Off Grid

Pet Emergency

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Laura

I got a notification on Facebook the other day about what to do in case of a pet emergency.

I thought that it was very useful, but I also thought I really better get the dogs familiarized with riding a motorcycle because this is my only means of transportation.  I am about a year late with this.  Honey is a no go, so too is Imp; both of them are far too nervous even to be put in the carry bag.  So, I hope that friends and neighbours will be able to assist me, as Liisa did last year when Phyllis died from her long ago abuse (she was rescued from a crack house and had severe injuries).

Minnie and Rudigrrr Wolf are A-OK with the bike.  The neighbours and friends who saw her  and the Wolf had a good laugh.

This is what a Emergency Preparedness for pets looks like at Tiny House Ontario.

Categories: Dogs, Family, Friendship, Off Grid, Ontario | 1 Comment

SPLURGE!

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Laura

All of you who are keeping track of the progress at Tiny House Ontario know that she is very much a project who is still underway.

Today I hoped to get the siding on but without the tools basically my husband and I had the day off to look around and while doing so we stopped at Canadian Tire because it was on our route.  It turns out that the off grid stuff was on sale, so we sort of borrowed from Peter to pay Paul and made a couple of big ticket purchases.

It seems to me that with a little 12 volt (18 litre) fridge and a few solar panels that Tiny House Ontario will not feel so off grid anymore.  The two items together cost $474. plus tax, with the sale it was as though the fridge got thrown in and so too did the tax.  Now we have another job to do because we have to figure out how the system works, and actually connect the fridge to power.  I also need to get a battery…

The great thing is that now that I have the little fridge I can actually start to plan in earnest what the end result kitchen will look like.

 

UPDATE: July 7 2012… I was informed by a couple of people in the know that these sort of solar panels are not great because they are encased in plastic.  I understand that it would have been the same cost to by aluminium and they last at least twice as long.

Categories: Environmentalism, Materialism, Money, Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Sustainable living, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

Tee Hee Hee… Oops!

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Laura

Today is the day for the siding to be put up!  Yeah!

Hj drove here from Hamilton to help and I hired Leo.  We got up nice and early, had a coffee, prepared the site, opened the packages so that when Leo arrives with the generator and cutting tools it will all be ready for him.

We sat petting the dogs after we were done this and waited for Leo who normally arrives between 8 and 9 when he is working at Tiny House Ontario.

Tap

Tap

Tap…

9:00 no Leo…

hmmm… what is it they say about watched kettles?

At 9:30 I when he had still not arrived I realize that I WAS supposed to CALL HIM to let him know when the steel was delivered.  I neglected to do this…  Probably a mental hiccup because I hate the phone.

Still, I feel sorry because Hj came a long way and poor THO is not getting her promised birthday suit of new steel today.

Leo is fishing with Woodchuck.  I hope they catch something.

As for me and Hj, we are just going to hang around and do not too much.  I guess I will take it easy, thinking perhaps I am tired because this is the second truly stupid thing that I have done this week!

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

Sharing Moments

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Laura

When I am at Tiny House Ontario, life is very simple and slow paced.  I find that I take the time to stop and look when I see something beautiful.  I even take the time to return just to look again when I think places are wonderful.

This is just a little post to share some moments that I took the time to notice yesterday.  I hope that you take the day slowly enough that you can also see.

 

Categories: Forest, Kingston, Magical, Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Open your eyes, Tiny House Ontario, View | Leave a comment

Rain

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Laura

It has been raining off and on for the past few days since we had the heat wave.  It means that I sit inside of Tiny House Ontario and read.  The rain is great for the garden which is growing great.  I think I should be able to have salad for supper tonight, and so begins the start of the 0 mile diet.

During a lull in the rain, I weed the garden and note that the chicken wire over the part of the garden which had big seeds that the critters dig, is difficult to pull weeds out of.  I have to wait until they are a little bigger and come up through the wire.  That is my story, I am sticking to it.

When I was out checking on the garden I noticed that the dragon flies are using my soffit to hide under.

As for what I have read while I am shut-in and cuddling with the canines.  Shirley Gibson-Langille’s Landscapes and Inscapes which is an utterly charming book which melds her paintings into the history of the Kingston area.  Augustin Burroughs This is How which is LOL funny, but also astute!  The guy tells it the way that it is, and I sort of fear that he is probably right about a lot of issues.  Lastly Anaïs Nin In Favor of the Sensitive Man which is a rather 1970’s look at men and women, but still somehow interesting.  I will begin another tonight.

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