Texas Border

Things continue to fall apart at the border.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/03/americas-war-texas-farmers-attack-mexican-border/

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

Top Ten Prepping Mistakes - Mistake #2 - Lack of Skills

While it is great to think of yourself as being prepared, placing too much faith in the “stuff” you may have accumulated to aid in your survival won’t always be enough. That “stuff” may not always be there. If your “stuff” should suddenly become unavailable, it is your skills that will save you.

Food stores may only feed you for a short time but your gardening skills will help keep you fed for a lot longer. A first aid kit is a necessary item but only becomes truly useful if you have the skill to make it work. Having a shelter is a good thing but having the skills to repair it yourself if it is damaged can be invaluable. Having a great rifle will be of little use if you don’t have the skill to use it safely and properly. All the bullets in the world won’t help you if you can’t hit your target.

Having skills that you can rely on in a crunch can be more important than you may realize. Never discount the value of your skills and always seek out any opportunity to learn new skills or improve those skills you already possess.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Building A Survial Library

Wolverine

There are a couple of good posts on building a survival library over at Michigan Preppers Network. My friend, Wolverine, usually posts some great stuff on Thursday night or Friday morning each week. So whether you're just starting out in your preparedness efforts or are a dedicated prepper, check out his posts on building a survival library. There's a lot of info out there and a good place to keep it is in a survival library.

You can read Wolverine's posts here:

http://www.michiganpreppersnetwork.com/2011/02/building-survival-library.html

http://www.michiganpreppersnetwork.com/2011/02/building-survival-library-part-two.html

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Coral Snakes in Texas

The Texas coral snake is the only member of the Elapidae family found in Texas. This type of snake includes members of the cobra family found in Asia and Africa. The Texas coral snake is a very slender snake with a small indistinct head and round pupils. They are normally about 2-1/2 feet long when fully mature. Texas coral snakes have a distinctive pattern with a broad black ring, a narrow yellow ring and a broad red ring, with the red rings always bordered by the yellow rings. Several harmless snakes are similarly marked, but they never have the red and yellow bands touching.

"Red on yellow, kill a fellow; red on black, venom lack."

This is a saying that is easily remembered and can help you to distinguish the difference between the highly venomous coral snake from other nonvenomous ringed species of snakes.

The picture at the top of the post shows a mature Texas coral snake which was about 2 feet long. Sorry about the poor picture quality but these were taken with a cell phone camera. The picture above gives a better view of this Texas coral snake which was in the process of eating another snake. This particular Texas coral snake gives new meaning to the phrase"driveway dining."

Coral snakes are found primarily in the southeastern half of Texas in woodland areas, canyons and fields of the coastal plains. They also prey on other snakes as well.

Central Texas is home to the four main varieties of venomous snakes found in Texas...the copperhead, the water moccasin, the rattlesnake and the coral snake. With warmer temperatures approaching as spring draws near, you would do well to keep a sharp lookout in order to avoid a hazardous encounter with these creatures.

Be aware, Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker