lds2

Many places are experiencing record lows while many others record highs this week: Aberdeen, S.D. saw a temperature swing of 70 degrees from 22 on Sunday morning to 92 on Monday afternoon! Salt Lake City, Utah (93), Boise, Idaho (95) and Bismarck, N.D. (91) were among the cities that either tied or set new record highs for May 13. Weather.com

Wet and chilly weather into the weekend will continue to slow plantings of the U.S. corn crop that already has fallen to the slowest seeding pace on record (although I don't think it is really a huge concern yet.) However, what is really concerning is that the weather is taking a toll on the developing winter wheat crop, which deteriorated to its worst condition for this time of year in 17 years! (Remember this thread is about how weird weather patterns are causing crops problems and after the past few years we really NEED good crops and grazing lands this year.) For instance in Kansas their Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that just 17 percent of the planned corn is now in the ground. Only 3 percent of the winter wheat crop has headed, which is about three weeks behind normal. Forty percent of the wheat crop is rated in poor to very poor condition. Also, many ranchers are still having to feed their cattle grain where normally they should be getting plenty of grazing this time of year. In Minnesota corn plantings are only two percent complete which is almost 50 percent behind. Oat planting is 9 percent complete, compared with 96 percent last year. The USDA says many livestock producers are very concerned about the slow growth of alfalfa and pastures. Also, very weird weather lately in some parts of the country with snow storms in MAY in places that have never seen snow before this time of year..

So why are these billionaires dumping their shares of U.S. companies? After all, the stock market is still in the midst of its historic rally. Real estate prices have finally leveled off, and for the first time in five years are actually rising in many locations. And the unemployment rate seems to have stabilized. It’s very likely that these professional investors are aware of specific research that points toward a massive market correction... --Newsmaxwires

This is just a side note...not unexpected just unusual... 17-Year Cicadas to Swarm from Georgia to New York Trunews:

"The weather map ... looks like something out of The Twilight Zone," Minneapolis meteorologist Paul Douglas of WeatherNation TV wrote on his blog last week...As for the cause of the ongoing cold? A stuck weather pattern that's continued to funnel frigid air into the central USA from Canada for the past few months. Awful April: Spring hard to find across northern USA Temperatures are stuck in California and Arizona at warm temperatures while other areas are stuck with record breaking cold. They don't expect things to get better in the near future. "Twilight Zone" weather in a lot of places right now.

Another thing we learned was to watch out for areas with two or more young men that always hang out in front, usually near the road as this often indicates they are members of a gang watching for trouble. Hang out on a Friday afternoon - evening to see if there is a lot of evening car traffic at any particular houses in the neighborhood with people coming and going often --- as this can indicate something illegal going on (prostitution, drug dealers, etc.) Ask as many neighbors as you can what they like best and dislike most about the neighborhood, schools. If they have had any big problems with the neighbors, etc. What crimes have happened in the neighborhood, etc. FWIW

I had a major problem once with a house that was not as big as the selling agent reported. Our realtor was all ready to go to bat for us --- until she found out it was someone from her office that had made the mistake, after that all help stopped. At that point there was nothing that she was willing to do for us to help our situation even though we were well within the year that in that state you have to discover discrepancies in the sale. What we learned was you don't want to buy a house that is listed by the same office your realtor works for as there is a conflict of interest if there is a problem.

I've been wondering, with all the flooding in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys if the drought is over and today weather.com had an article on that. Over the past year I have been watching to see if a continuation through a regional drought will outdo the "dust bowl" years drought in severety. So here is what weather.com are saying: "a large swath of the nation remains in drought from the Upper Midwest and Plains to Southern California. A swath of central Florida has also slipped into drought. Overall, 47% of the contiguous U.S. remains in drought." But there has been improvement in many of these areas the drought has lessened in severety and in some areas they have experienced record breaking rain/snow this April. Of course it is normal for rains to happen in the spring, it will be whether the weather patterns this summer improve, remember last year they seldom went West to East, but went North towards Montana/Canada before heading East. It will be what happens this summer to our crops that is important. Here is the article with the drought map (for as long as the link lasts) Has the Drought Improved? - weather.com

There will be a big surge over the next month or two because a lot of college students wanted/needed to finish the year (like those who were committed to their lease contract through the school year, etc.) Also there will be a number of young men who turned 18 during the school year but were still in high school, they will now be available to go. So I would guess the largest numbers of missionaries will be this summer and then the number will start going down a little.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/10/living-in-the-fulness-of-times?lang=eng In this talk President HInckley said that visions of Joel have been fulfilled and it talks of prophecy, dreams and visions. But of course there are still pizza dreams and you are more likely to dream (just regular) about what concerns you during the day. So it is REALLY important to pray and ask for confirmation through the Spirit before acting on your dream. Also dreams are not always literal, i.e. I have had friends that have now passed on who had dreams they thought were very real and would literally be fulfilled, and while their dreams may have had a purpose for their progression the literal fulfillment of the dream was not it. Of course there is also the most important test whether the dream is in keeping with the commandments and gospel and Spirit of Jesus Christ. And as someone else said whether it falls within your very limited stewardship.

I would love to have a generator and the gas to put in it, but it never seems to get to the top of our list. Like most people, it will probably get there when it is needed and out-of-stock at the local stores.

I have to teach a class soon on 72 hour kits and that is not something I have studied much. So any information is appreciated.

PREPARE TODAY This also has a lot of good information

Just bumping this up for those who might be "conference" sale shopping this time of year. Some things will still most likely be cheaper at some of these stores rather than at the "sales" at other places.

Great link

I had such great luck with this method last year that I am going to try it again this year. I am going to put down the rolled type of paper to see if I can control the "runner" weeds a bit better than last year. But not having most other weeds was really great compared with the weeding I have done other years and it looks so much better than black plastic (another way to control weeds.) I put down wood chips on bare subsoil and didn't put down compost first this past fall to try to expand my garden area and that was a mistake...I should have put down some compost as well. I haven't tried putting just woodchips down on healthy topsoil but I would guess that one might be much more successful in breaking it down into planting soil. I very much like the idea of not having to water young trees and so I am going to try this method for that as well, it is just I think you need a LOT of woodchips (12 inches deep) for an orchard area which could take me a while to collect, do. There are additional youtube videos about this method for those who might be interested.

America’s first official disaster areas of 2013 have been designated with just shy of 600 counties that have now experienced severe drought conditions for eight weeks in a row (according to the U.S. Drought Monitor) The critical spring planting season hangs in the balance as drought threatens to make 2013 an even worse drought yeat than 2012. Light winter snows haven’t given the central U.S. the moisture the soil so very desperately needs. The government has declared much of the central and southern wheat belt a disaster area. 2013 Already a Drought Disaster : Discovery News The wheat harvest was not greatly impacted last year by the record breaking drought because the hot temperatures didn't really start until July and winter wheat is harvested in the spring and early summer. A lot of the spring wheat which is harvested later is grown to the north where the drought was not as severe. This year could be very different if current government forecasts turn out to be accurate.

Yeah, as I live close to a highway it made me think some new thoughts about lots of what ifs...

I have to agree, the whole Santa scene and the unwilling prostitute scene of her face just left me feeling sick afterwards even though I turned my head for most of it. When did couples in the act go from being R-X to PG-13? I guess that just shows how old I am. At the local theatre there is a sign that says "Children under 6 will not be allowed in R rated movies after 6 o'clock." Huh?

Just bumping this up for those who have made food storage a priority in this new year...:)

Each of our families are so different and eat so differently and have different budgets, and ability to store in a cool dry place, etc. Obviously buying the 3 month supply is important, yet the longer-term stuff is very cheap (less than $200 for the basics.) I get a lot of emotional security from having a "year supply" of these "basics." It can really supplement a three month supply well if you had to "live on it" for an extended period. It can also replace "fresh foods" and you can have "ready to eat" type foods simply by "adding water." I've focused on things that can be sprouted as that meets my son's, with a special diet, needs for fresh foods and would greatly help with the nutritional needs of the entire family. I sprout using mason jars (youtube it) and it works very well for me. I have some black cheap plastic plant holders (that live garden plants come in at the nursery) that hold a lot of mason jars at one time at an angle. Garbanzos and lentils are my family's favorites as well. If you live in the Intermountain West, Costco last I checked still has their 45 lb buckets of wheat for cheap. I buy other stuff at Winco and Honeyville. Beans are still cheapest at the LDS cannery. Things like sugar, salt and rice are more expensive at the LDS cannery. My favorite grain is popcorn at Sam's and it is around $32 for 50 lbs. it can be sprouted or popped or ground into a sweet corn meal, etc. If you live in the Intermountain West there is a thread that talks about places to buy longer-term food storage. I'll link it here when I have time...http://www.lds.net/forums/preparedness/43553-sources-supplies-3.html#post724552 ps Just be aware that as the price of food goes up, what is in the #10 can goes down...some cans are only 50-60 percent full now. Also a lot of foods don't do that well in hot termperatures.

Talking about rising food prices...Honeyville grains wheat is now almost $20 for 50 lbs. It is still $16.35 for 45# and that includes a six gallon bucket at Costco.

I was talking to the manager of a local food storage store and she said that they are being rationed in all their corn products. They charge around $40 for 50 lbs of popcorn and they just got their last shipment before February. Sam's Club is selling it for $22. Also wheat is still $16.35 for 45 lbs in a SIX gallon bucket. That is a great price as wheat is now about $18 at Honeyville Grains and $23 at the church cannery NOT including the bucket to store it in.

I tried to look at the map but I guess I don't have the right software...it appears to be about the actual shaking because of the fault?...this is the map that shows where the liquefaction areas are and what areas are expected to have severe damage due to unstable ground and I believe it also reflects the lower lying areas in or near the downtown SLC area. What this thread is about is the East Great Salt Lake fault that runs under the Great Salt Lake which I believe is more closely associated with the Oquirrh Mountain fault which also has the potential of ~7 earthquakes but doesn't "go off" as often but I have read is overdue. http://geology.utah.gov/online/images/pi-25.gif .

11.7.12 - There doesn't seem to be much hope for change or optimism out there... In the past week, the stock market has suffered through two of the worst single-day point drops in history.