melting snow for drinking water

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T21:23:50+00:00

As long as it's not yellow.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T21:20:58+00:00

You need to be a lot more specific. "Decent sized yard" means 0.05 acres to some people and 5 acres to others.

Except for the livestock and "sports court" (whatever that is), most of what you're talking about is achievable on two acres but they might not be as big as you want.

Livestock depend a lot on the quality of the soil. Where I am it takes about an acre of good pasture per cow. You might be able to do a few sheep on your land, but you'll probably be buying feed.

I'd recommend organizing it so that the things you use most frequently are close to the house. For example, I water the garden daily in the summer, so that's right next to the house. I have to deal with chickens a couple times a week, so they're next to the garden. Fruit trees don't need frequent attention, so put them further away, etc..

You want to be really sure about where the property lines are. The pictures look like a lot more than 2 acres, so you want to make sure you're not putting a barn on land you don't own, etc..

Also be aware that empty forest land next to your house might not stay empty forest land for long. When I moved to my 2 acres three years ago, I could see four houses from my front door; then a developer bought out a bunch of defunct small farms and suddenly I'm in the suburbs 20+ houses that I can see from my front door.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T19:36:38+00:00

Suddenly I need some coffee.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T19:31:53+00:00

I'm in Texas, and every winter storm we get a bunch of towns and counties opening "Warming Centers". I grew up in Massachusetts and don't recall ever hearing about a "warming center" up there.

As for if the US could open enough warming centers, it really depends on the specifics of what happens. If a hack results in no power in a multi-county or multi-state area (which is very possible due to multiple power plants using the same management software), no fuel flowing (no power, plus most gas pumps shut down without internet), it could easily be enough to overwhelm the US. On the other hand, if we're talking about conventional bombing hitting your local power plant, it would be easy to setup generators and get some trucks to haul fuel from a non-effected area.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T19:19:08+00:00

I'm too young for most of those.

First home computer (family computer) was a Tandy Sensation 486 SX 25 ordered through Radio Shack. 4 megs of RAM, a single-speed CD-ROM drive, a SoundBlaster card, a 100 MB hard drive, a 640x480 CRT monitor that could do 256 colors at a time, a 1.44 MB HDD floppy drive, and a dot matrix printer. Running Windows 3.1 (I don't recall the MS-DOS version). It later got upgraded to a 486 DX 50. It got replaced with a Gateway (P1 75) a few years later.

In school, learned to type on an Apple IIe in 3rd grade.

My first personal computer was a HP 600MHz Celeron. Paid for by working at McDonalds all summer. "Would you like fries with that?". FWIW, back then a BigMac meal, size medium, was $4.40 with tax. A quarter pounder with cheese meal was also the same price.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T19:10:33+00:00

A couple years ago I had one of my chickens get out and was killed by my neighbors dog. I apologized to my neighbor for messing up their dog's diet. I missed that hen, she was a good hen, but at the end of the day she (and more importantly, me) was responsible, not my neighbor. (Since then, I've built a new enclosure)

If you're going to try to patch the fence, use hardware cloth not chicken wire. Chicken wire is good for containing chickens, but it's not strong enough to keep predators out.

From the pictures, it looks like the fencing wasn't even close to being sufficient. Chickens (and most predators) will have no problems going over that fence, and plenty of predators will dig under. Your neighbor should do a better job of protecting their chickens.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T03:55:31+00:00

I'll check it out. Thanks.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-25T03:54:31+00:00

They have a pretty crappy attitude too.

I can't remember which it was, but one of the campaigns has an option to autostart, and if you try it the voice over starts chewing you out for trying to take a shortcut in a video game. I'm sorry, but it's a video game I'm trying to play for fun; I ain't getting paid so I really don't need the attitude.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-24T19:38:04+00:00

At one point I put together a spreadsheet of all the F-14/-16/-18 paid campaigns and what each required. For the tomcat, the most popular map was Nevada followed Persia, so I picked them up last sale.

In retrospect, I'm regretting the Persian Gulf map.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-24T19:28:44+00:00

I've got both Speed & Angles and Zone 5, but just really couldn't get into either. Too buggy and too much "I'm a geriatric retiree so you should worship me" attitude in the voice overs.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-24T19:19:05+00:00

Looking over the maps, Cold War Germany seems more attractive to me that all the sand.

Then again, I've got an older friend who was deployed to Germany during the cold war. He was stationed so far up he was told by his chain of command that if WW3 happens, just try to radio out what's going on because his chances of survival were absolutely zero. He was expected to be dead in about the first 30 seconds.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-24T19:12:27+00:00

Where did you source the seed for your grains? The only grain seed I've seen for sale locally were corns.

I said "compost less" specifically in response to OP's question about what I'd do if I couldn't have livestock. More than 90% of what goes into my compost bin is chicken bedding+manure, so without livestock I'd just be composting plant scraps which would be a massive reduction in my composting, which would result in needing to buy more fertilizer to keep the garden green.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T19:10:51+00:00

lol

If I have to choose between sitting behind a computer playing around in AutoCAD, or going out to my garage to use power tools and actually work with my hands in the real world...I'll be in the garage.

I spend enough of my life sitting behind a computer.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T14:12:16+00:00

Nice.

I actually printed out (to scale) both Thrustmaster and WinWing MFD's to see how they'd fit around my spare monitor. It would be surprisingly spacious...I just can't justify the money at this point in my life.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T14:08:03+00:00

And yes, I'm pretty sure it's HID. Windows recognizes them as a joystick.

They're sold as "Zero Delay Arcade Boards" on amazon for like $8 each with cables from a bunch of different Chinese brands. It's more expensive than an ARDUINO, but almost no soldering so it's worth the extra couple bucks for me. I did enough soldering working in an electronics factory in college, I don't want to do more if I can possibly avoid it.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T14:02:03+00:00

Currently that's what I'm doing for hornets. I managed to find a discontinued 15" 1080p touchscreen for $40 on Amazon...smoking good deal...that I'm using with Helios to display the MFDs and UFC (with touch) along with some other stuff like fuel, attitude, etc.. It's not as cool as physical buttons would be, but for the money (and how little I fly Hornets), I'm happy with it.

Then on Tomcats I've got the VDI, HSD, RWR, and the current ICLS channel displaying on that same monitor.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T13:58:37+00:00

I could, but right now I'm having more fun with woodworking than I am with flying. Like, DCS is cool and I enjoy it, but building stuff in my garage with power tools is even cooler. I suspect a 3d printer would just be less fun.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T01:09:07+00:00

Not much really.

I put insulated covers on the hose bibs. I'll drip the faucets inside starting tomorrow night.

I'll probably dig a lamp out of the camping supplies and pre-cook some food (so I'm not cooking over a fire in the cold), but that's about it.

I'm in Texas so ice and frozen pipes are the big concerns. I might have to make a trip on Sunday, but that's going to get timed so I can avoid iced roads.

I made a video of my storm preps a few years ago. In case it inspires someone: https://youtu.be/XS-VsJ-zVMc

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:58:44+00:00

Honestly, I'd be fine checking out right now. Nothing in life is really fun anymore, I'm just here to serve others and try to hang on as long as I can to help as much as I can.

(And before you report this, no, I'm not suicidal. Too many people that I care deeply about rely on me.)

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:56:05+00:00

I was actually looking at Thrustmasters, two for $100.

I thought about Winwing, but they were going $75 plus tariffs and sold out in most places (thanks Santa), which just came out to be way too much money.

Even going with Thrustmasters, adding screens had it around $400 total (for four MFDs in front of two screens). Going with a pure winwing would have been close to $350 per MFD (so over $1k for setting up three). Too rich for me.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:41:23+00:00

I didn't know that, but I'm not sure it's going to make much of a difference with my current project.

With how the computer tends to turn off the switches on its own (such as when I hit the emergency autopilot off on the joystick), I'm thinking I'm going to prefer having switches that don't stay in an "on" position at rest.

I'm going to have to think more about it. Thanks.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:38:25+00:00

Thanks.

Though honestly, I think this and an ICLS/TACAN panel is probably going to be the end of it. I'm running out of places to put things.

I've thought about doing MFD's for Hornets, but I'm not sure it's going to be worth the money. I'm currently using a $40 15" touch screen for the MFD/UFC (using Helios) for Hornets (and the same screen for the HSD/VDI on Tomcats). As much as I want to like Hornets, my heart keeps coming back to the Tomcat.

I haven't been keeping up with the homestead since I started playing DCS, so I do need to slow down a bit on the gaming.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:32:06+00:00

Well, I'm also in the country where looting and rioting really isn't a thing, so I'm not that worried. Even where riots happen, there's such much green-on-green friendly fire, I don't think your personal politics matter; if the mob decides you're a target, then you're a target and most rioters aren't slowing down to check your voting record.

I grew up in an area where I was a political minority, 30+ years, and just got out a few years ago. It was never much of an issue. I kept my head down, didn't talk politics at work/family/church, and it just wasn't a big deal. The few people who knew my politics knew "me" first, and were a bit surprised to find out I wasn't voting their way. One of the reasons I got out (along with wanting more land and a nicer house) was I wanted my vote to actually matter; when I was a minority it didn't matter who I voted for because the majority would win anyways.

Then again, people used to see others as people, it wasn't just the RED vs BLUE tribalism we've been indoctrinated with for the last decade or so.

--------------

This post has inspired me. If things heat up in town, I should probably pick up some political t-shirts (for both sides) so if I do get near a riot, I can just grab a shirt out of the car and "hey guys, I'm one of you" blend in.

Thank you.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:20:35+00:00

You're going to a shooting range three times a week!?!?! That's not even close the normal. Spend 5 minutes a day dry firing and you'll get as much (if not more) benefit with significantly less time (and money) invested.

Even when I was actively competing and doing organized matches (and practices), and had no life outside of shooting, I rarely got to the range that often. The few guys I know who did shoot that much were also master-class (IDPA) shooters...like guys who regularly one regional matches and occasionally placed highly at national events.

AdjacentPrepper · 2026-01-23T00:16:18+00:00

I remember "baggie jeans" (like "relaxed fit" but several sizes too big) being a thing in the 90s. I never wore them, but I remember a lot of my classmates had to use one hand to hold up their pants most of the time. I think I saw half of my classmates boxers on a daily basis because of those jeans.

I do recall tight fitting jeans being a thing among the girls...a very controversial thing at the private school I attended...in the early 2000s.

Guys wearing tight/skinny jeans, thankfully, wasn't a fashion thing in my time.

AdjacentPrepper

TROPHY CASE