The Realities of Inflation

Back in the 1980s, I decided to take up black powder shooting as a cheap alternative to modern rifles. Ammo was expensive and casting my own lead looked attractive. I bought a Thompson Contender Cherokee in .32 caliber for $99. It took me 3 payments because that's how broke I was.It's been my favorite gun ever since. It's more fun to shoot than anything else I have. Recently, I got back to shooting it and decided to check the Net to see if there were any others for sale cheap so as to have a backup. If you can find one, they now run between $450 and $800. Oh, if I'd only bought more guns. I couldn't have, of course. I was just too broke. Since I'm trying to get back to muzzelloading , I went to the Lost Arts Trade Show at Fremont this Saturday. Wow, talk about sticker shock! It costs real money to live in the 1700s now. $70 for period basic pants, I didn't check the rest of the clothes. $130 for a possibles bag. It's a nice bag but Come On! Decent rifles start at $800. I guess I'll have to learn to make all my own stuff. I'd better get the loom going so I can make my own cloth for a shirt. We went to Cirque Du Symphony last night. The Toledo Symphony did a show at the Stranahan with jugglers, strongmen and such performing to the music. It was pretty good though I thought the performers detracted from the music. That was only me, though as everyone else loved it. The farm is doing ok. I still have the sheep on pasture although I expect that to stop rather quickly. I've been putting some hay in the shed and they're starting to pay attention to it. I've been thinning the Banty chickens a few at a time. I've spent some time with tractor maintenance but not enough. I'm having trouble working out in the cold. The joints are starting to complain more. I have to start ordering seed for next year. I want to put in a nice field of timothy since I can process that easily with the equipment I have. Not much else to say right now but make everything you can for yourself. You can't afford to buy it.