Weaknesses: Solar energy, small engine repair, gardening, husbandry, carpentry, welding, blacksmithing and dentistry
Needing improvement: Medical, fishing, trapping, wild edibles, tracking, canning/dehydrating, herbal medicine, fitness (I'm getting older) 🙂
Strengths: Bush/urban survival, martial arts, firearms, marksmanship, tactical intervention

Well you want better fitness, improve your martial arts 😀 . Three years ago I was in the best shape of my life but an injury set me back hard. I miss my kung fu club!

Welding isn’t hard, welding good is lol. My buddy gave me a quick and dirty and while I need a ton of practice, it won’t be beautiful but it will hold. And yes it may be an art and skill, but when I do dressing they are beautiful so my welds don’t have to be ( fair enough lol?!?)

Canning is a great skill and not really hard once you’ve done it a few time with a mentor. But helping someone out a few times and making sure you process enough it’s worth learning. I need to do it more.

One of the best books I’ve read on gardening is Steve Solomon’s gardening when it counts. He does have an updated book but I haven’t finished it.

I had a crapy dentist that did a bunch of work then skipped town. All the fillings she did fell out. The office set me up with one of their regular dentists but before I could get the one done I used the stuff learned in dr bones and nurse Amy’s book (survival medics? I think it’s called sorry half asleep) and made a temp filling so good the dentist was impressed. He told me 3 times. Lol.

I was watching a video about making lists. I looked back over old lists and it’s amazing the stuff I got done, projects or skills etc. I’m thinking I need to do some more project lists and keep on track a little more ( and work a little less!)

Thanks for the reply.

Well you want better fitness, improve your martial arts 😀 . Three years ago I was in the best shape of my life but an injury set me back hard. I miss my kung fu club!

I instructed the martial arts for many years, my problem is that I'm not as flexible as I use to be (age tends to do that). I know what to do, but am not in the shape to do everything I could do before. 🙁 I know what you mean about injury. A few months back I broke my foot and ankle and wound-up being unable to move around much. I'm still working off the excess weight I put on...

...One of the best books I’ve read on gardening is Steve Solomon’s gardening when it counts. He does have an updated book but I haven’t finished it.

Thanks for the recommendation.

it is a excellent garden book but two notes, he expexts you to have a good amount of land and second note both places he has grown at have ample and similar amounts of rain for the type of planting he does.. great book but that amount of natural rain fall if you do not have unlimited well water will play huge factor in end production rates

Weakness in welding, engine repairs, solar, definitely raising of animals, physical shape due to asthma and reliance on prescription meds really, really ticks me off and I consider that beyond a doubt my archives heal. Need to get better with gardening and pickling of foods, would like to build a root cellar and greenhouse.

Not bad in wild plant identification but need a lot of help to be sure. Going to start compiling paper files on local plants to help identify things and will keep eyes open for some type of wild plant course. Plan on learning more trapping tricks

Skills are in evaluating a situation and being able to avoid,bluff or lie my way out of situations. Pretty decent shot, can fish, hunt, camp in all Canadian climes, know my bushcraft, speak two languages, not bad in sizing folks up real fast, have a pretty extensive supply of outdoor gear, learnt how to drive 4WD vehicles since 16 in all manner of terrain and always owned one so little issue going cross country or jumping city curbs etc excellent ATV skills but need to work on skidoo skill sets, have snowshoe and cross country skis, have large wooded and pasture property so consider that a huge plus for survival.

Hi Clarence

Amber is considered the leading forage wild plant gal for the Ottawa area.. there are others that lead groups and walks, (including myself at times) for different groups but we all give the nod of respect to Amber.. here is her facebook page link, I am not going to put her personal on here.. its about her monthly herb box etc but she also shares when she does group walks.. and Its my understanding that she will also do more private if you prefer that.

https://www.facebook.com/thewildgardenottawa/

On the flip side, may I recommend something about the wild plant identification, if the plant is small enough (clearly not in terms of tree's etc) and does not require a "tailored" spot, grab a couple and bring them home into your yard, garden etc.. let them grow and ideally spread and or self-seed for a few years.. This way you can learn those good edibles from seedlings to babies, to flowering to adult to aging out..

As a example, I was looking at a fruiting tree at a friends farm and I was struggling on if was this or that.. until I looked at the bark and bang, I knew what it was.. I have found it so useful to do this.. often when we get out into the woods we are not doing it daily, or weekly.. now if you are.. great..

but most of us will learn our wild forage food and how to find them in all season's a lot faster if we bring a few of them back into our yards and it means free food plus if push come shove, it means you have a base in your yard, gardens for those wild foods..

someone might steal your radishes if they raid your garden, they are lot less likely to raid your burdock, nettles, or pig weed 🙂

If you ever want to talk critters and raise care and such.. let me know, I am always game.. lol game..

Hi Clarence

Amber is considered the leading forage wild plant gal for the Ottawa area.. there are others that lead groups and walks, (including myself at times) for different groups but we all give the nod of respect to Amber.. here is her facebook page link, I am not going to put her personal on here.. its about her monthly herb box etc but she also shares when she does group walks.. and Its my understanding that she will also do more private if you prefer that.

https://www.facebook.com/thewildgardenottawa/

On the flip side, may I recommend something about the wild plant identification, if the plant is small enough (clearly not in terms of tree's etc) and does not require a "tailored" spot, grab a couple and bring them home into your yard, garden etc.. let them grow and ideally spread and or self-seed for a few years.. This way you can learn those good edibles from seedlings to babies, to flowering to adult to aging out..

As a example, I was looking at a fruiting tree at a friends farm and I was struggling on if was this or that.. until I looked at the bark and bang, I knew what it was.. I have found it so useful to do this.. often when we get out into the woods we are not doing it daily, or weekly.. now if you are.. great..

but most of us will learn our wild forage food and how to find them in all season's a lot faster if we bring a few of them back into our yards and it means free food plus if push come shove, it means you have a base in your yard, gardens for those wild foods..

someone might steal your radishes if they raid your garden, they are lot less likely to raid your burdock, nettles, or pig weed 🙂

If you ever want to talk critters and raise care and such.. let me know, I am always game.. lol game..

Thank you very much farmgal. Really like the idea of a course.
Your idea of a groomed idea of a wild patch of greens is also a nice plan, also means maybe not needing to wonder in bush collecting plants under adverse social conditions.

As far as animals go, I need to focus on future lifestyles. Animals need proper care and I want to know I can dedicate the proper time to them before diving in.

Again, thanks!

I’m learning the homesteading stuff, accepting I’m making errors and learning from them. But the handy stuff of plumbing, mechanical work, electrical etc... I have no idea! I can do some thundering, but never want to start a project that may end up with a “TOLD YOU SO!” From Mrs HP...

I’m learning the homesteading stuff, accepting I’m making errors and learning from them. But the handy stuff of plumbing, mechanical work, electrical etc... I have no idea! I can do some thundering, but never want to start a project that may end up with a “TOLD YOU SO!” From Mrs HP...

i don't do big electical work on my own, but doing littles bits here and there then having help with bigger things has made me way more competent. i can put in a light or a fan, no big deal, but when i had to add a breaker for a jet tub, and a 220 outlet i got help, safety being a big issue, and one that's easy to do (those big switches shut it all down 🙂 but turning it back on you need to know things are soild, and i had help there. it was easier then i thought. i had t move a light when a wall was being taken down, as well as move pipes and add a light switch to another wall being put up. i wasn't the one that cut the pipe 😉 but again leanred a lot, and it makes sense (sharkbite makes plumbing a hellofalot easier.) then when a friend at a leaking sink, i was able to replace all the drain pipes and redo do it. it was older and i couldn't just match parts. i was very worried i was in over my head but was able to work it out on my own and looked pretty smooth doing it 😉 saved the day. lol
i was shitting myself when i had to replace my pressure tank, i would of paid someone to do it, but the plumber never called me back . . . so i had to bite the bullet and do it. i'm glad i checked around, the pressure tank i got was $150, i've seen the same one for $550 . .. makes no sense, but i'm glad i looked around or i might of wasted that money. once you do it, you come out better.

this week i practed my soldering "skills" cough** but i added lights to my truck, they look great, got it wired into the intneral fuse box and all made a lot of sense, then i realized that damn, while the red looks HOT on the front, am i going to get a fine? hell yes i will. i have to redo the lights damn it. (i still learned a lot with the project . . . mostly my soldering still sucks for the 85% of the time)