Off Grid

Another One… EEEEEEEEK!

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Laura

I am not a big fan of spiders. I like the work they do… catching and eating mosquitos But the simple thought of having a huge jumping one in a confined space like Tiny House Ontario (with me) is what my personal nightmares are made of.

This one, is the variety I fear the most because they can jump at least 3 feet. I know this, because I witnessed last years giant do so when I accidentally brought it in to the in-house on my ladder. A few days ago I spotted this magnificent apex of vileness, on the cloth porch. I did not wish to kill it, and honestly I was too afraid of it to catch it… and now I don’t know where it is… This means, I have to keep the door closed between the two. Above all, do NOT want the creature in the house with me! Simply put, if it got in, I would have to move out until someone was able to get it out for me.

Now you know…. just like Jim Stafford, I don’t like spiders and snakes.

Categories: Forest, Nature, Off Grid, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario | Tags: nature | 11 Comments

Total Darkness

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Laura

Three nights ago, I awoke… peeked at my light up watch. It was 3:00 am and I was in my loft at THO. It was dark. I opened my eyes, but they did not adjust to the light. I looked out the window but there was no light, I could see nothing at all.

It dawned on me that I have not, even in the forest of the tiny house been in complete and total darkness since I took a photography class many years ago. I lay there, petting my dog who I could tell was Minnie by the way her fur feels in my hand. She is the neediest of my dogs because of her being a runt perhaps and she is always cuddled right in to my tummy while I sleep.

I am not normally insomnia ridden but I lay there awake for about two hours until the daylight broke the darkness. It was not restlessness or frustration that kept me awake. I was looking at nothing because my eyes never adjusted. I simply enjoyed the rare experience of living without light.

Have you ever been outside, or in a room with many curtain free windows and experienced absolute total darkness?

Categories: Forest, Off Grid, Ontario, Open your eyes, Tiny House Ontario, View | 4 Comments

Snake

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Laura

I was driving to my sister’s house the other day and had just gone around the corner from THO when I found that there was a snake directly on the path of my car. I was not driving fast, about 30 KPH (just under 20 MPH) so I was able to swerve to miss it. I stopped the car and walked back to be sure I did not accidentally clip it and when I did, I was surprised by the snake I found.

I had fully expected to see an endangered grey ratsnake (commonly called blacksnake). These often huge snakes make their home in the area where THO is located.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a snake lover. I admit that am only mildly tolerant of their existence. I am not scared of them exactly, but I find the way that they suddenly move when you are almost on top of them startling. I have no desire to touch them either. I find the way the move and wrap around things very icky. Still, I certainly would not intentionally kill one, as a matter of fact I find the practice of those who kill them, distasteful at best.

The snake was fully unharmed by my drive by, but it was certainly not a ratsnake. The thing is, that I can’t identify exactly what sort of snake it was… and is the part that has kept me from writing about it. The snake with the closest markings (frighteningly) is the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake but the snake was more slender than images I have seen. I also did not notice a rattle but I did not get much of a look because it slithered away before I could get a good look (or my camera). The only other similar snake (that I am aware of) in this area is the milksnake, which both the pattern and the colour were wrong for.

I have never known rattlers to be in the area, but I am concerned that perhaps they are now here because of the way that the climate is altering.

Does anyone have any ideas that are not included here? If so, please do share a link to an image so that I can have a look and try to properly identify it.

Thanks!

Here are the Unique Features:

The snake was the same colour as the Massasauga – Tan/gold and brown.

It had a diamond pattern down both sides as with the Massasauga.

It was about one metre (a yard) in length.

It was a thinner snake similar to the common garter snake in breadth.

Categories: Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | 13 Comments

No One Here But Us Turkeys!

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Laura

This morning when I woke up the rain had just begun to fall. I flew out of bed to uncover the garden and headed back into Tiny House Ontario to get dressed and organize my day. My cousin Tracey and I planned on a slumbie at her place in the city tonight, so I had a few things to pack into the car.

I was just about to put them there when I noticed there was a HUGE turkey just beside my door. Instead of going out, I grabbed the camera and took a couple of photos. Unfortunately, he got a few feet from the house… and through the glass the photos are not terrifically clear. Even so, they are better than nothing and I did not want to scare turkey off. These wild turkeys run fast and fly quite well so I am lucky to get a photo from 20 feet.

The turkey was alone as far as I could see. Probably attracted by the mix I put out for the birds and chipmunks. It certainly looked well fed and mature. I would guess that this turkey was well in excess of 20 pounds.

I knew that there were turkeys here on our historical land because I often see their tracks in the snow; large arrows pointing in direction that they left behind. It is the first I have seen one come so close so I am thrilled and hoping for more!

The wild turkey is really making a comeback in Eastern Ontario. I understand from my grandparents that they were once very plentiful; however, as a child I do not recall ever seeing one nor do I recall ever hearing of anyone who hunts ever killing one. Yet, in the last decade they seem to be thriving. I also understand that these turkeys were reintroduced to the area from the United States. Apparently 274 birds were brought in a couple of decades ago and now there are some 35,000 of them in the area.

No matter the details, it was thrilling to have a turkey visit THO this morning! Now I am signing off because I am going to gobble down some lunch… turkey free, of course!