Preparing for War?

No, but it sure does feel that way.

Before I continue with this post, an update. Monday evening we took a motorcycle that has been in our garage for some time back to the owner. The bill for the work was more than we thought it would be in the beginning, plus the owner gave my husband a generous tip. I have all the back money I owe the propane company in my pocket, and have called them to come fill me up. As soon as they show, my back pay will be current and I will have propane. We are current on all other bills.

Getting ready to live and work in the middle of now where, feels more like survival prep than anything else. The thing is, the farmstead is literally in the middle of nowhere, the center of the US, towns too far away to walk to. Even the Mennonites in the area say our farm is in the sticks. Today my mother and I will be hitting the thrift stores in the city. I need rain gear, work gloves and various odd and ends. There are so many things that even I in my rural existence take for granted. There is no last minute runs to the store where we are going.

Guns are also on the list. Something that I will have to keep on my persons at all times when at the farmstead. Why you ask? Does Kansas have bears or something? I haven't seen bears, but we do have wild dog packs, coyotes, other various rabid animals as well as us seeing proof that there are cougars in them there hills. To protect myself and my livestock I will need something more than a bolt action .22 rifle. I have found a private dealer that is willing to work within my meager budget. I will be purchasing a Russian SKS. The Chinese version is worthless, Russian it is. These guns have been buried and dug up by a bulldozer and have been known to still work. You can submerge them in water and they still work. And the bullets are standard size. My mother asked me what I would do with such a thing, it is an assault rifle (technically, no). But it is a good gun, and it works well for both hunting and defense.

Defense got me to thinking. What happens if I have to pee, and I leave my rifle strapped to my horse? Here is were I decided to also purchase a .38 Special. I prefer revolvers over more modern guns because they are simple. I will not need to to shoot distance, this hand gun will be for close up, if something sneaks up on my while my butt is hanging out. I am not certain yet, if I will get it. I do have my knives as many of you know.

And then there are all the animals, medical supplies, food rations, and things I haven't thought of yet. I need to look at horses, stock trailers (probably just borrow for now). Keeping deer out of the garden, getting that armadillo out from under the house, keeping raccoons out of the cabinets, and make arrangements to barter with the local hog farmer. The list continues to get longer. And on top of all that, my husband will only be out during the weekends. As long as he has a job, he will stay in town. In the winter and in the spring there might be no way for him to get there because of the flooding and the snow. We could go weeks without seeing each other.

The Neophyte Homestead also has to be worked. We will be going room to room, fixing, and insulating, getting it ready for another family to rent it. I do not want to lose this place, nor sell it if we don't have to. Any potential renters out there?