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Gary O
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# Posted: 9 May 2015 10:35pm - Edited by: Gary O
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Took awhile to get goin' this morn.
Sun shone,
birds tweeted,
cabi was already breaking new garden ground.
I mostly just stared at things and scratched myself.
Then
The day's plan took shape.
We had several uncoordinated piles of leftovers from various projects.
Not totally messy, but my OCD self gets all tense when seeing piles.
Got into a bit of a whirlwind, scooping up bits of OSB, shards of T1-11, 2x4 ends, and various other stuff.
Thing is, I get overindulged, and forget to take a handful of ibuprofen before I get goin'.
This maneuver causes me to eventually stop in my tracks, wince, lean on a tree, ponder life, then go again...until my back is so seized up I can't move.
Then I weep a little bit, feign like I was just bushwhacked, and make my way to the lawn chair, all the while bent over, looking like I've lost something on the ground and am combing the area for whatever fell outta my pocket.
Oh, and once the pain killer took effect, I added some accoutrements to our outdoor shower.
Our shower, up to now, was a tarp wrapped around four trees.
Now, now we have handrails, and a pallet (of sorts) floor. All from the scrap pile.
The day reached 70°F, so we took showers from sun warmed milk jugs of water.
It wasn't a choice, really.
My favorite shoes, the ones that naturally emanate an ungodly aroma, have bumped it up a notch, since I've been stumbling around the cabin without socks for the last few days, giving my feet the noticeable bouquet of a long deceased mongrel that managed to vomit on itself before passing.
As for the shower, the word 'exhilarating' comes to mind when describing how perky one can get when drenching oneself with water right when the wind kicks up.
First dowse caused me to engage in audible Tourette like involuntary shrieks, comparable to; 'AAAAAA---AAEEEEAA-AAAAAHEEEYAA---AAAAAA!'
But this day was glorious, and we'll savor it.
Tomorrow?
Who knows?
But I'm havin' ibuprofen and eggs for breakfast.
....and my shoes are spending the night outside somewhere.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 11 May 2015 02:25am
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Rain!!!
Ran out and put my dirty clothes bucket out in the rain and my wash basin for dirty dishes!
Also my garden is getting a good watering!
Yay!
Wish I had been able to put more buckets out for lots of rain water to be saved for garden watering later!
Then I guess next week is in the 20's!
Was going to plant a tomato plant but now vary!
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 13 May 2015 10:42pm
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Well the deer ate all the leaves on one seaberry tree!
And nibbled a bit on another!
So Gary o and i put wire around them all.
The neighbors are so sweet to us - they brought me a lot of flowers.
I got them planted and now I worry the deer will nibble my flowers.
I dug up this soil!agh! Tuff going!
Got 200 onions planted.yay.
What kind of tomatoes plants do u plant in colder climate?
I want to get early girl! 50 days.
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hattie
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# Posted: 14 May 2015 12:36am - Edited by: hattie
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We like sub-arctic (it is a bush tomato),and early girl (a climber). Patio tomatoes are really good too. You can start them indoors in a pot and move them outside when it warms up. Then you can move them back inside (somewhere bright) when it gets cold. We use pots that are about 1 ft. tall and 1 ft. in diameter (3 gallon I think).
Some things to try to keep the deer away. Tie cut up fabric softener sheets to your trees. Change them when it rains and when you change them, also change the scent you use. Another thing we do is hang small, plastic pop bottles from the trees. Put a small amount of ammonia in the bottles. The deer don't seem to like the strong smell. The ammonia will evaporate, so you will need to replace it.
Some people put raw eggs at the base of trees or use a product called Plant Skydd. We don't use them because they will attract bears. Plant Skydd is blood - eww.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 14 May 2015 10:17am
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oh my gosh hattie.thank u so much on all counts.
love all your answers.thank s for this.
soo plant sydd must be blood meal.
and i had forgotten about sub artic maters. i see none here at the stores but i have seen early girls n i can sure get patio tomatoes.
thank u.hugs cabi
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hattie
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# Posted: 14 May 2015 12:48pm
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Quoting: cabingal3 soo plant sydd must be blood meal.
It is actually blood - bovine (cow) blood and it looks like it. We tried it once before we realized what it was. From their website: "Plantskydd repels by emitting an odor browsing animals associate with predator activity—stimulating a fear-based response that will have garden feeders looking for somewhere else to dine." Translation - it'll keep the grazing animals away, but the smell will attract the predators like bear and cougars.
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creeky
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# Posted: 14 May 2015 01:03pm
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Quoting: cabingal3 Rain!!! Ran out and put my dirty clothes bucket out in the rain and my wash basin for dirty dishes!
well now I know you are truly off grid. welcome 
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2015 09:50pm
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Hahaha!! Thanks creeky!
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2015 09:54pm
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Today I wired the top of the protective wire cages me and Gary o made!
We worked all day clearing off the land!
We had to go to town and when coming back!!two big deer's were coming from our woods!!
I guess they found out we nixed their little plans for this day anyway!
Gonna do the ammonia trick hattie!
Thank u!
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2015 09:53pm
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we have been here offically for 18 days.
gary o has lost 20 pounds.i dont know if i have but he says i am loosing inches.women are always weird on the weight loss thing.
anyway.we have been working so much.its just so great to be out in the mountain air using our old bodies.
the days go by so fast.
we have a fun/tuff busy time at the cabin and the land.
in 18 days we have started cutting up firewood for winter and stacking it. i have some garden in.garyo has made me kitchen cabinets and a tool crib for him and enlarged our kitchen.
we have cleared land and made a clothes line and more.what fun.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 15 May 2015 11:35pm
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When yer off grid, there's an immediacy to most everything you do.
And, everything you do is heavy.
Gas is heavy
Propane tanks are heavy
Water is really heavy
Wood is heavy
Chopping mauls are heavy
Wet, hand scrubbed clothes are heavy
I call it 'chores'....not yer everyday gotta empty the garbage chores.
I no longer 'work for the man'
I am 'the man'
I work directly for me...and my bride.
Funny thing, if I don't do these chores, life, as I know it, is immediately affected.
Now when I worked for the man, everything was cordoned off, buffered, intangible, cocooned by power companies, regulatory bodies.
I'd flip a switch, and whatever I expected to happen happened, pretty much right away...didn't even give it much thought.
And, if the power went down, we'd just sit there and wait, maybe eat what was in the freezer, heated up by the camp stove, and play cards by candlelight....kinda romantic...kinda.
And, happily, after not more than a few hours or a day or two, the lights would go back on, we'd restock the freezer, and go on our merry way.
Not so, off grid.
I'm relearning everything I've taken for granted.
I've lost 20 lbs in three weeks.
We bucked and split a half dozen trees.
I'm worried about winter though.
Got much more to do...much much more.
But, no matter what comes this winter, I think we'll be up for it.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 02:01pm
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I'm also rediscovering what I'm made of.
Underneath this blubber is some sinew,
and hidden underneath that is the muther lode of blubber.
Oh, I'm not complainin'
Havin' a ball, really
Beats hell outta town
If we'd stayed where we were at, I'd have withered away within a couple years.
It just hurts a bit more in places.
That chopping maul has been the best exercise I've had in a long time.
My aches and pains kinda get numb when I get unkinked, and I can still knock out a cord or two in short order.
Bought a pair of Carhartt bib overalls.
I've become grampa.
Gawd I love them!
No more hiking up my wranglers ever two minutes.
So much room I think I could turn around without them moving.
Oh, I'll don the olive drab shorts when things heat up, but, man, these are grand.
The other thing I've become aware of, is my continued impatience with life's events.
Of late, the last five or so years, I've had discussions with myself, coming to the conclusion that I've got to slow down, savor what I'm doin' at present.
It's really hard for me.
I cannot seem to get my mind into the dimension of the present for any length of time.
I'm off and running, got things to build, things to clean up, things that need fixin'.
But
Of late, ever now and then, I've learned to stop, and consider.
If everything was done, and I was sitting with my woman on the deck of our oversized cabin at the edge of the meadow, what then?
Chores?
Sure, and there's that thought of tooling around in my rebuilt '49 willys pickup, seeking out old boards and turning 'em into some sorta unique pie cabinet or end table in my shop...wait, I think that'll last awhile...at least until I give out.
Can't wait
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 07:43pm
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Quoting: Gary O Bought a pair of Carhartt bib overalls
love my overalls....you got to get ya a old pair from goodwill and cut them off into short pants overalls wear no shirt lol.... and be a southern redneck..like me...lol
I have 6 or 7 pair of overalls....camo...denim...and the brown duck is my favorite....I love the part of not having to pull up ya pants while working as well...lol
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 09:43pm
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Ok! I am in for Gary o doing this turkeyhunter!
He especially needs the camo cut offs!
Especially when I see the chocolate trail he left last nite from the kitchen to the sleeping cabin! All over his shirt and pants!
Lol!
I told him he needs to do some of this clothes washing too!
He said he can't cause I wash better than our old washing machine!
So I guess I shall keep on scrubbing and making chocolate cakes! Lol!
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 10:40pm
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Quoting: turkeyhunter you got to get ya a old pair from goodwill and cut them off into short pants overalls wear no shirt lol.... and be a southern redneck..like me...lol
Hey, I'm picky about my camo.
Need some dark brown in it.
Dang woman, caught me again.
She made a cake in her little oven.
The woman can make cake, pies too.
Good enough ta make ya wanna fall down and scream, good.
This cake is chocolate.
Dark chocolate.
Moist.
Heavy icing....chocolate icing.
I'd kill baby kittens for cake with chocolate icing.
Thing is, the main cabin is a bit dark at night, and I didn't want to start the genny just for cake...or....to cast a shadow near the cake.
Danged it I didn't get it all down the front of my shirt, my pants, and my sleeves....and the dead giveaway was puttin' the lid on upside down.
So worth it (I'll use a fork next time)
Can't wait for pie now.
She makes the best flaky crust...the best.
Even if it was moose turd pie, you'd ask for seconds.
As far as bib overall shorts,
Can't
Can't go commando and sit.
One time I was waitin' for her at the library, found a bench,
sat on wunna the boys.
Jumped straight up and hollered.
....didn't have to wait too long after that.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 11:06pm
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Quoting: Gary O As far as bib overall shorts,
still wear ya tighty whiteys..lol GaryO
so glad you and Cabi are having good time...you lost 20 lbs and still eating a chocolate cake...nice..lol
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 11:29pm
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seems to not matter what we eat out here, it's just dropping off
thing is, we only eat two meals a day, and those are purty meager...can't gobble huge portions and do any heavy work
and, it's getting easier to pick things up off the ground
and easier to get off the ground...sorta
I still crawl around til I find a stump or small child
(I'll update this at end of summer...by then I should weigh in at 78 lbs........)
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 17 May 2015 01:21pm
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ok.so happy.i made up my own pattern and knitted the mister some custom made long johns.
its been at least 5 yrs.
he never gave them any nevermind.
last nite he put them on cause his sweats i washed the other day were still on the line.
he was going into the kitchen to make us coffee and needed something warm.
so he puts them on and ends up sleeping in them.
i am so thrilled as he never likes jammies cause he gets twisted up in them whilst sleeping.
so he sleeps in the long johns and wakes up and said he loves them.he slept like a cozy baby all nite...
i was and am so thrilled.
yay!
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2015 01:35pm
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AND THEY ARE GRAND!!
I have a tendency to run in my sleep, and flop, and (for no apparent reason) stick one limb up in the air.
These things do not twist up!
These jammies fit so snug, and are so so warm, I don't see why I'd ever take 'em off...ever
aaaand
I have cake
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2015 06:30pm
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You guys are too funny! I'm glad you are both having so much fun!!!
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2015 11:57pm
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Thanks so much dear hattie!
We are so happy!
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 18 May 2015 07:42am
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....excruciatingly happy
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naturelover66
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# Posted: 18 May 2015 12:24pm
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I look forward to reading of your adventures.. Always makes me smile. You're an inspiration . Your love for each other.. your positive attitudes. Just wonderful.
I'm so happy for u.
Lisa
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 18 May 2015 08:28pm
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thanks, nl
You guys are a real boost
rained today
went to town
so happy to be back at the cabin, hunkered in for the night
cheers
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 21 May 2015 02:48am
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I am amazed at the total award of clearing our land !
We get everything back triple fold!
We get lots of exercise,get the land cleaned up,get lots of fire wood stacks every where for the winter fire!
We go to bed thrilled at seeing the improvement on our land and sleep like logs!
Amazing what a little work can do.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 21 May 2015 03:45am
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Quoting: cabingal3 Amazing what a little work can do
She's killin' me
seriously folks; I couldn't have said it better (at 12:30 AM)
Heh, I wake around 8A...lay there like the deadfalls on our little acreage til 9....finally get up (to pee), and see my lady loppin' limbs like no tomorrow...since 7A (in the rain)...so I sneak back to bed (pretending to snore)....waiting for coffee.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 21 May 2015 04:21am - Edited by: Gary O
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speaking of loppers;
We did buy some new ones.
Fiskars
Oh-h-h-h-h-h-o, never knew loppers could be so good, so...what's the word....kind.
Cuts 1 ½ inch limbs like butter.
So friggin' easy...no chewing.
Our old loppers (I'm not gonna say the brand name, but it sounds like Ames....because, well, that's how it's spelt) were hideous.
Don't know why I kept 'em around, I don't even have a dungeon.
They'd chew into the limb and, if you were tenacious enough, gnaw on the branch until the little twig finally gave up.
But that 'tool' wasn't done yet....oh no, you see, it would persistently cling to the branch like a pit bull, well after grudgingly severing the limb, until you beat it off with a sledge hammer.
I used to cringe at the thought of lopping anything, strongly considering my grampa's double ended cross cut saw in lieu of the torture that thing could administer.
I also used to think it was me, and thought my grampa would laugh his hind end off at me, then hit the blades with his rasp a couple times, and prune his entire orchard by lunch.
Now?
I think not.
I call our little Fiskars lopper 'Cyndi'.
I keep her in the cabin.
Don't want Cyndi to get wet...or cold.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 21 May 2015 08:44am
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sounds like you guys are "getting er done"....Glad the new fiskars are doing a good job for ya....I have the fiskars hand pruners as well..both stay in the truck tool box and work well when I need them.
ps--I wish I could sleep to 8am....I still wake up early everday...even though it been almost 6 years since retirement
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 21 May 2015 11:51pm - Edited by: Gary O
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We're gettin' tired
The woods haven't won...yet
Our new goal is to get our first winter's wood in under our own steam.
Thought we'd have to buy it this year.
Nada
We're gonna knock it out.
I figger 10 cord should do it, maybe less if we damp our Earthstove attentively.
Whilst we fall, buck, split, stack, we also drag all the limbs and rotting dead fall into a pile.
Our main goal these last couple days was to blaze a trail to the meadow in order for the Jeep and trailer to haul the slash piles out there. We were gonna burn 'em where they are, but the last three years have yielded little to zero snow, so it's to the meadow, away from the trees...and cabin.
Previous years we did some burning, a slash pile here, a slash pile there.....didn't know we were just playin' at it, thought we were workin'.....heh (wheeze).
Also, while we're logging the land, we are meeting our other goal of a 'park like setting'.
.......never really fully considered what actually entailed creating a @#%!# 'park like setting'
Here's some pix;
Got wood
got more work to do
got a park like setting (in places)
do you see the three deer?
juuuust kiddin'....only one deer (heh heh....sorry)
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2015 05:49am
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Off Grid Cabin dwelling update;
We are not suffering from electronics withdrawal with this (pardon the geek grammar) jetpack thingybob.
We are connected to all internet worlds.
The only downside to that is, when living out a ways (or in a ways, I really don't know) the ol' jetpack tends eat Gigs like popcorn, like living on Mars telephone rates.
Once we are over the shock of our first bill from (I won't mention the name of the company that neglects to educate their inept poophead employees in the customer service dept, but it rhymes quite well with Horizon...) we will probably cut down our usage...so we can eat.
Other than all that, we continue to peck away at clearing the land and adding amenities, like gutters....for water collection.
Next rain is sched in a couple days.
Here's a tidbit;
Things are never done here.....ever.
I'm coming to grips with that, and calming my OCDs by telling myself a certain project is done.....heh...those aren't either.
Anything out here can be improved upon....anything.
Like now, for instance. I'm going to go back to bed and improve on my sleep habits......
Cheers, fellow cabiners
(Jenny off, lights out)
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