Life Before the Superstore--How Great Granny Kept Her Family Fed

I should have paid more attention. I wish I would have listened to Grandmas stories a little more. Grams was born January of 1900 and loved us until she was 96. One day she simply said “This old body has had enough, I miss grandpa. I love you.” And she was gone. My grandparent spent 71 years together. I sure so do miss her sitting across the counter from me and my cousin, telling us stories of life in her cabin before the state made her and grandpa put in electricity. That was in the late 1960’s, if memory serves me correctly. She was upset about the whole deal, Grams loved the cabin just the way it was. My Dad and Grandpa built this home for their retirement. Lovingly put together from the trees on the property. Nestled next to an old dirt road, the log cabin faced a pristine body of water. At the time it was built there were no other houses around that crystal clear lake at all. It was peaceful and serene.

During my working days I spent many years caring for old people. Some in nursing homes, some in Care Facilities and some in their own homes. Old people are so full of information if you take a moment to listen. To an old person you are a new set of ears to spill their world of experience on for as long as your young ears are available. Their stories come from a different time and an entirely different world than we have experienced. I wasn’t about to lose another opportunity to learn what I could. I took copious notes of their stories.

On Tuesdays and Fridays I was scheduled to visit a ninety year old newspaper owner named Louie. This delightful senior has a forever spot in my heart. There are just some personalities you simply never forget and Louie was one of those guys. So full of life and charm, he was as sharp as a whip. Louie loved to talk about his religion. Louie was Jewish. I knew nothing about Jewish people or the Jewish religion in those days, but he trusted me with his most beloved possession, a look inside the Jewish faith. I accepted this gift with open ears.

Often we chatted while we went through his care routine, but this one particular day he had a cheese pizza delivered along with a 2 lt. bottle of Pepsi. We sat at his kitchen table and talked that whole shift about what it was like being a Jewish person and life in the newspaper business. He was so proud of his daughter who became a stage Opera singer. It amazed me how just listening to someone who is passionate about who they are can open up a whole new found respect for them and their life. I just loved Louie.

Then there was a dear lady named Melvina. She loved to watch Lawrence Welk on Tv. Petite Melvina loved ballroom dancing in her younger days. Even then, at 98, I can still see her in my memory standing at her walker when the music started and toe shuffling to Welk’s bubble music of the 1960’s and 70’s. On one delightful care visit Melvina began our day telling me a story about her birth. She was born at home, premature. That was in 1916, before the widespread use of electricity. So what did Melvina’s mother do to keep her tiny baby warm? When the new mother needed a moment to herself she put the fragile baby in a basket, opened the oven door on the wood cook stove, and set basket and baby on the oven door to stay warm. The heat from the oven kept the baby warm much like an incubator does for modern premie’s. Obviously it worked. I don’t know that I would have thought of that. I guess necessity is the mother of invention, so they say.

And of course, dear Josephine, she was also 90. Her story went like this; “We carried water from a spring about a half mile away.” She spoke as her memory carried her to another time. “Carried it in a pail. We used that spring as our refrigerator. Kept the butter and things like that cool.

You took your Saturday night bath in a tub. It was a good thing if you wasn’t the fourth or fifth one down the family, because you had to use the same water. You weren’t going to change water when you had to carry it half mile!”

Many books into my learning about the old ways, I discovered that in ancient times women were the keepers of the hearth. Grandmothers were the teachers and caregivers of the the children so their parents could hunt and forage for the tribes daily sustenance. Life was hard, actually borderline brutal sometimes. It was during these ancient times that soap was discovered purely by accident.

Many, many, many long years ago there was a cooking fire. It was a time of the big feast, this group was celebrating a successful hunt. The women prepared the meal and cooked the mighty beast on the central outdoor cooking fire. Men sat on blankets on the ground waiting for the meal to be served and enjoyed bragging about their part in the hunt. While these hairy fellows were enjoying reliving the days escapades, grease from the prized fat animal dripped down into the hot ashes. That night after their stories were told, everyones bellies were fed, and the joyful group headed off to into their sleeping tents, it rained. The next morning an observant early riser noticed bubbles coming from the cold cooking fire. Well-ah, this smart person played with the substance and soon soap was invented. Ash + water + grease = a crude soap.

When very ancient people traveled they carried hot coals in carved out stone carefully placed inside an animal pouch. These life saving coals would be the start of the next campfire. Grass reeds fashioned into cups and slathered with sticky tree sap became drink cups. These ingenious folks took hot rocks from the fire, shook off the ash and put them into the water in the grass cup to make a hot beverage of tea.

What I also learned is there are 4 basic things that humans need for survival in every human generational cycle. We all know about food, water, and shelter but we need each other too. Humans were meant to live with other humans. Rare is the human who lives isolated, it happens, but not often. Small groups of about 10 to 15 people seemed to hold the most survivability. More people than that, a splinter group broke off. The second most dominate male, chose his few and a new group was formed.

Drying and fermentation were one of the earliest means of food preservation. Meat, fish and some vegetable matter were dried over a smoky fire pit. Fermentation goes back to cave dwellers when it was discovered that they intentionally made a crude alcohol beer.

Traditional jerky making video

How to begin with fermentation video

Living without running to the grocery store is going to be a big adjustment. Below you will find a list of things to know about fending for yourself when our changing world turns off what we think is our normal.

*Growing enough to get you from one harvest season to the next harvest season is going to take some planning. An absolute must is putting away at least 2 years worth at a time because a good harvest every year is not guaranteed. Do you have the room to store 2 years worth of your labor? Can you save seeds? Yes, again, it takes years of planning and acting. It’s hard work to keep the belly fed.

*Living without refrigeration. Cooking every meal fresh. What to do with leftovers if there are any. It is well worth looking into “Spring Houses” and “How the Amish keep lake ice all summer long.” My grandfather dug a hole into the side of a hill. He called it a cold room or root cellar. It was a pleasure to run to the cold room on a hot summer afternoon to retrieve a quart of grape juice grandmother had made. The juice was cold by default. Yummy!

Ice harvesting video

On the farm 'spring house' video

*Washing clothes is another story. Do you take them down to the creek and beat them on a rock? You have an old scrub board right? Check out Lehman's Country store for more clothes washing ideas.

This is ridiculously hard work washing a families weeks worth of clothes by hand. In the warmer months the washed clothes can be hung outside to dry, but what about the winter months? Where do you dry them?

If you are lucky enough to have two very large pans, you can put them on metal legs and build a fire under the pans to heat the water. This makes for an easier wash day since you have the clothes line handy. You have a clothes line, right?

*Oh, and another thing, when they quit making waxed paper or even plastic bags, or at least when the price is too high. What changes will you need to make? Great grandma used waxed 12”x 12” cotton squares to cover her food. Good luck finding beeswax. That reminds me, bees wax will be valuable barter item. Honey too!

*What happens if toilet paper makes a run for it? Or feminine products? Do you know what to do when the toilet no longer flushes? Remember, you will most likely have to haul water. My mother recounts a story of her outhouse days of her youth. Everyone was assigned a cotton rag. There were nails strategically placed in the outhouse with your name on it and a rag hung there for your use. You were responsible for that rag and cleaning it after use. There was be a bucket of water under the rags to clean your rag after use. The bucket was changed daily as part of the kids chores. No fair using someone elses rag if you didn’t clean yours.

*Do you know how to make baby diapers, diaper rash cream, and baby formula? Do you know how to NOT get pregnant when the world is in Mad Max? Can you give birth without the doctor?

*What are the first diseases seen after a crisis? Is that water safe? Can you disinfect it? We have forgotten many of the common water borne illnesses that 3rd. world countries deal with everyday. Diseases like Cholera, Dysentery, Leptospirosis to name a few. Then there are things like Typhus, Pellagra, Hantavirus, food poisoning, Bubonic and Pneumonic plagues, heart attacks from stress, and overexertion from eating junk food and sitting every day. Are you familiar with these and can you safety treat them without professional medical people?

There is so much more to consider on the dark side of the superstore going away and what that means to all of us. I need not go any further with explanations on that subject, I think you can figure out the rest.

I’m sure this article has given you enough to digest at the moment. Should you feel inclined to ask questions, I will be here to answer them best I can. Your future depends on what you know and the skills you can learn quickly. Books will be your best insurance. Having a well stocked how-to hard copy library is something you can pass around, too. And don’t forget to check in with your grandparents, just have a notebook handy and plenty of time.

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Hide-Behinds and the Silent Winters Night

Creatures of the long silent night. . .

Many years ago, the young and adventurous me, discovered a 40 acre parcel of heavily forested property which even the locals had lost track of the original owner. It was smack dab in the middle of a state forest. Deep in the middle of this secluded 40 acre parcel in the wild’s of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stood a 20’X20′ tar papered shanty I was about to call home. It took every penny, but I had to buy the property that had been up for sale for more than 15 years. I was beside myself with excitement! I was 43.

The cabin/now shanty was built as a hunting camp in 1963 using real saw milled 2X4’s. Sturdy, well built, no electricity or water as there were no power lines out there in the early days. It was now a dirty, run down and neglected waif from all the years of no human intervention.  However, a local population of mice and raccoons had made a claim to the walls and ceiling over the years, moving in their own families. A really large, gray, wart covered wolf spider and his cousins inhabited their designated corner of the tiny, lovable little cabin nestled in among the overgrowth of trees and flora. These guys were the biggest, most horrifying toad like, eight legged creatures I had ever witnessed! Repulsive as all hell.

I was anxious to get started and arrived early on the day after I had taken procession of my new home. There were no keys handed to me at the time of signing at the bank.  Even the realtor was unaware of the shack on the property. Gus, my yellow lab took off to explore his new environment and was no use whatsoever helping to unload the boxes of cleaning supplies, hammers, nails, crowbar and a shovel I figured it would take to make this place near as livable as possible. It took me most of that summer to fix up what was to be the most memorable 20 year adventure of my life.

By now it is late fall. My first night alone out here in the woods, in my now cleaned one room shanty found me laying in my bed with my blanket pulled up to my chin with one hand and a flashlight gripped tightly in the other. Listening to the night time parade of mice playing tag in the ceiling and walls, my thoughts turned to; “What the hell am I doing out here 30 miles from town,  in the middle of this 1000’s  of acres of woods? All alone! Was I nuts?”

“OMG! What’s that noise? Listen, there it is again!”

It sounded like an animal was actually chewing on my cabin.  Sometime during the night I did dozed off but only briefly. A thunderstorm demanded that I not get too comfortable. Loud claps and bright lightening fueled my anxiety of this precarious first night in the woods. Then suddenly as a lightening bolt lit up the room, there on the ceiling was a monstrous, wart covered wolf spider the size of my hand, hurriedly making his way in my direction. . .

To make a long story short and the purpose of this post, when there is no power, it is quiet! I will be the first to tell you that the constant buzz of human activity, electronic gadgets, cell phones and all sorts of technology along with traffic noise and streetlights are so natural to the every day guy and gal that we just don’t notice the noise, that is, until it is gone. When the constant pulse of modern electrical power shuts off, the first sense is that of ahhhhhhh. It actually feels good.  (Personally, I miss my days and nights living unattached to the power grid and even today, going into town seems so loud.)  It doesn’t take long, however, before you begin to feel withdrawal symptoms, much like that of a cigarette withdrawal. Then night comes, the stillness of the true light less night becomes the monster in the closet of our childhood.

My first long winter night played games with the stillness of my snow covered wilderness. I suddenly became acutely aware that moon light uses shadows as an accomplice; it tricks the imagination into seeing beasts stalking the darkness. A wise older man I knew called these night time imaginary beings hide-behinds. "

Elusive mythical creatures without true form, created purely from ones own imagination, hiding behind leafless hardwoods," he liked to say.

This man loved to tell scary stories, especially at Halloween.  I remembered his words one night as I sat reading quietly by oil lamp, the muted flickering of the yellow flame demanded entrance into the playful party of dancing shadows. At that moment, as I looked up from my reading, the icy stillness crept up and stole away with my struggling confidence. That mythical hide-behind ran his icy finger up my spine. 

                                               

As the terror in my mind swelled in my throat a scream would have landed on no one. The hide-behind that annihilated my courage was enjoying his trophy win, his icy finger and leering snicker now retreating out the window. Cloud cover was my hero that night as it ended the stalking, it pulled the curtain on the full moons glittering ribbons through the trees, taking with it the shadowed creatures demanding my attention. I am again, alone with my thoughts and the thick, silent blackness of night. 
                               ***           ******         ***  

Twenty years have now come and gone since my first encounter with the night time hide-behinds deep in my forest. My tiny cabin has given way to a fit a proper homestead. The moral of this story you may have guessed is that when the lights go out, and they will, it is the thick blanket of stillness people will surrender to. More often than not even before the lack of food sets in. Humans have adapted to noise, to the hustle of activity and having every desirable electronic device at their fingertips. You can and should prepare for as many physical aspects of the coming take down of the U.S. as possible. But will you be able to survive the quiet? It is truly a possibility that needs to be understood.

If you haven't guessed by now the true monster wasn't the hide-behinds. Silence is the true enemy. This enemy invades the human imagination like a parasite, feasting on your confidence leaving you weakend and immobile to fight your imagined closet monsters. Silence can be a formidable enemy.

History has recorded that silence created a debilitating madness in the unprepared pioneer women during the 1800’s westward movement.  Women whose husband had settled them in the prairies of the western U.S. and were left alone for long periods of time often went mad due to the silence. Their only companion was the never ending wind, the mournful song of the elusive wolf and the constant fear of an Indian attack. After weeks away searching for or trading for supplies, returning husbands sometimes found their wives, if the were lucky, wandering the open prairie looking for another human neighbor, disponent, delirious and babbling gibberish.

So the elders said, "When you see the sun rising in the. . .

" Compassion for others is a strong prerequisite for all that survive the earth changes, for compassion and caring for others will be a natural and inherent trait for those who will carry on in the Age of Peace.
                              As told to Mary Summer Rain by the Cherokee prophet No Eyes.

            1986 Continental Indigenous Council, Fairbanks, Alaska

                                    by Lee Brown, Cherokee

There was the cycle of mineral, the rock. There was the cycle of the plant. And now we are in the cycle of the animal coming to the end of that and beginning the cycle of the human being. When we get into the cycle of the human being, the highest and greatest powers that we have will be released to us.

At the beginning of the cycle of time, long ago, the Great Spirit made an appearance and gathered the peoples of this earth together, and said to the human beings.  "I'm going to send you to four directions and over time I'm going to change you into four colors. I'm going to give you some teachings, and you will call these the Original Teachings; when you come back together with each other, you will share these so that you can live and have peace on Earth, and a great civilization will come about. During the cycle of time, I'm going to give each of you two stone tablets. When I give you those stone tablets, don't cast them upon the ground. If any of the sisters and brothers cast their tablets on the ground, not only will human beings have a hard time, but almost the earth itself with die."

And so He gave each of us a responsibility, and we call that the Guardianship.

To the Indian people, the red people, He gave the Guardianship of the Earth. We are to learn during this cycle of time the teachings of the Earth; the plants that grow form the Earth; the foods that you can eat, and the herbs that heal. Then, when we came back together with the other sisters and brothers, we could share this knowledge with them. Something good was to happen to the Earth.

To the South He gave the yellow race of people the Guardianship of the wind. They were to learn about the sky and breathing and how to take that within ourselves for spiritual advancement. They were to share that with us at this time.

To the West He gave the black race of people the Guardianship of the Water. They were to learn the teachings of the water, which is the chief of the elements, being the most humble and the most powerful. The elders have told me that the black people would bring the teachings of the water.

To the North He gave the white people race of people the Guardianship of the Fire. If you look at the center of many of the things they do, you will find the fire. They say a light bulb is the white mans' fire. If you look at the center of a car you will find a spark. If you look at the center of the airplane and the train you will find the fire. The fire consumes, and also moves. This why it was the white sisters and brothers who began to move upon the face of the earth and reunite us as a human family.

And so a long time passed, and the Great Spirit gave each of the four races two stone tablets. Ours are kept at the Hopi Reservation in Arizona at Four Corners Area on Third Mesa. I talked to people from the black race, and their stone tablets are at the foot of Mount Kenya. They are kept by the Kukuyu Tribe. I was at an Indian Spiritual gathering about 15 years ago.

A medicine man from South Dakota put a beaded medicine wheel in the middle of the gathering. It had the four colors from the four directions; he asked the people, "Where is this from?" They said, "Probably Montana, or South Dakota, maybe Saskatchewan." He said, "This is from Kenya. It was beaded just like ours, with the same colors."

The stone tablets of the yellow race of people are kept by the Tibetans. If you went straight through the Hopi Reservation to the other side of the world, you would come out in Tibet. The Tibetan word for sun is the Hopi word for the moon, and the Hopi word for sun is the Tibetan word for moon.

The guardians of the traditions of the people of Europe are the Swiss. In Switzerland, they still have a day when each family brings out its mask. They still know the colors of the families, and they still know the symbols, some of them. Each of these four peoples happens to live in the mountains.

Each of the four races went to their directions and learned their teachings. It was in Newsweek not long ago that . . .

Read the rest of this very important speech over at;

https://www.crystalinks.com/native american.html

                           

Excuse Me Ladies. . . .

Just the ladies for this one please.      

I dare say darling,' some of yous is missin' th' point. So. . . 

This subject could get me into deep shit if I don't handle it well. But it is one that I feel is just too important, so I'm willing to risk it. I'll try to do the very best I can.

Ladies, we need this discussion! Your well-being is in your own hands!

Please understand that it is not my intent to put fear into anyone, quite the contrary.  I wish to empower us all and maybe use this forum as a deterrent for those who wish to harm.  We need get real serious. The time is now.  

How I got here. . .

  At the age of 80, my Dad was living alone when he took a swan dive out of the bathtub while taking a shower and landed on the cold tile floor. He laid there for 5 hours unable to get up before someone came to his rescue. A lady neighbor in the apartment complex "came by to check on him" thank goodness. She called me and the hospital. After his release from the hospital I stayed with my Dad in the senior living apartment complex for 4 weeks while he recovered. It was a unique situation living in a 6 story secured apartment complex full of active old people. One needed to be 65 or older to live here, however, they granted me a temporary stay to care for my father. It was during my daily trips to the laundry, store and other outings that I was able to meet and talk to some wonderful older people who were more than anxious to spill their stories on fresh ears to this 50 year old youngster within their midst. Also, seniors would gather in the commons area on my Dads floor where there was a puzzle to put together. I would sit with them and listen for hours while Dad was napping. I took copious notes of these chats.

One story from a 95 year old Nazi occupation survivor left me horrified at the brutality of her male captors. (Her story was one of the reasons why I took on the arduous task of writing How to Survive and Thrive When the Power is Out. You will find her story and others in the book. These gals are true female heroes.)

A few years previous to my Dads accident, I spent 4 years working for a not-for-profit womens' shelter. Women, (and a couple of men too.)who had suffered beatings from the ones that were supposed to love them sought respite from their sufferings at this place. Women beaten and raped had it the worse, emotionally. Physical wounds heal for the most part, that emotional trauma sometimes never goes away.

One tiny 34 year old mother of two was beaten, raped and tossed into a trash can by her live in boyfriend in a fit of drunken/ drugged rage. A saving grace was that her two small boys happened to be at her parents at the time.

The man had beaten her severely and stuffed her into that trash can outside by the garage. Not satisfied with this torment, he went back into the house to retrieve his pistol. Still in his rage, he came back to the trash can and shot it point blank several times. To his surprise, the can was empty when looked inside. She had silently climbed out, ran barefoot with everything she had, several blocks to us at the Womens' Shelter.

That is just one of the heart breaking stories from all the women and children in just one shelter. There are hundreds of stories out there that you never, ever hear about.

Then there is my own story. I was walking out to my car simply to close the windows before it rained when all of a sudden I felt myself being grabbed up by two drunks and stuffed into their car. I happened to be alone and my timing was really bad. I hadn't put my situation awareness into action that night. One of the men decided "he took a fancy to me, out here all alone, and all." Luckily one drunk had to take a piss and was standing in front of the car, while the other drunk was unzipping his pants. He had is hands busy with his zipper, so I kicked the shit out of him and ran like hell. I was lucky

High school history books won't tell you the real tragedy of the losers of battle. In the bygone eras, the bigger, the more powerful army sweeps through their target area hell bent on occupying it. Eventually, the lesser army is defeated and their women are subjected to brutal beatings and rape by the victors. It further humiliated and disparages the losers. 

Recently, a story came out in the news where a top Imam told Muslims to breed Europeans to conquer their countries . "Put your children in the wombs of the European women." Their weapon of choice in this new and current war is a penis. This tactic isn't really new, it's been repeated over and over throughout history by occupiers of cities, villages, tents and even castles. The seeds of victory are planted! Literally. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3240295/Imam-tells-Muslim-migrants-breed-children-Europeans-conquer-countries-vows-trample-underfoot-Allah-willing.html">  

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/04/revealed-1000-migrants-brawl-rape-sexually-assault-steal-one-german-train-station-new-years-eve/

There IS something you can do to protect yourself and your daughters. 

I am of Scottish ancestry. We are a tough lot, stout and thick boned. As we have learned in history class Scotland had its share of battles. There was even a time when swords and knives were outlawed in Scotland because the Scottish were such fearsome and relentless fighters. But as with everything there are winners and there are losers.

My dear creative ancient sisters weren't going to go down without a fight.  Because weapons carried by the peasants was outlawed by the King of England, they risked death by hangman if caught by the authorities. She would nonetheless carry a little knife known as Sgian Dubh, pronounced scheeeeian doo.

http://www.darkknightarmoury.com/c-57-scottish-daggers.aspx

"This was a knife (Dirk) slightly larger than the Sgian Dubh and was carried in the upper sleeve of the jacket, under the left arm.  Just as with men, women would have to carry their own eating utensil, and many a Scots woman had need for a weapon. Research has shown that Scottish women, 'never' wore kilted skirts, thus no apron front on their skirts. They wore softly gathered skirts.  Therefore, let us remember, if a Scots woman carried a dagger (little knife) for eating or her own defense, it would probably be hidden in the folds of her gathered skirt. A pocket deep enough to accommodate the sheathed knife; (so as not to fall out) and well hidden from view; thus protecting her from search, a Scottish woman would try to avoid being searched at all cost."

  http://www.gaelicthemes.net/index.php/articles/3-the-history-of-sgian-dubh

For whatever your reason for not wanting to or unable to embrace a firearm this little handy knife is the perfect self defense necessity. Easily hidden but even better, it could be undetectable if the blade were ceramic. An option our Scottish sisters didn't have. Her little metal bladed knife was in use during a time of history when danger and pillaging was at its peak. When word got around that peasant women were packing Sgian Dubhs,(hidden knife) rapes became diminished considerably. 

On the market today, there are many, many small, concealable knives. Perfect for self-defense if/when the day or moment should arise. We live in precarious times. We have arrived at a time when you are on your own, the need for self defence has become paramount. Teach your daughters well.

             

Damascus steel blade. This one is similar to the one I carry. You most likely won't kill anyone with this blade but the shock of being stuck can give you precious time to flee. 

"The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why."                                                                                                    Mark Twain

The Day the Power Grid Goes Offline

 

~The Day the Power Grid Goes Offline~~

Imagine, if you will, the most horrendous storm you have ever lived through. Walls of torrential water slamming into the side of your house. Day after day of miserable wet pounding your neighborhood. River and lake waters are creeping higher and higher, seeping into every crack in the foundations of every home. After 3 days of these intense storms there is a lull in the rain, your neighbor ventures out to check on you. Frank works for a large power network and he just got word from a colleague a major cyber attack happened at the same time as these wicked storms. Looks as if these events were timed towards sabotaging the nations power grids. "We need to accept that we are in world of hurt for a long haul", he mumbles as he diverts his eyes to the ground. "Not your fault, Frank." I say" There is nothing you could you have done." You and Frank decide to check in with some of the other neighbors.

 "I was out a little yesterday watching the flood waters. There were things floating down the street that were totally unidentifiable. I had no idea what some of that stuff was. Sometimes a greasy film would float by on top of the water followed by a decomposing carcass of some sort. Thank goodness the weather is still a little cooler than it could be, or mold would be creeping up our asses." Frank said, slightly winded from trudging mucky water.

Day number five and the flood waters are beginning to recede. The guys met up again to get out and assess the damages, check on other neighbors and see who might need help. The soft ground made it difficult to walk, Frank took a brief moment to stop and catch his breath. He promised to give his brain a few minutes to catch up to the unbelievable damages he was seeing in precious neighborhood, so he let his mind wander for a moment.  Franks memory landed on a news broadcast of bodies floating in the water shortly after hurricane Katrina. He shook off the sick memory and started to asses his own real situation. After a few moments, Frank suddenly realized, this is real! 

                                        *********

Although the above scenario is fiction, scenes like this are happening more and more in this country every year. Most Americans have never had to deal with water borne diseases that plague most third world countries.

 Cholera, for instance, is one of those diseases most of us in industrialized nations took for granted and mindlessly dedicated it to large populated third world countries. Not giving Cholera its just due, we were under the impression it had been eradicated here at the turn of the 20th century with inventions of sanitation, refrigeration and indoor plumbing. Our belief was, "it just wouldn't happen here".

 And as if we don't have enough already to worry about. Weather and climate has us rethinking things we took for granted. Learning these next few illnesses could save your life or that of someone you love. Please take the time to understand water borne illnesses and how to handle them. This is some very important, life saving shit! Not in any particular order, I give this information for non-commercial free use, to share, to discuss, to copy, and keep in your survival library. The key to getting through *what comes next* is knowledge.

Bacteria, virus and protozoa, dangers in your water and a few key 'need to know' words

Virus--Is a minute microorganism much smaller than a bacterium that, having no independent metabolic activity of its own, may only replicate within a cell of a living plant or animal host. A virus consists of a core nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a coat of antigenic protein, sometimes surrounded by an envelope of lipoprotein. 

Bacteria--Any of the small unicellular microorganisms. A combining form 'genus of microscopic plants from the class Schizomycetes'. The nature, severity, and outcome of any infection caused by a bacterium are characteristic of that species. 

Protozoa- Is a single-celled microorganisms of the class of Protozoa, the lowest form of animal life. Protozoa are more complex than bacteria, forming a self-contained unit with organelles that carry on such functions as locomotion, nutrition, excretion, respiration, and attachment to other objects or organisms. These descriptions were taken from the Nurse's reference library- Book of 'Definitions'- Encyclopedic dictionary. Volume by Intermed Communications 1983

Contagion= the medium by which a disease is transmitted.

Sanitation= the application of disposal of sewage and waste for the sake of cleanliness and the protecting of health.

Hygiene= the application of scientific knowledge to the preservation of health and the prevention of disease through cleanliness.

Nutrition= the act or process of nourishing, also obtaining the dietary requirements for proper health. The process by which humans take in and utilize food material thus providing energy and healing.

Patient report- An initial assessment of the patient and a description of pertinent information on the patient's condition- what brings him to you?- What are her symptoms?- Where has she been and with whom?- What has he eaten and drank in the last several days? Caregivers remarks- Is he feverish, does he have a rash?,etc.

Listed below in no specific order are the waterborne illness that can take you and a loved one down after a crisis.

Cholera

Cholera was first recorded in 1563 in a medical report in India, but humanity didn't start to get a clear picture of the disease until 1817 when it spread to the rest of the world. Cholera is a highly contagious disease that countless millions have contracted and died from, and it's potential comeback has medical experts reeling." Says the Master of Public health, University of California.

Cholera is one of several nasty bacterial infections of the small intestine which causes acute diarrhea. It's contracted by eating or drinking food and water that has been contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae. 

Anyone can become infected with Cholera, but a few factors increase your risk of a severe case.

*Living in unclean conditions, poor sanitation and using contaminated water.

*Low levels of stomach acid (Cholera bacteria cannot live in highly acid environments) Elderly people and babies usually have less stomach acid in their bodies which makes them more susceptible to Cholera and other diseases.

*Sick household members that have not been isolated.

*Type O blood type (It is not clear why this is true, except to say more people with O type seem to be at risk for Cholera.)

Diagnosing cholera can be difficult because it can take anywhere from 12 hours to 5 days to show symptoms. By the time you begin blowing out from both ends, who could possibly remember what you ate or drank 5 days to 12 days ago.  For some Cholera can be fatal if they don't begin treatment right away. Constant diarrhea is the bodies way of trying to eliminate the bacteria, but the constant elimination of the body's liquid reserves can take a toll.  

It is also possible to have cholera and not have symptoms at all although bacteria are present in feces for up to 10 days. Which makes this person a walking Typhoid Mary, shedding bacteria back into the environment and infecting other people. You can very well understand why sanitation in austere conditions is of the utmost importance.

Symptoms of Cholera from the Mayo Clinic Website;

Diarrhea-- Cholera-related diarrhea come on suddenly and can quickly cause dangerous fluid loss - as much as a quart an hour. Diarrhea due to cholera is often pale and milky looking.

Nausea and vomiting-- Vomiting occurs especially in the early stages of cholera and can last for hours.

Dehydration-- Dehydration can develop within hours after cholera symptoms start and range from mild to severe. A loss of 10% or more of body weight indicates severe dehydration.

If you had to guess that someone is suffering from cholera look for; irritability, fatigue, sunken eyes, a dry mouth, extreme thirst, dry and shriveled skin that's slow to bounce back when pinched, little or no urinating, low blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat.

Dehydration can lead to a rapid loss of minerals that maintain the balance of fluids in your body. This is called an electrolyte imbalance. (Having lots pedialyte in your preps can save a life)

An electrolyte imbalance can lead to serious signs and symptoms such as:

*Muscle cramps due to rapid loss of salts such as sodium, chloride and potassium. 

*Shock is one of the most serious complications of dehydration. It occurs when blood volume causes a drop in blood pressure and a drop in the amount of oxygen in your body. If untreated, severe hypovolemic shock* can cause death in minutes. 

*Hypovolemic Shock--A state of physical collapse and prostration caused by massive blood loss, circulatory dysfunction, and inadequate tissue perfusion. The loss of one fifth of total blood volume in the affected individual can produce this condition.

Scary stuff, right? Sanitation is the only prevention and cure. Careful handling of any water is a must in all crisis situations. Immediate care from a healthcare professional is always your best outcome. But what if there are no doctors or healthcare professionals in or near your situation?

You as the caretaker-----

Having a water filtration system that is independent of the electrical grid is a very well thought out insurance policy against most all waterborne illnesses your family may be subjected to. When clean water is scarce and pond and puddle water is suspicious, this type of home water system is a life saver. https://www.berkeyfilters.com/

If you become the designated group or family caregiver, just remember you will recognize the initial symptoms of Cholera as sudden painless diarrhea and vomiting, then the diarrhea becomes progressively waterier. It is then that the patient begins to lose body electrolytes, (sodium, chloride, potassium, and bicarbonate), the direct result of fluid loss and electrolyte imbalance.

The person may complain of intense thirst, will have decreased output of urine, and most likely will have muscle cramps and/or general weakness. An abnormal drop in blood pressure and lose of potassium are common symptoms with severe dehydration. Excessive amounts of acid may build up in the blood and body tissues. Kidney failure can occur at this stage but should respond well to fluid replacement. This is characteristic of most diarrheal diseases.

Memorize this;

A body at 2% dehydration, thirst is perceived

At 5% dehydration, a person becomes hot and tired. Strength and endurance are decreased.

At 10% dehydration, delirium and blurred vision becomes a problem

At 20% dehydration, the person dies

To make a simple oral hydration solution

2 quarts clean, cold, filtered water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Stir until salt and baking soda are dissolved. Serve cold and as much as the person will drink. Keep the person well dehydrated but do not give sweeteners or fruit juice at this stage.

A good potassium broth should be used, or a salty bouillon is good too.

To make a homemade potassium broth, cook barley in lots of water. When fully cooked strain out the barley retaining the water it was cooked in.

Take one pint of the barley water and add 1 tablespoon of slippery elm bark. Serve warm. This is very nutritious!

Add (optional)

1 onion           2 stalks celery

1 potato          2 carrots

Simmer until the vegetables are soft and strain. This makes another very nourishing broth that is well tolerated. 

Put the person somewhere comfortable and put hot compress over the stomach and bowel area as well as the spine. Keep him comfortable and well hydrated until the bacteria are finally evacuated. If there are no pharmaceutical antibiotics available, these herbs offer a tried-and-true alternative.

An anti-diarrhea herbal tea use Yarrow, Dandelion root, Parsley root, rose hips, Agrimony (Cocklebur) or Bilberry leaf.

Antibacterial herbs-- Oregon grape, Plantain, California Poppy, garlic, or burdock root (also very nutritious), oil of oregano ('The Cure is in the Cupboard', book by Dr. Cass Ingram)

Gut healing and nutritional herbs-- Licorice root, Marshmallow root, Chamomile or Nettles.

Activated Charcoal--Diarrhea caused by bacterial causes can be helped greatly by using activated charcoal found in most pharmacies. Hospitals usually keep activated charcoal handy for people brought in due to food poisoning and other poisonings. ( Some stomach upset may be experienced by some)

Use two heaping teaspoons of powdered charcoal mixed in water and drank, followed by all the liquid a person can drink. Give this treatment up to four times a day. Capsules can be purchased, but enough charcoal capsules should be given to equal two teaspoons. (about 2760 mg. to 1 teaspoon)

Herbs are best used as an herbal tea but also, put into your vegetable soup. Do not give the patient sweetened beverages or fruit juices. Monitor closely, it is not always the toxins that cause injury, it is the dehydration that kills. With great care and diligence, these patients can be saved.

We seem to be heading into uncharted territory at the end of 2021 and into 2022, a nail biter at best. My best guess is that it looks like families/groups are going to have to go it on their own in the foreseeable future. Society and civilization as we know it are crumbling for now, the new society that will emerge is yet undetermined. We live in interesting times for sure, and I most definitely believe that all of us here and now, were born for this time. Learn all that you can now to survive with just a little effort later.  

Next up, Dysentery.

Dysentery

Symptoms and treatment are similar to Cholera. What makes Dysentery different is the offending bacteria and some of the symptoms. The bacteria causing Dysentery is shigella bacillus and an Entamoeba histolytica (an amoeba).

Symptoms of Dysentery;

stomach cramps/ abdominal pain

dehydration

fever and chills-nausea and vomiting

loss of appetite, weight loss

painful passing of stools with intermittent constipation

fatigue

Dysentery is characterized by inflammation of the rectum and large intestine. Follow care instructions for Cholera taking care to monitor dehydration and give nutrient rich meals.

Typhoid

 Just the word is scary! We all remember the story of Typhoid Mary who was a cook in a restaurant in the early 1900's, she was a carrier of the Salmonella family of bacteria but showed no symptoms. She infected many people before they discovered what the victims had in common, they had all eaten their dinner in her diner.

Typhoid is an infectious disease usually caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria, highly contagious, and is contracted by ingestion of contaminated food, milk and water which has come into contact with body fluids of an active typhoid carrier. Personal sanitation here is a priority, wash those hands!

This disease may be fatal! Complications include intestinal hemorrhage or perforation. Some people who recover from the disease continue to be carriers and excrete the organisms. Proper disposal of human wastes is essential to prevent epidemics and disease carriers should not be permitted to prepare food.

symptoms of Typhoid fever;

Fever of 103* to 105* with fatigue.

No appetite

Chills, headache, muscle pain and tenderness of the abdomen. 

Red spots form over the chest and abdomen with the spleen becoming very tender.

If possible, a lab test and professional medical care would be ideal. If no healthcare provider is available, isolate patient. Give patient clean fresh air and good ventilation, these are an essential treatment. Keep fever under control, if you are up to it, give an enema everyday of illness using white oak bark, red raspberry leaves, or wild alum root. These enemas will greatly relieve the patient and hasten recovery.

A good vegetable broth with garlic will give much nourishment. Have the patient drink as much water as he possibly can. If ulcers of the rectum and stomach appear give a heaping teaspoon of goldenseal steeped in one pint of boiling water. Take one swallow every hour until healing begins.

Giardia- A common genus of the flagellate protozoans. Flagellates prefer soluble nutrients and dead or decaying material such as those found in stagnant and slow moving water. Many species of the Giardia normally inhabit the digestive tract, causing inflammation in associations with other factors that produce rapid proliferation of the organism. Giardiasis is an inflammatory intestinal condition caused by an overgrowth of the protozoa. The source of the infection is usually drinking from untreated water such as standing water, lakes, and rivers where it has been contaminated. Treating all water as suspect is your first line of defence.

Symptoms of Giardiasis is the onset of diarrhea and stomach cramps. The parasite can be spread through contaminated water, food and surfaces and from contact with someone who has it. Be sure to understand the water you are drinking and where it came from. Giardiasis can be treated with antibiotics or allowed to run its course. Isolate the patient and monitor for severe diarrhea. See Cholera. Most people will make a full recovery within two months after having mild to moderate digestive symptoms.

Cryptosporidium- Is a genus of coccidian sporozoans that are important pathogens of the dairy industry and other domestic animals, but also is a common parasite in humans. They flourish under conditions of those with compromised immune function, especially the elderly, and babies.

As with most waterborne illnesses, cryptosporidium leaves the patient with watery diarrhea. Contamination is through infected water, food, soil, dirty hands and stagnant warm pond water. 

Cryptosporidium parasites can live for up to several weeks in the poop of infected humans and animals. Crpto's high tolerance of chlorine allows the parasite to survive in chlorinated drinking water and swimming pools for long periods of time.

As with the above water borne protozoan illnesses, dehydration is the biggest concern. This can have a serve effect on the elderly and children. Antidiarrheal medication offers some relief. Healthy nutritious meals and plenty of water is the only course of action when a doctor isn't coming. 

Crpto is highly contagious, isolation for two weeks is recommended. A good deal of sanitation and hygiene is a must.

The next time your city calls for its citizens to boil the tap water, you will have a better understanding of why and what it is you need to guard against. If you find yourself in an evacuation situation or just bug out for whatever reason, if you printed this essay off and put it in your go bag you are well above the crowd. 

Until next time. . .