Off Grid Primer - Part 2
Overview of the lifestyle
Ok, now that we all understand what 'off grid' means in our case (refer to Off Grid Primer - Part 1), we can go on to what the lifestyle is like. This is a quick(ish) overview of life up here in the mountains, off grid. Most of which was new to me when we moved up here four years ago, when I was 45. Hence the occasional struggling and mild griping.
-- We have a wood stove which is our only heat source. And which I LOVE.
-- We do not have a well but we do have a spring 1/4th a mile away from the house where I get our water once or twice a week. The number of times I have to get water in a week depends on various things - how much laundry we have, the time of year it is, whether we have water-wasting visitors and how lazy I'm being. Rule of the house: NO WASTING WATER!!
--We do not have a microwave or a dishwasher because they are power hogs. I have learned to live without them just fine thank you very much. (Sorta)
--Most people up here have propane refrigerators but we have an electric one. Also a power hog but totally worth it. Propane fridges are expensive to purchase, use propane which we have to buy and are TEENY TINY. No thanks. Because of power issues, our fridge is set on a timer - on for three hours, off for three hours. This made me nervous at first to have it turned off for any length of time. I just knew we were going to get sick from spoiled food. But it stays right around 41 degrees and it's worked well so far.
--For the first few years we lived here, we spent our entire summers going out and cutting down trees for the 10+ cords of wood we would need for winter. Last summer we got smart and ordered a load of wood. SO much easier! And safer!
--We have solar panels, a wind turbine (that's pretty much just a big, tacky yard ornament), and a generator for power. In the summer, the sun and solar panels handle our electricity needs just fine and dandy. In the winter, with a depressing shortage of sunshine, we have to use the generator a lot more to charge the batteries. It's loud and stinky but it's necessary so....
--Even though we have a nice set up for the power, we still have less power than your average bear. So, no radios, computers or T.V.'s on all day. No cleaning the kitchen dishes while the fridge is running. Can't flush the toilet each time you use it (yuck) (and this is a power AND water issue). Have to have the generator on when doing laundry, vacuuming and taking showers. The power shuts off a lot, causing me to have to stumble down the garage steps in the dark and turn the generator on to get it going again. BUT, we are our own power company so when the power goes off we turn it right back on which is very nice. No waiting on the power company for hours to have power again.
--We have ten miles of mountain road to travel to get down to the highway. We have to snow plow a little over 2 and 1/2 miles to our neighbor's house where they plow the rest of the way. Doesn't sound like much does it? Takes AT LEAST 5-6 hours, each time, and that's on a good day. This has to be done MANY, MANY times each winter, mostly by my husband, poor thing. We also have to plow the yard and the road down to the spring so we can get water. We plow and blow snow with our trusty, handy tractor. No, I didn't know how to drive a tractor or plow before I got here. I do now!
--We get an average of about 5 feet of snow each year, sometimes more, sometimes less. It's a LOT no matter which way you look at it. And what most of my griping is about.
--We have an Insta-Heat for hot water which works great, unless we forget to drain it when the temperature gets really cold and it freezes and bursts sending a fountain of water spewing all over your utility room. Yes, that happened, but only once. So far.
--I do not have hot water going to my kitchen yet (for various reasons) so I have to heat water up on the wood stove to wash dishes with. I kind of like this. Feels more hygienic to wash your dishes with boiling water. Hard on the hands though.
--I do have a real gas stove which is where I do most of our cooking. I do cook on the wood stove sometimes though. So convenient!
--Like I mentioned before, I LOVE my wood stove and having wood heat BUT it's a LOT of work. Getting wood from tree to split pieces small enough to go in your stove is a CHORE and a half, complete with splinters. It's one of our main jobs up here.
--I have a big garden that I struggle to get anything out of on account of our late, short, cool summers. Still working on that one. I'm used to gardening in Houston, Texas where if you throw seeds on the ground and walk away, they will grow. Here it's an uphill battle all the way.
--We have 6 chickens, 5 hens and 1 rooster who chases me and anyone else in the general vicinity, which I do NOT like. My husband LOVES him. The girls are good layers, our rooster Fancy is a good protector of his girls, and they all have frostbite in one way or another. Poor babies. Love the crowing and the fresh eggs. Not the chasing.
--My seriously talented husband built our home and our gorgeous barn all by himself. He also built an outhouse that he loves. Gets the award for Best View From a Potty, EVER.
--In the summer, I go to town once a week for supplies (and to see other humans). In the winter, I only go about twice a month because the road is covered in snow or ice or slush and is SCARRRYYYY. I only go when I have to.
--We have 6 dogs who are my best buddies.
--Last winter the temperature didn't go below zero, which was nice, but it has gotten down to -30 before, which is rare. It's not that cold here really, for which I'm thankful.
--We regularly see elk, moose, deer, grouse, bear and pack rats (unfortunately). We also sometimes see mountain lions, wolves and coyotes. And knock on wood, we haven't had any trouble with the more carnivorous ones. I did walk up on a mountain lion one day, but, more on that later....
Ok, that's good for now. There are a lot of things I love about living here, this way. So much of it is old-fashioned and quiet, filled with good, satisfying, hard work. We spend way less money. We spend a lot of time talking because we don't have the T.V. and other electronic entertainment distracting us. And people think it's cool, which is always a plus! Being off grid and all that entails has been a good experience for us. Winter is a bit of a struggle for me (because of ALL the snow and the scary road) but I'm hanging in there. We have met some totally amazing, good people up here and have learned to cherish and protect our small community because we really do need each other. It's definitely all been a challenge for this city girl, but what an adventure! One I wouldn't have missed for the world!
Off Grid Primer - Part 1
Definitions, What We Are and What We're Not
The term 'Off grid' means different things to different people. Very different things. I once wrote an innocent comment on a Facebook Off the Grid page, adding a picture of our amazing place, all excited to be a part of this growing movement. And some smart alec snarkily replied to my comment, "So, dude, if you're 'Off The Grid' then how come you're using a computer? Hunhhh?" This surprised me (and hurt my feelings a little bit) because I thought I knew what off grid meant. Apparently I didn't. I then tried to explain my comment but the FB page people wouldn't let me. They kept deleting my very nice explanation. Tsk. Guess they didn't want people 'getting into it'. Which again surprised me. Who knew this whole subject was so fraught with emotion and snarkiness? So, in the interest of keeping the peace, avoiding further snarky comments, being as politically correct as I care to be and to steer clear of misunderstandings, here are some boring definitions. And what we are and what we're NOT. I know, it's tedious but let's just slog through it so we can all be on the same page, so to speak. Ok? Ready? Let's go.
1. Off Grid - "The term 'off grid' refers to not being connected to a grid, mainly used in terms of not being connected to the main or national electrical grid. The term 'Off The Grid' or 'OTG' can refer to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. Off the grid homes are autonomous; they do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas, electrical power grid or similar utility services. A true OTG house is able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services."
"Going off grid can be done for altruistic reasons or to lower environmental impact. Other persons choose to live in OTG houses when the cost of outside utilities is prohibitive or such a distance away as to be impractical."
"Some people go OTG because they are turning their backs on consumerism."
"Off grid can also mean 'unrecorded, untraceable through normal means'. Or can define a person who is not on a social networking site like Facebook or Twitter, etc..." And lastly can also be described as 'one who disdains all recordable common forms of commerce'."
2. Going Green - "A popular term used to describe the process of changing one's lifestyle for the safety and benefit of the environment." Can mean:
-environmentalism
-sustainable living
-eco-friendly
-reducing, reusing, recycling
-limiting your use of natural resources
-increasing self-sufficiency
-energy conservation
-buying local products
-buying organic or growing your own
-Fair Trade products
-renewable, sustainable energy
-reducing the imprint you leave on your environment
So. Those are the definitions. Now for who we are:
-- Off the grid - in the way of not depending on any public utilities. We have our own power, water, sewer, etc... We are off grid because we wanted cheap land and the only way to get it was to buy land that had no electricity on it already. So we're the ones who are in the situation where 'public utilities are such a distance away as to be impractical' (and expensive as crap to put in. Ahem.) This was not altruistic, environmental, philosophical, against consumerism (for heaven's sake) nor do we disdain 'recordable common forms of commerce, or social networking' (I mean, obviously). This was, "We want land in a pretty place where we can spread out and have some flippin' peace and quiet, ok?"
-- Going Green - Completely by accident, cannot take credit for this, love the environment but again, a by-product of living up here, this way. We are Greener than most folks but it's part and parcel of living off grid. I shamefully admit that if I lived in town I would probably still be a water and energy waster. So in many ways we have indeed 'gone green' but mostly, not on purpose. I admire and applaud those of you who have though!
Who we're not:
-- Preppers - Nothing against Preppers of course, that's just not why we're up here. We do not have a stockpile of ammunition or food to last five years. We do however live in a pretty great place if things go to hell in a hand basket. Enough said.
-- Off THE Grid - in the way of hiding away from society, being hermits or trying to be 'untraceable'. Sheesh. I LOVE Facebook! I love consumerism! I LOVE my computer and my phone and my peeps and spending money and society in general and America! NOT. Hiding. Out.
That's enough for now. Check out 'Off Grid Primer - Part 2' for more about who we are, what we do, what it's like up here and how I stand it. Haw
Being married to a country boy has its plusses and minuses. The plusses are great. My husband Butch is a true Jack of all Trades. He can fix and build anything. He has such wonderful country wisdom, hilarious expressions, excellent sense of humor and a twang that cracks me up. His work ethic puts us all to shame. And his heart.... as big as Texas. He'll help anyone who needs it and he has an open door policy when it comes to visitors. He's an excellent mechanic and can drive anything. He's tough and strong and brave and makes me feel very safe. He takes things as they come, is very laid back, rarely gets stressed and never complains about hard work, set backs, disappointments, things breaking, etc. He simply says, "Just part of it." He's been very good for this high-strung, nervous, worry wart that he married. And I'm oh so grateful.
Ok, now the minuses (and I only mention these as a lead-in to this particular story, not to take advantage of the opportunity to point out his faults. Really.) He likes SPAM. Lord in heaven. He has eaten a variety of interesting animals over his lifetime like opossum, squirrel, raccoon, wild hogs, grubs and even spiders (for whatever disgusting reason). He has eaten road kill and considers it 'already tenderized, free food'. Herbs and fancy dishes are not allowed but jalapenos are mandatory. Everything has to be fried, even his cereal. Grease is good for you and part of a healthy diet. His work ethic is enough to kill anyone, especially me. He doesn't believe in using a napkin, because he has a shirt. The same with Kleenex. Germs aren't an issue, hence not washing his hands as often as he should and leaving black fingerprints all over the place including my five pound block of cheese. In fact, germs are seen as good things that help to build up your immune system and are to be welcomed and allowed to hang around. The more the better! He believes that some jobs are just plain 'Wimmin's Work' and men don't go near them. Women are never supposed to cuss or spit or fight but they can chew tobacco. NO complaining. NO kudos. NO sympathy. It all makes you soft. You're not allowed to have any fun whatsoever when you're working. It's just against the rules or something. And on and on. Sigh.....
Some of these things were difficult for me to get used to. I mean, seriously? SPAM?? Ahem. While I was trying valiantly to ignore the Macho Bull Honkey and accept him for the glorious, wonderful, manly man that he is, he showed up one day with, get this, a dead porcupine. A ROAD KILL dead porcupine. And guess what he did? He shoved it in my face and said, "Here. Clean this." Well. FIRST of all, I don't know how to clean an animal. Didn't come up much while living in the city like a NORMAL person. Secondly, he wishes. I politely said, "You wish." Then, "Butch WHY do you think I know how to DO that? And WHERE did you find that thing? We have porcupines up here? Why does he look a little smushed? I hope you don't intend to actually eat that thing. Have you never heard of salmonella?!" Off he goes, grumbling something about city girls and cleans it himself. He then throws the hide onto a stump in the yard to 'dry out' where the dogs promptly attack it, chewing it and playing tug of war with it and I spend the next several hours picking quills out of their mouths, snouts, tongues, noses. That wasn't hard at all.
He then shoves the cleaned carcass in my face and says, "Here. Cook this." I back up from the weird smell and say, "You wish." and then, "And HOW do I DO that exactly? Does he go into a pot for stew or get cut up and fried or what? And it stinks. I'm not touching that thing and don't even think about taking it into my kitchen." Grumble, grumble, grumble, off he goes saying something that sounds like 'sunny beaches'.
He makes a fire in the outside fire pit and proceeds to cook the poor dead thing. I spy on him out the window from time to time, wondering who in the world I have married, and he just looks so tickled with his 'awesome find'. After a while, he calls me to come outside. He then shoves a piece of the cooked rodent in my face and says, "Here. Taste this." and this is the conversation that thus ensued:
"Uh, no thanks."
"It's good! Taste it."
"Um, NO."
"WHY NOT?"
"Well, let's see... it's ROAD KILL for starters. It could make me sick. It smells funny. And really, are we supposed to even eat porcupine? Is this an edible creature that God put here for our sustenance? Or is it just supposed to waddle around and make us laugh? NO."
"What's 'sustenance'? Really. Just taste it. Don't you want to say you have eaten porcupine?"
"No and no."
"You're just being difficult and stubborn. Just one bite. Really. HERE."
"SIGH........."
Did I mention that persistence is another of his more endearing qualities? I then realized he was never going to leave me alone till I ate of piece of that thing, so I did. And interestingly, it tasted fishy. Not interesting or surprising though, it was gross. Why would a porcupine taste fishy? Weird. I had that taste in my mouth for hours. Ick. The things I do for love. Or if I'm being honest is more for peace and quiet but if you think about it, is in the interest of marital harmony (sort of) so I can still claim it's for love. So there.
Thankfully neither of us got sick and more thankfully, we haven't had any more road kill anything since that eventful, hard-to-forget day. And I can say that I have eaten porcupine, for what that's worth. I told Butch that I could add that to my unusual culinary repertoire of frog legs, alligator, crawdads, lightening bug (not on purpose), moose and shark. Thinking he would be impressed by this list, I couldn't believe it when this road kill, spider and SPAM-eating man said, "WHY would anyone eat shark?? Gross."
Tamp Down The Snow Before You Go Pee
True Story, I Swear
Let me tell you a story about snow. And about not listening to your husband. And the consequences thereof. Being from Houston, Texas I didn't know about snow. Just haven't seen much of the stuff and didn't realize that it has nefarious qualities. It looks so pretty and clean and INNOCENT but in truth it's just quietly laying there snickering, knowing that you have NO idea just how deep it is, waiting patiently for you to come skipping (or snowshoeing) along so it can get you.
The first time I came up here was in January and the place was under a blanket of beautiful, fresh (way deeper than I thought) snow. Stunning! My husband Butch, my stepson Jay and I came up to the property to have a proper look around. We were tickled to find an old, log miner's cabin that had yellowed scraps of newspaper on the walls dating back to 1911. There were also signatures and notes on the walls from people who had visited over the years, some as old as 1913. Very cool! After exploring the cabin, we all decided to sit in there and have a rest for a bit - the trek in here on snowshoes was long and difficult. I realized that I needed to pee so I told the boys I was going outside to potty, please don't come out there. As I was leaving the cabin, my husband quietly tells me, "Tamp down the snow before you go pee." Huh? Ok, whatever ...... I go on my merry way, whistling, around to the side of the cabin to the small berm of snow where it had fallen off the roof. Now to paint a picture for those of you who aren't used to being where it's very cold, the attire is this: underwear, two pairs of long johns, an assortment of about 20 T-shirts (layering!), a sweater, jeans, two pairs of gloves, two pairs of wool socks and one pair of cotton ones, scarf, fluffy cute hat, big warm boots, coveralls and large, clumsy snowshoes. Unzip coveralls and pull down, then the jeans, long johns and well, you get the idea. I am bare from my knees to my stomach and it's freezing! So awful having to go potty when it's this cold. (Pretty much the only time I wish I was a man.) I look back at that little two foot high snow berm and (mysteriously) think, "Ah, that would be a good place to go." (???) Long clumsy snowshoes still on, I balance myself atop the berm and tell myself, "OK. Go. Before you freeze." As I am concentrating and waiting for my body to do its thing, I feel myself slowly tipping forward and have nothing to grab ahold of. I am thinking, "Well, when I hit the snow I'll just put my hands out and stop myself." Riiiiiiight. (Does anyone hear any snickering?) You see, I had NO IDEA how deep this snow was. So, to my utter surprise, my hands go right through the snow and I keep going until my whole head then plunges into the snow (Face plant!) and guess what? My bare butt is up in the air. And I'm stuck. Lovely. My snowshoes are still firmly on top of the snow berm, making my feet higher than my head, thereby throwing off my balance and keeping me from lifting my head up. To add insult to injury, when my head hit the snow, I gasped - and hey, did you know you could choke on snow? I am stuck, choking, freezing and desperately need to get my head OUT of there.
Bare butt sticking up in air.
Pulling my hands out of the snow, I put them back on top of the snow and push. All that happens is that my hands go right back down into the snow, my head moves not an inch. I am still choking, can't breathe and
Bare butt is still in the air.
I am getting fairly alarmed at this point by a few things. First I am TERRIFIED that my 25 year old stepson is going to come out and see what all the commotion is (I can't do anything quietly.). Second, I am wondering what my face will look like after they deal with all the frostbite. Third, I am not only choking, I am now laughing because I can see how truly funny this looks. Kind of like an ostrich except for the sand part and no feathers on my butt. And last, I am FREEZING!
Bare butt STILL in air.
STILL haven't peed yet.
I finally realize that pushing myself up with my arms isn't going to work and that I am going to have to fall over in the snow just to get my head out. Still in the same position, actually having an argument with myself.
"But I don't WANT to fall over in the snow. It's COLD!"
"But you will suffocate and DIE here if you don't. Is this really how you want to be found dead? With your naked butt in the air and your head planted in snow?" (as funny as that would be).
"Well, no. Of course not but I'll be laying semi-naked in the snow and it's just so miserable."
"Just DO IT!"
So, over I go and oh man, talk about COLD and gasping! I am however relieved that my head is finally free even though I am still choking and laughing and making quite a ruckus. To my horror, I then realize that not only are my snowshoes hopelessly entangled but that I chose to fall over facing towards the door of the cabin where my bare butt is still completely visible. "Please God, don't let Jay come out here. We'll never be able to look each other in the eye again!" To get my snowshoes untangled takes quite an effort - bringing them up off the ground (better view of my rear!) and thrashing away, hoping that they will just LET GO. (Hey, I definitely hear the sound of snickering now. Stupid snow!)
STILL haven't peed.
"WHAT is going ON out there?"
"NOTHING! DON'T come out here!!" choke, hack
I finally get the shoes apart and lay there just exhausted for a moment. I manage to stand up, turn rear AWAY from front of cabin and notice that I have snow in my collar, under my shirts, in my sweater, coveralls, long johns and jeans. I then notice that my butt is now a very pretty shade of purplish red and quite numb. (What if some of it is frostbitten? How do you sit down with half a butt?) I also realize that
I still haven't peed
and say, "Forget THAT!" I don't even bother to get all the snow out of my clothes before I put them back on. I just want to get dressed and inside the frigid cabin which is less frigid than outside. My hair is completely wet and hanging limply at my face. Dragging myself to the cabin door, I lean against it, looking a bit bedraggled, totally worn out, sighing loudly, ignoring the outright guffawing of the snow behind me and my sweet husband quietly says,
"TOLE you to tamp down the snow."
Cast of Characters
So you'll know who's who:
Butch - Man of the house, Master of all he surveys, Character extraordinaire, Jack of all Trades, The Boss (snort) and half my heart
Alisha - Me (giggle)
CC - Irish Wolfhound, biggest dog EVER, Queen Bee
Gracie - Golden Retriever, My buddy, Mommy of Boone and Lilly, Wife of Sam
Sam - Golden Retriever, My favorite, Daddy of Boone and Lilly, also known as Sambo
Lilly - Golden Retriever, Sweetest dog in the world, Daughter
Baby - Ugliest Yorkie ever, Bear alarm, Pack Rat Catcher
Brother - Beautiful black and white cat, Killer of innocent woodland creatures, Annoyingly affectionate, Great mouser
Fancy - Gorgeous, mean and nasty rooster who's (whose?) days are numbered, People chaser, Excellent caretaker of his girls
Henrietta, Mable, Wilma, Fern, Irene - Hens, otherwise known as 'The Girls' or 'The Chickie Babies', Good layers
Sue, Mike, Shirley, Lee, Cheryl, Jim, Ron - EXCELLENT, much-needed and appreciated Mountain neighbors, Family
Oscar - Local Grouse (Get it? Oscar the Grouse? snick)
Willy - 1958 Willys Truck, Cantankerous, Difficult, Hard working, Tough truck, Same age and temperament as Butch
Wiley - Kioti Tractor (Wile E.Coyote?), Indispensable, Does everything around here - snow plow, snow blower, mower, shredder, grader, digger, toter, everything
Sue - Komatsu Dozer, Has saved our bacon more than once
Wendy - 40 foot Wind Turbine, Inconsistent source of electricity
Chewy - Chainsaw that Butch bought for me as a Christmas present. Tsk
Sunny - Solar panels, Best source of electricity, unfortunately afflicted with SAD
Snippy - Old piece of poo push lawn mower, Also known as a very bad word
Jenny - Generator, Back up electricity, Dependable, Stinky, Loud, Reminds Butch of me (hmph!), Also known as Big Bertha
Paul, Josh, Jay, Kylie - Our fantastic, wonderful, precious kids
????? - The names of our grandchildren who haven't arrived yet because SOME people don't love us enough to give us grandchildren. Grumble, grumble
So! There you have it! All the characters around here, and trust me, they are characters. A constant source of good stories, laughs, shenanigans, hilarity, fun and in some cases even joy. ~~~~~
In The Beginning
Ooohhhh, this is so exciting! My first blog! Hmmmm.... let's see.... where to begin? Ok, here it is in a nutshell (and due to my usual, like-to-hear-myself-talk verbosity, we're talking a coconut shell here):
My husband Butch (yes Butch. He's a country boy from Texas where this name is common and highly respected. Go figure.) and I live near Missoula, Montana, on top of a mountain, 5700 feet up where we have 9 months of winter and 100 feet of snow. (Ok, maybe not 100 feet but it sure feels like it. Ugh.) We are "Off-grid" which means we use solar panels, a (useless) wind turbine and a generator named Big Bertha for power. We do not have a well causing me to have to go get our water every week from our spring. Not my favorite job. We have a wood stove which is what we use for heat (and which I LOVE). I have a big garden that I plant seeds in and watch them not grow. Or watch them struggle to grow a little bit then get frozen by a 'Summer Cool Front Complete With Slush'. We have frostbitten chickens, 5 hens and a beautiful rooster named Fancy who has a real nasty attitude. We also have 6 dogs which makes for award-winning humongous dust bunnies, who are my very best buddies - the dogs not the bunnies. We are an hour and a half from town, 30 minutes of which is ten miles of scary mountain road that causes me a lot of angst. Living in the mountains means wild animals which also means when I go on walks I have to watch out for bears and mountain lions, which kinda sucks. Yet, we also get to see deer, elk, moose, grouse, foxes, Sasquatches (ok, not really. Dang it.), wolves, coyotes, turkeys, eagles, hoary marmots (I don't know), pack rats and other assorted wildlife which is pretty cool. We also sometimes see scary mountain people with long beards who, to my surprise, have all turned out to be pretty darn good folks. So far. Yikes.
So, lest you think this is all, you know, normal and no big deal for me, I will fill you in on the back story. I grew up in Houston, Texas in a subdivision with normal electricity, normal, tasty 70% pure city water and normal AC and heat. There was no cutting down of trees or splitting wood or snow or lack of power or wild animals (if you don't count our neighbor's mean little Chihuahua). There was no ice on the inside of our windows, terrifying mountain roads or snow plowing with a tractor for Pete's sake. There were no tractors (not where I lived anyway). There was ease and comfort and neighbors and fun and parties and crazy traffic and daily wasting of electricity and water! There was excess and pure unadulterated laziness! Ah! The life! Ahem... So. For me to be living off-grid, on top of a mountain, with wood heat, below freezing temperatures, an ungodly amount of snow, no entertainment to speak of, loneliness and work, work, work, is a bit of a drastic late-in-life change for me and hasn't been easy. But. It has been Oh So Satisfying and in many ways surprisingly wonderful. I am a city girl living a rustic, country life and married to a true blue country boy learning to live off-grid. In the mountains. With lots of snow.
We have lived here for 7 years and for the most part love it. People who come to visit say we are living 'The Montana Dream' and I say to them, "Well sometimes it's a dream and other times it's a real nightmare." This beautiful place is a place of extremes - summer is HEAVEN, winter is hell (for me anyway). It's a restful, relaxing, quiet, stunning get-away. But it's also a lot of work. A LOT. I have never been so tired. And I homeschooled! It's cold,and beautiful, quaint, old-fashioned, difficult, annoying, peaceful, lonely, soul-restoring, frustrating, energizing, healthy, back-to-naturey, relatively stress free and a constant source of pride and satisfaction. Plus other people think it's cool (because they don't have to do it) and think you're cool for doing and want to hear all about it. Usually. I began to write something called the Mountain News on Facebook and people seemed to enjoy it. Not sure if they were laughing with me or at me but whatever. People seemed to miss the Mountain News when I would take a break or not have time to write. I began to think that maybe it would be a public service and do others some good to hear all about living in the mountains and off-grid so they, unlike me, would know what they were getting into. Or make them appreciate all the more their conventional, easy, normal, soft lives. Or even better, make them laugh. There will be stories about living off-grid and all that entails, lots of pictures, yummy recipes for road kill, animal tales, (my) disaster stories, etc....So, here it is, The Mountain News in the form of a blog called "Off Grid - The Good, The Bad and The Lovely. Enjoy!
