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Mountain Views-News SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2025

Mountain View News Saturday, September 27, 2025


MEET LONDI – The Quiet Beauty

Lovely 
Londi, age 
6, has been 
overlooked 
far too long. 
She’s shy 
and independent—
not a lap 
cat—but she still deserves a loving 
home.

Her joys are simple: birdwatching at 
the window, stretching in a sunny 
spot, playing quietly on her own, and 
nibbling cat treats. 

She’s healthy and would do best as the only pet in a calm, patient 
home. Londi will also need gentle carrier training so she 
can feel secure for vet visits.

Londi may always want to be alone, but she would be no trouble. 
She would still long for safety and a place to call her own. 
Could you be the one to give this quiet beauty her chance? 
Learn more at https://www.lifelineforpets.org/londi.html or 
use the qr code.


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 



[Nyerges is the author of “How to Survive Anywhere,” “Extreme Simplicity,” “Til Death Do 
Us Part?” and other books. He can be reached at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com or Box 
41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041]

DESERT SURVIVAL OUTING:

One Way To Practice For Evacuation


Beginning in the early 1970s, I was a student in the WTI Survival Training School, 
operating out of northeast Los Angeles. It was founded and operated by Navy veteran Richard E. 
White, who wanted his students to be physically fit and mentally prepared for disasters.

One of the training regimens was the high desert outings where we’d practice survival skills for a 
few days. These skills included wild food collections, obtaining water, purifying water, making fire, 
cooking over a fire, navigation with a compass, some shelter building, creating a toilet, learning to 
stay clean with little water, communications, some weaponry practice, and more.

White always insisted that we “keep it real” on our trips, and so while driving to the desert site, we 
were to mentally pretend that we were departing from the city due to a nuclear attack, and we were 
to not talk about mundane matters. “Remember, this is not for fun and this is not a vacation,” Mr. 
White, the sensei of the school, would remind the participant.

Our site was five acres of open desert surrounded by miles of more open desert. The California 
Aqueduct was about two miles to the south, and to the north were stands of Joshua trees, and then 
mountains. There was typical plant life, which was profuse after the rains, and sparse the rest of 
the year.

Our “Bring List” included those thing that we’d need to survive and start over if we couldn’t go back 
to the city. Though we never had to completely live out of our meagre packs, we did realize that 
every need which the stuff in our homes fulfilled, we’d now have to let nature fulfil that need.

We dug toilet pits and made them private. We built fires for cooking and warmth and light. We 
dug for our water and we walked to and from the aqueduct with buckets of water. We learned how 
to eat some of the few foods that we could find in the desert – like yucca fruits, cactus, buckwheat 
seeds, wild mustards – and we utilized road kill that was not too old. We taught each other how 
to align the map of the area with our compasses, and we learned to walk in straight lines with the 
compass.

Though these field trips were never easy, and never what we’d call fun, we all went home realizing 
that we could survive, and survive well, by working together and sharing our skills. We learned that 
we could sleep without a sleeping bag, and without a bed in a bedroom. We realized that though we 
preferred a flush toilet and a running water, we could handle all our needs by our thoughtful use of 
the resources in our environment.

These field trips fulfilled two goals, maybe more. We developed wilderness survival skills, some 
of the basic outdoor skills found in books such as Larry Dean Olsen’s classic “Outdoor Survival 
Skills.” And even though we were never forced to evacuate due to a natural disaster, we developed 
the knowledge of which things we needed, and which were unnecessary. If we ever had to run away 
from our homes, and to find refuge somewhere else, we each felt that we’d know which skills were 
necessary, and what gear would be the most useful. 



To reiterate, we developed the necessary skills for surviving in the wilderness, and for evacuating, 
and for getting started again, not by thinking about it, and not by reading about it, and not by 
watching videos. We were not the smartest and we were not the richest. With our meagre budget 
and with our ruling desire to learn these skills, we practiced each of the component part until we 
were comfortably familiar with them. 

Plus, in my case, I grew up with my mother, a staunch Catholic, often talking about “the end of the 
world,” with whatever variation of that concept that she got from the church and from her conversations 
with friends who were knowledgeable about the Lady of Lourdes and the many prophecies 
that arose therefrom. This was the late 1960s and my mother was so concerned that she asked me 
to store water for the family in case of a pending crisis. I didn’t know much about the prophecies 
of Lourdes, but I was concerned about earthquake preparedness, and I eventually took care of our 
family’s water storage, at minimal cost. I got about 40 5-gallon buckets from local bakeries and 
delis for free, cleaned them, filled them with water, and stored them in our cellar. So I was primed 
to think about emergencies and to take some sort of pro-active action. 

In high school, one of my best friends, Nathaniel, and I got very interested in hiking, biking, and 
wild foods. We would read supposed CIA reports that announced that the U.S. would experience a 
crippling famine by the late 70s. We would discuss the consequences of such a famine, such as civil 
breakdown, no law and order, and maybe even cannibalism. Of course, we had no way of knowing 
that most of the dire news was being pushed by those who were selling buckets of “survival food,” 
nor did we realize that economic incentive and new technologies made the feeding of more people 
possible. The famine never materialized, and we just continued to learn about wild foods and how 
to use them.

And we always tried to keep our eyes and ears open, ever aware to the constant challenges to human 
culture all over the world, all the time: war, civil unrest, earthquakes, mudslides, flooding, 
fires, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc. 

Yes, we have been grateful and thankful that (so far) our lives have not been shortened and our 
homes destroyed by any of the natural or man-made disasters. The occurrence of disasters seems 
to be never-ending, so we do our best to never become complacent.


Pet of the Week


Meet Waffles, a handsome German 
Shepherd at Pasadena Humane whose 
toasty, golden-brown color truly lives up 
to his name! At 10 years old, this senior 
gentleman is looking forward to spending 
the rest of his days curled up on a comfy 
couch in a calm, cozy home.

Waffles is a quiet soul who prefers life at an 
easy pace. While he may take some time to 
warm up to new people, he walks politely 
on leash, knows his “sit” command, and 
perks up when treats are around (which he 
can still catch mid-air with a gentle toss!). 
He's not a dog who craves too much activity 
but would love a nice evening stroll with 
his humans, and a peaceful environment 
to call home.

Because of his history, Waffles would do best in a low-traffic home without young 
children or other pets. He would thrive with a patient, understanding adopter, and in 
return, he’ll be a steady, loyal presence.

If you’re ready to open your heart and home to a senior pup who just wants a soft place 
to land, Waffles is waiting to be yours! Adopt Waffles today and make his golden years 
truly special.

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptable 
pets at pasadenahumane.org.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com