After the 2010 Economic Doomsday

The Big Three are no longer in existence. There is not even a Big One after a Japanese firm that originally specialized in making Kobe beef bought out Ford. Of course, there are not very many automobiles running these days. No one can afford them and gas is always in short supply. I guess the Japanese just wanted to put their mark out there in the world before everyone quit using cars. Every job disappeared, but that was no surprise to anyone especially when over 2 million of them went away in 2008.

Wall Street plummeted to zero about 10 years ago and the rest of the world fell as though they were domino blocks, one right after the other, starting with Russia, then Great Britain and then the rest of the world. Big Business disappeared at that time and it was not long before most of the country was out of business anyway. The only thing left to do was try to survive. We were told a few years ago that places like Pakistan, India, Iran, and Africa - most of those folks died for lack of water, food, and the fallout. I guess Iran should have been more careful when they accidentally exploded that nuclear bomb they were trying to make.

Here in western Maryland, the only thing that really changed was that no one spent a whole lot of time going to the store, mostly because the stores are empty. Going for doctor visits are practically outdated and most doctors travel out to the settlements these days, anyway. All the doctors and surgeons will do some surgery, if you can manage to get any care at all, but even the surgeons were accepting only foodstuffs in payment. It is hard on everyone. A baby died last week over at Barackville99 from whooping cough since shots are no longer given.

Since gas is no longer being pumped and staples were hard to come by except for when the government sends out a truck every month to the different localities, there is no such thing as heating fuel, let alone gas for a car. If you do not live near where they drop off such things as flour and sugar, you do without or make your own if you have a clue how to do it.

Of course, a few of the old folks did help by remembering how to hook up a horse to a plow and most of the men spend all summer now trying to plow and plant corn, beans, and wheat. All the animals are being pooled together for culling, separating out those for meat, and those still able to give milk. Everyone is trying to keep at least a goat to have milk for the children. Horses have been rationed out to those who can ride, for plowing, or getting back and forth to their neighbors. Everyone has to help out these days or no one eats or stays warm.

I do think our settlement is pretty lucky. We at least have a farrier who doubles as a blacksmith and our own doctor. Another guy knows about digging graves and he had already started our cemetery a couple years ago when Dad's brother died of snakebite.

Lots of folks have ended up camping in the woods after leaving the big cities (they are shot if they try to camp in a field where crops are growing) and you can see dozens of shacks built out of dry wood laced together to make some sort of shelter and covered over in tarps. Some have even constructed homes similar to wigwams so they can burn a fire inside. Others have moved next to the Potomac, taking up residence in some of the caves along the West Virginia side.

Anyplace where more than a couple of families are staying is called Barackville, poking fun at the President who was going to change the world. It changed all right - went right down the tubes far as most are concerned. In fact, everyone calls this the Obama Doomsday. No one knows where he is now. The current President, Sarah Palin - well, she stays in Alaska most of the time because Washington was taken over by the pigeons. I do hear you can catch them by hand and they make a tasty pie.

At least the deer and bear are plentiful, though guns and ammunition are being used carefully, and only by those who have been proven hunters. The rest is being hoarded in secret places with armed guards. I hear places like those of Baltimore and Washington DC are practically empty - no place to grow food except in the few parks that were left. All the wild animals were turned loose and many have disappeared, probably into someone's cook pot.

Some of the women folks found books and read up on how to make soap, lard, and other things we needed. An old salt mine was found over on Cacapon Mountain and now each year, groups of men go over and dig up as much as they can. Last year they used the truck for the last time and this year they are hauling it back in burlap bags lined with old sheets and stuff to keep it from leaking out. You must have salt, you know, even if you do not have sugar.

Well, I guess I better get busy. Dad has me and two other guys cutting cord wood up for the winter and says I need 40 more cord before we are finished. He is over at the barn drying deer meat into jerky so we have food for the winter. He already did up one old cow; ground the whole thing into hamburger. Old man Shipley turned a bunch of them loose so he would not have to feed them. Dad also shot a wild pig over near to Sleepy Creek and it seems they are doing pretty well foraging up on the mountain. It does make my mouth water thinking about all that bacon.

Anyway, it is almost time to go eat dinner and call it a day. I can smell the cornbread and beans cooked in bacon grease from here.