Since we haven't had a humor post recently (and boy do I need one), I decided to do a little review of one of my favorite books.<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1530" title="zsg-cover" src="/images/uploads/2009/03/zsg-cover.jpg" alt="zsg-cover" width="240" height="240" /> The Zombie Survival Guide, by Max Brooks. Now who among us hasn't felt some joy in responding to the question, "What are you prepping for" with a glib reply of "For the oncoming Zombie Invasion"? If you haven't ever used that response, you should try it sometime, and feel the joy.
Taught by Debbie Kent who is a preparedness/food storage specialist in her stake in California. Debbie has taught numerous classes on every aspect of preparedness and has consented to share the latest up to date methods and ideas on how we can each secure what we need for the future.
I'm not a big TV fan myself, as I expect many of the readers of this blog. But last year I did stumble on a show I really liked, called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alaska_Experiment">The Alaska Experiment</a>". The show took a couple small groups (2-4 people) of "regular people", and dropped them in backcountry Alaska, to survive into the winter. Now, not only was this TV, but it was reality-tv, which by nature I detest. And yet it drew me in like no other. Why? Because it showed just how little people knew, and just how difficult it was to survive, even with the large amount of help these people received. They had minimal food supplies given, they had shelter, and constant checkups to make sure they weren't in real harm. And yet it was still *very* difficult. Sure, at many points I would scream at people for what I saw as dumb decisions, but I have a better camping background than they. I was also sitting in my nice chair at home, instead of in the middle of Winter in Alaska.
Our friends over at <a href="http://www.alpinefoodstorage.com/">Alpine Food Storage</a> recently sent out some emails about some overstocks they currently have. If you are in Utah, this is a great chance to go browse and pick up some of those deals you might have missed from previous group buys. If you have some tax refund money left, here's a great way to use some of it.
It's no secret that the current administration does not approve of gun ownership by American citizens. So overall it came as no surprise when I found a video on a blog of the white house chief of staff, Rahm Emmanual, speaking to a conference for the Brady campaign about one of his ways of preventing firearm ownership.
Gardening in Utah can be a wonderfully enjoyable and productive experience. Knowing how to get started however can be a major deterrent for many people. Fortunately, there are a number of local resources we can rely upon in order to help us to get started on the path to productive, self-sufficient gardening.
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[caption id="attachment_1488" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Note the Queen on the Bottom right"]<img src="/images/uploads/2009/03/bee1-300x209.jpg" alt="Note the Queen on the Bottom right" title="bee1" width="300" height="209" class="size-medium wp-image-1488" />[/caption]
My name is Bryan. I am one of the 3 B’s. The three B’s are as follows: Bryan, Brian, and then there’s the other Bryan. I tell you that so you don’t get us confused. We are all beekeepers. If you were to tell any one of us a few years ago that we would be beekeepers, we all would have told you that you were stone cold crazy! Yet here we all are keeping honeybees…..and loving it!!! So…what happened?
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We all have the strong desire to want to provide for our families, and prepare for whatever may lie ahead. No, we don’t have spare time gracing us at every turn. We all have our families with several young children. However, we all have a desire to be a part of helping something bigger than just our families. Enter the Honeybees. I came across a news article years ago explaining the importance of honeybees in our society. The more I read about the honeybees, the more I found I was feeding an appetite that I never knew I had. The more I read the more I wanted to know.
What I found was absolutely astounding. I can’t think of another insect that has had such a profound affect on civilization than the Honeybee. Honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen, royal jelly, all products of the beehive, has played an important role in the health, and wellbeing of mankind for ages. That does not even take into consideration the pollination work that the honeybee does. The honeybee was brought across the ocean to the Americas by the settlers (known as the white man’s fly to the Indians) to ensure the success of the crops they planted. I’m not even beginning to scratch the surface here.
[caption id="attachment_1489" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Catching my first Swarm!!!"]<img src="/images/uploads/2009/03/bee2-300x200.jpg" alt="Catching my first Swarm!!!" title="bee2" width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-1489" />[/caption]
So…why honeybees? The bottom line is that they need our help….. and, we need theirs. About 1/3 of our food supply is dependant on the honeybee for pollination. Disease, pests, and development have virtually eliminated the feral honeybee populations. It turns out that a fruit fly has five times the capability of fighting off disease than the honeybee. It is becoming more and more important to have managed honeybee colonies.
We live in a time when “going green” is in. Honeybees definitely play an important role in keeping the planet green. We, along with all kinds of plants and animals need this important species buzzing around. From the liquid gold of the sweet honey (which does not spoil if stored in a sealed container and will help relieve allergy symptoms!!!) , the increase of the yield in my home garden and fruit trees, to the lip balm made from the beeswax collected from the hive, my family has been blessed by having this truly remarkable species around.
So, if you are contemplating getting involved in this remarkable journey, it is time to jump in.
[caption id="attachment_1490" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Swarms 1 Stings 0!!!)"]<img src="/images/uploads/2009/03/bee3-300x200.jpg" alt="Swarms 1 Stings 0!!!)" title="bee3" width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-1490" />[/caption]
If you are thinking of getting started in keeping bees, you will need to get started on it soon. The bees will be arriving about mid April. You need to pre-order them right away. They always are sold out right after they come in!
[caption id="attachment_1491" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Picture of my 6 yr. old helping me install a swarm I caught."]<img src="/images/uploads/2009/03/bee4-300x200.jpg" alt="Picture of my 6 yr. old helping me install a swarm I caught." title="bee4" width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-1491" />[/caption]
For all kinds of helpful information you can visit the Utah County Beekeepers Association web site, or attend an association meeting: <a href="http://www.utahcountybeekeepers.org">www.utahcountybeekeepers.org</a>
<h4>Bee Hive Plans</h4>
Top bar hive Plans: <a href="http://www.backyardhive.com">BackYard Hive.com</a>
Langstroth Hive Plans: <a href="http://www.beesource.com/plans/index.htm">BeeSource.com</a>
<h4>To purchase hives/frames and bee keeping products:</h4>
<a href="http://www.jonesbee.com">Jones Bee</a>
<a href="http://www.mannlakeltd.com">Mann Lake Ltd.</a>
<a href="http://www.dadant.com">DadAnt</a>
<a href="http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com">Brush Mountain Bee Farm</a>
<a href="http://www.utahcountybeekeepers.org">Utah County Bee Keepers</a> –go to the classifieds section.
<h4>To purchase bees packages:</h4>
<a href="http://www.knightfamilyhoney.com">Knight Family Honey</a>
<a href="http://www.jonesbee.com">Jones Bee</a>
If you are interested in getting started in Bee Keeping, there is the <a href="http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/03/beginning-bee-keeping-class-in-orem/">Bee Keeping Class in Orem</a> on March 20th. If you would like to learn more now though or would like to avoid the class fee, I will be conducting an informal class at my house in Mapleton this Friday, March 13th at 7 PM.
We will be going over much of the same information from that class. In addition, we will be putting together a group order for bees and the recommended equipment you need to get started in Bee Keeping.
If you are interested in attending this informal class, please RSVP to Bryan Esquivel by e-mailing maplemountainbees@q.com
Preparedness. There is perhaps no other word that conveys so much, yet so little. What does it mean? To what areas of life does it apply (or not apply)? Being adequately and generally prepared of a necessity requires that we ask ourselves all sorts of questions, plan for various scenarios, and abstract our preparations enough such that they can apply to various circumstances, if possible.
As an admitted geek, I have often tried to help people in understanding <a href="http://ssd.eff.org"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1432" title="ssd-1" src="/images/uploads/2009/03/ssd-1-300x142.jpg" alt="ssd-1" width="300" height="142" /></a>the importance of information security, especially when it comes to technological storage and transmission. From what kind of software you run, to how you communicate with others your data can be vulnerable. From employers to government agencies, neighbors to hackers, what you say and keep can be taken and used in ways that you don't want. But teaching everything people should know to keep themselves safe is often a long process, and something I often have to revisit to remind people.<!--more-->
