Off Grid

Tiny House Nuisance

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Laura

There is one thing about living in a Tiny House that I never once considered.  Absurd as it is, it is something that drives me bonkers!  The source of this nuisance is a common house fly. It is not as trivial as it might sound because in a small space they sound significantly louder than in a large one and there are plentiful places to hide at THO.  The fly here has evaded me for two days and is as loud as a B6 bomber… Okay, I am exaggerating a lot, I admit it, but the silly thing is getting to me with all its flitting and flying and buzzing about!  Perhaps another reason that it is so loud is that there are no other sounds at THO, such as a television, radio or even white noise from a fridge.  When the windows are closed to the weather as they are today (rain Woot!) this fly and my breathing are the only sounds.

Further annoying is that it let me photograph it several times but then hid again when I set down the camera and got the fly swatter.  I am not sure how flies know that you intend to squish them to death with a fly swatter, but they seem to always hide when ever I pull one out.  Has anyone ever noticed this?  Perhaps they have some sort of ESP?  

This photo also tells me that it is certainly time to dust THO.  I really hate dusting, so I am thrilled that THO is so Tiny!   I am also happy to announce the fly’s passing.  I finally found success!

Categories: Forest, Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

Who Knows What Tomorrow Brings?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Laura

Tiny House Ontario, is always in transition.  When I go back there in the morning I think that Leo will have some things done there.  I am not 100% sure because I have not reached him.  I hope he will have the rest of the siding up as well as the eves trough, j-trim and facia.  If he was there, I have to fix the cloth porch.

If everything above is done, as far as the rest of this year goes there are a few small plans which I would like to see done.  This is to hook up the rain barrel and hook up the solar system.  We may also install a stove, but this has yet to be seen.

Left on the agenda for next years are some big jobs, such as, the well and pump install, the hickory floors cut, hand hewn and installed, the kitchen install and the stone patio with walkways.   I already know that I want to have a small clay oven on the patio but I saw a photo today which makes me believe that I may also need to have an arbour on this patio.  I would strongly prefer that the pillars be from fallen trees from my land and that the arbour have a canvas water repellant roof.

Any thing I have forgotten or should consider?

 

 

 

Categories: Cloth Porch, Forest, Money, Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny house, Tiny House Ontario | 2 Comments

Going Batty!

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Laura

NEWS: it is raining at Tiny House Ontario and has been for some number of hours according to those who are living nearby.  WOOT WOOT!  I will worry less now!  Sadly, I think even a solid week of rain will not make a lot of difference to farmers at this time; the rain will still save a lot of trees, I hope!

When I was last there a few days ago sitting out on the cloth porch we watched through the cloth on the other side.  There were praying mantis insects under the solar LED porch light and they were collecting the night light bugs.  We have a lot of night bugs.

As a matter of fact, when I lay down at night, with my head in the window, the sound of hopeful mosquitos who are trying to get through the screen and vampire me to death is astonishingly loud.  Hundreds of them, I would guess, smell me.  Apparently, they think I am quite the tasty treat…

In discussion about the large number of mosquitos I came to the conclusion that I might just be able to do something natural to impact this a little bit. I am not sure if it is as simple as build it and they will come, but even so a young friend of a friend suggested building and bat house in order to help with decreasing the mosquito population.  This looks totally simple!

I don’t have any 4×4 boards at THO at the moment but they are not too hard to come by.  Another problem is digging that deep in the forest because of roots and also because of the limestone.   Still, I think that it might be fun to have some of the little winged mice nearby and it will be great if this works and it decreases the mosquitos!

A bonus too is that I also have lots of small bits of steel so I can give them a very posh roof that matches THO!  😛

Thank you, Cameleon, for the idea!

Categories: Cloth Porch, Environmentalism, Food, Forest, Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | 2 Comments

Worry

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Laura

I have heard from friends near Tiny House Ontario that it still has not rained a drop.  The Weather Network calls for rain on Thursday but they have not been right yet when calling for rain.  They said that there would be rain there today, for example.

I am afraid that my garden looks like this (or worse):

I am even more afraid that worried that the trees are still falling and I hope that THO is safe there alone in the drought.

I won’t get back there for a few more days to water, I have no idea what to expect when I return there on Sunday.

Categories: Drought, Forest, Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | 2 Comments

Reading Outside

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Laura

Over the last weeks of heat wave, I wished I could lay down outside to read when it was simply too hot to do anything else.

I mentioned this to my husband and magically he had a solution.  A zero gravity chair.  $50 (at Canadian Tire) I believe, he said.

Thank you!  I love it!

Categories: Cloth Porch, Drought, Family, Forest, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | 1 Comment