If you are in the process of reading this you don’t need to be convinced of the need for greater self reliance.But you can probably use some help developing and implementing a simple preparedness plan.Where to start?!What if we lose all outside services (phone, power, etc) for several days or a week? What if an emergency drives us out of our home for several days or a week?First, bear in mind that many of us are already partially prepared.Personal experience, knowledge and skills, in addition to many items we normally have in our homes, are all components of our preparedness for emergencies. At this point, the purpose of this blog is to share ideas to help you identify what you already have, and then to help you identify what you still need to complete your preparedness plan.We will try to do this in a logical format that will allow you to list what you need, identify what you have and don’t have, and prioritize your activities to achieve the level of emergency preparedness …

Real adulthood is the result of two qualities: self discipline and self reliance.The process of developing them together in balance is called maturing. J.W. Jepson We are all familiar with the Boy Scouts slogan “Be Prepared” but, be prepared for what? Well … anything -- anything from annual severe weather to natural disasters, power outages to terrorism, civil unrest to major internet failures. In short, any serious problem that could disrupt our normal lives for an extended period of time. A current example of such a problem - the instability California’s Orville Dam, caused the evacuation of over 200,000 people in the Orville area. After years of drought, who would have guessed? As one resident said: “The lake, that for five decades has brought residents holiday fireworks and salmon festivals, could now bring disaster.”Right now, all over the world, people are being forced to deal with some form of emergency. Hardly a week goes by without news reports of a natural disaster or em …