Where we started our off grid homestead

Where we started our off grid homestead

12/1/20 by Charley King

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/115964299
Episode: https://anchor.fm/s/9522f48/podcast/play/23353975/sponsor/an6dgh,aan2vs/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2020-12-01%2F0fa025c5f880bda885891eeed3582b73.m4a

This episode Shelly and I share our back story of how we started our off grid homestead journey.

Fascinating podcast with a lot of good advice, if you don’t mind listening to a strong Texan accent.

December 4, 2020 Night

Good evening! Mostly cloudy and 43 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ˜ There is a south breeze at 6 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 7 pm. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

Lately I’ve not been doing evening blog posts ๐Ÿ“ but it’s a fairly nice evening for sitting out back at least by December standards. ๐ŸŽ„ I have my coat ๐Ÿงฅ on but I’m comfortable as there isn’t a breeze. I figure the more time I spend outside, the less chances of catching the COVID.

Speaking of the COVID, ๐Ÿ‘พ that New York Times county level COVID data ๐Ÿค“ is quite interesting and I am going to experiment with it for making maps and other content for the blog over the weekend. I also want to do more reading ๐Ÿ“– on the book ๐Ÿ“™ I got about homesteading, ๐Ÿšœ and do some soldering projects. Definitely get dreaming about a better tomorrow, looking at all that rural land on Zillow. ๐Ÿฎ

Except for the rainy Tuesday morning and my lazy then rainy Monday ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿป, I’ve been walking every 12 hours around the 2.5 mile super block around the high school ๐Ÿšธ. It’s good exercise although I a admit I’m getting a bit bored with it. It just feels so redudent but it’s good exercise and a safe walk at night without many road crossings although part of the walkway is pretty dark this time of year. I do go opposite directions in my morning and evening walks. No walking tomorrow with the cold rain expected.

Did a quick wash of my truck today, went to the store and the library to work. ๐Ÿ–ฅ I also bought a small space heater fan, โ™จ something I thought about getting for years but never did. But working at home this winter โ„ I wanted something I could turn on to quickly warm my hands ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป especially after walking outdoors without heating the whole apartment by raising the main gas radiators downstairs or the expensive to operate electric baseboard upstairs which I’m loath to operate and always stink the few times I do use them. Plus now I’m well stocked on groceries for the weekend. ๐Ÿฒ

Tonight will have a chance of rain, mainly after 4am. Cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 36 degrees at 4am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 30th. South wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2019, we had clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 28 degrees. The record low of 2 occurred back in 1989.

Tonight will have a Waining Gibbous ๐ŸŒ– Moon with 78% illuminated. At 10 PM, the moon was in the east-northeast (76ยฐ) at an altitude of 18ยฐ from the horizon, some 237,276 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. ๐Ÿš€ At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by June 2nd. Buckle up for safety! ๐Ÿ’บ The Cold โ˜ƒ Moon is on Monday, December 21. The darkest hour is at 11:47 pm, followed by dawn at 6:39 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:10 am in the east-southeast (120ยฐ) and last for 3 minutes and 22 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and one second later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 7:55 am with sun in the southeast (128ยฐ). Tonight will have 14 hours and 48 minutes of darkness, an increase of one minute and 11 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have a chance of rain before 10am, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a high of 38 degrees at 8am. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 8th. Breezy, with a north wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 38 degrees. The record high of 65 was set in 2001. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1902.โ„

Definitely a stay at home day tomorrow. ๐Ÿก But I will have plenty to occupy myself as long as I’m good and stay off social media. ๐Ÿ“ฑ I should just completely turn off my phone tomorrow. Maybe I will.

In four weeks on January 1 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (239ยฐ) at 4:32 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 10 minutes and 39 seconds later then tonight. In 2020 on that day, we had cloudy, mild temperatures snow showers and temperatures between 40 and 34 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 31 and 16 degrees. The record high of 57 degrees was set back in 1966.

I honestly don’t think 2020 was that bad, ๐Ÿค” certainly not for me. But I’m really ready for a new year and a new start. I kind of enjoyed all the oddities of 2020, made some good money and great memories โ›บ, traveling and working remotely. ๐Ÿ˜ท I guess the pandemic was kind of bad for a lot of folks but I liked the change. ๐ŸŽ„ And a Merry Christmas to you on three weeks. ๐ŸŽ…๐Ÿฟ

Looking ahead, Bake Cookies Day ๐Ÿช is in 2 weeks, Christmas ๐ŸŽ… is in 3 weeks, New Years Day 2021 ๐ŸŽ‰ is in 4 weeks, Bubble Bath Day ๐Ÿงผ is in 5 weeks and 38th Birthday ๐ŸŽ‰ is in 8 weeks.

 Struggling Fire

Earlier today I started looking at properties in rural Missouri on Zillow. ๐ŸŒฒ

Earlier today I started looking at properties in rural Missouri on Zillow. ๐ŸŒฒ

Not because I’m in a rush to buy anything but with the stock market up it gives me a chance to dream – 50 acres of scrub and rough land in the hills down there near national forest is pretty affordable down there. Hard though to find many off grid properties or tiny houses though on Zillow. I don’t want a big fancy house, just land and things are simple as possible. Some beautiful wooded properties though out in the hills.

I know that the numbers in the market are not real and there is big give backs coming but it’s good to dream and ride the bucking bull while young. It’s still another 17 years until I’m 55 years old and if I stay the course – and responsibly move more towards bonds it’s a good future eventually. Zillow is a lot of fun to browse and get an idea of what is out there in other areas, even if ultimately boots on the ground and ultimately living there for a while is the best way to get to know the land.