Our next meeting on Survival Preparedness will be held this Saturday, May 8th.
During our last meeting we began building a cabin. It went so well, we’ll continue that endeavor this time, unless weather forces us indoors, where we’ll adjust to a more traditional meeting. On this occasion–again using five basic hand tools–we’ll create shake shingles for the cabin, floor joists, and continue to notch-in walls.
We start at noon.
Like last time, lunch will be potluck. Again, if you are able, please bring non-processed foods that can be cooked over a fire. In addition to the cabin-building project, we’ll have Tom Laskowski of www.survivalschool.com demonstrating a variety of outdoor/backpacking/emergency cooking stoves. Bring a jacket, just in case it turns cold, and work gloves. Remember to stay hydrated through the day; drink lots of water. Everyone is welcome, and lunch will be available.
A little about last week: About ten souls braved the threat of rain to build our cabin. Turtle was already present, with our main course, skinning a freshly trapped raccoon, soaking its dark meat in a pot of water. We prepared a fire, gathering chunks of chopped up cherry wood, white oak, pine twigs, needles, and dry cones. The fire underway, we left Turtle to his preparation, and moved on to the build site. There, we worked to position large 16-foot long pine tree trunks, and over time, striped and cleaned them, using fat chisels and sharp drawknives. We were able to prepare seven logs. Time passed quickly.
We broke for lunch about 2:00 PM. Turtle, with the raccoon, which had been slowly cooking in a Dutch oven, awaited our arrival with campfire coffee; cloying smells wafted over the campground. Turtle also gathered dandelion leaves, and placed them on the fire in boiling water. Garlic mustard leaves were added, along with two panfuls of campfire wheat bread, and finally, homemade desert, a cobbler made with canned berries. All of the food exactly simulated what we would have been eating in a survival situation. We ate our lunch, and chatted across the fire.
Back at the build site, three foundation stones had already been sunk into the ground and squared. Jim demonstrated various methods for making sure the cabin was level, the stones were correctly set, and he talked about alternatives to the massive stones he planned to use as the cabin’s foundation. A hole had already been dug for the fourth and final stone. We pruned the hole, making it the correct depth, and then used a come-along to drag the fourth and final heavy stone into place. Next we formed the inception of the cabin’s opposing walls, placing two facing logs upon the foundation stones, running north to south. Their counterparts were placed east to west. Down-facing notches were chiselled out of one of the giant east-to-west logs, and it was slotted into place. Jim provided well-timed detailed instructions about the construction process throughout. Our cabin was well underway.
You’re welcome to join us this Saturday for more.
We host these meetings to help you prepare, so you’ll be able to help others prepare.
Again, we’ll meet at the Museum of Western Reserve Farms and Equipment @ Stone Garden Farm, 2891 Southern Rd., Richfield, Ohio, May 8th, at noon. For more information call Jim at 1-330-659-3507.
Hope to see you all there!
