricity or gas. Here are some of those convenient foods that would make great additions to your 3-day emergency kit:

• Turkey or beef jerky
• Freeze dried meats
• Raisin packages
• Cookies
• Powdered milk
• Applesauce cups
• Pudding cups
• Suckers
• Trail mix
• Fruit cups
• Fruit rolls
• Freeze dried fruits
• Freeze dried vegetables
• Hot chocolate mix
• Hard candy
• Power bars
• Bread sticks
• Freeze dried soup mix
• Saltine crackers
• Juice boxes

Note: Do you have a garden? Well be sure to grow a nice supply of vegetables and fruits. If you’re not required to vacate, these fresh foods will be great additions to your food storage products.

Inspect Your 72 Hour Kit Regularly
Living in a rural community means having to count on your neighbors and your own devices for emergency survival. It could take days... weeks... even months for help to arrive. It could be even longer before roads are repaired and stores are restocked and reopened. So be prepared with a 72 hour kit, your quick, grab-and-go emergency survival kit.

This article was created by Chett Wright, a food storage expert with FoodInsurance.com. Ready to become part of the rural revolution? Get more emergency preparedness tips and order your 72 Hour Kit from FoodInsurance.com today.

Cash only

We found a new place to purchase some of the stuff we need for our woodcraft business -- table saw blades, sanding belts, etc. -- at a store with a long history and an excellent reputation.

There's just one little glitch: every time we shop there, they want us to sign up for a store card. Not a store credit card, but a card that keeps track of purchases and offers benefits at the end of every year.

And I mean they're persistent, almost aggressive about it. I hand the clerk a check for the amount of purchase, and right away he or she begins yammering about all the advantages of opening a store card: a points system, cash back, etc.

I tell them no. They offer additional advantages. I tell them NO again. They list additional advantages. Finally I tell them I'M NOT INTERESTED IN A STORE CARD, after which they usually just complete my transaction and give me my receipt.

You see, I'm certain the only "advantage" this (and every other) store offers through their store cards is simply to track their customers' purchases. Tracking everything we do in this country is becoming so egregious and universal, that to refuse to participate is shocking.

And here's the clincher: I'm quite certain that, since we usually pay with a check at this store, they're perfectly capable of logging what purchases we make, if they're that interested. All of our identifying information is printed right there on the check, after all (plus I hand them my driver's license for identification). But why should I make it any easier for them by getting a store card? All we're doing is buying sanding belts and saw blades. We're simply trying to make a living.

So, because we like the prices and quality of the supplies we're getting at this particular retailer, Don and I started a new policy: from now on, it's cash only.

I'm sure you've all heard how the Department of Homeland Security now looks with suspicion at people who make cash purchases. Well tough patooties. Last I checked, my fiat currency bills still say, "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private."

Who else is having this problem?

Country alarm clock

We haven't seen a lot of the cattle since we put them down on the pond property a few days ago. But they like to come up every couple of days just to say hi and hang around the house for awhile, making a lot of noise and leaving plops everywhere. It's a "cow" thing.

Invariably they do this early in the morning. I always like it when they come up because I can brush or scratch or greet them and generally check up on everybody. But this morning Older Daughter came stumbling out of bed at the ungodly hour of 6:47 am, looking grumpy.

"You're up early," I said, with uncanny powers of observation.

"That's because there's a whole herd of cows right outside my bedroom window," she groused.

Forget the roosters. If you really want to get jerked awake from a sound sleep, listen to cows bellow.

Still, it wasn't as if the kids could lie in bed today. They're doubly booked -- an early session of pulling weeds for an elderly neighbor who's been having dizzy spells, and several hours of cleaning rooms for another neighbor who owns a small motel.