Posts from — March 2008

03-22-08

Yesterday was fun, I started at the country store, I shared my training day with another lady, I guess the store owner wants double backup, just in case… anyhoo, it was great fun, we learned the basics, where all the lights are, how to light up the coolers, how to run the register, how to run the ancient gas pump, well it’s not THAT old, but you do have to do things in a certain order, or else the pump will lose prime and will not pump anything until a repair guy comes out and fixes it, it’s not a good thing to do! The main thing we do up there is talk to the locals, I met more people and dogs that day, a lot of the people I saw I had met previously, at least once, it was nice to see everyone again. I don’t know when I’ll start for good, I hope next weekend or the following week after that, as far as I know, it’s every other weekend (Friday and Saturday).I know one of the first things I’ll be doing on the next day I’m there is dusting, the store is pretty clean, but I noticed the can food has a layer of dust on the tops, that is pretty standard out here, everything has a layer of dust no matter what you do, it’s non-stop dust here, perhaps it will not make much difference, but I have to try. :)

While I was training, Bob helped out on a storage building outside behind the store, there is a RV/camping place out back, it’s not much, but it’s not supposed to be much either. This building had roll up garage doors on it, the owner wanted barn doors on it, she had already make one door herself (she is pretty talented with her hands too!), so Bob had a template to go by, she was very happy with it and impressed with how fast he goes. He went back today to finish the doors (there is another set to be made) and to do some other things. After that he is supposed to go help our friends repair their new(old) house so they can get moved in faster.

Garden

A few days ago, we started working on our garden area, we have a clearing not too far from the cabin, it’s flat and the ground looks great, there are trees surrounding the clearing so I hope it will be a bit protected from animals and weather, at least it will not be an eyesore to anyone. We will have to fence it around and over the top to keep out the deer, birds, raccoons, skunks, foxes, peccaries and any other hungry animals. Bob asked me how big an area did I want to garden, I answered as large an area as he can fence in, I can use, I have done large gardens before, large for city backyard gardens, at my dad’s house, we had at least 1000 square feet of garden space that we worked. Unfortunately I will not have that much area this year, maybe as we can get more fencing material we can expand later, but for now, I’ll do what I can with the space I am given. My MIL sent some seeds, quite a lot of seeds, lots of herbs as well as veggies and fruits, I can’t wait to get them in the ground and see if this soil is as good as I think it is. When we started working the ground, I began to remove the grass, there isn’t much to have to remove and it grows in clumps, so it’s not too bad. We also had to remove a couple of small trees, these were only a foot or so tall, and we had to remove a cholla cactus plant, they are NASTY painful plants, I haven’t found anything good about them, I used to like how they looked, but I guarantee once you get stuck a few times by their needles, all you want to do is get rid of everyone you see!

Bob wanted to till the ground but we don’t have a tiller, so he got out the gas powered auger and started punching holes one next to the other, I suggested he only needed to go down 18-24 inches, he went down the full depth of the auger, 3 feet! We do have to work the ground between the holes, right now it looks like a really big gopher went crazy out there! :) Today, I am going to go around the property and gather mulch to add to the garden area, under each tree out here, there are several inches of good mulch, leaves, bark, grass… I figure I can get several trash cans full of good mulch in pretty short order, I’ll work that into the soil. I will also harvest some of the curly grass as a top mulch to help keep moisture in and the weeds down. Well, off I go, I have to find the rake, shovel, trash can and get to work.

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I just got finished scraping up 7 or 8 wheelbarrows full of the most delicious looking mulch you have ever seen! I didn’t have to go far from the place where the garden will be, I found a rake (a metal tooth rake, not a leaf rake) and a shovel, put on my gloves and a straw hat (gotta protect my skin from the sun, it’s brutal), I raked up mounds and mounds of decayed leaves, grass and other stuff, I had to pick out a few small rocks and twigs, but it wasn’t too bad at all. I took some rich soil from a few places to add to the compost/mulch. I am still a bit sore from working the dirt a few days ago, but this felt good to my sore muscles, it helped worked out the stiffness.

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Well Update

The water has finally cleared up from the floaters, but it still smells of chlorine, the well man poured a gallon and a half of bleach down the well, I know that was necessary but yuck! it’s just like city water! It’s getting better and better every day.

2 Comments

Anonymous said…

Wretha,

Nasty, painful plants have their uses as well. I have stinging nettle planted under my bedroom window where I live. I’m thinking perimeter security for your plants–not full perimeter, though, but perhaps for an approach not easily defended/observed.

Bless you in all you do!

TheMajor’sLady
lornkanaga.livejournal.com

March 25, 2008 2:16 PM

Wretha said…

TheMajor’sLady, I agree, nasty painful plants have their uses, I just can’t figure out a good use for this one, as far as using them for perimeter protection, I have seen the deer RUBBING against them, it doesn’t seem to bother them much. Please, if you know of a use for cholla, medicinally, culinary, I would be greatly interested in it! I do not intend on eradicating it on my property, just removing from the places where I walk frequently and such.

For the garden, yes, out here you do have to completely protect your garden, especially edible plants from the local animals, other people I have spoken to about the deer, have told me the deer will even eat supposedly deer resistant plants, onions and such… The wild pigs will push your fencing over if it’s not sturdy enough, the wild donkeys will also push your fence over to get to your veggies. I can’t afford to take the chance, it’s sturdy fencing all around and over the top…

Wretha

March 25, 2008 2:46 PM

Earth Day, April 22, 2008, is less then a month away and I though t this would be the perfect time to ask: What have you done in the past year to improve your and our environment?

This is more of a thinking exercise then to put anyone on the spot. I try to use Earth Day as my mark to see how I have changed my habits and living to be healthier both for my family and I and for the Earth as a whole. I will be writing a more in depth article on April 22 and hope that is you have a blog you will join with me about how I did change the world for good this past year.

I have to say that this year has been pretty productive as I completed changing over all my light bulbs (I only changed them after the old ones stopped working), insulated exposed pipe and duct work, finished changing my cleaning supplies over to non-toxic/organic, and started this site to help convert and inform others of the benefits of going green and getting of the grid. I still need to plant my gardens, a herb, vegetable, and a berry, but they have been cleared and just need tiling and the compost added.

My plans for the upcoming year is to install a solar water heater and if I’m really lucky and on the ball solar panels. Also I intended to be more involved in getting others to understand the benefits of being self-sufficient in today’s world. I have to admit that I don’t take the pushy approach but the education one. This seems to work the best for me.

Did I ever mention that my husband wasn’t to thrilled about the idea of taking our family off the grid? All he saw in the beginning was the expense and the extra work it would require to do it. Now though after being pulled along he is almost as excited as I am. He is actually researching on his own and even helping with the home improvements (not one of my husbands loves) which just shows that once people are shown the benefits they don’t just jump on the train but actually drive it.

Speaking of information and change I stumbled on a story about a Stanford law professor trying to change the way Congress works. A site called Change Congress is trying to take wiki approach to congress to make it more transparent and keep track of our politicians and their pledges. It looks to be in the very early stages but if we all get behind it that could change very quickly. I have joined their emailing list and hope to hear good things from them soon. Along with that Breathing Earth made quite an impact. It shows carbon dioxide emission level of every country in a real time simulation.

Ken Livingstone and political ally

Ken Livingstone, seeking re-election as Mayor of London, has told Thom Yorke of Radiohead that he wants to take the entire city off-grid. As the world’s most popular and expensive city, how London treats the green agenda will set a template for other world capitals, not to mention the rest of the country.

In a meeting last week reported in the London Observer, Livingstone told Yorke: ” We don’t want the normal grid. We want to get everybody off grid.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s nuclear or gas, 65 per cent of energy is wasted in the cooling system.” (more…)

Junk Mail Consumes More Energy than 2.8 Million Cars

Ferndale, Mich. — With growing public concern about climate change and the health of the planet, 41pounds.org offers a quick, easy and effective way that everyone can make a difference: stop junk mail! The energy used for junk mail each year creates more greenhouse gas emissions than 2.8 million cars. And, it wastes 28 billion gallons of water and 100 million trees! Junk mail is more than a personal nuisance, it’s an environmental hazard.

The 41pounds.org service will stop your junk mail for five years by contacting dozens of direct mail companies to remove your name from their marketing lists. This includes almost all credit card applications and coupon mailers, plus any catalogs you specify. 41pounds.org also will donate more than 1/3 of the $41 fee to an environmental or community organization of your choice! To sign up, go to www.41pounds.org.

41pounds.org supports non-profit organizations working for a healthy environment and healthy communities. These partners include American Forests, Trees for the Future, WildWest Institute, Friends of the Urban Forest, Habitat for Humanity (East Bay), Center for a New American Dream and others.

Each household that reduces its junk mail for five years will prevent 460 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere — and gain 8 hours of free time!

• The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year.
• More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail.
• Americans waste about 8 hours a year dealing with junk mail.

Three brothers — Sander DeVries, Tim Pfannes and Shane Pfannes — started 41 Pounds as a community service project in addition to their regular jobs.

“We’re surprised and pleased at how quickly it’s catching on,” said 41 Pounds co-founder Sander DeVries. “41pounds.org is like the national ‘do not call’ list, but for your mail. We contact the direct marketing companies around the country to get your name off their lists and make sure you’re no longer deluged by junk mail.”

“41pounds.org appreciates the growing concern about climate change, and they’ve provided a simple, easy step people can take to have a positive impact,” said Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director of American Forests.

To sign up or learn more, go to www.41pounds.org.

No moving parts

In its zeal to become more energy efficient and independent, the U.S. Air Force has announced it wants to build miniature nuclear power plants at bases worldwide. And in doing so, it might just be pointing the way to the future of off-grid energy everywhere.
This web site predicted rising interest in mini nuclear plants last December, citing the Westinghouse division of Toshiba as a possible player in the “personal nuclear reactor” market.

The current model of a very small number of very large nuclear reactors is flawed for several reasons, not least because it presents a tempting terrorist target, and the results of a human error could be catastrophic. But a very large number of very small nuclear reactors would reduce the risks of a big bang disaster – either by accident or design. The makers of the only mini nuclear plant in existence, Hyperion Power, say that although it would produce 27 megawatts worth of thermal energy, Hyperion doesn�t like to think of its product as a �reactor.� “It�s self-contained, involves no moving parts and, therefore, doesn�t require a human operator. ” (more…)

Now that’s what I call a Hedge

Woodland is booming and the value of commercial holdings surged by up to 40 per cent in the past year.

The value of some woodland areas has doubled in four years and average prices last year were $8,500 (�4,250) a hectare, 80 per cent up on sales agreed during 2006, according to the latest forestry market audit by UPM Tilhill and Savills, the property consultancy.

And planting trees reduces one’s carbon footprint, by increasing carbon absorption. Purchasing existing timber and then not harvesting the wood can also help offset an individual or group’s carbon generation. (more…)

Update on the well problems, so far so good, the water still has some particulates in it, and it still smells faintly of chlorine, but it is still running strong and is clear (not muddy). We think the particulates and chlorine odor will clear out with use.

2 Comments

oldman in the boonies said…

Congrats on your (edited). Just make sure that she does not leave an (edited) to your name for (edited) to follow. (edited to remove stuff-nothing against oldman).

March 20, 2008 6:29 AM

Wretha said…

I think she has that all taken care of…she hates paperwork, besides, I will not be (edited) enough to worry (edited).

Wretha

March 25, 2008 10:17 AM

Just a t-shirt slogan for Diaz

They drive expensive hybrid cars and donate their time (and big wads of cash) to help “save the planet.”

But are celebs merely preening their own image when the espouse green causes? And do they play any role in inspiring us mere mortals to be a bit greener? In fact, are celebs actually devaluing the green movement.

The answer is – it depends on the celeb. Our stand-out star for years has been Daryll Hannah who actually lives off-grid. Lower down we separate them into PREEN or GREEN. If you disagree with our survey – or if you agree – please voice your opinion on our FORUM.

Let’s look at who has adopted what: (more…)

When we started our journey to get off the grid we did not even realize that there was so many wonderful books available to help inform and encourage us. So we would like to share some of those we started with as well as some recent ones we’re still enjoying with you.

Since so much of the lifestyle we relish has now become more of an accepted, if not “hip” thing, the amount of space in our local bookstore has not only grown but better organized. The nice thing about that is that there is more information then ever out there to encourage more and more people to chose this path for themselves. On the other hand we really do advise reading part if not all of a book before adding it to your library. Libraries are a great source of information and many of the books that now grace our ever growing library was first read on loan. Another source, if you are lucky enough to have one where you live, is a book swap. We are fortunate in Baltimore to have “The Book Thing” which is a great place to drop off old book so they can begin a new life and give some a new home.

So above we have listed a few we thought would make great spring/summer reading. As always we are always happy to hear comments from our readers so if you have enjoyed or even dislike one please fell free to post a comment. Also if you think we missed out on promoting a book that should be read also feel free to post that also.

Also reminder that the Great Energy Efficiency Day by the Alliance to Save Energy is still taking registration for April 16, 2008. Then on Sunday April 20, 2008 Earth Day Events will be happening around the globe. You can see whats happening near you here. Let’s make this April a month to remind all those politicians that want our votes come November that our Environment and Energy Usage/Needs are a concern we want taken seriously and worked on. So as the Earth Day Organization is encouraging make sure your registered to vote for the coming elections and then let the politicians know we will be voting for not only our future but those our children and that of future generations to come.