CalamityJane's Journal

[calamityjane]

I like the idea of vermiculture, but I've never tried it. The authors of Extreme Simplicity swear by it, especially for humanure composting. I just have a regular old compost pile. It serves my needs pretty well as I don't produce a lot of organic waste as a single person.

[ebowleper]

I like the idea of vermiculture, but I've never tried it.

I used to have a little hive of worms, and loved it. It’s like a strange wriggling pet…and you kinda get attached to them. Maybe like growing a living, real sim city? I kept them directly in the ground (covered by an old carpet, or two carpets in the winter) under a solid shade tree, which was easier & cheaper than building or buying a worm bin. But you can move them around to different patches of yard — assuming decent shade and moisture levels — and cultivate great soil one patch at a time with almost zero labor.

Sadly, I moved away after a breakup and lost my worms. I still wonder how those little dudes might be doing. It’s definitely on my list to get a new colony started!

[calamityjane]

Financial
Well, it’s only January, and the budget for the year is already busted. It was a dark and stormy night…what’s that dripping from my ceiling? A trip with headlamp to the attic revealed a rusted out hole in my metal roof. Luckily I caught it pretty much right away and was able to put down a bucket up in the attic before any rotting or mold occurred. After a few weeks of frustrated contractor-wrangling, I even got it repaired before the next rain. $1500 lighter, I’m the proud owner of a new section of roof.

I find this to be the most frustrating part of home ownership. I have the cash set aside for unforeseen repair/replacement expenses and I know full well these surprises are baked into the costs of ownership, but it still annoys me. To a certain extent all irregular expenses are of this nature, but over time I’ve been able to average them out and get a good sense of where to set my budget for the year. Not so with roofs that suddenly decide to leak, water heaters that give out, or stoves that are down to one functional burner.

On another note, this is the first month in over a decade that I have not contributed anything to my Roth. This is nothing unplanned or surprising, and in fact was supposed to happen in January of 2022. Still feels weird though.

Homesteading
I have come across a few intriguing opportunities in the past month, and very nearly drove out to visit an off-grid property. It had a converted shipping container that was already somewhat renovated, along with solar and a community well, on 5 acres for $40,000. But it ended up being a little too far in the boonies for me. It was 1 ½ hours from my current location, almost 3 hours from the city, and at least an hour away from any amenities besides a gas station. I’m not quite ready for that level of hermitage.

I revisited the Intentional Communities website, and there’s a new community up north that is a possibility. They seem down to earth and cognizant of practicalities, communal in the sense of shared activities/certain resources, but not property per se. The land is being sold off in 5-acre parcels for $30,000, and development of structures is the responsibility of the individual owner. So not just a dumping ground for tents and old trailers for people who want a free place to live and party.

A woman in one of my Facebook groups also has a 5-acre plot that she wants to develop into a female-only community. This would be a rental agreement, not sure yet about the details, but shared greenhouse, some meals, etc. I will probably try to talk to her in the coming weeks.

Cooking
I have finally gained mastery in a few staples that bring me closer to culinary DIY. After a couple years of tweaking and experimenting, I found a bread recipe that is both easy and good. Tortillas were always pretty easy, but remembering to make them consistently with my tortilla press has stopped my desire for store-bought convenience. Most importantly, I finally got my pizza dough to the point that I’d rather make it at home than spend even a bargain $6.99 for a 2-topping Domino’s special. Added to my ever-expanding soup repertoire and produce from the garden, I’m feeling good about the frugality, creativity, and healthfulness of my menu. Next stop, chickens (for eggs, not meat)!

[calamityjane]

Financial
Holy cow, those markets! Between investments, house equity, increased pension, and cash savings, I am somehow up a whopping $100,000 in net worth from this time last year. Not bad for a very partially employed slacker. I realized that this kind of shift actually changes my financial picture significantly, even though I have not changed my planning significantly. Namely I think I have moved from a phase of wary planning for shit-hits-the-fan scenarios to suddenly realizing I’m probably going to end up with more than I need. Especially because once I hit 65 I will have around $30,000 in inflation-adjusted annual income between my university pension and Social Security. I’m almost 46 now, and have yet to start drawing down my investments. What would even be a SWR when I get to that point? More than 3%, that’s for sure. Anyway, I’m sure not complaining, but it has put me in an unexpectedly tricky position. Somehow, it’s easier for me to optimize when my options are limited. Right now that means trying to decide between diverging paths of urban vs. rural living and the various stay home/venture forth options within those paths.

Homesteading
I reached out to the woman who owns property and is looking to build a community. Questionable commentary regarding psychic abilities and COVID vaccinations aside, she seemed pretty cool. However, I some red flags went up when she seemed overly focused on the income component. Her goal primarily seems to be having other folks pay off her mortgage – nothing wrong with that, but not really conducive to building community. She also wouldn’t tell me how much she wanted to charge for rent, but vaguely mentioned a number of improvements I might be responsible for financially without any ownership. Yeah, no.

I also contacted some folks from the Intentional Communities website, but have not heard back yet.

Instead, I’ve been more serious about looking at properties for purchase. I don’t have an agent yet, but I’ve driven out to get the lay of the land on a few. There’s one that definitely has my interest. It’s 11 acres near the mountains, with good tree cover, access to water, and even electric if I want it. There are two existing nice solid adobe buildings on the property. It’s more than I would like to pay in cash for property, but I could afford it even without selling my house right away.

In the meantime, I’ve been renovating my floors and making some other improvements to my bathroom. The more I do to this house, the less I want to leave. This is much less a financial decision than an emotional one, and I’m still not sure where I’m going to land. My garden situation here is not ideal, but I’m improving the shade structures this year and already have some greens in the raised beds and tomato/pepper plants started inside. And the peach tree has flowers!

Volunteering
I’m extremely frustrated right now with my primary rock art recording project. The administrators of the refuge where we’ve been working are making it apparent that they don’t prioritize cultural resources in general and this project in particular. It’s been like pulling teeth just to get the director to answer my questions, let alone give us the keys to go out there. It’s likely I will end up writing a report that leaves out a few of the sites. It’s incredibly short-sighted of the refuge to turn down free labor that benefits them, but it is what it is at this point.

I’m supposed to be doing on-site training for another archaeological organization, but that keeps getting bumped for whatever reason. Pretty soon it will once again be too hot to be doing field work, so this year might be a wash. I am still going in to help out at the homeless shelter one day a week.

Creative
I continue to get a lot of satisfaction from my watercolor sketches and seeing my skills slowly develop. Writing seems to have taken a back seat for the time being. I have actually been pretty busy heading a search committee for work and doing house renovation projects, so have fallen out of my routine somewhat.

Health
Just finished up my annual break from alcohol. I don’t drink enough that the health or mental benefits of quitting are significant (somehow I actually gained weight??), but it is a good reset to remind myself not to make it habitual. My mental and physical health have been really good overall. My physical exam brought up no concerns, and I’m working with my therapist on an exit plan for the next couple months.

[Bicycle7]

It's cool you're looking into intentional communities! What do you hope for with community living?

It's nice to hear your efforts to best use the property you have for homesteading/gardening and considering if a change would be best in the long term.

[calamityjane]

Thanks, @Bicycle7! I've been interested in intentional communities for years, but so far I'm finding it difficult to find one that resonates. I don't want a situation that's financially communal per se, just to live in proximity to a group of folks who share common interests, goals, and certain resources. Community gardening in particular seems like a win-win. In my ideal community, everyone would have their own separate domicile (preferably small, off-grid, and sustainably built) but meet up regularly for meals, projects, and conversations. I'm thinking I might take the Field of Dreams "build it and they will come" approach.

[Bicycle7]

The separate living units reduces a lot of potential social friction. Sharing meals can be a great and natural way to build community.

It's nice you can be patient and explore different communities while also having the option to scale it up yourself and have others join.

I've really enjoyed gardening at the intentional community that I live at, we keep bees, chickens and have an annuals garden along with plenty of fruit trees.

[calamityjane]

I bought off-grid property!

I have been looking seriously for a couple of months, and recently found realtor in the area that most appeals to me. It combines natural beauty, remoteness, cheap land, few restrictions (specifically the need to install a septic system or build a permanent structure), and good geographical location. I guess that last one is debatable…it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but that means to me it’s centrally located . The drive is 1-1.5 hours from where I currently live and almost 3 hours to a big city.

I looked at a few different places, none of which fully fit my interests. From a ramshackle, mice-infested trailer on treeless land to a relatively expensive but fully-equipped solar/propane house, I was looking for something in between. I was somewhat compelled by a converted shipping container home, but didn’t love the property.

When I went back for a second look, I decided to look at another property in the same area. Immediately I knew that was the one. Though there are no structures other than an outhouse, it’s on 5 acres halfway up a mountain, with plentiful pine trees and no close neighbors. The clincher for me, besides access to a community well, is that it is right next to the entrance to a wilderness area and days and days of hiking.

I made an offer right away for slightly lower than asking (it had been on the market for a long time), and it was accepted. What I will end up paying is low enough that I can not only pay cash, but wait awhile before moving out of my current house. I can take my time building it into somewhere I could live permanently and maybe have other people join me there as well. To put it in perspective, it is less than I would pay for a decent used car or RV. The money I’ve earned just this year in my part time contracting position will cover it. The only expenses besides property taxes are an $80 annual HOA fee to get the roads cleared, which seems like a good deal to me. Even if I don’t end up hanging on to this property for whatever reason, it is a good investment.

At 8,000 feet elevation, it will be a challenge to live there year-round and I’m glad I don’t need to figure that out right away. I’m glad I can take my time and figure out exactly what I want to do. In the meantime, I’ll be spending lots of time out there this spring/summer/fall camping out, exploring the land, observing wildlife, and slowly starting to build some version of a little homestead and my own renaissance skill set.

[AxelHeyst]

Congrats, this is super exciting!!

[UrbanHomesteader]

Wow, congratulations! I'm super curious to know what part of the state it's in. I can think of a few possibilities.

[ertyu]

How exciting! Will be looking forward to pictures and how you're getting along with it. Congrats on a new stage unlocked.

[Western Red Cedar]

Congratulations! The property sounds like a great buy. It seems like it represents an ideal outlet for a lot of your extra time and energy after finishing up with your job. I hope this is the beginning of many exciting new adventures for you.

[calamityjane]

Thanks, everyone! I am very excited. @urbanhomesteader, it's located SW of the Very Large Array and the San Agustin Plains, right on the edge of a huge swath of public land. The remoteness will definitely take some getting used to. I love camping in those areas, but a few days is a lot different from weeks at a time. It will be a new level to unlock for sure. Glad I can take my time with it.

[calamityjane]

Financial/Homesteading/Big Life Changes
Last week I wired the funds and received the deed for my homestead. I spent the weekend constructing a yurt/bell tent, building a shed, and setting my footprints in the dirt.

Over the past month I’ve acquired the following supplies:

-Metal shed kit
-Canvas tent
-Cooler (frugal win, was going to buy a new one but found a better one at the thrift store for $10)
-Decking tiles
-Chainsaw
-Bowl, silverware, pan
-Shovel
-Fencing
-Air mattress
-Pillows and pillowcases

Other than supplies I already have, this is the bare minimum of what I need to make my property into something more than a basic campsite and something less than a homestead. In reading off-grid forums, it seems most people recommend taking at least a year before deciding on a permanent layout or starting on any big construction projects. That way I can get a sense of the land and what I actually need and want before committing. There will be other costs in the coming months, but I don’t want to settle on what kind of structure to build until I consider all factors. Right now I’m leaning towards a shed conversion, but am also considering a wood cabin, adobe or camper.

Expenses:
Supplies ~ about $1,000
Property ~ about $16,000 (Valued at $18,000)
Total so far: ~ $17,000

[calamityjane]

I tried to add a couple of images from Imgur, what am I doing wrong?

[mathiverse]

This worked for me. Go to the Imgur link. Right click, choose "Copy Image Address," then use that url as the link between the image tags.

Here is the difference between the urls you used (the first two) and the urls I got using the above process.
https://imgur.com/tUK5meE --> https://i.imgur.com/tUK5meE.jpeg
https://imgur.com/5RpUUx9 --> https://i.imgur.com/5RpUUx9.jpeg

[theanimal]

That looks like a lovely set up!

[calamityjane]

Thanks, @mathiverse and @theanimal!

[UrbanHomesteader]

Congratulations! It already looks like glamping!

I think the idea of waiting a year to observe the land is a great one. On the other hand, if you feel a surge of energy to do something with your new spot, I wouldn't want to stop you!

[ertyu]

What a wonderful, peaceful place.

Observing is good, if only to see where the water tends to go and so forth