Guest Post by Hardscrabble Farmer
Our family has been in voluntary quarantine for three days now. My daughter arrived home from her trip to Italy late Saturday night and we decided to hunker down for a couple of weeks to make sure she wasn’t contagious. There had been rumors circulating around the local school that the kids coming back from the European trip were carriers of the virus, and having been through the madness of crowds in the past, we decided to sit this social media firestorm out.
Some of the more fragile students had tossed out a few death threats to the kids who took the trip and frankly the administrators aren’t all that quick to respond to something that doesn’t involve LGBT rights or vaping, so we erred on the side of caution. So as a family we spent the day tapping the maples. The snow cover this year is much lower than it was the last time we tapped so all of our buckets are much closer to the ground and you can see all of the old scars on the trees three feet higher than where we just drove in the new spiles.
The woods is filled with the sound of sap dropping into galvanized pails older than my father, plonk, plonk, plonk across the boulder covered hillside. While we worked a pair of doves followed us, lighting on the branches above where we drilled, heads cocked to the sound of the hammer driving each tap into place.
Afterwards we came in to grab something to eat and to rest our feet. Last night I threw a corned beef brisket into the warming oven and let it cook for sixteen hours at 200 degrees. We sliced little half dollar sized slices off with the big knife, layered with ribbons of yellow fat and bright pink glistening meat, and put a dollop of home made Russian dressing on top of each one then finished it off with a forkful of fresh sauerkraut right out of the crock, a de-constructed Reuben. We ate them one after another as fast as I could prepare them, the two of us shoulder to shoulder at the counter, chewing seriously, eyes closed to get the most out of every bite.
Afterwards I made drinks for my son and I; a highball glass filled with crushed ice, a dram of Writer’s Tears Copper Pot Irish whiskey, a full two ounces of fire cider, a shot of maple syrup and the juice of one half a lemon.
I’ve named it the Wuhan.
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It sounds like a perfect cure for all our ills.
It looks like Lynchburg Lemonade has a challenger for countrytime cough syrup
If you wanted to sell the idea, I’m betting there’s a PR person at the distillery and you gotta know I know somebody that works there and could probably get me a name.
Hardscrabble,
Hope all stays steady. Best to you and your family.
God Bless.
Death threats? no surprise, just disgusted at the idiots out there. Stay well.
There is but one way to be idiot free.
Best of luck, brother. Im sure she and the rest of you guys will be just fine. Even where she came from, its a low probability she was infected. But much respect for doing what you guys are doing. If there is anyone I know that equipped to ride this out for a long time, its you and your family.
Also, I’ll be expecting some more writing out of you if you are staying home awhile…Just kidding…but seriously…
Wonderful and a delicious sounding/looking drink!
We have had our first confirmed case today in a neighboring county.
I have the diffuser going in the living room…with the old reliable oils wafting in the air with some peppy peppermint (my wife still works and I now greet her return with various essential oils)…and a glass of the vine…before we dine.
Romance lives even in times of stress or potential illness. Good for you, Mark.
That is the way to quarantine. And a perfect example of the fruits of being prepared/living in the really real world.
Nice concoction! I’ll have to try one – with suitable substitutions, of course.
Loved that. Incoming. Maybe tonight. Had to take a break cuz my keyboard was smokin’. No demures on this one. Tearin’ it down and paintin’ it black. Stand by…
Here to the south our local syrup makers have been working the harvest for a while. One couple advertises free pancakes and syrup open house events at their farm. They recently took a break to present a short course on sugaring.
Having lived and worked in Italy, I am certain your daughter’s trip will stay with her through her life. Having to stay home and make syrup for a couple of weeks? Icing on the cake.
Good idea.
There was no shortage of facemasks in warm-n-dirty Quincy, MA on voting day today.
I feel like such a lazy wuss finishing off a glass of my just bottled winter sangria and a slice of sharp white cheddar.
Cheers and best wishes.
It’s a good idea to self-quarantine, so kudos on that. The food prep part made me extremely hungry while reading because I haven’t eaten supper yet. That sandwich sounded great.
I like the sound of the drink, but I can’t drink any whiskey without getting sick, even just smelling it. The rebellious teen years and drunk escapades only to wake up with a severe hangover after sleeping half the night at the foot of the toilet cured me of that. I used to get sick on liqueur before I got out of my mind, so there was that saving grace. At least when I woke up the next day I could remember the stupid stuff I did.
The right way to address the “problem.” Have a great time with your family.
Death threats? Holy hell. No where to run, no where to hide. Strained my fire cider 3 days ago. Wooooo! Good stuff.
She should have coughed on them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSP0e5rXUl8
I started reading this and it was sounding like ” witness the day” kind of feel and then it just stopped, it happens.
Good for you and family doing the quarantine thing, god speed to you and your family.
How many times can you use the spiles?
What’s comes after Banana Republic?
Might I suggest some flat earth video’s to pass the time:)
RiNs
Really?
RiNS, Don’t let them take your mind, don’t let them tell you’re not divine:)
We are really fucked guys and gals
Carry on and arm up!!!
Stock
I ain’t divine but TampaRed’s right. I talk to them all the time!
Listen to this right now…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDejwCGdUV8
May the Peace be on your Grace and you avoid Odon’s sword..
Kind Regards but not quite Divinely yours,
RiNS
Space is fake. Been there …well kinda!Good for you Hardfarmer
Got to protect the family.
BB, how do you kind of go to space (or not space)?
bong-rocket
VV – That’s easy….
By Using Steam Power!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNIuFOlrvVM
I hope you and yours are healthy and remain so. My family and I finished picking up a few items to settle into lockdown for a few weeks if necessary.
If syrup season is anything like here it will be short this year. My bees are already bringing in maple pollen. Those tiny marshmallows of pale yellow signal the start of bee season and the end of maple syrup season.
Lockdown would also allow me enough time to get a really good jump on bee season this year instead of trying to find enough time and daylight to prep for summer.
Hardscrabble, you and your family rock!
The stats (at least, all the best that I can trawl through) suggest that your kids under 15 are at zero risk. Up until age 60, maybe a 1-1.5 percent chance of turning into something serious. But that is with “normal” (cough) people. “Normal” is just a dryer setting anymore…when you have to use one instead of a clothesline.
Considering your low-stress, high nutrient, big-on-fresh-air lifestyle? You guys are likely golden!
And, I am REALLY digging the Fire Cider – thank you! Gotta new batch going with about 20% of horseradish weight added in the form of ginger. (I did not reduce the horseradish.)
Da P
Make it two or three drams… That fire cider will drown it all out.
Agreed, ILC! It is some potent stuff. My wife thinks it is making me more frisky. We’ll know soon if my beard goes from gray to a younger shade. Yeah…I’ll let you know…but I can say that I definitely am finding a daylong energy boost and easier sleep. No other changes to daily nutrition or routine.
Da P
Green with envy at you perceptive vision to get the farm with the family!!
Shoulda coulda woulda for the rest of us for sure.
Here is the fresh map for the virus. Roll to Italy and blow up for known locations reported, and check occurrences for countries on the left menu bar. who knows on the planes.
Strongly urge ALL here to go to Amazon and get the bottles of 30 ppm colloidal silver to have on hand for any bacteria or virus occurrences of the family. Common sense applies for use like all things physical. Lots of facts on line. I personally swear by it with extensive personal experience to long for a short note.
Virus map here: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
You can also use it for nose drops and a throat gargle. The virus is said to harbor in the throat area, which is supposedly one thing that makes it highly contagious.
Clif High says the silver won’t work on this virus, but chaga mushrooms will do the job, along with Vitamins D and C and keeping yourself from being overly contaminated by washing up, scrubbing surfaces, and microwaving clothing that has been out and about. Takes ten thousand viruses to get tings going against you. That’s not a lot, but it’s at least it’s not five or ten or a few dozen.
Maybe using thyme tea would work. I know thyme makes a great syrup for coughs when mixed with honey and the tea helps with colds, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. It’s antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial and antibiotic. So most things are covered. It’s also healthy for you.
Here’s a good article on thyme:
https://www.prevention.com/health/a20466914/thyme-relieves-cold-symptoms/
Here’s another one. Scroll down to number 8.
Bigfoot, I just watched this video from Dr. Berg and he says colloidal silver makes a good nasal rinse for viruses. His remarks are toward the end of the video.
Silver, yes, spray it in the nose. Good stuff. The fire cider is working well also. One thing left out is turmeric and vitamin D. Massive doses. Didn’t know lemon balm was an anti cold remedy, got that, grew and dried it two years ago. Another thing to look into is Anamu, Holy Basil (although smokin’ hot Tulsi would be enjoyable).
Lemon balm tea, easy to grow.
My tea garden
I really wish my neighbor knew what supplements her daughters are giving her husband. She says she just lets them take care of it, but he really is feeling fine, just grumpy.
If he continues to do well and not decline (its been three months!), I will ask Jill about the dewormer. And, if she’s NOT giving it to him, maybe I’ll grind up some and give him my OWN supplements.
I’d like to hear any results if they decided to use the dewormer.
Marvelous account of a day in the life. Choices matter.
I went to the Costco in Burlington, WA today. That’s about an hour and half north of Seattle. Busy but not a madhouse by any stretch. Yet the store was out of TP and rice. Rice! And the upper decks above the pallets on the floor were mostly empty. Never have I seen that before. I expect by the end of the week things to get a lot more hectic if the death toll continues to rise around Seattle, as limited as it has been, now up to seven I think. I’m sure the “regular” flu has killed far more this winter. But if this covid-19 strain is a bioweapon, everyone is going to get exposed eventually and some percentage will die, probably mostly politicians. celebrities, and caregivers who do things most of us don’t do.
Sitting it out may be a very good idea. The Chinese now admit that the virus first appeared in December and I’m convinced that several of my friends and myself were sickened by it. See, in the middle of January we had a huge trade show in Anaheim, Ca with about 140,000 attendees. Since this is a gathering of manufacturers of musical instruments and electronics for the recording and broadcast industry (the largest of its kind in the world) we had thousands upon thousands of Chinese people in attendance.
Within 3 days of the conclusion of the event, one person from my company was at the hospital for a flu that just knocked him on his ass and beat on him for weeks. Two days after that it was my turn. I’ve never had a flu that put me in bed for over a week. I was unable to eat anything for 5 days. The flu itself lingered for about 3 weeks which is something that has never happened to me before.
I wasn’t the only one. Several dozen people I know were hammered in a similar manner but no medical professional ever tested any of us for the current virus. Also, we know that the virus seems particularly harmful to Asians as it is most likely a bioweapon designed to harm a particular group of people.
I can tell you this, I certainly wouldn’t want this flu ever again and I can see how it could be deadly to someone with a weakened immune system or the very old.
Good luck.
I’m glad your recovered, but a terrible thing to go through. So now we now it is going to spread further from all of those at the show and the others they were around?
Scary.
Did you not assault the virus with trace minerals and Vitamin D?
I did. I did all the homeopathic things I’ve ever been taught. It still floored me hard. Had I a weakened immune system, I could have easily died – it was that bad. Again, I’ve always been that guy that, even if sick, still goes to work but there was no going to work with this. Hell, I could hardly get out of bed after a week of it.
@ Nickel,
Your account is very concerning.
Was it respiratory in nature? Or, rather, did you have chest congestion?
You wrote:
Did they all fully recover? Were they under a certain age?
Just curious
Vitamin C, 5 gm/day, Chelated Zinc, D3, Fish Oil, Beet Root, Zycam spray for throat (more zinc).
nickel,
have you gotten checked since you recovered to see if corona is what you had? there is so much bs on the web but i read somewhere that it can come back on you & it is worse the 2nd time–
btw,you always write as if you’re not that old,what age range are you in?
Thanks for sharing another slice of your life, the calmness of your life in the midst of troubles we are facing is a real testament to living life with eyes wide open and preparing accordingly.
Prayers for all of us in the next several weeks as this thing peaks, as I hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Everyone needs that kinda quarantine…
You are so blessed!
50, I win.
This is the second time in two years, if I recall, that you have been locked in. I hope you have good results and no bad news.
This was voluntary. And like I’ve said before it isn’t the virus I’m worried about, it’s the madness of crowds. People who get into a collective hysteria are very unpredictable. The social media platforms the teenagers are using to communicate their fear are sort of like harbingers for how the adults will act if it does happen to spread in the community. I just want to make sure my children don’t have to experience the blow-back that comes from these mini-meltdowns people go through when they’re afraid of something but don’t know who to blame.
It’s actually quite nice to really sit it out for real to see how well prepared we are. And it’s not like we’re sick or have to stay inside, just wait out the nutjobs until the next thing comes down the news cycle.
Geneva suggested we let God take care of it. I said, a bit flippantly, “Let’s just agree to let God take care of it, right now!” and I looked at the sky, as if I were addressing the heavens.
The sky did not answer.
Geneva did. She said she wasn’t going to waste her time agreeing to let God do anything. She meant that she was just going to let God take care of it.
I think that sounds a bit like “wait out the nutjobs” by putting our efforts toward Godly things. Work is that sort of thing.
I cleaned all the bunny cages. Now, I think I’ll see what sort of trouble I can get into here.
Thanks for that recipe HSF, Karen and I strained the first batch a few days ago and then fell out of the routine. It’s excellent stuff and that coming from lifelong pepper-eater of the fire varieties…
We will re-start our course of treatment this evening with a Wuhan, subbing Templeton Rye for the meat and following the advice below from ol’ CO2!
You’re doing the right thing for your family and your community because you can and because you planned it that way. Happy sugaring!
Death threats? What a bunch of idiots. I’d definitely report that to law enforcement.
It’s a couple of teenagers, they don’t mean it they’re just preening.
But still.
Maybe you could pay a couple of bulldykes to kick their asses. A case of fire water could suffice. It’s the perfect crime, nobody will prosecute a female for assault on some dudes who micro-agressed them.
I looked up the other day and some of the maples were already budding out. Hubby said it was the reds, not the sugars, but still not a good sign if you’re just tapping now. We’re only about 50 miles south of you.