Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Spring Ranchfest 2009 Update

3/08/09 - 4th Day - After Breakfast. Greetings y'all. Thought I'd post a little update from the Ranch here during Ranchfest. The weather has been variable and interesting. Yesterday morning we had a freeze (down to 29) and it got into the 70's during the day. The late freeze did some havoc in the garden and most likely will negatively affect some of our fruit crop. We will be having to replant some stuff starting next week after Ranchfest. This morning it is 39 degrees, and we are expected to get up to 89 today. Nothing like a good 50 degree swing to make your young garden plants yell UNCLE!

This has really been the Un-Ranchfest. Usually, we have dozens of people who confirm they are coming to Ranchfest, but most of them cancel during the last week or so. This Ranchfest, we had only 6 people confirm in the last two weeks before Ranchfest, but we have had 16 attend, with possible one or two more coming by for a day close to the weekend. So my office was busting at the seams last night for our fellowship. Today we will continue to work on building some fences, we will be installing a new storm door on the front of the cabin, and we will likely begin work putting the metal roof on the smokehouse. Tonight, if the Lord wills, we will have a sermon down at the office, and tomorrow we will be having a Passover seder in the evening.

I hope to get back to our continuing story on Persecution and Reflection as soon as Ranchfest is over. Then, we will be having a special feature for the whole month of May that I will announce soon. You will definitely want to be checking in on the blog every day in May.

It is funny, when people hear we live off-grid out here, they often shake their heads and mutter something silly, like "how quaint", or "why?"... Well, because we have been telling you all for years that your grid system is unreliable and that it will be your downfall...

WASHINGTON - Wall Street Journal - Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.

The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.

Yep, here's what y'all got going for ya...

Your electrical grid is penetrated by Russian and Chinese spies,

Your debt system is supported completely by Russian and Chinese investments and deposits that they have promised to end.

Your currency is supported by Russian and Chinese reserve holdings that they have just announced they will now change.

One of your enemies just launched a ballistic missile and the Russian and Chinese governments have told you not to sweat it.

Your internet (which supports and upholds your economy) was recently announced to have been severely hacked and infiltrated by Russian and Chinese hackers.

...but don't you worry, nothing bad could ever happen to you - because you are special. Don't let those quaint off-grid folks get to you. What do they know?

Hey, y'all be cool!

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

4 comments:

onbigturtlecreek said...

Ya'll have a great time. Wish I were there. Be sure and post pictures. :)

Judy

Bill Peck said...

Yep, saw that....real encouraging news about the grid eh! But most will continue to believe (i.e. wish wish wish, hope hope hope, close eyes and click heels 3 times) that a return to our post WWII fantasyland is a given, notwithstanding all the plain evidence to the contrary.

BB

Bill Peck said...

Oh yes,

16 is a very nice turnout indeed! Glad to see that.

Sorry to read about the freeze, that's tough. Pray it didn't do too much damage to the fruit.

Oh, and I second the motion for pics! :-)

BB

Matt Davis said...

We had a really bad frost and 32 degrees yesterday morning here in LA. We used hay bales (both round and square) and lots of water to smoke my friend's vineyard. The key is finding old junky hay for cheap or free and coming up with enough water to make lots of smoke. You may want to try something like this next year if there is a late frost/freeze.