A Fascination...

Have you considered living "off the grid?"

Well I have. The more I read about it, the more I realize I'm clearly not prepared to do it but I'm certainly fascinated by the subject.  Some of the television programs we watch show people who are working towards a life off the grid. It's not just a matter of deciding to do it, there's a whole lot of work involved and even more planning. Whew!! I was tired after reading just a few stories of how people got started on their journey to live off the grid.

It seemed I needed to read more and more, to learn what their lives are like, to understand what it means and what it takes. I'll let you know up front, it won't be in the plans for my future. However, were I twenty years younger, I would definitely be having a go at it.

Aside from a stockpile of non-perishables, whether in a root cellar or basement, there are other things to consider; water, fuel, the means by which to keep meat frozen or cured, heat when the weather turns cold, and, of course, paper products and items for personal hygiene.

In one story the writer advises you to put items on your list when you're low on that item. Not when you are out. In his situation, he and his wife made trips to town only once every couple of months. They quickly learned that there were certain things they simply could not do without for weeks on end. In their case, coffee was high on the priority list. I don't drink coffee but I thought that was pretty funny!

There are a lot of things these 'off grid' people give up in order to live the life they want to live. They have electricity by means of solar power and batteries. They've learned that certain times of the day are less power-exhaustive so they use this time for internet use and television time. Typically they go on-line in the mornings for just a couple hours (both have home-based work) and in the evenings, if the power supply is high enough, they'll watch a couple of hours of television.

Everything revolves around their power supply. They never receive an electric bill. They do have a generator for 'just in case.' But as the story goes, they feel like using it is cheating. They don't use it unless they absolutely have to. They live in the mountains of Colorado. The power they do generate is primarily for the refrigerator and freezer.

They have a sizable garden, they have chickens for eggs, meat and fertilizer, they have goats for milk. They use the milk for making soaps and cheese and for their own consumption. They hunt deer and elk, they trap beavers and they set snares for smaller game like rabbits. They do some fishing. The meat is typically frozen - the freezers are solar powered!

Almost all vegetables are canned, saving room for meat in the freezer. Onions, potatoes, leeks, carrots and other root vegetables are stored in straw in the root cellar. They grown cabbages, beets and an assortment of greens. If they eat bread, it's typically made at home and with whole grains that they mill themselves. They grow and dry their own herbs and pickled vegetables are high on their list for daily consumption as anything with vinegar, keeps a gut healthy.

They are strong and healthy from daily exercise on their homestead. They cut down trees for wood fires in the winter, thereby saving that precious energy. They use wood for cooking during all seasons and have mastered several techniques in the way of cast iron cooking. Fascinating stuff!

Chopping wood, tilling their gardens, tending their grounds and upkeep on their homesteads are all in a day's work. Indeed, I thought I was busy! I do think I'll put wood chopping on my list of things to learn how to do.

Their breakfast is early as they're out by daylight tending to things. Lunch is their feast with meat, vegetables and cheeses. They eat fruit to curb their 'sweet' cravings. In summer, dinner is light, typically a salad from their garden with more pickled vegetables. Maybe some left-over chicken added, if there is any. They especially like chow-chow and pickled green tomatoes. During the winter months, soup is their mainstay for dinner. All kinds!

I'm not sure that it's a simpler way of life but surely it must be a healthier way. They don't go to jobs, they don't have traffic issues, there is no pollution. They take care of themselves and they protect their land and livestock from animal predators.  And, as I said before, they do not get an electric bill. Both an impressive and difficult way of life. Something to think about.

I've always felt I was born too late, probably decades, I would have been happy as a clam living the pioneer life. It's probably why the homesteader life is fascinating to me. How about you?

Keeping it Country

Well folks I'm closing in on six years here in Tennessee. I can't say I'm officially a country girl but it wouldn't be for lack of trying, learning and doing. I see life differently now and I'm happy to say that living out here in the country has taught me lessons I never thought I needed to know.

Fences have to be checked and mended regularly, trees will fall in the driveway when there is no hint of a breeze blowing, hunters will trespass and poach, wood needs stacked even if you don't feel like doing it, kindling needs gathered and sometimes, in the winter, you might not see another person outside your home for days on end.

When I first moved here, I wondered why people waved at me when they didn't know me at all. They can be sitting on a mower when I drive by and they always raise their hand. They might be checking the mail at the box and the hand is waved. They pass me on the road and sometimes they just lift their fingers from the steering wheel in a small sort of wave. It never fails to happen though and I've actually become a waver myself. I don't know the people I'm waving to and they don't know me but it's a 'country' thing to do and after you're here for a while, you just do it too.

If I tried that in Florida, I'd be in a perpetual state of waving!

I've gotten used to no traffic lights, very few stop signs, no lines on the roads and by all means, no street lights. At least not on these old back roads. Friends from Florida visited recently and the drive from the interstate to our home was a 'white-knuckle' experience and I completely understand. The main road they traveled on is said to be so curvy you can see your own taillights. I'm inclined to agree as it's dangerous even in the daytime. My friends came in after dark.

There is no Wal-Mart in this county and I'm perfectly fine with that. We buy our beef and pork from a local farmer. He's open from November-March and we're welcome to view the entire operation. In fact, when you drive up, the entire operation is right there; cows grazing in the pasture and pigs grunting as they happily wallow in the mud. They are slaughtered in the most humane way possible.

To some the word slaughter is too harsh but it's the reality. In fact, all the meat that everyone consumes must be slaughtered. At least these animals aren't being raised in feedlots and then herded into a commercial slaughter house where hundreds of animals are processed on a daily basis. Only a few at a time are processed and the butchers are experienced and mindful of keeping waste to a minimum.  

It seems healthier to me to buy direct from the farm and there's no doubt it tastes better. It actually has a lot of flavor! Though I still have to buy chicken from the local grocer, my hope is that it will be available on the farm someday too. I'm sure there are chicken farms around here somewhere, I just haven't found them yet!

My friend Brenda told me she didn't like venison, that it didn't sit well with her. I shared my thoughts with her; maybe it wasn't cooked right (which does take some learning and practice), or, perhaps her system was so used to the growth hormones and antibiotics in industrial meats that all-natural meat was being rejected. She found this thought interesting and something to consider.

I explained that in the same respect, my system rejected most restaurant food. It just depends on what you're used to and what you have eliminated from your food sources. Your body will let you know if it doesn't appreciate your 'food decisions.' Ha ha ha!

Speaking of my local grocery, it's very much small town shopping. The cashiers, all three of them, know me and greet me when I walk in the door. The produce is locally grown, the fruit is typically from Florida or California. They have country hams hanging in the meat department, they make their own sausage and cure their own bacon. They don't have a pharmacy or a bakery and they don't sell beer or wine. It's customary for the bag boys to help you to your car with your groceries and they take the buggy without asking, it's just their way.

Sure it may take me 25 minutes to get there but there's no traffic, no traffic lights and no crowds. I'm spoiled by always being able to park right up front by the door. Always. Try that in Florida, right?

I've learned the art of building a good fire - just getting it started was a challenge at first!
I've learned how to string barbed wire fencing and the importance of good gloves!
I've learned how to use the weed-eater and the importance of wearing long pants when doing so!
I've learned that drinking water all day is a good thing!
I've learned how to relax, that things will get done and that I can't do it all in one day... or one week sometimes!
I've learned that my family and friends are just a phone call or a facebook chat away and that's important as days go by.

Keeping it Country!