Train To Be A Survivor...This Is Not A TV Show.

Get up off that couch, out of that easy chair...it's time to work those legs, blood pumping work. We've already gotten used to five dollar a gallon petrol...ten dollar petrol is just around the corner. We need to get better at heating ourselves if we are going to survive. Get better at splitting firewood, better at moving from the front door to the store. Being excellent at walking and biking will be key to our survival. Horsepower is not going to save us this time. Solar and wind power can only do so much, for those wealthy and wise enough to invest. You need to be able to walk down the street to pick up your fresh baked bread, to gather your veggies or bag your meat. When the going gets rough people come together and help their neighbors but, you don't really want to be a burden because your legs don't work and your heart is weak. If your feeling sorry for your sad state of conditioning and ability...type in Oxana Majors...she is a survivor.

Let's Lean On The Upbeat News Here

Something I've never discussed before....How much I appreciate my internal combustion vehicles this century. I've purchased two brand new cars in my life. In 2009 I traded in my old clunker Ford F150 for a brand new Honda Element EX AWD 5 speed manual. It has proven to be a genius upgrade from my previous 2 used Jeep Grand Cherokees. It actually climbs my steep ice-covered driveway without hesitation every time I ask it to. I have driven it nearly 140,000 miles and it still runs like a young pup. Honda Elements have been out of production for a dozen years but, if they brought it back and it showed any semblance to the original design, I would run right down and purchase another. Two years ago we purchased a made-in-America Ford Transit 250 cargo van. It is an AWD high-roof Eco-boost dreamboat. We've converted it into a comfortable camper and it has proven to be an inspirational truck....making three/four day camping trips possible and comfortable. During an eight week evacuation from our burning national forest and neighboring communities, we thought of it as becoming a possible 'forever home'. We bought it knowing that it made adventuring with our dog and bicycles a real possibility. You can't go on bicycle rides leaving your animal in a hot little Honda. Little did we know that both vehicles would be utilized as life-savers when efficient transportation would be necessary for health emergencies and maintenence fromm health professionals whose offices are many hours down the road. There was a time when I thought we could make it through this life transporting ourselves by pedaling only. Not even close. We invested twelve years into the car-free lifestyle...I can see now that we were lucky to last that long without motor vehicle assistance.