Energy

Living off the grid is always a challenge in the energy department.  My house came with 16 solar panels, a back up diesel powered generator, and some very sorry, bloated, worn out batteries.  The first order of business was to replace the batteries with ones that would last and actually hold a charge.  It didn't take long to realize that we were still a little short of energy.  My hard working male relations put in a nice yard around the house, but pumping enough well water to keep it green was taxing the limits of my solar panels.  I just put in 8 more which seem to be doing the trick quite well, unless the sun doesn't shine for days at a time.  Thankfully the former owners recommended a wonderful solar expert to help me with all of this.  We call him Solar Bill.  Now that we have enough power, it is just a matter of using it at the right time.  Some high energy chores are best done in the middle of the day, or when the generator is running.
I've also started conserving my personal energy.  I find ways of combining trips into town and making a loop to get everything done. (hit the bank, post office, gas station, feed store, pharmacy, grocery, etc)

Sometimes there is more than one way to get a job done.  We recently turned the daunting job of ridding my large garden of weeds, over to two goats and a pair of lambs.  In addition to adding a real country feel to the space, they effectively devoured the weed problem and added some fine organic fertilizer in the process.

Finding Purpose

I acquired my cat Amaranthe 3 years ago.  She was a stray, starving to death, and although I'm not a cat person, I took pity on the poor creature and fed her, took her to a vet, and eventually adopted her.  She is not a very friendly cat.  She sleeps on my bed and sometimes allows me to pet her.  She hates my grandsons and runs for cover when they come near her.  She tolerates the attentions of my more quiet granddaughters, but would never be described as charming or sweet.  I've come to accept that she is what she is and not expect anything more.
When we moved to our new home in the country Amaranthe came with me and took up residence in my bedroom where she could quickly hide if approached by an undesirable visitor.  One night shortly after moving here I was awakened by a terrible yowling.  I wondered if I had forgotten to feed her.  I stumbled in the dark to the bathroom and found her food bowl full.  I returned to the bedroom and turned on the light.  There at my feet was Amaranthe with  a dead mouse.  Not eating it or playing with it, but presenting it to me as a gift.  We had been struggling with the vermin problem of country living and had set out traps and bait stations with little success.  If she hadn't just killed a mouse I would have kissed her right on her little cat lips!  Over the next few nights I continued to leave my bedroom door ajar and frequently she would bring me a mouse, or two.  No more yowling, thank goodness.
I am grateful that the indoor vermin population has been reduced to zero, but I am confident that if one of the little creatures sneaks in Amaranthe will make quick work of him.

So I didn't know Amaranthe was a mouser.  I thought she was pretty much useless, but I just hadn't found her calling yet.  Be careful about judging others.  They might just need a change in environment to fulfill their purpose.

My Country Roots

When I was two years old my parents moved their four little children into an old farmhouse.  It was on 80 acres of land owned by the Whittier school district, my father's employer, and was destined for eventual demolition and the construction of a new high school.  Until that time it was available for rent (cheap and affordable for a school teacher) and was a delightful place for our little family to spread out and grow.  We lived there for four glorious years.  These were years that shaped my little soul and imprinted me with a need for space and love of the country lifestyle.  At Six we moved to a nice suburban neighborhood where I lived happily until I left home to attend college.  Eventually I married my sweetheart Sheldon, a real city boy, and we raised six beautiful children, in the city.   Even though our employment and lifestyle required city living, I never really got over my farm roots.  I loved animals and we always had a variety of critters, everything that was legal to own in the city and some that might have been stretching the zoning laws.  A few years ago, shortly before his death, Sheldon bought me a horse.  My special son David named him Hay Pee because of his demonstrable ability to pee in the hay.  I felt my country roots begin to swell, and it was only a matter of time before they took over.  The result was that I sold our city house and bought a lovely little ranch in the wilderness.

So here I am.  Not far geographically from where I lived before, but light years from my former lifestyle.

My new home is on 5 acres of land, "off the grid."  This means that I have to make all the energy I use, pump all the water I need.  I'm getting a real education!  In spite of the challenges of country life, I immediately felt at home at Rainshadow Ranch (the name given by former owners.)  David and I are working hard to make it our home.  Hay Pee is here with us, with 3 other members of his herd.  I've also invited my mother Daphne Osborn and sister Patience to winter with us away from the winter snows of Utah.  So here we are, fulfilling my childhood dreams.