September 11, 2012

We shall never forget....

Please show your support by visiting:

http://www.911memorial.org/

RW

Happy Easter 2012

Have a safe and happy holiday!

RW

Merry Christmas from the Texas Preppers Network

Painted Church in Texas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to

everyone

from

the

TEXAS PREPPERS NETWORK

and

RIVERWALKER

Veteran's Day 2011

Take time today to say thank you to a veteran for their service and their sacrifice.

Thanks.

RW

Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed gardening is an option for those persons having poor soil conditions or limited space. You may even have both of these problems. A simple raised bed for your garden may be the answer to your problems. The size of your raised bed is important if you don't want additional problems. Two simple sizes can work to your advantage when it comes to working your raised bed garden.

The above picture shows a simple 4 foot by 4 foot raised bed frame. This was made from two 2x6x8 foot boards, each of which was cut in half and screwed together. When factoring in the average reach of a person (about two feet), this keeps everything within easy reach and avoids unnecessary physical strain.

You can also use a rectangular shaped raised bed to make a raised bed easier to work. Two 8 foot 2x6 boards are all it takes. Cutting two feet off each board and attaching them together gives you a 2x6 foot raised bed for your garden. Depending upon what you're planting you can use 2x8's, 2x10's, or even 2x12's to make a raised bed that will provide deeper soil levels for your plants.

It also helps to add some additional bracing inside the frame for your raised bed. A simple 4" corner brace on each of the corners of your raised bed will add additional stability. Using basic sizes will also make them easier to move if necessary and allow you to place them according to available space. Old newspaper or a cardboard box can be used as weed paper for your raised bed.

It doesn't require a lot of material to build a decent raised bed for gardening but you'd be wise to keep basic sizes in mind that won't cause undue physical stress by putting things beyond your normal reach. Gardening can be a very rewarding effort if done right.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Top Ten Prepping Mistakes - Mistake #3 - Insufficient Water Storage

Many people don't have the luxury of being close to a good source of water such as a lake, stream or river. Water is a necessity for many purposes...cooking, cleaning and maintaining proper hygiene. Even if you have a good water source you will need the proper means to filter and purify your water.

Many types of food items require a certain amount of water to process them. Powdered milk, dry bulk food items such as rice or pasta are just a few. Dehydrated food items also need water in order to successfully make a meal. Many can foods have additional water in them but can still require additional water for cooking.

You will also need water for drinking and hygiene purposes. At a minimum of one gallon per day, you're talking about a large amount of water for just a 72 hour period.

Making sure you have adequate supplies of water during an emergency should be a priority.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Snakes in Texas

Snakes occur throughout the state of Texas. Of the 254 counties in Texas, not one of them is snake free.

Granted some Texans may be reluctant to brag about this one, but the Lone Star State is, undeniably, a cornucopia of snake diversity. Although the exact number of species is hard to determine, we boast a stunning 76 species of snakes. If you include both species and subspecies in that number, it gives you a grand total of 115 or more - the highest number in all of the United States.

Snakes often occur in the vicinity of suburban and urban residential areas. They can even show up occasionally in your backyard. If the presence of snakes is deemed undesirable, removing their shelter is one of the most effective ways of discouraging them.

In Texas, we have an average of 2 to 3 deaths per year from snakebites. This is in comparison with 5 to 7 deaths per year from insect bites and an average of about 8 deaths per year from lightning.

Large species of snakes may live to a ripe old age of 40 years or even longer.

Snakes can absorb heat from the ground, from the surrounding air, and from objects next to them.

An animal that has venom is called "venomous." An animal that would make you sick if you ate it is "poisonous." Only a small number of snakes have venom. So although some people refer to snakes as "poisonous," technically, they should be called venomous.

There is no one simple hard and fast criterion a person can use to tell a venomous snake from a harmless one. None of the popular criteria such as a broad, triangular head, a heavy body, cat's eyes (vertical pupils), a flat body, or rough scales are safe since both harmless and dangerous snakes are known to share some or all of these traits.

Visit the source for more facts about snakes in Texas:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/junior_naturalists/moresnakes.phtml#s25

Be aware. be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Groundhog Joins the Texas Preppers Network

Groundhog

I would like to welcome one of my neighbors to the Texas Preppers Network. Groundhog has made it official and is now a member of the Texas Preppers Network. Groundhog can be found over at http://preambleforlife.blogspot.com/ on most days. Those members wishing to contact Groundhog can reach him via email at epost9@gmail.com. There is also a link to his blog in the sidebar. Groundhog is just a furry dude with a weeds eye view of thing...

Here is a brief excerpt from one of his more recent posts:

“My perspective is more like the Boy Scouts. They have a motto of "Be Prepared." It's so simple. Yet it also covers a lot of territory. Can you be prepared for every eventuality? Nope. Can you be ready for a lot of common ones? Absolutely. Let me see if I can provide an example of how I look at it:”

You can read more here:

Thoughts on Preparedness or Why Boy Scouts Rule

Welcome to the Texas Preppers Network Groundhog!

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Flying the Flag

Remembering September 11, 2001

A Thousand Lives Destroyed

"Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words."

Riverwalker