Survival and Emergency Preparedness

Like most dangers, what you grow up with you are very comfortable with, yet what you haven't been exposed to is terrifying.

We have copperheads and rattlesnakes, and don't think a thing about wandering through the woods and hiking along the bluffs. I think I'm actually more concerned with racoons than I am anything in our area for the very reason you gave.

A cousin and his family was visiting from California a few years ago and we had a thunderstorm warning which turned into a tornado warning, but nothing hit where we lived. His family was a basket case thinking at any minute the sky was going to drop and kill them all (of course I was out on the porch watching to see if one rolled in). It was the first tornado warning they had ever been in. They couldn't understand how we lived like this with the threat of tornados. I pointed out that most of the time the tornado misses you. In all these years, the farm had only been hit one time by a tornado and it destroyed two barns, corn crib, and a hog house. Plus did a little damage to the house, yet no one was hurt and no animals lost. For some reason they didn't take any comfort in that.

It is interesting you bring up bears, we have been having more sightings of bears in our area. Talked to the nephews who have never been around wild bears, give the bears distance, and don't ever approach a cub, because mama bear isn't far off and as soon as she sees you, it will turn into a very bad day.

Seen Black Bears about 5x in VA.... Only once in early summer a bear didn't run away, fiq there was a cub nearby so backed up and walked another way.
No real threat IMO.
( but do carry a G20 just in case )

Snakes too in VA, some good ones...I use my walking stick if I see something.
Just don't go reaching under bushes like a friend of mine. ( baby snake bit him... hand looked like a baseball mitt )
Then on LI, NY...none venomous

David wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:53 pm

Really all you need for gators is a walking stick.

Interesting info - gators have great jaw strength for clamping down, but not for opening. Hold mouth closed and apply duct tape - problem solved.

Also, they have good side to side vision but poor front. So, if it is coming at you; run directly at it and jump over it.

I don't know if any of this is true. But if it works for you let us know.

aerynsun wrote: ↑Fri Jun 25, 2021 8:13 pm Interesting info - gators have great jaw strength for clamping down, but not for opening.

This is true. Difficult to do by hand however. They roll very quickly and their tails can take your legs out from under you if they're big enough.

aerynsun wrote: ↑Fri Jun 25, 2021 8:13 pm Also, they have good side to side vision but poor front.

This is why the walking stick works. They see the stick as a 'wall'. They won't go through the wall but will attempt to go around it.

And for short distances, they run faster than humans.

Just got a chance to see pics of the new house for the first time since I'm using a different browser. My reg brower has some security feature turned on that doesn't allow videos and most photos to shot up.

Anyway... Looking good Dave. The hardest part is yet to come...when they finish the construction but you have to wait to move in.

Just got a chance to see pics of the new house for the first time since I'm using a different browser. My reg brower has some security feature turned on that doesn't allow videos and most photos to show up.

Anyway... Looking good Dave. The hardest part is yet to come...when they finish the construction but you have to wait to move in.

Let's see...

Pre-drywall inspection is done. Insulation goes in on Friday then it gets inspected Monday. So drywall and stucco could be next week. Then paint. We may be looking at mid to late September now though. Builder said that normally, if everything goes perfectly, it's 45 days from drywall to closing. So assuming drywall is done at the end of next week...which is an assumption on my part, that is into the first week of September. Which is why he's thinking more towards the middle to end of September.

That's fine. Hopefully it won't be as hot and it gives me a chance to maybe be healed by that time.

bdcochran wrote: ↑Wed Jul 14, 2021 7:57 pm https://www.wikihow.com/Survive-an-Enco ... -Alligator

All I needed to do was read point number 1: "Learn where crocodilians live and stay away."

Stay away from Florida.

Been a good while since I've updated this thread. Couple of months actually. We originally were suppose to close July 20th. That got moved to August, then September and now supposedly we're looking at the later part of October.

So the house is painted inside and out. Tiled with kitchen and bathroom cabinets and vanities are in. Roof, shingles are done. The paver driveway was completed last week. Still need the sidewalk poured. Garage doors are in but you can't see them in the photo.

We have a post-kitchen walk-through on Tuesday.

Still need base boards, carpeting upstairs and on the stair well. Electric needs to be finished as far as outlets and covers. Alarm system still needs to go in as well as computer plugs and such. Toilets aren't installed yet and the rest of the plumbing needs to be finished. Of course sidewalk and the rest of the driveway need to be poured. Sod and landscape need to be done and also sprinkler system installed. Air handlers and condensers need to be installed and apparently there is a delay on that, don't know how long yet. I don't know it the attic insulation has been blown in yet or not? Tankless hot water heater needs to be installed.

So there is quite a bit that still needs to be done. Last meeting with the builder he said the end of October at the latest. That remains to be seen as it's a lot to do in a month at this point. I wouldn't be surprised to see it delayed into November at this point.

And that's fine. We're ready to be in but it's not like we have a deadline where we 'have' to move. And even when we close my wife is completely redoing the kitchen anyway with better cabinets, adding a butler pantry and moving the island so that's probably a two week project before we actually start moving in.

Photo got covered up on the left. There are actually two windows on the left room and photo is only showing one of them.