By Anna Von Reitz
I recall asking certain of my neighbors to join our Food Storage Club some years back. Alaska is inordinately dependent on food shipped in from the Lower 48. Except for salmon and a few moose, berries and home gardens and barley, there isn't much here in terms of food, unless you are a really careful and knowledgeable forager (like my husband).
And even he prefers not to eat lichen boiled in saltwater.
How they laughed at me! How they derided the whole idea of a Food Storage Club! What was I? A "Prepper"??? A "Sovereign Citizen"??? Oh, ha-ha-ha! Even here in Alaska, they were all too good for me. Too modern. Too sophisticated. They dog-trotted away with horrible fixed grins on their faces and didn't look back.
I and a few Northern Mormons and a Sergeant Major's widow did it anyway.
Today, after an actual disaster, it's a different story.
Two of these neighbors (who never read this blog) are huddled in front of my old stove keeping warm and eating bowlfuls of corn chowder as if it was the most exquisite thing ever. Two more have been keeping warm via electrical heat exchange units I provided and at least a dozen more who snubbed the whole idea are eating today because of our lowly little Tin Hat Food Storage Club.
As I write, I have three elders, seven small children, and three people recovering from injuries/surgeries under my care. I am at the Anchorage office pinch-hitting and tending woodpiles and woodstoves around the clock. More than 600 homes and businesses remain without gas for heat, and many additional businesses including food stores and gas stations, are closed for repairs.
This is exactly the scenario I described in my 2007 book, "Alaska's Gas" where I explained how dependency on natural gas for heat in a cold climate can turn into a disaster --- and it has.
Once a portion of the gas grid goes down or the "drop out valves" related to specific homes go out, an actual technician has to check the system, re-pressurize the whole thing, and turn the gas back on.
This is a time and tech expensive process. It can take a long time to turn the gas back on --- days, even weeks, given limited numbers of trained technicians. And in the meantime, people have to stay warm and their houses need to stay above freezing or the water pipes blow and a whole different kind of frozen flood disaster begins.
Thank God the electrical grid in Anchorage didn't go down at the same time as the gas grid. Many people would be living in their cars watching the fuel gauge run out--- and freezing to death after that.
Do you know what happens when the lights go out? If you don't have a generator and fuel for it, the lights stay out. And the gas stations have gas, but 99% of them can't pump it, because guess what? Their pumps need electricity and the gas stations don't have generators....
Many years ago, I noted this formula for disaster to the local gas station owner in Big Lake. He looked thunder-struck. He'd never really thought about it, but.... soon thereafter he installed generators and reserve tanks at his gas station, and lo, and behold, yesterday when people were desperate, I heard the radio announcer saying, "Hey, folks, if you are on the Parks Highway and looking for gas, the station at Big Lake is still pumping…."
Yep. Us Tin Hats at work again.
When I installed an old-fashioned iron water pump with a handle people laughed, too. Some asked if it was a decoration. No, I had to explain, it was fully functional and fitted with a special gizmo that allows me to pump water directly into my house system and keep it pressurized.
Ah, so, my toilets flush, my water runs, and I all I have to do is go outside and pump the handle. It's a lot easier than I had it as a kid, doing the same thing back on the farm and having to carry two five-gallon buckets sloshing all the way back to Grandma's house.
So the Uppity Neighbors who laughed and thought I was odd are now grateful to have drinking water and a five gallon water container to carry it home, too.
The State Troopers who used to cruise past my house verrry slowly, called me up and asked if my pump was in service and would I be making water available to people in need, if electrical service couldn't be promptly restored?
All it takes is a 7.0 Earthquake to jolt things back into view.
This is the moment when the Grasshopper Politicians confront the fact that: (1) they have no way of restoring gas service to over 600 locations at once, and (2) they have no way to pump fuel during electrical outages, and (3) there are "no" safe supplies of drinking water when the grid goes down because almost nobody has private wells and hand pumps anymore.
Almost. Unless you happen to me, or one of my Knothead buddies.
"Oh," chuffed one local Blowhard, "no need to store any food. The stores will stay open."
The food store isn't open today in Big Lake, Alaska. It might not be open tomorrow or even next week.
As for our Team here, we are all still standing, battered, but not down.
Several of us lost all or nearly all of our china and glassware; some (including me) lost major and minor appliances that "fried" when the electrical grid went bonkers.
There were a lot of minor injuries--scratched arms, twisted legs, bruised shoulders, cuts from broken glass. Nearly everyone is stiff and sore and gimping around.
One of our Team was hit by a heavy ceiling lamp fixture that nearly cold-conked her and took a gash out of her scalp. She also lost about 200 years-worth of family glassware. She's hurt and disoriented and sorting through the rubble today, and though she is a tough lady, there's some sniffing and extra nose-blowing going on. And of course, there's the splendid designer bandage on her head.
Another Team Member very narrowly avoided being run off the road by a crazed driver who barreled through a broken stoplight intersection at 80 mph.
Apparently, some people don't know that when stoplights go out, every intersection becomes a four-way stop and everyone has to take turns. [They don't remember hand directional signals, either: hand up, elbow at right angle means "right turn", while arm straight out means "left turn".]
Another Team Member had a gas leak and was lucky enough to avoid inhalation or explosion. Another one of our guys was just recovering from surgery when this hit and should be resting, but isn't.
And now we are having a sleet storm with gale-force winds. Oh, joy. That makes hauling wood and splitting it a real treat.... picture me in my flannel shirt, Helly Hansen rain gear, Irish fisherman's sweater, pack boots with ice grips and a woolie helmet hat with the flaps down over my ears....
I have no hot water where I am and no central heat. We are keeping the home fires burning---literally, in a cast iron woodstove, and I am washing dishes the old way:
First, you find water. Then, you find a way to heat water. Then, you find a pan or a water-tight sink. Then you pour hot water into the dishpan or sink, and if you have it, dish soap and/or vinegar into the hot water.... then you dump all the dirty eating utensils except sharp knives to soak in the bottom of the pan while you do the glassware first, the scraped plates second, and the dirty eating utensils next. The heavily soiled pots and pans come last.
There is a logic to washing dishes by hand. There are tricks to every trade.
Some people add bleach to dish water, but I don't care to eat bleach, so I use vinegar or salt to kill bacteria on contact. You might have to use bleach if you are fighting a disease like cholera, but for normal cleaning, vinegar, salt, and baking soda will do.
You use hot water to wash dishes, as hot as you can stand, with enough soap to make bubbles but not enough to form a slimy film on dishes. To save fuel, you will want to rinse your dishes in cold water--which only works well if you learn to use the right amount of soap.
I spent enough years washing dishes by hand to know the tricks: how to conserve energy, how to sterilize things, how to kill bacteria, the right amount of soap, the proper order of things to wash....and as I did this, today, I wondered how many young people know?
And if the world keeps being tilted off its axis by criminals, how many other people will need to know? Almost certainly the neighbors who have been snickering all these years will need to know.
Final note--- we are facing hard times here and its ten times worse because of this earthquake. Team members are pretty plucky or they wouldn't be team members, but even some of them are dragging around like Eeyore, the Donkey, in Winnie-the-Pooh: "I guess we'll make it. Don't have any choice..."
Well, right.
We need cash donations to replace necessary things and pay for fuel. It's frankly too cold and too late in the year to send foodstuff that can be spoiled by being frozen in transit. That includes canned goods.
As a group we have lost two kitchen stoves, a Toyostove, a freezer, and a computer to electrical surges, and at least five replacement sets of every day dishes, sustained three visits to Urgent Care facilities for bangs and cuts and gashes, and several of us are now accruing large electric bills because the gas is off to so many homes.
If you can help, I am still Grandma-in-Charge. I am still here, doing my best to take care of everybody. Even the Pooh-Pooher neighbors.
My PayPal is: avannavon@gmail.com, and my snail mail for checks and money orders is: Anna Maria Riezinger, c/o Box 520994, Big Lake, Alaska 99652.
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See this article and over 1300 others on Anna's website here: www.annavonreitz.com
To support this work look for the PayPal button on this website.
people need to look into diesel generators they can run on used veggie oil and can convert an old diesel lawn mower engine into a simple generator, also can make a compost/waste tanks that produce natural gas for home and the solids used as fertilizer for garden.
ReplyDeleteI am so Glad you are ok! God is with you! Stay strong and courageous! I will send what I can! geoengineering.org has the credible facts and answers to the weather manipulations and stratospheric radiation management killing our planet and everything on it. You know you have the HAARP system there in Alaska and that is more than likely your culprit. You are right we all need to prep. I used to be with DHS/FEMA as a disaster first responder and am aware of the necessities you require, but I cant imagine being in the dark as well! I am praying for you as I was the minute it happened.Take your vitamins!!!
ReplyDeleteJust curious about donations,
ReplyDeleteIf there is no money and banker has said money is created out of thin air. Should we be dealing with FRN or can a bond be created to help the people. If a mortgage is paid off and a person paid that mortgage faithfully is there a refund due since all debt is prepaid?
From Anna:
DeleteYes, there is already an Indemnity bond established and yes, you are owed back all that money and if you are not a federal employee or dependent you are owed back income tax as well.
The real hard part for them, however, comes from the fact that we have not been paid for all our labor and natural resources since 1913.
Thank you Anna for all you do.How would we go about making the refunds happen for everyone? I am reading about those who have gotten funds back from court cases, mortgage loans, bank loans etc... In excess of over$100,000.00 What tax forms should be done to get those funds?
DeleteIn all honesty I would love to donate $50,000 to the disaster. There must be a way to do this through monies owed back to us.Getting access to these funds can surely happen for at least 50% of us following you. we understood that we are owed refunds from utility companies, refund from bank deposits, refunds from any rental payments and even refunds from groceries and living expenses, then how can We The People get those refunds? We calculated just the last 3 years (January 1, 2015-December 1, 2018) on all the mentioned refunds owed and just my husband and I alone came to $745,045.56. Not even including the funds owed from The Truth In Lending.That's another $586,367.00. What suggestions do you have to get all of us following you to this point? There has to be an answer. We all do this, and we could really help.
We could create foundations that would give to humanity for clean water, gas spills, hurricanes and other disasters.We are not talking about a hand out, we talking monies we actually paid and have receipts for. Can we all do this and use the credits to help our brothers and sisters in need? If we can get at least 500 people their refunds back and the donate at least $10,000.00. Wouldn't that be a BIG help? Can we at least work on really getting the refunds individually and make bigger donations??? And for those labeled Black, African American and Negro, what is their remedy? All we keep hearing is we have to do things a little differently. Remedies should be given for ALL if we are indeed ALL in this together.
Anna we really appreciate all the time and sacrifices you have made through the years.
REMEDY FOR ALL FOR THOSE REFUNDS OWED...Once done correctly they can be deposited or sent out in 2-3 weeks, so can we possibly get that going?
And what about that 3 day banking rule?
Was in meeting with some recently and he told his story about the bank agreeing to loan him $1 million just on his signature on a promissory note and his credit score is 550 as I wrote this. We know it wasn't about his credit score because the bank never checked it.
Anna's unique ability to think clearly about people and their nature, about politics, American and International law, American history, and to keep a fixed eye on the underlying truth of things in telling readers how to accurately put all the puzzle pieces together owes much to her farm or frontier life upbringing. Where people need to solve many problems daily to keep body and soul together and to keep the place running, many skills and talents accrue to the problem solver like Anna.
ReplyDeleteThose skills are serving not only her and her family but also her neighbors very well right now, and the skills and life experiences underlie the wisdom she imparts in her articles. It is not such a great blessing to live a life of ease in the suburbs, as in challenging times the needed skills may just not be there, and a disaster then can deal terrible losses.
"Physician, heal thyself" comes to mind. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" also comes to mind. The Light of the world is The Original Prepper, for worldly needs and for spiritual preparing to meet our Maker. I recall the parable about the bridesmaids who had not filled their lamps, could not borrow light (testimony) from those who had prepared, so they were shut out from the Bridegrooms marriage.
Thanks once again for your inspiring example, Anna. You are lifting and lighting the way for your neighbors and your readers alike. Thanks for your undying courage to bravely put forth your truth in your sovereign peoples court (the sovereign man or woman conducts his and her court wherever we speak to tell our truth, even when imposters try to intimidate us) in the face of a system that relies on intimidation to make living people cower at its claims of authority. (BTW, what is the difference between denying your (spiritual) birthright and denying your God? ...Nothing!)
May your neighbors give you the appreciation and respect they rightly owe you, and may the self serving "authorities" pay you respect in your American Common court you conduct continually which they rightly owe you as well.
We know that, and they know that, theirs is only a shell game with Satan as their coach and advisor. The father of lies keeps counsel with his underling imitator recruits, who revel with their dark leader in deception. As scripture warns, they :"seek deep to hide their counsels". But known in every detail are they to our Lord and our Light. And Anna helps us see their lying ways.
joel - What a wonderful tribute to Anna's resourcefulness in good times & bad. She is one smart and wise lady I'd like to meet in person before I die. Hubby and I will be sending $ to her account.
DeleteAnna, I, too, am a prepper, so I know of what you speak in that area. You truly have a gift for writing so that the reader feels he/she is right there. We will send some money today. Please Keep us up on how it's going. (((HUGS)))
So accurately expressed Joel, and we wholeheartedly Agree, Absolutely!!! Thank you so much for your in-sightful, priceless, timely contribution for All!!!
DeleteThe priceless (True Spirit-Soulful Will) Lesson IS Now being Learned by So many Living Souls on this planet Now. There IS sooo much to Learn from All of our "passed" thoughts, behaviors and deeds (severed worldly heads without fruitful spirit-Soulful Will guidance of our flesh) and Truly take heed to break ourselves free of ALL these Self serving Worldly trained "Dependencies" and All False Self serving "creature comforts" of Man made Governments & Religious "Systems" to "protect or Save You". How we choose to shallowly React (negatively, in Service to Self Only minded) or Faithfully Respond (Whole-heartedly In Fruitfilled-Will Service to others) Is our Gift-Will to Know and choose consciously Now. Its Time!! Govern Thyself Accordingly In All Now and Truly Reap what We choose to Sow!! Choose your Main Power Filled Source Within Now To Wisely InSpire You and Safely Guide Your thoughts, behaviors, deeds from here on Now!! We got this!!
So Grateful For All the "Tests" and "Lessons" allowed to occur in our living Lives to Learn and grow from Now and Always!!
Much faithful Gratitude, Unconditional Love, True Awareness and Eternal Peace Be For All Now
Anna, I am glad you are as well as you are, considering the seriousness of the situation. I would not wish such a mess on ordinary person. As a little girl we had one of those old black iron stoves which is all we had at that time, for cooking. They provide such a wonderful warm heat source, but you do have to keep it stoked and fed.
ReplyDeleteI can disagree a whole lot with some folks, but I am adult enough to keep everything in proper perspective; so I wish you all well and quick recovery up there.
I was debating on whether to spend any money on getting these new freeze dried food packets in order to last at least 72 hours, or buy more to last longer...all you need is water and a simple burner , because they still need to be heated in boiling water for them to taste good, because they are hot meals...and these days they are very good...but it gets expensive quickly....and we have been procrastinating on spending money we don't have...but you just made it a guilt edge priority to really think seriously about this again....its better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it....!!
ReplyDeleteBut we are saving water, which is the most important thing to have since you can only last 3 days without water...and that is pushing it...!!
I think the plan is to get everyone out of rural areas and get them to move into the cities where all the people can be watched if martial law is declared....its much easier for police to control the masses if they are all together...They don't want people living in rural areas anymore....!!
Your neighbors are lucky to have you around...maybe they will listen to you now...!!
God Bless you guys up there...!! My brother turns the heat on if the temperature falls below 73 degrees...Calif. would have a hard time acclimating to your environment....!@!
I dropped this in after the last post but it may be more applicable here. This blog .. cascadian.orgfree.com .. is an extensive examination of the Cascadia or Juan de Fuca subduction zone. Anyone in the Pacific Northwest, coastal Oregon and northern California would be wise to prep. Although some predictions put the epicenter off the Washington coast, the I-5 corridor is a more likely location. This subduction zone is very 'stuck' and there is potential for a 9+ quake in this region. I keep an 'OH S--T!' bag in my car. A 15 minute run to town is a lot farther if you have to walk home .. hoping the bridges are still up. There's kerosene for the lamps, and some of them are metal, a fireplace insert I can cook on.. I'm not READY, by any means, and the longer amenities are down the tougher it gets. Either wind or snow usually takes out the power here every winter, so I get a taste of Reality pretty often. If these quakes can be triggered, they're probably saving this one for their end game, 'cause that's what it's gunna look like when it goes off. Just a heads up.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this priceless and timely Insight-ful contribution shared for All Mae Dawson!!! Eye opening and Awe-mazing IN Deed!! So Grateful For All Faithfull Service to Others Living Souls Being "shakened & awakened" Fully prepared Now!! Yes!!
DeleteMuch Faithfilled Gratitude, unconditional Love, True Wisdom-Awareness, and Eternal Peace-Joy Be For All Living Now
Ps. I added the above link provided by Mae Dawson as admin Note & Permanent Link below Anna's Article, to be able to share both together as one Valuable contribution and Awareness for All Now:
Deletehttps://livingsoulsnow.blogspot.com/2018/12/status-report-december-first-2018.html
Also Permanent Live Link Is Included n rights side of Blog Page under Category: "Living Investments For Living Souls Now" "MEGAQUAKES& Disaster Preparedness" on http://livingsoulsnow.blogspot.com as well. Please Bookmark and share with others to keep raising awareness and igniting All Hearts-minds to fully awaken Now!! Its Time!! So Grateful Now!!
Wow, reality set's in.I love my creature comforts . And visualize the struggle in Germany cut off from all sides by the central bankers many vehicles had gasifiers.run on fumes from burning wood .prime mover turn generators . Wood was processed into pellets to burn easier .
ReplyDeleteWell Done for getting the scene under control & continuing improvements!
ReplyDeletei'll send a dono.
Our challenges may grow greater but faith will deliver us all to the finish line:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbVtDa3DqRQ&fbclid=IwAR26gnQ5xgT9Ch4yfeqG5Vt9ApL_36a3BZZ_RThwIg8cSs8qqslLLoYFjoU
Remember any RV with a diesel genset can be used to back feed power into a home or shop with the main breaker off.
ReplyDeleteyou all are remarkable family. its a amazing how things work out, when you prepared, God bless and keep you all safe. Well done faithful servant (s) and the fight continues
ReplyDeleteANNA: Thank you for the update on your well-being and your valuable insights regarding being prepared. I'm glad you were prepared and are getting the "last laugh, so to speak. Bless you and your very fortunate neighbors.
ReplyDeleteMAE DAWSON: Thank you for your link to cascadian.orgfree.com--a website loaded with info that would also be of interest to people not in the Cascadia Subduction Zone area. (I live on the central Oregon coast, two houses up from a line painted on the street indicating the end of the tsunami zone. Whew--that was close!)
ALL WHILE WE WAIT!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWHAT THE HELL ARE WE WAITING FOR?????
Everyone just keeps saying “wait till ....”, WAIT TILL .... WELL MYSELF AND MANY MANY OTHERS ARE GETTING VERY VETY VERY TIRED OF WAITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anna hang in there as I know you will. I will get a donation off to you as that is the least I can do. Just keep your fine wit and humor coming. Your report about an out of no where earthquake is all over the Internet!
ReplyDeleteI am quite sure God is giving then entire country a big wake up call, and you Alaskans better take heed and ask 'just what are You trying to tell us''. In fact that is not the only place getting such a Wake Up Call; the entire west coast is also getting huge warnings lately.
ReplyDeleteThe big mistake most people make over and over in these situations, is to rush into survival mode and the first thing outta their mouths is always ''we will rebuild''..........and they never stop to wonder 'why in the hell did God let this happen to me''?
And so here we are in the middle of ohio and Dec. 2 and its in the low 60 degrees, sunny and calm and dry. We went out to a certain store to do an errand and they had all 3 items we went for. The Bush b'tard is finally gone, and best of all u.s. military has deployed 100 MP's to Gitmo. Dec. 5 just might be a significant day, unless plans change. And I've had some of the best news this past week, totally unexpected double portion. The only downside is ''they' put smart meters on our building; today the kitchen track lights seem a whole lot dimmer. Whats up with that !
It was a young wippersnapper who put the Meters on, I went out and asked him what they were, smart meters, so I shook my head and told him ''thats very very bad'' and he just laughed at that. So I just told him he is being very nieve, and walked away.