This Week's Prep

1. Bought 7 Silver Canadian Maples at $17 apiece. This brings my silver count to 33 ounces, between Maples and Eagles.

2. Researched a few things, including wood stove fireplace inserts. This would go in my current home, because:

3. After some discussion with my Mrs., we have decided to try to improve the current homestead rather than strike out and buy a rural refuge. I am working on the details, but part of the strategy is financial (pay down the current mortgage as rapidly as possible to ensure we are always "right side up" on it and can borrow against it in a real emergency), and part of it is a product of our work situation -- while I can work anywhere, my Mrs. is tied to her employer. I'd prefer to take the risk, liquidate everything, work from a remote location, and have the Mrs. find what work she can. She's not ready to do this, not being convinced things will get all that bad. We do have one possible retreat with her family in northern Vermont; it's a workable solution for now, though not ideal. As a result, we'll "improve in place" for now. Our discussions continue.

4. I've read another post-apocalyptic scenario, Alas, Babylon. Pretty good, but not as good as Earth Abides. The "trigger" in this book is a nuclear war; the survivors, located in Central Florida, do pretty well for themselves.