Off Grid

Alphasmart

I finally ordered a Neo 2 Alphasmart to use for my writing.  I have a number of writer friends who own, and LOVE them.  They are basically just word-processing computers that work on batteries that seemingly last forever.  I have already used it for my writing and have found that it is fantastic because it has the ease of use of a computer without the weight and also without any distraction.  One of my friends did two NANOWRIMO years with his and did not have to change the batteries.  This was the clincher for me.

When I ordered it the person in Vancouver said that it would be a week getting here but it was significantly faster than that.  I picked it up from my Aunt’s house in town yesterday, because Tiny House Ontario does not really have an address and when I ordered my eyeglass prescription last year, they delivered it to my neighbour –  who gave it to me two weeks after they arrived.  Using my Aunt’s address was a significant improvement!

Today was the first time that I had the opportunity to use my new word processor  and I am happy to say that I wrote about five pages of text that I am really happy with.  These will become a part of the novel that I am working on.  Outside of my obvious blogging, this is the first good solid writing I have done this year.

Categories: Laura Moreland, Off Grid, Tiny House Ontario, Writing | Leave a comment

If You Can’t Stand the Heat…

It is hot here again at Tiny House Ontario.  Pig hot!  So hot in fact that Baby does not like to be driven and is giving me a bit of grief.  It is not a wonder, even my thin leather jacket is far too warm – both it and my helmet are getting downright funky.

The dogs have gone to Hamilton to be in the air-conditioning with Big Papa Dog.  I have been running away from the house to get away from the heat which is possible only because I don’t have to be there for the dogs.  I have been at my friend’s significantly more comfortable (AKA: air conditioned) places (thanks and you know who you are!), I have been at the movies and even at shopping places to get out of the heat.

Not moving around much is also a good way to deal with the heat, so I read the entire (not very good) dropped book which was left at the end of a driveway in a pile of stuff.  I also do this with books.  I read them and leave them where I finish them, unless there is someone that comes to mind when I read it or there is something mind bogglingly amazing about the book.  The mind boggling ones, I keep and read over and over and often buy copies for friends too.

I also had a little bit of company.  My girlfriend Velda, her husband Peter and their youngest daughter were out for a visit and also delivered the battery for my solar system (Thank you!).  I wish that we lived closer year around because both my husband and I really like their company and it would be good to see a lot more of them.  Too they have really terrific kids and I seriously miss being around little ones.  I would have loved to have a lot of kids but life did not offer me this opportunity so I am grateful to have friends with kids and also this probably explains the dog pack.  It was a nice visit even though it was far too hot.  We could not even sit in the cloth porch which was sauna like, so we brought some chairs to the shadier North side of the house and sat there for a visit.  I am afraid that it was not a very comfortable temperature there either, but even so, I was happy to see them.

So, thanks to my friends, I have all the bits now for the solar system except for the 12v lights which is what the system will operate.  I will get all the bits in place this week so that when Leo comes on the weekend… yes, I remembered to call him this time… I can get some guidance from him regarding what to do so that I don’t blow up all the new bits!

The weather forecast says that the weather will cool off a bit tomorrow and that we are expecting a bit of rain on Saturday.  I am divided about wanting rain for my garden and the forest and not wanting rain because this is when I expect Leo to put the steel on THO.  It would be great if it pissed rain every night after 9:00 and then stopped at 6:00 am.  Mother Nature, are you listening?  Please give us hours and hours of good slow steady night rain.

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

You Got The Power!

I went to the battery store in Kingston.  Turns out that the 12 volt (PW-PL-17C 12v 50 AH batteries are on sale for $40 each and they also have marine battery boxes so I got one of them too.  Total cost today was $62.09.

Also… turns out that the solar panel I bought is not at all sufficient to keep the tiny fridge going.  Apparently cooling (and heating) is very expensive to do.  But they did tell me that this is lots and lots of solar to run LED Lights and recharge my phone and computer  (too much in fact) so this is some good news to sooth the bad.  Since I have lots of extra power, maybe I can run a 6 volt fan when it is hot next year?  Turns out that I would need about 6 solar arrays of the size I have as well as 6 large batteries to keep the little fridge running.  Brutal!  Maybe the Lottery God will answer my call?

The people at the store where I went, Impact, were amazingly nice to me.  Super helpful and when I told the guy what I just heard was wawawawawa he roared laughing.  I liked that.  He also explained things in a way that I could understand which was awesome!

Anyway, now I just have to talk nice to someone with a car so that I can get the darned battery home.  It will not fit on Baby no matter how much I wiggle and whine.

I also learned something very interesting.  Did you know that you cannot get any LED lights that are CAA approved and designed for off grid use?

They told me about a website superbrightleds.com where you can order LED lights.  It is out of Prescott, Ontario and they say that they have had good luck with them.

Categories: Money, Off Grid, Tiny House Ontario | 1 Comment

Confusion and Battery

I have to get a battery (or two) for my new solar panel and fridge to operate.  It is a little bit embarrassing to admit this, but the books and internet information on the subject is about as interesting as the teacher is to the Peanuts characters.  I begin reading on the subject and before long the words all blend together and all I read is wawawawawawawa…  I find the subject nearly totally without interest for me.  The only parts that I find captivating are, produce your own power, so that you are not depending on the shady power companies.  It is the same with telecommunications companies – always ripping people off… so if I could talk my friends into operating HAM systems then I would try to dump those bastards too.

Back on topic… I have to get batteries and because basically all articles are BORING and user manual TECHNICAL… I really don’t know what to do.  I found one article which at least starts off interesting enough to read.  The thing is that I want to run the fridge and perhaps a few lights too since the pot-lights that I bought are VERY battery intensive.  For now I have access to free batteries but this may dry up and besides I don’t like to fill the land fill with a hundred batteries.

There is a battery store in Kingston which I think I will visit today.  Hopefully, I can talk to someone who speaks English… I don’t mean this in a racist sort of way at all.  What I mean is that I would like to go in and say, “I have a little 12 volt fridge and a 97 square foot house.  I need a battery that will make the fridge work and maybe two or three lights that are bright enough to read by”.

I would like an answer like this.  “Yes, this is what you need.  It is X dollars for this.  Would you like that today mam?”

What I am expecting is this.  “8 – 410Ah L16Ss in 2 banks is 20 RE500s wawawawawawawawa”.

Why is there not a simple solution to this task?

Categories: Money, Off Grid, Ontario, Sustainable living, Tiny House Ontario | 3 Comments

Good Morning!

Hj, will you take a photo of the dog pile, please?

He responds, I am not very good at taking photos of people.

My famous last words are, you can’t go wrong when you take a photo of the dog pile, it always looks cute!

Well… true that they are all cute!

As for me…

I think that I look like  someone shit on my Wheaties and the culprit might just be the photographer!

Poor Hj!

Categories: Dogs, Family, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment