International Falls Daily Journal - Its going to be a cold long winter - Comments

Just a side note. Four

gardennut — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:45:05 -0500

Just a side note. Four years ago I took an Environmental Biology class and we read a study from American biologists that showed there are approximately 30 good years of oil left in the world. That is easily accessible oil. That does not mean coal and the oil that is off shore or in our wilderness areas, but even including the oil that comes from overseas, we are looking at 30 years.

I don't want to be anitpatriotic, but America is kind of responsible for the position it has put itself in. Look at all the other countries that are and have been working on alternative means of transportation, fuel, etc for years now. I think it is iceland that uses geothermal and has started to put out cars running on water. Don't quote me there, my son knows all those statistics.

America loved its SUV's, those big McMansions with the soaring (and energy inefficient) cathedral ceilings and we lived like there was no tomorrow, well past our means.

I have an SUV - it is paid for and will be driven until it dies (need one up here). I have a boat - it is our recreation in the summer and a means to get those yummy walleyes. And I cannot say that at times I have not lived beyond my means.

But, I also put my laundry out on the line, buy as much whole food as possible, cook, bake, garden and recycle. I live in an old house that we are fixing up, Have a small yard that will be mostly garden plots and apple trees, and shop the clearance racks and frequent freecycle.org.

Now, just to find those elusive berry patches - hehehehe.

Oh - one more thing - a great magazine to read to find homesteading information and living beyond the sidewalks is Countryside Magazine - it is a great reader.

God Bless you all

I was just messin with you.

night_owl — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:04:08 -0500

I was just messin with you. Its really none of my bizz.

I am going up to the fish

Anton1965 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:58:17 -0500

I am going up to the fish camp to mow grass and trim the shrubs so if I see any floating docks or logs, especially any with 15H.P. Evinruds on them, I'll be sure to pick them up. Say hello to the guy from Centuary 21 for me. I'll keep my eyes open for a blueberry for you and poor ole Doug Dog. I am happy to hear that you pick berries as I heard you don't do windows.

Now that I know about the

Thomas L. Johnson — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:44:45 -0500

Now that I know about the raspberry patch, I know the temptation will be too great. Someone is building a monster house on the top of Susan Island where we have picked blueberries for years, so we will be looking for replacement berries that don't require that we head up to Ray or beyond.

Are there any other good islands on Rainy for blueberries?

By the way, if you see a dock or a log floating in the middle of the lake, stop and pick it up. Went with the 21st Century Man and Doug Dog to Grindstone at sunset last night and we literally filled the boat with planks and dock sections that would pop the average tillerman into the drink if he hit them. And save the junk for roj to burn in his 55 gallon drum stove.

I do, the capital of Norway,

Anton1965 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:16:33 -0500

I do, the capital of Norway, the capital of Germany, the capital of Alberta and the capital of Minnesota. I did have a farthing stashed away also, it was for little Jonny's birthday, but the Sheriff of Rottingham took it away. Well you know what the Sheriff of Rottingham says, "the family that saves together, pays together".

Those are all good ideas

Anton1965 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:08:28 -0500

Those are all good ideas gardennut. It seems to me the fishing idea is especially a good idea. Gardening and pre-planning for the inevitable higher costs to come in the next winter are very good also. I completely forgot about the budget plan with the gas provider and will do that as well, thanks. One thing I started to think might be a good idea, that is done in Germany, is to add internal or external shutters to all the windows.

The best thought of all that I read from your above blog is to "plan ahead" so you are not suprised by the expected this winter. I hope the blueberry crop and wild rice are good again this year. Also, I hope Tom stays out of my raspberry patch in the back yard.

Extreme times; extreme

Thomas L. Johnson — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:54:07 -0500

Extreme times; extreme measures. The person who went bankrupt building the house I now live in looked at the oil crisis of the last year of Jimmy Carter and decided to build a superinsulated house with a heat sink in the western lower level. Great plan with continuing good results. We will likely survive the George Bush oil crisis of 2008 but gardennut provides a valuable perspective: fix things that are broke. I am forever amazed that conservative and conservation are almost never linked in our culture, but those of us who decide to live in the frozen zones are being given a clear message: our way of life is being threatened and we have choices to make. A 55 gallon drum wood-stove is not one of those choices although it is just a hair better than the decision to relocate to one of the red states. But just a hair.

Hey Bro I thought you said

night_owl — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:57:40 -0500

Hey Bro I thought you said you had lots of capital stashed away.

One thing we have done is to

gardennut — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:51:42 -0500

One thing we have done is to get on a budget plan with the natural gas provider for this winter. I would rather start paying it now than pay it in huge lump sums that hit me around Christmas time.

We are canning, cutting back, using E85 in our car that is flexfuel, cutting wood, fishing, and any other way we can save our bills. Hopefully a few windows will be replace before winter and a more efficient way of heating our basement (via an Edenpure heater) and will be in place too. Having our furnace looked at and a few pressure knobs on some of the radiators replaced will allow us to shut down or close some off in rooms that are not used much. An insert in our old fireplace will direct more heat into the house instead of up the chimney too. Pay now or pay later - that is the name of the game.

How about installing a 55

roj2000 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:21:05 -0500

How about installing a 55 gallon drum wood stove, and going out and cutting wood?? You can burn candles for light, and eat deer meat, etc....!! If you get a toothache, just put a gun up to the tooth and pull the trigger!! These gas prices are getting a "little" high, and if they get to $7.00/gallon, I am going to have to cut back on driving my gas gulping pick-em-up truck. But Barry Obama and Senator "Giggles the Kosher Clown" will solve all of your energy problems. All is well down here in the "Land of Dixie", where we have the lowest gas prices in the Nation, the worst public schools and hot summer weather!!

If you make $7.35 per hour

Anton1965 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:59:50 -0500

If you make $7.35 per hour and work a 160 hour month that should just about pay for heat. But not enough to pay for rent, gasoline, food, power, phone, dental, medical, cable, or cloths and shoes for the baby. Some folks in town don't make $7.35 per hour so I am not sure just which bill I'll pay next but I guess it depends on whether I am cold, hungrey or sick. Sure hope I don't get a toothache. Also I hope I don't get stopped for a broken taillight as I don't have enough to pay for registration or car insurance either. I was going to give a farthing to little Jonny for his birthday but the Sheriff of Rottingham took it for the back taxes I owe. Its going to be a long hard winter.