That which used to be new but is now over a couple of months old.
I have created a web-store for "action & adventure gear," as I call it. Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed the link just up the page to the Outlands Emporium. I've just started working on it, so keep watch because new merchandise will be added frequently. If you look through the catalog and don't see something you want, email me and I'll do my best to locate it for you.
I'm mentally rehersing a major overhaul of the entire site. Yes, I realize some of you are saying, "We've heard you saying that for months - YEARS even! - but we'll believe it when we SEE it!" Well, it *will* happen. Too many things are starting to "break down" on the site, viewers are reporting issues with Tripod's pop-ups, and I have a ton of new material and affiliates to add. So here's your chance! If there is something about the Outlands Webstead you'd like to see changed, email me! No promises, but I *will* consider any and all suggestions.
Hope you are having a great summer!
I am still working to get all the solar-cooking files uploaded and properly accessible. In the meantime, check out the new addition in the Garden! Harvey F. kindly allowed me to host his plans for PVC row-covers. You can check them out by following the Homestead link below, the take the "Outlands Homestead" link, and go to the Garden.
Thanks, Harvey!
Another year gone by with little in the way of updates other than ads. Well, this weekend will change all that! First up, the National Goat Handbook is now available right here - follow the Homesteading link below and then take the "Outlands Homestead" and the "Barn" links to get to the .PDF.
I also have a large collection of plans and recipies for solar cooking, thanks to a friend with some extra time on his hands. I'll be getting them posted as I can get to them over the weekend. They will be accessible from the "Kitchen" - follow the Homesteading link below and then take the "Outlands Homestead" and the "Kitchen" links to get to them.
Many thanks to my sharp-eyed reader who sent in the new/correct url to the Frugal Squirrel's forum! I've fixed that link now.
Are you busily printing out all the info you've gleaned from here and from other sites I've pointed you at? You probably need to consider the ink cartridges in your printer. I know *I* have had to replace my own black-ink cart just a couple of weeks ago. And *now* LdyHerbs tells me our color carts are getting low, too! 123inkjets.com is having a March Madness sale that includes free gifts and free shipping (if you live in the "Lower 48" anyway). They have a 90-day no questions asked guarantee - replace or refund your $ - and a 1-year quality guarantee - replace your carts. Check out their site via the banner-ad below and help support The Outlands!
If you've been watching the site, you've seen a number of new advertisements popping up. These ads actually earn money every time you order by clickong on a link. It doesn't make *much* money, mind you! However, I feel putting these links up - to companies I have either ordered from personally or ones that I have heard *many* good things about - serves to help my viewers by providing you direct access to the products you need as well as creating a *tiny* return on the hours I spend on the Outlands.
All that said, I've found a *new* affiliate in the program - the National Gardening Association. They have an online store, an electronic newsletter, incredibly helpful pages, and just loads of useful gardening resources. Today, I am showcasing on of their pages - Kids and Gardening. You can find this well-done page linked from the Outlands Gardening page (look for the Garden by following the Homesteading -> Outlands Homestead path...). I think you will enjoy it - and I think your *kids* will enjoy it, as well!
Ouch! The popular response to my posting NWSS on the Outlands lead to this site exceeding its bandwith allowance and being suspended - twice?!? This means people couldn't get through to get the information they needed. I've taken steps to hopefully reduce the likelyhood of *that* happening again - but I guess we'll have to wait and see. I've gotten some nice feedback from visitors and let me say I'm glad I can be of service. All I ask in return is to share my URL with friends and family and, if you are going to shop my sponsors anyway, please shop them through links here on the Outlands. Maybe then I can afford to pay for hosting and get more bandwidth!
Thanks to the kind permission from the folks at OISM and a fellow TB2K poster, Cresson Kearny's vital book, Nuclear War Survival Skills is now available here in a single-file-download form via a self-extracting file. Visit the Survival page for the link.
I've added two new affiliates for viewers to shop at, thus helping to support the Outlands. I've also added a new page on how to make your own colloidal silver generator - check out the Alternative Health - Silver page!
Man, I need to work on a major site update! I did make a minor one today. I was gently reminded that I had asked permission to make use of a really neat idea for a backyard pond. Well, I added a link to the article in "The Barn" under the "Animal Pages" section. Excellent idea and one I need to put to use now that I actually have land to do it on!
Unbelievable!!! Another update!!!
Affairs of the Hearth is now available! Ok, I had to go to Delphi Forums to do it, but it got done. This is a message board with categories grouped roughly along the lines of the Outlands categories. Please contribute and become a part of the Outlands community! You *will* have to register to post, but that is fairly painless. I also "reserved" the "Rants and Essays" section for myself - registered posters can respond to my rants, but only I can start new rants. Ah, vanity...
Three new illustrated articles are available for us "low-budget" homesteaders.
Bullwinkle Cultivator - plans for a push-cultivator built from bicycle scraps
Log Cabin Basics - a do-it-yourself primer
Ram-pump - moving water without electricity
Wow! Two updates in one month - will wonders never cease?!? You never can tell what may be coming next...
We got land! For a look at "walk-around" pics of our new property, go to Day 1. I don't have an explanation/index page yet, but you can at least start looking at what we've got to work with.
Check out The Outlands' new message board Affairs of the Hearth where you can talk about whatever is on your mind. Please do keep it on-topic for The Outlands - homesteading, survival, etc. I'll also post sporadic editorials here. I'm still learning how to use it, so bear with me.
What the heck happened to 2000? I looked around and there was nothing left of "the Year of Fear" except memories.
Today's updates include:
added a self-extracting copy of the Virtual Naval Hospital's "Medical Management of Biological Casualties" to the Survival section
Updates on Christmas Eve??!?? How about that?
corrected some information on "Sandra's Apothecary" page (located in the Emporium area)
added three new files of firearms info to the Armory page:
I've seen the traffic to the Outlands make a radical jump in the past few days. If you are a new- (or relatively new-) comer to the Outlands, welcome! It is nice to see new folks discovering my labor of love. Hopefully, you'll find the site useful enough to bookmark it and return on a regular basis. If you are an "old hand" here at the Outlands, let me express my appreciation to you. Even on days that see only 2 visitors, I know someone is checking. Spread the word!
rearranged the Homestead page, dropping some links and adding a new oneadded a .pdf, "The Small Laying Flock," to the Barnadded several .pdf's on home canning and drying to the Harvest Time pageSome of you know I have dozens of floppy disks *full* of data slated for posting to the Outlands. If you *didn't* know, you do now. So, for those wondering about my getting new material posted, you can be assured that I *am* working on it. The update above is proof of that. Keep watch - more is coming!
Well, after being inexplicably locked out of my Tripod account for 6 months, including a total loss of uploaded material, the folks at Tripod have reconnected my account. I'm still reuploading material (gotta love those backup disks), so bear with me as I get everything back up to working shape. As I go, I'm revamping some of The Outlands' look, as well, starting with this very page. Since Tripod has decided it will display ad-banners on all members' pages, and you can't even pay to get rid of them any more, the need for a "lobby" page is gone - the Nav-Center is gonna get stuck with a banner no matter what. If you see something messed up (other than a graphic right now), please let me know!
Has it really been a year since I made any sort of update? Well, a year since I've admitted to making any updates. Well, this time around, all the updates are in the "Gaming" realm.
Star Wars RPG
Fixer's Tale
Star Wars Miniatures Battles
Fatigue rules
D6 RPG
The Exhaustive Wizard
Even if you aren't a fantasy gamer, I'd encourage you to drop by the Wizard pages and check out the awesome layout I put together. I'm rather proud of it.
The Outlands won another award. In case you lost count, we're up to *THREE* now! YAY!
The guestbook disappeared. I've no clue where it went - I tried to look through it and got a "nonexistant guestbook" error message. I've also made the banner-exchange thing go away. It never did me any good, so it gets the ax. So that all leads to a little tidying up on the front page.
I've no idea what's next in the update queue - I tend to work on whatever strikes my fancy. Keep yer eyes open - I could take us all by surprise!
Well, I've done it again - I've updated The Outlands. What to look for:
Surely, you eagle-eye viewers have spotted the first addition, the Y2K-Homestead FAQ Files, but that's not all!
The updates this time are centered around fixing some small problems and expanding the Star Wars Gaming page.
Navigation Page link on the Special Events pages
Family Page has a new pic of me at work (you didn't know I have a Family Page up? Oh, dear...)
The Homestead page and The Outlands Homestead page have had new graphic buttons added to them
The Cast-iron Cooking and Stoves pages have better descriptions of the links now - you actually know where you are going before you click!
The Star Wars Gaming page has some updated and new material on it:
The miniatures page has been updated
A new character-creation system has been added
New rules for skills-use are posted
Rules for game effects of S-Foils are now available
Oh, my. If you haven't stopped by recently, you have missed out. If you stopped by yesterday, you are in for a treat! Look at the new stuff:
Minor addition: I'm listing The Outlands with Tripod's "Banner Exchange" program in an effort to start getting more exposure for the 'site. Once I get a few certain more things up on the 'site, I'll be listing The Outlands with search engines. For now, I'm seeing about 20 hits daily just from word of mouth. Not bad.
On a related note, if you would like to set up a link to The Outlands on your 'site and would like to display my neat little banner, you can find it right here where you can copy it and add it to your site.
Things to look for on The Outlands in the near future:
Ok, with that said - big changes!! First - three index pages have new traffic-checking icons thanks to Tripod. Then, I've made some tremendous additions! Check them out:
Two new pages have been added to the Alternative Health section - Relaxation/Meditation Techniques and Gastro-Intestinal Disorders.
I've added a page in the General Survival section on preparedness planning for families and groups.
