New - unrelated- entry:

Last night I was in the car listening to the radio and there were a number of situations where the word "evacuation" were repeated : In Egypt , in Lybia , and a few other areas

The phrase "bug out bag" came to mind, but it really really sucks when you know you are "evacuated for good" from your home. Gives a totally different meaning to "bugging out". Your heart sinks. You only hope that you have the ability to forget and move on.

It is amazing how people destroy themselves

People who smoke or take drugs ? Yes, but there is another type that destroy themselves from within for no apprent reason.

We - me and my brothers - have noticed our father totally giving up and repeating his wish to die, only because he isn't willing to put some effort in his own healing. He doesn't tolerate any pain during the physiotherapist work on his legs. Even before his injury he wasn't willing even to take his own regular medicine (which was only 2 pills a day).

Right or wrong , we burst in anger and told him HE was pushing himself to die and that many others have had similar probklems and recovered including our mom.

He is still insisting that problem is elsewhere. He blames his sons to be negligecting him, and blames the absense of his cane for not being able to walk. We cannot convince him that depending on his cane is still dangerous when his own legs are not trained enough.

Dad's situation has taught me that believing in yourself and strenghthening your own abilities is your first step to survival. Blaming others is the first step in the opposite direction.

Thats why you have layers to your preps. Have a basic BOB for the jump out the window because the house is on fire in the middle of the night situation. Then have more layers for the two days warning to evac before a hurricane.
Anything I would want to take in the latter is always at the ready. expensive tools in their tool boxes, original pictures and important documents are in their binder in the safe. Pictures on the walls are copies so I don't have to gather those.

There is another dimension in the thought of evacuation

Communities differ. Some are nomadic by nature and some stay in the same land for generations. Modern age "nomads" exist among people who will jump at the first chance of - for example - a better job 1000 miles away. And there are those who won't leave the land for whatever reason. To the latter, a forced evacuation may seem like TEOTWAWKI.

I plan for both. There are many people who will come on some forums and declare "I'm bugging in not out". But to me to only plan to bug in is to not prep to bug out. I believe you need to prepare for both.

Off course

Amazing how everyone seems to follow the CROWD, not their own instincts or their brains.

Sometimes, I walk lazily around our work area going from a building to another or waiting for something in my car. In those moments I have noticed a few things among non-human creatures.

One of the most amazing scenes I have seen is birds following the crowd. I thought only humans did that.

There are kind folks who bring some bread crumbs or wheat grains or whatever and spread it in some areas. This is left for birds to feast on. This food is spread in more than one spot, birds come in and may concentrate on one. Amazing thing is that other birds coming late do not seem to grab the opportunity of the other dish or spot with no one around, rather seem attracted to the dish where everyone else is fighting.

hmmmm
We are not alone , I have discovered.

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Flock_Defense.html

Flocking defense...works for some dangers,doesn't for others...

Thanks UncleGoo

That was interesting and educational

I also followed the link to Mixed-Species_Flocking

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Mixed-Species_Flocking.html

The birds that feed are a mix of doves, ducks, sparrows, and white-cheek-"something" (forgot the name of the bird. LOL ) beside a few other species.

And , yes, cats are all around. The other day I saw a duck with only one duckling. They were separated from the rest of the ducks (about 20) . Someone indicated the duck used to have about 10 babies a few days earlier.

My attitude towards animals is that I love them so much as to NOT have them as pets. If they die or something I can't stop blaming myself. Rather I put a feeder in my garden where they eat and drink and go. The mother duck mentioned above had the baby with a large pond separating them from the rest of the ducks. This pond is man-made and constructed from concrete ( just like a shallow pool ). Actually it was just made for landscaping - not with ducks in mind. The ducks were added later. It had high concrete edges that didn't allow ducks in or out so easily. Only one spot was added for exit/entry to the water. This - in my view - had contributed to the sad demis of the small ducks. If they were in the middle of those 20 large ducks , no cat would dare approach them.

Hey, the predators need to eat, too. ;-)