The past two and a half years have certainly been painful, but I wouldn't want to go back to somnolence. I've worked hard on this ark and I'm ready for the storms. If it's all blue skies and rainbows, it's still a great boat.
I too have an ark. I am a firm believer in the old adage "God helps those who help themselves".
My clock is running down. Over six decades of 40 to 60 hour weeks in the saddle and fixin' fences, for many years, also driving into town for another 16 hours (most weeks) lecturing (mostly) disinterested students on the intricacies of the business world. I'm tired. (And crippled up from bad horses and stupidity). And the world has gone insane.
It may be a little late for me. But not for my family. My oldest son and I helped my oldest grandson get a ranch. A small one. A couple thousand acres. When he was still a teenager. Its over twenty miles from the nearest paved road. (And that very much a secondary highway.) There's good year round water - two creeks and a river. And about 400 acres of natural hay meadows. Not paradise, but close.
My grandson and his rodeo queen bride have blessed us with five wonderful great-grandchildren, four boys and, (finally), a girl. (Their closest neighbours, a mile and a half upstream, on the other side of the river, have four girls and a boy. Kids grow up to become **drumroll** teenagers. Visualize Great Gramma, Grandma, and Mom's concerns!) The kids are, of course, home schooled. As are most of the kids in the "neighbourhood". They're learning readin' and ritin' and 'rithmatic - and history, and civics, and real world economics, and how to stand up on their hind legs. The curriculum includes hunting and fishing and cookin' and sewing and farming and using tools and makin' things and fixin' things. We're trying to prepare them to do a lot more that just get by in a world very different than the one we grew up in.
Our youngest son, now divorced (due to his now ex-wife's covidian hysteria), and our youngest daughter have contributed significantly to our refuge. Sadly, our eldest daughter chose to join the cult. For many years a public school teacher, she is lost to us, as are her kids and our youngest son's two children. We have not rejected them - they have declared us apostates in the world's dominant religion.
That sets the scene.
The ranch is our ark! Over the last few years, we have built cabins, and set up a couple of trailers, for family members - when the excrement strikes the revolving atmospheric disturbance device. Over the last eight years we have acquired, and fully restored, several pieces of horse drawn machinery. We have equipped a shop with tools and equipment that were old when I was young. And learned how to use it! We pump water with windmills - with 100 year old pumps. We generate our own electricity, with wind and water. Are we self sufficient? No. But we're getting there.
The near future may see fuel, and parts, for tractors unaffordable, or perhaps, simply not available. (Without a government permit!) Trucks are being banned, How do you ranch, or farm, or even tend a decent sized garden without a truck? We are already seeing severe shortages. Not just consumer goods, but parts, tools, farm supplies, and industrial supplies. And of course, vet supplies. (The only drugs we're allowed are those approved by our lords and masters)! Of course, we've stocked up, big time, on non perishables, in all calibers.
I've known for many years that this slide into the sewer of socialism was the future. But I didn't expect to live to see TSHTF. We have tried to prepare our kids and grandkids, (and now great grandkids), for what seems to be coming.
Lately, Mama and I have been talking - "Is it time to board the ark"?
Many here may envy your ark AndyinBC. I urge those who may envy your ark not to. After all, it's your ark... it's what you believe you should be building. We need to figure out what our ark is... whether that's doing a few things in our own lives to prepare for the future (emotionally, materially, or otherwise), learning how to become self-sufficient, getting to know those who agree with us better, learning to live more healthy lives, studying laws and rules to know our rights as human beings, getting involved in a church or community group of some kind, the list is endless isn't it? Learning to build our ark while ignoring those who point mocking fingers at us is difficult. But, if we learn to be confident in our ark building skills, I believe we will always come out on top in the end. Thanks as always for your contribution to The Rumble Strip!
Thanks for stopping by Rob of universe. I agree about knowledge being the ark of our time. Tho, I might expound on that a bit and say, knowledge is the "universal ark" (the ark for all of us as a population/culture/peer group). Behind that are the individual arks we are building and those arks may be as small as a raft, or as large as an aircraft carrier depending on what that ark is for us personally. And, as you so perfectly pointed out, knowledge is necessary to build a sea worthy vessel... one that will withstand the current storms, *and* the ones on the horizon. Thanks for adding your valuable insight! Glad to have you here.
Rob D I truly enjoyed Keep Building Your Ark, it made Me see as a Husband, Step-dad, Granddad and a Christian of the improvements I've done over the years in My life. Noah as we know, did only what God told him to do, and Noah did it. It wasn't just building the Ark physically, but in Noah building himself up in life. Noah was a good husband and father and a Servant of God, and did what was right for his family. As we Rob as people in this World should do , is to do the RIGHT thing our lives so that the Ark we build would strong, fervent, and bold.
This is a wonderful post. It is exactly how I feel. I have never doubted, not even for a nano-second, that my understanding of the difference between right and wrong comes from a deep instinct, given to me by millions of ancestors who survived far worse than I have ever had to deal with.
I instinctively know that there is a huge wrong being perpetrated on the world and I am doing my best to shout about it the only way I can, ie., online in writing.
I am building my ark with such surety that it terrifies those who wish to control the narratives, all of the narratives. Let them thrash about and foam at the mouth. These fingers can still type at a phenomenal speed and THAT is my weapon of self defence which will always find a way to annihilate cancel culture and all their propaganda or disrespect.
Thanks for "getting it" Frances Leader! That's exactly the point I was trying to make. Whatever our ark is, that should be our focus. And we should keep building it until we can't build anymore, it's complete, or the flood (whatever that may be) comes and tests her seaworthiness. Beautiful comment. Thank you.
These last few years have definitely had an Old Testament feel to them. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that we’re being ignored, mocked, and turned on by our friends and families. This appears to be the universal fate of everyone who is devoted to truth. 2022 AD isn’t that much different than 2022 BC.
My favorite silly saying, Noah was a conspiracy a conspiracy theorist until it started raining
Definitely. Haha.
Not silly. Not silly at all.
The past two and a half years have certainly been painful, but I wouldn't want to go back to somnolence. I've worked hard on this ark and I'm ready for the storms. If it's all blue skies and rainbows, it's still a great boat.
Beautifully stated Pancake. Thank you. :)
I too have an ark. I am a firm believer in the old adage "God helps those who help themselves".
My clock is running down. Over six decades of 40 to 60 hour weeks in the saddle and fixin' fences, for many years, also driving into town for another 16 hours (most weeks) lecturing (mostly) disinterested students on the intricacies of the business world. I'm tired. (And crippled up from bad horses and stupidity). And the world has gone insane.
It may be a little late for me. But not for my family. My oldest son and I helped my oldest grandson get a ranch. A small one. A couple thousand acres. When he was still a teenager. Its over twenty miles from the nearest paved road. (And that very much a secondary highway.) There's good year round water - two creeks and a river. And about 400 acres of natural hay meadows. Not paradise, but close.
My grandson and his rodeo queen bride have blessed us with five wonderful great-grandchildren, four boys and, (finally), a girl. (Their closest neighbours, a mile and a half upstream, on the other side of the river, have four girls and a boy. Kids grow up to become **drumroll** teenagers. Visualize Great Gramma, Grandma, and Mom's concerns!) The kids are, of course, home schooled. As are most of the kids in the "neighbourhood". They're learning readin' and ritin' and 'rithmatic - and history, and civics, and real world economics, and how to stand up on their hind legs. The curriculum includes hunting and fishing and cookin' and sewing and farming and using tools and makin' things and fixin' things. We're trying to prepare them to do a lot more that just get by in a world very different than the one we grew up in.
Our youngest son, now divorced (due to his now ex-wife's covidian hysteria), and our youngest daughter have contributed significantly to our refuge. Sadly, our eldest daughter chose to join the cult. For many years a public school teacher, she is lost to us, as are her kids and our youngest son's two children. We have not rejected them - they have declared us apostates in the world's dominant religion.
That sets the scene.
The ranch is our ark! Over the last few years, we have built cabins, and set up a couple of trailers, for family members - when the excrement strikes the revolving atmospheric disturbance device. Over the last eight years we have acquired, and fully restored, several pieces of horse drawn machinery. We have equipped a shop with tools and equipment that were old when I was young. And learned how to use it! We pump water with windmills - with 100 year old pumps. We generate our own electricity, with wind and water. Are we self sufficient? No. But we're getting there.
The near future may see fuel, and parts, for tractors unaffordable, or perhaps, simply not available. (Without a government permit!) Trucks are being banned, How do you ranch, or farm, or even tend a decent sized garden without a truck? We are already seeing severe shortages. Not just consumer goods, but parts, tools, farm supplies, and industrial supplies. And of course, vet supplies. (The only drugs we're allowed are those approved by our lords and masters)! Of course, we've stocked up, big time, on non perishables, in all calibers.
I've known for many years that this slide into the sewer of socialism was the future. But I didn't expect to live to see TSHTF. We have tried to prepare our kids and grandkids, (and now great grandkids), for what seems to be coming.
Lately, Mama and I have been talking - "Is it time to board the ark"?
Many here may envy your ark AndyinBC. I urge those who may envy your ark not to. After all, it's your ark... it's what you believe you should be building. We need to figure out what our ark is... whether that's doing a few things in our own lives to prepare for the future (emotionally, materially, or otherwise), learning how to become self-sufficient, getting to know those who agree with us better, learning to live more healthy lives, studying laws and rules to know our rights as human beings, getting involved in a church or community group of some kind, the list is endless isn't it? Learning to build our ark while ignoring those who point mocking fingers at us is difficult. But, if we learn to be confident in our ark building skills, I believe we will always come out on top in the end. Thanks as always for your contribution to The Rumble Strip!
May God bless you and yours, Andy, and keep that fine ark you've built afloat and free!
This time around, the ark is knowledge. People are starting to see that we were under a 1984 esque society, and things get memory holed.
I am not good at memorizing but I am remembering a lot of the things that we have gone through that helps me understand history more.
This, I think is the real ark in the age of a global "flood" of lies.
Thanks for stopping by Rob of universe. I agree about knowledge being the ark of our time. Tho, I might expound on that a bit and say, knowledge is the "universal ark" (the ark for all of us as a population/culture/peer group). Behind that are the individual arks we are building and those arks may be as small as a raft, or as large as an aircraft carrier depending on what that ark is for us personally. And, as you so perfectly pointed out, knowledge is necessary to build a sea worthy vessel... one that will withstand the current storms, *and* the ones on the horizon. Thanks for adding your valuable insight! Glad to have you here.
Rob D I truly enjoyed Keep Building Your Ark, it made Me see as a Husband, Step-dad, Granddad and a Christian of the improvements I've done over the years in My life. Noah as we know, did only what God told him to do, and Noah did it. It wasn't just building the Ark physically, but in Noah building himself up in life. Noah was a good husband and father and a Servant of God, and did what was right for his family. As we Rob as people in this World should do , is to do the RIGHT thing our lives so that the Ark we build would strong, fervent, and bold.
Thank you Rob D
Thanks for your poignant and heartfelt comment David!
This is a wonderful post. It is exactly how I feel. I have never doubted, not even for a nano-second, that my understanding of the difference between right and wrong comes from a deep instinct, given to me by millions of ancestors who survived far worse than I have ever had to deal with.
I instinctively know that there is a huge wrong being perpetrated on the world and I am doing my best to shout about it the only way I can, ie., online in writing.
I am building my ark with such surety that it terrifies those who wish to control the narratives, all of the narratives. Let them thrash about and foam at the mouth. These fingers can still type at a phenomenal speed and THAT is my weapon of self defence which will always find a way to annihilate cancel culture and all their propaganda or disrespect.
Onwards, Rob, we are burning daylight!
Thanks for "getting it" Frances Leader! That's exactly the point I was trying to make. Whatever our ark is, that should be our focus. And we should keep building it until we can't build anymore, it's complete, or the flood (whatever that may be) comes and tests her seaworthiness. Beautiful comment. Thank you.
These last few years have definitely had an Old Testament feel to them. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that we’re being ignored, mocked, and turned on by our friends and families. This appears to be the universal fate of everyone who is devoted to truth. 2022 AD isn’t that much different than 2022 BC.
Brilliant observation Fat Rabbit Iron. It's always good to see you here. :)
Thanks! I really like this stack. You and Mark Oshinskie are voices of calm consideration in a hysterical world.
Perfect. Great metaphor. Love this post, and it came (suspiciously timely) just when I needed it, which is a couple of days later... Thanks. xo
It's always great to hear that something I've posted "hits the mark". Thanks so much for your feedback Word Herder. Keep on building!
Mais, oui! Cheers, mon ami.
Great post.
Thanks John. Much appreciated.
Timely post, and excellent. Thanks Rob D.