Dear Friends,
It's all FAR TOO 2!st CENTURY FOR ME! To quote an old Western Song, "Take me back to my Horse and my Saddle!" I have an idea that when the Chocolate Covered Toffee Crunch, comes to pass, we'll none of us have electricity to power all our "Eeeeelectronic Devices," there will be no Services, the police will be unable to cope with all the Rampant Gangbangers who will at once indulge in an Orgy of Theft and Mayhem! The supermarket shelves will within 48 hours be as bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard, and widespread panic may well prevail. To survive for any length of time, it will be necessary, to get as far away from large concentrations of other people, as possible! I intend, if the Good Lord Favors my efforts, to get to a place where I can "Find," a saddle and a horse, and also if available, a Pack Saddle and another horse or a mule!. Then load all my essentials onto the the mule, and behind the saddle, and find a Hidey-Hole in a Pine Forest somewhere! Pine branches that have broken off trees will always light fairly easily, and the floor of a Pine Forest will have a pretty substantial supply of Pine Needles, that when dry, are excellent fire starters! Clear away a pretty large area around your tent, otherwise a spark may set the Forest floor alight, and your tent, and possibly yourself go up in smoke!
Forage must also be obtained for the Horse & Mule. I intend to keep my gas tank as full as I can, and to have a couple of 5 Gallon Gas Cans topped up as well, so at least for a while, I may be able to tie a couple of Bales of Hay onto the car, and transport that to near my camp! If I can find one, a Camo Tarp,large enough to cover my car from sunlight reflections would be nice!
I feel that to stay within the Phoenix Metropolitan area would be Folly! South Phoenix is rife with Hispanic Gangs, (AND would-Be Gangbangers!!!) and once the local stores got bare, they would doubtless migrate to the "Over 55" areas to see what the Old Pharts have hidden away in the closet!! I'm hopeful that I may be able to,(With the aid of Betsina, Clementina, and Sophia, and my new Hawken Style "Big Fifty,") stay out of serious trouble until I get to a more remote area.
Where I intend to set up a little camp, and do my best to, "Keep to Myself," for as long as my food supplies hold out, and do some scouting to find some, "Retirement Type Residences," that might be built in the woods! Hopefully make friends with any such occupants, and await any developements. It is possible that there may well be some other "Survivalists," who have similar ideas to myself, but these types would have to be approached very carefully, as they may well be of the, "Shoot First, & Ask Questions Later," type!!! I imagine that there will be quite a lot of very taut nerves when,"THE CRUNCH," comes to pass! At my age I may not last five minutes, but I do intend to try! I MAY get away with it for a while, because I LOOK such a Harmless Old Phart. "The Typical Great Grandfather Type"! Snow White Hair, White Walrus Mustache, and a Big
Friendly Smile! The typical, "Geriatric Old Phart!" Like my Dad used to say, "No good getting old, if you can't get crafty"
Yawl Wish Me Luck! Johnnie Roper,Alias:Gunslinger9378.
