So here I sit after the 3rd natural weather event in 6 weeks…granted, we in New Kent, Va have escaped serious damage compared to many others who have rock n rolled, hid in their homes and had rain/wind pounding in many areas of the world and here in 
the US, but I think New Kent tops the list of ‘what next?’ Started rolling with the earthquake, then followed up by hurricane Irene and then yesterday, just when you think it is safe to go back outside and possibly quit holding your breath…2 tornados (possibily more, the national weather service is out here today looking around) come up sneak attack style…I am DONE mother nature, would you just PLEASE go kick someone else’s butt for a while?
We (meaning me and my 3 girls, were coming back from getting something across town when the thunderstorm got ugly. Now I grew up in the Midwest mind you and thunderstorms don’t particular bother me but they do make me nervous and put me on high alert. Coming down the main road back towards our house my cell phone started going ballistic (I have an insta alert app for severe weather)…then the hail started but lasted maybe 30 seconds…then blue sky and sun…but as I got another alert I was looking at the sky and lo and behold! sure enough…just maybe 1/2 mile off to our right here came some nasty looking clouds seeking the ground…seen this before out here and most of the time it just kinda hangs out but this time was DIFFERENT! I knew we were in trouble when I started to see BROWN in the cloud…no place to go but forward…right into the darn thing! but at an intersection I made a left and did a quick u-turn with that THING on the otherside of the road…lots of wind…but curiously no rain or hail…very weird…and back I went the direction I came from with my oldest daughter screaming at me that the clouds were turning…nice and this after seeing the biggest rainbow I have seen in years!
Anyway, it was a baby tornado compared to what I have seen in the midwest, did minor damage to my county (like laying trees down across the major interstate, trees down, power out, roofs off of a few buildings) and one road to my home was blocked by a big oak (again) but all in all, we got lucky. I don’t like being caught in the open with a tornado on the ground so close you can see where it is touching the ground, don’t like hail nor blinding rain either and I saw an example of STUPID yesterday with people driving on like nothing was doing outside…crazy…do they not have an app or listen to the radio or even better yet…look outside their car window?? Do they not understand what flashing headlights mean? sigh…
So we survived again but the events of the past 6 weeks have me on edge, not to mention the news…but here’s the deal peeps that I have learned in the past 6 weeks…that AT ANYTIME shtf can happen and you can’t be complacent about being ready for what may come…and once it starts and you are in the middle of it you better know what to do because it is too late at that point.
So what do I think?
1) Pay attention! use your eyes, ears and the media to KNOW what is going on. Granted with an earthquake it is kinda hard to ‘know’ ahead of time, but I will tell you this…watch the animals! they KNOW way before we do that its coming your way…again, use your eyeballs and pay attention…if you see or hear anything out of normal…pay attention.
2) Listen to your gut or intuition- this is probably one of the BEST skills you can hone for FREE as a prepper, survivalist or just a ‘concerned’ person. When something catches your attention there is usually a reason why…when something makes the hair on your neck stand up there is usually a reason why…follow up on it.
3) Can’t say this enough…get a PLAN AND KNOW WHAT TO DO ‘JUST IN CASE’…do you have any idea how much time is wasted that could save your life or your property or money if you just have a vague idea about ‘what to do’ ‘just in case’? Trust me when I tell you, forethought goes a long way when you are in ’emergency’ mode and it helps to keep panic and fear down to a minimum simply because you have at least a vague idea about ‘what to do’.
4) Act and act with decisiveness…and don’t worry about what others will think. Time and time again, I have seen people pause and wait because of ‘others’ and the sheeple mentality and then get caught in a royal mesh/nightmare. Be your own boss and stop worrying about what others think, and that includes your spouse, family and children. Do what you need to do when you need to do it.
Just these 4 simple things got me ahead of the hoards and kept me and mine safe and sound during the earthquake, hurricane and tornado (must apologize to the guy I cut off on the road when I turned around!).
And one last thing…don’t fail to prepare for the aftermath of ‘something’ either. I am worn OUT from all the excitement… Afterwards can be worse than the actual event, the disruption in ‘normal’, the let down of adrenaline (which can wipe you out physically), the isolation (power, travel and communication disruptions) and well, any number of things can and will take its toll ‘afterwards’. So just know it somewhere in the back of your mind that you will need to be able to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically and be gentle with yourself and loved ones afterwards. There are alot of ways to manage stress and change so learn what works best for you and yours BEFORE hand and have alot of different ways to do so. Stress in the aftermath can cloud the mind and kill.
So anyway, earthquake, check…hurricane, check….tornadoes, check…still alive and kicking here and I haven’t killed anyone yet…so I must be doing something right. And now I turn my attention to winter.
survivingshtfmom 
No Brown Recluse No Fiddlebacks In Virginia? I Beg to Differ
Soo…there ain’t Brown Recluse Spider in Virginia eh??? Or so ‘they’ say according to ‘their’ maps. I personally know better from about 20 years ago when I was bit one time on the shoulder doing new construction work and then about 6 years ago when I was bit not once, not twice but THREE times on my calf.
Never saw one though up front and personal until yesterday afternoon…looky what I saw on my ‘screen’ to my workshop only 3 foot away from me:
Yep, that’s a Brown Recluse spider, born, breed and hiding out waiting for me to walk through the ‘screen’ (which is actually a sheer curtain I hang up at the shed door).
Here is ‘map’ where they are most commonly found:
The below information is taken directly from an OSHA Fact Sheet (link at end)
The brown recluse belongs to a group of spiders commonly known as violin spiders or fiddlebacks. The characteristic fiddle-shaped pattern is located on the top of the leg attachment region (cephalothorax). Because they are secluded and withdrawn, as their name implies, the brown recluse avoids open spaces. Brown recluse spiders are dangerous and they can bite and inject toxic venom.
Identification
• Body size: 1/4 to 3/4 inch
(6.4-19.1mm)
• Color: Golden brown
• A dark violin/fiddle shape
(see top photo) is located on
the top of the leg attachment
region (cephalothorax) with
the neck of the violin/fiddle
pointing backward toward
the abdomen.
• Unlike most spiders that
have 8 eyes, the brown
recluse has 6 eyes. The eyes,
arranged in pairs – one pair
in front and a pair on either
side – can be readily seen
under low magnification.
Habitat
The Brown Recluse Spider
builds small retreat webs
behind objects of any type.
Symptoms
• The severity of the bite may
vary. Symptoms may vary
from none to very severe.
• The bite generally becomes
reddened within several hours.
• There is often a systemic reaction
within 24-36 hours characterized
by restlessness,fever,
chills, nausea, weakness
and joint pain.
• Tissue at the site of the bite
and the surrounding area dies
and eventually sheds.
Protection
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt, hat,
gloves, and boots when handling
stored boxes, firewood,
lumber and rocks, etc.
• Inspect and shake out clothing
and shoes before getting
dressed.
• Use insect repellants, such as
DEET or Picaridin, on clothing
and footwear.
Treatment
• Clean the bite area with soap
and water.
• Apply ice to the bite area to
slow absorption of the venom.
• Elevate and immobilize the
bitten extremity.
• Capture the spider, if at all possible,
for identification purposes.
• Seek medical attention.
https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data…Facts/brown_recluse_spider.pdf
Here is something that they don’t tell you: most of the time you won’t even KNOW you have been bitten, let alone actually SEE the sucker that bit you. I know the times I have been bitten I didn’t even think about a brown recluse bite until after the tissue in the area started necrotizing and the fist time it got so big (the necrotized area) that it was the size of half dollar and I wound up at the ER for something else and the nurse saw it (the wound) and freaked. The next time I was bit I thought they were bug bites until they began ‘pitting’ (necrotizing) and I immediately remember the first time I was bit by a recluse.
And medical attention? They give you Keflex and send you home and tell you ride out the WEEKS that it will take your body to fight the venom and heal…yeah, no joke…nothing to do except prevent and ‘infection’ and keep the wound clean…seriously..
And in a shtf situation or you can’t afford to go to the doctor just to be patted on the head and handed an antibiotic for hundreds of dollars, what are you going to do?
The ‘treatment’ advice above is great general ‘bite’ advice…but personally here is how I have always taken care of brown recluse bites (for some reason I am a recluse magnet) with EXCELLENT results:
BERGAMOT ESSENTIAL OIL DROPS STRAIGHT ON THE BITE
4-6 times a day
Seriously, that it…the first bite since it was so large I used hydrogen peroxide to clean out the dead tissue…let it dry out and then applied the bergamot essential oil, but the wound healed within 10 days and I used no antibiotics…minimal scaring too.
The next I was bitten I immediately applied the bergamot essential oil straight on the bites and while the skin discolored the necrotization only got to be about the size of eraser head and then healed within 4 days…
And that is all I DID…and now, living out the woods almost any bite that I know for sure isn’t a tick bite or mosquito or fly bite (ugh, May Flies and these little orange flying things around here), out comes the bergamot and I forget about it…no issues…
One strong word of caution: this is just what I do and I am not advocating that YOU do this…use your head and if you can see your doctor, especially if you become very sick…just use your head please… I believe that prevention is key in avoiding the doctor and what I have written is what works for ME. You may want to try it yourself or keep a bottle of the bergamot essential oil in your bug out bag or if you go camping just to ‘prevent’ infection, etc. especially if you are not sure of what bit you (since normally you won’t feel the bite from this spider). Everyone will react different and I am writing about what works for me and hopefully you will never need this ‘emergency’ advice from one prepper to another. But it might be worth the small investment of a few dollars just in case…save the antibiotics for something really bad!
Other notes: when self treating when professional medical help is not immediately available I like to use the rule of thumb…treat aggressively and often and don’t IGNORE anything. Don’t down play something new or unusual…
And one last thing: All citrus essential oils are oils that make the skin photosensitive…meaning, if you use the oil on your skin and go into the sun with that area where the essential oil was used…it can cause a bad BURN. So keep it covered….
One more thing to go into the woods with!
You may find more information on this subject at:
Survivalmedicineblog.com