This month I'm concentrating hard on things that are being affected by the global supply chain problems. Over here we're seeing a lot of shortages and the problem is being exaccebated by the press running articles about it and causing people to panic. Last week cat food sold out everywhere in a matter of hours as the press lead with a story about cat food being about to run out - and it caused a stampede at the supermarket. It turns out my cats will only eat fresh mice and Whiskars cat biscuits that come from America.

I'm also looking at our power supply and we'll be doing a practice run for an extended power outage. I want to be sure we haven't overlooked anything. 

It's spring here, so the garden is getting worked on daily and I'm busy planting out seedlings and hoping we won't get any late frosts.

Doing a practice run on power outages is an excellent idea, KiwiMum.  I've done them in the past and prepped accordingly.  Which reminds me, I need to buy a new box of stadium heaters.  Unless there's some kind of terrorisms that takes out our natural gas likes, I remain unconcerned about cooking fuel except for stocking in a dozen or so Heat Cells.

It's been all over the news about the supply chain. Mostly in terms of get your Holiday shopping done now.  I'm not so concerned about food.  The U.S. is a food producing nation. So although we might not get the foods we like to eat, none of us here will starve.  I've already re-stocked paper goods which was a problem last year.  I'm good with trash bags, except the 30 gallon size.  That's in my Amazon cart.   I'm not terribly concerned about things like Lysol, but I will go back to the old habit of buying 1/2 gallon of Clorox every month, dating them and rotating them out after buying a new 1/2 gallon.  I'm set for vinegar.  

Thus far long range forecasts have all said a hideous winter for the NorthEastern U.S.  So I am also stocking in cat food and also litter.  

Because I've read a fair number of pieces by experts that Covid will have a winter uptick larger than the one we saw last year, I've also added another 20 N95 masks and defogger for my glasses and for use with a face shield if all goes pear shaped.  

I finally found some cat food today but there's a limit of 2 bags per person regardless of how big or small those bags are.

I am thinking that I will be making maple syrup this spring.  I have done it many times before, but not every year.  I know that I can easily get a year’s worth of syrup out of the trees in my backyard.  I am also thinking about trying to make maple sugar.  Knowing how much syrup I usually get per tree, and how many trees I have, I am guessing that I could get about half a years supply of sugar out of our trees (in addition to the syrup)  That could be useful if sugar is hard to get, and if sugar is plentiful then maybe I will only tap enough trees to make syrup and a little sugar.  

My yard is no good for planting a garden, but I do try to get what I can from it.

Giving a head's up.  An acquaintance "in the know" let me know there is going to be a serious shortage on aluminum products in the US (and probably world-wide).  Something about semi-conductors and a compound used being in critically short supply.

Evidently it's going to affect everything from OTC meds, car parts, home appliances and of course foil.  

In terms of shortages in general, I'm not noticing any empty shelves in stores.  That may because the Northeast's major port, Newark, is not having problems that California ports are having.  Maybe it's my lifestyle or maybe it isn't affecting local markets, but nothing yet.  But, if something comes of this for my area, I'm pretty much ready for it.  

NEWS.com.au: ‘Catastrophic’ shortage looming in weeks.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/manufacturing/global-car-industry-to-grind-to-a-halt-within-weeks-amid-catastrophic-chinese-magnesium-shortage/news-story/95391646713f4b2f6246b7664881c304 - https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/manufacturing/global-car-industry-to-grind-to-a-halt-within-weeks-amid-catastrophic-chinese-magnesium-shortage/news-story/95391646713f4b2f6246b7664881c304

China produces 87% of the world’s magnesium and has a near monopoly in Europe, accounting for some 95% of imports. Magnesium factories in China produce 95% of Europe’s supplies of the metal, which is used to make steel Since September, supplies of magnesium have been either halted or drastically reduced following China’s decision to close huge swathes of its magnesium production facilities amid soaring energy costs.

https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/imminent-risk-of-steel-production-shutdown-amid-critical-magnesium-shortage/5114345.article - https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/imminent-risk-of-steel-production-shutdown-amid-critical-magnesium-shortage/5114345.article

Any time you allow a monopoly like that to build up you are storing up trouble.  But the customers need to have the cheapest prices and don't like to pay extra for security of supply.

And maybe that's why things will be so dire - magnesium shortage.  I don't know a great deal about aluminum recycling except for two things.  1.  Aluminum can be recycled forever, and 2. you need magnesium to process.