Hollywood, West Virginia

Sometimes you just need to be in the mountains and partake of the earth...

Photo by Emphatic Reprieve Photography

Wilson County

I just really like everything about this.

In July of 1940, Levi Simmons, an African American student of the Menchew 4-H Club of Wilson County, was awarded the 4-H Club scholarship to A and T College. He is shown in this black and white photograph standing in front of an acre of ripe corn which was one of seven projects conducted that year. In the photograph, he is standing with his left hand on a cornstalk which towers over him. His right hand holds a thick manila envelope. He is wearing a light colored,long sleeve, open collared shirt and dungarees with a belt.

From Learn NC

The Self-Sufficient Life

I'm going to be honest, the series 'Doomsday Preppers' on the National Geographic channel irks the hell out of me.  Sure the world might end and/or become extremely horrible to live in and if that were to ever happen, why would you want to go on?  I wouldn't.  Furthermore, these 'doomsday' prophecies are all old news.  Folks stay shouting from their rooftops about 'signs, signs, signs!' Honestly, it would have been more believable when the plague was killing off thousands, or when Hilter had a death grip on humanity.  The problem is now, that every little Earth tremor or terrorist act, or rebellion again religion, or sickness is amplified and then pinged around in cyberspace or via cellphones until it becomes a looming and exaggerated terror which forces those to want to prepare and take shelter from the impending shit storm which is awaiting us in the future.   Now to get to my point, I've always admired those who have the ability and knowledge to live self-sufficiently.  Not to be confused with those who are simply preparing for catastrophe, but those who find the true beauty in living off of the land and working for their survival, passing on the knowledge to their children for the greater good.

Therefore you might find posts throughout this blog as how to go about living self-sufficiently and happily.  I didn't want anyone to confuse these posts with my wanting to 'prep' for some apocalyptic time, but I want to make this modern world a little less suffocating by learning how to live simply and beautifully.  

Enjoy.