Feb 22 2009- Just an update.

Well, I'm not crazy! Thats the conclusion I came up with after reading so many blogs about other people doing all the things I dream about, and all the people who also have the same dream but hav'nt got around to it yet, for what ever reason. It is now confirmed that I am not alone. I can't believe there are so many people with the same dreams as my own. I tip my hat to the full time RV'rs, van dwellers, off gridders, survivors, frugal homesteaders and such, and even the people who dream about it. There are so many interesting blogs out there, that I can't even keep up. The more I read about people doing the things I love, the more eager I am to get started on my own projects.


My goal for this year is to just get out there, I just want something rigged up to live through a cold winter in and I would also like to try my hand at some gardening. That should'nt be too tough, although I might need a little moral support on the gardening thing. Once it warms up a bit, like maybe April or May I plan to rent my place out in town, and live in my rv while the shack is being mastered. But not for sure just yet, still making plans. I do have a potential renter and I think she would be great to have if it all works out.



There is a well down below and closer to the creek, with a hand pump. 19 pumps I think it is and I have water starting to flow, I hav'nt tested the water yet. But my plan for now, is to put in a cistern up top and just haul my own water from town. I will then pump the water from the cistern to a smaller holding tank inside the shack as needed. This way I should avoid waterlines freezing in the cold winters, as I don't really want to be running power for things such as a heat tape. The inside tank will probably be about 50 gallons and I am unsure about the cistern, but the bigger the better. I will deal with the well at a later time.




I am equipped to haul my own water and it would'nt even be much of a chore, if I go to town or work there is a fill station I pass right by that I could use. I can water the garden etc from water from the creek if need be. As for putting in a cistern or any other dirt work, I will be doing it all myself. I bought an old JD rubber tire back hoe a few years ago, just for this purpose. I shopped around for quite awhile and got to know a good deal when I saw one. Of course it needed a little bit of TLC at first, as is with alot of things you buy at an auction. I have done a few jobs with it for various different customers over the years, but I never did get right full time with it. Most clients were people I know, you know the ones that think I am supposed to work for free. They got a surprise. lol. It costs money to operate things like that. Theres always something for expenses. I kinda thought a backhoe would be the ultimate acerage machine. Excellent for any lifting, landscaping or digging and it works really well for plowing snow, which is a major concern for a man in living Northern Alberta. I think I would be kinda lost without it.

Anyway, so just a bit of an update just so you don't think I forgot all about my plans and dreams. I am doing alot of thought about permits and all that lately, I am thinking that I will probably have to build a sewage treatment mound, although if I can legally get by without it, I will. It would'nt be to bad though, the major expense on that would be transporting of the materials, (sand, topsoil, washed rock), But then I do drive a truck for a guy and he does own just the thing to haul all that with. I can't see it costing too much. The rest I would do myself with the hoe. Anyway, catch you all later. Thanks for stopping by. I'll update somewhere down the line.

Feb 2009

Well, it has been about a month since my last blog. Thought I might as well throw something in here. I have been thinking and talking about living the simple life for a lot of years now. When I think about it though, I am already living the simple life. I can't see life getting more simple than this. I turn up the thermostat and the heat goes higher, I can spend about an hour in the grocery store twice a month, and I am in groceries. Everything is paid off, so it really dos'nt take much to have all the bills paid. I could put in 4 good solid days at work and it would all be handled easily. But is it really living? I don't know, in my line of work I live by the cell phone. When it rings, I usually curse a little then answer it and then shortly after I find myself on the road heading for work. It gives me a gut wrenching feeling evertime it rings, as it is usually work phoning. I love the things I do at work, but the lifestyle is really getting to me. There was a time when I was kinda greety and things were going really good, it did'nt matter then. But it wears a guy down after time. I work in the oilfield in northern Alberta area, hauling heavy equipment such as cats, track hoes, buggies, and generally anything in the construction and logging industries. I do enjoy it and the money is exeptionally good if you want to compare it to general hiway freight type hauling. It is all by the hour and there is usually a lot of overtime paid out. I am in the bush alot and see all kinds of wildlife and different mountain and country scenery, and I actually get paid for it. So it is going to be really tough to pull myself away from that. But then again, things are getting slower all the time. Hate to say it, but it actually makes me happy. It is alot easier for me to make decisions this way. This is actually what I have been waiting for, so I had better get after it. Once I am all settled in, I guess I could always do some part time stuff if things pick up, although I would really like to be able to survive without any work at all. Kind of a game I guess. Just to prove to me, that it can be done.

I don't have a strict written in stone plan. I always like to wing it. I like to think I am free to change my mind on any of my own plans that I would like to and not feel guilty about it. I do have alot of different ideas and plans, but I know from experience that not everything goes as good as planned. Sometimes nothing does. I am thinking about things like permits and all the legal stuff. Or should I just shut up and do things in a different way? I'm undecided at the moment. I would like to do everything legally, but will they allow my ways? Guess it all depends. I know one thing, I would not do anything to knowingly harm any land.

There are power lines that run right through my property, that I could very easily hook into, but that would be cheating. In the long run it would probably be cheaper than solar, but my interest for solar energy wins. If ever I do wish to connect to the grid in the future, I guess I could always sell power back to them with my setup. If that can legally happen in Alberta. (Guess I should be more up on my investigations, but I've always learned these things when the time comes). There is a 16' x 24' garage on the property that I am thinking about converting to a cabin. Here again, kind of undecided, I might build from scratch. The size would be perfect for me though. Not much area to heat. I am thinking a small airtight wood stove and also a propane heater of some sort for when a man is away for prolonged periods. I put a new floor in this garage last summer. Insulated and 2x8 studding. For what ever I use it for it has a good floor in it if nothing else. Although my property is in the country, it is still not very secluded. I would really like to be further from civilization but I guess this will have to do for now. At least I can walk outside and not be stared at. I'm really hating the town life.

I am more in the thought process of it all at the moment, not much is physically going to take place until spring or summer as I am still doing our winters work off and on I am planning on at least finishing the winter haul season. The picture is my potential dream shack. It surely does need some work, but it's not too bad. I put some skids under it and can move it where ever it may need to go.