I’ve Been Scoping Out My Neighbors Lately and Found Some Good Stuff…

Yeah, I’m not ashamed of it: I’ve been scoping my neighbors stuff lately. Not to steal it, mind you, but to get an idea of who might be useful post-SHTF, who might have stuff to barter with if I absolutely had to, and otherwise just to be a bit of a nosy neighbor. 😉

Obviously, I can’t see everything but when we walk I have a bit of time to glance here and there and I’ve seen some potentially useful things, including:

• Several homes nearby that have some good stacks of firewood–one thing I’m missing is a wood stove–but cut and seasoned wood is always useful.
• A few homes have year-round greenhouses which could indicate they’re more prepared than most or, at least, have something I might want.
• A few homes with RV’s and boats. While I’m not sure if either would be very useful without gasoline but, hey, why not mention it.
• A family that raises chickens. I always love farm-fresh eggs, don’t you?
• The same family has horses which can be used to do some serious work in the right hands, from hauling to plowing.
• Some homes have large workshops. Who knows what’s in them but perhaps they have some useful tools, lumber, etc.
• One noticed one or two trailers. This is something I don’t yet have of my own and, man, are they expensive!
• I already found two neighbors that own firearms. IMO, this means they know how to handle them and could otherwise be useful for security.
• I noticed what looks like an above-ground pool but don’t know if it’s filled. Obviously, this is a potential source of water.

That’s just some things I noticed off the top of my head during our recent walks… and yes I’m getting old since we *walk* now. 🙁

While I”m thinking about it, there are a few things I would still like to track down because I either don’t have them myself or don’t want to spend the money.

For example, a generator to run our water well if the power goes out would be a great find. Typically, I’m not a fan of generators but in this case one could be very useful.

I would also like to find some people with very specific skills, such as:

• a medical professional (somebody that can do more than just prescribe medications would be nice)
• LEO or ex-military (you know, the guy with all the guns)
• perhaps a general contractor (the “jack of all trades” kind of guy that can fix or do anything)

Obviously, there are plenty of potential skills to seek out. And, of course, this is going to require some face-to-face time, something I’m hoping to do when the weather warms up.

So, am I being a bad neighbor scoping their stuff? I don’t think so. What say you?