Daily observations of my simple life.

Grey Day:

It's grey out there and a bit cool. I'm still in here drinking my morning java after going out to feed. I'm catching up on others blogs. I know I've been woefully selfish only posting and ignoring,  but Spring is a busy time. I'm a bit slow this morning so this gives into my urge to rest a bit, while reading what everyone is up to.

My house is messy. When I work outdoors the clutter begins. If only I could handle all the junk mail like I do junk phone calls. If you give to charity you get zillions of letters telling you all sorts of sad stories. It' s hard for me to decide what to give to and I hate to have so much mail. Seems like they spend an aweful lot of money mailing out those address labels and pleas for more money. So besides all the weeding I must weed through and throw out excess mail. It lays on my desk, on my kitchen table, in a basket, in a sack. Sigh.

Looks like a bit more rain today, maybe.

I had dinner with my neighbor the other evening and I told her the story I read in Mother Earth News.  She is the neighbor that is tearing down a house and is hoping to build it somewhere else. Here is the story.

This lady who lived near Bisbee Az. had just gone through a divorce. She had a pickup truck, a horse and $5000. to her name. She had no job and was living with her sister. She wanted a home of her own. With a can do attitude she began looking for land. Finally she found a 40 acre piece in a country area that was somewhat scenic for desert land. It was owner financed so she put a small amount down  and reasonable payments. She then contacted a surveyer, she managed to keep the cost down by doing part of the work herself. She subdivided her property into 4 parcels, three nine acre parcels and one 14 acre parcel. The 14 acre parcel was the spot she liked the most. She then went right to work and sold 2 of the 9 acres for cash paying off her land loan. The third she set up with payments so she would have income. With her remaining cash from land sales she ordered adobe bricks and she did a lot of scrounging of materials. She found a shed for free and had it hauled to her property. She built a corral of desert materials for her horse. She and her brother-in-law built the house and then she built a rock casita with lean to for hay storage. She did this all in less than 6 months. The cost of her home? After all her land sales was $500. and she had income. She is totallly off the grid, does water catchment for water for her horse. She planned the roof so she would gather enough rain from the 2 -10 inch rainfall in the area. She buys drinking water from town and does her laundry in town or on a wash board. She runs her tv on 12 volt, heats by wood. The picture of the house is beautiful and comfy. I am so inspired by this story and deep down I want to do something like that. Just start from scratch and have a payed for totally off the grid house. Hmmm.

Guess I'd better go  clean house and finish my days work while pondering this. 

Posted by: cactusandquail at 16:22 | link | comments (6)

Comments:

#1  23 March 2005 - 01:56

 

Off the grid, thats the life, now you have me thinking. Give Sage a big hug.

rustymadgal

#2  23 March 2005 - 02:58

 

I'm more known for being off the wall....

BACKTALKER

#3  23 March 2005 - 14:13

 

Isn't it the truth: work outside and the house falls to pieces, work inside and the weed claim the world. Off the grid is a grand vision, but all the people I know who live that way struggle to make their life as close to grid-like as possible. Including plugging in your freezer to a neighbor's house, and running a generator twice a day to "Charge Batteries" (for a 12 volt lighting system) and watch tv or a movie at the same time. In this island paradise o mine I'm surrounded by off the griddies and I become one with each passing gale.

ChefNeal

#4  23 March 2005 - 14:22

 

Yes, isn't it the truth, people are ever stretching to get a more complicated life. We must have all the appliances. I think off the grid means settling for a simpler life. At my mountain property my neighbors live off the grid. Some have solar panels some just do without. I feel at peace there without the conveniences but I am only there for short periods.

cactusandquail

#5  24 March 2005 - 18:40

 

Wow, what a great story! I know that I am so spoiled that it would take an emergency to have me being so self sufficient, but I so admire it!! :)

jlhpisces

#6  24 March 2005 - 22:27

 

i lived for almost three years in a cabin in the mountains with no plumbing or electricity. and i miss it so much, it is almost indescribable. i love to read your blog and imagine your life. it sounds like a beautiful dream to me. lots of work i do know, though. lots of work. but so . . . pure and primal and honest and real.

limine

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