So I guess Seattle, south of here, is going through some stuff. This atmospheric river is a nasty piece of weather. It's happening here too, but not anything as bad as there. We had wet snow last night that coated everything, then heavy rain just at the freezing temp so the snow stayed on the trees then broke them. Power was out for 8 hours today. This is why I prep. Genny going for the freezers and fridge, 15 gallons of gas in storage for the generator, campstove going, pantry full of food, wood stove as usual. Power is on now and all is well but the rain has been pounding down the whole day. My chickens are outraged, everything is mud. I spent a half an hour looking for the electric fence ground-out while collecting eggs and topping up their feed. Got the fence going again finally. I really hope it dries out for a few days before the deep cold sets in next week. #atmosphericRiver #climatechange #climateCrisis #Prepping #GetPrepared

Well that escalated quickly.

Not sure if it's prepping or not but wow, I got a huge harvest of mushrooms today. I had completely forgot that I planted them in early September. Apparently, if they like where they are, I could get harvests for 5 years before having to spread spawn again. I sauteed them in butter and put them in the freezer. (the ones we didn't snarf down still hot from the pan) #mushrooms #fallharvest #forestwitch

"Struggle session" has an entirely different meaning when you are out in the muddy chicken pen in the dark without your coat in the rain trying to figure out why the chickens won't go into their house even tho it's pitch dark and the light is on in the chicken house and the auto door keeps trying to close while you are frantically trying to reprogram it by a sketchy head lamp with it's battery dying.... #homesteading 🐔

It has been raining here for days now. I'm at the point where I am deciding if I really have to go out, or take one road or another because of the risk of mud and rock slides, standing water hydroplaning risk, etc. This is one good reason why I always have supplies on hand, never run out of essentials, and make sure I'm prepared for weather events. The mountain passes have snow and many accidents every day, and going almost anywhere outside of my immediate area involves travelling over a mountain pass. The worst situation is a sudden drop in temperature on a wet road which turns to black ice, a common occurrence around here. Keep apprised of the weather trend, but also the radar maps, the direction of storm winds etc. because sometimes the weather models are wrong or slow to update. Be ready to adjust your plans and plan ahead. I'd rather err on the side of caution than end up in the ditch at dusk on a country road. #Beprepared #prepping #winteriscoming #countryliving

"In a world saturated with data, algorithms, and stories told by those in power, what does it take to truly unlearn the narratives that shape us? Chelsea Manning has lived at the fault lines of secrecy and truth, obedience and conscience, isolation and community. In this powerful keynote, she shares how her journey—from classified military intelligence to public whistleblowing to life as a network security advocate—has been defined not by what she learned, but by what she had the courage to unlearn. Through personal stories and hard-won insights, Chelsea explores how dismantling the myths we inherit—about safety, control, identity, and technology—can open space for new, more liberating forms of knowledge. She challenges us to re-imagine the internet as a place that serves people rather than power, where openness is a practice, not a slogan, and where creativity thrives alongside accountability. A World of New Learnings is both a cautionary tale and a call to action: an invitation to let go of the certainties that no longer serve us, to see clearly the systems we participate in, and to consciously build futures rooted in empathy, transparency, and collective care. --- Chelsea E. Manning is a technologist, data scientist, and security consultant based in Brooklyn, New York, known for her expertise in security and artificial intelligence. Manning works directly with journalists, activists, and civil society organizations on digital security projects and advocates for industry-wide adoption of ethical guardrails in machine learning, arguing for accountability standards akin to those in medicine and law as AI systems increasingly shape public life." On November 9th. https://www.youtube.com/live/BTrAzGu6Fu8 #ChelseaManning #keynote #MozillaFestival

Ryan Hall is covering this live on youtube right now. It just keeps getting worse and worse. #hurricaneMelissa

Look at the shape of this thing. I hope everyone in Jamaica is ready, prepped and stays safe. #hurricaneMelissa

The weather forecast here is "heavy rain with typhoon remnants". Very accurate. Rain and wind but on and off. I started the generator this morning, making sure it's running well. Cycled some older gas into my car and bought 3 gas cans of fresh gas for the winter. I guess I should pay attention to the snow blower fairly soon as well. Winter is rapidly approaching it seems. #prepping #GetPrepared #CountryLiving