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Post Prep– The Long Game

There is no shortage of good planning resources for those who wish to prepare for SHTF scenarios.  These sites provide planning suggestions for events that range in scale from short term needs driven by natural disaster through a total, long term, societal collapse.  What would the world look like after a collapse?  Superficially, it may look like Slab City.  This ‘City’ has been called the last free place on earth. It has no rules(laws). Only consequence and a few customs for dealing with those consequences.  This bizarre, lawless land in the California desert is inhabited by drug addicts, eccentrics, army vets, hippies and just plain old weirdos.

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Around the Farm

After a couple of days of much needed rain it dried out on Saturday and Sunday.  The break in weather gave me the opportunity to shore up the slope near the front of my house.  I moved 10 railroad ties into position and created a a series of small retaining walls that tiered the 3 foot drop.  Will move dirt into my creation in the next few days. 

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Place

“I am a man: little do I last and the night is enormous

But I look up: the stars write

Unknowing I understand: I too am written,

and at this very moment  someone spells me out.”

– Octavio Paz

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A Step Back

Regardless of which side of the Kavanaugh confirmation (or for that matter any of the political activities in the U.S.,) you sympathize with, I’m pretty sure you are going be dissatisfied with the outcome; that’s just our new ‘state of nature’.  Here is a thought from the 42nd Saying in the Gospel of Thomas that may keep you from getting sucked in to madness:

Jesus said, “Become passers-by”.

Enjoy both the journey and the show.

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My Neck of the Woods

Temperatures are finally moderating and the rains will end today.  Looks like I’ll be able to get into a tree stand this coming week.

One rather large setback in my hunting plans is the closure of two nearby deer processors.  By asking around, and by research on the Tennessee health departments website I was able to locate another is roughly 20 miles away.  It’s a ‘setback’ because, while this is an excellent butcher, he will only process deer that are field dressed; he does not do taxidermy, he is closed on Sunday’s and Monday’s, and I have to take the bones with me when I pick up the meat.  More on these ‘sorrows’ later.

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Tis the Season

I’ve had the Game Cams out for a couple of weeks now and we have several good groups of deer roaming about.  Still have not identified where the big bucks are at, the big ones didn’t become big ones without being very cautious.  Have seen some smaller ones but I really need to find something that will both fill a freezer and decorate a wall.

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Precedence

The Nag Hammadi (Coptic) version of the The Third Saying in the Gospel of Thomas bears a striking difference with that found in the Oxyrhynchus (Greek) Fragment.  Both are a thought provoking and complex series of phrases, however, the Coptic version begins with what could be an admonishment to misguided teachers or a guide to us on how to evaluate the worthiness of a teacher.    The beginning of both are below:

Coptic:  (3) Jesus said: If those who lead you say to you: See, the kingdom is in heaven, then the birds of the heaven will go before you; if they say to you: It is in the sea, then the fish will go before you. But the kingdom…

 Greek: (3) Jesus said, “[If] those who lead you [say to you, ‘See] , the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky [will precede you. If they say that] it is under the earth, then the fish of the sea [will enter it, preceding] you. And, the [kingdom…

While I believe the ‘but’ and the ‘and’ are important distinctions, what is most intriguing (and appearing in both) is the concept of ‘precedence’.  I do suppose there is great significance to this.

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Weekly Outlook

Looks like we are going to finally catch a break in the weather.  We have not had any reasonable amount of rain here for several months and this has hurt the farmers in area; particularly those in corn and beans.  All of the corn has been harvested and I suppose the soy beans will be taken from the fields in the next couple of weeks.  Cooler weather is also much appreciated as the fishing (not the fisherman) has been terrible.

Have a great day!

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Fishing on the Elk

Elk River near Elkmont Alabama

One of the great things about living along the state line in southern middle Tennessee is my proximity to the waterways of Alabama.  In 20 minutes I can trailer my boat to multiple launch points on the Elk River and Lake Wheeler.  Another 10 minutes will get me on Wilson Lake.  More here.

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Finding Our Way

The 7th Saying in the Gospel of Thomas is entirely different than words spoken by Jesus in the New Testament.  It says:

(7) Jesus said, “Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man.”

Rather than try and understand this saying by replacing the word ‘lion’ with a word or phrase and then determining if the saying remains true on both sides of the parable (blessed is a lion and cursed is a man), lets step back from that mechanical approach and ask if this saying provides insight into the spiritual world that God created and our relationship to Him in that realm?  If we can, then an interpretation of the 7th Sayings could be:

God created spiritual powers and forces for man to subdue and wield; they enhance and complete the man and both are returned to God and live in the Kingdom.  Should these forces consume and subdue the man he falls away from God and the powers return God.