In the News:

A couple of recent articles about the East Coast Blackout that I thought might interest you:

In Blackouts Wake, Americans Stock up on Solar Gadgets - SF ChronicleGenerating Debate - How to keep the lights on in San Francisco

Other recent articles:

Solar Solution - Farmers use Sunlight
Solar Power kills weeds
Major Off Grid Residential Area to be built near Kingman AZ

Thoughts On Preparedness:

A recent article on the blackout stated that people get prepared after an emergency. Of course we have noticed this countless times in recent years. There is a surge in equipment sales just before a Hurricane, or right after a regional emergency. Unscrupulous retailers often gouge the customer with outrageous prices for the supplies.

Having a plan and being prepared gives you a sense of assurance that you can handle an unforseen emergency better than 95% of your neighbors. And you will. You won't have to run down to the store for bottles of water or batteries for your flashlight, or grab whatever food is on the shelves. Who knows, you may not have the cash, or the credit card might not function during this buying frenzy.

You can deal with more important things: Finding out where your family is and securing safe passage for their return home or to your meeting point. You will have more time to deal with the emergency instead of saying " I better run down to the store, before the shelves are cleaned out."

Being prepared for emergencies helps you mentally now, and it will certainly help you if there is any unforseen emergency.
Our ancestors were prepared naturally. They stocked food and supplies for the winter every year. They learned survival skills as a way of life. They canned fruit and vegetables so they could eat in the winter. Storing food is not hourding. It is just good common sense.

I have tried to give you a little different perspective in the four articles mentioned in this web log and I hope they are a help to you. We will be writing more articles in the future for web distribution. I hope you will stay tuned for these as well. We are also putting together a publication that will go into more detail and specifics, but I think the most important thing you can do is start. Now. By doing, you will see what more needs to be done. You are the best source for preparedness. The knowledge you gain will help your family the most. Learning first aid, how to make bread from stored grain, how to generate your own emergency power safely, learning to cook anything in a cast iron Dutch oven. These all take time and experimentation to learn.

Learning preparedness principles can be fun and useful to your family now, before an emergency. Don't buy these gadgets mentioned in the article above just out of fear. If you get something, use it, have fun with it, learn more from it. I will tell you a secret: In your learning journey, you will uncover new and exciting discoveries. You will learn practical things that will improve your life. You will learn things about yourself that you didn't know before. You will gain in ways that you can not now know. Have fun, learn lots.

There is one lesson the world and our times have taught us: We will someday need it!

Have a great day, Michael

Giant Closeout Sale

Inventory is coming and we have a lot of old closeouts and new overstock we are determined to get rid of in the next three or four weeks. If you are in Vegas, stop in soon to Vegas Trailer Supply to get the best buys! Many solar and preparedness items will be included. We will also publish a few items in this log that are killer deals. Have a good day, and we hope to see you at our Giant Closeout Sale!

Blaster Worm

The new worms must be hitting a lot of computers, as my in box is filling up with virus' attached emails. NPR warned this morning that you do not have to open up an attachment to start the worm. I guess just opening up the email is enough. Of course we have virus protection and I never open up an email with an attachment unless I am expecting one, and there needs to be a dang good reason for the attachment in the description. So if any of you send me something that requires an attachment, please send a regular un-attached note first, then send the one with the attachment, otherwise I will not even read the email.

NPR also said that many people don't know how to get protection. Well, go to Microsoft and look in the "downloads" column. Follow the directions, it is easy.

For added security we will be changing our email address periodically. We will notify you when we make the change. Have a good day!

Emergencies

Reports from our friends in Canada tell us that the power is still not on in several areas. Stores and Government offices are restricting their hours of operation to less than 50% to conserve on electricity. Some areas still have to boil water because the water system is not safe due to the blackout.

This week we had flooding in one area of Las Vegas. Perhaps the worst on record. I am sure you will see footage of rescues because the streets filled with raging water. Four firemen had to be plucked from the top of their fire engine when it got trapped in the rising flood waters. No serious casualties, even though a lady fell through a man hole (cover blown off) and was rescued. I shake my head saying " she is one lucky person!", knowing full well luck has nothing to do with it.

Las Vegas, like many other areas of the world, is experiencing the worst drought on record. Strict watering laws go into effect September 1st (why did it take so long???). Below is a link on conserving water.

We are expanding our series of solar articles and anticipate that a nice booklet will result. If you would like an ebook form of this publication please email me. When available, a printed version can be mailed to you at a nominal cost. We will mention more on this web site.

More important links:

American Red Cross
Talking About Disasters: Guide
Drought: Fact Sheet on Water Conservation
Terrorism: Preparing for the Unexpected
Home Page of The American Red Cross

Please return for more important links concerning emergency preparedness. Blogger assures me that they are working on the bug that has deleted our Archive. Several important tips are contained therin.

Lately it has been 100 degrees with sporadic raining. Not good when you only have swamp coolers. Perhaps soon the clouds will go away so I can look at Mars through the telescope. There's something cool about seeing Mars in a way no humans have ever seen it before. Have a good day (I am, it's my birthday). Thanks.

Virus sent using our email address.

Someone out there has my email address and a virus. I am getting returned mail with a virus attached saying that I sent a virus to them. Nope. Don't even have those emails on my computer. We keep up on virus protection with full firewall at the store. I douple checked my hard drive for a virus and it is clean. Sorry about others getting sent erroneous emails, but it didn't come from us. I pity those who have the virus, as we went through it last year. I opened up an email from someone who usually emails me, and voila, we were hit - hard.

Dang I hate those who prey on others. What on earth is the fun in causing people trouble and sometimes heart break. I put those people in the same category as taggers and theives. A few words come to mind that I better not write on this log. Destroying property that doesn't belong to them. I just don't see it. There is enough problems in the world without people deliberately causing more. I sincerely believe that those who do ill towards others will eventually reap their full and just rewards, whether in this life, or beyond.

Now that I am off my soap-box, our next issue of 'Sun Notes' is about to be sent. If you want to sign up for 'Sun Notes", please use the link in the column to your right. We send out one about every other month, so we don't fill your mailbox with stuff.

Rain, Rain, Rain

We had a bad rain yesterday in one area of town which caused a lot of damage and traffic problems. Several people had to be rescued from vehicles trapped in a raging torrent of water down streets. Even four firemen had to be chopper lifted off the roof of their fire engine. What a day. We were worried about our daughter who had to drive right through that part of town to get home last night. It took her about 2 1/2 hours which normally takes 20 minutes. All is OK though. I learned a little preparedness lesson though. Have a 12 v cell phone charger in the car, and keep the gas tank as full as possible. Some people caught in traffic took over two hours to travel one mile. A real mess on the freeways.

TIP: Pick up an old Scout Handbook to browse through. You will be surprised at the many things you can learn or "forgot" over time. The Scout Motto is "Be Prepared" and we all can learn from that timely advice.

Have a good day, Michael

BE PREPARED

The more I have thought about it, the more I am amazed. CNN was actually interviewing the radio guy (post below) while he was telling everyone what a great invention it was, as if it were invented yesterday! Come on, these things have been around for over forty years. Maybe people just aren't exposed to information that will help them and their families get prepared for emergencies.

Anyone coming to this site probably doesn't need to be reminded about basic preparedness. If you were a Boy Scout you were constantly reminded: "BE PREPARED"

But, just in case you need a little primer about the topic, here's a brief list. Use your own common sense to fill in the blanks.

Water
Food
Clothing
First Aid Supplies
Bedding
Cooking alternatives
Safe lighting
Other Supplies
Shelter
Evacuation Kit

Filling in the details of this list takes a little more work. We occaisionally have a preparedness seminar to go into more depth on this important topic. Please let me know if you would like to attend our next one. (Date to be determined)

For now, you can learn more from the FEMA and American Red Cross publication called "Are You Ready?". You can download pdf or regular files to read the publication. Every family should have a copy. Every family should read it and discuss it.

A smaller portion of the items you store for emergencies (list above), should be put into an evacuation kit, "72 hour kit" or "Mobility Bag" so that you can grab it quick in case you are forced to evacuate your home.

This web log also has a lot of information you can use. We have been unable to get our Archives active again, which frustrates me to no end. So until then, it might be a good idea to check back once a week to read new posts on this log, before they are lost to the caves of the archives.

Also, our Solar Living Library that is located at the back of our store, has over 200 books on various preparedness topics. If you live in Southern Nevada, please don't forget this important resource. There are books on; food storage, Dutch oven cooking, survival, camping, first aid, gardening, food storage cookbooks, outdoor living, ancient survival skills, wilderness survival, personal defense, etc. The list goes on and on. We don't loan the books, but we do have a copy machine available. Stop in to browse and read these informative books.

Have a good Saturday! Mike

People in Blackout don't have Radios!

I don't understand it. When an emergency strikes, people flock to the stores for water and supplies. We see it every time. We heard on the news last night that one unscrupulous retailer was charging $170 for a five dollar case of water!

What does it take to store a few basic supplies "Just in Case"?

Last night CNN interviewed a fellow that was the hit of his neighborhood. Why? Because he was the only person in the area with a transistor radio with batteries. His neighbors were in the dark literally and informationally. (Is that a word?) Now I've heard it all. I guess I thought everyone would have a small battery operated radio around. Well, I was wrong.

I guess I must reflect back a few years on something that happened that humbled me a little:

I, like many others, was worried that Y2k could present some problems for us, not the least was civil unrest. I thought it wise that families learn basic preparedness skills for an emergency, not just for Y2k. So I started a series of seminars. It was a blast. We learned a lot! Dutch ovens, Wheat bread making, water purification, solar cooking, first aid, etc.

I invited the American Red Cross to conduct a class on "Disaster Preparedness Kits" in case of a sudden evacuation. We know them as "72 Hour kits" or "Mobility Bags". During the days before the class, I dicided to visit homes in the neighborhood to invite them to the free class. I knocked on about 60 doors in the neighborhood and spoke with about 30 people. Out of 30 people, only one even had a clue what emergency preparedness meant, and he only had a small first-aid kit to show for his preparedness efforts. No food storage, no water stored, no back-up cooking method, no lighting concerns (except a couple of candles), no nothing. Only a first aid kit.

This was a wake-up call to me that people were not prepared for emergencies. I contacted a local radio station and started a weekly one hour radio show about preparedness topics. The show lasted 22 weeks. That was fun too. Fun for me because I learned alot. I just hope someone else out there learned something too.

I remember when we invaded Panama and the infrastructure broke down for a few days. One fellow was interviewed by the press and said that he had only one can of tunafish to feed his family of 6. The stores were all closed and he had no way of buying more food. It wasn't a matter of poverty. It was a matter of availability - and preparedness.

Let us witness this blackout and other emergencies like it, to better prepare ourselves for the unexpected. It doesn't have to cost alot. I purchased a brand new batteryless "wind-up" fifty dollar radio for 5 bucks at a yard sale. I've used a four dollar solar radio for years, and never bought batteries for it!

It is hoped that this site, along with the solar articles and links, is a help to you and your family. Let's all prepare a little more for emergencies. The American Red Cross told me that, "if we prepare a little, then an emergency is an inconvenience, not a disaster".

Please have a better day than many are having. Michael

Power Blackout on East Coast

For years I have advocated that people use a small solar back-up system for emergency lighting just for cases like the huge power outage that has affected the East Coast today. You can read my ideas on emergency lighting in the 'Safer Lighting with Solar' link in the column to the right. (Safer Lighting with Solar)

MSN Report on the East Coast power outage

France has had over 3,000 deaths due to the heat wave in Europe. MSN Story

Solar can provide other help in emergencies as well. Though not extensively, it can help with cooling and especially refrigeration.

Article on using solar for 'Heating, Cooling and Refrigeration' in emergencies.

Homeland Security's warning about the new Blaster computer virus.

Over 65,000 web sites have put the Code Amber ticker on their websites since last August. Vegas Trailer Supply has had the ticker on our site for over four months now. You can visit the Code Amber website to learn more about child safety and install the ticker on your web site: Code Amber home page

Other preparedness and emergency information is available through our Emergency Preparedness Pages.

Please have a safe day.

"Go Solar Power" Publishes Articles

Another large solar energy site has started publishing our articles on their site. Our first three articles that deal with solar and emergencies were published on the "Go Solar Power" site. These articles contain information that is unique to the solar industry as well as the preparedness industry. You can read these articles and other solar topics at: http://www.gosolarpower.com/

These newsletters go out to thousands of solar energy enthusiasts who can reprint the article in their own newsletters as long as proper credit is given. No photo's are included in the Go Solar Power mailings.

We hope that you read all four articles in this series on using Solar for emergency preparedness. Links in this log site take you to the earthtoys.com site where the articles with photos were published in their newsletter. These articles are the foundation for this web log site. We are expanding these articles for a larger publication that will be available in an ebook format.

As you know, an ebook is a self opening file that allows you to open and read the book off-line at anytime. No browser or other software is needed to read the ebook. These ebooks can be shared with others at no cost and can be downloaded to your desktop, PDA's or laptop computers. If you are interested in obtaining this new ebook when it is available, please email me. Initially the ebook will be made available at no charge, but as it grows to a larger text, there will be a nominal fee.
Have a good day. Mike