Getting Off The Grid - Running Late

Welcome to my journey to get off the grid and making a homestead.

The week of the 11th to the 17th. was a back and forth week, normal for me at this time, at this point in life.

This month the temperatures have been higher than normal and rainy for Alabama so I am not sure how this will effect the fruit trees, I did not get to tap the trees to make syrup, the main reason being that many I want to tap could be underwater this week with all the rain, so I do not want to waste. All I can do it note it on my book about this year and try again next year.

I have the area cleaned now and I just have a few small pines to drop and its ready to build on.

My Work Week - February 11-17, 2019

Monday -  I made cheese! I had read a blog about making cheese at home and without any special equipment. I made two type instead of just one, I just used 1/2 for each type so I got two 8 ounce containers. I made plain with just salt, a little to much salt!, and its more like a soft mozzarella and I made pepper Jack and I let it set out longer to get a little harder and it turned out wonderful!

Tuesday - I slept all day, it rained. As I have been told I do deserve a day off. Yes working on the homestead is hard work but once you get used to it, it feels normal to get up and chop down a tree.

Wednesday - I worked at the old home place, cleaning the tree debris. While I had one day without prediction of rain. This needed to have been done a whole back but was not so I decided to get this part done, I worked a couple hours and got most of it contained to the back edge of the property, this property is not large but on the side of a mountain so the work feels harder. I just have small stuff to move now and I will take a tarp with me next time and try to get all of it in one pull down the hill.

 Thursday -  I cut down five pine trees, dragged some limbs to the street. I concentrated on this for the day since there was no rain yet, I am using an electric saw so I have to plan. Five down and twelve to go!

Friday - Pulled brush to the street, I had a pile by the driveway that needed to be moved so I could work on this side of the driveway, I burned the raked up pile of chopped blackberry bushes, pine straw and poison ivy vines (I used a mask). I did not have a full day to work so I did what I could in a couple hours, the fire was past dark and I was lucky it did burn all the way because the rain came.

Saturday -  I cut the last of the vines in the area I want cleared, cut some small branches off the pines with the loppers, next I began cutting on the south side of the property against the fence, the other side of the driveway, I want this clear for a building or parking. I dragged more brush to the street for pickup. I have all of the cut down limbs to the street except a few pine limbs. I am sure I will get those moved before the next pick up. I also sowed more tomato seen in flower pots, big boys this time, after all its only a month till Spring!

Sunday - Took off because of the rain and went into town.

The weather is all crazy right now, as usual for this time of the year in Alabama, but we are having an entire week of rain coming for the 17th. till 24th. I have not gotten to use the wood chipper! I put it in a closet.

What to do while it rains and you are stuck in the house? 

Plan! Plan the garden and what you`ll plant. 

Look for the seeds or plants you will be planting.

Draw up the plans to the new building, look at costs and compare building to buying.

Clean house! Since I have been working outside I let the inside slide. Get rid of clutter, best time of the year to do this, new year, clean and clutter free home.

Clean out the deep freezer, take inventory of what you need for the next growing season so you can plant.

How was your past week on your homestead? 

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

I am still making progress on this homestead, getting a store built. For now I am just selling online, so check out my online store for homemade lotions, soaps and more. All made as natural as possible. Sunshine`s Homestead Creations. New scent added this week! Honey Almond.

Getting Off The Grid - A Week Of Work? Or Not?

New mint coming up 2019

Welcome to my journey to get off the grid and making a homestead.

Well, the weather turned bad with a severe drop in temperature, from 79 degrees down to 45 degrees, with the last cold front so that first day kept me inside being such a shock to my body and another kept me inside with rain.

Although I do love the warmth of the 70`s I am not ready for Spring to arrive just yet, after all its just February! I want the long sleeves on and the gloves to go to work because I get less cuts, scrapes, briers and poison oak. But if its in the 70`s I tend to shed all the extra protect because I am over heating. Nonetheless, I work in most any weather condition, that is what you have to do on a homestead. 

With that being said I won`t do a week of working on the homestead since I took more than one day off to go to work or it was cold or wet. However, much did happen. 

Monday the city did not pick up the huge pile of brush I put by the road, I called and for some reason they had skipped this road but they came during the week and did get every single limb, I was impressed because this pile was huge! As in fill up a dump truck huge.

Calhoun county dump

I made it to the dump! I got rid of that truck load of yard trash, as I unloaded it at the dump I seen I had a lot of mental, so maybe someone will pick it and make a few dollars. I had ordered the wood chipper on Friday Feb. 1st. and it arrived the next  Tuesday, I put it together but the weather has been to bad for me to take it out and use it.

New wood chipper

I finally received the big boy tomato seed, I got a couple seed not labeled so I am guessing they are the free seed the company mentioned when I emailed them about my order, more big boys? Who knows but I will plant them separate. Next plant date will be according to the farmers guide as best date to plant or sow seed. 

Blackberry bushed and vines covered in pine straw

One afternoon after I got off work I did have 2 1/2 hours before dark, so me and the dogs walked a few laps around the fields then I got busy on the last section left to clean up on the area I plan to put a building, maybe another small greenhouse, the worst section! the section that has every vine or thorn I can think of area. I cut my way to the small pines in this area and then trimmed all the lower limbs, why trim the lower limbs? because its easier to work with the overgrown blackberry bushes, the vines and the saw briers underneath and not get your eye poked out. I was on a roll and I got ALL of it done except a few blackberry bushes over to one side, I did not want dark to come.

I was told by someone that seen the last work, with the pines standing alone, " Looks like what the German people do, clean the forest" I was happy with that compliment :) But I will take a saw to those small pines because they will shade my future greenhouse.

Another evening when I had about an hour I cleaned under the wild cherry trees. I see they are about to began to bloom, I would like to maybe get a few berries this year. Make up cough syrup.

New cleaned area for the dogs, summer shade

Saturday  I had to work both jobs so I took advantage of being in town, I stopped by Lowe`s home improvement store and bough the fencing for the new summer dog area and a few step in posts.

And on Sunday I rested.

Plans :

This week is supposed to be warm again but rainy also, the rain will rule my progress outside. At the moment everything is electric, the wood chipper and the saw, so if the work is not done with the loppers or a rake I won`t be clearing any.

I think its time to tap a tree for sap, I have charged the drill and will pick a day to try this for the first time. I hope I get this right the first time.

That was my week on the homestead.

I am still making progress on this homestead. For now I am just selling online, so check out my online store for homemade lotions, soaps and more. All made as natural as possible. Sunshine`s Homestead Creations. 

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

Getting Off The Grid - January Rolled Into February

Welcome to my journey to get off the grid.

The end of January and the first few days of February were so different but so predictable for Alabama. Snow predicted one day and a few days later a nice 70 degrees!

I was looking for the seed to arrive in the mail this week but they never came so I emailed them and they told me that they would arrive in 10 day with free seed. I won`t hold my breath I ordered the big boy tomato seed on January 7th.!

The baby tomatoes, beef steak, are growing and I am hopeful they will make plenty of tomatoes so I can home can enough for 2 years of tomatoes and tomato based sauces.

Monday - Although I did not get into "the bush" I did get the garage cleaned out, sometimes things I need are put there and I know not to buy more. Its good to do an inventory to refresh my memory. 

Tuesday - The cold front came in so the temperatures drop 25 degrees from the day before making it a shock to the body so I took the day off and rested up.

 Wednesday - I have new lightweight loppers and although its still cold outside the sun was shining so around 2:30 pm I went out and cut more down in the area I am working on, mostly dead blackberry bushes, saw briers and poison oak vines. I trimmed lower limbs off more of the small pine trees and took them to the one pile. 

I got to thinking if I had a wood chipper I could make my own mulch with those pine branches. I might check prices for the wood chipper.

Thursday - After work I came home and cleaned out the flower beds by the deck, I still like a couple but some work on them was better than none at all.

 Friday - I worked two jobs all day, being a landlady and a caregiver, so no work got done on the homestead at all. I ordered a wood chipper and it should be here next week, invest a little and save a lot. 

Saturday -  This was my day off so I got busy with a new project that I have been wanting to do for a while, I started on the area behind the garage. It has never really been cleaned up and junk found its way back there, like a grave yard for junk. I pulled the truck up beside the garage and I loaded it up with plain trash and unwanted junk! I do have a truck load to haul to the dump. After I got that loaded up I got the push mower out and cleaned up around the greenhouse where grass had grown up and I did not get it cut before the winter came. I am sure I worked 5 house.

Sunday - Another beautiful day with temps around 70 degrees. Behind the garage I raked and cleaned a path for the fence to be put in, just passed I continued to clip down the small bushes and make a nice pile to be dealt with later, still out of the way. I also went down to the greenhouse and cut back a few of the small bushes that the lawnmower would not cut, I started in the wooded area on that side and clipped my way through to the new clearing I already had going. I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel so next week I will need to cut down more small pines with the electric saw.

That was my week on the homestead.

I am still making progress on this homestead. For now I am just selling online, so check out my online store for homemade lotions, soaps and more. All made as natural as possible. Sunshine`s Homestead Creations. 

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry