I have been reading books about food security, or preparing for a crisis in order to ride out an unforeseen predicament such as severe weather, natural disasters, power outages, and the like. The government has sent out brochures with a list of things to do in case of emergency, directing me to websites I can visit for more information in case I don’t understand the imminent danger I may be in if I don’t have enough canned food and medical supplies on hand. I have tried to heed these instructions but have only prepared half-heartedly. I admire those people living off the grid who will still be able to make toast and watch movies as if nothing has changed, and I will envy those who shop at warehouse stores with their 24-pack of spaghetti sauce and six-month supply of toilet paper. Who will be laughing then? I am much too reliant on a business-as-usual atmosphere that has numbed me into thinking only too little about how I would get along without easy access to utilities and groceries. Right now, a world wide web of information is at my fingertips, light is at a flick of a switch, cool air washes over me in summer while warm air surrounds me when snowflakes are falling outside. Stores are open every day, I can walk or bike easily within my little town, and for the most part, I’m not worried about my personal safety. I may not be living my best life but all signs point to an easy one.
We cleared out a large walk-in closet near the kitchen to use as a pantry and my intention is to store the items we’ll need to sustain ourselves if the time comes. I have an inkling that not many of us are prepared for even a 24-hour crisis by the heavy crowds at the grocery store the day before it closes for a statutory holiday. When non-perishables are on sale, I try to stock up, then use the FIFO method to make sure I don’t poison my family with the bacteria build-up from a long-ago expiry date. Although, I usually don’t have to worry about which foods have been there the longest because we tend to finish off any food in the house long before First In, First Out would take effect.
On my list of things to get are: food-grade pails for bulk storage, a surplus car battery, and a first-aid kit. I imagine water will be our utmost concern. They recommend filling up your tub as soon as an emergency strikes although I’m not sure how desperate I’d have to be to drink from it. We do keep a case of water bottles handy but since they expire after several months, we have to use them up in the privacy of our home so as not to seem environmentally insensitive.
A loss of electricity would become uncomfortable to say the least. A power loss in winter would make for chilly nights, unless you know someone with a gas fireplace who wouldn’t mind sharing sleeping space with you. Note to self: get a gas fireplace. And did you know your toilets need electricity to operate? After a while, the local water pumping station will lose pressure and you will be unable to flush unless you want to use your precious supply of water to fill the tank manually. I guess there’s always the woods out back.
When our conventional food supply runs out, our weeds will no longer be the bane of my gardening existence, as I’ve written about previously. The pioneers who plagued us with edible non-native plants such as dandelion will seem like geniuses. Note to self: cordon off area for outdoor potty away from lawn. A creek runs through our backyard that we may be able to use as a drinking source if I overlook possible pesticide run-off from upstream. Note to self: get a water-test kit. I could forage for berries in the summer, and although my DVR recording of Know Your Mushrooms won’t be operational, I’ve gleaned enough information to make a go at it, if need be. What I really need is to have a good old-fashioned book with pictures to tell me how to prepare my native plants to make them non-toxic and digestible. The deer feast on them like a buffet every year so I’ll have to finally stand my ground and fend them off.
I’ll regret not listening to my husband when he wanted to buy a generator but we don’t live in the sticks and the only time we’ve lost power for more than an hour was when everyone on the eastern seaboard did in 2003, so on my list of emergency-preparedness priorities, it’s right after getting a Canadian flag to hang upside down while in distress on open water.
If the...you know what...really hits the fan, we’ll use our renovation supplies to seal off the house with 6 mil plastic and duct tape. I’m glad I live in Canada where our cultural tendencies toward politeness and passiveness will keep the peace for a length of time. And my strong husband was always handy for moving furniture but I’ll look at his broad shoulders in a whole new light. Unlike the Americans, we’ll be kicking ourselves for not packing heat all along. Of course, if the chaos got that bad, I may just want to kiss this world good-bye and leave my supply of canned sardines for another sucker.
