by J P Whitney
Difficult to tell with 100% accuracy but orders were issued weeks ago for all state and federal employees within major metropolitan areas to be vaccinated before dealing with the public. I believe the logistics problems occurring in Portland now are likely a result of infected police, medical, and military personnel. But there might be another way to reach the base quickly.
“How?”
One of the civilian blog sites I’ve been monitoring from the Portland area has written about being able to stay online due to their use of solar power and backup generator. If we can contact them, they might be willing to check on the base for us. If the roads are clear, they could be there in under two hours.
“We’ve got to try. It might be the only way to reverse some of the damage already done.”
Chapter 17
Cabin Fever
8/10/21 - Olsen property, Tabor Mountain, Oregon.
Tommy’s Tabor Mountain blog entry
Status update:
Appears as though the entire Pacific Northwest region is without power. Miraculously my internet provider’s central station must still be running on backup generators because I’m online thanks to our solar power. I checked the Quarantine Dashboard on stopblue.gov and looks like everything is frozen in time. Casualties are still listed as 15,000,000+ and our supply delivery window still reads 2 to 4 weeks. We’re not expecting anything from the government at this point and that’s OK. Our human supplies are holding up pretty well thanks to the productive gardens and what we stored away prior to the quarantine.
Why did I qualify that last statement with “human” supplies? I totally spaced about dog food during my last supply run.
But fear not four-legged friends … #AmazonToTheRescue! Sara was a little more thorough in her planning efforts and placed an order for mucho kibble via Amazon. Amazingly, they are still delivering at least as of last week. Apparently, as long as you have one of their credit cards, and it isn’t maxed out, they will continue to provide the goods until supplies run out. One of their largest drones dropped the care package right next to our shop. They even texted to confirm the delivery was made. Hopefully, that wasn’t the last delivery we’ll ever receive, but it’s becoming difficult to remain optimistic.
Neighborhood watch program:
We haven’t had any other incidents after the harrowing run-in with the bandits that tried to raid the property. Thankfully they were working alone. We remain vigilant with someone always keeping watch during the day, while motion-activated lights and our guard dogs keep watch at night.
Authorities still hadn’t picked up the bodies so we moved them about half a mile away and disposed of them properly via fire just to be safe.
Family matters:
On a positive note, Sara may be as content as I’ve seen her in a long time. I wouldn’t say she is happy because, of course, she is distraught about the loss of life around the country and worried about us getting sick. But having our family safe, day in and day out, is all that matters to her. She focuses on the garden, taking care of the chickens, canning the fresh food, and even knitting hats for the coming winter. In general, Sara doesn't dwell on the loss of life or concerns about vaccines and when supplies will be delivered. She leaves the technology logistics and security things to me and the boys. She ensures we can provide for ourselves. She is amazingly strong, well-grounded, and resilient in the face of this major catastrophe.
Tucker and Bryce are a little bored without the sports and social activities that used to consume their lives, but they are slowly finding a groove. I've used this isolation as an opportunity to lead a mini-boot camp. We, Eli included, are up at dawn with the chickens doing push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats, and other bodyweight workouts. We jog around the property taking inventory of fruits and vegetables, checking the fences, and looking for any signs of entry.
We target practice with the recurve bow daily, take care loading and cleaning our weapons, work on projects for collecting rainwater, and optimizing our solar power production.
Interesting to watch the transformation the boys' personalities go through with just these limited actions. Bryce and Tucker have already lost some of their innocence. They are more purposeful and decisive in their actions. Vigilant maybe the word I'm looking for. I'd rather they were still in a time of easy and predictable life, and hopefully, we'll return to it someday, but their current state of emotion is aligning perfectly with the times.
We’re also taking the time to read and study. We've embraced the concept of homeschooling and will continue to take advantage of online resources for as long as the internet stays up. We've allowed the boys to select a 'major' to focus on in addition to math, English, and basic sciences.
Bryce, at the early age of 15, has become fascinated with alternate energy production. Having solar panels on our house has turned into a real-life science project. In addition to having him help tie the power grid from the shop into that of our house, I have him measuring daily electricity consumption, testing the output of the solar panels, and calculating how much production we'll have on a daily basis. He is becoming an expert just from watching all the YouTube videos about solar and wind power. He’s also trying to rig up a windmill. I’m not convinced it will produce much because we’re in a relatively sheltered area, but he is learning a lot about electric motors and propeller design.
Tucker, on the other hand, is developing an interest in military strategy and tactics. Being 18, maybe he feels the need to assert himself as a man and provide protection to the things and people he loves. I'm witnessing firsthand how, during times of emergency, the psyche of our young adults takes a serious and idealistic tone. He's studying past military conflicts and comparing the tactics employed against outside factors such as weather and disease. He's also going bonkers with technology. He continues to play online games with survivors that still have power, which has kind of become a barometer of sorts. Game servers are starting to disappear and those still online have fewer and fewer players. On a more vocational note, Tucker is even using our high-end computers to become a CAD expert. I don't know what we're going to do with it, but he has a great solid model design for a multipurpose tool.
Comments from around the world:
Sara doesn't understand my fascination with maintaining this blog. She has no time or desire to contribute. She finds no value in being reminded of just how bad this crisis is. We're already living it, why do we need to talk and write about it? Where I'm the scenario boy thinking about the “what ifs”, she is the realist and believes that much can be achieved through hard work and a positive attitude. Dwelling on the negative and speculation lead to fear and uncertainty in her opinion. On the other hand, I see this site as a sharing of the truth and facts. I must say that her lack of interest in the blog is good in one way. I can share my inner feelings and deepest fears without freaking her out. Yes, it's therapeutic for me, but I'm guessing that if you're still reading this blog you feel the same way. Misery loves company and there is strength in numbers, even if we’re only joined digitally. So please send me your strength. I haven’t heard from my parents and not encouraged by what you’re reporting. Here’s what you had to say about last week’s question ‘do you know anyone that has received the vaccine and not become ill?’
Debbie from Boise: “Tommy, I don’t want to alarm you more than you already are but I’m worried about your family. They dropped some food on my porch after receiving their bracelets and making a supply run. But I haven’t seen them for a few days so I risked leaving my house and knocked on their door. The truck is in the driveway but the blinds are drawn and no one answered. They were fine before the vaccine. Sorry son but I fear they’ve come down with the Blue. Damn the government. And damn their vaccinations! God bless and keep to yourselves in Oregon.”
Sofia from Bogota, Colombia:
Jan from Sweden: “Everyone we know that has taken the vaccine is dead. Our sweet little city of Linkoping now resembles a ghost town from a horror movie. From what we can tell all the government officials have gathered in Stockholm to take an emergency last stand. We have a few week's worth of supplies but are about to start going door to door and scavenging supplies from neighbors we know have passed away. If we make it through the winter we will move to the country and start farming if things haven’t recovered. God help us.”
Andrew from Madison, Wisconsin: “We are in very similar circumstances here in Wisconsin. Experiencing rolling blackouts and our internet connection has been dropping so we’re being conservative about generator use. We have refused the vaccine after witnessing entire families dying within days of receiving the shots. Not sure if it’s our own government, an irresponsible drug company, or a terrorist group, but someone has poisoned the very medicine that is supposed to be saving our lives. Thank you for keeping us connected through this ordeal. It may just be letters on a screen, but they are a reminder that we are alive and not totally alone.”
Changing times:
A few weeks ago one of the readers commented about running to the hills if everything collapses. That may work if you live in Alaska or on the edge of Yellowstone Park, but I’m struck by how much our environment has changed over the last 100 years. Can the local ecology and environment sustain us? I don't think so. Wild game is hard to come by. What used to be thriving forests and plains full of animals has been reduced to single-season farmlands and housing developments to sustain our burgeoning population. Our best bet is falling back into an agrarian lifestyle that can be sustained at a local level. One house at a time. I hate to be such a fatalist, but it’s going to be a long time before we get back to the abundant and carefree lifestyle we used to take for granted. Hopefully, we’ll get back to those times because I don’t think surviving is enough. Not for humans. But we are survivors, so we’ll do what we need to do for as long as it takes.
While the comments section is full of words of encouragement and solidarity, there isn’t much good news. So I’ll stop here and summarize.
No one has reported being healthy after receiving the vaccine. The death toll is so high the government has stopped counting. Power is out across large sections of the world. If you are healthy and can remain isolated on your property please do so. As for the Olsen’s, we are going back to basics. We’ll find solace in working our land and the love of our friends and family for as long as we can.
Please, Do NOT take the vaccine!
Stay safe and leave your comments below.
Chapter 18
Contact
10 Aug 2021 – Ruth Atkins: ED3N Information Technology Center
d music and books. We’re too mentally advanced now to revert back to the Stone Age. So we need to get back to having a society quickly.