Ontario

The Love of the Land

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Laura

What I loved the most about my dad was his deep and thriving love of the land. He was a farmer who lived not too far away from the place in which Tiny House Ontario is built. He dreamed of owning expansive property where he make a living ploughing straight long furrows into the earth and filling them with seeds.

This love of the land is one thing where my dad and I found common ground. I absolutely love the earth! I love the sky, the soil, the rocks, the trees, the critters and every single natural thing that sprouts from the Mother Earth. I am the sort of person who could spend a day looking at a tiny mushroom and marvel in the wonder of it.

Too, like Erazim Kohák, I find that the former human interaction with land puzzling and I feel strongly connected to this as well. An unexpected human thing left behind and out of place in the natural world leaves me with thousands of questions. On my land, about a half kilometre from THO, there are many small and random stone cairns which draw me back to them time and time again. They are quite curious because they are way up on the top of the escarpment far away from the low laying fields. My people, farmers, would never have carried stones for futility, so they came before the Irish parts of me settled here 150 years ago.

Here, in a crescent of stone, is my beloved cousin S (son of my father’s twin); he is also drawn to and fascinated with the cairns on our historic family land. The pull of them on us, is strong and magical; we are connected.

Did you find our gorgeous little M who is hiding?

Categories: Erazim Kohák, Family, Forest, Friendship, Magical, Off Grid, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | 3 Comments

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Laura

I am back in Hamilton and I am sick today. Not sure what it is really. All, I know is that I don’t feel awesome.

It is not all bad! One of the nicest things about having a pet is that they always stand by when you need them. Or lay on top of you… same thing, right?

I am dead pale…

This reminds me of the Irish sunbather. 😀

Have a good day all!

xo L

Categories: Ontario | 6 Comments

Life Without Water

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Laura

At Tiny House Ontario how I live is much the same as other people in standard homes, except I don’t collect stuff and I don’t watch TV. Also, I don’t have any running water.

I mean, I eat, cook, clean, sleep, read, entertain, I have hobbies and I also take care of myself, my pets and the land that surrounds me. The main difference really between the way that I live in my Tiny House and the way that most people live is two fold, consumption and the time I need to spend on water and bathing. All aspects of this are more time consuming because I have to fetch it, heat it, and organize for off site bathing.

Next spring a most of this will change! I now have the eves troughs up and the barrels are purchased so early in the year before the spring rain, I will install two barrels on the roof of the WC so that I can catch my wash water. I will be installing an enclosed outdoor shower, and I already have everything hooked up in the in-house for the tap to work.

Life will be nearly as convenient at THO as it is on grid! I only have to bring in drinking cooking and dish rinse water unless we have another drought. Let’s hope we don’t!

I have space up top for four barrels; don’t worry, when I built I planned for the extra weight being on the top of the structure. I am planning on installing only two barrels in the spring, to see if this is enough. If this does not provide enough water for my use, I have a back up plan. It is easy to add to two barrels later and if I have to do this, I will get a water delivery truck to come. Certainly with four roof rain barrels and one ground one if is worth the money to have a truck come and for the short term it is much cheaper than it is to drill a well. Any additional water on the truck can simply be dumped on and around my garden to give it a huge drink.

Here is the roof where the barrels will go.

Categories: Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Tiny house, Tiny House Ontario | Tags: nature, rain barrels, spring rain, water | 2 Comments

Fresh Fall Food

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Laura

It has been as cold as 8 degrees below zero up at Tiny House Ontario. I left the garden totally uncovered and mostly everything is now frozen off; however, there is still some fresh food available for nosh. I had cut down all the swiss chard when I left three weeks ago, because I figured it was on it’s last grow; surprising thing, is that it grew up again so I got another nice sized bag to eat.

The flat leaf Italian parsley was started late this year with a 1/2 a pack of 5 year old seeds and even with the horrible drought, it has been producing enough for me to use all summer. It is a perennial that continues to grow too, year after year, as long as the winter freeze does not kill it. The other half pack was what kept my Hamilton house in parsley for the last 5 years. A very good producer for a $3. pack of organic seeds! I cut off three good sized bundles to make 3 tabouli salads; one for me, one for my cousin S, and another for my Aunt C, so we all got a nice healthy side dish this week. There is still plenty there to make a couple of more salads but it is fun to dig under the snow to get it, so I left it.

Sage is another easy keeper. I don’t plant this from seed because one plant is PLENTY for my family. Among other things, it makes what would be a good sweet potato and coconut milk soup, really great. Sage has nice deep undertones that stay on the pallet a long time after eating. Here is the recipe that I like, because I am a GF veg*an, I simply substitute chicken broth for a gluten free veg*an soup base. I also don’t fully puree mine because I like bits – and speaking of bits this is nice with a handful of chopped peanuts on top too.

So, what I wanted to say is that I am glad that I did not dig up the swiss chard. It was a zero mile mouth full of yum!

Categories: Environmentalism, Food, Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Re-Use, Simple living, Sustainable living, Tiny House Ontario, View | Tags: coconut milk soup, dinner, food, italian parsley, vegan | 1 Comment

Assurance

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Laura

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ~ Rachel Carson

Now, it is late in the fall of the year. It is clear now for light to come to the forest floor because the leaves are off of the trees. When I walk back toward the escarpment I am able to see across the fields below; my eyes carry me through the forests and clearings and there I spot a couple of sections of the Rideau Canal. The smell of fall is deep and soothing. Soon the damp leaves and twigs will decay to soil and produce energy for the rebirth in spring, that will surely follow the long winter cold.

The days are warm enough that with a fleece and thin gloves it is comfortable. The forest is always comfortable for me.

I hope you will take the opportunity before it is too cold, to enjoy whatever the small slice of natural world you can find in your environment.

Soon, I will have to make this walk with snow shoes.

Peace out.