The Grand Solar Minimum

[Martinhouse]

Seeker22, if you mean the podcast, yes, it is post #3195.

If you meant how I spent my evening, no link...just a book I'm reading.

Had a rough night and so slept until 9:00 this morning. When I got up the sun was shining and it was wonderful to see. But by the time my tea was made and the computer ready to use, the clouds had closed again and it's the usual gray day already. Forecast for today says "mostly cloudy". That means some sun, but I'm sure not holding my breath for it!

I miss Global Warming. I really do!

[TrueNorthNomads]

Seeker22, if you mean the podcast, yes, it is post #3195.

If you meant how I spent my evening, no link...just a book I'm reading.

Had a rough night and so slept until 9:00 this morning. When I got up the sun was shining and it was wonderful to see. But by the time my tea was made and the computer ready to use, the clouds had closed again and it's the usual gray day already. Forecast for today says "mostly cloudy". That means some sun, but I'm sure not holding my breath for it!

I miss Global Warming. I really do!

I hear you, Martinhouse, and I personally would have voted for a meteor, rather than an Ice Age, but God is not a Democrat so we don’t get to vote on this one.

FWIW, I think the only sensible and peaceful way to live is to carry our sunshine with us, and savour every moment of given time.

It’s not how long we live that matters, it’s how well.

Sláinte!


Kathy.

[Freeholder]

Seeker22, if you mean the podcast, yes, it is post #3195.

If you meant how I spent my evening, no link...just a book I'm reading.

Had a rough night and so slept until 9:00 this morning. When I got up the sun was shining and it was wonderful to see. But by the time my tea was made and the computer ready to use, the clouds had closed again and it's the usual gray day already. Forecast for today says "mostly cloudy". That means some sun, but I'm sure not holding my breath for it!

I miss Global Warming. I really do!

I've been half wishing we'd moved farther south! Of course, if we can get this house tightened up and better heated before next winter, that will make a big difference. But honestly, I was looking at land prices in Panama and Costa Rica, LOL! (No, we aren't moving again -- it would stress my autistic daughter out too much. She's only just recovering from a combination of stress from the last move almost a year ago, and a bad lupus flare. Don't want to set her back again.)

Kathleen

[Freeholder]

I just posted the following on another thread on Main, and thought we would do well to consider it here, too: Just had an awful thought -- if the next President after Trump is a far-left nutjob (as seems very likely) AND one of their stated agendas is to get rid of cattle 'because the climate, stupid,' they could theoretically use a declaration of 'national emergency' and kill all the cattle, just like what happened because of the hoof and mouth disease in Great Britain a few years back.

If you want to have any protein to eat other than soy, better make sure you can grow it at your own home.

Kathleen

[Martinhouse]

I didn't think about cattle being outlawed, but just this morning I left messages to talk to someone who could help me get my chicken pen repaired and varmint-proofed. I don't eat beef but I absolutely need to have chickens for eggs and at least some meat.

And it would be pretty important to have enough food stored up to get us through the new learning period for gardening under the worsening new conditions. If nothing else, I'd hope to be able to keep growing potatoes, and maybe carrots and cabbage, as well as using my greenhouse for winter greens.

[Freeholder]

I just posted the following on another thread on Main, and thought we would do well to consider it here, too: Just had an awful thought -- if the next President after Trump is a far-left nutjob (as seems very likely) AND one of their stated agendas is to get rid of cattle 'because the climate, stupid,' they could theoretically use a declaration of 'national emergency' and kill all the cattle, just like what happened because of the hoof and mouth disease in Great Britain a few years back.

If you want to have any protein to eat other than soy, better make sure you can grow it at your own home.

Kathleen

ETA: Anyone who raises cattle would do well to consider some way to hide some breeding stock, should the need arise. Otherwise, we may well get to the other side of all of this insanity and find that a lot of our domestic livestock have been deliberately made extinct. A few years ago, this might have sounded pretty extreme, but at this point in time, I don't think it's extreme at all to be considering the possibility.

[Martinhouse]

Thanks, Kathleen. Maybe this really is something to think about.

Although, if this actually happens, I wonder if some of the agents sent to destroy livestock might be not going home again. I'm sure thin air would hide an awful lot of disappeared agents.

[Freeholder]

Thanks, Kathleen. Maybe this really is something to think about.

Although, if this actually happens, I wonder if some of the agents sent to destroy livestock might be not going home again. I'm sure thin air would hide an awful lot of disappeared agents.

There is that. I suspect there would be all-out war in a lot of states if they try this.

Kathleen

[Faroe]

I've been half wishing we'd moved farther south! Of course, if we can get this house tightened up and better heated before next winter, that will make a big difference. But honestly, I was looking at land prices in Panama and Costa Rica, LOL! (No, we aren't moving again -- it would stress my autistic daughter out too much. She's only just recovering from a combination of stress from the last move almost a year ago, and a bad lupus flare. Don't want to set her back again.)

Kathleen

I visited Costa Rica several years ago with the intention of moving there.
NOT recommended!
Very high crime, and very corrupt. Surprisingly expensive, too.

[TxGal]

ETA: Anyone who raises cattle would do well to consider some way to hide some breeding stock, should the need arise. Otherwise, we may well get to the other side of all of this insanity and find that a lot of our domestic livestock have been deliberately made extinct. A few years ago, this might have sounded pretty extreme, but at this point in time, I don't think it's extreme at all to be considering the possibility.

I'm thinking summerthyme will add her thoughts to this sometime soon - but, IMHO there is no way to hide cattle effectively. They can't stay inside 24/7, many cattle breeders/raisers have ag exemptions on their land that specify cattle raising/grazing, then there is the need to purchase hay/feed/meds/minerals, and I won't even mention the noise or the 'fragrance' that would come with cattle in closed quarters. Jurisdictions do go around and check to be sure those that have ag exemptions are doing what is on their ag forms, and some will use planes to do so, let alone appearing at the ranch/farm to check. Compliance with these checks is not an option if a producer wants to keep the ag exemption.

With all that is going on, this is one thing that I'm not too worried about. Then, too, I'm in a state that historically is tied to the old west and cattle raising. I think many here would call for the return of the Republic again. It would not be pretty.

[TxGal]

Martinhouse, I'll be in and out running errands Wed - Friday and not online as much as I normally am (which is probably way too much!). Just in case, these are the links that I check for updates several times a day:

https://www.iceagenow.info/

http://www.iceagefarmer.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/MyanmarLiving

With the hopefully temporary void of von Koehler being MIA, I want to be sure everyone can find the major sites! The first two are self-explanatory, the last one is Adapt 2030.

[Martinhouse]

TxGal, it's good to hear thoughts on a topic that I really know nothing about, regarding cattle. Thanks for adding in your voice of experience.

And thanks for those links. Maybe I can find what I want on them this time.

I'm running errands, too, but because of flu season, I hit the stores when they unlock the doors in early morning and I try to be home by 8 AM or 9 AM at the latest. So I have plenty of time to waste at the computer, since I don't have ranch and livestock chores.

[TxGal]

Adapt 2030 has another podcast out today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmBCY8XCrxc

Grand Solar Minimum is the Real National Emergency (791)


Run time is 7:54

[TxGal]

TxGal, it's good to hear thoughts on a topic that I really know nothing about. Thanks for adding in your voice of experience.

You're welcome, let's all hope I'm not proven wrong (never say never!).

[mudlogger]

I knew two sisters that talked about that bad president...they were referring to FDR. Gov't men came to the farm, killed their cattle and forced them to plow their cotton under. That was the 30's, and in the 00's they still remembered with anger.

Their mother would take old clothes apart to be able to reuse the thread. We do not know what hard times are.

[Faroe]

The cattle would get respiratory disease in an enclosed space. Also waste??? If you have never shoveled out the milking barn, you have NO idea. Also feed. If things get that bad, and the cattle can't graze, you have to supply all that forage. Probably won't have the stored hay, nor the time. Best case scenario would be a few cows in a big natural cave, and a freezer with vials of semen.

Animals you can hide: Rabbits are quiet. Not ideal in your basement, but it can be made to work. Quail make noise, but they are small and easy to raise caged. Guinea pigs are eaten in Peru, but the hide is tough, so look up how to deal with them for butchering and cooking. They are not that prolific, but better than nothing, and they are very easy to cage and feed. Sweet critters, too. Indoor pigeons might also work. The do "cooo," but the neighbors probably won't hear. I keep a white ringneck in my indoor aviary - very easy to deal with. We have feral ringnecks outside that are remarkably tame, and I encourage them to nest around the yard (livestock hidden in plain sight?). If I HAD to, I could steal the eggs, and eat squab. Tiny meals, but better than nothing.

Also, I hate to say it....some people would probably sooner eat maggots, but here goes: Fancy rats. Personable, easy to maintain, not expensive to feed, don't make much noise (some, but nothing the neighbors will hear). Very prolific, if you do it right.

Now, the bunnies and guinea pigs are herbivores, but you will need a protein source for the rats and birds. Look up China Connection's posts that everyone makes fun of on maggots and Black Soldier Flies. The BSF does seem to like a warmer environment, so we might loose them, but they are easy and clean to maintain once you get them going. Composting worms can work too, but I do keep running into problematic info re. E. foetida as feeders, and the night crawlers apparently have to be dug from the wild per their reproductive habits. I haven't had luck with finding the safer crawlers outside in NM. There are other composting worms available for mail order. Don't forget mealworms. I kept a colony for over a year, and while a PITA, they are cheap and easy. The aquarists have about a half dozen other wormy critters you can culture in tupperware containers for feeding protein to your pets/tiny livestock, but I haven't worked with those. Dubia roaches will also be appreciated (no, they won't infest your house), but they like a heat source, so another feeder I've only read about. Another idea, guppies. Prolific and safe. No thiminase deficiency problems that goldfish as feeders are known for. (ugh...now I want to set up a spare tank for some guppies - justifiable as a prep, after all.)

[TxGal]

Faroe - Rabbits are quiet. Not ideal in your basement, but it can be made to work.

Faroe, when I was in grade school my Dad got me my first rabbit, a male New Zealand White. He also built an amazing hutch on long legs of 2x4s, and a droppings tray that slid in and out of the bottom of the hutch for easy cleaning. He put peat moss in the tray, and we never smelled a thing! My bunny spent his entire first winter in the basement, and in spring we moved him outside for more sunlight and fresh air. My Mom kept an extraordinarily neat and clean house, and she would not have tolerated rabbit odor at all. I wish I had that hutch today :-)

I do know of people who have successfully raised quail in their garages. Not the ideal existence, but then they went from cage to freezer pretty quickly. If worse came to worse, I would not hesitate to keep a few bantam hens in the house (laundry room or something) and work hard at finding a way to get them outside time. I'm in the country though, this would be much harder in a subdivision.

[Martinhouse]

I'm not planning to raise anything that would require electricity, (heat, lights, freezer for meat) but I could move my rabbits into the greenhouse if I had to. Or make room in my back porch, which would be a huge project.

If the government started killing livestock, I could always keep a couple of pet hens (good brooders, of course) and always have fertilized eggs on hand. Then it wouldn't be too big a tragedy if my flock was forcibly destroyed. Same with the rabbits. Hide the buck and make the doe into a house pet of sorts.

NOt sure any of this would happen, but it's always good to think out any situation so that if the time comes, you always know what to do without having to waste valuable time thinking about it or making serious mistakes.

In other words, no more of the attitude that "I'll worry about that when it happens".

[West]

Just add a thought, I got from the above chatter. In our state it's really easy to get a farm tax exemption. Local governments know all about most ranchers and farmers.

[Seeker22]

I'm thinking summerthyme will add her thoughts to this sometime soon - but, IMHO there is no way to hide cattle effectively. They can't stay inside 24/7, many cattle breeders/raisers have ag exemptions on their land that specify cattle raising/grazing, then there is the need to purchase hay/feed/meds/minerals, and I won't even mention the noise or the 'fragrance' that would come with cattle in closed quarters. Jurisdictions do go around and check to be sure those that have ag exemptions are doing what is on their ag forms, and some will use planes to do so, let alone appearing at the ranch/farm to check. Compliance with these checks is not an option if a producer wants to keep the ag exemption.

With all that is going on, this is one thing that I'm not too worried about. Then, too, I'm in a state that historically is tied to the old west and cattle raising. I think many here would call for the return of the Republic again. It would not be pretty.

At one time after the great dying, there were only a handful of Buffalo (Bison) left on the Plains. An old Cheyenne man whose name I will not give gathered them up in a box canyon which had grass and water. Years later, the herd had grown and extinction was not a risk. That man was a great Uncle of my DH, and another hero of mine.

Today, as long as flight is possible, all current herds of cattle will be at risk. Defend what you have with no negotiation, or watch your family starve.

[Freeholder]

I agree that it would be difficult to hide cattle anywhere east of the Rockies, probably. It would be easier where ranches cover thousands of acres and part of that is wooded, if they only tried to keep a small handful of animals alive. Cattle can basically go wild if necessary, if they have enough room and access to water.

Rabbits and quail are probably the best stealth livestock, but chickens and ducks could work in rural areas (also turkeys and geese if you don't have close neighbors).

My family lost cattle to the government back during the Depression (I think) and maybe during WWII. Not sure of the dates, but I know they came out and shut down all the small dairies because milk prices were 'too low' (the shut-downs benefited the big dairies, of course). The cattle were branded and could not be sold as milkers, they had to go for meat. So there is a history of this type of control in the past. I wouldn't be too sure that they won't try something again. But I would certainly expect to see some resistance in the cattle-raising areas. If their sheriff's support them, they may even be successful. So vote for good sheriffs.

Kathleen

[Pinecone]

http://www.bonap.org/Climate%20Maps/...m%20Extent.png



US County-level assessment of the maximum extent of glaciated areas ©BONAP

[Pinecone]

US county-level assessment of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet ©BONAP

http://www.bonap.org/Climate%20Maps/...ce%20Sheet.png

[Martinhouse]

Those maps are pretty cool, lame pun notwithstanding.

Gotta say I do prefer the second one.

Brrrr!

[Stanb999]

FYI, ALL In most states you must register if you have any large animals. In the whole country you must register if you produce more than 2k in agriculture products, regardless if you sell or not.

[Martinhouse]

That's interesting...I'm in Arkansas and I will ask a friend of mine who has a couple of horses if he had to do this.

[Stanb999]

That's interesting...I'm in Arkansas and I will ask a friend of mine who has a couple of horses if he had to do this.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/our...Identification


https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/