Upcoming Appleseed Project: Weekend Shoot

on Tuesday, 10 February 2015. Posted in Events

 mission-IsaacDavis.jpg  Appleseed Project: Weekend Shoot Sat.-Sun., March 7-8, 2015

What is Project Appleseed?

Some of the very best training you will ever receive!  Appleseed is a program that instructs Americans on the traditional rifle marksmanship skills that have been passed down from generation to generation, along with reconnecting today's Americans with the people and events of the Founding era. Participants are taught fundamental rifle marksmanship skills that are to allow a Rifleman to be accurate out to 500 yards, with iron sights, standard rifle and surplus ammo. This is the traditional 'Rifleman's Quarter mile', which is an uniquely American Rifleman skill, that has been part of this nation from the very first days.

Most of the instruction at an Appleseed is conducted at 25 meters, at reduced size targets to simulate 100 to 500 yards. This well proven technique allows us to concentrate on the shooter's mechanics and less time walking a range. At those locations that allow for actual distance shooting, participants are often able to see first hand that the skills that they learn at 25 meters directly apply to actual distances out to 500 yards. These foundational skills are not being passed on to future generations, and so Appleseeds are great for new or experienced shooters alike.

Through Project Appleseed, the Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA) is committed to teaching two things: 1) rifle marksmanship and 2) our early American heritage. They do this for one simple reason, the skill and knowledge of what our founding fathers left to us is eroding in modern America and without deliberate action, they will be lost to ignorance and apathy.

Children are encouraged to come & participate!!! If your child is old enough to safely handle a rifle by himself/herself and endure a long day of instruction he/she is welcome to attend and encouraged. Be aware that some State laws require that a child be a certain age to handle rifle.  (All information was obtained from the AppleseedISA.org website).

To register for this Appleseed please go to: www.AppleseedUSA.org  Click on the "Appleseed" Tab.  Pull the scroll down and click on the "Schedule" Tab.  Scroll down and click on the state you want to take your training in (good idea to check both Oregon's & Washington's).  Select which location and date work for you and REGISTER ASAP!  These shoots fill-up quickly.

YOU MUST REGISTER WITH APPLESEED!!!  Also there is a registration fee (from free to $60 for the 2-day shoot) which you pay to Appleseed when you register online at www.AppleseedUSA.org!!!

Mon. Feb. 2 is "1st Monday of the Quarter" Meet-Up Featuring Gardening How-To's

on Sunday, 18 January 2015. Posted in Events

 

Get All of Your Tips for: Gardening now for a Bountiful Summer Harvest

Please join GorgePrep for the 1st Monday of the Quarter Meet-up on Monday, February 2 at 7pm. We will be discussing what to do now and in the next few months to ensure a bountiful garden all summer long. Eleana is our resident Master Gardener and gardening in the Gorge expert with more than 25 years experience.

Please make plans to join us for this free Meet-up and remember to bring your questions and to invite a friend or two!

This Meetup runs from 7:00pm to 9pm.  We meet in the basement-dining hall of the 2nd building of First Christian Church, 404 NE 6th Ave., Camas WA 98607.  The dining hall is accessed from half way down the side street--NE Cedar Street.

 

"1st Monday of the Quarter" meeting... replaces "1st Monday of the month" meetings!

on Saturday, 08 March 2014. Posted in Events

  As spring arrives and the snow melts we at GorgePrep have decided to move our 1st Monday of the month meetings to the "1st Monday of the Quarter." This will give all of us more time to work on our "to-do" seasonal lists.

So please make a note in your calendar for 7pm on the "1st Monday of the Quarter" in May, Aug., Nov., and February.

PLEASE!!! We invite you to send us what is on your "to-do list" for each season and your ideas for how to do it wiser at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At each "1st Monday of the Quarter" meeting the group will share ideas on what and how to do things to make preparedness more effective, efficient and affordable, as well as discuss current thoughts and concerns of the coming season! Now out to work on the new and improved lock-down chicken yard!

My Pet is Safe – Make a Pet Survival Kit

on Sunday, 16 February 2014.

Have you made a plan to evacuate your pets during an emergency or to shelter them in place?

By Shelle Wells – www.preparednessmama.com

The plan, and pet survival kit you make, will be similar and just as important as the one you create for yourself and your children. You need to keep pets safe, fed and entertained. Plus you need a way to dispose of their waste and contain them. After all, they are a part of your family!

Pet Survival Kit Basics

Animals pick up our signals, good and bad and traveling with them can be stressful. Having a pet survival kit - in place - will reduce the panic and anxiety your pet (and you!) might face. Consider these items when putting your kit together:

  • Pet carrier for each pet
  • Two week supply of food and water
  • Non-spill food and water bowls
  • Pet first-aid kit
  • Medications and dosing instructions
  • Cat litter box and litter
  • Plastic bags for waste disposal
  • Paper towels
  • Disinfectants
  • Leashes/collars & ID tags/harnesses
  • Blankets
  • Toys and treats
  • Newspaper

Many emergency shelters cannot accept animals. Find out which hotels and shelters in your area allow pets if you have to evacuate. It’s best to know this before disaster strikes. My friend Melisa traveled with her cat Travis for a month last year. You can find her preparations and recommendations on our website http://preparednessmama.com/pets-and-disasters/ Consider downloading the FEMA brochure, Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies Makes Sense for more information. http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/pets_brochure.pdf

If you must leave them behind

If you need to evacuate, your pet should be taken with you. Only as a last resort should animals be left behind. If you do have to leave them, make sure they are in a secure area inside your home, not chained outside.

  • Leave 10 days of dry food and water. If possible open a faucet to let water drip into a large container or partially fill a bathtub with water
  • Use a room with no windows and adequate ventilation, such as a utility room, garage, bathroom, or other area that can be easily cleaned.
  • Place a sign on the door for emergency responders – indicate the type and number of animals inside and your contact information
  • Make sure your animal has an identification tag, or microchip, with your updated contact information

What about livestock

Yes, very animal, from chickens to horses needs a plan! First you need to know your disaster potential. You’ve probably already done the research for your area. Are you concerned about floods, thunderstorms, cold weather or wildfire? Since handling techniques vary with each type of animal, and you most likely can’t check them into a hotel, you should plan how to handle livestock and where they can be sheltered if needed.

Making a plan about food and water will be critical. Here are some resources from around the web:

Wildland Fire Safety for your Livestock from Cal-Fire has helpful information to aid in your planning. http://hazardmitigation.calema.ca.gov/docs/Animalevacuation1.pdf

Also FEMA has extensive information about evacuating livestock in the event of a hurricane
http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/is111_Unit%208.pdf

And you might want to check out this post from Veterinarian Laura Madsen – Evacuating the Big Guys
http://thesurvivalmom.com/2013/06/28/evacuating-the-big-guys-horses-and-other-large-livestock/

Living Ready Community Ed. Workshop this Thursday!

on Sunday, 16 February 2014. Posted in Events

Living Ready Community Ed. Workshop this Thursday!
(Feb., 20)

February is getting organized. We will discuss and help set-up Neighborhood Response Teams using the Washington State MAPS program as a guide. Each person who volunteers to be their neighborhood response team coordinator will be given handouts to organize their own neighborhood.

The second part of the evening will be discussing the pros and cons of various communication tools and developing a communication plan for our local neighborhoods. If you wish to buy one, the study manual for taking your Ham Radio Technician Level 1 will be for sale for $20.

This is a community education workshop and the $5 fee will be forwarded to the Washougal Community Education Program.

Go to GorgePrep.com to register or call Community Ed. at 360-954-3040. This workshop is held 7-9pm in the school library, Cape Horn-Skye Elementary, 9731 Washougal River Rd., Washougal WA 98671.

The goal of this "Living Ready Series" is that participants will live a prepared life style and be ready to respond in a coordinated effort to local neighborhood emergencies.

Yankee Pot Roast is Coming

on Monday, 13 January 2014. Posted in Workshops

 

 

Delicious, Mouth-watering Yankee Pot Roast is coming to GorgePrep!

This meal is to die for!  It is so very, very good you and everyone else you know will be asking for seconds and even third servings.  And guess what?  This delicious dinner is as simple to make as "boiling water and stirring!"  GorgePrep's own Meals-in-a-Jar" instructor, Tracey, will be hosting our Winter Meals-in-a-Jar I workshop on Tuesday, January 21. So sign up now or be sorry!

All of our "Meals-in-a-Jar" workshop use great tasting ingredients from Thrive (sold at our Merc!) that have been freeze dried to maximize long-term shelf life, although we seriously doubt any of your meals-in-a-jar will last the 7 to 10 years that they can safely be left on your shelves (ours lasted about 5 days before we served it to a house full of company).

 

December's Journey to Preparedness: Are You Ready?

on Sunday, 22 December 2013.

oil_lantern.jpg

 

After 10 plus years of preparing for emergencies, and trying to be as self sufficient as possible, I thought that I was fairly prepared. Last week the power went out at the house. This was the first time for this winter so I yelled up to my son “Do you know where the flashlight is?” “Already got it dad” came the response. Two minutes later the hurricane lamps were lit and we were reading again by the fire. What a great first trial of the season. We were not so lucky the following week when the temperature dropped to 22 degrees. We came home to no water. The tank was empty and the pump was running full blast. A fitting in the supply line from the holding tank had blown, and drained 1500 gallons of water down my driveway. So standing in ankle deep water, I had to jerry rig a fix, keeping in mind it was well below freezing and two hours after dark. It sure would have been a lot easier to fix it when I had first noticed it early last summer. I was always going to get around to it, I just didn’t have a high priority on it at the time. While we are on the subject of water supply, I found out there isn’t enough insulation around the inlet and outlet to my on demand water heater.

Our area has been hit with temperatures in the teens this week and when we woke up for church this morning there was no hot water. I guess I'll need to redesign the box that encases the water heater and add a few inches of insulation and maybe heat strips. Now here is some food for thought. What if the power was out when the water challenges came along? I used power both times to solve the problem. Both light and portable heat, were used in each case. I probably should check my emergency generator before we get further into winter, and it turns into an emergency situation. 

All of the little thing that you do to make up the huge task of being prepared, need periodic maintenance. Have you checked the fences for you livestock? Or do you just feed them and go about your day. I walked the chicken yard a couple of weeks ago and found a hole under the fence that was hidden from plain sight, and tucked under an old tree stump. It could only be seen from one direction, and was big enough for a bobcat or a coyote to fit under. Also with the winter coming we all need to make sure that our animals have adequate water supply and shelter to get out of the weather.

How about the cars and trucks? Have you got fresh water, a blanket, and a candle in your trunk? It doesn’t take much to freeze to death in your car when it’s nine degrees. You need to check the antifreeze and the water level in the batteries in you cars. Make sure that the periodic maintenance is taken care of, because winter is not the time we want to have a break down. We have all met that Murphy character before, and it would be nice to head him off at the pass.Food is also important.

Are you prepared for an ice storm that could shut you in your house for two weeks? Quantity is not the only aspect. How are you going to prepare it if you don’t have power? Do you have the required water to cook? You can’t bring your BBQ in to the kitchen, so is your propane camp stove working? Or do you have to cook over an open fire in the back yard. Cooking without power can be a subject in of itself.  

This article is not meant for the details, it’s to get you thinking of all the pieces of the whole. If you spent time researching each subject, and putting in the time and money to get ready, don’t forget the maintenance that is required to keep your preparations always in a ready state. Jesus said, “No one knows the day of my return but the father.”  I don’t think that we know when emergencies are going to happen either. Lets make sure our lamps are always full of oil, and our wicks are trimmed and ready to burn.

2 BIG Black Friday Cyber Sales!!!!

on Tuesday, 26 November 2013.

Two really-really great emergency preparedness Cyber Sales start Thanksgiving night. These are “limited quantities sales, so when an item is gone, it is gone!

Go to GorgePrep.com and then select our Mercantile page.

At 12:01am (MT) Friday our Mercantile’s Thrive link will take you to their Black Friday Sale. This “sale” ends on Monday evening, at 11:59pm.

Starting at 8am (MT) Friday, our Mercantile’s Emergency Essentials link will take you to their “Black Friday Sale.”

Again, our GorgePrep.com Mercantile with will get you to 2 great Black Friday sales which offer a wide selection of food and emergency gear at great prices.  

Happy shopping and thanks for using our GorgePrep.com on-line Mercantile to do your shopping!

The staff at GorgePrep.com

Living Prepared: Knowledge & Skills

on Thursday, 21 November 2013.

The Habit of Preparedness

  By Tyra, PreparednessMama.com
 

The Habit of Preparedness

Are you ever done?  We think of Preparedness as a checklist. Its something we talk about being “done” with. But are we really ever “done with” being prepared?

Take your survival kit for example. You race to finish it for National Preparedness Month last year. Check! Guess what it’s obsolete already. Had a new baby? Now you’re missing a person. Your kids grew, now the clothes don’t fit. Haven’t rotated your food? I would recommend you take a look, with a trash can handy. Even gaining weight can make you kit obsolete.

Preparedness is like Laundry and Dishes

I know no one really likes them but they are necessary and we all love the feeling of accomplishment when they’re done. BUT it doesn’t take long before they need to be done again. When looking at the checklist for emergency preparedness it’s that same overwhelming feeling as 3 loads of unfolded laundry that have taken over your living room and the pile of dishes overflowing out of the sink. How on earth do you accomplish all of it!?! Getting or staying prepared can feel overwhelming or even impossible. We can let it pile up or we can do a little bit consistently and stay on top of it.

Preparedness is a Habit

It’s a habit of thinking ahead and making plans. The key is making it a part of your life, just like rinsing your dishes after eating and putting them in the dishwasher. The simple habit saves you all the time and effort of scrubbing pots and pans and soaking dishes. When we incorporate preparedness into our daily lives it becomes effortless. Using your food storage every day, filling a bottle of water each day, and having a monthly drill are all little steps that put us and keep us on the path of preparedness.

How to Adopt the Preparedness Habit

  1. Pick 2-3 preparedness principles that you’re weak in.
  2. Write them down
  3. Now assign one simple thing you can do each week to work on getting prepared in that area.
  • Buy an extra hygiene item each week
  • Buy twice the amount of regular family favorite foods
  • Purchase an item for your survival kit each week/month
  • Fix one home hazard a month

It’s the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race!

Backyard Goats... November's Diary

on Tuesday, 12 November 2013.

   During November we begin breeding our large breed dairy goats (we did meat goats in August/September and will breed Nigerian dairy goats in February). We are watching for signs of heat, feeding all stock very well to make them nutritionally sound and prepare the does to carry kids, and bucks to service multiple does. We give preventive shots to any stock we didn't get done in October, we take a final look at our mating selections, look ahead at the show schedules for planning kidding, check to see which 4H kids want project animals, watch for further signs of parasites and treat, clean the loafing shed to control moisture collection and parasite habitat, and trim hooves. Maintenance includes water runoff control, closing off of pastures so they can recover from summer use, moving of composting manure to make room for the piles that grow over the winter. The last of the garden produce is fed to the animals and humans, and leaves are gathered to help with next year's garden crop. Animals not needed are culled, records are updated, remaining spring kids are tattoed and registered. The farm and ranch life never stops at Camas Camp-n-Ranch...

November is breeding time if you want kids born in April. During October, goats should have had feet trimmed, been checked for internal parasites (we look at the poop through a microscope) and treated appropriately with anti-parasitics. Then, if you have a non-organic herd, given preventive shots of CDT and BOSE. All goats in your herd should be given a dose of each, which is 2cc (we give shot clinics - see the March calendar of classes). Then, selection of breeding pairs should have been done - yes, there's lots of prep work before you actually allow the goats to mate.
 
Then, we watch for signs of estrus (coming into heat). Goats cycle about every 18-21 days. If we are wanting to freshen (this means the goat gives birth and the mammary system begins producing fresh milk) goats at a particular time, we will often watch their heat cycles, and mark the calendar for breeding dates later.
 
The signs of heat are bleating more, flicking their tail, mounting other goats, walking the fenceline closest to your bucks, showing a darker pink coloration of the sometimes swollen vulva, obvious moistness at the vulva, followed by dropping of mucous - this is usually at the end of the heat cycle. If I see obvious signs of mucous in my herd, usually the sticking together of tail hairs, I know I missed this cycle. They also begin their heat cycles as early as August with the signs (noted above) becoming more pronounced as the months get colder and days shorter. These signs taper off again in February and humans may not notice, but bucks still can. This is in the larger breeds of dairy goats. Nigerians are known to cycle later into the spring and we have had some deliver their kids in late August (march breeding).
 
Breeding occurs when the buck is allowed to mount and penetrate the doe. The buck will use their nose to sniff the doe's external genetalia, determining if the doe is in heat. If the doe is in a 'standing heat', it will be the easiest time to let the breeding occur. The doe will usually be quite docile, and quite eager to let the buck service her. If it is early in the cycle, the doe will be more reluctant, while the buck will remain quite eager to do his part.
 
At our ranch, we use stands located in our barns to assist with the breeding process. We bring the does into the barn, put their heads into the stand (grain or treats help get them there) and close the head portion to tether the doe in place. We do it this way since we have many does to service and it is easier for handlers, we have customers come in with their does that are sometimes less tame than ours, and we can observe to be sure proper servicing has occurred. Also, the buck doesn't get as tired if he doesn't have to chase the doe around and there is less likelihood that the buck will damage his penis. A young doe may be uncertain of the buck's advances and can injure both themselves and the buck - a broken penis makes the buck unuseable.
 
When observing the breeding process, the breeder should look for certain things: is the doe moving her tail so penetration can occur, is the buck able to move his penis out of his body's pouch, when he thrusts forward does he throw his head back, and then, did the doe tuck her pelvis immediately following the penetration. This may often be followed by the doe urinating with a milky fluid following. All of these are good signs and usually mean that a deposit of semen has been made at the opening of the cervix. We look for all of these signs to occur three times for one breeding.
 
Afterwards, it is important to watch the doe at the 6 and 7 day point - sometimes does will cycle into heat again. If they do, they should be bred again - my customers are invited to bring their does back for another round of servicing at that point. The first date should be recorded as a prospective delivery date as should the 2nd. Also, the doe should be observed for signs of heat again at the 18-21 day point following the first breeding AND the second.
 
Then, how would you know if the goat conceived? Well, if they don't cycle into heat again, it is likely they are pregnant. Also, especially in large breed dairy goats, if their milk supply declines and it appears they are trying to stop producing (if they are in milk, having kidded or freshened previously) this is also a positive sign of pregnancy. If this occurs, just continue your regular milkings and they will continue to produce until you do dry them up, about the 3 month point of their gestation.
 
More later on gestation, preparation of the buck and doe, getting through the winter, preparing for spring kids...happy goating!