hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania

girlscout

Hi everyone. I've been lurking around these forums for several months now, and finally decided to sign up for an account.

Like everyone else here, I'm sure, I've been finding myself watching the news and events of the past several years unfold, and getting a little bit more nervous about the future. For a long time, I toyed with the idea of becoming better prepared for a post-Peak Oil world, and worried that I was, perhaps, jumping into a fringe element. However, I've realized that it's best to be prepared for any scenario. In my part of the world, that could be losing power for 3 weeks because of a severe ice storm (happened a few years back) or being stuck in your car for 9 hours in a snowstorm waiting to be dug out by the plow (happened to my brother's ex). Having extra supplies on hand and a bit of a backup plan is handy even for these "little" emergencies, even if the bigger doo doo never hits the fan.

Lately I've been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding peak oil, survival textbooks, gardening, food preservation, and other topics - thank you interlibrary loan! My husband began to think I was a little loony for the choice of reading material, but over recent discussions, I think he also understands why it would behoove us to prepare for anything that life may throw at us. We can certainly hope that life will remain cushy and comfy and nothing is going to change, but as someone once said, hope for the best and plan for the worst, right?

Anyway, it's nice to finally join you all, and I look forward to jumping in and participating in the forums discussions. I've already learned so much just by lurking here. Thank you!

girlscout

RonMN

Welcome girlscout!

It sounds like you have a good attitude about prep work & a good mental handle on things.

Hope for the best but plan for the worst is a great way to view things.

Glad to have you onboard.
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1485

Welcome . . .
as for this . . .

Kingcoal

Hello, girlscout, welcome. I'm in Allentown, not far away.
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"That's the problem with mercy, kid... It just ain't professional" - Fast Eddie, The Color of Money

girlscout

Thanks everyone.

Yeah, I know... I'm just trying to be optimistic, but I don't see things getting better anytime soon. This has all been a lonnng time coming.

I have a son that is almost 8 months old, and I worry about his future. A big part of the reason that I want to be prepared for anything life throws at us is him.

Oddly enough, I've always been interested in survival skills, and felt like someday we were going to be heading to a harder world... even when I was a child. It probably has something to do with growing up in the 1970s and witnessing odd and even license plate days at the gas stations.

In college, I wrote a paper on the theory of evolutionary potential about 12 years ago, and this was the first I really starting to learn about peak oil. Societies that are based up one resource will eventually fall when that resource is limited or access to it removed. These societies also tend to become more specialized with time, and with this specialization, people lose the basic skills they once had to survive. This is evident in the fact that today most folks in the U.S. would have no clue how to go about procuring food if the grocery store closed its doors, and couldn't do half the things that were common in their grandparents' generation.

It frightens me that our lifestyle is balanced in such a fragile way on the prospect of cheap oil. Well, I don't need to go into all of this, as I'd be preaching to the choir here. And yes, I am prepping like a fiend. I'm just glad that I've gotten my hubby on board, as this makes it a lot easier. Even a little thing like picking up some extra food for storage each time we go out for groceries is a step in the right direction...

girlscout

katnipkid · Tar Sands Joined: May 30, 2007 Posts: 37

Thank you for sharing that info on how bad the winter can be in the mountains. I have been through that part of PA. The northern part of PA is beautiful. I knew that the winters up there were bad, but didn't know just how bad. Wow. Stuck for 9 hours, and no power for 3 weeks. Yikes!

Ferretlover

Welcome, girlscout, to PeakOil.com!
Try to read as much as you can, when you can. Also remember to take breaks-the topics here can be quite overwhelming at times.
Check the "how to get around on this site without losing your mind" (in the welcome section) for great posting tips.
Feel free to ask questions as they arise, and don't forget to check your mail (the message option above).
Finally, don't let panic get to you-we have time. Not a lot, but we still have time to prepare. Smile

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"RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto

plainjane6476 · Coal Joined: Jul 20, 2008 Posts: 12

Welcome from a former Poconoian:) There's a good book by Elliot Coleman called Four Season Harvest. He harvests things from unheated cold frames and poly tunnels in Maine in February.
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..and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.- Gandalf

girlscout

Thank you. I actually did look at that book awhile ago, and need to read it again. We're going to try to see what we can grow indoors (or outside!) this wnter. I would love to have a real greenhouse but might have to wait a little until the $ situation here improves. Meanwhile, I'm just doing all I can.

plainjane6476 · Coal Joined: Jul 20, 2008 Posts: 12

As far as the $ situation- I've been selling things that run on gas/diesel/elec and investing the $ in renewables/food production, etc. The way I see it, I won't have the $ to run them soon anyway and might as well sell them while they're worth more than scrap metal.
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..and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.- Gandalf

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1485