Self Reliance Tip # 9 May Flowers

Well, if April showers bring May flowers...we know how important rain is to us. SHOW ME THE RAIN!!! *weep*.


With all of the wind we have been experiencing, many things can become dehydrated very, very quickly: people, plants, animals...little birdies who feed on alligators teeth... (ask Brother Ellsworth about that one...) Again, water is so important for our little desert valley.


Since our goal this month is to get a 55 gallon drum of water, I thought I'd share some ways to get that water out of that precious drum. Pumps are available to pump the water out by hand. It works, but can add undue stress to a situation that may already be frustrating. You may need to solicit the help of a carpenter you may know, but that can always be solved with a bribe of good food :).


[ In self reliance tip # 8 is a picture of] two water barrels in special made shelves. The benefit of having them on their side is that gravity is used to get the water out instead of having to pump it by hand or battery powered pump. (The battery powered ones can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/TERAPUMP-TRHA01-Battery-Operated-Transfer/dp/B003VVOF0Q )


Another way you can use gravity without making a special harness is to have a hose fitting attached right on the side of the barrel fairly close to the bottom. If you get it too close to the ground, you might have a problem getting the water into a container. :)


If a 55 gallon drum is too much at this time, it is good advice to start small...but start. I was talking with Sister Randi several months ago and she said she had begun her water storage in the gallon bottles you can get from Wal-mart- you know, with water already in them. Months went by with no problem. Until she found a flood in her closet. I'm guessing it was not a happy day. Unless you're an alligator...


Sister Randi would have been better served getting some of the following:
the clear blue five gallon containers (like the Sparkletts guy uses - available at Wal-Mart by the refrigerator cookies and Home Depot)
The dark blue 5 gallon containers (most of the time can be found in the emergency supply isle at Walleth Marteth), because of the flat sides, they save more space than the round clear blue ones.
Thick juice bottles (like the gallon Hawaiian punch jugs - they work great!)
Rinsed out gallon vinegar bottles
Also, just an FYI, if you're looking for buckets, Lee's Rite Way also carries buckets in many sizes, gamma lids (the cool screwy kind), and I've been told...bulk grains.
And another thing....


During WWII my husband's grandfather was a POW. They were forced on a three month long march called the German Death March (If you're bored someday, you should get acquainted with this part of history - this is different than the Bataan).


When they were marching from town to town, there were some items that had the highest trade value of the things they carried with them. They would trade these items with locals (if they could bribe a German officer to look the other way for a minute) for food and other items. The big three were:

• cigarettes
• chocolate bars
• toilet paper

I don't think I have to explain the CHOCOLATE (which was most popular among the female traders...hmmm). I don't plan on buying cigarettes (though, I heard once that tobacco is good for bruises, stings and sick cattle :) ). But toilet paper is something that often slips the minds of those actively preparing as something THAT important. I mean right up there next to CHOCOLATE? Sister Leann would say toilet paper is MORE important.


... wind wind come again...go away another day...oh wait, I said that backwards....