why so over-engineered the barn? if all it's going to be is for storing wood you could pole-barn it and sheet metal sides in a LOT less time...

     Making a wood building hurricane or tornado resistant is bwaha-silly, but
I want to aim for as close as I can get. Interior studs will get some bracing,
and the rafters are solidly pinned to the top plates. Strong shed is
strong.

     There's reason to believe that weather in Eastern Canada will get a lot rougher.
I'm not about to build a bunker--the neighbours would talk--but I'm up to
speed on enough climate change science to suspect it's not that bad
an idea.

     Since I *do* want a honking-big woodshed, say I'm thinking dual-use. Trust
me, I'll be perfectly happy if I don't need it. :- )

 fwbrown61

build the bunker. let them talk. and when the SHTF and they want in... remind them about all the crap they gave you over it and close the door on them.

      That's one of the nightmare scenarios, vis-a-vis disaster preparedness. There's worse
than that too.

You've invested in resources, tech, and knowledge. Nobody else has. SHTF. Do you share,
and instantly run out of everything and everyone dies? Do you ration, and thus choose
who lives and who dies? Or do you hoard, and everyone but you dies?

Gets tricky real fast. Esp. since without some deadly force at your disposal a gang
of droogs--former neighbours--overpowers/murders you and just takes everything
so they can survive (and to hell with anybody else).



     Can't say I haven't thought about this stuff. On the other paw, anyone living in
rural Canada by necessity already has a measure of disaster prep in place.
Expect a pooling of survival capability.

     The crucial issue is, how much more of it do we all need, individually and collectively?
Another couple of winters like the one we just had ought to be *powerfully* persuasive.
Persuaded me. no? :- )

 fwbrown61

when it comes to prepping, I have my own opinions.

most of the questions you raise are questions each individual has to ask themselves. I've answered them for myself and my immediate family

Then I'd say kudos [for thinking about it]. Puts you ahead of most people, most of
whom don't wanna think about it. Shock, horror, you mean there may be times when 911
won't work?

Outrageous. I shall write my Congressman/Member of Parliament, Cecily, really I shall. :- )
(Seriously, that's the attitude of a lot of people, or so I'd suspect).

Last year, empty house right across the road caught fire; quite the show. Fire Dept.
response time: 35 minutes, but then again not a life-threatening occurrence.

The idea that a call to 911 might not be very effective is *far* from unusual
out here. :- )

 fwbrown61

response time is a little better where I live, about 15 minutes. which is why I have a well, 3 hoses, 5 fire extinguishers, and speedy-dry by the barrel handy at all times

never mind the fact that if my house goes up... Just Fcuking RUN!... I know what all is in there

Will the solar panel survive the snow? Also, nice shed. Hopefully I'll start my own wood project over the summer. (Poker table) :)

I can see you are preparing yourself for next winter, Fred. Going with the assumption that you are going to put a huge generator inside too. Looking at the load of wood just outside the next to be finished shed, you are getting ready for the cold air.

      In a word, hell yes (wait, that's two words :- ) )

      Started work on this last summer, since the winter of 2013/14 was nothing if not scary.
Dangerous, even? Not that last winter was a walk in the park either.

      Structure like this is actually waaay more than I really need, but the goal is
mission-critical: Improve the security and protection of the fuel supply (ie.,
several tons of firewood). And make it possible to stockpile a surplus.



      On the other paw, this project has pretty much taken over my life for a while. Tedious
going, and freakin' hard work, and on a damn short budget. Didn't I have some writing
I wanted to do this summer? (Hell yes again :- / ).

      'S just happening a lot slower, insofar as words and exhaustion don't go well together.
Still, may have new work to post in a couple of weeks at the rate I'm chipping away
at the keyboard.

      Assuming the summer heat doesn't take me out first. Did someone say winter is
coming? Can't say I'll mind this time. :- )


 fwbrown61

Funny world we live in. We complain all winter about the cold and snow, then we complain during all of summer about the heat. Must say that in my case I feel the heat harder, going to the ectent that I'm almost burning up. Holding up with a good electric fan in my room and lots of icecream and freezing cold water to prevent my own meltdown.

Pretty sure you could also start up a kickstarter to help fund a worker or two to help in your project, I'm confident to say that no one wwants you to freeze almost to death again this winter.

Might launch myself in writting since I have lot's of free time, but would need someone to turn it into a comic (since it would be more awsome as a comic). Already have an idea of what to write.