Emergency Flu Preparation

      Influenza is not only a nuisance, it actually kills people.  Those of us who get a flu shot each year are somewhat protected against the several strains of influenza that researchers think will be most common that year. They also may arm our immune systems somewhat against viral syndromes.  Most physicians recommend flu vaccines for almost anyone with a chronic illness (asthma, diabetes, etc.), for pregnant women, people over about 50. and for children ages about 6 months to about 18 years. Health care workers and first responders are also urged to receive one, and in some places actually required to have one.  Most physicians are pro-vaccine, but of course being the person I am, I am acquainted with a few who are more cautious. I do not get an annual influenza vaccine because I have an autoimmune illness, and because it is my feeling and the concern of my doctor that I may do better without having my immune system challenged. (I have a hyperactive immune system anyway. Why arm it additionally ?)   This is a calculated risk, and I will either outlive everyone, or die of the flu some year soon.   People who should not generally receive the flu shot are people with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome following an immunization, people who have a known allergy to eggs, those enduring certain types of cancer treatment. Those who have had a recent illness with or without a fever should let their physician decide whether they should receive a flu shot now, or wait.  The expert on who should receive a flu shot is your own physician, and definitely not the nurses or pharmacists at your local pharmacy who not only don't know your prior medical history, but who make money from your choice to have the immunization done with them.  My older kids do get the pneumovax injection to prevent pneumonia however. I also believe in the meningococcal preventive immunizations and the booster, which you can read about here:
           
   http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/vaccine-info.html


The guidelines for who is to be immunized does vary a bit country to country.  Make no mistake though, influenza is dangerous. A friend of ours with three children and all were ill with the flu. Her eldest son, JT,  was miserable, as all her kids were, and went up to bed.  Sometime that night as a result of the flu, he passed away.  He had no other known medical issues other than the flu.
           So, in preparing for the flu, we can consider immunization.  We can also practice frequent handwashing, which really does decrease the number of viruses we pick up from inanimate objects onto our hands.  We can also avoid touching out noses and eyes while out and before handwashing, as researchers indicate that our own fingers are actually how we are inadvertently inoculated by many of these influenza viruses.   We can try to avoid others with respiratory infections as droplet infection through air is one of the means by which we can acquire such an infection. This of course is of limited success.  The Japanese are quite comfortable wearing masks while working or going to school during influenza outbreaks. This too may be of some value.
          I am not a fan of antibacterial soaps for simple regular use. I am not fond of alcohol based hand rinses as they do dry hands which contributes to winter cracking, and then these openings are germ hazards in themselves.  I prefer to choose my favorite soap and have one of these at each sink.  If we wash our hands well enough and long enough with sufficient water, studies have shown that they really are pathogen free.  (Pathogens are microorganisms which cause disease. There are always some microorganisms on skin, and many of these are positive because they keep the balance of microorganisms, which is desirable, avoiding fungal infections etc.)
          For many of us, we will get some type of flu annually.  Even those of us who are immunized, may contract a milder version of one of the influenzas.  Very early in the course of your flu, if you see your doctor, there are drugs called antivirals.  Tamiflu is one of these.  There are times when abbreviating the flu can be a beneficial idea.
 You can read more about it at:

 http://www.tamiflu.com



Whether you have been treated with tamiflu to help to abbreviate this flu or not, it pays to have some preparations. The last thing you want to be doing with a fever is standing in line at a pharmacy looking for acetaminophen or aspirin, facial tissues, or a thermometer when everyone else needs one too, and the store is sold out.  Our large family has a flu kit.

  Our flu kit has:

*Regular facial tissues,
*Kleenex lotion variety tissues
*Generic Mucinex   (to liquify secretions) generic is glyceryl guaiacolate
*Generic acetaminophen     (Panadol in the UK, Tylenol in the US,  generics are fine.)
*Generic aspirin     (Only for those older than 18 or older than 21.  Aspirin is associated with Reyes  Syndrome in teens and children)
*Regular masks     (There are special masks for hospital use. I use regular disposable masks for home use)
*Lots of Gatorade, premixed, powdered, all flavors, to battle dehydration if vomiting occurs.  Of course, you can use whatever palatable drink will help to replace fluids and electrolytes in the event of vomiting or diarrhea.    Please also see my prior post on "Dehydration and Rehydration Solutions" at:

http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/11/dehydration-and-rehydration-solutions.html

* Cough drops.   (Use only for children old enough to be unlikely to choke on them.  On younger children, you might look for "cough drop lollypops")

* A glass thermometer or an electronic thermometer. (I like the Exergen temporal scanner especially for children, because you can take a temperature without waking them up.)
*Loperamide     (marketed in the US as Imodium AD for protracted diarrhea.  Generic is fine for this also)
* Vitamin C   (I use 500 mg. a day during an influenza. Others use 1000 mg or 1 gram daily.  This is an unproven cold and flu management strategy, but it seems to work for my family and I.
(see:     http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/vitamin-c-for-common-cold   )
* A package of nitrile or latex gloves would be a good idea also.   (Latex gloves promote latex allergies in many people)
*If you have children under 12, you should have all of these drugs but aspirin in liquid form for children.
  You could add to your influenza kit or reduce amounts of things depending upon family size.   This year, someone here added prepackaged quick oatmeal packets to the kit.
*Make sure you have salt, so that you can make a salt water gargle for sore throats.

Note: Your sick day supplies for a child with asthma or with Type I (juvenile) diabetes would include different things in addition to the above.

          Sadly, a small percentage of people will die of influenza.  It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.  My friend lost her son at seven, and my father-in-law died of the flu at 59.  It is not always possible to predict who is going to be severely damaged by it.   Some of the things we can do to prevent influenza deaths is to see that people in our family with other chronic health issues, get a flu shot annually.   People with chronic illnesses should have their illnesses under control BEFORE flu season.   Asthma needs to be controlled, and diabetes Type I OR Type II need to be controlled before the challenge of an influenza comes along.  When someone gets the flu, they might want to consider a pre-emptive visit very early in its course for Tamiflu or similar drug.   Then, they need to carve the time out to be sick, and really take care of themselves.  In most people, the flu will pass if the patient is given simple supportive care.  People need plenty of fluids, antipyretics (tylenol, or aspirin)  They need soft food which is easily prepared.  They need trash bags to contain tissues with drainage.  If they live alone, someone should be their flu buddy, and should call them daily to check on their progress. They should be called twice a day if not doing well.   Do not hesitate to take a person who seems to be experiencing a more severe course of the flu, to a physician.  We cannot save everyone, and sometimes there are no indications that this person is in trouble, but often there are, and a physician may well admit them to the hospital for intravenous fluids, fluid and electrolyte correction, and sometimes, antibiotics are necessary for a superimposed bacterial infection which moves in as a consequence of the viral one.


This post is dedicated to JT Baptista:

 

As I mentioned, JT passed suddenly from Earth due to influenza.  His family has a fund in which families can donate so that other boys can have scholarships to enjoy karate, just as he did.  His mother is a dear friend.

http://www.jtsfund.com/wordpress/?page_id=17

What is Atrial Fibrillation ?

 
         We hear this phrase a good deal, and yet most adults have no idea what it really means. Atrial fibrillation is the most common of heart rhythm disturbances. A heart rhythm disturbance is also known as a type of arrhythmia or most correctly, dysrhythmia.   "A-fib" as it's often abbreviated, can occur suddenly and can be experienced in a variety of ways.  Most people with "a-fib" experience a sensation of either fluttering in their chests or the sensation that their heart is flopping around.  This may come in tandem with the sensations of being slightly breathless and also anxious.  Most people feel an energy drain and may even be a little lightheaded.  A few people with atrial fibrillation have odd sensations in their throats and a very few complain of unusual sensations in their left arms or even in their deltoid muscle of their left arm.
          Some people develop an episode of atrial fibrillation during a period of acute stress. Some develop it after getting insufficient sleep or after too much caffeine. People can be in atrial fibrillation for a few minutes, for an hour, for several, and some, for years.  Beside the obvious discomfort and the feeling of general unwellness, there are other reasons that atrial fibrillation should not be allowed to continue.  A heart beating irregularly and inefficiently can allow clots to form. These clots can later be liberated and can cause a stroke.  Therefore the rapid diagnosis of actual atrial fibrillation, and the treatment of such is important.
          Atrial fibrillation can run in families.  My father believes that he had brief episodes of a-fib all the way back to grade school. He was not diagnosed with atrial fib. until he was in his fifties and on a business trip out of town. His initial diagnosis and treatment occurred in New York City.   Both his mother and his father were diagnosed with a-fib in their fifties.  My grandmother, after diagnosis and treatment, lived well with this tendency, until she was 96.   My father was challenged by recurrent atrial fib. from his fifties periodically until his eighties, and at times, his energy levels were impaired.   One of my children has been treated for a-fib and is currently stable.  My son who died of an acute rhythm disturbance, believed to be Long QT syndrome, was not felt to have had a-fib.    The development of atrial fibrillation at some point is therefore very likely for me. I have a cardiologist lined up, ready to treat me for this eventuality.
           Atrial fibrillation is usually diagnosed when the patient himself complains of feeling an "odd heart rhythm".  On taking their pulse, they have a clearly irregular rhythm.  Anyone of any age, who has an irregular heart rhythm should be taken to a competent emergency room at once.  Once they are there, an EKG will be taken in an attempt to document the type of rhythm disturbance.  A rhythm strip showing atrial fibrillation is immediately obvious and is easily diagnosed.

This is an enlarged view of a rhythm strip, a portion of an EKG, showing atrial fibrillation.  In this strip, the heart is beating inefficiently and irregularly, and there are opportunities for clots to form and be thrown throughout the body.

I have added a normal tracing here for comparison.  This tracing is of a normal sinus rhythm.

            Once a physician has diagnosed atrial fibrillation, they usually obtain some labwork.  This is done to rule out other issues and to check fluid and electrolyte balance.   Having low amounts of any blood electrolytes,  particularly potassium can cause many patients to descend into atrial fibrillation.   Then an intravenous line is started.  In many places a cardiologist is called, although most board certified emergency room physicians are fully capable of treating atrial fibrillation.   The patient will also need an echocardiogram, an ultrasound exam of the heart which helps to rule out a number of potential causes of atrial fibrillation which could need to be addressed.

               The potential causes of atrial fibrillation are many.  This arrhythmia can occur in tandem with coronary artery disease, or completely independently of it, as it appears to do in my family.   For some people , another illness has depleted their electrolytes and the atrial fib. is simply a symptom of another poorly controlled disease process.  For others, too high a dose of another drug given for another issue, has been administered for another problem, and has caused the a-fib. For a few, they have ingested too much caffeine in the form of soda, tea or coffee, and this has caused a fib.  Excessive use of alcohol, college parties with excessive alcohol ingestion, or tobacco can also cause this.  Excessive thyroid hormone from either your own thyroid gland, or from excessive thyroid supplementation from your physician can also cause atrial fib..   Excessive asthma medication can also cause atrial fibrillation, but then so can poorly managed asthma.

  This is a listing of some of the additional causes:

     

• High blood pressure
• Heart attacks
• Abnormal heart valves
• Heart defects you were born with (congenital issues)
• Sick sinus syndrome — improper functioning of the heart's natural pacemaker (failure of sino-atrial node)
• Emphysema or other lung diseases including asthma
• Previous heart surgery, including cardiac bypass graft surgery
• Viral infections which can lead to cardiomyopathy with arrhythmia
• Stress due to pneumonia, surgery or other illnesses
• Untreated sleep apnea

    Once echocardiography, an ultrasound examination of your heart is done, many of the issues above can be ruled out.  Some people simply have atrial fibrillation without any of the issues listed above.  These are people who may have additional nerve pathways in their cardiac conduction system which periodically trigger a competing rhythm.

This is a person receiving an echocardiography exam.

      

This is one view of an echocardiogram. A great deal of information can be obtained by looking at the measurements as determined by this machine.

                      In my family, no particular cardiac abnormalities have been found that were felt to cause a-fib. Still, this can be a serious and potentially life threatening issue if not addressed.    Once controlled, it can simply be monitored.  My grandmother for example, had a-fib in her fifties, and it was controlled using a very small dosage of medication, until she passed of something else entirely at 96.   For others, there can be a more frustrating course.   Treatment can include medications, surgery to correct abnormalities found, or something called cardioversion, in which a very slight shock is delivered to a sedated patient to correct a rhythm disturbance. This is not anywhere near the magnitude of the shock delivered during a code situation.  A few people with recurrent a-fib will not respond to drug correction or to cardioversion, and their best option for complete recovery will be cardiac ablation .    One of my sons had a cardiac ablation in his twenties and is living and well today.

In cardiac ablation, the cardiac conduction system of the patient is mapped using a catheter which enters the patient through a small opening in the groin.  When the focus which is causing a competing rhythm is identified, it can be burned slightly as if done with a cautery. For many patients, this ends their proclivity for a-fib.  A few need to have the procedure performed once again.

                 Atrial fibrillation is the most common of the cardiac conduction disorders.  It is a fairly common disorder and occurs much more often as we age. It does run in families. There are multi-factorial causes, and therefore a multitude of treatments both available and necessary to restore the patient to a regular sinus rhythm.  Returning the patient to a regular sinus rhythm is necessary because their energy level, general function is impaired while they remain in atrial fib. and because their chances of having a stroke are greater, the longer they remain in it.   Even when a person converts to a regular sinus rhythm following a period of time in atrial fibrillation, they likely remain exhausted and feel "spent".    People in atrial fib or who have recently concerted are often given anticoagulants in order to prevent their formulating clots in the period of time following the correction of their rhythm disturbance.

               This is a common cardiac disorder, and under todays diagnostic and treatment capabilities, this disorder can be controlled for many people.

              I mention this, fourteen days before Valentine's Day, because in a survival forum, this is indeed something that we can do something about.  The person for whom atrial fibrillation is diagnosed early, has an excellent chance of living a normal lifespan and living through other health challenges or challenges in our world.  Continued atrial fib. and heart failure from longstanding a-fib. can be avoided.   Strokes from untreated a fib can certainly be prevented.  This month, I am seeing a friend who is a cardiologist, and getting a new baseline EKG and a new baseline echocardiogram done.  This might be the best Valentine's Day gift I can give my husband, and the rest of my family.

Another Aftershock

     I think I am getting sick of all the aftershocks.   There have been almost 100 aftershocks since the 5.8 earthquake which occurred in Central Virginia in August, 2011.    Most of those have been notated by the US Geologic Survey, as above, but many of them have not.   This is why USGS has been seen placing additional devices in various parts of the commonwealth.  Aftershocks aren't just an annoyance. Their effects are cumulative.  A road which may be fine may collapse following experiencing multiple low level quakes characterized as aftershocks.   There is lots of damage here in Central Virginia from aftershocks which are fairly close to the surface of the soil.  I am concerned that these may not be aftershocks but foreshocks, a preparation for an additional severe quake which is yet to come.

Louisa High School is a modern building.  To this day, Louisa students have an amended school schedule where buildings are shared because the damage from the quake has made using the buildings unsafe.

This is very typical damage following the initial 5.8 quake

This is the interior of the Louisa High School shown by a student, after the August quake.

                                              

This is very typical damage in Louisa

    

                        This is an historic home in Louisa County.   It has been braced, but is not yet repaired.


    We would like to thank:

The Central Virginia Earthquake Clearinghouse, for information and for use of some of the pictures used in this post.

http://www.eqclearinghouse.org/2011-08-23-virginia/2011/09/01/922/

See also:

 http://earthquake-report.com/2011/09/01/strong-aftershock-below-cuckoo-and-approx-8-km-from-mineral-virginia/

Human Trafficking.......a Reality in All Walks of Life

        As I have said on this blog before, I have been blessed in a sense, with a simpler more basic linear line in which to travel in my grief over being apart here on Earth from Daniel.    Daniel passed quickly, being completely well and joyous one moment, and then absent from his body in the next.  As diligently as we worked to get him back with CPR, and as diligently as the sheriff's office and the medical helicopter staff worked, we had no moments where we got him back for even a fraction of a second.   He was gone as if called in that moment, by God.     As I have also said, as much as I miss my Dan-man, I am fully appreciative of God's gentle taking of him, and that he was always God's to call, and on "glorious rental" to me and to our family.
         Lately, I have become aware that a huge number of children, savvy young adults, young mothers, and others of all walks of life, ethnicities, and educational backgrounds have disappeared without a trace, never to be found.  Exact numbers are not quite available, and they change daily, but in the US a couple of hundred thousand people are missing, and many of them are never found.   Some of these people may have been murdered, and often when this is the case, their bodies are located in pretty short order, but many of them, are simply never heard from again. A few may commit suicide, but again, these bodies should eventually be found. A few, may simply run away, perhaps the victim of a mental health issue, a fugue, or a medical issue in which they don't quite remember who they are or how to get home.  This still leaves an AWFUL LOT of people who are missing and completely unaccounted for, often for many years,
           Sometimes, they are found, located and returned, as is the case with Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard, and others.
          According to a myriad of articles written in the past couple of years, human trafficking occurs not only with children, and pretty blond teens, but opportunistically with people of all ethnicities, different sexes, different appearances and with different educations.  Although many of them are snatched ultimately  to be used as sex workers,  many of them have been incorporated into organized crime in a variety of capacities. Apparently, a child or person is opportunistically snatched, and drugged for a period of time, often in an environment in which they are reprogrammed in a sense.   The world they knew is so far and disconnected from where they are now, that many of them begin life as a new person.  Even when they are freed or unsupervised sufficiently to call family for help, many of them never do, as they believe to do so might endanger their families.
          If this can occur when we least expect, and occurs when our children are vulnerable, or have had a celebratory drink with friends, then this is profoundly disturbing to us as parents, and as human beings.  I wanted to profile this issue and try to talk about some strategies in order to spread some awareness and perhaps locate some of these missing individuals.

        This is a paper on :  "Hiding in Plain Sight: A Practical Guide to Identifying Human Trafficking Victims in the US.   By: Prof. Donna M. Hughes

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/hiding_in_plain_sight.pdf

Books on this subject:

• A Crime So Monstrous: A Shocking Exposé of Modern-Day Sex Slavery, Human Trafficking and Urban Child Markets
• By E. Benjamin Skinner, 2008
• The Trafficking of Persons: National and International Responses
• By Kimberly A. Mccabe, 2008
• Measuring Human Trafficking: Complexities and Pitfalls
• Edited by Ernesto Ugo Savona and Sonia Stefanizzi, 2007
• Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings: All Roads Lead to America
• By Sheldon Zhang, 2007
• The War on Human Trafficking: U.S. Policy Assessed
• By Anthony M DeStefano, 2007
• Marshaling Every Resource: State and Local Responses to Human Trafficking
• Edited by Dessislava Dimitrova, 2006
• Selling Olga: Stories of Human Trafficking and Resistance
• By Louisa Waugh, 2006

          My goal here is simple.   We need to be more attentive to the possibility that someone we know or with whom we have contact has been snatched, or has been relocated for some purpose.  Be alert to the faces of those who are missing, and be alert to things you see in your travels.  Report things that seem odd.  Sometimes, your report coupled with the report of others will result in a person finding their way home.

This is Lauren Spierer.    She has been missing from Bloomington, Indiana, since June, 2011  Contact the Bloomington, Illinois Police Department with any information..

This is Luc Joly Duroche.  He has been missing since March, 2011 from North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

North Bay police
(705) 476-8477
Or
Ontario Provincial Police
(888) 310-1133 

An Enjoyable Survivalist Comedy Film

This film was released in early 2009. This is a copywritten image and belongs to the company which produced the film. It is shown here as an endorsement of the film, as advertising for it, and therefore can be considered fair use of such.

        I had an unusual sick day today in which I spent most of the day in bed.  Being a person who likes to have a lot to do, I resorted to watching some videos in order to pass the time.
        The first one was "This is Not a Test".   This was a comedic treatment of a situation which is all too common to many families and marriages in which one partner prepares and another resists.  An intelligent man Carl, who lives in a nice area of Los Angeles becomes interested in survivalism, particularly as it relates to a potential nuclear war and resultant EMP.   Carl's wife Viv, is an upwardly mobile woman in Los Angeles City government who is invested and committed in the world, exactly as it is.  She and her friends think Carl's interest in survivalism is pathologic, and she sends him to a therapist.  Carl has more money than most of us, and in short order, he builds an emergency lead lined bunker in his basement and stocks food and a geiger counter. He not only buys a gun he registers and trains with, but a safe and gold coins to put in it also.  Not long after, Carl's safe, his coins, and his gun, are stolen by the men who delivered it, who leave Carl and his wife bound and gagged in their home.
          The film is an independent one written and directed by Chris Angel.  Tom Arnold is a principle character, plays himself and is an executive producer.. The film received multiple awards such as The Breckenridge Film Festival, The Boston International Film Festival, and the Urbanworld Film Festival.
           Interestingly, the principle actress, Robinne Lee has an undergradate degree from Yale and a  law degree from  Columbia University.  The principle actor Hill Harper, also has a law degree from Harvard. He is also a friend of Barack Obama's (although I suppose I will need to forgive him this.)  Both performances are excellent.
         Although it is a tongue-in-cheek handling of preparedness and survivalism, it does describe the challenge of families in which one spouse prepares and another resists. Eventually, this tension actually threatens their marriage, which has been the case with a number of families I know who are serious survivalists.    If you have a chance to rent or buy this film, do so.  It pokes fun at a number of things and really does foster understanding on both sides of the preparedness argument, all while entertaining us.

Notes on Building a Kennel or Kennel Complex

         On our farm, dogs are very important to us.  They keep foxes, coyotes, mountain lions, coy-dogs, dog packs, rabid animals and human beings away from our alpacas, from our ducks, our chickens, and from other dogs and cats. They let us know if someone is here, and if they shouldn't be. They would be the first line of defense in a break in situation, even before the security system went off, or the driveway alarm were to signal us. If the dogs were convinced that we were truly in danger, they would likely attack  Dogs are not only dear friends, family members and part of our farm police force.    Because they are so important, we have a considerable amount of money and effort expended in them, and in their care.
         In our area, rabies inoculations are not just the law. With rabid wild animals seen in the county with fair frequency, we are very diligent about this.   In addition, we use heartworm preventive monthly for each dog, calculated to the weight of each and veterinarian ordered.  We have annual distemper hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza and parvovirus shots done annually, usually by me, until the vet believes that they no longer need to be done annually.     (Our vet does them every three years once a dog has attained a certain age) We are considering Lyme immunizations which are now available for dogs.  We also had one dog treated a year ago for acute onset Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  The dog is fine now.
        We have a variety of different dogs for different purposes, large, small, with different skills, because they each do different work for us.  When they age beyond their jobs, they are cared for lovingly here for the rest of their lives.  They are also all licensed as a kennel as is the law in our region.
          Proper housing is essential for all dogs.   Since our dogs are working dogs, and we live in a hot climate, what works for us may not be ideal for a colder climate.  Each farm or rural home needs to evaluate what would work best.  Until a few years ago, we kept quality doghouses outside in a variety of "stations" around the farm, making sure there was always tree shade.  The dogs were assigned and often tied to those areas for a few days, and then they would rotate to another duty station.   Sometimes they would be assigned to a region where tying was unnecessary.   This is done not only to provide mental stimulation for each dog, but to rotate them in slightly different roles, as different dogs and different breeds have varying skills.
           About two years ago, we decided we needed a place which could be heated or air conditioned and managed for elderly or sick dogs, including a quarantine area.   This also serves as a great area for dogs to rest in extreme heat, or following neutering or spaying, or during icestorms or other severe weather.   We drew up a plan over a couple of months, and had our builder create a kennel.   It also has electricity and water.  This permits bathing, and also running a radio or music from time to time, which during storms can be quite calming to dogs or to other animals. The back left room has plexiglass walls over wood, so an animal can be quarantined and the area can be cleaned with veterinary germicides afterward. This way, an infection that afflicts one dog, need not impact others.

(Photo: Copyright Rational Preparedness 2012)
This is our kennel when it was built. It is designed for seven dogs. Three large ones are housed on the right, and five small or medium are housed on the left. There are interior concrete areas inside and grassed areas within the fenced areas.  The center hall in concrete and provides electricity and a water faucet which can be attached to a hose.  There is also a room to the right, see front, where new metal trash cans keep dry dog food from mice.  The building is electrified and has overhead lighting.     For this climate, the entire structure is well ventilated, and in the back there are doors which could also be opened to allow cross ventilation.    This would be boring for a dog to remain in all the time, so they must be rotated to work stations in order to watch other animals and interact with our family.

This might be where one of our dogs may be, when he is "out working"

 

This is an example of a kennel for one dog.  This allows a cool place with ventilation along with a secure warm and dry area also.  This would be suitable for one or two small dogs or for one larger dog.  Keep in mind, this is not enough stimulation for a dog, and they must have opportunities to exit, run, explore and spend time with you and your family as well.  In this model, you also need to be diligent about cleaning up stool and urine.  Some small dogs will actually use a litterbox.

These are other types of kennels which may provide some ideas for you:

 

This is a spacious kennel designed for many dogs.  Note the painted floor which makes the cleaning of urine and disinfecting much easier than with a plain concrete floor.

 

This is another kennel which would nicely accomodate four dogs or slightly more smaller dogs.

The interior of the kennel above.

This is another nicely constructed kennel made for someone's boarding operation.

This kennel accomodates three large dogs.

   We custom designed our kennels  and had them built by the same company that builds our barns and animal buildings.   We were seeking a building which closely resembled the look of our different types of animal structures. However, this is not necessary.  There are many companies which sell complete plans for kennels which you can buy and build yourself, or that you can provide to your own  builder.

These are a few of them:

   http://www.kenneldesign.com/index.php

   http://www.optionsplus.com/

   http://www.k9kennelstore.com/


Keep in mind, costs can be dramatically curbed by building these structures yourself, or by being creative.

Gathering Hand Tools

After amassing a good first aid kit, and putting away some emergency cash, it is a very good idea to assemble a tool kit. Even those who live in apartments need some emergency tools. In addition, should you ever move from a place where most repairs are done for you, you will need to begin acquiring some skills and this is best done gradually and slowly rather than as a crash course. Many US hardware stores sell an inexpensive kit which is probably designed as a "home warming" kit. A hammer, tape measure, ordinary and phillips head screwdrivers, and other items are enclosed. These are not professional tools, but they are a good start. Once you have a more permanent home, you might want to buy a tool once a month and learn something about how to use it. Fortunately the DIY (Do it yourself) movement which is so pervasive in the United States, caught on in Europe some time ago as well. There are classes in many places where you can learn to do some of the things necessary in terms of home maintenance and improvement.
The internet has also aided here. Many people have purchased the tools for much of their own car maintenance, and they do most of it on a regular basis. Certainly, it is not realistic for all of us to take on all of our repairs for our homes and for our cars, but if we can begin to learn something about some of it, and we can teach our children as they grow, the benefits of doing so are great.   Men are not the only individuals who need tools. Women, and even those with limited upper body strength can use tools.  My daughter has made her own wooden picture frames using a mitre, and a saw, and simple fasteners.  Many tasks in repairs do not depend upon a lot of body strength, but simply knowing how something is done, and peforming the task carefully.

This is Lowe's 204 piece mechanic's tool set which contains both standard and metric tools.  It is for sale for about US $100.00 and is a decent set for the do-it-yourselfer.

This is the 205 piece home tool kit which sells at Home Depot for about US $47.00   It also has both standard sized tools and metric and is designed to be a multi-purpose home kit.

           Apartment dwellers likely cannot disassemble their cars and change the oil, but in many villages, towns and rural areas, you could.  Many homeowners are taking on more and more in terms of automobile routine maintenance.   Professional mechanics and professional builders often buy superior tools one at a time, and depending upon your tasks and your desires, this may also be the best course to pursue for you as well. Really quality tools really can be much easier to use, and can allow the user the opportunity to develop much better stills than a cheap tool used rarely would allow.  Here on the farm we started with inexpensive assembled sets, and then moved on to one really good tool per month.   When our hand tool set was complete, we moved on to power tools, which should be the purview of another post.