Hi Claire!

I came across your blog on Backwoods Home Magazine online as a place that had linked to my website, “The New Nomads”. It took me forever to figure out where the link to me was, but after much mindless clicking, encountered the right spot. I had misused the word “monkeywrenching” in one of my blog posts about Scotland (I had) and you were using my post as an example of your frustration about lack of genuine monkeywrenching. I was hoping for a more flattering link, but I am incredibly happy about finding you and your writing anyway! In the moment.

I am working on a book about the voluntary nomadic lifestyle as a way of living outside of the system. I am planning a three year experiment of living that way myself in order to research the possibilities, meet people doing it, and of course, to have a good time. Both you and Backwoods Magazine appear to be chock full of information and potential leads for my project and I am about to dive into the archives and check it out! if the project seems like anything you’d be interested in or interested in receiving updates about ~ or ~ if you are inspired to share anything with me you know about the subject, please let me know!

Here is a link to my site  (with no further misuse of the term “monkeywrenching” :) ) and to my project on Kickstarter.

Cheers and thank you for fantastic information and writing! I feel like I have struck gold!

Kimberlie Dame

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I appreciated seeing the article on wheat in the July/August  issue.  It had some helpful information on preparing fresh wheat for storage.

I am glad the editors made comment on using trash bags in  buckets.  They are not recommended and are unnecessary when a clean  food grade bucket is used, which is the only kind that should be used  when storing wheat in buckets.

The “bulgur” described in the article is not actually bulgur.  It is  steamed or cooked wheat and can be made in several ways in addition  to the one described.  Bulgur is steamed wheat that has been dried  and cracked.  It is an “instant” form of cracked wheat.  Bulgur is  commonly used in Tabbouleh and similar salads as well as in bulgur  pilafs.  Steamed or cooked wheat is normally used in different ways  than bulgur.

There are far more grain mills available than are indicated in the  article.  One can purchase simple inexpensive hand mills, moderately  priced and expensive hand mills that can also be motorized and  moderate to expensive electric mills.  One can purchase steel burrs,  stone burrs or an impact mill which pulverizes the grain.  I’m sure  readers would have appreciated reference links for more information.

The author also indicated that flour loses most of its food value  within a month.  Since flour is primarily the macronutrients protein,  fat and carbohydrate and flour is not a good source of the most  labile vitamins found in grain, that statement cannot be true.  Flour  is quite stable but it is better to store whole grains and make your  own flour especially if you find yourself living entirely on your stored food.

Thank you for providing a variety of articles in your  magazine.  There is always something I am interested in even though I  live in the suburbs.

Cheryl Driggs
Spring TX

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I read Claire’s article with interest since I’ve been making firestarters for years once we started taking our kid’s camping. One cold, windy night with only a few sheets of paper to get a fire going was enough to convince me to make a bunch of firestarters using various materials.

I found that using petroleum jelly on a cotton ball is a wonderful firestarter, you can fit a month’s worth into a pill bottle or mint tin. Spreading the cotton over the tender helps to get it going.

Also, using dryer lint (we have lots!) pushed into cardboard egg cartons or cup carriers and then covered with candle wax makes a great starter-lasts a long time like the ones Claire discussed in her article.

After having lighters fail and matches get wet I tried making my own “water proof” matches, which works okay except they tend to be brittle and hard to ignite. Now I use a magnesium stick firestarter that never fails to work. I found mine in a camping catalog, they’re also sold at Walmarts.

I love your magazine, have just signed-up for another year.I’m interested in being as self-reliant as possible. We live in a small town on a half acre lot where I keep 4 chickens in a mobile chicken tractor that my husband and son built to my specifications (we built it on top of a garden wagon, with a pen attached on wheels. When it’s time to re-locate the hens we just pick-up the wagon handle and pull it to the next spot. We have about 30 different fruit trees, tons of ever-bearing raspberries, strawberries, etc. I ordered the trees about 3 years ago and I’m excited by the fact that my peach and one of my plum trees are both loaded with fruit and the apples are also beginning to produce.

Keep up the great articles and information.I suspect that more people will be in need of it in the near future and your magazine will be an inspiration to them.

Marie McKinney Stone
Indiana

PS. I love everything that Jackie Clay writes!!!

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I just wanted to mention that for melting wax, a double boiler works really well. Another source of wax are those little wax bottles of whatever that is. My granddaughter gives me hers when she’s done drinking them.

Richard & Georgia

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The May/June copy came a couple of days ago. Usual band of great stuff. There was one thing that stood out that I would like to know more about. One of the pages had a picture of Dorothy wearing a sweatshirt that says “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF.” Great paraphrase on JFK’s speech, however did she make that herself or did she pick it up from a vendor? If that is not copyrighted I am going to have some made up for myself as it reflects my outlook. I am sure that Ayn Rand would be proud of our Dorothy for wearing that shirt.

Randy Westfall
Arizona

Dear Randy,

Re: “Building Eric’s House Part 5″: I was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt I ordered from an affiliate of the Ayn Rand website “Atlasphere” (a take-off from “Atlas Shrugged”). I’ve been a proponent for 50 years of Ayn Rand’s philosophy that celebrates individualism and personal achievement (without government help). Thanks for noticing the quote!

Here is the website link if you’d like to order one for yourself. It’s a GREAT message to spread around!

Sincerely,

Dorothy Ainsworth

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Thanks to Vernon Lewis for “The Under-Appreciated Sweet Potato” article in the May/June issue – I learned quite a bit from it about one of my favorite foods.  I’m delighted and amazed to know that they’re actually low-glycemic, even though sweet! – and to have that much more reason to indulge.  (BTW, I tried to grow them – slips of 6 different types – in clayey soil, and they were very unhappy.  Maybe I’ll try planting them in compost-and-straw, as one can do with nightshade potatoes… perhaps after growing my own slips.)

I wanted to mention another use for them that I discovered this past year:  dried slices make wonderful, healthy, teeth-cleaning dog treats – expensive to buy (if you can find them), easy to make.  Precook the tubers (to “al dente” stage, before mushy), slice 1/4 – 1/3″ thick.  (And like beets, dehydrated sweet potatoes are gorgeous in color and rehydrate very well – for humans!)

Sherry Gordon
Idaho

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I picked some dandelion greens from my yard a short time ago. I wanted to prepare them but didn’t know the best way. So I searched the Internet and found a website with the name John Kallas mentioned. I knew that the name had to be Greek. Having lived in Greece and visited there many times, this had to be the right source, remembering how the Greeks love dandelion greens. I found Dr. Kallas’s article very interesting, informative, and well written. His explanation of the bitterness of the greens and how to reduce it was most helpful. Thanks for a great article.

Ellen O’Neill
Virginia

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Hi there,

I just read the article written by John Silveira called Why I’m nice to telemarketers and I had to write you a quick message to thank you. I work as a outbound call centre agent (which is what we telemarketers like to call ourselves haha) almost a year ago, and unless you’ve worked as one yourself I’m not sure you understand how much we appreciate people like you. We talk to a lot of unhappy people every day, and we truly do appreciate those who let us finish our little speech and politely decline. My coworkers and I actually brag to each other about the nice people we talk to.

So thank you for being nice to telemarketers and for writing an article about it.

Sincerely,

Rebecca

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I really enjoyed this article, short and good. I never really knew how to shoot and it helped a lot.

Aubrey E. Ritchie
Texas

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Editor;

I have recently discovered your excellent magazine and will subscribe as soon as finances allow. I have two comments about your March/April 2011 Issue.

First as a long time handyman I couldn’t help but notice an error in the article by Len McDougall [Drive your own freshwater well]. The author refers to joining two pipes with a nipple when in fact you would join them with a coupler. The nipple is any length of pipe shorter than one foot with external or male threads on both ends. The coupler is a length of larger pipe with internal or female threads. I know this is nit-picking but if a novice would go to his local hardware store and ask for a 4-inch nipple he would not get home with the required parts.

My second comment is on the editorial concerning local government to which I say “hooray” You were right on the mark. I have visited your community and thankfully had a wonderful experience, but I am very familiar with similar situations.

The answer you seek is to get involved in politics at some level. You believe that the Chief of Police works for you as a citizen but in truth he answers to the local elected body of government, they are after all the people that can and will fire him.  They in turn answer to the voters. But only every two or four years or whatever your election cycle is. This has the effect of the Chief acting in the manner that he believes will keep him employed as long as possible.

An unfortunate scenario that often occurs is that a well-meaning new comer runs for office, is elected and promptly begins to try to change things to the way it worked where he came from. Or someone with a particular axe to grind attains office to get his way on an issue. The only way to affect the actions of your Chief is to become active in politics at some level.  You may run for office or actively support someone running that has a like mind as you. Write letters to the editor of your local paper and attend meetings of public interest. Never let someone run unopposed, even for positions such as school board or water commission, it gives them the attitude that they are untouchable. In Short political apathy is the tool that politicians use to run over the common citizen.

Sincerely;

Neal J. Ward (ex-Chief of Police)
Wyoming

Mr. ward is correct about the misnamed pipe connector. It is generally called a coupler or coupling.

I’ve updated the online version with the correct part name.

~Oliver

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I just wanted to say that this was EXACTLY what my husband and I were looking for on how to utilize old tires!

We have a piece of land that has been vacant for about 10 years. People have been throwing their old tires there for years and we were perplexed on how to properly dispose of them and really wanted to recycle them. This is saving us hundreds of dollars and offering us some peace of mind in being environmentally sound and organic with our gardening.

Thank you!

Lindsey McClure

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Great commentary.

Here in the Arizona Outback, my county is broke, too. Only problem, with 1 out of 10 voters now a trough feeder in one form or another, there’s no one left to do anything about it.  It’s just a sickening mess, government employees doing little more than time for pensions.

Ron

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Sir,

I will start with the statement that I have read your magazine since its inception many years ago. Our lives have been tested in similar manners, divorce, child rearing, attempting to start over again ect. This is why I find it shocking that you advocate the throw the baby out with the bathwater solution so many have… I expected better..or at least  a fair chance, you see Dave, I AM ONE OF THEM a good for nothing fat cat rich public employee.

I would love to make 30+ dollars an hour and all those FREE MONEY BENEFITS I would sure like some body to show them to me.

I did get a raise this year Dave, a whole .25 cents an hour  didn’t get a raise the last 3 years though.

My” golden parachute “retirement from the state I work for after 30 years of loyal service will be about 785 a month.And that is it, if our Governor doesn’t decide to give it to the teachers union, which means you guessed it… screwed again.

Yes… the joys of working for “the people”. I guess I could be bitter about it, but hey with all the millions in free benefits who could complain?

What do I do you ask?  I am a nurses aide on a Maximum Security Ward of a Mental Institution. And we all know how well DEFUNDING mental health has been working on that problem don’t we Dave?

My whole point is there are services that are necessary if not popular and the people who step up to do these jobs don’t really need to be demonized by an editorial that may be true in Oregon is not necessarily true every where else.

A one size fits all approach is one that rarely fits any. And while I have enjoyed your publication for many years and do agree with you on most things I have to draw a line Dave….. Sorry you have been defunded.

Yours,

Bruce E. Blankenship

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AWESOME!!!!!!

Thank you for the articles on the Morels and Propagating Plants. The scope and details (including pictures) in these articles is exactly what was on my “to do” search list.

Please consider an article on how to find ginseng? Other people, who have since moved on, have had our permission to harvest morels and ginseng on our property. With full retirement around the corner, we are interested in both activities.

Again, thanks.

Alice Riffle
A subscriber for many years

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I liked your article. I would only add that marriage confers many rights to couples, which is why the “gay marriage” and “poly marriage” debate matters. There are state and Federal estate laws, laws about who can make decisions for someone who is incapacitated, laws governing retirement plans, etc. that grant special privileges to married couples. The state does have an interest in these matters, as you mentioned, in the role of arbiter. Poly marriage presents unique problems in that several spouses of the deceased/incapacitated would make the arbiter’s role more difficult, especially if they didn’t agree unanimously on a course of action. That does not mean that the government has the right to decide who can and cannot marry, just that they have an interest in the union.

Regards,

Jeff Yamada

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I agree with this article whole-heartily. Boohoo that they have to return to a sheriff, judge, etc. Lets force them to return to the government established by our Constitution. The majority of the County was not run by paid officials, but volunteers, right down to the Grand Juries where you were truly tried by a jury of your peers. Not people randomly selected, but your local townspeople, the people that knew you, knew your circumstances and basic character. When true justice prevailed. If the local citizens thought a law imposed by the City/County government was unjust, the defendant walked. That is how we kept Government at bay. Not many people are aware that Grand Juries is the 4th branch of government. Our fearless leaders have kept that from public education. They even went as far as to impose State Constitutions that state only a Superior Judge can order a Grand Jury. This disgusts me because our founding fathers gave us this branch of government to avoid corruption.

Our local police and courts have become a revenue generating corporation. I would like to know why the police are stationed along the roadsides just waiting to pull someone over, yet when you call them, they take over an hour to show up to help you.

My old City pulled something similar a few years back. They did their “Wetlands study” in our neighborhood which resulted in a local farmer losing their land. Two years after forcing this family off their farm and land, they built an 8 bay Metro Bus Transit Station on the property.(What happened to the protected Wetlands?) On a humerous note, their plans were delayed for two years because city workers didn’t know what to do when they discovered an underground bomb shelter on the land while excavating. Not more than 3 months after this big grand bus terminal was built, the City put a gas tax hike before the voters. When the voters voted against it, the City punished us by stating, “Because we did not win the gas tax hike, we can no longer afford to run all of our buses” So to this day (6 years later), A family lost their homestead, but in it’s place is 4 acres of paved asphalt where only one bus runs two times a day.

Revulsed yet? I am…Government at it’s finest.

I am so happy to finally be in a small community where they watch over their officials. If they try to pull the wool over our eyes, you can rest assured, they will not survive the next vote. We have people sitting in on every County Commissioner meeting, every City Council meeting, and the like. Our only problem? The other side of our state is so citified, they pay no attention, and unfortunately, they have many more people who carelessly vote for the Legislators.

Misty Foster
Colville, WA

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Hello,

I only rarely have the opportunity to “Surf the web”, despite the fact that I’m employed in the computer industry. I happened upon Mr. Duffy’s article quite by accident.

I must say that even though I live across the country in New Hampshire, I find his sentiments, as well as his reasoning and experience, to be quite common. Things are handled here in New Hampshire much differently than they are in Wisconsin, but even their woes seem to be touching all.

I truly believe that Mr. Duffy has touched upon the fundamental issue; the “People” vs. “government”. There seems to be an attitude of superiority among “government employees”. This attitude permeates every area of public service, from the governors, to the cops, to the fire-fighters, to the administrators, to the clerks, to the folks that collect the garbage in town (in those towns where such collection is part of the tax-payer funded services). Thankfully, here in New Hampshire, things are not as outwardly contentious as in other parts of the Country, (at least not in my locale), but we have our issues.

The economy has cost the private citizens our jobs, our homes, our retirements (which for many of us means we no longer have _ANY_ retirement funds left), and in some cases, our very families. While the private sector has been burdened more and more to support the top-heavy structure of our government at all levels, the government employees have remained (until now) arrogantly secure in their futures. Well, the economy has finally reached them.

While certain emergency and safety employees are certainly worth more than they are paid, they can only be paid what we can afford. Even then, they must occasionally be reminded that “Public Servant” does _NOT_ mean that the “Public” is their “Servant”.  Regardless of the particular position of any government employee, whether law-enforcement, fire-fighter, or clerk, it is the job of the government employee to preserve and protect _OUR_ way of life, not the other way around.

I know, this email is far longer than it should be… It’s far longer than I initially intended… Please accept my apologies for that. I just felt compelled to express my sentiments to Mr. Duffy and let him know that, while different parts of the country may outwardly express the sentiment differently, I believe he has rather eloquently expressed, and defined, the primary issue of this Nation’s discontent.

Well done, Mr. Duffy.

All the best.

Al Hitchmoth
New Hampshire

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Just wanted to say thanks on the great article. Just what I was looking for and what more people should be aware of.

Scott Barrett

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Dear BHM,

As much as I look forward to all the articles in each new issue, I wanted to let you know that Thomas M. Buckley’s article “A Guide to Buying Silver and Gold” (issue 126) was especially helpful to me.  I had bought a little bit of bullion years ago at a coin shop, but didn’t really know what I was doing.  I’m sure I paid a good premium.  Mr. Buckley’s descriptions of the different forms of the metals helped me decide what I was looking for, and how to make sure I was getting a good deal.

I was able to put this knowledge to good use within a couple of weekends when I went to a flea market.  The two dealers I remember were from both extremes of what the article described.  The first table was flashy with lots of jewelry and coins and brightly lit, the dealer really hustling to work several customers at his table.  I figured this guy must really move a lot of product, and that there was some good reason.  When I got his attention, I asked “What do you get on a dollar face of U.S. ‘junk’ coins?”  He said, “I don’t have any junk.  Mine’s all American.”  So I pointed to the shoe box brimming with pre-’64 quarters and dimes in the last corner of his display case and made further inquiry, and he turned and walked away.  After a few more minutes of being ignored, I moved on.

The next dealer I noticed was an older gentleman with a much smaller display with no jewelry, only coins, bullion, and collectible paper currency of an amazing variety given the space.  His answer- “I get 20 times face.”  Melt value was $21.09!  Knowing what I wanted and what to expect made all the difference that day, as I am sure it will again in the future.

Just sign me,

“M”

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