Yeah, I’m talking about the weather again. I can’t recall ever seeing this much media coverage and so many YouTube videos on the weather.
We’ve had some warm days, but now we face the possibility of snow. Then it will warm up again, and we face the possibility of more extreme cold at the end of January. And by “we,” I mean much of the U.S. That means we again face the possibility of power plant failures and rolling blackouts.
It also means I should change the oil in my generator during our next warm snap.
Until then, California will keep getting hit by atmospheric rivers, flooding, mudslides, and huge snow totals in the mountains. I remain glad I don’t live there.
It just goes to show you that even when there’s a war in Europe, a potential war in Asia, a “weaponized government” in D.C., and crime in the streets, you still have to worry about the weather.
OK, enough about the weather. If you are reading this, you should be prepped for winter by now.
Heating up at Home
This is one of those odd weeks where my two volunteer activities and my side gig heated up at the same time. As a result, I left the house for off-site activities Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which is unheard of for me. I rarely leave the mountain three times in a week and never three days in a row. But life and extra-curricular activities have been keeping me hopping. Worse yet? I had to put on a jacket and tie for one meeting. I hadn’t worn a tie since I attended a wedding in the summer of 2021.
While I was out, I picked up two more cases of cat food and a bag of dog food, so our pets remain prepped. We’ve noticed that cat food in particular is becoming difficult to find. Again. We are back up to a six month supply.
I am not adding much to my prepper pantry these days, but Walmart had a rollback on the 28-ounce cans of Keystone beef. It was $8.94, a dollar less than the recent pricing. I prefer canned chicken, but this isn’t bad. One of the best things about this item is its ingredients: beef and sea salt. Hard to go wrong with that. I recommend these, and they have a long shelf life.
Salvaging Food
I stopped in the salvage grocery store and picked up some cans of Chef Boyardee Chili Mac for 48 cents each. They had an abundant supply, so they cut the price way down. They expired in November 2022, but so what? We often keep canned foods beyond their expiration date. Can you imagine what a Chili Mac MRE entrée is selling for these days? I bet it is at least ten times as much.
I also bought some original Haribo gummy bears for 48 cents for a 5 ounce bag. That’s works out to about 10 cents for 100 calories. I stuck a bag in my Homeland Defense Bag and another in my EDC backpack. Is there a possibility that by the time I go to eat them, they will have gelled together into a solid, sticky mess? Yes. Will I care? No. Not in a survival situation.
My wife laughs and tells me I am acting like an old man when I shop at the salvage store and come home excited about my latest bargain. I notice, however, she does not complain when I buy her Pepperidge Farm cookies that are slightly past their best-by date.
What didn’t I buy? A lottery ticket. But I have to admit, it was tempting.
