Take some time out

Imagine:  It’s 9 am, you just finished your breakfast and are looking south at a gorgeous vista bathed in fall colors.  Ahhh, how relaxing.  A flock of Canadian geese swoop down over the house into view and splash down into the pond 100 yds. away.  Breathtaking.  They swim around for a minute to give their hearts and wings a rest and as quickly as they came, WHOOSH, they take off south again.  Fair travels. 

I love my house.

Let me also remind you

This is the month to plant your garlic.  I know October is almost over, but there is still time.  All you have to do is plant cloves of garlic in the ground.  Each clove will turn into a head by the summer.  Fun stuff right!  We all use it, we all love it, we should all plant some today!

What is a rain catch and why do I need one?

California take note: A rain catch system is a way to harvest rain water to use for, well, everything you use water for.  All you need are some gutters on your roof and something to catch and contain the water in like a cistern or barrels.  We are needing to get this done pronto, because this is going to be our source of water.  There is currently a cistern near our house, it just needs to have pipe connecting it to our house and voila!  There will be a pump, that is connected to the solar power, which will pump it into my kitchen faucet and make me the happiest woman in the world.  It helps tremendously if you have a metal roof rather than shingles.  Shingles are made with toxic materials and you probably don’t want to save the water for any consumable reasons, unless maybe for your flowers.  Also, metal roofs collect dew which runs off and every drop counts RIGHT CALIFORNIA!  Look into it readers, there are lots and lots of resources on the interwebs, take advantage of them.

And…We’re IN!

We moved in over the last few days, into the new digs that is.  I believe this to be day 4.  AWESOME!  I love my new house.  I love my new house so much that I told it so last night.  ”I love you house,” and I gave it a kiss.  I meant it too.  There are some loose ends that are not tied yet and are problems, but solvable ones.  For instance, I have no way to cook in my new house.  I have a camp stove, somewhere.  I also have a dutch oven, I just haven’t been gutsy enough to use it yet.  I guess they aren’t problems so much as, I haven’t figured out the way I am to cook for the family in my new house.  Also, no water.  We have been fetching and filtering water to wash hands, cook, clean, humidify etc.  BUT, I have to drag my dishes to someone else’s house to do them.  This will remedy itself soon, but right now it’s a lot like camping.  We have potty solutions for the number one variety, but nothing so permanent for the number twos.  Still hanging things and moving in boxes and realizing that it’s not all going to fit.  All fun though.  Warm too.

You know what’s exciting?

Last night Paul and I walked over to the new digs to check out the new area rugs.  I carried a lantern into the house and Paul flipped the light switch and the light came on.  What a pleasure to sit in a house lighted by solar power.  I was just revelling in the fact that we weren’t paying Ozark Electric.  Amazing.  You should try it some time.

Alive

I have had to put the blog on hold this month as I try to sort out the details of my life into 800 sq.ft.  We are still living in an RV, parked right out front.  It’s a good transition, because the 800 sq.ft. will look like a palace.  The new farm is good.  I feel happy and motivated.  I lumber along in s-curve patterns all over the grounds which is nice, no squares, until I come to the beds Paul installed.

What else is there to do but move?

In wake of the move I have five extra minutes to post these pictures of the last month or so.

Okra, I found a new vegetable love this year.  Delicious, slime and all.  I’m not sad to see it go, for it is a very time consuming vegetable to grow.

My men prepping tomatoes for canning.

I liked how the kids asked if they could help.  I think because it’s really messy and messy means fun.

Arkansas has the craziest critters I have ever seen.  This spider was hanging out in the chicken coop.

Some of the chickens hanging out in their jungle.

I think this is Paul’s hand, he must have been proud of these bell peppers.  My kids pick them off of the plants and eat them like apples.

The last of the three-legged carrots to come out.

Oliver received a second place ribbon for the sunflower seed head he entered.  The old ladies running the show put it in the novelty category for “Largest seed head” instead of just “Large”, he could have had a blue ribbon, I’m only a little bitter, he could care less.

This was the largest pumpkin to come out of the pumpkin patch this year.  Unfortunately it rotted a week later and we had to throw it in the compost.

Next year my pumpkin patch will be more sincere.

These are some pie pumpkin plants that I seeded where my old compost pile was.  Pumpkins are heavy feeders, so it seemed like a practical spot.  They did well here.

I LOVE PUMPKIN PIE!

A view of the new digs.  Passive and active solar and a beautiful view!

See.  I think I’m going to like it here.

Ike looking out the windows.

Moving the “op”.

We have since hired a dump truck and a back hoe.

Ike was having a good time, though the look on his face shows otherwise.

They worked hard.

Dumping the dirt at the new place.  Black gold, do you blame us for moving it?

Row complete.

Everyone, please stay tuned.  I know my posts have been sporadic, but with school and the move that is just how it will be for the next couple of weeks.  I know there are diehards out there who are like ‘Yeah Amanda, cool’ and I thank you for it.  Crazy is the word that comes to mind for what is going on right now.  We learned that “off the grid” really means off the grid, for where we are moving has no physical address and no phone.  We are adopting an address from another building on the property though.  I think my blog is about to get a whole lot more interesting because it is going into the ether.  I’m doing it.  All of you who dream about your solar cabin/off the grid lifestyle, let me be your barometer.  I’m just as curious as you are.  Thank you for your support.

In other news

There are still veggies being harvested of what’s left in the garden.  Paul picked a bushel of sweet corn yesterday which is a nice treat.  We also still have a lot of basil, sweet potatoes, and irish potatoes (which we have to figure out how to transport and replant).  I’m still a little miffed at the fact that we couldn’t produce a fall crop of anything, but we are working on the install across town to try to get some lettuce and spinach planted for the winter.

A lot to do and I’m still thinking about it

HEY YOU!  Yeah, I’m talking to you.  If you have time to read this, then you have time to come over and help us move the farm.  I’m freaking out about moving the dirt.  We have too.  I will not allow it to stay to be grown over with crab grass, or remain in the hands of someone else.  Even if they paid us for the dirt, I would still say no.  That is our sweat equity there and it means a lot.  If you have ever gardened before, then maybe you will understand the beauty and personal connection to your soil.  We moved a row by hand yesterday and it was a lot of hard work.  Now the talk around here is hiring a dump truck and backhoe to scrape it all up and take it across town.  It’s not as simple as it sounds though.  We still have crops in the ground and a copious amount of weeds that need to be pulled and grass to be mowed so that the backhoe can come in…..AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Want to come over?  Please?

A working (wo)man’s day is never done

I’m not going to lie.  I’m a little upset to be moving during fall harvest time.  I was getting excited this season because we were successful at multiple plantings and even had fall crops in the ground.  Now we have to dig them all out and move them across town, dirt and all.  We have been moving wood and garden tools and dirt for the last week or so.  My little frame is worn out already, even though this is the beginning of this new adventure.  Yesterday, we moved two cords of wood and stacked it for a neighbor and moved a whole twenty foot row of dirt.  Then, Paul dug a new twenty foot span and double dug it, (a lot of work for those of you who don’t know) so now it’s prepped for a new load of dirt to go on top of it today.  At the end of all this I will either be stronger, or mentally insane.  Hopefully it’s the latter.