Comments… on Comments

Hard to have a dialogue on a blog – too bad those of us in this state of mind can’t all be neighbors. Would we trade our current community for a collection of doom surfers? I’d take the chance – “may you live in interesting times”, heh heh.

Michelle – this county is focused on the 5 square miles that encompass the wal mart complex – supercenter and the corporate data facility. The rest of the county may as well be in Thailand. As long as the taxes get filed. No building codes, no permits for anything if you are outside of a town. Nice to be in a backwater… Most folks around here haven’t lost all common sense – you’re not crazy just because you milk goats. The first thing that is asked is how much you sell the milk for – as if the goal of any activity would be for the purpose of making money. That mindset is damn near universal anymore, so what makes me an odd duck is having self sufficiency as my endgame. There is a local farmers market sponsored by our community group but I don’t want to pay a 20 dollar fee, fill out paperwork, or sell stuff to people with nothing to offer but FRN.

The main reason I’m a “homesteader” rather than “farmer” is because I don’t want to engage in commercial activity. Barter and trade within my circle is the goal, not converting my labor into “money”. I swap eggs for stuff at the garden shop run by friends, mow around the Taekwondo hall in lieu of training fees, etc.

Mayberry – sure wish a big ol’ belly laugh was in the cards if the whole economy goes fucko bazzoo. I have two friends with long guns and redneck backgrounds that have a standing invitation to bug out to here WTSHTF. We’ve all heard the phrase have’s and have nots – today I am a have not but that all changes if the food trucks stop rolling in to wal-mart. If guys like us can weather the first six months of civilization’s meltdown we have a good shot at raising grandkids. It’s a very large and mean pride of lions stalking the village.

Timmy – at least one goat, sometimes more, twice a day and count the years. I solve the world’s problems on the milking stool some days, others just figure out the correct thing the homestead wants me to do that day. The best times are when I can empty the head and squeeze the teats to the rhythm of my mantra – om ah hum benza guru padme siddhi hum.

Anyway, I’m glad that show is now over. The reporter asked and I said I’m out here because it’s crazy out there… and I don’t look like a freak saying it. Nice to get some justification now and then.

Thanks for the comments everybody. It’s looking real busy for the next week or two… need to stay off the computer and get some critical shit finished off. Take care.