TOTM Dec. 2015- Rule of Threes

I read that title as "rule of three" and thought of an entirely different rule.

 

My ex works in a nursing home and said she has seen people live three weeks without food or water. No IV, no meds, nothing. So, I guess it depends on the level of activity and the environment one is in.

 

From thriving , to holding to sustaining to slowly dying . Uncle Morgan , your posts on this are pretty much the way I feel about this subject. As for bugging out? I have said it many times. Cant do it. My Wife cant walk 100 yards much less out of a disaster zone. W e dont fly so plane crashes are not going to happen. I don't worry much about earthquakes here in Michigan. But freakish weather, fire, war, EMP , society breaking down , disease?? they could all come into play here and I hope I prepared for the most likely possibilities . Water, Shelter and food. 6 of us can survive here for almost 20 years provided we dont get killed defending the place or get moved out by others or by Government, foreign or Domestic. If left to our own resources the last 10 years would be a slow decline towards death if not resupplied with at least staples like salt, sugar, some form of grain for carbs . There are only so many cat tails on the lake. Only so many fish and man can not live on protein alone. How about the basic rule of three food groups. Carbohydrates, Proteins and greens. Fruit can be a lifesaver literally. I planted lots of fruit trees and hope they bear fruit soon. Nothing however is set in stone. Guidelines abound. plan, backup plan, even plan c and a ability to make a plan as you go . NOTHING is set in stone. NO ONE knows exactly what is coming down the pipe. The odds tell me that I am the safest right here. We have no where else to go. No one is waiting with open arms at a remote bunker in the Mountains. My final stand is right here at my wife's side. I cant do any more and will do no less.

 

There it is.

 

Any of y'all plant nuts? Good fatty stuff life pecans or walnuts?

 

Black walnuts grow on my hunting property. It is a very antisocial tree, nothing else can grow around it.
And I have planted a bunch of red oak primarily for the deer.

 

Heard that. don't get them in my AO.

I was thinking about Kingfish's problem with the calories and fats.

 

Pecans are nearby. Can't eat walnuts.

 

Tap them and make syrup.

 

Making Black Walnut Syrup

That is not a bad idea. I never even thought about tapping them. I think I will invest in a few of these spiles
Clear w/ Check Valve Maple Tree Spiles Tap / Spout Taps + 2' Hose 5/16" Pick Qty, and see how many trees I have, meet the minimum size for tapping 14" dia. Thank you for the suggestion.
Do you have experience at doing this?

 

Yep, been doing it for a couple of years now. Early spring when the sap starts to rise. Tap the sunny side of the tree. I only have one large black walnut so I don't make a half pint a year but it's great. I use plastic milk jugs with a hole in the lid the same size as my tube to hang on the tree to collect. Once I have enough I just filter it and boil it down. Takes a long time but watch it close at the end. It will scorch quickly.

 

And what kind of volume could I expect per tree, in say one week between visits?

 

Slow, gallon in three weeks for me. How good is your tap, temperature, tree size, etc all influence it I think. Takes about 8 gallons to make a pint of syrup, but it's worth it. Need to tap as many as you have taps for. You can double tap large trees. In Texas I tap mine in February. Take them out in summer and peg the holes.

 

Thank you. I will likely have questions when I get around to doing this.

 

I never thought about tapping the maple trees and we have quite a few of those around here. W e have lots of berries and grapes here as well. No nut trees on our property. I just have large buckets of sugar put away with o2 packets. Also lots of salt.

 

Had to take a night job, change to watch the grand sons. They will change the rules of three too. Food, water, clothing and shelter for two year old and 9 month is not quite the same.

 

Not even a little.

 

I'm no expert but there are books on the subject. Walnut sap is just like maple once it's in the bucket I think. Very thin, like water and no taste. Bark is thick so scrap a layer of it off to make a flat spot before you drill. When you drill the correct depth it will run sap immediately. With eight gallons (or more) just one boil. Just keep adding sap as it boils off until your done. It's seems thin till the very end. It will be thinner at 210 than when it cools. When it coats and sticks to a spoon lightly, it's done. Start the waffle. Might want to boil it down outside. Heats and steams up the house quite a bit. Backyard Sugarin': A Complete How-To Guide (Third Edition) (Gardening & Country Living) - Kindle edition by Rink Mann, Daniel Wolf. Cookbooks, Food & Wine Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

 

Yet another use for the turkey fryer.

 

Just ordered a half dozen spiles. Should be enough to get started, at least.