Incase I havent mentioned it, I dont have internet or electricity. I havent for awhile and frankly, its not so bad. It elicits a good chuckle from most people, or comments along the lines of "I could never do it". No. You just dont want to do it. And thats fine.
The house has stalled and rightfully so. Short of a chimney it is ready as its going to be for our first winter hunkered down. The past few weeks have seen a consistent 40 over night. Thats right, middle of August and already hovering near frost. Summer loses its appeal quickly to me. Bring on the cold!
Speaking of the cold. One of many side projects was a starter greenhouse. For less than $150 you can build it yourself. Tubing is 3/4" EMT conduit. Bendable and sturdy enough for a small greenhouse. I cut the ends angled and drove them into the ground. Laid down landscape fabric and some stone to keep a nice working floor in it. Rough carpentry framing finished off the rest of it.
Unfortunately the 4 mil poly sheeting I had left over from the house did not make suitable greenhouse material. Tore pretty easily and the top rungs need a cross bar also to keep the bars from poking through. Beyond that it actually works quite well. I didnt open it one day when we went hiking and the bean seedlings couldnt handle the heat. Sadness. Lessons learned. With some new (proper) plastic for next spring itll be ready to pump out an array of seedlings.
I love dried foods. They make the best snacks and helps rid your homestead of waste. Plus the nutrients of the food are held mostly intact. This little solar dehydrator has replaced my plug in electric one, for obvious reasons. Electric one takes four hours for an average batch of tomatoes. Now it takes two days at 70-80 degree air temp. But its free! Whats the rush? Well, winter. Winter is coming. Daily activities now include rotating batches, placing dried goods in a paper bag overnight to catch any leftover moisture and then sealing them in glass jars. The process is theraputic and provides a very rewarding return for my investment. Next year Ill be devising a full size solar dehydrator because the little hanging one simply cant handle the volume of apples, tomatos, jerky, fish and everything else I feel like dehydrating.
Physical fitness is of utmost priority. Dietary changes and being active everyday does wonders but I need to supplement. Enter the outdoor gym. Its just a pull up bar. Ive bounced in and out of gyms and the sterile environment chips away at my soul. The sandy loam backyard provides a great platform for a home gym. Soak up some vitamin D. Knock out endless pull ups, dips, pushups and picking up heavy stuff. There really isnt a need for anything more. I miss the barbell sometimes and it may re-enter my life at a later date. For the time being, a cedar post pull up bar and random rocks will suffice.
Theres always stuff to do. Endless other things.
