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[Akka Homestead <akkabhomestead AT yahoo.com>]

Robert Walton wrote:
> The recent economy woes (is this worse than woes?) has me thinking 
> what I can do right now to be sure that I'm getting this homestead 
> ready to ride out some bad times. I've only been here 3 seasons, so 
> there is much to do, but I've got a lot together also. I'm curious 
> what things others are doing?
> 
> I've got a lot of wood in this year, probably enough for this year
> and 1/2 of next. I'm not done yet. I need to get hand saws.
> 
> Got the wood to heat the house, outdoor kitchen that can easily be 
> developed a bit.

It sounds kind of luxurious, but we spent my severance pay on a new gas
grill.  Our old one was 20+ years old.  I recently discovered that the
propane side burners(2) get hotter than my kitchen stove so I plan to
use the grill as my outdoor canning area.  I can put the pressure canner
outside(I still haven't conquered that fear) and make jams and such
outside.  We just replaced and purchased a few additional propane
tanks-what a rip-I think they change those regulator things/fill valves
or whatever they are every year just to make you buy a new one.
This past weekend, as part of the woodshed project, we also build a
butchering worktable.  I took a piece of galvanized metal, the kind that
encases a water tank, and covered the top of the table so that it can
easily be washed off and disinfected.  The area is right next to the
meatpole and because it is covered it provides shelter in the rain or
snow when we are cutting up the deer.

This afternoon, we built me a tree stand for hunting.
Don't laugh.  We have a climbing tree stand, but I would never use that
as I am deathly afraid of heights.  I have always hunted from the
ground.  Last year I had real trouble because we had allowed the grass
in the back pasture grow up so high that I could not see the far
woodline for the grass.  This year, unless the Bushhog fairy visits, I
will have the same problem.  So today, we took some scrap wood and built
a small platform in a redbud tree at the creek.  It is only 5 ft off the
ground, but that is enough to allow me to see and get a good vantage
point on the entire pasture and woodline.  I am totally psyched about
it.  I am so psyched that I will probably go out there tomorrow and just
sit.  It will be a wonderful "thinking place" as well.  It is a great view.

We fixed the chicken tractor today as well.  It has new 2x6 skids.  I
think this one is heavier than the previous one, but I am not too
worried about it.  I can move it with the mower or DH's truck if need
be.  I was able to spin it around and move it a little, but I certainly
wouldn't want to muscle it very far.  This will be used to raise meat
birds in the Spring.



> 
> Water will be a bit##, creek would be my source. I do have that 
> experience digging the well in El Salvador, might some in handy.

By necessity, we had to have a new well bored last year.  It is over 100
feet deeper than the old well.  So far, the water quality, while we
still have to use a filter for the sediment, has been great.  I am
extremely grateful that I don't have water woes anymore.  The new well
has been super- a huge weight off our shoulders.


> 
> Lights. I use oil lamps if the lights go out. If the oil is gone, I 
> guess I'd experiment in making candles from fat. Maybe just go to bed
>  with the chickens.

I use oil lamps and candles.  I remelt old candle wax.  Wicks are cheap
and I only make candles every other year or so.


> 
> My garden spot is solid. I need to stock up on heirloom seeds for the
>  things I'm not saving seed on.

I have enough seeds.

We have more food in the freezers and pantry than most people, but not
enough to my liking.
I need to buy more flour, coffee, tea, and other staples.
I really wish I had had a real garden this year, but I was working.


Other things I need to do:

Get the generator fixed.  This is of the highest priority as without it
we lose the food in the freezers and water supply.  We are awaiting
parts.  I get very nervous just thinking about it.

I need to hunt.  I need to make myself go out at every available
opportunity, even if I don't feel like cleaning it, we need it. Gun
season starts in 4 weeks.  It is bow season now.  I can't pull the bow
so that is out for me.  My big decision this year is whether to hunt
with my familiar weapon, a .223, (yes, you can kill a deer with that),
or go with the new .308.  I suppose it will depend on how I am
physically when it comes time to hunt as to which gun I grab.  I need
more .308 practice, too.

I want a shotgun.  I dare say that I need a shotgun.  Snakes, turkeys,
people, etc.

I have two chipper shredders and neither one of them works.  If I could
get one to work, not only could I clean up a few areas, but I could
easily fill my garden beds with the chips and mulch.

I have two additional garden beds to build out of the last remaining
amount of metal siding.  Hopefully I can get that done this week.  \

I need to work on fencing so that if I come across a good deal on sheep
and or goats, I can be ready.  Deer have really damaged a lot of the
front pasture fence(7 acre pasture).  There is supposed to be an
electric top wire, but it is down.  Between horses and deer, the fence
needs some serious work. I need to buy another charger, too.


All that is off the top of my head.  I got plenty to keep me busy, and
that doesn't count normal homestead type stuff like burning debris piles.

Akka



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Subject: Re: [Homestead] medical safety in this country
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Lynda wrote:
> .........Both are the direct responsibility of the patient!
>
I guess those are more than compensated by the 80-95% that don't get
reported as iatrogenic....
> So, isatrogenic lists are worthless!
>
Until your kid is on the butt end of it.......
> BTW, ALL med errors are reported, period!  Monthly, by all hospitals.
> Doesn't matter whether or not they result in a death.
>
>
Uhhh, that would be all med errors for which there is an incident
report, in a facility......which is not all med errors, by any means.
And the majority of med errors, by far, occur in walk-in and otherwise
non-hospitalized patients, where the 'official' record-keeping does not
often come into play.  Furthermore, many go unrecognized by the patient
and are not reported as med errors to begin with.  If you think all med
errors are reported you are either being deluded or deluding yourself.

Just as a little example of med errors that escape reporting, recently
my bloodthinner was changed to Coumadin and the dosage ordered seemed
high to me.  Since I have had plenty of Coumadin in the past, I
questioned it but was assured that was the necessary dosage.  Doctor was
new to me but had a full set of all my old and current records (enough
that copying the full set was over $20.00) so he could easily see what
levels of meds I've had in the past.  I took half what was ordered for 4
days, then since even that seemed like such a high dosage and I had
numerous new bruises I couldn't account for, had a protime/inr done 3
days early (my dollar, of course).  So high the lab had called me before
I got home, left message on machine, "See doctor immediately: your
protime/inr is dangerously high.  Do not delay".  Doctor furious I had
lowered dosage on my own and did his share of abusive yelling at my back
until lab report was faxed in as I was leaving.  No apology.  Reduced
dosage further, administered vitamin K (for which he tried to charge
me:  I offered to report him to the state licensing bureau if I had to
pay for it) and sent me on my way.  So another doctor bites the
dust......  Always keep your own records, folks.

You think he reported that?  And the lab has no reason to report it.
If  I had gone to the ER for the vitamin K it might have been reported,
or might not.  It wasn't their med error.   If they had seen a pattern
with a particular doctor it would be more likely to have been reported
but  in my experience in ER the Good Ol' Boy system works for them:
'Hey, Bob, we got another one of your bleeders the other day, better
watch the Coumadin.'.    No, all med errors are not reported, by a long
shot.   I could cite hundreds of errors that went unreported over the
years I was working in the field (and since). There are plenty of ways
around reporting med errors.

Susan Jane, in Maine