OFFICIALLY OFF GRID, SOONER THAN EXPECTED!!

As those of you who have been following already know, I have been slowly working toward the day when I can tell the power company to pull the meter.  The expected time frame was at some future point, due to things like the need for a few power tools, welder, air compressor and computer.

On night of November 30, the time frame dramatically accelerated.  There was a large oak tree leaning slightly away from the house and I hadn't considered it as a potential problem.  Weather patterns here in Oklahoma, however, had other ideas.  A small tornado twisted up the tree top and uprooted the tree, placing it squarely on top of the house.  In the process, it took down the power drop cable and damaged the wall where the meter was, to the point that it could not be hooked back up.  

The house was no longer livable and used mainly for storage (the back room serving as an office) prior to this event.  Roof damage was extreme, and with termite damage below, there will be no repairs, only tree removal and eventual demolition.  With these considerations, I had the power company close my account and remove the meter.

This brings me to the point of being totally off grid.  The refund on my deposit was enough to get a solar kit at Harbor Freight, which I will install on the roof of my office area.  My computer is now at my sister's house so I can have at least limited use of it until the solar is set up.

The next step after the solar setup will be the purchase of a portable welder (ASAP) so I can weld, and run the air compressor and other tools.  This damage and lack of power tools will slow progress in some ways, and there will certainly be quite a bit of loss of storage items. 

There is an up side!  Several projects and goals are greatly accelerated.  In addition to being off grid ahead of schedule, I have greater motivation to get the portable welder that has been on the list for several years.  The process of sorting and downsizing stored items is now an immediate necessity, and the eventual demolition of the old house is a much more immediate consideration.

In short, since nobody was injured, there is some serious good even in this negative event.  I will write a post on the cleanup later.

(DF) THE NECESSITY OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN A SELF-SUSTAINING LIFESTYLE

***advance soap box warning*** This is a subject I am likely to get adamant about, so if I get on my soap box and rant and rave a bit, please bear with me. The points I will try to bring forward may be of interest.

In a society such as ours, where electricity has been readily available for many years, far too few people can remember not having it readily available. All sorts of appliances and electronic gadgets fill most homes, some very convenient, others merely annoying. Unfortunately, many of these appliances and gadgets have come to be considered a necessity of life.

This brings us to the real point of this post; energy dependence and the power utility companies have over our lives. Anyone on the grid depends on the power company to provide power to run the aforementioned electrical equipment, (thus the energy dependence). The power the utility company has over us is simple, you pay the company or they cut of the power. In most cases the company you get your power from is the only game in town, so you can't shop around; you simply pay what they ask, or do without.

Friday, the mail carrier brought me a strong reminder of just such facts in the form of my electric bill. Finances being what they are, I had paid the last bill a couple of weeks late, but still before receiving the next bill. It seems I had been one day late a couple of other times in the past year, so my bill now includes a new deposit. This deposit amounts to about four average months of electric usage above the regular charges, so my bill this time is five times the normal bill.

When I consider that I have paid my electric bill every month for the past 25 years without once having my power cut off for non-payment, this seems a bit like an insult. It is nothing personal, of course, this is the way they treat anyone who is late, with no consideration of circumstances or how good the customer has been.

The question is; What can we do about it? The answer is simple; give up electricity or get it somewhere else. But wait, they are the only game in town. Or are they? Fact is, I like a hot shower as much as anyone, and a freezer is nice, (especially when there is plenty of meat). I also enjoy having the fridge, lights, well pump and without the computer I would not be getting this information to you. The welding machine and a wide variety of power tools also come into the mix making the lack of electricity more than a minor inconvenience.

Alright, enough of the soap box. The fact is that it doesn't matter if the way things are currently handled is right or wrong, convenient or inconvenient. This is the way it is RIGHT NOW and it is up to each individual to decide how to, (or whether to), change it for themselves.

For some time, I have been looking for information on alternative energy. There is a flood of information on the net and it can get a little confusing, but the search can be worth it. There are also people out there who have put together courses on about anything you could ask for, but be careful to check reviews. There are always those who are just out for a buck mixed in with those who are legitimate. My main focus on alternative energy has been in the areas of passive solar, solar electric and wind. I am hearing some talk of geothermal but haven't checked into it yet. I have also checked into methane production, but it is pretty dangerous if not done properly, so be careful if you take this path.

Of course, there is the alternative of learning the techniques for living without electricity. I have taken this path in the past and am not opposed to doing it again, if need be, but a little preparation would certainly be in order before making such a drastic shift. Heating and cooking with wood heat, pumping water by hand and washing clothes by hand require some work but are not that bad. Preserving all the food one normally puts in the freezer, and keeping things from spoiling that would normally be in the fridge takes some planning and research. Working with manual hand tools instead of power is a whole set of skills unto itself.

Bottom line: Whatever choices we make, our level of self-sufficiency and, to some extent, our freedom depends on the power company and how we choose to deal with them.

SPOT FOR CABIN: CLEARED AND READY

Over a week ago, I posted about the location for my new off grid cabin.  The photo (which I show here again for comparison) showed a cluttered, overgrown area.  Since that time, I have spent some time cleaning up the trash and clutter and have cut a good amount of brush.  There is still some work to be done around the edges, but that can be done later as the need demands and time allows.

The next step will be to lay out and dig the footing and set up the metal reinforcement for the walls.  After that, the footing and floor will be poured.  The big delays will be finances, and cold temperatures as winter comes on, so I will be saving up for the cement and soap bubbles while taking the time to dig and reinforce.  This is going to be a slow process, but I will keep you posted.

As for the trees around the edge, most will have to go.  These last two photos show what is currently the view from where the front porch will be.  I really like the trees there, but they will grow to be pretty big, and being Red Maple, they will also have large roots running at or near the surface for a good distance, making them destructive to the house.  This is something that everyone should seriously consider when building or when planting trees near a structure.

Most of the trees, certainly all of the maples and elms, will be removed before the house is finished.  They will not be wasted, however.  Some of the smaller of the lot will make very nice, light weight walking staffs, while some of the larger maples may be used in the woodworking shop.  Others may be used for growing gourmet mushrooms.  I will let you know what I decide as things progress.

Thank you for taking the time to view this post, and please feel free to question or comment.  I look forward to hearing from you.

A SPOT FOR MY LITTLE HOUSE

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of building an off grid house (or any house) is where to put it.  Simple process, right?  Find a spot you like and go for it, right?  Well, not so much!  Many factors have to be considered, including things like flooding, water supply, air flow (very important without AC), and distance to workshop, cellar, barn, etc., just to name a few.

Just such a spot is available.  Some years back, I was married to a woman who enjoyed horses and competitive riding.  For this purpose, she needed a horse barn, which obviously had to be in the perfect location.  It had to be close to water, elevated so that no flood water would ever enter and it had to be close to the house so we could hear any sound the horses made.  The ideal location (though not my favorite) would take a big chunk out of the vegetable garden.  The only problem was that in really wet weather, water could run across the location.  No problem really, just haul in several truck loads of drain rock and top it with clay and gravel to make an elevated pad.

There were, of course, delays in getting the pad materials hauled in.  By the time it was all leveled and ready for building, my wife had become my ex wife, leaving me with a smaller garden and a barn pad.

Years have passed, ideas of what to do with the "barn pad" have come and gone, and nature has somewhat taken it's course.  Bushes around the edge have become trees and begun to work their way toward the middle.  The platform in the foreground of the picture is the floor of a storage building which belongs to my former fiancé.  We had thought to re-assemble the building and live in it, at least temporarily, but it never happened.  As you can see, moving it from the pad revealed a mass of rat nests filled with trash.

A bit of clean up and trimming and what I have is a nicely elevated, flat area 30ft x 30ft.  That should be plenty of room for a 20ft x 20ft cabin, set back in the far corner with a nice porch on two sides.  I do realize that 400 sq. ft. is a small cabin, but in my world, where most of what I do is outside, the large porch space can actually be considered living space.

With all the requirements reasonably well met, it is time to get it cleaned up and trimmed,  ready for breaking ground.  The only drawback is the distance to the cellar which was excavated a couple of years ago and is at a standstill (long story for another time).  Not too much distance, only about 50yds.  As an added bonus to this building site, the vegetable garden will only be a few steps from the front porch.  That one makes me smile a little.

Progress will be slow, as time and money allow.  Updates will be posted as this adventure unfolds.  Thank you for your time and as always, I look forward to your questions and comments.

LAUNDRY DAY (A Necessary Evil)

Like it or not, clothes get dirty.  On a homestead, with all the outdoor work and sweat, dirty equals very dirty and smelly.  Like it or not (and I don't), laundry has to be done.  No problem, right?  Just throw it in the washer and come back in a while to put it in the dryer.  But wait!  This is not only a homestead, but a homestead that is working toward off grid.

When weaning one's life from the dependency on electricity, sooner or later appliances, including the washer and dryer, have to go.  This makes laundry a whole different activity.  It can no longer be a hurried part of multi-tasking, or something the machine does while we entertain ourselves elsewhere.

One must think what it takes to do laundry.  Simple really, hot water, soap, a way to scrub out the dirt, more water to rinse and a means of drying.

Personally, I start by pumping the water.  Yes, that is an old hand dug well and a hand pump.  The bucket (nasty green plastic thing that I don't like but it serves a purpose) holds 5 gallons which equals about 20 strokes of the handle.  The whole laundry process takes 4 buckets which doesn't take long. This will sound like a lot of work to some people, but it is also a form of multi-tasking, as switching hands on the handle gives both arms a good workout and saves on exercise time at the gym.

But wait!  I said hot water!  Obviously, this well is not producing hot water and is certainly not pumping it through pipes to a water heater.  The electric water heater is another cord that has been cut in the efforts to go off grid.

Heating water is an age old process and my Grandmother's old cook stove still works quite well.  It only takes a few minutes to get the fire started, and other chores can be done while the fire does its work (multi-tasking again).  The large stock pot full of boiling water is enough to make the remaining 8 gallons of water too hot to put your hands in, so it has to cool for a while, leaving time to do more things (on this particular day, it provided time for further testing of building materials for a previous post).

If you need an element of danger to make this all exciting, here it is.  Carrying a pot of boiling water 50 feet across the, not so smooth, back yard should qualify.  A little caution and all is well.

With water in the tubs, it's time for scrubbing.  Nothing quite like an old fashioned wash board.  At this point, I can almost hear people complaining of sore and bleeding knuckles.  I have heard so many stories of knuckle damage from the washboard that I have lost count.  However, I have never experienced that problem.  Maybe I'm just not doing it right, as I never use my knuckles for scrubbing.  I use the flat part of the finger between the first and second knuckle instead, and make a point of not letting skin touch metal.

Hand wringing of heavy items such as jeans, between wash and rinse and after rinse, can make the hands a little sore at times, but nothing too serious.  If one wants to ease this problem, there are hand crank wringers available.  Having had access to one in the past, I will say it makes it easier, especially when there is a lot of heavy items to do.

What soap to use?  I am currently using a good quality, natural coconut oil based soap from the dollar store.  It is a bar soap (which I prefer) and it works quite well.  Home-made lye soap is my favorite, but this will serve until I can find time to make up a batch.

All done and taking advantage of the sun and wind.  The whole process took about an hour from start to finish (excluding heating time).

I won't say this makes sense for everyone, but for me it really does.  For my purposes, it gives me more control for adding more clean to the areas that get dirtiest, like the front of pants legs and shirt collars.  Also, for me at least, it is a peaceful activity that doesn't take a lot of thought, which allows my mind to wander creatively.

As added bonuses, doing laundry this way only takes about half the water, none of the electricity and I don't have to hear the low level noise of the machines.  With the use of all natural soap, the water can also be recycled into the garden for irrigation.

As I said, not necessarily for everyone, but for me it is just another step toward off-grid self-sufficiency.  Thank you, and as always, I look forward to your comments.

CEMENT AND SOAP BUBBLES (UPDATE)

Today, I repeated the tests on my aircrete samples.  The first tests were done at 1 week of cure time, and it has now been curing for a full 4 weeks.  Please remember that these tests are a bit crude and not at all conclusive, just a way for me to get enough information to decide whether to use it for a house or not.

The compression strength test is a little better.  It failed at 8 strokes of the press as opposed to the 7 strokes required 3 weeks ago.  This is in comparison to the 10 strokes required for failure of the side wall of an old concrete block.

It still dented and broke apart under heavy hammer blows, though the dents were not as deep and it took more blows to break it.  Subjective I know, but being a blacksmith, I have a pretty good feel for hammer blows.

This stuff is still not bullet proof, so in the event of a tornado, small hard objects might be thrown through it, though larger pieces would probably not (no guarantees here, just speculation).

As a side note, the piece that was floating in a bucket of water finally absorbed enough water to sink last week.  So much for the house boat consideration.

Considering that these tests were done on 3in. thick samples, I am convinced that an 8in. thick wall, reinforced with steel, will have the strength and durability needed for a small house.  Since people don't normally shoot at my house and hopefully nobody will be beating my walls with a hammer, I am seriously considering aircrete as the material for my new off grid cabin.  Unless, of course, some new material comes along for me to play with before I get started.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and I look forward to your comments and questions.

A HOUSE MADE OF CEMENT AND SOAP BUBBLES? MAYBE! (Part 1)

Before I explain this silly title, please bear with me while I lay out some background.  I will try to be brief.

For many years, I have intended to build a small, off grid, house or cabin.  I don't like large houses, so something in the large tiny house size range should suit my needs.  Style and building materials have been the real questions.

Standard wood frame construction is one obvious choice, as is the classic log cabin, but both have some down sides.  A few examples are termites (or the alternative of insecticides), rot and fire.  Also, square lumber tends to equal square corners.  I am not fond of square corners.

Natural stone is a consideration, and I have lots of stone.  Unfortunately, the stone I have is not good building stone.  Stone structures also tend to be damp and cold in winter, making insulation an issue.

Foam construction is another option.  Free form construction, insulation value and insect resistance are all on the plus side.  However, it IS plastic, and honestly, I am not sure I can picture myself spending the rest of my life in a foam ice chest, no matter how awesome it might be.

Cobb and earth bag both seem to be reasonable materials, and could serve my purpose well.  Availability of material is one major consideration standing in the way.  They both take dirt, as opposed to the mix of dirt and rock (heavy on the rock) available on my property.

Other methods seemed less reasonable, so it seemed that wood frame would have to be the choice.  Treated wood and as much metal and stone as possible should work well enough.

Quite unexpectedly, a couple of months ago, I met an individual at an event, and talk turned to alternative construction.  He mentioned aircrete (aka cellular concrete).  Yes, as the title of this post implies, cement and soap bubbles.  If you find the thought absurd, you are not alone.  My reaction was politely skeptical to say the least.  However, as the conversation continued, it became clear that, at the very least, there would not be issues with termites, rot or fire.

Further research found claims of strength, versatility and excellent insulation value (even in the far north).  Low material cost and minimal equipment also hit the positive list.

Despite all the positive reports, I am always a skeptic.  I want comparisons and test results before I am willing to spend the time, work and cash based on what I hear.  Not finding test results. I am making my own.  Parts 2 and 3 of this post will include, equipment and proceedures, and test results.  I look forward to your questions and input.

Thank You for your time and interest.

STARTING OVER

Yes, I am starting over, AGAIN!  It has been quite a while since my last post, and during that time, things have changed.  While it is the same property, a variety of setbacks have not only prevented progress, but have actually taken things backward a few steps.

Health issues have prevented much needed work, relationship changes have taken lots of time away from projects, and the natural processes of decay and deterioration have taken a toll on buildings and equipment.  This is the short list of most prominent factors.

On a much more positive note, my health is greatly improved, delays from relationship changes are almost finished,  and I am much closer to being off grid.  I am also researching and testing alternative building materials for a new dwelling.  Many important lessons have been learned during this time and many wondrous challenges and blessings have forced me to grow.

As I move forward on this path, my hope is to pass information along to you on as many projects, helpful tips and workable techniques as possible through posting on a regular basis and, hopefully, the occasional video.

I look forward to sharing this awesome journey and answering (or at least helping find answers to) any questions you may have.

Thank You

WELCOME TO HARE BRAIN FARMS (lets start with a little history)

I purchased this little farm about 28 years ago.  Not a bad place, a bit grown up, fixer upper house and barn, 25 acres with road frontage.  It had some cleared ground, wooded hills and plenty of rocks.  At the time, it seemed reasonable to sell my place with the little, off-grid cabin that most people without four wheel drive didn't visit.  Why did I think this was a good idea??  Lets just say that I was younger, with less clear goals, and there was a woman involved, and we can leave it at that.

Since that time, I have worked toward turning this place into a self-sufficient, off-grid homestead.  Over the years, there has been some progress, some set backs, and lots and lots of distractions.

The house turned out to be one of those fixer uppers that needed (but didn't get), a bulldozer and new construction.  Instead, a lot of time and money that could have been used toward my goals for the place have been spent trying to fix up the house.

During the time here, there have been relationships and marriages, each one lending their own advances , lessons and delays.  Time out for a college degree and short career as a field biologist was also a big one.

In case anyone is wondering where the name came from, it is based on a hateful remark by a then wife, and my purely sarcastic reply.  I am, and always have been, on the search for small ventures which will bring in a little cash, while forwarding the dream of self- sufficiency.  I mentioned to said wife that I thought raising meat rabbits for the market might be a good one.  The reaction was her usual degrading, belittling tirade, none of which I now recall except the statement,"just another one of your hare brained schemes."  My reply was a quick and most sarcastic, "yes it is, and it sounds like a good name for the farm too".  The name stuck, and almost twenty years later, this is still Hare Brain Farms.

This is only a brief historical overview to bring us to the here and now, though I am certain historical perspective will pop up from time to time.  Now, my fiancee and I are moving forward to combine our farms and dreams, (and yes, she and I are on the same page).

Thank you for visiting and I look forward to your comments.