themartianchick

It is so nice to meet you, Eliana! I am also an urban homesteader in NY State. There is much that you can do in an apartment or with only a small backyard. I used to keep (stealth) chickens, quail, a garden, indoor edible plants, outdoor permaculture edibles, and even mapped the local areas where edibles exist in my city. Some of those edibles are no longer recognized as food by most city dwellers! Don't ever think that you are limited...You just homestead a little differently!

Last year, they asked people to stop feeding birds in NY State, too. They showed photos of an unknown bird disease that they were afraid would spread through cross breed congregations at bird feeders. The birds in the photos appeared to have coryza, which is a common disease in chicken flocks. We feed the birds at my mom's apartment because she loves to see all of the wildlife that is attracted by the seeds to her small patio. It would be a shame if we had to stop feeding them entirely.

I just spotted this article about the presence of the dangerous type of bird flu in NY State. I am not in Suffolk County, but bird diseases can travel as fast as the crow flies.

https://hudsonvalleypost.com/bird-flu-that-kills-most-infected-humans-found-in-new-york-state/

3 hours ago, SusanAnn said:

 

And yes allotment which I went on about in a previous post are nearly always away from the house.  It depends on the local bye laws whether you can keep animals or not, the ones nearest to me do not allow it, but I have visited other places where people have kept chickens and even a pig 

Hi, SusanAnn! 

Your allotments are what we commonly call community garden plots in urban areas. I used to work for a nonprofit organization that operates one. The cost is minimal because the goal was to address poverty and a lack of healthy food access. Like Jeepers, I also watch a lot of British, Canadian and Australian television. I look forward to reading more of your posts!

Hubby and I first realized that we might have a COVID problem in the US in January 2020. I read the news from a few different countries on a daily basis. My sources are usually the BBC, Al Jazeera and CBC. I was aware of the virus in China, but they always have wild and crazy outbreaks and wear masks to mitigate them. In January of 2020, hubby and I flew to Florida for a few days. While in the Jacksonville Airport, we saw several people in the TSA line wearing masks. They appeared to be Asian and they were not traveling together. That made us start thinking about the implications of people from different parts of China (presumably) deciding to wear masks.

When we returned to NY, we started freshening our stock of medications and other things that we thought would be helpful if things got bad here. One thing that helped to facilitate our thought process was the fact that I had gone back to school several years ago and had to write a paper on emergency management. I chose the Spanish Flu Pandemic simply because it was historical and there were a lot of angles to study. I also tried to apply the science learned from some of my biology, anatomy, and physiology classes. Our family managed to stay COVID-free, until my hubby broke our usual protocols and attended a funeral out of state at the end of December 2021. We believe that he and another passenger caught it from traveling in a car with a relative. The relative swore that he'd been tested and his cough was due to a cold. No one else that we have been trying to protect has actually caught it. If anyone is interested in our protocols, I would be willing to share them in a separate post.

***Back then, I was just reading those external (outside the US) news services because I liked learning about what was going on in other places. Today, I read those sources because their news often reports on things a few days before you see them in the US media. An early warning helps you to get the jump on everybody else!

I agree, Ambergris! I read something earlier this week that mentioned the fact that scientists have had some time to study the Omicron variant. They have determined that it can last longer on surfaces than the original version of COVID. I felt vindicated when I read it because I still wipe down everything in my office before my coworkers arrive and have a cleaning protocol for using a public bathroom that others might find over-the-top! (My coworkers certainly do!) I am especially careful because I provide care to my 88-year old mom and she is medically fragile. My dad is 90, so he is at-risk, too. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-omicron-surface-transmission-1.6385401

Hi, Wheezie!!!

Your home is beautiful, LittleSister! I am still in the planning stages of some renovations. I am not looking forward to the dust, noise, and the high cost of materials. W have also been shopping for a new (to us) home online. The purchase prices have gone up over the past few years.

2 minutes ago, Cricket said:

I'm back, too, Thanks to Darlene's email this morning. It looks like it's been five years, but it doesn't seem like it when I already see so many folks I fondly remember and respect. 

Hi, Cricket!!  

(This feels like a high school reunion!)

Hi, Jeepers! 

I no longer have my quail... or my gardens.  I had to let them go because my hubby retired and we wanted to be able to travel. I am glad that I installed some permaculture on my property because those are still productive. There is a whole lot more to the story, but I will share it in another area of the site later. I am working towards another plan that will involve more property and critters in the near future. My homesteading skills (thanks to all of you), are still solid, though!

Hello, Mother!!!!! 

I am definitely back!

Hi, Darlene & Dee!

I visited a few days ago to look for some information, but didn't have time to post. I received your email this morning and I am also feeling some things tugging me in again. My life has been quite hectic in recent years and I haven't had much time to participate. I will visiting more frequently and taking a more active role as a poster. I am looking forward to seeing the changes that you envision, Darlene! (I still use your duck sausage recipe!)

3 hours ago, out_of_the_ordinary said:

That's my concern with switching to family cloth.   I have lots of cloth wipes from cloth diapering DD.   I've thought about starting to use those as family cloth, but I think out of habit, I'd flush them.  And then the potential clog/toilet backing up.

 

We've nearly stopped buying Cottonelle.  It had gotten thinner, more linty, and much more narrower.  We've switched to Quilted Northern.  It's not as soft as Cottonelle used to be.   There's more TP on the roll, though.      I think "double roll" is a tricky word, regardless of the brand, because I'm not seeing any "single" rolls in my stores to compare to see  if a double roll is actually twice the amount of a single roll.     Paper towels sizes are weird now, too.  It used to just be the single rolls and double rolls.  Now it's "big roll" or "mega roll" or something else so there's no way to easily compare.

I think that the industry is enjoying the confusion. I tend to look at the unit price rather than the price for the package to ensure that I'm getting the most for my money. Every brand seems to have a gimmick. I like Scott's and Wegman's store brand but I will buy other brands when they are a loss leader at the store or if I have a coupon.

Scrubbing the phone book pages would be an act of desperation for me. I have noticed in recent years that the toilet paper tends to be almost too soft. It makes a lot of lint when you use it. I'm sure that it is a cost-saving measure that the TP companies are taking advantage of!

1 hour ago, dogmom4 said:

Martianchick! I've missed you and your little green Martian man! So glad that life is going well for you. Sure you still writing your fiction stories?

Hi, Dogmom!

I am still writing but not nearly as much as I'd like. I took the summer off from school and thought that I'd have more time to be creative. However, life intervened and there was a lot less free time than I'd imagined.

9 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Martian!!!! 

 

So glad to see you. I still think of you often. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of you last week. I stumbled on a prepper radio broadcast and wondered if you were still doing yours. I couldn't think of the name of it though to check.

 

Hope you hang around!   

Hi, Jeepers! 

I only did my broadcast for about a year. The company had too many management changes and they kept making the broadcast requirements more difficult. It got to the point where I was spending an entire day editing and adding the commercials into the mix. It was fun while it lasted, though. I still use the equipment for some occasional voiceover work and stay connected to those other authors and emergency managers. One of them, Arthur Bradley PhD, was my inspiration to return to school. He is a NASA scientist who writes post-apocalyptic fiction and really good emergency manuals. 

39 minutes ago, Annarchy said:

 

So nice to see you again!  

 

Lol, every time I buy TP, I think of you. 

 

Retirement... I think I work harder now. Lol

 

 

Hi, Annarchy!

My hubby grabbed the remains of a 24 pack this morning and I made a mental note to buy 2 more! Old habits die hard and that is a habit that will be taken to the grave with me. There really is no such thing as too much TP!

10 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

  Martian!!!!     I was just thinking about you a couple days ago.  Didn't you do a radio interview with a post-hooey author?  I think of you when I see his books in my search for FREE ebooks.  And of course....when I see books on quail-raising.  Glad you still have some of them. 

 

What does one do with a Masters in Aeronautical Science?  Sounds way over my head....but then, high school math would be over my head by this time. 

 

Hope you'll stick around!!

MtRider

Hi, MtRider!

I have managed to rise to meet the challenges associated with math that doesn't involve money, but it isn't my strong suit! I've always been interested in flight and emergency preparedness. While most people take their first air flights in planes, my first was in a helicopter as part of a neighborhood watch demonstration of a medical evacuation. I didn't really know how to get into a career path for something like that without military service, so I never really explored it further. Besides, I discovered boys, tiny skirts and lots of hairspray soon after that.

Aeronautical Science doesn't fit well with my other (non-science) degrees so I had to complete a lot of undergraduate work first, particularly in the field of unmanned systems (aka drones). It is my goal to combine my business, non-profit management and economic development skills to create programming and facilities that inspire younger, at-risk populations to major in STEM  programs as a way to battle poverty and increase upward mobility. The catch is that I don't really want to work for anyone as an employee, so I will likely teach some online classes for a couple of colleges while I work on developing the programs. The backup plan would be to actually manage an aviation-based museum. That's the plan...Of course, I have to get through school first!

I do hope to pop in for conversations more often...I miss this place!

They were so easy to raise, Amber. I'm still making plans to raise them on a larger scale once hubby and I get tired of traveling.

I am back in NY, Miki! It was so hard to leave Florida but the people who matter the most are in NY so I had to return. How about you? Are you back at home?

I just wanted to say hi to everyone, as I haven't stopped in to visit in a while. I spent a bit of time reading first to see what everyone has been up to. For those who are experiencing challenges right now, it is my sincere hope that things will turn around and that you will receive some measure of relief from your troubles. I still remember so many of you fondly (and interact with several of you on Facebook). It is so nice to see some new members participating, as well.

My family and I have been doing well. My husband retired a couple of years ago and I've gone back to school to work on a Masters in Aeronautical Science. We've had a grand time traveling and I launched an economic development consulting company that mostly works with nonprofit agencies. As a result, some of my preparedness has slipped a bit because I no longer have any chickens and only a few quail on my little urban farm. Despite this, I can still point to many things that still help to keep my family prepared that I gained from this site. I still use the most fabulous apron (which was made by Violet) on a daily basis. From time to time, I make poultry sausage using a recipe that was shared by Darlene and often drink herbal tea from a Salt Flats mug that was the result of a Christmas gift exchange here. You ladies are awesome, even if I'm not here often enough to tell you all!

I just learned of Kim's passing on another forum. I was always so impressed with her can-do attitude and amazing work ethic. As she had shared some of her fears about Bethany's well-being, there was always the sense that she was in the process of working out a long-term care solution. She always approached everything in a matter-of-fact manner. It was as though nothing was too daunting to take on! I'm so glad that she was able to finish her work on earth and that she can now rest in peace, knowing that her daughter will be looked after.

I'm sure that there is a special place in heaven for her!

I'd better whip up a little extra cake for all of these birthdays!!!

Here's an interesting article that discusses some of the differences between previous Ebola outbreaks ad the current one:

Lack of Experience Fuels West Africa Ebola Crisis

 

Anyone heard how the two Americans brought back to Emory hospital are doing?

 

 

MtRider

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/dr-kent-brantly-statement/

Statement from Kent Brantly:

" I am writing this update from my isolation room at Emory University Hospital, where the doctors and nurses are providing the very best care possible. I am growing stronger every day, and I thank God for His mercy as I have wrestled with this terrible disease. I also want to extend my deep and sincere thanks to all of you who have been praying for my recovery as well as for Nancy and for the people of Liberia and West Africa.

My wife Amber and I, along with our two children, did not move to Liberia for the specific purpose of fighting Ebola. We went to Liberia because we believe God called us to serve Him at ELWA Hospital.

One thing I have learned is that following God often leads us to unexpected places. When Ebola spread into Liberia, my usual hospital work turned more and more toward treating the increasing number of Ebola patients. I held the hands of countless individuals as this terrible disease took their lives away from them. I witnessed the horror first-hand, and I can still remember every face and name.

When I started feeling ill on that Wednesday morning, I immediately isolated myself until the test confirmed my diagnosis three days later. When the result was positive, I remember a deep sense of peace that was beyond all understanding. God was reminding me of what He had taught me years ago, that He will give me everything I need to be faithful to Him.

Now it is two weeks later, and I am in a totally different setting. My focus, however, remains the same - to follow God. As you continue to pray for Nancy and me, yes, please pray for our recovery. More importantly, pray that we would be faithful to God’s call on our lives in these new circumstances "

#kickebolaoutofafrica

While additional aid is starting to arrive in Liberia, one of the issues that my friend spoke of was the fact that so many supplies have been diverted as aid groups have canceled their plans for mission trips to Ebola-stricken areas. I don't blame church and humanitarian groups for not wanting to put their people at risk for disease, but too often, the supplies that they were going to bring with them are not being sent on, alone. The supplies are desperately needed and will be the only way that Liberia and other nations will be able to stop this.

I saw an image somewhere of a large shipment of supplies from a US university/hospital, but I don't recall which one. Another issue is that many of the hospitals have been shut down due to the disease and won't be able to reopen until new aid workers arrive. Some of the African nations are attempting to get the word out about Ebola, before it enters their borders. I saw a video that someone posted of a man attempting to contact people via cell phone to raise awareness about the disease.

Let me see what articles I can find...