Getting Off The Grid - Last Week Of January

I can`t say that I will miss January, for some people January means a fresh and new start, to me it just means unpredictable weather and Winter. A month that either you start seed inside or have nothing to do, after all it does not take a month to plan the Spring/ Summer garden.

The most depressing event I encountered in the past few days was the opening of the monthly power bill. It is extremely expensive! With the weather being so cold the heat was on a lot. After all 9° is not normal for central Alabama, especially not a couple weeks. 

So ...... The discussion for my homestead is now going to " how to better heat this home." I will do the power bill winter pile up and see how much power we use and go from there, see if propane would be cheaper or should I just began to chop wood all Summer. I would love to do the wood but I am not so sure Tony can handle that with his bad lungs. What I do need is a very nice solar system.

On The Homestead :

There is not much going at the moment here but I have been bring on some help. 

Tree limbs down by my uncle tractor.

Help from downed trees that is, a form of heat if need be. A couple months ago it got bad here and we had no power for days, that meant no heat.

More About no heat click here : Off The Grid Two Days

I have not cut any trees on the homestead just yet because I have several downed on other property that had to be cut and removed.

Big logs left behind

Yesterday we worked on those, well one, and I have two more to cut and remove.

I am bringing the wood home and stacking it for future use. It was cut in small lengths so that it fits in the fireplace, and they are small so I do not think this one will need chopping. No sense in letting it just go to waste.

For The Garden :

Bell pepper to the left and tomato to the right

I managed to get another good planting day, according to the moon phases, to re-pot the rest of the tomatoes. I have nine tomato plants and six sweet green bell pepper plants.

Since it takes a very long time to place seed in the ground and for fruits to come on eggplants,  I sowed seed for eggplants " Black beauty" are my favorite. If its Gods will, I will have many plants and not get stuck paying $3.50 per plant.

I also sowed seed for Cabbage. If its gods will once again, I will have my own cabbage plants to set out before the Spring tender plants go in. Cabbage can take the cooler weather.

new seed .25 per pack!

I also picked up more seed while at another dollar tree. 

Stockpile :

Nothing this week at all. Just enjoying the fruits of my labor of the past year.

Learning : 

Since the rainy season is here I have began to see more and more mushrooms.

If I have my camera with me I do snap photos so that I can identify them when I get home or near the computer.

While at work Yesterday I see these growing on a rotten stump. I am not sure but they do look like oyster mushrooms. I will not harvest any till I am sure.

February is near and so is Spring :)

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”