Memories of Moving
Doing schoolwork under the canopy during the weeks that our home was a camper
We lift up in prayer the millions who are experiencing hardship in the cold with no electricity right now. Let it be a wake up call to the rest of us to be prepared for the unexpected when the systems we trust may let us down.
One year ago when we moved to this off-grid homestead we knew we were in for adventures and a lot of hard work. The night we moved in was no exception. The little chicken coop was reassembled with the help of friends and family since our animals had to move with us the same day. There was not yet a fence around our living area, so to avoid invasion by our curious and potentially destructive goats we had to build a quick fence before going to bed. All the children went to bed except Evenstar, who helped Silver Oak build fence around the camper area while I unpacked the many boxes crowding our already very limited space in the camper. We got to bed early the next morning, and the goats were fenced out! Our possessions were safe unless they broke in as they did the first week after the move. Blah!
It may seem backwards, but for over four months on our new 20-acre homestead, the goats, chickens, and horse were running freely outside the fence and we were “penned up” inside. It got better as the year progressed and we got more and more fences up. Whenever a new fence was finished it was always exciting because it gave us more freedom to plant or do other things without animals getting into it, or it allowed us to separate animals or keep them from escaping.
The morning after the move...putting finishing touches on the new fence around the camper
We were penned in...
...they were shut out
The chicken coop and Evenstar's rabbit hutch, seemingly setting out in the middle of nowhere
Living in a camper for six weeks was challenging with eight of us sharing that little space and no other place to go except outside or into one of the sheds. We did make one corner of the big shed into a temporary office for Silver Oak even before it was refurbished, but it was kind of like being out in the elements in some ways. Fortunately the weather was lovely so it was refreshing to be outside, where there was plenty of work waiting to be done. We did schoolwork under the canopy and cooked on the gas stove in the camper or the grill outside. We probably missed our piano and a second bathroom more than anything. When we did finally move into our 350 sq ft tiny house, it felt huge!
There was no place to store outdoor things as well as many indoor things when we moved, so it got stacked out in the open area between the camper and the northern property line. As we settled in, the assortment of “junk” grew larger and larger. It was good and very useful junk, but I thought it looked horrible, especially since it ended up being the main view out of my kitchen window after moving into our tiny house, so I named it “the graveyard.” Much of it was good lumber waiting to be repurposed, left over from someone else’s projects. We have built many things from that lumber this year at very low cost, so it was a valuable “graveyard.”
Included in the “graveyard” were stacks of stepping stones and landscaping blocks, concrete blocks, bricks, large planters, used fencing, used propane tanks, 55 gallon drums, tires, PVC pipes, five gallon buckets, water storage tank, sets of wooden steps and rails, gates, tubs, and many other items that are extremely valuable in developing a homestead inexpensively.
I am happy to say in recent months we’ve relocated almost all of the “graveyard” contents to more desirable places and it’s being transformed into an orchard and garden area. The fencing is in the back pasture waiting to divide it into paddocks, the plumbing is stored on brackets hidden behind a board fence, and the lumber is in the “lumberyard” behind more board fence. Now I love looking out my kitchen window at the 10 newly planted fruit trees and a few volunteer tomatoes and squash growing in the garden area.
The "graveyard"
Another view looking toward the house
Starting the big job of clearing the "graveyard" this summer
We got up an hour early many mornings to move things bit by bit
The new lumberyard
This is all that is visible of the new lumberyard from the house...a fence made from someone else's discard pile
We hauled in and spread decomposed horse manure to prepare a garden area where the "graveyard" once was
The new garden area as it appears now
The big shed had to be refurbished before moving things into it. We had sold or given away a lot of our furniture and other belongings before moving. But the rest, including many books, keepsakes, camping gear, stored clothing, and filing cabinets, had to be moved from their temporary places in town within the first month or two after moving here. Restoring the big shed became a huge priority to meet those deadlines. It has been such a blessing to have that extra space to store supplies or anything else we don’t have room for in our tiny house.
Refurbishing the big shed
Finished except for the paint job it still needs
The adventure of getting our tiny house ready to live in will have to wait till next time. I’ll be sure to share lots of pictures.
Blessings,
Linked w/Morris Tribe, Natural Living Mama, Chicken Chick, Growing Home, Backyard Farming Connection, Frugally Sustainable, My Simple Country Living, The Wilderness Wife, Natural Living, Homemaking, Live Renewed, A Rural Journal, Simple Lives Thur., LHITS DYI Linky, Farm Girl Fri. Fest, Farmgirl Fri., Ole’ Sat. Homesteading Trading Post, and Seasonal Celebration.
I so very much enjoy reading your blog! Thank you for keeping us posted with your adventure. Ya’ll have very much inspired me to take a hard look at the things I take for granted, as things can change without a moments notice. May God bless and keep you all.
Thank you for the encouragement, Constance. The Lord is faithful!
I love reading your blog too. Gives me inspiration and hope. God has truly blessed you all.
Readers like you help to encourage us in the Lord. Thank you for being there.
This looks like lots of work and a whole lot of fun as well. What made you decide to move off grid in the first place? You can send me a blog post about that if you want. God Bless.
We’ve been moving that direction for several years, but thought we would gradually wean ourselves from the grid as we were able. We wanted to not be so dependent on a “system” that could so easily and quickly fail. When we were forced to move and God provided this property for us to purchase, we ended up going into it “cold turkey” out of necessity because it was too expensive to run power back to where we live. You can read more here (http://www.livereadynow.com/surviving-when-technology-fails/) or (http://www.livereadynow.com/preparing-to-live-without-the-power-grid/).
Your place looks lovely! You’ve been through quite the adventure! I’m looking forward to looking through your blog and seeing the tiny house! With most of our 9 kids grown up now, my husband and I have been talking about selling and building a tiny house just for us and our disabled daughter, and for the time being our 10 yr old son!
It sounds like you enjoy adventure too! I would love to see your progress with your tiny house (when you start). Most others we know who are living in “tiny houses” are single or married with one or no children. I’ll hopefully post most of the pictures of our tiny house next week.
You all sure did a nice job on the big shed – it turned out great!
Thanks, Lisa. We had help from a few good carpenter friends for parts of it. Now I can’t wait to paint it!
What a great job you did on that shed! It looks great.
Thank you! Today we actually trimmed out the doors in white…next comes the red paint…I can’t wait!
thank you! i needed this so badly!! we move monday!! please note my new email addy and drop me a line please!!
Oh Tammy, I’ll be praying for you. In a year from now you will have memories to look back on and see how the Lord has brought you through as well!
Hello, I’ve only just found your blog and I’m so pleased I have! I love your barn, and I’m even a little envious of the graveyard!!! I can’t picture 350sqft of living space for 8 people, I’m off to nosey around and see if you have any pics of the house too!
Janie x
So glad you stopped in! Our tiny house is a converted semi trailer. But we also use a camper for an extra bathroom, schoolroom, and guesthouse. We just completed a large covered deck that connects the two trailers, so that gives us some wonderful space to live in as well. We started out in just the camper, so everything we add makes it feel so much roomier.
That graveyard really has been a blessing! Most of the items contained in it were picked up free or at a minimal cost. We have completed all sorts of projects with those things! But I AM very happy to not have to look at it all the time anymore!
I’ll be posting updated pictures of the house within the next week.
You are indeed an inspiration to us all Rose Petal. xo
Thank you for the encouragement, Nancy.
Thanks so much for sharing your journey. I’ve really enjoyed reading and will continue to do so!
I found you over on Simple Lives Thursday!
Come say hi!
Eliza
Thanks for stopping by, Eliza, and glad you enjoy reading our journey.
Wow, what an amazing amount of work. I really enjoy reading about your journey, thank you for linking up with the Clever Chicks this week; I hope you’ll join us again!
Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
Thank you for the opportunity! Glad you’re enjoying “the journey.”
Wonderful update! And it’s looking beautiful! Congratulations on your Off-Grid Anniversary… you’ve really accomplished a lot. And I can only imagine all the skills, lesson, character, and memories you and your family have made along the way.
Blessings for many more years on your homestead,
Amy
Thank you for your encouragement, Amy. We hope it is an encouragement to others that it can be done, for God’s glory.