Sustainable living

Dick Proenneke

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Laura

I never heard of Dick Proenneke until tonight.  I was looking up some videos on how to build timber frame place out of logs and basically stumbled on this beautiful footage.  His footage, of himself, building a life in the forest of Alaska in 1968.

There is also a second video which was just released in 2011

The third is yet to be released!

If you love this, as I did then perhaps you will also want to read his Journals?  Which can be downloaded free here.

Sometimes the internet is so cool.  How else would I have ever met him?

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Forest, Friendship, Magical, Nature, Off Grid, Open your eyes, Simple living, Sustainable living, View | 6 Comments

Don’t tell me to stuff it!

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Laura

I am catching up on the Tiny House community while I am in Hamilton and I have the luxury of a full time internet connection.

I found this interview with Dee Williams.  Dee has been living full time in her 84 square foot Tiny House (on wheels) in Olympia Washington, since 2003.

I think that she and I have more in common than having dogs named Rudi… but I have come to understand that we Tiny Housers all have things in common.  I can’t speak for us all, but I have noticed, largely, that we do not wish to participate in consumer culture, we think about what we consume and we try to lead our lives simply and sustainably.  More than once I have heard Tiny Housers speak to the issue of simplification because they want time with those who they care about, more than they want stuff in their lives.

“I think stuff is a huge distraction from your character”  Dee Williams

Categories: Environmentalism, Family, Friendship, Materialism, Off Grid, Simple living, Sustainable living, Tiny house, View | 3 Comments

Stones, Slope and Fabulous Farmers

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Laura

We got a little rain this morning so the stone dust got packed in a little bit better.  This allowed us to add another layer of stone dust to it.  The neighbour kids stopped by and wanted to help so I suggested that they stamp the stones in.  They happily stomped away.  Thanks kids!

The stone is at about the height that want it now, so I think I need to add a little more to it still because it will compress more over the winter.  It is just about level so I am thinking that I have to add a small slope away from the building in order to keep the water away.  I am not sure how to do this as entire property slopes toward the other side of the house so the natural way is for it to go toward this side of the house.  I have to think about this, but I think that I will have to slope it to the East.  Also, I am accepting any advice you might have on the subject.

After working at this for a couple of hours I went with the kids over to a wonderful organic farm in Inverary, Ontario.  We were reminded that the drought is not just something that effects farmers, it effects eaters.  How true.

Her garden looks about a million times better than mine.  She is producing all sorts of food for a CSA as well as baking bread and producing eggs for these baskets.  Plus the animals… they all need care and attention at all times.  Then the crops and the … it really never ends on a bio-diverse organic farm.  The entire family seems only willing to stop for in order to have a short food break and then they are back to work.

Categories: Art, Drought, Environmentalism, Food, Nature, Ontario, Simple living, Sustainable living | Leave a comment

THO In Charge!

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Laura

The battery is charged.  The lights are all in a state of go so I plugged in the inverter and got a green light!

Then I plugged in my cell and charged it.  It worked, interestingly, the draw was not large enough to be noted as a charge being needed in the big marine battery of the solar system.

Then I plugged in two computers to charge, this made the fan of the inverter turn on intermittently and it also allowed the solar panel to give more energy to the system.

The last photo shows the solar panel with the cloth porch in the background.  The wiring will need to go about 100 feet to gain access to THO.  For this to be up to code the wires need to be buried but in the stones this would be very difficult work indeed!  Also this would make the job of moving the panels so that they can catch better light depending on the season, darned near impossible.  The battery expert told me that rodents love to chew wires that are left outside and suggested that we encase the wires in plumbing tubes – but this is ugly stuff and also pretty awkward to move. I wonder if the wire which is encased in metal might work?

If anyone knows, I would very much appreciate feedback!

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

George LED

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Laura

It is not easy to take a photo of an LED light at night.  I took about 50 of them to try to get a good one of the LED light that George (the Kayaker) gifted to me when we met by chance up on 14 highway on the day of the odyssey.

It casts a great light and actually runs all night long every night so I now have a night light which is really very cool.

The chance meeting with sweet George provided me with enough information about how these lights work that I feel pretty comfortable taking them apart now.  I also started to put together the solar panels that I purchased a few weeks ago.  A little at a time and very cautiously…

Here is the best of all the bad photos.  Where can I find a good photographer when I need one?

Thanks again George it is a great gift for a Tiny House woman like myself.  

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