This View

I wonder if I will ever grow tired of this view.  I know, the property is still very new to me. A novelty, almost.  But I truly believe that I will never grow tired of this view.

This photo was taken from the back "deck" of The Shack during one of my first full weekend visits there.  I spent the weekend cleaning the stove pipe, gathering wood, and murdering the invasive vines that are pulling down my trees. 

My trees.  Not someone else's trees. My. Trees. 

I daydream constantly about the best way to turn this into my retirement homestead with as little debt as possible.  I study about chickens, and rabbits, and goats.  I knew as soon as I set foot on the property that it was where I wanted to be.  Now it's just a matter of getting myself up there.

Speaking of view, this is the view on the other side of the road.  I'll know why my chickens will cross the road. To see the view on the other side.

Heaven.

Book Review - A Widow's Walk Off-Grid

A Widow's Walk Off-Grid: An inspiring true story of courage and self-determination is a story that resonated with me at this point in my life.  The author, Annie Dodds, responded to her husband's long terminal illness, death, and resulting financial poverty by finding life on a remote dirt road in an off-grid, rickety house. Anyone interested in a true story about transitioning into off-grid living will likely find it hard to put this book down. 

The Annie Dodds Off-Grid Story

Annie survives the long illness and death of her husband. Then has to decide what is next for her. While most people "plan to go off-grid" she tells us in a radio interview, "I think I was in an emotional coma, I didn't plan. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't have a plan".  

With very little money and few belongings, she moved many miles away from civilization into a rundown old farmhouse. She moved to the little house, with few neighbors and no corner stores, out of emotional and financial necessity; in order to live a dream.

"I would live a relaxed country life, the kind of life I once wanted, but had put on hold, because our dreams are not always the dreams of those we love"

Not a How-To Off-Grid Guide

If you are looking for a detailed DIY guide, there are better books to turn to. But if you would enjoy a woman's tale of finding riches in friendships and of finding life in an 80 year old rundown house on 50 acres, you are in the right place. 

Annie moves into a little house just off ten miles of caliche dirt road between two highways. Miles to the nearest decent neighbor and 30 miles to the closest real store. With no electricity, running water, or girls' room facilities, Annie and her dog Tippy make a home. Annie continues to live through some circumstances that would have overcome many people. 

"Live your dream, life is not chapters"

A Widow's Walk Off-grid is written like a journal, rather than chapters, because the past "keeps jumping up" and impacts her story. The story doesn't move in exacting linear fashion and seems to backtrack at times. But I found that this style echoes what it feels like when I spend time in my off-grid, dry cabin.  Life doesn't move in a nice, tidy line from point A to point B. 

Living and Living Your Dream

Annie is an example of jumping in and living the dream she had begun to imagine while reading Backwoods Magazine during her husband's illness.  She is also an example of how we can create family from friends and help each other live. 

While off-grid living is far from glamorous - in fact, it consists of daily hard physical work and moments of intense sadness and fear - there is something liberating about being able to fend for yourself.  The small joys of life become easier to see without the constant ambient glow of commercial life in our eyes. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you. 

Recommended Reading by Annie Dodds:
Backwoods Home Magazine

Interview:
Lil Suburban Homestead interviews Annie Dodds

Similar Reading:
If you enjoy reading Widow's Walk Off-Grid; An inspiring true story of courage and self-determination I believe you will also enjoy reading Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World. 

First Meals at the Shack

Oh my wonderful plywood hunting shack perched near the top of a ridge. A perfect place to relax away from the rat race. It is an off-grid, dry cabin suitable for weekend getaways and camping trips. So far there are no utilities - no running water and no refrigeration. What follows are my first attempts with preparing hot and satisfying meals in off-grid conditions.

My Off-grid Kitchen Facilities

My "kitchen" at the Shack includes a dilapidated gas BBQ grill outdoors, a small wood stove indoors, no running water, no utilities, and no refrigeration. I have a refrigerator that the previous owners left. But I do not have utilities connected and I have no immediate plans to do so. Thus far, the refrigerator makes a fine mouse-proof dry goods pantry.

I really like hamburgers and hot dogs but didn't want to eat only hamburgers and hot dogs. I wanted easy and tasty meals. Usually meals for one. And because I carry in my water, I didn't want to have many dishes to wash after each meal.  Cooking in foil packets turned out to be a great solution.

Hobo Packs

My first few meals cooked inside consisted of meat chunks and veggies baked in tinfoil. I didn't didn't realize that someone had given this style of cooking a name. It's called a Hobo Pack.  I just learned that today while trying to find additional easy, off-grid recipes.

My version includes whatever meat was for sale at the grocery store closest to the shack. Cubed or sliced into smaller pieces. Sliced onions and bell peppers. Sprinkled with "hot shots" pepper.  I love my hot shots. If I can have only one spice available, I'd choose hot shots every time.

Hot Shot pepper blend

I have added cubed potatoes when I have some.  I spray the inside of the foil with a cooking spray if I am adding potatoes in order to keep the potatoes from sticking.  Then all I do is wrap the foil tightly and toss the pack into the coals to cook.  I turn the pack several times during cooking.

I warm flour tortillas on a skillet, on top of the wood stove, or laid across the top of the hobo pack inside the stove, to serve with these hobo packs.

I was able to finally find a small enameled cast iron dutch oven that fits perfectly into my stove.  Between that amazing little dutch oven and the endless flexibility of cooking in tin foil packs, I will surely eat well while at The Shack.

Give it a Try

I'm not good with sharing recipes, since I just throw things together. But I can assure you that if I end up with tender and tasty meals, you can too. If you need an easy way to cook while camping or off-grid, but aren't sure where to start, the Food Network provides a list of 50 Things to Grill in Foil.


*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you. 

Wordless Wednesday

A sunrise at The Shack - morning chasing the fog away.

Renogy Solar Panel Review

I recently purchased a hunting cabin (lovingly called "The Shack") and currently camp there. I will someday live there and I hope to remain off-grid.  I recently obtained a Renogy Solar Panel and accessories. This is my solar panel review for dummies, by a solar power dummy.

If you are a techie, looking for in-depth technical information about these panels, you will not find it here. If you are someone interested in having some solar power, but are intimidated or if you are interested in hearing about a woman in her 50s who is bound and determined to retire in a self-sufficient cabin... you are in the right place.

Short Term Solar Needs

I currently camp at the shack on weekends or for a few days at a time.  While at some point, an electric pole was installed as was some wiring and a breaker box inside of the building, I have no utilities connected and do not plan to any time soon. However, I quickly became tired of either leaving my phone in the Jeep to charge (a bit scary when I'm up there alone at night) or having to walk back and forth to the Jeep to charge it frequently. I wanted a solar panel to charge my phone with. And wanted something that I could add on to as I began spending longer periods of time up there.

Long Term Plan

My long term plan is to place the panels outside, on some sort of adjustable frame outside with the batteries in a small cubby added on to the shack or a free-standing battery shed.  But that's long term. I have to decide what I'm doing with the shack before I decide how to house my batteries.

In the Meantime... Renogy 

Renogy 100 watt monocrystalline solar panel

When I say Solar Panel review for dummies, that's exactly what I mean.  I am just beginning to learn about watts, amps, and kilowatt hours, inverters, SINE waves, and deep cell batteries. Even though I am very early in the learning curve, I have something to say about my Renogy panels.

They are GREAT!

I received two Renogy solar panels with a solar charge controller for Christmas.  I bought myself a fairly inexpensive inverter.  I was also gifted two 12 volt batteries suitable for this project (I believe they are reclaimed electric wheel chair batteries). 

There are many reasons to love these panels but these are a few of my reasons:

• My two panels arrived in sturdy cardboard packaging. The packaging was clearly marked with "fragile" and "caution" statements. The panels arrived undamaged.
• Each panel arrived in it's own box. I have one panel at the shack and the other is being stored safe and sound in my apartment.
• Each panel has a junction box and wiring - truly "plug and play"
• Each panel has built-in diodes -- somehow the diodes keep the power from leaking back out.
• The panels are well-made and sturdy.  
• The Solar Charge Controller was easy to plug in -- wire included.
• Included wires have male/female connectors. I was sure I was plugging things in correctly.

My fears  

My biggest fears regarding starting to use solar power were things such as expense, receiving damaged panels that would need to be shipped back, having to figure out how to splice the cords to attach diodes somewhere, and not being able to set it up.

Since I received the solar panels, solar charge controller, and reclaimed batteries from a friend, the expense for the set up was extremely low. But even so, I had been pricing solar panels both online and from local distributors. Renogy panels are a great value at a low price. 

The set up was too easy.  We did a dry run in the apartment. This dry run was mostly because I'm afraid of electrical work and fires. But this turned out to be a matter of plugging things in and tightening battery cables onto batteries. Because diodes are already in place, there was no need to add them to the wires as I had seen in some videos. I repeated the set up at the cabin alone.

Christmas Lights and Cell Phones

So far, I've successfully charged my cell phone and have lighting via a string of Christmas lights (augmenting the lighting from the gas lantern I use).

So far, the solar panel does a great job of collecting the light that comes through the south (south-west) facing window. I am more than happy with the results and can't wait to see what I can power once I install the panels outside.

In this photo, you can see the edge of the solar panel as it leans against the shower stall the previous owners left behind (Yes, shower stall in a dry cabin).  Even in this spot inside, collecting light through a dirty window, I am able to obtain power. 

A word of caution -- batteries can give off fumes while charging and ventilation is important.  At this point in time, the shack is very well ventilation (read - "drafty" or "downright windy"). In a different situation, I would not have the batteries indoors.

Finally, Seeing is believing

This gentleman has made a video of the unboxing of his Renogy 100 watt monocrystalline solar panel.  His opinion is similar to mine and includes comments about the warranties.  

Related Links:

My blog is a mish-mash of personal things (from my dogs, to product reviews, to rambling stories).  But my homesteading-related adventures  and photographs can be found under the label: The Shack.

Wednesday with Words

The second half of my 2015 held some of the singularly most beautiful moments of my life, periods of heart-clenching grief, and the glorious feelings of taking the first steps of turning dreams into reality. I have both gained and lost family members during these months.  I have cried tears of despair and tears of joy - more than once.  I have wanted to share of each of those events with you; separately and in great detail.  But it all became overwhelming and too much to manage - let alone write in a coherent manner. As 2016 is in full swing, I am ready to begin sharing snapshots of some of the moments that continue to shape who I am and who I am becoming.

The Wedding

In August, I posted photos of my trip to Idaho for my Oldest Son's wedding.  His new bride is someone I liked from the moment I met her. And her family are the type of kind-hearted people you want your son to marry in to. 

My Dad

At that very same time, we were learning that my Dad's seemingly minor surgery prep (cataract removal to improve his vision) resulted in finding lumps.  A lump in his head. A lump in his lung. At the wedding in August, I learned that he was withholding information from me - he had three months to live.  

As soon as I was able, I asked him if that was true. He told me he'd be gone in November. My dad was an ornery, intelligent, hard-working man.  He was a man of his word. Even to the end. He passed on November 30, 2015. 

Me and my Dad 

My Grandbaby

I traveled from Idaho, back to Baltimore, then back and forth from Baltimore to Indiana multiple times.  I spent periods of time with Dad as he prepared to pass away. And I spent brief moments filled with great joy in my Youngest Son's family home. We chased each other with "spiderwebs" around Halloween. We watched Inside Out and I Lava You several times. And we just spent quiet time together. My grandbaby is precious and my son's presence is a healing thing for me.

Daisies

I had a dog named Daisy.  I loved that dog and miss her to this day. 

While fostering a sweet dog named Sugar, people became aware that I was saving room in my home and heart for another rat terrier some day.  That day came when a rat terrier needed a home and Sugar's family contacted me. Was it coincidence that this dogs name was Daisy too? I think not. I agreed to pick her up when I returned from the wedding.  I am a three "baby" home.  Willy, Mittens, and new Daisy.

Jobs

Now to some background - the beginning of all of the changes. Prior to the wedding (and prior to learning of my father's health crisis) I finally made the right decision to change jobs.  I was hired prior to the wedding and scheduled to begin after the wedding.  

As a brand new employee, I missed periods of time on a new job while traveling to see my Dad.  It was a surreal time. But I could not have made a better decision about changing jobs. Making that transition was one of the best decisions I've made in many years.  

Retirement Plans

Initially, I planned on transferring my meager retirement fund from the old job to new job. But the reality of the cost of travel quickly set in and I decided to cash out that retirement account.  I am vaguely aware that at age 51, emptying a retirement account is financially the wrong thing to do.  But I lived check-to-check, often with $12 to spare each pay period.  I needed travel money.  To assuage some of the guilty feelings, I promised myself to reinvest some of that money into land. Land that I could live on in my retirement.  And the closer I could get to paying cash for that land, the better.

The Shack

I have been dreaming of homesteading and moving to off-grid land for years. Much of my free time was spent browsing "land for sale" ads. I chose a small piece of land on top of a West Virginia mountain ridge. It includes a plywood "hunting cabin" that we lovingly refer to as The Shack.  

On a chilly autumn day, I drove from Baltimore to a small town in West Virginia for closing on the land.  I was not able to pay for it in full, but I managed to borrow a relatively very small amount. After I signed, I drove to the shack and sat for a bit. I sat quietly looking west across the valley. Wondering about the mysteries of life.

Then I hopped in the Jeep and drove west to Indiana to sit with my dad for awhile.

This New Year

It is now nearing the end of January 2016.  I am still reeling from all that has happened.  I am a changing person.  Oh, we all change. Whether we move forward or regress, we always change. There is no staying the same.  My dad used to say something like that. He'd say "you move forward or backwards, you don't stay the same".  He usually said that to me when I was a teen and not doing what I should. But oh how right he was.

My year was certainly full of change.There was not a nice and tidy linear timeline of events as each change completely intertwined with the next. Each event led me forward to today. And today is full of promise and love.

The Best Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Amazon Gift Card in Snowflake Tin

Oh how I procrastinate. Especially around the holidays. My shopping this year has been delayed even more than usual.  I have a few special gifts purchased and another couple of specific items in the virtual shopping cart. However, the remainder of my last minute shopping will likely be Amazon Gift cards. Thank goodness for Amazon!

I love Amazon.  I mean, I really, really love Amazon.  No one is paying me to say that (however, if you order through my affiliate link I may earn a very small percentage that does not add to the cost of your order).  I just really like Amazon. I always have. I love Amazon for many reasons but mostly because it is easy, reliable, and I have not yet had any problems with an order.

Restaurant Gift Cards

I am not a good shopper.  I don't enjoy it. I do not enjoy fighting the holiday crowds, lines, and traffic. And it seems that I am rarely able to find what I am looking for in the stores. Even outside of the holidays and special occasions, I like to order from Amazon as much as I can.  I know that some people enjoy the excitement of shopping and finding items on sale.  But the thrill for me is doing my shopping while laying here in my pajamas while sipping my iced coffee.

In addition to being able to be comfy and in my own home to do this kind of shopping, I like that I also have many options.  I can choose to send a large variety of cards - store, restaurant, entertainment, or cards that I know will be used to add books to a Kindle. Definitely my idea of one-stop-shopping.  

But more important than my comfort during shopping, I feel like if I give a gift card, the recipient can choose what they want. The item with be the right size. Or the right style and color.  

I hope your shopping has gone well. And I wish you a Merry Christmas! If you need a few last minute items, I highly recommend gift cards.

Entertainment Gift Cards