The Country Wisdom Thread

[Anianna]

'A man and a boy can do the work of two men. A man and two boys do the work of half a man. A man and three boys does no work at all.'
-my grandfather.

That is so true! I have a husband and three sons and nothing gets done around here!!

[lowjohn19]

2 From my Grandfather about trust
Never trust a man with tassles on his shoes.
Never trust a fart.

[KnightoftheRoc]

2 From my Grandfather about trust
Never trust a man with tassles on his shoes.
Never trust a fart.

I have no idea what he meant by that last one, but- relating to trust, "Never trust anyone your dog don't trust."

I gotta say, my dog has been right more often than not on this one, and there are people I won't have anything to do with, because my dog didn't like them, and I later found out he was right- newspaper article about them being arrested for kiddie porn, or some sort of abuse- certainly enough to convince me they were people I wanted nothing to do with.

[TDW586]

It sounds like bullshit, but I've found that to be true. Nothing supernatural about it, it's just that a dog doesn't have social conditioning and doubt making it question the verbal and nonverbal "creepy dude" signals that such people give off. We see them too, we just tend to dismiss or ignore what our instincts tell us.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk

[KuroKuma]

Weather:

-Birds flying low and landing in trees and on power-lines means the pressure is dropping.

-When fronts move west to east red sky in the evening indicates dry air to the west and a storm is not likely. Red sky in the morning indicates dry air has passed over to the east and is usually followed by moist air bringing storms. ("Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in morning sailors take warning")

-Halo around the sun or moon, rain or snow soon.

-Cows will lay down, ants will build up their hills, turtles will get in the road, and animals in general will get quiet before a storm.

Medicine:

-Rabbit Tobacco (Sweet Everlasting) is good for cuts.

-Aloe Vera and Vitamin E are effective on burns. Honey will also help.

-A fresh Garlic and White Oak bark douche will clear up a yeast infection in several days.

-A Comfrey poultice in good for sprains and inflammation.

[KSAFFirefighter]

When using a tape measure, do not allow it to reel back rapidly by releasing it. Feed it back in with your hand. If you allow it to just fly back, over time the clip will come loose thus screwing up your measurements.

[Takaaco78]

Take garlic extract to keep the blood pressure down, works just as good as prescriptions pills. And also helps keep mosquitos from biting.

[KnightoftheRoc]

When using a tape measure, do not allow it to reel back rapidly by releasing it. Feed it back in with your hand. If you allow it to just fly back, over time the clip will come loose thus screwing up your measurements.

This is both true, and untrue- it depends on the tape measure. Most of them now are made with a sliding end clip, which automatically adjusts for inside/outside measurements, by allowing the clip to slide along the tape the thickness of the clip itself. So, a "wiggly" clip does not always mean you need a new tape measure. The better way to do this is to stop the retraction 6-8 inches before it gets the tape all the way in, then let it finish by bumping the clip against your index finger. Be sure you stop the tape like this for anything over a foot or so, or the momentum can cause quite a pinch on your finger!

[SeerSavant]

The old tried and true, spare the rod, spoil the child one is sadly lacking today... I'm closer to my folks now than most folks i know... And I never got out a well earned whupping... the belt.... And in my mothers case, flip flops or a wooden spoon, or whatever was necessary...
With mom, justice was swift and instant, like a crazy spanish ninja with a long wooden spoon... Speak out of turn or reach without asking over the table... Ninja...SMACK! And the woman could throw a flip flop like a shuriken, I swear the woman could make those things come around corners...
Dad was old school... You know you earned the belt, you took your licks, and you weren't berated afterwards.. No yelling... what's the purpose other than to make someone feel small...


The old standard, measure twice, cut once...


When you give your word, you NEVER break it... Often this would be an explanation, "I gave my word"... You learn two things, you never go back on your word, and you think long and hard before you give it.



"Say what you mean-Mean what you say."

[kcor_77]

I didnt see this one. Onions are natural blood thinners.

[Kommander]

People from ZS will try to take your cows in a shtf event.

[ZombieGranny]

When you give your word, you NEVER break it... Often this would be an explanation, "I gave my word"... You learn two things, you never go back on your word, and you think long and hard before you give it.

"Say what you mean-Mean what you say."

This one drives me crazy.
You see it all the time, people promising something and not following through.

Especially ticks me off when it's an absentee father constantly promising to be there for this child at this time or that activity.
You've heard it; that I PROMISE, before the kid is disappointed once again. Only later to get the same I PROMISE about something else.
All it means is the guy doesn't want to be there when the kid is unhappy.
It makes me want to slug someone... Either say no or be there when you are expected. That kid may say s/he understands, but what they are taking in (deeply) is that s/he is not important.
Sorry.
ahem - rant over.

Yeah, keep your word or better have a good reason like being in intensive care.

[ruralranger]

a lot of these i remember & yes,some i will retain for future use if needed ...but i seem to have writers block this morning oh ,wait, when woodworking,blunt the sharp point of a nail with the hammer first and less likely of splitting the wood you are nailing... more coffee is needed this morning... how about storing green tomatoes by turning them stem side down,wrap a piece of newspaper around them then stack layers in a box.then store the box in a cool dry place.when you want a fresh tomatoes take one out ,unwrap & sit it with the stem side upright in a window where it will get light and it will turn red ready to eat. and garlic was also called the poor mans penicillin because it fought off evil zombie infections in the body.one of my favorite cold remendys is a clove of garlic ,table spoon of honey (robbed of hives within 10 mile radius of where i live and a crushed up piece of hot red pepper...when you notice or feel a cold starting take twice a day for a few days & it usually kicks it or makes it a lot less effective of rendering you use less to the effects ... all ways keep your powder dry... [to be fore warned is to be fore armed]

[Weaver]

Dock leaves sooth nettle stings.

Yarrow is a fairly effective insect repellent, if you don't mind getting a few green streaks (got the idea from Ray Mears, tested it on a family outing).

Wool is fireproof and will keep you warm even if soaked through.

Dogs have a higher then human body tempreture, making them highly effective 'hot water bottles".

Surgical spirit can be used to prevent blisters.

Never underestimate the uses of duct tape and its relatives.

Fruit growing next to busy roads is best avoided.

The first rule of keeping warm is keeping dry.

[KuroKuma]

Surgical spirit can be used to prevent blisters.

Can't get surgical spirits in the U.S. that I am aware of. I know that it is a mixture of Ethanol (grain alcohol/moonshine) and Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) or Methanol (wood alcohol), but I have read that there are other ingredients in surgical spirits that change it's color and smell. Would it be the alcohol helping with the blisters or the other ingredients (I am assuming they are medical chemicals)?

[adv]

Great info.

[Ad'lan]

Surgical spirit can be used to prevent blisters.

Can't get surgical spirits in the U.S. that I am aware of. I know that it is a mixture of Ethanol (grain alcohol/moonshine) and Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) or Methanol (wood alcohol), but I have read that there are other ingredients in surgical spirits that change it's color and smell. Would it be the alcohol helping with the blisters or the other ingredients (I am assuming they are medical chemicals)?

AFAIK it's just straight Isopropyl alcohol, and it works by hardening the skin to prevent blisters. Once you've got them, it's good only as a disinfectant and antiseptic.

[spchtr]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenolphthalein

is an acid/base indicator sometimes added to ethanol, to keep people from drinking it, mixed they make a powerful laxative.

With the Tobacco tricks, leathery moist tobacco works best, cigarettes may work, but the tobacco is stale and dry compared to say pipe tobacco/chewing tobacco.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_%28drug%29

Might be useful for medicinal purposes as well. And hemp makes good rope, though typically those come in different strains of the plant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid

Found in vinegar has many, many uses, and is easy to produce. Along the same lines as the fermentation process, or a continuation of it.
http://www.gangofpour.com/diversions/vinegar/vinegar1.html

Tea tree oil production
http://www.ehow.com/how_5136060_make-tea-tree-oil.html
I imagine peppermint oil to be a similar method.

The processes by which oils and extracts can be made might not be a bad idea to get a good solid base of understand in.

[Ad'lan]

The processes by which oils and extracts can be made might not be a bad idea to get a good solid base of understand in.

If you are interested in this, I'd recommend getting a good knowledge of modern science, and then getting an old turn of the last centuary manual, they are pretty much practical guides on how to make a vast array of pretty modern chemicals, almost from their raw products. (For example, extracting carboxylic acid from Coal tar).

When/if I have the money and space, I'd like to have my own lab set up in my workshop.

[kbilly84]

The old tried and true, spare the rod, spoil the child one is sadly lacking today... I'm closer to my folks now than most folks i know... And I never got out a well earned whupping... the belt.... And in my mothers case, flip flops or a wooden spoon, or whatever was necessary...
With mom, justice was swift and instant, like a crazy spanish ninja with a long wooden spoon... Speak out of turn or reach without asking over the table... Ninja...SMACK! And the woman could throw a flip flop like a shuriken, I swear the woman could make those things come around corners...
Dad was old school... You know you earned the belt, you took your licks, and you weren't berated afterwards.. No yelling... what's the purpose other than to make someone feel small...

Did we have the same parents? LOL. My Mom's weapon of choice was the wooden spoon. And if we were dumb enough to be repeat offenders, we didn't get to use a mop for chores; it was hands-and-knees with a rag... every hard floor and surface in the house. It wasn't often we did the same thing wrong more than twice.

Dad just had to start taking of his belt. And "the look". That would shape us up in a hurry.

[Weaver]

Surgical spirit can be used to prevent blisters.

Can't get surgical spirits in the U.S. that I am aware of. I know that it is a mixture of Ethanol (grain alcohol/moonshine) and Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) or Methanol (wood alcohol), but I have read that there are other ingredients in surgical spirits that change it's color and smell. Would it be the alcohol helping with the blisters or the other ingredients (I am assuming they are medical chemicals)?

AFAIK it's just straight Isopropyl alcohol, and it works by hardening the skin to prevent blisters. Once you've got them, it's good only as a disinfectant and antiseptic.

Yep. Blisters are one of those things where prevention is a hundred times better and easier then cure.

[TravisM.1]

Some of the best advice I've ever been given:

"Work smart, not hard."- My Dad

"Think ahead, save chores"- My grandma's late husband.

[evil0rphan]

[quote=Wetted tobacco spread on an itch will sooth it- works great if you brush up against some "itch weed", I've used it for years when fishing.[/quote]

Personal experience... chewing tobacco (chewed) placed on a bee sting will draw out the pain. Stepped on a bee as a kid, and neighbor that was a chewer ran up to me, spit out his wad of chew and slapped it on my foot over the sting. Within 5 min, the pain was gone and no swelling.

Also, ginger makes a fine tea, and will help with nausea....

[evil0rphan]

Oh, and vinegar will take the heat out of a sun burn.... apply liberally.