It's that time again to list your weekend preparations for Y2K.

I'm painting my rental house Hunter Green with the intention of adding brown and olive trim on the window frames, doors and eaves troughs. This chromatic rendition is purposely executed to allow the house to blend in with the many surrounding trees. If Y2K hits severely in JAN99, then the colors won't matter, but later on in the growing season this house will be camouflaged and passed by without a second look. This is my vain hope.

I mailed to ccrane.com an order for Nicad batteries and solar chargers. I am still in doubt about obtaining the proper solar cell panels needed to sustain basic electrical needs. Pastor Brown obtained an estimate for his needs, and what he stated is currently beyond my budget. The Sportsman's Guide has some interesting combinations, but I'm still uncertain about ordering.

All in all, the lull before the Y2K storm has been extended...

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), June 27, 1999

Answers

My sister is really getting into Y2K shopping mode. We have been chatting and making plans for our move. Because of the possibility that panic shopping might hit soon, she will rent a storage room at our new location so we can store food before we get the house. I'm glad she has turned her Y2K switch on full. Her boyfriend thinks she's a little nuts, but will go along with everything. We are going to buy fishing gear, too. Here, I bought double lidded sterno for my friend who has trouble shopping and carrying stuff and I bought dried baba gnoush and more dried turkey. This stuff I can ship to the new house once my sister is in there. Worth shipping? Yes, if there's no other food to be had.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), June 27, 1999.

Randolph,

Check out; http://www.solaronsale.com/

I have already ordered from these people (no problems).

Check out their prices!

-- BiGG (supersite@acronet.net), June 27, 1999.

Wow, Mara, where'd you get the dried baba ganoush? Me, I bought nice coffee beans and Cheerios on sale and packed them up. Picked strawberries and peas from the garden, spread compost around to fertilize vegetables. Added to the useful book collection. Stocked the pantry some more. Same old same old.

-- (nobody@nowhere.com), June 27, 1999.

Mara:

Fishing gear is a necessity if you desire fresh fish protein. I expect that if Y2K is very severe, then many closet fishermen will be out in boats or along side stream banks casting for fresh fish flesh. There will be fights over catches. Eventually the fish populations will be diminished.

During times of panic, conservation of the ecosystem is farthest from the minds of those with empty stomachs.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), June 27, 1999.

BiGG:

Thanks for the link. I was visitor 2001. The late Stanley Kubrick might have evacuated a monolith in laughing at that number!

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), June 27, 1999.

Planted another fruit tree. Installed and tested overhead misters in the greenhouse frame. Finished the ends and will sheath the mid-section Sunday. Hope also to re-roof the woodshed with steel panels and plant tomatoes in the new greenhouse by end of weekend. Tested the solar oven I finished last night. (At 70 degrees outside, it stayed consistantly at about 250 F.) Will work on bug out bags tonight.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), June 27, 1999.

Finished the chicken run, cut grass, had to work Sat till 1 pm so not too much done so far. Made arrangements to take our Arab mare to Florida to be bred. She needs to go NOW. Picked up the 3 Alladin lamps we ordered in January (just came in). Tomorrow? Depends on the weather.

-- Lobo (atthelair@yahoo.com), June 27, 1999.

Trip to Walmart for t.p. and storage containers. Canned ten chickens, 14 pints of carrots, and 12 pints of sweet relish. Went to daughter's ball game and took a dip it the pool. More canning tomorrow. Would anyone know for sure if there is life after canning? I think it must be one of those sucker jobs that's never ending.

-- lvz (lvzinser@hotmail.com), June 27, 1999.

Purchased water bath canner to go with pressure canner. Picked up more extra lids. Read a book that scared me half to death and upped the y2k adrenalin. Bought more containers to keep boxed foods in. Picked out the site for the chicken coop. Tried to talk myself into goats for milk (no success yet, though).

Inventoried YET AGAIN what I have stored thus far. Added more things to the list that never ends. We had new brakes put on motor home in case we need to bug out.

Anyone else feel like just about the time you have what is on your list, you panic and start adding more? I think most of what I am adding now, to the food list anyway, is more food for others who may or may not show up at my door. I swear I am beginning to dream about rice, beans and sugar!

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), June 27, 1999.

Yes, I did pick up my solar system this weekend. We are not rich but we did cash in my wife's pension. Yes, we have to pay 10% penalty next year and income taxes. We'll worry about that later IF we have to.

Bought 4 83w solarex panels, 8 Trojan L16 HC batteries. Babies are heavy, 125lb. a piece! A Conserve freezer, inverter and stuff to hook it up. Think water, food, and heat...water, food, and heat. But first a word from our Sponser. Prov. 3:6, James 4:4. Ezk. 5-7,9.

Bought a flat of cherries, pitted them and ended up with 8 jars. Went to Dutch Valley Farms in Meyersville, Pa. and bought 500 dollars of food for my motherinlaw. She paid me for it. BTW, Please order a catalogue from them. IT is free and you will be shocked at all the things you can order at good prices.

Went to church today and got refreshed in the joy of knowing Him and His great love. Nice to know He is in control. Peace

-- bb (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), June 27, 1999.

Spent lotsa time pickin and grinnin....strawberies and cherries, that is.....been freezing, canning and even drying strawberries (to cover all the bases, in case of no freezers, this winter.) Canning gobs of cherry juice from my tart cherries.

Doing more stocking up on extras. Does anyone else have trouble saving their comfort foods, tho? If I buy Hershey bars for this winter, they somehow find their way upstairs and get eaten. Cookies don't have quite the problem .

Found a fondue for heating foods, this winter. Checked out several, and some seem to just warm things like cheese or chocolate. This one gets really hot- enough to even cook, tho I'll just use it to make soups or chili hot, warm things up, etc. Thanks to the GI who suggested this, last week.

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), June 27, 1999.

I going to charge my ni-cad batteries. (ordered from ccrane and real goods). Plan to pull out my y2k supplies I've been accumulating since January and take invetory and see what more I need. Going to try out my British Berkefeld (once I locate the directions).

Bought Iron and Wold or Wolf and Iron (having a senior moment). Plan to laze on the sofa and read later in the day.

Dian: What book did you read?

I don't know about the rest of you....but I hit a lull in March, April and May. I'm just now getting back into preparing. The 25lbs of rice I bought last week...well my mother asked me if I had lost my mind. Glad I didn't mention the 25lbs. of beans!!!1

Quietly....

-- quietly... (quietly@lurking.com), June 27, 1999.

Randolph, I don't think the fish will be depleted by people fishing from shore because probably factory fishing with the wide nets will be called to a halt. There will probably be more fish than evr.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), June 27, 1999.

quietly: I hit a lull in funds. I've realized I won't be able to make complete preparations unless I obtain a credit card. That probably won't happen.

Dian: I second the request for the title of the Y2K book you've read.

Jo Ann: Hard candies keep well in cool, dry places, but chocolate with its oils and cocoa butter don't last as long. Somebody suggested buying cocoa powder and reconstituting it with other ingredients to make chocolate treats. I don't see chocolate bars as lasting longer than a year unless frozen.

Mara: Regarding fish depletion, I was thinking about all of the ponds, rivers, streams and lakes. If people use them for bathing and waste disposal, fish populations will suffer. Off shore is a different matter with untold abundance.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), June 27, 1999.

I gave away food. My sister is starting to prepare and she was visiting this weeekend so I shared a lot of my surplus supplies with her. Rice, spices, pasta, flour, powdered cheese, and canned meat. Now I will restock this week. I told her to come to my house if things get too bad. I am planning on her family being here while doing my preps anyway. I have noticed that the prices at Sam's are going up on the regular stock items that I buy. Gallon size Lipton tea bags were $5.79 and now they are $7.79. Bleach has doubled in price in the local stores.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), June 27, 1999.

bb,

I went to church today too. I think this preparation item is being much overlooked...preparation of the spirit and soul!

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), June 27, 1999.

I found mop pails at Walmart this weekend. They have the wringer rollers and are only $11.99. With a toilet plunger you are in business with a cheap method for hand washing clothes. The plunger forces the soapy water through the clothes and the wringer saves the hands from getting tired.

-- FOX (ardrinc@aol.com), June 27, 1999.

Quietly and Randolph,

I read Things Fall Apart (the first nine chapters anyway!) by Fred Heiser. It is an on-line book downloadable from a survival site at http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6856/ Click on the cover of Things Fall Apart. The author has uploaded chapters 1-9. The rest of the story he will send you for 5.00. It's pretty good. Worth the 5.00, I think, to finish out. It is not as much about y2k as it is about Nuclear Attack, but it was the parts about Martial Law that scared me so much.

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), June 27, 1999.

If you do not want to read all the chapters, read chapter 3. That should do it!

Dian

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), June 27, 1999.

Another $700 at Sam's. Another 1000 rds .223 ammo.

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), June 27, 1999.

Ordered (Friday) 10 full cords (as opposed to "face" cords) of oak firewood to be delivered this week (8 foot lengths). Sat. prepared where I'll put it, as was overgrown with Box Elder. Cost in NW WI is $45 per cord.

Rest of Sat. Tried to keep wife happy by painting kitchen (not done yet - that "preparing" to paint is murder) and playing with kids.

Also worked on wood furnace to be used without blower/fan.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), June 27, 1999.

I rearranged my canned goods and found 3 boxes of Velveeta cheese. One had an ex. date in April the other in June. I bought these before Christmas. I used part of the April pkg. to make mac & cheese. I couldn't tell the differance from a new box. I am going to start buying a box every week till the end of year. Then we can eat a box/week for 6 months. Beats powderd cheese. I also picked up a 3 burner Coleman stove for $12 at yard sale.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), June 28, 1999.

I hate hardware shopping, but I have my trusty list that MUST be complied with: Epoxy, glue, wood screws, nails, quick cement (boy are they heavy!), chicken wire, stakes. Next week: plywood, PVC, joints, connectors. Also, ran into great sale at Albertson's for foo foo stuff, Trix, Wheaties, Cheerios = 99 cents, muffin pouches = 45 cents, and a few other odd items totaling $97.56. The budget is groaning (actually, what budget?). Packed all stuff away neatly (that's the hard part). Whew, wish I could just relax, but don't seem to be able to, always this sense of urgency & people depending on what I do (even if they don't know it yet!). Have a great week everyone, this is really nice to be able to share ideas.

-- minute (sammie0@hotmail.com), June 28, 1999.

Went up to Real Goods for their summer weekend bash. Helen Caldicott was there as a speaker. She told my husband that she thinks it very likely SEVERAL NUCLEAR PLANTS IN THE NORTHER HEMISPHERE WILL GO.

Also attended an alternative energy for y2k workshop there, interesting discussion.

Otherwise, studied my homeopathy book, and started rotating food out of the camper. Slept a lot, I've been getting way too wired.

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), June 28, 1999.

Checked back and saw that my note got messed up somehow. What Helen Caldicott said is that she is pretty darn sure that several nuclear plants in the northern hemisphere will go....this is especially bad becaouse winds do not mix between the north and south hemisphere, the radiation will keep going around and around and.... in our hemisphere.

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), June 28, 1999.

Here is the Dutch Valley Catalog numbers:

1-800-733-4191 or 1-717-933-4191

And the town is Myerstown not Myersville. b

-- bb (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), June 28, 1999.

Finished the goat pen on Saturday. Used an old storage shed and some old fence post and wire to build it. Went to the feed store to pick up a feed barrel, feed, automatic watering faucet, and a fly trap.

The goats were delivered on Sunday. They are sooo cute. Ordered a book on how to take care of them.

DJ

-- DJ (reality@check.com), June 28, 1999.

I installed a winch & pulley system to hoist a 100# ZAP powered adult cargo trike so I can park my car under it. On Sunday, on the way to our company picnic, I listened to my DWGI husband complain about how much money I've spent on Y2K. On the way home from the picnic we stopped off at Costco and spent $800 on canned goods that he picked out. These will be in his way until I get them stashed.

-- Dancr (minddancr@aol.com), June 28, 1999.

Worked Sat. Sat afternoon we helped friends construct their new chicken pen. Sunday... bopped around with wife and kids, Sun evening caught and delivered 8 chickens to friends (we raised 70 in our backyard). It was hillarious. English games did NOT like being caged.

-- Art (artw@lancnews.infi.net), June 28, 1999.

BB, you make me smile! :-) I went to church on Sunday, too. About 25 of us went out for pizza afterwards, and then we went bowling. Don't forget to enjoy life along the way!

Just wanted to address the candy thing. While making more room in one of my closets on Saturday, I found a sack with some candy in it. After Halloween last year, when the local grocery store clearanced what was left of their candy, I bought 2 bags of small jaw-breakers. I opened one of the bags on Saturday, and my kids and I have been enjoying them. They taste just like the ones I opened last October. I'm going to wait to open the second bag for a few more months and see what the quality is like then. The nice thing about jaw-breakers is it takes a long time to eat them. They DO satisfy a craving for something sweet, and I think you could make a bag last a long time. Just a thought.

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), June 28, 1999.

Picnic with Arlin and his new wife on way home from Richmond. Brainstormed and planned with Mrs. Big Dog for getting a piglet and some meat chickens in the next few weeks. Viewed the "Power House" video and studied the workbook for completion of generator installation and related alt.energy stuff.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), June 28, 1999.

Spent all day Saturday tearing down an old shed on a corner of my property, full of junk tires and all kinds of horrible stuff from the previous occupants. I plan to get rid of just about everything but the tires, and build an ad hoc shooting range for target practice.

Sunday, bought a used 30-06 in great condition.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), June 28, 1999.

Gayla,

Are you saying you are going to send out your kids on Halloween this year for food storage reasons instead of fun? Shame on you. But since you have found a way to store food for free why not go all the way...dress them up as bugs...you know....computer bugs.

BTW, when I went to Dutch Valley to pick up my motherinlaws food order, there among the beans, flour, and oats was an order for Necco's. Seems my mominlaw has a sweet tooth and can't stand the thought of being without her Neccos.

Normal human behavior you say? I would agree except she ordered a 25 lb. box of them..........Are Neccos barterable you think? :^)

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), June 28, 1999.

Hard candy post Y2K:

There are dozens and dozens of hard candy varieties, and they store well when cool and dry; however, all will deterioriate faster if exposed to air and moisture. For example, Tootsie pops have a hard candy coating which keeps the Tootsie center from oxygen exposure, so these last longer than plain wrapped Tootsie rolls.

Yes, hard candy is junk and has almost no nutritional value, but many people consider candy to be a comfort food.

You can bet that if the store supplies dry up, you will be very popular with little children (and big ones, too). Also, there are numerous recipes to make candies, which once were prevalent before media advertising brainwashed the public into buying commercial varieties.

Since I'm one of those brainwashed, I plan soon to stock up on those Brach hard candy mixes. I have three little nephews, and my brother is a DGI, so I'll get blamed for any caries.

Necco wafers need to be keep from moisture, or they'll go stale very fast.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), June 28, 1999.

Hey, BB! Randolph gave me an idea. Tell your mom-in-law to shrink wrap those Neccos so they will last longer. (Then I'll come live with her!! I LOVE Neccos!) :-)

PS- BB, we celebrate LIFE, not death, so we don't do the Halloween thing. Your idea was pretty funny, though!

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), June 28, 1999.

Gayla,

Agree with you 100% on the halloween (originally holy evening) thing. Just so you know.

-- bb (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), June 29, 1999.

You people are friggin ridiculous! To think that the world would end, simply because some computer programmers din't think to make the date the full 4 digits! We would've been reduced to forming bands and pillaging the weak! LOL

-- Scott Carter (sk0tto@yahoo.com), April 19, 2003.

http://www.ready.gov/

-- Don't be (afraid@be.ready), April 19, 2003.