Volcanic Eruptions Revisited

Remember St. Helens when it erupted? Most of us can still remember exactly where we were at the precise moment in time that it made its biggest eruption. St. Helens started off with small eruptions then bigger and bigger until the main eruption everyone remembers on May 10, 1980.

When St. Helens erupted, "fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed. The eruption caused a massive debris avalanche, reducing the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 feet (2,950 m) to 8,365 feet (2,550 m) and replacing it with a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens.

About 230 square miles of old growth forest was blown down or covered by ash. The eruption included massive flooding of surrounding creeks and rivers, the complete destruction of Spirit Lake, and the instant vaporization of millions of board feet of timber. All were destroyed in a matter of seconds. Since then St. Helens has periodically erupted, just enough to remind each of us that it may be sleeping, but it is not dead. So it continues to sleep, again at this time...

Mount Redoubt in Alaska is now having it's day with last Thursday's eruption sending ash and steam 65,000 feet high into the upper atmosphere and causing ash fallout for hundreds of miles around. Its eruptions began last Sunday and have continued daily.

When we witness this type of activity, we are reminded that our existence on this earth is fragile compared to the majesty and power released from a single volcanic eruption.

Some flights in Anchorage and other Alaska airports were cancelled and rerouted; some people were stranded at airports. Many local people are just now running out to purchase dust masks, air filters and nylons for filtering out the ash from their car engines and in the process are also emptying store shelves of needed supplies for cleaning the ash.

Ash is very gritty as it contains pumice and bits of volcanic glass. Part of your preparations for Washington State should include preparations for volcanic eruptions. We have five major living volcanoes in Washington State: Mt Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt Rainier, Mt St. Helens and Mt. Adams. Inactivity from a live volcano is not a safety for residents of the state. We need to be prepared in advance.

Stores cannot carry a sufficient supply of all of the items we will need for everyone in advance, thus you must make preparations to be ready in advance of a problem.

You will need items for removing ash from your roofs, including flat shovels, wheel borrows and water hoses; and from your automobiles, soft brooms, liquid soap and soft cloths for gently removing the ash. You will need extra goggles to protect your vision and extra facemasks to protect your lungs.

You will also need extra air filters for your home's air conditioners and heater intake vents, and for your engine air intakes on your auto. You need sufficient tarp type covers for all of your vehicles, aircraft and boats and all farm equipment and tractors and lawn and other equipment with motors of any kind that will be left outside during the episode.

It is always better to be prepared in advance for such conditions and disasters that may occur in our individual areas.

Running to the store at the last minute may find you like the story of the ten virgins in the Bible, five were prepared with oil in their lamps and five were foolish and had to go out at the last minute to make preparations because they were not ready. The five that were ready, could not share lest there not be enough for themselves. The result was that the foolish five virgins had to go out during the night to go get oil for their lamps. The shops and stores were already closed, thus they could not get preparations without great difficulty and it took extra time for them to prepare and it subsequently caused them to be excluded from the marriage feast.

We must make many preparations in our lives to be ready in times of need. Failure to prepare does not cause disasters to wait on us. The message?,....be prepared!

For more info on Washington volcanoes, visit: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Washington/framework.html

For more info on preparations before, during and after volcanic eruptions, visit: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/volcano/index.shtm

A Year’s Supply of food for $58.81?

The following story was shared with permission from a handout entitled “Food Storage…On The Path to Preparedness” written by Debbie Kent. Debbie is a food storage expert. The original author of the story is Nola Carlson of Chicago, Illinois. It originally appeared in the July 1982 Ensign, pg. 63. It shares how a large Mormon family of 15 members was able to store up a one-year supply of food for the unbelievably low amount of just $58.81. It is an endearing story of persistence and creativity.

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We have a large family, and feeding them is a challenge. Seven of our thirteen are foster children, so we have inherited all kinds of appetites. Most of them are teenagers and seem to inhale food as easily as air; so when my husband came home and proudly announced that ‘we were going to can and store enough food for one year,’ we all were more than a little skeptical.

“We can do it,” he said. “We can do anything the Prophet has told us to.”

“It seems to me,” he continued, “the answer is simple enough. We know we are always short on money, so we must do it with a minimum of cost. I have figured out that we have $58.81 to spend. Now, what shall we spend it on?”

“Well,” said our little oriental foster daughter, “we need jars and lids if we are going to can.”

“Good point,” said sixteen-year-old Missy. “What about sugar? We can‘t can without that.”

“Yes we can,” I answered.

“Your grandmother used to do it all the time when I was a kid. We never had sugar, but mom used to say if the fruit was ripe and in good condition, the sweetness of the natural fruit would come out. I have canned like that for years.’

After an evening of discussion, the jars and lids for home canning won.

The girls began an earnest search for inexpensive jars. We haunted yard sales in our area and found a sale on lids at our local flea market. Before long we had over a thousand jars to fill for storage. The boys‘ job was to locate fruit and vegetables for canning. William, our eleven-year-old, found four cherry trees; the man who owned them was getting old, and each year the fruit went to waste. It fell to me to ask for the cherries.

“Mom”, William said, “just tell him we can‘t pay for them but maybe we can clean up the alley in back of his garage instead.”

This approach has turned out to be the key. We have pulled weeds for rhubarb, painted fences for strawberries, cut wood for raspberries, hauled paper for peaches, and raked leaves for apples. One night my husband came home and informed us that we would have the privilege of gleaning a potato patch in the morning before work. “It‘s simple enough,” he said. “We leave home at 5:00 a.m. and pick until 8:00. We ought to be able to pick enough to carry us through the winter.”

There were groans when morning came, but with all of us working as fast as we could (that was the only way to keep warm), we were finished by 7:30. And we had enough potatoes to keep us through the winter.

Onions, peas, tomatoes, and any vegetables that we could find went into our storage. All were bought with work as we expanded our food storage for the coming year. One truck farmer, after hearing a report of the frost warning, called us and told us that if we would come and pick his produce that night, we could have as much as we could pick, because by morning it would all be frozen.

So, bundled against the cold, and by the beam of our car‘s headlights, the whole family picked most of the night. We picked squash, cabbage, and a variety of other produce. It was hard work, but we laughed and sang until we were giddy. It was a night we still talk about.

When we made our fall survey, we found that we had canned 1,500 quarts of fruit and vegetables and had enough potatoes, turnips, and root vegetables to see us through the full year. We have continued this method of acquiring necessary storage items each year.

Our son Marty‘s observation sums up the family‘s experience: “If you‘re really willing to work together, you can accomplish anything, even a year‘s supply for $58.81”

Note: Adjusting for inflation in 2007 it would have been $129.46, a very small amount for a family of 15.

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Two years later, today in 2009, this overall amount would be a little higher, probably closer to around $150.00, but you get the idea and can see the message of this story - it is possible to build a years supply of food with very little money, using a little bit of courtesy, open eyes to constantly be looking for opportunities, and sometimes a little bit of extra hard work.

Gleaning fields and local produce companies; CO-OP’s and food stores (as a gleaner) in Washington State can help you fill your pantry cupboards full of freshly canned produce. We have orchards and neighbors everywhere in this state that let fruit drop to the ground rather than harvest it. We also have friends and neighbors who have gardens who are willing to trade and share their abundance with others. No one should have difficulty in obtaining food if they are resourceful enough.

Personally I love apples and apple juice. I would guess that at least 75 percent or more of my apples are obtained for free every year, just by going up to peoples homes and asking politely. I buy my jars at thrift stores and yard sales also for next to nothing. I too offer to rake lawns, or gather all of the ‘falls’ into bags for the owners, sometimes to be fed to their farm animals, sometimes to go into a compost pile. Most people are willing to share when you offer your services for free. Some appreciate some apple juice back in return…

Great positive information!

USDA Hardiness Zone Map for Washington State

The Hardiness Scale: Garden Seeds are rated by hardiness for the areas they grow best in and the USDA Zone Number indicates the coldest zones in which they normally will succeed. Make sure you purchase seeds according to your own areas ‘hardiness’ when you purchase seeds by catalog or from out of state. Locally purchased seeds will likely have already been chosen for sale in your area, but read the back of the package to be sure you have the right seeds for your zone.

City, County & State Emergency Management Information

Would you like more information on Emergency Management in your home town or County?
You can contact the State of Washington Emergency Management Division by going to: http://www.emd.wa.gov/, or you can locate the Emergency Management offices for any County in Washington State by going to: http://access.wa.gov/emergency/help_bycounty.aspx. All 39 Washington State counties Emergency Management contacts are listed.

Adams
Asotin
Benton
Chelan
Clallam
Clark
Columbia
Cowlitz
Douglas
Ferry
Franklin
Garfield
Grant
Grays Harbor
Island
Jefferson
King
Kitsap
Kittitas
Klickitat
Lewis
Lincoln
Mason
Okanogan
Pacific
Pend Oreille
Pierce
San Juan
Skagit
Skamania
Snohomish
Spokane
Stevens
Thurston
Wahkiakum
Walla Walla
Whatcom
Whitman
Yakima

For city or town information, contact the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC) at: http://www.mrsc.org/byndmrsc/cities.aspx and you can link to all of the profiles and/or websites of all of the cities and towns of Washington State.

Trillions of dollars is How Much?

Since our government is speaking more and more about TRILLIONS of dollars, I thought I would look again to try and discover just what a trillion dollars looks like. This time I was able to get some better quality graphics to show a visual picture of just how much money we are talking about.

100 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes or 4 quarters equals $1.00 (One) Dollar.

100 x $1.00 Bills equals $100 (One Hundred) Dollars.

100 x $100 Bills equals a $10,000 (Ten Thousand) Dollar packet.

100 packets x $10,000 each equals a $1,000,000 (One Million) Dollars stack.

100 stacks x $1,000,000 each equals a $100,000,000 (One Hundred Million) Dollars pallet.

10 pallets x $100,000,000 each equals $1,000,000,000 (One Billion) Dollars

10,000 pallets x $100,000,000 each (shown double stacked), equals $1,000,000,000,000 (ONE TRILLION) DOLLARS. Notice how tiny the person standing on the lower left appears.

Introduction to WashingtonPreppersNetwork.com

Hello family and friends,

We are glad you are visiting our new website: http://washingtonpreppersnetwork.com/

Terry Northcraft and I (Bill Allen) are the co-moderators for the Washington Preppers Network. We were given the authority to create and moderate this website on January 17, 2009 from American Preppers Network our national affiliate. We entered our first comments on February 4, 2009.

It seems like we have come a long way in the month and a half we have been operating this site. As it shows in our title heading above, this website is about things that affect Washington State. For example, we are especially covering anything that has to do with:

Emergency Preparedness for Washington State including Earthquakes, Landslides, Avalanches, Flooding, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, Forest Fires, Mudslides, Debris Flows, Lahars, Volcanic Eruptions, Severe Winter Storms, Lightning, Power Outages, High Winds, Ice and Snow Storms, Drought, Pandemic Influenza, Disease, Chemical Leaks, House Fires, Nuclear and Bio-Terrorism, Gang Violence, Crime, Home Security, Food Storage, Gardening and Inflation and other Disasters.

Our stated purpose is further defined in the statement, “This blog is intended for the general use of anyone who desires to be prepared for any and all risk events that could disrupt his/her way of life.”

Over the course of our first month and a half, some political issues have been included, such as today's USA Today Gun Legislation Vote. However we are going to try to leave political decisions up to our readership. We are both striving hard to write more about physical, positive things, that are happening in Washington State and more about things we can do to be prepared for emergencies.

There is so much political dissension in our nation right now that families are being divided by all of the anger and frustration. We would like to move away from this anger direction, and focus more on the family, which is the most important single element of our society. We therefore wish to aid and support, not further divide our families. We love our families and our extended family members. We wish to talk about hope not helplessness and hopelessness.

As of today, Terry and I have decided to concentrate more on "how to prepare for" and "how to thrive during" emergencies.

Your thoughts and comments have been kind and are both desired and welcome. While visiting this site, you can look over our prior articles and add comments. You can also go to other Prepper sites from our links to view articles recently posted for additional information.

If you desire to be a contributor of articles to this site, please feel free to notify me here at my personal email site at: dad.ldsscouter1@gmail.com. We would like additional co-moderators, and regular contributing authors, from both sides of the State of Washington.

If you have interest in this, please personally email me back with your desires. We are also very open to new ideas and ways to improve this website. Improvements involving graphics and other site design ideas are a constant challenge. We will take all the help we can get.

We also plan on going public at some point with our local Washington radio, news and TV commentators. We need to put together a list of commentators from the entire State so we can cover both sides of the state and the mountain communities equally.

We are also currently working on authorizations for certain advertisers and are trying to figure out how referral monies should be used, and how to set up ownership of the site. Your ideas are welcome on these projects....

We welcome and thank our visitors who have left comments from both within the state and from outside of our State. Those of you that desire, you can go to other Prepper organizations of your choosing from within our site (there are active links here for all of the states), i.e. for Utah, Texas, Arizona, California, and even sites out of country such as for Canada.

You are always welcome to visit our site and we encourage you to please come back often for new information and to see what is new, as we are a work in progress. Your comments are all very important. Just remember, we are a family site and we have some kids under 18 years old that are visiting here also. http://washingtonpreppersnetwork.com/

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Bill Allen

USA TODAY Gun Legislation Vote

Please vote on this gun issue poll with USA Today.

It will only take a few seconds of your time. Then pass the link on to all the folks you know. Hopefully these results will be published later this month.

This upcoming year will become critical for gun owners with the Supreme Court accepting the District of Columbia case against the right for individuals to bear arms.

First - vote on this one.

Second - launch it to other folks and have THEM vote - then we will see if the results get published.

Vote in the USA Today poll - click on the link below. The Question is:

Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to keep and bear arms?

Vote here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/quickquestion/2007/november/popup5895.htm

WARNING EXTREME DANGER! - AMERICANS ARE DISCOURAGED AGAINST TRAVEL TO MEXICO - WARNING EXTREME DANGER!

DANGER ALERT – MEXICO TRAVEL

Spring Break Travel Alert

Every American citizen and especially American students should be aware that Mexico in general has seen a marked increase in violence recently.

The U.S. Department of State has posted a Travel Alert regarding travel in Mexico, which is in effect until April 2009. The Travel Alert describes recent violence, and provides guidance and additional links concerning travel in Mexico.

All students considering travel to Mexico are urged to review the information below.

Due to these circumstances, The University of Arizona Dean of Students Office strongly advises students to avoid travel to Mexico at this time and during Spring Break.

Criminal activity in Mexico has not just increased in recent months, but also has begun to spread into popular tourist destinations. Specific guidance is available concerning Spring Break travel in Mexico at: Spring Break in Mexico – “Know Before You Go!” (See Below)

The U.S. Department of State warns about - Spring Break in Mexico – “Know Before You Go!”
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/spring_break_mexico/spring_break_mexico_2812.html

The Minuteman Project - http://www.minutemanproject.com/ March 16, 2009; Operating within the law to support enforcement of the law.

Drugs, Money, Assets - Operation Imperial Emperor Wednesday, February 25, 2009; Department of Justice - Minuteman Express News. A 20-month investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and aided by more than 100 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies, has so far resulted in the seizure of approximately $45.2 million, 27,229 pounds of marijuana, 9,512 pounds of cocaine, 705 pounds of methamphetamine, 227 pounds of pure methamphetamine or "ice," and 11 pounds of heroin

U.S. Rattled As Mexico Drug War Bleeds Over Border Sunday, March 01, 2009; PHOENIX (Reuters) – Hit men dressed in fake police tactical gear burst into a home in Phoenix, rake it with gunfire and execute a man.

America Invaded By Drug Lord Army? Tuesday, March 03, 2009; Fox News. Superior weapons that drug cartels possess are threatening the very stability of their own country. And it's why America's outgoing CIA Director, Michael Hayden, says violence in Mexico will pose the second greatest threat to U.S. security next year, right after Al Qaeda.

100,000 Foot Soldiers In Drug Cartel Army Tuesday, March 03, 2009; The Washington Times. Two of Mexico's deadliest drug cartels have reached a combined force of 100,000 foot soldiers, wreaking havoc across the country and threatening U.S. border states, the U.S. Defense Department told The Washington Times.

War is Breaking Out in Mexico - Will it Unravel the United States? Thursday, March 12, 2009; Tony Dolz - Minuteman. The Perfect Storm is brewing. Millions of refugees escaping war, hunger and violence in Mexico may storm our Southern Border during the Obama first term. The Winds of Change threaten to align an Economic Depression of historical dimensions, massive unemployment and civil disorder against a sea of pressing refugees.

Mexican Mushroom Cloud on the Horizon? Sunday, March 15, 2009; Roger Gitlin - Staff Writer/Minuteman Express News. The Mexican government, its police, and army are in a decades-long war with powerful criminal cartels which will stop at nothing to control the drug and human trafficking portals to the United States.

How About Gardening Before Spring Starts?

Today is the 15th, ONLY 5 MORE DAYS UNTIL SPRING (March 20th, 2009)!!! Yeah!!

Unfortunately, western Washington is a drizzle the last few days with just enough rain to dampen my spirits for gardening. I want so badly to go out and be able to run my hand through warm soil, but not today, again…

Earlier I was sitting here looking out my library window at my raised bed garden, and longing to be outside working the soil. It did not know wether to snow, sleet, hail or rain. Oh Well!

My garden is 12”deep, by 12’ wide, by 20 feet long and lies in line with the rise and setting of the sun. The soil is rich, dark and ready, as all of the weeds have already been pulled out a few weeks ago. The only standing plants in my garden now are my two Thompson seedless, two Concord grapes and two red raspberry vines.

Next to my garden bed are my two dwarf apple trees sitting in their bright blue buckets. The trees are loaded with new buds, just waiting to sprout fresh leaves. Last year I harvested my first crop of apples, a total of 6 apples between both trees.

The small garden bed opposite my long bed currently has a lonely peach tree, (it needs a second to produce fruit) and some of my transplants.
What are transplants you ask? Well, I never turn down free flowers or trees. Right now I have 4 three foot high Douglas Firs and a half dozen two foot high Lilac bush starts with full roots. I have not decided where they will go yet so I am leaving them alone for now.

Inside our home, I have planted twenty different varieties of vegetables in a store bought 72 plant in-house starter kit.


I deliberately selected my oldest seeds from 1990, as a test to see how good the seeds still are. I am impressed; I managed to get 11 plants from about 4 different species. The other 61 starts can now be re-seeded since it has been two weeks and no other seeds have come up yet.

So what did I learn from this? Well, you can get some older seeds to grow even though they are very old seeds.

If I were in a survival food management situation right now, I would say plant some of the older seeds in an area that can be monitored and if seeds grow, you have a bonus. If not, you have lost nothing by trying. Do deep transplant so they do not die when moving them to a more fertile growing spot. Also, make sure you labeled the locations so you do not get just surprises of unknown plants, until closer to harvest time. In gardening we call these volunteers...

I will continue to plant the ‘sure seeds’ and newer brands of seeds every two weeks until all of the 72 ‘seed pods’ have sprouted. This way I will not lose all of the old seeds.

The trays start out with 72 flat discs.

When you add water, they expand enormously into a rich dark growing medium. Cool to watch!

Once expanded, you then just plant your seeds by driving a sharpened pencil or pen head down into the soil, add the seeds, cover and wait two weeks. I followed their instructions of keeping the cover on and keeping the tray out of direct sunlight for the first two weeks. We keep our home at 69 degrees year round inside.

The inside of the tray lid built up with moisture and some mold formed which I scratched off and continued to wait. Once the new plants sprouted and were two inches high, I moved the tray to our bay window, which has a nice southern exposure. The plants really seem to love that warmer spot.
While I am talking about plants, I planted a giant avocado seed about three months ago and it is now a two-foot tall tree. Anybody have any experience in growing avocados to maturity to produce fruit? Was this in Washington? Will they grow fruit without a second tree?

On a different subject, but related to gardening, I also went through my entire water storage in our garage and found out that several of my three and four year old plastic containers had aged enough that they were leaking; so after three years, make sure you rotate your old water if in plastic containers, or expect the worst to happen to your storage lockers or cabinets. In this case, I was lucky. They were old cheap cabinets stored inside my garage and not inside my house.

My old cabinets were made of particleboard. Both the water’s cardboard boxes and the particleboard had expanded, molded and smelled very ugly.

These older waters were all replaced and I moved these oldest waters outback of my home, to be used in emergency for toilet flushing and garden watering now. Those not leaking I left in their boxes, but moved them safely outdoors to another outside plastic storage area so no further damage can occur, (should more of them start leaking also). Lesson learned!

Fortunately for me, I discovered the leaks as I was in the process of replacing my older particle-board cabinets with some nicely finished plywood cabinets that were given to me. The mold is gone! The old water has been replaced by fresh water!

My older water has now been moved outside closer to the garden area! New water has been purchased and stored inside my garage and will be rotated sooner than three years for future…

Take Down the Bird Feeder

Maxine tells it like it is! Maybe we should do likewise...

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it is I thought, as I filled it lovingly with seed.

Within a Week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue. Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table ... everywhere!

Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food. After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore.

So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be.... quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.

Now let's see. Our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, and free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.

Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; Your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English. Corn flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to 'press one' to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than 'Old Glory' are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Just my opinion, but maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

If you agree, pass it on; if not, continue cleaning up the poop!

The Corporate Take Over of Our Food Supply

How much of your own food do you produce?

Where would you go to get food if all the stores were closed?

A surprisingly large number of people in the so-called "developed" world answer "zero" and "I don't know."

Do you have heirloom or self-pollinating seeds in stock ready to plant? The companies that originally produced seeds for gardening and produce are being bought up at an alarming rate. Better buy these seeds while still available.

This is a must see video.

If you're depending on Corporate America to make sure your food supply is safe, you may be making a fatal mistake.

To view or share the video for free, about what is happening to the number of species, go to:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/380.html

To purchase the complete film and support its message go here:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/www.thefutureoffood.com

Washington State Highway Map

Washington State is divided naturally by two large land masses, the first are the Olympic Mountains which form the Olympic National Park and surrounding coastal areas of Salt Water on three sides, with the East side being a heavily populated area called the Puget Sound. This is where Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Lacey are located.

The second largest land mass is the extended mountain range of volcanoes running North to south from Canada to Oregon and parts of Northern California called the Cascade Range. These ares are crossable by passes, when the passes are open and not closed due to heavy snow or avalanche danger. The passes are 1. the North Cascades Pass, 2. Stevens Pass, 3. Snowqualmie Pass, 4. Chinook Pass, 5.White Pass. When these five passes are closed, the State is cut in half, with High desert and mountains to the east, and rainforest and deep a snows to divide the west.

The Eastern part of the state has basically several major areas, Spokane, the Tri-City Area of Pasco, Kinnewick and Richland and the Yakima and Wenatchee areas. The main highway routes are very good driving routes in excellent condition for the most part. To verify road conditions or pass conditions, get the following number for information: Contact the WSDOT website at - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey, the giant of a man in character and an icon of righteousness died February 28, 2009. I delayed in writing about his death because I just could not find the perfect thing to say about him. I scoured the Internet for the perfect tale, something that would tell, “the rest of ‘his’ story.”

One of my grand-daughters, who is a little angel, must of somehow sensed my loss as she sent me the following tonight. It is so characteristic of Paul Harvey as to be the perfect eulogy, for how he shared his wonderful stories about famous and not-so-famous people. He truly touched each of us deeply and he will be sorely missed.

My granddaughter began, “Can you answer this riddle? Here is a pretty neat little thing from Paul Harvey. See if you can guess the riddle at the end.”

Paul Harvey once wrote:

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.
For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks a way so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.... And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hanukkah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

And remember, we secure our friends, not by accepting favors, but by doing them.

And now a riddle:

When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.

”What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, The poor have it, The rich need it, And if you eat it, you'll die?”

If you are having a little bit of trouble here, they say that when you send this to other people and then press the shift key, you will get the answer, you will understand the riddle.

Then, you too will know, “…the Rest of the Story…”

Paul Harvey,……………Good Day!

Rumor Control

There are so many articles flying out there right now that it is getting more and more difficult to tell what is the truth.

Some of the rumors are old and partially true such as the one about the 2008 legislature HB3359 the Ammunition Registration Bill. This Washington State legislation died in the Judiciary Committee and never came out for a vote. Remember who it was proposed and sponsored by, Representatives: O'Brien, Williams, Flannigan, and Pedersen. Per Tom Campbell, it never stood a chance to come for a vote and was dead almost immediately. You can check for Washington legislation at: http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/tld/default.aspx).

Another rumor, THIS ONE IS NOT VERIFIED, BUT ONLY A RUMOR, is that Hillary Clinton gave the Red Chinese a deal from the Obama Administration allowing the Red Chinese to secure their loans to the United States with eminent domain rights. Under the alledged provisions of the deal, the Obama Administration gave the Chinese a blank check to seize American property as collateral if the U. S. defaults on any of its loans from the Chinese. A good blog article about this was written by "Mcarl" of CentrePoint News blog at: http://centrepointnews.com/?p=1825.

REMEMBER: This makes for fun reading and will raise your blood pressure a notch or two, but so far, it has not been proven and is only considered a rumor, so please treat it as such.

About the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution

The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

The 2nd amendment is always under assault by liberal politicians who would disarm and regulate “who can possess a firearm”, and “what can be possessed as a legal firearm. This year (2009) has already started off with several negatives in the balance for the right to bear arms. They are as follows:

1st, it is important to mention that anti-gun advocate Eric Holder was sworn in as President Obama’s new Attorney General. Mr. Holder has previously worked on anti-gun legislation before in Illinois. Do not expect him to change.

2nd, One of the 9,000 pork barrel spending amounts provided in President Obama’s “Stimulus Bill” provides billions of dollars to the anti-gun liberal organization called ACORN.

3rd, Between $12 and $20 BILLION of the “Stimulus Bill” went for a new expanded health care database, requiring your doctor to retroactively put your most confidential medical records into this government database. The government will likely try to use Veteran’s computerized psychiatric records to impose gun bans on those who sought (or will seek) treatment.

4th, H.R.45 – Called the Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 is a massive gun registration bill introduced by Chicago congressman Bobby Rush (D), as the latest effort at federal gun legislation. This bill requires registration for all owners of handguns and rifles, and it also lists more weapons as illegal. Fortunately in is still in the Judiciary Committee and has not yet gained a co-sponsor nor support.

This is a very bad recommended law change and our Senators and Representatives should be contacted with your opinion by email and phone call. This bill must not go to vote. To see the wording of this law go to: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-45

Currently, it is believed that House Democrats will allow the Blair Holt bill to die in subcommittee rather than risk the ire of so many pro-gun voters (about 80,000,000 gun owners).

5th H.R.257 – called the Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention Act is a bill introduced by Texas Representative Sheila Jackson (D) on Feb 9, 2009: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. No co-sponsors also. It also is not likely to come out of committee for a vote. To see the wording of this bill go to: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-257

There are other gun legislation bills in the House, but these appear to be the worst. You can track the progress of these bills at: http://www.govtrack.us/

While we are on the subject of defending ourselves, there is a powerful video of a woman who defended herself and survived a break-in and assault. This is a chilling YouTube video, but very informative. Listening to the 911 call will give you the shivers. Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTAADW9wNvk

Remember people kill people, guns are just one method. Based on gun ownership of some 80,000,000 people in the United States, 99.9 percent of which are law-abiding citizens, we need to protect the rights of citizens, not penalize ownership for the crimes of the few. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns, right?"

George Jonas columnist for the National Post said that, “In Mumbai, one obvious reason the terrorists were so successful was firepower. In that nation, guns were illegal in the hands of both the terrorists and the victims in that country. The victims obeyed the laws, the terrorists didn’t. The police had guns, of course, but instead of protecting people, they stayed away until the massacre was practically over. Gun laws -- surprise, surprise! – were not strong enough to defend victims, only strong enough to keep victims from defending themselves.”

Having been a prior police officer, I concur that the police were under armed against the terrorists in Mumbai, and took the only correct action their agencies would allow. This is true today for Washington State also. The bad guys (translate this to mean organized crime and gang members) are better armed than most of our law enforcement.

We do not need to reduce arms ownership or register all gun owners. Crooks will never register their weapons. They never have, and they never will obey the laws of the land.

I say it is better to be armed and prepared than to be caught without a defense. A strong defense is only good if you are trained on how to use your weapons and you practice safe handling procedures.

If you want legislation, encourage hunter education to continue to teach licensed hunters and youth who hunt and target shoot. Knowing how to use your weapon and how to safeguard it, these are important things to learn. Every bit as important as learning how to drive a car, but not requiring paid registration or licensing just for ownership.

Ownership of handguns, rifles and shotguns is a basic right we need to keep to remain a free nation. A registered nation is not a free nation.

Food - The Ultimate Barter Item

Source: http://standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Food_Water/090304.food-barter.item.html

You can easily store foods for troubled times.Learn how to do it yourself and $AVE!

Use our FREE Food Storage Planner.

March 3, 2009, Thanks to "just in time" inventory practices; America has an average of just three days of food on its shelves. Inventories are kept extremely well managed and "tight" thanks to the amazing efficiency of modern day transportation and manufacturing systems.

Photo: Shoppers push their shopping cart past empty shelves at a Food Town grocery store on the north side of Houston, as the area recovers from Hurricane Ike September 17, 2008. (Reuters/Richard Carson)

But what happens when the system breaks down and the food distribution system gets disrupted?

For the answer, you really only need to think of the previous Katrina television coverage of a few years ago... pictures of bare shelves and desperate brawls as folks argued and even fought over the remaining scraps.

Now imagine a disruption in the system that lasts not a few months... but one that could affect our food supply for years to come.

Despite government attempts to throw money at this problem, statist's actions, like wage and price controls, will only create greater shortages. The more bureaucrats demand that prices remain constant... the more producers of food related items will NOT produce the item. After all, their costs rise with inflation so it's only fair to pass them on. What always happens are misallocations of capital and shortages. This is the legacy of communism and socialism. Central planners try to tell the market place what to produce and what to charge. The result, historically, has been disastrous. Barak Obama believes in the government's obligation to help with all his heart. And he will. But his idea of help will eventually be wage and price controls.

His actions will affect every man, woman, and child in America. So the time to start your "food insurance"program is right now. Here's the reason: The average American has yet to reach an understanding of the potential devastation that socialism will bring to our advanced "division of labor" economy. When they do, the surge of demand for food storage equipment like canning supplies will turn into a tidal wave.

Food prepared for storage will be almost impossible to secure. If the news media even mentions a run on any food preparation equipment, it's over. Trust me. Buy plenty of jars and supplies now. This is not a question of if... but rather when. After word gets out, the show is over and those who have not taken steps to prepare will be on their own.

THE PROBLEM WITH PAPER MONEY

Please understand something very important: you will not be able to buy your way out of the current meltdown if you wait too long. Especially, with paper money. In a panic, survival food is the ultimate currency. It not only satisfies appetites, but with it you can buy anything else you need. People always need to eat no matter what else is true. Having plenty of stored food that you can trade or barter will put you in the best possible position to survive and prosper in the coming bad times.

Now what kind of prepared food and other commodities will be worth the most? Below is a list of foods that will be extremely valuable in a meltdown.

BEST BARTER BETS IN A CRISIS

1. Canned foods grown on gardens or private farms. Especially, vegetables and fruits that haven't been sprayed with pesticides.

2. Canned meats from livestock pastured on small farms.

3. Canned meats and vegetables bought in stores.

4. Beef jerky and other dried foods make fantastic barter items.

5. Pastas of all types seem to last a long time and will be high on the list of desired items.

6. Dog food. Yep. Just do it. Dog foods, both dry and canned provide essential vitamins, minerals and proteins. Costs are very reasonable. Shelf life is several years and some of the new "chewy" brands are edible. In a real disaster, with "runs" on food at the grocery store, you may be the only one at the dog food section.

7. Dried beans. Beans are a protein powerhouse. You can never go wrong by having them as a barter item.

8. Peanut butter. If you can make your own so much the better. In a disaster, peanut butter will leave the shelves so fast it will make your head spin. Learn how to make peanut butter and buy 50 pounds of peanuts... just in case.

9. Powdered milk. Another staple that has had tremendous barter value. Buy Carnation brand and get plenty, then... Go to your local farm or feed store and buy 25 to 50 pounds of "milk replacement" for calves. Not the greatest tasting but extremely nutritional. And like dog food, no one will be thinking about hording this item.

10. Vitamin supplements. Have plenty of non-synthetic vitamins stored as barter items. Disease spreads like wildfire in panics and famines. Those with healthy immune systems have a much better chance of surviving to help others.

PRESSURE IS BUILDING!

As this report is written, pressure on some supplies is building. If you are at all interested in securing a food supply for your family, please don't wait. Get your supplies!

If you put this report aside, intending to get back to it in a few months... you could get caught by surprise in the meltdown. Some of your friends will say "none of this can happen." If all you can come up with is "none of this can happen" then read some books on the history of socialism and its fruit. It always produces shortages and higher prices - "Always, no exceptions."

Every day can still be a great day!

The following video is meant to be humorous, however it shows the stark reality of how we have come to take life for granted.

We should instead recognize the simplicity and greatness of every single day and give thanks for all of the small, (and large), miracles that surround us.

If you are just now tuning in, welcome to life in the fast lane of the year 2009!

If you are a person who habitually and constantly seeks to finds fault, just plain "chill out on complaining about life's little curves and enjoy the ride".

Consider looking at life from both inside and outside the box for solutions and pearls of wisdom.

Notice: Any resemblance to our authors of articles or of authors of responding comments is strictly coincidental. Please do not take offense. This ‘youtube’ article is not being directed at any individual or group of people. It contains virtues we all need to consider!Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus

Before Digging In

Thinking of digging a hole deeper than 12 inches somewhere in Washington State?…such as your root cellar, or an underground bunker, or even burying something for caching? Make a phone call first!

Washington State has a phone number you are required to call before you dig, anywhere on your property, which is a very nice FREE service. They will send various utility companies out to mark where underground utilities are located, as a safety so that you do not accidentally dig up some hot electrical wires, telephone lines, water pipes, cable TV or natural gas pipelines.

The law basically says that, ‘Digging anywhere in the state of Washington without calling for utility location markings two business days prior to starting is against the law. Even if digging on your own property, homeowners and farmers must make the phone call if digging deeper than 12 inches.

Because pipelines are underground and out of sight, you have to be careful where you dig. Even markers indicating the right-of-way for transmission pipelines do not identify the precise location of the pipelines. The only way you can be sure that you're digging safely is to have your proposed dig site reviewed for any underground lines.

You only have to make one call. Owners of underground utilities, such as telephone, water, electricity, and natural gas, have cooperated in providing this one-call utility locate service.

Simply call 1-800-424-5555 two business days before you plan on digging.

The call . . . FREE.
Avoiding damage to a pipeline that could cause serious damage to you, your home, loved ones and neighbors. . . PRICELESS.

The below pictures are of a crater and resultant fire from someone digging without checking first. The victim struck a gas main and was never located.

Earthquake Preparedness - natural gas, water & electricity

There are a number of things to do to be prepared for earthquakes. For now, let me mention just three things to prepare for in advance.

1. Natural gas - If you have natural gas, you should know where the main gas shutoff valve is located and how to turn it off in the event of a possible leak. Store an adjustable pipe or crescent type wrench in a safe place nearby to turnoff the gas in case of emergency.

If you experience minor damage to your home, DO NOT shut off the gas unless you smell gas, hear gas escaping, or see a broken gas line. If you suspect a possible gas leak, sniff the air for gas but DO NOT place your nose up close to any gas pipe or use any matches or open flames to try to locate the source of a gas leak. IF you smell gas or there is significant structural damage to your home, turn off the gas.

REMEMBER: "DO NOT TURN OFF THE GAS IF NO LEAK IS SUSPECTED. Once you turn the gas off, you will need a professional to turn it back on." FEMA

The meter shut-off valve is located next to the meter. Use a wrench to turn the valve a quarter turn in either direction to the "off" position. The gas valve is closed when the tang (the part you put the wrench on) is crosswise to the pipe. Notify the gas company or 911 of the gas leak. DO NOT attempt to turn the gas back on!!!

Depending on the severity of the emergency and the number of meters that have been turned off, you may have to wait some time for your gas service to be restored, even if there is no damage to the gas pipelines in your area.

2. Water - Everyone has water. There are water shutoff valves normally located below every water faucet and there is most likely a main water shutoff valve located somewhere inside your home, and or just outside. If there is a big leak, it is nice to be able to know where to go to shut off the water quickly. If you are on city water or you have a well, there is another main shutoff valve for your home located at the water meter in front of your home or inside the well pump house. Know where these shutoffs are located and how to turn them off in an emergency.

When you need to shut the water supply off to the entire house or when a local plumbing fixture has no local shutoff valve, the place to go is your home's meter. There is a shutoff before the meter, and another shutoff is located between the meter and your home, (or inside your home as mentioned above). Know where these two shutoffs are located. Some of these are shutoffs are faucets, which must be turned counter clockwise all the way to shut off the water. Some have a raised tang like that found on your gas meter shutoff and you will need a pipe wrench or an adjustable crescent wrench to shut off the water. Some have a recessed valve that requires a special tool (or very large screwdriver) to turn the valve a quarter turn to shut the water off.

In case of a disaster such as a severe earthquake or flooding, or possible contamination of your main water supply, shut off the main water valve to keep contaminated water from entering your home. If there are water leaks in your home or between your home and the meter, the water valves should be turned off to maintain pressure. Once the leaks are repaired, the water can be turned back on. Open all faucets to run until all pipes are cleared of air in the lines and any debris or contamination that may have entered into the pipes.

If you are on a well and the well head or ground area surrounding the well has been flooded or if the ground water in your area becomes contaminated, your well may need to be "shocked" by adding a gallon of non-scented plain Clorox or other bleach (without additives). After "shocking" your well, the water will need to be side vented outside the well until the bleach smell has dissipated. Afterwards you will need to have a sample of your well water checked again by a professional company to verify that all of the contamination and bacteria are gone and that the water is safe for human consumption again.

3. Electricity - Know where and how you can turn off and on your electricity at the electrical service panel inside your home. If you have a mobile home, you also have a second electrical service box that is located outside your mobile home at a nearby post or pole.

If there are downed power lines STAY AWAY. DO NOT TOUCH! If you see or hear electrical sparking, DO NOT TOUCH or attempt to operate any electrical appliance or switches.

If possible go directly to your electrical service panel inside your home. Open the metal panel on the box and turn the switches to the "off" position or pull out the main fuse. If you are unable to locate the internal service panel, or unable to get to it, find the electrical "meter" box on the outside of your home and turn the switch to "off".

Washington state to allow `dignity' deaths

Washington State passed legislation last November 2008 to allow terminally ill patients with less than six months to live, to be assisted by their physicians in suicide by lethal medication.

I have a personal and a moral problem with this law. I believe in life and it’s importance. I believe that any form of suicide, regardless of the year of your life is morally wrong. I also see doctors using the suicide option in lieu of more treatments as misfeasance, for failing to treat!

About ten years ago, I lost my mother to lung cancer. I do not remember how many times she was diagnosed with ‘terminal or inoperable’ cancer before her death, but it took her twenty-five years to finally be layed to rest. I shudder to think that a doctor might have caught her in a weakened moment and convinced her to take her own life, during one of their misdiagnosis of, “you only have six months to live” decisions. The very thought that we might not even know about her decision hurts to think about it.

As it stands, my mother was a fighter and she managed to live an extra 25 years after her first diagnosis of cancer. Was this easy on our family? No! We all struggled and lived under the rain shadow of her only having a short period of time left to live, so we needed to make the best use of our time together. This we did. Those many years brought our family closer together in prayer and in unity as a family and gave us many happy years that we shared a closeness and greater sensitivity than we might have, had we had a healthy mom whom we did not have to worry about all the time.

Over the years, mom made many hospital visits for continued surgeries. After each surgery, the doctors would tell us that this might be her last days. Each time, she would heal up for a period of time and defy the doctor’s assessments. She was in constant pain after her surgeries, but medication helped ease her pain. As her body healed each time, she would become pain free again for another spell. My father and sisters and I enjoyed those many years and are thankful that she placed a higher value on living than on dieing.

We did not want her to suffer, but she enjoyed being with us as much as we enjoyed being with her. There was no pity party going on, just living life to the fullest. She enjoyed flowers and vegetable gardening and relaxing on warm sunny mornings in her back yard while watching the squirrels frolic and play and birds hovering on their bird feeders. She loved my father very much and desired to extend her life to spend time with him. Together they made and painted wood crafts, banjos and dulcimers, and they traveled together quite a bit.

Today, a group of people claiming they are compassionate (Compassion & Choices of Washington, the State’s largest advocacy group) are still celebrating their win in the November 2008 elections voting. They are currently gathering a list of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies who are willing to assist with suicide under the newly passed law. Good doctors, Pharmacists and hospitals are still given the right to refuse to participate in assisted suicide. Fortunately, most of these groups deplore the practice of assisted suicide and have opted out.

My recommendation is to support only establishments (doctors, pharmacists and hospitals) that practice family values and not these extreme liberals who view suicide as a “supposed kindness to the terminally ill”. How about we all practice “Life with dignity”, being closer as family and friends, instead of using Satan’s slick phrase, “Death with dignity”. Dignity in death is living a life ‘well spent’ in the service of our loved ones and friends, not selfishly cutting and running…

We all must form our own opinions here however and I must respect this.

As for me and my house, we will follow and serve the Lord and his counsel against murder which includes abortions and suicides.

For a recent article on the law: Washington State to allow ‘dignity’ deaths at:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gEOj2lhkuVJCGiPp-q1UD2ehPnEAD96LDB1O0

Define Conservatism

A thirteen Year old named Jonathan Krohn has written a fantastic book called "Define Conservatism." As a home schooler, he studied about the true meanings of conservatism, liberalism and socialism and decided to write about a simpler way to help people understand what conservatism is. He feels that for people to better understand what they believe, and be able to communicate about the conservative movement, and to recognize who is a conservative and what ideas are conservative , they need to start with the basics, starting with a clear concise definition of what conservatism is.

For a real treat, check out this 13 year-old's speech about why he wrote this book at:

To see the 3 minute video: http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/28/video-13-year-old-defines-conservatism-at-cpac-gets-standing-ovation/

To read more about this young lad: http://www.defineconservatism.com/