| Author |
Across the Fence:  My new off grid home :)  |
|
Joey
True Blue Farmgirl
1209 Posts
Joey
Dunedin
FL
USA
|
 Posted - Aug 17 2012 : 4:44:49 PM
|
Michelle, when are you actually moving? Thinking about you. Joey
Well behaved women rarely make history. |
 |
|
|
sonshine4u
True Blue Farmgirl
938 Posts
April
MN
USA
|
Posted - Aug 18 2012 : 06:30:22 AM
|
You are so adventurous! I love it!!! I would love to write you and keep you stocked with farmgirl happiness! Can't wait to watch all the progress you'll be making on the place! Keep us posted.
~Hugs,
April
Playing in the Sonshine
|
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1195 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
|
Posted - Aug 18 2012 : 07:14:44 AM
|
Hens Everyday I look here & am just so happy to see all the wonderful comments...no one has said I can't do it or its a stupid idea....I can't believe I have such wonderful hens backing me on this & think I can do it.....i know its not going to be easy but then I think back to history & families living in caves, animal hide type tents or even under tree branches or in a covered wagon until they can get what they need done for their families...there I am lucky because I have at least a few building I can live in or make better as I go along...I will not have to spend the winter out in a tent fighting mother nature to stay warm.....plus its just me I have to worry about not a child like those in history had to do.
Back when I was in the Peace Corps I had to leave early because the malarie meds made me super sick for 5 days out of 7....The 1st 2 days of taking the meds I couldn't get out of bed cause I had such vertigo I couldn't stand...After 2+ months of this they decided I was too allergic & sent me home....It broke my heart & to this day I wish I had fought harder to stay...
So I think this thing going on with my husband is actually good for me as maybe something inside me is telling me I need to go back to the old ways once again.........at 22 I did live for a year without electricity with just a woodstove for heat & cooking & only cold water....so maybe this is my mid life crisis...I do know I am always thinking is this it? Is there something else I need to be doing with my life?........A year is a short time but I think in my mind & heart what I am doing is right & maybe it will help me center myself & be a better wife, friend, sister & citizen. yeah I know I am getting deep here but its things I think about all the time.....
Now for the question of when I am actually leaving...I have it for the end of Sept but if hubby gets back & is on the warpath I may go earlier...but my sisters come the 5th of Sept & leave the 14th so between the 15th & the end of Sept I could be going...but I do promise to drop a line with my address of where I will be.....
Hubby hasn't emailed me in over a week & the last email I could tell by what he wrote he is still really mad...so ho knows...lol....Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1042 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
|
Posted - Aug 18 2012 : 1:36:17 PM
|
We are buying an old camper trailer to put on our property for our Nephew to live in for a while, and it is only $800. Maybe you could move out the old tore up trailer with all its pieces and let someone else get the blessings of the scraps from it and move in a little camper trailer. At least for a while. They are pretty easy to find cheap, and this one we just bought is a 2 bedroom. You would already have any utilities that may already be in place to work with. Also the hay loft thing made me think of an acquaintance of mine who built a castle and the upstairs is a loft over the ground level where he keeps his beloved arab stallions. Each with their own stall with running water fountains in each one and a cobblestone middle area and etc... A beautiful spiral staircase connecting the levels. I could see you living in that fixed up loft with fancy digs for you and for your chickens down below..LOL
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
|
|
|
summer girl
Farmgirl in Training
43 Posts
summer
llano
tx
USA
|
Posted - Aug 19 2012 : 12:04:32 AM
|
With the level of damage to that traler it sonds to me that whoever it was was looking for copper wire and pipe to sell. As for geting a new traler? I say heck no. Insted make the shed a happy nest and slowly work on the loft in the barn. For insperation look up tinny houses. I'm shere you can find them online.
do what you love, love what you do |
|
|
|
AnnieinHenderson
True Blue Farmgirl
178 Posts
Annie
Henderson
NV
USA
|
Posted - Aug 19 2012 : 05:16:43 AM
|
Oh my! My advice is that if you are due for a tetanus shot, best get it now before you go. It looks like you could cut yourself easily on the materials you plan to remove and reuse. I think I would bring mice traps, black widow and brown recluse spider poison, flea and tick repellants, medicine for chigger bites, several pairs of work gloves, tall rubber boots. You will definitely need medical supplies, especially if you are snowed in. I have spent time in the summer when I was a child visiting my grandfather who lived in a miner's cabin built in the side of a mountain in the desert. My parents were studying geology and geography so did their field work assignments during the summer. I learned how to live with hauling water, no electricity, hard packed dirt floors, etc. Yes, even bats flew into the cave and roosted in the back tunnel just past the old brass bed I slept in. (OMGosh! Diseases) I learned a lot year after year of this summer routine. But it was summer and in the winter this desert location was freezing cold. It took on a different level of survival need. The most dangerous situations in my assessment looking back were: potential fire (so bring fire extinguishers); insect, snake and mice issues (so bring traps, rebellants and meds for bites, poisoning,large tongs to lift up dead animals, and heavy duty contractor bags, medical face masks sold at CVS for flu - you must wear these when cleaning, and monitor health often); water purity i.e. parasites (so bring garlic, unsweetened dried coconut, coconut oil, papaya seeds, pumpkins seeds.) Lack of vitamin C, so bring 100% cranberry juice to keep from getting UTI's. Safety (it will be noticed that someone is there) Learn basic verbal de-escalation skills and have weapons to protect yourself from harm to include animal intrusions. I would also let the local law enforcement people know you are there and why. Removing as much of the trash and debris before winter would be a priority. My first step would be to secure my living space. I think I would invest in a thermal scanner and have some small alarms set so if a door opened it goes off. One can live with very few items, but our body must be warmed and cooled properly, hydrated, and fed. Also, bring some candy you like (in a sealed container) for psychological support. There are so many levels to your new endeavor that need careful looking into. I am adventurous too, but also know there are real hazards in the environment you photographed. Make acquaintances with only people you have "researched" even if a friend of yours has to go on the internet and check out their facebook, etc. Clues to people's personality can be very useful. Don't give out any personal information to people until you know them for awhile. DO NOT tell them you are here because of a trial separation from your husband. That emphasises your vulnerability. Let them think your husband between his jobs will be helping you out with the clearing of property and renovation. People need to think you have a connection to a protector that has a vested interest in you. (They don't need to know otherwise). Have your story and stick to it. "We are helping an elderly friend clear her property and make it livable again. It should take us at least a year." Always use WE not I, always use US not ME. Talk in plurals. DONE. If they are persistent in asking questions set a boundary, "You know, right now WE have so much work to get started on and in time we can get to know each other better." DONE, SILENCE. Find a local church and go to services and get a small support group of church friends over time. Then each of them will soon begin to offer assistance in areas you may need. Learn to use your resources carefully. Be sure to have a radio with you, some snow shoes, emergency blankets etc. Know that we are thinking of you. There is a difference between "farmgirl stamina and skills" and "homeless shelter". The photos you showed us I think fall into homeless shelter. The other out building may be more fixable, but it sounds like "a Christmas manger" scene to me. Do-able perhaps but with real risks and concerns. Hmmm, thinking you maybe should get a pneumonia shot too before you go. I don't want to be the "Debbie Downer" here, but whew...this adventure is being started in the most risky season. If you had spring, summer and fall to get a head start it would be different. Know I speak from what I know as truth and not to discourage and put doubt in you, because you will need to be strong and filled with faith and courage. But please outline your plans. You must have a system in which to approach this to save resources, energy, time and assist your survival.
May the Lord bless you and guide you in all your endeavors.
Annie
"The turnings of life seldom show a sign-post; or rather, though the sign is always there, it is usually placed some distance back, like the notices that give warning of a bad hill or a level railway-crossing." Edith Wharton, 1913 from 'The Custom of the Country'. |
Edited by - AnnieinHenderson on Aug 19 2012 05:18:48 AM |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22745 Posts
Alee
Billings
MT Sister # 8
USA
|
Posted - Aug 19 2012 : 05:24:43 AM
|
Michele- I am so excited for you- I think it will be a great adventure. Don't forget to drop me an email with your mailing address so I can sent you some letters and care packages.
Do consider insulating the wall by your bed or at least hanging some blankets and as well as tarps. I have camped in some cabins about the size of your shed and the one was the was well insulated I kept the propane heater on low all night (In december for my birthday) the next time I was there, they put me in a different cabin and the walls were not chinked properly and Nora, Sky Dog and I all huddled for warmth and I had the oven and the propane stove up on HIGH all night long which should have had the cabin over 100 degrees but the heat just got sucked out- but luckily internal improvments is something you can do even once it gets cold so you can kindof wait to see where the air leaks are.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wff7Xpc/]
[/url]
|
|
|
|
craftingram
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Karin
Nashville
In
USA
|
Posted - Aug 19 2012 : 05:50:35 AM
|
Michele, I am in awe of your bravery and can do attitude. I wish I had half your positive attitude. I will be keeping you in prayer that this all works out in the way that is best for you.
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #2708
Romans 8: 38,39 |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1195 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
|
Posted - Aug 19 2012 : 06:45:51 AM
|
Annette. thank you for all the information....Some I will address so you all can not worry...first the shed is Near & behind the main house that has a old milk farmer living in it.....So I will not be totally alone if I need help with an injury, animal bite & so on. Now understand I have lived this way thur 2 winters before so I am prepared for the bitter colds...I will have a wood stove for heat & its so powerful even with little wood in it I should be warm & at times maybe outside while it cools down a bit in the shed.......specially if I get hit with a hot flash...lol
I have a huge very good medical kit with me...can even sew myself up if needed...have surgery thread.............Had tetanus shot this year at physical...time for new one :)..so covered there...now where I am is no recluse spiders....we have forest black widows up here so am sure I will find them in the barns...I have knee high rubber much boots, heavy duty rubber gloves & leather gloves...I do not wear pants but will take some of my hubbys older heavier camo pants he no longer can use.....yeah they fit in the hips.....darn it!........oh also got a bunch of the CVS face masks last time I was there so covered there also.
I will not have a car so can only travel if hubby comes up or farmer is out & about & will take me with him if I ask.
have the fire extinguishers as well, as well as a small cross bow for some protection & home made habinaro pepper spray.......
The shed was built quite a long time ago & has 2 inch think baord walls, the dirt floors i will use pallets & the same 2 inch boards in one of the barns to cover the pallets with to have a better floor...dirt is ok but I don't want animals etc digging into the shed while I am there...plus its on a level ground so with some of the heavy rains I could see it coming in & having muddy floors to deal with...plus thats not a good thing with a woodstove...could tilt it ect....plus encourage mold which I don't want want.
Yes I am going to tell the local sherriff I am there & to do a wellness check on me if they are ever in the area.....As for the 'I' verses 'we' I do that from years of being on my own before I married........plus no one needs to know that I am not in the main house with the old milk farmer...
Now you all need to know I really will not have money so the things people recommend I get some of it I just can't....I will hopefully have some money from the eggs & the $100-$200 hubby puts in my account if he does for the chickens food & so on...but I will have about $1400 from my teachers retirement I am cashing in so I am not totally without money...I also have a years of insurance so am covered there for the moment.....
As for food health/vits/minerals...I have a huge batch of dried cranberries, will be drying & canning apples & pears to take with me...I eat very little meat but eat alot of fruits & vegs...will have beans for soups & protein.........also have a hard candy gallon baggie ready as well as the lemon-aide packs you put in bottles since I don't drink just water....I know I will need them to keep my water levels right.......I also have the cartridge water purifiers I am taking with me as well as a small bottle of pure bleach to treat water with....
Good idea about the blankets on the wall Alee by the bed....I do have old coffee bean burlap bags I am also using plus bring a few cans of foam sealant for the north wall of the shed...I had planned on making the bed as a high bunk & then using heavy pure wood fabric over it as sort of a tent to help with keeping dust out of the bed area, cold ect but I think adding a few wool blankets to the walls is a great idea also if needed......I also am taking netting for the mosquito seasons to put around & over the bed like I had when I was in Ghana west Africa.....
I would love to have snow shoes but money is a problem so unless I can find someone to barter I won't have those....
I am making lots of lists for things I need to take with me...problem now is it has to be redone as its too big for the spaces I will have...but I do have a 8ft by 10 ft heavy plastic greenhouse that I am taking...was to use for the chickens as a day time shelter but now it will have to be for their food storage, tools ect since the 2 room shed will not hold all of that unless I want to climb over everything to get out the door.....But am thankful I have that as well as a huge 6 person tent made for cold weather that can also be used for things or me if needed.
My main thing when I first get there besides setting up the tent is to get the chickens settled & in safe housing before anything else...Til I do that everything else will wait......I know you all will have opinions about this but I will not lie to you thats the way it will be.....chickens first then me....to make this successful for me heart & mind wise I have to do the chickens first, if they die because I didn't do what needed to be done...then I will get severely depressed & the experience will not be good mentally for me...& I will give up.......
Anyway besides helping my friend with her farm, my main things are having enough food for about a year...not a hard thing to do since I eat about 1/4th of what most people eat.....have good water......a place to lay my head down at night & be safe.
Oh as for the doors I am going to do a reinforcement with a metal bar attached inside so no one can get in & a hasp with a key lock plus take the door off the hinges & add more wood to thicken it from the inside..........it will also have a hasp & key lock on the outside so when I am in the barns ect no one can get into it.........
I am also making up a bunch of different herb blends for teas for colds & so on to help me.
Anyhoo I hope this eases your worries a bit...Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1042 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
|
Posted - Aug 19 2012 : 08:09:06 AM
|
I would think twice before letting the sheriff know you are alone. I had a friend that lives way out by herself and a sheriff came in on her uninvited in the middle of the night, he said he was looking for poachers but it wasn't even his jurisdiction. CREEPY! Her little bed is in the kitchen by the door and she was sleeping in her clothes luckily. He also stopped me one night on the road in the middle of nowhere, luckily he knows my family and left me alone. There are other ladies around who aren't as lucky. Out in the country one is pretty much on their own. A smith and wesson is the best security. My friend put up a sign on her porch after that it says "Beware, menopausal with a shotgun"
Laura
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
|
|
|
CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1487 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
|
Posted - Aug 20 2012 : 2:09:06 PM
|
The only thing that i worry about is that are you leaving early enought to make sure you have enough time to actually get the place ready for you to inhabit? You said it is in the Adirondack region? I live in New York and am very familiar with the Adirondacks. To me they are one of the most beautiful places in the world. But, they can also be ruthless weatherwise. Up near Saranac Lake it has already hit 34 degrees at night. There is a lot for you to do. I think some of it inside you can do after you make the place livable inside. When we first got our property here almost 40 years ago. We had a metal shed and a double insulated wood and thick plastic addition. We had a wood stove, lanterns, we had a well for water with a pump. That was it. We stayed out here many a day and night. in all seasons. I had two small children and my husband and parents. We came out here by snowmobiles(1800 feet off the road) and had Christmas days here. Thanksgiving etc.it was warm and dry. I am sure it could of been used to live in. So that part I am sure you will be fine. BUT we had cars and access to grocery stores and medical if needed. Just plan this out very carefully and don't under estimate how rough it may become in the winter. You also have a lot of wood to get ready. That is one of your most valued needs. I still heat only with wood in our home. I truly think you can do this and as I said I think it would be wonderful for you. I don't mean to be intrusive but do you have a car now? If you do why can't you take it with you? You are still married and you are entitled to whatever you need to live. Maybe this time away will be a real spiritual and emtional awakening for you. You will have peace and time to think and also to learn how capable you are. It does not sound like your husband is really very interested in a reconciliation, not with the way he acts or treats you. I truly hope that you will find your own inner stength and inner peace again. You sound like such a good person and so up for an adventure.
Mary Jane
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
|
|
|
melody
True Blue Farmgirl
2788 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
|
Posted - Aug 20 2012 : 2:26:04 PM
|
Finally....I applaud all of your very important and VALID points Annette!
I've been following this thread for quite a while, but held back on any comment. I would never do what Michele is doing without months and months of preparation and research especially in this day and age. It all sounds very "adventurous" and brave, but you better be able to back it up. I hope your words are taken to heart so this "adventure" doesn't turn out to be a serious disaster. Just my thoughts....
Melody
Farmgirl #525 |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1195 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
|
Posted - Aug 20 2012 : 3:16:47 PM
|
Thank you Melody & Mary Jane......for your comments...Yes this is not a whim on my part also you have to realize I have lived this way twice in different States...one being Mo & dealing with horrible ice storms...both were without a car as well....I am not some city girl who has decided to ditch everything & go live in the wilds.......To me this is not an adventure but I am wanting to go back to a way I have lived before & with hubby at odds with me & our marriage its the perfect time for me to do this.....now you all forget I will be near the main house of the farm if I need help with a serous injury or sickness...plus I will have a cell phone on my at all times....I am 3.5 miles from the town center & have farms on all sides of me with homes I can see or get to........with the cold snowy winters I am not worried as I will be in the shed with the wood stove & yes wood is a priority to have, which I will be looking into soon to order & have sent out there...plus there is tons of wood on the property that I can get to easily for use.......If I am hospitalized I can call Mary so she can have either the old milk farmer on the property tend to the chickens or one of her family can come out & tend to them while I am away....but unless I have a heart attack I don't stay in hospitals ever....even with surgeries I came home the next day after a full day of IV's....
As far as research thats why I went to the farm to see it first hand so I would know what I am getting into....googled the map, weather ect for that area as well as crime rate........I am planning everything on a year long plan for supplies, meds, needs & so on....
& also for a few things that run over that for emergencies & so on.......I do have health insurance so I am good there........the main thing is that I have everything I will need for the winter...spring, summer will be not so bad for my needs....
I am taking all precautions with this, plus having people who I can contact while there plus Mary & her hubby comes up there once a month to check on the place so if I need anything she will bring it then with them..........Again hens thank you for the advice any bit helps with something I may have forgotten....Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
nabrown42
True Blue Farmgirl
384 Posts
Nancy
Caneyville
KY
USA
|
Posted - Aug 20 2012 : 4:38:56 PM
|
Michele, you said you always have your cell phone on you. Is the farmer going to let you recharge it in his house?
Guess what was in our post office waiting for us today? You're right...your book and what a treat it is! Keith grabbed it when I went into the little grocery in our tiny burg...he stayed in the car and thumbed through it while I picked up a few things. We're going to give it a good going over and hopefully put it to good use next Spring. Thank you so much for it. Your hard work shows>.
"I've wept in the night for the shortness of sight that to someone's needs I've been blind; but I've yet to feel a twinge of regret for being a little too kind." |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1195 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
|
Posted - Aug 21 2012 : 4:40:10 PM
|
I bought & just received a cell phone solar charger yesterday so i never have to depend on the main house electric for it but if all else fails I will have a key to the attic apt where I will be re-doing the floors & walls for her so can if needed charge it in there....
I can't tell you how happy I am that you got your book & hubby grabbed it first...I just hope I did him proud with it & didn't confuse him...but remember any questions you have just email me & I will clear them up for you about the book info ok?.....So if something doesn't make sense you tell me so I can clarify it better for you....Michele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Across the Fence: My new off grid home :) |
|
My new off grid home :)
