learn how to sharpen a knife
A steel is not for sharpening, its for touching up a blade.
A whetstone is for sharpening. Diamond laden stones and steels are good.
17 * angle for kitchen knives
20* angle pocket/utility knives
30* combat knives
a strop (not strap) is used for finishing the blade. it takes the microscopic "teeth" out of the blade, smoothes it out. A leather belt will work too. Always pull away from the edge with the strop, unlike on the stone.

indespensible if learning
501 verbs, conjugated.

make your own chicken and beef stock. you won't be sorry.

Great Book:
We Took to the Woods
Louise Dickinson Rich
Her and her husband live in 1940's rural Maine. Very Rural. Stories of what its like to live a secluded life.

"You look like you just got out of a fight where everybody had a stick but you."
Max in Flywheel,
an EXCELLENT movie

an empty stock tank makes an amazing frisbie in 70 mph wind.

Paul Washer sermon jam 1

Never use money to measure wealth.
Robert DuVall in Broken Trail

silver

$4 gas
A bad moon rising

EXCELLENT BOOK:
Donbas
by Jaques Sandulescu
True story of a Romanian man whom at 15 was taken prisoner by the Soviets and taken to a forced labor (coal mine) camp.
It tells of his life there in the camps and how he survived, then tells how he eventually escaped. Amazing story!

Great Movie:
Open Range
Robert DuVall and Kevin Costner

GREAT MOVIE:
Broken Trail
with Robert DuVall and Thomas Hayden Church

Books I have read recently:
The Sun Kings
EXCELLENT book about Astronomer Richard Carrington and how he spotted solar flare which preceeded earths "Carrigton Event" of 1859 which knocked out telegraph service and caused auroras to be seen as far south as the equator.
What if it happened again today?

Gossip is the devils radio.
(a quote from the movie "Get Low"