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Guest Post: Bugging Out of the D.C. Burbs

Cognitive Dissonance's picture




 

Guest Post: Bugging Out of the D.C. Burbs

by

Mrs. Cog

 

(And now a few words from my better half on creating a lifestyle change we can live with. - Cognitive Dissonance)

 

If there is one thing I dramatically misjudged during the great looting of the past five years, it has been the depth of the bag of tricks the banksters and politicians could use to perpetuate the game. How many times have we said in the threads here at Zero Hedge "This is it. Cue the deer Tyler"? We fall for it again and again. The dungeon masters are so artful in their game to pit us against each other simply because it works. If we are focused on "them" we are not focused on "us." Whether it is them at the NSA or the perceived enemies of the state, the state itself, or the crooks at 33 Liberty, our angry energy is collected and dispelled in ranting threads which are largely unproductive at bringing about any real change. In the end, we can only change ourselves. I think self reliance is perhaps the most important act of revolutionary change available.

Whether change comes roaring into our lives express freight train style via collapse or as a crumbling away of the periphery of what we thought made our individual world stable, the leading edge of the storm is here. Change is here whether we like it or not. Options are still available, but it is getting harder and harder to maneuver. Cog and I have elected to completely change our lifestyle so that we can at least try to deflect or redirect the nature of the change rather than waiting for it to be forced upon us.

After spending many months choosing the criteria we would use to best position our family for the future, there were several discoveries. There is no shortage of cheaply priced homes for sale in very rural areas. Although it is not "the norm" yet, other city folks are bugging out (permanently) to live in the sticks. Within a week of putting our new home under contract there were two other contingent cash offers on it. We had considered waiting to buy because the prices would be dropping dramatically when that shadow inventory hits the market. But we don't really know that for certain.

If inflation has set in when the excess housing inventory becomes available then we could miss the opportunity to buy at today's prices. What if capital controls (something we cannot accurately time) prevent us from moving funds around to pay for the property? We actually liquidated some of our PMs so that we would have no mortgage, considering it the act of trading one precious tangible asset for another. What if it becomes illegal or a huge red flag to sell physical gold or silver? The truth is no one really knows just what future constraints the banking or political elite will impose upon us so we have chosen to err on the side of caution.

Conversations we’ve had with a wide variety of people were by far the most revealing aspect of our decision to move. While interviewing the first moving company representative we found that there was an unusual trend going on in the DC area. People were moving in and out in droves, a phenomenon we were told usually only occurs immediately after a presidential election brings a change in leadership to usher out the old and in with the new. Not only were people moving out of DC to all the usual places such as the West Coast, Texas, and Florida, but there was a large and peculiar exodus to strange out of the way locations such as Montana, Colorado and the Dakotas. She was at a loss to explain why.

Our neighbors, mostly employees of the Federal government or companies who support it, have had interesting reactions to our news about moving far away. When we get to the part where we somewhat tactfully say, "we don't think things will be improving anytime soon with the economy or other conditions in this country..." everyone nods vehemently in agreement. They know. They, like us, support the very system that is bringing about our social destruction, yet we are all bound to operate within it. Complete strangers who we strike up conversations with, like vendors who come to work on our current house and see our boxes ready to move, all understand why we would leave a nice, large condo and move to a house on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. I keep expecting someone to ask if we have lost our minds, but no one does. The cat appears to be out of the bag.

Of our numerous encounters with present and former government workers, the more "inside" their experience and knowledge (their naturally gained intel) the more adamant their agreement is that indeed something wicked this way comes. One former Special Forces and FBI employee, now a small businessman, practically said run. <Talk about confirmation endorphins clobbering you over the head.> Thank you sir, I am in scadaddling mode!

This whole self sufficiency thing isn't easy either. Having heirloom (non hybrid) seeds doesn't imply organic gardening knowledge, let alone the ability to preserve the food and the seeds for next season. I have spent more time in the past year reading about herbal, alternative and emergency medicine than reading charts or attempting to trade. Although I have no intention of deliberately living without electricity (the new place has DSL and central heat/air), I am trying to prepare to take us off grid if only to combat future soaring energy costs. Hand tools for the garden, manual systems to cut logs for the “water” wood stove, solar panels for certain necessities... I am still astounded as I learn how "not" self sufficient I have lived my entire life without ever realizing it.

Acquiring the tools and the knowledge to begin living this way has been an adventure unto itself. It turns out it is far less expensive to buy books than to use all the printer ink and paper to print and retain, then learn the new skills we’ll need. Although I will certainly use it as long as I can, I am not depending upon electricity to enable me to read my .pdf eBooks and articles because that would require me to rely on outside help, in this case the power company. It's now evident to me that I am going to need many books to understand how people lived before the age of modern convenience and specialization. I am discovering that the actual tools needed are not what I thought they would be.

One recent purchase was a grain mill that can be powered manually or electrically. The mill will enable me to make our own flour from alternative grains I can grow or purchase in bulk and then store. After all it would be silly to be making maple syrup from our trees if we didn't have pancakes to dribble the syrup on. We also have a gluten intolerant child and I am not going to gamble that specialty foods will always be available or affordable to feed her in the future. Turns out there are really only three decent brands of hand operated grain mills available and they vary dramatically in quality and price. Do you think there will be any available when the first hint of a real food crisis finally takes hold in the mainstream media? How about solar ovens, dehydrators, pressure canners and the like?

There’s also the matter of being able to acquire what you need. Over the last year we have learned that many home improvement items from the big box stores are defective, warped, substandard, you name it. This includes brand name products. Quality control is not what it used to be. Things are made out of cheaper materials than in the past. In addition, processing the transactions for various purchases seems to be glitching more often. Cog was none too happy when his check/debit card was double billed for a tractor just a few weeks ago. This was done by a major corporation who kicked him around to several different departments without solving the problem. Thank goodness he IS Cog and could finally resort to his mind control powers in order to get resolution lol.

Step by step we are accomplishing what we set out to do, but it has taken a great deal of patience. For everything we set in motion we expect it to go wrong at some point and it often does. Just getting our utilities turned on with the services we were assured were available became a major problem. We consciously steeled ourselves for these types of troubles when we made the decision to purchase a home at the end of a back road, off a back road, off the back road on a mountain. If we had not learned to anticipate these problems I am not sure how we would have mentally handled all the roadblocks. I cannot imagine trying to do what we have done in the past six months in a year or two from now.

After all the effort and work towards establishing a new lifestyle it turns out that where we are going WE are "them." We are the “city folk” who think they can make a go of it in the country. We are the ones who used to work for banks and play in the stock market and think we have answers. We are the new people at the farmer's market with a funny accent and strange ideas and clothes. We are the one's invading the bunny, turkey, deer and bear stomping grounds. It turns out "they" is a relative term. It is not lost upon us that we have our work cut out in order to begin to fit in to our new community and show our value as good neighbors.

Our new digs are not exactly Galt's Gulch, completely independent from a decaying society, but one step at a time we are withdrawing our consent from the system we were indoctrinated into from birth to rely upon. At some point, with someone somewhere, the simple act of withdrawing will be the snowflake in the avalanche that will be the end of the long con, at least this leg of it. I know that I can once again sleep peacefully at night, knowing that we are working towards depending only on ourselves going forward.

 

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Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:05 | 3729395 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

I agree with all that you have said.

"Make friends quickly in your new community..."

I am making a point of introducing myself to everyone I meet including all the local shop keepers and trades men and women. The prior owner was well liked in the community and so all I need to do is mention that we bought his place and they immediately place us. It seems the prior owner has told many in the community that we were coming and that we were good people. That helps a lot. When I need to purchase a product or service I make sure to find it locally and I explain to the person that I am hiring him or her because they are local, telling them that I believe we should support our local community first and foremost. In addition we still have a daughter in high school which gives us a natural way to interact with many of the locals. 

"If the world falls apart, a tight community with different skill sets is first requirement."

In a prior life I was a remodeling contractor so I have lots of hands on experience. Just last year I gutted a small rental condo bathroom and kitchen before completely rebuilding it from the studs out including my own plumbing, electrical, sheetrock and taping, painting, flooring, cabinetry etc. Before that I was an electronic technician and before that spent a few years with small engine repair. Now I am a financial planner and stock broker. I know just enough about many different things to do real damage to my new community. :)

"If you are reading books, you may not survive the second winter."

We are far enough south to enjoy the warmer weather and not so far up in the mountains that the elevation negates the warmer climate entirely. The locals see several new people a year fail and leave after one year, but from what I can tell they are often from further south and not familiar with snow and cold. Mrs. Cog and I were born and grew up in the north so it is not foreign to us in the least. In addition, while many cannot deal with the culture shock of no local mall and driving long distances just to get to a grocery store Mrs. Cog and I are not mall people and never were. We have been withdrawing from the insanity for many years before we decided to take it to the next step. 

"I do not know the level of tribal that will be required to survive."

Nor do we. Which is the reason we purchased a place that was already well seasoned and set up for self sufficiency. We are grateful that the prior owner left much of his work in place and sold it all with the place. It is making our work much easier. 

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 12:08 | 3730939 CIABS
CIABS's picture

How do you travel from the house to where the local shopkeepers and tradesmen and -women are (and back to the house) ?

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 12:21 | 3730994 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Local? What is this local thing you speak off? What Cog calls local is a general store about fifteen minutes away. The nearest grocery store is 45 minutes if there are no trees down across the road. So, we drive.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:34 | 3729922 DoChenRollingBearing
DoChenRollingBearing's picture

Your move is sounding better & better.  It is obvious that you both planned well.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 20:09 | 3729268 nmewn
nmewn's picture

Welcome home ;-)

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 20:04 | 3729253 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

How come I don't see this thread on the regular page? Weird.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 07:29 | 3730214 RSloane
RSloane's picture

I think they keep these threads up at the top much longer than the threads on the lower page that change as news/events flow in. I believe it is for this reason that Will's threads are placed up top. This thread can stay up here for several days versus hitting the second page in one afternoon.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 19:55 | 3729235 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

What is more astonishing to me, is not what the two of you are doing, it's that you are both totally, and completely, on the same page with each other.

That is fascinating. It's a miracle that you two found each other.

 

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:11 | 3729416 Cleve Meater
Cleve Meater's picture

I second that! If you want to know what real cognitive dissonance is, try convincing your nesting bride that the world is about to go to hell in a handbasket and that the latest credit card purchase of some totally worthless gimcrack from Bed, Bath & Beyond or Crate & Barrel is really foolish and will soon be superfluous in any case. 

It's maddening...

Interestingly, Nasim Taleb in his latest book Antifragile touches on this very subject... It's typically (though not always) the male of the species that dons the tinfoil hat and completely freaks out the Misses. There has to be a genetic reason for this, although I'm at pains to put my finger on it. 

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 18:16 | 3729557 Anusocracy
Anusocracy's picture

Mother Nature rolls the dice with men and entrusts the genome with women. 

Buggy new release OS compared to older stable OS.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:37 | 3729486 RockyRacoon
RockyRacoon's picture

The males are the ones who are supposed to bring home the proverbial bacon, whereas, the female's job is to make the nest more comfy.  Any more questions?

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:42 | 3729504 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

My wife works her ass off, makes good coin, can cook, remodel a house from the studs, and put a bullet in your ass if she hears you fidding with the doorknob. She's a cutie by the way. I guess she is an anolomy.

 

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 22:09 | 3729576 Forgiven
Forgiven's picture

That's what they call a keeper!

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 22:12 | 3729586 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

She was born in Minsk. My mother in law is a total badass. Sadly it sems many of her family have taken the red pill and completely forgotten where they came from.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:42 | 3729913 DoChenRollingBearing
DoChenRollingBearing's picture

Awesome, fonz.  I have been very lucky as well with my foreign-born wife.  Due to her, not due to me.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 22:08 | 3729571 otto skorzeny
otto skorzeny's picture

I agree- let them pull their weight for awhile- after thousands of years of men doing it let them have a turn. maybe now the women outliving men thing will flipflop.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:36 | 3729483 Barking Spaniel
Barking Spaniel's picture

I second that. I just try to do a little bit at a time. The wife is a good gardener, though, and it was her idea to buy the Big Berkey.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 20:12 | 3729272 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

"....it's that you are both totally, and completely, on the same page with each other."

I always do everything Mrs. Cog tells me to do. Right honey? :)

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:35 | 3729481 RockyRacoon
RockyRacoon's picture

Watch out for bears.  I hear they can make quite a mess of things -- like garbage.  I should know.  Coons taught 'em everything they know.  They never did pick up on that washing hands thing.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 22:10 | 3729580 James
James's picture

Rocky Racoon, Did you know that Racoons and Bears are closely related as a species?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120329132451AAswcpj

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 01:15 | 3729976 RockyRacoon
RockyRacoon's picture

Good.  I was beginning to worry about the crush I had on this cute lady bear.  That explains it all.

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 21:57 | 3729548 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Mrs. Cog mentioned something about bears and backrubs while I picked up the mauled garbage and cans. That is the first and last time we feed the four legged wildlife. Everything is now secured in one of the outbuildings. Not only does the local bear not wash his hands, but he most certainly doesn't use Charmin while he decorates our front driveway circle with his scat.

When we were looking at the place I carefully explained to Mrs. Cog that unlike any other place she has lived in before, here we would be intruding upon nature rather than the other way around. While she intellectually understood what I said, the bear poo in the front drive and the wild turkeys jeering us from across the dirt road has driven the point home big time.

On the other hand I have never had a partner who works as hard as she does. Mrs. Cog has no problem rolling up her sleeves and diving in when hard work needs to be done. It is a huge relief to me that I am not always expected to do the dirty work. :)

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 01:33 | 3729993 Spanky
Spanky's picture

Perhaps it's just experience asking, but is the outbuilding bear-proof? Do you have means to defend yourselves? (And this does not refer to pepper spray.)

How often do you find scat near your home?

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 08:46 | 3730350 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Yes, the outbuilding(s) are all log construction as is the primary house itself. So let's assume that means bear-proof. And we do have means to defend ourselves other than pepper spray which we tend to carry with us while on the property.

I can't tell you how many times I have turned a corner only to come face to face with a deer, wild turkey, rabbit or other woodland creature. We even have a resident 6 foot snake who lives under the concrete slab that runs up to the garage/workshop. So we fully expect to turn a corner one day and be up close and personal with "Teddy" from the local bear population. We don't wish to harm, only scare him or her off if at all possible. 

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 11:35 | 3730844 Spanky
Spanky's picture

If you find "Teddy's" scat regularly, scaring off might not be an option. The more familiar "Teddy" is, the more dangerous. Everyone must be armed at all times. You, your wife, and any older children. The moment you turn that corner is quite possibly the most dangerous moment you'll ever face. Since you live "at the end of the road", and I'll assume quite far from emergency medical treatment, you cannot take any chances...

And if the snake is a king snake, leave him alone...

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:48 | 3730491 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

Cog - the only really dangerous bear in the lower 48 is a grizzly.  You didn't move into grizzly country did you??

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 14:00 | 3731306 Spanky
Spanky's picture

-1

Bullshit.

[T]he only really dangerous bear in the lower 48 is a grizzly. -- Bringin It

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:02 | 3730526 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Just prolific black bears here as I understand it. I mentioned them at the local store and the check out girl laughed and said, "I have three bears. They come around most evenings. There's a bobcat lair out back too." Perfectly normal in her eyes.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:18 | 3730386 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

you should be used to snakes by now given your old neighborhood

I know you guys have done your homework, but for growing things, I recommend a book called Gaia's Garden

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:37 | 3729927 lewy14
lewy14's picture

I don't intrude on nature.

I am nature.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 02:08 | 3730034 DavidPierre
DavidPierre's picture

My absolute favorite Fruit/Vegetable... so easy to grow and so plentiful to harvest.

Rhubarb smoothies with a shot of vodka on a hot afternoon... emmm good.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 08:57 | 3730368 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

any edible perennial makes a lot of sense

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:12 | 3730399 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Oh m'gosh, we are so fortunate that an older couple lived here and were so smart about what they had planted. Once we hacked back the forest that had overgrown the property before we moved in, we found enormous blueberry bushes that had been hidden from sight. There are also blackberry bushes everywhere, enough for us and the bears lol. We have grape vines and an apple orchard and even an overgrown kiwi patch. I could go on about the perennial flowers and medicinal herbs. What a gift. It is not lost upon us.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 15:02 | 3731531 scrappy
Mon, 07/08/2013 - 15:06 | 3731546 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Thanks for the link! Have you ordered from them before? Among other things, I am desperately searching for a reliable vendor for some nut trees - pecan, walnuts, etc... Have found a handful but many have sketchy reviews.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:41 | 3730475 mahalopamala
mahalopamala's picture

Congratulations to you and cog! After a few months off of zh, what a wonderful post to get to read. I am aka Mrs. Dapperdan. How great is it that the two of you are together in hearts, minds, and goals? In our marriage, we have experienced this and it truly is one great adventure after another. Community is the name of the game- our neighbors are trusted friends. We love our little place and have built and planted and raised everything together. Best to your family in this new part of your journey. Thanks again for sharing!

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:52 | 3730502 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

That is so cool. Thank you for sharing. As I understand it there may be several ZH couples here. I'm not sure which came first for others... ZH or the relationships. Being like-minded on the big stuff is definitely a blessing. It makes disagreements much easier to handle. Gold! No, silver! No, gold...lol.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:19 | 3730426 new game
new game's picture

awesome! also, within a short distance are haunts of plentifull overlooked food and herbs "going to waste".

While in AK, i chated with a local(mong) and he rarely goes to the market...I was inspired to learn.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:22 | 3730419 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

what is your water source? As you hack back the forest, the blackberry may spread faster. You can make tea from the leaves

 

This book and this author is a great source on perennial edibles

http://perennialvegetables.org/perennial-vegetables-for-each-climate-type/cool-maritime/ 

 

and this book set

 

http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/about_book

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:02 | 3730484 tip e. canoe
tip e. canoe's picture

edible forest gardens is an awesome book.   nice one, DJ.

to the Cogs : those fruit trees/bushes/vines were a great gift.   excellent call on the property selection.   that book DJ referenced will help you create gardens around what's already there.   learn how to prune (each fruit is different, e.g. kiwis are actually vines and are either male or female).

also try seeding some fennel under the apples.   will help with the bugs.

observe, observe, observe first.   nature will tell you what will work best.   the weeds are the best teachers :)

wish you juicy fruits!

edit : just found edible forest gardens on sale

http://www.permacultureproject.com/store/#discount

expensive, but consider it like gold on sale.   Martin Crawford's book Creating a Forest Garden is also very good and more accessible to the layperson.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:16 | 3730569 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Thanks Tip E. Yes, so much to learn. The more I discover, the more I see I don't know.

The builder/original owner told us that originally those kiwi trees would not produce and a specialist told him he had two male trees. He brought in a female third just before he moved and that did the trick. It looks like there are several hundred kiwi growing out there. I am quickly searching all the ways to preserve, cook, juice, bake and dehydrate them. It's a great learning experience.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:54 | 3730715 tip e. canoe
tip e. canoe's picture

whoa, that's a lot of fruit for one female.   one male can pollinate up to 4 females, so you got the makings of a veritable kiwi orchard.   looks like they ferment it into wine in Bulgaria:

https://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design...

cider too.    yum.

if you got some clover (red, white, whatever) growing on the land, pick the dry flowers and throw them under/around your kiwi vines.   clover's a nitrogen fixer, and kiwis are heavy feeders.   cut the grasses down really tight to the ground before to give the clover a fighting chance to sprout.  you can also rake some "rows" and covering with some leaf/straw mulch is good as well.

having mature perennials already on the land to play with is quite the blessing, especially when you're just beginning to learn.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 12:15 | 3730965 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Another great link, thanks! I have gobs (many many pounds) of organic red clover seed for sprouts. I will definitely investigate this.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:25 | 3730435 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

For the past nine days, our primary water source has been the sky. Someone forgot to turn the faucet off...

We have a deep well which has tested quite pure for this day and age. There is also a creek running on the lower edge of the property which we have rights to.

I have already seeded lavender and echinacea for tea, but will definitely look into the blackberry leaves as well. Thanks and I appreciate the links.

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:30 | 3730449 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

This is also one of my favorite sites on the net, great database. THe original author has done a lot over the years. He has also discovered that some of the most nutritious berries come from some of the toughest, perennial plants...   It makes sense if you think about it 

http://www.pfaf.org/user/default.aspx 

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 09:52 | 3730507 tip e. canoe
tip e. canoe's picture

sea hawthorn is my current fav.    heavy thorns to keep the bears out :)   and you can beat the crap of em and they'll still grow like crazy.   tough bastards.

also got a couple goji babies goin from seed.   if they survive the himalayas, they can survive pretty much anywhere, yes?

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 20:07 | 3729264 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

We did meet here on the threads of ZH way back when...  

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 20:10 | 3729269 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

Mrs. Cog I have had a few glasses of vino on this fine Sunday, so I am probably not operating at 100%....but are you telling me, for real, that you two met on the threads of this site? You are pulling my leg. Right?

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 20:18 | 3729283 Mrs. Cog
Mrs. Cog's picture

Completely serious, we met right here. I joke with him that picking up a ZH contributor is the best way to ride out the collapse. He gets to tease about picking up younger chicks in the threads. Sometimes we find it hard to believe as well.

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!