Cooler and damp.<\/p>\n
It was 58F when I went to bed last night, and it was about that cool most of the day.\u00a0 Overcast and misty rain finally burned off late in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
Most of what I picked up yesterday was household related.\u00a0 Of the prepper stuff, the Dometic porta-jon was brand new in the box.\u00a0 The RV inverter wasn’t.\u00a0 It was the old 12v power supply module from whatever RV old boy updated later with the part that came in the box.\u00a0 It looks intact and included a fused multi-circuit 12v distro panel.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It will make a great 12vdc power supply for my ham radios, whenever I get around to it.\u00a0 Lemonade from lemons and all that…<\/p>\n
I harvested an actual lemon from my lemon tree.\u00a0 The other citrus is getting yellower every day.\u00a0 I hope some is not woody and hard, but I’ll take a dozen fruits, even if they’re not great this year, and hope for better next year.\u00a0 Planting trees is an act of faith that there will be a future.<\/p>\n
No other visible sprouts, so I’ll try replanting with different seed packets.\u00a0 My neighbor at my secondary location is getting a good fall garden, so it isn’t just a bad year in Houston, it’s me.\u00a0 Try try again.\u00a0 (And buy more canned food.)<\/p>\n
Lots of articles out there about people bum rushing to rural housing, buying lots of guns and ammo, and stocking up.\u00a0 The flip side is I’m seeing weird stuff in the amazon (and other store) returns auctions.\u00a0\u00a0 Most of the online and brick and mortar stores just take their returns and auction them off in bulk to wholesalers.\u00a0 The wholesalers sometimes auction smaller bulk pallets, and sometimes auction individual lots.\u00a0 That’s what I mean when I talk about ‘returns’ auctions.\u00a0\u00a0 Well, in the last couple of months, I’ve seen some interesting stuff.\u00a0\u00a0 Chicken coops (reviews were that they were too small.)\u00a0 Chicken waterers.\u00a0 Chicken nesting pads and nesting boxes (lots of people trying to grow chickens.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Small animal nesting and bedding.\u00a0\u00a0 Farrier starter tool kits (several in this week’s auction.)\u00a0 Farriers!\u00a0 Moon cups (reusable menstrual supplies are a prepper staple.)\u00a0 Solar panels.<\/p>\n
Of course I’m seeing lots of other stuff that speaks of the lockdown, exercise equipment, bikes, and home reno bits and pieces, home decor too.<\/p>\n
One puzzler is the TONS of child safety gates.\u00a0 I mean TONS.\u00a0 Every auction has dozens of lots.\u00a0\u00a0 And just general human debris, as summer ends a lot of yard tools are being returned.\u00a0 Freaking thieves and returns fraud.\u00a0 Tents and camping gear are being returned in bulk as well.<\/p>\n
Firearms and ammo are showing up in the consignment and estate auctions.\u00a0 Not much in the way of modern defensive arms, (except Hi-Point pistols- the modern ‘Saturday night special’.)\u00a0 Most of what I’m seeing is single shot rifles, old single shot shotguns- unloved brown rifles in other words.\u00a0 The ammo is usually sort of “cleaned out a drawer” quantities and a lot of non-defense calibers.\u00a0 It all sells for high prices, and defensive ammo or modern defensive arms are bringing eye watering prices compared to a year ago.<\/p>\n
Surprising me, there are a couple of campers\/trailers in this week’s auction.\u00a0 I figured people would hold on to them as a last resort living arrangement, but there must be folks who don’t expect to get to that point, who are looking to cash in on high demand.<\/p>\n
On another note, I drove across all of Houston Friday, all the way to Baytown, and then up to IAH.\u00a0 Today I’ll be going down to Dickenson and back up through Bellaire.\u00a0 I crisscross Houston fairly regularly.\u00a0 I’m seeing a LOT of empty commercial buildings.\u00a0 I’m seeing a LOT of ‘For Lease’ signs.\u00a0 I even saw two new ones a few blocks from my house.\u00a0\u00a0 The landslide has just started rumbling, a few pebbles are starting to roll down hill…\u00a0 I’ve got a feeling that ‘we ain’t seen nothin’ yet<\/a>.’\u00a0 But not in a good way.<\/p>\n Keep stacking, and keep your eyes and mind open to opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0 There are always opportunities.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n nick <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cooler and damp.<\/p>\n It was 58F when I went to bed last night, and it was about that cool most of the day.\u00a0 Overcast and misty rain finally burned off late in the afternoon.<\/p>\n Most of what I picked up yesterday was household related.\u00a0 Of the prepper stuff, the Dometic porta-jon was brand new in the box.\u00a0 The RV inverter wasn’t.\u00a0 It was the old 12v power supply module from whatever RV old boy updated later with the part that came in the box.\u00a0<\/p>\n