Major changes.

Some major life changes have taken place (still are taking place) and I have relocated myself and my family to the Southeastern US. Adjusting to the new life will take a bit of time but I'm excited to finally get into a more permanent setting. This isn't the homestead we plan to have in the future, but it's a good base from which to plan and work toward that goal. We hope to get started on obtaining acreage and building a house on it within the next 3-5 years.

Until then, it's time to really get the prepping into high gear. The world is on fire and it doesn't seem like there is a light at the end of the tunnel yet.

Russia has officially moved Russian troops (instead of just funding and arming "separatists") and equipment in Eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian leaders have sought assistance from NATO, claiming that they are unable to fend off the Russian military.

A new threat calling itself the "Islamic State" (IS) claims to have set up a "caliphate" in Syria and most of Iraq. This terrorist army has been killing and destroying everything in it's path. IS is the most destructive terrorist force on earth today and probably of modern times as well. Al Qaeda is a picnic compared to this army. Experts estimate it's numbers to be anywhere from 10,000 fighters to 80,000 fighters. The army has income flowing in daily from the sale of oil on the black market to the tune of $3M per day. The group has threatened the US, Great Britian and now Russia directly. The intelligence community believes IS members are operating in or around Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and are looking to infiltrate the US at the porous Southern border.

President 0bama seems to be asleep at the wheel. He has recently publicly stated that his administration does not have a strategy for dealing with the imminent threat from IS.

Recently, an 18 year old, unarmed black man was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. The small town near St. Louis erupted in riots despite the fact that the details of what really happened had not come out. Those details are still not fully known. The New Black Panther Party (NBBP), Malik Zulu Shabazz, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton went to Ferguson and stirred emotions in the crowds. Attorney General Eric Holder and President 0bama both made statements that did nothing to calm the situation. Stores were looted and burned to the ground and riot police were brought in. The National Guard was called in as well, but they didn't stand on the line nor did they participate in crowd control. Events like this can happen in any town in America.

I look forward to making more frequent posts as things around here start to settle down.