AK 47

Again, this is a schedule post while I'm away for the weekend. Everyone should have a few AK's stashed away, with a train load of ammunition.

See you tomorrow.

Stephen

The M-14

This video is fodder for the weekend while I spend some time with my family. I'll see you Tuesday. Have a great weekend. By the way, this is my 'go to' rifle.

Stephen

Food Stores

I have a bad habit when in my local grocery of grabbing extra rice for my food stores. I'll sometimes buy a ten or twenty pound bag. When home I stash it away and forget about it. Not a good habit.

A few days I ago, while searching for some item or the other, I bent to look in a cabinet we seldom if ever use and imagine my surprise when I found over a hundred pounds of rice stuffed inside. Out came the maylar bags and five gallon buckets with lids, and my smooth and well worn 2x4. After stealing my Sweet Wife's new iron I sealed 125 pounds of pure starch.

This rice should last least thirty plus years. I will not bore you with the step by step details, after all, you have the web, and YouTube is packed with videos on this subject. If you need me to explain why you should be stocking your home to the rafters with food, you're reading the wrong blog. Wake up.

 
Above, two pictures of the process. It's easy, try it.

When you have your food preps in order perhaps it would be a good idea to learn how to cook it when that 'day' arrives.

Have a great weekend.

Stephen

Thank You and Welcome

Good morning. I'd like to extend my thanks and warm welcome to, Durak Ironhyde, Tamara, and my friend, Graybeard for clicking my follower button.

As with all my new followers I promise to reply to all comments individually, good or bad, within hours and on those rare occasions when I out of reach, days. Rest assured, I shall answer.

Your comments are important to me. In my part of country a personal reply is nothing more than good manners.

To all my good friends in the blogging world, have a great Labor Day weekend. Please, be careful out there, zombies roam....

Stephen

What I'm Reading & Kindle

I can hear my friends laughing. Yes, I broke down and ordered a Kindle. Here I am, the analog guy living in a digital world; the man that always made fun of the silly boys and girls with their little gray screen sitting on the sandy beaches glaring at what should be a good 'ole clothe bound book, paper, by God, with the odors of time soaked deep inside. 

How will I ever live this down - me, a man with a library filled with books numbered in the thousands, now a wussy-assed Kindle owner. Lord forgive me. But, there are all those wonderful little self-published novels restricted to Kindle download, and here I am Kindle-less, the ignorant ink stained finger, paper book dinosaur.

So, a couple of days ago I sallyforthed and clicked that 'buy' button at Amazon. How I miss the time when Amazon sold books and nothing but books. I'm old, a relic.

Anyhow, here's my current read.  Forgive my poor photography.

I depart in shame.

Stephen

Unbelievable

You know, if you really want to know how easy we have it in our country when it comes to our rights to purchase and own firearms, and what a wonderful right we have under the Second Amendment, read this...

http://ausprepper.blogspot.com/. Ausprepper, writes a prepper blog geared towards Australians. Nice blog, too.

Stephen

Pioneers in Blogging

As many of you know I'm very new to the world of blogging. Standing Outside, Looking In is less than three months old. I'm so very raw at this, my soul bleeds.

A few years ago my friend Arsenius the Hermit sent an email and suggested I write a blog. I laughed. He's a fine man, and wise beyond his years, a whipper snapper with a keen intelligence. I can say this about him because he is a personal friend and I'm about a year older. He was and is my inspiration. He lives a life I envy, on his own terms, independent with his library of books, a good pipe and a cup of coffee. I admire the hell out of him.  But, there are others that have lead the way, plowed the ground so to speak, for my blog.

Tamara, sweet gun-toting, bike riding, expert of all things Smith & Wesson, Tam. Queen of the snark. I love her....(please, don't tell my Sweet Wife) because Tam makes me laugh, and think.  If I had a daughter I'd want her to be just like Tamara, wordsmith extraordinaire. To describe Tam as intelligent would be like saying the sun is hot...how does one measure such a wit. She too paved the way and I owe her thanks beyond measure.

Then we have Brigid....now Brigid doesn't know me from a pile of beans. Yet, I've followed her beautiful prose for many years. Like Arsenius and Tamara she is one of the intelligentsia. Again, with the independent spirit (notice any similarities here) and a very versatile lady. She's a private pilot, a scientist, and best of all, she shoots. Her photography is beyond excellent. This beautiful redhaired lady is talent, grace, and beauty personified.

Now to Patrice and Don, of Rural Revolution. Patrice posted a snippet of the first article I wrote for this blog. The article was written in anger when I noticed a very young girl forgotten by her parents across the street from my shop.  Patrice and Don linked this bit of anger, and turned me into a reluctant guardian angel...to my complete surprise. I have a thing about children; you hurt them in front of me and I shall hurt you - I will open a can of whoop-ass on your soul. Sweet Wife tells me it isn't my war. Sorry.
When Patrice and Don posted my article, they gave me a boost that would have taken me years to achieve if left on my own. I'll never be able to repay them. Don is a man I admire; he has talent beyond measure, and is the kind of man my dear departed mother referred to as salt of the earth. He's also a fine craftsman; his handmade wooden tankards are works of art.
Patrice recently published her first book. I ordered a copy and Sweet Wife stole it. If you haven't read it, please do, the lady soothes the soul with her words. Her book, The Simplicity Primer, is listed on my sidebar.

Then there is James Wesley, Rawles of Survivalblog fame. Another blog I've read for years. James wrote the book, both in the form of a blog which set the standard of instruction to millions but also the novel, 'Patriots.' I owe him too. He's mentioned this blog twice at Survivalblog. I spent hours writing replies to all the comments afterwards, with a smile on my face. He and I have much in common - we both did the same job in the military. I understand him. He's a good man. What else can I say, he rules.

Before I begin receiving emails or text or comments, let it be known I'm writing this out of pure gratitude. I have asked nothing in return. It's nothing more than a heart felt thank you to each. These fine men and women have lead the way for many of us. They have all made me smile, laugh, and most importantly, think. Many of you, I'm sure, have read their works, and if you are half as smart as I know many of you are, they have influenced your efforts too.  

I lack the talent, at the moment, to hot link names, words, or even the odd squirrel, if so, you'd see little blue spots above. So, I will post links beneath. Do yourself a favor, if you've been living on the far side of some long forgotten blue moon, and you haven't as yet read these wonderful blogs, please do.

Patrice and Don - http://www.rural-revolution.com/

Brigid - http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/, gotta love any blog with both Mauser and muffin in the title.

Sweet Tamara - http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/

My friend, Arsenius the Hermit - http://ajournalofselfsufficiency.blogspot.com/

James Wesley, Rawles of Survivalblog.com - http://survivalblog.com/

Stephen