It has been a spritual journey to say the least, and I am fortunate to have been able to observe and take in the beauty of our great America.  Once I get back home to my great state of Texas, I will begin writing again.  Until then, my journey continues.

Thank you Penna for your message to me, and all of you who have been concerned.  Having that encouragement means so much to me. 

Tess

BP, the government and the people of this nation have run out of time.  The media blackouts cannot erase the proof of oil tides and dead carcasses washing up on the coast of the Southern Gulf States.  Many are beginning to call this a modern day “Black Death.”  There is no quick fix for this diabolical mess and no amount of money can be thrown at the problem to wish it away.  Let’s examine what we do know: the waters are toxic, the air is toxic, the rains are toxic, and soon the water sources will become toxic (We will not even go into the speculation that the methane in the water could cause an exponential explosion, thus creating a tsunami).

According to an article, emergency planners are dealing with a prospective “dead zone” within a 200 mile radius from the Deepwater Horizon disaster datum in the Gulf.  Therefore, mass mandatory evacuations are being planned by government agencies. 

The article indicates that government insiders are suggesting that “plans are being put in place for the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Hammond, Houma, Belle Chase, Chalmette, Slidell, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pensacola, Hattiesburg, Mobile, Bay Minette, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, Crestview, and Pascagoula … The toxic rain from the Gulf is expected to poison fresh water reservoirs and lakes, streams, and rivers, which will also have a disastrous impact on agriculture and livestock, as well as drinking water, in the affected region.” 

The mass exodus and relocation of millions of families will happen.  It’s just a matter of when and where these displaced citizens will go.  

Wake Up and Be Prepared to Evacuate

Evacuating a Community –  With the threat of thousands of communities being displaced, there will be widespread chaos.  If a mandatory evacuation is announced, the faster a person begins traveling to their destination the better chance of dodging traffic and any unnecessary stressful situations.  If a person can evacuate before a mandatory evacuation has been announced, the better off they will be.  

To expedite the process of preparing for a mandatory evacuation: 

• A well defined preparedness planwith maps and alternative routes in place.  Do not leave unless there is a plan in place.  Additionally, prepare multiple plans if the initial plan does not work.
• Purchase maps to use during the course of the journey.
• A 72 hour bag that is ready to go for the family as well as a bag for any pets.
• Collect any family heirlooms or memorabilia.  There may be a chance you will not see your home for a while.
• Have a small supply of food and water (at least 3-5 days worth).
• Leave as soon as possible.  Do not wait until they have opened up the contraflow lanes to evacuate.
• Have some money set aside for an emergency.  Prepare for some ATM machines and banks to be closed. 
• Make sure the Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) is well maintained.  Having the proper items to keep it going can be of great value in a disaster situation.  Items such as an oil, extra tire, fix-a-flat, collapsible shovel, etc.

Those that are attempting to adopt the homesteading mindset are trying to re-learn the lost knowledge from our agrarian ancestors, as well as trying to find practical ways to save a buck or two.  The homesteading mindset is all about re-purposing items we already have in our possession.  With 230 million tons of trash that is thrown away each year in the United States, many people do not realize that the trash they are throwing away can truly be a treasure. 

Finding ways to re-purpose trash can not only make your lifestyle more “green,”, but it can save you money and time as well.  For example, for those of you trying to get your gardens to grow – did you know that plastic soda and water bottles can be used as a drip irrigation system for your garden?  This would not only save on time watering the garden, but also conserve water.  What about all of those great vegetable and fruit peels we throw away instead of composting them?  Most of the trash we throw away can be re-used, re-purposed or re-cycled for another use. 

Here are 10 ways to make your trash work for you:

1. Save those glass jars and bottles and recycle them.  

2. Tuna cans can be used as food plates for rabbits.

3. Popsicle sticks can be used as garden markers.

4. Worn down crayons can be melted into a mold to make more crayons, or used to create fire starters.

5. Ziploc bags can be washed and re-used for future uses.

6. Fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, filters, newspapers, wood ash, grass clippings can be taken to the compost pile.

7. Bones from last nights dinner can be dried out and pulverized to be used as bone meal for garden (make sure all the meat is off the bones).  Once the bones have dried out, they can be thrown into the compost pile or put directly into garden for a fertilizer (provides plants with phosphorus and calcium).

8. Small plastic containers used for yogurt, butter, etc can be re-used as seed pots.

9. Coffee cans can be re-purposed and used as an organizational container for bug out bags, in the home or around the homestead.

10. Plastic containers for spices, oil, laundry soap and shampoo can all be re-used or re-filled.

Many ourdoorsmen, survivalists, and households preparing for emergency disasters rely upon common household bleach as a disinfecting agent to make water safe to drink.

Bleach will destroy most (but NOT all!) disease causing organisms (boiling water to make it safe to drink is always the best method).

What is not well known is Calcium Hypochlorite is far better for chemically disinfecting water.

Old Way: Using Bleach to Disinfect Water

I cringe to think how many people have expired bleach in their disaster emergency kits that will be used for treating polluted water.

Those of us who have emergency preparedness stocks of survival food and survival gear often keep a gallon or two of unscented household bleach on hand for making safe drinking water in large quantities. Bleach is often the chemical of choice because it is commonly available and frequently mentioned when discussing the how-to’s of drinking water.

Typical fresh household chlorine bleach has about 5.35% chlorine content (be sure to read the label).

To use household bleach for disinfecting water:

• Add two drops of bleach per quart or liter of water.
• Stir it well.
• Let the mixture stand for a half hour before drinking.

If the water is cloudy with suspended particles:

• First filter the water as best you can.
• Double the amount of bleach you add to the water.

Why Using Bleach to Disinfect Contaminated Water is a Problem

A little known problem with long term storage of bleach in your disaster emergency supply cache is that it degrades over time. Consulting a Chlorox bleach representative produced this statement:

“We recommend storing our bleach at room temperatures. It can be stored for about 6 months at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After this time, bleach will be begin to degrade at a rate of 20% each year until totally degraded to salt and water. Storing at temperatures much higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit could cause the bleach to lose its effectiveness and degrade more rapidly. However, if you require 6% sodium hypochlorite, you should change your supply every 3 months.”

I cringe to think how many people have expired bleach in their disaster emergency kits that will be used for treating polluted water. Even what are considered reliable sources of information such as the EPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA will show you how to use bleach to disinfect water but will leave out this exceedingly important piece of information.

This is why I created Survival Topics – to give you the real information you need to survive.

So if bleach is unreliable for long term storage in emergency preparedness kits then what other commonly available chemical methods of disinfecting water are there? As it turns out a better solution is easily available.

Use Calcium Hypochlorite to Disinfect Water

A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water

Calcium hypochlorite is one of the best chemical disinfectants for water, better than household bleach by far. It destroys a variety of disease causing organisms including bacteria, yeast, fungus, spores, and viruses.

Calcium Hypochlorite is widely available for use as swimming pool chlorine tablets or white powder that is much more stable than chlorine. This is often known as “pool shock”.

How to Disinfect Water Using Calcium Hypochlorite

Using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water is a two step process.

• To make a stock of chlorine solution (do not drink this!) dissolve 1 heaping teaspoon (about one-quarter of an ounce) of high-test (78%) granular calcium hypochlorite for each two gallons (eight liters) of water.
• To disinfect water add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts water to be treated.
• Let the mixture sit for at least one-half hour before drinking.

 Be sure to obtain the dry granular calcium hypochlorite since once it is made into a liquid solution it will begin to degrade and eventually become useless as a disinfecting agent. This also means you should make your treated drinking water in small batches, for example enough for a few weeks at a time at most.

Another plus for using calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water for emergency use is that a little goes a very long way. A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form typically costs only a few US dollars and can be obtained in any swimming pool supply section of your hardware store or online. This amount will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, which is enough for a family of four for some six or seven years at a gallon per day per person!

Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water than the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.

This article was originally posted at Survival Topics

This antiseptic was first discovered during World War I, when doctors on the battlefield were trying to find ways to kill germs and prevent infections, such as gangrene and putrefacation from setting in.  Doctors used Dakin’s solution before and after surgical procedures and for wound irrigation.  It was most beneficial after the wound had been adequately cleaned and foreign material and dead tissue had been removed.

All Supplies Needed:

• Sodium hydrochlorite solution at 5.25% (Bleach-unscented)
• Clean tap water
• Clean pan with lid
• Sterile measuring cups and spoons
• Sterile jar with a sterile lid
• Label for jar to label antiseptic,date, time and discard date

Directions:

1.  Wash your hands well with soap and water.

2.  Measure out 32 ounces (4 cups) of clean water.  Pour into a clean pan and allow water to boil for  15 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat.

4.  Using a sterile measuring spoon, add 1/2 tsp. of of baking soda to the water. 

5.  Measure bleach according to the strength that is desired: 

• For full stregnth – add 3 oz. bleach or 95 ml.
• For 1/2 strength – add 3 tbls. + 1/2 tsp. or 48 ml
• For 1/4 strength – add 1 tbls. +2  tsp. or 24 ml.
• For 1/8 stregnth – add 2 1/2 tsp. or 12-14 ml. 

6.  Place the solution in a jar and close it tightly with a sterile lid. Cover the closed jar with tin foil to protect it from sunlight. 

7.  Throw away any unused portion of the antiseptic within 48 hours of use.  This solution can be made up to a month prior to using and stored away

Uses For Dakin’s Solution

• Minor scrapes
• Skin and tissue infections
• Can be used before and after surgical procedures to prevent infection
• Can be used as a mouth wash (should not be swallowed)
• Used as a wound irrigator solution to clean wounds
• Can be applied as a wet-to-moist dressing for wounds

According to WebMD, “The body’s own wound-healing tissues and fluids can decrease the antibacterial effect of Dakin’s solution.  Therefore, this solution is often used only once daily for minor wounds and twice daily for heavily draining or contaminated wounds… Additionally, protect the surrounding healthy skin with a moisture barrier ointment (i.e. petroleum jelly) or skin sealant as needed to prevent irritation.”

Additional Information on Dakins Solution

A blog that I read recently put my feelings and struggles into perspective:

This year has been rough for me.

Thus far, God has been doing a new work in me… I can’t pin point one specific area but I feel Him stretching me. Growing pains… a lot of : Adjustments. Seeking. Discovering. Letting go. Accepting. Pondering. Brokenness. Wholeness. Restoration. Healing.

A whole lot of a whole lot.

I don’t know what other word(s) would describe how I feel other than alone and lost.

Change Can be a Scary Thing

We are all transforming and changing.  Sometimes change can be painful and test your resolve.  There are times when we are overwhelmed with trying to deal with the changing future.  I was exhausted from SHTF situations, studying them and trying to prepare for them.  I was weary even before the SHTF!  There were times when I felt “under the gun” and overwhelmed and this caused stress.  I have had so many tell me to ”let go,” to let the future takes it’s course,  but letting go would mean that you are not in control and have to stop trying to be.  Letting go would mean that I have to let my guard down.

I did not want to admit that the unknown future was deeply affecting me.  I tried to hide that aspect because, after all, if I could not handle change now, how could I handle situations that we are prepping for (TEOTWAWKI, bugging out, necessary defense, etc).  But, as much as I wanted that dull throbbing feeling to go away, it did not.  The fear of what we are preparing for, the need for more preparations and skills all came flooding on top of me and  I couldn’t escape it.   Literally, I sat stunned, not wanting to move or do anything.  I couldn’t get myself out of this fog that had temporarily consumed me.  I didn’t know what to do to make myself feel better.  

Snap Out of It

I ended up reading a previous article I had written about mental preparedness. In the article, I had written “When playing stories out in one’s head, the mind does not know if the story is real or not real, it just plays the story out as it unfolds.” 

In my mind, I had been in an emergency situation.  I allowed my mind to create a story where I felt the stress, indecisiveness, and fear that many would feel if they were in fact in an emergency situation.  After reading this, I began to come out of my doomer fatigue.  I finally looked around and noticed my environment was in the same disparage as my soul.  My house was cluttered and messy, the laundry had piled up, closets were unorganized.  It was time to pick myself up and get my life going again.

Reading some words helped me snap out of it.  But it is different each time I have had doomer fatigue.  There are times when I had to stop writing on Ready Nutrition, and studying about emergency preparedness.  I had to allow myself a break to absorb the information, to allow my emotions to subside, to allow myself a breather.  Sometimes I do more relaxing activities such as reading or exercise more to get myself out of that mindset.  There are other times where I can will myself out of it.  But I have to be patient and know that I will come out of it.  While in the “doom cloud” I keep in mind that I am feeling these emotions for a reason and that I will be better for it in the end. 

Stop Beating Yourself Up!

We are so hard on ourselves.  Even when we doing our best, we truly are our worst critic.  Learning to be content with what you have done and being present in your own life is a difficult aspect to wrap my head around.  I am constantly trying to look forward to SHTF scenarios, and all the while missing out on the beautiful life I have.  

I learn something new each time I have doomer fatigue.  First and foremost, I have learned that  we all have the survivalist attitude, but there are times when doomer fatigue takes over and we get down on ourselves - just as if we were in the SHTF situation itself.  I have also learned that I need to be an advocate for being in the present moment in order to enjoy the love and the gifts that are surrounding me right now.  After all, these are the moments that we are going to look back on and remember.  We can only prepare so much, the rest is up to God.

However, all floods are not alike. Some floods develop slowly, sometimes over a period of days. But flash floods can develop quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes and without any visible signs of rain. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water that carries rocks, mud, and other debris and can sweep away most things in its path. Overland flooding occurs outside a defined river or stream, such as when a levee is breached, but still can be destructive. Flooding can also occur when a dam breaks, producing effects similar to flash floods.

Be aware of flood hazards no matter where you live, but especially if you live in a low-lying area, near water or downstream from a dam. Even very small streams, gullies, creeks, culverts, dry streambeds, or low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry weather can flood. Every state is at risk from this hazard.

www.survivalsimon.com

What Would You Do?

You and your family moved from a city neighborhood in San Francisco, CA, to a suburb of Phoenix, AZ. Since earthquakes were a threat in your area, you always kept some extra food, water, and other supplies on hand and maintained an earthquake insurance policy, just in case something happened. You think this kind of preparation is no longer necessary based on what your neighbors have told you. According to them, the biggest threat they face is lack of water caused by the very dry weather. You continue to see public service announcements from the federal government about flood insurance and the need to protect yourself from flood damage. Surely, there would be no need for flood insurance where you live with its bare hills, deep canyons, and dry land.

Are you at risk for flooding, or is this more of a risk to people who live elsewhere? Yes or No

Is there a need to have a disaster plan and a disaster supplies? Yes or No

Should you consider purchasing flood insurance? Yes or No

Know the Terms
Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a flood hazard:

Flood Watch:
Flooding is possible. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.

Flash Flood Watch:
Flash flooding is possible. Be prepared to move to higher ground; listen to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.

Flood Warning:
Flooding is occurring or will occur soon; if advised to evacuate, do so immediately.

Flash Flood Warning:
A flash flood is occurring; seek higher ground on foot immediately.

Take Protectice Measures

Before a Flood
To prepare for a flood, you should:

• Avoid building in a floodplain unless you elevate and reinforce your home.
• Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel if susceptible to flooding.
• Install “check valves” in sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up into the drains of your home.
• Construct barriers (levees, beams, floodwalls) to stop floodwater from entering the building.
• Seal walls in basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.

During a Flood
If a flood is likely in your area, you should:

• Listen to the radio or television for information.
• Be aware that flash flooding can occur. If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move immediately to higher ground. Do not wait for instructions to move.
• Be aware of streams, drainage channels, canyons, and other areas known to flood suddenly. Flash floods can occur in these areas with or without such typical warnings as rain clouds or heavy rain.

If you must prepare to evacuate, you should do the following:

• Secure your home. If you have time, bring in outdoor furniture. Move essential items to an upper floor.
• Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so. Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

If you have to leave your home, remember these evacuation tips:

• Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept away.

Driving Flood Facts
The following are important points to remember when driving in flood conditions:

• Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
• A foot of water will float many vehicles.
• Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) and pick-ups.

After a Flood
The following are guidelines for the period following a flood:

• Listen for news reports to learn whether the community’s water supply is safe to drink.
• Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
• Avoid moving water.
• Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded. Roads may have weakened and could collapse under the weight of a car.
• Stay away from downed power lines, and report them to the power company.
• Return home only when authorities indicate it is safe.
• Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters.
• Use extreme caution when entering buildings; there may be hidden damage, particularly in foundations.
• Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are serious health hazards.
• Clean and disinfect everything that got wet. Mud left from floodwater can contain sewage and chemicals.

Additional Information

Flood Insurance
Consider the following facts:

• Flood losses are not covered under homeowners’ insurance policies.
• FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program, which makes federally-backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage.
• Flood insurance is available in most communities through insurance agents.
• There is a 30-day waiting period before flood insurance goes into effect, so don’t delay.
• Flood insurance is available whether the building is in or out of the identified flood-prone area.

Knowledge Check
Decide whether the following statements are true or false. Check the appropriate column. When you have finished, check your answers using the answer key.

True or False Statements

1. Flood emergencies occur in only 12 states.
2. A “flood watch” announcement on the radio indicates that flooding is possible.
3. Flash floods may occur with little warning.
4. Flood risk varies from one region to another.
5. National flood insurance is available only for buildings within an identified flood-prone area.
6. It is safe to walk through floodwater if you can see the ground under it.
7. It takes at least 3 feet of floodwater to make a motorized vehicle float.
8. After flood waters recede from a roadway, the road could still be dangerous.
9. To prepare for a flood emergency, you should have a NOAA Weather Radio as well as a commercial radio.

For More Information

If you require more information about any of these topics, the following are resources that may be helpful.

FEMA Publications
After a Flood: The First Steps. L-198. Information for homeowners on preparedness, safety, and recovery from a flood.

Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting: Six Ways to Protect Your House from Flooding. L-235. A brochure about obtaining information about how to protect your home from flooding.

Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting: Six Ways to Protect Your House from Flooding. FEMA-312. A detailed manual on how to protect your home from flooding.

About the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House. FEMA-347. This publication is intended for builders, code officials and homeowners.

Protecting Building Utilities From Flood Damage. FEMA-348. This publication is intended for developers, architects, engineers, builders, code officials and homeowners.

American Red Cross
Repairing Your Flooded Home. sixty-page booklet about how to perform simple home repairs after flooding, including cleaning, sanitation, and determining which professionals to involve for various needed services. Local Red Cross chapters can order in packages of 10 as stock number A4477 for a nominal fee. Also available online at www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1418.

National Weather Service
Hurricane Flooding: A Deadly Inland Danger. 20052. Brochure describing the impact of hurricane flooding and precautions to take.

The Hidden Danger: Low Water Crossing. 96074E. Brochure describing the hazards of driving your vehicle in flood conditions.

Source - fertilefotos

Those that live on the Gulf coastline are growing concerned with the possibility of coming in contact with oil from the oil spill.  Although the CDC says that brief contact with oil or crude will not pose a serious threat, it is recommended to clean the oil off the skin promptly with soap and water, baby oil, petroleum jelly or a widely used, safe cleaning compound such as a cleaning paste (sold at auto part stores) to avoid further skin conditions, such as dermatitis. 

Persons that have prolonged contact with oil or from the vapors from the oil spill have more serious symptoms and the possibility of serious health issues.  Recently, fisherman who have taken the tedious task of trying to clean to crude off of the Gulf surface have gotten extremely ill from being downwind of the oil spill.  The same symptoms the fisherman were complaining of are listed on the CDC website for inhalation exposure to crude. 

The wife of the fisherman explains the fisherman had to come home early because “the men had all the same symptoms at the same time — vomiting, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath.  Could it be a coincidence?… Here we are over a month and he’s still not completely well.” 

Source – www.cnn.com

According to the CDC, coming in contact with crude, tar balls, etc can effect one’s health moderately to severely depending on how long that person has been exposed and how they came in contact with it:  

Prolonged Skin Contact

Prolonged skin contact with crude oil and petroleum products can cause skin erythema (reddening), edema (swelling), and burning.  The skin effects can worsen by subsequent exposure to sunlight, because trace contaminants in the oil, such as the PAH’s are more toxic when exposed to light.  Skin contact can result in defatting of the skin, increasing the possibility of dermatitis and secondary skin infections. 

Some persons may be, or may become, sensitive to the crude oil.  Depending on the amount and duration of exposure, skin contact with crude oil may be mildly to moderately irritating; in a sensitive individual, the skin effects may be more pronounced after a small or shorter exposure. 

Ingestion

Swallowing crude oil, unless in large quantities (less than eight ounces) is unlikely to result in more than transient nausea, possibly vomiting, gastrointestinal tract disturbances, and self limiting diarrhea.  However, vomiting and subsequent aspirations of hydrocarbons such as crude oil may result in significant lung injury. 

Casualty Care Issues

Skin Contamination: Generally, the presence of crude oil on the patient should present no major complications; it can be wiped off whenever convenient in the treatment process.  Even so, two warnings should be noted: 

• Oil and oxygen-enriched atmospheres are potentially explosive. Hands oily from removing oily clothing from patients can be sufficiently contaminated to contaminate also fittings on oxygen-using treatment equipment, with potentially disastrous consequences. Oil on the face of a patient does not contraindicate O2 treatment, but it is important to remove oil-contaminated clothing and wipe the oil from the head, neck, and chest of the patient before placing the O2 mask. Because an oxygen-enriched atmosphere may exist for up to one foot from a nasal cannula or face mask, sources of ignition should not be used near oil-contaminated persons or clothing. In particular, before using a defibrillator, excess oil should be wiped off of the patient, particularly from the trunk and neck areas.
• Oil-contaminated clothing removed from patients, and oily cloths or rags used to wipe off patients, represent a potential fire hazard due to the risk of spontaneous combustion. Such material should be stored in a metal container with a tight lid. Contaminated clothing and rags should not be left to accumulate but should be disposed of frequently.

Wound Contamination: Current industrial practice for external and superficial wound cleaning is being modified to include use of waterless hand cleaners, white petrolatum, mineral oil, corn oil, or Neosporin (triple antibiotic) ointment. These agents must be removed as completely as possible from within the wound after efforts to remove the crude oil have been completed. 

Ocular Exposure: Ocular exposure can result in slight stinging and temporary redness. No permanent damage should result. The immediate treatment is to flush the eye with copious amounts of water for 15 minutes. If the person wears contacts, these should be removed first. 

Ingestion Exposure: Following ingestion of a small amount of crude oil clinical signs of toxicity are generally limited to mild stomach disturbances. The main danger of swallowing crude oil is that can also get into the lungs causing chemical pneumonitis for example if ingested oil is vomited and subsequently aspirated into the lungs. To treat patients exposed via ingestion, do not induce vomiting as this may lead to aspiration of the crude oil into the lung. 

Inhalation Exposure: Inhalation of fresh crude oil could result in inhalation of associated volatile hydrocarbons. Symptoms including headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, or vomiting, may occur from breathing vapors given off by crude oil. Inhalation of weathered crude oil is of less concern because of the loss of volatile hydrocarbons. Remove the patient to a clear area and provide supplemental oxygen if needed.

I recently read a blog post about how one author believes we have lost the great American value of caring for their neighbor.  Sadly, I see where the author is coming from, as I have heard from other preppers, and read on many different occasions where commenters on blogs and articles would say that when the SHTF, they are not willing to help anyone who comes to them in need; and that those persons should have prepped when they had the chance.  These comments reflect the mentality we have all come to learn over the years.  The mentality of “what’s in it for me,” and “oh well, it’s not my problem.”  Although, helping a person is a personal choice, I tend to agree with the blog post I read about how we are losing our sense of personal values.  The writer writes:

The idea of helping out our fellow man in this struggle we call life appears to be a distant memory.  In the mind of a vast majority of the people in these modern times, caring for anyone other than yourself is more a novelty than an actual thing that happens.  Caring used to be a part of our nature as human beings.  There was a time in the not so distant past that if a neighbor was in need, his community could and would gladly step up and come to his door and offer a hand.  When you would, without a second thought, share the bounties of your garden or your kitchen or your labor.  Not one thought of “what’s in it for me?” or “I don’t have time for this, or “Screw them.”… let them take care of it themselves.

The author goes on to add that:

I fear we have lost most all of these “values” in the troubled times we live in.  We are all so worried about “us” that we have lost the very fabric that once held us together.  Face it.  Most of us can’t even say that we know our neighbors…much less their kid’s names.  We are too involved with “us” to look beyond our own front yards.

When push comes to shove, there may come a time when we, as individuals fall on hard times, and we would all feel blessed if a neighbor came to give us a hand, or help us out of a bind.  Personally speaking, if a long term disaster were to occur, this author believes that helping out a neighbor and showing others how to be more self reliant would be more beneficial than allowing them to starve and be forgotten.  Who knows, perhaps the favor can be repaid one day when hard times fall upon us.

EIGHT GREAT USES FOR EGG SHELLS

Here’s a tongue-twisting riddle: How many eggs does a good cook crack, when a good cook does crack eggs?

Eggs are the staple of any cook’s kitchen. Most anyone would agree. However, did you know that egg shells can also be quite useful outside the kitchen?

Before you crunch those cracked egg shells into your garbage disposal unit or toss them into the trash can, you might want to consider these helpful and unusual ways to reuse egg shells.

ADD VIGOR TO GARDEN VEGETABLES

Mixing egg shell pieces into the soil around your pepper or tomato plants will encourage healthy growth. (Egg shells are 93% calcium carbonate, which is an excellent fertilizer for such plants.)

BLESS THE BIRDS

Spread tiny pieces of egg shells out on your bird feeder on your deck or in your yard. The local birds will enjoy the egg shells, and they may even use the egg shell pieces to build their nests.

CLEAN YOUR COFFEE CUP

You can put cracked egg shells inside your lidded commuter coffee cup or thermos to clean it. Add water, and shake your cup well. The egg shell pieces will help to remove residue without breaking the plastic or glass liner of your mug or cup. Be sure to rinse and wash your mug or cup thoroughly before using. (Remember, raw egg may pose a threat of salmonella infection.)

CONSIDER COMPOSTING

Add cracked egg shells to your compost heap, along with any other organic refuse (banana peels, apple cores, coffee grounds and other natural items).

DISCOURAGE GARDEN SLUGS

Place crushed egg shells around your hostas, lilies, peonies and other desirable garden plants to prevent slugs and snails from eating them. The sharp edges of the egg shells will deter these soft-bellied creatures from approaching your plants.

PUMP UP HOUSEPLANTS

Put egg shell pieces into a jar of fresh water with a tight-sealing lid. After several days, you can remove the egg shell pieces and water your houseplants with a nutritious soaking.

START SEEDLINGS

Egg shells are excellent tiny receptacles for growing plants from seed. Put broken half-shells back in the empty egg carton. Fill egg shells with dirt, and plant your seeds. Each egg shell works like a slow-release fertilizer for a sprouting plant.

WARD OFF WILDLIFE

Tossing broken egg shells into your shrubbery may deter deer and other unwelcome wildlife from destroying your landscaping.

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.