Apocalyptic Homesteading (Day 744-745)
Hello Everyone!
Sticking to routines, The value of seclusion, Thick feathered chickens, A cozy coop & Swirling hawks!
It seems like the days are going by faster now that I am trying to get back into the routine of writing each day... or at least every few days! The 'quagmire of procrastination' that getting out of a habit in the first place creates is one that by now I should really know better than stepping into.
I guess that the important part is that I sit down and do it each day or at the very minimum open the text editor and try to write something. Honestly, I have been avoiding it and not so much from a lack of inspiration.
For my part I must say that per usual this time of year I have found myself withdrawing into myself. Apparently more than 'usual' because only after a great deal of self-prodding can I get myself to respond to a simple message or other communication from folks.
There is not a whole lot to it really because its not like I hermit away for the mere pleasure of doing so or anything like that. Most of the scenarios that have caused me chaos over the years have had to do with other folks... so go figure that getting completely away (and staying away) from other humans is so high on my priority list.
A few months ago I mentioned looking at land in that flood prone area and never described much else besides a river nearby. Anyway, all the lots (small parcels of land) were so tiny that there was no way (even if purchasing a dozen of them) would there ever be enough woods between myself and others. Let alone all the public roads that were on two or even three sides of all the plots!
The more I mulled the whole scenario over the more I realized that my idea of 'privacy and seclusion' is a heck of a lot different from say someone who has lived in the suburbs (or similar urban areas) all their lives. Sure, I have lived in more densely populated areas a number of times and all but never really want to again.
At this point I have become so acclimated to actual seclusion that it is hard to look at anything else (without it) and be like: Oh yeah I wanna do that! In the case of that particular area there were other problems (like the flooding itself) that made me take a hard look at my rationale but in the process I realized just how much I value that sense of seclusion and/or privacy.
All that jazz aside. I have yet to break out all the extra tarps and blankets for the chicken coop this year and instead have just been using the severe weather tarps that I set it up with during the springtime. Thankfully the temperatures have not been staying below freezing for very long (the times it has gotten that cold) so perhaps the tarps will continue to be sufficient throughout the winter.
The way that the chicken coop is sheltered by the surrounding trees, the hillside and the cabin itself I doubt that it even gets much wind. So as long as the chickens (and interior of the coop) remains dry and whatever wind (that does make it to the coop) gets blocked they should stay plenty warm in this climate especially given how thick their feathers grew in this year.
Anyway, I have yet to cut down the many pokeweed stalks in the dog yard and may well leave them there because without them the yard would be rather bare and I have been seeing some larger birds around lately. I have yet to see (or even hear) any owls but I have seen a number of what look like hawks which could snatch one of the chickens just as easily as an owl could!
Well, I did not think that I would write all that much but wound up pecking away here for quite some time after all. It might take some late night espresso to get this all edited and posted but I may as well give it a go and see if I can pull it off. I hope that everyone is doing well and has a nice day/night.
https://peakd.com/c/hive-114308/created
Your 'issues' is so relatable!
tbh I feel like giving up on my piece of property after 1.25 years of working on it. The flood season between October to January is so disheartening, seeing majority of the efforts get wrecked. It feels like starting again and again.
Partly, I also want to live away from the society and live a simple and sustainable life, but the other part of me is forced to find a stable job, but I personally is still having the hard time passing the 'modern' job requirements and acing job interviews for more than a year already. It's like rejections one after another. But I'm slowly getting more 'immune' of those things, that I just don't care and keep adding up more rejections that I don't know if I'm numb or I just outgrow my fear. If I just have the cash, I'd just live alone in the mountains and don't care about the external world anymore.
btw Don't get tired of writing about the same problems that you encounter, people will know that you've solved it when you start talking about something new. You're growing and solving new things each time, plus you will surely appreciate yourself 1+ year from now, and maybe laugh at yourself at some point or even better have yourself a pat in the back after re-reading some older post.
Just keep solving and building bro!